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Competition Win A Full Studio Setup From Samson & Zoom Worth $4,000 Deadline: 2012-02-11 Samson & Zoom are giving away a complete studio bundle, comprising Zoom R24 multitrack recorder, Samson C01 large-diaphragm condenser, Samson 7kit seven-piece drum mic set, Zoom H2N portable recorder, Zoom Q3HD audio/HD video recorder, Samson Meteor Mic desktop mic, Samson MS200 monitor stands, CM40 chromatic tuner/metronome, PS01 pop filter, MB1 boom mic stand, 2 x BL3 ultra-light mic stands, MD5 desktop mic stand, SP01 spider shockmount, 4 x Tourtek mic cables, 4 x instrument cables. Phew! Win PreSonus Studio One 2.0 Worth £299 Deadline: 2012-02-11 For this month's Sound On Sound competition, PreSonus' UK distributors, Source, are kindly giving away four copies of Studio One 2.0 - worth £299 each! For a chance of being one of the lucky winners, all you have to do is fill out the form answering all the questions (including the tie breaker). Reviews Dynamic Convolution Plug‑in For Mac & PC Dynamic convolution can be used to ‘sample’ any piece of audio gear. Have Acustica succeeded in giving this advanced technology a friendly face? eSub AEA KU4 Supercardioid Ribbon Microphone This lovely mic from AEA is based on a classic RCA design from the ‘40s. It certainly looks the part, but is it worth the asking price? eSub App Works Making Music On The Move Mike Watkinson takes a look at the IK Multimedia iRig MIDI interface for iOS whilst JG Harding examines the Fostex HPP1 portable DAC & headphone amplifier for iOS. The Laboratory The latest addition to Arturia’s Analog Experience series takes their hybrid software/hardware synth concept even further. eSub Bettermaker EQ230P Stereo Analogue Equaliser With an all-analogue signal path and total recall courtesy of digital control, this EQ promises a lot. Does it deliver? Stereo Analogue Equaliser These media files accompany the Bettermaker EQ230P reviewed that featured in SOS January 2012. eSub Blackstar HT1R Valve Guitar Amplifier Can a 1W tube amp really deliver a recordable tone? Blackstar think it can... eSub Coleman Audio QS8 Master Monitor Controller Monitor controllers aren’t just glorified volume knobs, as this latest offering from Coleman shows... eSub Hand‑held Recorders Spotlight If you’re in the market for a portable recorder, there are plenty to choose from, with a variety of different features and at a wide range of prices. Before you buy, consider what you want to do. Some models allow you to use your own microphones, while some restrict you to their built‑in ones. A few are even capable of surround recording, and can record multiple discrete channels, like a compact multitracker. These are just a few of the models that are currently available, with links to the SOS review where available. Large‑diaphragm Condenser Microphone The other mics in JZ’s Vintage range are based on classic designs of the past — but they hope this one will become a classic in its own right... Non‑Standard Multi‑Loudspeaker Diffusion Systems Many musicians spend their lives trying to cram hundreds of tracks into just two speakers — but performing with an NSML system presents exactly the opposite challenge! eSub Magneto Audio Labs VariOhm Microphone Impedance Converter If you’re searching for the perfect match of mic and preamp, this useful gadget could help you achieve it... eSub NI Kontakt 5 Software Sampler Native Instruments’ flagship soft sampler continues to improve with age. We look at what’s new in version 5. eSub PhonakAudéo PFE232 Dual-driver In‑ear Monitor Boasting two custom drivers, are Phonak’s new universal IEMs the best monitoring solution for mixing on the move? eSub PreSonus StudioLive 16.0.2 Digital Mixer & Firewire Interface The StudioLive range of mixer interfaces now includes a compact 16-channel model.We find out how well it performs on the road. USB Audio Interface We examine the Swedish soft-synth specialists’ first foray into the world of hardware: the Balance. eSub PSP NobleQ EQ Plug‑in PSP’s latest equaliser seeks to combine analogue smoothness with digital precision. eSub SE Electronics Munro Egg 150 Monitoring System SE Electronics have enlisted the help of renowned acoustician Andy Munro to design these striking studio monitors. Does their unique approach to speaker design pay off in the real world? eSub Sony MDR 7520 Studio Headphones Sony’s MDR range of closed‑back cans has been popular in studios for years, and now includes a new flagship model. eSub Soundhack Pvoc Kit Effects Plug‑ins For Mac & PC Soundhack’s powerful algorithms can provide high‑quality pitch‑shifting — or sonic mayhem! eSub Steinberg Sequel 3 Loop‑based Music Production Software For Mac & PC Steinberg’s Sequel is one of many simple but intuitive