SOUND ON SOUND
Every studio musician knows at least enough about analogue connections to get a standard recording system up and running. When it comes to digital, though, we're often in the dark about what will work with what. Hugh Robjohns raises the digital standards.
Astonished by the speed of software development, Martin Russ wonders where it's all leading... MOTU Digital Performer.
Derek Johnson brings you more news from the platform that wouldn't die... the ST.
Most budding engineers will, at some time, have to tackle a performer who wants to sing and play the guitar at the same time. Mic type and placement can make a big difference to the quality of the result obtained, as Hugh Robjohns explains..
One of the PC's plus points is its adaptability to a variety of tasks depending on the extra hardware installed in it — and the soundcard used can make or break it as a musical tool. In this two-part series, Brian Heywood takes a look at the various types of soundcard available.
Multi-port MIDI interface and patchbays can seem an expensive indulgence for the average studio. But, as Martin Russ explains in the concluding part of this two-part feature, they can really help you to get the best use from the MIDI gear you already own.
Janet Harniman-Cook quite literally takes the lid off the PC, and explains why she thinks it's the best bet for the future of music.
Paul White gives some foolproof step-by-step ideas for creating contemporary and vintage guitar sounds in the studio.
Ofir Gal and Derek Johnson round up more Atari software and hardware news, and discover a new online Atari magazine.
Paul White looks at the components of a PC-based desktop music system, and suggests some helpful ways of using such setups in conjunction with more 'traditional' studio equipment.
Martin Russ gets to grips with Quick Time 2.5, explains how Weird Blinking Lights work, and gives his regular roundup of Mac news and useful 'net addresses.
When your PC soundcard ceases to function, the newly connected external controller very often gets the blame — wrongly. Brian Heywood identifies some possible alternative causes.
The PC-owning community now seems to be split into two camps — those who already record onto hard disk, and those who would like to, but have not yet worked out what equipment they really need. Martin Walker guides you past the pitfalls and perils.
The flexibility of digital multitrack and hard disk recording is undeniable. But what if you yearn for the sound of your old analogue machine? Craig Anderton explains a trick which uses the playback head of a three-head analogue deck to give you the best of both worlds.
Martin Russ investigates OMS and FreeMIDI compatibility, explains how you can protect yourself from copy protection, and rounds up more Mac news and useful 'net addresses...
Getting the best performance from a digital tape recorder such as the DA88 depends largely on conscientious maintenance and cleaning. Tascam's chief service manager, Joe Fialho, tells Paul White what can safely be done by the user — and when it's necessary to call in the professionals.
When Martin Walker decided it was time to buy a removable SCSI hard drive for his sampler, he fondly imagined that it would be a centralised storage solution for both samples and MIDI data from his PC, streamlining song organisation and making sample management easier. Enter reality...
Cubase Audio for the Falcon gets an upgrade, there's a new shareware editor for Sound Canvas users just out, and controversy rages on the net about the place of the Atari ST. Ofir Gal presides.
Martin Russ's Studio 5LX has changed the way he runs his studio. In the first of this two-part series, he explains how to set up a multi-port MIDI interface, and reveals some of the ways in which these useful devices can simplify your life.
Does looping drive you loopy? If you have a hard disk recording system, and currently spend hours hunched over your sampler trying to find perfect loop points, this article could be for you. Simon James supplies the foolproof method...