DUY Z-ROOM reverb plugin is now free

DUY Z-Room is a natural-sounding, optimized-consumption reverb for native systems. Download here https://services.duy.net/zroom-free.asp


DUY has been in the plugin market for many years and was one of the first companies to offer tape and tube emulation plugins.


Here's some of the other plugins that DUY offers:

DaD Tape simulates the sound of analog tapes for digital audio systems and features physical modeling of the four most representative tape recorders on the market. 

DaD Valve is a physical-modeling-based classic tube simulator for digital audio systems, featuring the most popular types of valves — triode, tetrode, and pentode — with a full range of biasing and operating levels. 

DUY Wide is a stereo and multichannel spatial enhancer, which allows widening of the stereo image, as well as sound placement outside the physical speaker locations. DUY Wide is mono-compatible. 

DUY Magic Spectrum is a high-quality mastering tool that allows you, on one hand, to perform a basic operation such as Matching the spectrum of two pieces of audio, or more complex operations such as to actually modify the frequency contents yourself with edition tools!! As you can see, DUY Magic Spectrum is THE TOOL for modifying the spectral contents of your audio.Read all about DUY Magic Spectrum here.

Max DUY is a sound level maximizer based on DUYs exclusive ILO algorithm, featuring seamless level maximizing, zero harmonic distortion (even at low frequencies) and release-free operation. 

DUY Shape is a sound enhancer featuring 3-band smooth filters with full audio range continuous crossover points and three independent user-defined shapers with virtually infinite resolution accuracy. 

Visit http://www.duystore.com/com/products.html for more info.

Native Instruments Maschine users check out this video!

Native Instruments Maschine has become a part of many producers' workflow or creative process.
Here's a video explaining how to setup Maschine with logic Pro for optimal performance and ease of use.

The video is done by Fmajor of Altruewest Productions:

Pensado's Place #15 - Engineering Legend Bruce Swedien

The Ultimate Stereo D.I. - D.W. Fearn VT-3

D.W. Fearn is a company well known for impeccable build quality and great sonics and the VT-3 tube D.I. is no exception.

"The VT-3 is a dual-channel, all-triode vacuum tube DI (“direct box”) for recording electric or electronic instruments. The inputs are designed to provide the proper load impedance for all instruments that have a 1/4-inch phone jack output. Tube circuitry provides the very high impedance necessary to capture all the details of these instruments.

The outputs of the VT-3 are mic level (150 ohm source impedance at a nominal -30dBV). The VT-3 is designed to operate into a high-quality microphone preamplifier like our VT-1 and VT-2 Vacuum Tube Microphone Preamplifiers

Operation is very simple: plug the instrument into the 1/4” front panel jack and take the output either from the front panel XLR connector, or a parallel XLR connector on the back panel. A second 1/4” jack provides an output to feed a guitar amplifier when necessary. A ground-lift switch helps eliminate ground loop buzz, and a switchable high-pass filter gently rolls off frequencies below 100Hz when required.

The two channels are entirely independent and can be used with two different instruments at the same time"

$2100 at Mercenary Audio:

http://www.mercenary.com/dfevtduchvat.html

If you own an MPC make sure you check this site.

http://www.mpcstuff.com/ is a site that sells all things AKAI/MPC related including replacement pads that are an improvement on the originals. They also have used Akai gear at reasonable prices.

RealTraps Portable Vocal Booth

Need to record at home or in a hotel room while on the road? Check out the RealTraps PVB.
It works extremely well at reducing bad reflections in a space that has terrible acoustics which could ruin your recordings. It's great for vocals as well as live instruments such as guitar.

"The RealTraps Portable Vocal Booth ($299.99 complete) provides an elegant and affordable way to capture dry, clear sounding vocals, even in locations that are less than ideal acoustically."
"This clever and light-weight device (11 pounds) mounts on any microphone boom stand to create a highly controlled environment for recording vocals in acoustically hostile spaces."
Here's a link to a video demo of the PVB:
http://www.realtraps.com/video_PVB.htm
and get more info at:
http://www.realtraps.com/p_pvb.htm

Neumann KH 120 A Studio Monitor

Neumann who is world renowned for making exceptional microphones has entered the speaker market. One of the speakers they manufacture is the KH 120 A active studio monitor. There is also a KH 120 D with digital inputs. I will be doing a  full review on these monitors very soon.

