August 2015 Magazine Contents

AEA continue their quest to modernise the ribbon mic, with this worthy addition to their new Nuvo range.

Never afraid of a challenge, Arturia have undertaken the first software emulation of the celebrated Oberheim Matrix 12.

A–T’s new flagship headphones are also the company’s first ever open–backed design. We put them to the test.

Vintage Strings is a Kontakt library intended to sit alongside Vintage Vibe and Vintage Horns and, like those products, uses original samples recorded in a fashion intended to replicate how it might have been done in Motown.

I tested CME’s first Xkey 25-note compact keyboard for our March 2014 issue. Now they've added an extra octave and released the Xkey37.

If you’re seeking a warm’ sonic character and effortless compression, this channel strip could be just the thing.

The Dreadbox Erebus is an unusual small–format synth with an inviting price tag.

Of all the record producers and engineers I’ve interviewed over the years, few impressed me as much as Joey Sturgis, so when I heard that he was the Executive Producer of Drumforge I was very keen to take a look at the product.

Despite the abundance of right-click menus, hardware control surfaces and tablet apps for accessing the deeper-lying functions of Cubase, a detailed knowledge of its keyboard shortcuts remains essential.

Genelec take an unusual approach to speaker design for this distinctive three–way monitor.

Eleven years is a long time in software, so the new version of SampleTank ought to be pretty impressive.

JBL’s Eon range has had a major makeover, with all-new cabinet and amplifier designs, and the addition of Bluetooth remote DSP control.

There are plenty of options when it comes to miking guitar amps, but JZ’s latest affordable offering does an excellent job with minimum fuss.

This page contains a directory of all media pages that hold the associated media for August 2015.

The author Michael Williams began his audio career as a BBC technician in the early 1960s, but he is better known today for his teaching and the many papers he has presented to the AES on the science of stereo and multi-channel mic arrays.

The fifth of MusicLab’s ‘Real’ virtual guitar instruments, RealEight is modelled on an eight-string guitar, currently popular for metal, prog metal, epic rock and all things dark and demonic.

Novation’s Audiohub 2x4 combines an audio interface with a three–port USB hub.

Signal, deals with pulse sounds and is described by Output as the world’s most powerful dedicated pulse engine.

An accurate tuner is an essential tool for live performance and studio work, but especially so for doing guitar setups. The new Peterson StroboPlus HD is accurate to 1000th of a semitone and features aback-illuminated LCD.

Double basses are notoriously difficult to amplify live. Have Danish mic makers Remic cracked it?

In 1991 Roland introduced the company’s first Sound Canvas module, the SC55. Aimed at the enthusiast market, the SC55 offered...

These classy modules bring the best of Mr Neve’s classic designs into the 21st century.

These files accompany the Sample Shop articles in the August 2015 issue of SOS.

As it reaches its second incarnation, we ask: is Spectrasonics’ Omnisphere the world’s best soft synth?

Thanks to the addition of powerful pitch-correction and manual time-warping features, Revoice Pro 3 offers a complete vocal-processing toolkit.

The phase-style effects created by these two new TC Electronic TonePrint-series pedals are anything but ordinary.

After a number of years in the wilderness, Tracktion is back with its second major update in just over 12 months.

This month we look at the UVI BeatHawk and Roland Sound Canvas For iOS apps.

In modern productions, reverb often isn’t just reverb. Waves’ latest plug-in offers all the extra tools you’ll need.

The new RV7000 MkII Reverb is the star of the Reason 8.3 update.

Spice up your drum tracks with Sonar’s built-in plug-ins.

Audio files to accompany the article.

Throbbing Gristle’s highly individualist approach to music extended as far as making their own instruments and, ultimately, their own genre.

Use Cubase’s new VST Bass Amp to recreate the sound of Royal Blood’s doubled electric bass.

Audio files to accompany the article.

A combination of technical wizardry and old-school craft helped Bernie Herms and Andy Selby bring Josh Groban’s Broadway album to life.

Exploiting Memory Locations to the full will revolutionise the way you work with Pro Tools.

Live has plenty of tricks up its sleeve for working with MIDI notes.

Audio files to accompany the article.

Spektakulatius: With last month’s mixes in the bag, our engineer was tasked with finding and working with a mastering engineer to put the finishing touches to both albums.

Explore the wavetable section of Retro Synth to make your own unique sounds in Logic.

This month we introduce Studio One users to some of the riches on offer in the new version 3.

The SOS team travel to a Stourbridge community centre to solve some low-end problems and build some speaker stands.

We conclude our series with an overview of arrangement techniques and a peep into the world of big-band brass.

If you’re choosing a new audio interface or a new computer, what are the pros and cons of the many different connection protocols that are on offer?

I’ve been using the Haas delay effect to add some nice width to my guitar parts. It sounds great, but I’ve noticed that when I listen in mono my guitars pretty much disappear from the mix. Any advice?

I get the impression that manufacturing tolerances for mid-range and cheaper microphones are not always as tight as one would desire. If I found a mic I liked, and were then to go out and buy that model of mic, might the one I tested and the one I bought sound significantly different?

I often wonder exactly what gets matched when microphones with interchangeable capsules are bought as a stereo pair. Is it the bodies, the capsules, or both?

When I sit at my listening position, at the apex of an equilateral triangle with my monitors, everything sounds OK. When I shift my head things that were panned centrally move immediately to the side, and seem to come just out of that one speaker. Is this the way it’s supposed to be?

I recently came across an Eric Valentine video, in which he mentions how he keeps his preamps in the live room. My question is this: is there really a valid reason for doing this on runs which I imagine to be less than 100 feet?

In this video interview we meet the so-called “Einstein of live recording” to talk production, drum processing and when (and when not) to quantise.

Pete Keppler’s career has seen him mix shows for some of the biggest artists in the world. We asked him how it all happened.

The success of Slaves’ debut album depended on producer Jolyon Thomas finding a way to bottle their raw live energy.

Joseph Dobson gives us an insight into a day in his technical support shoes!

Paul White discusses the differences between what measures well on test equipment and what sounds good.

This month's selection include Ellie Goulding, Beck, The Book Thief soundtrack from John Williams, Jess Glynne and that all time classic mix, James Brown 'I Got You (I Feel Good)'.

As one of the world’s leading mastering engineers, Vlado Meller has enjoyed great success — and his share of controversy.

You might be the next Mozart, but if you can’t meet impossible deadlines, no-one will hear your music on TV.

Studio tool or collectors’ item: what has become of the large-format mixing console?

Buenos Aires remains one of these places in the world where rock & roll still plays a vital cultural role.