NAMM 2014: UVI BeatHawk iOS beat making app

The UVI Beathawk is an interesting new IOS app tailored to beatmakers/producers that I can see being used by amateurs and professionals alike. UVI is known for making exceptional sound libraries and software. I assume this app will have the same sonic quality. The Beathawk seems like a well laid out app that would be a great way to lay down ideas/tracks especially when traveling.  It allows you to mute individual patterns, has reverb and delay plus you can export your tracks. If the Beathawk is brought to market at a good price it will do well.

FEATURES:

• Load and edit individual samples.
• Each pad can be a sound or instrument.
• 16 patterns with individual mutes.
• Individual Gain, Pan, Pitch, HPF and LPF
• Built in Reverb (UVI Sparkverb) and Delay
• Ability to export Wavs

Check the video:

Price and availability to be announced. (The video suggests in a few months).

via soundsandgear

What do you think of this new line of DAW controllers?

Behringer has a new line of Controllers called the X-Touch. It comes in 3 sizes:

1. The X-Touch Universal Control Surface ($599)

    X-Touch Universal Control Surface Features:

• Universal DAW Remote Controller for Studio and Live applications
• 9 fully automated and touch-sensitive 100 mm motorized faders
• 8 rotary controls with LED-collars for on-the-fly adjustments of your favorite parameters
• 8 dynamic LCD Scribble Strips for instant overview of track names and parameters
• Supports HUI and Mackie Control protocols for seamless integration with every compatible music production software
• 92 dedicated illuminated buttons for direct access of key functions
• 8-segment LED meters per channel for precise level control
• Large jog/shuttle wheel and tape-style transport controls for intuitive operation
• Built-in 2x2 USB/MIDI interface for direct connection to Mac or PC computers and one external MIDI device
• 2 dedicated footswitch connectors and one foot controller input for external remote control
• 2-port powered multi-TT USB hub for connecting additional controllers
• Ethernet interface for RTP (Real-Time Protocol) MIDI and future BEHRINGER X32 remote control
• "Planet Earth" switching power supply for maximum flexibility (100 - 240 V~) and low power consumption for energy saving
• 3-Year Warranty Program 

2. The X-Touch Compact which offers the same Mackie Control format with an additional MIDI mode but a less comprehensive transport control. ($399)

3. The X-Touch Mini which is a little bus-powered mini controller 8 backlit rotary encoders each channel with two assignable buttons plus a single short fader. It also has a MC mode for Mackie Control mode, plus two layers for two configurations. ($59)

Here's a NAMM show video by SonicState showing all 3 of the X-Touch Controllers:

UA Apollo Twin Desktop Thunderbolt Interface

Universal Audio announced their new Thunderbolt Desktop Interface the Apollo Twin for NAMM 2014. I'm a longtime UAD fan and I can't wait to get my hands on this unit. It's currently Thunderbolt 2 for Mac only and is available as a Duo ($899) or Solo (699) configuration. This will be a great addition to my portable rig.

FEATURES

• UAD-2 DUO DSP Processing onboard
• Desktop 2x6 Thunderbolt audio interface with world-class 24-bit/192 kHz audio conversion
• Realtime UAD Processing for tracking through vintage-style plug-ins with near-zero latency*
• High-bandwidth Thunderbolt connection to modern Macs
• 2 premium mic/line preamps; 2 line outputs; front-panel Hi-Z instrument input and headphone output
• Unique Mic Pre modeling plugin
• 2 digitally controlled analog monitor outputs for full resolution at all listening levels
• Up to 8 channels of additional digital input via Optical connection
• Uncompromising analog design, superior components, and premium build quality
• Includes "Realtime Analog Classics" UAD plug-in bundle, featuring Legacy editions of the LA-2A  Classic Audio Leveler, 1176LN Limiting Amplifier, and Pultec EQP-1A Program Equalizer, plus Softube Amp Room Essentials, and more
• Runs UAD Powered Plug-Ins via Audio Units, VST, RTAS & AAX 64 in all major DAWs

Take a look at this video by Future Music Magazine showcasing the Apollo Twin's features:




Here's another video by James at Pro-tools-expert.com showing the Apollo Twin being used to record live guitar:

Tech Tues: 808 Mixing Tips

I recently had a conversation about kicks and 808s so I decided to do a blog post on it. While putting the post together I saw the latest ITL from Dave and his team was on this very same topic. I also came across another video from Pro Audio Files which is a great tutorial site. Both videos give great tips on mixing 808s to make them sit in the mix properly and still be present. 

