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November 2016 Magazine Contents

SOS (US Edition) November 2016

Reviews: Slate Digital Virtual Microphone System, Spitfire Audio Hans Zimmer Piano, Soundbrenner Pulse, JBL Eon One, Tascam DR-680 MkII, Dynaudio LYD 5 & 8, Orchestral Tools Solo Strings.

Technique: Session Notes, Studio SOS.

Features: Dan Smith & Mark Crew: Producing Bastille’s Wild World, Choosing A Compact PA System, Inside Track: David Reitzas, Agnes Obel: Producing Citizen Of Glass.

Reviews

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    4ms Dual Looping Delay

    Eurorack Delay Module

    The unambiguously named Dual Looping Delay from 4ms consists of two time-sync’ed delays in a single 20HP module...

    Reviews
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    ADDAC Marble Physics

    Eurorack CV Control Module

    It’s always fun to discover modules with a different slant on things. The ADDAC503, or Marble Physics, is a CV source that models the behaviour of a marble on a square tray...

    Reviews
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    Audified STA Effects

    Formats: Mac OS & Windows VST & AAX; Mac AU

    A bundle of the most common studio effects, specifically delay, phasing, flanging, chorus, enhancement and a preamp emulation...

    Reviews
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    Audio-Technica IEM Series

    In-ear Monitors

    Whether you’re on a budget or have cash to splash, Audio-Technica’s new range of IEMs has something for you.

    Reviews
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    Blue Lola

    Headphones

    BLUE are well known in the studio microphone field but they’re now also making significant inroads into the headphone market...

    Reviews
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    Boom Library Cinematic Horror

    Format: WAV

    It’s becoming unusual to find a sample library these days that is presented simply as a collection of high quality 96kHz/24-bit WAV files...

    Reviews
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    Cinesamples Rio Grooves

    Kontakt Instrument

    It’s the feel and syncopation of the performers that make this collection of Brazilian percussion grooves what it is.

    Reviews
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    DACS Clarity MicAmp2

    Dual-channel Microphone Preamplifier

    Given the continually evolving and demanding pressures of the pro-audio industry, any product which remains available and largely unchanged for more than a decade must have arrived at a near-perfect combination of technical excellence, operational usability, reliability, and price.

    Reviews
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    Dynaudio Lyd 5 & 8

    Active Nearfield Monitors

    Dynaudio’s rich pedigree in speaker design makes itself heard in these stylish new designs!

    Reviews
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    Electro-Harmonix 22500

    Stereo Looper

    Despite keeping things simple, EHX’s latest looper boasts some useful features that others lack.

    Reviews
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    IK Multimedia iLoud Micro

    Compact Monitors

    In spite of their diminutive size, these monitors turn in a seriously impressive performance.

    Reviews
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    J Rockett Archer & Archer Ikon

    Guitar Effects Pedals

    These overdrive pedals are both inspired by the now out-of-production and highly desirable Klon Centaur, used by David Gilmour and other luminaries.

    Reviews
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    JBL Eon One

    Compact Line Array

    JBL’s Eon speakers have been a mainstay of portable PA for years — and now they’re joined by this smart new active column system.

    Reviews
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    M-Audio M-Track 2X2M & 2X2

    USB Audio Interfaces

    M-Audio’s latest interfaces offer a lot of bang for relatively little buck and utilise the up-and-coming USB Type-C connector.

    Reviews
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    Mercuriall U530

    Formats: Mac OS & Windows VST & AAX; Mac AU

    This Russian guitar-amp modelling plug-in is a souped-up recreation of the Engl E530 rackmounting studio preamp...

    Reviews
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    Orchestral Tools Solo Strings

    Sample Library

    Orchestral Tools expand their series with a quartet of solo strings and a pair of intimately-recorded soloists.

    Reviews
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    Origin Effects Cali76 Compact & Compact Deluxe

    Compressor Pedals

    The Cali76 puts the sound and feel of a Urei 1176 into a guitar pedal, providing epic compression and sustain with studio-like transparency and low noise.

