Recording - December 2009 - 25

characteristic. The same switch on the mic also has an OFF position. There is another convenience built in: A simple knurled non-protruding knob on both sides of the grille rotates the capsule internally by 90 degrees, allowing you go from sideaddress to front-address. The mic accepts a single AA battery. The frequency response is listed as 50 Hz to 18 kHz, no deviations given. More specs can be found at http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/product-ECM957PRO/. While the ECM-957PRO has an XLR (stereo) connector, Sony is fully aware that many users will hook it up to a portable recorder (like Sony’s own D1 or D50), and so the mic comes with a nifty XLR (5-pin stereo) – to – 1/8" stereo mini connector cable. It also comes with a clever fold-out tabletop stand, a hand grip and a mic holder, with adapter nuts to fit any type of stand, and there is a thick foam windsock in the box. I mostly compared this mic with built-ins on portable digital recorders from Edirol, Marantz, Olympus, TASCAM, and Sony’s own PCMD50. Not only did I get better sonic results from the ECM-957PRO, but in every case the sheer fact that I had an external mic that wouldn’t record my handling noises on the recorders themselves was a winner. It is also very much less prone to wind noises than any of the built-ins I’ve encountered over the last year or so. Especially when used as a front-address, it seems to be quite resistant to picking up wind noise. It’s not cheap in these days of rock-bottom prices for mics, but give it a listen if its practicalities appeal to you. I think you’ll like what you’ll hear.—LzR Puremagnetik $5.75/month to $245/year (see below); www.puremagnetik.com If you constantly crave cool new sounds, one of the nicest gifts you can talk a loved one into giving you is a subscription to an online sample download library. If the library you choose is constantly updating its sounds and adding great new content, a subscription quickly becomes a fantastic value—and Puremagnetik qualifies in a big way. Most of the Micropak downloads sold by Puremagnetik are optimized for Ableton Live, Native Instruments Kontakt, and Apple Logic. Depending on the application, a Micropak might include samples, pre-configured virtual instruments (e.g. an Instrument Rack for Live or an EXS24 keymap for Logic), heavily customized and controllable effects, presets for existing instruments like Operator or FM8, or all of the above. Users can create subscriber accounts with different levels of access for different amounts of money, or simply purchase products one at a time. On average, two new Micropaks are created and released each month, and can be anywhere from just a few MB to nearly a GB in size depending on their content. For $5.75 a month, you get access to the current products that month, and for $60, you get 12 months’ access to each month’s products. You just have to remember to log on and get what you’re entitled to that month. If you want more flexibility, you can do a QuickBuy of a Micropak for $12; this can be anything in Puremagnetik’s catalog. If you want a huge amount of material at once, you can purchase the Big 07, Big 08, or Big 09 bundles of an entire year’s content on DVD at a substantial savings (especially if you buy more than one at a time). And for $245, you get a year’s free rein within the Puremagnetik library, with all products available to you. What’s in the closet? As of this writing, a full 40 libraries of material, each one with its own unique source recordings and intent. Some examples: Blip, which collects sounds and beats from the ancient Atari 2600 computer sound chip; Guitar Rack, a collection of guitar-based sounds, riffs, and amp effects (there are now three volumes available); PM-200, a sample set from the Wurlitzer 200A electric piano (think Supertramp); Purple Kit, a 500 MB sampled acoustic drum kit for funk and hip hop use; Bender, a collection of circuit-bent instrument loops; and my favorites, Microtron Tapes 1 and 2, each of which features a set of three famous Mellotron sound tapes. (I know, I know I’m just a Tron nut. Sue me.) This stuff is beautifully presented, and while much of it is experimental in nature, all of it is fun and inspiring. And at these prices, you can experiment to your heart’s content without breaking your budget. Check it out with a couple of Quick Buys, and don’t forget to try the Freebies page; I’m betting you’ll soon be back for more.—MM RECORDING DECEMBER 2009

http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/product-ECM957PRO/ http://www.puremagnetik.com http://www.recordingmag.com/tapereviews.html

Recording - December 2009

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