WIN: Samson C03 Capacitor Mics

Deadline: 2004-02-29

Five lucky SOS readers have the opportunity of winning a pair of Samson's first capacitor microphones.

Alesis Prolinear 720DSP

Active Monitors

Active monitors with a powerful four-band DSP equaliser option.

Apple G5

The Ultimate Music Computer?

Few products have been hyped as much as Apple's new G5 range of personal computers -- but how good are they for making and recording music in the real world? We test the 2GHz Dual Processor model...

Behringer V-Amp Pro & Bass V-Amp Pro

Modelling Guitar & Bass Preamps

Behringer's rack-friendly versions of their V-Amp 2 and Bass V-Amp add extra connection flexibility and rugged new 2U hardware.

Celemony Melodyne 2

Pitch & Time Correction Software For Mac & PC

Version 2 of Celemony's revolutionary pitch- and tempo-shifting software includes new features, better sequencer integration and an improved interface.

Clavia Nord Lead 2X

Virtual Analogue Performance Synth

The follow-up to Clavia's Nord Lead 3 is not the Nord Lead 4 (well, not yet), but a beefed-up version of the Nord Lead 2! We find out why, and how it improves on the original.

DB Audioware Quantum FX

Modular VST & Direct X Effects For Windows

As well as a bundle of 50-plus effects plug-ins, Quantum FX provides all the tools you need to design your own.

Dsound VL2 & Knzaudio Midifier

Plug-in Folder

Two more useful plug-ins, one for Powercore and one for PC VST/Direct X.

Evolution UC33

MIDI Fader Controller

The budget MIDI controller market is pretty crowded these days, but Evolution are giving you the most for your money with the UC33, eschewing expensive rotary encoders and large displays for affordable non-moving faders and wipe-clean overlays.

Focusrite ISA430 MkII

Recording Channel

Focusrite update their successful high-end Producer Pack to keep it ahead of the game.

Latest Sample CDs

Sample Library

• Xtreme House * Score = 4
• World Winds * Score = 4
• Scott Rockenfield Queensryche Drums * Score = 4

Microtech Gefell M930

Condenser Microphone

This surprisingly compact large-diaphragm mic shakes up the established competition.

Mutec Smart Clock & Smart Merge

Digital Master Clock & Routing Matrix

These two affordable problem-solvers facilitate digital interfacing and mixing in the home studio.

Presonus Tube Pre, Comp16, EQ3B & HP4

Tube Preamp, Compressor, Equaliser & Headphone Amp

A range of affordable third-rack units designed to cover a variety of studio tasks without compromising on quality.

Red5 Audio RVK7

Drum Mic Set

The excellent sound quality and rugged build of these drum mics belies their highly affordable price tag.

Sequential's Prophet 2000 Samplers

Retrozone

Back in 1986, Sequential's Prophet 2000 represented a genuine breakthrough in sampling technology, and became a 'secret weapon' for up-and-coming programmers. We take you back to the dawning days of SOS, when 12-bit was king.

SME Solutions/Maxdata Pro 7000X

Centrino Laptop PC

More and more musicians are turning to systems based around a laptop PC, and Intel's new Pentium-M processor -- as found in this model from Maxdata and SME Solutions -- seems to perform well with music applications.

Sound Toys Filter Freak

Creative Filter Plug-in For Pro Tools

Sound Toys claim that their new plug-in captures the sound of an analogue filter in digital form. We put it to the test...

Toft Audio ATC2

Dual Recording Channel

New company Toft Audio have updated some pedigree vintage designs for their first product, which offers two channels of mic preamplification, compression, and EQ.

Yamaha DM1000

Digital Mixer

Yamaha pack most of an 02R96 into a unit little bigger than the 01V96. Could this be the ideal console for the quality home studio?

Yamaha Motif ES

Music Production Synthesizer

Two and a half years after the launch of Yamaha's impressive Motif workstation synth, the range has been further enhanced and upgraded. How much better can it get? We find out...

Mixing Loops Live

Sound On Stage

Music technology has opened up all sorts of exciting possibilities for mixing loops with live instruments on stage, if you know how to hook everything up.

Business End

MPG judge readers' recordings

Another group of Music Producers Guild members proffer their constructive comments on the recordings of more SOS readers...

Convoluted Thinking

Paul White's Leader

Is it morally right for manufacturers of convolution-based reverbs to 'sample' their hardware competitors presets?

Crosstalk

Your correspondence

This month's topics include reader reply to our Creamware SCOPE review and worrying problems one reader has had with UK mains radiation.

