Issue #326

POLYPHIA

VIRTUOSOS OF THE INTERNET AGE

MASTODON, UBOA, STUDIO SPECIAL

REVIEWED:

MB58R CMD 102 PURE

WARM AUDIO WA-MPX

HAMMOND SK PRO + MORE

CREATE. PRODUCE. MIX. REPEAT.

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Cubase 12 features significant new features and workflow enhancements which make composing, recording, and mixing music even more creatively rewarding. From improved MIDI Remote integration and improved editing tools to enhanced audio-to-MIDI and new effects, Cubase 12 will bring your creative ideas to life better — and faster — than ever.

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MIDI REMOTE INTEGRATION

VARIAUDIO WITH SCALE ASSISTANT The Scale Assistant in VariAudio makes pitch editing a breeze.

PUBLISHER

Furst Media

A1 1-5 Weston St Brunswick VIC 3056 (03) 9428 3600

PRINT EDITOR

Paul French paul@furstmedia.com.au

ONLINE EDITOR

Isabella Venutti

isabella@furstmedia.com.au

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Kelly Lim

ADVERTISING MANAGER

Paul French paul@furstmedia.com.au

PUBLISHING DIRECTOR

Patrick Carr patrick@furstmedia.com.au

CONTRIBUTORS

David James Young, Erika Fedele

Isabella Venutti, Andy LloydRussell, Brett Voss, Rob Gee, Paul French, Lewis Noke Edwards, Christopher Hockey, John Tucker, Adrian Violi, Josiah Mcritchie, Christie Eliezer, Pete Hodgson, Liam Mcshane

FOUNDER

Rob Furst

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PRODUCT NEWS

Ernie Ball release new colours of their Polypro Straps

CMC MUSIC | CMCMUSIC.COM.AU

Used by countless rockstars, professional musicians, and local artists alike, Ernie Ball’s polypro guitar straps have been embraced for their basic design and iconic gold Ernie Ball logo. Now, the world’s #1 guitar straps from the brand – the Ernie Ball Polypro Straps – are available in 8 new colours.

Ernie Ball Polypro Straps feature durable and comfortable 2” wide Polypropylene webbing with machine stitched black or white leather ends for maximum strength and longevity. These straps fit snugly over any player’s shoulder, providing great comfort for hourslong practice or performance. These new colour straps feature black or white Delrin adjustable buckles and connectors, further enhancing durability and good looks. The adjustable length of the Polypro Straps is 41” to 72”, making them the ideal choice for players and instruments of all sizes. These eye-catching technicolour straps will retail for $24.95

Introducing Spatial Mic Dante From Voyage Audio

SOUND & MUSIC | SOUND-MUSIC.COM

Spatial Mic lets you focus on recording immersive audio for VR, ATMOS, spatial music, concert recording, live broadcasts and much more. Want to use it in a traditional stereo session? No Problem – the included software makes it easy to decode to stereo and aim virtual mics around the soundfield. No need for expensive multi-microphone & preamp setups – just plug-in and record with either Dante audio networking or USB/ADAT models. From studio to field, record audio for evolving formats in VR/AR and leverage Dante audio networking to create 6 Degree Of Freedom experiences with multiple Spatial Mics.

Low noise & high SPL handling with single wire connectivity provides the freedom to leave bulky gear at home — even in the most demanding environments.

Markbass’ Italian Made, Super Lightweight, Eco Friendly Most Popular Format 2 x 10” MB58R Combo Now Available in Australia.

components guarantee Markbass’ unmistakable tone every time you plug in.

Markbass combos are renowned for their remarkably light weight, and the MB58R cabs are lighter than anything Markbass has previously delivered, and certainly pack no less of a punch! For more info, head to markbass. it, for local enquiries, check out cmcmusic.com.au.

Zaor discontinues the Cherry Black colour option for the Miza range. Replaced with an entirely new variant: Oak Black.

Spatial

The MB58R series is one more example of how Markbass constantly stays one step ahead of the industry – by innovating using state-of-the-art technologies.

The MB58R CMD 102 Pure combo features 2×10” Markbass Neodymium custom speakers delivering lows that are tight and fat with a pleasing earthy growl, and clean, clear highs from the new hi-fi tweeter. Plus, this combo is ultraportable –weighing only 13.6 kg.

Now made in Italy, the MB58R CMD 102 Pure’s custom

Zaor replaces the Cherry Black colour of the Miza series with an all-new Oak Black finish. The new colour option introduces a more traditional, very authentic wood visual into the Miza line that combines well with the black side panels. With the introduction of Oak Black as a colour option for Miza, the classic Cherry Black finish will be discontinued. Those seeking to complete their setups with Cherry Black Miza furniture are encouraged to check availability in the Amazing Deals section on zaorstudiofurniture.com.

The Zaor Miza range has always been a popular choice for home and project studios as well as professional environments. Zaor now introduces the Oak Black finish: combined with black panels, the oak surfaces have a very natural and authentic, almost rustic feel to them, including decorative tool marks. The solid oak edges underline the overall impression of quality. The brighter wood hue of Oak Black also makes the new finish more visually compatible with a lot of popular floor and furniture woods, integrating the Miza desks even better into existing environments.

KOALA AUDIO | KOALAAUDIO.COM.AU

CMC MUSIC | CMCMUSIC.COM.AU

Mic Dante precisely captures the entire soundfield with 8 capsules, while providing output flexibility for critical recording and live broadcast using built-in Dante audio networking and remote configuration.

Antelope Audio

KOALA AUDIO | KOALAAUDIO.COM.AU

microphone emulations, smart amp/pedal cloning and IR loading, best-in-class looper, and a full suite of vocal FX (including the industrystandard Antares Auto-Tune), the HeadRush Prime is an incredibly powerful, versatile, and realisticsounding floorboard FX processor. The high resolution and ultraresponsive 7-inch display enables you to touch, swipe, and drag-anddrop to instantly create and edit your rigs in an unprecedentedly easy-to-use way.

of this next class of creatives, to be able to share my music more intently with the guitar community. Whilst my skills aren’t entirely the most refined, I definitely add my personality into each progression and melody I play,” said Grentperez.

Nektar adds record and 3 drum synths to the Aruba pad controller

A reissue of the Suzuki Omnichord will be released this year

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HeadRush release Prime FX Pedalboard

ELECTRIC FACTORY | ELFA.COM.AU

Housed in a road-ready steel chassis, the Prime features 12 footswitches with individual RGB indicators and OLED scribble strip displays, built-in expression pedal with toe-switch, and is packed with all the input and output connections you need including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth audio connectivity. The HeadRush Prime is the ultimate tool ready for any home, rehearsal, stage, or studio session.

Fender announce the 2023 class of their artist development program

FENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA | FENDER.COM/EN-AU

SOUND & MUSIC | SOUND-MUSIC.COM

Suzuki have officially announced that a reissue of the Omnichord will be available to purchase by late 2023 – a celebration of the company’s 70th anniversary.

“In the 1980s, the electronic musical instrument ‘Omnichord’ gained tremendous popularity among gadget-loving music lovers for its quirky look and tone.

Nektar have announced firmware and software updates for the Aruba pad controller, formerly known as Aura.

HeadRush have today announced the release of the Prime FX Pedalboard.

Featuring an advanced multi-core processor with a huge library of on-board guitar FX, amp, cab and

This year’s Fender Next class includes 25 rising artists from North America, Australia, Europe, Asia and Latin America that span genres, generations, genders and backgrounds, each elevating guitar in their respective communities.

After an open call and record number of 800+ submissions from aspiring musicians and A&Rs across the country, the 2023 roster was hand-selected by Fender’s best-in-class artist relations team as representative of the future of guitar and the wider industry.

The two Australian artists featured in this talented cast of shredders – pop firecracker Ruel and indie crooner Grentperez – have expressed their utmost excitement amidst the announcement.

“It’s an absolute thrill to be part

The update expands Aruba’s existing feature set with new sequencer record, Nektarine drum synth instruments and automatic calibration of pad sensitivity. Aruba’s onboard drum machinestyle sequencer now includes a record feature which compliments the already advanced step programming options. With Record enabled, the notes and velocities played by the pads are captured immediately as sequencer steps. An entire beat can be recorded in one go or built up, one instrument at a time. Steps are quantized at the set play-rate (1/4 to 1/96) to ensure a tight beat. The play rate can be adjusted independently for each pattern, which enables different record quantize results for each pad. When recording over existing pattern content, the last note played replaces any previous note data.

For more information, head to nektartech.com. For local enquiries, visit sound-music.com.

We have been receiving requests to resurrect the Omnichord for a long time. And this year, 2023, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of Suzuki Musical Instruments Manufacturing, we will reproduce the Omnichord,” the company announced.

There have been a handful of versions of the Omnichord released by Suzuki, beginning in 1981 with the OM-27. The instrument was initially intended to be a folk instrument – an electronic emulation of the auto-harp. It has gained cult status over the years thanks to the various high profile musicians and producers, ranging from Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, to Damon Albarn of Gorillaz.

has extended their All in Promo until April 30th.

“Fender Next”

Polyphia

Virtuosos of the Internet Age

Guitar players can be a conservative lot. They don’t like things to change too quickly. You can buy guitars and amplifiers today that are virtually identical to models released halfway through the last century. We’re three decades into the mass-market availability of seven-string guitars and they’re still seen as too modern by some.

The Floyd Rose tremolo has been around for about fifty years and even that’s a step too far away from tradition for many players. And yet, the instrument continues to evolve in the way it’s built, played and recorded. And for those who have always known technology, it’s natural to take the instrument in directions that have very little to do with what was going on in the 50s and 60s.

Enter Polyphia. The Texan quartet’s music is unashamedly modern, unflinchingly progressive, and just as likely to borrow from modern pop and hip hop production as it is from the instrumental guitar music of the 80s and 90s, or the jazz-fusion and progressive rock of the 70s. The band’s journey hasn’t been an easy one: just check the comments under any article on the band shared on Facebook and you’ll see plenty of takes from more

traditional guitarists, ranting about how they don’t understand this approach, how it’s too far away from what guitar has always been. The thing is though, Polyphia don’t give a crap. They’re here to make music their way, to keep themselves happy, and to express themselves in ways that feel creatively fulfilling and naturally authentic to them. And they’ve heard the criticisms. They’ve seen the comments that they’re not as comfortable live as in the studio. And they’ve put in the work to shut those comments down once and for all, as Australian audiences will see when the band returns for their first solo headlining tour in June.

“We’re the tightest we've ever been,” founder Tim Henson says over Zoom while walking around in Columbus, North Carolina prior to a show.

“We started taking our job a lot more seriously in the last couple years - well, since the pandemic really - where we do Monday through Friday rehearsals. We started to treat it as a literal job and rehearsed literally every single day on the weekdays, so we started this tour good.” He laughs.

“As opposed to other tours where we didn't even get good until the last few shows. But we'll be coming to Australia very prepared. And I was just told we’re shipping all of our stuff to Australia so we don’t have to tone it down for the fly rigs. It’ll be a proper Polyphia show.”

"Enter Polyphia. The Texan quartet’s music is unashamedly modern, unflinchingly progressive.”

The last time the band toured Australia was on a co-headlining run with Intervals in 2018. “Dude, to be honest, five years ago I was probably really drunk for all of those shows,” Henson says matter-of-factly.

“So there are not any single songs in particular that stood out to me as far as audience reaction, but I do remember it being a good time and the Australian fans going ham. I felt the love. That’s what I remember is I felt the love. The thing is, before the pandemic, most of our prefrontal cortexes had not developed and we kind of prided ourselves on being the world's most unprofessional professional band. But now that we’re fully realised adults, we're like, okay yeah, this is kind of like a real big real big deal for us now. So we should probably take it as such.’ So we’re trying to be just the absolute best that we can and to give our fans the experience that they deserve for supporting us as much as they do. A really cool thing is we started this tour last week and we've been asking the crowd, how many of you guys have seen us before? And only 25% of the people

like cheering. And we're like, okay, how many of you haven't seen us before? And the whole room lights up and it's just like, wow. That is a really big growth indicator. And to see some new people on board with us, it's just like, okay, we almost get like, a second chance to kind of be like, oh yeah, no, we're good live!”

Polyphia will of course have their signature Ibanez guitars on hand during the shows.

“Growing up seeing Steve Vai with like a new signature model every year and seeing all the crazy stuff that they can make, when we first joined Ibanez I was like, ‘oh dude, I can't wait to one day get access to the LA Custom Shop. That's like such a golden thing because they don't offer it to the public, they only offer it to their artists and I was under the impression that you had to be with the company for 10 years or something to even get access to it. But within our third year they offered us signature models and we were like ‘let's go!’ So I got a signature model before I got a LACS. And it’s just awesome. I love them. I've always played them, since I was younger and they're just such a great company to work with.”

Henson’s latest signature model is a nylon string acoustic with a twist, inspired by an obscure Ibanez model released in the early 2000s. “Picture an electric guitarist who picks up an

this thing but with nylon strings!’ So I started playing our music on it and I said to Ibanez ‘let's make a better one!’

So this new guitar is kind of in between a nylon neck and an Ibanez neck. It takes a little bit of getting used to, but it's certainly a lot easier to play than an actual fully acoustic nylon string guitar, you know? The neck is super fast and the guitar itself is so light. It’s really comfortable to play. I love handing it to people and getting their first impression and getting to live vicariously through them. They always seem to light up and that's like, such a good feeling for me to have had a hand in bringing that joy to them.”

Speaking of nylon-string sounds, Fishman has just announced two new Polyphia active pickup sets with multiple voicings including one inspired by the tone of a nylon-string acoustic. “We kind of stumbled upon it accidentally when we were doing the R&D for those pickups,” Henson says.

“I was doing the thumpy percussive kind of playing, and they had turned whatever that switch on was and I was like, ‘yo, that's crazy as. It almost sounds like a nylon guitar, kind of.’ That's the closest thing that I could put my finger on. Obviously it's a world away from a real nylon guitar considering you don't even use nylon strings with it, but it’s a happy accident we stumbled upon and it’s unique and something that didn’t exist on the market before, and however you wanna apply that - I know there are people who are a million times more creative than myself who are going to have a blast with it.”

Our time up, Henson offers the following parting words:

acoustic guitar and is scared off a bit with the heaviness of the steel strings. Like you pick up like a campfire acoustic guitar, and it's just not that shreddable and it's just not that fun to play, you know? Now picture that guitar player picking up an acoustic guitar that they can play everything they can play on electric and it sounds cool as fuck. And so, that was kind of the idea when I picked up that original SAN500 in a pawn shop a few years back, I was like ‘dude, this is a full-on Ibanez electric neck on

“There’s just so much excitement for me and the entire band for how stoked we are to finally come back down under and put shrimp on your barbies and such.”

Polyphia 2023 Tour Dates: Brisbane June 27, Sydney June 28 and Melbourne June 29. Visit thePhoenix.au for more information.

BY PETER HODGSON

"Now picture that guitar player picking up an acoustic guitar that they can play everything they can play on electric and it sounds cool as fuck."

Troy Sanders of Mastodon Wants a Bass That Won’t Be Outdone

Of all the idiosyncrasies associated with the mighty Mastodon, the guttural rumble of the band’s bass sound may be chief amongst them. The high points of the band’s low end are provided by founding member Troy Sanders, who also serves as one of the band’s three primary vocalists.

In order to achieve this, Sanders has worked with Fender basses for some 15 years – and now, he’s worked with them to release a signature Precision Bass, his second model for the company. Speaking to Mixdown over Zoom, the veteran bassist noted that such a feat was only possible due to the strength of his relationship with the company.

“The building block of all good things is establishing a very trusting and very appreciative relationship,” he says.

“I’ve been lucky enough to have that with Fender. We did a Jaguar bass in the Silverburst colour scheme about 10 years ago now, and it was awesome – I’ve played that thing at every live show since. A handful of years ago, I was speaking with them about the idea of doing the Silverburst again with a P-Bass. At the time, they’d never done one with that colour scheme, so they were excited about that. Eventually, we came up with a bass that’s both active and passive – which is a real point of difference in not only the basses I play, but the basses Fender offers.”

Sanders goes on to note that he largely switches between active and passive basses depending on which setting he is playing them. The latter, he finds, are better for studio recording – be it with Mastodon, or with one of his supergroups like Killer Be Killed or Gone Is Gone.

“I’ve learned over the years that that tends to translate better for recording,” he explains.

“From the board’s perspective, or even from the producer or engineer’s perspective, having a passive bass has always been important.”

When Sanders is on stage, however – with any of those acts, or indeed playing Phil Lynott’s iconic lines in the current incarnation of Thin Lizzy – it’s got to be active.

who has long taken note of both its omnipotence and omnipresence.

“I’ve been fortunate to record in a lot of very nice studios around the United States in my career – and at every single one, they have a 70s P-Bass,” he says.

“It’s always there. I will always bring one or two of my favourite basses to a recording session, right? We’ll dial it in and get comfortable with it, and after a few takes – every time, without fail – the engineer will say, ‘that sounds good, but why don’t you try it on this?’ They’ll hand me the P-Bass, and eight times out of ten that’s what I’ll track on. There’s just something about it, y’know? So, when I approached Fender with the idea I was like, ‘I want a bass guitar that I can record

incorporated that onto the album because we had been touring non-stop in a van for our first two years up to that point. He said to us that the worker bee represented our sacrifice and our dedication to make things happen on our own. It keeps me humbled, every time I see it. The symbolism behind it is very powerful to me.”

Sanders counts himself among an elite group of musicians that have had a signature model released by Fender – which heightens even further in its illustrious exclusivity when whittled down to those that have had the opportunity more than once. His excitement at the prospect is palpable, and his hopes for both Mastodon die-hards and P-Bass devotees to experience what his model has to offer are endearingly high.

“I change basses for different tunings throughout a show, and I like all of them to be active so I can maintain that same level,” he says.

“The passive/active idea was really intriguing to all of us working on it, and it’s probably the biggest element that allows it to be set apart from anything standard that they produce.”

Indeed, the Fender Precision bass has long been one of the company’s standard setters, having originally been released all the way back in 1951. That’s not something that is lost on Sanders,

on that won’t get outdone by a standard Fender that’s already in the studio’.”

To further distinguish the bass, and add the signature traits required for a signature model, Sanders’ new P-Bass also includes a logo on the 12th fret lifted from Mastodon’s 2017 album Emperor of Sand as well as a neck plate with insignia found on the cover of their legendary debut album Remission.

“It’s called a worker bee,” Sanders says of the latter.

“Our artist, Paul Romano,

“I’m just blown away that I’m working with them again,” he says. “Opportunities like this are rare, and they’re really cool. If you love your own band and you love a song you’ve made together, that’s the most important thing. Once you release something and it goes out into the world, you obviously hope people like it – but if they don’t, that’s OK, because you need to be in love with it first and foremost. I love this bass, and I hope people that pick it up and even purchase it love it too. But if they don’t? That’s OK, because I love it and I’m super excited about it.”

BY PAUL FRENCH AND DAVID JAMES YOUNG

Gear Talks:

Experimental sound artist Uboa takes cues from gaming sound

Uboa is an experimental sound artist from Melbourne, whose sound ranges from abrasive chaos to divine ambience and just about everything in between. The sonically surreal dichotomy that is her album The Origin Of My Depression blends samples, loops and noise into a cohesive form that ebbs and flows, taking cues from gaming and its sound design, both in the worlds that players inhabit and the foley that surrounds them as they explore. We spoke to Uboa about what makes her tick, and ultimately how she found herself taking such a unique route to music, sound and performance.

What came first – music or gaming? Games I think.

I started playing and making games first as a very young kid, and started making music just around early adolescence… I’d often prefer to make them myself more than playing or listening to the work of others.

How do you describe yourself? A musician, composer, songwriter, DJ, artist? Something else?

Generally a lot of people call me a ‘noise musician’ or ‘noise artist’… however my stuff is so much more ‘musical’ than most harsh noise artists and is produced in a different way that has more in common with sound design. There’s bits of producing, performance art, songwriting, composing (with graphic scores, I can’t read standard notation), visual art and poetry, etc. How do video games inform your music?

I do a small amount of references in lyrics and samples (and my stage name) because I have a lot of emotional ties with games. They helped me get through a lot of turmoil even if it’s a little embarrassing to admit it.

Also, the sound design of modern games is very influential on me. I like how modern sound design is used to convey a world to the audience, either in games or movies.

People usually ignore the sound design of games as they are too immersed in the world of the game to notice… turning off the music and simply listening to the foley, sampling, real-time mixing of gunshots, impacts, robots, creatures, blood and gore overlaid with dialogue and background sound I think can be considered its own form of musique concrete.

Is there a moment/song/artist/game/film that made you realise you wanted to make music?

No. I never aspired to be an artist initially and mostly wanted to make the songs I heard in my head for my own enjoyment. I kept doing it and started getting attention for it, so now it’s my thing.

Has your experience making games and mods aided your ability to use samplers and other digital equipment? I.e. have you got experience with coding and programming that helps you achieve certain sounds?

Nope. I’ve never really done much coding or programming. Generally I just stick to Ableton’s elaborate effects rack system as I need the visual feedback when making things.

I am usually quite impatient and want to make the song as quickly, enjoyably and efficiently as possible, especially if I have an idea in my head I need to get out before I forget it. I haven’t found coding helpful for this purpose, but would love to learn.

My laptop, my synthesisers and midi interfaces I use have – if you squint– some similarity to game controllers. They can also be seen like paint brushes or pens. If anything, it’s level and asset design (and as aforementioned, sound design) that inspires me the most.

Is your music composed and performed or is it improvised using samples? Possibly a bit of both? Something else entirely?

Most of the stuff I do live is me playing synths, singing or making noise with pedals etc… the samples I use are generally loops, intros or bursts of noise. Some of my recent live sets have had more samples in them, and I am trying to think of ways I can make them more

design to craft her sonic world

dynamic to my playing, for example sidechaining or automation.

As with my sets and recordings being improvised or composed: I dislike the either/or binary of ‘improvisation’ and ‘composition’ now that most music is increasingly immanent to its production. That is to say the old division of composition, performance, recording, mixing, production, mastering, etc. is gone.

Overall, improvisation becomes recorded, reiterated and elaborated into a composition… and I often think about how I can translate it to it being solo on stage, especially to play the songs with instrumentation I can’t all do myself live without merely sampling them all as loops.

To a certain degree I consider myself a surrealist insofar as ‘automatic’ improv playing dredges up things from the unconscious, or maybe ‘hyperrealist’ insofar as there is no such thing as an ‘original’ with what I do, nor do I care about one. I feel these are two of the most exciting aspects of experimental laptop music right now that liberate it from the ‘structure’ of the ‘rock band’ that artists like Sophie were so eager to break out of.

