I would say I couldn’t type due to loss of fingers but here in the Lone Star State, they banned fireworks for the 4th due to something they call “burn bans.” So I had to settle for using the slightly feminine cousin of the fireworks, sparklers… Anywho, even though I celebrated our day of INDEPENDENCE being held down by the man, Abbey Road decided to soothe our angry pyro souls by offering their plug-ins at 50%. I’d show my excitement by lighting off the bootlegged fireworks I bought but then I couldn’t post all of these informative deals and newish things in the recording world… sheesh it’s too quiet in the industry…
For a limited time only, all Abbey Road Studios plugins will have 50% slashed off the price. TG12413 TDM was $560 now $280 Native was $335 now $165 TG Mastering Pack TDM was $560 now $280 Native was $335 now $165 RS124 TDM was $560 now $280 Native was $335 now $165 The Brilliance Pack TDM was $449 now $250 Native was $249 now $125
My friend John is obsessed with Dubstep. Actually not as much dubstep as he likes the new Britney Spears CD a LITTLE too much. He gets all pumped up and starts punching the ceiling of whatever car he’s in. I’ll admit, I might have hit the roof a few times too just because it’s fun but anyways Geist has a new Dubstep package John will probably want.
FXpansion is proud to present Ski Rize Dubstep, a Geist Expander for gritty dubstep music. Created by ‘Subject’ from Ski Rize Studios, the included sounds are designed specifically for making hard-hitting, heavy urban beats. The result is a vibrant palette of relevant material which saves you from trying to find a handful of useful sounds in more generic sample sets.
Ski Rize Dubstep contains fierce basses, razor-sharp drums and a collection of dubby special FX, vocal one-shots and
VERY slow past week in pro audio. Even the really stupid non funny recording websites are scraping the bottom of the barrel. At one point I considered starting a turf war with one of the sites just to get some content on here but didn’t feel like making enemies… yet.
After a long drought of info, we get this. Two new EQs made from SM Audio. I don’t know much about the company but from what I see, they look affordable and promising.
SM Pro Audio introduces two new solid and versatile pieces that combine multi-band graphic equalization with lightning fast compression. Available in two models, the CQ15 dual 15-band and the CQ31 single 31-band, the units deliver precision control of multiple bands of equalization plus optical compression, providing dynamics and EQ control in a single unit.
The CQ15 and CQ31 are ideally suited for a variety of applications, including live and installed
Well if you too have that awful Beyonce song stuck in your head that so egregiously shares the same name as this mic, well, there’s nothing I can do for you because I’m in the same boat. Let’s hope they don’t use it on the add campaign.
Anyways Sontronics is known for making mics that perform at a much higher value than their price tag while at the same time somehow find a way to look classy. Well this mic appears no different, and on top of that, it seems to have a specific task… guitar cabinets. The best part is the design of putting the capsule shockmounted to the ring to stop from getting jarred by all of those guitarist flailing around on stage. Too bad it couldn’t save you from THIS guitarist.
Sontronics HALO is a dynamic microphone that has been specifically designed for guitarists.
Sontronics HALO Guitar Microphone The microphone features a dynamic capsule suspended in a circular frame, similar to the Sontronics SATURN and again, inspired by vintage radio mics of the 1940s. The HALO is based on the technology found inside Sontronics’ STC-80 handheld dynamic mic, which gives great results on guitar amps and cabs as well as the vocals it was originally designed to handle. HALO reproduces all the bite, crunch and power that you want from a guitar amp but without needing to touch the EQ. What’s more, the springs that are built into the smart circular design help to isolate the mic from stage or floor vibrations.
This striking microphone has been designed and developed here in the UK by Sontronics’ founder and mic designer, Trevor Coley. “As a guitarist myself, I’ve always longed for something more
It’s crazy but when I turned 15, I didn’t give away a bunch of my pairs of JNCO jeans, Doc Martins, and Flannel shirts, yet IK Multimedia, in their infinite kindness turned 15 and is doing just that.
Remember when I said that IK does CRAZY promotions that allow you to get TONs of software at insane prices? Well today is your lucky day. Not only could you get a great deal on those two new T-RackS Singles, The Black 76 and the White 2A, but you could also win free stuff!! After reading that review I wrote on the two new T-RackS Singles, you shouldn’t be here reading this nonsense. You should be over there BUYING THEM. LOOK! This link goes RIGHT THERE.
