Featured Equipment Of The Week - Alesis DM10 Studio 2011

Alesis DM10 Studio 2011 Electronic Drumkit
The DM10 Studio Kit is professional, six-piece electronic drum set with natural-feeling RealHead drum pads, low-noise DMPad Cymbals, the groundbreaking DM10 drum module, and a compact, flexible StageRack.
Read more about the DM10 Studio 2011

NEW FOR 2011 – STAGERACK 
The StageRack is the backbone of the DM10 Studio Kit. With its rugged four-post design and industry standard 1 1/2" tubing, the StageRack provides supreme stability under the most serious drumming duress. The StageRack's clamps, mounts, and integrated boom cymbal arms are all fully adjustable with plenty of flexibility to securely fasten your drums, cymbals, and module exactly where you want. You won't need tools to make most adjustments so you can spend less time setting up and more time rocking out. Large enough to easily accommodate additional drums and cymbals – even acoustic drum, cymbal, and percussion instruments – the StageRack still takes up only a fraction of the space of an acoustic kit.
The DM10 Studio Kit gives you more – more drums, more cymbals, more sounds, more flexibility, and more value – to power your creativity.

TOP FEATURES

• DM10 high-definition drum module with 12 trigger inputs and mixer
• Load custom third-party sound sets or control computer software, all via USB
• RealHead 10" snare and four 8" toms: dual-zone drum pads with real mylar heads
• DMPad Cymbals: DMPad 12" Hi-Hat, DMPad 12" Crash, DMPad 14" Triple-Zone Ride, and DMPad 12" Cymbal
• Compact, four-post StageRack with integrated boom cymbal arms
• Premium sound library of uncompressed samples from real drums and cymbals
• Dynamic Articulation™ changes sounds' timbre along with dynamics for realism
• Play along and record yourself with the sequencer
• Mix input for practicing with CD and MP3 players

INCLUDES:
(1) DM10 drum module
(4) RealHead 8" Dual-Zone Drum Pads
(1) RealHead 10" Dual-Zone Drum Pad
(1) RealHead Kick Pad
(1) DMPad 12" Hi-Hat Cymbal
(1) DMPad 12" Crash Cymbal
(1) DMPad 14" Ride Cymbal
(1) DMPad 12" Cymbal
(1) RealHat Pedal continuous hi-hat control pedal
(1) StageRack with clamps and cymbal arms
(1) Cable snake with cable collars
(1) Drumkey
(1) Power supply
(1) DM10 User Manual
(1) Setup Guide
Read more about the DM10 Studio 2011

Maschine 1.6 update

This week Native Instruments announced the free version 1.6 update for MASCHINE.

What's new in MASCHINE 1.6
Plug-in Hosting
Use any Native Instruments or 3rd party VST® or Audio Units™ plug-ins directly inside MASCHINE. You can even hook up combinations: e.g. load MASSIVE* to Slot 1 and GUITAR RIG* to Slot 2 – and tweak them both from the hardware controller - the parameters are automatically mapped to the knobs on the MASCHINE hardware.

KOMPLETE ELEMENTS Included
To get you started using plug-ins inside MASCHINE a free copy of KOMPLETE ELEMENTS is included with this update. KOMPLETE ELEMENTS comprises over 1,000 stunning sounds drawn from the flagship KOMPLETE software bundle, including KONTAKT’s vintage ABBEY ROAD drum kit and Vienna Symphonic orchestral instruments, six REAKTOR synthesizers and 35 GUITAR RIG amps and effects.

Workflow Enhancements
In addition to plug-in hosting, many other new improvements have been made. These include pad-link, swing per sound, internal drag and drop of audio, renaming of clips, duplication improvements, and 16 stereo outputs.

Pad-Link
Any pads in the same link group can trigger each other – play multiple sounds such as two snares and a clap by hitting just one pad. Select one or more pads to be the master, and others in the group to follow as the slaves - perfect for musicians using MASCHINE in a live context.

Swing Per Sound
Swing allows for rhythmic shifting of a pattern, creating a shuffled, live feel.
Swing can now also be applied to individual sounds in MASCHINE 1.6, rather than just at the Group or Master level.