The contrast between impact sounds and ambience creates a really interesting dichotomy. How do you find working with sounds that people associate with games and memories affects their perception and reaction to the music? Is this something you’ve learnt to harness and use to your advantage?

I am interested to see what you could do with extreme dynamics emotionally. I always wanted to see the jumpscare play more of a role in extreme music – they do indeed work in horror games and movies, so much so it’s considered passe. I got interested in the idea after hearing

the intro Pig Destroyer’s Terrifyer as a 14-year old. It was really effective in making the listener pay attention, usually with a fight-or-flight response.

As with the associations with memories of games in the past, it’s not something intentional at all, but it’s likely unconsciously there. Generally I prefer to make my own samples or at the very least modify them heavily.

This is for two reasons: one is if I just download samples and use them passively I feel like the song somehow isn’t ‘mine’ and that I am ‘lazy’–it feels like my own personality is gone from the song if I simply use other peoples’ work.

The other issue is of course capitalism and the totalitarianism of copyright law. So much art has been destroyed, censored or demonetised because of corporate greed regarding intellectual property. I think the abusive domination of IP needs to be abolished, alongside the entire mode of production which requires it.

Going back to video games, I used to create a lot of mods for Doom (the original 1993 game)… the Doom modding community is full of projects – from levels to entire games and ‘total conversions’— that freely ‘sample’ elements of games that skirt very much in the grey area of copyright law with wonderful creative results.

It goes to show that creativity is more often than not suppressed by the drive for profit which goes against the myth that it is the other way around. We need to liberate samples from the tendency of profit seeking to crush creativity, as I think samples are one of the most emotionally powerful elements in music. For future reference, anybody may sample my music insofar as one isn’t being a jerk. Being sampled is always extremely humbling.

What’s next for Uboa? Any more games and mods on the horizon, more music?

I am working on an upcoming album for The Flenser and many other works. There is a lot of stuff I’m sitting on and itching to get out there. Some old music of mine will be in a feature film soon too, which is very exciting.

I’d love to get back into the Doom engine again one day and make a total conversion or full game where I can make all the assets myself and create something weird. Game design (even with mods) is very time consuming and requires a lot of organisation. I’d also like to try out music videos and get back into graphic design. I care about every aspect of my art –every form of media an artist does affects the aesthetic experience. To vaguely paraphrase Derrida, there is nothing outside of the artwork in this sense.

Uboa’s approach to making music, the immanent nature of it all, from recorded improvisation to refined composition and use of samples from these improvisations in live performances speak to the influence that gaming has had on her music. It’s gritty and noisy and chaotic, but it’s also all performed by someone allowing the equipment and sound to be steered by her, similar to how a player might steer a character through an open world—full of opportunities. There’s something to be said for the limitations that big businesses place on sounds, and Uboa is fighting the good fight by harnessing those sounds, reimagining them, and making them into something entirely new in the pursuit of an open source of sounds and samples. Her live performances are a sight to behold, and understanding her methodology, processes and inspirations bring a whole new level to them.

BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

LEGACY AND LONGEVITY: Bakehouse Studios

In honour of Mixdown’s studio special, we sat down with Helen and Quincy of the iconic institution that is Richmond’s Bakehouse Studios - a space for rehearsal, recording, filming and more - to chat illustrious patrons, the Melbourne music community, and the ins and outs of their beloved, eclectic space.

Hi Quincy and Helen! Being one of the most iconic fixtures attached to Melbourne’s rich live music culture, what are the most rewarding aspects of having built a community of artists whose creativity is fostered by your space?

I can’t remember who penned the quote, “if you love your work, you’ll never do a day’s work”, but this defines our days at Bakehouse. The challenges are there, but we are surrounded by music and have the unique position of being that ‘fly on the wall’ that is privy to moments of magic audiences don’t get to see. Thousands of artists have passed through over the last 32 years and many have become part of our extended fam.

Can you tell us a little bit about the history of the Richmond Bakehouse building?

The stables were built in the late 1800’s by the Walter’s family, settlers from Wales who ran removals via horse and cart between Victoria and NSW. The house was built in the 1920’s when the family expanded and married into the local Coppin family (of the famous Richmond Street). The factory was a later addition. In the 50s it was sold to the Sher Family, holocaust survivors and rag traders, hence the many old sewing machines and fabrics left behind by them. Later it was passed on to a local Vietnamese Consortium. In a way, the building’s ownership represents a snapshot of Australian migration since colonisation.

It was a squat for many years before Stable Sound set up in the mid 80’s. Our OG Bakehouse still stands in Bakehouse Lane, North Fitzroy and is one of the oldest continuously running recording studios in Australia - the original York Street Studios from 1978.

Your technicoloured rehearsal rooms have been graced by some seriously illustrious clientele over the years, from The Saints and Rowland S Howard to Courtney Barnett Missy Higgins, Olivia Newton John and more. Do you have any anecdotes or memories of the icons who have passed through the doors to share with our readers?

There are hundreds of stories from many artists, some of our faves are the famous first ever Australian gig for Ed Sheeran, where he and Michael Gudinski first locked eyes on each other. Talking politics with Billy Bragg, talking op-shopping with Cat Power, native plants with Kim Deal (Pixies), contemporary art chats with the Metal God - Rob Halford, gardening with Suzi Quatro, John Cale being so inspired by the creative energy of the place that he threw out his sheet music, Soprano Alison Bell, singing an aria where the world stood still just for a few minutes, Uncle Archie & Aunty Ruby Hunter with their kids and grandkids playing with ours in the courtyard, the first time we heard Dan Sultan sing, eavesdropping on the Dirty Three, joining friends and family of Paul Kelly to sing along to ‘How to make Gravy’ at Christmas… We would love to know a little bit about your spectacularly eclectic decor - what goes into designing a room?

Bakehouse has been built from a strong ethos of re-use and repair. You won’t see any new furniture here, all items have been collected over years from the side of the road (where the streets are truly paved in gold!!) to op shops and family heirlooms that found their way here..

Quincy was originally a visual artist before he became a musician, he was inspired by Dadaism, where the refuse of the world can become a thing of art, function and beauty.

In 2014 we commissioned 10 local visual artists to create permanent immersive installations in the downstairs rooms where they would inspire a next generation of art and music making, the rooms are named after the artists; DeVilleafter Julia de Ville (Vegan) Taxidermist, The Turner room by Mick Turner as a psychedelic homage to Luna Park, The Huxleys- Glam Rock Disaster room- inspired by their performance art band SOS (Style over Substance), Floyd

room- by Emily Floyd, Gorilla Feminist Cake Icers -The Hotham Street Ladies room has had the Trompe L'oeil removed after the cake icing finally melted!

Any tips on sourcing out of the box decor?

In the music sector, our fellow Studiofiles often design spaces for an auditory experience and rightly so, the space needs to perform and be functional, you’ll see standard block coloured acoustic panels, concrete floors and occasionally a persian rug all suited to a clean aesthetic. Bakehouse has always been a place where ambiance matters as much as the tech gear, particularly as we create film sets and backdrops for artist content. Open green space is also key to what we do, our plants are propagated from cuttings and grown in thrown out vessels. Our shtick is used, old & beautiful (in our eyes!!), but this may not be for everyone and when setting up your own studio space, you may not want to commission an immersive artwork, it’s a big investment and it can dominate your space.

My biggest tip is be authentic in creating your space, love the space you create and fill it with objects that mean something to you. We’ve bucked trends as our aesthetic is generally not currently hip, so when finding affordable furniture. The op shops are always beckoning. Lastly, which rooms are your favourites/are particularly significant to you?

Pre Covid, we hosted unforgettable events and shows including friend’s weddings, both our Dads’ memorials and concerts, listening parties, fashion catwalks, theatre and takeovers by the MSO, Red Stitch Theatre and the biggest New Year EVER by the Boon Companions.

All these happened in the Scrap Museum and Belfry, huge spaces with exposed brick walls and draped in rich green or black velvets with kitchens that look like they've been stopped in time (think Peaky Blinders or CWA), art deco bathrooms, grand pianos and lovingly collected objects.

I also love the Book Room by Spacecraft Studio. The whole vibe is remarkably calming with 2000 pulp fiction novels faced backwards in a large bookshelf, book spines are printed

on calico wallpaper all exposed after you enter through a secret bookcase.

It has aged yellow hues like the colour of book pages and the smell of an old bookstore…

The two of you are aficionados of Melbourne’s punk rock heritage - the late 70s and early 80s are considered somewhat of a mythic era to the generations that have followed in its footsteps. What set our city’s first underground explosion apart?

To sum up the factors that lit the fuse on our city’s first underground explosion and do it any real justice would require an in-depth tome, many have tried.

Put simply, I believe that Community Radio has to be credited as the key defining factor that united and incubated passionate, like minded music lovers, initially from across the city and later from across the state and gave them connections, informing them of new movements in arts and culture. It’s serendipitous that 3RRR was granted its licence in 1976, the year that punk festered up through the floorboards of dive bars on three separate continents across the globe, so Melbourne was primed to become an incubator nurturing a garden of diverse dark cactus flowers, its own species of punk branching off into new strains of post punk.

New collaborations and connections busted out across the inner city, kids that couldn’t play picked up instruments and started forming bands, inner city pub rock venues became willing to give this new music a go because a demand was buzzing through the airwaves, but there was soon to be a Melbourne mecca.

St Kilda was once a flourishing seaside attraction for Victorian beachgoers, from the early 1800’s to the mid 1900’s various booms had brought prosperity and grand developments, some still standing like the Palais theatre, Luna Park and the George… an entertainment precinct with Earl’s Court The Venue, St Moritz ice skating rink, St Kilda baths, the Esplanade hotel etc.

By the mid 70’s St Kilda’s heyday had well and truly passed, many of its grand old buildings had fallen into disrepair, it was like a ghost town where the party was over but the desperadoes didn’t want to go home so it became a seedy red light district, where sailors from US naval ships went for shore leave (code for drinking, brawling and bawling), particularly on the lower Esplanade which had venues like Bojangles and Bananas that became a playground for Melbourne's underworld.

Families didn’t go to St Kilda after dark, so it was the perfect setting for a bunch of kids who wore junk shop clothing, saw no commercial prospects and wanted cheap rent, venues were desperate for a new boost in revenue but I suspect they had no idea what they were in for.

The music was fast and loud, the kids were fast and loud they consumed fast and hard - everything from the shitty mandatory suppers that the Liquor Licensing department demanded for a venue to stay open past 10 pm, to the booze that flowed over the bars and the substances that were ingested in the back rooms - everything was fast and exciting.

Could you describe the punk culture that set your hearts alight way back when?

Helen and I met here and we rode that roller coaster, it set a high standard, we often saw multiple bands a night up to seven nights a week, some great and many not so great but there was always an energy.

What we learnt at Melbourne's punk university was that great music doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with money, commercial acceptance or fame, that art can be created from refuse, that the items that mainstream music consumers discard as redundant are often glistening with gems to be gleaned and repurposed, real artists can make art out of anything and of course necessity is the mother of invention.

We’ve subconsciously used these learnings as foundations for our ethos at Bakehouse

Having been involved in the Slam Rally, featured in ‘Persecution Blues - The Battle For The Tote’ and current sale of The Tote (arguably Melbourne’s most iconic grassroots venue), could you talk a little bit about the importance of underground live music institutions, and in turn, the changes in the Australian music industry you perceive to have contributed to their being in danger?

In 2010 we led the SLAM Rally to protest the vilification of the word ‘Music’ in policy aimed at curbing alcohol fuelled violence. Close to a decade later we were involved in a similar movement in NSW where ‘Music’ was the catalyst that triggered unfair govt policy targeting festivals.

Today, government intervention comes in the form of financial support, a far cry from the past.

Small venues, large venues, community radio, music studios all make up an ecosystem that is about as fragile as the environment we live in, since the blows of the pandemic, parts of the live music economy barely exist. Age-

BAKEHOUSE’S IN HOUSE STUDIO FACILITIES

REHEARSAL SPACES:

• 12 year old Yamaha C3 grand

• Old walnut Emil Aschenberg (Berlin made) Grand

• US made Cable (pianola style) upright

• Yamaha GC1 baby grand

• Gors and Kallmann upright

• Soundcraft desks

• DBX EQ

• Quest power amps

old problems of high land prices, residential encroachment and rising costs of business were always tough on venues, but in the world since Covid, they’ve pushed many over the edge. This may sound bleak, however there is always new and exciting music emerging from non traditional spaces, like Community halls, parks, backyards, warehouses & galleries. At the centre of this ecosystem are the artists, we are interdependent on the artist's health and stability, without the music creators, we cannot exist.

Re: The Tote, the owners of the Last Chance Rock Bar, have their hearts on their sleeves and will fight to save the Tote for the people of Victoria, a shining example of a grassroots campaign.

With the music industry’s constant (and these days rapid) evolution, where do you see Bakehouse headed in the future? What changes do you welcome, and what do you consider integral to keep constant?

We have shifted our focus as artist's needs change, content creation underpins creative practice, so becoming a film and live stream location is now as important an offering as traditional rehearsal and recordings.

We have to evolve to not only stay relevant, but reflective of the community we live in. In 2022 we introduced a bursary program for Women and gender diverse artists, This year we formally partnered with the Archie Roach Foundation and with the guidance of disability advocate Eliza Hull, we will work with the govt to retrofit the studio for accessibility needs. We believe the participation of all artists is integral to an evolved music sector.

BY ISABELLA VENUTTI

• Speakers including JBL, EV, Yamaha, Lorantz and Peak

• Quest FB and FOH

• Quest power amps

• DBX EQ

• Allen and Heath Zed 22FX consoles

• Shure SM 58’s as standard vocal mics

RECORDING STUDIO:

• a Toft mixing console

• Apollo 16 interface

• Ableton 11 Suite

• Yamaha GC1 baby grand

ADAM Audio’s NEW A SERIES SPEAKERS

A mixture of razor-sharp German engineering, state of the art monitoring and loudspeaker technologies, and the continual thirst of a start-up to leap to the next production level.

That’s how ADAM Audio products – particularly the A7X and S3 – became standards in global recording spaces since launching in March 1999 in Berlin, Germany. Advanced Dynamic Audio Monitors began with the eXtended Accelerating Ribbon Technology (X-ART) tweeter, based on the Air Motional Transformer by Oskar Heil in the 1960s. There are three ranges – the entry point ‘T’, the premium studio monitor ‘S’ designed to deliver more volume in larger rooms, and ‘A’ the mid-price range with many ‘S’ features.

“The A series delivers highly accurate, transparent sound across a full line of monitors that can be controlled remotely and in real time,” the company says. There are five models – the A4V, A7V, A44H, A77H and A8H are the right fit for an array of professional and home studios — as well as broadcast, fixed-installation, 3D, immersive, and home audio environments. Innovations such as rotatable HPS waveguide technology, and DSP-based room correction and voicings enable users to tune speakers for their room and ears.

The compact but powerful A4V is best suited to smaller studio environments.The A7V continues the success story of the A7X. Breaking new ground in its price range, the A44H offers a lowprofile alternative to the A7V. With a 19-inch width, the horizontally oriented A44H can sit in a standard rack shelf or be mounted above or below a screen.

A successor to the A77X, the three-way A77H showcases ADAM Audio’s latest technology.

The pinnacle of the A Series, the A8H, is also a three-way design with a different form-factor that delivers accurate and analytical sound required for critical-listening environments. The A Series uses the transformative power of DSP-based electronics to provide better tuning precision than analogue-only speakers. ADAM Audio’s UK parent company Focusrite Group brought the A series to Australia in late 2022, and Regional Sales Manager Cris Stevens and Marketing Manager Ben Willis have been introducing it to the local market with various initiatives.

Stevens is holding demonstrations in studios, first in Brisbane (Little Street Studio) and Sydney (Kiln Studio), with plans for similar events in other major cities. The Sydney event ran over two days using two rooms for each hour, and with ten sold-out sessions.

“Speakers are such a personal thing,” he states. “There’s no right or wrong in any of this. It’s finding something that inspires you or connects you. Music at that level needs to touch you on an emotional level. The speaker is the thing that brings that to you to it… or not as the case might be. It’s getting people together in front of the speakers and let the speakers speak for themselves.”

Stevens has been working with ADAM Audio gear for 14 years, long before it came under the Focusrite banner.

He’d started as a freelance mixer and engineer in the UK “in some nice rooms with some fantastic engineers and producers” before

becoming an in-house mixer for indie labels in the drum and bass scene. He moved to Australia in 2002 and set up Federal Audio, which was distributor for ADAM Audio for 12 years. Willis was a musician, playing synthesisers in bands around the world, as well as photography and video.

Part of his Focusrite marketing role includes filing profiles of Australian musicians who use its gear on its international social media platform.

Mixdown: Why do you think ADAM Audio products work so well in the studio environment?

Cris Stevens: “We have a complete range, from an entry level offering, mid-price offering and premium offering.

They all work in home studios, broadcasting, 3D immersive and home audio environments. It’s a range of speakers which are flexible for whatever work demands of them. Obviously the German design is renowned for the tweeter, the ribbon tweeter being an iconic part of the ADAM stable since the get-go.

“It delivers a clarity and openness which is unmatched by others at that price point.”

Ben Willis: “They’ve got such a long-standing legacy and are an industry standard.

“The ribbon tweeters particularly have a really crisp high end and a lovely sound stage, they’re nice to mix with.

“The biggest drawcard for me is how well they translate when you’re doing a mix on them, into other environments whether they be earbuds or anything else.”

Mixdown: I attribute its success to its team of great engineers.

Cris Stevens: “Yes, they have a

deep bed of German engineering, a legacy of designing speakers for some years now. They’re continually building on the success of each previous range before, they’re not sitting on their laurels. The A series is testament to that, it’s a big step up from the AX. People can trust in the engineering.”

Mixdown: What’s been the reaction from the Australian industry to the A series?

Ben Willis: “It’s been really well received, in particular the A4, there have been a lots of comments about their relative weight. There’s a lot of interest in the 88H too. There wasn’t a dedicated threeway speaker on the AX series.”

Mixdown: How loud do you listen when you compose, record, mix or master your music?

Cris Stevens: “The new standard is most people work at 85 dbs. There are obviously health and safety issues with loud volume over a period of time. We’re engineers and we have to look after our ears. Pushing 100 db for eight hours isn’t sustainable for a working professional. So 85 is the norm although I might jump up at times to be louder than that but that might only be for a couple of minutes.”

Mixdown: Do you always work at the same volume or just turn up your monitors until you hit a comfortable level?

Cris Stevens: “I try to make the mix loud enough through the moves I’m making – the EQ moves, the balances, the faders.I tend to leave my monitor stuck at a constant level for most of it. Like I said, when I get towards the end I might turn it up.”

BY CHRISTIE ELIEZER

AND EXCELLENCE with Wayne Jones Audio

It’s rather humbling when we see an Australian company being truly innovative within the pro audio realm – with a finger well and truly on the pulse of modern production workflow and boldly going where no one has gone before.

This is no small feat (which shouldn’t come as a surprise), given the imperious levels of competition from some of the most well established and revered companies in the business, most notably spread across Europe and the USA. Those who try and inch their way onto the top shelf of the studio monitor market do so daringly, and just like a fine single malt, often age and experience sets the tone (and accompanying value); so a relatively new drop has to have something particularly special on offer to capture the attention of the at times, dare I say it, snobbish attitude of the pro audio kingdom.

Wayne Jones Audio, based in Melbourne, Victoria are certainly ones for pushing the envelope, and well, be I so bold as to say, lead the pack when it comes to studio monitor design, technological innovation and integration - making significant partnerships that, to put it simply, have revolutionized this section of the industry. When I had the pleasure of talking to the man himself Wayne Jones recently, I quickly discovered that for Wayne, his philosophy is simple - “to reproduce accurately what goes in”. It’s with this in mind that the beginnings of Wayne Jones Audio make that much more sense. As a renowned session bass player, Wayne had been looking for a bass cabinet that could more accurately reproduce the sound of his instrument to his ears, and with an introduction to Loranaz Audio, a 10” woofer (sporting a eucalyptus

pulp Kevlar impregnated cone) was made that ticked all the right boxes. The bottom end reproduction of this custom driver was so tight and accurate, Wayne’s first solo record was mixed on a pair of these bass cabinets, with superb results. What started as a bass players’ search for low end reproduction perfection, sparked the idea that with some tweaking, this 10” driver could be well suited as the basis of a fantastic studio monitor.

After establishing the solid 10” bass driver with Lorantz Audio, the installation of a FaitalPRO bullet tweeter, Pascal Audio 650-watt amplifier and some wildly powerful SHARC DSP processing at 192k, an already wonderfully flat and accurate sounding speaker (which Wayne has painstakingly tweaked by hand with extensive cabinet damping) was taken into new, unexplored territory.

Fast forward and Wayne Jones Audio has an insanely powerful line of powered studio monitors, which includes the smaller 6.5” two-way nearfield, the 10” two-way near/ midfield and the behemoth 2 x 10” three-way far field monitor. Both two-way models boast 650 watts of power, whilst the three-way system pumps out a pulverising 2000 watts. There’s also a 15” 1000-watt subwoofer available, not that these monitors really require one, with cabinet tunings ranging 35Hz – 20kHz. However, the extension the sub offers when paired with any of the aforementioned monitors is superb for LFE purposes in film, television,

surround and immersive mixing formats, or for genres that require that additional octave and a half below to really be felt in the room. Whilst each of the Wayne Jones Audio monitors are absolutely superb in their own right, offering some of the flattest, most revealing studio monitors available, the company’s recent partnership with Sonarworks has leveled up these monitors into a realm all of their own. This partnership not only means the monitors ship with Sonarworks Sound ID reference (and the measurement microphone of course), but the integration goes as far as to allowing for a reference ID profile to be stored within the DSP of the monitors themselves. This brings with it an array of advantages, particularly for those working predominantly outside the box with outboard, or those wanting to free up processing power on their system, not having to keep Sonarworks running in the background within a session. What’s more, as Wayne assured me, this localized storage within the monitors doesn’t cause any latency, but actually runs at zero latency, so no issues being able to have the monitors using their room correction curve whilst live tracking.

Since the announcement of Wayne Jones Audio and Sonarworks teaming up, this partnership has only gone from strength to strength. With the introduction of SoundID reference multi channel calibration along with Wayne Jones Audio’s own SoundID reference upload app, Atmos and immersive format setups can be calibrated and then imported faster than any other system available.

