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48 Articles

By the time you read this, the United Kingdom will have elected a new government. Both of the main parties’ election manifestos make encouraging noises about supporting our country’s creative industries. Both also promise to make Britain an attractive destination for investment into artificial intelligence, whilst ensuring its “safety”. These commitments are, unsurprisingly, lacking in detail. But what’s striking is the disconnect between them. Neither manifesto acknowledges the transformation that AI is expected to bring about within the creative sector. AI-generated music is at a tipping point. Within a few years, it will be possible to generate complete tracks that sound indistinguishable from human-generated music, simply by typing in a few prompts. This will happen well before effective regulation can be set up. It will happen long before legal cases about copyright…

Warm Audio WA-44 Ribbon Microphone

The rise of Warm Audio has been one of the most striking industry success stories of the last decade. From humble beginnings back in 2011, they’ve become a dominant force by maintaining a laser-sharp focus on their core business strategy. Warm Audio’s mission is to make classic recording hardware available to everyone — and as the business has grown, their vintage recreations have become increasingly ambitious. I was particularly impressed by their reproduction of the AKG D19, which I reviewed last month. As far as I’m aware, the WA-19 is the first ever attempt to faithfully replicate a vintage moving-coil dynamic microphone, and as such, must have involved a huge amount of work. Practically nothing in that mic would be available as an off-the-shelf part, so it no doubt represents a…

Warm Audio WA-44 Ribbon Microphone

UE Pro UE150, 250 & 350 In-ear Monitors

Ultimate Ears have been manufacturing in-ear monitors since 1995, and have built up a large range of custom models catering for different budgets and usage scenarios. They’ve now developed a range of more affordable, universal models designed as a first set of high-quality IEMs for musicians, focusing on comfort, sound quality and durability all at a modest price. The range as a whole is called PerformFit, and comprises three sets designated, in order of price, the UE150, 250 and 350. These, respectively, feature one, two and three balanced-armature drivers. Build quality seems very good, and all the units are beautifully presented in eco-friendly cardboard with a QR code linking to instructions. A tough, sensibly sized ABS shell case is provided, which should protect the IEMs in a gig bag, possibly even…

UE Pro UE150, 250 & 350 In-ear Monitors

Meterplugs Loudness Penalty Studio Audio Analysis Software

Mastering engineer Ian Shepherd has worked with developers Meterplugs to create several software tools: after his Perception AB and Dynameter plug-ins came the Loudness Penalty website, which analyses your mastered audio files and tells you how much streaming services will turn them up/down on playback. It works very well but, being a browser-based service (the processing is done locally in the browser; your files aren’t uploaded to the Internet) it isn’t always easy to integrate into your workflow, not least because only one file can be analysed at a time. Now, Loudness Penalty Studio provides the same service and much more — not least the ability to actually hear the impact of loudness normalisation — in a convenient app for macOS and Windows. In Use Installation is quick and easy, and authorisation…

Meterplugs Loudness Penalty Studio Audio Analysis Software

Hayakumo Izarai Passive Stereo Monitor Controller

Based in Japan, Hayakumo make a small range of useful high-quality studio gadgets, including one of very few standalone VU meters currently commercially available that can be properly calibrated. Their Izarai is a thoughtfully designed and nicely assembled passive monitor controller. Overview The Izarai’s black, brushed-metal case allows the controls to be nicely spaced, without the unit being so big that it ever feels like it’s cluttering your desktop. Thanks to the use of a four-pole, 23-position rotary switch, it can attenuate the stereo signal from unity gain down to full attenuation, with accurate stereo tracking. There are 2dB increments in the -50 to -20 dB range, where the finer resolution is arguably more useful, and larger 5 or 10 dB steps at the lowest and highest parts of the range. There’s…

Hayakumo Izarai Passive Stereo Monitor Controller

PSP Flare Dynamics Plug-in

PSP’s new Flare compressor has all the familiar controls found on a typical compressor — there’s a choice of auto release or manual attack and release times, adjustable ratio, threshold, peak or RMS level detection, look-ahead and side-chain filtering. But it works somewhat differently from most. The concept came from sound designer, mix and broadcast engineer Paolo Pasquariello, who wanted a compressor that would take account of the density of the incoming signal, not just its amplitude, so that it could better level out the perceived loudness. I get where he was coming from too: I’ve often had to use lots of level automation on dialogue and vocal parts where some syllables with small waveform amplitudes come across subjectively louder than lower-pitched ones with a larger amplitude. Flare is available in…

