Pros: Huge focus on legato transitions, very good and complete shorts, dynamic sound, drop dead easy interface
	Cons: No legato volume control, some rough edges, solo and divisi lack detail found in ensemble patches
	Summary: Adagio Violins Volume 1 is loaded with options for your sound. No other library offers this level of dynamic phrasing or legato control. If you can deal with a few minor issues, there is no reason why this shouldn’t be included in your strings collection.

Website- www.8dio.com

Price- $399

Very few strings libraries actually push the envelope these days. Nothing new under the sun, so to speak. So it’s refreshing when somebody take take a leap and create something a little different. 8Dio set out to do just that with their Adagio strings series. Starting with the violins, the Adagio strings series puts it’s focus on previously “under tapped” areas of string sampling.

So we’re going to take a look at Adagio Violins Volume 1 and see if it manages to stand out from the pack. Following this review, we also hope to take a look at the other three sections; cellos, violas and basses. So stay tuned for those.

Tale Of The Tapestry

Adagio Violins is available exclusively through 8Dio as a downloadable library. Using what seems to be a custom built downloader, you will need around 25GB of space to house the 44.1kHz/24-bit library(compressed down from about 50GB using Kontakt’s NCW compression). 25GB is a lot to download, but the custom downloader makes things pretty easy. It handles corrupt files and lets you pause and resume downloads.

You’ll need the full version of Kontakt 4 or 5 to really use the library. Kontakt Player won’t do as you’ll be restricted to 15 minute sessions. But then again, you DO already have Kontakt, right? Kontakt 5 is preferred due to it’s vastly superior Time Machine quality, which will benefit you greatly with this library.

We’re reviewing version 1.1 of Adagio Violins, which was a huge update from the release version. For a quick rundown of what was added, before we get into the details, see this video from 8Dio:

Understanding 8Dio Adagio Violins

Upon loading Adagio Violins, the first thing you’ll probably notice is just how simple the interface is. Really, when compared to many newer Kontakt libraries, Adagio Violins is pretty darn basic. But that’s just on the surface, as you’ll see throughout this review.

Adagio contains three section sizes. You get a full violins section of 11 players, a 3 player ‘divisi’ section, and a solo violin, allowing for great flexibility with part building and splits. Each section has a unique selection of articulations and playing styles, but the core idea among the three is the same.

You also get three microphone perspectives; Close, Far and Mix(a combined Close and Far). You can mix each of these as needed, or keep them off if desired.

I’ll be honest. It took me a little while to “get” Adagio Violins. When I first played the library, it didn’t feel quite right and I kept thinking that there was something wrong. And there was. Me.

Adagio Violins is actually very easy to play. The interface is extremely simple, and you don’t need to micromanage multiple knobs and controllers to get a good sound. You just need to understand the various bits of the library and know how to use keyswitches(which is how you switch playing styles in each patch), adjust a knob or two, and you’re good.

Adagio Violins doesn’t work the way that most string libraries do, but it was natural to try and play Adagio in a way that would have worked with those libraries. While most libraries throw all articulations and playing styles together into a single patch and call it a day, Adagio focuses on unique variations of each element, placed together to work together. You can almost consider Adagio to be a collection of tens of thousands of individual single note performances spliced together to create YOUR song.

Adagio Violins is about expression. More importantly, NATURAL expression. With most string libraries, you shape notes manually with controllers, and Adagio allows this as well, but Adagio Violins breathes on it’s own. The samples were recorded that way. The key is learning the slew of different recording types and how to put them together into one coherent, flowing piece. It’s not hard at all to do either. The recordings capture the instrumentalists playing their instruments in the same way they would do during an actual performance, full of sways and turns and expression, instead of just a bunch of straight and static notes.

Adagio Violins contains an almost exhaustive list of different playing styles and articulations, and the key is knowing what works where. So I’ll get through the different core aspects one at a time.

Keep in mind that Adagio Violins is VERY deep, so I won’t necessarily cover EVERY detail, but I’ll try.

Getting From Here To There

The biggest focus of this library is on two primary areas: transitions and expressiveness. And really, this is WHY you would likely purchase Adagio Violins above the rest.

Most string libraries these days include legato transitions. Some are even quite in-depth with recorded transitions from every note to every other realistic following note. Sometimes, you’ll get some portamento samples, or glissandi even. The problem? Violinists are more fluid than that. They adjust their playing based on the material and this often requires different speeds and character in that precious space between the notes which holds the melody together. Most libraries include static, universal “legato”, and that’s that.

8Dio Adagio Violins goes far beyond this by including several variations of legato. These range from the abrupt to a slow portamento of a player settling into their pitch. These legato types are named after the composers and work which inspired their sound. Names such as Perdition Legato, E.T. Legato, Instinct Legato and Village Legato are designed to represent the styles of popular composers such as Thomas Newman, John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith and James Newton Howard, among others.

There are ten advertised legato types included, but keep in mind that these are split among the three section sizes. There are seven different ensemble legato types, two different divisi types and one solo legato type. So ten in all, with no overlap between sections.

Dolce Legato is designed for slow passages. Most libraries don’t include transitions that work well with slow and dramatic pieces, but Dolce Legato was designed for this. The transition is not over the top, and doesn’t emphasize itself too much. It just flows softly and gradually into each note.

Instinct Legato is a very refined and “even” legato sound. You could call this the “general purpose” legato, as it sits somewhere in the middle of quick and deliberate. Capable of faster paced transitions than Dolce, you also get slightly more attack out of Instinct. As this will likely be one of your more used legatos, it also helps that 4 round robin variations of each legato sample are present. Very welcome indeed.

Extraterrestrial Legato(ET for short, of course) takes a leap upwards from Instinct in terms of speed and emphasis. More attack and a faster “settle” time make ET ideal for faster passages where you really need to move along. The more abrupt attack can be a little bit distracting if you’re not careful, and I found myself needing to redo some of my playing to accommodate. But all-in-all, this will be a commonly used transition for most people.

Village Legato takes the faster moving aspect of ET legato, but drops down some of the attack emphasis. Village almost has a sense a tension because of this. When using Village legato, you get the impression that each player is making the tough yet conscious decision to move on. An ever slight delay in this legato means that you get emphasis without the attack, and it works well for the big Hollywood score sound. Multiple round robin variations are included with this one as well.

Perdition Legato is different from all the rest because it’s sole focus is on the softer sordino(muted) sound. It’s a slower sound in general, somewhere above Dolce but below Instinct, but it moves very quickly due to enhanced attacks(not sharp attacks, but notes come on faster). Being a sordino playing style, the use for this is obvious. Perdition is all about passion and reflectiveness. And it does it very well.

Emo Slur and Soft Emo Slur are closer to portamento than a true legato, with the Soft Emo Slur being the less emphasized transition of the two. These are quite good when you need emotionally drenched transitions. The Emo Slur transitions almost tell a story of pensiveness that is quite refreshing. While not something that I’ll use with every piece, this is the kind of sound you TRY to write for because when in the proper context, it’s very pleasing.

The Lost Legato 1 & 2 are the only Divisi section legatos. There isn’t a whole lot of built in emotion to Lost 1, which makes it a good default legato for your chamber arrangements. It also works best for faster passages compared to Lost 2, which is more of a deliberate legato with the feel of being pulled along. While Lost 1 works well for smaller arrangements, Lost 2 would fit in well even with medium sized orchestral arrangements due to it’s more expressive nature which makes it cut through a little easier. In fact, even the simple differences from Lost 1 make Lost 2 feel twice as large, which is quite a feat.

The last legato is the lone solo transition, called the Schindler Legato. It’s easy to see where the inspiration came from for this one. Schindler is definitely not in the “all rounder” category, but instead leans towards the aggressive. Fast passages are a piece of cake, and slower sensitive passages are not typically ideal here.

There are also a few multis included in Adagio Violins that allow you to use up to three different legato types within a single phrase. You can choose to either use a MIDI CC to switch between legato patches, or you can use note velocity. These patches are really where you have a chance to shine with Adagio Violins because it allows you to create fully dynamic recordings without loading multiple tracks and patches. I do wish that more multi variations were included though as you’re kind of stuck with the specific combinations they give you. But what’s there is still welcome.

NOTE: In the coming days, we’ll be posting examples of each legato type here on ProRec.com, so stay tuned for those.

The series of different legato types included make for a much more versatile library than you will find anywhere else. And I’m a fan of many libraries out there. But these transitions pretty much make this the only kid on the block with the cool new sneakers. It’s very VERY fun to mess around with these and to see such variety in the types of performances you can get. But it goes beyond just the legatos.

Making It All Dynamic

The patches in Adagio Violins are each based around their respective legato types. So you will find various differences from one to another besides the legato type itself.

The patches are designed to work alongside the traditional crossfading of samples to shape dynamics. If you prefer, you can use your mod wheel and expression pedal to form your notes and guide them along, just like virtually all other libraries on the market. But also included are a series of what 8Dio refer to as “Dynamic Bowings”. These are bow strokes that could be considered single note performances of their own.

You’ll find variations of vibrato in case you may need a note to be emphasized with a fuller vibrato sound. You will find differing intensities and arc swells to trigger, variations of long and short bows, etc. If you want a quickly fading, almost detached note, you can trigger this with a keyswitch. If you want a more long and drawn out note with a more defined swell, you have it. And each patch is different.

You’ll find things like Marcato legato in the solo violin patch, while you’ll find more varieties of deep legato in the Emo Slur patches. Each playing style is designed to work inside the “big picture” of each legato. And this is something I’ve never seen before, maybe because nobody has ever put this much attention on the transitions. But it works very well. It takes some getting used to, so don’t think that it’s just going to work perfectly the first few times you play around with it. But once you dig for a while, you ‘get’ it. You’re going to love this new way of playing. I sure did.

