THE WORLD’S BEST RECORDING TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE 1985 — 2022

TM

Neve 88M
MUSIC PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES / INDEPENDENT IN-DEPTH PRODUCT TESTS / ENGINEER & PRODUCER INTERVIEWS / LIVE SOUND

A new breed of audio interface

WIN
‘Afraid To Feel’ FOCUSRITE
How LF System’s summer smash was mixed

You hum it…

The easiest way to create amazing synth parts
CLARETT+
2PRE & OCTOPRE
Classic Tracks: Soul II Soul WOR TH $1300
“We turned the turntable into the lead guitar”
www.soundonsound.com

REVIEWS: VANGUARD / GOLDEN AGE / IK / NOVATION / PSI / FOCUSRITE / QUBE / RT60 / BLACKSTAR
TECHNIQUE: ACHIEVING SEPARATION IN THE MIX / DAW WORKSHOPS USA $11.99 / Canada C$12.75
 L E A DE R

PRICE VS PROGRESS
Two years ago this month, I used this column
to highlight the fact that competition doesn’t
Merging’s Anubis+ employ touchscreen-based
interfaces to good effect. Universal Audio are
Sam Inglis
necessarily create real choice for the consumer. building true analogue compressors into their
Editor In Chief
What seems to happen all too often is that one Volt 76 models. Antelope’s Zen Go Synergy Core
successful manufacturer or product sets a template, makes DSP effects available in a bus-powered
whereupon others compete to offer better or interface. And Audient’s EVO 16, last month’s cover
cheaper products that are, in most respects, almost star, introduces an innovative and intuitive visual
identical. In that lament, I held up the world of audio
interfaces as a prime example of this phenomenon.
feedback system known as Motion UI, as well as
their very useful Smartgain auto-gain feature.
“I’ve noticed that
To be fair to manufacturers, there are good The Neve 88M reviewed in this issue arguably manufacturers are
reasons why this happens. The only way to takes this process to a new level, because it
bring a high-quality audio interface to market at breaks with the history of using off-the-shelf
becoming more
an affordable price is to make extensive use of chips to do all the heavy lifting. Neve’s engineers willing to pursue
generic parts. Key elements such as mic preamps, have found a way to power one of their premium
A-D and D-A converters, USB controllers and transformer-based mic preamp circuits over USB 3,
original design
headphone amps are sourced as complete and they’ve taken the opportunity to design an concepts.”
packages from chip manufacturers, and there audio interface that is genuinely unlike any other.
are only so many ways these parts can be put Or is it a high-quality mic preamp that happens to
together to create a complete interface. Hence the have a USB port on the back? In reality it’s both,
proliferation of USB audio interfaces with eight mic and probably a few other things too.
preamps, optical digital expansion and a couple Innovation, and good transformers, come at
of headphone outputs. And hence the complete a cost, so it’s no surprise that the 88M is a premium
lack of interfaces with, say, 10 mic preamps, or product. But if it’s a success, I’m sure we’ll see the
enough headphone outputs for a typical band typical trickle-down effect whereby it becomes the
recording session. template for more affordable versions from other
In the two years since that leader was published, manufacturers. That could be a good thing — but
though, I’ve noticed that manufacturers are what would be a really good thing is if it emboldens
becoming more willing to pursue original design those other manufacturers to step out in new
concepts. Apogee’s Symphony Desktop and directions of their own.

EDI T O R I A L A DM IN IS T R AT IO N ADV E R T I S I NG
sos.feedback@soundonsound.com admin@soundonsound.com paul.dacruz@soundonsound.com
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www.soundonsound.com / September 2022 3

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 142 INSIDE TRACK

IN THIS ISSUE www.soundonsound.com

September 2022 / issue 11 / volume 37

WIN
FEATURES FOCUSRITE
73 Modular CLARETT+
Manifold Reasearch Centre’s Aimo Scampa tells us why modular 2PRE & OCTOPRE
needs less reverb and sequencing.
WOR TH $1 300
96 Separation In Mixing
PAGE 62
How to make everything that needs to be heard in your mix
come across loud and clear.

102 Making Great Guitar Cab IRs

Colin Cartmell’s decades-long tonequest has led him to create
some of the best guitar cabinet IRs out there — so we asked him
for advice on how best to roll your own.

108 Controlling Synths With Your Voice

We’re used to playing and sequencing synth parts in our
productions, but why not sing them as well?

128 Mixing Atmos: Bob Clearmountain

Can a legendary engineer create immersive audio mixes without
giving up his beloved SSL console? Of course he can!

134 How I Got That Sound 150 Austrian Audio: Building Microphones
Chris Shaw tells us how a quick rough mix he printed for Bob The capacitor microphone is an incredible feat of precision
Dylan ended up winning an Oscar. engineering. We go behind the scenes in Vienna to find out what
makes it possible.
136 Classic Tracks: Soul II Soul
Soul II Soul’s ‘Back To Life’ was a hit with a sound all of its own. 158 Q&A
Your studio and recording questions answered.
142 Inside Track: Scott Rosser
The ear-catching tempo changes of LF System’s hit ‘Afraid To 162 Why I Love... Imperfections
Feel’ provided a unique challenge for mix engineer Scott Rosser. Daniel Lee Collins on why we should put performance first.
 58 NOVATION LAUNCHKEY 88

ON TEST
10 IK Multimedia Modo Bass 2 54 Space Lab Systems LIFT 92 KRK S10.4
Virtual Bass Software Monitor Stands Active Subwoofer

14 Softube Model 82 56 Golden Age Premier Pre 73 Jr 92 Behind the Sound Cart —
Software Synthesizer
& EQ73 A Veteran’s Guide To
16 Vanguard Audio V44S Gen2 Microphone Preamplifier & EQ Sound On The Set
Stereo Microphone Book Review
58 Novation Launchkey 88
20 Klevgrand Fosfat Controller Keyboard 93 The A-Z Of Analogue Synthesisers
Drum Reinforcement Plug-in Book Review
64 RT60 Songzap 94 Techivation T-Exciter
22 Hifiman HE400se Pre-production App for iOS
Planar Magnetic Headphones Harmonic Enhancement Plug-in
68 Focusrite Vocaster Two 94 TC Electronic SCF Gold
24 PreSonus Revelator Dynamic USB Podcasting Interface
USB Microphone Modulation Effects Pedal

28 Audeze Euclid 72 Neuzeit Instruments Quasar 156 Sample Libraries

Eurorack Module Naroth Audio Bloom
In-ear Monitors
74 AJH Synth Tap Tempo VC-LFO Spitfire Audio Nok Cultural
32 KIT Plugins Mo-Q Ensemble — Tape Percussion
Analogue-modelling EQ Plug-in & Dual RVG Ueberschall Delta Blues
Eurorack Modules
34 Hologram Electronics Guillermo Guareschi The Cuatro
Microcosm 76 PSI A21-M
Multi-effects Pedal Active Monitors
WORKSHOPS
40 Wave Alchemy TRIAZ 80 Qube Audio Mobi One
DAW Control Surface
Virtual Percussion Instrument 114 Reason
44 Waldorf Iridium Keyboard 84 Blackstar St James 116 Logic
Synthesizer Valve Guitar Amplifiers 120 Pro Tools
Neve 88M DPA 4055 124 Studio One
COVER

50 88
USB Audio Interface Bass Drum Microphone 126 Cubase
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 ON TE S T

PAUL WHITE

W
hile sampled bass guitars
often sound more believable
than sampled six‑string
guitars, most of the nuances that make
the real thing so expressive still get
lost. Even multi‑sampled instruments
fall short as you’re essentially switching
between snapshots of playing intensity
or playing style. IK changed all that with
their original Modo Bass. This employed
physical modelling to recreate not only
the sound of a whole library of classic
bass guitars but also the tonal changes
that occur with the pickup and control
settings, the position along the string
that it is picked, palm damping, picking
style and so on. All of these parameters
and more can be adjusted, but for
added realism, it is also possible to

IK Multimedia
control many aspects of the sound in
real time via MIDI continuous controllers
and keyswitches.
Modo Bass 2 is a significant

Modo Bass 2
evolution of the original and comes in
three different versions: Modo Bass 2
CS, Modo Bass 2 SE and Modo Bass 2.
Modo Bass 2 CS is free and includes
a ’60s P‑Bass model with the option
to purchase additional bass models
individually as needed. It also offers
Virtual Bass Software
a limited number of patterns, though Modo Bass 2 builds on the success of the original,
the fretless fingerboard option is
unavailable. Modo Bass 2 SE comes
adding more and better basses.
with four bass guitar models but in most
other respects is the same as the full fingering and touch, which provides the fingerboard/keyboard and the bottom
Modo Bass 2 version, including all of the user with an impressive depth of control. bar. Buttons along the top access
patterns and the fretless option. Modo However, for those wanting an easy life, windows for Model, Play Style, String,
Bass 2 comes with 22 bass instrument just choosing a bass and then setting Electronics/Mics, Studio, Patterns and
models covering pretty much all the a couple of options such as pickup Control. To give an example of what
classic bass guitars, two fretless models choice and picking style still produces those buttons mean, Play Style lets
and two upright acoustic basses, one excellent results. As a regular user of you decide whether to use a pick or
dedicated to rockabilly sounds. Either of the original Modo Bass, I have to say your fingers — or to use a slapping
the lower‑tier versions can be upgraded that the modelled sounds are extremely technique. For the double bass there’s
to the full version. While you can run the convincing and come over with a much the option of pizzicato (plucked) or
original version of Modo Bass on the more organic quality than sample‑based slap. For finger playing there are even
same machine as Modo Bass 2, it is also alternatives. Apparently the modelling options for alternate fingering, index
possible to copy any existing presets to process has been further refined for finger playing or middle finger playing,
Modo Bass 2. Modo Bass 2. Of the new models, I really all with a choice of three weights of
IK like to stress that Modo Bass like both the fretless bass additions — touch: soft, normal and hard. When
and Modo Bass 2 go beyond virtual they really capture the organic whine of plucking, the tonality changes when
instruments as they model the entire the real thing. The upright basses are picking closer to the neck are also
process of playing bass, from choosing again incredibly authentic‑sounding. modelled in a realistic fashion. Notes
and playing the instrument itself to the can be allowed to ring when needed
amp and studio setup used to record
Modo Operandi and there’s also the option to confine
it. During the design process the The clearly set‑out user interface is fingering to the first five frets, after
techniques, positions, articulations and resizable and is divided into five main which any higher notes are all played
styles of playing of real bass players sections comprising the top bar, the on the G string. Alternatively, there’s
were studied right down to aspects of upper tab panel, the central view, the an easy mode based on an analysis

10 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

 8 channel microphone preamplifier

The attention to detail in the design of this preamp shows. No electrolytic capacitors in the signal path,
true differential amplifier circuitry, and a transimpedance (current feedback) gain stage result in all the
detail of my many microphones coming through. And the pre comes with a 20 year warranty (no joke).
I could work with two or three of the m801mk2 units as my only preamps at Jackpot! and I’d be totally
happy for the rest of my career. And I could stop worrying about which mic preamp to use...”
— Larry Crane, TapeOp Magazine, Jackpot! Recording Studio

www.gracedesign.com
 ON TE S T
I K M U LT I M E D I A M O D O B A S S 2

outside the range of the instrument,

but here they can also be located
on otherwise unused keys within the
playable range, for the benefit of those
using short keyboards. When set
this way the keyswitch takes priority
so the corresponding note will not
sound. By exploiting the options in
the Control section, it is possible to
switch from picked to slap style during
a performance, add slides, bends and
hammer-ons, introduce vibrato, play
harmonics, utilise string damping and so
on. In fact there are so many real-time
control actions that if you were to try to
use them all, it could be argued that it
would be easier just to learn to play the
bass guitar! However, for most songs, just
using a small number of them produces
a suitably realistic result. Perhaps the
biggest challenge is mastering the slides,
bends and vibrato needed to take the
Modo Bass 2 gives control over pretty much every conceivable aspect of your virtual bass. default fretless bass sounds to the next
level of realism.
of the fingering of 100 top bass riffs, or When it comes to the double bass, the
a ‘nearest to the last note played’ option. mic setup options and adjustments offer
Impressions
Other niceties include the option of a choice of capacitor or ribbon mics plus While I was seriously impressed by Modo
playing open stings or not, variable string a piezo signal that can be blended in. Bass in its original form, Modo Bass 2
noise, variable finger-off noise, slide had me at the addition of the fretless
noise, action height and, for the electric
Patterns models and the upright basses. If nothing
basses, fretted or fretless fingerboards. The Pattern section has been redesigned else had been added I would have
And if you think the sound might be better and hosts over 1000 MIDI bass patterns been a happy bunny, but the designers
with a pickup moved closer to or further organised by Genre, Section, Play Style, have worked hard in adding more
from the bridge, you can do that too. The Length, Key and Signature, with filter instrument models and improving the
strings themselves can be roundwound or options to make it easy to home in on means to control them in real time. The
flatwound on the electric basses and you what you need. Each pattern has a small new Pattern section is also impressive,
can choose nylon or steel for the upright visualisation that shows the relative and if you can find something to fit your
basses. Alternate drop tunings and five- or pitch and dynamics of the notes as you current project without too much editing,
six-string basses are also catered for. After might see them in a program such as you’ll be rewarded by a performance
this it will come as little surprise that you Melodyne, which gives you an idea of that sounds indistinguishable from the
can also choose a string gauge and then how busy the pattern is. real thing without having to deal with all
choose the sound of newly broken-in or As these are MIDI patterns, you the real-time control nuances yourself. It
aged strings. And that’s before you start can change the key and tempo (with still amazes me that the various models
to explore the onboard passive or active a DAW sync option) and you can edit sound so much like the basses they set
electronics. All this may seem excessively the patterns if they are not quite what out to emulate that you forget you are
forensic but it really does help to make you need. The patterns are organised listening to a digital recreation. That’s
the performances sound realistic, and into song parts such as intros, verses, the beauty of the Modo Bass paradigm
it enables the bass performances to choruses and so on making it easy to — you can use it at a very basic level and
fit any style of music, from ballads to piece together a whole song. Patterns still get great results or you can exploit
death metal. can also be played at half or double the real-time control to craft a virtuoso
A Stomp Out takes a direct signal speed. When you find a pattern that you performance.
after the pedalboard but before the like, you can drag it straight into a MIDI
amplifier, and you can select Distortion, track in your DAW. summary
Octave, Compression, Chorus, Delay and
Envelope Filter pedals as well as Graphic
Control While Modo Bass was exceptional, Modo
Bass 2 takes the concept further and also
EQ. In the Amp section there’s a choice This Control section is where you find adds two lovely fretless electric basses and
of solid-state or valve models with both MIDI control options based around the two upright basses.
the pedals and amps based around pitch wheel, keyswitches, aftertouch
IK’s AmpliTube modelling. The amount and so on, these enabling seriously $ Modo Bass 2 SE $149.99,
of room sound is variable and the mic deep real-time performance control. Modo Bass 2 $299.99.
positions can be adjusted. Keyswitches would normally be set up W www.ikmultimedia.com

12 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

 ON TE S T

Softube Model 82
DAV E G A L E

T
he humble Roland
SH-101; initially
shunned by the more
established synth generation,
but quickly popularised thanks
to its nose-diving secondhand
price during the late-’80s. It
was always a little bit... well,
plasticky, but it captured
the creative imagination of
a generation, thanks to its
pseudo-303 sonic tendencies
and simple signal flow.

Back To 82
Softube have an enviable
reputation for the recreation
of vintage classics in
software, both synthesizers
and effects plug-ins — their
recent Minimoog and Juno
emulations, for example,
have garnered high praise.
Their ethos for capturing the Software Synthesizer Hidden away, behind an arrow on the
right of the GUI, faders allow velocity and
essence of the original begins Softube take on Roland’s classic 101. aftertouch to modulate either the VCA or
with the plug-in window and filter cutoff. This is also where you’ll find
GUI. Model 82 appears in and contemporary. Of course, if you want that slightly the colour palette switch to select between
a more-white-than-grey hue, lighter sound, it’s only an EQ curve away (the 101 never grey, red and blue.
with a hint of a battering, benefited from a high-pass filter). These additional elements don’t really
presumably due to some virtual Keeping things pure, Softube have maintained the detract from the original. They are there if
gig or another! If the off-white single ADSR envelope, where other plug-ins, notably you want them, although a quick meander
doesn’t tick your box, you have the Roland 101 plug-in, have opted to offer two. With my through the collection of included presets
the option to switch to blue or purist hat on, I like Softube’s approach here, because will present relatively extensive use of
red, and before you ask, they the use of only one envelope alongside the option to these newly included features.
all sound the same! gate the VCA often brightens the sound, as the filter
As a seasoned 101 owner and VCA release phases co-exist to create interesting
Conclusion 101
myself the level of familiarity back-end decay and colour. You have to applaud Softube for striking
provided by the plug-in’s GUI such a fine balance between reverence for
layout is both extensive and
Model Updates the original and subtle developments that
endearing. The Source Mixer Amongst the characteristic charm, there are a number of enhance its performance. It’s a beautiful
is where it all begins, with the really helpful additions to the plug-in. The 101 sequencer user experience, and certainly in musical
volume faders for sawtooth, has become lodged in the synth vernacular as a byword contexts, stacks up very well against
square/pulse, sub-oscillator for an easy-to-input step-based sequencer, which is the original. In fact, I would suggest that
and white noise, which in turn an ethos continued here. Simply press Load and input it’s far more production-ready, thanks
feed the 24dB/octave resonant your notes or rests, and your sequence will be ready to to its greater low-end depth and weight
low-pass filter. In audible tests, perform upon the pressing of the Play button. Without and new facilities, without any ounce of
these initial components are the gate and clock inputs of the original, Model 82’s disrespect to the original, which has always
pretty indistinguishable from sequencer locks immediately to your DAW, with four been a firm favourite. Given the price, it’s
the original machine, all bar buttons allowing selection of note/step value. The difficult to ignore the temptation of that
one small detail: the original 101 same goes for the arpeggiator, which also works in the Roland sound.
was always a little lightweight standard 101 mode.
in the low-frequency bands, The VCA output is expanded by two effects. An summary
and Softube have clearly Overdrive adds plenty of fuzzy colour to the upper
Model 82 provides all the benefits and charm
made the decision to make the frequency bands, which is predictably effective when of the original 101, with a sonic signature that
Model 82 a shade more beefy applied to a resonant signal. It smacks of classic 101/303, can add mass and gravitas to contemporary
in the bottom end. There is sounding incredibly appealing. Meanwhile, a doubling and retro productions.
real depth to the sound, and feature induces a useful spacial effect, providing a sense
it somehow feels exactly the of mirrored, but marginally delayed, signals across the $ $99
same, only more gratifying left and right outputs. W www.softube.com

14 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

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 ON TE S T

Vanguard Audio
SAM INGLIS

T
here was a time when no

V44S Gen2
microphone catalogue was
complete without a flagship stereo
model. Typically, these mounted two
capacitor capsules one above the other,
either at a fixed 90-degree mutual angle
or with a rotating mount that allowed this
angle to be varied. Many also offered
Stereo Microphone
independent polar-pattern switching for The glory days of the stereo microphone are
each channel, enabling a wide variety long gone — or are they?
of stereo configurations including
Blumlein, Mid-Sides, and X-Y cardioids redesign some aspects of the mic, hence houses the mic itself, a 5-pin cable, a very
or hypercardioids. the ‘Gen2’. chunky shockmount and a splitter box.
Today, this sort of single-point stereo Although it’s a transformerless, solid-state
capacitor mic seems to have fallen out
Box Fresh design, the V44S is even bigger than
of fashion. There are lots of dedicated Vanguard Labs’ USP is to make their mics the classic AKG C24 valve mic, and
Mid-Sides mics on the market, but they affordable by using capsules and other weights in at a hefty 680g. The mount
are mainly intended for broadcast use; components from the Far East, but to has a threaded ring which screws onto
and although there are some excellent ensure high quality by carrying out final the the base of the mic; this holds the mic
stereo ribbons around, these are limited assembly and testing in the US. Each securely, but I found it rather fiddly and
to Blumlein recording, which isn’t V44S thus comes with an inspection awkward to adjust. Since the mic is only
always what you want. Personally, I’ve sheet confirming that it has passed supported at one end, it also tends to
long been a fan and enthusiastic user various visual and functional checks. This droop if used horizontally.
of multi-pattern stereo capacitor mics, is reassuring, although the review mic The splitter box presents the signals
so I was keen to try out the new V44S still didn’t come with a manual despite from the lower and upper capsules at the
Gen2 from Vanguard Labs. As the name “manual insertion” being one of the first two outputs, as you’d expect, and the
suggests, the V44S itself is not new, completed QC tasks. mic needs to receive 48V phantom power
but the manufacturers encountered The V44S ships in its own on both; but there’s also a third XLR that
some production challenges during the attaché case, with rather pointless puts out a polarity-reversed signal from
pandemic which forced them to change combination-locking catches. Contained the upper capsule. As long as you can
suppliers, and took the opportunity to within are an attractive wooden box that spare a third mixer channel, this provides

16 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

 ON TE S T
VA NGUA R D AU DIO V 4 4 S GE N 2

a way to decode a Mid-Sides signal and maximum SPL as 135dB, it’s not capsules are internally patterned after the
from the V44S without doing too much stated which pattern the noise was classic Neumann K67.
funky routing. And as well as a 5-pin XLR measured in, or what level of distortion Another context where I’ll often wheel
for the V44S itself, the splitter box has is reached at 135dB SPL. In practice, it out a stereo mic is for recording singing
two further three-pin input connectors seemed to be about 10dB hotter than my guitarists. By setting both halves of the
labelled Mid and Sides, allowing it old AKG C414 EBs, which would suggest mic to figure-8 and positioning it carefully,
to perform the same Sides splitting a sensitivity of around 20mV/Pa. you can often get good separation on the
function with other mics if needed. It’s vocal and guitar without the time-of-arrival
nice that Vanguard have considered
Matching Up differences and consequent comb
these circumstances, but why not go the I began by trying informally to check filtering that arises from positioning two
whole hog and include a full-blown M-S the matching between the two mics independently. Again, the V44S did
decoding matrix? capsules. Hugh Robjohns has described a sterling job, capturing an authoritative
a relatively simple way of doing this, vocal sound and a really nice guitar tone
Heady Wine which involves setting the mutual angle with just the right amout of bite. It was
You’d struggle to ignore a mic this size to zero, hard-panning the two outputs also clear that the nulls to the sides of the
at the best of times, but just to make the and recording someone walking all figure-8 pattern are deep and true.
V44S completely unmissable, Vanguard the way round the mic whilst talking
Labs have polished the metalwork til it into it. If the capsules are matched,
Looks Aren’t Everything
gleams, before finishing the body in “high the recorded voice will remain dead I usually prefer my studio equipment
gloss Pinot Noir”. Incidentally, whereas centre on playback; if not, it will appear to look functional rather than flashy, so
most capacitor mics have a two-layer to wander or spread across the stereo I confess I was initially dubious about the
mesh grille to protect the capsule, the image. The review mic performed very Vanguard V44S. That scepticism quickly
V44S has a surprisingly open single-layer well in all three polar patterns. vanished when I set it up, and before
basket. You’ll want to be careful about Many old-school stereo mics are the first day was out, I was a confirmed
dust and other potential contaminants equalised for diffuse-field recording, for fan. I think this is a really nicely judged
getting in, and use a pop screen for use as a main pair in distant recording design that captures the spirit of
close-up vocal work. of orchestras and the like. For example, classic stereo mics, even though it isn’t
The capsules are conventional if you look at the frequency response a clone of any particular vintage model.
one-inch, dual-sided, true-capacitor for the Neumann USM69, you’ll see Feature-wise, the only thing I really
designs, which can be switched that it isn’t a ‘stereo U87’, even though missed was a hypercardioid polar pattern:
independently between cardioid, figure-8 it uses the same capsule: there’s X-Y cardioids don’t always deliver a very
and omni polar patterns. This is done a prominent peak at 10kHz in most wide stereo image, though the ability to
using miniature three-way toggles on the polar patterns. I asked Vanguard Labs push the mutual angle to 120 degrees
body of the mic, the position of which is whether they had taken a similar does help. Sound-wise, though, I think
not always easy to see from a distance. approach with the V44S and they told the V44S is spot-on, and it shines both in
There are no pads or high-pass filters. me that they had tuned the mic by ear conventional stereo miking applications
In some stereo mics, the upper or rather than according to measurements and less obvious dual-mono roles.
lower capsule rotates inside a fixed or theoretical principles. In practice, this It also faces surprisingly little
headbasket; in others, the upper capsule does seem to have produced something competition. As I mentioned earlier,
and its basket rotate together. Both types of a lift from 10kHz upwards, but not so stereo capacitor mics seem to be out of
can be prone to mechanical failure, and much as to unbalance the sound when favour right now, and the most obvious
Vanguard have developed a new system, used close-up. alternative I know of is the Avantone
which, they say, should prove more I frequently use single-point stereo CK40. This is outwardly similar and quite
robust. This allows the upper half of the mics as drum overheads. They are easier a bit more affordable, though I can’t
basket, capsule included, to be twisted to set up than spaced pairs, and often say how it compares in quality terms.
in 15-degree steps to a maximum offset easier to work with at mixdown, even Antelope’s Edge Quadro is considerably
of 120 degrees. It certainly feels decisive though they may come across as less more expensive, but does offer the
and precise. However, the V44S does impressive in isolation. I was very taken additional flexibility of mic modelling,
share one annoying feature with nearly with the V44S in this role: it produced while if you have the budget, Neumann
every stereo mic I’ve ever used, which is a seriously chunky sound with lots of still make the USM69. For the rest of us,
that the logo indicating the front of the midrange heft, and a low end that was though, the V44S is a pretty compelling
mic is aligned with the fixed capsule. In weighty without being exaggerated. option!
X-Y or Blumlein, of course, the ‘front’ is 45 Such high-frequency lift as was audible
degrees away from this point — but it’s didn’t make the sound subjectively bright, summary
not obvious by looking whether that’s 45 and in comparison, my 414s came across
A big, bold, larger-than-life stereo mic with
degrees to the left or right. as being much more sparkly and tizzy on a sound to match!
The published specifications for the the cymbals. In fact, although the capsules
V44S are, alas, a little sketchy. There are in the V44S are edge-terminated, the mic
$ $1299
no polar pattern or frequency response as a whole struck me as having much T Vanguard Audio Labs +1 909 920 5600
charts, no sensitivity measurement, and more of a ‘German’ than an ‘Austrian’ E bonjour@vanguardaudiolabs.com
although self-noise is quoted as 14dBA sound, and Vanguard confirmed that the W www.vanguardaudiolabs.com

18 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

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 ON TE S T

Klevgrand Fosfat adding life and weight to drums that

have either been recorded/programmed
in a sub-optimal way or where the
character isn’t quite what you need for
a given production. As there’s a common
Drum Reinforcement Plug-in Floor control for the oscillator and noise
sections, Fosfat produces the most
Fosfat makes it easy to reinforce your drums with sculpted predictable results when it’s used to
noise or sine waves. enhance individual drum sounds. Used in
that way, it is incredibly easy to add both
the upper left of the screen, an envelope punch and definition to kicks and toms,
PAUL WHITE
display shows both the input signal as well as adding some sizzle to hi-hats,

A
lthough described as being envelope and the action of the envelope and with a strong pitch drop and long
‘transient fertiliser’ and intended follower, with a Floor control to adjust release time it can also add a convincing
specifically to help you add weight its sensitivity. The user can adjust the electronic Syndrum vibe to kicks, toms
and/or definition to drums, Klevgrand’s trigger frequency and bandwidth for the and snares. But there’s also plenty of
Fosfat isn’t a transient processor in the trigger signal; like a gate’s sidechain filter, potential for creative use on drum loops
classic SPL Transient Designer mould. you tune this to reduce the risk of false too. Of course, it’s much harder to target
Rather, it is intended to provide a quick, triggers from spill. There’s a Solo control specific drums in this scenario, but you
easy and effective way to perform the so you can hear only the trigger signal, can tune the sidechain filter, and if you
classic engineering trick whereby a and this signal is used to trigger both the need a different sensitivity or trigger
drum signal is used to key a gate — the oscillator and noise sections. frequency range for the oscillator and
idea being that as the gate opens it The oscillator has adjustable Attack noise sections, you can use two (or more)
lets a low-frequency sine wave or noise and Release sliders with controls for instances of Fosfat.
source through to add some heft at a kick Frequency, Pitch Drop, Gain and a Low I don’t really have any major criticisms,
or tom’s fundamental pitch, or provide Cut filter. The last might seem a curious particularly at this price, though it might
additional snap or sizzle for snares and feature, given that on a clean sine wave have been nice to include the option of
hi-hats. To this end, Fosfat tracks the a filter can change only the level, not the a MIDI output alongside the oscillator and
dynamics of the incoming sound and tone, but it can serve as a ‘safety’ feature, noise sources, so that you could trigger
adds in tonal and filtered-noise textures. to prevent loud low-frequency sounds synths, samplers and so forth. Overall,
Importantly, the level of the triggered making your speaker cones flap as you then, Fosfat is a very handy tool that’s
sounds follows the source level, so the experiment. For reinforcing and sculpting easy to use and very effective both for
correct dynamics for drum hits of different the high end, Fosfat can trigger filtered creative processing and for rescuing
levels are preserved. Fosfat takes the noise, and this can be used to enhance limp drum recordings. Well worth
technique a little further, though, since it snare or hi-hat sounds. Again there are checking out.
allows the user to dial in some pitch drop separate controls for Attack and Release
— which could be anything from an 808 so you can go from a long sizzle to a summary
bass drop to a classic Simmons effect — short click (which can be used to add
A quick, easy and effective means of
to prevent the oscillator’s contribution attack to kicks too), and you can shape reinforcing or reviving drum sounds by
from sounding too static. the frequency content with filtering. The layering in an oscillator or noise source.
All of the usual plug-in formats are user can also adjust the stereo width and
supported, including AAX, AU and VST gain of the added sound. $ Full price $39.99. Discounted to $23.99
(Apple M1 optimised on Macs), plus AUv3 Fosfat is incredibly quick and easy when going to press.
and standalone support for iPads too. To to set up, but it’s also very effective in W https://klevgrand.com

20 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

 ON TE S T

Hifiman
HE400se
Planar Magnetic
Headphones
Hifiman’s mission to democratise
premium headphone technology
continues.

SAM INGLIS
adequately comfortable, though the 4kHz range that can make cymbals,
headband is quite narrow and thus tends tambourines and vocal sibilance stick

B
ack in April I looked at three to bear down on one particular spot on out jarringly; and, if anything, there’s
models from Hifiman’s extensive top of the head. actually a slight dip in the low midrange.
range of studio and hi-fi-oriented In a direct comparison with the Sundaras,
headphones. Of these, the Arya and
Stealth & Efficiency I also had the feeling that the very
Sundara are notable for being planar Hifiman models incorporate diverse low bass was quite subdued, which is
magnetic designs. In the right hands, this proprietary technologies, including a shame as this is generally a strength of
technology can deliver impressive results, asymmetrical drivers and earcups, planar magnetic designs.
but relatively few manufacturers have and the Window Shade louvre design With the possible exception of this
mastered the art of making high-quality employed on the Arya. Not to be left out, anaemic low bass, though, any other
planar magnetic drivers, and they tend to be the HE400se boasts “stealth magnets” non-linearities in the frequency response
quite pricey. So, at a shade under £300, the which are said to reduce “wave diffraction of the HE400se should be easy enough
Sundaras are one of the most aggressively turbulence” and, consequently, lower to address using Sonarworks or similar
priced open-backed planar models on distortion. With a nominal impedance of corrective equalisation. If that’s the
the market, and they definitely punch 32Ω they should be easy to drive from case, they present a pretty compelling
above their weight. With that in mind, I was any source, and although they are 3dB value-for-money proposition. Even the
intrigued to try out another Hifiman planar less sensitive than the Sundara, I don’t more affordable planar models from
model which is even more affordable. think they will prove a challenging load rival manufacturers such as Audeze and
The HE400se is similar in general for headphone amps. In general, in fact, Avantone cost several hundred, so the
design to the Sundara, but in typical the historic problem of low sensitivity now HE400ses are really sharing this sector
Hifiman fashion, they differ in almost seems to have been thoroughly overcome of the market only with Fostex’s T20RP
every detail, from the Y-shaped cable in modern planar magnetic designs. Mk3s, which sound very different. And
to the pattern of the grille. The two The other issue that has traditionally whilst their low cost is to a certain extent
models’ earcups are pretty much the limited the performance of planar apparent both in their build quality and
same diameter, but those of the HE400se headphones is high-frequency response. their sound, they still represent an awful
are noticeably deeper, and are finished This is something Hifiman have worked lot of headphone for the money.
in silver rather than black. They use very hard to address, and all the models
a conventional padded headband rather of theirs I’ve tried have an impressively summary
than the two-piece design of the Sundara, extended treble. The HE400se is no
The HE400se makes Hifiman’s planar
and accessories such as the cable and exception, and I can’t imagine anyone magnetic technology available at
packaging have a rather more basic feel to calling them dull or muted in tonality. a remarkably low price, without losing most of
them, quality-wise. That’s hardly surprising However, at this price it perhaps isn’t its core benefits.
given the cost of the HE400se, which surprising that they don’t sound perfectly
retails at an astonishingly low price for neutral either. There’s a subtle but $ $109
a planar magnetic model. I found them persistent sharpness somewhere in the W www.hifiman.com

22 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

 ON TE S T

PreSonus Revelator Dynamic

PAUL WHITE
USB Microphone
PreSonus’ new desktop mic gives you a broadcast-ready
U
SB mics are now common, but
PreSonus brought something sound out of the box.
new to the table with their
original Revelator multi-pattern USB the part for voiceover and broadcast indicating that the Volume control is now
capacitor microphone, by giving it work. The body fixes, via a swivel mount, affecting the mic gain. Normal operation
onboard processing. Now they’ve to a standard mic stand or the included is resumed automatically once you’ve
released a cardioid-only dynamic tripod, and all the power for the mic is made an adjustment.
equivalent called, reasonably enough, provided through a mini-USB port on the
the Revelator Dynamic. underside of the mic, alongside which is
Universal Control
Based on the same capsule as a 3.5mm TRS headphone jack. Included The Revelator Dynamic has the ability to
PreSonus’ PD-70 XLR mic, the Revelator with the mic is a licence for PreSonus’ store and recall customisable presets,
Dynamic comes with a windshield, Studio One Artist DAW, and the PreSonus with processing on offer including
a folding tripod desktop stand and a USB Magic Bundle of plug-ins and sounds. a high-pass filter, gate, compressor, EQ,
cable. Its dynamic capsule is optimised On the front of the mic body are limiter and voice modifier. It also has two
for close working, making it well-suited buttons named Preset and Monitor. The ‘virtual’ inputs, which make it possible
to podcasting or vocal recording, but it latter, when pressed, lights up blue and to mix your voice with audio from other
can also tolerate high SPLs so instrument enables the headphone volume to be applications using an integral loopback
recording is not out of the question. adjusted using the Volume knob. Pushing function. All this is controlled from the
It also has a built-in headphone amp. the Volume knob mutes the mic, while PreSonus Universal Control software,
Physically, the mic (which is an pushing and holding the Monitor button which recognises which PreSonus
end-address design) looks very much turns the LEDs from blue to green, products you have connected and then

24 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

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or trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries.
 ON TE S T
PR E S ON US R E V E L ATOR DY N A MI C

The Universal Control app lets you access the Revelator Dynamic’s onboard processing.
provides a control panel for whichever
one you select. Here you’ll find a mixer Rather than overwhelm the novice background noise, and while that isn’t
for adjusting the mic level in the mix user with controls, the six processing usually an issue when working up close,
along with the DAW playback level, the stages may be viewed simply as choices it can sneak up on you if you apply
two virtual input levels and the amount of presets. Stages can be turned off compression or work a little further
of reverb that is added to the mic signal. when not needed, and the entire from the mic; the built-in gate can really
The blend of input signal in the monitor processing chain can also be bypassed. help here. I found the Universal Control
mix can also be controlled from here, as For those wanting a deeper level of software very user-friendly, and while
can the master level. control, there’s a more advanced view I don’t have much use for the faux
The Revelator Dynamic can store four showing all the key controls for the vocoder or robot voices included in the
presets internally, which is useful when individual processing stages, along with voice processor section myself, I’m sure
you’re working with somebody will love
a mobile device that them. The more usual
can’t run Universal vocal treatments are
Control. In addition, “The Revelator Dynamic delivers a robust more than capable of
four factory presets vocal sound that’s well-suited to podcasting but tweaking the vocal
and a further eight tone to your liking,
user preset slots are may also be tweaked to suit various vocalists and being able to add
accessible when reverb hasn’t been
running Universal
using the channel strip controls.” so much fun since
Control. Pressing those plastic toy mics
the Preset button on with the spring reverb
the mic scrolls through the four internal graphs with draggable points, plus the built in. The bundled software is icing on
presets: the LED backlight changes ability to change the order of the stages. a cake already high in calories, and given
colour to match the colour used in the The manual also includes many examples its price, it would be difficult to describe
editor. If you press and hold the Preset of how to set up the Revelator Dynamic the Revelator Dynamic as anything other
button, the preset is bypassed, leaving for common tasks such as Google Meet than a bargain.
only any reverb you may have added. for Chromebook, Zoom, live streaming
Press again and the preset is back. and so on. summary
The Universal Control app also
features a Hot Key, which is essentially
In Use An affordable USB microphone that sounds
great and packs plenty of processing
a preset slot that you can bring in and out The Revelator Dynamic delivers a robust options for a variety of podcasting and
of play very quickly: I’m sure the more vocal sound that’s well-suited to music-recording situations.
creative user will find this very handy podcasting but may also be tweaked to
for throwing a quick special effect onto suit various vocalists using the channel $ $199.95
their voice. strip controls. The electronics add a little W www.presonus.com

26 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

 beautifully immersive

Amphion Loudspeakers Ltd.

Kuopio, Finland
Tel: +358 17 2882 100 | @AmphionLoudspeakers | info@amphion.fi | amphion.fi
 ON TE S T

Audeze Euclid
provide isolation. The iSines required
support from earhooks to stay in place
reliably, but the Euclids are small enough
to be retained by friction alone.

In-ear Monitors Euclidian Geometry

The Euclids are supplied in a compact
Amazingly, Audeze have shrunk their proven planar and robust ABS case made by Pelican,
magnetic driver technology to fit into a conventional earbud which has shaped cutouts for the
format. How do they sound in practice? earphones themselves and a larger
compartment for the cable and other
components. A mesh bag is also included,
SAM INGLIS However, Audeze haven’t ducked the as is a Bluetooth cipher module. They
challenge of making planar magnetic aren’t the smallest earphones I’ve ever
technology more compact and, back seen, but no-one could deny that they

P
lanar magnetic headphones are in 2017, they launched the intriguing are small enough to qualify as earphones,
enjoying a renaissance, and iSine 10 and 20. Billed as the first-ever and once you’ve achieved a tight fit in the
Audeze deserve much of the planar in-ears, these were perhaps ear canal, all that’s needed to keep them
credit. Thanks to the advances made better thought of as a halfway house securely in place is to loop the cable over
by Dr Drag Colich, they have overcome between earphones and open-backed the top of the ear. As with most earbuds,
traditional limitations such as lack of headphones. They didn’t offer the a tight fit is also necessary to get any sort
sensitivity and a poor high-frequency discreetness or the isolation of of bass response.
response, whilst also building on conventional earbuds, and they were The Euclids ship with silicone tips
the established strong points of the fiddly to put on and pack away, but they in three different sizes, plus two pairs
technology. Flagship Audeze models sounded good, and represented an of Comply foam tips. I couldn’t get any
such as the LCD-X thus offer a transient impressive technical achievement. of the silicone tips to form a seal in my
response, bass extension and low Five years on, the next stage of own ears, but the foam tips worked well
distortion that is difficult or impossible Audeze’s miniaturisation programme enough, and if you use any other generic
to match in a conventional moving-coil has delivered the Euclid: a pair of planar earbuds on a regular basis I don’t think
design. The only significant negative that magnetic earphones designed as a direct you’d have trouble getting used to the
they share with old-school planar (also alternative to conventional earbuds. So, Euclids. The Pentaconn cable is a tough
known as orthodynamic) models is that whereas the iSines were open-backed but lightweight braided design, and
they’re big and heavy. and leaky, the Euclids are designed to attaches to the earphones themselves

28 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

 THE

ULTIMATE
AUDIO SOLUTION

F O R C O N T E N T C R E AT O R S

Fin
nd out more
e att ro
ode.ccom/rccp-iii

The Choicce of To
odayy’s Creativve Generratio
on.™ rode..com
 ON TE S T
AUDEZE EUCLID

using gold-plated MMCX plugs, which

have a solid push fit whilst allowing free
rotation. Overall, whereas the iSines
always seemed a little bit precarious in
use, it feels as though there’s a lot less to
go wrong with the Euclids.
Conventional earphones use either
a single moving-coil dynamic driver, or
a balanced armature design which can
have eight or more separate drivers.
The latter can offer better specifications
on paper, but inevitably, the need for Unlike balanced-armature earphones, which use multiple drivers, the Euclids employ a
multiple crossovers brings with it some single planar magnetic driver, eliminating the potential for crossover artefacts.
deleterious side-effects. One of the chief
selling points of the Euclid is that they case around is, in my view, more than All in all then, I probably would rather
can match or exceed the specs of a good compensated for by the advantages of mix on the Audeze Euclids than on most
balanced-armature model despite using good headphones. Are the Euclids good pairs of affordable headphones — but
only a single driver, with no crossover enough to convert this diehard to the joys therein lies the rub. The Euclids are
artifacts. Audeze say that the Euclid has of in-ears? quite a long way from being affordable
the highest dynamic range of any in-ear Comfort-wise, they are similar to any to most people, and at around the same
monitor “in its category”, and it is said other pair of high-quality universal-fit price, you can buy some stunningly
to be able to deliver more than 120dB earpieces. Which, in my case, means good conventional headphones. Even
SPL before some unspecified distortion I never learned to ignore, or enjoy, the assuming that the need for isolation
level is reached. Frequency response is sensation of having them stuffed into my rules out open-back models, including
given as 10Hz-50kHz, thought without ear canals, but your mileage will probably most of Audeze’s own designs, that still
any tolerances, this is not a particularly vary. To me, they delivered about the pitches the Euclids against the likes
meaningful specification. same amount of isolation as a typical pair of AKG’s K872. It also means they go
More directly relevant to everyday use of closed-back headphones, or perhaps head-to-head with the very best custom
are the specifications moulded in-ears,
for impedance and which are likely to be
sensitivity. At 12Ω and “If you find universal-fit earpieces comfortable in more comfortable,
105dB for a 1mW input provide even better
respectively, these general, and you particularly value compactness, isolation and be
suggest that it should
be possible to drive
isolation and portability, the Euclids are more consistent.
Nevertheless, if you
the Euclids as loud as absolutely a valid choice on sonic grounds.” find universal-fit
you like from pretty earpieces comfortable
much any source, and in general, and you
so it proved in practice. Perhaps the most slightly more: another judgement which is particularly value compactness, isolation
eye-catching spec, though, is the figure likely to be different for different users. and portability, the Euclids are absolutely
of less than 0.1 percent THD for a 100dB In terms of sound, though, I have a valid choice on sonic grounds. And
SPL input (presumably a 1kHz sine wave, to admit that I was impressed. It’s hard inasmuch as I personally still lean the
though this isn’t stated). No specification to perform fair A/B comparisons with other way, that’s no reflection on what
for isolation is given, and of course this is conventional headphones, but my Audeze have done with this design.
likely to depend on the choice of tip and sense was that these are comparable Creating a full-range planar magnetic
how good a fit you can achieve. with the better closed-back models driver on such a small scale is an
I have tried. The tonality struck me as incredible achievement, and whether
In Or Over? generally neutral; if anything, there’s or not the Euclids meet your budget
Speaking for myself, I’ve rarely been a slight emphasis in the midrange, which and your needs, the potential for future
tempted by generic earbuds for mixing on is probably the least bad area to have products is exciting.
the go. Yes, they’re incredibly compact, slight emphasis in a monitoring system.
but I never find them as comfortable as And the overall sound is more natural summary
headphones, and because they’re so than you might expect from in-ears, with
sensitive to fit, there’s always a nagging no obvious splashiness or weirdness They are costly and no custom moulds are
available, but Audeze’s planar magnetic
concern about the consistency of the from crossover artifacts. At the low end,
in-ears sound good and represent an
sound from one session to another. provided I’d put them in right, I could impressive technical breakthrough.
Custom moulds may overcome those hear EQ moves at 50Hz on bass and kick
drawbacks, but even then, I’m not drums; at the top end, their frequency
$ $1299
convinced that in-ears improve on the response was perhaps a little muted T Audeze +1 714 581 8010
best on-ear headphones for sound above 10kHz, but that’s probably better E support@audeze.com
quality. The drudgery of carrying an extra than being too bright. W www.audeze.com

30 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

 MODEL 670

MODEL 670
“When only the best will do”

Tube-based Vari-Mu Compression

Manufactured by Heritage Audio

Madrid, Spain - Headquarters
 ON TE S T

KIT Plugins Mo-Q

Analogue-modelling EQ Plug-in sound, and I loved that about

Mo-Q. It’s so refreshing to
The second plug-in in KIT’s Blackbird range aims to bring a little simply turn the controls
Motown magic to your DAW. until you like how things are
sounding. It can also lead you
a general-purpose EQ, but there’s a clever choice of to investigate what happens
NEIL ROGERS
frequencies, and the broad bands interact. There’s when you tweak what might

F
rom their base in Nashville, KIT also a certain amount of analogue character, which perhaps seem less obvious
Plugins are one of the latest varies according to how hard you drive it. parts of the spectrum, such
developers to take on the as around 800Hz.
challenge of bringing a convincingly
In Use But it’s by no means only
analogue sound to our DAW software. I was mixing a lot of electric-guitar-heavy music while about the workflow: Mo-Q is
I’ve been using their BB N105 plug-in assessing Mo-Q, and something I always find a little one of the better-sounding
(reviewed in SOS March 2022: tricky with such material is adding presence without digital tools that I’ve tried in
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/ making things sound brittle or harsh. Dialling in recent years, and I particularly
kit-plugins-bb-n105) for a while; it’s an a 5kHz boost and adding a little at 130Hz, I was often like the way in which you can
emulation of the preamp and EQ section able to add brightness and clarity with Mo-Q, without push the high midrange and
of Blackbird Studios’ Neve 8078 console, losing weight or introducing anything unpleasant. add weight to bass parts.
and it really does have a convincingly It was similarly helpful with kick and snare drums, In summary, then, Mo-Q
analogue sound. For their latest release, which often exhibit unpleasant ‘boxy’ frequencies is a great, musical-sounding
KIT have again teamed up with John in the 320Hz area. People often associate Motown EQ that offers a convincing
McBride at Blackbird, this time to model records with a great bass sound, of course, and analogue-like sound, with
a very rare piece: the fabled Motown while Mo-Q can’t turn you into James Jamerson, subtle coloration and some
EQ. These units were never available I found that, by playing with the 50, 130 and 800 Hz interesting interaction
commercially and with fewer than 40 units bands, I could soon add serious weight to bass parts between the bands. If you’re
known to exist today all are, of course, in while keeping things tight and audible in a busy mix. tired of surgical digital EQs in
the hands of collectors and a few lucky The 12.5kHz band can add a lovely ‘shine’ to vocal which everything’s possible
engineers and studios. parts too. In fact, each of the seven EQ bands seems but the visuals distract and
KIT’s Mo-Q is available in AAX, to have a very practical use: the engineers who every parameter seems to
VST3 and AU formats and authorised created the hardware version clearly understood need setting, then Mo-Q
using iLok (cloud or dongle), with two how to make recorded music translate! As well as could freshen up everyday
simultaneous authorisations per licence. sculpting the sound of individual tracks, I used the mixing jobs. Definitely worth
Mac M1 support is already here for VST Mo-Q across some whole mixes, where I found it taking the time to check out
and AU, and an update is pending for could add a convincingly analogue-like presence the free demo.
AAX. It’s very simple to use, and really is and vibe. In fact, it can be very addictive in that role!
all about turning the dials until you like summary
how it sounds, which, it has to be said,
Motoring On
A great-sounding model of one
can be pretty refreshing! Music is all about vibe and feeling, and mixing it of the rarest of analogue EQs,
The seven EQ bands each have shouldn’t have to be a precise, formulaic process — Mo-Q has a lot to commend it.
a fixed frequency and bandwidth, and you shouldn’t need to spend an age tweaking every
allow you to cut/boost by up to 8dB. This parameter. People often say they still use hardware $ $99.
might strike you as pretty limiting for as much for the way it makes them work as for the W https://kitplugins.com

32 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

“Finally, a headphone
I can mix records on”
- Manny Marroquin, 11-time Grammy Winner

MM-500
SERIES
 ON TE S T

Hologram Electronics
Microcosm Multi-effects Pedal

SIMON SMALL With granular processing, pitch manipulation, reverb,

modulation and a looper, this isn’t just a tool for guitarists.