PSP Flare Dynamics Plug-in

Sampleson Haptic Perc Modelled Percussion Instrument

Sampleson seem to have a bit of a thing for virtual instruments with a slightly quirky streak. That’s certainly true of Haptic Perc. Under the hood, this uses physical modelling to create percussion sounds and provides a modest number of preset starting points organised into Bars, Membranes and Metallic categories and that include a conga, bongo, pot, zurdo, metal bar, triangle and a water tube, among a few others. As shown in the screenshot, the user then has a number of parameters they can change to adjust the sound created by the modelling. When purchased, Perc (which works with AU and VST3 hosts) is supplied in two forms; a ‘synth’ and an effects plug-in. With the former, you can simply insert it as a virtual instrument and trigger the selected…

Sampleson Haptic Perc Modelled Percussion Instrument

MoMinstruments Elastic Melody Synth & Sequencer App For iOS

Oliver Greschke of MoMinstruments will be well known to long-standing iOS-based music makers for his very popular Elastic Drums app. First released some six years ago, it is still one of the best drum-synth-meets-groovebox apps you can run under iOS and the only real shame is that it doesn’t also exist in a desktop format. Oliver’s latest offering is Elastic Melody, which runs either standalone or as an AUv3 plug-in. So, if you like the idea of a self-contained app where you can experiment with up to three different monophonic synth-based sounds, each with their own step-based sequencer lane that supports comprehensive automation, plus some cool global effects, then Elastic Melody ought to appeal. A Quick Tour The screenshot included here shows the synth engine and the main step-sequencer environment. The controls…

MoMinstruments Elastic Melody Synth & Sequencer App For iOS

Blackstar HT-1 & HT-5 MkIII Valve Guitar Amps

Valve guitar amps have a character all of their own, but most models that are built for the stage are too loud for home studio use, as they generally need to be cranked up to a certain level to hit their tonal sweet spot. Blackstar have created practical solutions in the form of the 1W HT‑1 MkIII and HT‑5 MkIII amp heads, both of which are revisions of previous HT‑series models. In addition to their low‑power credentials, both models feature direct recording to a computer over USB‑C, with access to the company’s respected CabRig speaker emulation software, which we’ve covered in previous reviews. The physical presentation is much like a full‑scale head, though obviously these aren’t quite so large: at around 26cm wide, the HT‑1 MkIII comes in a ‘lunchbox…

Blackstar HT-1 & HT-5 MkIII Valve Guitar Amps

Myburgh M1 Valve Microphone

Producer, engineer and connoisseur of high-end audio gear Andrew Myburgh is a South African now resident in Berlin. For someone looking to build high-end studio microphones, that’s about the best place you could possibly end up, and Andrew has recruited two of the biggest names in the field, Andreas Grosser and Eckehard Dux, to collaborate on the design of his first product. All three individuals are experts on vintage mics, but, refreshingly, they haven’t set out to recreate a particular model from the past. Instead, they’ve used their joint experience to create something new that builds on those classic designs. The result is the M1: a no-compromise, multi-pattern valve capacitor microphone. One Love The review M1 arrived in a black Peli-type case with cutouts for the power supply, the cable and the…

Myburgh M1 Valve Microphone

Polyphonic Synthesizer Gamechanger Audio Motor Synth MkII

In 1681 Robert Hooke presented a device to the Royal Society that used a toothed wheel to produce tones of a known frequency. There have been plenty of devices since that have used rotating discs to produce audio, but the high speed, small size and precise control of Gamechanger Audio’s motors have led to a compact device that can easily fit on a desk. No need to split it in half like a Hammond B3, and notably more portable than Thaddeus Cahill’s 200‑ton Telharmonium. Rather than serrated tonewheels, however, the Motor Synth primarily uses light to generate a selection of wave shapes. An infrared beam is shone onto a pattern printed on the underside of each rotating disc, and the reflection is read by a sensor. There is also an electromagnetic…

Polyphonic Synthesizer Gamechanger Audio Motor Synth MkII

Slate Digital Virtu Online Assisted Mastering Service

Virtu is a machine-learning-based online mastering service: you upload your tracks (stereo WAV files, ideally at 44.1 or 48 kHz, and no bigger than 200MB), then choose from a few options and, after deliberating for a few seconds, Virtu will select 15 seconds of your uploaded track and create a preview of a mastered mix. If you like what you hear, you pay, and can upload the mastered mix to your streaming platform of choice. If not, you can try with different settings. Originally offered only as part of Slate Digital’s All Access Pass bundle, Virtu is now available to non-subscribers, who get two free credits on registering payment details (though note that the non-subscription version costs a little more per track). Overview Virtu defaults to a Universal mastering style, but you can…

