Archives
October 2010
We all know we could make our studios work better for us, but how precisely do we go about doing it? In the October issue of RECORDING, we take a look at optimizing your studio with reviews of handy tools and interviews with artists and engineers who are making the most of the studio experience.
From Chicago comes a fascinating story of two musicians who converted a walk-in basement into a music-lesson/rehearsal studio, and the engineer who took the space the extra mile and made it into a recording space suitable for the duo’s latest CD. Bob Emmet begins a two-part series on exchanging files between studios, a common practice in the modern studio era that doesn’t have to end in tears. We review a variety of affordable and amazingly handy studio problem solvers from the Australian geniuses at SM Pro Audio, not to mention an all-in-one desktop recording solution from Cakewalk and a powerful monitor-optimization tool from JBL (not to mention the monitors that go with it!). And studio acoustics expert Brian Gadson fills us in on the wonders of the mysterious substance known as Green Glue....
Also in this issue, we take you to a studio that doesn’t really need much more optimizing, at least if you ask the Beatles: Mark Hornsby tells us about a recent project he did at a little facility known as Abbey Road. And we review a new tube mic from AKG, a field recorder from Alesis, plug-ins from Sonnox and Lexicon, Waldorf’s powerful Largo software synthesizer, and more.
There’s an easy DIY project, a look at the less-famous but amazingly feature-laden DAW software Reaper from Cockos, the latest instalment in our music-business series “It’s Your Music—Know The Law”, and much more. Maximize your studio’s potential with the tips, tools, and tricks in the October RECORDING!
Cakewalk V-Studio 20
|
Reviewed by
Allen Goodman
Cakewalk V-Studio 20 |
Reviewed by
Allen Goodman
A beginner-friendly audio interface and control surface, complete with software and powerful effects processing.
Have you ever been hit by inspiration in a place far away from your giant desktop DAW and monitors? Next time t......Expand
A beginner-friendly audio interface and control surface, complete with software and powerful effects processing.
Have you ever been hit by inspiration in a place far away from your giant desktop DAW and monitors? Next time this happens, a solution is now available.
The Cakewalk V-Studio 20 is a 24-bit/44.1 kHz bus-powered USB audio interface for Windows-based computers (Mac support was released just before we went to press). Lightweight and compact, it easily slips into a briefcase or backpack along with a laptop for on-the-go recording. With the included Guitar Tracks 4 software, the V-Studio 20 presents a user-friendly integrated hardware and software one-two punch solution for guitar or vocal recording...
Read more in the October 2010 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
AKG Perception 820 Tube Microphone
|
Reviewed by
Paul Vnuk Jr.
AKG Perception 820 Tube Microphone |
Reviewed by
Paul Vnuk Jr.
AKG’s few tube mics are classics... how does this affordable new entry hold up?
Throughout the company’s long history as a major player in microphone design, with classics such as the C 414, C 451, and the Holy Grail C 1......Expand
AKG’s few tube mics are classics... how does this affordable new entry hold up?
Throughout the company’s long history as a major player in microphone design, with classics such as the C 414, C 451, and the Holy Grail C 12, typically AKG’s mics were in the upper echelon of both price and quality. Just over four years ago the company launched a new series of microphones dubbed the Perception Series, combining the European tradition with overseas (Chinese) manufacturing for mass-market affordability.
This month we look at the newest entry in that line, the flagship Perception 820 Tube Microphone...
Read more in the October 2010 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
SM Pro Audio P-Control, DiDock, and CT-3
|
Reviewed by
Nick Casares
SM Pro Audio P-Control, DiDock, and CT-3 |
Reviewed by
Nick Casares
Three affordable tools that will be heroes in your optimized studio.
SM Pro Audio isn’t a household name in the United States yet, but it should be. This Australian firm makes a wide variety of worthwhile pro audio tools t......Expand
Three affordable tools that will be heroes in your optimized studio.
