WIN Carillon AC1 Core 4XT Music PC

Deadline: 2010-08-28

Worth 2119 GB Pounds — This beast of a machine houses Intel's Core i7 Gulftown processor, which has no fewer than six cores, each running at a whopping 3.33GHz. A generous 6GB of RAM handles the memory-shuffling, while the 64-bit version of Windows 7 that comes pre-installed ensures that all of that memory can be exploited.
Prize kindly donated by Carillon +44 (0)8455 194530. www.carillonac1.com

Abbey Road RS124

Compressor Plug-in [Mac & PC]

For 50 years, the RS124 compressor has been a secret weapon at Abbey Road Studios. Now it’s targeting our plug-in folders...

Adam A7X

Active Two-way Studio Monitors

Their A7 nearfield monitors received many plaudits, not least in the pages of SOS, but manufacturer Adam thought there was room for improvement.

Akai APC20

MIDI Controller For Ableton Live

The Ableton controller race is hotting up — so how does the latest contender, the Akai APC20, compare to the competition?

AKG Perception 820

Valve Microphone

Does AKG’s Chinese-made Perception 820 maintain the Austrian company’s impressive reputation?

AKG Perception 820 | Audio

Audio Examples

Hear for yourself how this mic performed during the SOS tests.

Arobas Guitar Pro 6

Notation Software [Mac OS, Windows & Linux]

Writing down every nuance of a guitarist’s performance is a challenge that can tax even the best notation software. Is Arobas’s Guitar Pro 6 the answer?

Audio-Technica AT4080 & AT4081

Ribbon Microphones

A-T’s brand-new transducer technology has produced a robust design intended to deliver high signal levels as well as that prized ribbon character...

BIAS PitchCraft EZ

Pitch-correction Plug-in [Mac & PC]

BIAS’s latest plug-in promises a quick and easy path to a modern vocal sound.

Big Fish Audio Hip Hop Exotica 2

Sample Library

3.5*

Big Fish Audio Symphonic Manoeuvres 2

Multi-format

Charter Oak SCL1

Compressor-Limiter

Charter Oak are not yet as well known for their outboard gear as they are for their mics, but this unusual compressor could change all that...

Clavia Nord Piano 88

Stage Piano

Clavia have directed all their keyboard-making know-how into a single, lightweight stage piano — so it ought to be good...

Korg Monotron

Analogue Synthesizer

It’s their first analogue synth in 25 years, but is Korg’s Monotron a toy or a tool?

Magix Vandal

Guitar Amp & Effects Simulator [Mac & PC]

There’s no shortage of software guitar-amp simulators around, but Magix claim that their new Vandal has what it takes to stand out from the crowd.

Native Instruments Maschine 1.5

Groove Workstation

NI have updated Maschine — so is it now all we thought it could be?

Roland Gaia SH01

Analogue Modelling Synthesizer

If you don’t like programming synths via obscure two-line displays and arcane menu systems, the Roland Gaia SH01 could be just what you’re looking for...

Sonivox Eighty Eight

Virtual Piano Instrument

Sontronics Matrix 10

Heavy-duty Mic Stand

A good mic stand isn’t the most glamorous addition to a studio, but it’s certainly a worthwhile investment.

Steven Slate Trigger

Drum Replacement Software [Mac & PC]

Steven Slate’s drum samples are already a staple of rock and pop production. Their latest product makes it easy to use these to augment or replace live drum parts.

Tascam DR08

24-bit 96kHz Digital Recorder

Tascam have made their smallest, lightest and most straightforward pocket recorder so far.

Tonehammer Tuned Percussion

Sample Library

5*

Universal Audio 2192 Master

Digital Audio Interface

The 2192 takes an array of versatile digital interfacing, conversion and clocking features, and adds a hint of unexpectedly analogue character...

XILS Lab XILS 3

Software Synthesizer

XILS Lab’s XILS 3 is a recreation of the EMS VCS3, but there’s more to it than that — much, much more.

Devo | Mark Mothersbaugh

Four Decades Of De-evolution

Pioneers of everything from circuit-bending to multimedia art, Devo have always belonged to the future.

MGMT

Andrew VanWyngarden & Ben Goldwasser: Recording Congratulations

MGMT could have followed up their smash hit debut album with more of the same. Instead, they headed straight into left field, with help from a legend of British psychedelia.

Playback

Readers’ Music Reviewed

More readers' tracks get the Juke Box Jury treatment from the SOS crew.