Slate Digital Virtu Online Assisted Mastering Service

Tascam Sonicview 24 Digital Mixer

Most people who have been involved with audio will have owned or at least used something with a Tascam badge at some point. The company are well known for producing high-quality, practical products, and have been chiefly associated with the recording industry at various levels. I myself have owned (and still own) various Tascam portable recorders and replay machines, and they have given great service over the years. Now Tascam have turned their considerable expertise to the production of a new digital mixer, the Sonicview. There are two basic versions available, in a choice of two sizes, known simply as the Sonicview 16 and Sonicview 24. In the US, they are marketed with the suffix ‘XP’ and include an IF-MTR32 32-track recorder card pre-installed, whereas in Europe the recorder card…

Tascam Sonicview 24 Digital Mixer

TC Electronic Ampworx Amp & Cabinet Modelling Pedals

Affordable digital amp and speaker modelling has been around since the original Line 6 Pod launched way back in 1998. Many manufacturers now offer a selection of amp models, onboard effects and speaker cabinet emulations in a single unit, but there’s an emerging trend for pedals that model just one specific amp and speaker setup in great detail — for example, in recent years, Universal Audio’s UAFX range of amp models has attracted a lot of praise for their tonal accuracy and playing feel. The latest company to adopt a similar paradigm is TC Electronic, with the Ampworx range. Features The DSP-powered Ampworx series comprises six single-amp pedals, the amps being modelled at the component level. There are currently three ‘vintage’ and three ‘high-gain’ models, though there may yet be more to…

TC Electronic Ampworx Amp & Cabinet Modelling Pedals

iFi Pro iCAN Signature Headphone Amplifier

UK-based iFi currently offer around 50 products aimed at the hi-fi market, but some may appeal to the professional audience too. I was recently sent their flagship Pro iCAN Signature headphone amp/preamp to review, and this latest model is a high-power, high-quality, balanced-headphone amp that doubles up as a preamp and simple monitor controller. Compared with their original iCAN, it features audiophile-grade components throughout, an upgraded power supply, selected valves, an infrared remote control and a Pentaconn 4.4mm balanced headphone socket (more on that below). iFi have clearly put a lot of effort into the design, and the asking price reflects that! Overview The Pro iCAN Signature looks roughly half-rack width but it’s taller than 1U, measuring 213 x 193 x 63mm and weighing 1.9kg. The substantial top panel features arced cooling…

iFi Pro iCAN Signature Headphone Amplifier

Arturia PolyBrute 12 Polyphonic Synthesizer

Very occasionally, a manufacturer decides to throw everything it knows into the creation of a flagship synthesizer. Eschewing simplicity and intuitivity (did I just invent a word?), the designers’ task is to make everything possible, even if this means that the musician will have to think about how to program and play the resulting instrument. Sometimes, the additional complexity means that almost no-one will ever plumb its depths, and many of its advanced features will never be appreciated by the masses unless, perhaps, one of its more interesting sounds is plastered over the latest TikTok sensation. On other — perhaps rarer — occasions, the hardware and software design is clever enough to reveal the underlying power while avoiding the worst excesses of arcana, allowing the likes of you and me…

Arturia PolyBrute 12 Polyphonic Synthesizer

Reflector Audio Square Two Active Monitors

When I decided I to design and build my own set of studio monitors, one thing I picked up pretty quickly is that speaker design is a set of compromises, the most obvious being a triangular plotting of size, low-frequency extension and output level. If it’s small, it won’t go very low, and if you use EQ to correct for that, it won’t go very loud. If it’s small and loud, it won’t go low, and so on. Another is that in order to achieve full frequency extension at a reasonable volume and with reasonable bass extension, you’ll need more than one driver to cover the whole frequency range. This is a deviation from the theoretically perfect but physically unachievable speaker, known as a ‘point source’, which radiates all frequencies perfectly…