In addition to these dynamic bowings, you have control over the dynamics of your notes using a MIDI CC, which allows for more controlled swells. This works well as it uses appropriate filtering to allow for varied intensity in your notes. Also, you’ll find an expression knob which can also be triggered by MIDI CC. This is essentially a volume pedal and allows you to fade notes completely in or out as desired.

Vibrato control is also included. Now, many of the playing styles have a built-in vibrato that works well and doesn’t stand out. But if you want a bit more, or if you want to add a little to the non-vibrato samples, this knob allows you to do it. This changes a bit of the character of each note as well, allowing it to break through the mix with a more full tone, or letting it set back a bit.

Finally, and in my opinion this is every bit as important as the rest, is the speed control. Out of the box, all legatos play at their slowest realistic tempo. But the speed knob allows you to slow down or speed up each transition to eliminate the “over the top” nature of some transitions. So you can adjust a little of the emphasis and attack using this knob.

These four controls alone allow you to COMPLETELY transform a phrase. It’s worth taking the time to map each one and adjust to taste. I personally found myself mapping the dynamics and expression to the same expression pedal, with vibrato mapped to my mod wheel and speed control to an available knob.

There are a couple of minor gripes that I have with the legato system in general. One is that at times, there are very slight bits of inconsistency in volume that can throw things off a bit. The legato transition samples seem to play at nearly the same volume level no matter where you are in the envelope of a note. So if you trigger a new legato note while at the tail end of the preceding note, just as it’s dying down, the legato transition will jump out at you a bit. You can fix much of this in your editor of choice by going back and making sure to cut off the previous note before triggering the new one, but this leads to the triggering of a new phrase and not a smoothly transitioned one.

This could have been solved with a simple volume knob for the legato samples, but unfortunately, there is none. You’re stuck with the built-in levels. Maybe 8Dio will consider this for a future patch. I hope so.

Also included are special “Dynamic Bowings” patches that include all the variations of dynamic swells and arcs in one patch.

These are useful if you need even more flexibility outside of the legato patches. But these don’t include any legato transitions and are a little more challenging to use on their own. I highly recommend working within the legato patches for best results.

Portato ‘de Loure

I put this in it’s own section because I want you to make sure not to miss it. We’ve seen portato (often referred to as Loure) articulations in plenty of libraries in the past. Adagio takes it further by integrating them into the legato patches.

This playing technique is when a player slightly relieves bow pressure in a way that creates a new subtle attack emphasis in the middle of a note. Most commonly used when continuing the same note, this technique feels as if it’s a “floating” sound. I personally love using this to help a rather slow piece to move along a little easier. It almost adds rhythm to your slower passages. And Adagio includes several variations of this. See the picture below for the full list of Loure variations(taken from the Adagio Violins manual):

Each legato patch includes multiple Loure variations, typically between 1 and 4 repetitions. So you can keyswitch to each one depending on your needs. The best thing is that they work alongside the legato transitions so you can flow right into a Loure style and right back to full sustain at will. In addition, the Loure samples are synced to your host tempo so they feel like they belong.

You also have a dedicated Loure patch which contains all variations in one patch in case you need to specifically pick out a certain dynamic.

I can’t emphasize enough how important having Kontakt 5 is here. The timestretching in K5 is far superior to K4, and these Loure samples DESERVE the improved quality.

These are a fantastic, and unique addition to the already nearly complete Adagio feature list. But to make them even better, you get numerous round robin variations of several Loure types, which makes this feature even more fluid and realistic.

The Long And Short Of It

Adagio Violins comes with several additional patches in addition to the legato variations. In particular, you’ll find patches that contain sustain articulations, and patches that contain the shorts.

The sustain patches are separate from the normal legato patches, and while there is a little overlap, they are mostly unique articulations that don’t really fit into a legato line.

For the ensemble sustains patch, you get a whole slew of fun stuff to work with. In addition to more than one variation of the basic sustain and a sustained sordino, you get a wonderful sounding, quick moving tremolo(non-measured, though we’ll discuss that in a moment), along with a full complement of harmonics samples. But the highlight of the ensemble sustains is without a doubt the large variety of trills included.

You’ll find all intervals from a half step trill to a fourth trill. To make things better, you also get a variation of each of these that includes a dynamic swell throughout the trill. These trills are soft enough to use in more thoughtful passages, but you can really let them loose to ratchet up the tension as needed. As with other parts of Adagio Violins, 8Dio went further with this feature than most libraries do, and you’ll love it.

In addition to the single generic tremolo in the ensemble sustains, you also get a dedicated patch for measured tremolos. These are tremolos designed to work within the timing you have set forth in your piece. You have two different speeds of tremolos that are tempo synced to give you more flexibility, along with two different speeds of sordino tremolos. Plus, as an added bonus, two types of tremolo glissandos are included for extra effect(perfect for the whimsical or horrific, should you choose!).

The Divisi and Solo sections also contain a selection of sustains, but they are much more limited in this area. For instance, you don’t get a full compliment of measured tremolos with the Divisi section. You get a single variation. The downside here is that doing exact matches alongside the ensemble patches may prove difficult if you need them to sound identical. But it should be noted that these smaller section sizes are really supplemental, so it should be pretty easy in most cases to fit them in with the more full ensemble patches.

The shorts in Adagio Violins are superb. It’s one of the more complete collections out there. The round robin recordings for each of the shorts really help create a sense of movement within notes that have little movement of their own. Apparently, more than 10,000 recordings are included in this section, though I’ll be honest…….I didn’t count them(I gave up at 2,358).

Five(yes, five)spiccato variations are included; feather spiccato, on bow, tapped, bounced spiccato and arp spiccato, which allows you to trigger a spiccato sound on both note down AND note release(in case you need some really fast, or on-tempo spiccato). These variations give you loads of flexibility for crafting a spiccato that bits just enough, or blends in. It’s really quite refreshing to see the attention to these.

But spiccato isn’t all that you get. A Staccato articulation is also present in case you need a little more body to your short sounds. The staccato is wonderfully lush and present, and doesn’t sound like it’s trying too hard to be abrupt, something I can’t say about all string libraries.

Want Marcato for a more flowing and nearly sustained short bow? Check. Pizzicato for enhanced rhythm ? You betcha. How about Bartok Pizzicato for the extra resonance and snap? It’s there too. You’ll even get the wonderfully backwards Col Legno sounds for those times when you’re just tired of the horsehair getting all the attention!

Ok, kidding aside, this is an excellent and very complete collection of shorts. And they are very very smooth sounding. There is a great sense of sturdiness in the Adagio Violins shorts that allows them to really punch. There is so much detail there that the shorts could have been a library of their very own and people would pay for it. Below is a demonstration from 8Dio showing the shorts in action:

You can adjust tightness if you need, or you can have a slightly “sloppier” sound, but all-in-all, you won’t find a larger collection of shorts in this quality in ANY library. Sharp enough to be noticed, but slick enough to be subtle. Don’t miss these.

As with the sustains patch, the Divisi and Solo sections are also quite limited when it comes to the short notes. As already mentioned, this isn’t necessarily debilitating because these sections are meant as complements to each other. And honestly, with the hugely vast amount of content in Adagio Violins, it’s very hard to complain about. But it’s worth mentioning.

Sounds Like Candy

Adagio lends itself to a wide range of applications. It’s comprehensive articulation list makes for quite a flexible set of tools. But the specialty here is the most definitely the sensual and passionate film score type compositions. When you play it, this feeling is just drenched all over every note. You could define Adagio Violins as “sweet”, if it had to be put into a word. It’s a softer sound, though the upper registers retain the ability to pierce through.

The Ensemble patches are lush and bold, but are surprisingly “airy” to allow other instruments their own space. The 11 person ensemble here is a nice balance between getting lost in the mix and overpowering it. While there are a few exceptions, the ensemble parts are, for the most part, very solid and play as a very unified section sound. In addition, you’ll find by FAR the most articulations and playing styles in the ensemble patches. There is more here than either of the Divisi or Solo sections.

The Divisi sections are a little more biting, but to be honest, they don’t lose a lot in terms of size. Some chamber section libraries have a thin and tinny sound to them. The Adagio Violins Divisi section is the opposite of that and can hold it’s own. You get some of the more intimate sounds from the Divisi section as you can hear enough bow scrapes and strings twisting to really pour on the dynamics. It’s a bigger sound than a lot of libraries, which may be good or bad depending on what you are looking for, but it works very well.

You will find the short articulations lacking in the Divisi sections, as you only get Spiccato and Staccato repetitions. Plus, a very limited tremolo variety and no trills to speak of. So if you need a full-on chamber section with all articulations, you may need to supplement elsewhere.

The solo violin is recorded well, and it sounds great, but it’s a little more limited in scope compared to the rest of the library. Because of the limited Schindler legato type, you’re kind of restricted from doing anything TOO slow and emotive. This doesn’t mean it’s not useful, but it’s just not meant for that, in my opinion. In addition, there are less available articulations in each of the solo patches. You don’t get the full compliment of shorts that the Ensemble has, though you do get slightly more than with the Divisi section(Spiccato, Arp Spicatto, Marcato, Pizz). I found that the solo shorts were slightly weaker in sound than the rest of the solo violin sound as well. Some compression and EQ worked wonders for me though and brought out the intricacies of the sound that I was needing.