Quote from their website:
"The KH 120 A studio monitor is designed for use as a near-field loudspeaker or as a rear loudspeaker in larger multi-channel systems. The KH 120 A represents the latest in acoustic and electronic simulation and measurement technologies to ensure the most accurate sound reproduction possible. It has a Mathematically Modeled Dispersion waveguide (MMD (TM), flexible acoustical controls, analog class-AB amplifiers, a large headroom analog input and an extensive mounting hardware range. All of this provides the user with the maximum versatility over a wide variety of acoustic conditions, source equipment, and physical locations.
The KH 120 is perfect for tracking, mixing and mastering in music, broadcast, project and post-production studios."

$749.95 at Sweetwater Sound:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/KH120/

The Atomisonic N4CR Dynoray is a FET compressor, mic preamp, and distortion effects device.

The Atomisonic N4CR Dynoray is an unusual device based on the Shure Level-Loc which was made famous by Tchad Blake and Mitchell Froom (Los Lobos "La Bamba"). They used it's trashy sound to add character to their drum tracks. On Atomisonic's website the Dynoray is referred to as a "Level-Loc on steroids".
They took the original circuit design, enhanced it and added extra features which gives the user more control and variety in the types of sounds you can get from this box.


Features:

• Discrete Class A Dynamic FET Compressor
• Unique Variable Gain Staging FET Mic Preamp
• Both Balanced and Unbalanced Inputs & Outputs
• Transformer-Coupled Inputs & Outputs
• Nickel Input Transformer with Mu Metal Shield
• "Vintage Style" Steel Output Transformer with Mu Metal Shield
• The Level-Loc had only one release setting, but the Dynoray offers a variable control. It can be dialed in anywhere from twice as fast to 1.5 times slower than the Level-Loc. This enables fine tuning of the release time to match the tempo of songs and to create unique effects.
• "Disintegrate" Setting - Turns the Dynoray into a radical distortion device, capable of overdriving every one of its Class A amplifier stages. You can dial in the level of distortion with the main "Amplitude"/volume control, from just a touch, to a level reminiscent of a symphony of buzz saws.
• Variable "Decay" Control
• Accepts Mic, Instrument, & Line Level Input
• Low Impedance Line Level Outputs
• Phase Reverse Switch - For added convenience when recording drums

Cost: $799

http://www.atomisonic.com/products_dynoray_overview.htm

ToneLux OTB16 provides 16 Channel Summing In 1 Rack Space

Tonelux is known for making well built, great sounding gear. The OTB16 would make a great summing unit for any studio where space is limited, and judging from the quality of their other products I'm sure the audio and build quality will be superb.

From the website:

•  The OTB16 is a 16 channel 1U mixer with 16 balanced inputs and a Tonelux discrete summing bus. 
•  Each channel has a level control and a panner, and each pair of channels has a button that slaves the right channel level control to the left channel level control. 
•  Each channel also has a dual color LED, which shows signal level in green and then switches to red at +14dBu. 
•  The access to the OTB16 is through 2 eight channel Dsub inputs at a level of +4dBu nominal. 
•  The summing of the 16 channels is through the famous Tonelux TX-240 and TX-260 discrete op-amps, and then throught the main output transformer, which can be adjusted by the MASTER fader pot, which comes out of a pair of XLR connectors. 
• Additionally there is a monitor fader output for monitoring or for expansion, which is balanced but transformerless, and 2 additional balanced inputs to the MIX bus. 
• The pre fader monitor output can be plugged into the BUS input to extend the number of channels with a second or third OTB16.

http://www.tonelux.com/otb16.html

Facebook argument leads to murder

This is crazy. Lives are being lost because of words exchanged online. To make matters worse the victim's friends are vowing revenge. SMH.

"A 14-year-old boy has been charged with attempted murder after turning himself into police Tuesday afternoon following the shooting of a 12-year-old boy outside a South Side elementary school.

The boy is charged as a juvenile with one count each of aggravated battery with a firearm and one attempted first-degree murder, police announced Wednesday evening.

The teen turned himself in about 5 p.m. at the station, 7808 S. Halsted St., Gresham District police Capt. Juan Morado said.

The shooting stemmed from an argument that began on Facebook, witnesses and relatives of the 12-year-old victim told the Sun-Times."

Full article:

http://www.suntimes.com/5059257-417/teen-charged-with-shooting-12-year-old-outside-south-side-elementary-school.html

Got a ground loop? Hum X to the rescue!

