The Magazine
September 2010
We’re mixing it up for the September 2010 issue of RECORDING—it’s time to look at the tips and tools of the mixdown, that magic place where a bunch of tracks becomes a finished song. Mark Hornsby, Pro Tools expert and educator well-known from our Song Production in Pro Tools series, brings us a lovely primer on—you guessed it—perfecting your mix in Pro Tools. We also hear from ace engineer Mike Pappas on a classical recording session where not only the tracking but the mixdown had to be done on the fly... and not just for stereo but surround as well. And Sean Shannon brings us ten surefire tricks to improve every mix.
What would a mix issue be without a mixer? We test the Mackie Onyx-i FireWire-capable mixers and see what’s new and exciting in this lovely mix (sorry) of analog warmth and digital flexibility. Also in this issue: the magnificent Everest channel strip signal processor from Summit Audio, two impeccably-voiced microphones from ADK, a tabletop interface and DSP engine from Focusrite, world-class soundware from FXpansion and AudioBro, and lots of other products on review.
The September issue continues our look into the legalities of music creation with more from respected music-industry lawyer Todd Gascon and journeyman recording artist Bruce Kaphan, an intriguing look forward to a little-known part of the AES show this fall in San Francisco, and much more. Make your mixes marvelously magical with the wit and wisdom of the September 2010 RECORDING!
Pick it up now on the newsstand... and so you get your next issue early (and save on cost), why not hit the big red Subscribe Now button on this page and have RECORDING delivered to your door each month?
Summit Audio Everest
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Reviewed by
Paul Vnuk Jr
Summit Audio Everest |
Reviewed by
Paul Vnuk Jr
A world-class channel strip provides ultimate flexibility with four separately addressable modules.
The Everest is the culmination and distillation of over 25 years of Summit’s compression, eq and mic pre technology into a c......Expand
A world-class channel strip provides ultimate flexibility with four separately addressable modules.
The Everest is the culmination and distillation of over 25 years of Summit’s compression, eq and mic pre technology into a channel strip of mountainous proportions. (Sorry, but when a company named Summit releases a product called Everest, the mountain jokes are part of the package.)
Everest is a two-space 19” rackmount unit, hand-built in the USA and offering both tube and solid-state signal paths. It has an all-metal chassis and thick contoured faceplate, uses a hefty internal power supply, and weighs in at a respectable 26 pounds.
Everest contains four audio sections: the Mz-2 Microphone & Instrument Preamp, the Fe-1 Passive Equalizer, the Dc-1 Dual Mode Dynamics (two-mode compressor), and the Db-2 Drive Bus/Output (multi-mode overdrive). A fifth section on the fascia, called TouchPatch, offers control over signal flow....
Read more in the September 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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FXpansion DCAM: Synth Squad
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Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
FXpansion DCAM: Synth Squad |
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
Three historic synth designs and a powerful framework to link them up, all in one glorious software package.
If you’re reading this review and you haven’t found out yet about FXpansion’s new software synthesizer suite DCAM: ......Expand
Three historic synth designs and a powerful framework to link them up, all in one glorious software package.
If you’re reading this review and you haven’t found out yet about FXpansion’s new software synthesizer suite DCAM: Synth Squad, and you’re a vintage keyboard enthusiast, I can sum things up very neatly: imagine being able to build a gigantic synthesizer that’s part ARP Solina, part Oberheim Xpander, and part Korg Polysix.
Okay. Now, while those folks are busy running for FXpansion’s website and hauling out their credit cards, I can take a moment to explain to everyone else out there why this synthesizer plug-in is so freakin’ cool.
DCAM: Synth Squad is a collection of three different synthesizers, each with a unique sound and feature set but with common control functions and design elements that shorten the learning curve considerably. There’s also a special environment that allows you to combine multiple synthesizers into larger ensembles that can control one another and create complex and fascinating timbres you can’t create any other way. Ideally, this suite gives you not only three well-liked sound generation types from the glory days of synth building, but entirely new hybrid sounds as well. It promises to be an amazing resource for the computer-based music studio—let’s see how it delivers....
Read more in the September 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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Focusrite Saffire Pro 24 DSP
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Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
Focusrite Saffire Pro 24 DSP |
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
Can this FireWire interface really help you hear problems your mix might suffer when played back on other systems? Read and find out.
