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August 2009 In This Issue

To open articles, click title links

Reviews

eSub 65 Amps Lil Elvis

Recording Guitar Amplifier

Thumbnail for article: 65 Amps Lil Elvis

There’s no shortage of hand-wired boutique guitar amps on the market, but how about one that includes power scaling, to give you the right tone for recording, but without the volume?

eSub ART Tubefire 8

Firewire Audio Interface

ART aim to prove that it’s better by tube, packing eight valve preamps into a Firewire interface.

Audio Ease Cabinet

Guitar Technology News/Preview

eSub Behringer ‘Vintage’ Series

Guitar Effects Pedals

Best Service Dancehall Vibes Volume 1

Acidized WAV/REX2/NN-XT/SoundFont/Halion

eSub C-Thru Music Axis 49

Harmonic Table MIDI Controller

Thumbnail for article: C-Thru Music Axis 49

The piano keyboard is so widespread and familiar that we take it for granted. But, as C-Thru Music’s Axis 49 demonstrates, it’s not the only option out there.

eSub Cockos Reaper 3

Digital Audio Workstation Software [Mac/PC]

The latest major update to Reaper brings with it a complete overhaul of MIDI functionality, improved automation, and much, much more.

eSub Dave Smith Instruments Mopho

Analogue Synthesizer

Thumbnail for article: Dave Smith Instruments Mopho

The latest synth from Dave Smith owes more than a little to its illustrious ancestor, the Sequential Circuits Pro One, but costs only £299$399.

eSub Event Opal

Studio Monitors

Event’s new owners make some extravagant claims for these new high-end monitors, whose design is said to put quality first. Do they live up to the hype?

eSub EWQL Symphonic Orchestra Play Edition

Sample Library

Thumbnail for article: EWQL Symphonic Orchestra Play Edition

A star Hollywood orchestral library gets an extreme make-over.

eSub Focusrite Saffire Pro 24

Firewire Audio Interface

Thumbnail for article: Focusrite Saffire Pro 24

A cut-down Saffire without compromise on quality or features? Read on...

eSub Neve 2254/R

Mono Limiter/Compressor

All the smoothness and class you’d expect from a vintage Neve compressor — but with the benefit of software recall. What’s not to like?

eSub PreSonus DigiMax D8

Eight-channel Mic Pre & A-D Converter

Presonus combine their respected analogue and digital technology in this affordable ADAT-equipped preamp.

eSub SE Electronics SE2200T

Valve Condenser Microphone

SE tweak their successful design to create what’s probably the most affordable serious tube mic around.

Soniccouture Gu Zheng

Multi-format

eSub SSL X-Desk

Analogue Mixing Console

Technology from SSL’s high-end mixing consoles has been filtering down to the project studio for some time, in the form of the X-Logic and X-Rack products, but the desks themselves have remained the preserve of commercial studios. Until now...

eSub Synesthesia USB Mandala Drum 2

Percussion Controller

Thumbnail for article: Synesthesia USB Mandala Drum 2

The Mandala is a drum pad with a difference: it has a Virtual Brain and its manufacturers claim that it’s “the smartest thing you’ll ever hit with a stick.”

eSub Telefunken ELA M260

Small-diaphragm Valve Condenser Microphone

Thumbnail for article: Telefunken ELA M260

Despite sharing a name with a historic Telefunken mic, this is a new design. But it still delivers classy, vintage-sounding results.

eSub Universal Audio UAD 4K Plug-ins

Software Channel Strip & Dynamics Processor

Just in case the line-up of plug-ins available for the UAD cards wasn’t tempting enough already, Universal Audio have now added emulations of classic SSL hardware.

VSL Solo Strings II, Bassoon II & Trumpet in Bb

Vienna Instruments

eSub XT Software EnergyXT 2.5 Plus

Portable DAW Software [Mac OS/Windows/ Linux]

The idea of a truly portable DAW application has obvious appeal, especially when that application costs as little as EnergyXT. But can you really carry everything you need to make music on a USB Flash drive?