This further integration is nothing short of ground breaking for

multiple reasons. The SoundID reference upload app means each of the monitor’s profiles are stored within the app as bin files, it’s easy to organise and can store as many room profiles as required. As expected each of the individual monitors within an Atmos or immersive system is able to store the SoundID reference room calibration profile (uniquely labelled to each speaker of the system within the app), but also includes delay and gain settings per speaker, as well as listening spot correction. This is an absolute game changer, as a whole system is able to be stored to individual speakers in a single click. Having experienced first hand the painstaking task of manually entering data such as this into an Atmos system, this truly is a remarkable feat.

Suffice to say, Wayne Jones Audio have not only been hard at work producing some of the finest studio monitors available on the market today, but also have a thorough understanding of the demands of the current market – and their partnership with Sonarworks speaks volumes to this. As they say, it's always the last 5-10% that’s the hardest to achieve when it comes to striving for perfection. But, I think it's fair to say, Wayne Jones Audio has this well within grasp. The true definition of a pioneer and Australian innovation at its finest.

BY ANDY LLOYD RUSSELL

DEMYSTIFYING THE beyerdynamic RANGE

Professional headphones are a critical part of the tool kit for anyone in the music industry, whether they're musicians, sound engineers, or producers. Critical listening is essential at all stages of the production process, from start to finish.

Whether it’s improving a performance through hearing the detail needed as a musician, or allowing a producer/engineer to fine tune this performance. When it comes to choosing the right pair of headphones, there are many factors to consider, from impedance to open versus closed back models. Getting the right piece of equipment for the task goes a long way towards getting professional results.

beyerdynamic is one of the most trusted names in the audio world and their headphone portfolio is extensive, offering a wide variety of options for every application. For this article, we are going to be taking a deeper look into the iconic brands headphone range, the subtle technical differences that separate one model from the next and how to choose a set that will help you get the most out of the rest of your signal chain.

When it comes to choosing a model it’s best that you make an informed decision about what’s going to do the job most effectively. The most important thing to decide is what type of listening work you’re going to do with them. Do you need them for recording, monitoring, or mixing purposes? Once you have answered this question, you can then consider the device you want to use them with, your budget, and the impedance of the headphones that will work best.

The first thing that needs consideration is, are you using the headphones for recording or for mixing? Closed-back headphones are recommended for recording and monitoring purposes as they provide strong isolation and prevent crosstalk during recording. beyerdynamic’s most visible presence in the marketplace is the closed-back DT 770 PRO which is a closed back monitoring headphone perfect for tracking. They are an extremely popular choice from the beyerdynamic range and are available in 32, 80, and 250 ohm variants. But what does this all mean in practice?

Simply put, the majority of wired headphones on the market consist of two passive drivers,

which of course need to be driven by an amplification circuit of some kind, all of which differ in output. A smartphone for example, is likely to have a much smaller amplification circuit than a dedicated headphone amplifier. Impedance in an audio circuit is a way to control the amount of signal deployed to our drivers, hence we are able to optimize this electro-acoustic exchange by tailoring our impedance choice to the kind of amplification circuit which our headphones will most likely be drawing from.

beyerdynamic are unique in that they provide multiple impedance options for their studio headphones to ensure the highest possible performance for any given application.

The low impedance 32-ohm option are ideal for everyday listening and portable audio applications. The 80-ohm model features a longer 3 m straight cable, which is useful in a studio setting. The 250-ohm model comes with a coiled cable, which offers more flexibility when moving around with the headphones. The last option in this range is the DT 770 M model which comes with a straight cable and an in-line volume control. This feature is ideal for drummers and FOH engineers who require better passive attenuation of sound.

If you are looking for headphones that will predominantly be used for mixing and mastering purposes, open-back and semiopen headphones are recommended. These headphones provide a natural sound image that allows for the perception of the smallest details and errors in the recording. In the semiopen range the DT 880 PRO (250 Ohm) is a great option. It is a semi-open headphone that few people are aware of, but it has excellent analytical properties making it a really good choice for this type of work. Another in this category is the DT 990 PRO, which is an open-back headphone available in 80 and 250 ohm options. The 80-ohm model comes with a 3 m straight cable, while the 250-ohm model features a coiled cable. The DT 1990 PRO is another open-back headphone available

in a 250-ohm option. The DT 990 PRO and DT 1990 PRO are both excellent choices for critical listening and mixing, as their open-back design provides a more natural and spacious sound. beyerdynamic also now offers a range of different options which allow additional connectivity capacity. The new 48-ohm PRO X headphones feature Plug-n-Play cables that are also compatible with both the DT 1770 PRO and DT 1990 PRO headphones. These new headphones and cable options are available in USB-C and Lightning versions, making them ideal for use with mobile devices as well as studio equipment.

The other important thing to consider when choosing headphones is the impedance and how this should influence your choice of headphone. Impedance is a measure of how much a device resists the flow of electric current. It is expressed in ohms (Ω), which is the same unit used for resistance. In headphones, impedance refers to the electrical resistance of the voice coils in the drivers. The guiding principle behind making the right choice in terms of impedance is the higher the impedance, the more power the headphones need. This means that highimpedance headphones are harder to drive than low-impedance headphones. If you plan to use the headphones with a mobile media player, tablet, or smartphone, then lowimpedance headphones are suitable as they can deliver reasonable sound volume with low output devices. Headphones with higher impedance should preferably be driven by a headphone amplifier in order to achieve optimal performance.

By considering the factors mentioned above, you can make an informed decision and choose the headphones that are best suited for your intended application. beyerdynamic offers a wide range of professional headphones for various audio applications, and each model has its unique set of features that cater to specific needs.

For further information visit https://www. beyerdynamic.com.au/

BY BRETT VOSS

KRK GOAUX: Mobile and Malleable

Modern equipment needs to move with us, as we’re working more often remotely, inside and outside of ideal working spaces to create content, music and video— as well as relaxing in different spaces in our downtime. Because of this shift in the way we work, versatile equipment that moves with us is an increasingly popular option, rather than having multiple pieces of equipment for the same job in different spaces.

In the Audio production realm, mixing and mastering requires consistent referencing for initial mixes and revisions, and we can’t always be listening in the same environment. Modern gaming, on the other hand, has high quality soundscapes, foley and sound design that is lost on low quality sound systems, so for the best experience, you’ll want a high quality speaker to listen to your teammates, as well as enjoy the in-game sounds and musical score, wherever you’re playing.

WORK

The busier we get as creatives, the greater the need for portability and flexibility in our mix environment. Unfortunately, deadlines stop for no one, and we might find ourselves making mix revisions in untreated rooms, or needing to record an idea whenever inspiration may strike. Traditionally, professional monitoring is a bulky and complicated prospect, and while brands like KRK have built their fair share of solid, robust, larger footprint monitors used in studios all over the world, they’re also assisting at the opposite end of the spectrum.

KRK’s GoAux monitor’s 3” or 4” woofers are coupled with a 1” soft textile dome tweeter. They’re a bi-amplified two-way design, so the frequency response is shared across the two speakers for more clarity. The included stands help to decouple the speakers from wherever they’re placed, as well as angling them towards your ears to prevent standing waves bouncing directly off a back wall. Their small size means you can have consistent clarity wherever you may be working, be it in a treated studio, hotel room or in transit.

The GoAux system is easy to set up, requiring a single power cable to be daisy chained to power both speakers. Input is quick, and the built-in high and low frequency EQ lets you quickly tweak to a preferable sound on the go. The GoAux system doesn’t take up much space - a godsend in a world where creativity can strike at the worst times - but allows us to be set up quickly without clearing away the synths, laptops, hardware and coffee cups that inspire creativity. The RCA input allows for better connectivity to things like DJ controllers or decks, both analogue and digital, while the USB allows you to connect directly from a laptop or desktop. The Aux In allows additional channels like a phone, sampler or other instrument to be connected as well. While being designed as a reference monitor, the KRK GoAux speakers are by no means sterile or unpleasant to listen to, as some other monitors can be. They’re pleasing and enjoyable, while still offering a true reflection of the sound they’re playing back. This is all to say that the GoAux’s are equally useful at home as a personal listening speaker as they are a reference monitor for critical listening and fine-tuning an arrangement or mix.

The GoAux 3 and 4 speakers connect via Bluetooth, RCA or ⅛” auxiliary, with the GoAux 4 also accepting balanced 1/4” TRS, or USB Type-B. The woofers are constructed from woven glass aramid, also known as kevlar, an increasingly common material for speaker cones because of its durability, as well as its ability to accurately reproduce precise frequency information. Both the GoAux 3 & 4 have a crossover at 2.5kHz before the 1” soft textile dome tweeter takes over. The ABS plastic speaker cabinets are ported at the rear for a clear bass response, the GoAux 3 reaching down to 60Hz while the 4 accurately reproducing down to 55Hz.

The GoAux’s are powered by a bi-amplified class D amplifier, and both systems boast a negligible < 0.2% THD+N of system distortion from 45Hz up to 20kHz. A little investigation into the input options for the GoAux reveal them as a great companion for the electronic music producer. Having RCA and USB input isn’t all that common on modern monitors, let alone for something as portable and practical as the GoAux. All this is before we’ve even

discussed the ARC system available with the KRK GoAux 4’s.

The GoAux 4’s include a measurement microphone and ARC system, and thus the KRK GoAux’s can be optimised for any room you’re working in. The Auto ARC microphone input allows the speaker’s internal processing to do a frequency sweep of the room, figure out any shortfalls or buildups in the space and correct them for playback. What this means, besides treating your room per se, is that you’ll be listening back to a consistent sound wherever you are. Different rooms are constructed from different materials, meaning that sounds bounce around differently and accumulate uniquely, as well as rooms having their own resonances that gives rooms a ‘sound’ as the sum of all these parts. The ARC System included with the GoAux 4’s helps eliminate this, and it’s all bundled up together in a handy carry pack, with stands included, strung across your shoulder at just 3.15kg or 4.3kg for the 3 and 4 respectively.

The GoAux 3 and 4 are a producer’s best friend. They’re reliable, consistent and offer the accuracy of monitors far beyond the GoAux’s size. KRK’s history of reference monitoring speaks volumes, and the GoAux speakers are no different to any of the other famed products in their range. Easily transportable in the included carry bag, lightweight and robust for travelling, the GoAux kit also includes a reference microphone for quickly measuring and treating a room so you can make revisions with confidence, while listening back to monitoring you know and trust. The rear-ported cabinets provide great clarity in the bottom end, aided further by the shared load of the biamp design and woven glass aramid woofers. Permanently set up, bulky monitoring is a great thing to have when you’re home, but a busy creative is often on the move, and the KRK GoAux’s move with you.

PLAY

Over the past two decades, KRK monitor speakers have found their place in creative studios all over the world. In precisely the same fashion as they found their place in various commercial recording facilities, the world over, so to have they become a mainstay in home recording, streaming and content creation setups also.

With the great sound and big bottom end they offer, KRK have been an obvious choice, not only for video production teams, but also gamers looking to take full advantage of their extended frequency response and demure physical footprint. But this doesn’t just extend to the professional world either, KRK’s highly touted Rockit range have emerged as a first choice listening speaker for kicking back and immersing oneself in the game at hand. After all, everyone is entitled to their downtime.

With such a wide range of options in their line-up, KRK have now gone one step further, and smaller, developing a studio monitoring system that you can take anywhere. Thanks to the KRK GoAux3 and GoAux4, the mobile editing studio or gaming system just became more efficient, and better sounding, wherever you may be listening.

There are two models available, the GoAux3 and GoAux4. You don’t need to read through the spec sheets to realise that these refer to woofer size, GoAux offering 3” and 4” options. So, they are already going to be smaller than their most popular Rokit series monitors, but KRK have pushed it further, as these speakers have been designed to be a portable solution. With that in mind, KRK have built a single power amp into just one of the speaker cabinets, the other runs as passive, powered by the first with the included speaker cable. This means your monitoring system requires only one power outlet, reduces the weight of the second speaker, and the overall weight of the system for ease of travelling. Once your GoAux speakers are placed, the rear panel of the main speaker has inputs for ¼” balanced TRS connectors, RCA, 1/8” stereo jack and a Bluetooth connection. There’s also a headphone output on the front panel that mutes the speakers for silent monitoring when needed.

Designed to be used as a compact nearfield monitor, KRK understood that the perfect position for these speakers was going to be different in every environment. They have included a pair of compact speaker stands that allow you to angle the position of the speakers for best results. Let’s face it, when you’re taking your video, gaming or live streaming on the road with you, you never really know what space you’ll have to set up in.

Often, unstable platforms for the speakers leave them too close and firing away from your ears. This is far from ideal listening conditions, and will only serve to diffuse the sound of the monitors and deliver an unclear signal. So, the stands allow you to adjust the angle of the speakers to get a more directional sound that is targeted to your listening position. When not in use, they fold up neatly and slide away into the included carry bag.

That is to say, yes, this speaker system comes with its own padded carry bag, so you will be all set to take them wherever you need to go. It has space for both speakers, the stands, and all the cables. Furthermore, the GoAux4 bag has space to accommodate the included ARC microphone. For those of you who haven’t heard of KRK’s ARC microphone, let me fill you in.

The ARC microphone is software for Auto Room Correction and is now integrated into the hardware and DSP of the GoAux4, so you get a compact room correction device within the GoAux speaker system itself. The process doesn’t just analyse the high and low frequencies in the room to balance the EQ of the speakers, there’s a lot more to it than that. It takes into account the reflections caused by hard surfaces and low frequency resonance created by the shape of the space you’re gaming in. This results in more clarity in your audio signal that vastly improves the stereo imaging, especially when playing in a room that

isn’t perfectly symmetrical in design and décor, as just about every room is. This allows you to hear foley, music and sound design as it was intended, as well as being able to keep a closer ear on the developing game.

If you’re serious about your gaming sound, and you want it to get consistent sound wherever you are, the GoAux4 is the obvious choice as you can adjust the speakers’ response with the ARC microphone upon setup. What both models offer is that great KRK studio monitor sound in a compact format. It is incredible to hear just how solid of a low frequency response these compact speakers are able to deliver. With the soundtracks of today’s games being just as awe inspiring as the graphics and gameplay alike, it would be amiss to leave that out of the experience just because space was an issue.

The result of all this is a great sounding, compact audio monitoring system that can be set up in just about any space. Whether you go for a tuned audio workspace with the GoAux4 monitor system, or if you are looking to save even more space with the GoAux3 monitors, there is a big sound to be found in both of these compact studio monitors. Best of all, both options pack up into the included carry bag, so you can take them anywhere. Now you don’t have to be locked to your headphones when you’re out and about. Great quality monitor speakers are available anywhere you want to go.

BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS AND ROB GEE

THE SPEAKERS ARE TALKING...

Immersive Calibration With IK Multimedia

The world has become more mobile, and not all studio setups lend themselves to this kind of workflow.

Artists are working on the road, engineers are being booked to record in unique spaces, and with all this movement, deadlines fall on dates when we’re on the go. It’s not ideal to be moving from monitor to monitor, room to room, and iLoud understand this. Their MTM series are a super mobile way to keep your monitoring consistent, ranging from the Precision 5 monitors up to the Precision MTM reviewed here. What’s more, the whole range includes the ARC System 3, a measurement microphone, analysis software and correction plug-in designed to ‘fix’ the imperfections in your room. What this means is you can have a mobile monitoring rig that’s ready to be tweaked to sound consistent in a variety of spaces. The iLoud Precision MTM monitors are monitors with dual 5” Woofers for lows and mids, and a 1.5” Tweeter for highs to ensure the full frequency spectrum is shared across multiple speakers per se. The ARC system introduces the ability to reduce ear fatigue and time delay, while accurately monitoring everything from 36 Hz – 30 kHz.

The iLoud Precision MTM are a stereo pair (available separately) of monitoring speakers, with a mid woofer-tweeter-mid woofer layout, hence the MTM in their name. They’re the largest of the Precision series, featuring dual woofers and a tweeter in between them. Designed for a

vertical orientation to be super space saving, the Precision MTMs reproduce everything from 36Hz30kHz, with +/- 1 dB accuray from 45Hz-30kHz, which is where the bulk of musical sounds live. The internal DSP system allows for unmatched stereo imaging and consistent bass, even before the ARC System has been introduced. Even without a sub, the MTM monitors have clear and precise bottom end, something that’s often lacking in smaller speakers. Speaking of smaller speakers, the onboard DSP is controlled by iLoud’s X-MONITOR software, which allows you to toggle between different voicings, from the unprocessed Precision sound to other famously useful monitors without the need for additional speakers.

The DSP is what really pushes the Precision series as a whole into their own world, the onboard DSP handles processing handling phase and time delays. Phase is a really important element to your monitoring, as sound bounces around the room and even a millimetre difference within your sweet spot can change how certain frequencies arrive at your ears. The ARC System 3 itself, with the help of the included referencequality ARC microphone, analyses your room and creates a profile for playback based on what the microphone hears within your room. This includes time delays and frequencies that may be lost or augmented in your space. In a nutshell, the ARC 3 System does a frequency sweep of your room and creates a profile to flatten what is present in your room. Elements like hard surfaces, acoustic treatment and furniture both absorb and reflect sound, making it build up

and fizzle out across different frequencies. The ARC software allows you to help eliminate these discrepancies for a more balanced listening experience wherever you are, allowing you to mix in hotel rooms, venues or at home with a familiar and consistent monitoring experience. With the MTM’s set up on the included isolation pads, you can set the ARC microphone in your listening position. It’ll perform a sweep and create a profile that you’ll then have available within the X-MONITOR software and toggle between the Precision’s sound without software, your ARC profile, or other profiles like ‘White 80s’ for different references to ensure your mix will translate. The remote control, available separately, allows you to toggle between these profiles without a mouse.

In use, the MTM monitors are — simply put: great. While their small footprint might make them look like a less than ideal choice for professional grade monitoring, their sound tells another story. The MTMs are balanced, with a super clear sound and controlled bottom and high end. The bass feels punchy, even without a sub, and the mids and highs feel honest— for better or worse while checking my own mixes! Even before the ARC system is introduced, the MTM monitors sound trustworthy for referencing mixes and making those critical decisions. The ARC system elevates the speakers, of course, taking a measurement and correcting the playback for a more balanced control. The ARC system returned my mixes feeling more immediate, with a few little issues like mud immediately more apparent. The clarity in the bottom end was what felt the most

obvious, immediately making it easier to notch out little problems and making the subbier elements work together.

The iLoud Precision MTM would be a great addition to a studio of any size, for any engineer of any calibre. The onboard DSP elevates them, but the MTMs alone sound great. They’re balanced, responsive and honest at their core, and the ARC system that’s included pushes them to a new level. Working across different spaces is always a challenge, but the ARC system takes the risk out of it, resting your sound for a consistent listening experience allowing for mix notes and changes to be made in a variety of spaces so you can meet deadlines. iLoud produce products for creators of every level, and they’re now creating solutions for every space.

For further information go to www.sound-music.com

BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

REVIEW: MV88+ Video Kit

Distributor: Jands

RRP: $529

Shure are the leaders in practical microphones, having produced some of the most used audio products in history. Their SM57 and SM58 mics speak to their ability to produce products for the working creative, and while historically they’ve been intended for music and audio, their growing MOTIV range of products shift them into the world of video with equally trustworthy products.

The MV88+ Video Kit is a stowable, professional recording rig, including their MV88+ stereo condenser microphone, as well as a small collection of accessories to help you capture great audio on the go.

Being stereo, the MV88+ itself captures professional sounding, polished audio that doesn’t need much work to refine it for professional sounding videos. The included accessories, Manfrotto PIXI mini tripod, phone clamp allow you focus on the content, whether it be video, podcast interviews or foley, and allow the MV88+ to focus on recording. The MV88+ Video Kit is designed to be everything you need to start creating great sounding audio and video, and all with ease within the ShurePlus MOTIV apps. The MV88+ allows you to charge your phone while in use, and there’s some handy LEDs on the mic itself to let you know what’s happening with power, firmware and audio levels.

The MV88+ itself is a stereo condenser microphone, which is powered by a Lightning® or USB-C connector. Being a stereo or mid-side microphone, it harnesses cardioid and bidirectional microphone capsules, meaning it captures the stereo field for more authentic sounding recordings. Onboard DSP offers some different instrument voicings for preset settings, a stereo width control for more or less directional recording,

a compressor that ranges from gentle to heavy, as well as a hard limiter to prevent audible distortion. There’s a high-pass filter (HPF) that’s switchable from 75-150Hz, and some basic graphic EQ controls. There’s also a left-right swap for the stereo if needed, for example when filming video where you want to switch to the perspective of the content, i.e. stage left and stage right. All the processing is in addition to the practical portability of the MV88+ Video Kit, the included Manfrotto PIXI mini tripod folding away to a fraction of its fully extended size, and it’s all kept safe while travelling in the included neoprene roll-up bag bag. The Video kit is designed to integrate with an existing setup, with a headphone output for latency free monitoring, and the phone mount being compatible with other tripods if need be. The MV88+ Video Kit works entirely as its own stand alone kit, but is also a bundle of handy accessories to keep in your tool box.

In use, the MV88+ Video Kit is a breeze to set up. It integrates quickly with a phone, which also clamps in easily into the sturdy feeling to the phone clamp for monitoring. The tripod is lightweight, its feet folding down for use as a handle if needed, or splaying out to be stationed on a table or desktop. The neoprene roll up bag, while being such a simple addition, features pockets to store everything included in the kit and then some, including

any extra cables and adapters you might need. The MV88+ rotates on its own little axis, which also feels robust and sturdy, so your phone won’t go sliding around and ruining an otherwise perfect shot. The tripod extends, and includes a lock to set your phone and MV88+ in the perfect spot for capture. The ShurePlus MOTIV app for audio really pushes this little Video Kit into its own league, allowing you to quickly set audio levels, as well as treat the audio to retain clarity, even without prior audio knowledge. The HPF allows you to quickly filter out rumble, little bumps and other noise, while the more gentle compression settings are super transparent, but make for a more clear and consistent sounding recording, especially for voice or outside noises where wind might be present. The onboard DSP voicings make set up even faster again, harnessing all of the available effects for a sound preset that works as intended. You can switch between Speech, Singing, Flat, Acoustic or Loud, all of which subtly treat the audio for maximum dynamic range and minimum noise. The DSP settings adjust frequency, gain and dynamic for an optimal level, and serve as a great starting point, if not as a quick fix-all style setting.