Module Slots
The architecture of MASCHINE’s module slots have been modified to allow great freedom and flexibility, with instrument and effect plug-ins now selectable in the first module position - select either Sampler, Input, MIDI Out or Plug-ins for the first module slot and use the remaining slots to host any combination of effects, external or internal.

Enhanced Drag And Drop
Now you can drag-and-drop single or multiple files into MASCHINE directly from your operating system, and build up your own customized library of samples.
Plus it's now easy to move audio within MASCHINE from one location to another - great for converting a Group to audio to free up resources in MASCHINE.

Also in MASCHINE 1.6

• Extended audio channels: Now 16 stereo outputs
• Renaming objects (now clips, scenes and samples can be renamed inside MASCHINE)
• Full 64-bit compatibility (incl. VST Mac)
• Duplication improvements: Duplicate Scenes along with the pattern events
• Mapping improvement when dragging multiple samples (similar to KONTAKT)
• Snap events to grid, when moving with mouse
• REX 2 import

Order Native Instruments MASCHINE in the Revolution Audio store.

Featured Equipment Of The Week - JBL LSR 2325 Studio Monitor

JBL LSR 2325 Studio Monitor

The LSR 2325 5" nearfield monitors are some of the best bang-for-buck monitors you can get. A great balance of accuracy, power and price. For about $500/pair, you will not be disappointed.
In Stock and Ready to ship!
More info for JBL LSR 2325 Studio monitor
 

The LSR2325P Bi-Amplified Two-Way Model is based on a 5" (132 mm) long excursion woofer and a 1" (25 mm) soft dome tweeter. It includes balanced XLR, balanced 1/4" TRS, and RCA unbalanced input connectors to allow connection of professional mixing consoles, computer audio interfaces, audio visual equipment, and consumer audio systems. A detented level control allows fine adjustment of individual speaker levels to balance each speaker in the system. Low Frequency and High Frequency Trim controls let you tailor the speaker’s response to preference or room acoustics. A neoprene rubber pad on the bottom of the speaker provides acoustic isolation and increases stability when the speaker is placed on a speaker stand or a console top. Mounting points are included and the enclosure has been reinforced for safe mounting using industry-standard mounting hardware.
Buy JBL LSR 2325 Studio monitor

SONAR X1b update released

From Cakewalk Newsletter

SONAR X1b is here
SONAR X1b is now available as a free download to all registered SONAR X1 customers.The X1b update includes new features, enhancements, and fixes that round off the already exceptional new SONAR X1 digital audio workstation. Since SONAR X1's release in December, we have been monitoring user response and feedback very closely in order to provide swift improvements where possible. X1b also offers additional support for the V-Studio 700 and V-Studio 20 Control Surfaces.

 

Enhancements and Features in SONAR X1b

• EQ and ProChannel for Surround Busses
• Auto-Enable for ProChannel Modules (Producer only)
• ProChannel Freezes with Track (Producer only)
• V-Studio 700 Compatibility
• V-Studio 20 Compatibility
• V-Vocal Update
• Console Layout Updates
• Console Selection Enhancements and Re-ordering
• Browser Additions 
  
• MultiDock Updates
• ASIO Dynamic Sample Rate Improvements
• Keybindings and Hot Keys 
• Clip Length Format Changed
• Plug-in Updates        

Buy SONAR X1 Essential, Studio or Producer at Revolution Audio
Get the SONAR X1b update

Featured Equipment: Mackie Onyx Blackjack recording interface

Mackie Onyx Blackjack USB audio interface

Need a compact, high quality recording interface? Check this out - The Mackie Onyx Blackjack is a simple, rugged and affordable usb recording interface.

Find out more about the Mackie Onyx Blackjack, in stock and ready to ship

TOP FEATURES

• Two boutique-quality Onyx mic preamps with class-leading fidelity and dynamic range
• High-headroom design with ultra-low noise and distortion
• Professional 24-bit recording/playback via 2x2 USB
• High-end Cirrus Logic® AD/DA converters with 114dB dynamic range (A-weighted)
• True analog hardware monitoring of inputs, in mono or stereo, for easy zero-latency recording
• Compatible with most major DAWs
  • Pro Tools® 9
  • Logic®
  • SONAR™
  • Cubase®
  • Ableton® Live
  • Final Cut Pro®
  • ...and more
• Built-in DI on each input for direct connection of guitars, basses, etc.
• 48V phantom power for use with studio-quality condenser microphones
• USB bus-powered, eliminating need for separate power cable
• Separate studio monitor and headphone outs with independent level control
• Sleek, ergonomic “Built-Like-A-Tank” desktop design
• Includes Tracktion 3™ Music Production Software for Mac or PC

Find out more about the Mackie Onyx Blackjack

IK Multimedia iKlip compatibility with iPad2

Apple announced the iPad2 last week with a ton of new features and slimmer design.

