eyoControl

Another victory for iPad owners who are too cheap to buy a Midi interface. This seems to be the same as V-Control that works for more DAWs, plus it can be used as a midi controller for different virtual instruments.

eyoControl lets you control your Mac or Windows based Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software from your iPad in various ways, such as a control surface or a virtual instrument. eyoControl communicates with your DAW through the native iPad MIDI functionalities (CoreMIDI) or, optionally, the dedicated eyoControl Server application (Mac only) for advanced connectivity options. eyoControl supports most DAW software such as Logic, Cubase…

Logic, Cubase, and WHAT ELSE???? THE SUSPENSE IS KILLING ME… Wait… that was gas. Uhhhh….gotarun!!
*Runs off stereotypically grabbing buttocks.
To buy this app, search eyoControl from the App Store. Its only $6.99. Just try it out

Blue Releases The Reactor

Bryan

Ok I know, I know. I haven’t posted in 2 days and I have three GREAT excuses. First one is yesterday I spent 10 hours in the studio for all of you lovely people reviewing mics for the site. The second one is I am working on building a studio and am working on passing this info on to you for the site. Also, I was out of town and got to open my Christmas presents finally from being out of town so to make up for this, I will be one of the first to release this awesome piece of info. Blue is releasing the Reactor at NAMM this year. I just tested out the spark and I’m blown away by the price and quality and I would bank on this one being just as great.

Blue Microphones, a leading innovator in microphone technology and design, announces Reactor (www.bluemic.com/reactor), a multi-pattern, large diaphragm condenser microphone that pushes the envelope of microphone design in functional versatility, sound and aesthetics. Reactor combines large-format capsule technology from Blue’s renowned mic line-up with an innovative approach to professional multi-pattern flexibility in one custom-designed microphone. Reactor unites an innovative pattern selection method with a swiveling capsule head for precise positioning. Featuring Blue’s premium condenser capsule and proprietary pre-amp circuit, Reactor allows for noiseless live switching between the three distinct patterns (cardioid, omni or bi-directional).

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CAD Is Throwing Down The Gauntlet

Bryan

To better serve you and to show I’m not worried about post count, I’m going to combine not one (how could you combine one) SHUT UP! Not one but TWO press releases in one. Plus I don’t sell ad space too, making this site even more of a reason to read daily because I’m not tied to the man and can say anything I want and openly throw my opinion around like it means something.
My very first studio mic was a CAD and I used the crap out of that thing until I had a very unfortunate “field recording” accident involving a duck who apparently didn’t want to be recorded and a pond. WHY Mr Quackers?!!! This mic actually has me interested because of its size. It looks like a USB stick.

The U9 plugs directly into computers with a headphone out for playback monitoring and Skype. Its omnidirectional condenser capsule swivels 180 degrees for convenient positioning while delivering crisp, articulate audio. The LED indicates when the mic is active.

The only drawback is when I’m recording one of those passionate vocal tracks on my power ballad album, I’m either having to lean over the USB port on my computer during the “intimate parts” or get an extender cable and hold it in my hand like a 70’s game show host. Wait, HOW is that a drawback. I used to always build little lego Bob Barker mics and make my brother do the showcase showdown. He always won dog poop.
So not only do we have a very portable mic, we also have two very affordable sets of headphones from CAD as well.

An essential tool for enhanced studio performance and a vital accessory for the professional musician, the MH310 is a closed back, circumaural, precision built monitor headphone equipped with 50mm neodymium drivers offering extended frequency response while delivering exceptional detail and clarity. Exceptionally comfortable, the MH310s are designed with a self-adjusting headband with closed-back leatherette ear cushions that allow for hours of comfortable, fatigue free listening. The MH310s feature an extended frequency response of 10Hz to 30kHz; Sensitivity; 98 +/- 3dB, and Impedance of 32 ohms.
Also offering exceptional clarity while reducing ambient noise, the DH100s are a high output stereo isolation headphone for drummers. They offer an extended bass response that enables the user to hear program material or a click track during a recording session or live performance with superior clarity while attenuating ambient noise by 19dB.
An essential tool for enhanced performance in the studio and on stage; the DH100s are destined to become a vital accessory for the working musician.