Focusrite has made a serious impression into the audio-interface market with a wide variet......Expand
Can this FireWire interface really help you hear problems your mix might suffer when played back on other systems? Read and find out.
Focusrite has made a serious impression into the audio-interface market with a wide variety of units in all shapes and sizes. We’re taking a look at the Saffire Pro 24 DSP today. It’s a half-rack interface with a solid set of I/O and an onboard DSP engine that makes a surprising claim—namely the ability to emulate an in-room listening environment, complete with speaker modeling and listener placement, all through headphones. This new technology is called VRM (Virtual Reference Modeling), and we’ll spend the last part of our review taking a closer listen and separating the hype from the happening. But first, let’s see what else this box gives you....
Read more in the September 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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Mackie Onyx-i Mixers
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Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
Mackie Onyx-i Mixers |
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
A leap forward in FireWire integration and analog warmth, with lots of handy extras.
Mackie’s Onyx mixers have been around for quite a few years now. They’ve introduced a number of features that Mackie has justifiably been p......Expand
A leap forward in FireWire integration and analog warmth, with lots of handy extras.
Mackie’s Onyx mixers have been around for quite a few years now. They’ve introduced a number of features that Mackie has justifiably been proud of—perhaps most notably the Perkins channel eq controls, which offer a very musical and powerful set of tone-shaping tools with a lovely “British console” flavor, and the remarkably clean and sweet Onyx preamps, arguably the standard by which other affordable mixers’ pres are measured. The Onyx line, which included large rackmount multichannel interfaces and the short-lived and underrated Onyx Satellite portable interface, made good use of the intelligent high bandwidth of FireWire, which was an optional add-on to the original Onyx mixers.
With the Onyx-i mixers, Mackie takes a strong step forward, completely integrating the many great features of the Onyx products with a comprehensive and remarkably easy-to-use FireWire implementation. I had a chance to live with two of the new Onyx-i mixers, one (the top-end 1640i) for several weeks and the other (the small 820i) for the better part of a year, and found the experience a delight....
Read more in the September 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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Zoom G2.1Nu
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Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
Zoom G2.1Nu |
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
This handy guitar multieffector also acts as an audio interface with a powerful software punch—and it’s easier to program than ever before.
Zoom has been in the business of making guitar effects processors for a fairly long ......Expand
This handy guitar multieffector also acts as an audio interface with a powerful software punch—and it’s easier to program than ever before.
Zoom has been in the business of making guitar effects processors for a fairly long time; the iconic 9002 processor, which introduced the world to the quirky and attention-grabbing Zoom way to shred, was featured on the cover of our November 1991 issue. With the 9002, a full-featured processor that actually attached to a guitar strap for easy access, Zoom put forth the ideas that became its hallmarks: more features for less money, a distinct signature sound, and cool innovations that inspired a lot of guitarists and a fair number of imitators. Maybe that’s why I still think of them as a young upstart company, even after nearly 20 years.
I still rely on the Zoom 505 II (reviewed July 2001) for some of my personal-favorite clean tones when playing live or in the studio, and was impressed with the company’s largest and most powerful processor to date, the G9.2tt (reviewed January 2010). So when the G2.1Nu showed up at our offices, I was curious to see what new innovations it was bringing to the table. As it turns out, I didn’t have to search very far....
Read more in the September 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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ADK Microphones Berlin 47 Au and Cremona 251 Au
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Reviewed by
Paul Vnuk Jr
ADK Microphones Berlin 47 Au and Cremona 251 Au |
Reviewed by
Paul Vnuk Jr
These solid-state mics are voiced to evoke the flavors of vintage favorites. How do they fare in the studio?
Talk with ADK founder Larry Villella for any length of time and it will be apparent that he has an intense passion ......Expand
These solid-state mics are voiced to evoke the flavors of vintage favorites. How do they fare in the studio?
Talk with ADK founder Larry Villella for any length of time and it will be apparent that he has an intense passion for microphones. For thirteen years, that passion has led him and his company to create and refine a line of microphones known for quality, affordability and sound.
While most of ADK’s microphones are Chinese in origin, it is this refinement that has led to the creation of ADK’s Custom Shop series of microphones, which are globally sourced for parts and then built in the USA. Currently ADK’s Custom Shop line includes a whopping eleven tube mic choices and four FET models. This month we will be looking at the two newest FETs....