T
he Microcosm is a truly unique
pedal from Hologram Electronics, tempo-locked rhythms or loop-based Based on this list of features, you may
but that’s hardly surprising — unique ambience. In total, the Microcosm features already be pigeonholing the Microcosm as
is precisely what we’ve come to expect 11 effect algorithms and 44 preset variations. ‘one for the ambient guitarists’ but, while
from the masterminds behind the Infinite Alongside these, you can shape your sound it may well be a wonderful tool for them,
Jets pedal! This pedal is many things: using built-in modulation effects, gorgeous this pedal also has plenty of potential
a looper, granular sampler, delay, reverb, stereo reverb (with four selectable modes), as songwriting tool, and it could be
pitch modulator, filter... The list goes on, but a resonant low-pass filter and a stereo a wonderful secret weapon for producers
at its core it is a granular processor which phrase looper, which can capture up to one too. You may also already be thinking
can reinterprate and reform your sound minute of audio. You also have a freeze that the Microcosm promises to be an
into something sounding more magical, function, extensive MIDI support and overwhelming experience, but Hologram
be that expansive pads, deep drones, expression-pedal support too. have done a great job of making this pedal

34 September 2022 / w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m
 ON TE S T
HOLOGRAM ELECTRONICS MICROCOSM

seem very logical and straightforward to effect in its own right, of course, but it would dry blend control, but hold Shift to access
use; hidden features are kept to a minimum also be great for transitions between songs. its secondary function and it becomes
and there’s an excellent manual. When it comes to the knobs, there are a master volume. The Time knob can
familiar parameters such as Filter and Mix, be used either to control the musical
Connections & Control but there are also more vague labels like subdivision of an effect or, if Tempo is
The Microcosm is a beautiful thing to Space and Activity. The reason for this is selected by pressing Shift, as an alternative
behold, a real centrepiece for one’s that some knobs are macro controls — in to tapping the tempo on the footswitch.
pedalboard. Similar in size to Strymon’s other words, one knob governs multiple (The tempo of the pedal can also be set
larger offerings, such as their Timeline parameters, to allow for easy editing and using a MIDI Clock).
and Big Sky, it’s actually slightly wider. musical experimentation. For example, On the Shape control, there are different
You’ll find a quarter-inch TRS mono/ the Activity knob controls the density of areas that you can dial in for different
stereo input jack and separate left and the selected effect algorithm, and when wave shapes. These are used to apply
right quarter-inch TS output jacks on the turned clockwise always adds complexity a contour to certain characteristics of the
rear panel, and I can only assume that and variety to the sound. But the specific effect, such as volume or filter envelopes.
the TRS input was chosen to save space. functionality behind Activity actually Its secondary function is to change the
Still, most guitarists will use a mono input varies from preset to preset — in short, modulation frequency, and the modulation
and for the rest of us it’s easy enough you can treat it as a ‘do more or do less’ depth is controlled by the Repeats knob’s
to use a TRS cable or Y lead, so I see control. Like Activity, the Repeats control secondary function. I found that each
no issue with that decision. The input is affects different parameters per preset but waveform behaved differently in each
also switchable from instrument to line essentially determines the effect duration patch but everything was always eminently
levels via the global menu. You have the or frequency, and it works in tandem with usable and, importantly, easy to change for
luxury of full-size MIDI DIN in and out/thru the Activity control to provide access to on-the-fly experimentation.
connectors, and there’s a conventional a huge variety of sounds. The manual gives One of the controls you’ll use most
quarter-inch expression input jack. Finally, a good example of this using the Tunnel is the Preset Selector, which scrolls
there’s a standard 9V DC centre-negative algorithm, for which Activity controls the through algorithms or presets, and can
power connector; the Microcosm works depth of the sample and filter manipulation, be pushed to change the direction, while
perfectly well with typical power bricks, but while Repeats adjusts the amount of time it a press-and-hold allows you to save
Hologram also include a power supply in takes for the drone to decay. user presets. Speaking of which, the
the box — something which always seems The Space control mixes in the Microcosm’s User Preset section has 16
to please synth players, who are less likely Microcosm’s stereo delay and reverb save slots split into four banks, and presets
to have a pedalboard-style supply to hand. effects, again with both effects controlled retain any parameters and loops that were
On the top, the simple but elegant by a single knob. The secondary feature active at the time of saving. Any overdubs
aesthetic design and futuristic lights (accessed by holding Shift) allows you will be mixed down into a single loop file, so
certainly demand your attention, but to change between four different reverb that additional overdubs can be layered on
the three footswitches and eight control styles, each varying in length and character. top in future performances.
knobs are what’s important in practice, All of them sound amazing — while they can
and Hologram have been smart with their seem quite heavy-handed in large amounts,
Algorithms
control choices. The central footswitch is that suits this pedal and you can turn Space I’d love to discuss every single preset
a bypass, the left one is used for tap tempo fully clockwise for a 100% wet effect or dial in detail this review, but that could fill
and the right controls a Hold effect, which it back for less. a book! The 11 algorithms are separated
freezes your most recent piece of playing Filter controls the frequency for into four sections, categorised by effect
into a continuous playback cycle — a nice a low-pass filter, which is useful for taming type. Micro Loop works by creating layers
the effects or, with hands-on manipulation, of short loops and playing them back at
for sweeps. The secondary control, of various speeds; these combine to form
Hologram Electronics course, sets the resonance. The Mix new rhythmic phrases and tonal colours.
Microcosm knob’s primary purpose is a classic wet/ A stand-out algorithm in this section is
$459
pros
• Stunning array of granular-based
effects.
• Always easy to use, despite
dual-function knobs.
• Nicely thought-out looper.
• MIDI controllable.

cons
• Dual L-R input jacks would be nice.

summary
This surprising and wonderful pedal
certainly ticks the boxes for ambient
guitarists, but it’s good for so much
more than that! The Microcosm offers both MIDI I/O and an expression pedal input.

36 September 2022 / w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m
 ON TE S T
HOLOGRAM ELECTRONICS MICROCOSM

Mosaic, which makes overlapping phrases

play back at different speeds and octaves,
according to which preset variation you
choose. Playing a simple chord can create
a cacophony of textures, which dance
around the audio that was played in. This
is one of the simple joys of Microcosm: you
can just pick an algorithm, input simple
audio and be rewarded with some real
sonic interest.
The Glitch section creates real-time
rearrangements, with the incoming signal
played back at random or controlled
intervals. Algorithms include Blocks,
Interrupt and Arp. Interrupt glitches
your dry signal with pitch-shifted bursts,
micro-montages, and various other
modifiers. When set conservatively it adds
small controlled artefacts and glitching
— thoroughly enjoyable on a clean,
washed-out guitar. It’s equally fun when
There’s plenty of control on board: most of the knobs each have primary and secondary functions, the
used on a drum machine, with which I’ve
latter accessed by pressing the Shift button.
been using it to create interesting fills.
Granules is where you’ll find your new Once activated, the left footswitch compositions, as sequences and
favourite granular effects. Haze uses can be used to begin record mode. The interlocking rhythmic elements can be
clusters of grains that create a wash indicator lights will glow red while recording continually layered while remaining in
of sound, ranging from short diffused and the Phrase Looper button will blink sync. Burst allows for the creation of fast,
samples to a mixture of normal-speed and during the last five seconds of available one-layer loops; the left footswitch will
half-speed grains. Tunnel uses cyclical recording time, which is a nice feature. record a loop only while the left footswitch
micro-loops to generate hypnotic drones, Press the left footswitch again to close the is depressed. Depressing the footswitch
a favourite setting of mine being ‘D’, which loop and immediately begin playback. You again will immediately delete the phrase
is envelope-triggered, and compresses can repeat this to record overdubs on top and begin capturing new audio. I found this
and lengthens the drone sample length. of your initial loop, and if you don’t like your to be enjoyable for creating on-the-hoof
Strum uses rhythmic chains of recent note latest overdub you can undo it by holding glitching and short phrases. Looper Only
onsets to create cascading chains and the left footswitch. The right footswitch is mode allows you to mute the effects and
phase effects. Multi Delay houses two used to stop the looper’s playback — on use the pedal as a traditional looper.
settings, Pattern and Warp, both using a press it will retain your loop, and if you
a delay line with a selectable number of hold the switch down you can erase it.
Cosmic Conclusion?
taps to create a wide variety of rhythmic Now, I have to say that I’ve not been The Microcosm is one of those pedals that
and textural effects. Pattern uses the delay a frequent user of loopers, but I found I had really high hopes for. It exceeded
times to create rhythmic patterns, while the Phrase Looper in Microcosm so them. While I already knew that it was
Warp manipulates the delay taps with easy to use that I’ve been playing with it a device many ambient guitarists loved
pitch-shifting and filter effects. a lot — and have ended up writing music for its spacey pitch and reverb-drenched
that I just wouldn’t have made without it. effects, I wasn’t expecting to find so many
Looping Loops can easily be thrown into Reverse practical uses outside of that stereotype.
Lots of pedals now include a looper as with a dedicated switch, and you can also The Microcosm’s real strengths lie in the
part of the design, but sometimes it can record a loop with Reverse activated, so combination of its clever algorithms and
feel a little ‘tagged on’. Microcosm’s that it begins playback in Reverse. The the immediacy of its macro controls. But
looper does not feel this way. You can Looper playback speed is controlled by it can be a more ‘passive’ effects box if
record and play back up to 60 seconds the Time knob and can be assigned to you wish. It can lay subtle ambiences
of a performance and keep recording to predetermined playback speeds or free under synth pads and be useful for
the Overdub Layer upon loop playback. tempo changes, resulting in a fluid speed incredible vocal effects and beautiful
Loops can also be saved in user preset shift anywhere from 1/4 to 4x. underlying textures — in fact, I was
banks. The Phrase Looper is activated with The Phrase Looper has several recently commissioned to do a remix and,
a small button on the front of the pedal. configuration options, and these can be almost exclusively, used Microcosm for
While this isn’t ideal for live performance, toggled at any time without disrupting my vocal processing and sound design.
if this is particularly important to you, it’s playback. With Pre-FX enabled, the loop Thoroughly recommended.
easy to set up a MIDI controller to send an is placed before the Microcosm’s effect
on/off message. The Microcosm’s manual algorithms. Quantize mode synchronises $ $459. Available direct from
has a clear and easy to understand table of your loops with the tempo of the effects manufacturer only.
MIDI control change messages. section — this can produce complex W www.hologramelectronics.com

38 September 2022 / w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m
LiN76
Vintage Limiting Amplifier

Decades of
Dynamics
Processing
The LiN 76 has been carefully designed to
recreate the timbres of nuances of vintage-
era ‘76-style FET compressors.

The most classic and respected sounds

of dynamic processors live on in the LiN
76, as well as the infamous “all-button”
mode made famous by British recording
engineers throughout the 1970’s — a sound
that’s still popular today.

The Lindell LiN 76: instant vibe for today’s

demanding studios.

Visit www.lindellaudio.com and get the

full story .

©2022 All Rights Reserved, Lindell Audio.

 ON TE S T

Wave Alchemy TRIAZ

SIMON SHERBOURNE Virtual Percussion Instrument
Wave Alchemy’s TRIAZ could be all the percussion

W
ave Alchemy have made
a name for themselves creating software you’ll ever need.
sample-based instruments,
focusing on drums and classic synths. impressed by the sounds and the depth of Instruments’ product manager and installer
Their primary platform is Kontakt (and the Kontakt programming. app. You enter your serial number here to
free Kontakt Player), although they also TRIAZ is WA’s new flagship drum activate, and point to the location you’ve
have packs for Maschine and Live, as instrument, with an all new sample library, stored the library.
well as pure sample libraries. I reviewed modern design and freshly coded engine. It’s also worth installing NI’s Komplete
their Revolution classic drum machine It’s a refreshingly simple instrument on Kontrol, which you’ll have already if you’re
instrument back in 2017, and was hugely the surface, with 12 channels, a mixer and using a Komplete Kontrol keyboard. TRIAZ is
a sequencer. But it has hidden depths. The nicely integrated into the Komplete Kontrol
name references the standout feature: environment, where it takes advantage of
Wave Alchemy TRIAZ each drum voice has three layers, with tagged kit browsing and auditioning, saving,
$175 an X/Y pad for quickly perfecting a blend MIDI macro controls, and — if you have an
pros between the three. And it has a built-in S-series controller — the invaluable colour
• Easy and effective drum layering. step sequencer with the mod cons for light guides on the keyboard.
• Well spec’ed sequencer. electronic drum production. So could this Once installed, TRIAZ appears in
• Chromatic sample playback. be your new go-to virtual drum machine? Kontakt’s libraries tab and directly in the
• NI Komplete Kontrol integration.
Instruments Browser in Komplete Kontrol.
cons First Kontakt I preferred the latter for most situations,
• No audio clip export. TRIAZ is Kontakt powered, so if you don’t as it hides all sign of Kontakt and makes
already have Kontakt you need to install TRIAZ appear like a standard plug-in. TRIAZ
summary
the free Player. Third-party instrument has a nicely compact, dark-grey panel
TRIAZ is a creative drum instrument
that delivers fast results, backed up by installation in Kontakt is now slickly with colour used to make waveforms and
a library packed with amazing sounds. coordinated in Native Access, Native channel parameters pop out.

40 September 2022 / w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m
 The layout is easy enough to figure out.
The default Sound view shows the currently
selected channel and sample controls, with
a mixer below, and the focused sound’s
sequencer lane. Next there’s a Sequencer
view, which shows the full 12-lane pattern
grid. Lastly there’s an Options view
which is mainly devoted to MIDI and
output mappings.

The Magic Number

The Sound panel is your typical
waveform-plus-parameters affair, but what’s
unique is the ABC tab selector to the left
coupled with the X/Y display to the right.
The tabs focus each of the three sample
layers that make up a drum channel. The
layers have independent settings in the
Drum, Pitch and Filter sections, or can
be linked.
The X/Y display is a three-way
crossfader that blends the three samples. The streamlined sample browser makes for fast drum searching and layering.
It’s pretty intuitive: place the dot over A and
all you’ll hear is A. In the middle you’ll get much these sounds dominate in so many multi-mode filter, also with envelope, LFO
an equal mix of all three sound layers. I did current genres.) There’s also plenty of fresh and velocity control, so you can individually
wonder if the blender should have been modern sounds to choose from. As well as tweak the sounds that make up your layers.
triangular instead of stretched into a square, the conventional categories there are some Each combined channel has three
but this shape was probably chosen with interesting quirks. Foley is a collection of effects stages. The EQ uses an interesting
a thought for mapping MIDI or automation everyday percussive sounds. Layers is X/Y interface that sweeps from low shelf,
controls in the future (currently you can’t do particularly useful, providing secondary to parametric to high shelf, with fairly subtle
this). Anyway, in practice it works well for sounds for stacking up with the others. results. Then there’s a dynamics module
blending by ear. On top of all this, you can add your own with make-up gain, and a mix control so you
There are hundreds of preset kits split samples by simply dragging them onto the can use it for parallel compression. Finally
into genres, which, to give you a flavour waveform area. the Shaper offers creative bit crushing and
of the sound palette, are: Drum & Bass, One thing I worried about was whether sample rate control, some nice stereo width
Electronica, House, Lofi, Pop & Disco, the layering system would lead to phasing effects, and transient shaping with Attack
Rap and Techno. There’s also a series of or flamming, but WA have clearly edited and Sustain knobs. This is particularly
‘Drum Module’ kits devoted to particular everything carefully and you get really solid welcome: I use the Native Instruments
categories of sound. Then there are sounding results. You start to think in layers Transient Master plug-in a lot in my mixes,
Percussion Loops — kits with a sequence to improve sounds instead of looking for and Wave Alchemy are taking advantage of
that make ready-to-go loop layers. In fact all the exact right sample: ‘I love this snappy the fact that this effect is built into Kontakt,
the kits come with one drum sequence to 808 snare, but if only it had a bit more and making it available on every channel.
showcase the sounds. body... OK let’s add a layer.’ Master FX has a similar layout to the
Clicking the sample name in the Sound channels, except there’s finer control of
editor brings up the sample browser in
Effects & Modulation the EQ. The Master Shaper is a different
place of the mixer. This uses a two-level There’s plenty of scope for processing, collection of effects. There’s a Limiter,
categorisation scheme to sort and display mixing and sound shaping inside the a Tape saturator that can go to extremes,
samples. The first is the drum type, with the plug-in, with both channel, send and master and a more subtle ‘Heat’ tone control.
type of the sample in slot A determining effects modules, as well as the internal Finally you can introduce various different
the name and colour for the channel. The mixer. At the sound layer level, you have types of background noise, such as tape
second is a descriptive tag. I love that at an amp section with drive, and simplified hiss and vinyl crackle.
least one tag pair is always active and that envelope control: just Attack and Decay From the mixer view you can send
this always filters down to no more than married with a start time parameter. In other each channel to a shared Delay effect,
one page of sample choices. Despite the words everything is a ‘One Shot’ and all and a choice of two reverbs (chosen on
library containing 10,000 samples you can notes are triggers with no length. If you a channel-by-channel basis). One reverb is
find the sound you want quickly. need more envelope stages, the ability to a fairly straightforwards algorithmic effect,
The sonic offerings are great both as edit end points or slices, or looping, TRIAZ while the other is a convolution processor.
raw samples and programmed kits. All is not for you in its current version.
the classics are present. (In addition to Channels have pitch modulation, via
Sequencing
a general Drum Machine category there’s a dedicated envelope and LFO, and TRIAZ has a 32-step sequencer, with
a specific 808 tag, testament to how velocity. And happily each layer has its own variable length and playback speed per

w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m / September 2022 41
 ON TE S T
WAV E A LC H E M Y T RI A Z

track. Like previous WA instruments, fodder in the sound library to enjoy with Patterns can be exported as MIDI into your DAW.
triggers and velocity share the same lane: this feature. to queue changes to the next bar, although
you enter velocity directly into the step grid. You can record directly into the step that’s something you can orchestrate with
There’s a number of other views providing sequencer from a MIDI input. This includes your DAW...
Elektron-style per-step settings. These chromatic playback from the pitched key
include Repeat, where you can dial in range, although this doesn’t get captured
Integration & Workflow
those trap ratchets, and Chance for setting into the Pitch lane, which appears to be Which brings us nicely to looking at how
the probability of steps triggering. Start a separate offset. One thing missing is that TRIAZ can integrate with your production
time also has a lane, where you can move although there are MIDI notes mapped to process in your DAW. As we’ve seen,
triggers off the quantised grid. Chance is Play and Stop, there isn’t one for Record, so channel triggers, chromatic playback and
set up rather differently to how I’d expect; you have to reach for the mouse to drop in sequencer operations all have MIDI control.
instead of a percentage chance like on or out of live recording. You could therefore ignore the sequencer
an Elektron box, values in this lane set the Live recording is always quantised; any altogether and use TRIAZ as a drum sound
trigger chance up to 50 percent maximum. micro timing needs to be added with the module like Battery. Or, you could record or
You can only motion sequence/ Start timing parameter. However, there is write MIDI notes into DAW tracks to trigger
parameter lock the controls that have both Swing and Slop. The latter is a variable (and quantise) pattern changes in TRIAZ’s
pre-defined lanes (unless you use your amount of randomised timing that you can sequencer. Or you could do both: arranging
DAW to do it), and you can’t sequence add globally. patterns then adding fills and additional hits.
the sample blenders. Hopefully this Each TRIAZ patch can store up to 12 The TRIAZ sequencer page also has
is something that can be added in different sequencer patterns in its Pattern drag-and-drop MIDI Export for patterns, so
a future release. Bank. Pattern selection is mapped to you can pull a MIDI sequence out of the
Pan, Delay and Reverb have their another octave of MIDI keys further up plug-in and into your DAW’s instrument
own lanes, and Pitch allows you to create the keyboard from the sound triggers track. As is pretty standard with this kind
melodic sequences from samples. This is (colour-coded on Komplete Kontrol of feature you need to trigger a render
a great feature, familiar from some other keyboards, and in the Komplete Kontrol process before dragging out. Once you’ve
popular grooveboxes and workstations. or Kontakt virtual keyboards). Pattern done this, the export buffer stays the same
In fact, chromatic playback is built into switching is always instantaneous, and until you make a change, which might make
the drum machine: each channel has picks up at the same step within the loop. sense in most cases unless you just wanted
a keyboard button that targets the two This is how I prefer a drum machine to work to pull all the different pattern slots out.
octaves of incoming MIDI (from C0) for as it’s perfect for performing variations and Impressively, exports include any repeats
pitched playing. There’s plenty of 808 bass fills. Others may wish there was an option and timing offsets, but sadly melodic notes

42 September 2022 / w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m
 to go through with Kontakt to enable this.
Random Factor Luckily you only have to do this once after
you’ve installed. You can then simply hit the
TRIAZ offers randomness in several places to randomisation button, which generates Multi-Out switch whether you’re running in
grease the wheels of creativity. For kit creation a random sequence in whichever parameter Kontakt or Komplete Kontrol.
you can randomise sample selections within lane is currently being viewed. There are also
channels. By default, clicking the dice button some subtle forms of randomisation using the Conclusion
will just pick a random sound on that layer and Slop controls. In the sequencer, the Slop slider
channel, but various keyboard modifiers (listed introduces some random timing to step playback. TRIAZ really is a cracker of a virtual drum
in the help pop-up by the button) can extend this The Sound editor also has a control called Slop machine: finding, shaping and sequencing
to all the layers, the same layer on all channels that adds subtle variation to start time and sounds is all easy and the results sound
or the entire kit. You can also use an iterative filter, and you get a Pan randomiser. This is an fantastic. In some ways it’s what I’ve always
randomising process, by locking sounds you like underrated trick employed by mixers, as a little
wished NI’s Battery could be, bringing in
and rolling the dice again. movement can help to localise sounds more
In the sequencer, each track has its own effectively, especially in Spatial formats. the missing step-sequencing element while
still being a sound module you can play
externally. In a couple of areas it would be
are lost and become straight triggers, DAW track. I like this way of working as better if it was a native plug-in rather than
even if they were captured live from the it feels more organic than arranging by a Kontakt instrument, and Wave Alchemy
keyboard. Export is not limited to two bars: dragging clips around, at least as a first say this is something they’d love to do.
when there are lanes running at different pass. I then used the Commit function in The NI connection and NKS integration
speeds, the slowest will determine how Pro Tools, or Freeze and Flatten in Live to is a real bonus, though, if you’re working
long the exported sequence is. There’s no render the track to audio. with Komplete and have one of the NI
audio export option, which is a limitation of If you like to have your drum sounds split keyboards with light guides. I can see this
what you can do from inside Kontakt. out to different tracks to take advantage of becoming one of my standard in-the-box
I found myself mainly recording and your DAW’s mixing environment you can drum machines.
editing patterns inside TRIAZ, then use the multi-output mode. This is pretty
sequencing them into an arrangement by standard for many plug-ins, but there’s $ $175
recording MIDI notes on the fly into my a somewhat fiddly setup process you need W www.wavealchemy.co.uk

43
 ON TE S T

Waldorf Iridium
Keyboard
Synthesizer

RORY DOW The keyboard version of the desktop version of the

Quantum, is the Iridium Keyboard even better than

I the original synth?

n our April 2019 issue, Gordon Reid
reviewed Waldorf’s ambitious new
flagship instrument, the Quantum — So Waldorf have followed up with buttons that can be programmed for
a hybrid analogue/digital synthesizer a keyboard version of the Iridium, which various tasks.
capable of wavetable, granular, sample we are reviewing here. The Quantum and The Quantum’s semi-weighted
playback, physical modelling, virtual Iridium keyboard share a similar hardware five-octave Fatar keybed with channel
analogue, and even speech synthesis. design and an almost identical sound aftertouch is replaced by a new
A year later, Waldorf announced engine. They even share presets. four-octave design with polyphonic
the Iridium, a synthesizer based on the The front panel retains the full-colour aftertouch. The addition of polyphonic
Quantum architecture. Instead of eight touchscreen at the centre, surrounded by aftertouch is most welcome. Because it’s
analogue/digital hybrid voices, it had the most useful controls for oscillators, one octave shorter, the Iridium is more
16 all-digital voices. The Iridium was filters, envelopes, LFOs and effects. compact than the Quantum, measuring
a desktop device which replaced the Waldorf have taken the opportunity to 851 x 355 x 110mm and weighing 14kg.
Quantum’s five-octave keyboard with tweak the layout. For example, the Iridium The Quantum measures 1006 x 401
a 4x4 set of MPC-style drum pads. The adds more knobs to accommodate the x 131mm and weighs 17.8kg — a not
pads were met with mixed reviews, dual digital filters but loses the Quantum’s insignificant difference.
mainly because they weren’t velocity dedicated Komplex modulator section
or pressure sensitive, but the general (the Komplex modulator itself remains
How Many Synthesis Types?
concept of a 16-voice, all-digital flagship accessible through the touchscreen). Let’s recap on the capabilities of the
seemed like a winner. The Iridium also adds a column of Macro Iridium and Quantum. There is much

44 September 2022 / w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m
 modulation source. The Particle oscillator
is the key to realistic sample-based
patches and wild experimental ones.
The Resonator oscillator offers
a flexible physical modelling algorithm
using a noise source (or a sample)
processed through resonant filter
banks. Through tight control of exciters
and harmonics, plucked strings, wind
instruments, bells, chimes, percussion
and many sounds you’ve never heard
before can be achieved. There are
plenty of on-screen graphics to help you
visualise what is happening. Although the
physical modelling doesn’t always nail
any specific instrument’s sound, it offers
a unique sonic palette with which to layer
and experiment.
The fifth and last oscillator type is
Kernels. This oscillator type was not
Plus, you can choose from five different initially present when the Quantum
interpolation modes and four sonic was first released. To access it, you
modes, which affect aliasing and other had to press a combination of buttons
desirable ‘vintage’ artefacts. You can also on the front panel for which there was
import wavetables from files or analyse understandably no label. Waldorf have
common ground so we won’t duplicate a WAV file from the SD card slot. There is updated the front panel of the Iridium
everything from Gordon’s Quantum even a speech to wavetable synthesizer to include a label for the shortcut. I’m
review, but we’ll cover the important stuff. — type in any word or phrase, and the not sure why they didn’t just add a fifth
Waldorf have added some new features Iridium will synthesize a wavetable to dedicated button, though.
since the Quantum review, which are also ‘speak’ it. Up to six kernels (oscillators) can be
available in the Iridium. We’ll make sure to The Waveform oscillator is combined in an almost modular fashion.
cover those too. a virtual-analogue engine capable of the These kernels can be wavetables,
An Iridium/Quantum patch has two usual waveform types. But this being VA waveforms or noise. Each kernel
layers. Each layer is a complete synth a flagship product, it doesn’t stop there. can audio-frequency modulate any
patch which can be stacked, key-split, There is eight-voice unison. Waldorf calls other kernel using a dizzying choice
panned, and you can assign the number these voices ‘kernels’, not to be confused of amplitude modulation, frequency
of voices for each layer. You can even with the Kernels oscillator, which we’ll
play them bi-timbrally by assigning come to shortly. You can tune up to four Waldorf Iridium Keyboard
different MIDI channels to each layer. kernels to make chords or intervals, with $3799
Sadly, where the Quantum had two the other four being used for detuning
sets of stereo outputs, the Iridium only and stereo spread. Every waveform has
pros
• The same exotic synthesis engine as
has one, so the two layers cannot be some form of PWM-style waveshaping, the Quantum.
processed separately. Why, Waldorf, why? and there is built-in sync with its own • Sixteen voices is enough for most
Layers comprise three oscillators, dedicated sync oscillator. tasks.
three multi-mode filters, six envelopes, six The next oscillator type is Particle, • Even though it doesn’t have analogue
filters like the Quantum, the digital
LFOs, a Komplex (multi-stage envelope) which encompasses sampler,
filter choices are plentiful and sound
modulator, and up to five effects. Layers are multi-sample playback, and granular great.
always saved as a pair (a ‘Multi’), but you synthesis. There is a 1GB sample • True stereo signal path throughout.
can load individual layers from any patch. library on the internal 4GB flash RAM. • This is the right synth for polyphonic
The oscillators are the heart of what Multi-samples can be key and velocity aftertouch.
makes the Iridium so flexible. There split with individual loop points and start/ cons
are five choices: Wavetable, Waveform, end points. There’s even a full integrated • Only one stereo output.
Particle, Resonator and Kernels. Each of mapping editor so you can create your
summary
the three oscillator slots (six if you go dual own multi-samples. Switching to Particle
The Iridium is a digital version of the
layer) can load any oscillator type. (granular) mode allows up to eight grains Quantum with all the same intoxicating
The Wavetable oscillator is, of course, to be pitched, panned, enveloped and synthesis options. There are digital
Waldorf’s speciality. You get 85 factory randomised in many interesting ways. filters instead of analogue (which makes
wavetables, each with 128 waveforms. You can automatically travel through the sense), double the number of voices,
and a new polyphonic aftertouch
There’s plenty of sonic twistery on offer sample, which sets the base position keyboard. All of which could tip the
with control over the phase, spectrum, from which the grains are taken, or you balance and make this Waldorf’s new
brilliance, key tracking and overdrive. can automate it from just about any flagship extraordinaire.

w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m / September 2022 45
 ON TE S T
WALDORF IRIDIUM KE YBOARD

Round The Back

The Iridium’s rear is packed with the same TS quarter-inch jacks, eight CV connectors on class-compliant controllers or USB storage. Lastly,
connectivity as its desktop version. There’s a 12V 3.5mm jacks, MIDI in, out and thru, sustain and there’s a micro-SD card slot for file transfers,
DC power socket and switch, headphone output, control pedal inputs, USB connectors for USB MIDI backups and OS updates.
stereo audio inputs and outputs on unbalanced computer connection, and a USB host socket for

modulation, phase modulation, ring filters can be linked in various ways to producing a complex, looping, potentially
modulation and phase distortion. Kernels assist with the modulation of frequency ever-evolving modulation source, all
can even self-modulate for feedback and resonance. sync’ed to MIDI tempo if that’s your bag.
tricks. Each kernel has a multi-stage The third filter, aka Digi Former, can Modulation is handled by a 40-slot
envelope to control the kernel’s output also operate in other modes such as modulation matrix, which should be
volume. If this sounds complex, that’s overdrive, comb filtering, bit crushing, and enough for anyone. There are shortcuts
because it is. To make it a little more ring modulation. It can be placed before, for many common modulation routings,
friendly, Waldorf have included the after, or in parallel with the dual filters. Any with some, like filter envelope amount
ability to create templates with a macro oscillator can bypass the filters or send or amp velocity, having dedicated
page (five controls, each of which can a varying mix to the dual filters and the front-panel controls.
control up to five different parameters). Digi Former. In short, filter routing is highly
And they’ve included a great selection flexible, and a dedicated routing page
Effects
of presets to get you started. The with graphics shows the audio signal flow Each layer can have up to five effects
Kernels oscillator is a huge addition update in real time as changes happen. chosen from a list of eight. They include
to the Quantum/Iridium engine as it One significant improvement from phaser, chorus, flanger, delay, reverb, EQ,
adds several flavours of FM and phase the Quantum is that the digital filters overdrive and compressor. Each can be
distortion to the already impressive list of are true stereo, making the entire signal used only once, so you can’t chain two
synthesis types. path stereo. In the Quantum, using the choruses, for example. But they can be
Incidentally, it’s not just the Kernels analogue filters would mix the stereo placed in any order.
oscillator type that can save presets. oscillators down to a single channel — The quality of the effects is excellent,
All of the oscillators can be saved as a compromise that Gordon Reid noted in and most parameters can be modulated
a sub-preset. Got a favourite vocal his list of cons in his original review. for extra fun. Some effects even use the
sample that you like granularised in display to show helpful feedback, like the
a certain way? Just save it as a preset,
Modulation compressor, which shows a live waveform
and whenever you instantiate the Particle No good synth is complete without display with an overlay to show the
oscillator in any patch, it will be available modulation possibilities, and the Iridium amount of compression.
to load — a brilliant touch. certainly delivers. There are six LFOs per In addition to the layer effects,
layer comprising the usual waveforms. there is a global one-knob compressor
Filters Speed varies from 240 seconds/cycle and bass-boost option, both of which
The Iridium offers no fewer than three to 100Hz, and all waveforms can be I preferred to leave off, but they could
multi-mode filters. These are arranged wave-shaped. Each has attack and decay prove handy in a pinch.
as two filters and a ‘Digi Former’. This to fade the modulation in and out; per
arrangement is a hangover from the voice, global or single triggering; phase
Other Stuff
Quantum, where the flexible Digi Former and delay. The Iridium is loaded with useful features
filter enhanced the two analogue There are also six envelopes: amp, two to make operation more practical and
low-pass filters. In the Iridium, the filters filter envelopes and three free envelopes, fun, like the seven Macro buttons near
combine new and old digital models although they can all be assigned freely the pitch and modulation wheels. They
based on some of Waldorf’s past and in the modulation matrix. Each envelope serve as programmable shortcuts. For
present products: SVF, Raiser, Largo, is DADSR with variable attack, decay and example, I had one set up to enable
Nave, PPG and Quantum. Each model release curves plus two types of looping. glide (inexplicably, the Quantum had
contains a selection of up to 18 modes Finally, there’s the Komplex modulator a dedicated button for this, but the
that cover the usual low-, band-, and — two multi-stage waveforms, which Iridium doesn’t), another to begin sample
high-pass options as well saturated and you can blend between, warp, slew and recording, one to enable the arpeggiator,
‘dirty’ versions for added grit. The two jitter. The Komplex lives up to its name, and one as a shortcut to the Favourites

46 September 2022 / w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m
Origin/Spirit Black Bundles • LDC + Aston SwiftShield pop/shock set • Available now • astonmics.com
 ON TE S T
WALDORF IRIDIUM KE YBOARD

The Iridium Keyboard is an octave shorter than

the Quantum and weighs 4kg less, but is still an tab. The Pads tab is inherited from the Fans of microtonal music will be
impressive‑looking instrument. Iridium desktop model, which has the pleased to hear that Iridium supports
4x4 MPC-style pad arrangement. The Scala tuning files. A built-in tuning editor
page. You can also use them to send Iridium keyboard has no such pads, so also allows quick equal spacing tunings,
a variety of MIDI messages. these pages seem less useful. You can such as 24-edo or any mathematical
The Favourites page is handy for still use the on-screen pads for triggering division of an octave you can think of.
quick access to your favourite presets — notes and chords, but there seems little
perfect for gigs. You can save up to six point when the keyboard — in all its
How Does It Sound?
sets of 20 presets that can be loaded velocity-sensitive, poly-aftertouch glory — It is always difficult to summarise
from the touch of a screen. is right in front of you. a synth of this complexity. There is no
The Autoplay page houses the If ever there were a synthesis engine clear character because it offers so
sequencer and arpeggiator. The that deserves poly aftertouch, this is it. many choices. It may seem obvious,
sequencer can be up to 32 steps with Fatar’s new TP/8SK keyboard plays like but it should not be the first choice for
lanes for pitch, note length, velocity a dream. The aftertouch is responsive traditional analogue sounds. I think
and up to eight controller lanes for and highly controllable. Unlike many that’s true of the Quantum too. If you
modulation. The sequencer can be keyboards, you can control the midrange want Minimoog basses, get a proper
used without note triggers simply as instead of jumping from minimum to all-analogue monosynth. Neither is it the
a modulation source or as a powerful maximum at the slightest touch. Waldorf right choice for realistic pianos, brass,
SH-101-style sequencer. It can output have taken this a step further with orchestral sounds and the like. The Iridium
MIDI, with extra options for swing, a fantastic feature that adds variable and Quantum excel at complex digital
direction, and scale quantising. The attack and release lag to the pressure sounds, whether sample-based, granular,
arpeggiator offers the usual functions but response. You can, for example, trigger FM, physical modelling or wavetable.
adds 31 preset rhythm patterns, which a slow rise in the filter cutoff when pushing The preset library is huge. There are
can turn a basic arp into something much into the key and have a snappy release on 4000 preset slots, many of them filled by
more complex. note-off. The possibilities for both sound sound-design giants like BT, Don Solaris,
The other Performance tabs are design and performance are huge. The Howard Scarr and Richard Devine.
the X/Y pad (a modulation source that Iridium takes the top spot as my favourite It’s packed with cinematic textures,
uses the touchscreen), and the Pads polyphonic aftertouch implementation. alien landscapes, ever-evolving pads,

48 September 2022 / w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m
 MPE & CV Integration
Waldorf have made interaction with external
MIDI controllers and modular systems
a breeze. Anyone with an MPE controller
can integrate it nicely with support for
polyphonic X axis, Y axis, and pressure. The
expressive playing of Iridium’s synthesis
engine is something I found very rewarding,
and my ROLI Seaboard Rise worked
perfectly when plugged into Iridium’s USB
host port.
Modular folks will also appreciate the CV
ins and outs, which can be used to play the
Iridium (monophonically), supply clock (in
or out), and pipe in up to four additional CV
signals. All the inputs can be freely assigned
in the modulation matrix.

physical modelling, FM, granular and so

on, and the Iridium is a more expressive
synthesizer for having it.
From his original review of the
Quantum, Gordon Reid listed three cons:

• The lack of stereo analogue filters.

• The lack of USB host support for
storage devices.
• The price (although he did concede
that it wasn’t unreasonable, just high).

The digital filters fix the first item, as

we already covered. The second was
percussive sequences, ’80s polysynth The Iridium fixes that problem. It a feature added in a subsequent OS
emulations, sci-fi sound effects, DX7 sticks to its digital roots and keeps the update. And thirdly, the price of the
pianos, Berlin sequences, and PPG stereo signal path. With the digital filters, Iridium keyboard is $1000 less than the
tributes. And enough unclassifiable there are more choices too. It’s not that Quantum — a considerable saving. So,
experiments to keep the most leftfield analogue filters aren’t great — everybody Waldorf have fixed every criticism from
preset-junkie happy. The real pleasure, of loves analogue. But the Quantum/Iridium our Quantum review. Bravo!
course, is making your own. synthesis is so complex that much of If you’re in the market for a Waldorf
a sound’s character is already decided flagship, there is the Iridium Desktop to
Conclusion before it hits the filters. To me, the digital consider. That decision is likely to boil
My first question when approaching this filters make perfect sense here. down to space and cost. My choice would
review was, ‘How is Iridium different to Then there’s the doubled voice be keyboard, but if you already have
Quantum?’ Well, Waldorf could have count. There is room to breathe with 16 a MIDI controller capable of polyphonic
named the Iridium the Quantum Digital. voices, and bi-timbral operation is more aftertouch, maybe the desktop version
Apart from the filters and extra voices, the appealing (although the lack of a second makes more sense.
synthesis engines are identical. There are stereo output is irksome). Some people In the end, it feels like Waldorf took all
hardware differences — shorter keyboard, argue that there should be even more the feedback they got from the Quantum
tweaked front panel, polyphonic voices because it’s fully digital. After all, and rolled it into the Iridium. I think it’s
aftertouch instead of mono, and new digital workstations in the 1990s were a better synthesizer for it, but options are
Macro buttons — but they are essentially boasting 64 or even 128 voices. But a wonderful thing. If the combination of
non-identical twins. physical modelling and granular synthesis digital and analogue appeals to you, the
The inclusion of analogue filters in can be CPU hungry. Cutting-edge Quantum is still available, but the Iridium
the Quantum was problematic. For the sound-design tools require more CPU is not a downgrade at all. It is a fantastic
premium price, eight voices seemed too cycles. In reality, I never felt like I was synth — so deep that you could spend
few. Then there was the loss of stereo running into voice-stealing problems. decades with it and still not hear all it has
channels when using those filters. Many Sixteen is a good number. to offer.
oscillator types produce wide stereo One of the most important additions
signals, so it was a shame to sacrifice that is polyphonic aftertouch. It makes perfect $ $3799.99
for the analogue filters. sense in this digital playground of W www.waldorfmusic.com

w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m / September 2022 49
 ON TE S T

Neve 88M
USB Audio Interface & Dual Mic Preamp
The 88M packs the sound of a Neve console
preamp into a compact audio interface.