Dizzee Rascal & Cage

Recording Boy In Da Corner

Teenager Dylan Mills (aka Dizzee Rascal) captured the headlines in 2003 by winning the UK's Mercury Music Prize with one of the most uncompromising albums of recent times. Dizzee and engineer/manager Cage describe how they made Boy In Da Corner.

Mary J Blige & Puff Daddy

Tony Maserati: Mixing Love & Life

Last year's Love & Life album saw R&B superstar Mary J Blige reunited with Sean Combs (aka Puff Daddy, aka P Diddy) and his Bad Boy production stable. Mix specialist Tony Maserati spent two months at Miami's Circle House Studios working on the project, and recorded his experiences in this unique diary.

Readerzone

John Hackett and Andy Wood

We visit two readers who have set up a studio in a small corner of a small room in the West Midlands...

Sounding Off: Chinese Microphones

Patrick Morvlyth

Today, microphones are more affordable than ever. But what about tomorrow?

CLASSIC TRACKS: 'Unforgettable'

Artists: Natalie Cole & Nat 'King' Cole; Producer: David Foster; Engineer: Al Schmitt

Half a century in the business has seen recording engineer Al Schmitt reach the very top of his profession, but even a man of his experience can find himself faced with new challenges. So it was in 1991, when he was called upon to turn a classic Nat 'King' Cole recording into a duet with Cole's daughter Natalie...

Cutting Edge

Ways of mixing & LCD monitor latency

Considering the best way to mix in a small modern studio leads Cutting Edge to speculate on a possible future for the interconnection of digital audio devices.

Demo Doctor

Reader Recordings Diagnosed

Another batch of lucky SOS readers' demos wait nervously for the Doctor's prognosis. What is the verdict? Listen while you read on...

Easy Tempo Changes

Steinberg Cubase Tips & Techniques

Until its recent update, Cubase SX did not have all the specific tools needed for easy tempo changes when, for example, working to picture — but a close look at the tools it does have reveals ways of getting the job done for those who haven't yet upgraded.

Matrix Editor: Step-Sequencing Tips

Logic Notes

This month's column shows you how to create step-sequencer effects within Logic's MIDI editing windows. Plus there's a wealth of practical tips to make your sessions more productive.

OS X Panther

Apple Notes

As Apple's recent Panther operating system upgrade is adopted by the Mac community, the usual problems that accompany such a major change begin to surface. This month, we take a closer look at the issues worth considering before making the jump to Panther, and report on Apple's new iBook G4.

Pro Tools Effects, Plug-in Converter and more...

Digidesign (Avid) Pro Tools Tips & Techniques

It's Christmas, so we've rounded up some free effects and other goodies. On the news front, meanwhile, there's word of a VST-to-RTAS plug-in converter from FXpansion.

Q & A: solutions to your problems

Reader Advice

SOS staff deliver more solutions to interesting recording/programming questions.

Recovering Lost Files

PC Notes

Ever accidentally thrown away computer data that you should have kept? This month we have the technology, and we can rebuild it.

Roland XV & JV Power User Tips

Masterclass 3

This month's masterclass shows you how to edit and save your synth's Patches, and helps you maximise the effects potential of your multitimbral setups. Plus there's advice on troubleshooting thorny panning problems, and tips on automating levels without changing your individual sounds.

Running Legacy Software Under Windows XP

PC Musician

Do you have elderly Windows or MS-DOS software that refuses to run under Windows XP? If so, there may still be a way to get it working. Find out how...

Setting Up A Computer Studio

4 Computer-based Recording Systems Explained

A frequently recurring question from new sequencer users is what else they need to set up a complete studio. We show you how to create the most simple usable system, and how to expand and adapt it to more demanding applications.

Sonar's Hidden EQ

Sonar Notes

This month, get the most out of your meters, locate that missing patch, beef up your bass, and discover the hidden EQ bands in your console.

Studio SOS

Glenn Bucci

During the October AES Convention in New York, the SOS team managed to make it to Amityville to help reader (and SOS Forum regular) Glenn Bucci with his recorded guitar and bass sounds.

Synthesizing Hammond Organ Effects: Part1

Synth Secrets

So, you can synthesize a Hammond's tonewheel generator -- but what about its all-important effects? This month, we look at recreating the Hammond's percussion, vibrato, overdrive, and reverb -- and find that it's harder than you might think...

Using DP with OS X Panther

Digital Performer Notes

As Mac OS X's Panther incarnation brings some slinky new working methods to Digital Performer, we pass on some advanced ways of pasting data, as well as rounding up the usual tips and news for DP users.