Reflector Audio Square Two Active Monitors

Spitfire Audio Spitfire Symphony Orchestra Sample Library

Does anyone out there need a sampled orchestra? Spitfire Audio has them in all shapes and sizes, from the slimmed-down Originals to the gargantuan Colossus. Then there’s Albion One, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Abbey Road One Orchestral Foundations, the Abbey Road Orchestra project, etc. Faced with this ever-growing product list it would be easy to overlook Spitfire Symphony Orchestra, a major enterprise which once occupied pride of place in Spitfire’s catalogue. The library has now been relaunched as a revamped all-in-one 345GB collection that brings together several of the company’s cornerstone libraries in a kind of symphonic homecoming. At the heart of the collection (which we’ll call SSO) is Spitfire’s Symphonic Strings/Brass/Woodwinds trilogy, each of which was compiled from the earlier British Modular Library series (see ‘Product History’ box for details). Also…

Spitfire Audio Spitfire Symphony Orchestra Sample Library

BeesNeez Lulu Tube Small-diaphragm Capacitor Microphone

Australian pro-audio company BeesNeez have been making microphones and accessories for over 20 years, and owners Ben and Veronica Sneesby are rightly proud that they manufacture all of the key parts of their products in house. Their website reveals an impressively large range, which is categorised into four ‘series’ of mics aimed at different areas of the market. These include their own bespoke high-end designs, as well as models that attempt to recreate the sonic characteristics of specific vintage mics of German and Austrian heritage. Although aimed at the professional market, the higher-end models in these series, in particular, seem very competitively priced when compared against other boutique options. The subject of this review comes from their more budget-friendly Studio series, which, whilst still aimed at professional studios, is priced within…

BeesNeez Lulu Tube Small-diaphragm Capacitor Microphone

Austrian Audio The Composer & Full Score One Headphones & Amplifier

It’s five years now since Austrian Audio launched their first product, the OC818 capacitor microphone. Since then, they’ve built up an impressive range of mics, headphones and related items. Until now, all of them have been targeted at studio applications, but with their new open-backed headphones and matching amp, they’re making a pitch for the hi-fi market too. And thankfully, it’s a pitch that is based in science, rather than the pseudo-science beloved of some hi-fi manufacturers. This is particularly evident with the new Full Score One headphone amplifier. Designer Paul Weinreich has written a lengthy white paper explaining the thinking behind the circuitry, a fascinating document that covers practically every aspect of the design. The most striking takeaway from this is the focus on transient reproduction, which in turn delivers…

Austrian Audio The Composer & Full Score One Headphones & Amplifier

Acustica Audio Sienna Sphere Live Remote Collaboration Service

Different musicians might want a remote collaboration system to meet different needs. For non-real-time tasks, project management features such as organised file exchange might be a key element, while for real-time interaction, high-quality, low-latency audio is important, and a video link might be too. Mainstream products such as Dropbox and Zoom can help, but some would prefer a more integrated approach. Accordingly, there are now several products specifically targeted at musicians, including Elk Live, which we reviewed in SOS July 2023. In The Round The subject of this review is Acustica Audio’s Sienna Sphere Live, which aims to provide a ‘project management’ platform for remote collaboration. A subscription-based product, it includes a web interface that’s designed to allow the subscriber to share projects both offline and online with collaborators. The host needs…

Acustica Audio Sienna Sphere Live Remote Collaboration Service

Moog Labyrinth Synthesizer & Sequencer

Having spent some time wandering the pathways of the Moog Labyrinth I can confirm that it is a bit of a maze. While you can approach it through a single, unicursal thought process, it will quickly pull you through cunning and elaborate multicursal branches of unexplored ideas. It has enough twists and turns to keep even the most curious Minotaur trapped within its electronic explorations. Will you conquer the Labyrinth like Theseus, or lark about within its folds like Bowie the Goblin King? I may be mixing up my Greek myths with the Muppets but whichever path you choose, Moog promise you a classic adventure. Let’s just hope we don’t end up in the Bog Of Eternal Stench. The Labyrinth is an interesting departure from the usual Moog trajectory. The form…

Moog Labyrinth Synthesizer & Sequencer

4MS Catalyst Sequencer & Controller

The Catalyst modules are based upon a module of the same name from Emblematic Systems. However, 4MS have turned it into two modules: a controller, like the original, and a sequencer. Both versions of the module are available within the firmware of a single module via a special combination of button presses, and the faceplate is reversible if you’d like to stick more permanently with one or the other. They are very different, though, so it’s likely that you’ll end up with two. The front panels look relatively intuitive but that’s quite deceptive. The Catalyst modules are cleverly multi-levelled and use multi-coloured illuminated encoders to hint at where you are and what you’re doing. Just fiddling around with them didn’t get me anywhere, and it wasn’t until I dug out the…

