In my last studio, I was fortunate to have a great sounding control room. I can’t take any credit for this; it was sheer luck-of-the-draw. Some interplanetary alignment of room dimensions, carpeting type, and speaker placement converged to give me a near-perfect listening environment. There was no need for any kind of special room treatment. The mids were smooth and offered precise imaging, and the bass response was very flat down to a solid 30 Hz.

I got a little spoiled.

However I got the opportunity to relocate the studio to a new location with a larger and much better sounding tracking room, and had to take the offer. In most ways the new studio is superior to the old one – all except for the control room. The new studio’s control room is a too-small 8 by 13 foot operation, with a roof that’s just a little too low, and severe bass response issues.

After a few weeks of working in ... Read More »

I’ve been a fan of Cakewalk music software ever since Greg Hendershott was the only employee. Cakewalk has always had a good combination of usability, power, and relative simplicity. When the application added audio in the mid 1990s, it wasn’t clear at first if the application would remain a “MIDI sequencer with some audio features” or if it was on a track to become an “audio multitrack with MIDI”. Many arguments have ensued about what was, and what should be the direction of the product.

When the product was renamed “SONAR” it removed any doubt: the mission was multitrack audio. And with SONAR 4, Cakewalk has reached a level of sophistication that most of us doubted for years it would ever reach. When it comes to multitrack audio recording, SONAR 4 is the best of breed, managing to somehow combine t ... Read More »

When I moved into my new facility at Pleasantry Lane studios, I made a commitment: no new rack gear, and no mixers. I am on a quest to downsize the hardware and optimize my use of a pure computer-based approach to engineering.

Of course, when swearing off mixers, one quickly bumps one’s head against the problem of monitoring. You need some kind of control over the monitors, you still need a talkback, you need a headphone mix and you need a little routing so you can play back CDs or record to a cassette deck.

What you need is for someone to take the master section from a large-footprint studio console and cook it down into a little box for DAW users.

You need a Big Knob.

Mackie’s big knob was designed with the DAW user in mind. The unit features a large, high-quality volume knob, low noise op-amps, a small but useful set of inputs and outputs, a talkback section, three headphone out ... Read More »

Blue Microphones was kind enough to send me their Kiwi mic for a test drive at the same time they sent me their new Ball mic for review. Truth be told, I love microphones. I don’t think you can have too many of them, especially if they have a distinctive sound. This would be my first opportunity to use a Blue condenser mic and I was anxious to try the Kiwi.

The Kiwi is Blue’s top of the line solid-state mic. The Kiwi is a large-diaphragm multi-pattern condenser microphone featuring discrete Class A electronics with a transformerless output. The classic “lollipop on a bottle” type design and rich green paint certainly make it a striking and handsome mic. The Kiwi also distinguishes itself by offering NINE, count ‘em, nine pickup patterns. Besides the expected cardiod, omni and figure 8 ... Read More »

The Ball from Blue Microphones is Blue’s first entry into the dynamic market after a successful string of highly regarded condenser mics. I was approached about reviewing the Ball at summer NAMM and took Blue up on the offer. I’m always up for test-driving new gear. The Ball arrived a few weeks later, along with a “Blueberry” mic cable (optional).

The Ball is quite a unique microphone. For starters, it’s a big blue ball, about the size of a softball. The Ball certainly continues Blue’s tradition of making colorful, visually striking mics with interesting names, not model numbers. The Ball comes packaged in a cardboard box with Styrofoam packing. You also get a manual/application guide that perhaps tries a little too hard to be funny. At least it’s ... Read More »

When I was building out the space for our new studio, one thing started to annoy me.

The studio was constructed as a production studio, with a separate control room and nice big tracking room. I loved the layout, but I spend a lot of time tracking... myself. In the old space, the DAW was in the primary tracking room - it was a working musician's workshop - so I could, for example, set up the drums right at the computer, and run the rig from the drum kit.

But in this space, with its dedicated control and tracking rooms, I would be forced to trek back and forth from the recorder to the instrument whenever I was recording myself. What I needed was a remote.