Sounding Off

Paul Nagle

You can’t bend a virtual circuit...

Vintage Is A State Of Mind

Leader

Why are vintage-sounding mixes desirable?

Crosby, Stills & Nash ‘Suite: Judy Blue Eyes’ | Classic Tracks

Producers: David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash • Engineer: Bill Halverson

As the ’60s drew to a close, David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash came together to form a new group, the unique sound of which was perfectly demonstrated by their first recording, ‘Suite: Judy Blue Eyes’.

Engineer's Guide To Tuning and Damping Drums

Getting The Drum Sound You Want At Source

It’s heartbreaking when an otherwise great recording is ruined by a poorly set up drum kit. These days, the sound engineer needs to know as much as the drummer about getting this instrument ready for a session...

Live Side-chain Compression

Ableton Live Notes & Techniques

We explore some side-chaining techniques using Live 8’s Compressor.

Logic Import: Recycle & Re-use

Logic Notes & Techniques

We show you how to easily re-use elements of older projects with Logic’s powerful import capabilities.

Logical Editor

Steinberg Cubase Tips & Techniques

Administration is a bore, but Cubase 5's Project Logical Editor can take the hard work out of keeping your projects tidy.

Mac Mini Makeover

Apple Notes

Not only has the iPhone, star of the pocket-sized world, reached its fourth generation, but its desktop counterpart, the Mac Mini, has also had a makeover.

Mix Rescue: Phre The Eon

Mixing & Recording Advice

Sometimes, simply taking the time to identify and address a couple of main obstacles before you get busy with the effects can be enough to unleash a mix's potential...

Mix Rescue: Phre The Eon | Media

Mixing & Recording Advice

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

Plug-in Hygiene

Digidesign (Avid) Pro Tools Tips & Techniques

Keeping your Pro Tools plug-ins up to date is vital if you want to maintain a reliable system — and now there's a helpful utility that will do it for you.

Plug-in Modelling

Emulating Hardware In Software

Have you ever wondered exactly what goes on when classic hardware is recreated in plug-in form? Here’s the full story from some of the industry’s biggest names.

Reaper Notes: Multi-Band | Files

SOS August 2010: Split & Polish

Here are effects chain files for some of the multi-band processing setups described in our SOS August 2010 Reaper workshop.

Reaper: Creating Multi-Band Processors

Reaper Notes & Techniques

Our very first Reaper workshop explains how to use band-splitting to create your own multi-band processors.

Reason 5 Rundown

Reason Notes & Techniques

The SOS spotlight falls on the new toys offered by Reason 5 and Record 1.5.

Sampling Patches | How To Create Scripts In NI Kontakt, Part 2

Primer

Building on last month’s introduction to the basics of scripting in Native Instruments’ Kontakt soft sampler, we explain how to make your scripted functions adjustable via a simple user interface.

Secrets Of The Mix Engineers: Jaycen Joshua

Inside Track: Justin Bieber (feat. Ludacris) 'Baby'

In his second career in the music business, Jaycen Joshua has become one of the USA’s top mix engineers. With child star Justin Bieber, the brief was to bring urban grit to pop production.

Sonar: Stepping Out

Sonar Notes & Techniques

Step sequencers are known for their mechanical sound. But do they have to be so rigid? Not in Sonar 8.5...

Studio SOS: Judy Abraham

Solving real-world home studio problems

The SOS team tackle an assortment of problems, from computer error messages to boxy-sounding vocals.

SuperSpeed USB 3.0

PC Notes

The need for speed continues with the release of Intel’s new optical cable technology, hot on the heels of Superspeed USB 3...

Notes From The Deadline

TV Music From The Inside

The musical challenges involved in composing for TV can be intimidating enough, but it’s the legal documents that are truly scary.

5 Best Buys

The Gear To Get You Filming Fast

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

GoPro HD Hero

Extreme Sports Video Camera

GoPro’s HD Hero promises high-definition footage in the most inhospitable of conditions, so how does it hold up to punishment, and is it right for other video capture tasks too?

Video Compression

Why It Matters & How To Make The Most Of It

For most of us, compression is a necessity when capturing and editing video footage, but the range of ‘codecs’ can be bewildering. Find out what you need to know with our in-depth guide.

Q. How can I improve acoustics in a long, thin room?

Q. How can I prevent feedback?

Q. How do the different amp classes work?

Q. Is there an easy way to match the gain of different channels?

Q. Is working with digital recordings harder than working with analogue ones?