Archives
August 2011
August is Back To School month for many of us and our families, and RECORDING gets in the spirit of things with a special issue on the tools and training you need to improve your craft.
Times have changed, and the resources we can call on when trying to become better recording musicians have changed as well -- while print magazines, books, and recording schools are more popular than ever, they're now supplemented with DVD-based teaching tools, online courses, and a variety of Internet-based materials that can get education into the hands of people who aren't able to pursue traditional methods. In our centerpiece article, Lorenz Rychner interviews a wide variety of music professionals and gets their take on the state of music technology education.
We review educational materials of all kinds, including books, DVDs, a specialized "over the pro's shoulder" online course from FaderPro.com, education apps for your iOS device, and Korg's unique Sound On Sound recorder, a personal recording system that's well suited for education as well as songwriting and music creation.
Also in this issue: reviews of hot new drum mics from Shure, the latest DSP engines and effects from Universal Audio, and Slate Pro Audio’s Dragon dynamics processor; advice on the legalities of licensing your music for use in films; and much more. Every issue of RECORDING is an education, but education gets a special shout out this August -- don't miss it!
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?
Korg Sound On Sound Unlimited Track Recorder
|
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
Korg Sound On Sound Unlimited Track Recorder |
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
A portable stereo recorder with infinite overdub capability breathes new life into a venerable recording strategy.
There's a lot to like in Korg's new portable recorder, the Sound on Sound Unlimited Track Recorder, b......Expand
A portable stereo recorder with infinite overdub capability breathes new life into a venerable recording strategy.
There's a lot to like in Korg's new portable recorder, the Sound on Sound Unlimited Track Recorder, but to appreciate it a bit better, let me start you off with a little history lesson. Sound-on-sound recording is a time-honored technique that's been used extensively in both the analog and digital eras, with advances in technology making it easier and cleaner over the years. It's true, other recording platforms came along that pushed it out of the limelight, but the idea has never fully gone away, and in this little box, it picks up a 21st-Century polish...
Read more in the August 2011 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
For Your Bookshelf: Time To Get Wise
|
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
For Your Bookshelf: Time To Get Wise |
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
Educational books take the spotlight in this collection of in-depth reviews, highlighting seven titles on subjects from Live to Logic, from Audacity to zealous production.
Recording schools offer a unique experience that can......Expand
Educational books take the spotlight in this collection of in-depth reviews, highlighting seven titles on subjects from Live to Logic, from Audacity to zealous production.
Recording schools offer a unique experience that can't be reproduced at home, but for those of us who don't have the option of setting our lives aside for a while to go to such a school, there are more resources than ever available for self-study. In this special edition of our For Your Bookshelf column, we mention books on a variety of topics concerning music creation and production.
Elsewhere in this month's issue on education, we're expanding our reach to include iOS reference materials and education tools, an instructional DVD course, electronic books available for your mobile device, and online video tutorials. And for those of you looking for even more music-related reading matter, check out Lorenz Rychner's "Quick Takes" right after this article!
There are many ways to learn. What works well for one person may be iffy for another, and it's good to see a wider variety of presentation methods coming to the fore. With some research and experimentation, you can learn what's best for you as a learning experience... and improve your recording chops as a result. And since for many of us the best way to get wise is with a good well-written book, let me share with you some of my happiest recent finds....
Read more in the August 2011 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
For Your Bookshelf: Quick Takes
|
Reviewed by
Lorenz Rychner
For Your Bookshelf: Quick Takes |
Reviewed by
Lorenz Rychner
Fast looks at five books on everything from Quincy Jones to recording on a budget.
In addition to the books Mike has covered already, there are many more worthwhile titles that show up in our offices, too many to cover in ou......Expand
Fast looks at five books on everything from Quincy Jones to recording on a budget.
In addition to the books Mike has covered already, there are many more worthwhile titles that show up in our offices, too many to cover in our pages even if we didn't cover anything else! Rather than let all of these great titles go entirely by the wayside, here are some quick pointers to books you may enjoy and find rewarding....
Read more in the August 2011 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
Slate Pro Audio Dragon Dynamics Processor
|
Reviewed by
Paul Vnuk Jr.
Slate Pro Audio Dragon Dynamics Processor |
Reviewed by
Paul Vnuk Jr.
Old-school sound meets modern refinement in this fine first release from a new audio gear maker.
Steven Slate wears many hats. First known for the Steven Slate Drums libraries, he has branched into audio software with Slate ......Expand
Old-school sound meets modern refinement in this fine first release from a new audio gear maker.
Steven Slate wears many hats. First known for the Steven Slate Drums libraries, he has branched into audio software with Slate Digital (we reviewed his excellent Trigger Platinum drum replacement program in our April 2011 issue) and also into hardware with the new Slate Pro Audio line. Its first product is the Dragon dynamic processor, under review today.