IK Multimedia is proud to announce our 15th Anniversary Promotion. To celebrate this milestone, IK Multimedia is bringing you some amazing deals and giveaways from June 15 to September 15, 2011 as we celebrate this history of hard work and success with an unprecedented series of prizes and promotions.
15 FREE JamPoints™ to every Registered IK User
JamPoints are IK’s loyalty rewards system and are like $/€ that IK Users earn with every purchase to redeem as a discount on future purchases. During our
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” -Leonardo da Vinci OK with that quoted by Waves, here’s my take:
“A simple plug-in bundle deserves a simple review”
Today we’re gonna look into the Waves One Knob Series Plug-ins. I’m gonna be honest about this one, I was actually somewhat excited about this bundle. Sometimes I just don’t feel like trying to dial in the perfect setting with EQ and Compression and want to just get it over with. With that being said, now for the bad news, and this might upset a few loyal readers: this is NOT the plug-in bundle for that.
Let’s start with the slogan for these.
The cure for tweak fatigue.
Mixing has never been this fast—or this much fun.
Mixing with these plug-ins are about as fun as letting your friend’s wife wax your “treasure trail.” I know these plug-ins are supposed to break things down into easier to use settings, but COME ON. These things are way too one dimensional. I’m not saying they sound bad or anything because they aren’t. For the application you’re using them for, they’re just fine, but in order to get an unprocessed track in decent shape, you have to apply almost every One Knob Plug-in. That fills up almost all of your inserts right there, plus it doesn’t make it any easier that what you would normally do with just the respective type of plug-in and very basic knowledge of how to work it. The only plug-in out of this bundle I could see myself using on a semi-regular basis is the filter. The rest of these, I could do the exact same in almost the exact same amount of time with an EQ, Compressor, or distortion that comes standard in Pro Tools. Now why would I pay $320.00 for something I basically already have? I could see these plug-ins being worth maybe $99.00 for the bundle, $120.00 at the most but $320.00???? I just can’t waste cash like that and if you can, more power to you.
The crazy thing about all of this is the solution to this “lazy or quick mixing” need I have is a product Waves already put out that will do the EXACT same thing (and a million times more) as One Knob, in ONE interface, and it’s only $80.00 more: The Waves CLA Artist Collection Plug-ins. This plug-in has saved me both time and headache on many occasions. When I have a client in the studio who is low on funds, or is in a hurry to get a mix, I simply apply each track with the appropriate CLA plug-in (ie: CLA Bass, Guitar, Drums, Vocals, Effects) to the appropriate track and viola, ready for mastering. The great part about this bundle is how detailed each of the plug-ins are tailored to the application they’re made for. Each plug-in has compression, eq, effects all right there in one window WITH easy to understand variations of the effect or tweaking being used. You can even opt to turn off any of the settings and just use what you need. If the track doesn’t need reverb, just click at the top of reverb until it’s off. That simple. It’s like having a whole mixer full of One Knobs in one window.
“But Bryan, there’s no way you can One Knob a plug-in for drums. Each piece is too diverse.” Don’t you think someone like Chris Lord Alge knows that? He even knows the amount of hairs on your head… wait wrong diety. The CLA drums has a knob for kick, snare, toms, overheads, and room mics with each appropriate setting. So all you do is turn the knob to the type of track, and there the settings are. Also the CLA guitars have an option for amp emulation set to some of Chris’ own settings.
I can already heat the naysayers out here ready to argue. You have every right in the world to disagree but before you try to debate me on this. Just listen to the samples below. What I’ve done is take the exact same track and load it with all the One Knob Plug-ins I would need to equal ONE CLA plug-in. Let’s see which one sounds better then lets fight!
Ok so here is the track stuffed with One Knobs. (If you say that’s what she said, you’re a moron and get off of my site.)