    Reviews
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    Overstayer MAS 8101

    Stereo Analogue Distortion Processor

    In a market that seems, er, saturated with dedicated distortion processors, what sets Overstayer’s latest device apart from the rest?

    Reviews
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    Qu-Bit Wave

    Eurorack Sample Player Module

    Qu-Bit’s Wave is presumably named after the Wave (wav) format samples it plays — up to four of them at once. A 4GB MicroSD card is included, ready-populated with drum hits, vocals, synths and sound effects, easily enough to get you going...

    Reviews
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    Slate Digital Virtual Microphone System

    Microphone, Preamp & Modelling Software

    Can this unique combination of software and hardware really recreate the sound of some of the most revered microphones in the world? We put the VMS up against the originals to find out!

    Reviews
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    Slate Digital VMS: Classic Mic Shoot-Out

    Video Feature

    Rather than just trying it out on a few sessions, the team at SOS decided that this review would be a great excuse to pitch the VMS against some of the actual microphones that it claims to model.

    Reviews
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    Sly-Fi Kaya

    Formats: Mac OS & Windows VST & AAX; Mac AU

    This plug-in is based on engineer/producer S Husky Höskulds' Ampex reel-to-reel tape recorder, which he had modified to act as a distortion processor.

    Reviews
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    Sonuscore Trinity Drums

    Kontakt Instrument

    This library is built around 100 rhythmic ‘themes’ where each theme is, essentially, a set of audio loops that form something akin to a ‘cinematic drum cue construction kit’.

    Reviews
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    Soundbrenner Pulse

    Multi-sensory Metronome & App Suite

    The world’s first wearable metronome for musicians offers an armoury of tempo-related features to help improve your timing and really get your groove on.

    Reviews
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    Spitfire Audio Hans Zimmer Piano

    Sample Library

    Spitfire Audio delve deep into a legendary film composer’s favourite piano.

    Reviews
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    Tascam DR-680 MkII

    Multitrack Location Recorder

    For those wanting to record and mix multiple sound sources on location, could the DR-680 MkII be the best tool for the job?

    Reviews
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    UVI Attack EP88

    Rhodes Mark I Virtual Instrument

    Attack EP88 is an elaborate, 47,000-sample presentation of a vintage 88-key Rhodes Mark I prepared with a brass tack on the surface of each hammer, guaranteeing a Rhodes attack like no other.

    Reviews
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    UVI PX Apollo

    Software Synthesizer

    UVI are offering a very reasonably priced emulation of a classic Moog — but which classic Moog is it?

    Reviews
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    Waves Scheps Parallel Particles

    Formats: Mac OS & Windows VST & AAX; Mac AU

    Developed in collaboration with top mixing engineer Andrew Scheps, Waves' Scheps Parallel Particles plug-in is probably the closest you’ll get to a ‘more of everything’ processor.

    Reviews
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    Zynaptiq Adaptiverb

    Resynthesizing Reverb Plug-in

    We’ve come to expect the unexpected from Zynaptiq, and their new reverb delivers just that!

    Reviews

Techniques

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    Ableton Live: Distortion

    Live Notes & Techniques

    Things get messy as we explore Live’s numerous distortion effects...

    Techniques
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    Choosing A Compact PA System

    Sound Decisions

    It’s now the norm for musicians to provide their own sound reinforcement for small gigs — but what kind of system would suit you best?

    Techniques
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    Cubase's 'Character' Compressors

    Cubase Tips & Techniques

    Can you do ‘character’ compression with Cubase’s stock plug-ins? Let's find out...

    Techniques
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    Inside Track: Barbra Streisand 'At The Ballet'

    Secrets Of The Mix Engineers: David Reitzas

    The making of Barbra Streisand’s latest hit album, Encore, offers a window into the unique philosophy of hit-making producer and engineer David Reitzas.