The Dragon is a two-space single-channel unit built around a classic FET compression circuit. Internally it makes use of pro-audio-grade components with a transformer-balanced input and a transformer-balanced class A output path. While visually it's slightly reminiscent of the elder statesman of FET compressors, the UREI 1176, the Dragon is so jam-packed with controls and features that the close similarities begin and end with the large VU meter!...
Read more in the August 2011 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
Shure Beta 91A, Beta 98A, and Beta 181 Microphones
|
Reviewed by
Paul Vnuk Jr.
Shure Beta 91A, Beta 98A, and Beta 181 Microphones |
Reviewed by
Paul Vnuk Jr.
This collection of instrument mics includes revivals of tried and true boundary and miniature mic designs, and a promising newcomer with a choice of capsules.
Out of the trio of new microphones from the Shure Beta series, tw......Expand
This collection of instrument mics includes revivals of tried and true boundary and miniature mic designs, and a promising newcomer with a choice of capsules.
Out of the trio of new microphones from the Shure Beta series, two are redesigns of previously discontinued models -- the Beta 91A replaces the Beta 91 boundary mic, and the Beta 89A replaces the original Beta 98 miniature drum mic, while also taking sonic inspiration from their predecessors, the SM91 and SM98. The third, the Beta 181, is a completely new design by Shure -- a small-diaphragm, side-address condenser microphone with interchangeable capsules. I had an opportunity to live and work with them in my studio and in live recording applications for several weeks, and I had my share of nice surprises in the process...
Read more in the August 2011 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
For Your e-Bookshelf
|
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
For Your e-Bookshelf |
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
Three valuable titles on game audio, iOS media handling, and networking and security with your mobile devices... enlightenment on the go!
Elsewhere in this issue we list a bunch of worthwhile books for your recording educati......Expand
Three valuable titles on game audio, iOS media handling, and networking and security with your mobile devices... enlightenment on the go!
Elsewhere in this issue we list a bunch of worthwhile books for your recording education and delight, but this being the 21st Century, there are other things you can read, too. Here are a few titles you can keep on your iPad or other PDF or eBook reader to improve yourself while your friends and family think you’re playing Angry Birds...
Read more in the August 2011 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
Course Technology PTR Ableton Live 8 Course Clips Master
|
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
Course Technology PTR Ableton Live 8 Course Clips Master |
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
A fast-paced and in-depth course of learning on the popular live-performance DAW, in a clear and effective DVD format.
As you'll see elsewhere in this issue, there are many ways to learn about music technology. One popular a......Expand
A fast-paced and in-depth course of learning on the popular live-performance DAW, in a clear and effective DVD format.
As you'll see elsewhere in this issue, there are many ways to learn about music technology. One popular and relevant delivery medium for organized education is the DVD-ROM, which is playable on almost all computers and allows the user to randomly select and skim topics while still maintaining a certain level of point-A-to-point-B focus. In this review, we'll take a look at Ableton Live 8 Course Clips Master, a DVD title from Course Technology PTR...
Read more in the August 2011 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
Superscope PSD430
|
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
Superscope PSD430 |
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
This tabletop recorder and practice tool is ideal for the music educator.
Superscope doesn't mess around when it comes to building desktop digital recording systems for music educators and students; they have a years-long re......Expand
This tabletop recorder and practice tool is ideal for the music educator.
Superscope doesn't mess around when it comes to building desktop digital recording systems for music educators and students; they have a years-long reputation for solid, reliable, feature-rich recorders with all the right bells and whistles for an educational setting. Some months ago (June 2010) we gave you a Walking Tour of Superscope's Elevation software; now it's time for us to get under the hood of the PSD430, Superscope's newest hardware recorder...
Read more in the August 2011 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
FaderPro Are You Able?
|
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
FaderPro Are You Able? |
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
If your idea of the perfect learning experience is looking over the shoulder of an expert as he works, this tutorial video is for you.
FaderPro has a unique take on the process of audio technology education. If the first thi......Expand
If your idea of the perfect learning experience is looking over the shoulder of an expert as he works, this tutorial video is for you.
FaderPro has a unique take on the process of audio technology education. If the first thing a novice asks is something along the lines of, "Isn't there any way I could sit in a room with someone who really knows how this stuff works, and follow along with him or her and watch how it all comes together?", then maybe that's what their tutorials should provide. With that in mind, FaderPro offers tutorial videos and supplemental materials that aim to put the user in the studio with a knowledgeable professional, watching how a song or remix is assembled, and then given the raw materials to try it at home.
One of the first of FaderPro's offerings is Are You Able?, an Ableton Live-based start-to-finish guide to song creation and production. I had a chance to go through the course and see for myself how the FaderPro approach works...
Read more in the August 2011 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
Universal Audio UAD-2 Satellite and Studer A800 and Lexicon 224 Plug-ins
|
Reviewed by
Paul Vnuk Jr.
Universal Audio UAD-2 Satellite and Studer A800 and Lexicon 224 Plug-ins |
Reviewed by
Paul Vnuk Jr.
