WIN Glyph hard drives worth 1350 GBP

Deadline: 2009-05-31

Prize kindly donated by Glyph Technologies. Tel: +1 607 275 0345. www.glyphtech.com

Audient Mico

Dual Microphone Preamplifier

With two channels of mic preamp, a phase-alignment control, digital outputs and clean signal path, the Mico offers you an awful lot of Audient for the money.

Best Service Convolution Space

Kontakt 2 Player

Cakewalk V-Studio 700

Control Surface & Audio Interface

Cakewalk’s V-Studio 700 system offers audio interfacing and very tight integration with the company’s own Sonar software, via the impressive V-Studio Console. So is it every Sonar user’s dream setup?

Clavia Nord Electro 3

Virtual Electromechanical Keyboard

You can’t please all of the people all of the time, Abraham Lincoln once said — but Clavia aim to prove him wrong with their new Nord Electro 3 keyboard.

Focusrite Liquid Saffire 56

Firewire Audio Interface

Focusrite’s Saffire Pro interfaces already offer excellent value for money, but imagine if you could add two channels of any preamp you wanted...

Genelec 6010A

Active Multimedia Monitors

There are studio monitors, and there are multimedia monitors, but can one speaker perform both tasks? Genelec think it can.

McDSP DE555 & FutzBox

Emerald Pack Plug-ins [Mac / PC]

McDSP’s Emerald Pack is one of the most desirable plug-in collections out there. Two new processors extend its capabilities still further...

Mercenary Audio KM69

Small-diaphragm Condenser Microphone

Unashamedly inspired by the Neumann KM84i, Mercenary Audio have tweaked their KM69 to suit their own tastes. Does it deliver the goods?

Peavey ReValver 3

Amp Modelling & Design Software [Mac/PC]

Peavey’s ReValver lets you play through a catalogue of classic guitar amps in virtual form — and if that’s not enough, you can design your own from scratch.

Roland V-Piano

Modelled Piano

Creating a digitally modelled piano is a fantastically difficult thing to do, but that hasn’t deterred Roland... Introducing the V-Piano — the world’s first hardware modelling piano.

SE Electronics RNR1

Active Ribbon Microphone

If you put together a classical musician turned mic manufacturer, and analogue audio legend Mr Rupert Neve, you’d expect the outcome to be something rather special — and it is.

Sonivox Anatomy

Kontakt 2/3

Spectrasonics Stylus RMX 1.7

Groove-based Software Instrument [Mac/PC]

This major new free update adds innovative loop-matching features to Spectrasonics’ groove-based instrument.

SPL Plug-ins

Transient Designer & EQ Rangers [Mac/PC]

Two of SPL’s most effective hardware studio tools are now available in native and HD plug-in formats.

Submersible Music Kitcore Deluxe 2

Virtual Drum Instrument

According to Submersible, Kitcore offers “great drum sounds without all the fuss.” We put it to the test.

Toontrack Funkmasters EZX

EZ Drummer Expansion

Waves JJP Collection

Plug-in Bundle [Mac/PC]

Renowned mix engineer Jack Joseph Puig employs his massive collection of vintage outboard gear on everything from the Black Crowes to Black Eyed Peas. Now, thanks to Waves, you can get your hands on some of the same goodies.

Q. How do you make a Reflexion Filter more stable?

Q. I am deaf in one ear; can I mix with monaural hearing?

Q. Would an Aural Exciter improve my sound?

Animal Collective: Recording Merriweather Post Pavilion

Recording electronica live in the studio

Live performance and spontaneity are everything for Animal Collective, so capturing the magic of their unique electronic psychedelia on CD was a huge test for engineer and producer Ben Allen.

Playback

Readers’ Music Reviewed

The editorial team audition another crop of your submitted tracks.
Sponsored by breed-media.co.uk

Recycling Is Good For You

Leader

Sage words from SOS Editor-In-Chief Paul White.

Secrets Of The Mix Engineers: Greg Kurstin

Lily Allen: 'The Fear' — It’s Not Me, It’s You

Looking for a follow-up to her smash-hit debut album, Lily Allen ditched her many other collaborators to work mostly with LA-based producer and musician Greg Kurstin on It’s Not Me, It’s You.

Sounding Off: To protect and serve?

Simon Langford

Should a problematic dongle be allowed to cause such grief in this day and age?

Advanced Mixing In Logic Pro 8: Part 2

Logic Notes & Techniques

We offer a second set of tips to enhance your corrective and creative mixing skills.

CD Burning With Digital Performer 6

Digital Performer Notes & Techniques

MOTU's Digital Performer 6 hugely simplifies the task of CD burning, while at the same time allowing more complex burning tasks to be undertaken. We talk you through the options.

Classic Tracks: Van Morrison ‘Moondance’

Producer: Van Morrison • Engineers: Shelly Yakus, Elliot Scheiner

On his second solo album, Van Morrison took the production reins for the first time. Manning the desk was engineer Shelly Yakus, who tells the story of recording Moondance.

Cubase: Ducking Techniques At Mixdown

Cubase Notes & Techniques

Learn how to avoid frequency clashes in your mix, with our tutorial on advanced ducking techniques in Cubase.

Cubase: Ducking | Audio Files

Hear For Yourself

Links to audio files that accompany the SOS MAY 2009 Cubase article, for newsstand/bookstore readers who do not have eSub-access to the main web article.

Extra Tones From Single Coil Guitars

Guitar Technology

A short practical guide to getting more from the standard five-way pickup selector switch.

Make A Modular Synth In Reason

Reason Notes & Techniques

Not only can Reason’s Thor synth be used as an effects unit for other signals, it can also act as a hub for combining instruments and devices into true modular synth structures.

Microsoft Songsmith, AMD Quad-core Processors, Defragmentation

PC Notes

Our monthly round-up of news and tips for PC musicians takes in faster AMD quad-core processors, assesses Microsoft’s innovative Songsmith program, and offers a guide to the mysteries of defragging.

Mix Rescue: Chris Durban

Beats

Ever wondered why your beats can’t compete with commercial mixes? We show you how to nail them... without losing sight of the song.

Mix Rescue: Chris Durban | Audio Files

Hear For Yourself

Links to the MP3 preview and high-resolution WAV files that accompany the SOS MAY 2009 Mix Rescue article, for our newsstand/bookstore readers who do not have eSub-access to the main web article.

New Mac Pros, iMacs & Mac Minis

Apple Notes

After much recent speculation concerning Apple’s desktop trinity, the company quietly made big news this month by unveiling new Mac Pros, iMacs and Mac Minis.

Pro Tools: Specifying & Buying Your First System

Pro Tools Notes & Techniques

Tempted to invest in a Pro Tools rig but don’t know where to begin? You need our handy guide to choosing a system.

Studio SOS: Kevin Brown

Optimising a garage studio

Even if you have the space and the gear, like reader Kevin Brown, you still need to know how to make the best of it. We paid a visit to help him optimise his new garage-conversion studio.

Techniques For Vocal De-essing

Sound Advice

Songs suffering from superfluous sibilance? Study SOS’s super strategies for sorting esses...

Notes From The Deadline

TV Music From The Inside

Only in the perverse world of music for the media could composers be asked to rip themselves off for money. It’s time to take a stand against the rise of the 'soundalike'.