Price for the i9 Mic is $39
Price for the MH310s is $69
Price for the DH100s is $49
CADs site doesn’t really tell much about this but HERE is the site anyways.

Song Surgeon 3.0

Bryan

My friend has a friend named Jerome and dude shreds hard core 80’s hair band style… I’m talking fast sweep arpeggios and stuff like that. Plus his hat offends people (he claims) but what if we wanted to learn some of his tasty licks, like THIS one (See 2:50 mark and SWEET Pics and Check out that authentic tape recorder quality.) Its just too fast for the normal talentless non offensive hat wearing public to decipher. Well Song Surgeon has you covered (if you record with a PC.. hahahaha good luck with that, but a Mac version is in development.) With the new version 3.0, you can either pick between changing the pitch if it offends you, or the tempo if its just too fast for your puny fingers. If you’re really uptight, you can change both at the same time, AND it doesn’t chop the audio up and do that stupid repeated sounding slow motion crap. It doesn’t even flange that much when you slow it down a ton.

Song Surgeon (version 3.0) represents the very best in tempo and pitch change software. Song Surgeon provides unsurpassed sound quality reproduction, even with very extreme changes. And of course, pitch and tempo can be changed independently of each other. In fact the sound quality from pitch and tempo changes is so important to us that we have incorporated two algorithims – one for practice and one for performance – to maximize quality and give you almost perfect audio fidelity. Click Here to listen to some audio examples.
With the release of Version 3 (Windows only) you will also see for the first time a PRO Version. The Standard Version is essentially a continuation of the old Version– but of course with the new sound engine and a bunch of other improvements. The PRO version features many new features and fucntions not found in the Standard Version. You can go here to see a comparison table between the two versions.
What you may be most surprised about though, is that tempo and pitch change only begin to scratch the surface of what Song Surgeon does. Song Surgeon is jam-packed with a host of other features that make it enormously useful to a wide variety of users. A brief overview of some of these additional features follows.

For more info or to buy, click HERE

Antares Auto-Tune EFX Vocal Toolkit

Bryan

Now this is more like it! I think this software package is Antares’ way of apologizing for giving the music industry “Vocal Herpes” with the T-Pain sound. This package contains all three of Antares flagship EFX programs: Auto-Tune, Harmony, and Mic Mod. How you decide to use it is up to you… Will you use it sparingly or go full out Kanye West with it. I won’t think any less of you either way but what would Jesus do? I don’t think he would make himself sound like a robot, but then again, Jesus has talent.

Antares Audio Technologies has announced the worldwide availability of the Auto-Tune EFX Vocal Toolkit. The Auto-Tune EFX Toolkit provides three essential vocal processing plug-ins designed to make it incredibly easy to create polished, great-sounding vocal tracks at a price that represents dramatic savings over the prices of the three plug-ins purchased separately.
Combining Auto-Tune pitch correction, real-time harmony generation, and Antares’ unique microphone modeling technology, the Auto-Tune EFX Vocal Toolkit plug-ins let musicians and engineers achieve professional results with a minimum of hassle.
The Auto-Tune EFX Vocal Toolkit includes:
Auto-Tune EFX – Real-time Auto-Tune Effect and Pitch Correction
Powered by the same core technology as Antares’ renowned Auto-Tune Evo, Auto-Tune EFX is the quickest, easiest-to-use tool for real-time pitch correction and creating the Auto-Tune Vocal Effect (the T-Pain/Cher-style effect). Users simply set the voice type and the key of their song and Auto-Tune EFX automatically does the rest.
Mic Mod EFX – Classic Microphone Modeler
A modern reincarnation of Antares’ renowned Microphone Modeler plug-in, Mic Mod EFX lets any reasonable quality microphone sound like any of a variety of historical classic and rare exotic microphones. Using their patented Spectral Shaping Tool technology, Antares has created precise digital models of a wide variety of historical classic and exotic microphones. With models of over 125 microphones, Mic Mod EFX makes it possible for users to record each track through a model of the specific mic that will best produce that ideal sound they’re looking for.
Harmony EFX – Vocal Modeling Harmony Generator
An incredibly easy-to-use tool for tool for creating realistic vocal harmony, Harmony EFX is a streamlined version of Antares’ industry leading Harmony Engine™ Evo Vocal Modeling Harmony Generator. With four formant-corrected harmony voices, humanization functions for realistic performances, and a variety of powerful harmony generation modes, Harmony EFX puts professional quality vocal harmony arrangements within reach of any musician or engineer.

