SOUND ON SOUND
Competition for the accolade of best software sampler is fierce, despite some contenders having fallen away in recent years. Has MOTU's MachFive 3 got what it takes to come out on top?
Tobias Lindell set himself the difficult task of recreating the sound of his own high-end compressor in a much more affordable box. Did he succeed?
It's not often that I take a look at drum microphone kits, so I was interested to have the opportunity to try out this LD Systems set from Adam Hall.
The clever chaps at Kiwi Technics have rebuilt a lesser-known Roland classic from the inside out.
HK have turbo-charged their compact line-array system with new dual-driver subs and double-height tops. Have the improvements been worthwhile?
I've always been impressed by the performance of Fostex's PM-series monitors, especially given their entry-level pricing, but the majority of the ones I've looked at have been two-way systems.
Focusrite started out as a high-end audio company building no-compromise mic preamps for the likes of Sir George Martin's Air Studios
EB Acoustics is probably not a name that many in the music-technology world will be familiar with.
The latest series of consoles in Dynacord's CMS (Compact Mixing System) family is the CMS3 range, which consists of three models
Behringer's Ultragain ADA 8000 — a simple ADAT interface with mic and line inputs and analogue line outputs
Mira is the first incursion into the iPad app world from Cycling '74, makers of the popular Max graphical software toolkit for audio and media applications on Mac and PC. iTrigger is a grid-oriented MIDI controller app from POJ Studios.
Even Neve themselves make several variations on the classic 1073 theme. What makes this one different?
To create this sample library, Drumdrops went into The Pool studio in London and recorded Ben Hillier's eight-piece 1963...
When you're working with bass drums, it pays to use a mic dedicated to the task. Here's our selection of current models, with links to the SOS review where available.
Always moving with the times, Steinberg's Wavelab now includes comprehensive loudness metering, along with new plug-ins and an improved interface.
Three grand pianos jostle for supremacy in VI Labs' deep-sampled, secrecy-shrouded True Keys Pianos package.
A collection of over 1800 interface noises for sound designers.
The uniquely complex, spacious swirl of a real, mechanical Leslie rotary-speaker cabinet sound in a pedal!
The Roland Studio Capture offers a very generous amount of analogue I/O and an unusually high level of digital control.
The celebrated SID chip enjoys a virtual outing, courtesy of Precious Sound's lovingly sampled software instrument.