As part of their new line of very affordable C Series microphones – aimed at both first-time buyers and seasoned engineers who want solid utility mics in the studio – AKG has released the C151. It is a small diaphragm condenser (SDC) microphone that is perfect for all sorts of applications. The...
I'm gonna say right off the bat that I'm not a pedal/stompbox collector, but I'm totally digging this Vongon delay. First off, it's beautifully built and cased in a solid walnut enclosure that looks more like a nice piece of furniture than a pedal, plus the knobs and sliders...
Drum machines have defined and redefined several genres of popular music for nearly five decades. Many of the most recognizable electronic drum sounds originated in analog units manufactured by Roland in Hamamatsu, Japan. After six years of building pre-programmed models designed to accompany organ...
What’s the best kind of microphone for recording electric guitar? On first glance, this seems like a straightforward question, but dig in a bit and notice the layers of sedimentation. The pat answer is that you position a Shure SM57 or other dynamic mic on the grill cloth, pointed on or near the...
The folks at Soyuz have been making noise for the last decade or so and releasing top-quality and extremely functional gear, presenting audio in a way that is both familiar and, dare I say, formally unique. I’ve been a fervent supporter since we crossed paths in the Before Times, and the brand...
ARC ON·EAR is a hybrid headphone amp/DAC with built-in EQ correction for popular professional headphones. Like most audio workers, I do a ton of work while wearing headphones. Spending hours a day critically listening in headphones is a big part of my job. Whether I’m using the old Apple EarPods or...
My studio space sounds pretty good. I have worked toward a balanced listening experience by utilizing space-specific sound treatments such as absorption and diffusion, keeping my monitors decoupled from my desk and their stands, and following all the usual recommendations for treating a room for...
Universal Audio’s free DAW, LUNA, has a major update that just cleared the launchpad – LUNA 2.0 for both macOS and PC. It includes ARA 2 support, AI-infused instrument detection, and, if you own or purchase the LUNA Pro upgrade, a total of 29 UAD plug-ins, some new third-party ARA and MIDI effects...
The 1U rack-mount Universal Audio Volt 876 audio interface is on the bench! The larger cousin to the rest of the affordable Volt interface range, the 876 brings quite a bit of additional fit and function to the family. Notably, the 876 can be used as an ADAT expansion unit and features completely...
For the past two decades, Rupert Neve Designs has delivered a steady stream of innovative and powerful analog audio processors, including the Master Buss Processor [Tape Op#89], the Master Bus Transformer, and the Shelford, Newton, and Portico series. Naturally, my interest was piqued when I heard...
Hey, did you hear that Cranborne Audio just dropped its first compressor? Every single unit this company designs is filled with so much amazing outside-the-box thinking. It’s inspiring. I’ve read about pulse width modulation compressors before, like the Great River PWM-501 [Tape Op #102] or the...
At 750 pages, 30 chapters, and a whopping ten pounds, this hardcover book is literally one of the biggest I’ve ever read. Subtitled The Complete Muscle Shoals Story 1951–1985, Land of a Thousand Sessions covers the studio scene and all the sessions around the Muscle Shoals/Quad Cities region of...
Every music maker is constantly in search of that special something that can make their mixes stand apart from the crowd. Like its namesake, Universal Audio's A-Type multiband dynamic enhancer plug-in is based on the Dolby Laboratories A-Type noise reduction system introduced in 1965. In basic...
Raise your hand if you've spent a considerable amount of time memorizing, or at least creating, your own personalized cheat sheet that catalogs the vast number of keyboard shortcuts for your DAW software of choice. I've had to do it twice: First when learning Steinberg’s Cubase [Tape...
Like Teaching Machines’ first product release, the Wellspring spring reverb [Tape Op#155], their new beast of a product is also jam-packed with features and functionality. FuzzBillion is a fuzz pedal, but that may be the understatement of the year. Though initially it may have been intended to be...
I generally steer clear of microphones specifically marketed for vocals. Past experiences have taught me that vocal mics are typically not “my thing,” as many in this category tend to be fairly bright and aggressive in the high end. There are obviously exceptions, but I personally prefer a...
Although I monitor on loudspeakers for mixing, I do spend a significant amount of time doing detail work on headphones, and Audeze’s LCD-Xs [Tape Op#119] have been my first choice for several years now. They provide a fantastic amount of detail, are comfortable, and have been operating without...
I recently had to fly across the country for a recording session, and this time I needed to bring a bass. Normally, I would just use whatever was on hand in the studio, but circumstances demanded otherwise. Excitement for the trip was quickly followed by dread; how was I going to get my bass to a...