Audio Accessories
When considering a new gear purchase, it’s easy to get caught up in extravagant equipment and overlook things that would ease the pain of daily audio life. There are routine processes that can be simplified, common problems that can be more quickly solved, and significant sonic improvements that can be made if you have the right tools. I’d like to share six audio tools that can easily become irreplaceable pieces in your arsenal. Manufacturers such as Audioengine, dbx, Galaxy Audio, Little Labs, Phonic, Pyle Pro, Radial, Sonarworks, and Waves
Answering the call for simple, dependable, and effective wireless solutions, RØDE’s RØDELink Performer Kit is designed for use in classes, presentations, parties, and live shows. Perhaps you’re a long-time sound engineer looking for an uncomplicated solution or maybe you know more about public speaking than running audio equipment. Either way, this kit will deliver stress-free setup and operation right out of the box.
The package
In Part 1 of this three-part series, Justin Colletti, of Sonic Scoop, and Bob Mallory (producer and engineer for Avatar Studios and Paste magazine), introduce you to the materials and construction methods needed to make your own acoustic panels for a home studio. From framing to covering, they discuss the ins and outs of assembling the panels, and the common problems that can be addressed by using them.
Listen to A/B comparisons of acoustic guitar and voice-over in the original untreated room, versus the room with the home-built acoustic
Pioneer DJ has been on the forefront of DJ technology for more than 20 years. Pioneer’s equipment can be found on most professional artist’s technical riders, making them an industry standard with professional quality sound, cutting-edge effects, and a highly durable design. The DJM-750MK2 draws its technology and design elements from the highly respected DJM-900NXS2. The mixer features four channels with an integrated USB sound
iZotope is a company known for its powerful audio software. If you mix audio, master songs, or clean up dialogue for films and television, you’re probably familiar with the algorithms of Ozone, RX, or Neutron. Now, however, iZotope is releasing a new piece of hardware—and we at B&H are proud to stock it.
Called the Spire Studio, it might look like your standard digital assistant. But instead of answering to “Alexa,” the
There are so many items deemed a necessity in setting up and operating a studio. From high-quality audio interfaces to dynamic and time-based signal processing, your studio is an ever-evolving eco-system. The patchbay is a ubiquitous piece of hardware that many project studio owners don’t think they need, but then discover how incredibly helpful it can be. The carefully designed implementation of a patchbay can save you time and frustration when adding gear or changing the signal flow of your equipment. If you’ve ever had to crawl around the
For years, TC Electronic has been widely known for its hardware digital effects processors, from the TC2290 delay to the studio classic M3000 reverb to the high-end System 6000. The common bond throughout TC Electronic’s line of processors is their consistent quality and versatility. When it comes to hardware effects, people are accustomed to giving up quite a bit of physical space to accommodate enough devices for a usable variety of complex processors. However, free space and time for many devices are not always available. Enter the
As recording technology has become more accessible and more affordable, the likelihood of recording vocals in an acoustically untreated place has become increasingly high. Singers, rappers, voice-over artists, and narrators want to record in the comfort of their own places whenever it’s convenient for them, but they want the sort of sound quality typically attributed to purpose-built studios. ISOVOX 2 is a portable acoustic-isolation system
Here’s what you need to know right off the bat: Mixing vocals for podcasts is quite different from mixing vocals for music, where the trend is to impart sheen, sparkle, luster, and other trebly adjectives. A simple A/B test between any Gimlet podcast against any Justin Bieber song will prove the difference: What constitutes a solid, pro sound in the podcast world is a meatier affair, and an altogether different target.
Yes, your podcast vocals do need to be present. But, quite often, vocals are not the main attraction in a podcast—they’re the
In Part 1 of the Upgrade Now or Later series, we looked at some potential problems and rewards when upgrading software. In Part 2, the focus will be on changing and upgrading hardware, which could be analog, digital, or both. There is something uniquely satisfying about getting new hardware. The excitement tied to unboxing a glorious new THING seems to be encoded in our DNA. It doesn’t matter if that thing is a gift or a
There’s a saying in audio that goes something like, “You should never mix in cans.” There is some truth to this adage but, with the right gear and realistic expectations, you’ll find that there is quite a bit that can be done in headphones, allowing you to be productive even when you don’t have the luxury of working on loudspeakers.
In my experience mixing in headphones, I've found that my results improved dramatically once I grew to understand the limitations of the practice, and then learned to compensate for them. First and foremost, you’re
by Philip Nichols ·Posted
If you’re looking for a pass to that place where you feel musically free, Roland’s latest offerings are just the ticket. You know—gear that makes you eager to clock hours working on your next piece. Let’s start with the big, then work down to the, “How did they get so much to be so small?”
First up, the Roland FA-07 music workstation gives you 76 velocity-sensitive keys, 16 backlit pads, a D-Beam, six dedicated parameter knobs, a pitch/mod
Recently, we’ve been hearing a lot of noise about high-resolution audio. Casual listeners might be wondering, what is high-resolution audio, anyway? Why does it sound better? Can we even determine that it sounds better? Answering these questions requires discussing digital formats such as PCM, MP3, and DSD—but don’t worry; this won’t be a dive into the technical weeds. To the extent that we’ll address science, it’ll only be in terms of practicalities.
But first, an anecdote: Before I was a professional recording/mixing engineer, I was a guy
In 1984, Akai Professional began producing professional electronic instruments and equipment. In 1987, Akai released first Music Production Center called the MPC60, which combined a 16-bit sampler with 16 velocity-sensitive pads, and an integrated sequencer, which was co-designed by Roger Linn, the producer of the highly regarded Linn Drum (LM-1 & Linn 9000). Over the past 30 years, Akai have been redesigning and updating the original concept. It wasn’t until 2012, when Akai departed from the original design and decided to harness the
Looking for a wireless rig in the A-frequency band from a reliable manufacturer? Want options when it comes to the type of microphone offered? And most of all, do you seek a budget-conscious solution to the needs at hand? Well look no further, because these Sennheiser systems will fill the bill.
For a receiver/transmitter package with a handheld microphone, check out this Sennheiser unit, which utilizes an e865 dynamic mic with a