The MV88+ would be a welcome purchase for just about anyone. The MV88+ itself, even without the accessories included, is a great option for an easy, portable recording solution. The accessories

build the kit into everything you might need, keeping your audio and video stable, both physically and sonically. Shure’s history of practical, robust products have given them a leg up in the world of content creation, where video and audio is created on the fly, and often outside of ideal recording situations. The ShurePlus MOTIV apps make setting up your gear quick, and get you back into the content, whether that be podcasting, foley, or interviews, and keep you engaged with the work rather than fiddly and meddlesome equipment, cables and settings. Different DSP voices serve as a great way to set-andforget, trusting you’ll be capturing great quality audio, and the low latency headphone out, direct from the MV88+, can help you catch any issues if they are present! The Video Kit is a really portable solution, stowing away to a fraction of its size, but the Manfrotto PIXI mini tripod extending to be everything you need it to be, all with low latency monitoring and sturdy, lockable controls available to keep everything rolling when you need it to.

BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

SONIC SUSTAINABILITY WITH Durra Panel

For a lot of us, having a dedicated space to make music is the absolute dream. An optimised, personalised interior in which we can tinker and toil away for hours on end. On paper, it’s a beautiful thing, but in reality, the sheer logistics of creating such a space and the associated costs in doing so can leave your studio dreams stuck in neutral forevermore.

Whether we’re looking into commercial spaces to be hired out for projects or a personal, private studio for our own work and clients, it’s a massive logistical undertaking. Having a space (either under lease or buying a building or some land) is one thing, but acoustically treating it so that sound doesn’t leak in, or out, while making the internal rooms sound good for recording, well, that is another thing entirely.

This generally starts with building a room within a room, decoupling the structures where you can, so that the acoustic energy created in the space dissipates into the air gaps and can’t be heard outside. But, I hear you say, ‘I’m a musician, not a carpenter’, ‘I can barely screw in a rack bolt’. Enter Durra Panel: the simple, sustainable studio solution for the modern musician/ engineer.

Durra Panel have been working at building more environmentally friendly sound absorption and insulation products for decades, providing customised solutions and eco friendly building products for their laundry list of top tier clients and having had their hand in some of Australia’s most prestigious and large scale studio builds along the way.

Primarily working with compressed straw fibre, the modern day Durra Panels have an impressive STL (Sound Transmission Loss) rating with a wide range of finishes, making them a great solution for recording facilities, content creation studios and even sports stadiums, thanks to their ability to prevent sound from both leaving and entering into the space. More recently, the brand unveiled their awesome new Acoustic Studio

Kits, a simple, easy to assemble solution designed to convert everyday living and commercial spaces into specialised performance, recording and mixing facilities.

“What really sets Durra Panel apart is that our Acoustic Studio Kits are demountable. So if you’re leasing a space and would like to hold on to your studio, you can pack up and re-assemble elsewhere,” explains Steve Layfield, National Sales Manager at Ortech Industries (Durra Panel’s parent company).

As a musician himself, Steve has been at a particularly unique vantage point when it comes to seeing the potential for Durra Panel in the burgeoning home studio market.

“Durra Panel was always marketed for its acoustic performance, but as a musician myself, I noticed an opportunity to develop a package solution for clients seeking a high-performance Acoustic Studio system, without being labour intensive.”

Steve’s initial instincts proved to be on point, with the brands Series 1, Series 2 and Series 3 Studio kits (which offer a completely disconnected “box within a box” and provide the highest acoustic performance for noise sensitive recordings or drum rooms), finding their way into a whole host of high profile studio builds and professional editing suites in recent history. Everything from post facilities in Melbourne, to rural radio stations in far north Western Australia.

“Over the years we have seen some really clever and interesting applications for our studio kits. We’ve seen a fully fledged Series 3

studio kit assembled in the tightest garage space imaginable, have supplied 10 Dolby accredited studio kits to be set up in a large warehouse for film work and have delivered multiple kits up to Karratha WA for a new local radio station. The breadth of application has been astounding.”

Outside of being a simple, cost effective solution for studio builds and demountable recording spaces, perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of the Durra Panel product comes by way of its uniquely sustainable manufacturing process and the impressive STL (Sound Transmission Loss) numbers contained therein.

Durra Panel is made from reclaimed stubble straw, a biproduct from growing wheat, before being extruded to shape and heated to draw out the naturally occurring lignan that allows the panel to bind together and retain said shape. It’s a process that is both sustainable and community driven, with an emphasis on minimising wastage from procurement, right through to transportation and later, installation.

“We purchase the straw directly from farmers local to our Bendigo manufacturing facility,” explains Steve.

“The densely compressed nature of the panel core traps pockets of air that assist in minimising noise break-out or intrusion into the studio space, in turn providing versatile wall and ceiling materials made from a waste resource that would otherwise be discarded.”

The unique manner by which Durra Panel is manufactured also means a chemical free process end-to-end, in turn having the

added benefit of introducing no petrochemicals or binders into the overall equation, which is sure to emit a sigh of a relief, considering the surplus of electronics and glowing red tubes we intend to house within our room within a room.

While we can all agree that sustainability and safety should be at the top of everyone's agenda, it all wouldn’t mean quite as much if the product wasn’t able to cut it, sonically speaking.

Suffice to say, Durra Panel’s unique construction method has the welcome side effect of making it exceptionally good at low frequency noise control and sound deadening, something that is sure to pique the interest of tracking and mix engineers alike.

“The compressed straw core has naturally occurring sound dampening properties, far beyond what you would normally expect to see in foundational building materials’

“This means it can be used as a mass barrier in designing acoustic spaces rather than needing multiple layers of plasterboard to do the same job.”

Durra Panel also offers a range of optional finishes to further achieve higher NRC values such as the Acoustic Pattern finish (NRC 0.49) or Soundsorb finish (NRC 0.70). The logistics of building a studio can be daunting, but thankfully products like Durra Panel’s new Studio kits are there to make it a much more streamlined and sustainable process.

Feel free to drop Durra Panel a line hello@durrapanel.com or 03 9580 7766.

BY PABLO FRANCOIS

FIRST LOOK : Behringer XENYX 502S and XENYX 802S

It’s that time of year again. Where the deluge of announcements, proclamations and murmurings of new products hits our inboxes. One of the first to genuinely pique the interest of the team here at Mixdown was the new 502s and 802s mixer/Interfaces from industry stalwart Behringer.

Whereas previous incarnations provided a cost effective, small scale mixer, the new 502s and 802s take this premise and reimagine it for the crossover streaming crowd.

The same two premium analogue mixers with USB streaming, with five and eight inputs respectively. These units are the latest incarnations of Behringer’s XENYX range of utilitarian small scale mixers.

For those new to recording the small scale mixer/ interface has always been something of a life hack for home recordists with a penchant for nailing it on the way in. With onboard in line processing and preamps that punch above their weight. Expanding their reach, with the XENYX 502S and XENYX 802S, Behringer is bringing this same streamlined approach and reimagining it for some of the more ubiquitous content creation types within the modern media landscape - gaming and streaming.

Now let’s get down to business and talk specs. Having been prototyped and designed with a priority placed on live-content creation, we would be remiss not to highlight the ‘Stream to Mix’ and ‘Stream to Monitor’ functions that both of these units boast. RCA inputs will allow users to take a line out from a TV in order to expertly stream audio directly from your gaming platform of choice. The routing flexibility and convenient portability of these units means that regardless of where and what you choose to live-stream from, you will be easily accommodated.

As mentioned earlier, traditionally one of the biggest draw cards for mixers of this type is the USB connectivity which allows it to operate as an interface. It’s a two speed economy-on the one hand you have a small scale mixer, ideal for ensemble jamming or busking, while the other side of the coin is the interface component, which is perfect for allowing for onboard tonal sculpting prior to commitment. This means you will be able to tailor your sounds on the front end to your liking well before you dive into your trusty go-to plugins and compressors, a godsend in terms of streamlining your recording workflow, and CPU power.

These aforementioned features are indicative of just why these units will be expressly suited to creatives operating live content workflows. The ability to forgo software mixing entirely, processing all of your audio on the XENYX itself and casting directly from the USB port to your audience, is an undoubtedly efficient solution for professionals and hobbyists in the realtime online entertainment space. Spontaneous clipping won’t even disrupt your workflow when operating these mixers, with convenient onboard metres, clear visual stimuli to alert you to any clipping amidst a busy session. The myriad features that these mixers come equipped with won't just enhance your experience of streaming audio either, but your audience’s too - with the pan knobs on all channels of these units meaning you can place your viewers/listeners in the stereo field to boost the immersiveness of the content you’re putting out.

The discrete size and portability of both of these XENYX offerings will also be indispensable to streamers and content creators working from modest desk spaces, and dually, those who like a change of scenery from session to session. Behringer’s foresight to include rotary gain pots over faders also contributes to its compactness. Conserving desk space will increase your mobility and allow you the full range of expressivity required of live entertainment.

The Behringer XENYX 502S and XENYX 802S will undoubtedly provide audio practitioners of the live content creation variety with a flexible, convenient and all encompassing solution to streamline workflow. These mixers will allow you to remain presentshortening the gap between you and the content you make and your audience.

BY ISABELLA VENUTTI

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Neve 88M Preamp Interface&

Taking decades of innovation and refinement and concentrating it into the unassuming Neve 88M

It’s hard to fully encapsulate just how much the Neve brand name means to the culture of Pro Studio.

It’s an omnipresence, a symbol of prestige, and in terms of day-to-day practicality, is still the yardstick to which all other mixing consoles/ preamps/channel strips are measured, even some 60+ years since the company’s inception.

To put it simply, the Neve brand has become studio shorthand for quality and excellence in the field. It’s phonetically imprinted into the very foundations of everything we know about professional studio both past and present, becoming one of the most defining sonic signatures in recorded music history.

Traditionally, when we think of Neve we generally think of full-scale, large-format consoles and recording solutions for the top end of town, but the legendary brand has actually proven themselves to be surprisingly nimble in recent times, having spent the last couple of decades expanding into the world of standalone rack units and small footprint options, all with versatility and scalability front of mind.

Up until this point, the lion’s share of these smaller Neve offerings had come in the form of isolated circuits lifted from the brand’s famous large-scale consoles – standalone preamps, EQs, and compressors for those of us who might not have the space or budget for a fully fledged 32-channel Neve console. The new Neve 88M on the other hand, is something different entirely – a professional-grade, smallfootprint recording interface with the modern recording climate in mind. Based on first looks, it’s more than worth getting excited about.

Given the recent successes of other prestige studio manufacturers in the prosumer interface market (like UA’s Apollo series and SSL’s 2 and 2+), many of us were waiting with baited breath to see if arguably the producer of the greatest front end in recorded history would pair its peerless preamps with some high-powered

digital converters and launch into the interface market, boots and all. Happy to say, that day has arrived.

Using the same state-of-the-art Marinair preamps as Neve’s flagship 88RS console, the 88M is a premium two-channel audio interface with the option of eight additional digital inputs via ADAT optical connection, in turn allowing for 10 channels of simultaneous audio, making it ideal for both standalone use or for integrating into a more complex recording chain.

Connected via USB 3.0, the output/monitoring path of the 88M offers a bevy of options for the budding engineer, with plenty of versatility on offer. With two analogue monitor sends and eight additional digital outputs (again via ADAT), the 88M is a natural for expandable monitoring situations or for providing additional performer cue sends and connecting to different outboard gear down the line. You can monitor either from your DAW or totally latency free, ideal for switching between recording on the fly or mixing.

Indeed, it is the quality and character of these preamps that has informed so much of the legendary ‘Neve’ sound and it’s the presence of these premium, analogue circuits within the context of a prosumer interface that makes the 88M such a revelation. It really is the meeting of two worlds.

Born in the UK in 1926, the late Rupert Neve began his audio journey moving around between radio repair jobs before finding his way into public address and TV systems, garnering an intimate understanding of producing the highest quality recordings possible with the relatively primitive equipment afforded to him at the time.

His experience in live situations with radio interference, cross talk, and distortion helped inform his early designs, before eventually founding Neve Electronics in 1961. While Neve designed his circuits and equipment to be as hi-fidelity as possible, it was his uncanny knack for producing clear but characterful audio, a bi-product of the transformer and transistor-based circuits employed in his designs which made for the lethal combination of rich harmonics, clean gain, and isolated signals, even with channels sprawling across a console that would make his consoles such a hot commodity throughout the golden age of professional studio.

The unassuming controls put everything within reach, and the independent headphone controls and monitor pot allow you to finely tune what you’re hearing back after recording through those classic-sounding preamps. While the various masterstrokes in routing and signal flow are sure to get the more experienced engineers among us listening and enthused, for many it’s the affordability and ease of acquiring those two premium Neve preamps that is sure to take centre stage in the eyes of budding engineers worldwide.

The Marinair specification in particular, a transformer-based preamp design drafted by Neve and laid out in the original 1964/1968/1969 designs, is the magic formula that helps to produce the trusted sonic characteristics that have come to define the Neve brand.

Often categorised as ‘fat’, ‘warm’, ‘rich’ and above all else ‘highly musical’, it is this harmonic richness and inherent character that makes Neve preamps so highly coveted.

Compare this with the broad purpose, clinically transparent nature of the preamps found on your average over-the-counter interface and you begin to understand the appeal of the

88M. One is concerned with manipulating a less-than-ideal sound after the fact, the other is about getting the highest quality, most musical sound before conversion and working from there. You can probably imagine which one yields better results.

as toggling between listening back to a direct, mix, or DAW signal when monitoring. You can toggle between stereo and mono modes, and adjust volume via a big, red volume control on the front of the unit. The back features ADAT in and out, allowing for eight extra inputs or outputs, USB connections, and ¼” monitor outputs.

and acoustic guitar players especially, will no doubt rejoice in the ability to add compression or subtractive EQ on the way in, optimising their overdubs and layered parts prior to commitment.

Suffice to say, that when the quality of the onboard analogue pre’s is as high as what we are dealing with here with the 88M, it only makes sense to pair it with equally quality digital conversion, which is precisely what the team at Neve have opted for with reference-quality A/D conversion throughout the 88M’s signal path. In terms of layout, the front panel features two premium Neve preamps with microphone, line, or DI options available via combo ¼”/ XLR Neutrik jacks. LEDs signify that the signal coming in is optimum, and the preamps have independent 48V power for condensers, as well

The unit itself weighs about 1.6kg and is about 20cm wide, so it’ll easily fit in a case or bag of a travelling professional or anyone recording remotely. It’s a small unit, but it’s a powerhouse in terms of expandability and with the ability to pair it with an ADAT breakout box or other ADAT adjacent outboard pre means that there is much more on offer than its diminutive size would have you think. The chassis is road-ready, and while the aesthetic is truly classic Neve, it’s functional and multipurpose, with pots that toggle between circuits for clean recording, and Marinair transformers for your signal to pass through before the converters and to your DAW of choice via USB 3.0.

Another feature which helps the 88M stand out from the crowd, besides the obvious preamp quality, is the presence of insert send and returns for a truer channel-strip style functionality, something that is seldom seen in the broader interface market, but which belies a classic console workflow. Self-recording singers

If we are being honest, there aren’t many who wouldn’t benefit from a bit of Neve in their life, and the 88M now makes this possible for engineers of all walks.

With its forward-thinking approach to routing, high level of scalability, reference quality conversion, and of course, the presence of two of the finest preamps money can buy, the 88M is sure to set a precedent of where small scale interfaces are headed and the kind of quality we can come to expect in the space, moving forward.

Neve is a company steeped in a rich history of innovation, having been founded by one of the greatest audio minds of our time, complete with the lifetime achievement awards, interviews, and testimonies to prove it. The Neve 88M takes these decades of innovation and refinement and distils them into one little unassuming box, a product focused on helping you make music, capture inspired performances, and hear it all back with a little harmonic push from whatever analogue magic they’ve got going on in there.

BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

GEAR ICONS: Solid State Logic

SSL’s decades-long dominance of the professional audio world is evident in a multitude of ways, the first, and most immediate, being the sheer volume of successful records recorded and mixed on SSL consoles.

To get an idea of the ubiquity of SSL consoles in professional studios in the last 30 years, consider that Billboard’s Studio Action Chart estimated that at the peak of the commercial studio industry, 83 per cent of number one hits in the US were recorded through an SSL console, such is the brand’s overwhelming dominance n the musical realm.

At the sonic level, the British company has permeated the very language of the recording studio, with the SSL name becoming a metonym for the slick, polishedyet-punchy sound that mixes display after taking a journey through their famed whisper-quiet preamps, edgy dynamics modules, precision EQ’s, and revered bus compressors – and of course making full use of the SSL’s stateof-the-art routing matrix.

To say that SSL are part of the culture would be an understatement. Over the course of the brand’s history, they have garnered a reputation in the space reserved for only the select few, becoming one of the most trusted and respected icons in all of audio. Along with Neve and API, they make up the holy trinity of the classic console manufacturers, but where the latter were primarily known for their beautiful saturation and sonic gravitas in a mostly musical context, SSL’s pure, crystalline capture, endless headroom, and focus on workflow and routing parlayed perfectly into the world of film and TV post-production, giving the

brand an enduring legacy across two very different corners of the professional market – music and film.

As many brands with a history of making strictly professional gear begin taking their first steps into the home studio market, (and from there into the even newer world of content creation), it is SSL who have emerged as the one best positioned to make the transition into the kind of scalable, desktop workflows required of the modern creative.

Again it’s that word, workflow, that keeps popping up and suffice to say, it is this innate, intimate understanding of professional processes and work habits (acquired from over 40 years as industry leaders in studio and post-production), that has allowed SSL to adapt so naturally to the rapidly changing face of modern studio, with a practicality and nimbleness few other manufacturers can match.

Far from the days of large scale consoles, in 2023, it is the humble DAW controller that has become the norm in post studios worldwide. The mobility, tactile functionality and obvious timesaving benefits they offer provide too much of an incentive for an industry that prides itself on rapid turnarounds and strict deadlines. With a legacy so closely aligned with routing options and efficiency of workflow in the professional space, it’s no surprise that SSL have made the shift so seamlessly into these kinds of hybrid, console-

free workflows. Given their history in the space (and their acronym), you might even say it’s the logical next step for the brand.

For the maturing content creator, especially those who are primarily used to an in-the-box workflow, the brands UF8 controller serves as the perfect entry point into the ‘console’ style workflow preferred in professional mix circles, providing all the visual and haptic upside that comes with mixing through fader banks and rotary dials (and with the option to chain units together as your mixing needs expand).

For the seasoned pro, the UF8 serves as a delightfully portable fader option for location and post work, absolutely ideal for riding dialogue or for getting in-the-box desk mixes ready on the fly. The naturalness of the navigation/ display and the portability/ stowability of the unit itself, makes it your new best friend for any small scale mix applications or minimalist studio setup requirements.

With the ability to provide simultaneous control of multiple DAWs at once, the UF8 is designed to handle any highpressure, post, or content related task you can throw at it and with its multi-purpose master encoder for timeline navigation, advanced track banking, and mouse wheel emulation for precision tactile control, it is a controller that serves as both an ideal gateway into advanced production workflows while simultaneously furthering the classic SSL workflows we all know and love.

But fader balancing, sub-mixing, and ease of layout are just one part of the equation and as anyone with any SSL console experience will tell

you, half the fun is in the brand’s industry-defining approach to inline and bus processing.

The UC1 is a plug-in controller designed to link seamlessly with your DAW of choice, faithfully recreating the SSL processing experience in the digital realm. Designed to control SSL’s proprietary Channel Strip 2 and Bus Compressor 2 plugins, the UC1’s layout features hardware controls for every parameter found on these plugins, themselves emulations of SSL’s legendary bus compressor and channel strips as found on their consoles. This allows for an authentic SSL mixing experience without the price tag of a full-sized console, with the UC1 also linking seamlessly with the aforementioned UF8 DAW controller to allow for a fully modular, scalable layout reminiscent of a mini SSL console, especially with four UF8 units and a UC1 unit all linked at once.

For the budding engineer, learning to use a physical controller in the studio can be a lot like learning to type again, especially after years of being conditioned to believe that the computer mouse is the ideal control peripheral for audio work (hint: it’s not). The kinds of tactile workflows that defined the big console era evolved that way for a reason, and products like the UF8 and UC1 are a perfect reminder of what it feels like to mix audio in its natural habitat. For anyone working to deadlines or pulling eight hour days at the controls, the freedom of movement and speed such workflows allow for are both physically liberating and economically efficient.

BY LIAM MCSHANE

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SYMPHONY PRODUCTIONSWork with the best in the industry.

Sydney Recording Studio Crash Symphony Productions offers both video and audio recording services. The studio recognises the increasingly important role that video plays in getting music and business content out to a wider audience for their clients, and thus operate with a dual emphasis on the two mediums.

The recording studio has been working hard to stay ahead of the curve over the past few years. Crash Symphony invested vigorously in live-streaming technology prior to the Covid-19 pandemic - a decision that proved useful to both musicians and businesses during the lockdowns.

Voice-over and vocal production are at the heart of Crash Symphony Productions. The studio has acquired a new Sony C800G condenser microphone in June last year. The Sony C800G is one of the most sought-after mics in the audio recording industry. This microphone solidifies rash Symphony Productions’ position as one of the most serious vocal recording studios in Australia. The business has a decade of experience in the voice-over field and pride themselves on delivering professional voice-over that impresses, educates and sells. If you’re a professional vocalist, or play in a band, then you will understand the importance of capturing the perfect vocal take, or achieving a well rounded mix.

Crash Symphony Productions has been working closely with AVP Imports to set up their Dolby Atmos surround sound mixing system. They’ll be the first Australian recording studio to use the new Prism ADA128 converters with the Trinnov DMON-12 calibrated studio monitoring system. The Crash team are leading the way in immersive surround sound mixing for music and film.

Crash Symphony Productions’ studio engineers treat every project with meticulous skill and great care, with the team being committed to a policy of setting the industry standard and delivering nothing but the best to clientele.

Choosing a recording studio to assist with a voiceover script, or musical recording project, can be a potential minefield. Luckily, Crash Symphony Productions never use the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach that other recording studios often do.

The team is always happy to meet with potential clients at the studio for a detailed discussion of the project at hand.

The art of being an excellent sound engineer is too often forgotten now that video has become the focus of the modern day media landscape. However, a top quality sound engineer can augment the quality of a production dramatically. When the Crash team record vocals for music or a voice over for an ad, the engineers on site have the ability to enhance every aspect of that recording. The modern tools available to the twenty-first century sound engineer are truly remarkable, and staying on top of the rapid progress is of the utmost importance to Crash Symphony Productions.

The Recording Studio is located at 90 Ben Boyd Rd, Neutral Bay Sydney. That’s five minutes from North Sydney and 10 mins from the Sydney CBD city centre, with ample free parking available at the Recording Studio. Regardless of the nature of your project - if it’s audio quality of the very highest calibre you’re after, Crash Symphony Productions are a tough choice to beat!