SAM INGLIS
Designs. But they no longer have the field
to themselves.
The original Neve brand and

M
any people like to record trademarks have changed hands several
through transformer-based times over the years, but are now safe in
mic preamps, in the quest for the hands of AMS Neve. Manufactured
‘analogue warmth’. Many people record entirely in Burnley, UK, the AMS Neve
to a computer, through an audio interface. range still includes numerous variants
And many audio interfaces have mic of the 1073 circuit, as well as other Neve
preamps. Which begs the question: classics and more modern designs.
why don’t many audio interfaces have And Neve’s latest product is... an
transformer-based preamps? audio interface with transformer-based
There are interfaces that emulate the preamps. To be precise, it’s
sound of transformers, and there are a bus-powered, stereo desktop interface
500-series rack-cum-interface units that with two mic preamps and optical I/O for
can host your choice of preamps. Until digital expansion.
now, however, the only conventional
interfaces I knew of that actually have
Two Fat Ladies interfaces, and is housed in
input transformers were Steinberg’s Given the legendary status that now a solid-looking metal chassis
UR-RT2 and 4. To most audio engineers attaches to the 1073, it would seem with a Tolex-style covering. This
of a sufficiently geeky persuasion, the an obvious move for Neve to use that is a bit less than half rack width, and
words “transformer-based mic preamp” preamp circuit in such a product. They a bit less than 2U high, so could
bring to mind the name Rupert Neve. The haven’t, and for good reason. The conceivably be housed on a 2U rack
Neve 1073 is the archetypal solid-state 1073 is a Class-A design, meaning that tray if you felt like doing so. The
transformer preamp design, and it’s relatively inefficient and therefore front panel boasts Neutrik Combo
Steinberg’s UR-RT interfaces represent much too power-hungry to be run from XLR/jack inputs with associated gain
a collaboration with Rupert Neve a USB or even a Thunderbolt bus. pots and independent phantom
However, the 1073 isn’t the only classic power switches. Pressing one of the
Neve 88M transformer-based preamp design in gain pots cycles that input through
the Neve catalogue. The preamp circuit mic, line and DI settings, and each
$1245 used in the state-of-the-art 88RS console input has a single signal-present
pros is a much more efficient design, and LED that illuminates traffic-light style
• Classic Neve 88 preamps in with a bit of tweakery, Neve’s engineers to let you know that your levels are
a convenient, bus-powered format. have managed to adapt it to run on USB on point.
• Detented monitor level controls make bus power.
calibrated monitoring easy.
Functionally speaking, the resulting
What You See Is
• Balanced insert points on both
analogue inputs. 88M is a USB 2 interface, but it needs What You Get
• Expandable over ADAT. to be connected to a USB 3 host socket, At the front of the 88M, to the
• A truly great bass DI! as it makes full use of the increased right of the two inputs, is a ‘master
cons power delivery capability of the newer section’ with two further pots. The
• Limited gain range, with no pads. format. Even so, the internal power rails larger one governs the level at the
• No front-panel feedback relating to can’t be run at the same voltages as in main monitor outputs, while the
clocking. the 88RS, which means that there’s less smaller turns the single headphone
summary headroom on the inputs, and that the level up and down. Both have
You can view the 88M as an maximum output level is +18dBu rather a very clear and confident detent
audio interface with console-style than +20 or +24. Crucially, though, it uses at the 12 o’clock position. This is
preamps, or a dual preamp with the same proprietary Marinair-branded an unusual feature but one I very
USB connectivity. Either way, it’s an
input transformers. much like; assuming you’re using
unconventional move from Neve, and
one that could carve out a new niche in Physically speaking, the 88M is active monitors, you can set the
the market. quite a bit larger than most two-channel volume at the monitors themselves

50 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

to give you a calibrated level in the centre to adjust the output fader in your DAW. vast amounts of headroom to spare. On
position, leaving 12dB additional output There’s also no way to have different the input side, THD+Noise is an order of
level in hand for times when you want to settings or balances for the headphones magnitude above what you’d get from
crank the mix (or 6dB on the headphone and the monitor outputs. a squeaky-clean transformerless circuit,
output). It also means there’s no real The 88M is a class-compliant USB but again, that just goes with the territory,
need for a separate mute function, as it’s device, so on Mac OS, it uses the built-in and at 0.004% for the mic inputs, it’s
trivially easy just to turn the monitor level Core Audio driver. As there are no digital hardly a fuzzbox.
all the way down when you need to. mixing or routing features to control, One spec that did give me some
The headphone level control has its there’s no control-panel utility. If you want concern, at least on paper, is the gain
own press action, which cycles through to use an external ADAT source as the range. The 500-series version of the 88
four zero-latency monitoring modes. In clock master, you need to select this in preamp, the 88R LB, has a 50dB range
the DIR setting, computer playback is Audio MIDI Setup, and the only indication on the main gain control augmented
muted, signal from input 1 is routed to that the clock source is valid is that it by a 20dB pad, for a total gain range
the left monitor channel, and signal from remains selected here. I would have liked of 70dB. But the pad is missing from
input 2 to the right. The DAW setting the reassurance of a front-panel LED to the 88M, and the range of the main
is the opposite, with only computer indicate successful clocking. gain control is only 47dB. In mic input
playback audible at the outputs. In Stereo mode, the minimum gain that can be
and Mono MIX modes, both inputs and
Figure Skating applied is +21dB. The headroom at the
playback are heard, with the inputs If you’re used to judging audio interfaces A-D converter is a fixed +18dBu, which
being hard-panned or summed to mono purely on the basis of numbers, you means that the hottest mic signal that
respectively. Mono MIX would be the might question whether the numbers can be accommodated is -3dBu. That’s
obvious mode to choose if you were in the 88M’s specifications justify the the lowest headroom level I’ve ever
recording, say, a vocal overdub and you number next to the pound sign. But that, encountered on an audio interface mic
wanted to monitor it panned centre. really, is the point. Neve aren’t engaging input, and by quite a distance.
As this routing is handled in the in a numbers game; they’re adapting an In practice, to my surprise, this didn’t
analogue domain, it provides true established high-end preamp design seem to be an issue unless I wanted
zero-latency input monitoring, but on to a desktop format. Having said that, to use capacitor mics on loud sources.
the down side, it’s not the most flexible for the most part, the 88M’s numbers I was able to close-mic a 60W guitar
implementation ever. There’s no provision are still very decent. Dynamic range amp fully cranked using a Sennheiser
for low-latency monitoring of the ADAT on the mic and line inputs is better MD409 without any issues, and likewise,
optical inputs, and the only way to change than 110dB, whilst the outputs achieve a Beyer M88 stuffed into a kick drum
the balance between DAW playback and at least 113dB, which is sufficient to came through fine. And at the other end
input signal levels in the monitor mix is accommodate any real-world signal with of the scale, I had absolutely no problem

www.soundonsound.com / September 2022 51

 ON TE S T
NEVE 88M

Round The Back

The rear panel boasts six balanced quarter-inch jack sockets. Two of these them through the 88M’s transformers and gain stage. USB connectivity is
are for the main monitor outputs, and the other four provide insert sends made using the older Type B socket rather than the newer Type C. This was
and returns for the two analogue input channels. The insert returns could a deliberate choice on Neve’s part in order to achieve better resilience and
be used to bring in line-level signals in cases where you don’t want to pass long-term reliability.

recording speech with an insensitive input and the other through the Focusrite. the 88M to sound noticeably ‘retro’
moving-coil mic. They sounded very similar — and great — or coloured, and that’s probably as it
to my ears, and not noticeably saturated should be.
Making Connections or coloured. Then I made the happy
Ultimately, of course, what will sell the discovery that plugging a cable into the
M People
88M is its sound. It’s not trying to be 88M’s insert send, but leaving the return The 88M is a difficult product to sum
like other interfaces; rather, the goal is unconnected, doesn’t prevent signal up, because comparisons tend to be
to eliminate the need to buy a separate reaching the A-D converter. So I set input misleading. Considered as a two-in,
transformer-coupled preamp in order 2 to Line mode and fed it from input 1’s two-out USB audio interface, it
to get the results you want. Does it insert send, then recorded the same mic looks expensive. But considered as
sound sufficiently different from other on inputs 1 and 2 simultaneously, to see a two-channel version of Neve’s 88
interfaces to justify its cost? Well, just in how much difference routing the signal preamp that comes with the added
case anyone was wondering, it certainly through both transformers would make. bonuses of ADAT conversion, USB
doesn’t sound worse! It might measure The answer, again, was ‘not much’. I am connectivity and a headphone output, it’s
less well than the latest IC-based designs not sure I could have told the two signals highly competitive. And, to my mind, one
in terms of noise and distortion, but it apart by ear, and a frequency analyser of the great things about it is that you can
isn’t subjectively noisy and it’s capable suggested that the only measurable use it purely as a preamp. In that role,
of sounding perfectly clean when you difference was a 1dB boost below 100Hz bus powering is perhaps less of a benefit,
want it to. The sonic contribution of in the re-recorded signal. and some might prefer a mains-powered
the input transformers is somewhat One feature of the older 1073 preamp unit with more headroom, but you’ll
source-dependent. I found it very subtle design is that it has an output attenuator, still get two channels of classic Neve
on most miked vocal and acoustic allowing you to deliberately drive the preamplification with balanced inserts at
instrument recordings, but plug in a bass input stage harder for more coloration. a much lower cost than, say, two 88R LB
guitar, and it’s a different story. I’ve The 88 preamp doesn’t have this, but modules and a 500-series chassis. Pair
used a lot of audio interface DI sockets the insert points on the 88M allow you it with a laptop and an ADAT expander,
over the years, and none of them has to achieve the same effect, either by meanwhile, and you have a seriously
delivered this sort of fat, rounded tone. placing an attenuator inline or by sending high-end location recording setup. The
The only ADAT preamp I own is from one channel’s insert point to the question ‘Why don’t many audio interfaces
a Focusrite 828, which is likewise other channel’s line input, as described have transformer-based preamps?’ just
a relatively modern transformer-coupled above. You need to be careful, because got a new answer: this one does — and
design. For comparison, I tried hooking the onset of outright distortion is pretty I am sure it won’t be the last.
that up to the 88M’s digital input, and set abrupt, but there is definitely scope to
up a pair of Beyer M69 mics next to one add extra hair to your signal this way. In $ $1245
another, one routed through the 88’s mic normal use, though, you shouldn’t expect W www.ams-neve.com

52 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

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 ON TE S T

Space Lab Systems LIFT

Monitor Stands
Sit/stand desks are
becoming the norm in many
work environments, and with
these motorised speaker
stands, your monitors
needn’t be left behind!
HUGH ROBJOHNS

S
tudio work typically involves sitting
in front of a mixing console and/or
DAW for many hours at a time, but
even if you use supportive chairs and get
desk and screen heights exactly right,
remaining seated for hours on end has
never been the healthiest of lifestyles.
Shockingly, it was discovered back in
the 1950s that bus drivers were twice as
likely to suffer a heart attack as their bus
conductor colleagues who spent their
working day on their feet, rather than height-adjustable speaker stands are own (heavy) box, but construction is very
seated! It’s taken a scarily long time for available, but most require fiddly manual straightforward. Four M6 hex bolts (with
modern working practices to catch up, but adjustment and can’t be altered easily with ‘shakeproof’ locking washers) secure the
sit/stand desks are increasingly common the speakers in place. Fortunately, Space 100 x 60mm pillar to the floor-plate, and
in offices today, which is a good thing in Lab Systems have an elegant solution. four more attach the isolation platform to
my book. the top of the pillar (through a cut-out in
In the studio environment, one obvious
High Rise the top panel). Space Lab Systems include
difficulty with a sit/stand approach is that Founded by Tim Crossley and Matt a T-handled hex driver to tighten everything
it makes it hard to know how high up to Schaefer of Crossley Acoustics, along with up, and I had both stands fully assembled
mount the monitor speakers. Ideally, the Alex Sterling of Precision Sound Studios and working in less than 15 minutes.
tweeters should be at ear height, but there — both being New York businesses — The floor-plate has an overall footprint
could be half a metre or more difference Space Lab Systems’ first product is called of 390 x 440mm, but its X-shape means
between sitting and standing. Of course, LIFT: a motorised speaker stand designed that it can be tucked closely against desk
by people who implicitly appreciate the frames and table legs, which makes speaker
Space Lab Systems requirements and expectations of the placement much easier than would have
LIFT professional audio industry. been the case with a solid rectangular base.
From $1599 LIFT’s design comprises four The isolation platform atop the pillar
main parts: a heavy steel X-shaped looks chunky at roughly 50mm high, but
pros floor-plate with four height-adjustable the construction is elegant and effective.
• Excellent build quality. and non-marking articulated rubber feet; A slightly under-sized steel base-plate bolts
• Effective isolation platforms.
• Pairs or triple stands can be adjusted
a motorised telescopic pillar; an isolation directly onto the top of the pillar, with four
in perfect synchronism. platform to support the speaker; and Sylomer foam blocks glued at its corners
• Reliable, well-proven mechanics and an electronic control pack with a wired to support and isolate a ‘top hat’ made
electronics. remote-control panel. Obviously, speaker from folded steel. A neoprene pad on this
cons sizes and weights vary considerably, so the top hat helps to keep the speaker in place,
• No facility for securing speakers to LIFT is available with two different sizes although there is no practical means of
the isolation platform. of isolation platform and three different securing the speaker (at least, not without
• Expensive. speaker load ratings. These must be defeating the isolation), which will be an
summary specified at time of purchase, and LIFT issue for companies with strict Health &
A unique, elegant, and nicely stands can be supplied singly, as a pair, or Safety policies.
engineered range of motorised as a triple set (for LCR applications). Although deceptively simple, this
height-adjustable speaker stands. Each stand ships flat-packed in its isolation platform was developed in

54 September 2022 / w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m
partnership with AMC Mecanocaucho — the differences being accommodated by the stands to be raised or lowered manually,
respected specialists in industrial vibration different densities and sizes of the internal and to store and recall three height presets,
control — and it is claimed to provide Sylomer blocks. The light option covers which could be used for instant access to
effective mechanical decoupling for the speakers in the range of 5-12kg, medium fully down, seated position and standing
speaker at frequencies above the isolator’s spans 12-20kg, and the heavy grade copes position heights, for example.
natural resonance of 8.8Hz (when loaded with 20-41kg. To make life easier Sound Lab With everything plugged in and power
within the stated weight range). The heavy Systems provide a configuration chart on supplied to the control box, the pillar motors
steel top hat plays a fundamental role in the website which lists most nearfield and must first be calibrated and synchronised by
pre-loading the Sylomer foam to ensure it midfield studio monitor speakers along with pressing and holding the Down button for
remains in the optimum compression range, the recommended platform options. I use a few seconds until all pillars have settled.
even with the lightest speakers. Neumann KH310 monitors in my studio, Thereafter the height can be adjusted as
Rather than develop their own and Space Lab Systems recommended the required, with all connected stands moving
motorised columns — a complex and costly large platform with medium-grade isolation, together with perfectly synchronised heights.
business — Space Lab Systems have so that’s what I’ve tested here.
sourced the telescopic pillar, along with its Of course, a monitor upgrade could also
In Use
controller electronics and remote-control require a different isolation platform size The LIFT stands are a delight to use, as
panel, from a Danish company called or load rating, and at the time of writing they make such light and convenient work
LINAK. LINAK are very well-known for the company’s web shop doesn’t offer the of adjusting speaker heights with precision.
their linear actuators, and their products option to purchase replacement platforms. This makes them a perfect solution for
are found in all sorts of demanding Thankfully, I’m told that alternative platforms speaker reviewers(!), but also for anyone who
applications, both professional and are available on request directly from Space wants to work both seated and standing, or
domestic, including in medical benches, Lab Systems or their distributors, so the LIFT for studios where it’s useful to lower nearfield
beds and patient lifts, professional and stand will survive speaker changes, which is monitors out of the way of the main monitors,
domestic sit/stand desks and reception important considering the initial investment! perhaps.
counters, farming equipment, automatic From a sound point of view, the isolation
solar shading, and many more besides.
Alignment & Calibration platforms proved highly effective, with
In this application, the LIFT’s Stands can be levelled in situ from above no obvious vibration detectable in the
three-section telescopic pillar allows the using four adjustable feet with lock nuts on columns and no coloration or ringing from
speaker platform to be adjusted from each floor-plate. Without speakers on the the stand itself. This isolation feature alone
622mm at its lowest, up to 1283mm, stands, I found I could adjust and secure is worth a good chunk of the cost and will
moving at around 35mm per second. This the feet positions using just my fingers provide an immediate sound improvement
allows the stand to move from its lowest quite easily, but an 8mm hex key and over speakers resting on console meter
to its highest position in about 18 seconds, adjustable spanner would be needed to bridges or desk shelves! The stereo
so practical height adjustments are achieve the necessary torque if a speaker imaging and depth were just as stable,
pleasingly fast. is loading the stand. The feet have plenty wide, and deep as with my previous stands,
I was slightly surprised to find that the of adjustment range to cope with uneven and I have no qualms at all about the
smallest section of the telescopic pillar is surfaces, allowing the base to be made practical effectiveness of the LIFT stands in
at the bottom, but even at full height the completely stable and speaker heights to my studio.
column remains reassuringly stiff and stable, be matched precisely. The build quality can’t be faulted
with minimal top-plate movement when Once levelled, the next stage is to either. The steel is laser-cut, the fittings
a lateral force is applied. This is important connect everything together. A short flying are high-quality from the chromed feet to
as you don’t want the speaker rocking lead with a latching connector emerges the chunky bolts, and these LIFT stands
back and forth with every kick drum beat! from the base of each pillar, and 2.1m look professional and robust. Although not
Although the LIFT stand is never going power/control cables are provided to cheap by any means — a pair of stands
to hold a speaker in space as solidly as link the stands to the controller box. This costs as much as a single professional
a conventional multi-pillared fixed stand, means the monitor speakers can be placed studio monitor — they offer a unique and
it’s certainly much more rigid than most of up to roughly 4m apart, which is more very practical solution. And while they
the manually adjustable stands I’ve tried than enough for any near/midfield setup. won’t be a viable investment for everyone,
over the years, and I was perfectly happy The CBD6S controller box supplied for Space Lab Systems’ LIFT stands will
with both its performance and rigidity in my the review is a Class 2 double-insulated undoubtedly appeal to, and be easily
studio setting. device with three latching power output justified by, professional studios and anyone
sockets and a two-pole (C18) IEC mains inlet else who would benefit from motorised,
Sizing Up accepting 100-240 V AC. A standard C13 remote-controlled, height-adjustable speaker
I mentioned that two speaker platform sizes IEC mains cable (fitted with the appropriate stands with integral isolation platforms. I am
are available. The Small option measures local mains plug) was provided for very impressed.
200 x 300mm, while the Large is 300 x connection to a wall outlet.
400mm. With the smaller platform fitted the The wired remote-control panel is
$ Small platform $1599, large platform
all-up weight of the stand is 17.1kg, and that connected to the control box via an RJ45
$1699. Prices are per pair, excluding tax
rises to 21.9kg with the large platform. connector, and an angled mounting bracket & shipping.
Both platform sizes can be specified with is supplied to fix this panel under a desktop, E hello@spacelab.systems
either light, medium or heavy load ratings, if required. Six membrane switches allow W https://spacelab.systems

w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m / September 2022 55
 ON TE S T

Golden Age Premier

Pre-73 Jr & EQ-73
M AT T H O U G H TO N
Microphone Preamplifier & Equaliser
B Golden Age’s new Premier series of Neve‑inspired devices
ack in 2009, Golden Age Project
were one of the first companies
to bring an affordable yet
get even closer to the real thing.
decent‑quality take on Neve’s 1073 preamp rubber feet so you’ll have to provide connector. It’s low current and you can of
to market. They tweaked that design slightly your own. The Pre‑73 Jr may be narrow, course keep phantom switched off, so the
over the years, and offered variations on the but the metal case is about 10 inches, or risk of problems isn’t great. But it’s enough
theme — the smaller Jr version, for example, 25.5cm (excluding protruding controls/ that I’d think twice about connecting
and versions with ‘big name’ transformers — connectors), to provide plenty of space line‑level gear to this input.
and also released a companion EQ, among for the circuitry, which uses through‑hole The balanced line‑level XLR output
other bits of hardware inspired by classic components throughout — something I on the rear is duplicated on a TRS jack,
studio gear. Regular readers will know that like, since in years to come this should for cabling convenience. Also present is
they also make some impressive mics. I’ve make maintenance and repair easy. It’s an unbalanced TRS insert point intended
always been impressed by the bang for reassuringly weighty too, in no small specifically for use with the EQ, whose
buck that GA Project gear offers: generally, part due to the mu‑metal‑shielded input circuitry it patches unbalanced into the mic
it sounds very good, even if it meets its price transformer and a large output transformer, pre’s internal signal path — an arrangement
point by using unbranded components and both made in the UK by Carnhill. that mimics the way they’d be linked on
taking a somewhat utilitarian approach to The Pre‑73 Jr accepts mic‑level signals the consoles from which these designs
the metalwork and aesthetics. via cables terminating in TRS or XLR, are derived. There’s a power inlet with
A few years ago, Bo Medin, the man courtesy of a Zwee‑branded combi socket on/off button, and a 24V AC‑AC wall‑wart
behind Golden Age, decided to launch on the rear, and can accept instrument is supplied; GA also offer a half‑rack‑width
a sister brand, Golden Age Premier, which sources through a high‑impedance DI input supply that can power four devices.
would be priced slightly higher and allow (TS jack socket) on the front. In this design,
him to cut fewer corners while still delivering the combi connector’s XLR and jack inputs
great value for money. This range definitely are connected in parallel, which means
looks and feels more like ‘the real thing’ that when you activate phantom
and, again, has always sounded great power this will be present
to me. on both parts of the

Pre-73 Jr Premier
For review here is the latest pair of
GA Premier devices, the Pre‑73 Jr
Premier and the EQ‑73 Premier,
and I’ll award no prizes for
guessing that these look once
again to vintage Neve designs
for their inspiration.
A 1U quarter‑rack‑width
device, you can fit
four of the Pre‑73 Jrs
cheek‑by‑jowl in a 19‑inch
rack space and, as with
other GA devices,
there are threaded
holes on the baseplate
and rackmounting
kits available should
you wish to do that. It
can, if you prefer, sit
on a desktop, though
there are no stick‑on

56 September 2022 / w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m
 an insert point that allows the EQ to be
patched in. A tiny criticism is that, as the
EQ’s insert/line switch is on the rear, if
connecting this EQ to a patchbay you’ll
need to commit to one configuration or the
other. There’s not much spare room on the
front, though, and for most users it will be
a set-and-forget thing.
The EQ bands are labelled LF, MF and
HF. The outer two are shelves and the
middle one a proportional-Q bell, its peak
becoming narrower the more you cut/boost.
Each band can be bypassed with a button,
but there’s no global bypass and when the
unit is switched off no signal is passed — so
to A/B compare the unprocessed source
The preamp and EQ can be connected to insert the latter in the preamp’s unbalanced signal path, before
with the EQ’d version, you have to press
the output transformer, but the EQ can also be configured for use as a balanced line-level processor.
three buttons. If that bothers you, check out
On the front, in addition to the DI input make matching two preamps easy, and the ‘senior’ version of this preamp, which
jack, are two toggle switches, two knobs mean you never experience any of the has an EQ in/out button.
and three buttons. One button selects ‘gain bunching’ that you sometimes do The LF band offers the following
between the mic and instrument inputs, with cheaper pot-based designs. The frequencies: 20, 33, 55, 100, 175 and 300 Hz.
another engages phantom power, and high-pass filter’s gentle slope makes it as For the mid band, which uses two Carnhill
the last inverts the signal polarity. The useful for tonal shaping and countering inductors, it’s 240, 350, 500, or 700 Hz; or 1,
small three-position metal toggles cater proximity effect bass boost as for removing 1.6, 2.4, 3.2, 4, 7 or 10 kHz. The HF band can
for a high-pass filter (40 or 150 Hz at 6dB/ rumble, while the Air effect lifts HF details be set to 6, 10, 12, 16, 20 or 24 kHz. There’s
oct, or off), and Air (a 30kHz shelving boost much further down the spectrum than the no HPF, since the idea is that the preamp
of +3dB, +6dB, or off). That just leaves the 30kHz frequency might imply. It’d be good would take care of that side of things.
gain controls and, in the 1073 tradition, one if Golden Age could find a way to prevent With no EQ being applied, the review
is a switch with 5dB gain increments (+20 phantom power appearing on the combi unit seemed to nudge the source just
to +70 dB), while the other is a trim pot connector’s TRS input (a separate TRS a shade in favour of the high end, from
for fine adjustment. input or Neutrik Combo, perhaps?). Also, about 500Hz up. I’m not sure if that’s by
The Pre-73 Jr Premier is, on the whole, the metering is minimal, with a single LED accident or design, and it’s easy to dial
a lovely preamp, and when paired with for level indication — but GA offer more in a flat line if you want to, but it means
my voice on my usual AKG C414 B-ULS fully featured versions of this preamp, so this EQ tends to be subtly flattering the
mic it delivered that familiar warm and that’s not really fair criticism! moment you patch it in. It’s then simply
rich-sounding result I’ve come to expect a case of choosing frequencies, boosting
from this Neve-ish sort of preamp, with
EQ-73 Premier and cutting, and occasionally bypassing
a little added thickness at the low end. The three-band EQ is also firmly in 1073 a band to sanity-check your settings. It’s not
With less sensitive dynamics, it was also territory, though with some different one for surgical moves, but tonal shaping
handy, since the 1073-style design offers frequency choices and an important doesn’t really get more intuitive than this
bags of clean gain. The switchable settings addition which increases this EQ’s versatility. and it all sounds seriously smooth and
I’ve mentioned already that the EQ is elegant. The sonic quality is great too, with
Golden Age Premier intended to be inserted into the preamp’s vanishingly little audible noise and few of
Pre-73 Jr & EQ-73 internal unbalanced signal path, and that’s those annoying clicks with which some
the typical arrangement for 1073-style devices reward your switch-turning and
pros EQs, since it puts the EQ between the button-pressing.
• Both devices offer a distinctly input and output transformers. In this In short, then, this is a classy
Neve-ish sound. design, though, Golden Age have added console-style EQ, and paired with the Pre-73
• Good build quality inside and out.
switchable balancing, which is a great Jr (or the more feature-laden Pre-73), it
• EQ can be used standalone or as
preamp insert. feature — it means that you can choose would make a lovely DAW front end. That
either to insert it into the preamp and you can also use it with line-level sources,
cons make use of those transformers — a with no need for a separate preamp, is
• Beware phantom power on combo
suitable TRS cable is provided — or to a wonderful bonus, and makes the price yet
socket’s TRS input.
use it standalone as a balanced line-level more attractive than it already was.
summary processor. The balancing is electronic,
Sounding just as big, smooth, warm courtesy of Burr Brown ICs, and sounds
and effortless as you’d hope, these $ Pre 73 Jr $449 & EQ73 $499.99.
transparent to my ears. It’s worth noting
Premier devices could combine to T Rad Distribution +1 845 378 1189.
create a lovely front end for any DAW, that some other GA units with input E sales@raddist.com
but it’s great that the EQ can also be and output transformers, such as their W www.raddist.com
used standalone. Comp-54 MkII compressor, also have W https://goldenagepremier.com

w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m / September 2022 57
 ON TE S T

Novation Launchkey 88 Controller Keyboard almost identical provision of buttons,

ROBIN BIGWOOD

Novation’s first attempt faders, knobs, and underlying capabilities.

N
ovation’s Launchkey range has
been around for nearly a decade at an 88-note controller Key Stats
now, with the most recent MkIII keyboard seems to get The body of the Launchkey 88 is made
revision being available in 25‑, 37‑, 49‑ and from a tough, high‑quality plastic material,
61‑key variants since Summer 2020.
everything right. and at about 8kg the unit is heavier than
They’re studio‑oriented MIDI controllers 88‑key controller of any kind. It should be some competitors. Front‑to‑back depth
that lean unashamedly towards DAW of interest to anyone looking to play more is a compact 29cm, so it’ll work on many
control: Ableton Live gets particularly tight elaborate two‑hand keyboard parts, and desks with a computer keyboard in front
integration, closely followed by Cubase, of course to composers and programmers of it. There’s also room for a trackpad or
Logic and Reason. Other DAWs can get using sample libraries with keyswitches other gizmos on the blank sections of the
in on the action by dint of Mackie HUI that are often tucked away towards the panel, about 20cm wide on the left and
emulation. extremes of the 88‑note compass. Other 28 on the right. Powering is via the USB B
Rounding out the MkIII range comes than the keyboard it’s very similar to its socket only, there’s no power switch, and
this new 88‑key model, Novation’s first 49‑ and 61‑key counterparts, with an for iOS devices you’ll need a powered

58 September 2022 / w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m
hub or adaptor to supply the necessary transposed by +/- two octaves using front end runs in parallel with a ‘Session
current. A Sustain socket accommodates dedicated buttons, and by semitones if Mode’ that switches in automatically
switch-type damper pedals and a single you use the shift key. when you first launch the DAW. By
MIDI DIN output spits out messages default this has the 16 pads acting as
generated from the keyboard and controls.
Working Launch clip launchers, mimicking the layout
There’s also a Kensington security slot. Getting down to work on the Launchkey and colours of clips in your session. In
From the playing perspective the 88 quickly reveals its strongly Live a red box shows which two rows of
hardware controls are nicely presented, DAW-centric design. As we’ll see clips, for eight adjacent tracks, are under
with clear and contemporary panel in a minute it has some standalone control from moment to moment.
labelling. The buttons are a high-quality capabilities, in a hardware-based studio, Then it’s a case of using dedicated
rubber-like material, many are backlit, but they are not really its raison d’être. buttons and pads for scooting about
and they have a nice positive action. Working with Ableton Live, which inside your Live set, launching and
The knobs and faders are good too, and enjoys the most sophisticated software stopping clips and scenes, and soloing,
wouldn’t be out of place on a premium integration, the conventional keyboard muting, and arming tracks. It’s all very
price hardware synth. Novation are
good at those too of course... The
16 multicoloured pads are velocity Custom Modes
sensitive and offer a poly-aftertouch
(as well as more conventional channel
aftertouch) response.
As for the keyboard action, it’s
synth-style, at least 1cm shorter than
a typical hammer action, and subjectively
quite light and springy, but of really
good quality. It’s notably quiet in use,
with a quite luxurious damped feel at
the bottom of the key travel. That may
well be connected to the fact that there’s
no aftertouch sensitivity, which will be
disappointing for some users, but on
the up side the velocity response is very
well graded and can be switched to light
or heavy curves, or to a fixed full-output
response. The entire keyboard can be

Novation Launchkey 88
$399
pros
• Deep, tight and easily-grasped Programming one of the four custom fader modes using the standalone Components software. The
integration with Live 10 and 11 that clarity of the software interface matches that of the Launchkey hardware.
works out of the box. No matter what software or other gear you’re alter them or make any number of your own
• A fine keybed, with a luxurious feel
working with, the Launchkey’s pads can be using Novation’s Components software, and even
and nicely graded velocity response.
switched at any time to perform other useful and build up a repertoire of them in your Novation
• Knobs, faders, pads and buttons give
lots of real-time control possibilities.
interesting roles. In Drum mode they become user account, ready to drop in to the Launchkey
• Custom modes extend real-time an alternative keyboard, and because they when you need them. Components runs as
control to third-party instruments and can transmit aftertouch (and poly aftertouch at a standalone app on Mac OS and Windows, but
MIDI hardware. that) they can be useful for a lot more than just also as a web app in a WebMIDI-compatible
drums. Scale Chord and User Chord modes let browser like Google Chrome, which is neat.
cons you generate chords from single-finger pad Custom mode functionality really seems
• No keyboard aftertouch or expression prods, according to many preconfigured and to have been thought about. It’s extensively
pedal support. programmable chord shapes. programmable, encompassing pad naming,
• DIN MIDI output not as useful as it Custom mode is seriously handy, capable backlight colour, value constraints, specific MIDI
could be. of generating various MIDI data of your choice: channel output and more. It’s also great that
• Custom MIDI control programming notes, control change messages (momentary or the custom modes for each bank of controls are
via computer only. a low/high toggle), and Program Changes. Knobs selected independently of one another, which
• No power switch. and faders get custom maps too, allowing the allows you to decide what each does as you go
summary Launchkey to control third-party plug-ins inside along rather than have the whole lot change at
your DAW, either via their own preconfigured once according to an instrument-wide snapshot
A beautifully conceived,
modestly priced and tremendously MIDI CC mapping or a DAW’s MIDI learn feature, or preset (of which there are none). Modes even
effective 88-note front end for Ableton or indeed external MIDI modules. remember their states and values as you switch
Live (and other DAWs), with extensive From the factory a variety of these custom between them, allowing for benign ‘soft pickup’
clip-launching and device control maps/modes are already in place, but you can behaviour when you revisit them.
abilities.

w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m / September 2022 59
 ON TE S T
NOVATION L AU NC H K E Y 88

clear and straightforward, with a huge

amount of feedback coming from the Eavenly Arps
pad colours sync’ing to what you see
on screen, and the hardware/software The Launchkey’s arpeggiator is a welcome other than the ones you played.
tie-in is absolutely instantaneous. The inclusion. Enabled by a dedicated button, and Another fun feature is Strum mode.
with a latching mode available, it’ll use an Channelling a Suzuki Omnichord-like playing
same is true for the simple transport internal clock or sync to your DAW. Aside from technique, this transfers note-triggering duties to
controls to the right of the Launchkey’s all the old-favourite capabilities — five patterns, the modulation wheel: you hold a chord, turn the
panel, and the four buttons that access adjustable range, rhythmic division, swing and wheel, and the chord notes will be spat out (in
some useful commands: Live 11’s gate length — there’s also a polyphonic chord multiple octaves if you like) accordingly. It works
retrospective MIDI recording, Quantise, mode, some rhythmic ‘skip’ and randomisation well, even if right-handed players will probably
a Click toggle, and Undo. Press Undo options, and a Mutate function that adds notes end up with their hands crossed.
repeatedly, incidentally, and you’ll keep
stepping back through the Undo history. parameter you’re adjusting appear and pot/fader control of many track
Apparently a Redo command (with the in the Launchkey’s little LCD display. parameters including sends. Other DAWs
Shift key) should be available too by the Also, mismatches between on-screen like PreSonus Studio One work with the
time the 88 hits the shops. parameter values and pot/fader Launchkey via emulation of the Mackie
Actually, the pads do a lot more than positions (which will always come adrift HUI standard. The experience is still
just control clips. In Drum mode (which on a non-motorised control surface good, and workable — I saw good track
is accessed, like all other modes, via like this) are handled well. Moving an volume pickup behaviour in Studio One,
a Shift+pad-press) they integrate with out-of-position control flashes up a yellow for example — but is generally much more
Live’s Drum Rack device, tallying with the info bar at the bottom of the Live window limited in scope. Tracks can be armed,
visible on-screen pads and navigating which helps guide you in to the point soloed and muted, but there’s little or
other available sets. In fact, using the where a ‘pickup’ occurs. The only proviso no feedback as to which set of eight
pads as drum and note triggers is a more here is that sometimes the Launchkey’s is being controlled at any given time.
general ability, and not limited to Live finest value increments are too coarse to Some dedicated buttons (in this case
alone. You can also generate chords tally up exactly with a stored value, and Click, Quantise and Capture MIDI) didn’t
and custom MIDI messages from the hence the knob or fader will change it, do anything.
pads (there’s more on this in the ‘Custom even if only slightly, no matter how careful
Modes’ box). you are. Some way to engage finer
DAWless Controlling
What about other controls? Knobs increments or a kind of pickup ‘catch’ How does the Launchkey work in
can take over Live’s device parameters, would be welcome. a hardware-oriented studio? Adequately
track volume, pans, send A or B levels, Some additional buttons let you move well, I’d say. On top of normal key, wheel
or generate MIDI Continuous Controller between instruments and plug-ins on and pedal messages the programmable
messages (again, more in the box I just tracks that have more than one, and pad, knob and fader modes (see the
mentioned). The faders will do all the also to keep a single device focused ‘Custom Modes’ box) can get you a long
same too, except for pan, and it’s easy even when the track it’s on isn’t currently way. You can’t reprogram these on the unit
to select what role each bank of controls selected. Both very useful. itself though, only via the Components
is undertaking from moment to moment. software, so hardcore hardware-only
Ready-rolled device compatibility is only
After-Live people will have to sully their setups by
for Live ‘factory’ devices, and doesn’t Despite the focus on Live, other DAWs having a computer around for that. Another
extend to third-party VST or AU plug-ins, can also benefit from the Launchkey’s limitation is that the mod wheel is fixed to
though there’s a way around that too features. Cubase 12, Logic and Reason generating CC1, but Components does
(yep, the box again). are natively compatible, so to speak, at least let you choose the CC number
What’s really nice here is that and enjoy track select, record arm, solo associated with the pedal input (with
relevant names and values for any and mute commands, transport controls, a sensible sustain-pedal default of CC64).

The Launchkey 88’s back panel offers just a sustain pedal input, a USB B port and a 5-pin MIDI out.

60 September 2022 / w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m
 Another thing to be aware of is that No, it’s not weighted, and doesn’t have arguably better options than the Launchkey,
the Launchkey offers nothing in the way aftertouch, but it’s smooth and quiet, and not least Novation’s own premium SL
of multiple key zones, nor even split/ just works really well for many synth and MkIII, or even the venerable but affordable
layered functionality. And finally the DIN sample library duties. It’s even OK for Impulse, if you can live without 88 keys.
MIDI output is not very sophisticated. acoustic piano sounds. These forgo the slick Ableton integration
It’ll transmit MIDI Clock derived from the This keyboard, allied with the extensive for something more generally sophisticated
internal arpeggiator or your DAW, but integration with Ableton Live (or Live or generic (respectively). Both have
aside from that only locally-sourced key Lite, which is provided as part of a useful aftertouch, more programmability, and
and control messages. With no way to software bundle) can genuinely form the expression pedal inputs, and the SL adds
switch these off, using the Launchkey basis of a productive and fluent production sequencing and Eurorack compatibility.
as a single ‘hub’ for a hybrid virtual and environment. While Novation’s own Amongst 88-note competitors more options
hardware studio may be impossible. Launchpad will in some ways provide open up with the likes of Studiologic’s SL
Adding a separate MIDI interface to your a better overview and more tactile 88 Studio (hammer action, pedal support,
DAW sidesteps these problems, of course. relationship to a larger session (and zone functionality), Roland’s A88MkII (ditto),
a Push 2 goes that much further again), or Arturia’s Keylab 88 MkII, but they’re all
Lift-off the Launchkey has strengths of its own. significantly more expensive.
No single MIDI controller can be all things I was sceptical at first as to how much At this price, and if the DAW-control
to all studio folk: the most successful are use a pad grid spanning only two scenes focus suits you, there’s nothing to touch
always specialised in some way. If it’s not would be, but it turns out to be surprisingly the Launchkey 88. It’s a superbly effective
clear already, the Launchkey 88’s strength flexible, if better suited to building up controller keyboard that carves a perfect
is hardware control of Ableton Live, and, arrangements than triggering them full little niche. It’s easy and fun to use, and
to a lesser extent, other DAWs. If you’re an DJ-style. Mixing features on the faders and might support a more fruitful relationship
Ableton user this is going to be seriously knobs work beautifully, and Live device with Live than you ever thought
tempting: there is not a better all-in-one control, with parameters always eminently possible.
solution out there currently. well-mapped, is at times revelatory.
Having said that, there is a more For uses beyond DAW control, unless $ $399.99
generic strength too: the keyboard action. your requirements are very basic there are W www.novationmusic.com

w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m / September 2022 61
 C OM PE T I T ION

Win!
Focusrite Clarett+
2Pre & OctoPre
Worth $1300

T
here’s a noble studio tradition expanders’ still bears the name of that Clarett+ OctoPre 8-channel preamp/
of using things in ways their innovative preamp and converter. converter, turning the Clarett+ 2Pre into
designers never foresaw. To mark the 20th anniversary of a multichannel tracking powerhouse.
Sometimes the unintended uses end up the OctoPre, we’ve teamed up with Use the combination to record a gig,
being more popular than the intended Focusrite to offer you the chance to and then mix it on the train home using
ones, and in those terms the Alesis Digital win a shining example of the power of just your 2Pre and a laptop. Or throw
Audio Tape (ADAT) Lightpipe format is ADAT. The Clarett+ 2Pre is a compact the 2Pre in a backpack for location
right up there with Pfizer’s recording, and then plumb
fortifying heart medication. To enter, please visit: it into your OctoPre rack
Originally devised as when you get home! The
a means of transferring audio https://sosm.ag/focusrite-comp-0922 possibilities are endless,
from one eight-track machine and offer the best of
to another, ADAT Lightpipe both worlds in terms of
is now common on all kinds of studio USB audio interface, boasting portability and channel count.
gear, and Focusrite were one of the first two premium Focusrite preamps, To be in with a chance of winning
companies to recognise its potential as a powerful and transparent headphone this fantastic prize bundle, simply
a convenient means of adding analogue amp, four stereo line outputs and follow the URL shown, and answer the
I/O to audio interfaces. Their original MIDI I/O. It’s perfect for recording questions there, by Friday 7th October
OctoPre, released in 2002, set the singer-songwriters, podcasts and 2022. Good luck!
standard for an entire category of studio overdubs — and, thanks to its ADAT Prizes kindly donated by Focusrite
gear, and their current range of ‘ADAT input, you can pair it with the brand-new W www.focusrite.com

62 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

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 ON TE S T

RT60 Songzap
Pre-production App For iOS
Could this natty iPhone app help you structure your
songs and make better demos?
ANDY BROOK
at the heart of this app: Groove, Arrange,
Mix, Track and Export.

M
arketed as the world’s first Starting with the Groove machine,
intelligent pre-production app this provides several drum kits and
for songwriters and musicians, a variety of kick, snare and hi-hat
iOS app Songzap is the latest offering patterns, which can be tailored to taste
from RT60, whose iDrumTune Pro app and can be adjusted for individual
we reviewed back in SOS Oct 2017: song sections in the arrange window
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/ and labelled accordingly (intro/verse/
rt60-idrumtune-pro. Songzap aims to chorus etc). With 4/4, 3/4 and 12/8 time
remove the barriers to and mystery signatures available, the most common
from the music pre-production process bases are covered, and if you need to
— which, essentially, means everything get a shuffle groove with swing eighths
involved in arranging a track and creating the 12/8 pattern can make that happen.
a demo in advance of a professional- This window is also where you set your
quality studio recording. It also serves project tempo (once you’ve made any
more generally as a quick and effortless audio recordings in the app, this tempo
mobile tool to capture inspiration cannot be changed.)
whenever it strikes. Songzap is the The kick and snare parts are
brainchild of Dr Rob Toulson and MTV manipulated using an X/Y grid, the X
award-winner Dr Mike Exarchos, who axis determining the core beats of the
have both enjoyed success as artist groove and the Y axis adding some
and producer, and are experts in music extra syncopated sizzle; GarageBand section in the song (sections that are all
education and audio technology. and Logic users should be very familiar helpfully laid out for you with meaningful
with this concept from Drummer tracks. titles). There’s no provision for dynamic
Into The Groove By tapping the icon on your snare or changes, but the arrangement window
The Songzap interface is engaging and kick you can lock your axis to one or the allows you to detail patterns for song
intuitive, and the functionality it accesses other, should you prefer to deal with only sections ranging in length from 1 to 32
superb. On opening, you find yourself one element at a time. The hi-hat control bars, so you can really go to town on
in a home page which is divided into operates only on a left-to-right basis, with fine-tuning the arrangement.
five sections, each accessing deeper patterns increasing in complexity towards One particularly cool feature is that
functions for the defined stages that lie the right. Working in sections, the hat can the programmed grooves are graphically
also be switched out for either a floor represented in standard drum notation.
RT60 Songzap tom or a ride cymbal. You also get the While this may seem a little daunting
$8 option to prescribe how frequently the to the uninitiated, it’s actually a great
pros crash cymbal appears (for example, once learning aid for those hoping to get
• Helps you focus on what really every 1, 2, 4 or 8 bars). a grasp of how rhythms are notated,
matters! The Groove machine page’s and helpful if you want to communicate
• Refreshingly simple to use. headphone icon provides you with ideas to a session drummer. Another
• Very usable drum machine with a choice of 13 individual kits, all created plus is that you can also add or remove
original kits, drum notation and MIDI
export.
using original drum kit samples recorded individual notes from the drum score, to
• Backed up by a great online resource. by RT60. You can program your own perfect the part you’re aiming to create.
parts, but the grid icon accesses 16
cons pre-programmed beats, which is great
Power Arrangers
• Might some users wish for more
tracks or instruments?
if you’re in a rush and/or don’t want to The home of the next stage is the
roll your own. These beats are labelled Arrange window, which is where you
summary alphabetically, A to Q, and increase in build up your song in sections. It provides
This pre-production app offers a great complexity and syncopation the further you with a plethora of Segment types:
way to organise and develop your
song and recording ideas without
into the alphabet you travel. There’s count-in, intro, verse, verse B, bridge
getting bogged down in the inevitable also a very slick option to copy the beat chorus etc, and the length of any of them
distractions of a full DAW. that you’re working on over to any other is easily changeable in situ. You can also

64 September 2022 / w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m
 Songzap features an easy‑to‑use drum
machine, complete with rhythms, original samples any iOS-compatible audio interface with switch to input monitor by holding the
and even standard drum notation. You can roll your a lightning connection/adaptor can be icon until it turns orange in order to do
own patterns or use presets to speed things up. used. Changing the volume of a track a practice run with a live feed, and there
alters the size of the its waveform, which is an option here to fire up the onboard
loop one or multiple sections, which is a really nice touch, but you do need to metronome. There’s no dedicated
enables you to audition the transition be aware of it — turn it down too far, and punch-in/drop-in function, but you can
from one section to the next, and you can you might not see your audio. start recording from wherever you place
edit the transitions between them. Operation is simple and you just need the playhead. This give you more than
The arrange window also includes to arm a track to get rolling. You can also enough versatility to work around tracks
a simplified drum score that have lengthy spaces in
editor, so you can make them like vocals.
changes on the fly Harking back to
without changing pages. Tascam’s Portastudios,
You can, of course, also the nostalgically named
flick back to the Groove ‘high-speed bounce’
machine at any time function allows you to
if you wish to access bounce the other tracks
the more powerful X/Y onto track 4, which will
pad interface. then operate as a stereo
track. Working this way
Right On Track obviously requires a level
The Track window is of commitment and the kind
laid out with the four of decisions we once upon
available audio tracks a time had to make! There’s
in view, along with the no need to incorporate
Groove track at the the drum tracks into the
bottom, and this also hi-speed bounce, by the
details the arrangement way. I turned mine down for
labels for ease of that, and brought it back up
reference. By default, after the bounce, to keep
the internal mic is used
as the input source, but
The Track page offers an
intuitive Portastudio‑style
In the Arrange page, you four‑track workflow, and tracks
build and rearrange your can be bounced down, tape‑style,
songs in editable sections. to track 4.

w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m / September 2022 65
 ON TE S T
RT60 SONGZAP

Files can be shared

with other Songzap users,
but you can also export, for
example, lyric sheets and
MIDI grooves.
arrangement and
MIDI data. I tested
this process with
both Logic and
Pro Tools and it all
worked seamlessly.
There are also
options to export
MIDI files (including
song tempo and
arrangement
markers) as well as
text/PDF files with
lyrics/arrangement
and notes.

Conclusion
Songzap isn’t
designed to
Track exports are dry so that, whatever compete with DAW applications
cool reverb and EQ settings you may (mobile or desktop), but to fill the gap
have applied within Songzap for your in the market for artists who want to
bounces, it’ll be a clean slate once you remain creative without unnecessary
open the files up in your DAW. technological distractions, and it does
this incredibly well. In fact, I reckon
Mixer & Processing Songzap is an excellent app — one
The Mixer features separate channels for each The Mix window gives you a full visual which achieves even more than it
audio track, as well as for three drum elements. of your four-track recording and the was designed to do, and which can
The channels have access to compression, Groove machine components. You genuinely inspire productivity. The
a two-band EQ, reverb and pan, as well as level,
and the processing can be hidden to make the GUI
can solo and adjust the volume of feel is very much like working with
less busy. individual tracks and the kick, snare a four-track Portastudio, which many
and hat/ride/tom components of the of us of a certain age will find nostalgic
my options open right up until the end of Groove machine. This is also where while others may find a novelty.
the pre-production process. you’ll find the volume control for the Either way, while fully embracing that
In the tracking window, you can also onboard metronome. There are panning ‘limitation breeds creativity’ philosophy,
import a mix of your current project as controls to adjust the stereo placement Songzap does accommodate many
a high-speed bounce or import other of each track as well as a control to of the advantages of modern DAWs,
mono/stereo files from iCloud. Be aware, add incremental amounts of reverb. such as bouncing, processing, and
though, that using the import function will A double-tap on the mixer icon reveals high-quality audio exports to DAWs or
overwrite anything currently recorded to additional functions: compression, and online services.
track 4, so you’ll need to make sure you low and high EQ (which set parametric The app comes with a wealth of
take the time to get your balance right boosts at 110Hz and 3kHz, respectively). step-by-step instructions but, by the
before committing. That said, there is There’s enough here to make those dry creators’ own admission they are also
a way to preserve all your tracks by using recorded parts shine. looking to establish a community, not
the handy Duplicate Song function... If just offer a mass-use production tool.
you duplicate your song (project 1) before
Export Strength As with their drum app, then, you’d be
committing to a high-speed bounce you Once you’ve got your mix finalised missing out if you didn’t also check out
can start afresh in a new project (project and the pre-production is wrapped the online resources they’ve provided
2) by high-speed bouncing everything there are options to share or archive to accompany the app: on the Songzap
to track 4 and using the available tracks the project for further use. The share website, you’ll find a comprehensive
for more content. This can be repeated function allows you to share a mixdown suite of practical videos and tutorials to
multiple times if need be. via email, social media or messaging assist new users and enthusiasts. At this
Once you’re ready to export your files apps. The archive function gives you the price, it really is a no-brainer.
to your DAW of choice, you can then opportunity to export all song data to
pull in all variations of the song and still iCloud, and this includes full-resolution $ $7.99 (App Store download).
have access to each individual track. track and mix files, lyrics/notes, W https://songzap.app

66 September 2022 / w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m
 ON TE S T

Focusrite
ROBIN VINCENT

W
ith the Vocaster range,

Vocaster Two
Focusrite have made the
flip over to a fully dedicated
podcasting solution. This is not an audio
interface for musicians — it’s a podcasting
interface for content creators. And on first
impressions it’s very good indeed.
The Vocaster Two is a good-looking
USB Podcasting Interface
box. It sits solidly on the desktop, in the Focusrite’s Vocaster Two puts everything you need to
shape of a luxurious, granite-bottomed
soap dish. It’s a dish filled with a sleek
podcast in one very well designed box.
and tactile front panel and a row of level knob. The Host’s headphone control with switchable phantom power on the
rubberised buttons. Various lights and also controls the main output if they are back. These are not combi connectors;
illuminations break the surface giving using it, giving the Host just that little bit there are no Hi-Z inputs for guitar
confident indications of what’s going more power to make them feel like they or line-level inputs; this is about two
on. I’m slightly disappointed that the are in control of the situation. people talking.
Focusrite red trim doesn’t light up like The overall feeling you get is that this To that end, Focusrite have added
a neon shop sign, but its metallic qualities device is absolutely designed for the job. a row of buttons for each party to play
do sparkle in the sun. It’s designed to sit It is exactly what a podcaster would need. with. First, there’s a handy mute button
between two podcasters and is entirely (or ‘cough switch’ as they say at the BBC),
unafraid to call them what they are: Host
Features and then an Enhance button denoted
and Guest. The feature list ticks every box along by a magic wand icon. This adds some
The single large knob in the middle the way to podcasting nirvana. The compression, EQ and a high-pass filter
controls the level for the connected Vocaster Two I’m reviewing here is to either microphone, and you can
microphones. You select Host or Guest on designed for two people engaging in choose from four presets. And finally, in
the row of buttons to specify which mic a podcast. There’s also a Vocaster One the middle are Host and Guest buttons,
level is being altered, and the level halo for people who want a simple podcasting which determine which mic level is being
and metering light up accordingly. The or a live-streaming solution just for controlled by the main knob.
Host and Guest then have their own mute themselves. But staying with the Two, we There is a secret setting that I think is
button, Enhance button and headphone have a pair of XLR microphone inputs a bit more magic even than the Enhance

68 September 2022 / w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m
mode, and that’s Auto Gain. Hold the edge). They are all labelled as Host or
button until it flashes, and then speak into Guest. Focusrite are going out of their
Focusrite Vocaster Two
your microphone for a few seconds; the way to reinforce the ease of use and $299
Vocaster will automatically set the right making no assumptions about the user’s pros
level for you. It works perfectly every time capabilities. It’s terrific and inspires a lot • Every connection a podcaster needs.
and makes you wonder why they went of confidence in the box. • Very easy to set up.
to the trouble of putting that big knob in • Perfect interface for podcasting.
the centre when you don’t really need
Vocaster Hub • Auto Gain and Enhance features are
excellent.
it. Maybe it would have been a level of While there is plenty of control on the • Phone and camera connections.
automation too far. hardware, it’s also mirrored in the rather • I can’t fault the design choices.
There are some other inputs. On the plain-looking Vocaster Hub software. So,
cons
back is a TRRS connection designed for you could set the levels and adjustments
• Unhelpful software bundle.
a smartphone. This will let you play music in the Hub, but you are more likely • Software configuration could do with
from your phone into the Vocaster and to enjoy doing it on the hardware, more explanation.
mix it into the podcast. However, it’s also particularly if you are engaging with
summary
a two-way connection, and so you could a guest. However, you also get all the mix
Focusrite’s superbly designed Vocaster
use it to talk to a remote guest and have controls for the other elements. You have Two nails the podcasting market,
their audio come in while your voice individual level control over the Bluetooth pulling together all your possible
over the microphone routes back out to and auxiliary (phone) input, so you could setups into one box. Not for musicians,
the phone. The mix sent to the phone is potentially use two phones, one wired though.
mono and contains the whole podcast and one wireless. Then there are two
mix but without their own voice, which is loopback channels letting you feed in the the whole show. For live streaming,
a nice and well-thought-out touch. outputs of two other pieces of software. you’d set this as an input to OBS, Vmix
An alternative option is the Bluetooth It’s all very clear and straightforward or whatever streaming software you
connection. Within a range of about until, perhaps, it’s time to work out how use. Then everything you have plugged
seven metres, you can pair your phone or you would actually connect it all up for live into the Vocaster will be recorded
Bluetooth device with the Vocaster and streaming or recording into your DAW... or streamed.
do the whole remote guest phone call Video Call refers to a ‘mix-minus’
wirelessly. The caller gets the same mono
DAW version of the whole show without the
mix as if you had it physically connected. Once you’ve selected the Vocaster as audio from loopbacked phones. You’d
Focusrite had one other idea for useful your DAW’s audio interface, you are faced send this back to video call guests for
connections: an output designed to plug with a quite alarming array of inputs. their monitoring.
into a video or DSLR camera. If you’re Everything gets its own channel, but you That’s an impressive 14 channels
filming your podcast, you could have all also get ‘Video Call’ and ‘Show Mix’ to in total from this little interface, which
the audio plugged into the camera, so play with. So, in your DAW, on separate otherwise gives you the impression of
you don’t have to sync it all up in post. tracks you can record both your own and a simple 2-in/2-out device.
It’s just a mini-jack output containing the your guest’s microphones, the output
same mix as the master output, but the from a wired phone, the output from
Software
fact that it’s marked up with a camera icon a phone over Bluetooth, and the playback The software package is a little on the
gives us an ease of application that we from two other pieces of software on the light side and feels like Focusrite are
don’t often see on audio interfaces. same computer. way out of their comfort zone. You get
We also see this with the mic sockets, Show Mix refers to the mix from the three months of SquadCast Pro+ for
control knobs and headphone outputs Vocaster Hub. You can set this up as the live streaming and six months of Acast
(the latter are usefully placed on the front stereo input to your DAW for recording Influencer for podcast publishing, neither