Back in the day, we had remote controllers for our recorders. Whether this was a simple "record" button attached to the deck by a wire, or a complete remote unit on the ADATs, you could generally remote control the recorder from anywhere in the studio, if you had enough wire. But, now that the recorder is a computer, how ... Read More »

Five years ago or so, Ocean Way opened a facility in Nashville. They bought an old stone church at 1200 17th Avenue South. They converted it into a recording studio, and took what I assume was the rectory next door, and turned it into offices.

The main room is where the pews would have been, and the stained glass windows are still in place. This lends a very nice light in the space, though everyone who looks out the windows might not approve of the religious images that they see. The woodwork is a light and airy raw sienna color, and is quite attractive.

The space that would have housed the altar and back have been converted into a control room holding a large Neve console with GML automation, a machine room, a booth holding a grand piano, and various smaller rooms.

Today, just in front of the control booth glass is a temporary stage made from risers, a center stage podium, and a table and chairs to each side. Flankin ... Read More »

Showtime!

The first thing that we should say is that the attendance was huge, breaking last years numbers. So anyone who chose not to show at the Summer NAMM definitely lost out. In fact, even Sunday was jamming. Yet Sunday is a day that is traditionally slow in the trade show market because it is the last day and a lot of attendees leave early.

The poor economy has caused an impact in almost every part of the country, and the musical instrument business is no exception. This impact has manifested itself as a move to conservatism in product and product releases as businesses try to support and expand on successful products. Though there was no shortage of new products, there were fewer wild and crazy products, and more practical and well thought-out products.

Garry and I are a particularly good fit for a show like this. I tend to run around, get an overview of the whole show, and select what I want to check out from wh ... Read More »

ATI - The guys from ATI show up with their high end products and just make me drool every show. I bought an ATI mic pre last year, but I've been hot for an API for a long time. Though the models haven't changed, they still warrant your attention. The 512 module is a classic mic preamp and daddy of the 500 series of signal processing and racking choices. The 200 series is a more affordable and smaller solution, with it's own racking options. The 7600 Input Module channel strip and the 7800 Master Control Module are single rack space pieces that can be chained to suit your needs. Of course, you can opt for the Legacy or Legacy Plus full-blown studio consoles. http://www.apiaudio.com.

Garry:Moog - Moog introduced the Piano Bar, a MIDI controller for aco ... Read More »

Audio-Toys, Inc. (ATI) made a name for itself in the past decade with its series of Paragon mixers, which have earned high marks as monitor and broadcast mixers. With the 8MX2, ATI is earning high marks for its mic preamps.

The 8MX2 was apparently designed primarily to be a front-end system to an DA-88: it has 8 mic inputs, feeding a single DB25 output jack. The 8MX2 provides limiters on every channel, making it an ideal candidate for a live remote rig. Additionally, the 8MX2 offers some limited mixer capability, rounding out its usefulness as a front-end to an 8-channel digital tape machine.

The front panel controls are fairly straightforward. Each channel has a pair of dual knobs which control input gain, limiter threshold, mix level, and mix pan. Switches are available on each channel for phase and phantom power. Another pa ... Read More »

Chick singers are a dime a dozen, expensive at that price, and mostly downright forgettable. There are a handful of female artists who can rock my world, but most are from the past or distant past. Yes, I still play the occasional Joni Mitchell CD, and even Judy Collins seminal "Who Knows Where The Time Goes" gets a spin now and then. Janice and Grace get played some, too. But Melissa Ethridge and Mary Chapin Carpenter are about the only contemporary female artists that I listen to with any regularity.

Enter Mary Fahl, definitely NOT a ‘Chick Singer". Most certainly an Artist of the finest caliber.

Live….

I have had the pleasure of reviewing several of Shure's KSM line of studio condensers, and generally speaking, I have found these microphones to be sonically accurate and all-around useful mics. The KSM line includes the KSM 27 and 32, which are side-address large diaphragm cardioid condensers, the KSM 44, a multipattern large-diaphragm condenser, the 109 and 137, which are small-diaphragm cardioid condensers, and the latest offering, the KSM 141, a multipattern small diaphragm condenser.