AGT Waves One Knob by Everything Recorded
Not bad, Not bad, but now the exact same track with ONE CLA Artist Series Plug-in. (I used the “Unplugged” version)
AGT Waves CLA by Everything Recorded
Oh wait what’s that I hear in the track with the CLA plug-in… Is that??? yep… delay. Do you have a One Knob plug-in for delay? I think not. Also, that “Brighter” knob doesn’t seem to be doing it much for the track and I had it at 75%.
So the choice is yours. Neither of them sound bad at all, but if simplicity is what you’re looking for, you might want to look to one of the “Artist Series” plug-ins, namely the CLA Bundle.
Price: Prices reflect current pricing at the time of the review.
Waves One Knob: $320.00
Waves CLA Artist Series: $400.00
For more info and to buy the One Knob series, click HERE
For more info and to buy the CLA Artist Series, click HERE
Just look at that smug smile on the front of that box. That’s the smile of someone who knows what they’re doing behind a console. Mark Needham has a laundry list of artists he’s worked with and it’s very easy to see why ToonTrack tasked him with making presets for their stellar EZ Mix Plug-in. I personally own quite a few of the Toon Track EZ Drummer packs and this just might be the next in line of purchases. I mean, who wouldn’t want a software box with that sly fox’s grin on it?!!
Chris Isaak, Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, The Killers, O.A.R., Fleetwood Mac, The Academy Is, Shakira, My Chemical Romance, Bruce Hornsby, Cobra Starship, Michelle Branch, Cake and John Hiatt. Even if you don’t know the name of the man responsible for mixing these artists’ albums, you certainly can’t deny his work and the fact that his recipe for making successful albums seems to work. Meet Mark Needham; producer, mix engineer and
It’s been a while since I’ve done a review so what better way to get back on the horse than with a review of IK Multimedia’s new T-RackS Singles, the Black 76 and the White 2A. The good folks at IK Multimedia generously gave me a first look at these two vintage style compressor plug-ins and at first I have to admit, I was skeptical.
You see, I can probably give you more than a few companies who have had a run at emulating these two compressors, so my question was, “Why take a run at something that’s been done so many times?” The answer might surprise you.
I did a review a while back on the T-RackS Singles I purchased (can be found HERE and HERE) and was very impressed with the level of character that each of the models presented. The thing I liked about all of these singles is that they tackled a few very tough compressor models as well as creating their own, all of which had their own flavor you can add to the mix. Since that review, I have moved up to the T-RackS Deluxe model and it only gets better from there. One of the benefits of buying the T-RackS bundles over the singles is that you get the mastering rack as well with VERY smart metering, plus you can buy THIS BOOK, and follow along to learn how to use these plug-ins to their max.
IK Multimedia has made it very easy to learn how to use their software to the utmost possible potential and beyond at a fraction of the cost of the Waves and MCDSP types of the world. I know all of this sounds like an infomercial for IK Multimedia but let me assure you it’s not. This is all based on my use of all of these plug-ins as well as me investing money out of my pocket (as you can read about in my previous reviews.) Seriously, I use at least 3 T-RackS plug-ins on various tracks for any given song I mix.
So how did these two fare against every other software company’s version of these two staples in the recording industry?
The Black 76
This compressor is based on one that probably shows up somewhere in almost every hit song you can think of, the Universal Audio 1176 LN. Not only does this particular model tame transients, but it also adds a very smooth character to the track its on. This thing is a workhorse in every sense of the word. You can put it on anything and it sounds like gold, Drums, Bass, Vocals, Guitar, Accordian, Cowbell, Wife’s Incessant Nagging, and it instantly sound better. And IK’s plug-in version is no different.
One of the best parts about how IK Multimedia has made the plug-in is that as soon as your fire it up on a track, it instantly adds its mark. No excessive tweaking needed. It’s like they found the ideal setting off the bat for any application you would use, and set it as the default. Of course, you can use other settings, but why have to sit there and deal with dialing in the sound too much if you can just have a great starting point? Apparently, IK shares the same belief.
To show you what I mean, here’s a clip of an acoustic track with no processing on it at all.
AGT Black 76 Before by Everything Recorded
Now watch what happens when I simply put the Black 76 on the track with NO tweaking.
AGT Black 76 After by Everything Recorded
Incredible huh. Extremely noticeable difference. It brings the track to life, adding a smoothness as well as better bass response without making things muddy or overbearing.