Read more in the September 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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Sanyo Xacti Sound Recorder
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Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
Sanyo Xacti Sound Recorder |
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
How small can a portable digital recorder get before it’s too small for serious music work?
Sanyo surprised many people in its NAMM debut this past January. Besides eco-friendly Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery technology (i......Expand
How small can a portable digital recorder get before it’s too small for serious music work?
Sanyo surprised many people in its NAMM debut this past January. Besides eco-friendly Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery technology (including the Pedal Juice, a portable battery pack that can reliably run a whole line of guitar stomp boxes), Sanyo showed prototypes of the Xacti recorders, intended not only for voice recording but also for music. The model reviewed here, the ICR-XPS01M, is the first to ship.
The recorder itself is the ICR-XPS01M; add an “F” to the end, and that’s the recorder sold together with a multifunction cradle unit that charges the recorder (without the cradle, it charges via USB) and provides an array of four small powered speakers that provide good-quality playback for casual listening in a small space. With or without the F, that name’s an unpronounceable mouthful, so I’ll refer to it as the “Xacti” in this review.
This product begs the question: how small can a portable digital audio recorder get before it’s just too small? Let’s find out....
Read more in the September 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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RECORDING's Showcase of Sounds
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Reviewed by
Gary Eskow
RECORDING's Showcase of Sounds |
Reviewed by
Gary Eskow
audiobro LA Scoring Strings.
Despite the many string libraries already on the market, and with the experience of having built an earlier such project himself, film composer Andrew Keresztes still felt that the existing produ......Expand
audiobro LA Scoring Strings.
Despite the many string libraries already on the market, and with the experience of having built an earlier such project himself, film composer Andrew Keresztes still felt that the existing products didn’t allow for a score with the most expressive string performances. So he set out to produce such a library.
The mission, therefore, was simple: Hire the best section players in LA, go into a great room, and direct them to shmaltz it up—I mean, track them playing “molto espressivo” with portamento and glissandi takes that any of the late Romantic composers would tear up over. Then, throw in a couple of tricks and hope that your target audience—film and record composers looking to add emotion to orchestral mock-ups—will bite. Ambitious. How’d he do?
Read more in the September 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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iZotope Alloy
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Reviewed by
John Rossi III
iZotope Alloy |
Reviewed by
John Rossi III
Rejoice! The audio quality that made iZotope’s Ozone mastering software famous, now in a CPU-friendly suite of tracking/mixing plug-ins.
I confess! I am guilty of using iZotope Ozone mastering effects—on tracks! Yes, despit......Expand
Rejoice! The audio quality that made iZotope’s Ozone mastering software famous, now in a CPU-friendly suite of tracking/mixing plug-ins.
I confess! I am guilty of using iZotope Ozone mastering effects—on tracks! Yes, despite the CPU load, some of us mixers continue to use Ozone on tracks and sub-buses anyway. With some Ozone effects that actually works somewhat easily, but others are way out of place in a on-track mixing environment. To remedy this situation iZotope gave us Alloy. In short, Alloy is to tracks and mixing as Ozone is to the final master....
Read more in the September 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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Miking And Mixing A Symphony Orchestra
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Interviewed by
Lorenz Rychner
Miking And Mixing A Symphony Orchestra |
Interviewed by
Lorenz Rychner
Mike Pappas tracks and mixes the Colorado Symphony Orchestra—in surround!—from a basement mix suite, and we’re there to fill you in on the details.
On the first weekend of June, 2010, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra (CSO) pe......Expand
Mike Pappas tracks and mixes the Colorado Symphony Orchestra—in surround!—from a basement mix suite, and we’re there to fill you in on the details.
On the first weekend of June, 2010, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra (CSO) performed the farewell concert under the baton of departing Maestro Jeffrey Kahane. Mike Pappas was tasked to record the concert in 5.1 surround while also providing a live broadcast mix for Colorado Public Radio (www.cpr.org). The program opened with Kahane conducting from the piano while performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 27. After intermission he conducted Mahler’s 6th Symphony.