BY ISABELLA VENUTTI

ROCKINGHORSE - an Iconic Recording Studio in the Byron Bay Hinterland

Ever dreamed of recording your magnum opus in a location as idyllic as the Byron Bay Hinterland? What if you could do it surrounded by 70s interiors, dripping with style, reminiscent of the golden age of rock recording? Look no further than Byron Bay’s iconic Rockinghorse Studio - a space designed with efficiency and flexibility in mind.

Evocative of classic studios of the 70’s, Rockinghorse’s Studio A is wrapped in warm natural timbers with wide open windows that flood the space with glorious natural light. Clear sight lines connect the three isolated tracking rooms with the one of a kind control room. Boasting what is widely considered to be the best sounding drum tracking room in the greater region, this is a space that facilitates creativity and productivity.

Located in the Byron Shire Hinterland, Rockinghorse offers onsite accommodation, coupled with 24-hour studio access - a spacious 5 bedroom holiday home, nestled into a 70-acre property only 20 minutes from Byron Bay. Luxuriate in style with endless access to spectacular Hinterland views and step away from a busy world to unwind in your own private space. Your creativity will undoubtedly thrive as you bask in the sunlight of the beautiful surrounding countryside.

The studio hosts Neve and Avalon mic preamps and channel strips, GML and Pultec equalisers as well as Neve, Urei, DBX and Smart Research compressors. The control room is supported by a Slate Monitoring Control system and Slate Raven multi touch screen console, with precision monitoring by Genelec, KRK and Yamaha.

Recording System

Capable of handling sessions of the most heavy-duty variety, Rockinghorse’s powerful 2020 Mac Mini based ProTools Ultimate HDX system is ready to bring your music to life. To ensure your music arrives safely, the studio has selected the latest mastering grade 32 i/o Lynx Aurora interface.

Rather operate the session from your own computer? You can simply plug in via the thunderbolt 3 cable and install the HDX drivers.

Studio Effects

Rockinghorse’s collection of vintage effects will help you create lush, soaring soundscapes authentically. Choose from real plate reverbs, subharmonic generators, digital reverb and delay units and spatial chorus effects. You could even add a little boutique valve harmonic distortion to round things off!

Microphones

From the powerful depths of a bass drum to the soaring timbre of world class singers, Rockinghorse has the mic for every job. Whether it’s their recently restored vintage Neumann and AKG microphones, Chandler Limited REDD Tube Condenser Mic with built in mic preamp (a modern take on the classic EMI REDD.47 preamplifier) or modern classics by Royer Labs, there is no sound that can’t be exquisitely captured with the tools on hand.

Instruments

The studio’s centrepiece is a lovingly preserved Yamaha U3 upright piano. After close consultation with experts, Rockinghorse have settled on a timbre which transcends preconceptions surrounding upright pianos to provide artists with a rich, sweet and highly playable instrument.

For more general backline requirements, the studio is equipped with a range of quality

instruments which are available for hire including: drums, guitars, basses, amps and keyboards.

The Gear

Patch into Rockinghorse’s wide collection of vintage Neve or Avalon preamps, a vintage Pultec or GML equalisers and enliven your sound through an original Urei, DBX, Smart Research or Neve Compressors.

Live Room Features

All of the recording spaces at Rockinghorse Studios have been purpose built to distinguish and enhance the sound of an artist’s instruments and production. From powerful drums and rich double bass to sublime piano and soaring vocals, this studio helps you to produce your best results as efficiently as possible. Why waste time and money fixing it in the mix? At Rockinghorse, you’ll get it right at the source, just like all of your heroes did.

Producers

Rockinghorse’s team of house Producers have a combined experience of over 50 years - offering a wealth of wisdom and skill to artists looking to expertly capture their sound. Rockinghorse’s house producers team includes Paul Pilsneniks, Nicholas Wilson and Walker Lee Robinson.

Rockinghorse is available for dry hire or in-house engineer/studio packages. For more information, head to rockinghorse.com.au.

BY ISABELLA VENUTTI

– Cube: A Technical Breakdown

Cube is a sampler-synth with a unique workflow and feature-set. Lunacy Audio’s website states that Cube “provides inspiration for modern electronic, hip hop, pop, and genrebending tracks.”

The first thing I did when I opened the program was lay down a simple vamp on the E minor chord. It was a repeating syncopated rhythm with some melodic flourishes thrown in on the octave above. The default sample is called “Metis Pluck”. It sounded good, but I only had to click through two presets on the “Sounds” page before I found something better. On the “Crispy Irons” preset, my simple idea turned into something melancholy and bright. Cube’s orbits move between up to 8 samples in 3D space, mixing them together in endlessly customisable ways. I turned on the default orbit pattern, a ¼ note division that gave the sound an elusive movement. Then, it was as simple as dialling in the "Ether” parameter on my MIDI controller to get a sound that darted between bouncy and melancholy. “Ether” is a unique parameter that dynamically moves between two dynamic versions of any given preset. The result inspired me to add drums as soon as possible, but the interface was begging me to dive deeper.

I was able to add over 100 bands to Cube’s parametric EQ without a hitch. There seems to be no upper limit to the number of bands I could add. The four band types are a bell, high shelf, low shelf, low pass filter, and high pass filter. There are additional bandpass and notch filters in the separate filter effect, which is also found in the “Effects” menu.

The interface displays the frequency and gain values before you add an EQ band. Q values are adjusted with the scroll wheel. This parametric EQ is likely supposed to be used for quickly sculpting a sound to achieve a desired result, which it excels at. I was able to shape my sound without ever lifting my hand off the mouse to mess with specific values, a level of control that is not offered in this specific module. Fortunately, Cube covers for this with its filter section.

The filter effect offers more flexibility. Users can automate or modulate frequency or Q values on a lowpass, highpass, bandpass or notch filter. I was able to switch between every menu in the program, including individual effects, with no lag or loading times required. This makes working quickly a breeze. Every effect can be bypassed from anywhere in the effects menu, which makes it easy to combine effects in novel ways to find unique sounds.

Up to this point, I had only been working with one sample. Cube allows the user to load up to 8 samples, which the orbit can mix into a variety of shapes and textures. Just adjusting the offset parameter swung the melody immediately. This, of course, can be automated and modulated using Cube’s built in LFOs. I dragged a luger trap snare into a preset I loaded called “Android Ballad”. The trap snare went through the orbit and morphed into something of its own. After running the new sound through delay, distortion, chorus, phaser and reverb, I had a complex, evolving sound just begging for some bass to be added. I then automated the Y and Z values of the orbit preset so they would flip around every 4 bars, meaning my sample changed its tonality and position in the stereo field in a complex pattern. In the end, I had made something that wouldn’t sound out of place in a Bjork song but could also be retooled into a hip-hop beat if I wanted to. I increased the attack on the global envelope, giving the entire sound a rhythmic pulse that was not there before. There are also individual ADSR envelopes that can be adjusted to taste. The macro knob on this preset sounded like a demented accordion. I was even able to load 8 instances of the same sample, make different ADSR and arpeggiator settings for each of them, then have the orbit fade between them to create a mind-boggling loop.

This hardly scratches the surface. Working with just one of the samplers still offers a great deal of customisation. I tried out eco mode on a new instance of Cube. Eco mode saves on CPU load and RAM usage by disabling the orbits and leaving the user with just a single sampler. All four LFOs and all 13 FX modules can still be used. Eco mode is great for lower spec computers or as a “focus mode” when a user wants to focus on perfecting a single

sound. In eco mode, I was able to load a pluck sample, reverse it, distort it, increase the stereo width, then mess with the loop settings and the arpeggiator until it sounded like a man rhythmically clicking his tongue. I used an LFO with a sine pattern to randomise the sample start time and create a unique bounce, all in eco mode. Then I used the convolution reverb so it would sit in the background and add texture to the song

The reverb effect has a satisfying level of depth in Cube. There is simple reverb, with a mix, width, damping and size controls. Then, there is the convolution reverb. These are two separate modules and can be used in parallel for layered textures. The convolution reverb is especially useful. Upon loading a preset, I increased the mix knob on the convolution reverb to 100% to hear how it sounds. I then used the parametric post-eq that comes with the convolution reverb. This allowed me to shape the sound before reducing the mix knob to taste. After toying with that, I had a unique sound that pushed the texture to the back of the mix. I then used the stereo delay to add extra interest to the sound. Left and right delays can be adjusted in tempo sync or millisecond modes. There is also a feedback knob and a mix knob, and all of these can be automated in your DAW of choice. After this, I was able to toggle eco mode off and continue adding more complexity to the sound with orbits and 7 extra samples that can all be arpeggiated, panned, reversed, loop, pitched and modulated individually.

Cube offers the potential for professional, layered sounds and limitless inspiration. In my time with Lunacy Audio’s sampler-synth I hardly scratched the surface of what this program offers, with 500+ presets, 3000+ samples and 13 FX modules. With three expansion packs available and new preset packs releasing regularly, there is no limit to the inspiration Cube can provide, and the built in effects and modulation options can make the plugin work in more genres than just electronic, pop and hip-hop music.

For further information https://lunacy.audio/ products/cube/

BY JOSIAH MCRITCHIE

THE FIRST DEDICATED 32-BIT FLOAT AUDIO INTERFACE

CADENCE CUSTOM DRUMS are Setting Themselves Apart

At the beginning of 2022, Phil Mayne set out to establish a business that would provide Australian drummers and drum collectors with access to the very best custom or handmade drums in the world.

A passionate drummer himself, Phil was frustrated by the limited range of drums on offer in the Australian market. Most music shops in Australia only sell namebrand drums, most of which are great drums, however there are hundreds of companies around the world making high-quality and unique snare drums and drum kits - unique in appearance and in material. Thus, Phil wanted to provide access to that variety. His vision for Cadence Custom Drums is to provide Australian drummers with a greater range of drum products, and superior products that allow them to stand out from the crowd.

Recently, Phil sat down with Mixdown for a chat about his journey to starting the brand, his overall vision for Cadence, and just what sets his product apart in the Australian drum market.

Tell me about your journey to starting Cadence.

I’ve only been drumming for 15 years. Like most newbies, I knew very little about the instrument I chose, so I took advice from the local drum Gods on the best gear to buy, which was the off-theshelf stuff.

Once I got an understanding of things, I became more discerning and started exploring drums of different kinds. I discovered there was a big world out there that the Australian market didn’t cater to.

Most music shops in Australia sell just name-brand drums, most of which of course are fantastic drums. But there are hundreds of companies around the world making high-quality and unique snare drums and drum kits. Unique in appearance and in material. So last year, I set out to establish a business that would provide Australian drummers – and drum collectors – with access to that range of products. Has your experience as a drummer informed your vision for Cadence?

Very much so. I think I’m like many other musicians – I like to have a selection of instruments for different situations, and variety in the colours and materials.

Tell me about the production process, from design to completion.

We import and sell premium, custom-made drums from Ebenor Percussion in Canada, Angel Drums in Hungary, and HHG Custom Drums and Doc Sweeney Drums in the US. As such, we aren’t involved in the design or production of the stock. Having said that, we do take custom orders from clients and liaise with the manufacturers to build people their perfect drum.

What sets Cadence apart?

As I said earlier, the Australian drums market is well served by the major brands, as well as top local makers using Australian hardwoods, such as Evett’s and Sia, or acrylic, like Gas and Pansini. But the drums we distribute at Cadence are made from a diverse range of exotic and rare woods that aren’t otherwise easily or immediately available in Australia, as well as the traditional metals. In doing so, we offer greater variety and simplify ordering and importing for buyers. Are there any products within your current range you would particularly like to spotlight?

In stock and ready to ship, we have an Ebenor Heavy Feather aluminium snare, Doc Sweeney’s glorious myrtle, two beautiful 13x5 maples from Angel Drums and, from HHG, a 14x6 from their recycle series. This last one is an interesting beast. Each year, Sam from HHG collects the scraps from making drums and recycles them into unique snare drums. Each shell features more than 15 wood species. We have been lucky enough to get hold of number 4 of the 13 made in the 2022 recycle series.

Angel Drums also make their own highly sought-after hoops, and beautiful brass lugs and throw-offs, which are available to order through us.

What’s next for Cadence?

First, I need to bed down the business and start selling some gear. Then I’d like to get to the stage where I can import and sell drum kits rather than just snares.

For more information about the Cadence Custom Drums range, head to www.cadencecustomdrums.com.au.

BY ISABELLA VENUTTI

B-3: The single most influential keyboard in musical history.

The Hammond B-3, along with its siblings such as the C-3 and A-100, have been the single most influential keyboards in music history

When paired with a real Leslie speaker, Hammond's sonic versatility has defined the electrified keyboard sound from rock to soul, to gospel and jazz Today this sound is as sought after as ever

The new generation of Hammond instruments offer robust build, outstanding reliability, and a sound that can't be imitated Hammond Suzuki introduces its greatest performance organ ever; the XK-5. Following huge international demand, the XK-5 is back in stock at your local Aussie Hammond dealer

Let’s face it: we have tons of respect for anyone who carries a B-3, but to get all of the sound with none of the hassle, you need the New Original™

HAMMOND XK-5

The New Original™

The new XK-5 features Hammond's legendary proprietary technology plus real tube pre-amp featuring the 12AX7 and 12AU7 for unprecedented tone generation and overdrive control

Enjoy new virtual multicontact keyboard modelling the 9 physical drawbar contacts Authentic Hammond built waterfall keys and clean action so you can play the dip, bounce and slide of a real Hammond B-3

The best ever Digital Leslie Five sets of harmonic drawbars, enhanced vibrato/chorus and more Carry it as a single keyboard or build your Hammond dream; like the "Heritage Pack" pictured above Experience it today at your Hammond dealer!

HAMMOND SK PRO

Taking the world by storm the latest and greatest SK PRO series sets the standard for lightweight keyboards with the right mix of features for any player or genre Authentic, sought-after Hammond sound and feel Unprecedented tonal versatility and functionality, plus real time controls like never before Get it now in 61 note 73 note or dual keyboard!

TO GRID OR NOT TO GRID

I watched an awesome interview recently with the great Steve Gadd, where he was talking about playing on Aja by Steely Dan.

Gadd’s playing on this is incredible – tasteful, yet powerful and energetic. There are moments of just playing for the music and moments of explosive drum solo that featured some of the most classic Gadd fills we’ve come to love. Steve was however, reading a chart, playing to a click and did it – rumour has it – in one take. Even if it wasn’t one take, who cares. It was the whole eight-minute track recorded to tape/vinyl and Steve was a ring-in on the day. It made the album, but Gadd always makes grooves feel so good regardless of click or no click.

ON THE GRID

Got me thinking. Playing to a click, making it groove, but then the move to grid or quantise the drums. When and why do we do this, and when shouldn’t we? I’d recently completed a session for an artist at home. There was no click track but there was a track with some midi programmed drums, which I played along to. Unfortunately, I’m not Steve Gadd and my performance wasn’t automatically received with open arms, the primary reason being because it wasn’t sitting perfectly on the grid and the artist wanted it more that way. At first, I was a little down on myself because as a drummer, I should be able to do just that, but

then I also had to think and unpack it a little more.

Gridding or quantising is an interesting concept and, in some cases, a very valid one. A simple definition for this mixing technique could be that gridding ‘takes away imperfections in performance’. Imperfections, however, can be something that can provide a human element or a feel to a performance. I’m not talking about mistakes or sloppiness but I’m talking about where the groove sits. Every drummer has a bit of distinct pocket or placement for their groove and the good ones – Steve Gadd or Jeff Porcaro for example, can choose where they want the groove to sit. Be it fractionally in front or behind the click for example, resulting in a laid-back groove or potentially, an energetic one.

MOVING AROUND

A lot of Pop music today has programmed drums sitting perfectly on the grid, 100% of the time. All good. But other styles call for different things. Anyone that’s heard a D’Angelo album or listened to the ‘push/pull’ feeling of an Afro Cuban piece will understand those situations cannot afford to be gridded because the feel is all in the placement of the notes – around the click or the beat.

In my situation, the song was calling for some energy and whilst I thought I brought it, my placement wasn’t working for the client, and this is fair enough – I quantised the track using

FlexTime in Logic Pro. One thing I considered however was the order of what instrument is being recorded in. For example, when I placed my drum take against a version without gridded drums in the background, it sounded ok. But against the perfectly lined up midi drums, I sounded a little off. Now, if in a studio I laid down my part first and everyone else played to my take, there would have been a different result or maybe it would have sat better again. If the artist is however wanting the beat to be perfectly placed (and this also moves into the realm of consistency of note velocity and compression too), then this is fine, and quantising will take away the stress of the groove feeling behind/in front etc from the word go. Some tracks might just call for it –even additionally, putting samples on top of the drums for the most perfect result. It’s a done thing but it’s just an interesting concept. Question is however – is the drummer even required at this point?

PRACTICE TIME

Steve Gadd’s placement in and around the beat is genius to behold. Even more interesting for me is that Aja by Steely Dan was by nature, a Pop piece of music when it was released – and it grooves its armpits off with no gridding. But that’s a whole different argument and now, I’m going to go do some practice.

BY ADRIAN VIOLI

STUDIO-RIFFIC

Double, triple, quadruple your parts and be creative with panning.

Yes, there are lots of great sounding albums with guitars that are fairly static and just mono. Furthermore, there are lots of great recordings that feature minimal guitars. However, we are talking guitar here, and following in the footsteps of anyone from the Beatles, to the Eagles, to Steve Vai, to Queen, to Meshuggah, to Fall Out Boy, to the Foo Fighters and Tame Impala… all of these artists have utilised doubling of guitar parts and some creative panning to create contrast.

What do we mean by the term ‘double tracking guitar parts’? Literally that, having two takes of the same part. For example - play one pass of a rhythm/chordy part. Then change tones slightly and record the same part again. Pan the first part hard left and the second part hard right. What do you hear? You should get a big sound that’s spread across the stereo field. The two guitar parts are similar (in that they’re playing the same notes/part/riff/rhythm) but they’re slightly different due to the nuances in your playing. Even if you really try to nail the parts exactly, there’s going to be slight timing differences, variations in articulations and

dynamics and so on. These variations, along with the panning left and right are what help to make the overall part sound big. This doesn’t mean the parts can be completely sloppy or badly played – they still need to feel good on their own, and be in time and well performed. But, the little rhythmic and time feel differences give the feel of a big guitar section as opposed to a single guitar.

This type of hard panning of double tracked parts works great for filling the stereo field as there is still room for instruments or parts that are panned to the centre of the mix (or indeed other instruments, typically bass guitar, kick drum and vocals). Furthermore you can experiment with anywhere across the stereo field (20 to the right etc, it doesn’t just have to be full left or right).

Hopefully you’re now starting to see the benefit of panning and double tracking and then also the possibilities if you get creative. Try doubling your doubles (?!) and maybe even doubling them again to thicken up tones even further. You could even layer harmonies in this fashion as opposed to always playing full chords across all 6 strings of the guitar. Multiple layered parts are a big feature of lots of modern metal recordings to really build a dense tone whilst complimentary parts or instruments (covering similar spaces and frequencies but not always playing the same part) show up in everything from bluegrass to psychedelic rock.

You’d also be surprised how much a tone that might sound overly bright or dark or not to your taste in isolation can actually work well in a layered/doubled/panned setting. Try it out! Once you start getting into the production aspect and mix stage of working with these parts, you can then really create impact and contrast between sections. Dropping to a narrower centre panned single instrument for a section and then opening up to pairs of hard left and right panned double tracked guitars creates contrast and adds extra tonal colours to the mix. Have fun with it!

BY NICK BROWN

STUDIO BASS 101

Looking at getting into recording your bass but don’t know where to start? There are many paths to make this happen and literally hundreds of products that can help you achieve your goals. The following guide outlines the main considerations gear wise for anything from upping your practice game, to developing your social media quality through to serious tracking.

INTERFACE

As the ‘interface’ between you and your computer, this is a decision worth really investigating, making sure it meets your requirements. Work out what I/O (inputs and outputs) you need. Yes, that 1 rack space rig with 16 ins might look great… but if you’re only ever going to be tracking yourself solo then you’re most likely better off with a smaller unit (that will probably save you some $ too!) Form factor can be almost anything these days from tiny stand alone boxes to desktop friendly units through to racks.

SOFTWARE

Pro Tools and Logic are still industry standard whilst Cubase, Studio One, Reaper, Ableton and FL can also be found in portable rigs and big budget studios. Essentially all these

programs do the same thing – record your inputs, allow you to utilise midi and virtual instruments and allow you to mix your tracks. They will all feel and look slightly different and some handle things like midi a little more simply so do some research or call on any previous experience when making a decision. Make sure you look at costs too. Some offer subscriptions with the idea that you can continually have the latest version and receive updates and further plugins etc whilst some companies work on outright purchase, which might suit your budget/needs/ethos.

MONITORING

You might be limited in this decision depending on your setup/room/volume constraints. The good news is monitoring has come a long way, and you can get a lot of bang for your buck. Furthermore, you might be surprised just how good smaller, lower priced monitors sound. Additionally, headphones in a range of specs (closed, open back and modelling) can get you seriously good results for tracking and mixing.

TONAL CONSIDERATIONS

Plenty of options here. Getting a great fundamental tone going into your system can result in less need for processing and tone shaping. Most interfaces (even basic 2 in 2 out) have solid preamps these days but if you want to add some extra ?? then a standalone preamp can really give you some

nice harmonic content and EQ possibilities. Universal Audio, Avalon and Warm Audio are all great options. With this type of setup you can of course insert your favourite effects (or your pedal board) in line beforehand. If the digital realm is more your thing, you could stick with your interfaces preamp and look at plugins (channel strips, compressors, saturation, amp modelling) with emulations of just about every amp head/cab/effect/rack unit to let you get a host of tones in the box. Stand alone modelling software and/or modellers are also a great studio option. Fractal, Kemper, IK Multimedia, Line 6 and more give you amps, cabs and effects with tons of tweaking available and the ability to record almost silently (not requiring extreme volumes and real amps and cabs).

SO…

Doing your research and clearly thinking through your requirements up front can really save you time, money and headaches when it comes to putting together your recording rig. There are lots of ways to do this right (and lots of gear that will get the job done) but try and stick to your budget and choose wisely and you’ll be on the road to supreme bass recording freedom.

BY NICK BROWN

SCOPE LABS THE PERISCOPE

SCOPE LABS | ENQUIRE FOR PRICING

One of the funnest elements of recording instruments in the open air, is experimenting with over compression, mic selection, room ambience, and the kinds of interesting flavours this kind of processing can yield. When you actually stop and consider what’s actually going on when acoustic pressure travels and hits a compressed mic and the kind of radical sonic reshuffling of emphasis within the sonic envelope, it makes a tonne of sense that compression and room ambience are destined to forever be soulmates.

