SPL: Crescendo Mic Preamp
reviewed by Dana Gumbiner
(Cue Bon Scott howling "HIGH! VOLTAGE!") The Crescendo, andSPL's proprietary SUPRA high voltage op-ampsare an exciting innovation, and I believe it's a first of its kind: an 8-channel mic preamp...
Gear Reviews
by Dana Gumbiner
Native Instruments: Crush & Mod Pack Plug-In Bundles
reviewed by Dana Gumbiner
I’m really digging these lightweight and discovery-laden plug-in bundles from Native Instruments; the fun-to-cost ratio is highly disproportionate! Each of these packs features three 64-bit...
Roland: SE-02 Analog Synthesizer
reviewed by Dana Gumbiner
Here’s a surprisingly powerful new analog synth developed in collaboration with Roland and US-based synth designers Studio Electronics. This little box is the first of what Roland calls its...
Novation: 61SL MkIII Keyboard Controller
reviewed by Dana Gumbiner
This is a future-proof controller that’s really more of a studio “director” or “headmaster-in-charge of all things bleepy-bloopy” – not your grandad’s MIDI...
PreSonus: Studio 1824 USB Interface
reviewed by Dana Gumbiner
Here's a 24-bit, 192 kHz audio interface that's a ridiculous bargain at this price point. The Studio 1824 has plenty of analog and digital I/O, plus an 18x8 DSP mixer with low-latency monitor mixing....
Universal Audio: Apollo x8p Thunderbolt 3 Interface
reviewed by Dana Gumbiner
Universal Audio – knock it off, already. We could probably end this review right there, and most existing Universal Audio/UAD users would get the point: the release cycle from this company is...
Arturia: DrumBrute Impact Drum Machine
reviewed by Dana Gumbiner
A few years back, I found myself on the prowl for a true analog drum machine. I had not owned a capable, dedicated drum machine since my E-MU Systems Drumulator went belly-up some time ago (or...
Eventide: Tverb Plug-In
reviewed by Dana Gumbiner
For me, a massive highlight from a recent trip to Berlin, Germany, was a visit to the legendary Hansa Tonstudio [Tape Op #95], where the majority of David Bowie's Low and Heroes albums were tracked...
Apogee: MiC + USB Microphone
reviewed by Dana Gumbiner
Studio-quality; rugged; super-portable; easy to use across multiple platforms – it's nice to find a microphone that checks all of those boxes. I was a fan of the original Apogee MiC, and this...
Ableton: Live 10 Suite
reviewed by Dana Gumbiner
Ableton once again delivers a compelling update to their always imaginative music creation software suite, Live. Version 10 feels like an addition of significant fit, finish, and refinement to what...
Arturia: 3 Filters & 3 Preamps You'll Actually Use Plug-Ins
reviewed by Dana Gumbiner
True to their rather clever names, these two plug-in bundles feature easy-to-use and accurate emulations of 3 sought-after preamps and 3 classic synth filter sections, each with some creative...
UnderTone Audio: UnFairchild 670M II Compressor
reviewed by Dana Gumbiner
Oh, my. Boutique pro audio builders/mad scientists at UnderTone Audio sent us their recreation of the revered, classic variable mu compressor/limiter, the Fairchild 670, and it does not disappoint....