SM Pro Audio isn’t a household name in the United States yet, but it should be. This Australian firm makes a wide variety of worthwhile pro audio tools that deliver useful features at affordable prices. In this issue on studio optimization, I’ll report on a set of three diverse but handy devices that will make your studio life easier: the P-Control phase adjustment tool, DiDock pro-quality iPod dock, and CT-3 cable tester...
Read more in the October 2010 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
Alesis PalmTrack
|
Reviewed by
Lorenz Rychner
Alesis PalmTrack |
Reviewed by
Lorenz Rychner
A host of under-the-hood extras enhance this portable digital recorder.
The Alesis PalmTrack joins a number of pocket-sized handheld recorders, the kind that comes with built-in mics and a surprising number of features in a ......Expand
A host of under-the-hood extras enhance this portable digital recorder.
The Alesis PalmTrack joins a number of pocket-sized handheld recorders, the kind that comes with built-in mics and a surprising number of features in a handy package. The PalmTrack stands out with a few tricks not seen on other units...
Read more in the October 2010 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
Reviewed and Revisited: Acoustica Mixcraft 5
|
Reviewed by
John Rossi III
Reviewed and Revisited: Acoustica Mixcraft 5 |
Reviewed by
John Rossi III
Acoustica Mixcraft 5 adds a wealth of power to the previous version, without sacrificing its efficiency and easy learning curve.
We took a Walking Tour of Acoustica’s Mixcraft 4 in our September 2009 issue, and I was blown......Expand
Acoustica Mixcraft 5 adds a wealth of power to the previous version, without sacrificing its efficiency and easy learning curve.
We took a Walking Tour of Acoustica’s Mixcraft 4 in our September 2009 issue, and I was blown away by its capabilities and ease of use. I got my hands on Mixcraft 5 several months ago, and I am delighted to report that this version retains all that was great from its predecessor and adds a whole lot more, all for only $5 more.
The real beauty of Mixcraft, from its inception, lies in its elegant simplicity. Users who have even the remotest experience with multitrack editors can boot Mixcraft and accomplish the task they are contemplating, many times without even needing to consult a manual.
It almost seems inevitable that when new features are added to a program, the program grows in complexity and the learning curve generally gets correspondingly steeper. Remarkably, Acoustica has transitioned Version 4 to Version 5 without increasing the operational complexity of the program. Indeed, if anything, small changes in the GUI (graphical user interface—the ‘front end’) and program operation have actually improved Mixcraft’s accessibility. Since Version 5 is a major upgrade with the addition of many more features, this is all the more remarkable. The features are many and my space is limited, so let’s jump in...
Read more in the October 2010 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
Plug-In Outlet
|
Reviewed by
Paul Vnuk Jr. and Gary Eskow
Plug-In Outlet |
Reviewed by
Paul Vnuk Jr. and Gary Eskow
Lexicon PCM Native Reverb Plug-In Bundle; Sonnox Oxford Transient Modulator and Inflator.
Inevitably when we encounter reviews and discussions of reverb plug-ins, one comparison always rears its head: “Does it sound like a......Expand
Lexicon PCM Native Reverb Plug-In Bundle; Sonnox Oxford Transient Modulator and Inflator.
Inevitably when we encounter reviews and discussions of reverb plug-ins, one comparison always rears its head: “Does it sound like a Lexicon?” The discussion may be moot with the release of Lexicon’s first entry into the native plug-in market, the PCM Native Reverb Plug-In Bundle....
Read more (and see Gary's review of the Sonnox plug-ins) in the October 2010 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
Cockos REAPER—A Walking Tour
|
Reviewed by
Darrell Burgan
Cockos REAPER—A Walking Tour |
Reviewed by
Darrell Burgan
Get to know this powerful and affordable DAW as we create a song from start to finish.
Now is a great time to be making music using a computer, with so many great software choices in a wide range of prices to suit all budget......Expand
Get to know this powerful and affordable DAW as we create a song from start to finish.
