Win Celemony 10+10 Melodyne Birthday Box

Deadline: 2011-01-11

Bavarian software developers Celemony celebrate their 10th birthday this year and, to mark the occasion, they've teamed up with SOS to offer a fantastic competition prize!

Audio-Technica AT4047 MP

Multi-pattern Condenser Microphone

Audio-Technica have added multiple polar patterns to one of their already successful designs, bringing increased versatility in the studio.

Audio-Technica AT4047 MP | Media

Multi-pattern Condenser Microphone

These audio files accompany the Audio-Technica AT4047 MP review that featured in SOS December 2010.

AVI Neutron Five

2.1 Monitor System

This interesting monitor system uses the natural roll-off of the satellite speakers to provide the crossover with the subwoofer.

Best Service | Cinematique Instruments

Sample Library

4.5*

Big Fish Audio | Kontrol Freaks 2

Sample Library

5*

Black Lion AM/CHA1

Dual-channel Equaliser

Does a 'boutique' approach to building outboard have to mean inflated prices? Not according to this manufacturer...

Black Lion AM/CHA1

Dual-channel Equaliser: Test Plots

Black Lion PM8

Passive Summing Mixer

Hugh Robjohns checks out another offering from Black Lion: the new passive summing mixer, PM8.

Drawmer A2D2

A/D Converter

With its independently configurable outputs, this A/D converter is a little different from most of its competitors...

Electro Harmonix Freeze

Sound Retainer Effects Pedal

Paul White investigates a new effects pedal from Electro Harmonix... everybody Freeze!

Focusrite Control 2802

Analogue Console & DAW Controller

Offering hands-on DAW control and a 32-input analogue console with bus compressor, Audient's latest mixer is very impressive indeed — and it's not as expensive as you might expect...

Mackie Onyx Blackjack

USB Audio Interface

Mackie's Blackjack is the smallest interface yet to feature their acclaimed Onyx mic preamps.

Mode Machines KRP1 Krautrock Phaser

Analogue Phaser

The KRP1 Krautrock Phaser is a modern recreation of a German classic.

Neve Manufacturing Australia Custom Series 75

Analogue Mixing Console

Thought you'd seen the death of the large-format console? Think again, as you read our exclusive preview of this modern take on classic Neve designs.

Original Music | Dance Drum Samples

Sample Library

3.5*

Plug-in Folder

Software Plug-ins

• Toontrack EZ Mix
• 2C Audio Aether 1.5
• Universal Audio EP34
• Native Instruments Traktor 12
• Overloud SpringAge

Project SAM Symphobia 2

Sample Library

Symphobia's sequel probes deeper into the psyche of the sampled orchestra.

Prominy SR5 Rock Bass

Virtual Bass Guitar Instrument

Virtual bassists are not short of options for looking after their low end. How does this new one fare?

Roland RD700NX

Digital Piano

Roland are hardly new to the digital piano game, and with years of experience to draw on, their new stage piano should be something rather special. Let's find out...

Seymour Duncan STK-S10 YJM Fury

Hum-cancelling Guitar Pickups

Stacked humbucker pickups designed to replace standard single-coil pickups are nothing new, but most simply strive to deliver a single-coil tone while offering the noise-suppression ability of a humbucker.

Steinberg Wavelab 7

Audio Editing & Mastering Suite

Steinberg's Wavelab has spread its wings to become the only truly cross-platform stereo editing package — and in the process, it's undergone a comprehensive makeover.

Sugar Bytes Guitarist

Virtual Guitar Software

Electric guitar is one of the most difficult instruments to recreate in sample-based form. Sugar Bytes are the latest developers to brave the challenge.

T-Rex Fuel Tank Chameleon

Guitar Pedal Power Supply

Dave Lockwood delights in changing colours as he tests out this multi-port adaptable power supply from T-Rex.

Tascam DR2D

Digital Recorder

Tascam's mid-range pocket-sized digital recorder, the DR2D, supersedes the earlier DR1 — but does it have enough tricks to compete in an ever-evolving market?

Tonehammer Requiem

Choral Sample Library

Sanctify your soundtracks with Tonehammer's new choral library.

Waves Kramer HLS & PIE

EQ & Dynamics Plug-ins

Eddie Kramer is a producer and engineer who knows a thing or two about rock 'n' roll, so when he gives his name to plug-ins modelled after his favourite hardware, we expect great things...

Zero-G | Tonio: Male Classical Vocal

Sample Library

3*

Alex Marten: Is Music Meaningless In Isolation?

Sounding Off

Art Of The Matter

Leader

Paul White muses on the art of sound and recording.

Mike Vernon: Producing British Blues

Interview | Producer

Mike Vernon produced some of the greatest blues records of all time. A full decade after retiring, he's back in the studio with some of the British blues scene's brightest lights.