The solo sustains were also quite limited compared to the rest of the library, though you do get some essential tremolo and sordano articulations to play with. In the end, I don’t think this solo violin was meant to be a full-on library of it’s own though. This is a supplemental section designed to work alongside the other section sizes for extra emphasis. And for this, it’s absolutely perfect.

There is a certain raw nature in the Adagio Violin sounds. The kind of feel you get when playing is almost one of pulling you along with a slight degree of tension as you wait for notes to resolve themselves to the next note. The emotion in the players is obvious, but yet the dynamics manage to stay rather consistent.

The natural ambience of the church where Adagio Violins was recorded is also quite obvious. But it’s more of a character ambience than a spatial one. As a result, Adagio works rather well with external reverbs. I think my favorite setup was to let the natural ambience remain for the early reflections, while adding a nice external reverb tail to help fit it perfectly into the rest of the arrangement.

Adagio Violins isn’t perfect. In fact, when listened to without any other tracks around it, there is a very raw sense of color to the samples. The audio QUALITY is good, but this isn’t anything near an anechoic chamber. You can sometimes hear the instrumentalist playing the instrument, and even the occasional non-violin noise will creep in here and there. But on the flip side, you almost come away with the sense that you could visualize the player as they rocked the bow back and forth. You don’t get the sense that these players are recording a library in a static controlled environment. You instead get to hear what it would be like if you asked each player to sit down in front of you and “play something” (man, I REALLY hate it when people ask me to do that, by the way……..I know a million songs, but ask me to choose just one and I’m clueless……). They are playing, not recording. There is a distinct difference between the two, and Adagio Violins hits the mark.

There are also some pitch and tuning issues, if you want to call them that. Players don’t always hit their notes imediately, particularly when using legato. Of course, I’m not talking about being a full semi-tone off or anything. The issues really are minor. And of course, they are MUCH less obvious in the context of a track. Solo out some string players in most any recording, and you would probably find a similar set of issues. This is just the natural adjustments made during a performance, and when the alternative is a very “clinical” sound, I’ll take natural any day.

Intonation is pretty solid throughout most of the library. I did, on occasion, hear what sounded like a bit of comb filtering in the full section patches. I can’t tell if this was due to some sloppy crossfading or just natural swelling of tones between players, but it is definitely there.

With all this being said, let me get one thing clear: Adagio Violins sounds REAL. In the context of a mix, these little issues provide a rather organic and “played” sound, which is actually quite refreshing compared to some libraries that try a little too hard to be perfect. And don’t get the wrong impression that you’re getting a messy library. That’s absolutely not the case. NONE of these issues in any way interfere with the library sounding great or being useful, even in a solo fashion. But in case you’re looking for perfect recordings of single notes that don’t sound like real players played them……Adagio may not be for you.

If you need violins, there is a world of exploration to be had inside of Adagio Violins. If you need something soft and full of passion, Adagio shines like NO other. If you need something larger and bombastic, Adagio holds it’s own. And if you need pure exhaustiveness of sounds, Adagio rises above the rest. Here are a couple of the official demo tracks for Adagio Violins, in case you need more of the sound. We’ll also be showing some of our own examples in the coming days.

As If That Wasn’t Enough…

There are some additional features that are worth mentioning that make Adagio Violins even more complete.

While Adagio Violins doesn’t include a 2nd violins section, it does provide the option to make every patch into a 2nd violins section. With the push of a button, the tone of your patch will change to a slightly darker sound with a varied amount of processing to place it separately in the spatial panorama. This is done very well. I am always afraid of these types of “features” because I’ve seen so many libraries just add it to make the “easy way out”, but it still sounds artificial. Adagio accomplishes what I would hope for a 2nd violins section, and while a full 2nd section would have been great, I have no complaints.

You’ll also find lite versions of almost every patch in Adagio Violins. These allow you to stream more samples from disk if you prefer that instead of loading into RAM. So they are there if you need them, though Adagio Violins isn’t a tremendously demanding library by default.

As previously mentioned, you have three different microphone perspectives; Close, Far and Mix. Adagio Violins allows you to route each of these perspectives to different outputs if you need it. This may come in handy if you’re doing some surround, or just want to process each mic separately in your host.

In addition to the plethora of articulations and playing styles included, 8Dio have also included a small but useful collection of ensemble and solo phrases. These are merely pre-recorded runs, solo lines, special fx and other pieces in a similar style to those found in 8Dio’s other library, Studio Solo Violin(see review here on ProRec.com). While these don’t make up a significant portion of the library, they are there in case you should need them. This is more a bonus than a selling feature though, in my opinion.

Finally, 8Dio have used the core sample set of Adagio Violins to create a series of ambiences to include in your recordings. From pads to drones, these are very creatively put together and often include external non-violin samples and effects to create some truly unique “score candy”.

The Wrap-up

8Dio Adagio Violins is something special. Is it the only violin library you’ll ever need? No, I wouldn’t say that. But it can very well fit at the forefront of your string arrangements and orchestral scores. Whether you write for Hollywood videos or video games, there is so much content here that Adagio needs to be on your hard drive.

It’s not the end-all, be-all of string libraries, and it’s not without it’s faults. But it’s amazing how much 8Dio has put together in this one library. And not only that, they did what many library developers fail to do, and they have created a different way of working. One that makes sense, indeed. The money you pay for Adagio Violins is very much worth the returns you’ll get.

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The post 8Dio Adagio Violins Volume 1- Full Review appeared first on ProRec.com.

Your recording studio business is made or killed in first impressions. Even the first few seconds of a phone call can mean the difference between a busy session, or a weekend watching re-runs. I hope to shed some light on a few things you can do to keep the potential client interested in visiting, and eventually booking time.

Most large studios have the advantage in the booking game. Reputation, equipment, and marketing are all on their side. However, pricing is to your advantage. You can overcome these handicaps, beat their price, and compete in the small studio world. Just use your head and stay on your toes!

Your Recording Studio- Be Prepared

We are going to look at a few things that will help book your studio and build a client base. I assume you’ve done all the preparation needed to actually get the phone call. Do you have a website, MySpace, Facebook? Have you visited clubs, printed business cards, placed local advertising, etc? You haven’t done these things? Then get on it. If no one knows who you are, they aren’t going to come looking for you.

First Contact

Make sure you have a professional sounding phone system. I don’t mean to run out and buy a $50,000 phone routing system. You need to have one information number. The voice mail should be set up with your studio name and a timeline for the return call. Don’t put your latest beat or a downloaded song as your greeting. Make it short, sweet, and to the point. This will also help future follow up return calls. Nothing will turn someone off quicker than a five-minute wait before the message.

It doesn’t really matter if it’s a cell phone or a land-line. Make sure that if you can’t take the initial call, you will be getting right back to the caller. Remember that your new client is probably calling around to other studios for pricing and/or a tour of the facility. The first one to answer is usually the winner.

Sell Yourself

Call back quickly and have all your information ready for any questions. A calendar, equipment list, rate schedule, and reference numbers should all be at hand. Be ready for any questions. If you have to call back a second time with more information, you will lose that client to someone who’s ready with an answer. Often, the potential client doesn’t know what to ask. So make notes on what you want to say about your studio. You don’t want it to be scripted, but if you have an idea about what your studio is all about, that helps break the ice.

 Many years ago I opened my first studio. I was a fan of Cakewalk, then moved on to Sonar. Clients who didn’t know anything about recording knew the term “Pro Tools”. So the first question would be, “Do you have Pro Tools?” I would say no and the next thing I heard from the call was a dial tone. Be ready for those kinds of questions and have a quick answer.

Don’t assume your client knows about gear or what’s the latest in audio. They are often reacting to marketing. A question like, “I heard that XYZ makes a great mic”, for instance. Your answer might be, “Yes, that is a good mic. But I have an ABC mic and it sounds very similar to the XYZ. You should come try it out and hear how amazing the voice sounds on this thing.”

Face to Face

It’s time for the in-person visit. Set a time for your potential client to talk about their project. But keep a few things in mind. Arrive for the appointment early. Nothing turns a person off more than having to wait for someone. Even if they are on musician’s time, it shows a lack of respect and may give the impression that you don’t care. Additionally, if you show up right on time or a little late, it sends the signal that you are not very busy. Therefore you must not be very good.

Arrive early and do a little housekeeping. Make sure things are put away, cords are wrapped and hung, the fridge is stocked, and amps and guitars are against the wall or displayed in an orderly way. Your new client is probably going to make their decision in that first minute or two, so don’t give them any trivial excuse to move on to the next studio.

Greet your visitor at the door with a handshake. This isn’t the time to get fancy about your high fives and back slaps. Just a regular handshake and simple greeting will suffice. Call them by name often during these first few minutes so they have the feeling that you are on top of things. Be ready to give your undivided attention. Speaking of undivided attention, don’t answer cell calls or get caught up in something else during this meeting. Your visitor is surveying your studio and your personality. Don’t give them any negative impressions.

The Studio

Talk about your studio with pride. Don’t point out any problems or work- a-rounds. People tend to believe you when you say something is broken. Don’t focus on the negative. Walk them around the studio. Spend a little time in each part and initially keep them moving. You want them to soak in your vibe, so show your place off.

Never, ever talk bad about other studios. That’s bad karma, and it shows that you’re insecure. Know your competition. Make your client aware of that knowledge. Even if the other studios talk bad about you, your positive attitude shows your visitor that you are honest and confident.

After the greetings, tour, and small talk, you will now get down to the nitty-gritty. Be prepared to play something that is in or close to the genre of music that the client is going to record. Play mixes that are up to snuff and not some hack job. Make sure your monitors, board, and connections are good. This is not the time for studio maintenance. If you don’t have any genre specific recording, then play the best mix you have. Keep reminding the client during this process that you can do anything, and whatever they ask for is possible.

