March 2018 Magazine Contents

Analogue Solutions introduce their new SynthBlocks range with two highly individual devices.

RZ062 is a faithful recreation of a valve EQ that was made by Siemens in the 1950s — or rather, of two different valve EQs, because Audified have modelled both ‘A’ and ‘B’ versions of this processor as separate plug-ins.

Audionamix’s easy-to-use Mac utility promises to separate any music track into drums, music and vocals.

Cableguys’ neat plug-in lets you alter the fabric of time itself — or just make cheesy tape-stop effects. The choice is yours...

According to urban legend, an Irish theatre manager once bet his mates that he could add a new word to the English language...

Clavia have considerable experience and expertise when it comes to designing stage keyboards. Is this the best one yet?

Fifteen years after releasing their first D-A converter, Dangerous have brought out their first A-D. Was it worth the wait?

MangledVerb first appeared as an algorithm in the rackmount Eventide Eclipse effects units. It then migrated to the H9 guitar pedal, and is now available as a self-contained plug-in supporting all the usual formats.

Focusrite’s new Clarett range drops Thunderbolt for USB and sheds a few pounds into the bargain.

Software instruments range from the massive and deep, such as Spectrasonics Omnisphere, to the very basic. Psychedelic FX 6000 V1 definitely inhabits the simpler end of the spectrum — and that’s all part of its appeal.

While the Plus Pedal is similar in concept to Electro-Harmonix’s (EHX) Freeze and SuperEgo, there are significant differences...

Gothic Instruments continue to expand the collection of libraries (‘modules’ in GI-speak) based around their Kontakt-based Dronar...

By combining traditional speaker engineering with a little help from software, HEDD have come up with a rather special set of monitors.

KMI bring their trademark tactile genius to the world of percussion pads.

LaChapell Audio’s experience with tubes has enabled the company to develop its proprietary TrueTube technology...

Lewitt’s latest mic is so quiet that its noise floor is below the level of human hearing! But what about the sound you can hear?

If there is such a thing as a classic plug-in, Line 6’s Echo Farm surely falls into that category...

Intended as a means of adding ‘analogue mojo’, this device has been designed to integrate seamlessly into a DAW-based workflow.

With Mackie’s experience in making monitors, it’s no surprise that their affordable new range punches above its weight.

Modartt’s modelled piano just keeps getting better...

MusicLab’s latest update makes RealGuitar more real than ever.

The VoiceTracer series spans everything from dictaphones to this —a serious PCM recorder with XLR input module and phantom power.

For anyone regularly needing to mic a grand piano, the Mirizio Microphone Mount is a very elegant and cost-effective solution.

With their easy portability and clear, transparent sound, PreSonus’ latest range of PA speakers couldn’t have been better named.

The 808 needs no introduction, but can its diminutive descendent deliver the same punch?

The QH4 is a simple, four-output headphone amplifier and each output has its own volume control...

sE Electronics’ affordable new pencil mics prove themselves more than capable on a wide range of sources.

Zero-G’s new library makes it easy to add a touch of Middle Eastern flavour to your productions.

With a title like Heavy Industry, it will perhaps come as no surprise if Zero-G’s latest offering is intended to take the user into the sonic realms of the urban, industrialised world.

His quest to capture the spirit of Avebury led former Radiophonic Workshop composer Steve Marshall to develop some unique experimental recording techniques.

With arbitrary tempo restrictions to contend with and Olympic glory riding on every cut, adapting music for ice dance represents a unique editing challenge.

If you like to explore different versions of a song (or just have difficulty making your mind up!) Cubase’s Track Versions have a lot to offer.

Make mono guitars monstrously wide with Logic Pro X’s Dual Mono features and Track Stacks.

Greg Wells has worked with everyone who’s anyone in the world of music — but nothing could prepare him for mixing a film soundtrack!

Drawing our mini-series to a close, we take you on a detailed tour of the mix and mastering stages of the Damnation’s Hammer album Unseen Planets, Deadly Spheres.

A list of all articles that hold associated media files for March 2018 audio and video examples. You'll find links...

The cruise-ship industry is booming, and with it a number of career opportunities — for those who can meet the unique challenges of mixing live sound at sea.

We continue our exploration of the mastering possibilities in Pro Tools.

We investigate Propellerheads’ new subscription service for Reason Rack Extensions.

We show you some of Sonar’s lesser-known functionality beginning with the DSP menu...

Meet the crew behind London's Soup Studio

With Studio One’s advanced features, latency need not be a problem.

Small rooms are often the trickiest to get right, as our visit to a TV and film composer’s new home studio proved!

In this final part of the series, we show how well-chosen instrument combinations and effects will bring your orchestral arrangements to life.

Is there anything wrong with riding the vocal levels in my mix using clip gain settings rather than fader automation?

A ribbon mic would be a very welcome addition to my collection, but would its figure-of-eight pattern mean I pick up more of the room tone compared with a cardioid condenser?

There must always be a certain amount of masking going on in any mix, but I just don’t know how much there should be. Can you offer any tips?

I don’t use my [Electro-Voice] RE20 mic all that much, but when I do I find it needs the preamps turned up an awful lot to capture usable audio, and consequently there’s often a hum in the recording...

How can I find the frequencies that are making my vocal sound harsh?

As regular readers of Sound On Sound might know, one of my Christmas rituals involves dismantling my studio, pruning away anything I haven’t used in a while and then putting it all back together again...

Is bigger always better... or just bigger?

We discuss another handful of hit records, to help you brush up on your listening skills. This month: Cardi B • Rak-Su • Eminem ft Ed Sheeran • Classic Mix: The Animals ‘House Of The Rising Sun’ (1964).

They say that absolute power corrupts absolutely. But it does give you a certain amount of artistic freedom.

Gender equality in music production still has a way to go.

The recording industry has always been a tough business, especially for studios located in larger cities. Too many famous...