Nashville Guitars: Recording Today's Country Guitar Sounds

Interview | Engineers

With country guitars, what you hear on the record is what was played in the studio. We asked Nashville's leading engineers how they capture those tones.

Peter Neubäcker: Melodyne & Celemony, The Next Decade

Interview | Manufacturer

It's 10 years since the groundbreaking Melodyne audio-processing software was launched. To celebrate, its inventor Peter Neubäcker invited us into his research lab to talk about possible future developments.

Playback

Readers' Music Reviewed

Tolis Zavaliaris * Tie Your Shoes To Your Knees & Pretend You're Small Like Us * Tony Alderman * Dr Slaggleberry * Silent Strike Lucian Ban & Alex Harding * Clockwork * TnVVNuM * Burn The Negative * Beyond Reason

Robert Plant 'Angel Dance'

Inside Track | Secrets Of The Mix Engineers

Thirty years after Led Zeppelin ended, Robert Plant has reached a second career high. His latest hit album was tracked and mixed by Mike Poole, using a mouth-watering selection of vintage equipment.

Apple Logic: Back To Basics

Logic Notes

Whether you're an experienced or a novice Logic user, going back to the beginning might show you a thing or two.

Beat Repeat Plug-in

Ableton Live Tips & Techniques

We show you the most modest of feats: a wonderful way of repeating your beats.

Block

Propellerhead Reason Tips & Techniques

Make light work of song arranging with Reason's new Blocks feature.

Digital Performer 7.2

MOTU Digital Performer Tips & Techniques

DP's latest version brings the ability to change the look and feel of the program. We find out how, and explore other additions in DP 7.2.

Laptop Vs Desktop; Front-panel USB 3; AudioMulch

PC Notes

If your laptop's giving you ground-loop problems, maybe it's time to go back to battery power... Martin Walker discusses this, and rounds up the latest PC news.

Managing Backups, Part 1

Cakewalk Sonar Tips & Techniques

In the first of this two-part series, we look at the best ways to manage your day-to-day backups in Sonar.
Read Part 2.

Master EQ Plug-in

Cockos Reaper Tips & Techniques

Discover the power of Reaper's EQ plug-in and become an EQ master in the process.

MIDI Controllers

Steinberg Cubase Tips & Techniques

Even a handful of knobs and sliders on a MIDI master keyboard are enough to give you hands-on control of your Cubase mix.

Mix Rescue: Superfox

Mixing & Recording Advice

We spend a lot of time rescuing sub-standard recordings and arrangements in Mix Rescue, but this month it really was all about mixing and mastering.

Mix Rescue: Superfox | Media

Mixing & Recording Advice

These audio files accompany the Mix Rescue article that featured in SOS December 2010.

Pet Shop Boys 'It's A Sin'

Classic Tracks

Protests against Catholicism have taken many forms, Martin Luther nailing his objections to the cathedral door, but the Pet Shop Boys chose to make theirs in disco...
• Producer: Julian Mendelsohn
• Engineers: Julian Mendelsohn, Stephen Hague

Studio SOS: Common Studio Problems

Your Studio Problems Solved

With over 50 Studio SOS visits under our belt, we thought it was time to discuss some of the most common studio problems we've tackled.

Super Conductors

Avid Pro Tools Tips & Techniques

Pro Tools' rulers not only show the passage of time, they allow you to control it!

Transferring Projects Between Different DAWs

Tips & Techniques

Exporting a project from one DAW to another can be frustrating — but there are ways and means...

Water Damage

Apple Notes

Don't panic if your iDevice has recently gone to a watery grave; your music may still be salvageable.

TV Music From The Inside

Notes From The Deadline

The only way to make money as a media composer is from publishing — but greedy production companies are targeting our back end with a vengeance.

Flip Ultra HD

Pocket Video Recorder

The Flip Ultra HD promises high-definition video recording in the palm of your hand — but does it live up to the claim?

Gear To Get You Filming Fast

5 Best Buys

New to the world of video production and unsure what gear to buy? Our guide to the five best options in three categories will get you started.

iPhone 4: Shooting & Editing Music Videos

Tips & Techniques

Apple's iMovie may be designed for making slideshows of snapshots and holiday videos, but what's to stop you thinking outside the box?

Sony Vegas Pro 10

Non-linear Editor

The latest version of Vegas offers plenty of professional features at a competitive price. So can you expect compromises in performance, or is Vegas Pro a spectacular deal?

Q. Does freezing really improve the quality of valves?

Q. How can I improve the sound of my DJ set when mastering?

Q. What's the best order for recording a band?

Q. What's the best way to back up my data?

Q. Why does using a high-pass filter make things seem louder?