    Techniques
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    Logic Pro X: Six More Tips & Tricks

    Logic Tips & Techniques

    Flex your Logic Pro X muscles with half a dozen more tips and tricks.

    Techniques
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    Media Content - November 2016

    Audio files to accompany the articles

    A list of all articles that hold the associated media files for November 2016 audio examples. You will find the ZIP file(...

    Techniques
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    Mix Rescue: Michael Robshaw

    Our Experts Transform Your Tracks

    Our engineer transforms a bedroom-recorded rock song into release-ready territory.

    Techniques
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    Pro Tools: Peak Practice

    Pro Tools Tips & Techniques

    The loudness wars might be over, but peak levels in Pro Tools are still important.

    Techniques
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    Reason: Ableton Link

    Reason Tips & Techniques

    We show you how to get the most from Ableton’s Link technology in Reason.

    Techniques
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    Session Notes: Winchester College Quiristers

    Three Wings: The Challenges Of Recording Plainsong

    Recording the Winchester College Quiristers with a view to bringing their plainsong performances to a wider audience presented a unique challenge!

    Techniques
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    Speed Up Your Sonar Workflow

    Sonar Tips & Techniques

    Sonar has several time-saving features that might make the difference between catching an inspiration or losing it.

    Techniques
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    Studio One & Notion Integration

    Studio One Tips & Techniques

    Studio One has no notation features of its own, but it now forms a perfect pair with PreSonus’s dedicated Notion application.

    Techniques
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    Studio SOS: Eddie Bazil

    Taming Room Acoustics

    When misfortune befell one of our contributors, we sent the SOS team to help him get his studio back up and running.

    Techniques

Sound Advice

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    Q. Do mics benefit from ‘breaking in’?

    I recently acquired a Blue Rocket Stage 2 with cardioid B8 capsule, and although I really like the sound it seems a bit ‘stiff’ — in the same way that a speaker can sound ‘stiff’ until it’s been ‘burned in’. Do mic capsules ‘relax’ over time or will that stiffness persist?

    Sound Advice
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    Q. How can I learn to finish my projects?

    A few years ago I decided to concentrate on producing my own music. I’ve since spent thousands of hours going through...

    Sound Advice
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    Q. How do I pinpoint nasty resonances?

    How can you tell that a particular recorded vocal or bass track includes resonances? I’d like to know how to identify where the resonances are visually.

    Sound Advice

People

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    Agnes Obel

    Producing Citizen Of Glass

    The challenge of creating a glass-themed sound world for her third album led Agnes Obel to explore some little-used instruments and techniques.

    People
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    Bastille

    Dan Smith & Mark Crew: Producing Wild World

    Like their debut, Bastille’s Wild World was recorded in a South London basement — but this time around, the band were global superstars.

    People
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    Paul White

    Cost Vs Value

    Leader

    While home recording has become much less costly in recent years, there are still some expensive items on most people’s wish lists. So how do you work out what to splash out on when budget is an issue?

    People
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    Sounding Off: Cinema's Lazy FX

    Michael Greenhalgh

    Private Wilhelm: screaming through cinema’s lazy history of sound effects.

    People
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    The Mix Review

    Commercial Productions Analysed

    Kungs Versus Cookin’ On 3 Burners • Major Lazer feat. Justin Bieber • Blossoms • Beyoncé • Classic Mix: The Sex Pistols ‘God Save The Queen’

    People

Music Business

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    Atlantico Blue, Lisbon

    Studio File

    After almost two years of construction, overseen by architect Marcelo Tavares, the studio opened in early 2012 in a purpose-built facility, conceived as a multicultural space where people from all over the world can feel inspired.

    Music Business
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    Notes From The Deadline

    TV Music From The Inside

    Despite great progress elsewhere in the TV business, music for the media is still overwhelmingly dominated by men. Why?

    Music Business
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    Dan Daley

    Off The Record: Studio Attractions

    Music & Recording Industry News

    The rise of the studio as a tourist attraction might seem a little crass — but if it helps to pay the bills...

    Music Business
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