Back when I used to mix all analog my favorite 808 chain was a Pultec EQP-1A and the DBX 165A compressor along with the dynamics and equalizer section on the SSL 4000 console.

The Pultec allowed you to carve the sound of the 808 without making it too muddy or boomy by using Attenuation in conjunction with the Boost knob that gave you a nice solid tone with tons of low end. The DBX 165A's settings were song and tempo dependent but the ratio was usually set to between 4 to 8:1, low threshold, fast attack and medium to slow release. The 165A also has a built in Limiter (Peak Stop knob) along with its compressor section that allowed you to really hit the compressor's circuitry hard (i.e. hardware saturation for tone) without fear of overloading the output. I then used the SSL's onboard Dynamics and EQ to do any necessary tweaking. 

These days I often use the UAD emulation of the Pultec and/or a variety of plugins depending on the sounds I'm working with. It's very important that the 808 and kick work together to give you a tight but solid low end. Pay special attention to the timing so that there is no flamming of the kick and 808 as this can ruin the feel of the track.

The first video is from Dave Pensado's assistant Cole Nystrom  on Pensado's Place ITL #94




This next video is from Matt Weiss on Pro Audio Files where he shows how to better match the 808 to the bass and kick:



Remember to check on multiple systems including your car, computer speakers, headphones, earbuds, portable radio etc. to make sure that the 808 is properly balanced in the track.

Studio One 2.6 and Gobbler (How to save and transfer)

Avantone Pro announces new Studio Monitors.

Avantone Pro recently posted on their Facebook page that will be showing a brand new line of Studio Monitors at NAMM 2014. I've been using their Mixcubes for many years ("Back To Black" was the 1st Album I mixed with them at Circle House Studios. See my previous post here). 

The new line consists of three sets of monitors:

• The LA7 ($1k per pair)
• The Mixtower ($1.2k per pair) 
• The Abbeys ($2k per pair)

I'm curious to hear what the new monitors sound like and will try to get my hands on them as soon as they're available. (February - March 2014 is the approximate shipping date).

From their page:

We are proud to announce the followups to our massively successful MixCube monitors.

Avantone Pro LA7 (Little Abbey 7): $
2-way design monitors with our own proprietary folded diaphragm ribbon tweeter and woofer.

Avantone Pro MixTower:
3-way design monitors using the tweeter and woofer of the LA7. The third driver is the driver of our incredibly popular MixCube monitors. By flipping the crossover switch on the back, users can flip back and forth between mixcube mode (full range signal sent to the single mix cube driver) and a 3-way mode where all three drivers are used.

Avantone Pro Abbeys:
3-way design monitors using our own proprietary drivers including a built in subwoofer on the side of the cabinet. These monitors have an INCREDIBLY wide frequency range and we are all very excited to release these.

All three sets will be on display at the show and i will be demoing them all weekend. As always we are pricing these the way we always have… Incredible quality for an even more incredible price. All 3 models can be purchased in buttercream or black.

We will be located at booth #6985 in Hall A

Technical specs will be up shortly.

For further info contact:

Seth Berman
Avantone Pro
International Dealer and End User Support Manager
(845)642-3697

This Chop Shop won't land you in jail.

 The 500 series market is literally exploding with new offerings from both well known companies and new arrivals. The Chop Shop by the California based manufacturer Louder Than Liftoff is a 500 series tone shaper with an unusual name and vivid faceplate. The Chop Shop comes in white ($349) and Limited Edition Black ($369). I like this company's attitude and I'm sure there will be other products from them. I look forward to trying the Chop Shop in the studio. If the sound is as bold as the looks they've got a winner.

From the website:

"The Louder Than Liftoff is proud to present the Chop Shop 500 Series EQ available with a white or black aesthetic (limited Void Corp Edition). Offering a unique and intuitive set of features for quickly shaping tones with minimal fuss, the Chop Shop empowers you to achieve focus and separation in your mix. It's almost like cheating:"

The Chop Shop enables you to: 

• Balance the size and presence of a vocal to fit perfectly in a busy mix
• Tighten up and increase low end punch of kick, snare, toms, bass, and guitar
• Create effortless separation between kick and bass
• Reduce hi-hat bleed in snare mics while retaining brightness of attack
• Reduce boominess of acoustic guitars while adding shimmer
• Smooth out digital fizziness of distorted electric guitars while shaping weight and bite
• Quickly add brilliance to sources recorded with dark sounding ribbon mics

Features

FOCUS:
Intuitive filter that focuses the energy in a source on the bass or treble ranges of the sound. Apparent loudness of source is maintained constant for meaningful A/B comparisons. SHIFT switch decreases turnover frequency for a different midrange response.