The Hum X from Ebtech gets rid of hum caused by ground loops by filtering out unwanted voltage on the ground line. It doesnt lift the ground so your gear remains safe. It's easy to use, just plug the power cord for your gear into the Hum X and then plug into the nearest power strip. That's it, and it wont degrade your audio.

So the next time you're in the middle of a recording session and ground hum becomes an issue, reach for Ebtech's Hum X. It works.

Ebtech Hum X Features:

• Eliminates ground loop hum
• Maintains safe, solid ground
• Avoids loss of volume, tone or both in your audio signal
• Plugs conveniently into your power cord and wall outlet

$71.99 at Sweetwater Sound:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/HumX/

Blast from the Past-- Publison Infernal Machine 90

The Publison Infernal Machine 90 was the first box that allowed changing the speed without affecting pitch and vice versa. "It is an amazing digital processing unit that has sampling, time stretching, reverberating, phasing, and delay effects. The unit offered an impressive 30 seconds of stereo sampling, rich and endless reverb options and has a distinctive character all its own." It worked really well on vocals. The converters had a mid-fi sound and limited bandwidth but it created a huge buzz at AES when it first came out and was “the predecessor for Autotune”. Many major studios had an Infernal Machine back in the 80's and early 90's.
"Chemical Brother Tom Rowland notes "it was a favorite machine of Ivan 'Doc' Rodriguez who worked on Boogie Down Productions, Grandmaster Flash, Spoonie G, T-LaRock, Biz Markie, Big Daddy Kane, Run DMC, LL Cool J and others" [including Eric B & Rakim's Paid In Full and records by EPMD]. But they were widely used in other genres besides hip hop (Prince was apparently a fan of the Publison) despite it's reputation of being very unreliable and difficult to repair,
DBM Pro Audio/Music Services was one of the few places that could service a Publison. Not sure if they still do.
http://www.dbmproaudio.com/index.html

GOOD MORNING!!

This is the view that greeted me this morning as I ventured out. It made me pause for a moment and reflect on my life and the many people and situations I've encountered over the years. I consider myself lucky and blessed to be able to pursue my life's passion which is music. I'm eternally grateful to have worked with (and continue to work with) so many talented and gifted artists, musicians, producers and songwriters.

I would be lying if I said it was a smooth ride (more like a roller coaster) but overall it was and continues to be a great experience.

Here's something I wrote due to a certain situation that occured recently. It allowed me to express my feelings without resorting to a physical response:

"Sometimes when I witness wrong I get enraged but I can't turn that page.  Don't want my loved ones seeing me from the other side of the iron bars. Can't take it that far, so instead I smile and remind myself that the mind is the most powerful weapon. Words can cut deeper than any knife and can lift your spirits higher than any bird can fly. Put words to music and they become an unstoppable force that can change lives or make time stand still. Music is my armor, part of my chi, my legacy, my gift."

Lavry AD11 A/D Converter with Mic Pre

The Lavry AD11 makes the perfect front end for a portable rig. It even works with Protools 9 and can record a D.I. signal and a vocal at the same time.


From their website:
"The AD11 stereo A to D converter offers USB connectivity, ideal for portable recording systems. Other features include built-in microphone preamplifiers with phantom power, large wide-range LED meters, and Lavry’s exclusive Digital Tape Saturation Emulation (“Soft Saturation”). All settings are controllable from the AD11’s front panel using a system similar to that of the companion D to A converter- the DA11.
Building on Lavry’s long established reputation of making the most accurate AD converters available, the AD11’s no-compromise design offers substantial value at an affordable price. With converter and microphone preamplifier performance that exceeds other manufacturer’s stand-alone units, the AD11 combines musicality with functionality. The USB output is available in parallel with both XLR and RCA AES/SPDIF digital audio outputs, so more than one recording or monitoring device can be fed directly from the AD converter. The MicPre function and phantom power are selectable on each channel, as well as the Soft Saturation and +4/-10 level functions.
Like the previous LavryBlack model AD10, the AD11 has “XLR-TRS combo jacks” for the analog inputs. When a balanced or unbalanced ¼” plug is inserted, 12 dB’s of fixed gain is automatically added to the front panel adjustable gain, to boost “-10” consumer level signals to “+4” professional level. Front panel line level input gain adjustment is available for each channel in 12 precise one dB steps. Additional gain in the range of 20 to 65 dB’s is provided for balanced low-impedance sources (typically microphone).
This makes it possible to record the “direct” signal from a guitar effects unit or keyboard at the same time as a vocal mic, with no more than the AD11 and a laptop! In addition to “dual monaural” recording; extremely precise matching between channels makes the AD11 equally well suited to high quality stereo Mastering applications or “true” stereo recording. Whether it’s home, on location, or professional studio- the AD11 is the right tool for the job!"

