The meC 500 aka Mean Joe Green

When they coined the phrase "going green" I don't think the meC 500 compressor from Joe Meek was what they had in mind. But the MeC 500 is "green" not just in color but in the way it packs a big sonic punch in a small but impressive package.

From the manual:

"The Joemeek 500 Series meC Compressor recreates the punchy sound of photoelectric compressors that were used by record producer Joe Meek in the 1960s. Robustly engineered for predictable and controllable performances, this simple-to-use compressor brings a professional touch to your recordings and live performances."

Costing only $299 and being stereo linkable the meC 500 seems like a great way to add some "attitude" to your recording chain or mix/summing buss.

FEATURES:

SPECIFICATIONS:

Input Impedance	15 kΩ
Common Mode Rejection	70 dB
Equivalent Input Noise	-91 dBu (unweighted, no make-up gain)
Distortion	0.001% (below compressor threshold)
Frequency Response	10 Hz to 70 kHz (-3 dB)
Maximum Input Level	+22 dBu
Maximum Output	Before Clip: +28 dBu (10,000 load)
Nominal Output Level	+dBu (electronically balanced)
Output Impedance	100 Ω
Compressor Threshold	-20 dBu to +22 dBu (variable)
Ratio	Compressor: 1:1 to 10:1 (variable)
Attack Time	Compressor: 1 to 100 ms (variable, adaptive)
Release Time	Compressor: 0.1 to 3 sec (variable, adaptive)
Meters	GR: 8-segment LED bar graph
Output Noise	Floor: -85 dBu (typical unweighted)
I/O Connections	XLR: pin 2+, pin 3-, pin 1 ground
Current Requirements	Maximum 130 mA per rail
Compliance	VPI Alliance, WHOS-Doc, RoHS
Size	Standard 500 Series module
Weight	1.43 lb (0.65 kg)

Here's an overview of the meC 500 via Sweetwater Sound:

An interesting method of creating rhythmic elements.

Accomplished composer/sound designer Diego Stocco has developed an interesting and innovative way of creating rhythmic elements in music. He calls it rhythmic processing and he has a series of videos called the Feedforward Sounds Series in which he shows the many ways this method can be used to create new and exciting ways of playing music.

From the website:

"Rhythmic Processing is a technique that allows the creation of multiple rhythmic elements, in real-time, from a single instrumental part. The dynamic accents of the instrumental part (in this case an acoustic guitar) are routed into several plugin chains, each one creating a separate rhythmic element."

"With these videos, I’m sharing with you guys the experience I gained out of years of work and countless hours spent in trying to figure out unique ways to create original sounds and music. I’m offering each video for $9.99, which is a very reasonable sum for any professional, but it’s an accessible number if you’re a student and not yet making money out of your work."

The videos consist of:

• Diego explaining the concept behind the technique 
• Showing how to record the initial instrumental part 
• Setting up the Live session
• The function of each individual plugin chain
• The final performance and final notes. 

Take a look at the intro video below and see if this grabs your interest. I think it will spark many creative recording/songwriting sessions. What do you think?

Tech Tues: How to add an Input Impedance Control to any Mic Preamp.

DIY Recording Equipment has an economical kit that allows you to easily add variable impedance to any preamp. The Z-Input Preamp Impedance Kit as its officially known "gives you control over the input impedance of every mic preamp in your collection. As many engineers have come to know, the input impedance of a preamp is one of the greatest factors in how the preamp interacts with dynamic microphones, and thus how the preamp sounds. By means of a single potentiometer, this exceedingly simple box allows you to dial in the sweet spot for each particular microphone, preamp, and source combination." 

At $29.95 this DIY kit is an cheap and easy way to experiment with your current Mic chain

and develop new sonic colors/textures for your recordings.

The full kit includes:

• Diecast aluminum chassis, machined by hand at DIYRE HQ, Philadelphia, PA
• Amphenol XLR Jacks
• 1k Linear Potentiometer
• Hookup wire, nuts and bolts, everything you need to complete the kit
• Estimated build time: 15-30 minutes

Here's an in-depth video of the Z-Input Preamp Impedance Kit by Peterson Goodwyn. It features John Born of Shure at 5:18 and the actual build instructions at 9:08.