LO-CUT:
12 dB/oct filter that rolls off low frequencies, variable 20 to 530 Hz. Jumper selectable "Lo-Rider" mode transforms LO-CUT section into a low-frequency hi-cut section with variable resonance (hint: try this on a front of kick or Subkick mic and blend back in for incredibly deep and massive low end).

BUMP:
Variable resonance control for LO-CUT that adds a resonant "bump" at the corner frequency. Response from Bessel (full CCW), to Butterworth (12 noon), to slightly resonant (0.5 dB full CW). MORE switch increases resonance dramatically... sometimes MORE is more.

HI-CUT:
6 dB/oct filter that rolls off high frequencies, variable 500 Hz to 25 kHz. 0.5X switch shifts frequency range one octave lower, while simultaneously increasing slope to 12 dB/oct and adding slight resonance at corner frequency to retain apparent brightness (defeatable by jumper on PCB).

Specifications

• DC coupled signal path with DC servo at input stage (no electrolytic caps in audio path)
• Audiophile grade op amps (LME49720), class A biased
• Alps pushbutton switches
• Wima polypropylene film capacitors
• Panasonic FM series power supply decoupling capacitors
• Custom 41 detent potentiometers
• Custom molded knobs
• Aluminum faceplate with anti-glare satin finish and "stealth" LED indicators

*+/- 16V power provided by API 500 series compatible rack, not included (We recommend API, Purple Audio and Radial racks)

Harrison 950mx Analog Console

Harrison Consoles has announced the 950mx a new analog console aimed at the DAW-centric studio owners and production suites. The 950mx was developed using a lot of the design features from Harrison's flagship consoles but in a format more suitable for the project studio.

From the website:`

"The Harrison 950mx Console sports a history-rich analog design incorporating many of the same high-end modular design elements found across a wide range of Harrison console models from eras past such as the 32 Series, MR Series (2, 3, 4, 5 and 7), SeriesTen, SeriesTwelve, MPC and LPC. The 950mx provides a superior analog mixing platform that will cost effectively complement today’s high performance music studio where investments in powerful DAW’s and high-end specialized outboard gear are the norm."
".....Designed with input from studio engineers, it is specifically designed to minimize some common ergonomic issues found in today’s studio using DAW and outboard based setups: “Where do I put a keyboard, mouse or trackball and where do I put the computer monitor/s?” The 950m solves those issues by providing a 2-tiered front bolster which is wide and deep enough to comfortably locate a DAW keyboard and mouse or trackball (with sufficient cable access). A generous flat top is ideal for locating DAW monitor/s and/or small speakers. The 950mx module area is supported at a 15 degree pitch providing comfortable viewing access and control immediately above your keyboard, mouse, and DAW control surface(s)."

I like the features of the 950mx especially the dual stereo mix busses (one with transformers, the other electronically balanced, both with compressors) which can be summed together and the choice of mono and stereo inputs (purchased in groups of four). Harrison also has a line of studio furniture to complement the 950mx.

Take a look at the video showing the features of the 950mx:

FEATURES:

Input Channels

Mono Mic / Line Inputs (purchased in groups of 4)

• Insert Switch (pre-eq/fader, send is always active)
• Robust 48v Phantom Power
• Separately Switchable, Sweepable HP + LP Filters
• 3 Band EQ with Sweepable Frequency
• Left/Right Pan Knob
• Input Pad (for connecting line level signals to mic preamp)
• Poarity Reverse Switch
• Line-In Selector (separate input, with unity gain)
• Mic Pre Gain
• 4 Aux Sends
• Each aux is selectable pre/post via jumpers
• Channel ON Switch, with lighted indicator
• Solo Switch
• 100mm Fader
• (2) Stereo Mix Bus Assigns (Red & Black)
• 4-LED Input Meter
• Post-Fader Direct Output

*Original 950m modules with fixed EQ and filter frequencies are also compatible with the 950mx frame

Stereo Line-Level Inputs (purchased in groups of 4)