Round the back we find a USB C port, two XLR inputs marked Guest and Host, dedicated connections for phone and camera, and a pair of quarter-inch main outputs.

w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m / September 2022 69
 ON TE S T
FOCUSRITE VOCASTER TWO

The Vocaster Hub software

reveals just how many routing
options are available.

of which feels like a good

deal. For recording, you
get Hindenburg Lite which
is worth £73 and seems
a bit more like it. I’d not
come across Hindenburg
before, but the Pro version
is a DAW and audio editor
designed for podcasting and
radio production.
The Pro version looks
great, whereas the Lite
version leaves you feeling
a bit disappointed. The
Lite version only supports
regular USB audio drivers
and can record a single
stereo track at a time.
You’ve got no way to select
any of the 14 channels — it
just records a mix. All the
tutorials and guides on the
website appear to reference
the Pro version, which
can happily do multitrack recording. out of the way and gives you a neat The only thing that might trip people
Unfortunately, the settings and options and tidy desktop around which to do up is the software. Putting the odd choice
referred to don’t appear in the Lite your podcast. These things should not of bundled software aside, how do you
version, so you’re left a bit stuck. This be underestimated. set it up to live stream with OBS? How
is really the only misstep that Focusrite It sounds great in terms of sound do you record your podcast into a DAW?
have taken, so I’d recommend using any quality, which is probably not very helpful How do you record on your iPad? These
DAW that uses ASIO drivers for a much from a musical perspective, but that’s questions are not really answered with
better experience. not the measure of this unit. Focusrite reference to the Vocaster in any of
don’t go into much detail about the the documentation or support FAQs.
In Use preamps but they can deliver up to 70dB There’s an OBS tutorial, but it’s based on
Once you’ve worked out which input of gain with a frequency response of a Scarlett interface which will have none
drivers go where in your software, the 20Hz-20kHz and a THD+N of -94dB. of the same I/O options. There’s plenty of
experience of sitting down and using the The interface runs only at 48kHz, which info out there on how to do it generally,
Vocaster is pretty seamless. The Auto is normal for regular desktop software and Vocaster users will get through it, but
Gain works well provided that you speak and underlines that this is for a specific considering the marvellous ease-of-use
normally into the microphone during the application rather than having the aspect that Focusrite have pumped into
calibration. You don’t have to touch that versatility we’ve come to expect for the podcasting hardware, I’m surprised
middle knob at all. music-making. about the lack of instruction on how you
To keep good separation between actually do the podcasting itself.
the podcasters it’s probably better to use
Conclusion If you are looking for something
dynamic microphones as you will most Focusrite have judged this interface musical, then this is not for you. The
likely be sitting across from each other. perfectly. The range of features is spot lack of instrument or proper line-level
Focusrite offer a ‘Studio’ bundle of the on, and I applaud the lengths they’ve inputs would make it a hard pass for most
Vocaster Two, which includes a Shure gone to to make it easy to use — this is musicians. And that’s fine because that’s
SM7B-style dynamic mic called the DM14v how you make complicated technology not what the Vocaster is about. However,
and some headphones. A pair of those accessible. Everything works; the it might be interesting to see a Vocaster
would do the job nicely. phone connections, Bluetooth, routing Four that added back some more musical
Having some controls available to audio back out to the caller, loopback connections, because the hardware
your guest on the interface is a really routing, Auto Gain, Enhance, and even interface could be just as brilliant for
lovely thing, and being able to set their allowing your guest to mute their people writing songs together.
headphone level and mute status should microphone as they’re about to sneeze.
put them nicely at ease. The design with It makes for a completely comfortable $ $299.99
the I/O all on the back keeps the cables podcasting experience. W www.focusrite.com

70 September 2022 / w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m
 Engineering
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An equalizer is probably the tool you use most while mixing and
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 ON TE S T

way. It uses a combination of a sound in a specific spot might not

panning, level, frequency content, be enough for your brain to lock
phase-shifting and reverberation on to the illusion. There are several
to fool the listener into thinking ways to move a sound. The first is
sounds are moving around your auto mode, which works specifically
head in a three-dimensional space. on the azimuth (horizontal plane).
And it allows you to process two This causes a steady circling
completely different signals. Fly around the listener’s head. In
one signal around your head addition to this, each Quasar
whilst another goes in a separate has a dedicated LFO, which can
direction. In Neuzeit Instruments modulate any combination of the
language, a Quasar is a single position coordinates. Having both
unit containing the 3D positioning, the LFO and auto mode means
reverb, and LFO settings. you can have different speeds and
Therefore, there are two Quasars in directions for different planes. The
each unit. LFO has seven waveforms, plus
Neuzeit Instruments Quasar Audio signals are fed to the two additional ‘single-shot’ waveforms,
Eurorack Module Quasars via two mono input jacks, which must be triggered by a CV
each with a gain control. They are signal at CV1 or CV2. Low LFO

T
he concept of 3D audio effects — the ability to fake converted to a binaural signal, speeds work best, but higher rates
forward, backward, up and down movement using processed independently first can produce interesting results.
only a pair of stereo speakers — has been around through a high-pass and low-pass The last method of modulation
since the mid-1990s. Back then, digital processing was filter, and then the magic happens. comes from the two CV inputs.
getting powerful enough to put clever algorithms into Finally, the signals are mixed — These can be set to modulate
effects racks. The Roland RSS ‘Sound Space Processor’ along with the dry signal — at the a Quasar’s position coordinates,
series was amongst the more popular. They wowed stereo and headphone outputs. reverb settings, and LFO settings.
music, film, TV and game sound editors with genuinely The level of both Quasars plus the Each CV input can modulate up
impressive demos of helicopters flying around the centre (dry) signal is handled by to four destinations with varying
listener’s head. three potentiometers at the top of amounts, so eight in total. Both
To my knowledge, the Neuzeit Instruments Quasar is the unit. inputs accept voltages in the
the first Eurorack module to tackle 3D audio in a similar Most of the fiddly stuff is ±5V range.
done on the OLED screen in There are more useful functions
the centre, helped by two large too. You can copy Quasar settings
clickable encoders for value from one to another and copy LFO
adjustment, a smaller encoder settings with or without polarity
for menu selection, and a back inversion (easy to set up opposing
button. I’m generally not a fan of movements). Presets, which
menu-diving, but the structure contain settings for the entirety
is clear and straightforward to of the module, can be saved and
navigate. The two larger encoders loaded. Some presets are included
have multicolour LED skirts that that show off what the module is
help to visualise whatever value capable of. For example, ‘Slow
you’re adjusting on-screen. It can Walk’ (both Quasars slowly circling
also show input levels, which are in opposite directions) or ‘Random
essential to set correctly for the 3D on Trig’ (changes the position
processing to work well. randomly every time a trigger
A Quasar’s position in the 3D appears at CV1). Thankfully, the
field is set using angles for the module remembers its current state
horizontal and vertical planes and when performing a power cycle, so
meters for the distance. Distance presets are just an optional extra.
works in conjunction with the A handy bypass option stops
built-in reverb. You set reverb size, all processing and passes input to
damping and amount, and the output — great for comparing your
distance function will apply more dry signal to your 3D signal. Then
or less reverb depending on the there are more esoteric options
distance. Reverb is optional, but it like ‘Ear Type’ (options: Human,
dramatically enhances the illusion Hobbit, Yoda, Bunny and Elephant),
of movement towards and away which mainly adjust the amount
from the listener. of frequency variation present
Movement is an essential aspect during movement around the 3D
of 3D processing. Simply placing space. I don’t suppose Neuzeit

72 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

Instruments believes in Hobbits or expects mentioning that it still sounds excellent on your head is quite intoxicating. With the
elephants to own Eurorack modular a good stereo monitoring system. two parallel processors, you can add
systems (they’d struggle with the patch Lastly, I want to credit the excellent complex stereo processing to drones,
cables), so I suspect what will sound best manual. It’s long (for a Eurorack module) bass lines, granular textures, or whatever
will be down to speaker positioning or at 28 pages, but it includes clear you decide to feed it. I didn’t expect to
personal taste. explanations, lots of background science, like it as much as I do. It’s one of those
Speaking of speakers, the manual and plenty of tips to get the best out of the modules that can add some special
recommends that 3D processing sounds module. Bravo. sauce to just about any signal — highly
best on headphones. Perhaps this is why The Neuzeit Instruments Quasar is recommended. Rory Dow
it’s one of the few Eurorack modules to a bit of a one-trick pony. But what a trick! $ $489
include a headphone output. But it’s worth Having analogue synth leads fly around W www.neuzeit-instruments.com

Modular Profile: What I’m interested in is to dig down

Aimo Scampa and find those patterns. It’s more about

discovery, I guess. I was playing around

D
esigner Aimo Scampa began with the idea of using magnets for an
his musical journey studying interface or instrument when I came
classical and jazz piano in Udine, across Peter Blasser’s Rollz-5 and
northeastern Italy, before moving to Roolz-Gewei circuits and decided to
the UK to study sound production at combine the two together. The Tetragrid
New Lanarkshire College in Motherwell. was born.
It was in Scotland that he began his
deep dive into the world of modular, On his early days with Instruō
moving to Glasgow to work for maverick I began working at Instruō in 2018. It’s
developer Instruō, to whom he attributes an incredibly open environment that
much of his knowledge and inspiration. EMS-style pin matrix. I love routing and gives so much; everyone is sharing
Now he designs modules under the summing. Matrix mixers are meta, mate! their knowledge and everyone has the
moniker of Manifold Research Centre, The [Instruō] I-ō47 is great as well: filters opportunity to learn and work on their
with an approach that’s as off-the-wall are my favourite thing ever. Beautiful ideas. The place is about growth. I’m
as it is fascinatingly clever, capably processors, amazing when pinged, and only here now thanks to Jason and the
demonstrated by his latest module: the the outs can be hard-panned to create rest of the team. That’s how I started
Ciat-Lonbarde-inspired Tetragrid. beautiful stereo effects. And the notch designing electronics: they taught me
output on the I-ō47 is pure class. how to read schematics and use PCB
On his entry into modular Lastly, the [Make Noise] Erbe-Verb. design software, they gave me the drive
I started to get into modular around I love it, I use it mostly as a resonator to design the lìon and a big push by
eight years ago. A dear friend of mine and delay more than a reverb. It’s very releasing it as part of the Instruō line.
in Berlin had a system at the time, and metallic, very good for rhythmical stuff. And that’s just the start!
he was starting to build DIY stuff. He But I try to be careful with it: long, lush
was the one who got me into it (I owe reverbs are a plague in Eurorack. My On the culture of modular
him all my gratitude for this). I got a PSU partner Ewa Justka — aka Optotronics — I see modular as the perfect learning
and a Doepfer A-119, and I got my first says that it’s cheating, and I cannot agree platform for synthesis, and consequently
kit — the Tube VCA from L-1 Synthesizer. more with that. The world should do the perfect tool for the development of
I still have that module in my system, it’s something about it. new instrument ideas. The growth that
amazing. I then got completely caught modular has seen in the last decade
up in the act of making. The excitement On the Manifold Research Centre reflects this, in my opinion. Having said
and satisfaction of seeing it working was Tetragrid and the Anti-Sequencer that, modular has its dark side too: it
unreal and I just kept going for it. Manifesto can lead to a hoarding problem. It’s
Sequencers dominate the electronic a rabbit hole. In some cases it becomes
On his go-to modules (apart from music scene and go against the idea a collecting fetish, rather than trying to
his own!) of freedom, especially for something understand what you have in your hands.
The L-1 Tube VCA! Valves: say no more. like a modular system. I was looking With such a huge variety of modules
Also, [Mutable Instruments’] Stages. for something to get away from the available, people can feel like they’re
Looping envelopes are at the centre point constrictions of a bar loop, so I just started never done with a system.
of my patches, and cross-modulation experimenting with cross-modulating What I like the most about modular
is a great way to create interesting, patches. Feedback loops have the culture is the DIY community that grew
non-standard, ‘non-sequences’. beautiful ability to create an ecosystem around it, so I think of it as the main
Next would be the [Instruō] lìon: where every element is in relation to reason why someone should start with
I designed the lìon because I really each other. And if you pay attention, modular as a learning tool — not only
needed something like this in my underneath this layer of randomness you for synthesis, but also for electronics.
system and always dreamed about an can find beautiful underlying patterns. William Stokes

www.soundonsound.com / September 2022 73

 ON TE S T

AJH Synth Tap Tempo

VC-LFO & Dual RVG
Eurorack Modules

M
iniMod makers AJH Synth
have developed and
realised two new modules,
Tap Tempo VC-LFO and Dual RVG
Random Voltage Event Generator.
At first sight Tap Tempo VC-LFO
does exactly what you’d expect,
with an enhanced selection
of all your usual LFO wave
shapes, perfect for those classic
modulations. You’ll find saws, sines,
and squares, alongside randomised
outputs, but as the name suggests,
you can tempo match these easily
by hitting the Tap button, located
right in the centre of the panel.
There’s also capacity to clock the
LFO from your system’s clock,
which is a useful facility not always
found on Eurorack LFOs. So far,
so usual, at least for a basic LFO
module, but from here on things
start to get delightfully messy!
A second bank of onboard
waveforms move us away from the
norm, with notions of repeating
pulses, stepped shapes and
sine-like forms that decrease over
time. Adding to the wave fun,
the WF-Twist pot allows mutation Meanwhile, AJH’s Dual Random Voltage of the CVs, while output channel one
of each and every waveform, Event Generator is a limited-edition module, is also equipped with a Slew control,
providing less of an LFO source, restricted to a run of only 250 units. The Dual allowing the easy dialling in of glide
and more a location for more RVG is billed as a random voltage generator, from one CV to the next. It is also
interesting modulation shapes. in the same vein that you might expect from possible to control the pulse width of
Using these complex shapes, a sample & hold module, but in good AJH the gate, and of course all elements are
you could create anything from tradition, it takes the concept far further, adding open to CV control.
ambient musical backdrops to useful functionality along the way. It’s always nice to have obvious
spaceships taking off, and in Dealing with the random elements first, this and useful additions, and this module
typical AJH style, absolutely all module provides two channels of randomised will also provide either a triangle or
parameters are open to CV control. voltage output. Just about every seasoned sawtooth LFO, available from a no-frills
In an attempt to alleviate Eurorack devotee enjoys a random element in jack output.
issues that often arise from the a system, and this provides that in spades, while If there’s one thing you can always
differences between modules that equipping the randomisation with degrees of say about AJH modules, it’s that
prefer unipolar over bipolar inputs, control and limitation, meaning that you can time they are built to some of the highest
this module includes a dedicated and limit the CV output to suit your requirements. specifications in the Eurorack industry.
output for both forms, providing A trigger button allows manual generation of They are solid, with absolutely zero
capacity to utilise both sources a random voltage, with an associated gate input hint of pot-wobble, with jack points
simultaneously, if required. allowing this to operate from a pulse or clock. that ooze quality and reliability in
Tap Tempo VC-LFO is another The frequency of output is then controlled via connection. Whether you are a MiniMod
one of those modules that appears a dedicated pot, with an additional variation pot System user or not, these modules are
simple enough, on the face of it, allowing you to dial in the amount of required both functional and incredibly desirable
but dig beneath the surface and randomisation, in both pulse and regularity. The — so much so that you would be quite
not only does it go far further than result can be a chaotic number of output pulses, likely to miss them once you’ve tried
expected, it also rectifies certain with moments of extreme dormancy. them in your rig. Dave Gale
issues by supplying control and Both random output channels are equipped $ Tap Tempo VC-LFO $299, Dual RVG $385.
usable sources along the way. with the ability to offset and control the levels W www.ajhsynth.com

74 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

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 ON TE S T

PSI A21‑M
PHIL WARD

M
anufactured in Switzerland and
aimed at serious professional
applications, PSI monitors are
notably free of the kind of cost-driven
design compromises that are typical
Active Monitors
of entry-level products. So, despite PSI’s two-way monitors are more expensive than
its relatively compact dimensions and many three-way models. Do they justify their cost?
conventional two-way format, the PSI
A21-M comes with a hefty price tag. Does it and compliance, so their output doesn’t will arise. Secondly, CPR works only
nevertheless represent good value? necessarily occur instantly on the arrival of down to around 200Hz, and so makes
an input. PSI’s CPR technology is designed, no attempt to compensate for the latency
Hidden Depths at the cost of a little overall latency, to (more technically known as group delay)
The A21-M has actually been reviewed in realign things so that the monitor output inherent to the A21-M’s reflex bass loading.
SOS before, back in July 2011. However, more accurately reflects its input in the I suspect one reason for this is that
the model has recently undergone time domain. There’s two things to note compensating for low-frequency group
significant upgrades, most notably the here, however. Firstly, CPR can do nothing delay would result in overall system latency
integration of a new tweeter designed and about the inter-driver timing ‘errors’ that becoming an issue. As it is, the overall
manufactured in house. result from their different positions in latency introduced by CPR is said by PSI to
The A21-M is traditional in appearance, space. Move your ears to a location that’s be a fairly benign 0.5ms.
especially if ordered in the slightly closer to the tweeter than to the bass/mid PSI’s second unusual technology
sparkly dark grey finish of the review driver and, sure as night follows cliché, is Adaptive Output Impedance. AOI
pair rather than PSI’s traditional crimson. the tweeter output will arrive before the comprises a feedback mechanism that
A nominally 21cm-diameter bass/mid driver, bass/mid output and a phase discontinuity uses a measure of the current flowing
a waveguide-loaded tweeter and a slot
reflex port populate the front panel, while
around the back you’ll find an aluminium
heatsink and a connection panel. The
wooden enclosure is of conventional
rectilinear form, with front corner radii
that will help reduce edge diffraction, and
the reflex port newly incorporates PSI’s
‘Flow Guide’ arrangement, designed to
encourage laminar port airflow and to
discourage ‘organ pipe’ resonances.
The A21-M’s outward ordinariness
hides a couple of interesting and unusual
proprietary technologies. The first is
something PSI call Compensated Phase
Response, or CPR for short. Speakers, by
their very nature, are reactive systems
composed of components that have mass

PSI A21-M
$7438
pros
• Detailed, uncoloured midrange.
• Extended, clean bass.
• Convincing and informative high
frequencies.
• Fabulous imaging.

cons
• None.

summary
The lack of cost-driven compromise
in the way the A21-M is designed,
engineered and manufactured shines
through in its performance. It’s
a great example of what high-quality
monitoring should be all about.

76 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

 that incorporates multiple power supply
rails at different voltages. When the
signal level is low, the amplifier runs off
a low‑voltage supply rail, and when the
signal level increases, the amplifier switches
to higher‑level voltage rails to accommodate
the peaks without clipping. The advantages
of Class G/H over Class A/B, say PSI, are
reduced distortion, higher efficiency and
lower heat dissipation.

By Degrees
Diagram 1: The A21-M’s frequency response, measured on-axis (purple trace), and 30 degrees Diagram 1 shows three measurements of
above and below (blue and green traces, respectively). the A21‑M’s frequency responses. One
was taken with the mic positioned on
through the driver voice coils to adjust behind its introduction across their monitor a perpendicular axis halfway between the
the amplifier output and make it more range was performance consistency. bass/mid driver and tweeter, and one each
accurately follow the input signal. This The OEM tweeters used previously was taken 30 degrees upwards (towards the
works because a driver’s acoustic output were unable to consistently meet PSI’s tweeter) and 30 degrees downwards. The
is defined more by the current flowing demanding performance requirements. axial response is very tidy, with no obvious
through its voice coil than the voltage at The tweeter is paired with problems or suspicious‑looking bumps. Any
its terminals. In a conventional amplifier/ a thermoplastic‑diaphragm bass/midrange apparent lack of high‑frequency extension is
driver arrangement, the voice‑coil current driver, again manufactured in‑house, the result of the mid‑driver mic position being
is modulated by all sorts of dynamic which has a nominal 210mm chassis size. slightly off the central axis of the tweeter.
changes in driver impedance. For In decades past, it was pretty common The ±30‑degree curves show the expected
example, voice‑coil inductance varies with for two‑way monitors and hi‑fi speakers drop in HF off‑axis, along with the expected
diaphragm position; this will modulate to be based on a 200mm (eight‑inch) interference suck‑out around the crossover
the impedance, which will in turn change bass/mid driver. However, for a variety frequency. This is where the different path
the current independently of the amplifier of technical and market‑driven reasons, lengths between the drivers and the mic
output voltage. Similarly, voice‑coil two‑way bass/mid drivers have tended to results in their outputs arriving at slightly
resistance increases with temperature, get a little smaller. One of the technical different times (putting them out of phase)
so as the coil gets warmer in use, the reasons for this is that it’s tricky to keep and their energy cancelling. Such suck‑outs
current flowing through it will reduce resonant control of a larger diaphragm into will almost always occur to some degree with
and the driver output will fall. Measuring midrange frequencies with a roll‑surround non‑coincident multi‑driver monitors.
the instantaneous current in the voice component that doesn’t contribute too To investigate the phenomenon a little
coil enables the amplifier output to be much low‑frequency mechanical damping. more, Diagrams 2a, 2b and 2c show the
dynamically adjusted to match the input The fact that PSI can make the larger bass A21‑M’s impulse responses associated
signal more closely, correcting the effect driver of the A21‑M work well in this regard with the three measuring mic positions. If
of changes in the driver impedance. It’s says much about their skill and the quality PSI’s CPR (Compensated Phase Response)
a neat idea that can significantly reduce of their electro‑acoustic engineering. technology is doing its job in compensating
distortion and compression and, to my way The rear‑panel heatsink and connection for system phase changes, this should result
of thinking, it appears in active monitors panel that I mentioned earlier is home to in a clean and compact impulse response.
rather less often than perhaps it might. just a mains input socket, balanced XLR And that’s what Diagram 2a reveals. The
analogue input socket and two variable axial impulse response is notably compact
In The House pots: one for input sensitivity and one and shows little of the ringing and smearing
PSI have actually been manufacturing offering variable low‑frequency roll‑off that’s typical of many monitors. Diagrams
tweeters for around 40 years, since the from 200Hz downward. The LF roll‑off 2b and 2c do so show some smearing of
days when their monitors were sold under control is intended to enable fine tuning the impulse and that’s simply because, with
the Studer brand. The in‑house design in installations where the proximity of the measuring mic not equidistant from the
now being used in the A21‑M is based on room boundaries results in too much two drivers, the individual arrival of their
that originally developed for the A25‑M. It’s low‑frequency gain. One detail that outputs is discernible. Diagram 2b shows
also similar to the in‑house tweeter now illustrates the no‑compromise engineering the 30‑degrees down response, in which
incorporated in the A14‑M and A17‑M, but in the A21‑M is that the amp assembly is the bass/mid driver is closer to the mic, and
as the larger bass/mid driver of the A21‑M not only isolated in its own enclosure, but that’s witnessed in the impulse response
requires a lower crossover frequency, also mechanically decoupled from the as an arrival of energy before the sharp
its design has been revised to provide cabinet by compliant mounting bushes. peak of the tweeter output. Conversely, in
greater dome/voice‑coil displacement. It’s The 280W bass/mid amplifier, rather Diagram 2c the tweeter is now closer to
a conventional‑looking 27mm‑diameter than sporting conventional Class‑A/B or the mic so its peak is the first feature. Both
fabric‑dome tweeter, mounted at the mouth contemporary Class‑D architecture, is graphs, however, are free of resonance and
of a short conical waveguide, and PSI say described by PSI as a Class‑G/H device. ringing, evidence that CPR results in genuine
that one of the significant driving forces Class G/H denotes an amplifier topology benefits to objective performance.

www.soundonsound.com / September 2022 77

 ON TE S T
P S I A 21 - M

ALTERNATIVES
The A21-M inhabits a market niche
populated by quite a few similarly high
performance competitors. For example,
the PMC6, the ATC SCM20A, the
Genelec 8341, the Unity Audio Mini
Boulder and the Dynaudio Core 59 are
all worth considering.

free of obvious reflex effects. I recently

experienced a monitor that was prone to
showing off its extended low-frequency
bandwidth by ceaselessly emphasising the
bottom octave, and the A21-M does none of
that. Its bass is clearly extended, because it
renders audible low-frequency information
that smaller, more bandwidth-limited
monitors will miss, but it does so with
control and precision.
The quality and fundamental accuracy
of the A21-M extends all the way through
the audio band. There was nothing about
its subjective performance that caused me
even the slightest raising of an eyebrow.
Voices and acoustic instruments sound
just as they should, almost completely free
of ‘speaker’ character, and stereo imaging
(a really strong indicator of general quality)
was really sharply focussed and precise.
One of the great benefits of really good
imaging performance is that it makes reverb
character, both in terms of added effects
Diagrams 2a, 2b & 2c: The A21-M’s impulse and inherent room sound, much easier to
response, again measured on-axis and 30 degrees
but in terms of resonant features above the discern and make artistic judgments on.
above and below.
reflex resonance (at just above 40Hz) the That’s very much the case with the A21-M.
My final chunk of analysis, illustrated in A21-M shows a very clean result. The new PSI tweeter is a success also,
Diagram 3, was to investigate the A21-M primarily because it does nothing to draw
reflex port and check for resonant output
Listening In attention to itself. Tweeters are at their best,
in the band above the port’s intended Listening to the A21-M, with some favourite I think, when you don’t specifically notice
reflex resonance. One of the refinements reference tracks and Pro Tools mixes lined their presence, and that’s the case with
of the new A21-M is the introduction of up, it was obvious from the first moment the A21-M. As with the A21-M’s character
PSI’s Flow Guide port design, which is that it’s an extremely fine monitor. It through the midrange, there’s an ease to
intended both to improve airflow linearity sounds precise and correct at any volume the tweeter’s performance. It’s neutral in
and to reduce the likelihood of organ-pipe level from quiet to loud. The balance is terms of tonal balance but still informative
port resonances. Without having the older neutral, the midrange is detailed and and delicate. And in writing that its character
version to compare, it’s impossible to know uncoloured, and the bass, while obviously through the midrange and high frequencies
if Flow Guide has improved port linearity, reaching down a long way, is clean and seems consistent, I realise that the word I’m
looking for to describe the A21-M generally
is ‘coherence’. The A21-M sounds reliable,
natural, detailed and convincing all the way
through the audio band, and that’s quite
an achievement. At the start of this review,
I posed the question of whether the A21-M’s
not inconsiderable price is justified. To my
mind the answer is undoubtedly yes.

$ $7438 per pair.

T Eleven Dimensions Media +1 707 981 4833
W 11dmedia.com
Diagram 3: A close-mic measurement of the A21-M’s port. W www.psiaudio.com

78 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

 ON TE S T

DAW Control Surface

Qube Audio Mobi One

Designed with Cubase users in mind, the Mobi One promises To seasoned Cubase users, the layout
a boutique MIDI controller experience at a reasonable price. of the physical controls should feel
instantly familiar. Those on the bottom-most
is connected to your host computer via strip and far-right edge can be thought
JOHN WALDEN
USB, the MIDI ports appear labelled as of as ‘universal’, in that in the default

F
or those who prefer to control their Arduino Due. Having dabbled myself with configurations supplied by Qube Audio they
DAW by laying hands on real faders, an Arduino, it’s use here strikes me as a very always offer control of the same functions:
knobs and buttons — rather than to interesting application for this technology, transport controls and channel selection
rely solely on a mouse and key commands which delivers some flexible processing are found in the bottom-most section; and
— there are now plenty of hardware control possibilities at a very modest cost.
surfaces on the market and the majority I’ve not yet had the Mobi One long
will work with most popular DAWs. Qube enough to make a definitive judgement
Qube Audio Mobi One
Audio’s debut product, the Mobi One, is about long-term durability, but it certainly $412
a little different: while it is compatible with feels very well made, with the controls pros
any DAW that supports MIDI, it has been feeling solid, smooth and responsive. • Undoubted appeal for Cubase and
very much optimised for users of Steinberg’s Speaking of which, the Mobi One boasts Nuendo users.
Cubase (and Nuendo, of course). a vast array of hands-on controls, with 47 • Can serve as a general MIDI control
buttons and 34 rotary knobs (which double surface for any DAW.
Hands On as buttons) being joined by dedicated
• Lots of controls for a fairly modest
price.
The Mobi One’s appealing aesthetics, with transport controls. You’ll probably have • Plenty of potential to exploit Cubase
a stylish wooden (European white oak) noticed from the pictures that there are no 12’s new MIDI Remote system.
frame and an anodised aluminium top faders here. This has advantages, not least
cons
plate, might suggest this is a ‘boutique’ that it allows the Mobi One to be helpfully • Requires some familiarisation time to
product but its price tag, thankfully, doesn’t compact, and the knobs can, of course, be fully reap the benefits.
— it’s well within the price range of the configured to control your DAW’s virtual
most popular DAW controllers currently faders — but if setting fader levels is your
summary
The Mobi One is perhaps something
on the market. Under the hood, all the primary requirement in a MIDI controller of a niche product, but one with plenty
MIDI data management is handled by there will probably be better candidates of workflow potential, especially for
Arduino technology, and once the device out there. dedicated Cubase users.

80 September 2022 / w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m
the far-right strip provides, for the currently the effort to follow the instructions carefully the DeEsser, Envelope Shaper and Magneto
selected channel, buttons for mute, solo, though — I was super-keen to get going and II, and both can be partially customised
read, write, record enable, opening the (d’oh!) didn’t do so, and this led to a certain by the user. Modes 4, 5 and 6 are fully
Channel Settings window and, courtesy of amount of unnecessary head-scratching! customisable, and can be used to control
two knobs, the ability to control pan and Located on the bottom-left of the Mobi plug-ins (Cubase stock or third-party ones)
volume (it might not be a fader but it does One are three Mode buttons. Under the that you’ve loaded into the insert slots;
the job!). The remaining controls are laid hood, these change some elements of the Qube supply a number of XML files to
out to mirror much of what’s available in data being sent from the unit to Cubase (for help get you started on this front, including
Cubase’s Channel Settings window and example, the MIDI channel used) and they Mode 4 presets for the Frequency 2 EQ and
Strip. Indeed, in the first of the Mobi One’s let you switch between the various Generic a number of the stock dynamics plug-ins,
six operational ‘modes’, that’s exactly what Remote configurations supplied. and Mode 6 presets for Massive, Retrologue
you get: working from left to right, you have As I mentioned above, the default 2 and Serum. Yes, you’ll have to familiarise
physical controls for all the key parameters Mode 1 provides control over the Channel yourself with how the Mobi One controls are
in Cubase’s Pre section, the Noise Gate, Settings window’s key functions, and just mapped to the software controls, but that’s
the Compressor, the standard four-band how useful this mode is will really depend true when using any generic MIDI remote
EQ, and the Saturation section. The on how you prefer to use Cubase. For me, control surface. It might not be something
labelling for each physical knob reflects this it’s great, since while I’ll happily turn to for the casual user of these VSTs but, again,
primary application. third-party inserts for very specific mixing if they are an integral part of your musical
It’s worth noting that the launch of tasks, I perform a considerable number of workflow, hands-on control easily becomes
the Mobi One coincided with Steinberg’s routine tasks using the processing built into addictive, and they serve as examples of
release of Cubase 12 (in March 2022) — the Channel Settings window, especially in how to roll your own ‘maps’.
and as that was by coincidence rather the Pre, Compressor and EQ sections. Once
than design I imagine it may have given your hands grow accustomed to having
Mobi One & Cubase’s
Qube’s main man Paul Commons some dedicated hardware control over these MIDI Remote
mixed feelings! During the Mobi One’s features, those tasks quickly become much Cubase 12’s new MIDI Remote system may
development phase, Cubase 11’s Generic more intuitive, and since you can control have given Qube something to think about,
Remote system offered the most obvious multiple parameters simultaneously that can but I don’t think anyone would have argued
way to configure an external hardware make operation far more efficient. This is that Cubase’s MIDI controller support wasn’t
controller and, as discussed below, the Mobi particularly true of the four main EQ bands, due an overhaul — it is such a step up from
One ships with a set of Generic Remote for which you have direct individual control the older Generic Remote (which is still
and Quick Control configurations. These over bypass, filter type, gain, frequency and supported, by the way). Qube supplied me
provide a wide range of control options Q for each band. With a dedicated button (e) with their initial ‘.midiremote’ script file for
including, but also going well beyond, the to open the Channel Settings window in the the Mobi One during the review period,
Channel Settings window. In Cubase 12, right-most universal strip, a rotary knob (the and have also released a detailed tutorial
though, Steinberg introduced new facilities Track controller) to scroll through your track on creating your own MIDI Remote-based
called MIDI Remote and Focus Quick list (next to the Mode buttons), and a button configurations. The supplied script includes
Controls, in a long-overdue overhaul of to switch between fast or detailed response Mapping Pages for use with a number of
the control surface integration system. It’s modes for the rotary knobs (next to the Cubase’s stock plug-ins, as well as a page
early days, but Qube have already taken Track controller knob), it becomes very easy that’s configured to trigger a number of
this development on board and, during the to move around your project and configure common Key Commands.
review period, Paul sent me his first take at the required Channel Settings for each of Further support is promised in the near
MIDI Remote support for the Mobi One. So your tracks. For regular users of the Channel future, but at the time of writing, the script
I’ll discuss both the Generic Remote and Settings window, this is impressive stuff. didn’t yet include a Mapping Page with an
MIDI Remote functionality below. While Mode 1 is undoubtedly the most equivalent to the Generic Remote support
intuitive in use (not least because of the for the Channel Settings window. Given
Generic Remote labelling), Mobi One’s other Generic Remote just how slick the MIDI Remote system
Used with the long-established Generic mode configurations offer plenty more is, though, it didn’t take me long (even as
Remote system, the Mobi One offers possibilities. Modes 2 and 3 expand upon a MIDI Remote novice) to replicate most
a number of ‘modes’ of operation, each the Channel Settings control and include of the same functionality. I’m sure this is
providing control over different functionality
in Cubase. Qube provide the user with full
documentation, a set of Generic Remote
configuration files (XML files that the user
can import in the Generic Remote section
of the Studio Setup window), and a Getting
Started Cubase project to... well, to get you
started! There’s also an XML configuration
file to allow the Mobi One to be used with
the Quick Control system. Initial setup does
involve a few steps, but it’s a once-only The whole ensemble sits in a stylish European white oak frame.
process and relatively painless. Do make

w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m / September 2022 81
 ON TE S T
QUBE AUDIO MOBI ONE

something that Qube are busy expanding

upon already, but it’s easy to see, given the
Mobi One’s huge number of buttons and
rotary controllers, that it offers considerable
potential for use with the new MIDI
Remote system.

Is Mobi The One?

So could the Mobi One be the only MIDI
controller you need? The current MIDI
controller market provides plenty of choices
for DAW users, and what constitutes the
right controller is very much a personal
decision — one which will be heavily
influenced by the features of your preferred
DAW, and particularly those that lie at the
core of your preferred workflow. While
I’m sure it could be adapted to serve as
a generic MIDI controller with any other
software, the Mobi One has clearly been
designed with Cubase in mind. And, with Qube Audio provide a good selection of Generic Remote configuration files, enabling the Mobi One to
perform a range of different control duties within Cubase versions both past and present.
a control layout that’s ideal for use with
Cubase’s Channel Settings window, Cubase
users who already make good use of those
features are likely to get the most out of
the Mobi One. But it’s flexible enough that
it’s perfectly capable of handling a wide
range of general MIDI controller duties,
both over Cubase itself and any third-party
plug-ins. Another factor is the sheer number
of buttons and rotary controls on offer
here, and taken with Cubase 12’s new MIDI
Remote system (and the option to avoid the
complexities of the Generic Remote system),
this adds up to create massive potential.
Your desire for faders will obviously be
a consideration too, but I feel it’s important
to point out that faders can have cons as
well as pros. There are obvious cost and
potentially reliability implications for any
hardware, for example, and they also mean
the device will occupy a bigger space on
your desktop In fact, rotary controllers are
arguably better for software fader control
than non-motorised faders because, as you
move from one fader (or fader bank) to the
next within your DAW, you don’t have to deal
with the fact that the hardware and software
fader positions don’t align. Motorised faders
address that, of course, but even adding
a single motorised fader to the Mobi One
would bring a considerable price hike.
Whatever you’re preference, it’s a perfectly plenty of knobs and buttons. With suitable Creating your own Mobi One control
valid design choice that users will need to configuration, it can most certainly serve as configurations for Cubase 12’s newer MIDI Remote
system is something any Cubase user could tackle.
factor into any purchase decisions. a generic MIDI controller for any part of your
The bottom line is that, while there’s no DAW workflow, but it should excel for its
such thing as the ‘perfect’ MIDI controller, I’ll main target user group — Cubase users who
happily take my hat off to the Qube Audio make regular use of the Channel Settings
$ £349 (about $412) including shipping.
team for what they’re doing here. The Mobi window and Strip. If that’s you, I’d strongly Discounted to £299 ($354) when going
One looks and feels like hardware that costs recommend that you give the Mobi One very to press.
far more. It appears well built, and it offers serious consideration. W www.qubeaudio.co.uk

82 September 2022 / w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m
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 ON TE S T

Blackstar St James
PAUL WHITE
Valve Guitar Amplifiers
A
good valve amplifier can sound truly Blackstar aim to take the weight out of valve amplification
fantastic — but they’re generally
very heavy things. There are good
without compromising on tone.
reasons for that, of course: they require a more manageable valve amplifier, without EL34 equivalents, which come in a fawn
hefty transformer‑based power supplies to compromising on the sound. The result is colour and boast the same features but
provide the HT and heater voltages for the the new St James range, which apparently offer a more ‘British’ tone. The cabinets are
valves; they may also use heavy smoothing draws its name from an historic part of available in black or fawn, to match your
chokes; and then, of course, there’s an Northampton, where the company is based. choice of amp.
output transformer. And that’s before you The range includes two amp models,
add on the weight of the loudspeaker and each available as a head or combo, and
Losing Weight
the cabinet. But it won’t do your playing any a matching speaker cabinet. For this review, So, how did Blackstar manage the trick of
good if you dislocate your shoulder carrying I chose to focus on the 50W St James 6L6 keeping the weight down? Firstly, it seems
your amp from your car into the venue! combo, which comes in black and is fitted that the heavy traditional power supply was
British manufacturers Blackstar have with a single 12‑inch Celestion G12Z‑70 replaced by a more efficient switch‑mode
decided to take on the challenge of building Zephyr speaker. The other options are (SMPS) one. Before you put your hand up

84 September 2022 / w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m
 again, Blackstar have pre-empted that, this Cab Rig uses Blackstar’s own simulation
Blackstar St James time by adding a switchable 2W mode that’s algorithms rather than impulse responses,
From $1199 achieved by adjusting the power stage as the designers feel that this gives a more
pros voltages — it is surprisingly loud, actually, accurate dynamic response while also
• Versatile and high-quality sound. but certainly much more appropriate in avoiding the latency and phase issues
• Excellent DI and recording those scenarios. that can sometimes occur with IR-based
features. More weight loss comes courtesy of approaches. Many of the settings for Cab
• Light in weight compared with
the Celestion Zephyr speaker, which has Rig can be customised by the user courtesy
typical valve combos.
• Includes Cab Rig digital cabinet a shallow magnet that might look like it of Blackstar’s free Architect software, with
and mic emulation. should be neodymium. Actually, it’s a new which you can set up a cab miked using
ceramic design that gets close to the fabled a choice of microphones both on- and
cons
‘Greenback’ tone but in a much lighter off-axis. You can then blend in room
• Would be nice if a cover were
included. package. Then there’s the cabinet, which ambience and also apply EQ. Other digital
makes use of candlenut (a hardwood) cleverness adds a good-quality reverb,
summary ply to save more weight. Add all these which has a different character for each
Everything you could want in savings together and you have a valve channel. This amplifier won’t twang when
a valve combo without the weight.
amplifier that tips the scales at just 12.8kg you knock it, and I consider that a plus!
— that’s just a touch over half what you’d
expect a 50W valve combo to weigh. (One
Familiar Face
weight-relieving feature I noticed that’s Outwardly, the amplifier looks very
a little less welcome is the absence of traditional in an open-back format cabinet,
a protective cover! I remember the days measuring 535 x 462 x 259mm with
when all amplifiers used to come with them a user-friendly control panel on top.
but now, it seems, they’re optional.) A mesh grille keeps prying hands out of
The valve line-up for the St James 6L6 the back of the cabinet and also removes
(whether the head or the combo) comprises the temptation to use the spare space in
a pair of ECC83 dual-triodes and a pair of the back of the amp for storing cables and
6L6 power valves. High-voltage MOSFETS pedals. In common with most valve amps,
are used for the phase splitter, so that the there’s a main power switch plus a separate
ECC83s can be deployed where they’re standby switch which, in this case, keeps
needed to shape the tonality of the amp. the amp running but with no sound being
The main signal path, of course, is all produced. In this setting, the internal
analogue, but the amp still benefits from reactive load is connected and the amp
plenty of digital cleverness: Blackstar’s runs in the 2W mode, for silent recording
customisable Cab Rig DSP speaker or headphone practice.
simulator is built in, and can be used for This is a two-channel amplifier, with
recording or to provide a PA feed. This channel one catering for clean sounds and
takes the post-power-valve output signal to channel two overdriven tones, and the
a choice of three direct recording outputs drive channel has switchable voicing. The
on balanced XLR, a stereo line out or USB. alternative voicing adjusts the overdriven
A reactive load allows the amp to function valve preamp for more saturation, but
normally without the speaker being active, also reconfigures the power amp to be
which makes ‘silent’ recording possible — ‘open loop’, to provide a looser feel with
the DI outputs are fed from an amplifier that more gain and a resonant low-end thump.
to tell me that this means it won’t produce is still working into an optimal load. The EQ is of the familiar three-band bass,
authentic voltage sag like an old-school
power supply, Blackstar have thought of There are 50W and 2W settings – the latter, along with the master volume, tames the levels a bit.
that: they’ve included a switchable sag A lightweight switch‑mode power supply is used, but there’s the option to emulate (in the analogue
setting, which puts some resistance in domain) the sort of ‘sag’ exhibited by traditionally powered amps.
series with the HT feed for those who
appreciate the sense of compression that
provides. The valve heater voltage is also
DC, which avoids hum being induced from
a more typical AC heater supply. Another
advantage of the SMPS approach is that
you don’t need a voltage selector as the
amp can run on mains supplies from 90
to 264 Volts, 50 or 60 Hz. Perhaps those
same hands will reach up to inform us that
50W is too loud for playing at the local pub
gig or for typical recording studio use but,

w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m / September 2022 85
 ON TE S T
BL ACK S TA R S T JA M E S

As well as the analogue connections, which include speaker,

headphone and line‑level outputs, you can record directly via USB.

middle and treble type, but these are all The DI outputs are a mono balanced XLR The Sag switch only affects the 50W
dual-gang pots, and the associated resistors while the jack is a TRS type, wired for mode, adding a sense of compression to the
and capacitors are also all separate, to stereo so that the added reverb can be sound and more springiness to the playing
provide two independently voiced EQ heard in stereo. If the internal speaker is feel. As ever with this type of amplifier, you
circuits, one for each channel. These can disconnected and no external speaker is need to spend a little time dialling in the
be loosely described as a US-style EQ plugged in, the amplifier recognises this best EQ for your own guitar, and relatively
for the clean channel and a UK-style one and switches to low-power mode to avoid small changes can make a subjectively large
for the drive channel. There’s a master damage. Other than being universal voltage, difference. The 2W mode still goes way
volume control as well as separate gain and the mains inlet is the usual IEC type and louder than I’d ever need in the studio and,
volume controls for the drive channel, and a cable is included. Note that the DI feed being honest, also rather louder than I’d use
a straightforward volume control for the comes after the master volume control. at most of my own gigs, as I tend to use lower
clean channel. A three-way toggle switch powers and then send a feed to the PA to
selects between 50W, 50W plus PSU sag,
Sound spread the sound out front. However, you
and 2W, with two other small toggles for All this technology would be pointless if the can of course turn down the master volume
channel selection and drive channel voicing. amplifier didn’t sound good — but there control, and doing so doesn’t appear to
A series effects loop is available on the rear are absolutely no worries in that regard! compromise the tonality.
panel, and a two-way footswitch is included Channel one offers a very Fender-like I’ve met the Cab Rig processing before,
in the price, one of which is used to switch clean tone that also works well with pedals. when reviewing the Blackstar Dept. 10
channels and the other to select the voicing Channel two is actually very flexible, pedals, and I have to say that it sounds
option on channel two. especially with the two voicing options, and exceptionally good. It has also been
The rear-panel controls and connectors by juggling the volume and gain controls announced that the free Architect software,
are accessed from beneath, which it can go from a gentle crunch to a classic which supports Mac OS and Windows, has
makes them a little fiddly to get at but it rocky overdrive and then beyond. The lack been updated to support Mac Catalina and
does protect any connected cables from of a large mains transformer helps minimise Big Sur operating systems, though there’s no
accidental knocks. From left to right there’s stray magnetic fields so there’s less chance mention yet of Monterey support.
a USB audio port, the footswitch jack, the of hum leaking into your single-coil pickups
effects loop jacks (with switchable +4dBu when you stand close to the amplifier. By
The Light Fantastic?
or -10dBV levels), the Cab Rig DI outputs way of general circuit noise, valve amps are These St James amplifiers are not exactly
(with three switchable options) and external never silent but this one is still surprisingly cheap dates at this price, but then neither are
speaker outputs for 8 or 16 Ω speakers. quiet unless you really max out the drive. Blackstar asking boutique amp money — and
they really could give most boutique amps
a good run for their money. The reduction
in weight will be welcomed by gigging
musicians, of course, but it could also make
it better suited than most for use in a smaller
multi-purpose studio where you can’t leave
the amp set up all the time. At the same time,
these amps have all of the features needed
to satisfy the typical studio user. As a Brit
myself, it’s great to see a British company
bringing the traditional valve amp kicking and
screaming into the modern age!