DIY Recording Equipment

Anyone tried this Air Drum Kit yet?

Aerodrums is a new product shown at NAMM 2014 that takes the term "Air Drums" to a whole new level.

"Aerodrums is an air-drumming instrument. It runs on your computer and understands your drumming intent by watching you drum through a high speed camera. Aerodrums fits in a backpack with your laptop, feels and sounds as good as a real drum kit, can be silent to others around you, and is affordable."

The kit costs $160, it's PC only at the moment (Mac version in a few months) and requires a Playstation 3 Eye Camera (approx. $18 on Amazon). 

Aerodrums Kit contents:

• Two drum sticks
• Two foam triangles with elastic loops: the “foot markers”
• Two elastic bands with Velcro® patches: the “shin markers”
• A donut shaped lamp with a lens and a USB plug: the “lamp”
• A pair of paper sunglasses
• A plastic piece shaped to hold the drum sticks parallel: the “holder”
• The installation DVD, with a product key printed on the sleeve
• A safety warning leaflet
• A card containing your Aered activation code
• A manual

Check out these 2 videos of the Aerodrums.

The 1st video is the official product teaser:

The 2nd video is from NAMM 2014:

What do you think? How many of you would purchase the Aerodrums?

Moog's Limited Edition SUB 37 Tribute Analog Synthesizer

 

The Limited Edition Moog SUB 37 is the latest analog synthesizer from Moog Music Inc. that made a huge impression at NAMM 2014 and is sure to become another industry classic.

From the website:

"The Sub 37 Tribute Edition is a limited edition (2-note) paraphonic analog synthesizer built on the award winning Sub Phatty sound engine. Its panel features 40 knobs, 74 switches, and has a dedicated LCD display - placing each critical sound creation element and live performance tool quickly at your command."

"The Sub 37 Tribute's new features include Duo Mode, which allows oscillator 1 and oscillator 2 to be played independantly, programmable arpeggiator/step sequencer, two modulation busses with assignable source and destination options, access to 256 presets, and a 37-note velocity sensitive keyboard with aftertouch.

A fully featured mixer section contains dedicated controls and mutes for each sound source, as well as a level control for External audio input and Feedback - which feeds the output of the filter directly back to the input of the mixer.

Also included are the powerful DAHDSR envelopes from the Sub Phatty with panel control of each extended function. And, like the Sub Phatty, the Sub 37 Tribute includes a free standalone/plugin editor that is compatible with all major plugin formats - creating seamless integration between analog synth and DAW for total control, recall, and automation of every parameter"

FEATURES:

• Perform in Monophonic or Duo-Paraphonic modes

• 37-note velocity sensitive keyboard w/ aftertouch

• 2 modulation busses w/ assignable source and destinations

• DAHDSR (Delay, Attack, Hold, Decay, Sustain, Release) looping envelopes with sync

• 256 Presets -16 banks of 16 patches

• Standalone and DAW Plugin editor included

• Syncable Arpeggiator and Step Sequencer

• Classic Moog Ladder Filter with resonance, MultiDrive, and selectable filter slopes.

SPECS:

• SOUND ENGINE: 100% Analog
• POLYPHONY: Selectable Monophonic or Paraphonic
• KEYBED: 37 Note Semi-weighted with After Pressure
• LCD: 128 X 64 pixel LCD with white backlight
• CONTROLLERS:Pitch Bend, Mod Wheel, After Pressure, Breath, Velocity
• SOUND SOURCES: 2 Variable Waveshape Oscillators, 1 Square Wave Sub Oscillator, 1 Analog Noise Generator, 1 External Input/Filter Feedback
• OSCILLATOR CALIBRATION RANGE: 22Hz-6.8KHz. Note range at 8' = 18 - 116
• GLIDE MODULE: Assign to Osc1/Osc2/Both. Type - LCR, LCT, EXP, Gated, Legato
• FILTER: 20Hz-20Khz Moog Ladder Filter w/ 6/12/18/24 dB/Oct Filter Slopes and MultiDrive
• TRANSPOSITION:+/- 1 Octaves
• ARPEGGIATOR/SEQUENCER: Up, Down, Order, Random, Latching, Back/Forth, Invert, +/-2 Range, Tie, Rest, MIDI Sync
• MODULATION BUSSES:
• SOURCES: LFO, Filter Envelope, Programmable Sources - Amp Env,Osc1/Osc2 Pitch
• DESTINATIONS: Osc1/Osc2/Both Pitch, Filter Cutoff, Osc1/Osc2/Both Wave, VCA, LFO1/LFO2 Rate, Noise Level, EG Time. Programmable Destinations - Filter resonance, drive, slope, EG amt. Osc1/Osc2/Sub Level, Feedback/Ext Level.
• LFO PANEL FEATURES: Hi/Low Range from .01Hz–1kHz, Midi Sync, KB Reset
• ENVELOPES: DAHDSR Envelopes with Multi-Trigger, Reset, Looping, MIDI Sync, Latch, and Variable control of EG Delay, Hold, Velocity Amount, KB Tracking.
• INPUTS/OUTPUTS:
• AUDIO INPUT: 1xTS
• AUDIO OUTPUT 1xTS, 1xTRS Headphone with separate volume control
• PRESETS: 256 Presets - 16 Banks x 16 presets
• MIDI I/O: DIN In/Out, and MIDI over USB
• CV/GATE INPUTS: Filter CV, Pitch CV, Volume CV, KB Gate
• POWER: 110VAC-240VAC Universal Power Supply with IEC connector
• WEIGHT: 22lbs
• DIMENSIONS: 6.75H x 26.75"W x 14.75"D

Here's a video of the SUB 37 done by Sound On Sound Magazine at NAMM 2014:

It is is currently available by pre-order only for $1579 on Moog's website.

Freebie Fri. : Waves Factory Old Tape Drums

WavesFactory is offering a free Kontakt drum library recorded on cassette to anyone who gives them a Facebook Like. You can also send them an email (link on the wavesfactory site) to get the download. The Old Tape Drums Library might not be suitable for all genres

and it requires Kontakt but hey it's free.

"Old Tape Drums is a sample library for Kontakt featuring a Ludwig Vistalite drum kit recorded with a mono lo-fi cassette tape recorder. It has a lofi vibe to it, but without sacrificing dynamics. Don’t expect a clean sound, it’s the opposite..."

Features:

• Mono NCW files, 44.1KHz 24bit.
• Drum kit recorded with a lo-fi cassette tape recorder.
• 6 velocity layers, 6 RR.
• Custom script, and custom GUI.
• Noise volume and color.
• Tape speed and tune.
• 361 MB installed.
• For Kontakt 4.2.4 or superior.
• Kontakt player will run in demo mode for 15 minutes.
• Price: Free.

This video gives you a taste of what this library offers:

Have you seen this Stereo Mic made from a shotgun shell?

The BLACK212 stereo microphone is the latest offering from 12 Gauge Microphones. True to their name this company has been manufacturing microphones from real shotgun shells. I previously posted about their  Red and Green 12s. 

"The BLACK212 XY Stereo Microphone is comprised of 2 stacked capsules set at 90º angles, which makes for perfect phase alignment and realistic stereo image. Each mic comes with a specifically wired splitter."

Here's a video of the microphones recording acoustic guitar and vocal:

I see many uses for this microphone and at only $80 the BLACK212 would be an economical and good sounding addition to your Mic locker. (Plus they look great in the studio and make a great conversation piece).

12 Gauge Microphones

Note: They also do conversions on any cool non-working vintage microphones you would like fixed/updated with  components from their Red12. Rates start at $50 but vary according to the project.

Here are some examples:

What do you think of the Sontronics ARIA?