4MS Catalyst Sequencer & Controller

ALM/Busy Circuits Mega Milton

ALM describe the all‑analogue Mega Milton as a ‘smorgasbord’ of handy utilities, “designed to greatly extend the functionality of a Eurorack system”. They’re not wrong: flip it on its side and you’ve got something like a miniature system of five or six individual modules (in fact, a 1U version with this precise layout would not be unwelcome in my system). I say ‘five or six’ because many of these have little bonus features that really help give the Mega Milton its raison d’être. At the top is a stereo ‘Line‑Euro’ level converter, which also works as a dual‑mono breakout. Next down is a four‑input summing mixer. Below this is a slew limiter, then a sample & hold circuit with noise generator (also with its own output). At the bottom is…

ALM/Busy Circuits Mega Milton

Modular Profile: Eric Schlappi

Eric Schlappi is the engine behind the eponymous Schlappi Engineering, a boutique developer based in the Pacific Northwest (though Eric himself currently resides in Grenoble, France) whose latest spate of modules includes the extraordinary Three Body and recent headliner Nibbler. The focus for Schlappi and his team has always been on joyous experimentation; an ethos that runs unwaveringly through his modules, merchandise (one sticker reads ‘noise to some, spells to others’) and personal musical output. On his entry into modular I got into Eurorack around 2014 after seeing the documentary I Dream of Wires — the four hour version — and also getting my first real engineering job. Both of these were probably equally important. Before getting into Eurorack I had already worked in a couple vintage synthesizer shops and been making…

Beetlecrab Tempera Granular Synthesizer

Believe it or not, it’s surprisingly difficult to pin down Beetlecrab, the Prague-based developers behind the Tempera. For one thing, the company have given each of their two available instruments, the Vector and the Tempera, its own website and even its own contact email address, with the landing page of the company website proper simply guiding users to either of the above. “Another thing we’re slowly dealing with is the inscrutable situation about our branding,” reveals a candid blog post from August 2023. “It’s a mess. To get out of all this confusion we decided to adopt an umbrella for both existing and new upcoming projects: beetlecrab.audio. We couldn’t quite figure out a suitable name but many of you started using this, so let’s go with it.” Such an unfussy…

Beetlecrab Tempera Granular Synthesizer

Win! Zynaptiq Plug‑ins

Based in Hannover, Germany, Zynaptiq have long been at the forefront of audio signal processing, having developed a number of cutting-edge effects and processors since their founding in 2011. For this month’s exclusive competition, we’re giving two lucky readers the chance to win Zynaptiq’s comprehensive ZAP IV plug-in bundle: a collection comprising all 11 of their critically acclaimed, award-winning plug-ins for mixing, mastering and repairing your audio. Included in the ZAP IV bundle are: • Unveil, a de-reverberation and “signal focusing” processor that lets you boost or suppress reverb in your recordings, and fine-tune overall clarity. • Unfilter, an “adaptive tonal contour linearisation” plug-in that can remove resonances, roll-offs, comb-filtering and other types of EQ artefacts, with applications in mixing and mastering. • Unchirp, a codec artefact removal and transient retrieval tool that can…

Win! Zynaptiq Plug‑ins

The A2D2 is a compact device powered via its USB-C connection (PSU not included) that works with your own Wi-Fi network to send audio from a source device to any other device on your network — things like computers, tablets, smartphones, smart TVs and smart speakers. The A2D2 offers direct integration with AirPlay, Chromecast and Sonos. While there’s a more elaborate setup routine for working with Amazon smart speakers, step-by-step instructions are provided. Working at up to 192kHz/24-bit quality, FLAC, MP3 and WAV codecs are supported. Audio goes into the A2D2 through a pair or RCA phono connectors, with another pair providing analogue audio pass-through. The manufacturers claim that the device works with pretty much everything that puts out analogue audio and they mention playing your vinyl over the system. Note…

Great Eastern FX XO Variable Crossover

A pedal for your pedals! New from Great Eastern FX is the XO Variable Crossover, a pedal that will surely spark creativity in your signal chain. The XO gives the user the ability to split the input signal into two frequency bands, high and low, and then process those bands separately through dedicated effects loops. For example, imagine sending high frequencies to a distortion, octave-up pitch-shifter and reverb, while the low frequencies are sending separately to a tremolo and delay, each signal path essentially unaffected by the other because they are running in parallel. Technical features of the XO begin at the main control knob, which determines the frequency where the high and low bands cross over, and it’s clearly labelled ‘crossover frequency’. The high- and low-pass filters have 12dB/octave slopes,…