Negotiate the Price

There is an old saying in business that goes something like this; whomever says the first price loses. Hopefully you’ve given your standard pricing in the phone contact, but everything is negotiable. This is where the real art of the deal comes in. Ask for a budget and the amount of time that they have for the project. Give them an idea of how much you expect per hour and try to work with them.

Let’s say they have $500 for the project and they want to do 15 songs. Explain to them you can do that if they want, but it will be hurried and something might suffer (like the mix). Don’t be negative. Let them know the process and how long things take. Many new artists think that if a song takes 5 minutes, then the recording process must be about 5 minutes.

Go through the process and tell them how it works. Not in an “are you crazy?” sort of way, but as a teaching moment. If they still don’t understand, tell them to break it down to 2 or 3 songs and budget accordingly, then see how it goes. This helps establish trust in the relationship.

Before the Booking

At this point you are talking about booking and negotiating the price, so you’ve got your client booked! Discuss all the details with the artist. Either meet in person, or talk on the phone before the session. Make sure there are no surprises. This is pre-production and is the most ignored, yet important step of recording. Do you think they sound like the Carpenters, but they think they are the next Jay-Z? Get that clear before you start.

Ask lots of questions. Are they bringing files to use as a base? What format? Do they understand that you can’t alter individual instruments in bounced stereo Reason files? Who is the Producer? Who makes final decisions? How many people in the band? Are they bringing in a Djembe? Is someone coming to video record? How many family members, dogs and cats, boyfriends, girlfriends, and other characters are coming? What about food? Are they buying? Do they know you need a break every now and then to eat or clear your head? Do they know they have to pay for you to set up mics, or are you going to throw that in?

You should also have some sort of legal document ready and agreed to before the session that states non-refundable deposits, breakage of equipment, and liabilities should someone have an accident. What is your studio policy on smoking, drinking, and illegal substance abuses? If any of these things are violated or come up during the session, it’s your job to keep everyone calm. Nothing destroys a session or a future business relationship quicker that a session meltdown.

I hope this helps some of you new studio owners out there. Maybe this is also a reminder for some of you veterans as well. Owning a studio and making a living at it is tough, but it can be done. Always remember that it is a business, and even though it’s in a creative field, you still have to follow certain time proven rules.  Now go record.

Jeffrey Tackett

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Most people have heard of the term “pan law”, but many people don’t fully understand what it is or why it matters to them. So we’re here to define pan law in detail.

Pan law determines what happens when a mono channel is routed to a stereo bus (either a group or the “master” 2-bus). The designator (0dB, -3dB, -6dB, etc) describes how much the audio is attenuated (made quieter) when it’s panned to the centre.

More specifically, it determines what happens when mono channels are not panned hard-left or hard-right (that is, they’re panned somewhere in the middle). In (almost[1]) all cases, a mono channel panned hard-left or hard-right will come through to (one side of) the stereo bus at exactly the same level as it is on the channel.

0dB Pan Law

0dB pan law is probably the easiest to understand. With this pan law, mono channels that are panned centre are not attenuated at all. Audio that’s at full scale digital (0dBFS – very loud!) would appear at the stereo bus at the same level – full scale 0dBFS – on both the left and the right side of the bus. Another way to think about this is to imagine panning a mono channel from hard-left to hard-right. When it’s panned hard-left, the left side of the stereo bus is showing the same level as the mono channel. As you pan towards centre, the right side of the stereo bus starts to raise in level, but the left side doesn’t lower. At centre, both sides of the stereo bus are at the same level as the mono channel. As you then pan towards the right, the left side of the stereo bus lowers in level. But the right side stays at the same level.

The advantage to using this pan law is that mono channels are as loud as stereo channels (stereo channels are just two mono channels panned hard-left and hard-right). This is because the mono channel “fills up” the stereo bus as if it’s a stereo channel. This could be useful if you regularly work with a mix of stereo and mono channels and don’t do much panning. It might also be worthwhile if you regularly use mono channels for foreground instruments (such as lead vocals or kick drum) because with 0dB pan law, mono channels are actually louder when panned centre than when they’re panned to the side. This is because mono channels panned centre are sent to both speakers at full level.

The disadvantage with 0dB pan law is that mono channels are much louder when panned centre than when panned to the side. This can make pan automation sound strange. It might also be a problem if you mostly mix with instruments panned center (as I do), leaving the panning to the later stages of the mix. With 0dB pan law, audio will actually get quieter if you pan it away from centre, which can unbalance the mix because those instruments are pushed further to the background. Of course, you’d compensate for this by adjusting the fader at the same time, but it’s more work.

Another disadvantage to 0dB pan law is that if you control the width of a stereo channel by adjusting the pans of the left and right sides, you’ll find that the audio gets louder as you collapse it to mono. This is because each side gets added to the other side, but the level is not automatically reduced to compensate. In most cases this sounds “wrong”.

0dB pan law is probably useful for modern electronic or pop music, where powerful foreground synths are in stereo but highly correlated (mostly mono anyway), and there’s a strong emphasis on the foreground sounds that are panned centre.

-6dB Pan Law

By contrast, -6dB pan law attenuates the mono channel by 6dB when it’s panned mono. If you pan a mono channel from hard-left to hard-right, it’ll start at full level at hard-left. As soon as you start moving it to the right, however, the left side of the stereo bus starts lowering in level at the same time that the right side of the stereo bus is increasing in level. At centre, the audio is coming through both sides of the stereo bus, but at half the level. As you then move the audio to the right, the left side of the stereo bus continues lowering in level and the right side continues rising in level. When the channel is finally panned hard-right, the signal coming through the right side of the stereo bus is at the same level as it is on the channel.

The advantage to using this pan law is that mono channels stay the same level wherever they’re panned. This should make pan automation sound more natural, and make it easier to pan mono channels late in the mix without changing the balance much. The other advantage is that stereo channels in which the main component of the sound is equal on both sides (i.e. mono) can have their width adjusted by panning each side without the apparent level changing.

The disadvantage is that in a full mix it can make a mono channel actually sound weaker in the centre and louder at the sides. This is because most mixes are more dense in the centre than at the sides. So even at the same level, a mono channel can get a bit lost, or “masked” in the center, but come through clearly at the side. This is the exact opposite behavior to 0dB pan law, where mono channels in a mix are louder in the centre but can get lost at the sides. Also worth considering is that with -6dB pan law, stereo channels can actually sound up to 6dB louder[2] than mono channels at the same fader setting.

Another disadvantage relates to stereo channels that are loosely correlated (true stereo). These are stereo channels where each side is similar, but slightly different (for example, ambience effects or wide stereo synths). If you try to adjust their width by panning each side using -6dB pan law, they may actually get quieter. This is because each side is not exactly the same, and thus they won’t exactly reinforce each other to make up for the 6dB gain reduction. This is also what happens when you use a separate plugin to collapse the stereo field to mono. Most such plugins use a -6dB pan law and thus the sound itself gets smaller.

-6dB pan law is probably useful for more ambient or acoustic music where there’s more emphasis on background textures (and stereo space), and foreground sounds don’t dominate the mix.

-3dB Pan Law

-3dB pan law is a compromise between 0dB and -6dB pan laws. Mono channels are attenuated when panned centre, but not as much as with -6dB pan law. When listened to in solo, there’s still a slight increase in level as the channel is panned towards the centre. When panning in a mix, however, the level remains mostly even and the mix retains its balance better. Fully correlated stereo channels (where both sides are exactly the same – effectively mono) will become slightly louder when collapsed to mono using pan controls for each side. But loosely correlated stereo channels (where each side is slightly different – true stereo) will remain about the same level no matter how each side is panned.

-3dB is probably your best choice if either 0dB or -6dB pan laws don’t feel right to you, or you find yourself regularly working in a variety of different styles and genres.

Why It Doesn’t Matter… Much

Mixers are complex, but so are mixes. When you’re actually working on a mix, you’re adjusting faders as well as pans anyway. Using a pan law that works for you merely reduces some of the work in adjusting the volume as you place a sound in the stereo space. Additionally, each mix is different. The way audio signals combine to reinforce and mask each other is subtle and complex. Regardless of which pan law you use, you have to use your ears to determine if you need to adjust the fader to compensate for any actual or perceived volume change.

Other Weird Pan Laws

0dB, -3dB, and -6dB are the basics. But some other digital mixers have other options. -2.5dB, -4.5dB, -3dB compensated, constant power, log/sin taper, and others are some examples of pan laws on offer in some mixers and DAWs. You’ll have to check the manual or other documentation to find out how these differ from the usual pan laws.

Armed with this article, you should be able to make sense of it all and choose the best option for you!

[1] I’m not a Logic user, but apparently the “3dB compensated” pan law in Logic boosts hard-panned mono channels by 3dB. Look out!

[2] Depending on correlation. A stereo channel will sound 6dB louder than a mono channel with -6dB pan law if both sides of the stereo channel are exactly the same (they’re fully correlated). If each side is slightly different (that is, the stereo channel is loosely correlated), then it will sound slightly less than 6dB louder than the mono channel.

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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 recording, where they definitely learned some tough lessons, but the engineering work done on their CDs has usually been top-notch. I can almost always learn something about engineering from listening to the production of a Rush CD.

So you can guess that it was with much anticipation that I awaited my first real listen to the band’s newest CD, “Vapor Trails”. Reviews heralded this album as one of the hardest-rocking Rush albums in some time, with a strong focus on guitars, powerful drumming, excellent bass work, and some of the best songwriting to come from the band in years. And, in listening to the CD, I found all of these things to be true. This is easily my favorite collection of Rush songs in years, maybe decades. It’s incredible work and I earnestly hope it reflects a new and sustainable direction for this great band.