Now is a great time to be making music using a computer, with so many great software choices in a wide range of prices to suit all budgets. Today I’ll guide you on a Walking Tour of my DAW of choice, REAPER by Cockos, Inc.. REAPER is available for both Windows and Mac OS X, and also is tested to work with nearly any flavor of Linux under WINE (see my article “Running Your Studio Under Linux,” August 2010).
Not only is the software extremely feature-rich and powerful, but Cockos does a superb job of maintaining it, consistently making updates every few weeks, stretching back all the way to 2005. In this Walking Tour, we examine REAPER 3.52; the current version as of press time is 3.66. We’ll go through building a basic song with REAPER from blank screen to rendered CD track, with a special punchline at the end...
Read more in the October 2010 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
Recording's Showcase of Sounds
|
Reviewed by
David Herpich
Recording's Showcase of Sounds |
Reviewed by
David Herpich
Waldorf Largo software wavetable synthesizer.
In the James Bond universe, Ernst Stavro Blofeld is a flamboyant mastermind of international terror, while Emilio Largo is his second-in-command—best known for starting the sto......Expand
Waldorf Largo software wavetable synthesizer.
In the James Bond universe, Ernst Stavro Blofeld is a flamboyant mastermind of international terror, while Emilio Largo is his second-in-command—best known for starting the stolen-nukes-for-ransom fad and for throwing people to the sharks... literally.
In the synthesizer universe, Waldorf’s Blofeld is a feature-packed hardware synth, while Largo is a closely-related software synth that mixes wavetables with analog modeling, intricate modulation routing, and a complex arpeggiator. The result is a powerful sonic tool with enough versatility to leave your imagination both, ahem, shaken and stirred...
Read more in the October 2010 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
Fade Out
|
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
Fade Out |
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
Thoughts From the sE Clean Room.
Earlier this summer, I had an opportunity to go to Shanghai and check out the sE Electronics factory in a guided tour. It was an enlightening visit and gave me a lot to think about in today�......Expand
Thoughts From the sE Clean Room.
Earlier this summer, I had an opportunity to go to Shanghai and check out the sE Electronics factory in a guided tour. It was an enlightening visit and gave me a lot to think about in today’s world of “audio gear from China” and everything that implies. There was a lot to see and discuss, and I plan to write quite a bit more about it in my blog on the Recording website, but for this Fade Out I’d like to focus on one particular image from my trip that is indelibly stamped in my memory: our visit to the Clean Room where sE’s microphone capsules are assembled. Check out the photos and follow along as I explain the process, which goes something like this....
Read more in the October 2010 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
A Basement Conversion—The Borla/Mouse Basement Studio
|
Interviewed by
Angela Bender
A Basement Conversion—The Borla/Mouse Basement Studio |
Interviewed by
Angela Bender
Janice Borla and Jack Mouse are successful recording musicians in the Chicago area. Here’s how they turned an unfinished basement into a recording studio fit for an album session.
Janice Borla and Jack Mouse have a variety......Expand
Janice Borla and Jack Mouse are successful recording musicians in the Chicago area. Here’s how they turned an unfinished basement into a recording studio fit for an album session.
Janice Borla and Jack Mouse have a variety of musical credits to their names, including recording numerous jazz CDs; they are founders of a vocal jazz camp, and both are pioneers in jazz education, currently on the faculty at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. As a husband-and-wife team they designed a basement to function as a place for writing, rehearsing and teaching, and as it turned out it became the place where they recorded Janice’s highly acclaimed CD, From Every Angle.
When they purchased the home, which sits by a pond in Naperville, the “English-style” walk-out basement (a basement that is only partially below ground) was unfinished. While they planned to make it into a place for their work, the ability to record there was never on their minds. Little did they know...
Read more in the October 2010 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
Abbey Road Sessions—Good Reasons To Be Prepared
|
Written by
Mark Hornsby
Abbey Road Sessions—Good Reasons To Be Prepared |
Written by
Mark Hornsby
A recording session in the legendary tracking room requires considerable preparation—there are lessons here that even beginners can take to their first recording gigs.
With recording technology the way it is today, it seem......Expand
A recording session in the legendary tracking room requires considerable preparation—there are lessons here that even beginners can take to their first recording gigs.