Even in the traditional, comparatively conservative world of pristine tube mics and high end preamps, microphones have routinely been driven for the purpose of eliciting excitable compression and saturation effects and anyone who has ever played around with room miking drum kits has quickly been made aware of the kinds of sonic bombast and ‘vibe’ that can exist when ambience and heavy compression meet.

The Periscope by Finnish manufacturer Scope Labs takes this premise to its logical extreme, combining a high quality omni condenser circuit with an onboard compressor (and not the limp wristed kind), to achieve maximum ambience and maximum compression at the mic position, which in turn results in a voicing that is both extremely singular and surprisingly apt.

Before we go any further, it’s probably important to address the elephant in the room here -

The Periscope’s unique and utterly inimitable aesthetic, which is no doubt one of its defining characteristics. Looking like the exact middle ground between Pirates of the Carribbean and a WW2 pipe bomb and shipping in what can only be described as a miniature treasure chest (complete with blunderbuss style clasps and lined in swashbuckling rose velvet, of course), the aesthetic here is equal parts salty buccaneer and retrofuturist steampunk. While this might not be everyone's cup of

tea, there is undoubtedly a sense of fun that bubbles underneath the surface of The Periscope, something that doesn’t always happen in the tense environment that is the recording studio. It also brings up some very important questions regarding mic design and marketing in general in the pro audio space. Why…so…serious?

There is method to the madness though, the copper pipe aesthetic reportedly ensures 100 per cent shielding and grounding from interferences, something which is no doubt extremely useful when you consider the heavy handedness of the compression circuit and its potential to amplify any artefacts in the signal chain.

The onboard analogue compressor is conveniently powered using the same phantom power source as the condenser capsule itself, in turn meaning no requirement for any kind of bulky extraneous box or anything like that. The long pipe-like design also ensures that all compressor components can be neatly tucked away inside The Periscope’s uniquely shaped chassis.

It’s little things like this that really allow The Periscope to bring you into its world and after plugging it in and experiencing the quality of it’s pleasantly rekt capture, the superficial novelty quickly takes a backseat to its usefulness as a studio tool.

The compressor unit itself is reminiscent of the quick clamping,

hard attenuating FET units of yore - think a slammed 1176 or 1178 set to all buttons in mode, while the nature of the small diaphragm omni capsule makes it incredibly responsive to collecting transient material and detailing the subtle differences in room ambience and reflected elements in the acoustic space, before the compressor does its thing.

Whereas one might think that this may only be suitable in certain contexts, you’d be surprised how often its pumping, tweaked out capture is absolutely the perfect antidote for an anaemic sounding track or source.

The convenience of it’s ‘set and forget’ topography makes it an incredibly good wildcard mic, perfect for chucking up as an ambient drum mic, mono overhead or room mic for live full band tracking or any other application requiring ample colour and a bit of distance from the sound source. Personally, I found its ability to be placed in front of the kit and gently brought in as a kind of ‘real world parallel compression mic’ to be one of its strong suits, really glueing the kit together and giving it a unique edge.

With the parameters themselves decidedly fixed and with the kind of slammed compression this microphone is capable of providing, the very nature of The Periscope itself, pushes you to think about placement and

distance as a form of a threshold control, and you will find yourself approaching these concepts in a new and incredibly nuanced way. For close miked sources like vocals or guitar, you would probably want to be going in with a specific game plan in mind to make best use of its unique capture, but I could definitely see situations where it would be appropriate, like ragged blues vocals or as a way to ‘electrify’ acoustic guitars.

‘Vibe’ is a pretty elusive and cerebral concept within the context of recorded music but most can probably agree that it tends to generally fall under two distinct categories, Ambient or Electro-Acoustic. The beauty of The Periscope is that it really emphasises both the uniqueness of it’s internal circuit and the details of the acoustic environment around it, the combination of which is a perfect storm of characterful sounds and left-of-centre sonic heft. You’ll find yourself chucking it in front of random sound sources, just to see what happens and in terms of broader creativity and workflow, anything that can elicit that kind of response is definitely worth the cost of entry, even just as a hail mary if nothing else seems to be working.

Perfect for providing glue over the kit or creating some explosive industrial vibes up close, The Periscope is sure to pique the interest of anyone with even a passing interest in electroacoustics or sound design in the open air.

Already highly touted by a murderers row of recording royalty Butch Vig (Nirvana, Garbage, The Foo Fighters), The Chemical Brothers and Joe Barresi (Queens of the Stone Age, Tool, Kyuss), Scope Labs ‘The Periscope’ is undoubtably one of the most interesting and exciting things happening in mic land at the moment.

BY ERIKA FEDELE

FENDER TONE MASTER PRINCETON REVERB

FENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA | RRP: $1499

It’s the moment that all musicians dread. After a long night of rehearsing, recording or gigging, your euphoric wave of adrenaline comes crashing down and is replaced with one solitary thought: it is time to load out.

God it’s awful.

You lug your heavy equipment back to your car, utterly exhausted from exerting your immense creative genius, questioning why you’ve never set foot in a gym as you curse the stars for the injustice of it all. ‘Why do we not have roadies?’ you ask, knowing that the answer is because you are, in fact, not Taylor Swift.

Tragically, the pain has just begun. You have driven home in your rapidly deteriorating hatchback, but you’re not out of the woods. You must now carry all that equipment into your house, despite your skinny musician’s arms crying out with protest. ‘How could you ask us to carry this crap for the fourth time tonight?’ they shriek, begging for mercy.

The Triple RRR sticker on your rear window seems to mock you as you lift the boot one last time. Reaching into the messy stack of black metal and roadcases, you pray that your tired, weak spine will hold on just a little bit longer. Finally, your task is complete and you slink off to bed, defeated. But what if it didn’t have to be this way? Imagine a world in which you could carry all your gear with ease, guitar in one hand, amp in the other, perhaps a pedalboard case slung across your back. For drummers, this is a foolish pipe dream, for they are a cursed people doomed to require many many trips to relocate their equipment even from one room to the next. But for guitarists, this dream has now become a reality.

The Fender Tone Master Princeton Reverb, is an exceptionally light amplifier. It is also a very good amplifier. Coming in at only 9 kilos, it’s a compact, easy one handed carry that packs a surprisingly huge punch. Using digital processing, this amplifier achieves something truly impressive: faithfully recreating

the sound of an original Princeton Reverb, without all the extra weight and maintenance.

Sporting a classy silver and black aesthetic, the Tone Master has everything you expect from a classic combo from this iconic brand. The familiar Fender front panel features standard controls for level, treble, bass and reverb, as well as speed and intensity controls for the onboard tremolo, just like the original Princeton. However, the rear panel is where this amp gets interesting.

Featuring an output power selector that boasts six wattage settings, a balanced XLR line output, cab simulations, a mute switch and a USB port for firmware upgrades, the addition of these controls adds an element of modern flexibility to this beloved design. Combined with all the classic appointments and tone of the original Princeton, these added features ensure that this amp is equally at home in the studio as it is on stage.

The sound of the amp is classic Fender. When set clean, the familiar jangly sparkle of the top end is brought to life beautifully by the 10” Jensen speaker. The lows are full and clear and the mids are firm and present. Compared to the original Princeton, the Tone Master has ever so slightly more bottom end, which is not a bad thing.

The unmistakable and unmatched Fender reverb sounds as exceptional as ever, ranging from a subtle echo all the way up to full blown surf tones. The tremolo is extremely usable, nailing everything from a subtle warble, to that classic ‘Gimme Shelter’ sound and everything in between. Both effects have an impressively linear escalation as they are turned up, something which can not be said of many similar amplifiers. An attenuator switch becomes particularly useful when trying to achieve a dirtier tone at bedroom levels. Featuring six settings, 0.3w, 0.75w, 1.5w, 3w, 6w and 12w (full), the attenuator allows players to utilise a very natural sounding breakup at low volumes, thanks to the DSP’s pristine emulation of the original tube amp’s gain structure. Set to full wattage, the amp boasts enough headroom to be appropriate for live performances, but can still be driven into a pleasantly tube-like overdrive if pushed to its limits.

The solid pine cabinet, although sturdy, is even lighter than plywood, making this surely the lightest and most convenient mid-powered amp on the market. As well as coming with its own footswitch for the onboard effects, this amp also pairs very well with pedals. The high headroom and balanced tone of Fenders have

made them famous for being excellent pedal platforms, and the Tone Master is no exception. Admittedly, I am a digital naysayer. I have spent years breaking my back, lugging 30kg tube amps with my toothpick arms into rehearsal studios and venues, playing at unnecessarily earth shattering volumes for the sheer thrill, revelling in my commitment to the tradition of using old things to make loud noises. But at what cost? Well, I have tinnitus at the age of 26, my back doesnt work and every sound man in Melbourne hates me. Was it worth it? Sure it was! Is this amp a really good alternative to creating that kind of misery for myself and others? Absolutely.

I have to admit, as I’m sure you will, that the Tone Master is virtually indistinguishable from its tube-powered predecessor. In fact, it sounds really bloody good. It’s the perfect wattage for home recording, rehearsing and smaller shows, with the added benefit of an attenuator that allows a full sound and natural breakup at any volume. This is a versatile and very organic sounding tool that will please even the snobbiest of analog hype beasts.

So, whilst I don’t think I have suffered in vain, perhaps load out time doesn’t have to be such a scary moment after all.

BY CHRISTOPHER HOCKEY

MARKBASS MB58R CMD 102 PURE

CMC MUSIC | RRP: $3095

MarkBass produce some of the best products for bass instruments in the business, and are used by the likes of Marcus Miller, Randy Jackson, Vulfpeck’s Joe Dart and Behemoth’s ‘Orion’ to name a few. Their artist roster spans the entire world, from their home in Italy to some of the biggest bands in the US and the UK. Their products traverse genres, being an equally reliable source of amplification for electric upright basses to modern solid body electrics and everything in between. MarkBass are always moving with the times, offering their customers the newest technologies as they’re available, and the MB58R CMD 102 PURE bass combo is another forward thinking release.

While MB58R CMD 102 PURE might be a mouthful, this is a combo amplifier from the MB58R series with 10” x 2 Neodymium Custom speakers, an increasingly common ingredient to the perfect bass rig. The MB58R CMD 102 PURE features onboard EQ and Gain, as well as MarkBass’s ‘Old School Filter’ for a mid-focused Motown style sound. There’s a line out for direct to FOH and an optional ¼” jack for a footswitch to toggle the ‘Scooped’ or ‘Flat’ switch as well.

The MB58R CMD 102 PURE has a maximum power rating of 500W RMS @ 4 ohm or 300W RMS @ 8 ohm, with additional speaker outputs available via 2

x ¼” speaker outputs or a single speakon cable. The line out is via an XLR connector, and there’s a ground lift if needed, as well as a dedicated, independant volume for the line out. For tone, there’s a Gain control and Clip/overload indicator, and a scooped or flat toggle that can also be controlled via the ¼” footswitch input. There’s a four band EQ, made up of Low, Low Mid, High Mid and High, followed by the ‘Old School’ filter that slowly filters the sound for a less hi-fi sound per se, but a midheavy sound that pokes through for genres like funk, jazz or RnB. Finally, there’s a master volume and a Mute switch, the Mute again being footswitchable if needed.

The speaker cabinet is a lightweight material, making the MB58R CMD 102 PU very portable, helped along by the custom Neodymium speakers. Speaker weight makes up more of the weight of a cabinet than you’d realise!

Neodymium is an ultra lightweight material used to build the magnets that allow speakers to operate, pushing and pulling to recreate soundwaves. Neodymium magnets are an alloy made from Neodymium, iron and boron to create a lighter speaker than more conventional options like alnico. The lightweight nature of the Neodymium magnet allows them to react faster to soundwave information, producing more

clarity, as well as saving your back from lugging a heavy speaking cabinet around. The speakers in the MB58R CMD 102 PU are both 10”, so they’re well suited to reproducing low frequencies, with MarkBass’s own hi-fi tweeter for the highs.

The sound from the MB58R is both crisp and clear, and warm and growly at the same time. The clean sound from the unit with no EQ has a commanding, controlled tone, without being super modern or over-refined like some contemporary bass equipment. With a little shaping from the EQ, it brought out the best in my PJ bass, and the mid scoop toggle helped me slip into an arrangement really easily to make way for all those instruments that occupy the mids. Driving the gain offers some additional growl, without it becoming overbearingly fuzzy or muddy at all. The two bands of Mid EQ allow for additional tone shaping, a really important area for low end instruments. Low frequencies can eat up a lot of energy, and subtly caving them away can do wonders for your own bass tone, as well making space in an arrangement. The Line Out is clear and very handy to have, allowing the front of house engineer to refine your sound for the audience in a variety of different sounding rooms and venues.

MarkBass know bass, and the MB58R combo is the culmination of years of work refining their designs. It has a seemingly simple set of controls, but every knob really makes a difference to the sum of all these parts. The Neodymium speakers are both lightweight and perfect for reproducing powerful low end, while MarkBass’s own hi-fi tweeter handles the high mids and highs, spreading the load between multiple speakers so none of them are overwhelmed. There’s a single input for your bass, and multiple outputs to route your signal around, or add extra speakers for bigger shows (or sometimes just louder shows in smaller venues, your call!) The onboard EQ is refined, while footswitchable options like a mid scoop or mute allow you to slip in and out of focus in a live set, or mute entirely between songs for a more dynamic performance overall. When the band kicks back in, the dual 10” speaker will have your low end singing and a crowd grooving. The simplicity of the MB58R CMD 102 PURE is what makes it great, allowing you to focus on your playing - the MB58R will just amplify whatever comes of that.

BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

HEADRUSH FX PRIME PEDALBOARD

If you’ve not heard of HeadRush FX pedal boards, then you haven’t been into a guitar store or had internet access for the past five or six years. The first model released by Headrush FX, their Pedalboard, certainly caused quite a stir amongst guitarists the world over, as did the subsequent releases of further models like the Looperboard, Gigboard and the more recent, more compact MX5. Now, the HeadRush FX Prime board is set to ‘wow’ everyone once again and set new standards for effects usability, the likes of which were inconceivable only ten years back. It’s got Auto-Tune to boot, so you can incorporate vocals and never be out of key. Let’s start with first impressions. Right out of the box, the Prime has a look and feel that is very similar to the original HeadRush Pedalboard. There are four control knobs to the left of the screen, three parameter knobs to the right, two rows of six buttons beneath and an expression pedal to the far right.

If you’ve not used a HeadRush board before, you are going to be amazed with the design and concept. It is fully customizable so all the buttons and parameters can be set to how you want to operate with every patch. This means you can spend days just tweaking sounds and building the ultimate patch library while playing the same chord over and over again.

So, be warned! Try to climb out of the rabbit hole before you go too deep and just enjoy playing with the pre-set sounds to begin with. Speaking of pre-set sounds, there are loads of very usable patches that don’t require any editing at all. But if you need to, Prime makes it very easy to edit just about any parameter in a given patch. The touch screen makes this all so simple. With your current setup laid out on the screen, you can drag and drop new effects, amps, cabinets and plugins, and rearrange them to suit your preferred signal flow. Touching a single unit on the screen brings up all the parameters associated with that unit on the right of the screen. There are three knobs there, each sitting to the right of one of three parameters ready for adjustment. You need only scroll up or down through the parameters so the one you want to adjust is alongside the knob, and away you go. It removes the need for menu diving and puts every adjustable feature at your fingertips in just a few motions. This goes for all of the features on Prime, with everything easily accessible via the touch screen and parameter and control knobs. But don’t worry, you don’t have to always reach down and use the touch screen. The most logical parameters or features are loaded onto the 16 buttons on the board so you can turn features on and off whilst playing. Which includes start, stop and replay functions for

the looper, as well as for tracks in Practice Mode. Yes, Prime allows you to import audio tracks into the board to play along with for practice. These can be sliced up to create shorter loops if you just want to practise a section of a song, and control playback from the pedalboard. The combined sound is then merged into the XLR outputs as you wish, all together on the stereo outputs or split between speaker cabinet and stereo options. Full tracks, loops and impulse responses can all be loaded up in the same section via USB, and Prime also offers BlueTooth and Wi-Fi options for streaming and sharing audio in various ways.

A feature new to Prime, and one that will have a lot of amp IR hoarders excited, is the Amp Cloner function that enables you to capture the sound of any amplifier you can get your hands on. This is very much in line with similar technology that has been offered by a German firm for some time now, but here it’s integrated in with everything else that Prime offers. With that, you can also clone the sound of just a preamp, or a drive style effect, so you can finally retire your beloved DS-1 to the display cabinet and still make use of the sound it offered.

And if all that guitar-focused goodness wasn’t enough, you’ll find an XLR input on the rear of Prime for including a microphone into your signal chain. This raises

the bar for solo acts, and general overachievers, who want to play guitar and sing at the same time. But, for those of us who struggle to hit the right pitch (myself very much included in this category) HeadRush FX have teamed up with Antares to offer Auto-Tune in the line-up of vocal effects. On the touch screen, you can build a signal path for just vocal effects, or a dual signal path for guitar and vocal running side by side, and you have all the same freedom to insert and edit effects in your vocal chain just as you do in the guitar chain. Clearly, I have only been able to scratch the surface of what HeadRush FX Prime offers here. I could go on and on about the ability to build, edit and manipulate the signal chain until you all gave up reading. And I would probably never stop if I went in depth into the Amp Cloner function. So, the best thing to do is to give it a test run for yourself. Run, don’t walk, down to your favourite guitar shop and ask if they have one on display to demo. Just don’t be launching into Stairway right away, or you might be asked to buy it!

BY ROB GEE

EVH 5150 ICONIC SERIES 15W 1X10 COMBO

FENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA | RRP: $1399.99

In 1990, Eddie Van Halen decided he needed a unique amplifier, designed especially for his unique needs. In order to make this dream a reality, he put his faith in renowned engineer James Brown, who delivered something far greater than a mere signature model. The 5150 had an enormous impact and is now considered by many to be the quintessential modern heavy metal amp. Much like Eddie himself, it defined the sound of an era, influencing a whole generation of guitarists in the process.

Now, with the guidance and blessing of James Brown himself, the team at EVH have made that same iconic sound available in a much smaller and more affordable package. The 5150 Iconic Series 15W 1X10 Combo seeks to recreate the blistering white hot sound of the classic 5150, with the added convenience of some modern appointments and a more versatile, compact size. It achieves this in spades, allowing the EVH sound to find a home in smaller settings without sacrificing any of its famous punch.

The original 5150 featured five cascading preamps and four gain stages for increased saturation and was largely defined by its ‘cold biassed’ power tubes. This refers to the amp’s fixed bias, which was set to a lower value than other amps, resulting in the power tubes operating at a lower energy. This allowed the amplifier to have a more controllable gain setting, perfect for taming EVH’s ultra-high gain sound.

This famously searing high-gain tone is faithfully recreated in the Iconic Series with a versatile two channel configuration. Both channels feature independent volume and gain controls and two gain voicings respectively, for ultimate flexibility and cohesion. Channel one acts as a clean channel, ranging from deep, crystal clear clean sounds to vintage crunch. Engaging the overdrive switch kicks the saturation up a notch, perfect for classic rock sounds.

The second channel takes the amp into full blown distortion,

exhibiting the powerful growl synonymous with the Van Halen name. Engaging the ‘Burn’ switch increases the saturation even more, taking the amp to its thunderously dirty limits. Both channels feature a highly usable and expansive spectrum of sounds that covers an immense amount of ground, making this a highly versatile tool with potentially wide appeal.

Both channels are governed by a singular passive three band EQ, as well as a Presence control for adjusting high frequency response and a Resonance control for the lows. Also included on the front panel is a flexible reverb control, which is finely tuned to create the perfect amount of bounce and decay for rooms of any size. Adding to the amp’s commendable versatility is a wattage switch on the rear panel which attenuates the amp down to a quarter of its full power. This allows players to achieve a meaty tone even at bedroom levels, making this an amp appropriate for almost any live situation.

The unique degree of control that the original 5150 gave Eddie over his extremely distorted sound is the cornerstone of modern metal guitar tone. Allowing players to achieve gnarly, fully saturated sounds at volumes appropriate for modern venues is an innovation

that transcended the needs of the man himself and changed the game entirely. This combo is the next step of that evolution, expanding upon the spirit of EVH’s original quest for a reliably heavy and controllable sound and making it even more accessible. Maximising the availability of a heavy sound at any volume, this 1X10 combo is both conveniently compact and intriguingly innovative. For example, when using channel two, turning up the ample amount of gain on tap will simultaneously increase the prevalence of the amp’s noise reduction function, meaning players can tame their sound even at the limits of the amp’s heavy distortion.

At its cleanest, the Iconic Series combo can achieve lush, Fenderlike cleans, especially when paired with its versatile reverb. With deep lows, crunchy mids and sparkling highs, the customvoiced Celestion 1x10 speaker shines at any setting, whilst the plywood cabinet’s internal baffling ensures the low end stays tight and punchy.

Conveniently, the amp comes with a footswitch for switching channels which features a mercifully long cable. The option to switch channels with ease creates the possibility of a fantastic one-two punch, from

clean to dirty, or rhythm to lead in a heartbeat. The second channel functions beautifully for either a massive increase in gain, volume or both, eliminating the need for a dirt box.

Overall, the amp does a fantastic job of recreating the enormously powerful sound of a classic 5150 in a very manageable 15 watt combo. Metal players will find it to be a particularly useful tool for rehearsals and smaller shows where a stack isn’t appropriate, and will be pleasantly surprised by the amount of gain on tap. For everything from light sparkly breakup to crushingly heavy saturation, this amp delivers a rich, deep sound that is usable in any situation.

Capturing the crunchy midrange grind of Eddie Van Halen and the sustain necessary for his style in a 1x10 combo is not an easy task, but under the expert guidance of original designer James Brown, EVH have pulled it off. Styled in a classy white ivory finish with a minimalist design, it even has the slick looks to match its ergonomic and thoughtful layout.

As Heavy Metal evolves, so must the tools used to make it. Eddie’s vision of a high gain amp that was both reliable and controllable moved sensibilities away from the less distorted but more unruly sounds of the past into a new era. In the same spirit of innovation, this new combo takes that iconic sound and applies it to the smaller rooms and lower stage volumes that dominate the current live circuit.

Satisfying the modern day desire for a huge EVH sound at an affordable price, the Iconic Series puts an inspiring sound, devised by an inspiring player, in the hands of a new generation. An iconic amplifier that redefined the sound of a genre, the 5150 now has an opportunity to do the same again. This innovative evolution of Eddie Van Halen’s vision is a tool expertly designed for the modern world, a world that misses him dearly.

