Recording - February 2017 - 4

publisher:

FadeIn
You can't escape the voice
With apologies to Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson, that line from I Robot is true
in more ways than one. We've been communicating with words for thousands of
years, well before the first primitive musical instruments came along, and our ears
are actually wired biologically to hear voices in the finest detail. As a result, we're
much more sensitive to problems with recorded vocals, so there's a neverending
quest for better ways to capture voices in music.
Every year, new products for vocal recording are introduced, taking their place
next to the stalwarts of years past. Some are forgotten; others become classics
in their own right. Only time will tell which is which, but in the meantime, we at
Recording look at what's out there, work with it, and tell you what we've learned.
This issue features reviews of de-essers by Eiosis and SPL, hardware and Universal
Audio software versions of the Manley VOXBOX, and more, but the showcase of
any vocal issue will always be microphones. In addition to beautiful mics from ADK,
Josephson, and Placid Audio, we review two new models that have been generating
considerable debate.
First, there's the Slate Digital Virtual Mic System, which models nearly a dozen of the
world's most famous mics and preamps. Rather than arrange a shootout with the vintage
gear, Paul Vnuk elected instead to put the VMS to work in a practical recording session,
with the results made available for all our readers as a 24/96 audio download. Why
not do a shootout? Read the review on page 20 for our reasoning.
Second, there's the new Chandler Limited EMI LTD Type REDD. That's a mouthful, but
it basically comes down to this: EMI/Abbey Road, home of recording sessions by
no-name bands like The Beatles and Pink Floyd, hasn't released a mic under its own name
in nearly 100 years, and trusted Chandler Limited to build its first mic of the 21st Century.
The result is a mic that is literally unlike any other ever made: a seamlessly melded mic
and preamp that operates as a single unit, with the preamp being heavily based on
the classic REDD.47 invented at EMI and reborn at Chandler. The article also features
interviews with creator Wade Goeke and with Mirek Stiles of Abbey Road, who had a
lot to say about early prototyping. You'll find the review and both interviews on page 40.
Also in this issue, we interview Jeff Hamilton, who spins a tale of pedal-to-the-metal
recording sessions at studios all over the country for the new Violent Femmes album
We Can Do Anything, and Sven-Erik Seaholm tells us about a glorious vocal tracking
session in a church sanctuary, with tips you can use in your own recordings.
Subscribers, as well as those picking up this magazine on the newsstand or at
the Winter NAMM Show (stop by booth 6224 and say hello!), will notice a bit
of a change in our layout, the beginnings of an overall revamp of the magazine's
look. The aim is to keep Recording's editorial content brimming over with reviews,
features, and interviews, but to make that content easier to read and follow. That
task has been placed in the capable hands of Joseph Hawley, our new Creative
Director. Joe returns to Music Maker Publications after a seven-year hiatus, prior
to which he worked here as Associate Art Director alongside Scott Simmonds,
who stepped down last issue. We're thrilled to have Joe back with us, and look
forward to his updating the look of Recording in months to come.
Enjoy the issue!

Thomas Hawley
Brent Heintz

associate publisher:

EDITORIAL
Mike Metlay
special projects editor: Lorenz Rychner
technical editor: Paul Vnuk Jr.
editor at large: Beto Hale
copy editor: Diana Smethurst
músico pro editor: Fernando Curiel
editor:

CONTRIBUTORS
Paul Vnuk Jr., Sven-Erik Seaholm,
Alex Hawley, Allen Goodman,
Darwin Grosse, Eric Ferguson,
Marty Peters, Brian Marshak
SOCIAL MEDIA
Brent Heintz, Paul Vnuk Jr.
ART & PRODUCTION
Joseph Hawley
production manager: Colin Courtney
web goalie: Colin Courtney
creative director:

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:

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Thomas Hawley
vice president: Brent Heintz
president:

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1-800-783-4903
ADVERTISING/CLASSIFIEDS/MAIN OFFICE:
(303) 516-9118
RECORDING MAGAZINE
(ISSN 1078-8352; USPS 002-298)
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Music Maker Publications, Inc.,
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Tel: (303) 516-9118 Fax: (303) 516-9119
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RECORDING FEBRUARY 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - February 2017