SOUND ON SOUND
The success of soul legend Solomon Burke's comeback album is a testament to the virtues of keeping things simple in the studio.
Glen Ballard was already a first-call songwriter and producer in LA — and that was before a young, unknown singer called Alanis Morissette walked into his studio...
How can I create the fat bass sound I hear on commercial productions? What are the differences between S/PDIF and AES-EBU? Are there any problems powering UK electrical equipment with Vancouver voltages? Can you recommend some omni mics for chamber recording? How can I build a suitable enclosure to reduce the noise of my computer? Is it possible to create a fake stereo track from a mono source? How can I make my MIDI controller's knobs work? How can I mix a track on a multitimbral synth?
Although we don't usually cover commercial studios in Readerzone, Andy Cross's small Zoo Audio studio has found its way here because it is one of the few studios in the country to contain an Esmono recording booth.
This month SOS helps Alan Pittaway improve his drum kit recordings, and also helps him get his two Roland multitrackers working together.
**** Score = 4/5 stars. These 350 rhythmic stereo loops, at tempos between 40 and 180bpm, are designed to be layered behind your own drum programming to add greater depth and ambient interest.
Korg give their creative real-time effects processor a face-lift, adding new algorithms, extra sampling power, and tempo-matching facilities.
* Score = 1/5. Format: Audio. Over three hours of warm and punchy drumming well suited for modern pop, electronica or hip-hop...
*** 3/5 stars. This CD-ROM contains just over 1800 live drum loops, fills and hits for use with any sampler or MIDI + Audio sequencer that accepts WAV files.
***** 5/5 stars. Copious use of live performances and real percussion in these loops give them much more groove than you'd associate with a dance market library...