BY CHRISTOPHER HOCKEY

HAMMOND SK PRO BERNIE’S MUSIC LAND | STARTING FROM $3895

First manufactured in 1935 by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert, the Hammond Organ is one of most iconic instruments of the twentieth century. The first generation of Hammond organs used a metal tone wheel and an electromagnetic cabinet to create their iconic sound, commonly amplified by a Leslie Speaker, inspiring a generation of Rock, R&B, Reggae and Jazz musicians. Now fully digital, the Hammond SK PRO, now made by HammondSuzuki, has been built to create that great historic Hammond sound, and is armed with a slew of impressive features that makes it a very heavy hitter in its category of organ cum stage piano.

The Hammond SK Pro features a highly sophisticated organ engine taken from the top-of-the-line flagship XK-5 organ and emulates the sound and feel of a traditional Hammond organ to a very impressive degree of authenticity.

The SK Pro’s organ engine is capable of producing a wide range of organ sounds, including tone wheel, transistor, and pipe organ, allowing musicians to accurately tailor the tone of the SK Pro. This high degree of customization is extended to the drawbars, percussion, vibrato, and other parameters, enabling one to create a sound that is uniquely their own. This level of control is not possible on an analogue Hammond organ, which has fixed drawbar settings. The main characteristic of the Hammond SK Pro that

immediately stood out when I took it for a road test, was how incredible the keys felt. Featuring a 73-key waterfall keyboard which is designed to emulate the feel of a traditional Hammond organ, it is an absolute dream to play. The keys are fully weighted and offer a very tactile response, and the level of control over the dynamics from the velocity sensitivity felt natural and comfortable.

Touching on the guts of the Hammond SK Pro, it revolves around four sound engines (Organ, Piano & Ensemble, and Mono Synth) which can be used in any combination or separately.

The Drawbars feel wonderful, which is no surprise, as they are derived from the flagship model, the Hammond XK-5.

The Piano section contains a reasonably wide variety of grand and Electric Piano sounds, that are hi resolution, and the majority sound very nice.

The ensemble section contains the essentials, Brass, Reed, String, Choir and Percussion Instruments, which sound great for the most part, but are never going to be the star of the show when compared to the quality of the organ engine.

The same can be said for the Mono Synth section, which is modelled on a classic Minimoog synth. While it is a nice addition, it is not intended to be the focus of the instrument.

The Hammond has a Digital Leslie effect, that emulates the

distinctive sound of the rotating speaker system so commonly associated with Hammond organs. It uses a clever DSP algorithm including the doppler effect and the characteristic subtle variations of tone and volume.

If you would rather use a real Leslie speaker, the Hammond SK Pro has that capacity as well, coming with an 11-Pin Leslie Jack, alongside the usual outputs such as Midi over USB (in and out), stereo Line Out, Headphones and a couple of special Outputs such as the Rotary Out and the Organ Pedal Out.

The SK Pro fits a rather interesting bill, as it has a strong affinity for fulfilling a stage piano role. The competency of the sound engines, and the ability to save presets, and favourites, along with the ability to layer and split the sounds, means that it is comparable to other stage pianos in its performance, despite being more Organ-centric.

The second consideration that aligns the SK Pro with a stage environment is how slim it is. Weighing in at less than 20kg, it is significantly lighter than a traditional Hammond, and astronomically more mobile, fitting within most aftermarket keyboard gig bags.

The other location that the Hammond SK Pro thrives in is the home. As most avid Hammond players know, they age, and while it is a beautiful part of their life cycle, it can be tiresome when every part needs replacing and the quirks of the ageing circuitry

start shining through, making it quite costly to keep a vintage Hammond in prime operating order. This issue is solved by the SK Pro as the hardware and software is consistent and reliable, with the Hammond containing the ability to decide how ‘vintage’ the organ engine sounds. This means that the days of frequent maintenance and constant tuning are gone, making it a much more practical option for musicians who need a reliable and consistent sound for their practice and performances. Though grasping the features and capabilities of the SK Pro is significantly more involved than some of the more purpose built stage pianos, you can be assured that taking some time with the manual helps alleviate this issue significantly, and all in all will be well worth it.

Overall, the Hammond SK Pro is an incredible organ, and the amount of hardware that is taken from the flagship Hammond XK-5 means that it sounds brilliant and feels even better. It is well suited to both the stage and the home environments and is a wonderful step in the right direction for digital emulation of vintage analogue hardware.

BY JOHN TUCKER

AKAI PROFESSIONAL MPC KEY 61

ELECTRIC FACTORY | RRP: $3199

With a focus on performance and ease of use, the AKAI Professional MPC Key 61 comes armed to the teeth with features from other models of the MPC line, all streamlined into one behemoth of a creative tool. From the drum pads to the sequencer, to the massive LCD touchscreen main display to the 61 semi weighted keys, there is very little to be left wanting for when creating music on the MPC Key 61.

The Key 61 is bedecked with features, including a built-in MPC style drum pad, emulating the classic MPC workflow, complete with RGB backlighting and velocity sensitivity. The pads have four banks for ease of use, and are arranged in the classic four by four layout. The RGB lighting does an impressive job with helping identify which pad corresponds to which sound, as it identifies octaves of the notes you press, significantly reducing the amount of maths you need to do on the fly.

The MPC key 61 has an integrated MPC style sequencer, allowing the user to record and edit sequences and patterns as they go, it has real time recording, step sequencing and quantization capabilities, and includes a range of editing tools as well.

The MPC Key 61 has a full sized keyboard, with 61 semi-weighted keys, and the playing experience

is quite natural. The MPC Key 61 has responsive dynamics and is comfortably expressive with the velocity sensitivity of the keys. A neat feature of the Key 61 is aftertouch, where you can increase the pressure on a key after you have touched it, essentially creating a swell.

The primary use of the AKAI Professional MPC Key 61 is as a MIDI keyboard controller, and as such it does not have any built-in sounds or instruments. However in lieu of this it comes bundled with the MPC software including a reasonable collection of virtual instruments and samples. Some staples of the MPC software found on the Key 61 include a range of drum machines, classic synthesizers and various other instruments covering a wide range of genres and musical styles.

The drum machines included in the MPC software on the Key 61 are some classics such as the MPC61, the MPC3000 and the SP1200 as well as AIR Drum Machine and other modern machines.

The Synthesizers included in the software include Bassline, TubeSyth, Electric and Piano. All four of these come with a vast array of pre-sets that are very impressive sounding out of the box.

The Sample Library of the MPC

key 61 includes a large array of drum hits, one-shots, and loops, as well as the ability to make your own samples using the sample editor.

The MPC Key 61 boasts a healthy collection of effects as well including EQ, Compression, Delay, Reverb, and an array of mastering tools. Other key aspects of the MPC are the LCD screen, which can display key information such as track names, tempo and other settings related to the operation of the Key 61. The screen is also touch sensitive, allowing for seamless interaction with the virtual instruments and other aspects of the software. Another feature worth mentioning is the fact that the Key 61 includes a built in audio interface with 24bit/96kHz resolution, as well as two XLR/TRS inputs with individual gain knobs, +48V Phantom Power for condenser mics or active DIs as well as an additional headphone output. This means that in theory, all you need is the MPC Key 61 and a microphone, and you have all you need to get started creating music.

The MPC has the capability to act as a DAW on its own, with 8 tracks and various control surfaces such as the assignable touch strip controller and four assignable

Q link knobs. The MPC Key 61 additionally can be used in Mackie Control and HUI modes, allowing it to be used as a control surface in standard protocols supported by many DAWs, allowing the user to control transport, mixer, and other functions directly from the keyboard.

As a MIDI controller, this keyboard offers a wide range of features and options that allow it to fit in seamlessly in the creative process and enhance the production of the user, through streamlining the workflow by combining all the necessary hardware and software in one physical object. Through seamless integration with MPC software, as well as DAWs the MPC key 61 allows for an intuitive and efficient workflow, and with the build quality of the knobs and keys being excellent, the MPC Key 61 should be here to stay.

Overall, the AKAI Professional MPC Key 61 provides a complete music production solution that has been tailored in a way so that it is both powerful and very easy to use, once you pass that initial learning curve of course, and it is an excellent choice for those without vast arrays of hardware and want to get the maximum useability out of one piece of gear.

BY JOHN TUCKER

PRESONUS STUDIO ONE 6

LINK AUDIO | ENQUIRE FOR PRICING

It’s a tough market, DAWs. Everyone has their favourite, the one they have sunk thousands of hours into, honing their skills. And yet, PreSonus Studio One 6 provides a competitive and convincing argument, and it's no wonder that the newest evolution of PreSonus’ Digital Audio Workstation is making waves in the DAW environment, offering a redesigned user interface and some hefty new features that will enhance the recording process for beginners through to industry professionals alike.

PreSonus Studio One 6 has gained popularity amongst audio engineers and music producers for its versatility, and the intuitive and streamlined workflow that it offers. Coupled with a robust set of features, Studio One 6 is well deserving of the praise it is receiving.

One of the key strengths of Studio One 6 is the clean modern and customizable user interface. The DAW features a design based around using a single window, allowing for easier navigation and a more efficient workflow. This workflow is built upon using the drag-and-drop functionality making it very easy to add and manipulate audio files and MIDI data, as well as plugins.

PreSonus Studio One 6 comes equipped with advanced features

out of the box such as integrated Melodyne functionality, as well as an impressive range of virtual instruments, processors, and effects as well as thorough support for third party plugins.

In terms of the set of built in effects and instruments shipping on board Studio One 6 the software does come with a wide range of virtual instruments including samplers, synths, drum machines as well as a very solid and comprehensive list of audio effects plugins including the expected EQ, Compression and Reverb. These effects can be utilised in Studio One 6s mixing and mastering tools, such as the advanced automation features and robust mixer.

One of my favourite features of Studio One 6 is its performance with low latency, I was even able to run it with relative ease on my ancient laptop, which despite sounding like a jet fighter on the verge of taking off, ran Studio One 6 in a far better performance than it runs the other industry standard DAWs. This makes it an ideal candidate for real time recording and live performance, where large or complex projects are needed, and the availability of a high powered machine is not there. Being able to record a vast number of tracks at once, or live processing is a capability that is gate kept behind excessively grunty machines, and by making

an effort to break that barrier to entry with Studio One 6, PreSonus have created a tool well suited to the job even when run on older computers.

The MIDI editing capabilities are one of my favourite aspects of PreSonus’ Studio One 6 with advanced editing tools such as arpeggiator, step recording and note repeat. I found the MIDI programming stage of the recording process very efficient and intuitive.

Studio One 6 handles third party plugins and hardware well, and is compatible with interfaces and controllers from Universal audio, Waves, and SSL. This is an important aspect of the DAW, especially for producers and engineers who have established specific pieces of hardware they prefer to work with.

One of the standout features of Studio One 6 especially for the more consumer and prosumer markets is the affordability, with several versions available ranging from the free Prime Version to the top-of-the-line Professional Version, it increases the accessibility of the DAW by making it financially approachable for a wide range of users who may be at odds with the pricing of the entry level options of other DAWs

Overall, I would say that PreSonus has created an exciting and

powerful DAW with Studio One 6, and while it does fall short of the mark from a video editing perspective with the lack of surround sound and advanced video engine, it does perform very well with low latency, and the workflow and usability of the program is spectacular, with minimal menu diving to find what you are looking for. PreSonus Studio One 6 is an excellent choice for those who are looking for an affordable entry into the world of DAWs and is well-suited to consumer and prosumer usage.

BY JOHN TUCKER

WARM AUDIO WA-MPX STUDIO CONNECTIONS | RRP: $1355

Warm Audio have been making a name for themselves for some time now. Their accessible pricing has put them in the studios of budding beat makers and producers, while the quality of their sound makes them great contenders even up against equipment five times their price. While Warm Audio produces equipment based on famous circuits, they also reimagine them for a modern world, with all the controls of the original units, plus more handy filters, side chains and switches to further shape your sound if you need to.

Their latest foray, and—spoiler alert— home run, is the WA-MPX, a single channel tube preamp based on the famous Ampex 351 tube preamps that were originally used to treat sound before it hit a tape machine. There’s also a stereo version available, the WA-2MPX for those of us who like to have pairs of this kind of thing! Both units are a 2U affair, with VU metres for input level, and switchable mic/line/instrument inputs, the instrument input being easily accessible on the front of the WA-MPX. There’s lots of robust switches to toggle on and off different tone shaping options, as well as input, output and Tape Sat controls so you can drive those tubes if you want!

The WA-MPX is a single channel tube preamplifier. Powered by two 12AX7 & one 12AU7, the

WA-MPX offers 90dB of gain - plenty for almost any source, and with headroom to boot. The Preamplifier Input control allows you to push the signal, while the Output Level can trim it before your converter/interface.

As is standard there’s controls for phantom power and polarity switching, but the WA-MPX also has additional switches like High Gain, Tone and high and low pass filters. The filters are set at 80Hz and 2kHz, 80Hz for a hi-pass filter (HPF) and the low-pass filter (LPF) at 2kHz. While these may sound extreme, the roll off is very subtle and instead shifts the tube focus to the mids for clarity while slowly rolling off highs, lows, or both.

The aforementioned High Gain adds 20dB of gain at the flick of a switch, and Tone switches the resistance of the input transformer for adjusted impedance and a brighter sound. The WA-MPX is fully discrete, and has large-core CineMag USA Transformers at the input and output stages for clarity and headroom. Inputs and outputs are accessed via XLR, TRS or TS inputs, and outputs are XLR or TRS. The unit reproduces everything from 20Hz-20kHz, so it’s equally good for low frequency sources as it is for anything else.

The WA-MPX features handwound, large-core CineMag USA Transformers at the input and output stage for unmatched headroom. What this means is that you can drive the input super

hard without clipping the output stage or other components, and the resulting tone is warm, fat and crisp all at once, without being unmanageable. The Preamplifier Input is entirely usable when dimed or set ‘correctly’ (ugh, boring), and while you’ll hear the grit quite audibly, the shape of the transients are nice without being entirely squashed, fuzzy or harsh. The Output Level helps to trim the newly reborn gritty, warm signal before it gets sent out to your interface, converter or Ampex tape machine to be recorded. This can be pushed further with the High Gain control, conventionally used to give lower gain sources 20dB, but can be toggled on and off to reach the maximum 90dB of gain available. The toggle switches are really what moves the WA-MPX into a league of its own.

While the WA-MPX is a preamp at its core, the toggle switches on the front of the unit make it so much more than that. EQs on preamps are nice, but the toggles on the WA-MPX make it fast. There’s limits to what you can do, but the controls it does have help you filter and drive the signal quickly so you can focus on the recording. A quick switch to reduce sub-80Hz rumble, or soften the high end with the 2kHz LPF and you’ve got a treated signal at the ready. Dynamics too? The WA-MPX can soften and squash as much as you please.

The Tape Sat control isn’t a conventional dynamics control, but it introduces harmonic distortion and that natural ‘tapey’ compression. The Tape Sat control distorts the signal, and both softens the transients and closes the dynamic range for a well treated, controlled and punchy sound.

The WA-MPX is something stellar. The original Ampex 351s are very hard to come by - but why would you even try, now that Warm Audio has come to the table?

Available in both single and dual channel versions, the WA-MPX and WA-2MPX are super robust preamplifiers with as much gain as you might need, and some tonal shaping controls to quickly help your signal fit into an arrangement. The vintage-correct components make for a very clean preamp with plenty of gain and headroom, but with the controls and ability to obliterate the signal when needed. It’s somehow both a utility preamp and a vibey colour box in one, being usable on everything, but with the option to drive, distort and filter depending on how much you like to commit when recording. The WA-MPX is the real deal, melding the past and present together and driving it through classic components in the modern day.

BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

AUDIO-TECHNICA ARTIST ELITE AE3000

AUDIO-TECHNICA AUSTRALIA | RRP: $499

When you hear the words ‘Large Diaphragm Condenser ', you’d be forgiven for immediately having your mind drift off into the world of the physically imposing vocal mics that have dominated the product category for so long, but to do so would only be telling half the story. After all, so many of these highly coveted vocal mics have also found a place in front of a whole host of other critical micing applications beyond the human voice, from orchestras to guitar cabs to drum kits and everything in between.

The Audio-Technica AE3000 is a large diaphragm side-address condenser mic with a difference, in that it comes into frame specifically with instruments serving as both a premium multi purpose microphone and a tracking engineers best friend. A high performance microphone in a very small package creates unique capabilities and delivers brilliant results.

As part of Audio-Technica’s stellar Artist Elite series, the AE3000 is clearly aimed at servicing the broadest possible range of instrumental sources.

With a frequency response of 20 hertz to 20,000 hertz and a cardioid polar pattern, the AE3000 boasts an impressive open circuit sensitivity of -43dB (7.0mV) and a max SPL of 148db, it’s both suited to delicate open air capture and brutal guitar cabinet micing with equal aplomb. Equipped with handy onboard features like a low frequency roll off switch and a pad switch both housed on the sleek gunmetal grey housing, it exudes a professionalism that more than lives up to it’s ‘Artist Elite’ status.

Similar to other microphones in the Audio-Technica range, the AE3000 is an electret condenser microphone, as the element is permanently polarised. The AE3000 features a fixed charge backplate, milled with very high precision which allows for a significantly smaller diaphragm mass. The lightweight nature of it’s diaphragm translates to some

exceptional detail at capture and for instruments like acoustic guitar or live percussion, you’d be hard pressed to find anything more suitable. The quality of the aforementioned capsule also puts the AE3000 realms above other cheaper electret microphone in terms of noise, making it a perfect ASMR microphone as well (if that is your jam).

The AE3000’s most prominent stand out feature is its size, it has an impressive ability to be able to fit in close spaces, where placing a large diaphragm condenser microphone, especially a side address microphone, can be challenging.

The second feature that is important to note is the flat faced grille, which allows for significantly increased proximity to the sound source.

To illustrate how small the Audio Technica AE3000 is, here are some numbers. It weighs a mere 170g (6oz) and is only 115mm by 48mm (4.53” by 1.89”) but don’t let these small numbers distract you from the whopping 158dB max SPL with the pad engaged (148dB otherwise)

Sonically speaking, the AE3000 has a very flat frequency response

overall, with a slight bump at 6-8kHz and it is very subtle at around 2-3dB. The frequency response of the AE3000 stays impressively consistent, only rolling off slightly above 15kHz and below 50Hz. This inturn makes it an exceptional microphone for open sounding snares, providing just the right amount of bite in all the right places. Same goes for overheads, where a stereo pair of AE3000’s could be one of the best option in extracting texture and detail from the overall kit sound.

A large component of this product is the wide operating environment of the AE3000. By combining the large diaphragm capsule with an open faced headcase, the AE3000 has a very accurate and open sound. Through managing the proximity effect related to the distance of the AE3000 from the sound source, the AE3000 is able to perform in a range of roles, as drum overheads, on an acoustic guitar or even on amplifiers. It also excels on horns, and on drums such as toms and timpani.

On that note, the AE3000 has been used as a live tom mic by some well known international acts, including Snarky Puppy, Creed Hoobastank and AC/DC, which should hopefully be enough of an

endorsement to justify adding it to your live mic kit.

The AE3000 has a very high maximum Sound Pressure Level (SPL) which allows it to perform well on snare drums, among other things. Utilising the flat grille of the AE3000 it is quite effective at minimising high hat bleed, and due to the diaphragm size it performs well on the toms too, without colouring the sound much. The high SPL tolerance means that interestingly, the AE3000 has a quite effective usage as a microphone on guitar and bass amplifiers, with the proximity effect adding thickness to the low mids. Pulling the mic back by a few inches will allow for the ideal balance of low frequencies and mids by reducing the proximity effect as needed.

On acoustic instruments, particularly guitar, the best method I have found is to start at a longer range, 1-2 feet and bring it close until it starts sounding too boomy. My acoustic is particularly mellow and the sweet spot for me was around 1 foot from the face of the guitar, and in line with the 18th few, angled at the base of the fretboard slightly.

To describe the perfect usage of a microphone is a false concept, but with the Audio-Technica AE3000 the classic saying of “the louder the better” rings true, as it excels in high SPL environments and is well and truly up to the task with its max SPL rating of 158dB (with Pad). There are very few scenarios where you will be limited by the max SPL of the Audio Technica AE3000. For a large diaphragm condenser microphone the AE3000 performs superbly and at the asked price, it is a serious and professional option providing features and performance expected of a higher budget microphone. It is highly capable in a large range of environments and would be a valuable asset to any musician's microphone cabinet.

BY JOHN TUCKER

SE ELECTRONICS 4400 CONDENSER MICROPHONE

SOUND & MUSIC | RRP: $879.99 (SINGLE)

There are some microphones that will always reserve a special place in our hearts-cult classics who’s capsules, design aesthetics and sound characteristics have allowed them to permeate beyond their humble beginnings, evolving into something of a lifehack for engineers looking to pull a particular sound again and again. For many self-recording guitarists out there (particularly those of the big amp, thick distortion variety), the SE Electronics 4400a is a microphone that more than falls into this category. A large diaphragm condenser with the perfect combination of lightning fast transient response and upper mid articulation, at a price point that made it a more than viable option for the every person. For those relatively new to recording, the 4400a quickly became the guitar recording condenser of choice, especially when your garden variety dynamic just isn’t cutting it, providing a whole host of Eureka moments and serving as the perfect antidote to a dark or muddy guitar tone.

Now, before I go any further, let me preface the rest of this review with this disclaimer. The SE 4400a is not JUST a guitar cabinet microphone. It has a number of applications, but if your guitarist hears that there’s one lying around, it’s likely that they’ll claim it as their own from there on out. So, let’s see what makes this iconic microphone iconic.

The SE Electronics 4400a is a utilitarian workhorse that offers a 1” gold sputtered capsule housed

in a rugged steel frame. That’s the simple breakdown.

The 4400a has been designed to capture that classic vintage condenser microphone sound; that which often requires the use of a microphone many times its price to achieve. Every 4400a capsule and electronics set is hand tuned in the SE factory to ensure that it has that tone and charm that you would expect from a microphone of this nature. It offers a large frequency range with a fairly flat response above 50Hz depending on which mode it is operating in. Yet, it still offers its own subtle colouration to the signal that is singular to the characteristics of the capsule and electronics housed within. The unique shock mount that is included with the microphone is a further nod to this kind of broad functionality, allowing for easy access to all of the control switches.

It could be likened to another classic microphone with a similar rectangular shape, but the SE Electronics 4400a still has a very unique tone. Used as a stereo pair, it beautifully adds life to a piano with a richness in the top end that shimmers and a mid-range that allows the natural resonance of the timber to come to life. The same goes when it’s used as drum overheads. It sizzles with the cymbals, yet still booms on tom rolls.