• Stereo Insert Switch (pre-eq/fader, send is always active)
• Separately Switchable HP + LP Filters (stereo tracking)
• 3 Band "Tone" Controls (stereo tracking)
• Input Balance
• Left->Right, Right->Left, and Mono Sum Switches
• Input Trim Knob
• 4 Aux Sends
• Each aux is selectable pre/post via jumpers
• Channel ON Switch, with lighted indicator
• Solo Switch
• 100mm Fader
• (2) Stereo Mix Bus Assigns
• 4-LED Input Meter

Master Section

• Mix Bus 1 Compressor (In/Out Switch, Threshold, Release Time, 4-Segment Meter)
• Mix Bus 2 Compressor (In/Out Switch, Threshold, Release Time, 4-Segment Meter)
• Oscillator / Talkback Assignment Switches (Aux 1-4, Mixbus 1,2)
• 4 Aux Send Master Knobs
• Stereo Mix Bus 1 Master Fader
• Stereo Mix Bus 2 Master Fader
• Stereo Mix Bus 1 & 2 VU Output Meters

Monitor Section

• Oscillator (On/Off, 100Hz, 1kHz, 10kHz, -20dB pad)
• Studio Monitor Source Selection (Ext, Aux 1-4*, Mix Bus 1,2)
• Headphone Level
• Speaker Level
• Speaker B Selector Switch
• Monitor Mono
• Monitor Mute
• Talkback Microphone
• Talkback Level
• Talkback Enable
• Headphone Jack

Alt Output Section

• Alt Output "A" Summing Source Selections (Ext, Aux 1-4*, Mix Bus 1/2)
• Alt Output "A" Level/Mono/Mute
• Alt Output "B" Summing Source Selections (Ext, Aux 1-4*, Mix Bus 1/2)
• Alt Output "B" Level/Mono/Mute
• Alt Output Talkback Switch (talk to A, talk to B)

Note: when monitored directly in the console, Aux 1+2 are mono, while Aux 3+4 are monitored in stereo left & right.

Chandler TG2-500 Preamp

Chandler Limited will be showing their new TG2-500 Pre at NAMM 2014 on Jan 23-26. It has all the features of the original TG2 plus an added fine gain control. The TG2 is an industry favorite and I'm sure the TG2-500 will be popular with many 500 series aficionados.

From the website:

"Chandler Limited, recognized globally for signal processing and related music and audio products that deliver the classic analog warmth recording and performing professional musicians seek, is pleased to announce the forthcoming TG2-500 Pre Amp. Building upon the popularity of the company’s acclaimed TG2 Pre Amp / DI, the new TG2-500 delivers the classic sound of the EMI TG12428 pre amp used in EMI/Abbey Road recording and mastering consoles in the late 60s and early 70s—in the company’s 500 series module form factor.

Using the identical TG2 circuit, transistors, and transformers, the TG2-500 delivers 10 – 60 dB of gain and uses a coarse gain control and a fine gain control as found on EMI consoles. The unit provides 300 and 1200 Ohm input impedance as on the TG2, which the company’s customers have come to value.

Equally important, the Chandler TG2-500 delivers frequency response identical to the TG2. Equally notable, the TG2-500 has the same high frequency bump and mid forward tone that users enjoy with the TG2, along with the warmth inducing distortion which contributes to its sound. The end result is a creamy, smooth tone with a surprisingly open, clear top end. The sound, as explained by many users, has the ‘warmth and punch’ of the Neve, but with a nicer, expanded top end.

Chandler Limited owner and chief product designer Wade Goeke commented on the company’s new TG2-500 Pre Amp, “The TG2-500 is a product we’ve been asked about for a number of years. In the past, I always commented that I had not yet found the right way to engineer this unit in the 500 series form factor. Now, I’m pleased to report that, after working on this challenge for quite some time and attempting a number of different methods in the process, I’ve made everything work to my satisfaction. I’m glad I was patient because I genuinely believe our users will be pleasantly surprised and very pleased with the results!”

Chandler hasn't yet disclosed the price or availability of the TG-2 500.

Tech Tues: Using Logic Pro X Drummer to control any drum plugin.

