http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/may12/articles/cme-z-keys-61.htm

There was a thread around a little while back where some people were expressing the opinion that SOS doesn't make bad reviews, and (to my reading) suggested it was just in the business to make the advertisers happy, accuracy and full disclosure/completeness notwithstanding. Some examples were given to the contrary, but those were discounted for reasons I didn't quite understand by those making the comments.

I was one of the ones who posted an opposite point of view - I felt confident that if a product had significant negative characteristics, SOS's review would indicate that. Along the same lines, I thought I'd post a link to a review from the SOS released today that I just happened to come across. It's as far from a fanboy review as I could imagine, short of describing the product as an attractive, though less than ideally portable, paperweight. Certain to make the advertiser happy - certainly not! But it does help to show that SOS is not shy about pulling punches when the product quality warrants them.

Hmm ... I suppose posting this very thread makes me look like an SOS fanboy! I'm not (just ask Jennifer, and +/- the Cubase reviewer!), but I do value it highly, and don't like to see it unjustifiably maligned, at least as I see it.

Thanks -

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Alexis -Cubase 6.5.0/SX3.1.1.944, XP SP2, 4GB RAM (1GB not accessible, but used just to balance the computer so it doesn't tip over); Delta 66 in Omni i/O Studio; Motif8; UAD-1

Agreed. Hugh Robjohns recent 'sounding off' wasn't exactly sycophantic either! I for one believe the SOS reviewers are more concerned with being balanced and honest than worried about upsetting advertisers who's products fail to measure up to their claims. Its an honest mag.

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Strictly project and just for fun

Thanks Guys -- yes, we do pride ourselves on being fair and balanced, while telling it as it is, warts and all.

We are all musicians of one sort or another, and basically we write the magazine that we all want to read and rely upon -- we all base our own purchasing decisions on the reviews of our colleagues too!

We do upset our advertisers quite regularly with negative opinions and observations in reviews, but if they complain we only have to say, "If we found these failings in your competitor's product, would you want us to mention them or not?"... and they usually get the point and go away to design better products.

hugh

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Technical Editor, Sound On Sound

I was thinking about that thread yesterday having read this review

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/apr09/articles/alesismastercontrol.htm

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