However there was one fact that the reviewers had all left out: this CD sounds like dogshit.

Perhaps you think I’m being a little strong. I think not. This is without prefix or suffix the worst sounding Rush CD ever made. In fact it is so bad that I cannot listen to more than a few songs before I just have to turn it off.

What’s the cause of this sonic catastrophe? There’s no secret here: loudness. Vapor Trails is just the latest CD to fall victim to the current craze of LOUDER IS BETTER production. Rush is not alone. Most of the current crop of rock CDs have been punished by the LOUDER IS BETTER process, and I know I am not alone when I say, once and for all, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

Where the damage was done on the Vapor Trails CD is impossible to say for sure. Usually, LOUDER IS BETTER is inflicted by the mastering engineer. It is relatively evident from an investigation of the audio on Vapor Trails that the problems arose in mixing or mastering, not in tracking. However the audio on this disk is so bad that had I been the record label, I would have sued the responsible party for malpractice. Unfortunately, I know all too well that the record label is almost certainly the culprit in this crime, and the band and its fans the victims.

The Label is the Culprit

Record labels have never really understood what makes a record “sound good” and frankly, few even care. Many of the people who sign artists don’t understand their music at all. Instead, they are able to pick up on musical trends, and replicate those trends across the ranks of their artists. Artists that fit into the trend are fed, the rest are starved.

Over the past few years, record labels have increasingly attempted to dictate to the artist and producer the target volume level of the CD. For some reason, record labels have it in their head that “LOUD” equals good, and therefore, “LOUDER” equals better. Not caring to understand even the basics of audio, these morons simply demand more volume (typically from the mastering engineer) and really don’t understand – or care – about the consequences of their demands.

Mastering engineers are caught in a Catch-22. If they do not deliver a product that is appropriately LOUD, then they are consdered inept by the labels and are shunned. If they refuse to destroy the artist’s music, then they aren’t being “team players” and quickly fall out of favor. But if they provide what the customer demands (and remember, the label, not the band, is the customer) then they ruin a perfectly good piece of music, and they know that sooner or later, people are going to figure out why the sound is so horrible, and then the mastering engineer will be blacklisted for having followed orders.

Having said all that I really don’t know what I would do in their shoes. If someone offered YOU the opportunity to master a Rush CD, and then told you that you would have to destroy the sound quality in order to get the job, how would you respond? It isn’t a clear or easy choice.

However what is clear as day is that this CD sounds like dogshit. I cannot say this enough. My God, this thing sounds terrible. It is hands-down the worst sounding CD I own.

Perhaps a brief education about the history of the problem is in order.

A Little History Lesson

Everyone has heard the CD That Is Too Quiet. This is usually your (or your buddy’s) first demo. You pop it in and you can barely hear the music. There are many reasons for the CD That Is Too Quiet, and it isn’t my intention here to go into them all. But we’ve all heard (or made) the CD That Is Too Quiet and regretted it.

Professional engineers, particularly the ones working with digital in the early days of that medium, made some CDs That Were Too Quiet. Usually, these guys had lots of skill and great intent. You get the whole CD laid out in the DAW, and you’ve been careful with your gain structure, and there’s lots of headroom. In one or two places, there’s a freak transient that comes close to 0 dB, but overall the peaks are hitting near –9 or lower, and there’s tons of dynamic range. In general these professional CDs sound pretty good – sometimes excellent – but the average level of the audio is relatively low.

Most older recordings tracked and mixed to analog didn’t suffer these problems. The reason was that traditionally engineers would saturate the analog tape by running it hot, essentally using the tape as a peak limiter at every stage of the process. As a result there are usually no errant peaks in an analog rock recording, and for this reason most rock records are still recorded to analog tape.

The problem with the CD That Is Too Quiet is this: when you put the CD into the CD changer, it’s YOUR music that nobody hears. Well, folks, if you’re a record label exec, that’s the ONE problem that you know just cannot be allowed to stand. Quiet CDs became synonymous with Amateur Recordings, and Loud CDs became synonymous with Professional Recordings.

Understandably, nobody wants to have the quietest CD in the CD changer. Nobody wants to have the one CD that doesn’t get heard. The problem with the LOUDER IS BETTER approach is simply that with any medium – digital or analog – there is only so much signal that will fit in the space provided. Beyond a point, you cannot gain anything without losing something.

Why Be Normal?

The idea behind peak limiting of digital audio started simply enough. Before people got the idea to use a peak limiter on their digital audio, the process of normalizing was used. Normalizing is a strange word that simply means “increase the volume of the signal by whatever amount is needed to bring the highest peak up to 0 dB, full-scale. Normalizing audio during a CD transfer is simply an easy way to get the audio as loud as it can be without changing the dynamics whatsoever. From an audiophile point of view it is the proper technique to get the hottest signal on CD with no distortion of the signal at all.

However, as we’ve discussed, if you have just one transient that jumps out of the signal, then you really can’t get much extra volume out of the signal. Here’s where limiting comes into play: if we just tame the small number of peaks that are eating up the dynamic range of the signal, then we can get the entire signal hotter. Used properly, this results in an imperceptible change to a small number of peaks in the signal and the whole signal can be made louder, sometimes considerably so. This approach achieves the maximum volume while still preserving virtually all of the original signal.

People discovered that with modern limiter technology, you could pretty much ride ALL of the peaks, and squeeze another few dB of gain out of the signal. This approach definitely changes the sonics of the signal because the peaks are being limited throughout the song. However, depending on the source material and your personal taste, this approach to limiting can sound pretty good as long as it is kept in the range of reasonableness. A lot of CDs have been mastered using this approach to limiting, and most of them still sound pretty good.

However, the latest trend is LOUDER IS BETTER. This approach basically ignores any distortion caused by limiting and seeks to make the audio as loud as possible. The idea is to peg the meters and keep them pegged. As a result the signal is just ruined.

WHY IS THE LOUDER IS BETTER APPROACH THE WRONG APPROACH? BECAUSE WHEN ALL OF THE SIGNAL IS AT THE MAXIMUM LEVEL, THEN THERE IS NO WAY FOR THE SIGNAL TO HAVE ANY PUNCH. THE WHOLE THING COMES SCREAMING AT YOU LIKE A MESSAGE IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. AS WE ALL KNOW, WHEN YOU TYPE IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS THERE ARE NO CUES TO HELP THE BRAIN MAKE SENSE OF THE SIGNAL, AND THE MIND TIRES QUICKLY OF TRYING TO PROCESS WHAT IS, BASICALLY, WHITE NOISE. LIKEWISE, A SIGNAL THAT JUST PEGS THE METERS CAUSES THE BRAIN TO REACT AS THOUGH IT IS BEING FED WHITE NOISE. WE SIMPLY FILTER IT OUT AND QUIT TRYING TO PROCESS IT.

I bet you couldn’t even finish reading that paragraph. Get the idea? If louder was really better, then all print media would be printed like the above paragraph.

Editor’s note: immediately after printing this article, Senior Editor Bill Park mentioned in a Discussion Forum thread(no longer available) that one point that had not been made in this article was the psychological effect of LOUDER IS BETTER on the listener – that people tend to either turn the music off, tune the music out, or get away from it. Of course, that is precisely the point of the paragraph above in all caps. Bill had actually fallen victim to the point he was trying to make – the all-caps paragraph was so overwhelming to his brain that he either couldn’t stand to read the whole thing, or his brain failed to process the message. The irony of this is just amazing, and clearly proves the point that Bill was trying to make: LOUDER IS BETTER means that people actually fail to even hear the music.

Case Study

I went back through some of my collection of Rush CDs to see if my theories held true. What I found was pretty shocking, but not surprising. It turns out that Rush is just a microcosm of what has been going on in music for the last five or so years.

Here is a side-by-side picture showing a sample of audio from five different Rush CDs. On the top is the latest CD, Vapor Trails (2002). Below that, going back a few years, is a sample from the Counterparts CD (1993). Going back a year is a sample from the Roll The Bones CD (1992). Next is 1985’s Power Windows, the first Rush CD to be recorded entirely digitally. On the bottom is a sample from the Grace Under Pressure CD (1984) which immediately preceded Power Windows and was recorded to analog.

A numerical analysis of these tracks offers more insight into the same information: a 10-second representative sample was used from each CD in computing these statistics.

Power Windows and Grace Under Pressure are classic examples of the Normalization approach to CD transfer (note: I have no earthly idea how any of the CDs were actually mastered, but they still serve as excellent examples of the various approaches to mastering I will discuss). Both Power Windows and Grace Under Pressure show no signs of brickwall peak limiting. Most of the peaks fall well below 0 dBFS, but each one had one peak that hit -.3 dBFS. In the mid-eighties, -.3 dBFS was considered the loudest signal that was safe to put on a CD, since some CD players at the time would treat a 0 dBFS sample as an error. It seems apparent that these two CDs were normalized immediately before transfer to CD master and were not processed with a brickwall limiter.

Roll the Bones shows some signs of peak limiting, but the limiting was a very safe approach. Most of the peaks are just a little below 0 dBFS, but several of them do hit 0 dBFS. However, investigating those samples shows that most of the transient is preserved, leading me to believe that the limiter was used primarily as a safety device, rather than with a deliberate attempt to knock the peaks off of the transients. A little gain was achieved vis-a-vis the older songs: the Roll the Bones sample is 1.5 dB louder than the samples from Power Windows and Grace Under Pressure.