The LavryBlack AD11 features:

- Built in Microphone preamps with phantom power

- Accepts +4 or -10 line level inputs balanced or unbalanced (MicPre’s are relay bypassed)

- Front panel adjustable gain for each channel

- 0 to 12 dB of gain for line level inputs in precise 1 dB steps

- 20 to 65 dB of gain for low impedance balanced microphone inputs in 1 dB steps

- Recording at 44.1, 48, 88.2 or 96 kHz with 24 bit word length

- Super-stable internal clock

- External clocking via Word Clock or AES/SPDIF sync

- BNC Word Clock output for synchronizing other gear to the AD11

- Digital output format selectable between AES/EBU and SPDIF (IEC 60958 type II)

- Peak hold selectable on large wide range LED meters

- Soft Saturation for “hotter” level and peak level control without time constants 

$1680 at Front End Audio:

http://www.frontendaudio.com/Lavry-Engineering-Black-AD11-p/9999-08823.htm

LG unveils new "Flicker Free" 3D LCD computer monitors

LG Electronics (LG) announced the release of two CINEMA 3D Monitors –D41P and D42P – equipped with LG’s new Film Patterned Retarder(FPR) 3D technology. With FPR 3D technology, the monitors offer a brighter display, clearer images, and a “Flicker-Free” certified 3D picture that makes 3D viewing more comfortable.

“Although 3D is one of the hottest items in technology today, some consumers are holding back from purchasing 3D products because of concerns over performance and price,” said Si-hwan Park, Vice President of the Monitor Division, LG Home Entertainment Company. “With CINEMA 3D Monitors, we’ve addressed all these concerns. The advanced picture quality, more comfortable glasses and competitive pricing makes it very hard to keep putting off 3D.”

Read more:
http://www.lgnewsroom.com/newsroom/contents_main.php?category=6&product_code=39&product_type=39&post_index=1170

A new version of Tweetdeck (v2.0) has been released for the iPhone

"Tweetdeck has release a new version 2.0 of its app for the iPhone. They are calling it a ‘Hollywood-esque “re-imagining” where the essence of the original remains but it’s brought up to date. It’s taken “several months of feverish work”.

Improved features include swiping between columns, navigation through user profiles and the ability to add columns as well as ‘Pull to Update’ and Follow/Unfollow sliders tweaks."

You can download the iPhone TweetDeck v2 from the AppStore here.

Read the full article here:

http://eu.techcrunch.com/2011/04/26/tweetdeck-releases-heavily-revamped-iphone-app/

Purple Audio Biz Mk -- Discrete Class A+A/B Dual Mode 500 Series Microphone Preamplifier with DI

500 series gear seems to be the rage nowadays and Purple Audio has some interesting modules. One of which is the Biz MK; A unique sounding, three amplifier, discrete 500 series microphone preamp module.

"The smooth Gain control helps you dial in the sound you want. If the output level is too high (the Class A/B output opamp can pump out up to +27 dBu), you can ride the level down with the separate Level control. Pressing the "Dual" switch splits the gain between two of our Class A opamps, enabling up to 75 dBu of clean gain, making the Biz a perfect match for ribbon microphones.

With different Gain, Level, and Dual settings the Biz can produce an infinite variety of tonal variations with the same amount of output level. The front panel DI helps you record instruments and line level sources with unrivaled clarity and punch. Two LEDs clearly indicate signal level for the gain and output stages at a glance, turning green to indicate signal present, yellow for 10dB below clipping, and red for clipping."

