EQ Magazine - August 2008 - (Page 6)

SOUNDING BOARD describing (i.e., recording quieter instruments in the control room), a good pair of in-ear monitors—like the Shure SE530—can be very helpful, as they’ll ensure your tracks won’t be plagued by click bleed. Good luck on your next song! WHERE’S THE LOGIC? Thanks for your latest article on “Guitar Amp Modeling” [06/08], it’s just what I needed and I think your mag is great! One question: Why was there no mention of Apple’s products, like Logic 8’s Guitar Amp Pro and Mainstage, alongside the usual suspects like [Native Instruments] Guitar Rig 3 and Waves GTR? I have found that Guitar Amp Pro sounds just as good, in some cases better, than some of the other products mentioned in the article. Is this due to a political issue with Apple? Do you know where I can find a truly objective evaluation of guitar amp simulators that directly compares Apple’s products to other amp sims? Tim Reeves (via email) Craig Anderton responds: EQ certainly has no political issues with Apple—check out the review of Logic Studio in the 12/07 issue, the Power App Alley on creating Apple Loops in the 06/08 issue, or any of the other pieces we’ve written about Apple products. We restricted the article in question to include only amp sims that are available as stand-alone products. We also didn’t give full coverage to products that we had previously reviewed. For example, we didn’t cover the amp sim bundled in Cakewalk Sonar, either. However, as mentioned in the article, this was a collaborative effort with Keyboard, whose article on amp sims was more “review-oriented.” You can read the full article online at www. keyboardmag.com. You’ll find a review of Guitar Amp Pro in there, along with other guitar amp simulators—including ones we had reviewed previously in EQ. And of course, expect to see continuing coverage on amp simulators and related techniques in future issues. TAPE FIXES In the 06/08 Mix Bus [“Matching Outof-Sync Analog Tape with DAWs”], Jonathan Stars suggests using a time compression/expansion algorithm to compensate for tape machine speeds or tape stretching. There is a better way to approach this situation than what Mr. Stars advises, as using a time compression/expansion algorithm that keeps constant pitch regardless of the length adjustment can result in out-oftune tracks and unwanted artifacts. The best thing to do is to first match up the speed manually during the transfer by using the varispeed control on the analog deck, then fineadjust by processing the files using an algorithm that is a simple speed up/slow down process (where the pitch naturally changes with the file length)—not one that does time expansion or compression. Danny Caccavo (via email) A TOUCH OF INSPIRATION Thanks to Craig Anderton for the 06/08 Talk Box [“Was Sly Stone Right?”]. As a musician who has worked at “making it” for most of my life, it was a truly inspiring article. I fully agree with everything he said. I’ve entertained thousands of people over the years, recorded a few CDs—I’ve even been recognized on the street. I always used to dream about being a big star. Nowadays I have a studio in my garage, and I’m looking just to upload my tunes to the net. As Craig said, as long as my music reaches someone out there emotionally, I’ve accomplished something. Today, being a star looks a lot less attractive. I’d be real happy to make a living off of music but, as it is, I work a day job, and make music in my leisure time. That’s not too bad. As a matter of fact, it’s all good! Phil Herrle (via email) Got something to say? Questions, comments, concerns? Head on over to www.eqmag.com and drop us a line in our Letters to the Editor forum, send us an email at eqeditor@musicplayer.com or snail mail c/o EQ Magazine, 1111 Bayhill Dr., Suite 125, San Bruno, CA 94066 for possible inclusion in the Sounding Board. Note: Letters may be edited for length and/or clarity. Direct correspondence by EQ editorial is not guaranteed. All submissions become the property of EQ magazine and can be published in any medium. CANNED SOUNDS I loved the “Recording Acoustic Guitars in the Control Room” article [“Guitar Trax” —06/08], but I have one question for the author [Cliff Goldmacher]. I’m in the same boat as many with a home studio: The control room is the tracking room, and I’m forced to monitor my acoustic sounds in my headphones. I currently use a pair of AKG K 240s, but they seem quite bass-heavy. When I get acoustic sounds in the 240s that sound right, they don’t translate to my monitors or the outside world very well. Can you recommend a pair of headphones that work well in this scenario? Thanks for a great mag! Kirk Lynch (via email) Cliff Goldmacher responds: I’ve tried a couple of different sets of headphones for tracking acoustic guitar. Ironically enough, I’m currently using the AKG K 240s. However, I think there is a bigger issue here than what type of headphones you use while tracking. Honestly, I’m not sure your best bet is to rely on your headphones when dialing in your sound. I’m assuming that you have a pair of nearfield monitors in your control room. If not, you should look into investing in a pair, as you never want to monitor solely with headphones. You can use your headphones as a guide, but you should dial in your sound—settling on mic placement and such—using your monitors. If you still find that the 240s don’t suit you, I recommend the Sony MDR-7506. These headphones, in my opinion, are much less bass-y and have a brighter high end. For sessions such as the ones we are 6 EQ AUGUST 2008 www.eqmag.com http://www.keyboardmag.com http://www.keyboardmag.com http://www.eqmag.com http://www.eqmag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of EQ Magazine - August 2008

EQ Magazine - August 2008 Contents Talk Box Sounding Board Lyrics Born, Fink, David Kahne on Working with Paul McCartney, What a Future with no Record Industry looks like Tool Box ?uestlove Guitar Trax Bass Management Key Issues Drum Heads Vocal Cords Mix Bus Cheat Sheet Cakewalk Sonar 7 Apple Logic Pro 8 USM Mic Round-Up USB Mics Chameleon Labs 7720 Sounds Room with a Vu

EQ Magazine - August 2008

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