Fender Super-Sonic 100 Review - Fender TwinMan
Written testWe reviewed the Fender Super-Sonic 22 combo in September 2010, and it seduced us with its numerous positive features. A few months later, the American manufacturer decided to complete its range and l…
Composite Vocal Tracks, Compression, and Reverb - Vocals Processing Tips: Part 2
LearningHard disk recording techniques have affected every aspect of recording, including vocals. Although overdubbing vocals has been a common technique for years, today's programs let you do multiple track…
AVID Mbox Pro 3 Review - The New Mbox
Written testAVID, formerly Digidesign, took advantage of last year's re-branding to present the third generation of its digital audio budget interfaces: the Mbox series. Today, we'll give the Mbox Pro a try, the…
Native Instruments Traktor Pro 2 Review - The Tractor is Back
Written testHaving reviewed the Traktor Kontrol S4 at the end of 2010, I got an email from Native Instruments in early April offering me a free upgrade for Traktor Pro 2. The differences between both S4 and PRO …
From the Basic to the Esoteric, Here Are Proven Ways to… - Vocals Processing Tips: Part 1
LearningIt was late at night, at a live-in-concert recording session in Germany. As several thousand fans waited anxiously, the vocalist walked onstage, and picked up a set of headphones. I saw him plug them…
Moog Music Slim Phatty Review - Analog Technology Democratized
Written testFive years after having introduced the Little Phatty, Moog decided to launch the compact synth in module version. Did the Slim Phatty succeed in making the famous Moog sound available to anyone?
Here's How to Fix those Pesky Timing Problems - Quantizing Guitar Parts with DAW Software
LearningEver play the perfect solo or riff except that one note was just a little bit early, or a little bit late? If you never have, then stop reading this article immediately, move to Los Angeles, New York…
Fender Mustang V Review - Headlong
Written testAbout one year ago Fender released the small modeling guitar combo Mustang II. Ever since, they have extended their product line with more powerful products, including an amp head we want to try out …
Wimpy Snare? Muffled Kick? Lousy Drum Part? There's Hop… - Salvage Your Drum Tracks
LearningIf a pop/rock/dance track doesn't have a great drum sound, you're in trouble. Big trouble. The Drum Replacement 101 solution is to have a drummer come along and play with the original track, then era…
Optimize Your Reverberant Space for the Best Possible S… - Understanding Digital Reverb Parameters
LearningThere's nothing like the sound of real reverb, such as what you hear in a cathedral or symphonic hall. That's because reverb is made up of a virtually infinite number of waves bouncing around within …
Native Instruments Abbey Road 70's, 80's & Modern Drums… - On Abbey Road Again
Written testWe tested the Abbey Road 60's sound bank about one year ago. In the meantime, Native Instruments has already released three more Abbey Road sound banks: 70's, 80's and Modern Drums. Let's get this sh…
Make Sure You Get the One that's Right for You - How to Choose an Audio Interface
LearningComputers can be pretty smart, but when it comes to sound, they need a translator that can convert sound waves into the digital language of ones and zeroes. Audio interfaces provide this translation.
Eagletone Raging 5H Review - Small Brute
Written testCompact tube amps are definitely "in" nowadays. They are conceived to provide a classic sound in spite of their affordable price and compact dimensions. So, when Eagletone decided to launch a small 5…
When it’s time to mix a recording, you need a strategy - Mixing - The 12 Step Program
LearningMixing is not only an art, it’s the crucial step that turns a collection of tracks into a finished piece of music. A good mix can bring out the best in your music—it spotlights a composition’s most i…
Tech 21 Characters Series VT Bass Deluxe Review - At Your Beck and Call...
Written testFollowing the Red Ripper, let's check out the new VT Bass version released by Tech 21. The unit is a preamp in stompbox format. It simulates the sound of the legendary SVT amps from a manufacturer wh…
Add that Final Polish to Your Mixes - Mastering Basics for Musicians
LearningThe article title alone is enough to cause some professional mastering engineers to run to various forums and start complaining. "That's what's wrong with this industry, these kids don't know how to …
Fender Road Worn Player Telecaster Review - This Guitar Will Wear You Down
Written testWithout any offense to purists who get a nervous breakdown every time they discover the slightest scratch on their guitar, the Road Worn Series instruments have been intentionally damaged: the varnis…
And Mastering Loses... - Speakers Meet Mastering
LearningOne of the main functions of mastering is to make a mix transportable: In other words, it should sound good over any playback system
TC Electronic BH500 and BC210 Review - Red Peril in Denmark
Written testEver since the futuristic RH450 came out (directly from a Georges Lucas film), the viking manufacturer has kept on developing products for bass players.
Fender American Special Jazz Bass & Precision Bass Revi… - Motorway Exit
Written testAfter the Highway One, updated in 2006, Fender comes back again with new affordable products from its American production center: the revisited versions of the Precision Bass and the Jazz Bass.
When Noise Attacks Your Signal, Fight Back! - Seven Ways to Reduce Noise
LearningIs noise really a problem? After all, analog tape hiss is almost extinct. We have 24-bit converters with signal-to-noise ratios that far exceed that of the CD. Low-level hum? Today's signals have ple…
Make Your Timing Tighter Than Tight - What Does "Sample Accurate" Mean Anyway?
LearningIf you think that "sample accurate" has something to do with random drug tests, you're probably browsing the wrong web site. But if you've heard the term applied to digital transfers, loop timings, e…
Mixvibes U-MIX Control Pro Review - U-Mix and U Control
Written testMixvibes was founded in 2003, when they started to market a product that allowed mixing and scratching digital files using time-coded vinyl records and CDs with the use of a sound card. Nowadays, Mix…
Proven Ways to Enhance Your Vocals - Recording & Processing the Ultimate Vocal
LearningSo what’s the best way to record vocals these days? The answer, of course, is that anything goes if it gives the sound you want. Following are some of the possibilities.
It's Possible to Get "hot" Masters without Losing Dynam… - Big Sounds without Overcompressing
LearningI was driving along one of those Floridian roads that goes between the coasts, and is flatter than the Spice Girls without auto-tuning . . . in other words, a perfect place to crank up my car's CD pl…