Great Eastern FX XO Variable Crossover

Electro-Harmonix Pico Rerun & Pico Canyon Echo

On the face of it, EHX’s Pico Rerun and Pico Canyon Echo pedals have a lot in common — hence reviewing them together here. Both offer a three-second maximum delay time, both have tap-tempo options and both ship with a suitable PSU. Yet, there are also some important differences that might draw you more towards one than the other. Essentially, the Rerun sets out to emulate the sound and behaviour of tape echo, while the Canyon Echo is more of a straight-ahead digital delay, with a variable filter to control the tonality of the repeats. The Blend, Delay and Feedback controls are common to both, and both pedals can be set to analogue bypass or ‘Tails’, where the delay fades naturally when the pedal is bypassed. (Pressing and holding the button…

Electro-Harmonix Pico Rerun & Pico Canyon Echo

Universal Audio UAFX Flow

Like most of UA’s compact pedal range so far, the Flow is a digital pedal derived from some of the effects found within their larger, more comprehensive UAFX units, in this case the Astra modulation pedal. Mono in and out, with only three controls, there’s either not much to get excited about, or an intuitive and immediate user interface, depending on your viewpoint. I tend towards the latter, especially with regard to guitar pedals. You can preset Flow to one of three modes: ‘65’ replicating the optical tremolo circuit of mid-’60s classic amps such as Fender’s Deluxe and Twin Reverb; ‘Square’, which as the name suggests uses a differently shaped waveform to give a harder-edged, ‘choppier’ tremolo effect; and ‘Dharma’, a harmonic tremolo effect similar to that used in some late…

Universal Audio UAFX Flow

MASTERS OF THE ART OF MIXING Eight Producers. One Song. Countless Insights.

Many engineers are refreshingly open about their craft, laying bare their decision-making processes in SOS interviews and online videos. But a problem remains for students of mixing: they’re watching different cooks making different dishes with different ingredients. There’s never really been an opportunity to compare how different world-class mixers would tackle the same multitrack. Until now! We commissioned eight of the world’s top engineers and producers, whose professional experience spans everything from classical, jazz and pop right through to extreme metal, to mix and master the same song. It wasn’t a mix shootout, as such: rather, the aim was to reveal more about the different decisions, approaches and techniques of each engineer when presented with the same material and the same brief. The track is ‘In Solitude’ by UK Metal Merger and,…

MASTERS OF THE ART OF MIXING Eight Producers. One Song. Countless Insights.

INTERSECTING SEQUENCES Creating Gated Sequences

A few years ago, I acquired an esoteric module for my old Roland modular synthesizer that contained four signal gates and some multiples. I knew what multiples were, but I initially had some head scratching as to the function of ‘signal gates’. After some brief testing it became apparent that ‘signal gate’ was just dorky parlance for an electronic switch; a signal connected to a signal gate is either output or muted depending upon whether it receives a (+/-) voltage or zero volts. Essentially, it’s no more complicated than having a quartet of remote-controlled light switches. Within an hour it became clear that with just four of these very simple switches, an enormous number of things were possible and after trying a bunch of them out I was reminded of a…

INTERSECTING SEQUENCES Creating Gated Sequences

As I’ve previously discussed in this column, mixing live drums presents an array of challenges that, fortunately, Logic Pro is well equipped to help us overcome. Today I want to talk specifically about the toms. In most drum recording situations, the bleed from the snare and cymbals is so prevalent in the tom’s spot mics that it interferes with the overall balance in an undesired way. Think about it: you’ve worked diligently to get your kick and snare sounding perfect, you bring in the overheads and the overall picture begins to emerge. Now you start fading in the tom tracks and the entire sound and image of the drum kit are changed. It sounds as if you’ve added four badly placed room mics to the mix. Cleaning up the tom tracks…

Among the many delights of the refreshed Live 12 are a set of five MIDI Generator tools, designed to kickstart the creative process and serve as a starting point for new pieces of music. Each differs in the precise way it generates notes in Live’s clip view, but most are just pseudo-random generators: no AI here — yet! They’re found under the Generative Tools tab in the MIDI Clip view. Clicking that tab reveals a drop-down menu with a choice of Rhythm, Seed, Shape, Stacks and Euclidean. They are similar in that they all feature a Generate button and a set of controls that will create new notes at your command. Generated notes will be filled in for the entire length of the clip, and can be further edited from there…

