Featured Equipment Of The Week: Presonus HP4 4-channel headphone amp

Presonus HP4 4-channel headphone amp 
 The Presonus HP4 comes in a 1/3-rackspace chassis. The HP4 accepts balanced/unbalanced inputs and outputs (1/4" TRS). It features four discrete headphone outputs on the front panel each with its own volume potentiometer and 250mW of amplification per channel.
Find out more: Presonus HP4 $149.99

Can you say quiet? PreSonus can with the HP4's -98 dB noise floor and wide frequency response. Also, the HP4 allows control over control room monitors with a separate volume potentiometer that can be muted using the MONITOR MUTE button.
 The HP4 is powered by an external wall mounted power supply. The input can either be set to stereo or mono. The mono selector button on the front channel simply copies both inputs to both sides.
Presonus HP4 4-Channel headphone distribution amplifier

Featured Equipment Of The Week: Novation Nocturn Intelligent Plug-in Controller

Novation Nocturn Intelligent Plug-in Controller
Novation’s most affordable hardware controller to date, Nocturn is an intelligent plug-in controller that promises to unleash the full potential of all your favourite instruments and effects. Featuring the latest Automap software, exclusive to Novation controllers, Nocturn provides automatic, instant and intelligent control of all automatable plug-ins within every major sequencer, including Pro Tools.

Nocturn features eight touch-sensitive rotary encoders, each equipped with a bright eleven-LED ring (ideal for laptop DJ’ing in a dark club environment). These are accompanied by eight user-assignable illuminated buttons and a smooth, professional 45mm cross-fader. The finishing touch is Novation’s unique ‘speed dial’; a touch-sensitive rotary encoder that instantly takes control of whatever your mouse is focused on!

Find out more: Novation Nocturn

TOP FEATURES

• Exclusive Automap Universal technology
  Novation’s instant and intelligent control technology leaves you free to focus on what matters most - your music.
• Heads-up transparent control GUI
  Automap provides a transparent control map across your computer screen, so you can see at a glance how every parameter is assigned.
• Novation’s unique ‘Speed Dial’
  An instant access touch-sensitive control for composers and performers alike, allowing you to take control of whatever your mouse is focused on!
• Touch-sensitive controls
  Nocturn also features eight touch-sensitive rotary encoders with bright, eleven-LED rings. Simply touch an encoder to assign to any parameter.
• The Lap-top DJ solution
  Alongside the brightly lit encoders, Nocturn also features illuminated buttons and a smooth, professional 45mm cross-fader, making it ideal for laptop DJ’ing in a dark club environment.
• Instant ‘learn’ function
  Simply click on the software parameter and touch a Nocturn control to assign it. Now you can re-assign every control in seconds.

 Buy Novation Nocturn Intelligent Plug-in Controller for just $99

Modulation Effects Explained

Modulation Effects Explained
Modulation effects are a great way to create movement within a mix. This article will explain the different types of modulation effects available for mixing.

1. Tremolo
2. Vibrato
3. Flanging
4. Phase Shifting or Phasing
5. Chorus

All of these effects are built around a Low Frequency Oscillator more commonly referred to as just an LFO. An LFO is an audio signal usually less than 20Hz that creates a pulsating rhythm rather than an audible tone. These are used for manipulate synthesizer tones, and as you will see, to create various modulation effects. All the effects listed use Sine wave as the waveshape for the LFO.