Auto-Tune EFX Vocal Toolkit is available now for RTAS (Mac OS X and PC), VST (Mac OS X and PC) and Audio Units (Mac OS X) at an anticipated street price in the U.S. of $199.00 (over 50% off of the MSRPs of the individual plug-ins).
More Auto-Tune EFX Vocal Toolkit information is available HERE.

Review: IK Multimedia iKlip

Bryan

I got another email the other day and figured I would use it to the site’s advantage and what would you know… the product showed up too!!! Here’s the letter from the anonymous person.

My back is killing me from bending over my guitar to change the presets on my Amplitube; and on stage, our clumsy bass player INSISTS on doing interpretive dances during our shows. I fear he will either knock my iPad off of my amp or stomp on it doing one of his Tom Morello-esque jumping sessions. (see 1:00 mark) What can I do?

iKlip takes care of this
Now we all know you just want this so you can Twitter while playing on stage but IK Multimedia has thought of EVERYTHING in the iPad situation. This actually was the final piece to the “who’s gonna press the button” debacle I posted about in my Neyrinck V-Control Review HERE.

This product is a must for any musician who owns an iPad. Because of the recent influx of apps catered to the musician, the need for some sort of mounting system for the iPad has become blatantly apparent. So our good friends at IK Multimedia came up with this… The iKlip… A thermoplastic iPad mounting system that easily clips onto just about any mic stand. This is perfect for DJs who need a free hand, guitar players using Amplitube as discussed above, or you can even use this thing as a teleprompter with an app called “ProPrompter.” CRAZY right?

One of my main uses for this is going to be in the studio, when I’m using V-Control as a remote for my Pro Tools Rig. The review of that app can be found right in the link above.
Having a site with so many great readers like yourself, IK Multimedia sent me one to see what I thought of it and like just about everything else they make, I was not disappointed.

Yes the construction is plastic, but its sturdy. Its even pretty light weighing less than a 1LB. You would think something that holds like this would have to be heavier but they’ve used Italian design (I guess they’re REALLY good at holding things!) to stay out of the way of buttons and hold the iPad without any problems. One of the best parts about iKlip is it can be flipped horizontal or vertical to make use of whatever program you happen to be using. Plus it STAYS IN PLACE. One of my gripes about mic stands, especially boom stands are that they won’t ever stay in place when you put a heavy mic on it, but this mount holds the iPad perfectly and plays nice. I wish IK would make mic stands, cuz I’d replace all 18 of my boom stands with theirs simply based on how the iKlip holds.

Mounting this thing is lightning fast and once again… it clings for dear life to the mic stand. No slipping, no nonsense, no mercy. I can’t vouch for it’s longevity but let’s just say I’ve taken this thing on and off of different stands about 40 times in the past hour to see if any stripping of mechanisms would happen and I had to give up due to my hand cramping so it won. There’s not a single place on the mic stand this thing won’t perch on and not work to your liking. It will adjust to about any angle you can give it. I really wouldn’t be surprised to see Orchestras using this for each of their players replacing conventional means with digital sheet music but that’s only if you flautists can behave and not sit there and play each other in Scrabble on it. I’m onto you!

I only have one gripe for the iKlip and its not even really too cumbersome. When changing the orientation of the iPad (ie: horizontal or vertical) the only way this can be changed is by removing a screw. So if you want to do a quick orientation change, it would take getting a screwdriver out and after so many times of screwing and unscrewing, you might thread out the hole it goes in if you’re not careful. I wish they could have developed a spring loaded type lock that you could pull out and turn then lock it back in place. The locking mechanism is already in place and it wouldn’t fall off without a fight. I think even a bigger screw would help, but honestly DON’T let that small issue that you probably won’t even notice keep you from buying this spectacular product.