I received a matched pair of KSM 141's in a functional plastic carrying case. The case lacked the sophisticated feel of the elegant case provided with the KSM 44. Inside the case were two mics, a pair of windscreens, and mic clips. The mics were finished in the same champagne finish as the rest of the KSM line, and had an elegant, utilitarian look and solid feel.

The first thing ... Read More »

"Colorful" mic preamps have been the primary focus of the preamp market for the past few years, and with good reason. Many recordists who moved from analog tape to digital media during the 1990s found that they missed the natual compression and coloration of tape, and sought relief in vacuum tubes and colorful overdriven circuitry.

I have to admit that I am quite a fan of colorful preamps, and own a few that range from "pretty and warm" to flat out "rack-mounted stompboxes". Most of my recordings require some character, and I like to be able to crank up some tubes and get a little hair on my signal when the urge strikes.

But what about those times when you need to be clean? What do you do when you need a straight wire with gain? Enter the True Systems Precision 8.

Great Numbers, and a Couple of Frills

I open the package. A beautiful black binder. I open the binder. Lovely cover page, inscribed, "The Maestro's Manual, presented to Maestro Bruce Richardson." OK, I'm impressed.

Garritan Orchestral Strings is the second GigaStudio library produced by harpist, composer, and producer Gary Garritan. His previous library, the GigaHarp, was among the first proof-of-concept libraries which thrust Nemesys (now owned by hardware giant Tascam. hmmm...TascSys? NemeScam?) and its "streaming sampler" into the limelight. Garritan Orchestral Strings is a much larger effort; a collection of just about every sound you can make with a string section. You get a hefty manual that's almost an orchestration text, elegant and detailed mapping guides, and the aforementioned personal fluffing. Maestro indeed. Who do ... Read More »

Miracles happen. UPS managed to get a package to my door despite the fact that the shipping label had been torn completely off. And inside that package was a string library for GigaStudio that managed to make grumpy old me giggle like a little girl.

Ever since Giga-technology redefined sampling, symphonic libraries have themselves transformed. They’re huge now, getting bigger every day. Sonic Implants Symphonic Strings weighs in at a hefty twenty CDs, packed with the most used articulations, bowings, and effects used in symphonic music.

The mastermind behind the Sonic Implants product line is Jennifer Hruska, perhaps best known to industry folks as one of the dynamo sound designers behind some of Kurzweil's most praised products. After a nine-year stint there, Jennifer founded her own company; and after rolling a couple of othe ... Read More »

I’m a big Rush fan.

Yeah, I know. Me and 50 million other drummers.

I’ve been listening to this band since they showed up on my radar in the late 1970s, and have always followed their tours and new albums. I admit that I fall into the camp of wistful fans who yearn for a return to the art-rock glory days of the band (which pretty much makes me an old burnout) but I still like to hear the new stuff and see what these dudes are up to. And, Rush’s return to a more guitar-oriented (and acoustic-drum-oriented) sound has reignited some of my interest in their performances. Rock music is all about the guitar, and few people are as interesting to listen to as Alex Lifeson. And don’t even get me started about Neil Peart.

The other interest I have in this band is that they have always been at or near the forefront of recording technology. They were one of the first bands to jump into digital ... Read More »

I've been upgrading my studio for a couple of years now. Each improvement and change has brought other weaknesses to light. Each improvement has been a double-edged sword, bringing both the joy of better audio and the curse of finding yet another area that could be addressed.

All along the way, various friends have remarked upon my lack of a world-class large diaphragm tube vocal microphone. I have an eclectic and interesting mic collection, and there is little to complain about. But when it comes to large diaphragm condensers, my choices are middling at best. I have a Neumann U-89. I have a pair of AKG 414s, one with the C-12 capsule, one with the newer capsule. These are my main choices. I have an Oktava 219 and a pair of Cascade M-20s, none of which I have ever used. It is easy to see that my options are not horrible, but not up to par with the rest of my system, and there is nary a tube to be found in the bunch.

I look at mics the same way that I look at guitars, amplifiers, ... Read More »