Boettcher Hall in Denver, the home of the CSO, is cavernous, too large really for a concert hall, and with its not entirely successful in-the-round layout it provides an acoustical challenge. This is not news—had it not been for the recent downturn of the economy, a long-overdue renovation would by now be well under way.
The stage being wider than deep, Pappas set up not just a left/center/right array, but he included “flankers” further out on each side. For the piano concerto there was also an M/S array above the lid-less grand: one Neumann KM 184 D (digital cardioid) and one Neumann KM 122 D (digital figure-8).
After listening to the Mozart from out front, I spent the second half down in the bowels of the building where Pappas and assistant Joey Kloss had taken over an odd-shaped utility space for their control room. Mike filled me in on the details of the recording....
Read more in the September 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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Ten Steps To Better Mixes
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Written by
Sean Shannon
Ten Steps To Better Mixes |
Written by
Sean Shannon
Straight talk on procedures and plans that will make your mixes go smoother and sound better.
What can you do to mix with confidence, knowing you are handing the client a mix that will work on every system they play it on? R......Expand
Straight talk on procedures and plans that will make your mixes go smoother and sound better.
What can you do to mix with confidence, knowing you are handing the client a mix that will work on every system they play it on? Regardless of whether you mix “in the box”, on a console, or use your own hybrid method, here are ten proven tips for better mixes....
Read more in the September 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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Mixing in Pro Tools: A 10-Step Program To Get The Job Done
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Written by
Mark Hornsby
Mixing in Pro Tools: A 10-Step Program To Get The Job Done |
Written by
Mark Hornsby
Ten more steps on making mixes happening, this time aimed at the Pro Tools beginner!
Let’s say you need to mix a song in Pro Tools. Your client, friend, significant other or someone you owe money to has sent you a DVD with a......Expand
Ten more steps on making mixes happening, this time aimed at the Pro Tools beginner!
Let’s say you need to mix a song in Pro Tools. Your client, friend, significant other or someone you owe money to has sent you a DVD with a series of consolidated audio files. There’s no label or information for sample rate or bit depth.... just a short note saying they need the mix (and the Pro Tools session) back ASAP and that the message will self-destruct in 10 seconds. Here’s what you need to do....
Read more in the September 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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It’s Your Music—Know Your Rights. Chapter 6: Income Earned By Songs—Part 1
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Written by
Todd Gascon with Bruce Kaphan
It’s Your Music—Know Your Rights. Chapter 6: Income Earned By Songs—Part 1 |
Written by
Todd Gascon with Bruce Kaphan
Mechanical royalties are what you’re owed every time a CD, LP, or download of your song is sold... but what you actually get paid can get pretty murky. Read, learn, and be prepared!
In this month’s and next month’s columns w......Expand
Mechanical royalties are what you’re owed every time a CD, LP, or download of your song is sold... but what you actually get paid can get pretty murky. Read, learn, and be prepared!
In this month’s and next month’s columns we will discuss the four ways your compositions generate income. As we discussed in the very first article (March 2010), a copyright owner has several exclusive rights that are protected under U.S. Copyright law, including:
(a) The right to reproduce the work;
(b) The right to distribute the work; and
(c) The right to publicly perform the work.
Because you have these exclusive rights, a third party must obtain your permission if they want to exercise any of these rights and exploit your work. For purposes of this article, when I refer to “you” it is assumed that you own the song yourself and you did not co-write the song with anyone.
This month we’ll look at Mechanical Royalties...
Read more in the September 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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Fade Out
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Written by
Scott Dorsey
Fade Out |
Written by
Scott Dorsey
AES: Calling All Students.
I regularly use this space to tell people about how wonderful the Audio Engineering Society is, and how they’re doing fine things both to the advance the state of audio technology and to publicize ......Expand
AES: Calling All Students.
I regularly use this space to tell people about how wonderful the Audio Engineering Society is, and how they’re doing fine things both to the advance the state of audio technology and to publicize that technology among the community. I do it often enough that a lot of people are probably sick and tired of listening to me ramble on about how great that organization is, and they have probably already turned the page back and are looking at the reviews and other good articles by now anyway.
But in the event that you are still reading, especially if you’re in school right now studying music recording technology as a lot of our readers are, I’d like to take this opportunity to talk about a rather little-discussed but very important and fun set of events at the annual AES Conventions: the student contests....
Read more in the September 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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