This is a follow up to last week's post on fixing/replacing drums. It's a video tutorial by songwriter/producer/musician Greg Kocis showing how to use the Logic X's built in Drummer to control a 3rd party drum plugin. Greg uses the Steven Slate Drum Library in this example but it can be used with others as well. Click the links in the video for more Logic X tips. He also has his 8000+ Apple Loops library on sale for $49.99 (regularly $99.99)

Pebble and Bam-Bam

UK's Unity Audio has announced their new speaker line called "The Pebble and Bam-Bam". I had a chance to audition their highly acclaimed "The Rock" studio monitors a few years ago while working at Metropolis Studios in London. Unity Audio will showcase the speakers at NAMM 2014. Price TBA.

Here's the press release from the website:

"UK manufacturer Unity Audio Ltd is following on from the critically acclaimed Rock MK II and Boulder active monitors with the production of the new active Pebble and Bam Bam.

The Pebble

Like the existing Rock, Boulder and Avalanche sub-woofer monitor models, the Pebble will have a sealed cabinet for fast accurate bass reproduction and feature the same internal cabinet Aperiodic Vent like the Avalanche sub-woofer for extended low frequency range. The Pebbles will be sold and packaged as a pair and will feature a high quality 5" woofer and soft dome tweeter with 2x 180 watt OEM discrete amplifiers and custom crossover. The new models are built with different components to the existing range but still feature high quality parts that are built and tested in the UK.

Designed for critical near-field desktop applications and for those wanting brutally honest monitoring but at a more affordable price point The Pebble will outperform the competition in similar sized cabinets and even larger ones too.

The Bam-Bam

The Bam-Bam is a new concept, again it's a sealed Aperiodic Vent cabinet design and has the same dimensions as The Pebble but it features a single 7" woofer with the same 180 watt discrete amplifier as The Pebble.

The Bam-Bam is not a sub-woofer but should be thought of as an expansion of The Pebble. The Bam Bam will be packed and sold in pairs to run next to or underneath The Pebbles. It transforms The Pebble into a 3 way system with the bass woofer housed in a separate cabinet which will totally eliminate unwanted low frequency cabinet resonance in The Pebble mid and HF range to extend low frequency response and increase SPL. Interconnect cables running power and audio will be supplied with the Bam-Bam package to link audio and power through from The Pebbles.

The Pebble & Bam-Bam are exciting additions to the Unity Audio studio monitoring family, which are used by high profile artists, engineers and producers such as Coldplay, Queens of the Stone Age, Alan Moulder, Mike Crossey. These products will expand Unity Audio's market by making professional monitoring more affordable to home studio users and pros alike."

Music Producer, Salaam Remi - Pensado's Place #145

This weeks episode of Pensado's Place features Grammy Winning Producer, Label Exec and longtime friend and collaborator Salaam Remi (who is currently nominated for four Grammys). Dave and Herb start off by disclosing some of their plans for the show and a recap of their Belmont University event. Salaam speaks on his favorite bass and his production style.
His retelling of the first time we worked with Amy made me a little melancholy but also reminded me how much fun we had on those sessions. He also speaks on working with other artists such as Lauryn Hill, Nas, Miguel and the big influence his Dad Van Gibbs (a renowned producer and musician in his own right) had on him. In the Corner Office segment he gives even more insight into his songwriting/production and how important the sonics/engineering is. My favorite 'Salaam quote' - "It's their (the artist's) book I just put the cover on it."





Here's the Tonight show performance of "One In The Chamber" with Salaam and Akon.
It's the single from his Grammy nominated album of the same name with features from many artists such as Estelle, Corinne Bailey Ray, Jordan Sparks, Ne-Yo and Stephen Marley. It also features two upcoming artists CJ Hilton and Liam Bailey.



Salaam's "One In The Chamber" Album can be purchased on iTunes.

The CD will be available in March.

I need FUEL ASAP.

Lacie FUEL - 1TB Wireless Hard Drive seems like the perfect choice for a backup drive for your Mac or iPad/IOS device. (According to the manual it can also be used with Windows and Android devices). Its not the only choice (See CNET's review of WIFI hard drives.) but seems fairly easy to setup and can be used while connected to the internet. 

I'm a little disappointed that Lacie does not recommend using the FUEL as a TimeMachine Backup for your Mac, but the ability to use it with multiple devices at the same time is a definite plus.