$ St James 50 (EL34 or 6L6 versions)

Blackstar have included
head $1199, combo (as reviewed) $1299.
their algorithmic Cab Rig speaker
St James 212VOC cabinet in fawn or
simulation for recording and practice,
black $749.
and it can be configured using their
T Blackstar Amplification
free Architect software.
+44 (0)1604 817817
W https://blackstaramps.com

86 September 2022 / w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m
Create music with the
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 ON TE S T

DPA 4055
$730
pros
• Well built.
• Extended, neutral frequency
response.
• Good wind resistance.

cons
• Only the price, but this is still
reasonable for such a well designed
and engineered product.

summary
A high-quality microphone designed
to capture the wide dynamic and
frequency ranges of acoustic drums in
a rugged, well designed yet compact
format. With its extended frequency
response and wide cardioid pickup
pattern, this is potentially a very flexible
microphone that will tick many boxes.

the larger body has allowed DPA to build

in extra wind damping to mitigate any
problems that might arise from this. The
4055 is able to withstand SPLs in excess
of 156dB, and the output level of 2mV/Pa
should mean that even a loud drummer
will not overload the input of
your preamp.
The pickup pattern is described as
‘open cardioid’, being somewhat less

DPA 4055
directional then a ‘true’ cardioid. This
is not unusual, and the pattern shown
in the provided diagram matches what
I experienced. The slightly less directional
quality was apparently chosen by DPA
after extensive listening tests.
Bass Drum Microphone The on-axis frequency response is
almost flat from 20Hz to 2kHz, but with
We put DPA’s new kick mic to work on a series a slight HF rise that peaks around 10kHz
of major festival headline shows. before falling off again just below 20kHz.
Off-axis the peak is less pronounced,
JON BURTON
the asymmetric styling. The head of the while pickup from the rear of the
microphone, containing the capsule, microphone is lower in level, obviously,

W
hen I was approached to is slightly offset from the connector and also slightly recessed in the mids.
try a new DPA microphone barrel. It isn’t glaringly obvious why, but
I eagerly agreed, although it makes sense when you try to put the
Kick Out The Jams
initially they wouldn’t say what it was! The microphone through a hole in a drum In testing, I first used the microphone
4055 turned out to be the company’s first head. The design means the XLR cable a few centimetres away from the front
mic designed specifically for kick drums, and mic stand fit behind the capsule, head hole, on a 22-inch kick drum.
and was supplied with a selection of other allowing easy access to holes in the drum I had previously tried several other
DPA models, arriving just in time for me to head just larger than the microphone, microphones in this position, and had
try them out in production rehearsals for with less chance of tearing the skin. never been completely happy with the
one of my clients. It is this sort of attention to detail that results. The drum also had a boundary
On first inspection, I was impressed by engineers like me love. microphone mounted inside; I was
the packaging, look, weight and finish of The capsule, like many other DPA mics, happy with this and had used it for
the mic. This is a company with respect is a pre-polarised (electret) design. This several years, and it proved helpful for
for engineering. The microphone finish is is housed in a larger-than-normal (for comparison purposes.
excellent, and gives you confidence that DPA) body. Bass drum mics are exposed Listening tests were initially done
it has been built to last. It was only when to heavy wind blasts and turbulence, using a medium-sized three-way speaker
I looked closely, however, that I noticed especially around the front skin hole, and system with 15-inch subs. I am primarily

88 September 2022 / w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m
 ON TE S T
DPA 4055

Going Solo
These two photos show the kick drum channels with the existing equalised DPA worked well. However, after some experimentation, I ended up using the
internal boundary microphone (left) and the DPA 4055 (right). As you can 4055 closer to the beater head and on its own — this worked just as well as
see, the low-frequency response is greatly extended on the DPA. The the mic combination, but without the risk of the phasing issues that multiple
equaliser settings are as used during the show. The combination of the more microphones can bring. The desk shown is an Allen & Heath DLive. The screen
aggressive-sounding boundary microphone with the extended lows of the shows the equaliser section with the real-time analyser responses.

The RTA response of an internally mounted boundary microphone... ...and the DPA 4055. Note the extended low-frequency response.

a live engineer and the rehearsals were sound, and the high sound pressure levels of Biffy Clyro headline festival
for an upcoming Biffy Clyro show. I was inside the drum didn’t seem to trouble appearances over the following month.
looking for a microphone that could add the 4055 at any point. When I blended It sounded great! On the larger system,
weight to the sound of the drum. the DPA with the drum’s existing internal the extremes of frequency that the
Pushing the fader up with a flat microphone, it was clear that the 4055 had microphone captured helped provide
channel just sounded good! Without any a flatter and less aggressive sound. I also the low-end impact I was looking for, and
equalisation, I had a solid low end and noticed what seemed like half an octave without the need for any equalisation.
enough top to provide a good starting more of bottom end on the DPA. This was I have provided a couple of photos to
point for any processing I might need. confirmed on the desk’s real-time analyser. help demonstrate this (see box), and
What the 4055 didn’t have is the ‘scooped’ Rather than tapering off, the microphone’s also demonstrate my confidence in this
sound I have become accustomed to with low-frequency response was very extended, microphone.
other microphones designed for use on smoothly reproducing even the lowest I am now faced with having to
kick drums. I see this as a positive. I don’t frequencies produced by the kick drum. send the 4055 back, and a summer of
want creative decisions forced upon me This is a microphone capable of capturing festivals without it. I am considering
and would rather the mic capture a natural challenging sounds with precision and ease. parting with some cash. It is not cheap at
sound that I can EQ later if needs be. Getting a solid kick drum to underpin over $700, but this is a microphone built
The mic captured the transients of the the sound of the band is a big part of to last, and priced accordingly.
drum well, and I was quite happy with the my job. The 4055 helped achieve this For those of you looking at a kick
sound of the 4055 on its own. Placing the without over-emphasising the kick and with microphone for studio or live work,
microphone nearer the centre of the drum a neutral, extended frequency response. the 4055 ticks many boxes. It will also,
increased its ability to capture the attack of Since we liked the sound in rehearsals, I am sure, prove very versatile, more so
the beater, producing a more aggressive the microphone was used at a selection possibly than some of its competitors.
DPA recommend its use on a range of
instruments and I am sure it could step
in and take on many roles — I think we
will see some innovative uses in the
near future. It is a high-quality mic with
an effective windshield in an attractive,
practical housing, built to a high
standard. What is there not to love?

$ $730
T DPA Microphones +1 303 485 1025
E infousa@dpamicrophones.com
The 4055’s published frequency response, both on-axis and at various angles off-axis. W www.dpamicrophones.com

90 September 2022 / w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m
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 ON TE S T

inputs and the outputs (to

KRK S10.4 feed active monitors or
Active Subwoofer an amplifier in the case
KRK’s S10.4 powered studio subwoofer is of passive monitors).
a built around 10-inch woofer utilising the There’s a polarity switch
company’s distinctive yellow glass-aramid and a ground-lift switch,
woven cone material. Power comes from and a rotary control sets
a 160W Class-D power amplifier with the volume. Below this is
automatic mains voltage selection, and the four-way rotary switch
there are four switchable crossover filter to select the crossover
options (60Hz, 70Hz, 80Hz or 90Hz) so frequency. There are
that the sub can be matched to other also two switchable
monitors, not just KRK’s own models. input sensitivity settings
KRK suggest that for use with smaller to accommodate studio
monitors, start with the highest frequency or consumer levels, and
setting and then adjust to a lower setting a standby switch. Power
if needed. For larger monitors, the third or comes in on the usual IEC connector with any detrimental effect on the stereo
fourth position is recommended. A bypass a rocker power switch above it, and the imaging. Being able to bypass the sub
control jack, which can be operated via power LED shows green when the sub is and to hear the main monitors without
an optional footswitch, routes full-range active or orange in standby mode. the sub’s high-pass filtering is also very
audio to the main monitors while disabling Evaluating the effectiveness of useful, so buying a footswitch for this
the sub. The manual includes useful a subwoofer is always somewhat purpose is a good investment.
information on setting up the subwoofer subjective as its placement and the In a typical home studio, there’s more
and on matching it to the monitors being acoustics of the room in which it is than enough level on hand here to keep
used with it. operating have a significant influence on pace with most nearfield monitors in the
Housed in a reinforced, front-ported the end result. In my own studio I found 5- to 8-inch range, and while I wouldn’t
MDF enclosure with rounded edges and placing the sub just off centre between normally recommend a sub for use in
finished in a black-vinyl wrap, the S10.4 the two monitors gave reasonably very small rooms, especially those with
measures 341 x 479 x 310mm and weighs consistent results. In terms of level, I’d imperfect acoustics, at least this gives you
in at 15.88kg. The driver faces forward recommend setting the sub so that you the option of moving the sub to find the
and there’s no grille protection, so you miss it if it is turned off but at the same location that delivers the most even bass
need to place the sub where you aren’t time its presence isn’t too obvious when it response, even if your main monitors
going to put your foot through it. The is running — if you add too much it might have their placement dictated by the
vertical port slot shape is engineered to sound impressive but your mixes won’t room layout. Should you have small
reduce turbulence. be accurate; the purpose of a sub is not monitors in a small room, then it may be
There’s plenty of power on hand for to make the bass louder but simply to worth looking at the smaller KRK S8.4.
small and medium studios, with a maximum extend its frequency range downwards. On the other hand, if you are working in
SPL of 117.2dB and a low-frequency reach My 8-inch studio monitors have a pretty a larger space with bigger monitors, then
down to 30Hz. All the connections are decent bass response anyway, but look at the KRK S12.4 or KRK 12sHO.
made on the rear panel, where there’s bringing in the KRK S10.4 filled out Paul White
a choice of XLR, quarter-inch TRS jack, the bottom octave in a very natural, $ $479
and RCA phono connectors for both the clean-sounding manner without having W www.krkmusic.com

Behind The Sound Cart — A Veteran’s Guide To Sound On The Set and knowledge into a really practical guide,
focusing on exactly what a newcomer to
Book Review websites address many of these areas, the the industry needs to know and do — right
The phrase, ‘working in professional film and TV sound world has relatively few down to what to wear on set, or not wear,
audio’ means different things to different accessible resources to help guide anyone more importantly!
people. To many it means working in wanting to enter the industry. In the American film world, a typical sound
commercial studios recording pop, rock, Thankfully, this problem has recently team comprises the Production Sound Mixer
or even classical music. But for others it been addressed by Patrushka Mierzwa, (PSM), a Boom Operator, and a Utility Sound
means working on festival live sound, or a very experienced American film sound Technician (UST) — more usually known as
it could mean mastering, or even forensic practitioner, who has written a superbly the Second Sound Assistant (SA2) in the
police work. Another very buoyant area readable and informative book intended UK. Broadly speaking, the UST/SA2 is the
of the business which appeals to many for “anyone considering sound as a career key support person within the on-set Sound
is working in the film or TV industries, as in movies and TV”. Spanning over 300 Department, but is also able to step up as
part of the sound crew. Each sector of pages with 25 chapters, Behind the a second boom operator, or even mix and
‘pro audio’ has its own quite specialised Sound Cart — A Veteran’s Guide To Sound record, when needed. More typically, though,
techniques and practices, though, and On The Set (ISBN 978-1-7362900-0-2) they are responsible for managing, checking
while magazines like SOS, books and condenses an entire career of experience and setting up sound equipment, as well

92 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

as rigging radio mics on actors and hiding managing multiple radio mics, as well as
(plant) mics within sets, maintaining the utility things like setting up ‘Pelsue tents’
paperwork, liaising with other departments, to protect equipment from the weather,
and much more unsung but critical work. how to clean equipment, and on-set
It’s a wide-ranging and vitally important role safety including Covid-19 protocols. The
within the sound team, and the first formal book closes with a couple of chapters on
position where most start in the business. building and maintaining a career in the
After an overview of the UST/SA2 industry, a great FAQ section, a glossary,
role, Patrushka’s book examines the and a list of excellent hard-to-find external
personal attributes required, including resources too.
communication skills and background There is an enormous wealth of
education/training. It then describes who down-to-earth, practical information
does what — the different departments contained in this book, interspersed with
and people involved — in a typical film some amusing stories and real insight
production. There then follows a chapter into the role, challenges and fun of being
on typical location sound equipment, as a UST/SA2. I recommended it highly for
well as sage practical advice on things like anyone interested in a career in film or TV
consumables, wrapping cables, mic mounts sound. (Curiously, the book and publisher
and wind protection, and other fundamental don’t appear to have a website of their
practical knowledge. own, but an Internet search throws up
Other chapters cover the techniques plenty of retailers!) Hugh Robjohns
of mic booming, hiding plant mics, and $ Paperback: $62.73. Kindle: $34.92.

The A-Z Of Analogue Synthesisers

Book Review
Back in 1994, I was proud to contribute in a small
way to The A-M Of Analogue Synthesisers, the
first volume of Peter Forrest’s definitive The A-Z Of
Analogue Synthesisers. Reading through the draft to
find omissions and typos, as well as suggesting known
users of various models and offering the occasion
anecdote, was a serious undertaking, but I read
every word and soon found myself discovering new
instruments and learning lots about ones that I thought
that I already knew well. In 1996, I did the same for the
N-Z (which was even thicker than the A-M) and with the
same results.
When the two volumes were published (in
October ’94 and October ’96, respectively) they
were immediate successes. Densely packed with
information, with just a handful of colour plates in prices began to escalate to the evaporated. Does this mean that
the centre of each, they were far from the glossy, point where, in recent years, they’re out of date? In one sense,
large-format books such as Matthias Becker’s a well-thumbed copy might cost of course it does; details such as
Synthesizer Von Gestern Vols 1 and 2, but they you many times the original price. the prices that you might expect
garnered a reputation for the quality as well as So here we are in 2022, and to pay for a given synth are little
the quantity of information that they contained. Peter has reissued both of those more than a reminder of how much
Unfortunately, they were soon out of date because revised versions. When I first heard you could once buy for how little.
new facts continued to surface, and the resurgence that he was doing so, I wondered But they remain a dense source of
of analogue synthesis in the late 1990s meant that whether he had undertaken the information, and there are times
interesting new analogue instruments were starting to task for a third time, updating them when nothing beats thumbing
appear. Then the widespread use of the Internet came to include yet more 20th Century through a book (or two) and
along, and we all discovered some amazing — and obscuria as well as the many new discovering something fascinating.
amazingly obscure — synths that hadn’t been included analogue synths released in the Never go hunting at a car boot
because nobody in the team had known of them. past two decades. But I doubt sale (or a yard sale in the USA)
Undeterred, Peter undertook the immense task of that the results would have fit into without them. Gordon Reid
revisiting both volumes, and the considerably thicker two volumes, so what we have
$ Complete A-Z set £45 (about $54).
results appeared in October ’98 (the revised A-M) and here are the versions published Each volume available separately
March 2003 (the revised N-Z). Again, both volumes in 1998 and 2003, reissued to at £25.
sold out and, perhaps inevitably, second-hand meet a demand that has never W https://a-z-of-analogue.com

www.soundonsound.com / September 2022 93

 ON TE S T

four buttons: Shine, Air, Wet and Crisp,

Techivation T-Exciter and all of those descriptions are apt. The
Harmonic Enhancement Plug-in well-judged list of presets aside, that’s
Techivation have quietly been building an pretty much all there is to operating this
impressive range of plug-ins which tend to thing: you select the frequency range you
tackle everyday mixing techniques but put wish to enhance, dial in the amount of
their own stamp on proceedings. This latest excitement to taste, and then refine the Mix
one is a harmonic enhancer, or Exciter to and Excitement knobs until you get your
borrow Aphex’s term, and I love how easy sound sitting where you want it. There are
it is to get good-sounding results. As all also handy utilties onboard, such as for A/B
plug-ins probably should have these days, it settings comparison and undo/redo, and
has a compact but scalable GUI, the options there’s 8x oversampling.
being 80, 100, 125 and 150 %, the largest I’m all for ‘conventional’ when it comes
size being easy to use but still leaving about to operation (who wants to have to dig in to
four fifths of my 16-inch MacBook Pro screen learn a new interface paradigm every time?)
available for other things. The plug-in is but what really sets this exciter apart from
available for Mac and Windows in the usual the crowd for me is the sound. Just as the
formats, and seems to be compatible with strapline in the bottom right-hand corner
Apple Silicon without the need for Rosetta. of the GUI claims, this exciter is capable of
Authorisation is an online process — you a particularly ‘smooth’ result. I confess that air in female and higher-range male vocals,
log into your account once to activate it on I don’t know quite how they achieve that as well as giving a lift to pad sounds and
a given computer and can then work offline. under the hood, but it means that although reverb tails. It all just sounds so... effortless.
While most of the controls look fairly you can push things to the brittle extremes It’s free to try and not outrageously
conventional, with input/output level faders, which sometimes give exciters a bad name, priced to buy, so this is a developer I’ll be
a big Excitement knob (with a meter running it’s really quick and easy to dial in musically watching with interest. Matt Houghton
around its circumference) and smaller Mix useful results. You can use an exciter on $ Full price $39, Discounted to $29 when
and stereo Width knobs, the frequency any source, of course, but I particularly liked going to press.
range that’s targeted is selected using using this one to emphasise the breath and W https://techivation.com

TC Electronic SCF Gold connectors are placed at the top end to

conserve pedalboard space. Its control
The character of the effects is very
clear, almost hi-fi sounding. There’s a lot
Modulation Effects Pedal layout is both simple and familiar, with of creative scope, from a slow doubling
TC Electronic’s first chorus device dates plenty of space between the controls type of effect via an Andy Summers
back to 1976 and it is now reborn in the and the bypass switch. Note that a 9V, guitar sound right up to a fake rotary
form of their SCF Gold. This all-analogue 150mA power supply is required; there’s speaker set on fast. Vibrato can also be
pedal is based around BBD (Bucket no battery option. a useful effect when used in moderation
Brigade Delay) chips and is capable of A Speed knob provides LFO rates of and can work on just about anything
producing chorus, flange, or vibrato — around a 10th of a second to 10 seconds from keyboard pads and electric piano
which is logical enough, given that all per cycle, while Width sets the extent of to guitar. Flanger mode reminded me
three effects rely on a modulated delay the pitch modulation. The red status LED of a cleaned-up version of an early
line. Only slightly wider than a typical pulses at the LFO rate when the pedal EHX Electric Mistress, and it’s capable
pedal, presumably so as to accommodate is active. Intensity operates as a wet/ of some lovely slow, trippy extremes. If
the stereo out jacks (the input is mono dry blend when Chorus is selected, but you have the option to use the stereo
only), the casework is cast metal, and the flip the three-position toggle switch outputs, either via two amplifiers or two
to Flanger and it works as a feedback input channels when recording, then
control to add more ‘whoosh’. With you’ll hear a useful widening of the
the Mode switch set to its middle sound without anything too extreme
position, the dry signal is removed, going on.
leaving a vibrato effect, but you can I didn’t notice any excessive
use the Intensity knob to bring it back background noise, which isn’t something
in to create blends that sit somewhere that could be said of early BBD devices,
between vibrato and chorus. Less usual but in other respects the BBD character
for a pedal of this type is the input gain remains charmingly intact. Given that
control, which is located below the you are unlikely to need chorus and
Mode switch. Modulation effects can flanging at the same time, combining
sometimes make the signal appear to them both in one pedal makes a lot of
drop slightly in level, so this control can sense, and this one does the job in style
be used to compensate for that — or, of at a realistic price. Paul White
course, to add extra level where specific $ $179.
parts need it. W www.tcelectronic.com

94 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

 T E CH NI Q U E

If you’re struggling to get everything

in your mixes coming across loud
and clear, read on.

M AT T H O U G H TO N
be able to recognise when decisions sounds; in the time domain, by making

I
taken when writing and arranging are other parts less busy; or both, for instance
’m often asked how people can causing problems. If you’re mixing your by shaping a synth’s amp envelope to
achieve ‘better separation’ in their own tunes, you can attend to these reduce the clash between its note onsets
mixes. Typically, they’re making before they arise, since you have control and vocal consonants. Good musicians
comparisons with commercial mixes and over which instruments/sounds play will grasp all this instinctively, shaping their
feel that theirs sound ‘muddy’, or ‘lack which parts, when and in what register. sound and performance to best serve the
definition’. Sometimes they’ve noticed that So think ahead to the mix when making song. Acoustic guitarists or pianists, for
occasional syllables, notes or drum hits these choices. example, might play more minimal parts or
don’t seem loud enough, no matter where Our hearing is most sensitive in the different inversions during vocal phrases
they set the fader or how they compress 1-5 kHz region, and definition here is than they do in the gaps between them.
or EQ them. Or they may wonder why they crucial to our ability to discern lyrics. If you’re involved in a separate
struggle to making synths or guitars loud The main energy of vocal consonants recording stage, you can also put thought
enough without the vocal losing impact. is found around 2-4 kHz, and the more into the frequency real-estate each sound
This article aims to help you get your other sounds occupy this area while the needs to occupy in the mix. For example,
head around such problems, and equip singer sings, the more effort you’ll need scooped, distorted electric guitars can
you to tackle them or, better, prevent to put in to achieve a pleasing balance. sound impressive in isolation. But they can
them arising. A sensible plan, then, is to write parts and eat up a huge amount of space and have
choose sounds that naturally leave space. real potential to clash with a bass guitar or
Making Arrangements This can be approached in the frequency drown out a vocal. It’s much easier to pile
Clarity and separation start with a good domain, for example by changing notes, on the dirt and pull down the mids later,
arrangement: every mix engineer must transposing parts or trying different when mixing, than to tone down baked-in

96 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

 Don’t overlook your
DAW’s basic editing tools:
use these to clean up
the arrangement and
performance, and you’ll
need to ask far less of your
processing and automation.

distortion or add in
frequencies that you
didn’t capture! A clean
DI offers an insurance
policy in this case, but
the more you record
with the mix in mind,
the fewer compromises
you’ll make in the name
of better separation.

Mix Prep
Even if you can’t
influence proceedings
until the mix, you can
still make arrangement
decisions. On checking
out the multitracks, you’ll often find that before you apply other processing, anything else in the mix. Top of your table
the artist struggled to let go of musical but I suggest using them only where will probably be the lead vocal (however
ideas that don’t really add much to the required, since they can have unwanted loud you prefer it, the lyrics should be
song. While you must be sensitive to the side-effects. (On the subject of noise: heard) and any lead instrumental solos.
artist’s vision, you’d be missing a trick some modelling plug-ins have a noise But just as important will be what drives
if you didn’t try muting these parts, generator to help mimic analogue gear — the song’s groove — usually that’s the
especially at points where they seem to it’s just one more sound to get in the way, kick, snare and main bass instrument, but
fight with or obscure other parts. so where possible I’ll turn that off!) the hi-hat or congas could be important,
Your DAW’s standard editing tools Finally, at this mix-prep stage you can as could a rhythm guitar, a piano,
can help you clean up and tighten start your serious EQ work by removing a sequenced synth or whatever.
performances too, which helps with any obvious ugly resonances — I’ll discuss There’s also the question of which
definition. Be on the lookout for sloppy that further down. Some corrective part of the song you start building first.
timing and bum notes, which can leave processes, though, I reckon you’re better When parts clash, you’re often tempted to
a mix feeling sluggish and unfocused. leaving until the mix. It’s hard, for example, keep on raising the faders to make things
Everything needn’t be ‘nailed to the grid’ to judge the settings of de-breather and heard, until you run out of headroom (or
(a quick road to a ‘robotic’ feel) but at de-esser plug-ins before you’ve got all fader travel) and start overloading any
least make sure the first beat of each bar your other mix processing up and running. compressors, tape sims and so on that
is on the money, and trim any notes that are further down the signal path — again,
obviously ring on too long. Also listen out
Who Goes First? something which can rob sounds of
for how tightly the syllables track in stacked When you’re all set to start the mix, it definition. One way to avoid this is to start
backing vocals, and if they need work, use can be helpful to mentally ‘rank’ the by balancing your mix at the loudest and
either scissors, time-stretches and fades or, parts in order of musical importance — most dense part of the song (often that
if you have one, an automatic tool such as figure out which sounds need to take big, climactic chorus and outro). Work
VocAlign to get them working in unison. precedence over others, and start your back from there to make the rest of the
You can also go through the multitracks mix by getting the most critical elements mix build up to that point, and you can be
and eliminate undesirable noises. Bumps, working together. Then you can assess sure that the mix will deliver its payload
thuds and clicks are usually edited out the remainder as you bring them in, and in with confidence.
fairly easily — even if that means pasting most contemporary genres you can sculpt
a note or phrase in from elsewhere in and automate these as much as you like to
Filters: Clarity & Depth
the recording. Cumulatively, this sort of fit them around that solid spine. This buys High-pass filters (HPFs) can do loads to
tidying up can have a huge impact on the ‘big-ticket’ sounds all the space they’ll improve definition in the low end and low
the listener’s perception of clarity and need to come across with clarity and mids. A 70Hz 12dB/octave HPF on most
definition, so don’t be scared to get busy definition. Try to think of effects such as sources other then the kick and bass can
with those scissors! reverbs and delays as separate sources; generally clean up any low-frequency
De-noising plug-ins can help if there’s setting them up as send effects rather than detritus without unwanted side-effects;
prominent hiss, and these work better inserts allows you to process them like even a drop-D guitar offers nothing useful

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 T E CH NI Q U E
AC HIE V ING BE T T E R S E PA R ATION

Monitoring & Levels

Without decent monitoring, you can’t make
the sort of judgements I’m talking about in
the main text. We’ve discussed the quality
and setting up of speakers, the importance
of acoustic treatment and the pros and
cons of headphones in these pages many
times so I won’t dwell on that here. But it’s
worth pointing out that if your speakers or
cans are too loud, you’ll likely end up with
a mushy-sounding mix — partly because
of the way our hearing system works and
partly because it leads more quickly to
listening fatigue. So while you do need to
be confident your track works when you
crank the volume, don’t make ‘loud’ your
default setting! For more on reference
monitoring levels, check out Hugh Robjohns’
article in SOS May 2014: https://sosm.ag/
reference-monitoring.

High-pass (low-cut) and low-pass (high-cut) filters are useful for different reasons — the former can
carve out space in the low end and low mids, while the latter can serve to push sounds back in the mix.
Listen more carefully when working with multi-miked sources, though: as shown here, most filters also
change the phase response.

gain more clarity. Then repeat, but focus filter, a guitar amp/cab emulation being
your ears on the other sounds, listening for a prime example — these can be great for
when each starts to suffer from the lack of getting sounds out of the way, and you
low end. It’s important to do this in the mix don’t have to limit them to use on guitars.
The quality of monitoring is important, context, not with instruments soloed.
naturally, but so too is the listening level... One word of caution: high-pass filters
EQ’ing Resonances
generally introduce phase shifts, so Filters won’t help where sounds are
below 70Hz. But it can often be helpful to when working on one track in a multi-mic competing in the middle of the spectrum.
use gentler (6dB/octave) HPFs at higher recording (such as acoustic drums or For that you need a parametric EQ, and
frequencies, to nudge other sources out a dual-miked guitar cab) it’s important that you should be able to achieve all you
of the way of the kick and bass — their you listen out for undesirable changes in need using your DAW’s bundled equaliser.
sonic character is defined more by their the composite signal. For instance, the When you’re prepping the project
attack and the harmonic content of kick will spill onto the snare and hi-hat for mixing you can tackle any niggling
their sustain than by their fundamental mics. If you need to apply a HPF to the resonances — ‘ringing’ or ‘whistling’
frequencies. How high you can roll these snare or hi-hat, don’t do this while they’re components that don’t seem beneficial
filters up will depend on the expectations soloed. Listen for changes in the tonality to the instrument’s sound — to give the
of the genre and how ‘natural’ an of all the drums captured on the mic, sound more definition and clarity. (As
aesthetic you’re aiming for, but the less whether it’s the main event or spill. If you you get more mixing hours under your
important the part, the more likely it can hear a problem, you can usually roll the belt, you’ll probably find that you can do
work with more of its low end filtered filter a touch up or down — anywhere that this sort of thing as you mix.) A popular
out. (And electric guitars sometimes have doesn’t have an audible side-effect is fine. technique is to sweep an EQ bell boost
way less low end in a mix than you first Low-pass filters (LPFs) play a different across the spectrum, hunting for such
imagine, with your ears being fooled by role. Some suggest using them routinely resonances, and then pull them down.
the contribution of the bass.) to keep the high end clear, in much the This can work well, but you have to
If you’re not used to making these same way as described for HPFs at the tread with care, as a big, narrow boost
judgements, a helpful ear-training exercise low end. But I think more in terms of will sound horrible everywhere, and you
is to create a subgroup for everything their ability to push sounds ‘back’. The can end up with so many cuts that they
other than the kick and bass and put lower you set a low-pass filter, the further resemble a comb filter.
a (temporary) 80Hz HPF with a 6dB/ a sound will appear to recede in the Here’s how I’d approach it. First, play
octave slope on that bus. With the whole virtual sound stage. Incidentally, the same a section of the soloed sound on loop,
mix playing, slowly roll the filter frequency goes for level: the quieter a sound is and and listen carefully. Can you hear anything
up, listening carefully for changes in your the less top end it has, the more distant annoying ringing out, even if it’s fairly
perception of the kick and bass. Note away it will seem. Note that some other low in level? If you can, try to focus in
down the frequency at which these start to processors naturally act as a low-pass on it by sweeping a fairly broad boost of

98 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

5-6 dB, which will be enough to act as Your DAW’s EQ can almost
a ‘magnifying glass’ without misleading certainly do all you need, but
your ears. As the irritant comes into view, some paid ones offer convenient
make smaller sweeps and narrow the features that will help you get
where you need to go more quickly.
bandwidth until you hear only the ‘ring’.
I really like FabFilter’s Pro-Q 3 for
It helps if you have an EQ which allows several reasons. For one, you can
you to solo the node you’re moving, and solo the band you’re manipulating
a frequency analyser can help too, but (great for zapping resonances).
let your ears be the judge. Keeping the Another bonus is that its analyser
EQ band at that frequency, set its gain to can indicate where multiple
sounds might overlap unhelpfully,
unity and listen again, to reset your ears.
causing an annoying build-up of
Then, bring the gain down to attenuate frequencies.
that resonance. Take it down only as
far as you need to make the problem Better, then, to tackle the
inaudible and the signal won’t suffer. This underlying problem: decide
works particularly well for acoustic drums, which of the clashing sources
including the metalwork, but it can be is more important, and see
handy for more obviously pitched sources if an EQ cut in the problem
too — just be careful to focus on the region on the other source
problems, and not accidentally turn down restores the desired sense
specific notes with narrow cuts. of clarity. If the compromise
to the ‘secondary’ sound is
Hide & Seek too great, consider using EQ
When you’re knee-deep in the mix, the EQ to shift its main energy elsewhere (you can Neutron has a ‘masking meter’ and
should also be your first line of defence also try saturation/harmonic enhancement FabFilter’s Pro-Q 3 also has one built into
against any masking problems — whereby if EQ doesn’t work). Another option is its analyser. You insert instances on each
when two sounds have significant energy ‘reciprocal EQ’ing’, where you apply source you want to compare, and you can
at the same frequencies the louder one a smaller boost to the primary sound, and see these in a single GUI, complete with
dominates, subjectively attenuating the a smaller cut to the secondary one. As long a ‘heatmap’ that suggests where such
other in that region. Since each source’s as this doesn’t negatively affect the primary clashes between sources might exist. But
energy distribution across the frequency sound, you can gain just as much definition you can soon develop a feel for tackling
spectrum varies over time, masking can as with a larger cut. these problems without the meters!
cause sounds to appear uneven, both If you suspect that masking might
in tone and level. So even using level be causing problems but you’re having
Dynamics
automation to bring the affected sound trouble hearing precisely where, or which As well as frequency, there’s a time
back to the fore can leave you with some source is responsible, there are some dimension to consider, and you can do
tonal inconsistency. helpful plug-ins. For instance, iZotope’s a lot to increase the sense of separation

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 T E CH NI Q U E
AC HIE V ING BE T T E R S E PA R ATION

Mid-Sides EQ
In the main text, I’ve talked largely about EQ
as if it’s only ever applied to a whole source.
But you also have the option of EQ’ing just
the left or right, or Mid or Sides channels
of a stereo signal. One option this opens
up for stereo sounds that are not so crucial
to the song is EQ’ing the Mid channel to
create space in the centre, while leaving the
sides untouched. If you work with a lot of
stereo synths, loops or effects returns this
It can be tempting to think of compressors just as a means of making things louder or restricting dynamic
can be really helpful. Sure, anything that’s
range. But careful use of the attack and release controls will allow you to manipulate a sound’s envelope, to
in the Sides channel will drop out when you
help nudge it out of the way of sources that need to take priority.
listen on mono playback devices — but that
using dynamics processors. I tend to use to find side-chained dynamic EQ cuts doesn’t really matter. The stereo mix should
compressors and transient shapers a lot more useful, since they tend to result sound more impressive, and as long as all
to tuck sounds into place. For example, in less collateral damage. Either way, the critical elements still work well in mono,
let’s assume you’re struggling to get while they’re clever tricks that certainly everyone’s going to be happy!
a kick and bass guitar to gel, because have a place in mixing, I wouldn’t
the note onsets of the bass sound clicky generally reach for them as a first resort with two mics, one targeting the guitar,
and obscure the impact of the kick’s — more often than not, regular EQ and the other the vocals. Both mics capture
beater. A compressor with a short attack compression can achieve what you need. a different balance of both sources.
and release can pull down on the bass’s One last point on compression: it has If you want to compress the guitar, or
click, making way for the kick to be heard the potential, if used indiscriminately in an automate its fader, then, you could find
more clearly. An option I often prefer in attempt to make sounds ‘bigger’, ‘fatter’ it tricky to do so — the balance between
that scenario, though, is to reduce the or ‘louder’, to turn your mix to mush, source and spill on both channels will
attack portion of the bass sound using particularly if you misjudge the attack and change, causing level and tonal changes.
a transient shaper. Set a longer attack release times or push the gain reduction One tactic that might give you more
time for the compressor, and it will let too far. For limiters it’s the same but control is to trust the vocal mic’s guitar
more of the note onset through, before worse! So if you’re not confident that you spill to provide the ‘dry’ information,
clamping down on the sustain. This sort know what you’re doing with them, take and route the guitar mic to an
of setting could be helpful to ‘tighten up’ the time to experiment and train your ears early-reflections reverb patch, set 100%
the bass notes so as to make way for the — if you need a primer, check out Sam wet (so as an insert effect, or pre-fade
lower notes of a guitar. Again, you could Inglis’ SOS Nov 2021 article: https://sosm. send with the fader on the guitar channel
use a transient shaper to similar ends. ag/make-compressors-do-what-you-want. pulled down). This can cause enough
Transient processors can also be of a change in the character that you’re
wonderful for tightening up ‘stacked’
Effects able to ride this ‘reverb’ fader to give
sounds such as backing vocals. When Effects can also be used to increase the you more or less of the guitar without
you stack vocals, you might be greeted sense of separation between signals. compromising the vocal.
with a nice, thick sound, but minute timing Reverb is an obvious candidate, though Another effects tactic you could file
differences can cause the consonants it’s capable of doing more than many under ‘separation’ is to use them to draw
to seem smeared, robbing the stacked people imagine. Obviously you can use the listener’s attention to quieter sounds
sound of clarity and impact. If you allow it to make sounds seem more distant — — this can enable you to get away with
only one or two (depending on how you broadly speaking, the ‘wetter’ a sound is, a lower playback level, reducing the risk
pan things) parts in the stack to take the the shorter the pre-delay, and the more of those sounds obscuring others. For
lead in delivering the consonants, and the balance of the reverb is skewed instance, you can use automation with
pull down the attack on the remaining away from the early reflections to the tail, delays to emphasise certain phrases,
doubles, you can restore that sense of the further away a sound will seem to just to make the listener’s ears prick up.
separation and definition while retaining be. Combine this with the fact that LPFs Similarly, modulation effects — phasing,
that lovely thickening effect. and lower levels can also push a sound flanging and rotary speaker effects and,
No discussion of using dynamics ‘backward’, and you have a powerful my favourite, tremolo can make sounds
processors for separation would be toolset for moving less important sounds grab the ear at lower levels than without
complete without mentioning ducking, away from those you choose to make the effect.
or side-chaining as it’s often called. In up-front and present. Combined with Effects channels, by the way, and
this technique, you use one signal to panning, you can also use reverbs and particularly reverbs and/or delays, are
trigger gain reduction on another. The delays simply to emphasise the size of the great candidates for the sort of dynamics
classic use case sees the kick drum sound stage, which in itself can be helpful processing I described earlier. You can
triggering a compressor inserted on the for creating a sense of spaciousness. get pretty radical in pulling down the
bass guitar, to help the kick cut through But reverb can also help to attack of or de-essing the signal being
when the instruments play hits/notes ‘decorrelate’ related signals. Take the fed to the reverb, and applying high- and
simultaneously. Popular as this is, I tend example of a singing guitarist, captured low-pass filtering after it; generally the

100 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

 Panning
It’s tempting to use panning to improve separation, because moving
things to one side or the other leaves space in the centre of the stereo
image. I’d advise against this being your first port of call. Panning
decisions are important, but if you rely on panning specifically to
separate sources that clash, you’re not really solving the problem. It
will have zero effect when the mix is heard on a mono playback device
and be of limited benefit for those listening where acoustic summing
and room reflections result in a very narrow image. Furthermore,
why let this specific concern dictate where you can pan the different
elements? If, instead, you can make things work using EQ, you can
pan anything wherever you want it! Stereo wideners and Mid-Sides Panning decisions are definitely important in mixing. But specifically when it
processing can be a useful ally in your struggle for separation, though. comes to achieving greater separation, you’re better off using other tools.

effects want to sound somewhat tucked for thought. Really, if you’re asking how across with confidence and clarity will be
away. This brings us back to the idea of to achieve ‘better separation’, the best so much easier. And whether it’s through
ducking: ducked reverb or delay can be answer is a good dose of planning and arrangement decisions or EQ, edits,
really helpful — it allows you to set the self-discipline. But there’s plenty you processing and effects, once you have all
effect channel higher in the mix without can do to remedy problems that arise those different sounds sitting in their own
obscuring the source(s) you send to it. while you’re mixing too. What you can space and pulling in the same direction,
and can’t get away with will vary from you’ll be able to take your mixes up
Splendid Isolation? genre to genre and track to track, and another notch using level automation
This being a magazine article and denser arrangements will always pose — you’ll be able to tease out every
not a book, there remain plenty more more awkward questions. But if you detail and articulation, all secure in the
details and ideas that I could throw at line up your ducks when writing and knowledge that competing sounds won’t
you. But hopefully I’ve provided food arranging, fashioning a mix that comes have you chasing your tail.

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www.radialeng.com www.soundonsound.com / September 2022 101
 T E CH NI Q U E

Making Great Guitar Cab IRs

Colin Cartmell’s decades-long tonequest
has led him to create some of the
best guitar cabinet IRs out there
— so we asked him for advice
on how to roll your own.
BOB THOMAS

M
ost guitarists will be very familiar
with the idea of using impulse
responses (IRs) to impose the
character of ‘sampled’ speaker cabinets
on a guitar signal. They’ve long been
useful in a studio setting, but when
guitarists in bands at every level are
touring and performing with modelling
software running on laptops, or
high-end hardware modellers such
as the Line 6 Helix, the Axe FX and
the Kemper Profiler to drive in-ear
monitors and/or powered full-range,
flat-response (FRFR) guitar cabs,
you know that cab IRs have moved
beyond the studio to the stage.
Some of the best IRs I’ve heard are
those from JTC Tones, whose Cyber
Driver and Daemon Driver collections
I reviewed back in SOS October 2021
(https://sosm.ag/jtc-cyber-daemon). But
it wasn’t only the libraries themselves
that impressed me: in researching
that review I spent quite some time
talking with Colin Cartmell, the
guitarist and music technologist
who created, developed and
curated those collections,
and I was struck by the
extraordinary lengths
he’d gone to in order
to create them.
A few weeks ago,
I got back in touch to

102 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

 Colin’s JTC Tones cabinet IR
collections were developed with a slightly
different ethos from most libraries.

see if I could tease out some useful or lesser extent, affect the frequency a sound with amps used in rehearsal
advice for SOS readers on how to go profile of the overall tone. rooms and on stage, and be looking to
about making their own IRs and how Consistency, then, is vital when replicate that setup. Others, whether
to get the best results with them. We you’re trying to develop a guitar tone: he through choice or not, will be developing
enjoyed a wide-ranging discussion advises that it’s best to change only one their new guitar tones at home. Colin
about what Colin feels really contributes element at a time, and decide whether reckons that a potential risk with
to ‘guitar tone’ and what aspects of it or not you can hear a difference before modeller-based amp sounds is that the
can and can’t be delivered using an changing anything else. Interestingly, player fails to put in the same time and
IR. We explored the capture process, Colin suggests that in developing your effort (and, perhaps financial investment)
the post-capture manipulation of the tone, you start at the very beginning that they would if building and editing
result, and how to use a captured of the chain — despite the undoubted a tonal chain in the physical world. If
IR to its best advantage. And since importance of the guitar’s design (the you don’t work hard enough, he says,
Colin’s decades-long journey of tonal wood that it is made of, its pickups, everyone ends up sounding much like
exploration provides important context, string gauge and so on), he considers everyone else, no matter what software
I’ll take you through some highlights of the plectrum material to be one of the or hardware is used!
that in a separate box. most important elements in a guitar tone. Colin views cabinet IRs as the last
This, he says, can have a large effect ‘EQ’ in the chain, and believes they have
What Is Guitar Tone? on the harmonic content in the vibrating the capability to make or break a guitar
To really understand how an IR is string, and that obviously impacts on tone. The vast majority of cab IRs are
contributing to your sound, you have everything else in the chain, so he of loudspeakers made by well-known
to understand what goes into ‘guitar regards experimenting with different manufacturers in conventional cabinets,
tone’ more generally, and Colin is keen plectrum materials and thicknesses as an and recorded using a pretty standard
to stress that every tone is the result of essential precursor to developing your selection of mics, with each IR marketed
a unique combination of all the elements personal tone. He tells me his change on the accuracy of its reproduction
in the chain: everything that can affect from celluloid pick to Jim Dunlop’s Ultex of the sound of “that loudspeaker
the harmonic profile of the signal, from was responsible for a significant and from that manufacturer in that type of
the string beginning to move within the beneficial change in his own sound. cabinet recorded through that type
magnetic field of a pickup pole piece After the pick, strings and guitar, of microphone at that distance etc”.
to the amplifier’s power stage driving comes the amp, of course, which for This, again, can lead to players using
a speaker cone to produce the sound those using IRs could mean a real amp similar sounds. In developing his JTC
waves in the room. Colin views each and a load box of some sort (the best of IRs, Colin does cover such setups, but
stage, including the amp’s volume level, which can produce superb results), or describes his Cyber Drivers library, as
as being like an EQ filter, since a change a hardware or software amp modeller. “loudspeaker cabinets that have never
in any part of the chain will, to a greater Some of us will already have developed existed until now,” and designed it for

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 T E CH NI Q U E
M A KING GUITA R C A BIN E T IM P U LS E R E S P ONS E S

Trimmed IR waveforms before and after

Colin’s primary EQ treatment. a “custom” creation. Then, he says, preamplifier tone controls,”“ he told me,
“the process begins with getting the and suggests that “the room itself is not
those interested in crafting a more loudspeaker sounding good in the important, as I don’t capture any room
individual tone. room. I start out by selecting a guitar sound in the IR.”
and pickup combination that will suit
Setting Up for Capture the sound of the IR that I am aiming to The frequency responses of three Redmere
For Colin, the process of capturing an IR create.” Yet, he also stresses that it’s all Soloist combo IRs, which Colin created specifically
begins with a decision between creating about capturing the speaker/cabinet/ for SOS readers. The ‘raw’ untreated IR is in red. The
initial EQ-optimised version is in green. And, in blue,
a “clone” of a particular loudspeaker mic combination, without the ‘filters’ in
the Track version has been optimised to be more
cab or making what he refers to as the rest of the chain. “I do not use the generally ‘mix ready’, with more subtractive EQ.