IK didn’t stop there, they’ve also made some outstanding preset as well for all of you lazy folk who don’t like putting a little elbow grease on the track. So you can send them a Hallmark card, or at least a cuddle for that, but honestly, if you’re too lazy to tweak a few knobs on a compressor, you probably wont send a thank you gift… you disgust me!!! The White 2A Another heavy hitter in the recording industry, the Teletronix LA-2A was nothing short of a work of art. All tube construction meant that this model has a very warm, natural compression and the gain reduction was instant with no added distortion. Just as much of a workhorse as the 1176, the LA-2A shines on vocal tracks, as well as piano, but where is really stands out is on bass.
Once again, IK Multimedia’s version does just the same, giving just about any track extra warmth and very buttery compression. This plug-in sings, and just like the Black 76, as soon as you turn on the White 2A, you know it. Lows sound lower, those untamed transients are tamed, your kids grades get better at school, and all is right with the world. Don’t believe me? Ok… well I’ll prove you wrong (Except the kid’s grades thing) with an audible example.
Here we have a bass track with no plug-ins added. Just the unprocessed sound straight off of a DI box.
Bass White 2A Before by Everything Recorded
Now lets add the White 2A on its default setting with no knobs touched.
Bass White 2A After by Everything Recorded
See what I’m talking about? Just the factory setting and you’re already right where you need to be. It just adds that tube growl and brings out the mids, all without driving the bass too hard or blowing out the speakers. Just think, if that’s the default setting, how much more could you get if you tweaked it even more? Well, you’ll have to figure that one out as soon as you go buy these two incredible plug-ins.
So how do these fare against the rest of the world of 1176 and LA-2a plug-ins out there? I put it up against the Waves version, The Bomb Factory, and Universal Audio’s OWN version of their OWN units to see how great these highly discounted versions of the plug-in worked. They hung right there with every single one of them, producing close to the exact same tonal qualities as the plug-ins that cost a considerable bit more. PLUS, unlike most of the rest, you can run these two plug-ins in mid/side mode, giving you more diversity in your stereo field. So not only do you get a painstakingly created plug-in based on the actual hardware unit, you also get one at a fraction of the cost of the other guys with added features.
Now, since I’ve addressed most of your questions and concerns, it’s time for you to answer one of mine.
Why do you not own these yet?
NOTE: T-RackS Singles Black 76 and White 2A are not included in the T-RackS Bundles so you gotta purchase those separately.
Price: $99 Each.
For more info and you better be buying these, click HERE
Now THIS is what I’m talking about. I’ve been waiting for this 500 Series rack to come out since I saw it, and they’ve made it even better by offering a model without the summing mixer. You can still put the mixer in later if you want, but this makes getting the workhorse a little more cost effective by allowing you to buy the summing mixer at a later date. Speaking of dates, I haven’t been on one in almost 2 years… True story
Radial Engineering Ltd. is pleased to announce the availability of the stand-alone Workhorse WR8 500 series rack and optional WM8 8 channel summing mixer.
According to Radial sales manager Steve McKay: “Our plan was to start shipping the Workhorse into the North American market and then expand to Europe after the product proved to be both stable and trouble-free. After shipping hundreds, we are pleased to say
Ever heard a song and wish you could figure out what frequencies the engineer was boosting to get the mix? Me neither, because I know everything about audio engineering and could out mix Chris Lord Alge in my sleep. (Shifts eyes) But for the rest of us idiots (crap I blew my cover by including myself in the word idiots) there’s Quiztones. This app for iOS will train your ears using tones with frequencies boosted as well as loops to further your mixing skills.
Audiofile Engineering, creators of professional audio software for Mac OS X and iOS, have recently acquired Quiztones (http://quiztones.net), an ear training application for audio professionals and musicians, and released it as an App for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Quiztones founder Dan Comerchero joins Audiofile Engineering as a Product Manager.
Quiztones is designed to train the ears to instantly and intuitively recognize frequencies. This is useful for tasks like mixing, adjusting EQ settings, and identifying and eliminating feedback.
As musicians and audio professionals, we spend a great deal of time analyzing frequencies, whether we’re adjusting them for a good mix in the studio, for immediate release
