Power conditioners aren’t the most flashy piece of equipment in the recording studio but for those running larger/professional setups, they are critical. Whether it’s eliminating noise from the system or protecting your equipment from destruction due to power surges, a good power conditioner should be a top priority. Related article: Top 45 Must-Have Tools For…
Microphones are some of the most important tools in the trade of audio recording and sound reinforcement, and when using them to their fullest capacity, microphone stands are nearly always necessary. It would make sense, then, that a wide variety of manufacturers have brought mic stands to the market. When it comes to choosing the…
We’re currently living in the age of digital audio, and in-the-box mixing within a digital audio workstation is commonplace. Plugins are, therefore, invaluable assets for the modern audio engineer. The power of digital signal processing has made it possible to create highly versatile and powerful delay effects. With so many digital delay plugins on the…
We’re currently living in the age of digital audio, and in-the-box mixing within a digital audio workstation is commonplace. Plugins are, therefore, invaluable assets for the modern audio engineer. The sound of digital audio is often called “sterile” or “clinical.” A great analog/BBD delay plugin can combat this cleanliness and give our productions that warm,…
We’re currently living in the age of digital audio, and in-the-box mixing within a digital audio workstation is commonplace. Plugins are, therefore, invaluable assets for the modern audio engineer. The sound of digital audio is often called “sterile” or “clinical.” An excellent tape delay plugin can combat this cleanliness and give our productions that warm,…
Buchla Studio H Vedic Scapes Verbos Electronics EarDrill Northern Light Modular Sputnik Modular 1979 LA 67 Keen Association Cynthia Of course, any “best of” list is subjective by nature. I’ve done my best to make this as objective as possible. I’ve included not only my own bias but also the opinions of others (in real…
The digital age of recording, in tandem with MIDI, has ushered in an entirely new way of making great music with virtual instruments. Like in-the-box mixing and mastering, which has become the norm in professional and home studios, instruments can now be recorded with software. Whether synth-based, sample-based, or a combination thereof, virtual instruments have…
In the age of recording, where so much is done digitally and “in the box,” audio plugins reign supreme. Whether it’s emulating hardware to get that “analog sound,” pushing the boundaries of what was previously ever possible with audio technology, or simply serving an important purpose in recording, mixing and mastering, audio plugins are invaluable…
We’re currently living in the age of digital audio, and in-the-box mixing within a digital audio workstation is commonplace. Plugins are, therefore, invaluable assets for the modern audio engineer. The flanger effect is a modulation effect that is also considered an important tool in the audio engineer’s toolbox. With so many flanger plugins on the…
Amplifiers are essential in most audio signal flow paths. When looking at power amplifiers to drive our loudspeakers, we come across many design variations, including the monoblock configuration. What is a monoblock amplifier? A monoblock amplifier is a single unit (“block”) responsible for amplifying a single channel (“mono”). The components of a monoblock amplifier amplify…
When looking into hardware equipment for an audio studio, perusers will likely come across 500 Series equipment. From microphone preamplifiers and DI boxes to equalizers, compressors and other effects, 500 series gear is readily available. What is 500 Series Audio Gear? The 500 Series is a modular format for audio equipment developed by API in…
The distinction between feedback and feed-forward compressors is one of those more advanced topics that we should ask about once we understand the essentials of audio dynamic range compression. What is feedback compression? Feedback compression feeds the audio signal into the sidechain just after the gain reduction element. This compressor type reacts to the signal amplitude…