Features:

Output level control
Input and output tricolor LED metering
Mic / Line switch for rack input
Bridging line input for high output mics or line level sources
Use with our Moiyn 8x2 mixer module in the Sweet Ten rack for mic or line mixing

DI Load switch for front panel input
33kohms as in the original Biz or 100kohms for a more open tone
Discrete signal path
Over Current Resettable Fused (prevents any module problem from affecting your rack)
ROHS - Lead Free




Specs:

Maximum output level +27dBu
Frequency response 10hz – 70kHz +/- 1db(3db down at 100kHz)
Transformer input:
Mic modeMaximum gain 60dB in single modeMaximum gain 75dB in dual modeLine modeMaximum gain 35dB in single modeMaximum gain 50dB in dual mode

Direct input:
Maximum gain 30dB in single modeMaximum gain 40dB in dual mode

$725 at Dale Pro Audio:

http://www.daleproaudio.com/p-4455-purple-audio-biz-mk-discrete-class-aab-500-series-mic-preamp-w-di.aspx

A16 MK-II 32 CHANNEL AD/DA CONVERTER

"The A16 MK-II lets you convert 16 audio channels from digital to analog and 16 audio channels from analog to digital at the same time. You can use both, MADI and ADAT as digital interfaces. Furthermore, you can also transmit signals between these two interfaces. 

The two built-in TFT screens display the levels of both, inputs and outputs. It's not only the audiophile characteristics that allow the A16 MK-II seamless integration into your professional studio, but also its flexibility."

Sonic Core Ferrofish A16 Mk-II 32 Channel AD/DA Converter Features

Analog Interface

• 16 x in, 16 x out, symmetrical phone plugs
• 24 bit AKM converters, 32kHz – 192kHz
• Input-gain and output-levels individually adjustable for each channel

Digital Interfaces

• Optical MADI interface (incl. MIDI over MADI)
• Two ADAT interfaces for 16 channels

System Interfaces

• BNC wordclock
• MIDI connectors for remote

Frontpanel

• Two TFT displays show the high resolution level meters of all inputs and outputs
• Preset management
• Keyboard lock
• Detailed status display for monitoring all inputs
• Graphical adjustment of levels and gains
• Routing Editor
• SMUX control
• 32 bit high performance ARM processor

PC Software

• Remote software for the A16 MK-II via MIDI or MADI (MIDI over MADI)
• Cascading of multiple A16 MK-II
• Easy channel assignment with the graphical routing software
• Adjustment of levels and gains with the mixer
• Own graphics can be stored to individually label your A16 MK-II

Available at Front End Audio for $1390:

 http://www.frontendaudio.com/Sonic-Core-Ferrofish-A16-Mk-II-p/2408.htm

Radial Engineering Komit VCA Compressor/Limiter with Auto-Tracking

I was introduced to the Komit when it was being sold by the original manufacturer BMD (Burgin Mcdaniels Design) 

http://www.burginmcdaniel.com/products/komit01.html. 

The Komit was then purchased by Radial Engineering who added some nice touches to it and now sells the Komit as part of their 500 series line.

Excerpt from the manual:

"The Radial Komit is a combination compressor-limiter designed for ‘one knob’ operation. This eliminates the guess work that often makes dynamic processing a challenge. But don’t let the diminutive front panel make you think that the Komit is ‘limited’… there are tons of features just raring to get used!
The Komit is made up of two major building blocks: the compressor and the limiter. The Flex-Knee™ compression circuit is a voltage controlled amplifi er (VCA) while the limiter is a unique clipping circuit designed to simulate the sound created by old school diode bridge inputs from the early days of radio. In between is a gain make-up control that lets you adjust the output to compensate or drive the clipping limiter to create various effects."

Visit Radial Engineering at:

http://www.radialeng.com/whbeta/re-komit.htm

Quad Eight Limited Edition Classic Channel Strips

"The 333c Classic and 444 Classic are limited edition recording channel strips from the legendary Quad Eight Electronics.

Each 333c Classic channel strip features an original factory restored, 70’s limited production 3-band eq with many special features including precision stepped potentiometers, with 31 frequencies per band, and .8dB per step gain on each of 3 bands. 11 frequency selectable High and Low pass filter frequencies, +/-15dB overall gain trim and a signal presence led.

The 444 Classic channel strip EQ section includes an original factory restored, 70’s 4-band quasi-parametric eq with separate controls for gain, frequency and Q on each band, with peaking and shelving positions selectable on high and low bands. Two selectable frequencies are available for both High and Low pass filters.

Both Classic equalizers are paired with the QE MP-227, a world-class 70’s single stage preamp, renowned for its warm qualities on guitars, vocals and harmonically complex instruments. Transformer coupled, in and out, selectable input impedance for optimum matching to each microphone, Phantom, Phase, Pad switching, and gain control up to 56dB."

http://www.quadeightelectronics.com/limited-edition-classic-channel-strips