Lacie FUEL Features:

• Store your movies, songs, photos, and documents. The 1TB hard drive can store over 300 high-definition (HD) movies (1.5GB MP4 H.264), 125,000 songs, or 100,000 photos.¹⁾
• Load your media quickly. Your LaCie Fuel includes a USB 3.0 port for fast transfers, up to 5Gb/s. To take advantage of the faster transfer rates available to USB 3.0, plug your device into a Windows® or Mac® computer with a USB 3.0 port. The LaCie Fuel can be connected to a USB 2.0 port but transfer rates will be slower, up to 480Mb/s.
• Share content with more people. Your LaCie device can stream up to three or more Wi-Fi enabled devices at the same time, so more than one person can access your wireless media library at the same time.
• Enjoy up to 8 hours of continuous play. Your LaCie Fuel provides up to 8 hours of continuous video streaming.²⁾
• Do more. While you’re listening to music or viewing movies or photos on your mobile device, you can also browse the internet from your home network or your favorite Wi-Fi hotspot.
• Manage your digital media files. Use the Seagate Media™ app to play your music in the background, personalize your photo slide shows, add movie bookmarks, and more.
• Synchronize your media files. Automatically synchronize all your media files with your LaCie Fuel using the free Seagate Media Sync™ software.
  
  

The Lacie FUEL costs $199. The website says currently out of stock but available soon.

Tech Tues: Tips on fixing drums.

I recently had a Twitter discussion about miking drum kits with @RobSommerfeldt, @CreateMusicPro, and @EvilPowerMaster. This gave me the incentive to do a post about live drums. It just so happens that James of Pro-tools-expert.com posted a tutorial showing how to fix live drums. I'm sure we've all had days where due to time constraints or using a not so great sounding kit we got less than stellar results. These tips also work well with programmed drums.

Another way to fix drums is to do sound replacement/augmentation with various software such as:

1. Slate Digital's Trigger,

2.WaveMachineLab's Drumagog

3. or SPL's DrumXchanger.

4. Avid's own SoundReplacer is Protools AudioSuite only.

I like to hear the sounds in context while I search for the right drum sample to replace or augment the original sound. There are other drum replacement plugins but these are the ones I'm most familiar with.

Here are some videos showing the drum replacement plugins I mentioned.


Slate Digital Trigger EX kick replacement tutorial:




WaveMachineLabs Drumagog tutorial:




SPL DrumXchanger Snare Replacement tutorial:




Sound Replacer tutorial:

Would you use this as a controller?

The AlphaSphere is a different approach to the MIDI/DAW Controller. It is designed by Adam Place founder of the company Nu Desine. The AlphaSphere comes in two styles; Nexus and Elite. They offer a unique way to trigger sounds/samples and play music with 48 pressure and velocity sensitive pads. When used with the included AlphaLive software the AlphaSphere can be used as a standalone instrument or as a controller for your DAW.

ELITE ONLY FEATURES:

• MIDI port to connect AlphaSphere to external MIDI compatible hardware
• 2 x Assignable Dials
• 3 x Assignable Buttons
• Custom soft touch finish
• Available in black

HARDWARE:

• 48 tactile pressure and velocity* sensitive pads
• Ergonomic and spherical modular design
• Hexagonal lattice pad layout, allowing for alternative notational arrangements
• Responsive LED lighting
• USB 2.0 connectivity and bus powered
• Fully compatible with any MIDI software
• Dimensions: 26cm(W) x 26cm(D) x 32cm(H)
• Weighs approximately 3kg

*8 smallest pads are pressure sensitive only.


SOFTWARE:

• Custom software allows the device to be programmed to a highly customised level
• Use as the devices MIDI mapping editor
• Use to trigger, loop, and manipulate audio samples
• Use to record and manipulate MIDI and audio step sequences
• Convert pad data to OSC (Open Sound Control) messages
• Comes with a 1GB library of audio loops and hits compiled by professional sample library companies
• Program pads individually or by custom groups
• Store up to 20 ‘scenes’ of pad settings within a single project
• Open-source under the GNU General Public Licence v2.
• Runs on both Mac OS X (10.5 and above) and Windows (XP SP3 and above)
• Supports Core Audio, ASIO, WASAPI and DirectSound

MIDI COMPATIBILITY:

• Map preset notational scales or layouts to the pads, or set notes to pads individually
• Compatible with polyphonic aftertouch
• Set the pressure of each pad to send polyphonic aftertouch, channel aftertouch, mod wheel, pitchbend, or a CC message
• Supports multichannel MIDI, allowing multiple instruments to be played at the same time

Here's a video interview he did for Dubspot showing how he came up with the idea and how it can be utilized as a controller.





