| Mix Regional | | The Mix Regional section for Mix's May 2014 issue focuses on Nashville. Send us your studio news: updates, sessions, new rooms, club performances and installations. Let the Mix audience know what is going on! Send photos and descriptions to mixeditorial@nbmedia.com. |
| | Editor's Note: The Middle Child | | While the four mastering engineers pictured on this month's cover are certainly deserving, each with an extensive and stellar body of work, I admit, as I did to them, that I had my reservations. What about Ludwig and Grundman and Sax and Marino? What about Stubblebine, Jensen, Wilder, Meller and Brian "Big Bass" Gardener? All of them Hall of Fame-level mastering engineers, all very active, but none has ever been on a Mix cover. So why these guys? More » |
| | Top Stories | | Digital Audio Workstations: Improved Workflow Across the Board
Price has seemingly gone down everywhere, and 64-bit is becoming the new normal. But it seems the big trend recently has been improved workflow enhancements, as manufacturers look to make Digital Audio Workstations an even more seamless tool in professional audio production. Here, then, are the latest professional options in DAWs; download a PDF of Mix magazine's March 2014 roundup of DAWs.
Lost in the Trees: Everything Changes in 'Past Life'
Lost in the Trees leader Ari Picker thought he had a well-thought-out map for his band's latest ethereal prog-folk album, Past Life (Anti). For previous releases, such as A Church That Fits Our Needs (The Wall Street Journal's pick for best album of 2012), he says writing happened "in my room, huddled up and isolated. My influences were obscure, and my process was homespun." He'd then take his demos into a studio and teach parts to his bandmates as they recorded.
Austin News & Notes
Austin-based band Royal Forest likes to fly in the face of limitations and laugh. Sometimes literally. So far, the band has recorded four songs under what one would normally consider bizarre conditions. Linnea Olssen, 'Ah!'
Linnea Olssen's beautiful cello-and-voice album was recorded and mixed in Studio Gix (Halmstad, Sweden). The artist did all of her own recording in Logic, then turned the tracks over to engineer/producer Gicken to be mixed. Audio-Technica Hosts Livestreamed 'Ask Me Anything', Educational Mic Presentation Events at NAB 2014
Audio-Technica is hosting 15 Livestream events at its booth at NAB 2014. Some of the industry's top audio experts will converge on Audio-Technica's booth #C1720 on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday during the show. Virginia Arts Recording Installs an API 1608 Analog Console » L.A. Studio The Village Adds ATC SCM25A Compact 3-Way Monitors » New Zealand's Māori Television Upgrades Its Broadcast Facility » Tape Studios in Edinburgh, UK, Installs Two SSL Duality SE Consoles » Veteran Mix Engineer Tony Maserati Relies on Metric Halo Plug-Ins » Riptide Music Group Expands Executive Roster and Names Dan Silver VP of Creative » Brainstorm Names Sommer Cable as European Distributor » Producer, Musician Mo Volans Uses Lexicon PCM Total Bundle » |
| | Cool Spins | | Review: Lake Street Dive, 'Bad Self Portraits' (Signature Sounds)
East Coast quartet Lake Street Dive blends elements of jazz, soul and Americana to create an eclectic pop that's hook-y yet deep. There are echoes of early Supremes, Jackie Wilson and maybe even Supertramp in the rhythmic arrangements behind the full-throated voice of singer Rachael Price. And there are plenty of unexpected moments, too—the odd spacey synth tone, trash-can drum solo or psychedelic guitar riff. Everything's on the table musically, and it all comes together in the bandmembers' smart pop songs, sung with both nuance and power. — Barbara Schultz.
Produced and mixed by Sam Kassirer. Studio: Great North Sound Society (Parsonfield, Maine). Mastering: Jeff Lipton/Peerless Mastering (Boston, Mass.) |
| | Featured Products | | Solid State Logic C100 HD PLUS, C10 HD PLUS Digital Broadcast Consoles
At the 2014 NAB Show in booth #C2317, SSL will introduce the new Plus versions of its C100 and C10 consoles, which bring together new features and the consolidation of SSL Production Assistant software to offer users powerful and flexible systems. The new C100 HD PLUS Large Format Broadcast Console is designed to offer a complete production solution for News and Sports in a single standard high power configuration. The fanless C10 HD PLUS offers frame sizes from 16 to 48 faders and can be built into vans for ENG operations, or specified for network scale sports productions or in mid-scale broadcast facilities. Harrison 950mx Console
The Harrison 950mx console (priced per configuration) was specifically designed to minimize common ergonomic issues found in today's studio using DAW and outboard-based setups. The two-tiered front bolster is wide and deep enough for a keyboard and mouse, and the flat top is ideal for monitor(s) and/or small speakers. The frame comes in standard 12, 16 and 24-modules, where mono mic/line inputs or stereo line inputs can be purchased in groups of four. Each module features an insert switch, 3-band EQ, panner, polarity reverse switch, line selector, preamp gain, four aux sends, solo switch and 100mm fader. Other features include four-LED input meters, stereo mix bus compressor, oscillator, talkback mic, headphone jack and more. Radial Engineering Space Heater
The Space Heater (approximately $2,000) is a single-rackspace combination 8-channel tube drive and summing mixer. The unit offers ¼-inch TRS or D-Sub inputs with each channel pair offering left/right output controls, and separate drive control to drive the 12AX7 tube harder, as well as a separate output control. A Heat switch lets the user apply 25, 50 or 100 volts to the tube, coloring the signal with harmonic distortion at lower voltage levels. Also featured is a highpass filter on each pair, insert in/out and a master section with level control, headphone amp and choice of XLR or TRS outputs. DK-Technologies DK T7 Stereo Audio Meter
DK-Technologies will launch DK T7 Stereo, an entry level version of its DK T7 meter, at the 2014 NAB Show (booth #N1202, in conjunction with Ward-Beck). The DK T7 Stereo is designed for engineers who are only working with stereo audio in radio, post-production or recording music for subsequent CD release. Find more new products from The Wire. » |
| | Announcements From Mix | | Focusrite's Dream Recording Competition » Inaugural Avid Connect Event Takes Place in Las Vegas April 4-6, 2014 » Music Producers Guild to host event for mastering engineers in London on April 9 regarding the Broadcast WAV format » Registration Now Open for 136th AES Convention in Berlin » Blackbird Academy's Blackbird Studio Session will feature engineer Ken Scott (The Beatles, Elton John) recording Sheryl Crow and her band in Blackbird's Studio D, April 14-18, 2014 » The Sound of Abbey Road Studios, with Special Guest Ken Scott, April 25-27 and May 2-4, 2014 in London » Penteo 4 Pro Stereo-to-Surround Plug-In Demonstrations in Avid's NAB Booth #SU902 » Sign up for the Dynaudio Professional Newsletter for a chance to win a pair of the company's new BM Compact mkIII monitors » Mix With The Masters in France is offering music production seminars, guest speakers for spring and summer » Sennheiser offers Spring Rebate on select headphones, microphones and wireless systems, through April 30 » RØDE Microphones' 'My RØDE Reel' short-film competition welcomes entries until May 31, 2014 » |
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