104 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

 No software or modeling.
More important is how hard the
speaker is driven. “I begin by playing
capturing IRs of the setup to, as far as
possible, take all the ‘filters’ other than
Just original, analog design.
a guitar in a controlled, basic way at the speaker, cabinet and mic out of
a relatively low volume level through the equation. To that end, he removes
a solid-state preamplifier and power the guitar, any pedals and the amp,
amplifier combination which is set and replaces them with a flat-response
flat.” Then, he will “tweak the volume solid-state amplifier, which drives the
up or down until the loudspeaker speaker cabinet with a full-frequency
sounds good. What I’m listening for sine-wave sweep of 20 or 60 seconds.
from the loudspeaker is the character Finally, he records the result and runs
and harmonic response that I want to it through a deconvolution program
hear. I have found that a very minor (eg Logic’s Impulse Response Utility) to
change in volume level can result in produce an impulse response.
a large change in the sound of the Normally, he says, the raw impulse
loudspeaker.” Colin also hinted at the response will then require editing to
great lengths he goes to to perfect his remove silences at the beginning and
IRs: “This is very much a trial-and-error end, and to adjust the fade-out time in

Colin Cartmell: “I have spent weeks on

some IRs trying to find the volume level
that works for the loudspeaker whose
sound I want to capture.”
process, and I have spent weeks on order to trim it to the required length.
some IRs trying to find the volume Colin recommends an impulse length
that works for the loudspeaker whose of 20 to 41 ms, since going longer will
sound I want to capture.” If the volume start to capture the room effects and,
is too low, his experience is that the of course, it will add more latency.
cabinet resonances will dominate and Inevitably, Colin isn’t keen to divulge
change the EQ profile of the capture, the full details of his proprietary MHVT
whereas if the volume is too high process (see box), but he does suggest
the capture will sound, in his words, experimenting with EQ. His major tip
“woofy”. is to use only subtractive EQ moves,
“Once I’m happy with the sound of as the most useful application is “to
the loudspeaker,” he continues, “I move use take out harmonics and spikes in
on to determining the best-sounding the IR’s frequency response curve that
point on the cone for the microphone I don’t want to hear, using very tight
that I decided to use for the capture.” parametric EQs”, and, more generally,
Finding this ‘sweet spot’ can again be he feels that boosting frequencies
time-consuming, with mic movements tends to lend an “unnatural” sound,
sometimes as small as a millimetre at undoing all the hard work put into
a time. Colin will record as he goes until setting up the tone to capture!
he finds the spot at which the sound A 20-41 ms WAV file is short, of
coming out of the monitors reflects what course, so for editing he’ll generally
he heard whilst playing in the room. He load it into a DAW, and zoom in until
also stressed that the process is not he can see its waveform clearly. If you
precisely repeatable, since a cab IR don’t feel comfortable editing an IR
inherently captures the cumulative ‘EQ directly, he suggests using an IR loader
filter’ effect of the entire chain; changing such as Redwirez mixIR3, which allows
the settings on or replacing any item you to EQ and mix single or multiple
in that chain, including the volume, will IRs.
tend to move the miking sweet spot! What Colin doesn’t recommend is
applying EQ to the captured sweep
Capture, Edits & Processing before it’s been deconvolved. He
With the overall tonal chain from feels that, for whatever reason, this
guitar to microphone established, again adds an ‘unnatural’ edge. A
Colin returns to his basic goal when better tactic, he suggests, is either

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M A KING GUITA R C A BIN E T IM P U LS E R E S P ONS E S

Colin’s Tonequest
Colin Cartmell’s fascination with guitar sounds
began in the 1980s, when he heard the D5 power Colin’s Redmere Soloist combo — a rare, all-analogue device that has the honour of being the
chord that kicks off Aerosmith’s ‘Young Lust’, the World’s first modelling amp to enter production — has had a significant influence on his approach.
first track on their 1989 album Pump. His sister had
to tell him that he was listening to an electric guitar,
and his desire to emulate that sound led to the
purchase of a Kay guitar, a 5W tube amp and, pretty
soon after, a fuzz box.
Pump’s producer, the late Bruce Fairbairn, was
famed for his work with guitar-based bands such
as Bon Jovi, AC/DC and Van Halen, and in the
1980s Colin found himself attracted to the highly
processed guitar tones that characterised these
productions, amongst others. This, in turn, led him
(and many other guitarists, myself included) to
discover the Tom Scholtz Rockman, an all-analogue
headphone guitar amplifier, and Colin now owns
almost all its variants! Developed by Tom Scholtz
(of the band Boston, but also a trained electronics
engineer), this was engineered to simulate
a full-volume amplified guitar, and featured
compression, distortion, stereo chorus and echo.
Driven by his desire to access that 1980s
processed tone in his own playing, Colin took up
Joe Satriani’s ‘Boss DS-1 into a clean Marshall’
approach, using a selection of overdrive and
distortion pedals into clean amps, which got him
into the 1980s MOSFET Marshalls. Whilst studying
for a BTEC in Music Production in 1999, he bought
an original Line 6 POD, right at the beginning of
the amplifier/loudspeaker modelling era. But he
didn’t like the excessive ‘honk’ he heard in its
cabinet emulations, preferring instead his fully
analogue 1991 Zoom Player 2020 multi-effects for
drive and EQ. It’s a unit that he still uses to this day
and although Colin contends, tongue in cheek,
that the Rockman-like livery of the 2020 may have
something to do with its continuing presence on his
pedal board, the unit’s JRC4558 chip (also found in
the original Ibanez TS-808 Tube Screamer) delivers
the drive sound that keeps it there.
Continuing down the modelling route, Colin
invested in the Yamaha DG-series preamp, that Colin thought highly of at the time was that Perhaps the greatest influence on Colin’s quest
cabinets, combos and heads that appeared just Yamaha made no attempt to market the units on for the ultimate tone was his purchase, circa 2005,
after the POD. He owns examples of almost the the back of the modelled originals — as a user, he of a very rare amp: a mint-condition Redmere
entire range, although the DG Stomp didn’t make had to approach it with an open mind and use the Soloist. Manufactured between 1978 and 1979 by
the cut. Colin describes this range as being the models to develop his own sound, rather than be Cambridge-based PA:CE, the all-analogue Soloist
most tube-like of the modelling amps of that straight-jacketed by tonal preconceptions. (Yamaha has the honour of being the very first modelling
era, likening their performance to that of a “POD finally released the list of the DG series’ modelled amp to enter production. Colin describes the
without the honk”. One aspect of the DG series amps in 2012). Soloist as an amp that he “liked but didn’t know

to change the mic, or set up a second excessive hiss leads to a poor-sounding will give you a great result, it can never
mic in its own sweet spot and capturing IR, and trying to correct a ‘hissy’ IR just feel or sound precisely the same as the
it alongside your original mic, then leads to more problems.” real thing. What you can do, though, is
deconvolving them separately. You compensate for this to some extent, and
can use the IRs separately or mixed
Using Cabinet IRs a great technique Colin shared — I’m
together, as you prefer — whichever Arguably the most important piece of definitely going to use this going forward
works best for you. advice Colin offered about using your IRs — is to run the output from an IR into
Some amps are noisier than others, is that you shouldn’t build up unrealistic your favourite tape saturation plug-in.
so does he use noise-reduction? “I don’t expectations about what can be achieved This can add in just enough of a sense of
use any ‘hiss reduction’ techniques using IRs. They don’t react dynamically the nonlinear loudspeaker distortion that
other than ensuring that the sweep is to the signal level, so, while a Marshall a single IR just isn’t capable of capturing.
well above the amplifier noise floor. My JTM45 running into a loadbox with the Colin discovered this technique after
experience is that capturing an IR with finest 4x12 cabinet IR in the universe trying, and failing, to achieve that effect

106 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

 Before moving into IR creation, Colin experimented with modelling hardware
using switchable analogue components: he still uses this Tone Zone box today.

why”. Although there was never any official a hardware unit, and on checking the internals of Designed to be positioned at the end of a pedal
confirmation of the amp models it was based on, his Redmere Soloist he noticed the sheer number chain, the Tone Zone remains an important part
PA:CE’s promotional material hinted at a Fender, of capacitors and resistors on the circuit boards of Colin’s tonal approach to this day, as it gives
Marshall and Vox line‑up. responsible for its emulations. It was this which him extensive and precise control of the tonal
Much as he liked the Rockman, the Zoom 2020, prompted him to design his one‑of‑a‑kind Tone Zone profile of the guitar signal going into an amp.
the DG Series, the Redmere and various other pedal. The Tone Zone contains several complex filter But the increasing availability of software and
amp sims he encountered, Colin was never quite modules, each mounted on its own circuit board. hardware for creating and using IRs, as well as
satisfied with their cabinet simulations — and that’s Developed and tuned by “trial, error and ear” using the developments in the quality of amp modelling
why he decided “to create a virtual cabinet which components selected from a large stock of vintage technology, offered him more potential to realise
would work together with the guitar to augment capacitors and resistors donated by his uncle, these his ambition of creating the virtual cabinet of his
the guitar tone and highlight its character in an filters are selected individually using a rotary switch. dreams. So he began the development work that
organic way”. A Blend knob controls the mix between filtered led eventually to his own proprietary Modern
At the time, he knew nothing about IR and unfiltered signals and an In/Bypass mini toggle Vintage Hybrid Technology (MVHT) approach, and
technology, so his first thought was to build switch takes the selected filter in or out of circuit. to the Daemon Driver and Cyber Driver IR series.

from both real and emulated distortion majority of developers. If you haven’t power amp and left-hand loudspeaker via
pedals. He’s also a big fan of mixing cab already tried his commercial IRs, you a Shure SM57 microphone. The second
IRs together, but he recommends using can get a free download of two of his one is a more ‘polished’ version of the
only two IRs at any one time and, for best Daemon Drivers from the JTC Tones original, in which Colin has removed the
results, to use IRs that sound very different website at www.jtcguitar.com/jtctones. effect of the EQ filtering introduced by the
from each other. Exclusively for SOS readers, though, Colin Soloist’s preamp, emulation and power
has also created three unique cabinet amplifier, leaving just the sound of the
It’s A Wrap IRs which demonstrate his process, Soloist’s G12-80 loudspeaker and the
I really enjoyed talking with Colin. He has and you can download them for free Shure SM57 mic used for the capture. For
a strong, very personal tonal vision, and from the SOS website, at http:sosm.ag/ the third, he’s refined the same IR using
has developed a unique way of creating capturing-cabinet-irs. The first IR is a raw, a bit of EQ, as he typically would for use in
cabinet impulse responses that goes far unprocessed capture of his Redmere a track. Now it’s over to you to see what
beyond the approaches used by the vast Soloist’s preamp, ‘Fender Twin’ channel, you can do with them!

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 T E CH NI Q U E

Controlling Synths With Your Voice

We’re used to playing and sequencing synth parts in our
productions, but why not sing them as well?

Pitch to MIDI in PreSonus’ Studio One is a two-stage process. First of all Melodyne, integrated at the track level, equips audio events
with pitch information. Second, the audio event is dragged to an instrument track. Other DAWs offer variations on this theme.

ROBIN BIGWOOD
singer ourselves? That’s what this an offline process, and the results are

I
article is all about. We’ll look at some often really good. You start by recording
t might seem obvious to say it, but of the interesting gear out there, and your voice (or guitar, sax, kazoo... OK,
the human voice is often a uniquely a range of approaches that can open maybe not kazoo) to an audio track.
expressive element in recordings up creativity-loosening possibilities in Perhaps after some kind of analysis takes
and musical productions. Only a few this area. place the pitch information can then be
instruments, mostly acoustic, get extracted to a MIDI/instrument track.
anywhere close to its capacity for
Playing Synths The process varies from DAW to DAW: in
inflection or (to use an equally valid With Your Voice Ableton Live, for example, the MIDI track,
term from the synth world) modulation. Getting straight to the heart of the data and a placeholder virtual instrument
Pitch, timbre and intensity can all matter, it’s possible (and can be really are all created for you with one
be exquisitely controlled, and that’s liberating) to play synth parts with your command; in others you might have to
to say nothing of the extra layer of voice. Or for that matter many other drag an audio region to a MIDI track and
communication that comes from melody instruments too, like sax or instantiate or configure an instrument of
word-generated meaning and imagery. flute. You regard the voice or instrument your choice.
How can we make use of that as a ‘front-end’, an alternative to a MIDI For some tasks, this could be enough
potential, in electronic-leaning, keyboard, or use an existing recording for great results. A simple monosynth
synth-based productions, even if (and of it in a DAW track. line, or a decaying bass sound, could
I speak from personal experience In lots of modern DAW software, work straight off the bat. For more overtly
here) we’re not necessarily a good a pitch-to-MIDI ability is built in as shaped, expressive synth lines though,

108 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

 Hardware & History
Accurate pitch-to-MIDI is potentially but will also work with the voice and other
a computationally-intensive process, instruments via a suitable preamp.
and it’s rarer to see it in hardware. Some For straight synth control, without a more
vocal-specific and multi-effects pedals do general MIDI output — in some ways the
something very like it as a basis for intelligent hardware equivalent of the plug-ins I’ve
harmonisation, but for dedicated units you mentioned — there are a few options.
have to go back to the 1980s and the likes The Korg MS20 (and many of its modern
of the Roland VP70, Fairlight Voicetracker clones and miniature versions) will track
and Digitech/IVL Pitchtracker: this latter was an audio input, often amazingly well, fed
technically a guitar-oriented product, but into its External Signal Processor section.
some vocalists used it too. All as rare as hens’ In Eurorack check out the luxury-option
teeth nowadays. Sonicsmith ConVertor E1, the slightly more
If you must work in hardware, first affordable Analogue Systems RS-35, and
check out the Sonuus G2M: it’s a little the pitch-to-CV modes in Expert Sleepers’
battery-powered box that’s guitar-oriented ever-handy Disting module.

you might well want to do some still choose to write in MIDI CC or

additional work on the pitch-to-MIDI automation data for synth parameters,
generated data. such as volume, filter cutoff, or vibrato
For example, even very smooth, depth and speed. In no time at all that
legato-style singing (or playing) will could give you really dynamic results.
tend to generate individual MIDI
notes whose lengths abut each other
Get Real
at most. As a result nuance such as Offline pitch-to-MIDI is mightily useful,
legato and portamento transitions are but the next level for audio control
lost, not to mention vibrato, bends, and of synths is to do it with plug-ins and
variations in intensity. other tools that analyse pitch in real
On that first point, it becomes an time. They let you work live, which
issue if you’re driving a synth sound definitely feels more experimental
with any obvious attack, like a ‘wow’ and exciting, and the immediacy of
filter sweep or short-lived percussive feedback can draw you into creative
element. You’ll almost certainly get areas outside of the well-trodden
a re-trigger on every detected change paths around your keyboard
of pitch, even if the sung notes were controller. Having said that, you can of
connected in legato fashion, or you course also use them on pre-recorded
just introduced some subtle bends or material in your DAW tracks too. As
fall-offs. I write this I’m not aware of any DAWs
So a good solution for expressive that natively incorporate dedicated
results is to use a monophonic synth real-time pitch tracking, so third-party
or other solo sound, and switch in its is the way to go.
legato option. Then looking at your Simple to use, but offering
MIDI data in a typical ‘piano roll’ editor staggering potential for sound
consider which pairs or groups of variation, are a number of
notes should be connected without plug-in-based solutions. For real-time
a retrigger of envelope generators use you’d instantiate them on an
or a sample start, for best musical audio track or aux channel and route
effect. Extend these notes’ ends audio to them from a mic in your
a little past the start point of their studio. Using a small audio buffer
immediate neighbours to the right: that size your computer will ensure a crisp
will be enough to cause the legato response, and most plug-ins of this
transition on the synth. Adding some type need a healthy input signal from
portamento/glide in the synth patch a good neutral/clear vocal mic too,
can add a somewhat vocal-like ‘swoop’ in a dry/dead room with no
too, that you can trigger at will. background noise.
As for additional expression and It’s also essential to use
shaping, well, some DAWs do extract headphones if you’re working this
level information from your audio and way: any bleed of the output of the
pass it on in the form of varying note plug-in back into the pitch detector
velocity. It’s a start, but you might front-end generally throws it into

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 T E CH NI Q U E
VOI C E ACTI VAT E D S Y N T HS

Offline pitch-to-MIDI usually won’t attempt to preserve articulation in the original audio like
legato or portamento transitions. In this example three notes have been manually extended beyond
their neighbours’ start points. With a suitable monosynth sound this reinstates some smooth upward a vocal-driven synth, and undoubtedly
transitions for pairs of notes, which makes them sound much more like the audio source. I’ve also VocalSynth can (and generally does)
manually added some modulation wheel data, for some vibrato and swells on the main notes. preserve a good deal of phonetic
intelligibility. For some jobs that’s
confusion. Having said that, it can be how much vocal nuance can make it a really good thing.
hugely helpful to hear your un-effected through to the synth-toned output: a bit Weirder — brilliantly so — but flexible
voice directly somehow as you work, like Auto-Tune, when used with more enough to be used in conventional and
so you’re not pulled out of tune by the naturalistic settings, OVOX will respect very beautiful-sounding ways is Native
synth timbres produced. You can do this vibrato and subtle pitch inflections while Instruments’ The Mouth, which runs in
either by wearing only a single side of keeping results bang in tune overall. Reaktor and the free Reaktor Player.
your headphones, It’s now more than
or routing some dry a decade old, but
input signal to the
headphone mix in your
“It’s possible (and can be still feels fresh and
relevant. The Mouth
DAW, via your audio
interface or with an
really liberating) to play synth takes a monophonic
audio input and
external mixer.
A great plug-in
parts with your voice.” can create from
it synth lines with
option is Waves OVOX, up to eight voices,
which is available in most plug-in formats, A different, rather darker and harmonised to a chosen key and scale,
and often for not too much money. more complex sonic flavour is offered as well as monophonic bass sounds
It’s a combo of Auto-Tune-like pitch by iZotope’s VocalSynth 2. Four of and MIDI-driven vocoder and resonator
recognition (with selectable scales and its five processing modules have timbres. There are some simple effects
so on, which really helps with accuracy), synth-like architectures, but in fact the (delay and compression) to boot. As
two synths/vocoders, and a generous character here is less electronic (in the an aside, it’ll do exciting things with
provision of effects. With relatively few analogue synth sense) and distinctly beatboxing and drum loops too, via
controls a huge number of sounds can more cyborg. Arguably it’s more an a dedicated Beats mode. All the internal
be conjured, and what’s impressive is extreme pitch-tracking vocal effect than sounds are preset, and there aren’t

110 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

 The Bridge
Yet another approach to real-time pitch-to-MIDI is to use a standalone
application dedicated solely to the task. These let you drive virtual
(and often hardware MIDI) instruments of your choice alongside or
separately from your DAW.
About the most affordable (free with a time limit, or £8.99 without)
is A2M by Beat Bars (https://beatbars.com), a Polish company that
make a range of intriguing, mould-breaking hardware and software
controllers. This Apple-only product runs as an AUv3 plug-in (in
Audiobus, AUM and apeMatrix on iOS) and standalone (iOS and Mac
OS) with identical capabilities: pitch recognition via two selectable
algorithms, adjustable latency/accuracy trade-off, and some basic
control over input level and MIDI velocity output. It’ll transmit MIDI
to virtual ports that other apps will see, a Network MIDI bus, or any
hardware instruments connected to your device.
Imitone, available in two editions ($30 or $75, both very capable)
from www.imitone.com, is significantly more sophisticated and
accurate, and nicer to use. This colourful and clear standalone
application for Mac OS or Windows offers fast and accurate
pitch/note recognition, includes optimisations for different voice
ranges, modes for handling legato pitch transitions and vibrato,
and can generate varying velocity or CC11 values (respectively)
from expressive percussive or sustaining input. It has some
onboard sounds, so can truly be used standalone, but can play
hardware synths connected to your computer, or in your DAW via
inter-application MIDI. Recommended.
Other players in this field include the more expensive Jam Origin
MIDI Guitar 2, which despite the name can still work with the voice.
Also Dubler 2 by Vochlea, which can be bought in a bundle with
a specially calibrated mic and includes ‘percussive recognition’ for Imitone’s speed, accuracy and flexibility make it a stand-out
triggering samples or drums from beatbox-like vocal input. application-based option.

many, but variation is provided by

a bank of performance macros, and
a handful of synth parameters. It
absolutely invites experimentation,
and for me any plug-in that
has a ‘Nonsense’ parameter is
automatically of interest.
Also in Reaktor (full version only

Get the skills

this time) is the one-trick-but-a-
lovely-trick Theremouth, available

to produce
from boscomac.free.fr along with
many other gems. It’s a pitch-driven
Theremin, and I would defy even

serious results.
electronic-savvy listeners to spot this
wasn’t the real thing, without forensic
analysis. The unquantised pitch
recognition system used is amazingly
responsive, allowing for very subtle
vibrato and portamento. Use it for
Explore Berklee Online’s vast offerings in music production
effects almost impossible to recreate and learn from Grammy-winning producers and engineers.
on a keyboard-based synth, unless it
has a huge pitch ribbon or similar.
Finally, for more of a novelty try Online Degree Programs 12-Week Online Courses
BitSpeek from SonicCharge. This Master of Music Multi-Course Certificates
affordable plug-in applies pitch
Bachelor of Professional Studies A la Carte Graduate Courses
tracking to the tone-generation
technology that underpinned the
Speak & Spell educational toys from
the 1980s. There’s not huge scope Learn more at online.berklee.edu 1-866-BERKLEE
for variation in the synthetic timbre,
aside from introducing noise, grungy

www.soundonsound.com / September 2022 111

 T E CH NI Q U E
VOI C E ACTI VAT E D S Y N T HS

downsampling artefacts and strange Somehow the effect is always a monosynth. To be able to do this with
‘shuttered’ rhythmic fluctuations (which intrinsically ‘looser’ too. one or two clicks is super handy.
can be tempo sync’ed). But the effect is On a much more practical level, You might also try replacing or layering
magnetic, full of historical and cultural DAW-based pitch-to-MIDI can be a good sections of a vocal with an otherworldly
resonances, and it’s often a great starting point for generating music noise-like timbre, almost like a synthetic
alternative to more traditional vocoder notation, for musicians who aren’t whisper. OVOX and VocalSynth 2 are
or talkbox sounds. conversant with it. It’s vital here to both good at this, but you could arguably
record to a click in your DAW, so that drive any suitable synth with an offline
Techniques there’s a proper metrical framework, but DAW process, a pitch-to-MIDI bridge, or
What are some good ways to put that can be enough to generate useful one of the hardware solutions I mention.
pitch-to-MIDI tools and pitch-driven scores to share with collaborators. Analogue synth self-resonant filter
synths to use? As I mentioned In typical vocal-based pop sounds, with some noise oscillator input
elsewhere, they make for intriguing and production, layering is an especially too, and perhaps not even tracking
potentially fruitful alternatives to MIDI useful technique. You might reinforce accurately, can lend a particularly
keyboard controllers. There’s a role for certain parts of a production: for spooky atmosphere.
them in creative work even if you do also example,
rely on a keyboard, because generating taking a normal
material by singing (or playing chorus-section
a monophonic acoustic instrument) vocal and layering
forces you to think differently: more it up with a synth
about melody and riffs than block chords or string line.
for one thing, with the potential to cut Or doubling an
you free of the keys and constructions electric bass with
you might normally gravitate towards. sub-bass from

Three plug-ins and two Reaktor ensembles, hugely different in sound and
scope, but all dedicated to real-time pitch analysis and tone production.

112 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

 T E CH NI Q U E
Reason
A new Rack Extension could be all the vocoder you’ll ever need.
the simple self-contained workflow). Rack plug-in in its Effect version inserted
SIMON SHERBOURNE
With the default patch AutoVocode, on an audio track. In most DAWs this
you can simply hit play and, as if by means that you’ll need a MIDI track to

T
he latest premium Rack Extension magic, you’ll get a vocoded result. This target with your keyboard, and route
from Reason Studios is the BV-X is because this patch has Auto Play the track’s output to the Rack plug-in
Multimode Vocoder. So what, mode enabled. This detects the pitch (see Screen 2).
you may ask, does this bring to the Rack of the source vocal, and plays the synth
that we don’t get with the classic BV512 automatically, tracking the pitch.
Synth
vocoder, which has been a standard If you want to play the synth yourself OK, now we’ve got the basic mechanics
feature in Reason for years? Well, lots... like a traditional vocoder, you need to working, we can start to experiment.
There are two highlights that excited get MIDI to the plug-in. How that works Let’s start with the synth. This determines
me about BV-X. First, it makes vocoding will depend on whether you’re working in the primary tone and response of the
easier by including a built-in synth, Reason standalone or in the Reason Rack vocoded output. On the left you can
so there’s no complicated setting up plug-in. In Reason, you can simply make select Mono, Poly or Legato play modes.
and routing or trying to remember the BV-X the MIDI target by clicking to the If you’re looking for that noodling
difference between a carrier and left of its name plate in the Rack. If you’re lead-line vocal effect à la 2Pac’s
a modulator. (I will always have to look in a DAW, you’ll probably be running the ‘California Love’ then go Mono, and
that up no matter how many times I learn
it). Second, it has an ‘Auto Play’ mode,
which pitch-tracks the input signal so you
have the option to apply vocoding without
playing any notes. What I particularly liked
about this is, when used with the Scale
quantiser, you can get some uniquely
flavoured variations of auto-tune effects
that could be massively useful in today’s
pop, R&B and hip-hop productions.

Vocoder Decode
Time for the obligatory vocoder recap...
please skip ahead if you’re a vocoding
champ. Simply put, a vocoder shapes one
sound with another. More accurately, it
analyses one signal, typically a voice, and
applies its shifting spectral character to
another signal, which is typically a synth
tone. The result is that the synth sound
seems to ‘speak’ or sing.
There’s huge room for variation within
this basic formula. The results will depend
on the tone and envelope of the ‘carrier’
(the sound that is being modulated) and
the method and accuracy of tracking the
harmonic character of the ‘modulator’
(voice). Vocoders often have ways to
manipulate this sonic fingerprint to
change the sound, and BV-X has them
in spades.

BV-X Basics
Unlike the original Reason vocoder,
BV-X can simply be inserted onto a track
or input channel, which for ease of
explanation I’ll assume is a vocal. The
veteran BV512 required two inputs
to be connected up in the Rack: the
vocal signal and another source to be
modulated. (BV-X can also operate like
this, but in most cases you’ll probably use Screen 1: BV-X has a rich feature-set but is simple to use compared to most vocoders: just plug and go.

114 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

you can reshape a vocal performance analysis to get
constrained to your played notes. For the very precise
classic vocoded wash, choose Poly mode snapshots of
and play block chords. the harmonic
The main oscillator settings determine content of
the harmonic character. You can pick the source,
from a selection of wavetable sources. and apply this
Generally vocoding tends to be most response curve
effective with a bright and rich tone like to the synth.
the default sawtooth. Depending on the This can make
Screen 3: A close-up on the Vocoder section
source material some pitch ranges work the words and character of the original
running in high-resolution Modern mode.
better than others as well, so experiment performance come through very clearly in
with the Octave control and the Harmonic the synthesised result. processing beyond what you’d normally
Mix section to find the sweet spot that Beyond these fundamental settings, think of as vocoding. It certainly seems
gives the best definition. there’s a whole heap of things you can that the world isn’t even close to being
The Position parameter sweeps the do to alter the way the sound shaping is over Auto-Tune applied as a creative
oscillator through different shapes, applied. The Modern mode, for example, effect on a significant chunk of modern
and this can be modulated (along with has a Transfer Curve feature which vocal performances. The Scale option on
most of the other parameters) via the distorts how the frequency response BV-X’s Auto Play opens a treasure chest
familiar matrix common to so many maps from voice to synth. Other options of new variations of pitch quantising.
Reason devices. Talking of modulation, include formant shifting and a spectral Scale mode is pretty simple: once
the oscillator defaults to Gated mode, spread which pans bands left and right. activated the Auto Play pitch tracking
so is simply on or off. This The Attack and Decay are will steer towards the notes you select
often works best for the particularly useful for dialling in on the mini keyboard below. The Speed
traditional vocoder sound as different responses. knob sets how fast this happens. You’ll
the source adds its own shape Everything that’s happening get the best results if you know the key
to the sound, but you can also in the vocoder section is and just select the notes it uses, but if
switch to Envelope mode. represented on the frequency not you can just select all the keys and
There’s plenty of scope for plot display, and you can make have it quantise chromatically. That can
experimentation here, such as manual adjustments by drawing lead to unwanted stepping in glides or
triggering short envelope notes a gain curve directly onto this. mis-tunings though.
from a sequencer to create If you use the Hi Modern vocoder
a stuttered, gated vocal.
Effects & Mix mode, and try out various oscillator
The right-hand strip of the BV-X wave options and settings you can get
Configuring The device is a mixer and effects a vocoder output that is similar enough
Modulator section. The mixer is useful on to the original sound that it sounds more
The other main way to affect this vocoder because a lot of like an interesting quantised gloss effect
the sound is to mess with the the vocal processing effects than traditional vocoding. It’s especially
vocoder section, which is the you can achieve with Auto Play effective with the other effects and
main green panel at the top work nicely as a mix with the blended with the original. In fact the
of the device (Screen 3). Tabs original signal. factory library is split between traditional
at the top select between two Reason Studios were keen vocoder-style patches and vocal effects,
modes: Vintage and Modern. to use width as a key part of so you can check out some possibilities.
These are two different this effect, and alongside the The synth section also features a noise
methods for transferring the spectral width control, the source, with variable colour. Dialled
harmonic character of the input Unison and Reverb supply right up this turns vocals into a kind of
to the synth. Vintage is the plenty of space. The middle whispered speech. Used subtly it can
classic mode, which BV512 also multi-mode effect is a bit more add intelligibility. It’s also great on rapped
uses. It employs filters to track of an enigma. The Comb, Bit vocals. A patch I put together blends
the level of the source across Crush and Distortion modes some noise with a lot of the oscillator
a set of frequency bands, and are fairly standard. Ring Mod, sub-harmonic to create a deep, slightly
transfers this to a matched Bode Shifting and Buffering demonic voice that reminds of one of my
array of band-pass filters on are a bit more out-there. I’d favourite rappers Doseone.
the synth. You can set the say they are all really good for There’s loads more to dig into
number of filter bands to get creating moments of interest than we’ve space for. I’d point to the
a more or less defined result. in a track, but perhaps have modulation as an interesting area to
The Modern mode uses FFT limited use as overall effects. explore. This has some intriguing and
useful sources such as the detected
Screen 2: If you’re using BV-X in the Pitch Tracking Effects pitch, tracking of pitched/unpitched vocal
Rack Extension plug-in and want to play
notes, you’ll need an extra MIDI track to My favourite thing about the sections, and silence detection, which
route/record your keyboard. BV-X is its scope for vocal allow for some advanced shaping.

www.soundonsound.com / September 2022 115

 T E CH NI Q U E
Logic
DAV I D R I CA R D Logic’s Mixer Modes help you navigate even

W the most complex projects.

hen Logic burst onto the scene
way back in the last century,
it quickly earned a reputation
for having a daunting learning curve.
Nonetheless, while Logic required some
mental gymnastics, most users became
adept at getting what they wanted — or at
least needed — out of it. Still, even power
users were apprehensive about venturing
out past their comfort zones, opting to stay The Mixer Mode tabs live at the top of the mixer in the centre, and the Display tabs are to their right.
in their lanes.
But that was then, this is now! Over
the decades, Logic has become so
intuitive and user-friendly that it’s hard to
believe it was ever intimidating. In fact, it’s
only old-guard eMagicians like me who
regard the DAW in that light. New users
jump in and learn newfangled features
that us veterans can find too daunting to
incorporate into our workflows.
One aspect of Logic that has evolved
immensely, but which is easy to overlook, is
the mixer — more specifically, Mixer Modes.
Tucked away (yet right there in plain sight)
is a set of Mixer Mode tabs that, when used
strategically, will ensure that you can see
what you need, when you need it.

Tracks Mode
When you open Logic’s mixer, the default
mode is Tracks. It’s exactly (well, mostly)
what you would expect: each mixer
channel corresponds to a track in the Main
Window. As you add, delete, and reorder
your Main Window tracks, the changes are
mirrored in the mixer.
The one caveat to this is that aux tracks
(which are created in the mixer) do not
appear in the Main Window until you create
a track for each one, by right-clicking on
the channel and choosing Create Track, or
using the default key command (Control+T),
or going to Options / Create Tracks for
Selected Channel Strips from the menu bar.
I would love a preference to automatically
create tracks in the Main Window as you
add auxes to the mixer. It would be even
better if they were added below the
selected track, so you don’t have to go and
find them before creating a track. Better
still would be to allow users to create aux
channels as tracks from the Main Window
without having to open the mixer at all.
The Tracks mode is where I spent most,
if not all, of my mixer time, without ever
seeing a need for more options. While
providing a full overview of your session,
the mixer (in all of the modes) intelligently In Single mode, every channel associated with the selected track is displayed, while everything else is
gives you the ability to jump to any output, omitted from view.

116 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

 A multi-mixer setup. The bottom mixer shows
bus, or send — simply by Shift-clicking on general, tend to unnecessarily attempt to
the selected track while the upper mixer stays on
any of their names. make the virtual studio resemble a physical the aux channels.
one. While I understand why, most users
Single Mode don’t have much or any experience mixing input, output, aux, VCA, MIDI and every other
The Single mode is a fantastic alternative on a large-format analogue console. So channel that ever existed in my session.
to the Tracks mode. If Tracks mode is like concepts like Single mode are a welcome The fact that All mode doesn’t adhere to
looking at a full sudoku puzzle, Single break from that paradigm. the Main Window track order makes it an
mode is like looking at all of the fives in It eliminates the need to horizontally even less inviting option for me. To be fair,
a puzzle and nothing else. scroll each time you need to alter a channel though, you don’t necessarily have to see
When you select a track in the Main associated with the track, and then navigate each and every little thing in All mode. That’s
Window, it will appear in the Single view your way back again: just switch to Single where the filter view buttons come into play...
mixer along with all of the channels that mode and have everything in one compact You may have noticed a line of buttons
the track feeds in one way or another. That view. Not only is everything you need in to the right of the Mixer Mode buttons.
includes aux channels that the track is sight, but also anything you don’t need These allow you to choose what you want
bussed to, the aux tracks that your busses is omitted. to see on any given mixer you have opened.
are bussed to(!) and any channel that The power of this feature is magnified Option-click on any of these to deselect
the track output passes through and/or when using a control surface or the mixer on everything else; think of it as ‘soloing’ that
touches, all the way to its eventual output. Logic Remote. category. (The key commands for these are
Any processing or routing that your track labelled Show/Hide...)
comes into contact with is visible in Single
All Mode You’ll notice that in Single mode, these
view. The focussed attention that the You can probably guess what’s included in options are muted out. That’s because,
Single mode provides lets you concentrate the All mode. Do I even have to say it? Yes, by design, in this mode you have to see
on a track and examine how changes are it includes everything! While All mode is as everything associated with the single track.
made further along its signal flow. expansive as it is powerful, its usefulness
I find this approach refreshing because is somewhat unrealised in my workflow.
Multi-Mixers
it’s the most not-like-a-real-mixer concept I like to have things pared down, and don’t So why are these filter buttons noteworthy?
I’ve experienced. Logic, and DAWs in have a need to see every track, channel, Especially after learning the capabilities

www.soundonsound.com / September 2022 117

 T E CH NI Q U E
MIXER MODES Logic

Screen 4: Here, I’ve created a secondary mixer

of the different Mixer Modes. I would voiceover and the temp music. No matter
that remains on the film tracks no matter which
agree that the Modes render these filters what track I have selected, I can easily mute, track is selected. This way, I can quickly mute, solo,
obsolete to some extent, but only if you solo and adjust the volume for them. or make any adjustments to them without having to
are viewing a single mixer. If you create The key for this to work is that you need search for their channels.
a screenset with several mixers open, you to deselect Autoscroll to Selection (from the
can customise each to display different View menu) in the static mixer. You would Logic does a terrific job at identifying
categories of channels. keep it selected in the main mixer so that it tedious tasks and finding a way to
Example: open a project you’re already updates as you change tracks. consolidate them into one process. I wish
working on, go to a blank screenset, Open Control surface or Logic Remote users there were a one-button command for
the Main Window, and press X to open the can even go one step further. In the main creating busses. Maybe something like
mixer within it. Now resize the window so mixer’s View menu, deselect Link Control the New Tracks dialogue, where you can
that you have room for another mixer next to Surfaces, while on the additional mixer, choose a bus, plug-in, and output all from
it. Hit Command+2 to open yet another mixer. select it. Now you have a dedicated tactile one window?
Set the mixer in the Main Window to Tracks mixer (that stays in one place) for those Although Logic has a key command for
mode. Set the mixer in the new window to All tracks you want to always have handy. Cycle Through Mixer Modes, I would prefer
mode, and deselect everything but aux. Now Another version of this would be to have either a key command for each one or, at
you have one mixer for tracks and one for a screenset with a Tracks mixer and Single least, a Toggle/Previous/Next Mixer Mode
your busses! mixer. You would set them both to Autoscroll option — especially since the change from
As you select different tracks, your Tracks to Selection. In this scenario, you would mode to mode is not instantaneous.
mode mixer will update, but the second have the best of both worlds on one screen! And finally, I would love the ability to
mixer won’t, because it doesn’t have any name and colour the bus slot on each
other channels (besides busses) to switch to.
Mixer Wishlist channel. I find myself Shift-clicking on
Another practical use of this multi-mixer As I mentioned earlier, I would love to see them often just to find out what plug-in it
approach is in my film/TV work. I keep a function that would allow creation of mixer sends to. Using I/O labels, you can name
a slim, four-channel mixer open in all of my components (auxes, outputs, and so on) busses, but they wouldn’t update as you
screensets with faders for only the mix, SFX, from the Main Window. change plug-ins.

118 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

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 T E CH NI Q U E
Pro Tools
Getting the most from sends clicking the ‘P’ button so that
it illuminates blue puts a send
requires you to understand into pre-fader mode. Screen 1 is
a Photoshopped Pro Tools channel
how they work! strip, in which I’ve rearranged the
Headphones and Reverb sends to
JULIAN RODGERS show them in their true position in
the signal chain.

T
he recent release of Pro Tools The reason these two varieties
2022.6 brought with it, among of aux send exist is to avoid
other things, improvements to unhelpful consequences. For
Dolby Atmos re-renders, enhanced MIDI example, if you want to share
workflows and the option to display or a common reverb across multiple
burn-in timecode in video. Useful as these tracks, the best way to do so is
are, the development which will make the to use sends to route different
most difference to me is a new preference amounts of each track to a bus
allowing you to set a custom default level feeding an Auxiliary Input track
for newly created aux sends. I discuss this with a reverb inserted. However,
feature in the ‘Default Send Levels’ box, if you were to use a pre-fade aux
but this also seemed a good opportunity send to do this, changes made
to discuss the way sends are handled in to the main mix wouldn’t be
Pro Tools generally. reflected in the mix being sent to
the reverb, resulting in the wet/dry
Sends & Sensibility mix of each channel changing as
A track in Pro Tools has a fader which its main mix level gets changed.
controls the level going to an output or This can be avoided by using
a bus. It is possible to route the track to a post-fade send.
more than one destination, but with only Conversely, if musicians
a single fader to control the output level, being recorded have specific
it is not possible to do so at a different requirements for what they hear
level for each destination. In other words, in their headphones, a bespoke
using the main fader alone allows you to monitor mix can be set up using
send a single mix to one or more places, sends, but if you were to use
but to have two different mixes, you need post-fade sends, changes made
two sets of faders. Creating an aux send on the main faders would also
gives you an additional fader with which to affect the monitor mix, which your
create a different mix. artists may not appreciate. Screen 2: As well as giving you
Why would you want to do this? The The way Pro Tools treats sends a full-size fader, the floating send
two classic use cases are effects sends is very familiar to anyone who has window can show high-resolution
meters for both the send itself and
and monitor mixes. There are other used analogue consoles, though
the destination’s summed level, along
reasons you might want to use sends, but it’s no longer safe to assume that with other useful send options.
these two neatly illustrate the difference everyone has such experience.
between pre- and post-fade sends. Sends are post-insert, meaning Delay’) and can be done by
that plug-in processing affects right-clicking the send slot (no
In The Post the output of a send as well as need to visit the I/O window
Exactly where the signal being sent via the main fader output. Sends can for this). It is possible to
an aux is coming from makes a difference feed busses or outputs, and up to display sends as mini-faders
to how it behaves. A pre-fade send is 10 can be used on a track. If you in an extended view in either
unaffected by moves on the main fader, can’t see the send slots in the Edit the Mix window or in the track
making it independent of the main mix. or Mix Views, go to the View menu headers in the Edit window.
Post-fade sends, as the name implies, get and select Edit Window View or This is done on a per-slot
their signal after the main fader, meaning Mix Window View, and select A-E basis by Command-clicking
that the level of the signal is controlled or F-J. (Control-click on a PC) the
both by the main fader and that of You create a send by clicking arrow on the left side of the
the send. on an empty slot, and then send slot. While it is possible
This pre/post business can be confusing, selecting the output or bus you to display all 10 sends slots
and to make matters worse, both ‘pre’ and wish to route it to. Renaming is in this extended view, it will
‘post’ begin with ‘P’. Pro Tools sends are a good idea (‘Room Reverb’, ‘Slap use up a lot of screen space!
switchable between pre and post modes Screen 1: Here’s what Pro Tools would Luckily, managing sends
by hitting a button marked ‘P’ — not very look like if the pre- and post-fade sends from the default view is well
helpful! In this case, it stands for Pre, and were displayed to reflect signal flow. thought-out.

120 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

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 T E CH NI Q U E
USING SENDS Pro Tools
on a meter and select ‘Show send
assignment level meter’ in the contextual Default Send Levels
menu). These meters are just big enough
to show activity, but are a bit small for So back to the new preference I mentioned
spotting potential clipping. Luckily there is at the beginning of this article. Pre 2022.6,
new sends were created either at -∞dB
a floating send window (Screen 2), which
or at 0dB, depending on a setting in the
can be accessed by clicking on the Send Mixing tab of the Pro Tools Preferences.
Assignment. This presents a full-sized By definition -∞dB is always too quiet,
fader, meter and other controls. A couple and 0dB is usually too loud. The new
of these are worth a special mention. The preference (Screen 4) allows you to set
FMP button switches the send into ‘Follow a custom default for newly created sends.
This is really useful as it will affect every
Main Pan’, and the Pre button toggles the
session I work on. Nice!
send between the aforementioned pre-
and post-fader modes.
If you want to open multiple floating Because Pro Tools offers the option
send windows, either click the red target to set a different meter type for tracks
button before opening new windows, or and for Master Faders, you can set your
use Shift when clicking on the next send. Master Fader meter type to something
Using multiple floating windows can be better suited to monitoring headroom
useful when managing monitor mixes (Linear, for example), and you’ll find that
during tracking, so if this something you meter type displayed in this second
do regularly, it is worth saving a Window meter in the send window.
Configuration as part of your template.
A lesser-known aspect of these
Other Uses For Sends
floating send windows is the role of the Sends are useful for more than just
little white disclosure arrow at the bottom headphone mixes and reverb. Say
Screen 3: Using sends to create dub-style right. Click on this and you’ll reveal an you’re trying to apply sidechain
feedback loops. extra meter. This is a meter which shows compression to a track, ie. compressing
Much like with inserts, the summed level for the output or bus one signal according to the level of
Command-clicking (Control on PC) your send is feeding. The send meter another. This is most conveniently
defeats the send, in this case muting done using a send to
rather than bypassing. Control-clicking feed the key input of
(Windows-clicking) mutes the send and
all subsequent sends (this also works
“Sends are useful for more than just a dynamics plug-in.
You can also set
with inserts), and of course Option (Alt) headphone mixes and reverb.” a send to feed more
and Option+Shift (Alt+Shift) can be added than one destination.
to extend this to all tracks or all selected To do this hold Control
tracks, respectively. Shift+Q will mute all only shows the signal being sent to that (Start on a PC) and select an additional
sends in selected tracks, Shift+4 will mute bus or output, but this second meter is output/bus. A ‘+’ in the output field
sends A-E, and Shift+5 will mute sends F-J. the meter you would see if you were to indicates a ‘mult’ output. This also works
create a Master Fader for that output for the main output.
Floating Send Windows or bus. This is a useful way to monitor Setting up parallel compression for
The unexpanded ‘Send Assignment’ headroom at that summing point if you plug-ins which don’t feature a Mix control
view features a tiny level meter (if you don’t have a Master Fader for that bus or can also be achieved using sends. Using
can’t see these mini-meters, right-click output in your session. a send for this task allows you to control
exactly what’s hitting the
compressor. And one
of my favourite creative
uses for sends is on
effects returns (Screen
3). Get hands-on with
a control surface, and
route a delay return
back into itself for
dub-style experiments
(maybe include a limiter,
this is after all creating
a feedback loop), or route
between different effects
returns for multi-effects
mayhem!
Screen 4: It’s now possible to set a default level for newly created sends.

122 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

 ®

PORTABLE. POWERFUL. POLYPHONIC.

 T E CH NI Q U E
Studio One
Melodyne Essential
has (almost)
all the time‑ and
pitch‑correction
power you’ll
ever need!
ROBIN VINCENT

S
tudio One uses a plug-in
extension called
Audio Random Access
(ARA) to enable an integrated
exchange of audio information
with Melodyne. Celemony Dragging the ‘blobs’ vertically will adjust their pitch, while moving them left and right adjust their timing.
and Presonus developed this
technology together, and it has and select the appropriate algorithm, and there are make for anything beyond a curiosity.
since spread to other DAWs a few choices depending on what you are trying to It makes more sense to select everything
and plug-ins. The integration in do. It often defaults to the Universal algorithm, which and transpose the entire song up or
Studio One is tight and superb. is a disappointing single line of blobs, but try some down. Manipulating the timing is even
In this month’s workshop, others from the Algorithm menu, and it soon gets more more interesting. Each of the splits in the
we’ll have a peek at what interesting. We’ll return to some use cases in a moment blobs represents a rhythmically important
you can do with Melodyne but first, let’s finish looking at how Studio One interacts point. Hover your mouse over a split
Essential, which is bundled with Melodyne. point, and the pointer changes to a pair
with the Professional version Melodyne is a plug-in, so the editing it does is of opposing sideways arrows. You can
of Studio One. It is limited in non-destructive until you decide to render the audio. now click and drag the placement of that
some respects compared with It exists under Event FX, which you can reach under rhythmic element forwards and backwards
the other versions, especially the right-click menu, but a better place to manage in time. Holding Alt or Option removes the
Melodyne Pro, but what it can the plug-in is in the Inspector. With the audio event snap and gives you free movement for
do is still mighty impressive. selected, open the Track Inspector. Beneath the small adjustments.
Channel Fader section you’ll see the Event Inspector. As well as making minor adjustments,
How It Works It gives you information about the audio event, but you can impose large tempo changes on
Thanks to ARA, Melodyne more importantly, it lists plug-ins inserted on the the event. Melodyne will detect the tempo
feels as though it’s a part of the event, and provides options such as rendering and and show its estimate in brackets next to
track. It’s like an alternative to disabling Melodyne. the project tempo at the top left. You can
the sample editor or piano roll. Melodyne has no bypass button, but deactivating apply the project tempo to the event, and
But it is really an audio effect, it here in the Event FX section means the audio then Melodyne will time stretch the audio to
so although you don’t have plays without any of its pitch- or time-stretching. bring it into line. But you can also give it any
to drag it in like a plug-in, it Deactivating the plug-in has no effect on the interface tempo you want, and there are some handy
exists as an insert for any audio or the visual placement of your edits. Melodyne also has shortcuts to multiples and divisions of the
events it’s loaded on. All you a Compare switch, which is slightly different to a bypass tempo depending on what you are trying
have to do is enable it. You can option. When you hit the Compare switch, all the edits to achieve.
do this on any audio track are removed, and you see a greyed-out representation
by selecting an audio event of the original audio, which could be useful for
Tuning Vocals
and hitting Ctrl+M (or Cmd+M visualising the changes. Be aware that the Compare This is where the real magic happens:
on Mac). It’s also available switch is global and switches off every instance of tuning the horror out of your vocals. Seeing
from the Audio menu or by Melodyne on every event it’s being used on. your voice pulled apart and the quality
right-clicking and selecting Edit of your pitching displayed unflinchingly
with Melodyne.
Mixed Audio on a grid can be quite sobering, but it’s
Once it has analysed your Our first use case is wanting to adjust the pitch or timing also fascinating.
audio, Melodyne appears of an existing song or source of mixed audio. This is For tuning purposes, as opposed to
looking just as odd as it always where the Universal algorithm is just the ticket. What we reworking a melody, I find you’ll want to turn
has, with the slightly dated see is all the detected note and timing data in a single off the Pitch Grid, which you can do under
grey interface and intriguing line at a single pitch, chopped up into rhythmically the Options menu. Then all you do is click
scattering of orange blobs. relevant bits. on the wayward blobs and recentre them
Melodyne should detect While you can transpose individual blobs up and on the note according to the scale shown
the content of the audio down, this is rarely musically useful and won’t really on the left. Two fields at the top show you

124 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

the value of the selected note and how you can rework melodies into believable However, Melodyne Essential will still
many cents it is away from the perfect pitch. performances without too much trouble. detect the chords in the polyphonic audio
But really, this is a visual game; you can see As you edit audio events in Melodyne, and let you use them in the Studio One
what needs to happen and can instantly you may notice that piano-roll-style data Chord Track. This can be both really easy
hear the result. If nuance is not your thing, appears over the audio waveform display. and complicated, depending on what
then double-clicking the blob will instantly This is a pitch-quantised MIDI version of the you’re doing.
centre it on the pitch. performance. As you move blobs about in With a single track of piano or another
If you’d just like to get the job done Melodyne, the MIDI notes will change to polyphonic instrument the detection is
rather than listening to and adjusting each reflect the nearest pitches. The beautiful automatic; it appears at the bottom of
note individually, then there’s a handy thing about it is that you can pull out that the audio clip, and you can right-click
macro button that will take care of MIDI version and use it in your project. it and send the detected chords to the
everything for you. Select all the notes you Now, according to the version Chord Track. Easy! If you have multiple
want to tune, and then hit the ‘Correct Pitch comparisons on the Celemony website, tracks of audio with different clips using
Macro’ button in the toolbar. A window Melodyne Essential doesn’t support MIDI Melodyne, then the chords Melodyne
comes up that allows you to set the degree file extraction. However, it still appears to detects are compiled from all the instances
of correction. Slide the Pitch Centre work, and the entry in the online manual is of Melodyne acting at that time. So, if
control and watch as the selected notes the same for Essentials as it is for Studio. something changes, it may affect the chord
shuffle towards the centre of the nearest So, there may be some other more direct detection, and you should re-analyse the
semitone. Pitch Drift is represented by the function that I’m missing, but here’s how chords to make sure. You also need to
wiggly line inside the blobs and shows you do it in Melodyne Essentials. make sure the tempo is correct, so that
fluctuations in pitch. You can reduce the First, create an instrument track by chord changes happen on the right beats.
drift by, somewhat unintuitively, increasing dragging in the virtual or MIDI instrument You can do loads of fiddling with the chord
the percentage. you’re going to use. Then drag and drop display in Melodyne, but the only editing
For timing adjustments, the snap can the Melodyne-enabled audio event onto you can do on polyphonic tracks is to
make things jump around rather awkwardly. the instrument track. The notes appear: job move to the Universal algorithm and shift
But otherwise, it’s similar to pitch in that you done. It’s that simple. I can’t quite believe the overall pitch and timing of events, after
click on the blob and slide it side to side how easy it is: you can take anything you which you can go back and analyse the
to adjust the placement. If a note you’re recorded live, pull out the notes as MIDI chords again.
adjusting is connected to other notes, then and replay it through any MIDI synth or The tools offered by Melodyne Essential
they will be adjusted as well. Melodyne is sound source. It’s a ridiculously powerful are quite stunning. For my purposes, the
always looking to keep the essence and pitch-to-MIDI function, built right into ability to do vocal retuning is invaluable,
smoothness of the performance. Studio One. and it’s all there within the Essential version.
There’s also a timing macro where you MIDI note extraction can be a real help in
can push the ends of a bunch of selected
Chords augmenting recorded instruments or trying
notes towards the nearest part of the grid. It Melodyne Essential does not support out new ideas from a human performance.
really is super easy. polyphonic note editing. When you open up The lack of polyphonic editing would be
a piece of polyphonic audio and choose the the one reason to look for an upgrade,
Monophonic Instruments Polyphonic algorithm, Melodyne does the but for me, that only exists in the realms of
& MIDI Extraction work and then gives you a very sad-looking dark magic, and so Essential is all I need.
Monophonic instruments such as bass display of greyed-out blobs. It’s sort of If you’ve shied away from Melodyne in
lines, lead synths, brass, woodwinds and saying “Look at what you could be doing if the past, hopefully this workshop will
so on probably don’t need much in the you upgraded to the full version.” encourage you to give it a go.
way of tuning. So instead,
you can use Melodyne to
rework the melody or turn
the performance into MIDI
so you can change the
sound entirely.
With melody changing,
you can simply move the
notes to where you want
them to be. You soon get
a feel for what’s possible
and when things start
to sound unrealistic. It’s
usually so much tidier than
a human voice though, and