Zero-G Indian Dance Classics

Acidized WAV/REX2/Apple Loops/ AIFF/Stylus RMX

Competition

WIN 3000 GBP worth of Peluso microphones!

Deadline: 2009-08-31

Four great mics worth £3000 GBP are up for grabs this month. You have until 31 August 2009 to enter. Prize kindly donated by KMR Audio + 44 (0) 20 8445 2446 www.kmraudio.com

Sound Advice

Q. Can I use vintage hi-fi for monitoring?

Q. How can I achieve clarity in my mixes?

Q. How can I improve a school's live room?

Q. What’s the best way to connect gear digitally?

People + Opinion

eSub Armin Van Buuren

Producing Trance

Not content with being one of the most celebrated DJs in the world, Armin Van Buuren has also had a string of club and chart hits. We asked him to talk us through the production of a top-notch trance anthem.

eSub Classic Tracks | Aerosmith ‘Walk This Way’

Producer: Jack Douglas • Engineer: Jay Messina

Thumbnail for article: Classic Tracks | Aerosmith ‘Walk This Way’

In 1975, Aerosmith stormed into the mainstream with their Toys In The Attic album, and in doing so set the tone for a decade of West Coast heavy metal.

Playback

Readers’ Music Reviewed

Sponsored by breed-media.co.uk

Recording On Trial

Leader

Does the public actually listen to music any more, or do they simply hear it?

eSub Secrets Of The Mix Engineers: Peter Mokran

Track: Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)

Thumbnail for article: Secrets Of The Mix Engineers: Peter Mokran

Take one Bollywood soundtrack, add a Pussycat Doll and a heap of new instruments, and you have a recipe for a big mix. Peter Mokran was the engineer who cooked up an international hit with ‘Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)’.

Sounding Off: Is DAB a disaster?

Hugh Robjohns

With the FM radio frequencies under threat from the UK government's planned sell-off, is DAB coverage and quality really good enough to replace it?

Technique

eSub Apple Notes

New developments

We round up the latest from the Apple Developers’ Conference and the implications for Mac musicians.

eSub Cubase: Pitch Perfect with VariAudio

Cubase Notes & Techniques

In VariAudio, Cubase 5 users have a sophisticated pitch-correction tool.

eSub Customising Digital Performer

Digital Performer Notes & Techniques

Save time and make Digital Performer work just how you like it, with easy custom templates and preferences tweaks.

eSub Logic's Master Blasters: Part 2

Logic Notes & Techniques

Part 2: We turn to Logic’s dynamics processing in our quest for a polished master.

Mix Rescue Audio: Al James

Audio Examples From Mix Rescue August 2009

eSub Mix Rescue: Al James

Ways to improve your mix

Why is Al James’ poppy and well-arranged track not reaching its potential in the mix, despite extensive EQ treatment and other processing? We dissect his original Cubase project to find out.

eSub PC Notes

Advice, Tips & Techniques

We address a few common PC music questions and introduce the best software solutions for drive backup.

eSub Pro Tools Troubleshooting

Pro Tools Notes & Techniques

Newcomers and power users alike need to know how to make things right when their Pro Tools Sessions run into trouble.

eSub Sonar: Bigger Beats

Sonar Notes & Techniques

Get a big, ‘produced’ sound from Sonar’s classic analogue drumbox samples.

eSub Studio SOS: Bedroom Control

Twin-roomed bedroom studio

Ever wanted to set up both a control room and live room in two tiny bedrooms? On a budget? With remote-control facilities? Actually, it can be done!

Music Business

eSub Notes From The Deadline

TV Music From The Inside

Almost everything about being a composer of music for television is a gamble, except getting paid. That’s two gambles.

eSub The Remix Business: Part 3

Getting Technical

As well as having all-round audio engineering ability, a remixer needs to be proficient in remix-specific processes. We explore the essential software and skills.

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