I always believed that an analogue mixing console was the best introduction to routing audio — a belief I held until a student approached me after a lecture. Having seen me use an analogue console side-by-side with a digital mixer to explain the digital console’s audio routing, he told me that he’d found the comparison really useful because it finally allowed him to understand that confusing, big old analogue thing! It seems digital natives don’t need analogue as much as I did. But one only needs to open the Mix window in Pro Tools to see the legacy of analogue. Consoles are still very much with us in our software, and they remain a great way to represent signal flow. The basics of signal routing are simple, but it can quickly…

There are a number of pragmatic reasons why you might want to capture the output from the virtual instruments used in your Cubase projects to their own audio tracks. Here are two typical scenarios. First, you might need to move the project to a different computer (for example, to a collaborator or mix engineer) that doesn’t have the same VST instruments available. Second, virtual instruments can fall victim to the upgrade cycles of your DAW or OS, and preserving your virtual instrument parts as audio ensures you can revisit projects (for example, for remixes or edits) in the future. Depending on which version of Cubase you’re using, there are various ways you can approach this audio capture, including the Render In Place function that’s available to both Pro and Artist users.…

Studio One comes with a number of compression plug-ins. Some come as standard, some are only available if you are a Studio One+ user, and others are optional extras. The plug-ins in question are Compressor, Fat Channel, Multiband Dynamics, RC500, Tricomp and VT-1. Of those, the Fat Channel, RC500 and VT-1 are channel strips that combine compression with EQ and other bits and bobs. For devices that aim to do the same thing, compressors can be confusingly different, so for this workshop, we’re going to do a crash course in how compression works and then identify that process in each of the Studio One compressors so that we understand them better. Compression is often seen as a means of making stuff louder, but its core action is actually doing the opposite.…

Spotlight Single-fader Control Surfaces

Much like the consoles they set out to replicate, control surfaces come in all shapes and sizes. At one extreme you have the likes of Avid’s S4/S6 and Yamaha’s NUAGE systems, large-format modular beasts that can be kitted out with a huge number of physical controls — a fully loaded S6 can support three operators and house a staggering 192 faders! At the other end of the scale are desktop-friendly devices equipped with a handful of controls and a single fader. On first thought, it might seem strange to have a control surface with just one fader, but having hands-on control over a single DAW channel at a time can still prove to be incredibly useful: level and parameter adjustments are easier and more intuitive, and writing in automation is far…

Spotlight Single-fader Control Surfaces

Ramin Djawadi Composer & Producer

To mark the eighth and final season of the wildly successful HBO series Game Of Thrones, the Fender Custom Shop created the Sigil Collection, a set of handcrafted guitars inspired by the iconic houses of Westeros. In a YouTube video that has gained over 40 million views, Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave, Nuno Bettencourt of Extreme, Scott Ian of Anthrax, country star Brad Paisley and Game Of Thrones co-creator Dan Weiss jam with the composer of the theme, Ramin Djawadi. “That was a very special day!” smiles Djawadi. “They were all my guitar heroes, so to be able to play with them was amazing. I could have done it all day! When I was a teenager, I was a big rock guy, and the guitar is actually…

Ramin Djawadi Composer & Producer

TalkBack Tarek Musa

Liverpool-based Tarek Musa caught his first major break, circa 2016, as drummer and vocalist of Manchester band Spring King, an outfit assembled originally as a vehicle for his solo work. Musa’s production career has since taken in the likes of Circa Waves, the Big Moon and Gengahr, and he continues to release his own music as Dead Nature. At the moment I can’t stop listening to I’m in a real nostalgic place right now. Listening to a lot of music that’s pre-1980s, generally from the world of jazz, exotica, tropicalia and surf: Marcos Valle, Haruomi Hosono, Martin Denny, the Four Freshmen, Quarteto Em Cy... I’m all over the place. But all of that music has this soothing affect on me. A million miles from the kinds of music I work on as…

TalkBack Tarek Musa

Andy La Rocque Guitarist, Engineer & Producer

Across a music career spanning 40 years, King Diamond’s Andy La Rocque has become not only a metal guitar icon, but also one of the genre’s leading producers and engineers. The list of acts he’s worked with is near endless, and includes Shining, At The Gates, Tsjuder, HammerFall, King Of Asgard, Lord Belial, Evergrey, Falconer, Einherjer, Tulus and In Flames, as well as his historic instrumental contributions to Death’s groundbreaking 1993 album Individual Thought Patterns. When embarking upon his career as a performer, La Rocque didn’t envision himself in the parallel role that he now occupies. “In the beginning, I thought it was really boring to listen to Mikkey Dee soundchecking the drums in the studio. When you’re like 22 years old, you just want to play, have a good time,…