Melodyne Essential can

extract MIDI data from your audio
performances.

www.soundonsound.com / September 2022 125

 T E CH NI Q U E
Cubase
JOHN WALDEN The latest iteration of VariAudio includes all the tools you

C need to get vocals in shape for mixing.

ubase may not be
able to guarantee
a world-class vocal To reap the full benefits of VariAudio, make sure
you enable Show All Smart Controls.
performance, but it does
provide all the tools you need to a pair of scissors; one click, and you’re
to present recorded vocals in done. Segments can also be glued together,
their best possible light. Once if that’s required.
you’ve laid down or comped Second, if the length of a Segment
your best take and dealt with doesn’t encompass all of the waveform that
any unwanted noises, if you it should, hold the Alt/Opt key, and then
then bounce everything into drag the Warp Start (mid-left) and Warp End
a new audio clip, Cubase’s (mid-right) Smart Controls. Holding down the
VariAudio is a powerful Alt/Opt key changes these Smart Controls
one-stop editing shop that to adjust the Segment length rather than
can be used for all the warping the audio, but note that you can’t
obvious level, timing and pitch extend a Segment so that it overlaps with,
adjustments that might benefit or re-sizes, an adjacent one when using this
the part. We looked at this modifier key.
topic back in the May and June While you’re performing these edits, you
2019 Cubase workshops, but can also consider the levels. Most vocals
Cubase has evolved since then will benefit from at least some compression
and, for Pro and Artist users or volume automation when you get to the
at least, Cubase 12 includes mixing stage, but you can often make that
some further options — so Segments where there are non-tonal sounds, such as later stage easier with a first pass using the
let’s explore the possibilities. breaths, consonant-only sounds or rests. (Despite the Volume Smart Control (located bottom-right
If you want to hear each of visual gaps, the underlying audio is still there and being of the Segment). Simply looping playback
the key steps in action, you played back!) through short sections of your vocal while
can find some short audio Before starting work, a few settings are worth you make any adjustments on individual
examples on the SOS website: checking. First, ensure the Edit VariAudio button is Segments will soon let you even out any of
https://sosm.ag/cubase-0922. active, so you can actually start editing. Second, enable the more obvious inconsistencies in volume.
the All option in the Smart Controls drop-down menu,
One For All so you see the full set of controls. Third, note that the
Manipulation Of Time
We’ll start with a VariAudio VariAudio tab header includes a ‘bypass’ button, so you If your vocals also need some timing
refresher. When you first open can easily A/B compare your VariAudio edits with the tweaks, you could flip to the Sample Editor’s
VariAudio from the Sample unedited original. AudioWarp panel. But in VariAudio, without
Editor’s Inspector panel, The second screen provides a reminder of the the Alt/Opt key modifier, the Warp Start
Cubase will analyse your functions provided by each of the Smart Controls and Warp End Smart Controls also provide
audio clip — it might take a few available on a Segment and, while many of these are AudioWarp functionality and could be all
seconds for a longer clip — focussed on various ways to manipulate pitch, you also you need. As you make these edits, you see
and then superimpose pitch have options for adjusting both volume and timing — the underlying waveform being stretched/
Segments (rectangular ‘blobs’) the addition of these make VariAudio a much more compressed and how any transients align
over the waveform. Each efficient environment, since you can now perform most with the Sample Editor’s musical grid. It’s
Segment represents a portion core vocal editing tasks in one place. By the way, note powerful stuff and, once you’re familiar
of the audio that Cubase has that while Smart Controls can be used to edit individual with how typical changes might affect the
identified as containing pitch Segments, if you select multiple Segments for editing, underlying audio, it’s an extremely easy way
variations that lie (mostly) adjusting a Smart Control on any of the selected to tighten up vocal timing where required.
within a single note (semitone) Segments will apply edits to all of them. The AudioWarp algorithms are pretty
range. A continuous pitch curve robust, so the Warp Start and Warp End
indicates the pitch variation
Split Sliding Away Smart Controls can be used for rather
within each Segment, as well as A good first step is to inspect the Segments Cubase more than minor timing correction: you
any pitch transitions that occur has created and consider whether manual adjustments can also explore changing the underlying
as the vocal flows legato-style might be useful. There are a couple of things to look out rhythmic phrasing of a vocal line. This
between them. Segments are for. First, if the pitch curve within a Segment seems to might include shortening or extending
only created for those parts of contain an obvious step change (as distinct from pitch a sustained note, compressing a phrase to
the performance that contain vibrato), consider splitting the Segment into two for fit a specific number of beats, or separating
definable pitch components: greater control when editing. Simply hover the mouse and shortening individual words to create
adjacent Segments never cursor towards the bottom of the Segment where you a staccato-style delivery. Yes, you can
overlap, but there will be wish to make a split, and a horizontal line will appear obviously push things to the point where
gaps in the display between at the base of the Segment and the cursor changes the audible artefacts become obvious, but

126 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

 A summary of the Smart Control functions. in VariAudio’s Segment Colors drop-down during the transitions between Segments.
used with care it can be a great way to get menu: Segments are colour-coded (by Adjustments to the pitch curve slope within
creative with new phrasing ideas, and you default: grey in key, red out of key) so the transition can improve the flow, and
can always undo the changes if something that anything initially lying out of key is you can often achieve that by making
doesn’t quite work. The audio examples really easy to spot. And if you enable slight timing changes to the Segments
illustrate what might (and perhaps what Snap Pitch Editing in the Scale Assistant involved using the Warp Start and Warp End
should not!) be done. sub-panel, when you move the pitch Smart Controls.
of any Segment only ‘in key’ notes are
Scaling New Heights permitted. This combination makes pitch
Ready, Steady, Mix
The pitch-manipulation Smart Controls correcting your vocal parts quicker and, Cubase has various other options for
combine to make VariAudio a powerful tool should you have a less-than-strong grasp of making edits and polishing your vocal
for corrective and creative pitch editing, music theory, easier. recordings, but sometimes it’s helpful to
particularly if you learn to make best use of Scale Assistant isn’t useful only for do as much as you can in one place —
the Tilt/Rotate Anchor Point and the two Set pitch correction, though. It also makes and VariAudio is an impressively flexible
Range For Straighten Pitch Curve controls; it easy to experiment with creative pitch one-stop shop for both corrective and
these allow you to finesse exactly which editing. For example, if you wish to re-write creative editing. If this approach appeals to
portions of the overall pitch curve your the melody ‘after the fact’, you can explore you, be sure to use the VariAudio Bypass
edits will be applied to. But in Cubase 12, moving Segments to different pitches, button to check the edited version against
VariAudio has been treated to the Scale knowing that they’ll only snap to ‘in key’ your original starting point and, when you
Assistant system, which was previously only notes. This can be a lot of fun to try and, are finished, execute the Flatten Real Time
available in the MIDI Key Editor. while the results are obviously genre- and option from the VariAudio panel’s Function
The Scale Assistant won’t impact on your material-dependent, it’s often surprising drop-down menu (located at the base of the
more detailed pitch-curve edits, but when what you can get away. Two things panel), since this will avoid any possibility of
you’re editing the pitch of a whole Segment are worth noting. First, breaking a long your careful volume, timing and pitch edits
(manually, or via Snap or Quantize) you Segment into multiple shorter Segments getting accidentally lost. With that done,
can now force those pitch changes to use provides plenty more options for re-working hopefully, your vocals will be ready for the
only notes within a specific scale. You can a melody. Second, I find that pitch-shifting typical mix processing that will make them
configure this using the new Scale Assistant artefacts are often most easily noticed the star of the show.
sub-panel, where you
can specify a scale
or opt to follow the
Chord Track. A couple
of visual options
can be enabled but
perhaps the most
useful is to select the
Scale/Chords option

Providing you know

the key/scale of your
project, the new Scale
Assistant features within
VariAudio – and the
option to colour-code the
Segments by Scale/Chords
– makes both corrective
and creative pitch editing
straightforward whatever
your level of music theory.

www.soundonsound.com / September 2022 127

 F E ATU R E

Mixing Atmos:
Bob Clearmountain
Can a legendary engineer create immersive audio mixes
without giving up his beloved SSL console? Of course he can!
SAM INGLIS
or should they serve a secondary role One of the pioneering figures from the

W
replaying ambiences and effects? Ask 10 early days of stereo was Bill Putnam Sr,
hen stereo replaced mono, engineers working in Atmos, and you’ll founder of Universal Audio. Putnam saw
it took time before mixing get 10 different answers to all of these the potential of stereo well before most of
conventions crystallised. Half questions. Ask Bob Clearmountain, and his clients did so, and adopted a policy of
a century on, we find ourselves in a similar you’ll get a particularly interesting and mixing everything in the new format even
situation with respect to immersive audio. unique perspective. when labels hadn’t requested it — a piece
There’s a strong demand for immersive of foresight which paid off handsomely
mixes from streaming services, labels
Clear View in subsequent years. And for the last two
and artists, but there’s still relatively Bob Clearmountain is, of course, one decades, Bob Clearmountain has quietly
little agreement about how that demand of the most successful engineers in the been taking a similar approach with
should be met. Should music mixers history of recorded music. He practically respect to surround sound.
employ the centre speaker, and if so, to invented the role of the specialist mix “When 5.1 was a thing for about
what end? How should sources be divided engineer, more than 40 years ago, and a minute, 20 years ago or more, I didn’t
between objects and beds? Should an since then, his name has appeared on an want to know, because I thought ‘Jesus,
immersive mix be a separate process, extraordinary number of hit singles and people have trouble getting two speakers
working from stems, or should it be done albums. And, like many mix specialists, in phase, much less five or six!’ But my
concurrently with the stereo mix? And he’s embraced immersive audio. However, wife, Betty from Apogee Electronics, said,
should the surround and height speakers his methods and his philosophy are ‘You should be doing this, because this
carry fundamental musical information, entirely his own. is the future.’ And so I woke up in the

128 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

 PARTNER
Photo: Mix With The Masters

Particle 2™ is a granular delay that takes apart,

middle of the night one night and figured out how I could
rearranges, and reassembles your sound. What
do that. I’m mixing on an analogue desk, and I realised how
we could modify the desk and do it simultaneously while you play comes back altered, creating a dialog
I’m doing the stereo. It really only added about maybe 10 that leads you into uncharted territory. New
minutes, tops, to the time it took me to do a stereo mix,
because I was doing it pretty much simultaneously.” firmware 2.2 (free download) adds random
Unlike stereo, 5.1 surround came and went without stereo panning, grain repeat, and improved
achieving mass-market popularity, but Bob Clearmountain
nevertheless kept on mixing everything in both formats. “It preset management. Check our site for a
was so easy to do, and so much fun, and I really enjoyed growing collection of presets.
the way it sounded, so I just kept doing it. I’ve got a whole
server full of 5.1 mixes — pretty much they go along with
redpandalab.com
every stereo mix I’ve done.”
And for someone who was already working in 5.1 every
day, the initial step to Atmos was relatively small. “I had
mixed the first three albums from a group called the Band
who were really popular back in the ’60s for each of these
albums’ 50th anniversary in 5.1. BMG and Robbie Robertson
from the Band asked me to do that, and so those actually
did come out in 5.1 recently. But for the fourth one, which is
called Cahoots, they called up and they said, ‘OK, for this
one, could you do an Atmos mix?’ And that first Band album
came out really well, I think. I was still learning what to do

www.soundonsound.com / September 2022 129

 F E ATU R E
MIXING ATMOS : BOB CLE A R MOU N TA IN

A few ingenious adaptations have

allowed Bob Clearmountain to mix 5.1 and luckily I did that. So I added a couple software mixer in their DAW and plug-in
now Atmos simultaneously with stereo on his more speakers to my 5.1 system so I had effects. If any hardware is employed,
SSL G-series console. a 7.1 system. I found these little Sony it’s usually a control surface such as an
speakers on the internet and stuck them Avid S-series or Yamaha Nuage. Bob
with it, but it wasn’t that much different on the ceiling. It’s a low ceiling so I didn’t Clearmountain’s approach stands in
than 5.1 because I’d mixed hundreds of want any really large speakers hanging complete contrast: he still mixes on an SSL
songs in 5.1 and so it’s just more places to off the ceiling. I didn’t want tall people to G-series analogue console, and although
put stuff!” hit their head!” he uses plug-ins, he treats these just like
hardware effects, patching the computer
Mind Your Head Bus Routes into the console and sending from its
Bob Clearmountain has a relaxed attitude Most engineers who work in Atmos do auxes. The key to making this work is an
towards the adaptation of his studio for so entirely ‘in the box’, using only the ingenious but simple modification which
surround mixing. “In the early days I was
involved in a paper about the proper way
to set up a 5.1 system for mixing along Bus Compression & Beyond
with a bunch of other engineers like One of the features that endeared the SSL stereo bus compressor adds. I enjoy fast-release
George Massenburg, and I remember console to mix engineers back in the late ’70s compressors — that’s why I’m not a big fan of
there was a big discussion about, ‘Where was its stereo bus compressor. And one of the the Fairchild, which is the thing that everybody
do you put the rear speakers?’ and ‘What’s things that many engineers find hard to adjust bows down to. To me, the thing’s kind of useless
the angle in relation to the centre?’ And to in Atmos mixing is that there is no stereo bus because it’s just too slow. I change the ratio
as such. Bob Clearmountain still leans heavily occasionally; if it’s a ballad I’ll do less and then
I said, ‘Man, I put them where nobody will
on the SSL compressor in his stereo mixes — but if it’s a rock song I’ll go between 2:1 and 4:1 and
bump into them.’ I’m just using basically he’s also found a way to use it in 5.1 and Atmos. then adjust the threshold control, but the attack
large bookshelf Dynaudio BM15As and “The SSL happens to have eight extra patchable and release stay pretty much the same.
then they’re on speaker stands in the VCAs that are the same VCAs that are in the “Of course, then Atmos came along and I said,
only place that I can fit them and it works compressor, so I thought, well, I’m sure there’s ‘Oh shit, now what am I going to do?’ And my
a way I could hook this up so I could use them clever assistant, Brandon Duncan, went on a used
perfectly, you know? It’s been fine. A lot of
for my surround mix. So I went to my friend Lucas gear site and he actually found another Eurorack,
it’s just practicality, you know?” which is the rack in the SSL that holds these
van der Mee over at Apogee and he said, ‘Yeah,
He adopted the same pragmatic sure, we could just stick a little op-amp in there stereo VCA cards. He found a complete rack with
approach to Atmos monitoring, with its and we can slave the patch VCAs off of the bus the cards. So I bought that and between Brandon
and Lucas, they figured out a way to wire it all
additional height speakers. “Because the compressor.’ So, as long as I have a stereo mix
up so I have now basically a 16-channel bus
studio’s in the basement of my house, going into the main stereo bus compressor, then
compressor. And not only that, but Lucas added
we had just redone the floors in the the surround compressor’s just following along. three extra controls. If I’m mixing something
And it worked quite well. that’s live with an audience, sometimes if I’m
living room, which is right above where
“We just took the DC voltage out of the hitting that thing too hard, it sounds like the
I’m sitting. While we did that, I put these main bus compressor and then boosted it with audience is kind of fluttering in and out because
pipes in, thinking, ‘If I ever have to put an op-amp and it’s just running all the rest of the rear channels are mostly audience — and so
speakers in the ceiling, now I have a way the stuff, and it sounds really good. I still have now I can reduce how much compression’s going
of getting wires to them instead of them that same exciting compression sound that the to the sides, the rears or the overheads.”
hanging off the walls,’ you know? And

130 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

allows him to repurpose the multichannel differentiate between the front and rear flying all over the place, you know, and
groups as additional outputs feeding the height speakers. “In the Atmos bed, the things going mono and then surround and
various surround speakers. Each channel overheads are just stereo. There’s no back and forth and spinning and it sounded
can be assigned to any speaker pair, with quad. There aren’t four channels, so my amazing. I mean, I was really impressed.
the ‘small fader’ serving as a pan control height speakers are actually four basically It was totally the opposite of anything that
between them. stationary objects.” I would ever do, but I loved it. I just thought
“Most inline consoles nowadays have Clearmountain’s willingness to rely this is really cool and it’s nice that there’s
a main fader and a small fader. They call on beds isn’t so much a matter of mixing so many different ways of approaching this,
it a monitor fader, but you can do all kinds philosophy as one of genre. Classic, you know?”
of things with it. It can be a post-fader guitar-based rock and pop music makes up
send to the multichannel groups, so I’ve the bulk of his workload, and he rarely sees
Centre Positive
put them all at unity, and they’re all post a need to have lots of different sources One of the other aspects of Atmos
large fader to the groups, and I’ve chosen flying around the listener’s head. He’s quite mixing on which consensus has yet to
a group of those multichannel groups as willing to acknowledge that other styles be reached concerns the use of the
sends to the Atmos channels. And I set demand a different approach. “A friend of centre speaker. If you want a source
it up in a way that I can have a static pan mine came over, he had done a mix in the such as a lead vocal to appear right in
between any pair of speakers. I can pan box. It was a female singer, but the rest of front of the listener, routing it only to the
something between the centre and the it was basically EDM, and they had stuff centre speaker will achieve that, but the
left front, or the left front and the left
side, or the left side and the left rear or
something like that. It’s like any pair of
speakers I can pan because the way
that works, and not just the SSL, but
Neves and most of them, is you can pan
between odd and even busses and so if
you arrange them in the right way, you
have a lot of versatility.
“Then I’ll have two extra busses. This
console has what they call a Bluestone
mod, so instead of 32 busses, it’s really
only got 24, because the last eight are
now auxes. The first three are also effects
sends, and they do different things.
They’re subgroups for effect sends and
various other things that I do, so I only
had two extra after all that, and those
are my sort of ‘floating objects’. Actually
I could have four, but mainly I have two
or three and I think there’s only one time

ON STAGE?
I’ve used both of those so far, after mixing
like 10 albums in Atmos, so it just does
doesn’t come up very much for me.”

IN THE STUDIO?
The point of this setup is that it makes
use only of console features that aren’t
employed at all in Clearmountain’s stereo
mixes. So, at its most basic, generating
a 5.1 or Atmos mix from a stereo mix
is a matter of simply pressing buttons
to assign desk channels to different One mic is all you need
multichannel groups. This doesn’t affect
what is heard at the main mix bus, so
crucially doesn’t impact or constrain his 2028 Vocal Microphone
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rather than object-based. Some would · Designed to survive rough handling
see this as a limitation, but it’s not · For wired or wireless use
a problem for Bob; in fact, you get the
sense that he’d often be happy not to dpamicrophones.com/2028

use objects at all, if it wasn’t for the

fact that the Atmos bed channels don’t

www.soundonsound.com / September 2022 131

 F E ATU R E
MIXING ATMOS : BOB CLE A R MOU N TA IN

Bob Clearmountain has his own

series of signature plug-ins from
Apogee. Clearmountain’s Domain
recreates many of his favourite effects
chains that were originally achieved
using multiple hardware units.

‘phantom centre’ effect works

in Atmos too, and many people
advocate using only the left
and right speakers. This is
a point on which Clearmountain
has strong opinions.
“That’s just silly. I think. One
of my favourite things is the
centre speaker, because the
nice thing is when you anchor
stuff to speakers, especially the
centre, you can walk around
the room and it doesn’t move. If
it’s just phantom, you walk over
to the right and the phantom
centre follows you to the right,
just like it does in stereo —
which is one of the drawbacks
of stereo. I like actually walking
around the room, I’ll stand
over here on the side between the right You’re not necessarily that aware of it. to the rears a little bit. At first I thought,
side and right rear and the picture still It’s just that if you turn it off, you realise: ‘Man, is that going to work? Is it just going
stays the same. I mean, the balances ‘Oh, what happened to that? The room to sound like a delay?’ And it actually
are different, so I’ll be hearing more of just got smaller!’ I mean, I will fly things doesn’t, it works pretty well.
whatever’s coming out of those speakers, around once in a while. If it’s some crazy, “Once in a while, sometimes on a rock
but everything’s still in the same place, psychedelic guitar solo that might take song where you want an old-fashioned
right? The vocal’s still coming from the a little trip around the room, things like ’50s or ’60s-type slap, I’ll just stick that
centre, and I love that. that. I did this Joe Bonamassa record in the centre, or maybe I’ll use a spring
“I do a little divergence, where I put where he does this backwards kind of reverb to get a real kind of lonely sort of
a bit of it down about 15 or 20 dB in the ’60s psychedelic guitar solo, and that a sound on a vocal where I’ll just tie that in
left and right so it’s not totally in the centre, spins around, but there’s delays coming with the vocal right in the centre.”
but basically you hardly even notice that, off it and so you know it’s moving, you still
it just makes it a bit fuller sounding that get this ambient thing happening and it
A Way To Go
way — but I’m a big fan of the centre. actually makes it more interesting, I think, Although Atmos is being pushed hard by
One problem is that some labels don’t than just having a single sound swimming Apple Music and other streaming services,
like you to do that because then people around the room. It makes it sound more it’s only a tiny minority of listeners who are
can strip out the vocal by itself and then realistic, like it’s actually in the room. consuming it on a 7.1.4 loudspeaker set
do their own little tricks with it, but I don’t “I mix a lot of live concert videos and up. The vast majority of Atmos listening
concern myself with things like that, that’s live albums. Maybe half the stuff I normally takes place on headphones, more so even
somebody else’s problem!” do is live performances. And that’s usually than in stereo. Bob Clearmountain seems
just the band on the stage, which are resigned to the fact that this will never
Spatial Effects in the front three speakers, mostly, and offer quite the same listening experience
Keeping vocals and other lead the rest of it’s audience and ambience. as a good speaker-based rig. “Because
instruments mainly in the centre speaker And I’ll add to that ambience: I’ll put little of the way the Apogee Symphony MkII
allows Clearmountain to place vocal delays up in the top rear speakers or in works, it’s really easy to A/B between
effects in the left and right speakers — the back, and different reverbs and things my stereo mix and the Atmos mix or the
and frequently the surrounds as well. “To like that. Plus the fact that you have the binaural or whatever, and so I’ll just try
me, reverb is not coming from where the audience mics. Hopefully you have more to make sure that it sounds as good as
voices are. I really enjoy spreading the than two audience mics. Some of the possible compared to the stereo mix. It
effects around. Most of my effects are older stuff… I just did the Stones album generally does a funny thing with binaural,
stereo or quad or more than that. With from the El Mocambo in Toronto. That because it’s trying to make things sound
Atmos, I usually have a quad ambience was recorded in ’77, of course it was just like they’re coming from behind you or
or a reverb in the ceiling, and that kind of stereo audience track back then, so those above you or whatever, and so it tends to
makes the whole picture a little bit bigger. I put in the sides and then delayed them mess with the frequency response a bit. It

132 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

 Sonos system; that’s a sound bar which
is basically three speakers, and then
it has a speaker that points up at the
ceiling for the height, and a sub and then
these two little point-one speakers. The
system sounds really good. It’s basically
a 5.1 system, though, and I tried to play
something off Apple Music the other day
in surround, and you have to plug in an
Apple TV and you have to have a TV with
an ARC output — and I couldn’t get it to
work. It would only play stereo!
“If I can’t do it — and I’m a recording
engineer, right? — how does somebody
at home figure out how to do this? I wish
people could hear it the way we’re mixing
One of the advantages of mixing Atmos
on a console is that it’s still possible for Bob a freak about my effects and ambience, it, and very few people will ever hear
Clearmountain to use hardware outboard. Plug-in and I don’t really like the recording it that way unless something changes,
effects are treated in exactly the same way, and medium making decisions like that!” unless somebody gets it together and
are patched in using the SSL console. Unfortunately, Bob’s own experiences makes it work easier. You shouldn’t have
suggest that it will be a long time before to be a graduate of MIT to be able to play
has all these binaural settings that you can most home listeners get to experience something back!”
set to off, near, mid and far for each of the speaker-based Atmos in all its glory.
channels, and the farther you set things “I wish home audio manufacturers would An extended version of this interview
away, they sound kind of dull. It actually come up with a way for people to set is available as a podcast in the SOS
adds a little bit of ambience, which is really Atmos up in their living rooms that’s Recording & Mixing channel:
disconcerting to me, because I’m kind of easy and that’s wireless. I have the www.soundonsound.com/sos-podcasts

www.soundonsound.com / September 2022 133

 F E ATU R E

Chris Shaw:
Bob Dylan ‘Things
Have Changed’
J O E M AT E R A
together in about half an hour. I printed it to
Hear The Sound

F
a DAT machine and got my assistant to bring
our-time Grammy Award-winning in Bob so he could listen to it. Bob says:
producer, engineer and mixer Chris ‘It sounds pretty good, but it just sounds too W https://open.spotify.com/
track/3UEWtvTL3mE797dNOv8Rzw
Shaw has worked with some of the clean. I can hear everything! I can hear every
biggest and most influential names in the note and it’s pulling my attention away from
music industry. Artists such as Public Enemy, the vocal. Can you do something just to
Run-DMC, Weezer, Lou Reed and the Rolling murk it all up, maybe put my voice through
Stones have all utilised Shaw’s engineering an amplifier or something like that?’
and mixing skills. Here, he details how he “I looked around the studio and the
got his favourite sound on Bob Dylan’s roadies had already packed all the gear up
‘Things Have Changed’. so there was no amplifier in sight. But I had
this fuzz box, an Electro-Harmonix Graphic
Fuzz On The Tracks Fuzz, which I had bought when I was 16.
“This was the very first thing I ever did with So I had it patched up and the pedal has
Bob, in 1999. It took us longer to set up this six-band equaliser, so I dialled in a little
than to record the song. He did two takes bit of the snare drum, a tiny bit of the bass
in one style and came back into the control and just little bit of Bob’s vocal and blended manager called me and I explained we only
room, wasn’t happy with it, changed the it all in and added this across everything. had done a quick mix and he said: ‘When
arrangement and did another couple of I didn’t need to do any impedance matching Bob says, ‘Let’s do a quick mix and get out
takes on it. Then he had his guitar player with it, too, with the console. I literally of here,’ what he is really saying is, ‘Let’s do
Charlie Sexton go in to do a guitar overdub came out of the console, straight into the a mix. Quick. And get out of here!’
and his drummer followed to do a shaker jack of the guitar pedal and out again and “It was used for a movie called Wonder
overdub. Finally, Bob went in and punched back into the console. I hit the Graphic Boys and six months later Bob was
a couple lines in the vocal and that was Fuzz with a +4 signal. It came back kind nominated for an Oscar for it and two
it, and by now it was like seven o’clock at of quiet so I cranked the line signal, and it months after that, he wins the Oscar! I just
night. Bob came back in and asked me to sounded incredible! couldn’t believe that the rough mix was the
do a quick mix so he could get out of the “I ran a mix again and brought Bob one. I get so many calls now because of
studio. In the back of my mind, I’m thinking back in. He said, ‘Yeah, it sounds great, but that particular sound, from musicians telling
we’re only doing a rough mix as Bob will where’s the shaker track?’ And he grabbed me how awesome that snare on the track
send it to Daniel Lanois, who had done his the fader as it was playing and continuously sounds and wanting to know what it is. I tell
last album Time Out Of Mind. moved it up for the shaker until it was the them it’s basically just the snare bleeding
“So, I did a rough mix while he was in the loudest thing you could hear! I ran that mix, into Bob’s microphone — an SM7 — with
control room. It was a hand mix, throwing it gave it to Bob and he left. A week later his a little bit of distortion. That’s it.”

134 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

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 C L A SS IC T R A CK S

Soul II Soul ‘Back To Life’

Soul II Soul’s ‘Back To
Life’ was a hit record with
a sound all of its own.

TOM DOYLE
London’s Covent Garden. “The Africa Centre. The members, DJs and dancers

A
Centre is so important in our journey,” were unbelievable.”
UK Number One hit in 1989, Jazzie tells SOS today. “It really was the It wasn’t long before Yashiki received
Soul II Soul’s ‘Back To Life platform that enabled the rest of the a call from his and Jazzie B’s mutual
(However Do You Want Me)’ was musical community to be involved. Our friend Nellee Hooper, inviting him to
the sound of London’s funk and rare whole idea was to be inclusive, and the work on a Soul II Soul studio session.
groove ’80s club scene emerging from Africa Centre allowed us to do that.” At the time, Hooper was a DJ with the
the underground and scaling its way to Meanwhile, the sound of Soul II Soul Bristol sound system The Wild Bunch
the top of the charts, while at the same the band grew from the original tracks (that spawned Massive Attack) and an
time creating an entirely new sound. that Jazzie B created to exclusively play up-and-coming producer (who would go
Built around shuffling beats, a sub bass at the club nights. Gota Yashiki, the on to work with Björk and U2).
line, string stabs and its super-catchy Japanese-born programmer who worked “Nellee said, ‘Oh Gota, you remember
Caron Wheeler-sung chant hookline, it on ‘Back To Life’ and much of Soul II Soul II Soul?’” Yashiki recalls. “‘We’re
was — and remains — a groundbreaking, Soul’s 1989 debut album, Club Classics making a record now. Come to the studio
uniquely stylistic record. Vol One, vividly remembers the first time and help us.’ Before I was involved, Soul
The foundations of Soul II Soul, a loose he witnessed the funky goings-on at the II Soul had a rare groove, kind of funky
collective of musicians, DJs, producers Africa Centre in 1988, the year he moved groove. One big thing is they didn’t know
and singers, were first laid in 1985 by to London. how to synchronise organic sound and
the group’s leader, Jazzie B, when he “In those days, hip-hop and rare digital sound together.”
was running his legendary club night of groove was happening,” he says. “It was Yashiki was to aid Hooper and Jazzie
the same name at the Africa Centre in great to see Soul II Soul at the Africa B in their desire to create the signature

136 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

 14, in 1977, he was himself gigging with
friends and their own sound system,
Jah Rico. “As a teenager, you’re sort of
looking for your tribe, as it were, or your
thing,” he says. “Punk had a massive
influence.”
To keep his sound system serviced
and running, Jazzie began frequenting
electronics shops and learning
about the DJ technology of the time.
“Purchasing preamps and amplifiers,”
he remembers, “learning about the
MOSFETs [transistors] and how to
keep these things playing for longer.
That was the entry into me becoming
a sound engineer. My career took off
Artist: Soul II Soul
from there.” Track: ‘Back To Life’
In the early ’80s, Jazzie managed to Producers: Jazzie B
land himself a job as a tape op at Nova & Nellee Hooper
Studios near Marble Arch in London’s Programming: Gota Yashiki
West End, working on sessions with
Label: Virgin
the then fast-rising film composer Hans
Zimmer and funk/soul producer Biddu
Appaiah (Tina Charles, Carl Douglas). it went to cassettes. With the quality
“I learned my craft making cups of of chrome cassettes, I was able to cut
tea, taking all the notes for the outboard at such a high level, I didn’t get any
equipment, lining up tape machines,” distortion. So, all those increments
Jazzie remembers. “I learned about helped the sonics of what became Club
frequency. So, the difference between Classics Vol One.”
making a record in the studio and how The next natural move was for
does that sound transpose to the sound Jazzie B to make his own Soul II Soul
system. In those days, the development acetates — called ‘specials’ — to play at
of all of that world was pretty incredible. his sound system gigs. With the vocal
Photo: Catherine McGann/Getty Images

“It’s one of those things where when contributions of singer Rose Windross,
you’re thrown into the deep end,” he he came up with what would be the first
adds, “somehow, we survive. Plus, I had Soul II Soul single, ‘Fairplay’, by jamming
a genuine interest in that whole world.” behind the decks.
From this point, back at home, Jazzie “Every sound system is like a stage
began to experiment with sound system show,” he points out. “So, Rose,
post-production, adding tape-echo who was one of the dancers and
Soul II Soul beats that mixed electronic effects to records and making bespoke followers at the time, she also sung.
and acoustic drum sounds and that were compilations of reproduced tracks on The significance of ‘Fairplay’ in that
in stark contrast to the other dance music tape. “The idea with the reproductions surrounding was that the beat and the
styles around at the time. was that every sound system made groove was used as the base. We used
“Acid house was going on and its own music,” he says. “And in light to play Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have
everything was four-to-the-floor and we of the technology that was released, A Dream’ speech over that.
got bored of it,” Yashiki says. “We loved or made accessible, I was able to “Rose would often take the mic, and
the more hip-hop-like groove [presented] string things together at home, which there’d be a section, y’know, maybe
in the most soulful way. Sonically, then encouraged me to learn more a 10-minute bit where she would just
something like an 808 has massive bass, about music.” voice, as it were, express herself. Then
and breakbeats or even live drumming Jazzie invested in a Yamaha one evening, I took her into the studio,
doesn’t have that sound that only four-track to further his musical and we recorded it. And that is where the
a machine can make. Mixed together, it experiments, and by the time Soul II special came about of ‘Fairplay’, because
made the strongest grooves that you’d Soul began running their weekly Sunday Rose used to sing that on the groove.
ever heard before.” club night at the Africa Centre, the “So, I’ve gone from making tapes in
playlists were eclectic, featuring anyone my house to going into the studio and
Studio To Sound System from James Brown to Tears For Fears, recording these things. Y’know, laying
Jazzie B, real name Trevor Beresford Roy Ayers to Fun Boy Three. out tracks using multitrack tapes, now
Romeo, had grown up in Hornsey, North “We were playing to a live audience taking my limited knowledge as a tape
London, with brothers who ran sound with my quarter-inch tapes,” says Jazzie. op into the real world. I released that
systems and club nights. By the age of “And then from the quarter-inch tapes, dubplate because I was in a bidding

www.soundonsound.com / September 2022 137

 C L A SS IC T R A CK S
RECORDING ‘BACK TO LIFE’

suggest adding a beat to the end section

Jazzie B cut his of the track.
recording teeth as a tape op
“Nellee played me the rough mix,” he
at London’ Nova Studios.
remembers. “It was almost done then,
and it blew me away. It was such a great
song and groove and everything. It was
a 909 from the beginning to almost
the end, and near the end there was
a breakbeat loop. I said, ‘Why don’t you
mix the 909 and this loop together?’
He said, ‘Oh, we tried it, but it sounds
a bit messy.’ I thought, ‘Oh, I know how
to make it tight.’ I play drums as well
as program them, and I had my own
sampler and sequencer, so I showed
a couple of tricks to him.”
Anticipating the techniques that
would become widespread with
the appearance of Propellerhead
Software’s ReCycle in 1994, Yashiki
chopped the breakbeat sample into
each individual beat and reassembled
it by MIDI-triggering it with his keyboard
and sequencer. “But when you looped
war with the record companies to get Yard, before Soul II Soul found their it, you heard these chopped, kind of
a production deal, and to get a label deal.” spiritual recording home at Pink Floyd’s gated sounds,” he says. “I didn’t like that
Britannia Row Studios in Islington, which because it wasn’t fluid or, like, groovy.
Breaks & Britannia Row at the time featured the SSL G Series So what I did was I put it in a sequencer
While the popularity of the Soul II Soul desk first manufactured in 1987. and then obviously for the beginning,
club nights didn’t ensure that ‘Fairplay’ “Leasing Brit Row for the first record, beat one, it’s adjusted to zero, right?
was a hit upon its release in 1988 (it it just worked there,” says Jazzie. “It was But the second beat would be slightly
reached only number 63 in the British this amazing building, steeped in history. ahead or behind. When you loop it, it
chart), the group’s brilliant and beautifully But singular. So, it wasn’t like working in sounds OK, but some bits were flamming
melodic third single, ‘Keep On Movin’’, one of those places where they got 50 or whatever. So, what I did was I put
released on Virgin Records’ subsidiary different rooms and loads of different the pitch-bend wheel to maximum, 24
label 10 Records, provided their people. You literally went in and took semitones or something, and just before
breakthrough, when it made number 5. It over the area. the snare hit, I put a pitch bend in. If it’s
was written solely by Jazzie B. “We made an exclusive studio late, make it a little bit faster, and so on.
“I’d learned about writing melodies inclusive,” he adds with a laugh, “by my So, after the third beat, fourth beat, in
from my music teacher,” he says. “I always whole circus and tribe being in and out between, to make it into time, I was just
knew strong melodies were never this place for months. All the things were using all those pitch bends. That’s how
forgotten. But because I come from just right about the place.” I was controlling it, with the pitch bend,
a reggae background and the reggae “As a facility it was very, very nice,” to adjust it into time.”
school, it was more about us having our Gota Yashiki remembers. “The SSL desk
sound, like Studio One.” and three or four plate reverbs. It was
Experimental Sampling
In a way, as Jazzie points out, ‘Keep kind of hard-sounding, but there were Gota Yashiki’s programming setup
On Movin’’ was a bittersweet song, since nice live rooms there. It was comfortable. in 1989 involved a Yamaha TX16W
its words reflected the beginning of the “I think maybe Nellee or Jazzie 12-bit sampler and QX3 16-track MIDI
end of the collective’s time at the Africa got a good deal there [laughs]. I got sequencer and was at odds at the time
Centre, which followed in 1989. “‘Keep On a telephone call at a weekend saying, with the proliferation of Atari 1040 ST
Movin’’, the song lyrically was spawned ‘Oh, we’re going into Brittania Row into computers using Steinberg Pro24 or
out of us being closed down at the Africa the night.’ So, we went there for Saturday C-Lab Creator MIDI software. “I was an
Centre,” he explains. “Hence, lyrics like afternoon or something, when Pink Floyd alien then,” Yashiki chuckles. “So, I didn’t
‘Yellow is the colour of sun rays / Keep or some big band who were recording know about the Atari. Obviously in Japan,
on movin’’ etc., which were embellished had finished. We jumped in there and it was Yamaha and Roland and Korg.
upon, moving out of what I would have we were still working on the Monday I was kind of a Yamaha kid back then.”
called a club groove at the time.” morning. Then it was, ‘Leave, quick!’” Yashiki remembers that with one of
Sessions for that track, and the One of Yashiki’s first sessions with the standout tracks on Club Classic Vol
work-in-progress Club Classics Vol One Soul II Soul involved coming in when One, the loop-heavy ‘Jazzie’s Groove’, he
album, were conducted at various London the team were finishing ‘Keep On had to use his pitch-wheel programming
studios, including Addis Ababa and Lillie Movin’’. Straight away, he was inspired to techniques to full effect. “Jazzie brought

138 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

 C L A SS IC T R A CK S
RECORDING ‘BACK TO LIFE’

Jazzie B.

in a set of breakbeats and said, ‘I want to Jazzie B credits the strength of his “It was like a free‑for‑all,” says Jazzie.
put these things together.’ So, I did that and Nellee Hooper’s co‑production “Everybody was trying everything, y’know.
and somehow made the loops and used relationship to the fact that at the time Chucking it against the wall and seeing
the pitch bend to make it into one groove. they very much shared the same creative what stuck, in that communal sense.”
“I had eight outputs to give to the desk outlook. “We were into the same things
in a balance that I thought was good. at the same time, like music, fashion.
Acapella
I put my headphones away and said, ‘OK, I guess both of us were in pivotal areas When it came to laying down the bass line
listen to this...’ Boom. Then they’d be within the scene. over the distinctively heavy beats of ‘Back
playing with mutes and whatever to make “He had the ideology of what was To Life’, Gota Yashiki turned to his Yamaha
it into the track. I thought it was a new going on with The Wild Bunch and TX802 FM Tone Generator module. “It
way of making music then. No one was coming from a punk background that was like a DX7 but in rackmount,” he
doing that before.” had embraced hip‑hop, and then, says. “Eight voice, so you could change
The beginnings of ‘Back To Life’ y’know, he came to London, the the sounds individually. For the bass
meanwhile involved Jazzie B and Nellee shopping window of the rest of the sound, we used a Minimoog as well as the
Hooper visiting Gota Yashiki at his house world. And our energies collided. As we Yamaha 802 for that kind of FM sound.
to build up the track’s distinctive beat, grew up in the industry, it just worked for It was a couple of preset sounds mixed
working over a drum groove which had both of us.” together — some DX7 kind of bass with
been lifted — according to the website Yashiki explains that the creative marimba down an octave mixed in with
WhoSampled — by American funk band process often involved Nellee Hooper the bass.
Graham Central Station’s 1975 track translating Jazzie B’s ideas to him as “With bass, in those days, it was
‘The Jam’. a programmer. Even if he admits that always how low can you go, y’know. How
“Because of the little setup, I could his English at the time was not great, much bottom end can you create and
work in my house,” says Yashiki, “and it there were never any communication then if you play it in a club, how pumping
was kind of pre‑production to see what problems in the control room. would it be with the bass. So we added
we could do. We made a kind of backing “In the studio, it’s always the an 808 bass drum. I played the bass
track. Just one groove, basically. Then we international language,” he stresses. and most of the time we’d put it in the
brought it into Britannia Row. “Like a delay is a delay, a reverb is sequencer to quantise it, but because
“We brought in a drum kit, used some a reverb, James Brown is James ‘Back To Life’ is kind of an organic groove,
DJ‑played breakbeats and an 808 and Brown. So what Jazzie wanted I could I didn’t quantise it. We’d hear those kind
909. I sampled it and mixed it, and then understand. Nellee was a really good of magical moments and our eyes would
sampled it again. That’s why it sounds translator, he could really explain well. glow, and it was, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah’.”
messy really [laughs]. Can you create that The three of us, we had a good chemical From here, ‘Back To Life’ was further
thing again? I don’t think you can. You reaction, talking with music instead of constructed using the piano contributions
never can do that.” much language.” of Simon Law, one of the song’s

140 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

 ‘Back To Life’ programmer the opportunity to set up their own
Gota Yashiki today. programming and pre-production
suite in Camden in 1989, involving
member Mykaell a technological upgrade that included
Riley), with their two Akai S1000 samplers, a Fostex E16
percussive string stabs half-inch tape multitrack, a Soundtracs
working alongside the PC MIDI desk and various rackmount
beats. “The Reggae synth modules, including the Oberheim
Philharmonic played Matrix 1000 and Roland A110.
it, but Nellee wasn’t “We got to the point of having access
happy because it to a lot of equipment,” Jazzie recalls.
wasn’t exactly tight,” “And when the MPC became involved, it
says Yashiki. “So, was another level.”
I sampled the strings These days, Soul II Soul remain very
and made it tighter.” much a going concern in the live arena.
When it came “That’s transported me to another area
to mixing, Yashiki in the game,” Jazzie says. “Because
remembers that the I used to be going into the control
control room sessions room and staying there all day with
would often turn into no daylight. Now, I go into a rehearsal
club nights of their room, and tinker, literally, with everything
own, adding to the sonically to help this sound. What I’m
dancefloor-friendly improving on now, again, is testament
vibes of Soul II Soul’s to being around these guys who are
records. “It was like absolutely incredible musicians and
a party. People dancing allowing them the platform where they
in the back of the can really express themselves.
co-writers, alongside Jazzie B, Nellee studio. Massive Attack and so many “So, I’ve now moved from using
Hooper, and vocalist Caron Wheeler. different people were coming in and out. quantised instruments to actual
“Caron Wheeler came in and said, ‘Give I remember I slept well under the desk.” musicians playing and recreating and
me a beat. I can sing anything you give embellishing. Because so many times,
me,’ or something like that,” Yashiki
Ain’t No Rules bands go on the road with a ton of
recalls. “Then she and Nellee and Jazzie Upon its release in May 1989, ‘Back To different sequences to recreate what the
and all of them kind of built up ‘Back To Life’ — aided by its memorable video audience wants to hear. And I’m proud to
Life’, the melodies and the chorus and the in which Jazzie B, Caron Wheeler and say, no two gigs of mine sound the same.
amazing vocals.” the Soul II Soul collective performed “Now I go to do a show, and just
Yet, upon the release of Soul Classics on a night-time stage setup in Epping watching the whites of people’s eyes
Vol One in April 1989, it was an acapella Forest — was suddenly everywhere and and their reaction to things that they
version of ‘Back To Life’ featuring Caron raced up the British chart to its number thought they knew, and how far we can
Wheeler’s vocals alone that appeared 1 position. Equally, in America, the track take it, it’s exciting. I love music, man. It’s
on the album. “Nellee had said, ‘Gota, made Soul II Soul stars when it reached so in my soul.”
I think I have to take out all the backing number 4 in the Billboard chart and went In the end, more than 30 years on,
track because the chorus vocals are so on to win a Grammy. the title of Club Classics Vol One has
amazingly great.’ And I heard that sound “We turned the turntable into the lead proven itself to be no hollow boast. As to
and I said, ‘Oh yeah, I agree.’ So my work guitar,” says Jazzie B. “We turned the why the album, and ‘Back To Life’, have
was gone [laughs].” MC into the lead singer. We turned the become renowned as classic records,
Following the release of the album, average DJ into the superstar DJs we Jazzie B, of course, has his own theory.
however, Soul II Soul realised that they know today, because we were all using “We were in our own little bubble, in
needed a single to follow up ‘Keep On the technology to aid us. our world, creating our own sound,” he
Movin’’ and that ‘Back To Life’ was the “Ain’t no rules, never been no rules,” states with a grin. “All I can tell you is that
obvious contender. “Nellee and Jazzie he insists. “We will never have any rules. when you listen to Soul II Soul from 1989,
talked to the record company, and they It was unapologetic music and an attitude it sounds as fresh now as it did then.
said to me, ‘We’re releasing ‘Back To of the time which had never happened “How did we manage to do that?
Life’ as the next single, but not acapella. or existed before... not going shy over It was a collection of all this creativity
This time we’ll be able to put the beats the fact that our timing was incredible. that came together at the right time,
in.’ So, we put back what we had and I’m very much, I believe, a product of the with a happy face, a thumping bass, for
then we invited other musicians in, like industry post the hedonistic days of the a loving race...”
a percussionist who played the hi-hats.” ’70s and what we were able to develop
The finishing touches to the track were as a musical community in the ’80s.” Soul II Soul are touring the UK
supplied by the Reggae Philharmonic The success of Club Classics Vol throughout 2022. Dates can be found at
Orchestra (led by original Steel Pulse One afforded Jazzie B and Soul II Soul soul2soul.co.uk

www.soundonsound.com / September 2022 141

 IN SIDE TR AC K

PAUL TINGEN

W
hen LF System’s track
‘Afraid To Feel’ went to
number one in the UK at the
beginning of July, it was declared the
first big ‘summer smash’ of the year.
At the time of writing, it had sustained
its position at the top of the charts for

Scott Rosser a second weekend. The upbeat track

is an unexpected number one, partly
The ear-catching tempo changes of LF System’s hit because Scottish DJ duo LF System
were virtually unknown before ‘Afraid To
‘Afraid To Feel’ provided a unique challenge for mix Feel’ went viral, but also because of the
engineer Scott Rosser. track’s unusual production.

142 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

 Scott Rosser at his ATIK Studio.
me to mix ‘Afraid To Feel’, and also to
were inspired by their DJ background create a new radio edit, as the original
in programming these dramatic tempo version was too long. The song was
changes, and the tension-release effect released last May, and I think it blew
also has echoes of the risers and drops up partly because of TikTok, but also
in EDM. It is a large part of the appeal of because of the energy LF System bring
the song, and the effect is so arresting to their DJ sets, perfectly exemplified by
and unusual that it turns it almost into their Boiler Room appearance.
a novelty hit. “The nature of the song definitely
On top of that, Larkman and Finnigan posed several challenges. The sample
pitched the sample up from Dm by 132 had been recreated by Replay Heaven,
cents, to somewhere between Ebm and so I received stems of that, plus LF
Em, which may be jarring for those with System’s programmed parts. I then had
perfect pitch. The re-pitching makes to work out what the tempo changes
the lead vocal sound very piercing and were, and make sure that Logic was
slightly robotic, and adds to the excited working correctly with them, as it
feel of the track. And finally, it turns out obviously impacts delay times and so on.
that LF System didn’t actually use the Especially figuring out the slowing down
above-mentioned sample in the final section took a lot of time. I also had to
recording, but had it replayed. This
meant that the mixer had to reference
the original 1979 recording.