Unfortunately that slimmer design means that the accessories for the original iPad may not work with the iPad2.

IK Multimedia have confirmed that their best selling accessory iKlip stand adapter is not compatible with the iPad2...yet. It is not clear if there will be a new version or an adapter to accommodate the thinner iPad2.

Stay tuned for updates

5 tips for recording great Electric Guitars with amps

5 tips for recording great Electric Guitars with amps 

Recording guitars can either be a lot of fun, or a lot of frustration. Here are a few tips for recording electric guitars in your home studio.

1 - Guitar and amp selection - All guitars sound different. A telecaster will never sound like a Les Paul, no amount of processing will change that. So if you need the sound of a Les Paul for this recording, your best bet is to have one available. There are some amps that do well in many recording situations but forcing your amp to sound like something it's not will just lead to frustration. Both a Fender Twin and Vox AC30 sound great for clean tones, but they are drastically different sounds. Using the same guitar and amp for every part of every song gets kinda boring, have a few options available and choose what's best in that situation.

2- Consider the room - Don't underestimate the impact the room has on amps. Generally speaking, you want the amp well away from walls and up off the floor a little. If a small amp doesn't sound big enough, try putting it in a corner to get more bass. A carpet in front of the amp will help keep reflections from getting into the mic. 

3- Tuning, new strings and intonation - I mentioned this in the article about Acoustic Guitars, and it is just as important for Electrics. A properly set up guitar with new strings will allow you to play optimally with every note in tune. A guitar should be set up each season as humidity and temperature can really have an impact. Check the intonation whenever you change strings.
 
4- Mic selection and position - For electric guitar amps the two most often used mic types are dynamic and large diaphragm condenser. The dynamic mic will shape the sound somewhat and the condenser will be more true to the source, not always what you want (too much fizz?). Distance, angle and position across the speaker greatly affect what the mic picks up. Take the time to experiment and get it right, don't just put the mic where it looks like it should be or the place that worked last time, always listen. Adding a second mic is another challenge but can be very interesting.

5- Double track - Record a double of each rhythm part. A double is the same part performed as closely as possible to the original. Every strum and chug in unison. The original is panned left, the double to the right. When recording doubled guitars you can dial the gain back a bit for each. You can leave the guitar, pickup, amp and mic selection the same, or change it up a little, not too much.

Featured Equipment Of The Week - TC Electronic Desktop Konnect 6

TC Electronic Desktop Konnect 6
Desktop Konnekt 6 offers the same high quality recording features as the rest of the Konnekt line of interfaces, but in a desktop design that allows you to focus on performance rather than technology.
Bundled with Cubase LE4 - Desktop Konnekt 6 has all the features you need to instantly record instruments and vocals into your Mac or PC.
Monitor control - With the high resolution meter, the big volume knob and the feature dedicated knobs, you have all you need for monitor control.
IMPACT™ Mic preamp and I/O - The IMPACT™ mic pre and the two instrument inputs give you an extraordinary recording quality. The output section has all you need to get the job done.
M40 Studio Reverb - Included is the M40 Studio Reverb, a simple to use, great sounding reverb powered by AlgoFlex™.
Cubase LE4 Included - Bundled with Cubase LE4 - Desktop Konnekt has all the features you need to instantly record instruments and vocals into your Mac or PC.
Find out more about the TC Electronic Desktop Konnect 6

 

Top Features

• Big volume knob
• High resolution meter
• IMPACT™ mic pre
• Hi-Z guitar / line inputs
• M40 Studio Reverb
• Cubase LE4 included
• Intuitive control panel for direct monitoring control
• FireWire 1394, bus powered

Find out more about the TC Electronic Desktop Konnect 6