Recording - January 2015 - 4

PUBLISHER: Thomas Hawley
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER: Brent Heintz

EDITORIAL

EDITOR: Mike Metlay
SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR: Lorenz Rychner
TECHNICAL CONSULTANT: Paul Vnuk Jr.
EDITOR AT LARGE: Beto Hale
COPY EDITOR: Diana Smethurst
MÚSICO PRO EDITOR: Fernando Curiel

Don't miss a beat
Every once in a while, a really cool picture pops up on my phone. This time I have
two of them to share:

CONTRIBUTORS
Bruce Kaphan, Paul Vnuk Jr., Frank Marra,
Paul J. Stamler, Sven-Erik Seaholm, Marty Peters
SOCIAL MEDIA
Brent Heintz, Paul Vnuk Jr.
ART & PRODUCTION

ART DIRECTOR: Scott Simmonds
PRODUCTION MANAGER: Colin Courtney
WEB GOALIE: Colin Courtney

PLAYBACK PLATINUM SERIES
Lorenz Rychner

EDITOR/PRODUCER:

CIRCULATION
Tiffany Sepe

CIRCULATION MANAGER:

ADVERTISING SALES AND MARKETING
DIRECTOR: Brent Heintz
CLASSIFIEDS MANAGER: Colin Courtney
ADMINISTRATION
Thomas Hawley

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE:

If you read Recording frequently, you'll know what you're looking at right away: two
of Paul Vnuk's mic tests!
On the left, we have an array of cool ribbon mics. Clockwise from the right, there's the
sE Electronics Voodoo VR1, the Sandhill 6011A, the AEA Nuvo N22, the Royer R-121,
the Cloud 44-A, and at the top, AEA's spiffy new Nuvo N8. Check out page 24; we got
one of the first pairs of N8 mics out of the AEA factory, and we're proud to bring you the
first proper review of this fantastic new ribbon.
On the right, one snare drum and a half-dozen mics: clockwise from the top, we have
the Sontronics DM-1S, Telefunken M81, Audix D6, Sontronics DM-1T, Shure SM57,
and Audix Micro. The Sontronics mics are on review in this issue, along with offerings
for kick drum and overheads; check out page 36.
In this issue, we're taking a broad look at creating the best possible drum tracks for your
songs. Naturally nothing can replace a drum kit, miked up in a great room, but drum kits
are among the most complicated sound sources to mike properly... or are they? Not always.
Starting on page 16, Bruce Kaphan starts simple and goes big, discussing how drum
miking was done in the days of two mics (good enough for Ringo) or three (good enough
for Bonzo) before getting into an over-the-top 17-channel drum mic extravaganza. It's
fascinating reading, and forms a great foundation for new writer Frank Marra's two forays into drum mic technique-one on using the room to get a huge drum sound, and the
other on preparing a kit for a successful session.
But what if you can't set up and record a kit? There are alternatives. Also in this issue,
you'll read about great options for tracking drums digitally: the latest version of FXpansion's
BFD; affordable loop libraries from Soundtrack Loops; and great new sound expansion
options for Toontrack EZdrummer 2 and Ableton Live.
You'll also find great iOS music hardware and apps, Garritan's new Abbey Road
CFX Concert Grand, and another world exclusive: the first review of Chandler Limited's
REDD.47 preamp-a piece of Abbey Road recording history brought into the modern
era. And speaking of gear, check out our show report from the AES Convention in Los
Angeles, with plenty of cool new product releases.
Last but not least, I'm proud to announce the start of a new monthly column. It's called
First Steps, and it's an introduction to recording technique and terminology for readers who
are just getting started and wondering how they're going to make sense of all this jargon.
First Steps is the work of Paul J. Stamler, a Recording contributor for nearly 20 years, whose
classes at Webster University in St. Louis have brought pro audio wisdom to many eager
students. Stick with us every month as Paul explains it all in terms anyone can follow... and
slips in some new knowledge for experienced recording musicians, too.
Here's to a great 2015, and enjoy the issue!

RECORDING January 2015

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

PRESIDENT: Thomas Hawley
VICE PRESIDENT: Brent Heintz

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RECORDING MAGAZINE
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Recording - January 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - January 2015