Counterparts is indicitive of an aggressive approach to limiting that still seeks to preserve as much fidelity as possible in the signal. Here it is pretty clear that the limiter was used to shave off a few dB from most of the peaks. Although the analysis software reported that the Counterparts sample and the Roll the Bones sample both had 5 “clipped” samples, investigation of the peaks shows a more consistently limited signal on the Counterparts CD. Not surprisingly, this CD is noticeably louder than the older three samples used in this test. Counterparts is 3 dB louder than Roll the Bones and 4.5 dB louder than Power Windows and Grace Under Pressure. As you probably know, that means that you will perceive Counterparts to be twice as loud as those older CDs. And, while the trained ear will recognize the sound of Counterparts as having been processed with a limiter, the sound is still relatively open and more-or-less unmolested. Audiophiles will probably disagree with me here, but in the world of rock music, a little bit of peak limiting doesn’t necessarily ruin the sound.

But what is going on with Vapor Trails? The numbers quickly report the truth we were hearing with our ears. The average volume is a whopping 4.5 dB louder than Counterparts. But where Counterparts was able to achieve a 4.5 dB volume boost with almost no increase in audible distortion, in the Vapor Trails sample almost every peak is clipped, many of them severely so. And, as we shall see, the limiting is so severe that the songs have no punch, and just slam out of the speakers like a loud blast of white noise.

What Price Volume?

Have a look at this and tell me what you see:

One of thousands of ruined kick drum transients from the Vapor Trails CD

What you are looking at is a serious square wave. Note in the top swing of the clipped wave how the high-frequency harmonics have had all of their peaks shaved off? This is why clipping sounds harsh. Now note how in the lower portion of that wave the bottom is just perfectly squared off? That’s a pulse of white noise. Now note how all of the peaks in this signal are all hitting the top of the scale? This is why the CD has no punch. A powerful blast of the kick drum should be louder than the rest of the signal and should have a sharp transient on the front of the wave. In the case of this song, however, it just produces a quick blast of distortion and a dull thudding sensation.

If there was one or two places on the CD that had been tortured like this, it would be one thing. But that’s not the case. Every peak on the whole album is wrecked. In fact I didn’t have to try to find an ugly picture to illustrate the damage: the question was “which one do I choose?”

You’re probably thinking, “You’ve got to be kidding!” But I’m not. These are just a few of the thousands of examples of the trashed audio on the Vapor Trails CD.

Now, anybody with any experience in audio should be able to look at these examples and immediately know, “That won’t sound good.” And, it doesn’t. So the question is, why is this CD wrecked, and by whom?

Notice how, when the signal clips, the whole signal is being destroyed? If this had been caused by an error during tracking (say, the kick drum track was too hot) then there would still be detail left in the signal. Therefore, we know this distortion was caused either during mixdown or during mastering. I’d be willing to bet that it was caused during the mastering process. At least I hope it was during the mastering process. At least that way there’s some chance that one day I’ll be able to buy a remastered copy of Vapor Trails that’s worth listening to.

But before you think I’m accusing the mastering engineer of incompetence, remember my earlier discussion. I doubt very seriously if any engineer actually wanted to do this to the music. No, only the decision of a record label executive could destroy music like this.

What a shame. What a crying shame.

Solutions

I can sit here and rant all day long. The real question is: what can be done about it?

The good news is that LOUDER IS BETTER is definitely a self-correcting problem. Because this stuff just plain sounds bad, and sooner or later (hopefully sooner) people are going to realize that the music doesn’t “rock more” or “cut through better” but that it’s just plain annoying.

Because the simple truth is that audio such as this does NOT cut through better. In fact, in all probability this song will be QUIETER on the radio than, say, Roll the Bones! How, you may ask, could this be possible?

The answer lies in the simple fact that the radio station uses compressors and limiters as well. The station’s signal processors are also designed to get the hottest signal on the air. As such, they expect a certain amount of peaks in the signal. A broadcast processor that can’t “see” any peaks is simply going to clamp down on the whole signal. In the end, the song is no louder (and maybe quieter) than other, more dynamic material – AND it is further penalized because it has no punch and is very harsh.

So to you record executives who think you have identified the magic way to ensure that your song is louder on the radio, think again. It just isn’t so.

And as far as being the loudest CD in the CD changer, has it ever occurred to anyone just exactly how annoying that is? Let me tell you, you won’t catch me loading Vapor Trails into MY changer with a bunch of older Rush CDs. It sticks out like a sore, bleeding thumb.

As I have said before, Rush is not the only band to fall victim to LOUDER IS BETTER. As a matter of fact I have had some of the CDs which I have engineered fall victim to LOUDER IS BETTER. I don’t mean to pick on Rush, one of my favorite bands of all time. However, let’s look at some facts.

More than most other bands, Rush has proved itself capable of consistently delivering music that pleases the fans. Rush’s success has not come through a string of chart-topping hits, clever marketing, or sex appeal. Rush’s success comes from its close alliance with its fans.

I wonder what would happen if Rush fans complained about the sound of this record? To my mind, the only thing that the record company mooks will pay attention to is audience disapproval. So I encourage you to write to your favorite bands and tell them that you will quit buying their CDs if they insist on trying to make them the loudest CDs you own.

Oh, and when you write them, WRITE IN ALL CAPS.

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The AGML is based on the full sample set and plugin from the Ample Guitar M, which uses samples of a well known Martin guitar.Here’s a video of the FULL product in action:

The lite version specs are as follows:

Size: 682 MB
Samples: 668 samples
Sample Rate: 16bit 44.1khz
Fret Limit: 0 – 4th fret
Playing Style(sample bank): Finger
Sample Cycle: Maximum 2
Techniques Sustain: Sustain, Hammer On & Pull Off, Palm Mute, Popping 5 techniques
Sound Mode: 1 Stereo
Customized chord: 6
Strummer Humanization: 1
Strummer SEQ: 4
FXs: Reverb, Stereo Delay 2 FXs

You can read more and download here: http://www.amplesound.net/en/pro-pd.asp?id=7

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During this time, we saw the release of updates to Scarbee’s famous bass and electric piano libraries, the release of Alicia’s Keys, Funk Guitarist and completely new bass guitars as well. Some truly top of the line stuff.

But according to the Scarbee.com website, this agreement has shifted from exclusive to non-exclusive. Below is the full announcement:

“The partnership between SCARBEE and Native Instruments have now changed from “exclusive” to “non-exclusive”. We will continue to co-develop successful products with NI in future, but in addition to that, SCARBEE can now release own products based on slightly different concepts.

One of the things we are likely to examine, is the idea of releasing series of sample libraries for Kontakt, where ex. the user can buy additional content for the main product. This will be very attractive for the user and also a natural and inspiring workflow for my team and I as we like to release more often – and also produce more specialized expansions.

We will also release standard Virtual Instruments that comes with Kontakt Player – it all depends on what suits the concepts best.

These products will be sold EXCLUSIVELY from our website: www.scarbee.com

Finally this change also means that SCARBEE can work with other companies – including hardware companies.
This is something we have wanted to look into for many years.”

I think this is GREAT news. I can’t wait to see what’s in store.

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(Yes, I know that’s a picture of the Mac version- it’s the same thing)

As somebody who has used Digital Performer for some work in the past, and somebody who works heavily with video and scoring, this release is a big deal for me. And I know that many of you are interested as well because you tell us so!

The price is right too, with the full version running only $500, along with various crossgrade and upgrade prices available. For a host that has full featured audio, MIDI, notation and scoring, comping, audio tuning, loads of plugins, and hundreds of other cool features, it’s a great price. And it remains one of the only, if not THE only hosts that can load multiple projects into one project, utilize instances of plugins across different projects, etc. VERY cool stuff.

We hope to be able to take a look at this version now that it’s out. So stay tuned. And you can check out all the details by clicking here. And there is a demo available already at that link as well. I’m already on it!

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You’ve probably heard of Volcano – the versatile multi-filter by FabFilter. You might even be using it. As a filter plug-in, it’s pretty deep – four simultaneous multimode filters with eleven different algorithms, multiple routing options, and crazy modulation possibilities. You might think to yourself that there’s enough exploration and inspiration in there for at least a few albums, and you’d be right…

…but that’s not all. Volcano is capable of far more than basic filtering. Browsing the presets, you can get a taste for some of the possibilities but be left wondering; how can this potential be unlocked? How can I use these advanced techniques to set up Volcano for my own music? How can I be awesome?

Wonder no further.

Overdrive

One of the features of Volcano is it’s overdrive capabilities. Check out the bottom left corner of the plug-in:

The labels “In”, “Out” and “Mix” are actually buttons. Clicking on them gives you this:

The input and output gain controls both range from -36dB to +36dB. Raising the input level allows you to overdrive the filters. In fact, the differences between the filters become a lot more pronounced when overdriven. Some filters don’t distort unless they’re resonant, while others smoothly overdrive even when they’re fully open. Some filters eventually limit the signal once it reaches a certain threshold, while others keep getting louder and louder as they overdrive. Some filters maintain smooth resonance at all levels, while other filters distort more when they’re highly resonant.

Each filter has it’s own characteristics and it’s own behaviour, and there are some complex interrelationships between the original sound, cutoff frequency, resonance, and input level.

Be careful – the input level is not automatically gain-compensated at the output, which means setting levels when using overdrive can be a tricky procedure. You’ll have to keep lowering the output gain as you increase the input gain. This is something that is easier with dedicated hardware than with a mouse alone. Fortunately, the MIDI learn system is pretty painless (simply activate the MIDI learn control, move the on-screen knob you want to assign, and then move the knob or fader on your MIDI controller).