Sontronics has announced their latest microphone called the ARIA. It is a cardioid design specifically tailored for recording vocals but is said to work well with piano, acoustic guitar and strings. It seems very well built with great specs and comes with power supply, shock mount, velvet lined wooden box plus a flightcase. Sontronics also states the ARIA has a no-nonsense lifetime warranty. I would love to put it to the test in the studio.

From the Sontronics website: 

"The Sontronics ARIA valve/tube cardioid condenser microphone will give you stunning, beautiful results on every recording, thanks to its silky-smooth characteristics, its accurate response and our trademark Sontronics high-frequency roll-off.

Housed inside the chromed grille is a large, 1.07-inch, edge-terminated capsule that captures all the detail and subtleties of any male or female vocal, while the hand-selected European 12AX7/ECC83 tube lends a character that you'd expect to find in a classic vintage valve mic.

For that extra level of control, the accompanying SPS-2 power supply unit boasts pad (0, -10dB) and filter (linear, 75Hz) switches as well as a tube-ready LED, letting you know when the mic is warmed up and at its best to record. Inside the unit is a pro-quality, medical-grade electricity filter to ensure that the power supply is pure and interference-free.

During the 12 months of ARIA's development, it has been beta-tested by top artists and musicians including producer/writer Paul Epworth (Adele, Florence & The Machine, Paul McCartney), singer/songwriter PJ Harvey, and also several engineers at Abbey Road Studios, all of whom now admit they can't live without their ARIAs! These and other users have all told us that ARIA's sound and quality is easily matched to mics (both modern and vintage) that cost ten times more"

SPECIFICATIONS:

• POLAR PATTERN: CARDIOID
• FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 20HZ TO 20KHZ
• PAD: 0DB, -10DB
• FILTER: LINEAR, 75HZ
• SENSITIVITY: 28MV/PA –35DB ±1.5DB (0DB = 1V/PA @ 1,000HZ)
• IMPEDANCE: ≤200 OHMS
• EQUIVALENT NOISE LEVE: 18DB (A-WEIGHTED)
• MAXIMUM SPL: 125DB (FOR 0.5% THD @ 1,000HZ) 
• SUPPLIED WITH: WOODEN BOX (MIC), SPS-2 POWER SUPPLY, POWER LEAD, CONNECTING CABLE, SPIDER-STYLE SHOCKMOUNT, RING MOUNT, ALUMINIUM FLIGHTCASE

Here's a NAMM 2014 video of the Sontronics ARIA:

MSRP: £899/$1488

via Unit 8 Recording Studios 

Tech Tues.: Using Waves RBass & how it's different from Maxxbass & LoAir.

Waves Renaissance Bass has been around for many years and is included in many of Waves Audio Plugin Bundles. The Renaissance Bass (RBass for short) is a bass enhancement plugin with only three controls but which can be quite effective depending on its use. Without getting too technical the RBass works by producing harmonics that give the illusion of the bass being bigger, louder, with more presence and "fools" the ear into hearing low bass even on small speakers.

Scroll down for 2 videos explaining how RBass works and how it differs from MaxBass (Waves first bass enhancement plugin) and Lo-Air.

The first video is by our good friend Russ Hughes (Pro-Tools-Expert.com) showing how you can use the Renaissance Bass on various sounds:

The second video is by Audio Engineer Anssi Tenhunen of Finland showing the differences between MaxBass, RBass and LoAir:




I've used all of these plugins on various projects when I felt it was needed and even all three at the same time on different sounds. For instance, Maxxbass on kick, RBass on bass and LoAir on the 808. Sometimes I switch it around depending on the textures of the sounds being mixed. It's really easy to get carried away when using these plugins. Do A-B comparisons often, check frequencies on a RTA, mind your levels and listen on a system that can play extended lows.
(Note: Most quality headphones have extended low end. You can't feel the lows as you would on a speaker but you will hear what the plugins are doing when you make adjustments).
Also if a subwoofer is not a viable option check out the SubPac which is a device that allows you to feel the bass without bothering the neighbors.

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.