With recording technology the way it is today, it seems like we have all the time in the world, doesn’t it? If you have a laptop, an audio interface and an instrument, you can record take after take after take until you get it right. Anywhere. Anytime.
That’s not the way it used to be, and even today that’s not how everyone chooses to record. Don’t be fooled. There are recording studios in every major city across the world that continue to stay busy, with bands that not only enjoy playing together (key word: together) during the recording process, but that have to do so in order to duplicate what they do on stage.
Going into an expensive recording studio requires preparation, flexibility and foresight. More important than all that, if you’re the producer and/or engineer, it requires the ability to work off instinct, keep things moving along at a productive pace and keep the vibe up.
Recently, on the spur of the moment, I had the opportunity to travel to London and record in the famous Studio 2 at Abbey Road Studios. There were two weeks for preparation, we had two days booked, and the band easily had 20+ songs of material to choose from. To take all this one step further, the band was from Scotland, none of us had ever formally met or worked together, and they would have to travel to London as well.
So the question is: How do you prepare for a session that’s taking place at an expensive studio, in a different country, with a group of musicians you’ve never even met, with little to no prep time? I have no idea. But, here’s what I did...
Read more in the October 2010 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
DAW Details
|
Written by
Bob Emmet
DAW Details |
Written by
Bob Emmet
In the first of two parts, we discuss how easy it is to share music files between studios nowadays... and warn of places where you can still get tripped up.
Exchanging project files between studios no longer needs to be a pr......Expand
In the first of two parts, we discuss how easy it is to share music files between studios nowadays... and warn of places where you can still get tripped up.
Exchanging project files between studios no longer needs to be a process plagued with incompatible formats and misaligned tracks. In the past few years, it has become a daily way of studio life for me and nearly every recording facility and musician I contacted in researching this article. The long held musicians’ dream of near-realtime, worldwide collaboration is now a reality. When and how did this happen?
Read more in the October 2010 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
Green Glue
|
Written by
Brian Gadson
Green Glue |
Written by
Brian Gadson
A funny name for a funny-looking product that is quietly revolutionizing the process of studio sound control. You can’t afford to not know about it!
When Recording’s editor asked me about the new substance called Green G......Expand
A funny name for a funny-looking product that is quietly revolutionizing the process of studio sound control. You can’t afford to not know about it!
When Recording’s editor asked me about the new substance called Green Glue, and asked if I could share real-life stories of jobs involving sound control, I ran down a list in my mind, from clients with loudly snoring family members to a studio with a neighbor’s barking dogs (a job where I did a spectral analysis and devised a system of construction materials that kept the bark’s frequency range outside...)...
Read more in the October 2010 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
Do It Yourself: Rack Panels For Under Four Dollars
|
Written by
Michael Nickolas
Do It Yourself: Rack Panels For Under Four Dollars |
Written by
Michael Nickolas
A piece of masonite, a saw, and a drill, and you’re in business prettying up your racks.
I’m not one for making changes for changes’ sake, but recently the time came to finally bite the bullet and make some hardware up......Expand
A piece of masonite, a saw, and a drill, and you’re in business prettying up your racks.
I’m not one for making changes for changes’ sake, but recently the time came to finally bite the bullet and make some hardware updates. This meant pulling some outdated gear from a rack. Specifically, I removed an old DAT player and an old ADAT machine, neither of which had seen a tape in years; they only saw occasional use as A/D–D/A converters. I could save a lot of rack space and get better-quality conversion by replacing them with a 24-bit, single-space, eight-in/eight-out A/D–D/A converter, in this case a Frontier Design Tango24 to match one I already had. I had waited so long to make this change that I learned Frontier Design no longer makes the Tango; I had to hunt one down on Ebay!
After removing the tape machines and installing the Tango, I had a lot of open rack space. This is good; plenty of room for some new equipment! But it looked a bit unsightly to me (see Picture 1), so for now I decided to make some panels to cover the empty space...
Read more in the October 2010 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
