SOUND ON SOUND
Hugh Robjohns has been Sound On Sound's Technical Editor since 1997. Prior to that he worked in a variety of (mostly) sound-related roles in BBC Television, ending up as a Sound Operations Lecturer at the BBC's technical training centre.
He continues to provide audio consultancy and bespoke broadcast audio training services all over the world, lectures at professional and public conventions, and occasionally records and masters acoustic and classical music too!
Specialist high-end equipment manufacturer Millennia Media have produced an innovative dual-channel parametric equaliser with a difference — user-selectable valve or solid-state circuit topologies. Hugh Robjohns investigates.
The first of Roland's eagerly awaited digital mixers, the VM3100 is an obvious spin-off from the mixer section of Roland's VS1680 digital multitracker. But it still packs a lot of functionality into a tiny space — and the basic version is the cheapest digital mixer yet!
Sampled drums may be quicker and cheaper than the real thing, but there is something special about a real drummer hitting real drums. Hugh Robjohns passes on a few ideas and tips on capturing the best possible kit sound.
The Circle 3 nearfield monitors are the latest fruits of the collaboration between HHB and Harbeth. Hugh Robjohns tries them out.
Artificial reverb algorithms are designed to add 'fake' room ambience to recorded sounds — but a prototype reverb unit from Sony purports to deliver new levels of realism by imposing the characteristics of actual reverberant spaces on the sound. Hugh Robjohns explains....
Hugh Robjohns meets a double-act of new Beyer microphones.
The craft of mixing is all about controlling and balancing the relative levels of different instruments. Most of this balancing is done by riding the faders, but dynamic compression can also be a very useful and powerful tool if used appropriately. Hugh Robjohns explains some of the techniques and traps involved in mix compression.
A new studio microphone from Shure is always well worth investigating. Hugh Robjohns checks out the KSM32 cardioid mic.
HHB's new CD-R appears to offer all the features we've always wanted in an affordable standalone CD recorder. Hugh Robjohns finds out if it delivers.
The piano comes in a variety of forms and is used in many different roles as part of ensembles and as a solo instrument. Many engineers regard the piano as the hardest instrument to record. Hugh Robjohns offers some practical hints and tips for getting the right sound.