Dynamic Range Day hopes to restore dynamics

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Stephen Pate

Demand for louder music has destroyed the dynamic details – fight back on Dynamic Range Day March 16, 2012

By Stephen Pate – Updated with Webinar info – If you want to hear the music louder, turn up the volume don’t compress the life out of the music. Dynamic Range Day hopes to educate recording engineers, musicians and the public about the benefit of more natural sound.

The advent of MP3 players and the ubiquitous iPhone and iPod have changed the way we hear music, and it’s not for the better.

Steve Jobs may be a genius in some people’s mind but he was largely responsible for the end of dynamic range and detail in music. iTunes music is less than 5% of what the musicians performed.

Continue reading →

What happened to Gearslutz

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Stephen Pate

Shoot-out on the internet converts respected audio recording site to porn hub

Gearslutz - the ultimate change in business plan

Stephen Pate- One of the most respected audio recording bulletin boards has gone to the dark side of the internet.

Gearslutz, whose racy name hid the audio gear geek content, has been converted to a porn site.

Actually the site has been hacked.

On Facebook, Gearslutz claims the problem is fixed, no not fixed, yes fixed. As of 4 AM ET March 1, 2012, it was not fixed and you will get a porn site. You might even pick up a nasty virus which is one of the goals of hacks. Make sure you’re virus checker is up to date. Continue reading →

Apple developing new audio file format to offer adaptive streaming

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Stephen Pate

Format will provide high- or low-quality files to iCloud users

Neil Young, who has claimed that Apple co-founder Steve Jobs wanted to develop high-resolution audio options (photo Neil Young LeNoise)

Guardian.co.uk – Apple is working on a new audio file format that will offer “adaptive streaming” to provide high- or low-quality files to users of its iCloud service.

The new format could mean that users can get “high-definition” audio by downloading to an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. Alternatively, it could offer a streaming service – like that of Lala.com, the music streaming and online storage company, which Apple acquired late in 2009.
Continue reading →

Sonnox and UAD team up on UAD-2 Plugin Development

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Stephen Pate

UAD-2 Powered Plug-Ins Platform to Feature to Premium Mixing and Mastering Software from Sonnox

UAD-2 plugins with UAD-2 Quad and Duo (photo Universal Audio)

Universal Audio has inked a Direct Development Partner with Sonnox in the UK.

For audio recording enthusiasts it means they will be able to run the highly praised Sonnox Oxford plugins on their UAD-2 DSP processor cards.

Sonnox, formerly a division of Sony, is highly regarded for the quality of its Sonnox Oxford audio plugins, originally for Digidesign and ProTools. Oxford plugins are now available for most DAW platforms on VST and Audio Unit platforms. Continue reading →

Building a stand for K+H O 300 monitors

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Stephen Pate

Horizontal active monitors present a challenge solved with K+H bracket and The Stand from Blue Sky

Blue Sky's The Stand with K+H O 300 mounting bracket (Figure 1)

The heavy and horizontal Klein + Hummel O 300 monitors need a sturdy monitor stand. At 30 lbs each and costing $5,000 a pair, you don’t want them dropping to the floor from 3 feet up.

This article is the second in a two part about speaker stands and the K+H O 300. The first part provides details on Blue Sky’s The Stand.

When I got the monitors in 2009, Studio Economik suggested the Sound Anchors STUDADJR for monitor stands at $800 a pair.

I didn’t get a cheaper solution than Sound Anchors but I did get one that looks better and has more flexibility in speaker location. Continue reading →

Blue Sky The Stand review

Posted on January 9, 2012 by Stephen Pate

A classy studio monitor stand that can carry the weight

Blue Sky The Stand (illustration BSI and NJN)

Studio monitor stands seem to come in two types – low cost and shaky or high cost and ugly except for the elegant Blue Sky International The Stand.

The Stand is a premium priced stand that combines good looks with steady support and adjustability.

The Stand, generically named, can hold near field monitors up to 80 lbs each. I’m not sure if I’d go put them to that test, although they are very stable at 30 lbs. Continue reading →

Little Labs VOG the essential bass tool

Posted on November 5, 2011 by Stephen Pate

Universal Audio plug-in delivers Little Labs bass processing you’ll want to have

UAD has just released the $149 plug-in modeled on Little Labs 500-series lunchbox module. It makes mixing the low end of your recordings a breeze at a small price.
Continue reading →

Can you resist the tempation of Black Friday

Posted on November 4, 2011 by Stephen Pate

Thanksgiving Sales have started at Newegg, Tiger Direct and NCIX

Since the day after Halloween I have been getting sales flyers in my email for Black Friday.

The deals are too good to resist with cool computer parts up to 60% off. I’m already getting the custom build bug.

Since I was a child, I’ve been building things. Log cabins, Mechano sets, plastic and wooden models. Continue reading →

Happy 70th Birthday Bob Dylan

Posted on May 24, 2011 by Stephen Pate

Make You Feel My Love

Today, May 24th, 2011 is Bob Dylan’s 70th Birthday.

Two weeks ago I challenged readers to do something special for his birthday, considering the lifetime gift of his music.

Last Monday I decided to record a song, Make You Feel My Love, for his birthday.

Happy Birthday Mr. Dylan. Enjoy. Song follows the break. Continue reading →

How to manage cables on the cheap

Posted on May 15, 2011 by Stephen Pate

Low cost PVC pipe cable management behind computer recording workstation (starting from top, left to right: near field monitors with LCD monitors (center), power supply, preamp, monitor switch, AD/DA converter, power supply, vocal channel preamp.

PVC drainage pipe can make a handy cable management system

After living with a spaghetti jungle of wires behind my computer recording workstation I found a great, low-cost solution using Google. Total cost outlay was less than $20 at Home Depot.

There are hundreds of suggestions for managing those cables but none seemed as sensible or low cost as 4″ drainage pipe cut in half. Continue reading →

Time to get back to the studio

Posted on May 12, 2011 by Stephen Pate

Recording desk with monitor bridge, a work in progress

One day to finish wiring studio monitor bridge before recording Dylan’s Birthday song

I’m under the gun to finish re-wiring the studio today if I want to get a song recorded for Bob Dylan’s 70th Birthday on May 24, 2011.

Last week I tore down my home recording studio to renovate. After a week of small projects, this body is protesting “too much work.” Continue reading →