Have Fun with Noise Gates - Noise Gates Don't Have to be Boring
LearningNoise gates aren't as relevant as they were back in the analog days, when hiss was an uninvited intruder on anything you recorded. But noise gates can do some really cool special effects that have no…
Fender Blacktop Series Review - Fender Puts On a Spurt
Written testInstead of launching the umpteenth reissue of a catalog instrument, Fender decided to innovate by mounting high-output passive humbuckers on a new series called Black Top. This new product range incl…
Fender Rumble 150 Review - Power on Casters
Written testI got a bit nostalgic when I wrote this review. I was 16 when my first amp was waiting for me under the Christmas tree. Not a 15-watt amp but a big one. To play in a band, do live gigs and be cheere…
Tonehammer Pianos Review - Pianos Like No Others
Written testThe launch of the Montclarion Hall Piano gives us the opportunity to present to you the full range of Tonehammer pianos, characterized by the same original approach of all the other instruments by th…
Exploring the Art of Filthy Signal Mutation - Extreme Drum Processing
LearningI like music with a distinctly electronic edge, but also want a human "feel." Trying to resolve these seemingly contradictory ideals has led to some fun experimentation, but one of the more recent "h…
Steinberg Cubase 6 Review - Cubase SiX
Written testWhile Avid and Cakewalk launched the new versions of their respective flagship sequencers just before Christmas, Steinberg chose NAMM 2011 to present the wistfully awaited version 6 of Cubase. This n…
Multi-Channel Micing for Live Sound - Capturing Guitar Amps in the Wild
LearningThere are almost as many ways to capture guitar amplifier sound with a microphone as there are for a piano. And as with piano (and kick and snare drum, for that matter) single-mic approaches can’t al…
All About DC Offset - DC Offset: Case of the Missing Headroom
LearningIt was a dark and stormy night. I was rudely awakened at 3 AM by the ringing of a phone, pounding my brain like a jackhammer that spent way too much time chowing down at Starbucks. The voice on the o…
SWR HeadLite Amplifier Head & Amplite Amplifier Review - Light Headed But Fully Packed
Written testOn today's menu, to get rid of the cold and warm up, we have a light but nourishing pair of SWR class-D heads (an amp/preamp combo and a power amplifier).
How to Compress a Guitar or Bass - Dynamics Processing Meets Rock Guitar
LearningDynamics processing with studio-oriented processors? Been there, done that. But have you re-visited it lately in a guitar context? Dynamics control for vocals or program material is very different co…
ADAM A3X Review - The Tiny ADAM
Written testAn ADAM speaker for under $300? Yes, what used to be a dream is now reality thanks to the small A3X equipped with a 4.5" woofer and the German manufacturer's famous ribbon tweeter. Does it have every…
VSL Instruments Pro Mini-Review - Big Time VSL
Written testVienna Symphonic Library recently presented its Vienna Instruments Pro. What is hidden behind this virtual instrument? Is it just an aesthetic update or a real evolution?
Cables: The Most Important Piece of Gear - All About Wires
LearningNo matter how much caffeine you've consumed today, you're not as wired as your studio - or your stage rig. But how much do you really think about those little spaghetti-like critters that form the ce…
Avid Pro Tools 9 Review - Let There Be Light!
Written testIt was THE event at the 2010 AES show in San Fran: the launch of Pro Tools 9 took center stage and generated a lot of expectations. Pro Tools 9 is not merely a simple update. It is in fact a small re…
MusicMan Classic Stingray 4 Mini-Review - Classic and Timeless
Written testToday's review is dedicated to a master piece and a living legend — a totem in electric bass guitar history.
