Archive for 'Product Review'

Looking to make the jump from headphones to real deal studio monitors? You really can’t go wrong with the affordable Rokit series from KRK Systems. These guys make speakers for the pros and there’s a reason. Flat, accurate, and reliable sound in your studio.

Speakers Are All They Do

What I love about KRK is that building studio monitors (and more recently, headphones) is all they do. They do one thing and do it well. Today I review their super accessible Rokit 5 RPG2 model. This 5 inch speaker is a perfect studio monitor for the typical home/project studio user and I give it a big thumbs up.

Recording drums well is hard. Recording drums well at a live performance is even harder. With more bleed, less separation, and usually less time to get the sound you want, sometimes your drum tracks don’t turn out quite the way you hoped. Using something like Trigger, a drum sample replacing plugin from Steven Slate’s company Slate Digital, can go a long way to getting the punchy and polished tracks you’re after.

I don’t like to push gear if I don’t think it’s a helpful suggestion. Heck, I don’t even believe that gear is the solution to your recording or mixing woes. But gear is what we use to capture and mix audio and some if is necessary. The trick is to navigate the sea of advertising and find the best bang for your buck.

You likely have heard of the Shure SM-57 microphone (if you don’t already own one). It’s a super affordable ($99 new), super popular dynmaic mic. Today I want to give you three great reasons why (after purchasing your $100 condensor) every home/project studio should own at least one of these mics. Two seem typical and one might surprise you.

1. Great On Guitar Amps

The most popular use for the SM57 tends to be to record guitar amps/cabinets. As a dynamic mic it can take the loud SPLs of the amp without overloading. Plus as a very midrange focused mic it really brings out some of the best characteristics of the electric guitar.

On almost any amp the 57 right up on the grill seems to do wonders. If it’s too bass heavy, back it off an inch or two. If it’s two bright, slide it over away from the center of the cone or angle it 45 degrees to the grill. It’s almost impossible to not get a great guitar tone with this mic.
Read More →

Want to add top notch mics to your studio for a modest price? You can’t do much better than any of the microphones from Canadian company, Kel Audio. I’m already a fan of Kel Audio microphones and have reviewed a couple of them here. I recently got my hands on the sleek HM-3C and flagship vocal mic, HM-7U.

Kel has stripped away features to give you the absolute best mic for the money, with all 5 mics in the line priced under $400. Below is my video review of both mics including raw sound samples for your listening pleasure. For specs and current prices check out Kel’s website.

The challenges of mixing in a home or project studio are many. From acoustic issues, to lack of speaker variety, to noisy roommates, we can find ourselves buried in headphones and turning out unbalanced mixes. The VRM Box from Focusrite is supposed to fix all of that.

The Answer To All Your Problems?

Since Focusrite is a company that makes great gear for pros and home users alike, I trust what they make. Plus this device has looked so unique as it tries to solve a specific part of the mixing equation. So I had to pick it up and use it. But is it a magic box that can instantly make you a better mixer? Below is my complete video review, including my final verdict of whether this is something you need.

Avid’s recent release of Pro Tools 10  has caused quite a sir in the recording world. Whether it’s because it dropped a mere 11 months after the launch of Pro Tools 9 or because it costs more than previous upgrades, a lot of people have been hesitant to make the jump to version 10.

I completely understand, and was curious to see how it stacked up in reality. So today’s video will cover a couple of cool new features as well as my final opinion on whether or not it’s right for you. Remember, no one is forcing you to upgrade. I’m just here to help you make an informed decision.

Unlock the power of Pro Tools with my REthink Pro Tools video series. Now updated for Pro Tools 10 www.REthinkProTools.com

As a long time Pro Tools user, I’ve never had the opportunity to wander outside the audio interface realm of Avid. Now, thanks to Pro Tools 9, I was able to make some changes in my personal studio and go with some 3rd party hardware. To me the choice was clear, the Focusrite Liquid Saffire 56.

After using it on the last few projects in my studio I wanted to give you guys a full video review including some audio samples. Really quick, here are some highlights:

Pros

• Great sounding pres and converters.
• Flexible sounds with liquid pres.
• More control on built in pres than typical interfaces.
• Expandability for a huge studio.

Cons

• A little pricer than some other units in this I/O range.
• 2 U rack space can be a bummer if there’s not enough room in your rack.

When shopping for a pair of studio monitors, you look for speakers that are detailed, clear, and flat. The new incarnation of Truth monitors from Behringer are just that. Whether you’ve used Behringer speakers in the past and are curious as to how the new versions stack up, or are simply in the market for a pair of good monitors, do yourself a favor and watch my review below.

Better Sound, Sleeker Look

Behringer is really stepping up their game with these speakers and I have already gotten great results mixing a recent album on them. Are they right for you? Here is my quick glimpse of pros and cons and then watch the video for the full report.

Pros

• Balanced and flat sound. No over hyped high end or low end.
• Flexible connectivity. Balanced XLR, TRS as well as unbalanced TS and RCA connections.
• Customizable sound based on placement of speakers in your room.
• Sleek new look. Love the yellow cones!
• Priced right. Hard to beat $300 a pair for this size speaker.

Cons

• Bigger/heavier than other speakers in this category.
• Yellow might just not go well with your decor!

Last week I spent some time on the show floor of InfoComm 2011 in Orlando. Specifically I got to check out some new products at the Behringer, Avid, and PreSonus booths and see what was happening in the audio world.

New Products, New Concepts

Behringer was promoting their new personal monitoring system, the Powerplay at their booth and it is awesome. It’s a super elegant and affordable way for bands to create their own custom monitor mixes for the stage or studio. Avid was showing off the new line of Mbox audio interfaces running on Pro Tools 9. And the guys at PreSonus were schooling me on some live integration of Studio One with their awesome line of live mixers, the StudioLive.

I want to personally thank John Dinicola (Behringer), Michael Pearson-Adams (Avid), Rick Naqvi (PreSonus) and Jonathan Hillman (PreSonus) for taking time out of their busy days to chat with me and show me around. I had a blast. Check out the video and see for yourself!

Right off the bat, I want you to know that I’m a big fan of PreSonus. They are a cool company that makes quality, affordable, and much needed products for the studio owner. In recent years they have created a much needed solution, the digital mixer with audio interface built in. Enter the StudioLive!

An All In One Stage To Studio Solution

I’ve been using the StudioLive for almost two years now week in and week out to run live sound, monitors, and record full bands. It sounds great, takes up almost no space, and is easy to use. Check out the video below for my full review, but first here are my brief thoughts:

The Good Stuff

• Excellent mic pres and converters, giving you great sound quality live and to “tape.”
• Easy to use “hands on” interface. No fumbling through silly menus on tiny screens.
• Tons of built in effects. EQ, compression, gates, limiters, on every channel!
• Great all in one Front Of House and Monitor World solution.
• Instant audio interface connects to any mac or PC with one single firewire cable.
• Ships with Studio One Artist, a full featured DAW.
• Total recall of all settings.

The Not So Good Stuff

• Only 16 channels. Granted there is a bigger brother with 24 channels, but in the price range some competitors have more channels.
• Faders aren’t automated. Not too much of a biggie since you can still recall their location.