EQ Magazine - February 2009 - (Page 6)

SOUNDING BOARD g. co m SHOOTO UT! 22 H OT PREA MPS AN D TM RS CALEXI CO TRACKI ’S GUITAR NG TRIC KS CUBASE REASO , SONAR, & N LESS ONS MIKING WILD PI THE ANO COMPR ESSO DECEMBER $5.99 2008 $5.99 12 17 2 A MUSI C PLAY ER PUBL ICATION 7 252 74 010 6 WAYS TO CLEA BETTER N UP DRUMS THROUG YOUR MIX H LAYERI IN THE STUDIO NG WITH SA SHA & ARABI CREATE A VIRTUA AN PRINCE L BASS RACK KEYS TO LATENCY Regarding Key Issues in the 11/08 issue: Finally! Someone explains virtual instrument latency! Do you know how long I’ve waited for this? Probably not. Well, let’s just say . . . a long, long time. Kudos to Craig for taking this on. Now I understand better why my virtual instruments have such a delay when used as DXI or VST plug-ins as opposed to running on their own. I also loved the Gear Head column in the same issue. Nice to get a real world discussion on the various controller types out there. Thanks again, Craig! Marcel.mib (via Email) Executive Editor Craig Anderton responds: Well thanks for the kudos, but Bruce Bartlett wrote the article on synth latency, so your thanks should go to him! However, I’m more than happy to accept your thanks for the article on controllers. I can’t emphasize enough how important physical control is to creating more of a “performance” vibe—people who put off buying a controller and finally get one often kick themselves for not getting one sooner. GO GO CALEXICO Regarding the Calexico article (12/08), I too have been fortunate enough to record at the Wavelab with Craig Schumacher, I wanted to point out a couple things about the way he records. First, there is minimal isolation—if you don’t like bleed and you have more than a drummer and guitarist in your band, you are either going to have to go direct or go somewhere else. Bleed is (or was when I was there a couple years back) a part of the studio reality. Second, the studio has a lovely 1980s MCI 24-track 2-inch machine that accounts for a significant part of the sound. Craig didn’t have to fuss around with EQ too much on guitars with our session because of mic placement and tape (GP-9 at 30ips). Also, I think what hurts many home recordists when it comes to recording electric guitars at home are 1) volume (loud amps make things in the house rattle and overwhelm mics) and 2) lousy converters on cheap interfaces. Good to see you guys talking with people like Craig Schumacher. He is helping to facilitate great regional and national music and is a fun, hard working guy! Ian Mason YOU’VE GOT QUESTIONS . . . First of all, I would like to thank you guys at EQ for your Cheat Sheets. They have helped me a lot, and friends of mine that are not into music production understand a little bit more that the process is not as easy as it looks. But I have two questions: 1. Can you do a Power App Alley on Mackie Tracktion? It is a powerful and streamlined DAW that I think a lot of people are overlooking. 2. I’m using the E-mu 0404 PCI audio interface. How can I interface my outboard Alesis Q2 reverb with the audio in my DAW? I’ve been trying to figure this out and I just can’t get it. Eric Melton Executive Editor Craig Anderton responds: There was a Tracktion Power App Alley back in July 2004 on Tracktion’s clever FX routings, but that was a while ago so I guess we’re due . . . no promises, but stay tuned. As to interfacing audio with your DAW, the usual approach is to use an interface with multiple inputs and outputs, so you can dedicate a bus in your DAW to feeding a set of stereo audio outs. You patch these from your interface to the reverb in, then patch the reverb out to two inputs on the audio interface. You then assign these as inputs inside your DAW. However, the limited I/O with the 0404 could be a problem; you’ll have to tie up your analog I/O just for the reverb, so unless you can monitor from the S/PDIF output, you won’t be able to hear what you’re doing. While the 0404 is still a fine interface, consider upgrading to one with more analog I/O if you want to use external effects. Or, consider using the reverb DSP that comes with the 0404 as a workaround. And thanks for the compliments on Cheat Sheet. That’s actually one of the hardest things for me to write each issue, but the response has been so good it’s well worth doing. GIMME ARTICLES! I look forward to EQ every month, and appreciate your attitude about how recording should be about music, not just knob-twisting. But there are some articles I’d like to see, and I’m sure others would too. Like: How do you do a remix? I understand mixing, I understand recording, but the whole idea of remixing baffles me. I’d really like a “here’s how it works” article. The article on creating a virtual bass rack in a DAW (12/08) was great—that paid for the cost of my subscription about 100 times over because now I use plug-ins instead of gear GASsing for more rack stuff. You also did one on guitar racks, but how about something in-depth on using the racks in Ableton Live? Barryman (via email) Executive Editor Craig Anderton responds: Excellent suggestions. While you’re waiting, dig out the 09/08 issue for a Power App Alley on using Ableton 7’s rack feature with drums. ww w. eq ma 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. 6 EQ FEBRUARY 2009 www.eqmag.com http://www.eqmag.com http://www.eqmag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of EQ Magazine - February 2009

EQ Magazine - February 2009 Contents Talk Box Sounding Board Dave Cooley Low vs. Diamond Hank Williams III Travis Franz Ferdinand Guitar Trax Bass Management Key Issues Drum Heads Vocal Cords Mix Bus Cheat Sheet Apple Logic Pro 8 Cakewalk Sonar Near-Field Monitor Roundup Gadgets &�Goodies Sounds Room with a Vu

EQ Magazine - February 2009

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