Andy La Rocque Guitarist, Engineer & Producer

How I Got THAT SOUND

English-born producer and mixing engineer Warne Livesey has worked with a wide array of musical artists spanning different genres, from Australian band Midnight Oil to Scottish pop-rockers Deacon Blue to blue-eyed soulster Paul Young. Now based in Canada, Livesey highlights the intro to Midnight Oil’s 1987 classic ‘Beds Are Burning’ as a favourite sound. “There’s good reason to believe that a really great intro can significantly help with song recognition as well as pulling people into the song from the start. To that end, in ‘Beds Are Burning’ we start with three power chord shots: E, G, A. Simple and effective and part of the song from the beginning. Some people have said to me they think it had some orchestral sample added to it, but it is simply the band…

How I Got THAT SOUND

Practical Business Tips

Some moments in life have a profound effect on you — even though you might not realise it at the time. Early in my career, I was invited to a local music educational workshop. Around 50 musicians turned up and, after a brief intro, we were shown various rooms, each containing a guest who would teach us on their chosen subject. The door labelled Improving Live Performance had a 49-strong queue. The door with Understanding The Music Business written on it had one person queueing. That person was me. The guest and I were shocked, but also saddened. “This is why so few people make it in this industry,” he said. Now a music label owner, he explained how his band had a strong enough following to be playing the Woodsies…

Practical Business Tips

INSIDE TRACK Danny L Harle

“At one point, my dad did me the immense service of putting an iMac with Logic Express in my bedroom, without saying anything. I played with it for years and years and years. Towards the end of my second music degree, the stuff that I was making in Logic felt like play and my real music, because I was not preoccupied with it being heard one way or the other. It was a pure version of what I wanted to hear. There was not even a sense of it having to sound like a genre or to fit into anything. I realised that’s the way for me, and I continued in that vein. “My main instrument now is Logic Pro X. I more or less gave up playing acoustic instruments at the…

INSIDE TRACK Danny L Harle

SAMPLE LIBRARIES

Quiet Music DreamWaves Plug-in Instrument Based on the same single‑screen interface as other recent Quiet Music releases, and supporting the usual macOS/Windows 64‑bit plug‑in formats (though not AAX), DreamWaves is based on the sounds of electric pianos that have been modified and processed to make them sound ambient, ethereal, lo‑fi — and in some instances mildly disturbing. The instrument comes with 71 multisampled presets and requires 3.5GB of hard drive space. There’s also a free Lite version offering just seven presets, but it is otherwise fully functional with all the same controls. DreamWaves’ interface provides flexible but non‑intimidating controls divided into marked sections. These are used to modify the presets using a volume ADSR envelope, resonant filtering and LFO modulation, plus onboard effect sections covering reverb, chorus, delay and distortion. Each effect section has…

SAMPLE LIBRARIES

Q Why does my mic have a high-pass filter? I’m trying to figure out when to use the low-pass and high-pass filters on a microphone. Can you please offer me some advice? SOS Forum post Sam Inglis, Editor In Chief Very few mics have low-pass filters. If they do, it’s typically because the mic itself is inherently quite bright and the manufacturer wants to offer a more mellow, vintage voicing as an option. So you might engage the filter if what you were capturing was sounding harsh, scratchy or overly sibilant for example. High-pass filters are much more common and much more useful. They all cut low end from the signal that’s captured, but there are two basic use cases for this, which typically suit slightly different settings. Sometimes you find yourself recording something that just…

WHY I LOVE DIY EFFECTS

How do you find unique sounds? A perennial question, with no one answer. But one place where I am guaranteed to find hope is the boutique world of DIY. Like many great ideas, my first exploration of DIY was born out of a lack of finance. Having spent years annoying my parents playing Muse’s ‘Hysteria’, I discovered it was the Shin-ei FY-2 Fuzz guitar pedal I needed the most. Unfortunately, at £300-£500 second hand, this was desperately out of reach. But to my delight, I found someone selling their own home-made version. In a rudimentary gold chassis, painted by a child, was someone’s DIY Shin-ei Fuzz for £30. When it arrived, I was more excited than when I bought a U47. I think it’s the exploration factor that got me so hyped.…

WHY I LOVE DIY EFFECTS

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