The other thing to watch out for is that the output of Volcano isn’t limited or clipped by default. Audio can very easily go over 0dBFS! If you’re playing with extreme overdrive, make sure your levels are low and/or you have a limiter after Volcano. Your ears and speakers will thank you!

First, experiment with overdriving a single filter. Play around with various filter algorithms, cutoff frequencies, resonance levels, and filter types. Personally, I find the “FabFilter One”, “Raw”, and “Tube” to be the most useful filter algorithms for overdriving. The FabFilter One algorithm is a good first algorithm to try as it’s easy to overdrive and behaves predictably at various cutoff and resonance levels. The Raw algorithm gets a little more raunchy at high resonance levels, but stays fairly clean at low resonance levels. The Tube algorithm is softer and stays warm and smooth even at extreme settings.

Here are some examples of what can be done by overdriving a single filter:

AUDIO EXAMPLE- SIMPLE OVERDRIVE

You can already hear quite a variety of distortion flavours by overdriving a single filter. Things can get even more varied and complex when combining several filters. First, start with two filters in series. That is, one filter being overdriven and then being sent through another filter.

One important fact to keep in mind is that the input level is only set at the very start of the signal chain. There’s no straightforward way to apply different levels of drive to individual filters. Another way to think about it is that the input level (and thus the amount of overdrive) is a global control that affects the whole plug-in.

One good filter combination to experiment with is an overdriven low pass filter being sent through a bandpass filter. Experiment with different combinations of cutoff frequency and resonance. Loosely speaking, the first filter determines what gets distorted, and the second filter determines what aspect of the distortion you hear. You can even set the bandpass filter higher than the lowpass filter. Normally, this would give you almost silence, but because the lowpass filter is being overdriven, the upper harmonics being generated are actually above the filter cutoff frequency. You can then use the bandpass filter to isolate the added harmonics and remove the original sound!

Here are some examples of what can be done by overdriving a lowpass filter into a bandpass filter:

AUDIO EXAMPLE- DUAL OVERDRIVE

This is a good way to get some more subtle and complex flavours.

Experimenting with different combinations of filter modes can give some more types of subtle and complex flavours:

AUDIO EXAMPLE- DUAL OVERDRIVE 2

Some combinations almost sound like guitar amps.

Things can get even more complex with even more filters and routing!

Four filters in a row gives you four successive stages of overdrive and filtering. A simple way to use this is as an extreme version of single-filter overdrive – set all four filters to the same algorithm, cutoff frequency, and resonance. Pump the input gain and watch your sound fry! If you’re feeling a bit more daring, you can use different settings on each filter to gradually sculpt the sound over several stages.

Just keep in mind that it’s probably best to start with a fairly broad-band sound, and use the first filter to make a lot of noise. Each successive filter can then gradually cut out parts of the sound. If your first filter is using an algorithm that gets loud as it overdrives (such as Raw or Tube), subsequent filters will also overdrive as they filter the sound.

Four filters in parallel let you use each filter to add to the overall composite sound. You could, for example, have one filter overdriving the bass, two bandpass filters emphasizing the mids, and a highpass filter providing some sizzle up top.

Two dual-filter pipes allows you to craft some more complex overdrive characteristics. You could use one dual-filter pipe (filters one and two) to overdrive the lower frequencies – perhaps a lowpass feeding a bandpass. You could then use the second dual-filter pipe (filters three and four) to overdrive the upper frequencies – perhaps a bandpass feeding a highpass.

This combination has two parallel paths – one going through a string of three filters and the other going through only one filter. This can be handy if you want to do “parallel distortion” where one path is heavily filtered and overdriven and the other path is somewhat cleaner. This can be a little tricky to balance though, because there’s no simple way to adjust the relative volume of each chain.

This combination runs three parallel filters into a single fourth filter. This can be handy if you want to use parallel overdrive and then run the whole lot through a final filter to tame some of the higher frequencies.

There are even more routing options available. Experiment and use your imagination!

Mid/Side Processing

Mid/Side Processing is a method of treating stereo audio as two channels, but instead of Left and Right, they’re Mid and Side. The Mid channel has the part of the sound that is in the middle (the sound that’s common between the two speakers) and the Side channel has the part of the sound that makes it stereo (the sound that’s different between the two speakers).

To hear what this can do, run some stereo sounds into Volcano, and switch it into M/S mode. Here, the first filter is processing the Mid channel and the second filter is processing the Side channel. Make sure both filters are set to low pass, and the cutoff frequencies are as high as they can go. Now slowly lower the cutoff frequency for the second filter. You should hear your audio being collapsed to mono. This is because the Side channel (the stereo part of the sound) is being filtered out.

Try the same with the first filter. Your audio should sound hollow as the centre part of the sound is being filtered out (leaving only the stereo part of the sound).

Now try experimenting with resonant filter sweeps. Sweeping the Mid channel should sound solid and centered, but sweeping the Side channel will sound like the sweep is coming from behind you or outside your speakers!

Outside of psychedelic effects, Volcano’s Mid/Side mode can be used more subtly. For example, you could use it as a widener/exciter on a dull mix. Take a listen to the following example:

AUDIO EXAMPLE- STEREO EXCITER

First you hear the original audio, then with Volcano mixed in at 10%, and finally with Volcano 100% wet. Volcano was set up in Mid/Side mode, the Mid filter set to lowpass and the Side filter set to highpass. The whole lot was overdriven to shave off the transients and give the processed sound a slightly different tonality (to emphasize the added width). Finally, it was mixed in with the original audio.

Of course, this example is over the top – the processing is pretty extreme – but it demonstrates the kind of wider/exciter-type processing Volcano is capable of.

Pseudo Stereo

Volcano also has a L/R mode where each side of the stereo sound can be processed independently. That means you can have different filter settings for the left and the right. One handy use for this is to add width to a sound and even turn a mono sound into a stereo sound.

One classic way of doing this is to apply a lowpass filter to one side and a highpass filter to the other side. This was used famously on the Beatles’ song “I Am The Walrus” (listen to the second half, after the radio tuning sound). Another method is to delay one side. This often makes the sound appear to come from one side, unbalancing the stereo spread. But you can use Volcano to overcome this by slightly lowpassing the side that’s not delayed so it becomes a little quieter and duller than the other side. Try it!

Of course, you can also use this mode while doing “regular” filtering to add a little stereo spice. And then there’s modulation to try. The following example demonstrates some of these techniques:

AUDIO EXAMPLE- PSUEDO STEREO

Chorus/Flanger

Despite being primarily a filter, Volcano can do some pretty convincing chorus and flanger sounds. This is because each filter has it’s own delay which make it sound up to 50ms later. What’s more, the delay time for each filter can be modulated by an LFO… and an LFO-modulated delay is the basic building block for pretty much every chorus and flanger out there!

To get started, load up Volcano with two filters in parallel:

If you adjust the delay time for the first filter, you should be able to hear the comb-filtering effects distinctive of chorus/flangers. Now, add an LFO and assign it to the delay time of the first filter. The pitch is pretty wobbly at first (like a broken record or tape), so slow down the LFO to about 0.500Hz and the modulation level to about 0.010. You should hear some pretty tasty flanging (it helps if you’re processing audio that is bright and has a lot of energy in the high frequencies).

You might notice that the pitch isn’t changing for half the LFO cycle. That’s because the LFO adds a positive AND negative offset to the delay time, but the delay time is at zero so it doesn’t change when the LFO is in the negative cycle. To get a smoother LFO sound, set the delay time for the modulated LFO to about 0.5ms (half a millisecond), or until you hear a smooth LFO cycle.

You might find that overdriving Volcano makes the comb filtering more prominent. If you set both filter algorithms to “FabFilter One” and boost the input level until the sound is distorting, you should hear a distinctive “jet” flanger sound!

To get more mellow chorus sounds, use delay times of about 15ms. You’ll probably also need to increase the modulation level to about 0.1. You can make it even more mellow by lowering the cutoff frequency of the first filter (the one that’s modulating) so that the modulated sound becomes warmer. Once you’ve got the hang of that, you can then start to experiment with richer chorus sounds by adding more filters! Set up four filters, each with their own LFO (at slightly different speeds).

Then try out some different routings. Here are some examples of different flanger and chorus sounds:

AUDIO EXAMPLE- CHORUS/FLANGER

LFO Gate

We’ve already started to have a look at how Volcano’s LFOs can be used to produce interesting chorus/flanger effects. Compared to regular LFOs though, Volcano’s LFOs are very flexible and play a big part in creating other effects you might not expect from a filter plug-in!

One such trick is using an LFO to turn Volcano into a rhythmic gate! Add an LFO and assign it to the input knob. Make sure you turn the output level down though – otherwise the output will be quite loud! Then set the “Glide” knob from it’s default maximum value to midway, and you should see and hear the LFO shape morph from a sine to a square. Now just set the speed of the LFO to sync at 1/16 and change the polarity of the LFO by swapping the two sliders so that the first is at the top and the second is at the bottom. Voila! Rhythmic gate!

By using different combinations of settings for the LFO values and the modulation level, you can go from mild pulsing to rhythmic distortion (where “on” beats are more distorted than “off” beats). You can also achieve gating effects by assigning the LFO to a filter instead of the volume level. By reducing the modulation level, you can even make it sound like only part of the frequency spectrum is being gated.

Here are some examples of using a single LFO to create a simple rhythmic gating effect:

AUDIO EXAMPLE- SIMPLE SEQUENCER GATE

Sequenced Gate

Sure, that rhythmic gating sounds pretty great, but it’s a little boring. What if we didn’t have to be limited to simple square waves? What if you could make a sequenced gating pattern? Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret about Volcano’s LFOs…

See the “+” tab on the right hand side of the LFO?