loop‑based music programs. What’s new in version 3 — the sequel to the sequel to Sequel? Portable Synthesizer The toy‑like exterior of Teenage Engineering’s OP1 belies the versatile synth, sequencer, sampler and recorder hidden within. We retreat to our bedroom and put it though its paces... eSub TK Audio BC1 MkII Stereo Compressor-Limiter The concept behind TK’s BC1 is simple: take a classic bus-compressor design and improve on it. eSub Turbosound Milan Mi0 Active Loudspeaker The Turbosound Milan Mi0 enters a competitive market. Can this little newcomer stand out from the crowd? eSub UAD Ampex ATR102 Tape Simulation Plug-in For UAD2 Having already given us a virtual studio multitrack tape recorder, the boffins at Universal Audio turn their attention to mastering machines. eSub World’s Smallest PC WS645F Fanless PC It’s not the cheapest PC around and it’s not the most powerful, but this machine might just help you make better recordings. eSub Yamaha MOX6 Synthesizer Workstation Yamaha’s MOX range offers unusually tight integration with your DAW. Is this the way forward for synthesizer workstations? eSub Zaor Stand Monitor 30.002/C Speaker Stands Hugh Robjohns checks out this new speaker stand from Zaor. Sound Advice
| People + Opinion Drew Bang: Is the customer really always right? Sounding Off This month, Drew Bang wonders if customers are always right. eSub Jake Gosling: Producing Ed Sheeran's + Interview | Producer Ed Sheeran’s phenomenal success depended on hard work, a few lucky breaks, and the talents of long‑term co‑writer and producer Jake Gosling. eSub Mandy Parnell: Mastering Björk’s Biophilia Interview | Engineer The mastering engineer’s role is changing as artists explore new formats. And as Björk and Mandy Parnell discovered, what works for the iPad might not work on CD... Readers' Music Reviewed Lapplander * Syd Arthur * Audnoyz * Lelio Padovani * Pocket Satellite * Xavier & Ophelia eSub Randy Staub: Recording Evanenscence's 'What You Want' Inside Track | Secrets Of The Mix Engineers The multitracks for Evanescence’s third album were so big that they required two maxed-out Pro Tools rigs to play back! Randy Staub: Recording Evanenscence's 'What You Want' | Media Inside Track | Secrets Of The Mix Engineers These media files accompany the Inside Track article that featured in SOS January 2012. Technique eSub 2012 For PC Users PC Notes With expected component shortages and the consequent rise in hard‑drive prices, what can the PC musician expect from 2012? eSub Editing Using The Keyboard Pro Tools Notes Save time and protect yourself from RSI by learning to edit audio in Pro Tools from the QWERTY keyboard. eSub Grain Delay Ableton Live Notes We demonstrate that there’s more to Live’s Grain Delay than bizarre effects. eSub Keyboard Shortcuts Cubase Notes Mastering keyboard shortcuts makes Cubase easier to use and is good for your health! eSub MachFive 3 Digital Performer Notes Get up and running with MOTU’s MachFive 3, an ideal software sampler partner for Digital Performer. eSub Mix Rescue: Ivy League Sound & Nesia Beatz Mixing & Recording Advice We aim for more punch, depth and clarity in a quirky urban track. Mix Rescue: Ivy League Sound & Nesia Beatz | Audio Mixing & Recording Advice These media files accompany the Mix Rescue article that appeared in SOS January 2012. Noise Reduction Tools & Techniques | Audio Tips & Tricks These media files accompany the Noise Reduction article that appeared in SOS January 2012. eSub Noise‑reduction Tools & Techniques Tips & Tricks If hisses, clicks, thumps or hums wreck a great take, don’t panic: do something about it! Classic Tracks The single ‘Downtown’ gave Petula Clark a worldwide hit and rejuvenated her career. Presiding over the session was engineer Ray Prickett, who tells us how it happened... The Mix Review | Analysing Commercial Productions We examine the production of some recent hit records to help you brush up your listening skills. eSub Studio SOS Your Studio Problems Solved Optimising vocal recordings and tackling some troublesome mixes are on the agenda this month, as the SOS team travel to Paul Shepherd’s studio in Nottingham. eSub The Cloud Apple Notes It should be a stress-free ascent, but our Apple guru finds himself confronted with all kinds of complications when moving to the Cloud... eSub Vinyl Effect Logic Notes Take it slow with Logic Pro, as you get to grips with this vinyl effect... Music Business TV Music From The Inside We all have musical skeletons in our closets, but at least media composers don’t have to wheel them out every night at Wembley Arena. Off The Record (US Edition Only) Music & Recording Industry News ** This article was originally printed in the US Edition of Sound On Sound only, but is available online to all subscribers. ** |