Are you paralysed with indecision as to what gear to buy? What if you could try out 49 mics, 33 preamps and 29 A-D converters, all within the comfort of your own home? Well, we can all dream, but here's the next best thing for those unrelated to King Croesus...
Just as Access's hardware Virus synth was followed by the snazzy Virus Indigo, so the TDM plug-in version for Pro Tools has benefited from an upgrade to Indigo status, making it more infectious than ever...
The Ion might be a latecomer to the world of analogue modelling, but this has afforded Alesis the opportunity of learning from all the virtual analogues already on the market. Free and radical, or negative particle? We find out...
German manufacturer EMES return with the Black TV Actives, a set of full-range nearfield speakers that can be used with or without the optional Amber subwoofer.
Eventide's first foray into the world of plug-in effects sees them recreating five of their classic '70s processors. But is there still a place for them in today's studios?
Kenton's affordable MIDI controllers continue to come down in price — the new entry-level rotary-control Spin Doctor offers a lot of control (and controls) for a mere £125!
M-Audio's Audiophile PCI card is already a popular choice for musicians who require high-quality audio I/O. Now those without PCI slots can access similar features, thanks to this new USB version.
The advantages of laptop PCs used to be undermined by lower performance and higher prices. Now, however, machines like Millennium Music's notebook are claimed to offer a reasonably priced, mobile replacement for a desktop PC.
The Pro SM6Ps see a big name in hi-fi moving into the home studio market. So should we choose to accept these Missions? This review will self-destruct in five seconds...
German manufacturer RME maintain their high reputation for quality A-D/D-A interfacing with this eight-channel device, which may be run at 24-bit, 96kHz operation if desired.
Is it an effects processor? Is it a Variphrase processor? Is it a virtual analogue synth module? The truth is, Roland's VariOS can be any of these. Is this the flexible future of hardware? We find out...
Since its first release three years ago, Nuendo has raised a great deal of interest among those who need a professional audio production tool, and with Nuendo 2, Steinberg have developed one of most ambitious native-based audio systems yet seen. But in an industry dominated by Digidesign, will it be enough to lure potential users away from their Pro Tools rigs?
Over the last 20 years, several hardware manufacturers have tried to harness the power of additive synthesis in an accessible format. Can soft-synth designers Virsyn succeed where they didn't?
Hot on the heels of Zoom's eight-track MRS802 comes the diminutive and affordable MRS4 four-track, recording to Smart Media cards. Is this the death knell for cassette multitrackers?
Apple had plenty of surprises at their Developer Conference this year, including new hardware (the G5 Power Macs), and new software (Panther). In this specially extended Apple Notes, we consider the likely effects on the Mac-based musician...
SOS reviewers often mention their test or reference CDs — compilations of what they feel to be well-mixed, well-recorded audio, which they use to evaluate converters, monitors, and so on. But how do you go about making one yourself? We reveal all...
In these days of multi-GHz CPUs, the silent music PC is but a memory, drowned out by cooling-fan noise. But we can have the speed without all that racket, according to a German PC manufacturer...
DP v4.1 is available, and it looks like MOTU can provide a viable alternative to DP3 under OS 9 at last. Plus a look at VST plug-in support in DP under OS X...
This month we offer help for those getting to grips with Logic's much misunderstood Hyper Editor, and tell you how to reduce sibilance without using a de-esser plug-in.
Processor upgrades are a great idea for making older computers in general household use last longer. But how well does a processor speed boost translate into improved performance in musical applications on older Macintoshes? We find out...
Once your record is mixed, edited and mastered, you may want to get it pressed professionally with proper artwork. But what's the best way to go about it?
Last month we looked at using Pro Tools' Beat Detective tool for chopping up and quantising drum recordings. Now it's time to explore the other side of the coin: extracting and using the tempo and timing of a recording.
Recording with a computer doesn't mean you are tied to sitting right in front of it. Choose the most suitable remote control possibility and you could regain the freedom of your studio.
As well as the standard complement of equalisers, reverbs and delay-based effects, sequencers these days are bundled with an ever-increasing array of plug-ins designed to alter your sound in new and interesting ways. We explain how to use these effects in the forms in which they're bundled with the Big Five sequencers.
The SOS rescue team set off for Bristol to help out readers Alistair Vickery and Jon Midwinter, who wanted help with their mixes — not only getting the bass sounding right, but also stopping it getting out of the house and annoying the neighbours!
The Monty Python team once famously claimed that being able to play the flute was a simple matter of 'blowing here, and moving your hands up and down here'. But there's a lot more to it than that...
Your computer screen really doesn't need to be cluttered when you're working with Cubase's many windows, because Steinberg have provided handy window-management features.
Bearing in mind that my console does not accommodate balanced outputs and insert points (the only balanced connections on the console are at the input stages of all channels and the effects returns), can I use unbalanced patchbays, thereby simplifying the patch lead requirements?
With so many brand-new budget-priced microphones out there these days, I'm wondering if it might be better to get a high-quality mic second-hand instead?
I've heard that with Windows XP, old versions of Norton Speed Disk do not work and that the latest version of Speed Disk included in Norton Utilities has a number of features removed and is no better, if not worse, than the defrag utility that Windows XP comes with...
Cubase SX has a Detect Silence feature and a Hitpoints feature that seem to me like they do pretty much the same thing. Are they different, and when should I use them?
I've been recording vocals using a Neumann TLM103 mic going through a Dbx 386 tube preamp, and using the Dbx's converters to send a digital signal into a Roland VS1680 multitracker. I understood the Dbx was virtually impossible to clip, but experience proves otherwise! What am I doing wrong?
Business End enables you to have your demo reviewed by a panel of producers, songwriters, musicians and managers. This month's industry panel is drawn from the MPG (Music Producer's Guild).
Depending on your point of view, prog-rock survivors Marillion are the least cool band in the world — or the best-kept secret in the music industry. They've certainly found a different way of doing music for a living...
Norbert Putnam was part of the original Muscle Shoals rhythm section, and as a million-selling producer, helped to bring pop music to the country capital of the world.
The process of clearing samples can be financially crippling, as well as causing havoc with release schedules. Rinse Productions specialise in helping producers and labels by recreating problematic samples to order.
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