Rewind
Sean Finnigan (left) and Conor Larkman,
aka LF System. ‘Afraid To Feel’ was mixed and mastered
by Scott Rosser, from his ATIK Studio in
‘Afraid To Feel’ samples a song from Nantwich, south of Manchester. Rosser
1979 by American funk group Silk called ‘I recalls: “Last year I was asked to mix LF
Can’t Stop (Turning You On)’, and reinvents System’s first release, ‘Dancing Cliché’,
it for 2022 by immersing it in a house and by Anton Powers. He works for Warners,
nu-disco arrangement. So far, so good. and before that at 3 Beat Records. 3 Beat
However, what instantly makes the song had remix trio Cahill under contract, of
stand out is that the song starts at 100 which Anton and I were a part, as well as
bpm, then jumps to 128 bpm, gradually ex-3 Beat label manager Tim Condran.
drops down again to 106 bpm, jumps
again to 128 bpm, then back down to 100,
“I mixed ‘Dancing Cliché’ last October,
and it got LF System off to a good start
‘Afraid To Feel’
Written by Conor Larkman & Sean
up to 128, and then ends on 100 bpm. as it gained a lot of support from key Finnigan
Clearly, Conor Larkman and Sean DJs on UK radio. It also got them quite Produced by LF System
Finnigan, the members of LF System, a following in Scotland. Anton then asked

www.soundonsound.com / September 2022 143

 IN SIDE TR AC K
SCOTT ROSSER • LF SYSTEM

The tempo map for ‘Afraid To Feel’.

I realised the major label deal thing was production and occasional remix work from
recreate the radio effect at the start, and not for me. I moved south of Manchester, his home studio in his attic in his house
I did not have the vocal quite that bright close to Nantwich, and set up a studio near Nantwich. ATIK studio is based around
in the beginning — but it’s something with a couple of friends. For about Focal Trio 6BE monitors, a UAD Apollo 8,
they wanted.” five years we recorded music in many RME MADI card, Euphonix MA 703 and AM
There were more mix challenges, different genres. It was a great education. 713 converters, an Emagic Unitor 8 MIDI
but before getting to them, some “In 2007 I got back in touch with the interface, and an upgraded Mac from 2010
background on Rosser is in order. old management of Dario G, who owned that runs Logic 10.4.8 and Pro Tools 2019.
Long-standing readers may remember 3 Beat, and started doing remixes. That’s There’s also a smattering of hardware,
that Scott featured in SOS in 1998, when how Cahill began. We had a hit in 2008 consisting of an API The Box Console, SSL
he was interviewed as part of the dance with ‘Trippin’ On You’, and we’ve done Fusion mastering processor, AudioScape
trio Dario G, who had a hit with a track remixes of all sorts of big artists, like G-Stereo bus compressor, Bettermaker
called ‘Sunchyme’. It was described as Chris Brown, Rihanna, Calvin Harris, Ellie Mastering Limiter, Omnitronic AN-31XL
“the unofficial anthem to the summer Goulding, Robbie Williams, and many audio analyser, SSL XLogic Alpha Channel
of ’97”. Rosser clearly is no stranger to more. We stayed relevant for a good and Focusrite Platinum Voicemaster
summer hits. 10-12 years, and did almost 300 remixes channel strips, and a TC Electronic
“I was born close to Swansea, and in total. It’s a market that’s a lot about Fireworx effects unit. An extensive
started playing piano when I was eight who is cool at any given time, and there collection of keyboards and sound
years old,” relates Rosser. “I continued were many new kids coming through, so sources harks back to Rosser’s ’90s past,
with piano lessons until I was 16 or it’s more or less stopped now. But I still and includes an Akai S3000XL sampler,
17, and then I went to Salford Tech in do two to three Cahill remixes a year. Roland XV-5050 and Roland JP-8080,
Manchester, or Salford University as it’s “Around 2014, 3 Beat asked me to Korg TR-Rack, Korg X2 and a Roland
called now, to do a pop music recording mix and do some additional production M-DC1 Dance module.
course. It also had a MIDI suite, and that’s on a track by one of their artists, and “The API desk is great,” elaborates
where I learned production skills on the I implemented what I had learned as Rosser. “It has 16 busses and four
old Atari STE. This was the late ’80s, a remixer. From there, work as a mixer, recording channels. I use it mainly for
early ’90s. mastering engineer, remixer and monitoring but also to run my keyboards
“At Salford I met Paul Spencer, and we additional producer started to snowball, and some of my outboard through. But my
started a band. After Stephen Spencer and it’s what I am still doing today for SSL Fusion has more or less overtaken it,
also joined, it became Dario G. Our most of the time.” because of the type of music I’m doing,
success started in the late ’90s, and which is dance music. I prefer the sound
lasted for about five years, after which
In The Attic of the Fusion for that.
we decided to go our separate ways. Since 2014, Scott Rosser has been “The API is great at adding a bit of
Paul is still doing Dario G today, but conducting his mixing, mastering, character to raw stems with not a lot of

144 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

effects on them. But most of the stuff sample, in this case ‘Party People’, from pulling the faders down, so everything
I get is quite processed, and it doesn’t 1981, by the disco/funk group the Main was hitting my compressors and other
need any extra desk sound. When I put Ingredient. So when Rosser received processing a bit tamer. I have to be wary
these processed stems through the the stems in the spring of this year of of things being too hot, because the mix
Fusion, it just gives it what I need. The ‘Afraid To Feel’, he had an idea of what bus goes straight into my outboard gear
AudioScape bus compressor is a copy of he could expect, apart from the tempo and I don’t want that to be overloaded.
the SSL bus compressor and I love it. change challenge. So I’m constantly making sure the mix bus
“I started out on Cubase, and “The brief was simply ‘We need isn’t clipping, or I may even have it a few
switched to Logic many years ago when a better mix,’ and the radio edit was dB below. You can always add the gain
it was a logical extension of Cubase. I’m 3:25 or something and it needed to be back in later on.
still on an old version of Logic, because under three minutes. I ended up cutting “My template organises everything in
I’m on one of the old cheese‑grater Macs, my mastered final stereo mix down by different instruments in groups, so the
just because you can get many more about 30 seconds. I was sent a rough, first thing I do is route all audio tracks
expansions in it. I’ve also got a rock‑solid which I loaded into my Logic session. It’s to these groups. I have a kick group,
system that hardly ever lets me down, channel 16, called ‘LF System’. a drum group, a guitar group, a couple
and it’s got the plug‑ins I need. I’m going “I received two sets of stems, dry of music busses, a lead vocal bus and
to stick with it for as long as I can. Every and wet, but it wasn’t a matter of the dry a backing vocal bus, and so on. All these
time you change and update a system it one not having reverb. They had various groups have my preset plug‑ins, so when
can be a headache for a while. You get kinds of processing on the wet stems. everything goes through that, I have
an update and half the plug‑ins don’t I have a mix template in Logic, and a frame of reference that allows me to
work, and then it takes the developers six loaded the stems in and listened to both quickly judge what shape everything is
months to make it compatible. You can’t the dry and wet stems, and compared in, and also to get a vibe going. I know
work like that.” them with the reference mix, and decided what things are going to sound like when
only to use the wet stems. they go through some of my effects.
Tempo Fugit “The stems were very hot volume‑wise “After that I’ll start adjusting the
LF System’s first release ‘Dancing Cliché’ so I reduced all of them by about 10dB, plug‑ins on the groups, or if necessary
also features a sped‑up and pitched‑up using the Logic Gain plug‑in instead of also add plug‑ins to the audio tracks.
 IN SIDE TR AC K
SCOTT ROSSER • LF SYSTEM

ATIK Studio is based around a 2010 Mac Pro, with UA, RME and Euphonix
interfacing, Focal monitors, a selection of ’90s synths, and some choice
analogue outboard including an SSL Fusion and API The Box console.

I do most work in the bus section of the frequencies. So I injected some more bass working with the drums. Obviously,
session, as opposed to the track section, low-mid frequencies and tightened up with this track the bass is really important.
because I like to process things while the bass. Plus I felt that the lead vocal It’s like a French house bass from years
they’re grouped. If there are several sounded a bit thin, and added low-mid ago that really needs those middle
different audio guitar tracks, I send frequencies to that as well. frequencies to hit you in the top of your
them to one channel and process them “However, when I sent my first mix chest, and it really needs to poke out of
together so they interact with each other. back, they gave feedback saying that this track. When I hear the track on the
“I also have seven to eight delay and they wanted the breakdown section to radio now, the bass pops the way I wanted
reverb tracks in my template, and some sound as if it had been filtered, with the it to.
instrument channels set up, in case lows taken out, because they wanted as “After the drums and bass I worked
I want to add something. In ‘Afraid To much impact as possible when the beat on the piano, because that is what you
Feel’, I felt it needed some padding in kicks in the moment the tempo changes. hear first with the vocal. I tend to work the
the first breakdown, so I added a Fender They also wanted the vocal very vocal in last. As I said, I try to get a mix
Rhodes part. While working, I continually bright. The brightness was there in the going very quickly, and then I work for
refer back to the reference mix, because recording of the vocals, and obviously maybe two or three hours, at which point
I want to make sure I keep the artist’s done for a reason. The way it turned out I have a listen on different systems. I’ll
and/or the producer’s vibe. I don’t want was agreed on by everyone. go for a walk, and listen to it on earbuds,
to change things drastically, I just want to “In the sections later on where the and when I come back I go deeper into
improve things.” beat slows down again, I used the same fine-tuning the mix.
EQ plug-in on my mix bus that also takes “Once again, I don’t want to change the
Maximum Impact all the low frequencies out there, but very vibe the producer wants, so with this track
As Rosser was working on the mix, gradually, so that when the kick and bass that meant I also had to mimic the sample.
he realised that it wasn’t only the first come back in at the end of the section I’ve worked on quite a few of the Replay
breakdown that needed some ‘padding’, the impact is again maximised.” Heaven re-recordings, and they already
but also the frequency spectrum in With regards to his mix process in have quite a bit of processing on their stuff.
general. “With modern monitors you general, Rosser explains that he tends to Some of them don’t need a lot of work.
get really low lows, and very high highs, start with the drums, working extensively In this case they had done a really good
and with some mixes you don’t get all with his busses, and then, “I’ll get the job of recreating the sample. But there’s

146 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

always a lot of A/B’ing. I kept the sound of “All drum busses go through the drum one of those plug-ins where a little turn
the vocal more or less the way it was, and master bus, on which I have the Brainworx on the dial makes a big difference. I finish
the main mix issue was to get a level for it BX_townhouse compressor and the off with the Brainworx BX_limiter, using
and make it sit well in the track.” Brainworx Modus EQ, as well as the Slate just the saturator, adding 12 percent on
Digital Virtual Mix Buss. These push the the XL button.”
Drums drums forward. I really like the Townhouse
“Because I wanted to fill in the frequency compressor. It lifts everything. The
Piano & Guitars
range a bit more and also to add some Brainworx EQ just warms up the bottom “I’m using the Fielding DSP Reviver on the
punch to the kick, I used the T-RackS EQ end a bit.” piano. It is brilliant for bringing out mids
PG. I only added 1-1.5 dB at 63Hz, 125Hz and low mids, if something is sounding
and 250Hz, but this is one of these EQs
Bass a bit thin. It’s also great on vocals. After
where adding very little makes a big “I did quite a lot on the bass. The first that I’ve got the Logic stock compressor,
difference. I also used the Waves NLS, plug-in is the iZotope Vintage EQ, just for the side-chain. I’ve linked it to the kick
which is something I picked up from adding a bit of general bottom end. I like drum to give that ducking effect. After
Jaycen Joshua in one of the Mix With that EQ because it gives me something that there’s the Slate Virtual Channel
The Masters series. I think the story was different, and it doesn’t sound too digital. again, just for a bit of vibe, and then the
that he put eight of these Waves NLS bus That goes straight to the Logic stock Slate Revival, which is a great plug-in that
plug-ins on one track. compressor, which has got a really good adds a bit of sparkle on the top end here.
“I needed some more bottom end preset on it, ‘E Bass’. The only thing I’ve Finally there’s the Sonalksis multiband
on this, so I tried it, but it was too much. changed is the threshold, so that works compressor. I like this on my music
I reduced it to four plug-ins, set to Spike, well on real bass recordings. That goes groups, because it lifts things a little bit.
and that worked great. The bass goes into the Slate Digital Virtual Channel, It’s not doing anything on the individual
through it as well. It gives you harmonics which also is great on low end. frequencies, I only used about 3dB, but it’s
that you don’t get from your digital routing. “I mentioned earlier on that I wanted enough to bring things forward in the mix.
After that I have the JST Clip and the UAD the bass sound to pop in your chest, and “The Stillwell Vibe-EQ works really
SSL E Channel Strip on one of the drum I do that with the next plug-in, the Slate well on guitars. I add some high shelf.
busses, again adding bottom end. FG-N, which boosts at 700Hz. Again, it’s It’s great for adding presence to things.
 IN SIDE TR AC K
SCOTT ROSSER • LF SYSTEM

Rosser’s processing on the drum bus.

and the Waves OneKnob Brighter, to add original signals to a different bus and having
I use that quite a lot on vocals as well, if more brightness. I like its one-knob concept. the reverb on that.”
they need more presence. Then there’s It is basic, but does what it says it does. I’m
the Mäag EQ2, for its great high air band, taming it with the Slate FG-S SSL emulation,
Mix Bus
and the Logic stock compressor, which is knocking a bit off 8kHz. The reverb is the “I put a very dramatic EQ on the mix
also side-chained with the kick. So when Slate LiquidSonics VerbSuite Classics, bus, track 78, with everything under
the kick hits, it ducks the guitars a little.” which is great. It’s good on drums as well. 240Hz cut off in the intro, which gives
I use it quite a lot and in this case it helped that extra-bright feel. On the track you
Vocals to widen the backing vocals. I just had the can see the bypass automation and the
“The Fielding DSP Reviver adds some plug-in on the track and then used the frequencies that are affected. This was
mid to low frequencies to the lead vocal. dry/wet knob. I like doing that sometimes, what LF System wanted, and it works. It’s
The Logic stock compressor once again is because it seems to have a softening effect the payoff of the track. When it enters the
doing a little side-chaining. These plug-ins on some things rather than sending your musical section again, the bypass goes
are on the lead vocal audio
track. Then on the vocal
bus, I again have the Slate
Virtual Mix Buss, as well as
the High Lift, which is great
for raising your vocals or
bringing them forward, if
you want them on top of
your track. It adds it a bit of
bite as well. Then there’s
the UAD Pultec EQP-1A,
which is not doing much,
just again bringing the
vocal bit more forwards.
“On the backing vocals
I have the AMT MaxWarm,

On the lead vocals, Rosser

used the Fielding DSP Reviver,
Logic’s stock compressor plug-in,
Slate Digital’s Virtual Mix Buss,
and the UAD Pultec EQP-1A.

148 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

 the opposite way and the EQ kicks back your top end. After the outboard, the signal “The Mixroom works great on some
in, filtering and climbing up to that 220 comes back into my session, and on this things and not so well on others, but it
frequency. It’s bypassed again when the song, the final limiter was the Newfangled balanced things on this track. I used it
entire track kicks in. Audio Elevate.” very minimally here. I do final gain levels
“From my mix bus the stereo mix goes with those two plug-ins, and the Logic
to my outboard. When I did this I did not
Stereo Mix Treatment Gain plug-in and then the Newfangled
have the Bettermaker Limiter, which is “I had a separate mastering session, in limiter. I really like the latter because it
a recent purchase. Instead I just used the which I did the radio edit. It wasn’t quite lifts things as well as makes them loud,
SSL Fusion and the AudioScape G-Stereo straightforward to edit, as one of the cuts and you’ve got a bit of limiter control on
compressor. My settings on the SSL was during the slowdown of the tempo. the frequencies. The Clipper section also
Fusion don’t change much, because you The point where I made the first edit was adds a bit of beef. This plug-in is more
can find a sweet spot, which is about the at a different tempo than where I joined than just a limiter.
level that you push into it. For this song, it further on. I had to match the edit to “Finally, I have several metering
I’ve got a bit of boost on the bass, and where the vocal crossed over. It was the plug-ins, like the Maat DR Meter, Plugin
getting the Vintage Drive levels correct is same in the edit at the end. In all, I ended Alliance ADPTR, TR Meter and the Tonal
important. You get a bit of proper SSL EQ. up knocking about 20-25 seconds off the Balance Control 2. With the ADPTR
“On this song, to tame the high track, which is what the label wanted. I wanted it to match what I had previously
frequencies, I used the HF Compressor “In the mastering session I had the done on ‘Dancing Cliché’, so I have the
section, where you set a threshold and Mastering The Mix Bassroom and Mixroom master of that on B and my current ‘Afraid
any high frequencies above that will be plug-ins. It was again a matter of filling in To Feel’ master on A so I can quickly
tamed down. It also adds a little bit of that the frequency range. I use the Bassroom compare, and adjust levels and EQ if
analogue vibe. I used that on this track a lot on dance music because it gives it necessary. The Tonal Balance plug-in is
because it is very bright-sounding. I also an analogue rumble sound that no other set to an EDM preset. I use this plug-in in
added some width in the Stereo Image plug-in seems to do. I’m not doing anything the mix session as well as the mastering
section. I like what this unit does. It just down at 20Hz, I’m starting at 40, and you session, to make sure the bottom end
seems to pop the whole song out from can use it around the 60-80 Hz levels and isn’t too quiet or your top end isn’t too
your speakers, rather than just widening it adds something special. high, and so on.”

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 F E ATU R E

SAM INGLIS
Martin Seidl, CEO and founder

C
of Austrian Audio, shows off the
hoice can be an illusion. Browse company’s very first prototype
any retailer’s catalogue, and mic. Nicknamed Woody for obvious
reasons, it served as a testbed for
you’ll see a dizzying variety of
the CKR12 capsule.
capacitor microphones. What you won’t
see is that the most important component
in many of them is almost identical. Most
microphone manufacturers don’t make
their own capsules, but buy them in from
a small number of Chinese factories.
These are almost invariably copies of the
Neumann K67 and K47 designs.
When Martin Seidl started
a microphone company, therefore,
he recognised that building capsules
in-house would provide a key point of
difference. And, having recruited key
personnel from AKG’s Vienna HQ, he
had access to unrivalled expertise. This
shared experience suggested a starting
point for Austrian Audio’s first new
capsule design. No-one had a better
understanding of AKG’s classic ‘brass
ring’ CK12, as used in classic mics like the
C12, C12A, C24, C414EB and Telefunken
ELA M251. But there was a problem. The
CK12 had been discontinued for good
reasons. Handmade to incredibly fine
tolerances, it had always been extremely
difficult to manufacture, to the point
where Martin estimates that AKG’s yield
of functional CK12 capsules was as low
as 15 percent. In order to be competitive,
Austrian Audio would have to adapt
the CK12 design so that it could be
manufactured reliably and consistently,
without losing its special sonic qualities.

Plastic Surgery
Back in the late ’70s, AKG had attempted
the same goal with their ‘nylon ring’
capsule, which replaced the iconic brass
ring with a white plastic surround. In
theory, the new capsule should have
sounded similar to the CK12, since it
retained the same backplate design. In
practice, it didn’t sound remotely the
Austrian Audio: Building Microphones
same. “The sound of the CK12 hasn’t The capacitor microphone is an incredible feat of
been matched by anyone,” agrees Martin.
“As hard as AKG worked on it, they never
precision engineering. We go behind the scenes in
matched the sound, despite taking care Vienna to find out what makes it possible.
of all the dimensions. It was this mix of the
dimensions, the mass of the product and its simpler clip-together construction. move, not the capsule as a whole. So
the material used that made this smooth, Rather, replacing the heavy brass with we experimented with a lot of different
but very clear sound. Never harsh in the lightweight plastic had made the capsule materials, to see how could we get this
highs, but still very open.” less stable and more prone to moving as mass back to the old brass weight. You
Austrian Audio’s research convinced a whole. “If the capsule is too lightweight, have to find a material which, A, has
them that the inferior sound of the it changes the sound, no matter if the the behaviour you want and, B, you can
‘nylon ring’ capsule wasn’t down to the dimensions are right,” explains Martin, manufacture in a way that’s sustainable
method of tensioning the diaphragm, nor “because you want the membrane to or reproducible. Because we wanted to

150 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

 Christoph Frank is Senior Acoustics Engineer To create a capacitor mic diaphragm, gold-sputtered Mylar is stretched like the head of a drum across
at Austrian Audio. a circular hoop. Now that the tension has been adjusted, the excess diaphragm material is ready to be
cut away.
fix it only at three points, it needed to be
stiff enough to hold the capsule in place for pair-matching with OC18 or OC818 you sometimes had, for example, poorly
without deforming. We experimented with microphones, because they are all specified textiles and you made them
metal and with various kinds of plastic. within half a dB of each other. denser by putting small glue dots on
Plastic never satisfied us, and metal had Consistency of polar pattern is them. You measured and put another glue
all the disadvantages of manufacturing achieved through the use of a highly dot on, until you had the right resistance.
costs and tolerances within production — specified fabric as part of the acoustic “The easiest way to imagine it is
which are doable, but very expensive if labyrinth within the capsule. “These are like this. If you have a membrane and
you make them one by one. automotive-grade fabrics, so they have an electrode and no resistance on the
“Then one day, our mechanical a very controlled acoustic resistance and back side, it would have figure-of-eight
engineer turned up and said, ‘What an extremely well controlled density,” characteristics. If you have it closed in the
do you think about this?’ And he had explains Senior Acoustics Engineer back side, you have omni. The acoustic
a promotional item from a ceramic Christoph Frank. “A lot of capsule resistance is like the fader between
manufacturer, which was a bottle opener manufacturers do it with air gaps, which those. So ‘half closed’ would equal
made of ceramic. It was extremely rugged can provide acoustic resistance, but cardioid, but the really hard part is to get
and robust, it was stiff enough, and it it’s quite hard to control because every a very broadband cardioid response. It’s
could be manufactured to extremely fine micron makes a big difference. And this very easy to have a perfect cardioid at
tolerances. It behaves like brass and has is why we decided to go for a textile, but exactly 1kHz, where it’s typically specified,
the same sort of weight as brass, but it a very high, automotive-grade controlled and where especially Asian products are
even has an advantage over the original textile to really have a reproducible good. But if you look at the frequency
brass because it is an insulator. And now polar pattern all the time. In the old days response from behind, it is not at all
we can recreate it in the production,
stably enough to get, let’s say, a yield of
80 to 90 percent.”

Precision Tools
The original CK12 was held together
by numerous tiny screws. These were
inserted and tightened by hand, making
construction a fiddly and time-consuming
process. The CKR12 design eliminates
this, and Austrian Audio have also
developed an innovative tool that
uses a laser to measure the distance
between diaphragm and backplate. The
sensitivity of the capsule is a function of
this distance and the polarisation voltage
across the membrane so, once the
capsule is installed in a mic, the voltage
can be fine-tuned to deliver exactly
the same overall sensitivity in every A specially designed laser tool is used to measure the resonance of the diaphragm before it is fitted to the
example. Consequently, there is no need rest of the capsule.

www.soundonsound.com / September 2022 151

 F E ATU R E
AUSTRIAN AUDIO: BUILDING MICROPHONES

Capsule assembly takes place in

a laboratory-style clean-room cupboard.
The finger protectors ensure that no grease
or dirt can contaminate the capsule.

Testing Times
Microphone manufacture at Austrian Audio that a shipped package will encounter on its
is still a surprisingly hands-on business, with journey to Australia; another reproduces a 1m
the all-important capsules being assembled fall onto a hard surface; a third recreates the
manually on specially designed jigs. “We have impact caused by a mic stand toppling over.
two capsule production stations right now,” There are even machines that can simulate
explains Christoph Frank. “We have clean room hostile climatic conditions and deliberately cause
benches with a constant airflow, so dust can never condensation to form on capsules. But the jewel
settle anywhere. The gap between a condenser in the crown is their anechoic chamber. One
membrane and the electrode is in the range of 30 of the best-specified test facilities in the audio
to 50 microns, which is comparable to the thickness industry, it’s available for hire by third-party
of a hair. If there is a hair inside, there is no gap any organisations, but also plays a key role in the
more. That’s why dust is a big problem. There is development and qualification of their own
also no fat, dirt, or liquid allowed inside the capsule, products. For example, the frequency response
because that can cause humidity problems.” of every production OC818 microphone is tested
What is heavily automated, by contrast, is not just on-axis but through 360 degrees,
testing and data management, which Austrian a process that takes between 10 and 12 minutes.
Audio see as the cornerstones of quality control. Once the microphone is placed in the test jig, the
“You need to take a lot of care about the materials, rest of this process is entirely automated, thanks
the production process and the testing process,” to the remote-controlled turntable in the centre
insists Martin Seidl. “Because even if you use of the room.
the right materials in the right way, you have Underpinning all of this testing activity is
deviations in the material stiffness. You have a custom software package called Aurora. This
deviations within tolerances, and if you specify allows a computer to talk to almost any piece of
very narrow tolerances, you have a small yield of test equipment and store the results ready for
what you can use. Even in electronics, you buy the interrogation and analysis. “It’s just a program,
same parts and they perform within tolerances. On but it can do everything,” says Christoph. “It A handheld mic is tested inside Austrian
a whole circuit board, the tolerances add up, so can control soundcards, it can control these Audio’s anechoic chamber. The proprietary Aurora
that’s all what makes a difference between a great specialised test boxes, anything that can be software can control a turntable to automatically
microphone and a good microphone. And so, yes, addressed from a USB port; we can do PCB sequence measurements at different angles.
we deal a lot with all the measurements and we testing, we can do barcode scanning. Even if
measure every product before it gets packed, in all production is done in China [as it is with some of measured: Was it good? Was it bad? When was it
the patterns and on- and off-axis.“ Austrian Audio’s more affordable products such as measured? It’s connected all over the world. But
The factory thus bristles with custom testing the Hi-X15 headphones], we can look at each and what you test is completely up to you, you can
machines. One mimics the knocks and bumps every measurement. We see how many times it is program everything.”

even. I’s not only the material: it’s all the and its tension; again, Austrian Audio One difference between the CKR12
acoustic volumes and so on that help have come up with an innovative jig design and that of AKG’s original CK12
deliver the characteristics you want.” which uses a laser to measure the is that Austrian Audio have chosen to
This acoustic resistance also helps to frequency and automate the process of adopt a slightly greater distance between
damp the resonance of the diaphragm, increasing the tension. Once optimum diaphragm and backplate, which means
which would otherwise deliver tension is reached, the membrane can they are typically using a slightly higher
a very strange frequency response. be glued to the ring and then cut out, polarisation voltage. “The AKG had
The frequency of this resonance is ready to be joined to the rest of the a smaller air gap between the membrane
determined by the area of the diaphragm capsule assembly. and electrodes,” says Christoph. “It

152 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

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 F E ATU R E
AUSTRIAN AUDIO: BUILDING MICROPHONES

always happens that if you have an Finished CKR12 (top)

explosive sound, the membrane will touch and OCC7 small-diaphragm
the electrode. That can’t be avoided, capsules ready for testing.
because this pop noise is producing
a sound pressure level of around 160dB. signal. The second
It will touch, but the thing is, it’s not part, of course, is the
allowed to stick. In the old AKGs, when electronics: amplifying it
the membrane tension gets a little loose to make it a good signal.
over time, it gets stuck to the electrode. There is a lot of art in
And therefore we increased the distance this as well, and we have
— but therefore you have to use a higher a great engineering
voltage.” Once again, Austrian Audio have team who are doing
developed their own testing machine to astonishing things on
ensure that their diaphragms don’t stick fast circuitry.”
to the backplate when they encounter But there’s
a burst of air. also a third aspect
to microphone
Platform Tickets construction: the
Martin Seidl describes the CKR12 and the physical design of the
newer OCC7 small-diaphragm capsule as housing. This needs
‘platforms’ rather than products in their to be as acoustically
own right. “We took more than a year transparent as possible,
just to develop the capsule. So we had whilst still protecting
no product to sell — and even when the capsule from
we had the capsules, we didn’t have dust and wind, and
a product, we had a capsule. If you start the electronics from
up a company like this and you need radiated interference.
a wider range of products, how can you “We started with the
achieve that? If you buy capsules, you mechanics before we
don’t know what you get. If we make our started with electronics,” says Martin. consistency is a good off-axis frequency
own capsules, we can manipulate them, “If you ask a trained acoustician, ‘What response, which is a function both of the
and that’s a great advantage. would be the best acoustics?’, he would capsule and its housing.
“For example, we’re using a very answer, ‘It would be this capsule flying “If you look at the literature we are
similar capsule in our handheld condenser in free space.’ So how can we create offering for the mics, you don’t get one
microphone as in our condenser acoustically the best headbasket without frequency chart, you get a frequency chart
instrument mic. But as we are making it having a capsule in the free field? How per pattern,” says Martin. “We show that
here in house, we can tune the capsule. big do we need to make the cage? How because we are proud that we invested
And tuning means small changes on the well do we need to suspend it? And then a lot of work into that. It’s very easy to
back side, damping material, little things we said, ‘OK, in every large-diaphragm make a mic that has a good frequency
that makes the capsule perfect for the microphone, you have reflections from response on a measured distance on-axis.
application. We don’t want to change inside the microphone.’ Because there’s But show me one recording situation
the electronics in the audio path. Most electronics down there, right, so at where you have only an on-axis source!
manufacturers only do that because they least you have reflections from there. Show me one singer who stays fixed in
don’t make their own capsules, but we We say, this is not acceptable, we want front of a microphone when singing. In
can manufacture a capsule to suit the open acoustics, so we built a diffuser in a piano, 80 percent of the strings are off
application. We can’t afford to make 20 here. There’s no hard space, so it moves axis. That’s why a microphone sounds
different capsules in-house. We only have reflections into the body. And then we really brilliant on a piano or it doesn’t. And
a handful of operators hand-building started with electronics.” that’s why it’s important that the pattern
each capsule. But we can say, ‘OK, we stays stable and the frequency response
need 1000 pieces for the instrumental
Pattern Recognition stays stable off-axis. And that’s what only
mic.’ And then we can change them in The flagship OC818 is a multi-pattern good microphones do.
the manufacturing process to be perfect capacitor mic and, indeed, allows “I’m not saying Austrian Audio are
for the instrumental mic. And I think the signals from both sides of the the only company doing that. There are
that’s what a high-class microphone capsule to be recorded separately good microphone manufacturers, and
manufacturer should do.” for maximum flexibility at mixdown. I absolutely honour them, and we are
Once a capsule has been developed, Pattern switching has been a feature proud to compete with them. But you
of course, many more design decisions of capacitor mics since the 1950s, but have to invest time and, unfortunately,
have to be made before it can form the it’s a compromise; often, the frequency also money. And that’s why a good
basis of a product. “The physics is just response varies a lot between patterns, microphone will never cost €199, if
the first step,” says Martin. “You have to and the omnidirectional pickup can be you want a good large-diaphragm
turn moving air waves into an electrical approximate to say the least. The key to condenser...”

154 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

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 ON TE S T

Naroth Audio
Bloom
Kontakt Instrument
HHHHH
I was very impressed
by Naroth Audio’s appreciate what can be done. It’s worth the keyboard is a dialogue box that shows the
Rhythmus — the effort though; it’s both deep and powerful. purpose of any currently selected control.
company’s first Given the ‘cinematic’ label Naroth Audio There are four one-shot acoustic jazz
release — when include in Bloom’s tag line, there are no kits, an electronic kit and six one-shot
reviewing it for the July 2021 issue of SOS. prizes for guessing that media composers African percussion kits for creating your
Their latest release is Bloom, described are the primary target for this instrument. own rhythms. The six percussion kits are
as a cinematic sound engine and built Indeed, there are plenty of the presets available with the different instruments
around 500+ sound sources spanning that, with the right performance and some mapped to different keys in the same way
nearly 6GB. These sound sources include suitable use of the impressive Bloom as the acoustic kits. These percussion
guitars, vocals, metals, brass, synths, (modulation) capabilities, could be used to sounds are mainly West African drums,
strings, woodwinds and a range of ambient create a full cue on their own, especially in shakers, muted metal bells and so on,
sounds. The engine lets you combine up to terms of dark and mysterious soundscapes, and as the right-hand fader is increased,
four of these sounds into a preset and, as ethereal orchestral textures or pulsing the heavily processed version of the
demonstrated very ably by 250 supplied hybrid rhythms. All that sonic flexibility sound is mixed in, often including dynamic
presets, the results include some seriously provided by the underlying engine does filtering and/or saturation. The acoustic
good pads, drones, soundscapes, rhythmic require a healthy dose of CPU but a little of sounds, which are multi-sampled, include
pulses and various melodic leads/basses. Bloom goes quite a long way sonically. The round-robin triggering. The raw drum kits
While the underlying samples sound presets are undoubtedly great in their own have an earthy, jazzy feel but turn up the
very good when auditioned individually, right but I think this is one for the composer effects slider and they become something
it’s Bloom’s sophisticated sound design or sound designer who likes to create altogether more abstract, taking on reverb,
engine that lets you create the magic. their own sounds. Well worth the effort repeat delays and radical filtering. Each kit
The ability to blend four sound layers is, though; Bloom sounds bloomin’ marvellous. has its own tonal character and with the
of course, not unique to Bloom and you John Walden effects ramped up the sounds would fit well
get the usual options for level and pan for $149 into anything from EDM to dub.
each of the four layers. However, you also www.narothaudio.com The Kit Loops section comprises eight
get some powerful layer and global effects rhythmic loops ranging from 80 bpm to 170
options, individual arpeggiators for each Spitfire Audio bpm, but note that these loops are played
layer, a granular synthesis engine within at their original tempo, so if you need to
each layer and the ability to import your
Nok Cultural repurpose them for a different tempo, it is
own samples or wavetables for use within Ensemble — Tape Percussion probably best to bounce them as audio and
the engine. For those prepared to dig in, Plug-in then use your DAW’s time-stretch facilities
the sample import option is a great option if HHHH to make them fit your track. Alternatively,
you want to create something unique and it Logic users could turn them into Apple
seems to work very smoothly. This inexpensive instrument by Spitfire is Loops for future use. Usefully, you can use
The icing on the sonic cake, though, described as “Explosive Afro-percussion different keys to trigger either the full loop
comes from the modulation system. This meets dub and free jazz”. The super simple or the various layers from which the loop is
is where Bloom takes its name from and GUI, which will be familiar to anyone who built, where some of the parts make very
it provides a range of ways — manual, has used a Spitfire LABS library, allows effective toppers for other drum loops you
automatic or via the step-sequencer within limited adjustment of reverb, saturation, may be using.
the arpeggiators — to modulate multiple attack and release but also facilitates fading Overall this is an unusual collection of
parameters within the engine. Many of between dry and heavily effected versions processed drum and percussion sounds
the supplied presets demonstrate the of the sounds using the right-most fader. which doesn’t slot neatly into any single
possibilities very well, with the mod wheel The left fader particular genre but which does have a lot
used as a macro-style control to adjust adjusts the to offer for the experimental musician.
the modulation of multiple parameters Expression It also provides access to useful North
in real time. The result is lots of sounds (essentially African percussion sounds and loops. Nok
that transform — or ‘bloom’ — in all sorts volume), and Cultural Ensemble — Tape Percussion isn’t
of interesting ways as you play. You can a keyboard expensive, so even if you use only a few of
configure the Bloom options within each showing which the sounds it will be worth the ticket price.
individual layer’s Edit page and also via the keys are active The simple GUI also means you can keep
dedicated Bloom page. The PDF manual is located at on making music without getting bogged
provides a useful introduction to the Bloom the bottom of down in technicalities. Paul White
system but, in truth, there is some user the window. To $29
experimentation required in order to fully the left of the www.spitfireaudio.com

156 September 2022 / www.soundonsound.com

 multiple outputs to your host’s virtual settings. The Close mic fader provides
Ueberschall mixing environment. depth, character and plenty of clarity,
Ueberschall have done an excellent presenting a clear string pluck with deep
Delta Blues
job of capturing the sound and vibe of body tone. The Dreamy capture provides
Elastik Instrument
old-school blues in Delta Blues. Loop-based a heavily reverberated colour, which feels
HHHHH music production might not be the first a little superfluous, particularly as there is
While the wonders of approach you think of with this style of an option for onboard reverb elsewhere.
modern sample-based virtual instruments music (although Moby showed the fun to However, the addition of independent
never cease to amaze me, there are some be had back in the late ’90s) but, with the faders for String and Body noise adds
sounds — and, therefore, some musical right loop content, it can certainly work. plenty of character. Defeating the other
styles — that are difficult to recreate in Yes, you might need to add your own John faders in favour of these, reveals all sorts of
an authentic fashion without real players Lee Hooker, Robert Johnson or Muddy acoustic authenticity. Blend these elements
playing real instruments. Old-school Delta Waters-style vocals but, for everything alongside the initial Close mic signal, and
blues is one such style and, even if your else, Delta Blues is a great place to start. you have an incredibly authentic sounding
guitar chops are up to snuff, this is still John Walden instrument, with a vast degree of realism.
a difficult style to fully master. However, if $99 While the Natural Tuning articulation
you do find yourself needing to recreate www.ueberschall.com is likely to be the main event for most,
a sonically genuine slice of Delta-style blues there are six further articulation types,
in double-quick time, you could always take Guillermo Guareschi ranging from Palm mutes and Snap notes,
a dip into Ueberschall’s latest title for their to Harmonics and Tremolo. They all
Elastik plug-in front-end.
The Cuatro bring further enhancement and realism
As with the many of the other Kontakt Instrument to the Cuatro table, but with a vastly
genre-based libraries within the Elastik reduced number of settings available
range, Delta Blues comes in a construction The Cuatro is the latest in a line of when compared to the Natural Tuning
kit format. In this case, you get 10 full, Kontakt-based traditional instruments, section. This need not be an issue; as
loop-based, construction kits (there is nearly emanating from South America, beautifully you explore, it’s advisable to mix up the
6GB of sample data in total), each with three sampled and prepared by media articulations, which is simple to do thanks
different main musical sections plus suitable composer Guillermo Guareschi. A Cuatro is to keyswitching, placed at the lower
sections for creating an intro and outro. a derivation of the Spanish guitar, but rather end of the keyboard. Moving between
Full song-length arrangements with plenty smaller in size and with only four strings. It’s articulations is quick and seamless, and
of musical variations are therefore easy to not a million miles away from the ukulele or will add to the reality stakes considerably.
create. Original tempos span the 45-65 bpm mandolin, but thanks to its more guitar-like The Tremolo takes the hard work out of
range but this is easy to adjust within Elastik. makeup, offers an arguably richer tone. strumming, and unsurprisingly sounds very
Within each kit you get a combination Guareschi is a guitarist himself. Couple authentic indeed.
of acoustic guitar, resonator guitar, electric this with his South American heritage and Staying with authenticity, the other
bass and drum loops. For the guitars compositional background, and he’s an two broad menu sections, Chords
and bass, both miked and DI’d versions ideal candidate to piece together a Kontakt and Percussion & FX, provide similar
of each loop are provided for maximum library of this kind. one-stop shops for relatively quick and
flexibility. However, the miked versions The articulation sets fall into three broad bona fide results. The blend of strums
sound great straight out of the box and, categories; Note, Chords, and Percussion available within the Chords section extends
while they sound very authentic to the style, & FX. Providing just under 2.5GB of sample from staccato playing to elongated and
they are delivered to Ueberschall’s usual data, the largest category is the Notes more laid-back affairs. Thankfully, the
high standards. Interestingly, each kit also section, which will be the port of call for Close microphone setting remains intact
includes some noise loops; if you want to more usual playing styles. The first available when keyswitching from one articulation
mix in some instant ‘retro’, you can very articulation within this set is Natural Tuning, to the next, even across menu sections.
quickly get an old-school audio vibe going. which provides options for round-robin To complete the overall palette, there’s
The drums are supplied as both pre-mixed behaviour, sensitivity, and ability to instigate an inclusion of pitched slides and guitar
stereo loops and as separate loops for octave and doubling capabilities. Sample body slaps.
kick, snare, hi-hat, toms, ride, room and capture extends to a number of mic The Cuatro is a comprehensively
overheads, so you can create your own put-together collection of single-instrument
drum mix as required. samples, which are playable and
I’ve always found Elastik to be a powerful identifiable. It has pretty much everything
tool for working with Ueberschall’s loop you could need to inject a smidge of South
content. The various pitch and tempo American flavour into your production.
manipulation tools make it very easy Dave Gale
to mix and match elements of different $41
construction kits or to get Ueberschall’s www.lootaudio.com
content to work within an existing project in
your DAW. And, if you want to use your DAW
Audio examples of this month’s libraries are
plug-ins for additional processing of the available at www.soundonsound.com.
Delta Blues content, then Elastik supports

www.soundonsound.com / September 2022 157

Q Will a mic’s high-pass filter
counter the proximity effect?
I noticed in your recent review of the
Lewitt LCT 1040 microphone that it has
a switchable 120Hz 6dB/octave high-pass
filter, for countering the proximity effect. If
my microphone doesn’t have this feature,
can I just set up the same thing in my
DAW channel EQ — would that have the
same effect? My microphone has only
an 80Hz high-pass filter and I tend to
get too close to it and sing quietly too.
So having this feature to reduce the
proximity effect would be very useful.
Hopefully my plan will work, as that Lewitt
This chart shows the filter options offered by the AKG C414-XLS microphone. Note the gentler slope of the
model is a little out of my price range! 160Hz proximity effect filter (orange line)relative to the two rumble filter options (green and blue).
SOS Forum Post
40Hz, all well below the useful frequency we can see that they are running 6dB
Technical Editor Hugh Robjohns content of speech/vocals and most below the +4dBu studio level, and 6dB
Yes, you can replicate this in your DAW, acoustic instruments. above the nominal ‑10dBV (‑8dBu)

Q
and yes it will have broadly the same semi‑pro standard level. In other words,
effect. However, performing this filtering Should I choose +4 or -10 dB if your compressor is plugged into the
within the microphone’s impedance for my console inserts? master inserts (with no gain reduction
conversion circuitry maximises the mic’s being applied) and set to its +4dBu
internal headroom and reduces the risk I recently rewired my studio and patched mode, its input and output levels will be
of excessive bass energy overloading a compressor and an effects unit into 6dB lower than normal. If switched to
any mic preamp the mic is plugged into. my mixer’s master inserts. The mixer’s the ‑10dBV mode they will be 6dB higher
Nevertheless, when working with sources manual says “a single three-pole TRS jack than normal.
of moderate SPLs you can certainly apply carries the unbalanced insert signal. Tip Both options should be perfectly
a suitable corrective EQ in the DAW to = send, Ring = return, Sleeve = common workable, as most modern devices have
achieve the desired effect. I’d start with ground. The L-R mix inserts are pre-fader sufficient headroom and a low enough
a low‑shelf cut starting around 150Hz and operate at -2dBu. These should work noise floor to cope with running 6dB high
and experiment with the parameters fine with line-level signal processing or low. The obvious worst cases would
to obtain the most natural‑sounding equipment such as compressors, be a slightly more prominent noise floor
low‑end balance. outboard EQ, delay units and so on.” Both in the +4dBu mode, and a slightly greater
It’s worth adding that the filter processors were set to work with +4dB risk of clipping in the ‑10dBV mode — but
options typically included in capacitor signals but the levels from the processors both risks can be managed with careful
microphones are designed to do one of seemed low, so I switched them to setting of signal levels. In the specific case
two things, and some mics have only one their -10dB positions and the levels seem of the compressor, when dialling in gain
type or the other, while others have both. healthier. Have I done the right thing? reduction you are likely to find yourself
The Lewitt LCT 1040 has both types. The SOS Forum Post setting the threshold to lower (smaller)
first, which you’re talking about, is the values for a given amount of compression
proximity effect filter. This is designed Hugh Robjohns in the +4dBu mode (because the average
to correct for the bass boost introduced In all matters concerning signal levels the signal level is 6dB lower) but significantly
when the mic is placed very close to dB suffix is important, as without it the higher (louder) values in the ‑10dBV mode,
a source. It can be recognised easily, as numbers are confusing and misleading! as the input signal level is 6dB higher.
it always has a gentle, 6dB/octave slope The two common studio and semi‑pro By the way, the reason the console
and generally has a turnover frequency operating levels are +4dBu and ‑10dBV, manufacturer has chosen such an odd
above 100Hz (typically somewhere equivalent to signal voltages of 1.228V nominal level for the insert point is
between 100Hz and 200Hz). The second RMS and 0.316V RMS. Voltages aren’t as simply because that’s the optimum level
type, known as a rumble filter, is intended easy to compare as decibel values, so if from a headroom point of view at that
to remove unwanted subsonic noise, we convert ‑10dBV into the same format point in the signal path of the mixer.
which can be caused by mechanical as +4dBu we get ‑7.8dBu. Rounding that to As the manufacturer states, although
vibrations or air currents. This kind of +8dBu, then, there’s a roughly 12dB level non‑standard, it doesn’t usually cause any
filter generally has a much steeper slope difference between the two standards. significant practical problems — but it may
(12 or even 18 dB/octave) and always Relating that knowledge to the get confusing if the inserted device has
starts below 100Hz. Typical examples console’s master insert points, which are meters, since they won’t align with those
have turnover frequencies of 80, 60, or designed to operate at a nominal ‑2dBu, of the console!

158 September 2022 / w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m

 WILL GREGORY
My Favourite Synths
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160 September 2022 / w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m

 Kludge Audio
506 Equalizer

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w w w. s o u n d o n s o u n d . c o m / September 2022 161

IMPERFECTIONS
DANIEL LEE COLLINS
by the seemingly infinite they were triggered by the featured birdsong from the
possibilities that the DAW limitations of the equipment adjoining ‘garden of tranquility’.

“T
o err is human’ is offers, I felt obliged to record and recording environment, The decision to perform
half of a proverb each instrument in isolation, or the innate imprecision of headphone-free liberated
taken from An map my drums to the grid, and human performance. bands and ensembles to focus
Essay on Criticism by the poet tune every lead and harmony Feeling inspired, I set on their collective, rather than
Alexander Pope. The other half vocal to within an inch of its life. up an initiative with a fellow their individual, performances.
of the proverb is “to forgive, Although I succeeded in my student that we dubbed Chapel Mistakes that would have
divine”. Pope’s words were aim of creating a production Sessions, using the campus undoubtably been fixed by
written about the behaviour that could be considered chapel, a Grade II listed building anxious musicians when
of writers and critics in the ‘technically perfect’, it became with admirable acoustics. Taking overdubbing were overlooked.
world of literary commerce, apparent that these recordings advantage of 16 Focusrite inputs Irrespective of their genre, the
over 150 years before the lacked the same energy and and a mixture of the university’s terminology of the musicians
advent of sound reproduction. feel as those that I aspired to. and our own microphone changed, and words such as
Nevertheless, they parallel After sharing my frustrations collections, we then advertised ‘energy’ and ‘feel’ became
attitudes to the mistakes, flaws at my first semester end the chance for local and touring prominent when describing what
and other manifestations of tutorial, it was suggested by my artists to record a live one-take, they deemed the ‘perfect’ take.
human involvement found in tutor, Russ Hepworth-Sawyer, high-quality video session for Whilst I understand that there’s
the performance, recording that I read Phill Brown’s our YouTube channel, allowing no cookie-cutter process to
and presentation of music, and autobiography, Are We Still me to experiment using the follow, and this approach may
the deliberations behind the Rolling? As well as introducing same methods as my not work for every musical style,
decisions to eliminate, include me to future favourite albums recording heroes. I encourage every budding
and at times celebrate them. from the likes of Murray Free from the reign of recordist to try this approach
Enrolling on York St John’s Head, Robert Palmer and a click track and headphones, at least once in their career.
Music Production course in Talk Talk, this highlighted solo artists embraced minor Perhaps you’ll love it like me, or
2015 was my first step on two things: the importance blemishes such as pitch issues maybe be repulsed by it. One
the path towards becoming of capturing an emotive, and string scratches, whilst thing is certain: after doing so
a producer. Obsessed compelling performance, judicious microphone placement you’ll think twice the next time
with the idea of achieving and that imperfections are saw spill turned into ambience; you reach for Melodyne or
‘perfection’, and blindsided common in recording, whether a number of performances even Beat Detective.

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