I’m actually posting this review right now from my iPad snugly mounted to my Atlas mic stand and I must say this is very comfy. I might end up keeping a mic stand by my couch just to browse the web, so you don’t even have to be a musician to use this. As a matter of fact, I think I’m going to buy another one just to keep at the house and bring the other to the studio. That’s how much I like this product.

I give this product 4.9 out of 5 stars.

Look, you know you want one, so why not just click RIGHT HERE and buy one. You won’t regret it, unless you don’t have an iPad and if that’s the case, go get one of those and get THIS and THIS too.

IK Multimedia iRig Mic

Bryan

Continuing their reign over all things starting with “i”, IK Multimedia has released the iRig Mic. Hopefully next IK will make an iMixer to plug all of this into one iPad, iPhone, or iTouch. Then maybe I can buy some iTalent and a hot iGirlfriend…. IM SO LONELY!!!

IK Multimedia is proud to announce iRig™ Mic: the first handheld quality condenser microphone for iPhone®, iPod touch® and iPad® – designed for all vocal and mobile sound needs.
iRig Mic is ideal for the singer, vocalist and songwriter on the move, but also perfect for recording speeches, instruments, performances or any other sound sources in the studio, on stage or in the field.
The iRig Mic features a highly unidirectional electret-condenser microphone capsule that provides quality recording, in both close mic and long distance mic conditions, and real-time monitoring with its dual mini-jack connector.
A three-level gain switch makes it instantly adjustable for any sound pressure condition — from soft speaking to loud playing. Its familiar form is perfect for handheld performance, plus it can be mounted on any mic stand leaving the iOS device free for app operation. Its rugged metal body is road-ready for the mobile musician.

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Blue Mics Launch The Yeti Pro

Bryan

Looks like Blue Mics decided to one up the Studio Projects LSM mic. The LSM featured a USB port and an XLR jack and although the Yeti Pro doesn’t come in Pretty Pretty Princess Pink like the LSM, it makes up for it in 25bit/196.khz res. Since I pretty much own every mic Blue makes, I would strongly suggest this one for the musician who just wants to lay down ideas.

The Yeti Pro is the world’s first USB microphone combining 24 bit/192 kHz digital recording resolution with analog XLR output. Featuring three custom condenser capsules and four different pattern settings, the Yeti Pro can capture digital audio with up to four times the clarity found on CDs. Plus, the Yeti Pro features a cutting-edge A-D converter chip and separate analog circuit path for usewith professional studio mixers and preamps. You also get a built-in headphone amplifier for zero-latency monitoring, and direct controls for headphone volume, pattern selection, mute, and microphone gain. So whether you record at home, in a studio (or in the Himalayas!), the Yeti Pro is your ultimate sound solution.

You can get this bad boy in late January for around $249
For more info, click HERE

Waves Singles

Bryan

Whew… what a New Years this time. Its the one night where I throw caution to the wind in regards to my hearing and go for broke. If there’s one thing I like almost more than recording, its fireworks. I walked into the fireworks warehouse and told the guy I wanted something the equivalent of a meth lab fire. He delivered! Needless to say its a bit tough to type today and for some reason I ended up in my bathroom with like 5 of my friends playing legos… Don’t ask…
Anyways, check out all of the stuff Waves has to kick off this new year.
Waves is finally wising up and realizing we’re all not millionaires with personal full production studios and offering some of their more popular plug-ins from bundles as singles. To grab some of those, click HERE and tell them a pasty white boy sent you there.
Also they’re offering vouchers when you buy certain bundles to go toward buying another bundle. For instance, you buy the CLA Classic Compressors or the JJP Analog Legends, you get a $100 voucher for the native or a $200 voucher toward the TDM. For more info on that, click HERE
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a bathroom to clean up. Those legos are hard to dodge at night when you go to pee.

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Everything Recording

eyoControl

Blue Releases The Reactor

CAD Is Throwing Down The Gauntlet

Song Surgeon 3.0

Antares Auto-Tune EFX Vocal Toolkit

Review: IK Multimedia iKlip

IK Multimedia iRig Mic

Lisson Grove R-124

Waves Singles

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