All this said, I have never met any group of musicians more attracted to the sound of the 4400a than guitarists. This is a microphone

that absolutely comes to life in front of a guitar cabinet. Its ability to handle high SPLs means you can run it right up in front of a single speaker combo, and the shock mount design becomes understood in this application as it doesn’t restrict placement close to the cloth. Or, pull it back about two feet from a qua box and let it capture the full sound of four speakers working in unison. What you get is one of the great all time guitar sounds in a microphone that has been built to handle it.

Let’s face it, along with drummers, guitarists are up there for treating gear pretty roughly. So, it makes sense that if you’re going to let them anywhere near a microphone, it needs to be tough. The all metal housing of the 4400a and spring steel wire mesh around the capsule have been designed to take abuse. The same goes for the shock mount. These are not precious museum pieces that need to be kept behind glass. This is a microphone that has been built to get used and abused and continues to deliver.

A series of switching options is included on the housing with a 10dB and 20dB attenuator switch for high level signals. There’s a high pass filter with two frequency options and most importantly, there is a polar pattern switch, giving you the choice between Cardioid, HyperCardioid, Omnidirectional and Figure of Eight patterns. This allows for the sE 4400a to be used in a wide array of applications and environments. I think it goes

without saying that for the most part, the standard cardioid option is going to be the go-to choice, but when used as a pair the hyper cardioid will allow for greater difference in the stereo spread, as will combinations of patterns as a pair. So, it will be pleasing to many to know that whilst this microphone is available as a single unit with shock mount, you can also purchase a matched stereo pair that include a stereo mounting bar as well. Either way, if you’re buying one or two, you get the dedicated shock mounts and sturdy metal carry cases to ensure your 4400a travels safely to every event. The only question is, where will you first use yours?

BY ROB GEE

ZOOM UAC-232 AUDIO INTERFACE

DYNAMIC MUSIC | RRP: $399

The Japanese effects and recording gurus at Zoom are no strangers to home recording solutions, having pioneered desktop recorders with their R-16 and subsequent models. Of course, they have also offered direct DAW recording hardware options for longer than I can remember, utilising the recording technology used in Zoom portable and desktop recorders to create up-to-date audio interfaces. Not only do these offer excellent quality, but with shared R&D costs from Zoom’s other recorder lines, they deliver on value too. So, it goes without saying that the Zoom UAC-232 USB audio interface is one that delivers on price and features in a way that many others don’t. Let’s see what it’s all about. We’ll start by putting this out there: this is the best looking interface Zoom have ever created. That’s not just an opinion, it’s a fact. The UAC-232 looks stylish, it looks sleek, it looks like it is a cut above. And with that, it backs it up by providing a quality of audio capture that you’d expect from such a sharp looking piece of kit. Zoom’s UAC-232 is the first dedicated 32-bit float technology audio interface and one that is going to set the standard for future devices. So, what exactly is 32-bit float technology, and why did the engineers at Zoom exclude gain controls on the inputs for the UAC232? All good questions worth looking into.

One way of looking at 32-bit float recording is that it’s batting well above its average. What

this means is the converters are capturing audio beyond the ceiling that has previously been a limitation on digital audio - the cut-off point that causes clipping. This allows you to record with an amazing dynamic range and capture just about everything, far beyond what normal digital recording allows for. From the quietest breath to the loudest crash, the audio is captured clearly and without distortion, so that it can then be adjusted in post-production. It’s like having an almost infinite dynamic range, where huge amounts of audio are captured for every second of recording, but only at the expense of about 1/3 extra recording space. In most current digital recording formats, with a limited dynamic range, you end up clipping if a signal goes too high. On top of that, you don’t hear a lot of the quieter sounds if you adjust the gain to counteract loud signal sources. This results in a recording that invariably ends up missing something. 32-bit float recording ensures it’s all there and can be recalled how you need, with gain adjustments in your editing software.

So, looking at the front panel of the UAC-232, there are two combination XLR/TRS balanced inputs that allow for microphone or line level signals. Neither of these have an input gain control knob, as it simply isn’t needed. The 32-bit float recording captures the sound from the lowest setting on the gain control right up to the highest setting all in one. Input

on has the option for a Hi-Z level if you wish to go direct with a guitar or similar instrument, and both have switchable phantom power options. A headphone out, and volume control, with direct monitoring switch are also found on the front panel, along with the master volume, which controls output levels. Speaking of outputs, there is a pair of balance TRS connectors on the rear of the UAC-232, along with 5-pin DIN MIDI in and out. Because, let’s face it, there are still a lot of hardware applications that require that old MIDI connection format, so it’s nice to have that there as an option.

Looking closer at the input side of things, Zoom have included the same preamps on this interface as those found in their F-Series recorders. They offer very low noise and a lovely clean boost to the signal level that allows the subtle nuances of your microphone to shine through. These preamps can happily handle high SPLs, so you’re set for just about any application with the combination of preamp and 32-bit float recording. Guitars, vocals, pianos, drums and pretty much any instrument you can think ofit’s like a ‘plug and play’ solution as you switch from one to another with no need to fuss over input gain settings. The same goes for live streaming and podcasting. You don’t need to constantly monitor input levels and adjust for variations in levels between speakers and other sound sources. It all gets captured and you can edit, if needed at a later stage.

With the Zoom UAC-232 Mix Control software, you have a simple, dedicated input bridge between the hardware and your DAW video or streaming software. It has two modes, one for music to integrate with the input options of your DAW and a separate mode for streaming that combines all inputs to a single sound source for your streaming software. The Mix Control panel also allows you to use the Loopback feature to allow you to add the playback of music from your computer, separate to your DAW or streaming software and bring it all in as one. There’s not a lot going on here, because there doesn’t need to be. With the use of 32-bit float recording, Zoom have taken a lot of the worry of setup out of your hands and just allowed you to get into recording. In a nice little touch, a pair of cable ties are included in the package to enable you to fasten input and output cable to the rails on the side of the UAC-232 to act as strain relief in the event a cable is kicked or pulled accidentally. In delivering possibly the most user friendly USB audio interface to date, they’ve thought of everything.

BY ROB GEE

AUDIENT ID24 STUDIO CONNECTIONS | RRP:

The Audient iD24 is the new replacement for the popular iD22. It features a modern sleek, compact look, and heralds a new level of performance and quality from the Audient line.

The stylish dark ‘smoke grey’ metal chassis complete with hand-milled aluminium knobs, matches the more recent releases from the brand - the switches being illuminated.

At a competitive price point, the Audient iD24 has a slew of features, including: Bus-powered recording at 24bit/96kHz (with the ADAT in/out being limited to four channels at 96kHz) and two preamps with a respectable max gain of 58dB. These preamps can be found in the Audient ASP series of preamps and consoles. Each preamp has a balanced XLR input, and there is one JFET instrument Direct Input found on the front. Each channel comes with individual phantom power, a -10dB pad, a High Pass Filter which attenuates the low frequencies by -12dB per octave starting at 75Hz and a phase flipping switch (however this is software controlled rather than hardware as on the iD22). Both channels can be monitored through the headphone output. The Interface features ADAT In and Out, Wordclock Out and a send + return per channel.

In terms of outputs, the Audient iD24 features ADAT out, Two pairs of Line Outputs to send to two pairs of monitors, the headphone monitor parallel output and the USB 2.0 which also functions as the power supply. It is worth noting that the parallel headphone outputs cannot receive separate mixes or levels, but it is a minor price to pay to keep the cost low and the size of the unit small. A

small further note on the USB 2.0 connection, it is bus powered, so no external power is needed, and despite being USB 2.0 speed (which is normal for most interfaces) it is a USB C connector which increased its useability and future proofing.

I used the iD24 in the studio for a while and was immediately impressed with how clean the preamps are, and I found it did have enough gain to handle really low input microphones without introducing an obscene amount of noise. Additionally, the software supplied has loosened up a little bit on where the microphone allocations can come from allowing a talkback to come from a USB mic, a built in microphone, or even a webcam so you don’t lose an input having a talkback mic, however the software, despite getting a cool new facelift is slightly clunky to use, especially navigating around when you are using digital ins and outs, there are another few issue others have noticed with the software useability, but these are easily fixable in a future patch or update.

I enjoyed using the send and return inserts on the analogue channels, as it allowed me to use my outboard gear, without the need of an external patch bay prior to the interface. More on the inserts - they can be switched between full, normal and half normal in the

software, which adds a whole suite of characteristics. Let me break down the differences, and how I used them in the studio.

In full normal, the send and return are isolated from each other. Basically, what this means is that the processing you do via the outboard gear is inserted back into the signal chain without affecting the original signal. This is useful when you want to use the outboard gear in parallel with the original signal, or when you need to be able to bypass the external signal. I used this mode for recording mastering processing, where I did not want to affect the original track, but wanted a processed return.

In half normal mode, the send is still isolated from the return, but the original signal also gets passed along to the return jack, meaning that the outboard processor is inserted, but the original signal is still present in the return signal. I used this primarily for my outboard compressors, as it allowed me to have analogue parallel compression at the DAW.

The software supplied with the Audient iD24 greatly increases the useability of the interface in many ways, that I will extrapolate on further below.

The Audient iD24 is equipped with Audio Loop-back, allowing the user to quickly transform

the iD24 into a multi purpose powerhouse. Loop-back gives you the ability to capture playback from multiple sources on your computer at the same time as the microphone, which can be used to create custom audio feeds perfectly tailored for streaming software. It is a feature perfect for content creators, podcasters, and streamers, all of which can utilise it through the Audient Software Mixer app.

The Audient iD24 comes with a starter version of Cubase along with a few software instruments, an amp simulator and a trial of Sonarworks, which is a godsend for us poor suckers with square rooms and average drivers.

The software instruments included are Retrologue 2 (a classic analogue synth emulation by Steinberg), Waldorf Edition 2 LE (software emulations of classic Waldorf products), M-Tron Select (a digital Mellotron emulation from Gforce), and lastly Torpedo Wall of Sound (an highly realistic amp sim by Two Notes).

The best way to end up with a great sounding piece of audio, is to start at the start, and record the original audio in the highest quality, and the capability to do that consistently and easily is present and abundant in the Audient iD24. Audient iD24 absolutely smashed it out of the park with the new evolution of the already wildly popular iD22.

BY JOHN TUCKER

SMART ACOUSTIC SRF200 REFLECTION FILTER

AUSTRALIS | RRP: $149.99

The developments in home studio recording that we have witnessed over the past three decades have been nothing short of incredible. Vastly more options, inconceivable improvements in quality and greatly reduced pricing have all made better home recording more affordable to everyone with an ear for it. We have seen the development of many clever innovations designed to improve the home recording space, and continual improvements on these over time.

One such innovation that has been adopted by a number of manufacturers is the reflection filter, which improves the sound of a studio microphone in a room that is less than ideal. With that, Smart Acoustic, an Australian audio brand, have put their spin on this concept with the SRF200 Reflection Filter - and it’s proving a popular means of acoustic treatment for microphone placement in a home recording setup when budget and space are key.

Let’s face it, this is not a new idea. The reflection filter has been delivered under various guises by a range of audio brands from all around the world. We’ve seen them created for instrument microphones, for vocal microphones and even for larger, multi-microphone setups for use with pianos or drum kits. It has been offered in many shapes and sizes, all with certain purposes in mind, but all offering a key factor – space. The reflection filter allows you to control acoustic reflections in a certain area, usually a compact space. And the Smart Acoustic SRF200 does exactly that.

When I began my journey into home recording, back in the dark ages, known as the ‘last century’, we focused on treating the room. Usually a spare room in the house was taken over and turned into a dumping ground for unwanted cardboard, high density foam,

old rugs and soft furnishings, all in an attempt to reduce unwanted reflections, muffle out environmental noise and reduce unwanted equipment noises. Now, all that effort, time and space can be removed and a better result can be achieved with one simple device!

The SRF200 has a three-layer construction consisting of a vented composite shell wrapping around the outer, rear section of the unit. This acts as both the structural foundation and the diffuser to external noises or reflections occurring around the microphone. Importantly, this is not a completely sealed surface, so it diffuses audio reflections and doesn’t trap them, creating vibrations.

The inside of the SRF200 is made up of a further two layers. The first being a wool fabric layer sitting just within the composite shell. This knocks down high frequencies that are often attributed to environmental noise. It not only muffles any sounds coming from the rear of the unit, but also stops high frequencies bouncing off of the inside of the composite shell, so they don’t return to the rear of the microphone capsule. The final layer, closest to the microphone, is made up of vertical slats of high density foam evenly spaced apart. These create pockets of air

between the wool layer and their outer edge, which absorbs more of the lower frequencies and offers immediate protection from early reflections.

The result is like creating a perfect studio environment in the two square feet around your microphone. You only need to place your head into the space where the microphone would sit to hear the difference. Bringing your head up above the top of the filter and you’ll notice an increase in environmental noise in a seemingly quiet space. Do so whilst speaking and you will notice your voice goes from a dry signal to a very lively sound that instantly becomes almost hollow sounding with frequency cancellations as you bring your mouth up above the top of the filter.

This is the old trick of placing a seashell up to your ear and suddenly being able to hear the ocean in it. Well, the reflection filter does the complete opposite, but takes away the room when your ears are down within it. Thus, placing your microphone within its confines to record, you get a fuller, richer signal that isn’t affected by cancellation from reflections.

Two mounting attachments can be found in the lower section of the SRF200. The lower mount attaches the SRF200

to your microphone stand, and the upper mount accepts the microphone clip or cradle. The upper mounting bracket within the SRF200 is height adjustable, allowing you to raise or lower the microphone to the perfect position. Not all microphones are the same size, and with the further variation in size that is added by using different shock mounts, it’s important to ensure the microphone’s capsule is situated around the centre of the reflection filter to get the best results.

With that in mind, it is fairly simple to set this unit up and leave it set up. The SRF200 is not heavy, being made of mostly lightweight materials, but it does add mass to your microphone stand. Just be sure to orient the tripod legs on your microphone stand so that one leg is in line with the microphone, to stop it from tipping over with the added mass up top. The addition of a sandbag on one or two legs of the microphone stand will ensure it’s not going anywhere and does aid in reducing vibration up the main shaft of the stand. But it’s not a necessity. What is important is that your vocals will be instantly improved with the use of the SRF200. It doesn’t take up much space, it doesn’t chew into the budget greatly and it doesn’t require any technical know-how to get it working properly. With that in mind, it’s probably one of the most usable home studio audio tools available!

BY ROB GEE

Engineered to perfection iLoud Precision

iLoud Precision series represents another breakthrough in nearfield monitoring from the company that revolutionised compact monitors with iLoud Micro Monitor and iLoud MTM.

Available in a choice of 3 configurations — 2-way 5” or 6.5”, and 2 x 5” MTM — these handmade works of sonic art reflect IK’s 25+ years of expertise in loudspeaker design and digital signal processing, delivering a level of sonic detail that beats speakers at three times the price, with unique DSP-based features and software workflow enhancements that can’t be found anywhere else.

X-MONITOR adjustments to

fi

The iLoud Precision series introduces , a newly developed advanced control application for Mac and Windows that assists with ARC calibration and enables extended acoustic and voicing selection and ne-tune iLoud Precision to your taste, plus convenient remote access to the settings on the Precision’s back panel. The software is plug-n-play via a simple USB connection with no special setup needed.

Proudly distributed in Australia by Sound And Music

For more information, contact your favourite music store

https://sound-music.com/brand/ik-multimedia/ or visit:

SHURE MV7 DYNAMIC MICROPHONE JANDS | RRP: $529

Shure are microphone royalty. Their famous SM58 and SM57 microphones can be heard on countless recordings throughout history, and are a staple for live shows due to their accessible price point and robust, roadworthy construction.

It’s no shock then, that Shure’s MV7 Dynamic Microphone fits the bill and carries the flag for Shure proudly. Marketed primarily as a podcast microphone, the MV7 offers both XLR and USB output, eliminating the need for an interface for gaming, podcasting and content creation. You can monitor directly from the mic where needed, or the MV7 can become your go-to mic for gaming, helping you communicate with your teammates in dire situations! The Shure MV7 is the smaller and more affordable cousin of the famous SM7B (that came after the SM7 for any mic aficionados reading), while retaining the form, function and clarity of its more expensive predecessor. The MV7 weighs in at 0.55kg so will have no issues on desktop and boom mic stands, something that more heavy duty microphones sometimes struggle with.

Because of the MV7’s plug and play style design, it’s a perfectly suited mic for gaming. On board DSP helps to filter out unwanted sounds, and the software intended for its use as a podcast mic makes for a great gaming mic that will

retain clarity and articulation over low-latency streaming, gaming and other online applications. The XLR output makes the MV7 a handing mic to have around, conforming to more standard microphone specifications, but the USB output allows users with less audio-focused knowledge to have equal success with the MV7. The USB allows for connections direct to a computer or gaming console, where applicable, reducing the need for multiple rounds trips of audio, through extra software that can introduce latency. It connects easily and quickly to a mic or boom stand, so however you’re comfy gaming, the MV7 will move with you.

In use, setup for the MV7 was a breeze. Connected via the included Micro-B USB to my computer, I had signal in moments, toggling between settings in the MOTIV app. Switching to the XLR connection, the MV7 retains the clarity of any other mic, allowing either option to be entirely usable depending on your current recording/gaming rig. The 3.5mm headphone output is easily controlled within the app, sliding between monitor modes on the touch panel interface in the app. The yolk of the MV7, that is, the metal band that allows the mic to move freely, feels robust, as the felts and screws hold the mic securely in place with little effort. Unlike the SM7B, the MV7 has no cable protruding from

the main chassis so the MV7 offers even more flexibility in that sense, so it can be screwed to a mic stand and tilted, flipped and tightened in the perfect spot. The chassis of the MV7 is also smaller so will obstruct less when live streaming, podcasting with video or performing music.

The MV7 is a dynamic cardioid mic, meaning that it’s very directional and will pick up primarily what it’s pointed at with minimal bleed from other sources. Being dynamic it doesn’t require phantom power, however you’ll need healthy levels of gain at the receiving end, be that your console, computer or audio interface. Gain control and access to headphone mix is available on the free MOTIV Desktop app, that allows the user to control the Auto Level technology based on the microphone’s position. From here you can adjust tone, compression and limiting and EQ, or adjust sample rate depending on your system’s needs. 44.1kHz and 48kHz sample rates are available for both 16-bit and 24-bit recording.

The MV7 is available in black or white, depending on your style, and the moveable yolk allows the MV7 to be positioned perfectly on a variety of mic stands. It’ll pick up everything from 50Hz all the way up to 16kHz, which is plenty of room space for a human voice while filtering out that super low end rumble and rolling off the high

end nicely. The MV7 offers 36dB via the MOTIV app, as well as mute functions, presence controls, EQ and dynamics control, ensuring you have optimal signal arriving at its destination, which can be easily adjusted if need be. The natural curve of the microphone features a slow rise from around 1kHz, beginning to offer stronger response where it’s most important for a voice, ensuring clarity even before touching the EQ modes. The MOTIV app also has handy LED indicators to ensure your input is clean and your signal clear.

The MV7 is a total solution for the gamer looking for an easy way to make their voice heard. The MV7 provides handy controls for tailoring its sound to your needs, as well as physically being small, lightweight and adjustable enough to be placed in the perfect position for your voice. Clarity of voice is really important while streaming or gaming online, and the MV7 can retain a clear voice while you focus on leading the pack or falling back when the team calls for it. The MV7 features a regular XLR out as well, so if you move into more complex streaming routing for gaming, or even music production, the MV7 can move with you and will be endlessly handy no matter the project.

BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

Acoustic Studio Kits

Ideal for Rehearsal Studios, Recording Spaces, Editing Suites, Podcast Studios

Durra Acoustic Studio Kits are ideal for creating a studio space tailored to your needs

• Easy to assemble and no specialty tools or trades are required

• Materials arrive pre cut which reduces labour and waste on site

• Provides a simpler and more sustainable result than traditional materials

• Can be customised to suit acoustic requirements

Durra Panel is a unique building product with great acoustic qualities and is made entirely from reclaimed wheat straw

My Rig: CLAMM

CLAMM lead singer Jack Summers sat down for a chat with Mixdown to tell us about the tools behind he and his band mates’ powerful sound.

There’s few Australian acts currently distilling millenial/gen Z malaise with such a bristling ferocity as Melbourne’s CLAMM. The band’s 2022 LP Care is loaded with roaring punk rock elegies to the information-overloaded void: questions go unanswered, feelings of overwhelm fester, the humdrum pleasantries of groundhog day life are satirised.

It’s a compelling grasp at a new kind of catharsis – CLAMM aren’t quite searching for meaning in an increasingly meaningless world, but acknowledging that sometimes, the only antidote to the racket is to exhale, and admit that it can all be, well, a bit much.

CLAMM’s no-frills overdriven tones and pronounced Aussie accents align them with punk contemporaries from CIVIC, to Pinch Points and Body Type, and yet their tenaciousness and heart that present in equal measure set the band apart.

Having recently taken their signature spunky distortion to European shores on a headline tour, lead singer Jack Summers sat down for a chat with Mixdown to tell us about the tools behind he and his band mates’ powerful sound.

Tell me a little bit about your European tour!

Our European tour was extremely fun. We had a mix of playing some smaller headline shows and supporting some amazing bands like A Place to Bury Strangers and Preoccupations. Every APTBS show was as chaotic as the last. They smash guitars, play on the floor and have amazing songs. They’re the loudest band I’ve ever seen. Watching Preoccupations is like watching an entire city play. It’s moving and special. So it was great. We love going to Europe/UK. It was cold and dark though, but we all got used to it.

What’s in the arsenal of gear that you choose to cart with you on the road? What had to be left at home?

We bring our guitars and pedals. Miles brings his snare and cymbals. We don’t have to leave much behind because our set up is pretty simple, luckily.

Which pieces of equipment are integral to each of you when it comes to translating CLAMM’s essence from a recorded to a live context?

It’s become pretty essential for me to run out of two amps. My Death by Audio pedals are very important to me. I also have not been able to get a good sound out of a single coil guitar before.

Rig Rundown :

Guitar:

I have a Fender Stratocaster with humbuckers that my Mum bought for me when I was 14 and I can’t get rid of it. No other guitar feels the same right now.

Amps:

I run out of two amps. I like the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe amps.

Effects:

I have Death By Audio’s Octave Clang, Fuzz War and Interstellar Overdrive. I use a Boss DD-3 Delay sometimes.

Mics/Vocal effects:

I use a MXR Carbon Copy Delay through my vocals. It means I can change the length of the delay per song.

BY ISABELLA VENUTTI

Fender Hot Rod Deluxe

Fender Stratocaster