The UAD platform goes FireWire, and two classic studio sounds gain a new life in virtual form.
The UAD-2 Satellite is the latest addition to Universal Audio's UAD family of hardware DSP plug-in accelerators, and it is the fi......Expand
The UAD platform goes FireWire, and two classic studio sounds gain a new life in virtual form.
The UAD-2 Satellite is the latest addition to Universal Audio's UAD family of hardware DSP plug-in accelerators, and it is the first one in the product line's 10-year history to be released for FireWire. I recently had a chance to work with one and also to try out two of Universal Audio's newest Powered Plug-ins for the UAD platform, the Studer A800 and the Lexicon 224...
Read more in the August 2011 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
iOS Tools For Music Education
|
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
iOS Tools For Music Education |
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
New apps from macProVideo.com, SuperMegaUltraGroovy, and ASK Video load your iOS device with a wealth of tutorials, handy references, and a terribly cool way to practice your licks.
In this month's iOS Music Tools, we take a......Expand
New apps from macProVideo.com, SuperMegaUltraGroovy, and ASK Video load your iOS device with a wealth of tutorials, handy references, and a terribly cool way to practice your licks.
In this month's iOS Music Tools, we take a look at several iOS-based educational resources, large and small... a couple of which are also of use to readers who might not have an iOS device yet, or don't plan to get one. [...]
I admit it... the placement of the macProVideo.com N.E.D.pad review is a little bit of a cheat, because you don't have to have an iOS device to take advantage of what macProVideo.com offers; the N.E.D. (Nonlinear Educating Device) product I'll be discussing today is available not only for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, but also in a desktop version and a version for web-browser playback. So read on, because there's something for more than just iOS users here!...
Read more about this and other iOS tools in the August 2011 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
Education - What's On Your Mind?
|
Written by
Lorenz Rychner
Education - What's On Your Mind? |
Written by
Lorenz Rychner
A universe of respected professionals voice their opinions about ways to learn audio production and get into the audio business.
Education: The systematic instruction, schooling or training given to the young in preparation ......Expand
A universe of respected professionals voice their opinions about ways to learn audio production and get into the audio business.
Education: The systematic instruction, schooling or training given to the young in preparation for the work of life; by extension, similar instruction or training obtained in adult age. (Oxford English Dictionary)
In this issue of RECORDING - The Magazine For The Recording Musician, we look at ways to gain knowledge and move ahead in our chosen fields of music and recording. The crucial word in the Oxford English Dictionary's definition of "education" is "systematic". Can you teach yourself in a systematic manner, or is that the exclusive domain of schools? What about an internship where you pick up knowledge in bits and pieces? Does that count as "systematic instruction"?
Let me put today's educational options in perspective; then we'll hear from a good number of people from the industry....
Read more in the August 2011 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
It's Your Music - Know Your Rights. Chapter 17: Composing Music For Motion Pictures
|
Written by
Todd Gascon with Bruce Kaphan
It's Your Music - Know Your Rights. Chapter 17: Composing Music For Motion Pictures |
Written by
Todd Gascon with Bruce Kaphan
Even the smallest feature of your music in a film soundtrack can be tremendously lucrative, and a full soundtrack composition deal much more so, but it pays to know the workings of film deals before you sign anything...
A go......Expand
Even the smallest feature of your music in a film soundtrack can be tremendously lucrative, and a full soundtrack composition deal much more so, but it pays to know the workings of film deals before you sign anything...
A good film score can make a film memorable. When you read the titles of the following motion pictures I'm sure you can hum their scores: The Godfather, Jaws, The Return of the Pink Panther, Star Wars, and Shaft. While you may be familiar with the composers who created these iconic works, you may not know the contracts they had to negotiate in order to ensure they were properly compensated and their rights were protected. This installment of It's Your Music - Know Your Rights will provide you with an overview of key terms in a composer agreement....
Read more in the August 2011 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
Fade Out
|
Written by
Paul Vnuk Jr.
Fade Out |
Written by
Paul Vnuk Jr.
Sweetwater's Gearfest 2011.
This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending Sweetwater's annual Gearfest in Fort Wayne, IN. Part mini-NAMM show, part tent sales event, part outdoor music festival and music seminar/clinic, ......Expand
Sweetwater's Gearfest 2011.
This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending Sweetwater's annual Gearfest in Fort Wayne, IN. Part mini-NAMM show, part tent sales event, part outdoor music festival and music seminar/clinic, and even part flea market, all rolled into one, this makes for a giant, jam-packed weekend. Unlike a NAMM show, this event is open to the public, and people came in droves, from around the country, and vendors came from as far away as Europe.
The clinics and mini seminars included basic computer recording, a beginning course on Pro Tools, how to sonically treat your studio, songwriting basics and more. This year's keynote speaker was the legendary Alan Parsons, who was also engaged in an hour-long Q&A with the audience...
Read more in the August 2011 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