Click on it.

You should be confronted by something like this:

Ignore the two knobs on the right for now. Focus on the LFO shape window in the middle where there use to be two sliders, now there are three. Press the “+” a few more times – you can have up to 16 sliders:

See where this is going? Hehe…

If you pull up all the odd-numbered sliders and slow down the speed to 1/2, you should get something that sounds like what you had before:

This time though, you can make sequences that are much more rhythmically complex. Once you start combining several sequencer/LFOs with several filters, you can imagine the possibilities…

AUDIO EXAMPLE- COMPLEX SEQUENCER GATE

And once you add in the other effects Volcano is capable of, such as self-oscillation, chorusing, and overdrive, you begin to really appreciate the depth of the plug-in.

AUDIO EXAMPLE- SEQUENCER EFFECTS

Fast LFOs

LFO usually stands for Low Frequency Oscillator, but the LFOs in Volcano can get to some pretty high frequencies – up to 500Hz in fact! That’s “audio rate”, and can make some pretty interesting sounds when modulating level and filters at those sorts of speeds. Normally, audio rate modulation of amplitude (volume) is known as “ring modulation”, but Volcano can take you far past the usual Dalek noises!

AUDIO EXAMPLE- HIGH FREQUENCY MODULATION

Dynamic Processing

As if LFOs weren’t enough, Volcano also has envelope followers too! The obvious application for this is to create an envelope filter effect by making an envelope follower control filter frequency. Normally this is a rather uninteresting sound, but when you factor in self-oscillation, multiple parallel (and serial) filters, and multiple envelope filters (each with their own attack and release speed), you’ll find you can easily move past the regular envelope filter sound.

AUDIO EXAMPLE- ENVELOPE FILTER

Things start to get VERY interesting, however, when you start to use the envelope followers to control other parameters…..like volume!

Because modulating volume can sometimes make things VERY loud, it’s a good idea to turn your speakers down and be careful! The envelope followers can be very sensitive and very powerful, making it possible to completely twist the dynamic behaviour of the audio into something new! Also keep in mind that the mix knob is there too – it can be useful for getting a more subtle effect.

Some of the effects you can get are:

· Inverse/slow attack – by setting the attack time to zero and using negative modulation. Use the ‘-’ button on the lower-left of the modulation amount knob.

Start with the modulation amount at zero and slowly increase it until you hear it sucking the attack of your sound!

· Transient punch – Start with the slow attack sound as above, and gradually increase the attack time. Slightly increase the modulation amount for a more pronounced effect

· Compression – Start with the slow attack sound, but adjust the mix level so it’s not 100% wet. A good way to do this is to start with the mix at 0% (completely dry) and gradually increase it until you hear the compression effect.

Because the envelope followers can be so sensitive, the settings for various effects depends entirely on the nature of the audio you’re processing, mainly it’s level and speed.

AUDIO EXAMPLE- ENVELOPE LEVEL

Once you’ve got the hang of that, you can start to experiment with some of the other effects that Volcano is capable of. Instead of being static, or being modulated by a regular LFO, you can make them respond dynamically to the sound by using an envelope follower.

AUDIO EXAMPLE- ENVELOPE EFFECTS

Go Forth And FSU

There you have it! You now have the building blocks for taking Volcano far beyond mere filtering effects. Remember to keep experimenting and combining these approaches. Some truly unique and interesting sounds can be found by having two or three different effects all moving together as one. Imagine a distortion processor, a chorus/flanger, a ring modulator, and stereo enhancer… all interconnected and responding to the same bank of LFOs and envelopes!

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Unfortunately, no progress has been made on that type of solution. So I’ve decided to take the bull by the horns and do it all by hand. ProRec has over the years had MANY popular articles that have been used in audio production schools around the world and referenced by thousands of websites. So we definitely want to bring those back online. Articles such as “Over The Limit” will be the first to be transferred. Others that are still relevant will follow.

What will NOT be transferred are ancient articles related to completely outdated technologies, along with most old reviews. We may save a few gems, but it’s not worth the work to transfer them all. This is unfortunate, as it leaves some of the ProRec legacy in the dust, but it’s necessary.

So what we need from you is to let us know if there are articles you wish to see again. Just go to the contact form and get in touch. If the article can be salvaged, it will go back up. Many articles are now missing images that got lost in the hacked server three or four years ago, but such is life.

One thing is for sure, we’re still working on it! Your patience is definitely appreciated!

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Most new Kontakt libraries on the market strive for ever higher gigabyte counts and loads of articulations, but Cyclone weighs in at a mere 3GB for well over 300 patches. Cyclone does claim to be the fusion of sampling and synthesis, but many “synth” Kontakt libraries are still several GB in size because they are nothing more than sampled synths. So Cyclone seems to be smaller, which makes me assume it uses the built-in Kontakt features as an actual synthesizer would, instead of just being a synthesizer sample library.

The full press release is below. We’ll try to get more information and possibly a review for you soon.

CYCLONE – Sampling Meets Synthesis

CYCLONE is the ultimate Kontakt synth solution! Instantly transform your musical dreams into reality with CYCLONE, a powerhouse virtual instrument containing over 325 instruments and multis ranging from multi-layer motion pads and cinematic harmonic instruments to dub step inspired basses, electronic hybrid leads, and experimental drum kits. Whether on a tight deadline, in need of inspirational presets and production tools, or looking to dig deep and create your own, CYCLONE delivers it all with its multi presets and instruments that can be quickly tweaked right on the interface for instant transformation.

How It’s ORGANIZED

CYCLONE is intuitively organized and divided into specific useful categories:

INSTRUMENTS

• Arpeggiated
• Basses
• Harmonics
• Kits
• Leads
• Pads

MULTIS

• Construction Kits
• Instrument Stacks
• One Note Glory

Sampling Meet Synthesis – The Interface

Sample Logic has reinvented the user interface from the ground up! The core of CYCLONE is focused around the user interface and experience, providing the freedom to infinitely transform samples into awesome twisted evolving synths with enormous power. The interface still includes Sample Logic’s signature Multi-core Effect Sequencers, Triggers, and Arpeggigater and now rises to new heights with several new features such as:

• A powerfully voracious LFO section
• The first-ever Kontakt additive synthesis engine called “Wave”
• An easy to modulate and sequence “Pitch” section
• A new group mixer section for blending samples and synthesis

Sickly Twisted – The LFOs

Wobble is here! With the newly created LFO section, modulating multiple effects simultaneously has never been easier. The powerful new LFO section allows for quick and easy custom sound sculpting and motion. Whether programming a dub bass to duck around a drum pattern, or using velocity controlled LFOs for subtle modulation effects on the fly, these powerful LFOs are up to the task.

Here are the effects that have LFO:

• Filter -> Lo-frequency
• Filter -> Hi-frequency
• Filter -> Resonance
• LoFi -> Sample Rate
• Distortion -> Drive
• Pitch
• Volume
• Pan

Wave – Additive Synthesis Engine

How can there be a CYCLONE without waves?

“Wave” is the first-ever Kontakt additive synthesis engine. With this new and transposable wave section, waveforms can be added to the instrument’s overall sound. This leads to endless customization and massive synths. In addition, each waveform volume can be sequenced via a multi-core effect sequencer. Wave can be used in many ways, here are just a few examples:

• Add a sine wave transposed down a few octaves to add sub and thicken up a bass
• Sequence a wavetable volume to add a motion layer on top of a static pad
• Transpose a wave up a few octaves to add harmonics and make the overall instrument brighter
• Transpose a wave down a 5th to create harmonic instruments

MULTIS & MULTI SCRIPT MACROS

One of the most powerful features in CYCLONE are the powerful “Multi Script Macros”, first introduced in Cinematic Guitars 2. Now more twisted than ever, Multi Script Macros can be automated by using the new macro knob step sequencers, resulting in real-time macro sequencing and instrument parameter control. On top of that, each of the 6 macro knobs can be assigned to any combination of instrument parameters within a multi. Multi script macros are completely customizable and can be easily created and saved. By design, any combination of instrument interface parameters can be assigned to a single macro. Whether performing live or automating a multi in a DAW, Multi Script Macros are the perfect production solution.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Over 325 Instruments and Multis delivered at 44.1k/24-bit.
• Just under 3 GB sample library using Kontakt’s lossless sample storage compression
• NI Kontakt 5 Player with native 64-bit support
• Stand-alone, VST, AU, DXi, RTAS (Pro Tools 9 or higher), ASIO, CoreAudio, WASAPI

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

• Kontakt 5 Player 5.03 or higher (free download) or full version of Kontakt 5.0.3 or higher (sold separately)
• Mac OS X 10.7 or 10.8 (latest update), Intel Core Duo, 2 GB RAM (4GB recommended)
• Windows 7 or Windows 8 (latest Service Pack, 32/64 Bit), Intel Core Duo or AMD Athlon 64 X2, 2GB RAM (4GB recommended)
• 1 GB free disk space for Kontakt 5 Player
• 3 GB free disk space for CYCLONE sample content

Kontkat is continously being updated. For the latest system compatibilities visit the Native Instruments website.

For more info visit:

http://www.samplelogic.com/products/cyclone

Now Available via Direct Download!

MSRP: $299.99

Introductory price: $249.99

EDITOR’S NOTE: ProRec is not a “latest news” audio site. News such as that found above is posted purely based on our own personal interest in a product. You are free to send us press releases using the contact form on our site, but we don’t guarantee it’s announcement on our site.

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