Here's a tutorial showing the AlphaSphere being used with Logic Pro X:



More tutorials featuring other DAWs can be found here.

The AlphaSphere Nexus can be purchased on their website  for £500/821.45 USD, the Nexus sells for £1000/1642.90 USD. U.S./Canada customers are urged to buy from from any of their North American dealers.

Tech Tues: Slap Delay Tips and Tricks

In ITL #92 Dave gives some great tips on using slap delay and tells how it was done in the pre DAW days with analog tape machines. The last time I saw it done with tape was over a decade ago when Salaam and I worked with Carlos Santana at Fantasy Studios in San Francisco. Santana's engineer the great Jim Gaines (he engineered Steve Miller's classic album "Fly Like An Eagle" and many others.) used a 1/4 inch 2 track to create a slap delay.

Here are some of my favorite plugins for slap delay. They are all UAD emulations of classic analog machines that were used in many studios in the past.

The effect can be done with other delay plugins including the stock delays in your DAW. The key is to experiment and see what cool sounds you create. Leave me a comment if you have any tips/techniques you would like to share.

The ToneCraft 363 Tube Direct Box

 Tonecraft Audio is a California based company that was formed by "Jon Erickson and Ryan Feves to create handcrafted professional audio equipment for the studio and stage." Jon is a renowned designer with multiple TEC Award nominations and Ryan is a top notch bass player.

Their premiere release is the 363 Tube Direct Box:

"The NEW Tonecraft 363 Tube Direct Box is the professional player’s solution for a consistently great direct sound in the studio and on the stage. The 363 has the ability to aggressively shape tones like a vintage tube amp and function as a full frequency, high performance tube direct box for musicians with an appreciation for the sounds, style and build quality of golden era equipment (50′s-70s) looking to vastly improve their 1/4″ sound. This includes electric and upright bassists, acoustic and electric guitarists, keyboard players and electronic musicians."

The 363 seems to be very solidly built. I'm sure it has great tone/color as well. It has tons of gain (40db) and dual outputs. The 2 band EQ with +/- 20db of boost/cut along with a bypass switch is a nice addition.

SPECIFICATIONS:

• Input: 10 meg, unbalanced.

• Thru: Tube buffered loop of the input signal. Fully isolates input from external loading vs. a standard passive loop. May be connected to an amplifier or tuner.

• Volume: Preamp stage gain control. Variable 0-40db Gain

• Bass and Treble: Classic Baxandall EQ circuit with +/-20db of boost and cut.

• Eq/Bypass: Bypass mode has extended flat frequency response from 5hz to 75k and is ultra hi-fi. EQ mode is more amp-like in character with expanded tonal control.

• Outputs: Dual balanced line level outputs with separate level controls. May be driven simultaneously to full +22dbu output level. Cinemag Hi-Nickel Output transformer.

• Dedicated Ground Lifts for each output

• Frequency Response: 5hz-75k

• Tube Complement: 1 Tung Sol 6SL7 2 Tung Sol 6SN7GT

• Custom Steel chassis

• Handwired, turret construction. Highly serviceable.

• Engraved and illuminated clear front panel. Adjustable brightness. Custom engraving available

• Extremely low noise.

• Handmade in the U.S.A.

• Voltage: 115v/230v 60hz switchable on the exterior

• Dimensions: 13″ x 8.5″ x 3.5″

• Rackmount kits available

Tonecraft Audio said the 363 Tube D.I. will be available in Jan 2014. Price to be announced.

Happy Holidays! from Gobbler.

Gobbler sent me an email stating that they're giving away free online storage space to all those who refer people to their website. The great thing about this offer is that both the inviter and invitee get extra space when the people you invite sign up.
I use Gobbler daily and find it a fast and secure resource for collaborating and transferring files.

Hey Gary, The holidays are here, and we want to give you more free space for your projects. Just refer at least one friend to Gobbler within the next 7 days and both you and everyone you refer will get a coupon for 25GB of extra bonus space, free for an entire 2 months! Invite Friends to Gobbler There's no limit on how many friends you can pass this deal onto, and since every referral gets you both 512MB of lifetime bonus space, there's truly never been a better time to give the gift of Gobbler. Wishing you, your family, and your friends, the happiest of holidays, - Team Gobbler

You can read my previous posts on Gobbler here and sign up here.