Electronic Musician December 2012

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Electronic Musician,Holiday Gift Guide We’ve assembled our all-time favorite stocking stuffers for yourfavorite musician or engineer. The best part? Nothing on this wish list will run you morethan a hundred bucks.

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record • produce • perform

®

emusician . com

GREAT
GEAR

FOR UNDER

$100
CHECK OUT OUR

Holiday
Gift Guide!

Cubase
POWER
TIPS
Scoring
With
Sample
Libraries

SOUNDGARDEN
THE STUDIO COMEBACK STORY OF THE YEAR

Reviews

Mackie DL1608
Slate Virtual Tape Machines
How Donald FagEn
Warmed Up to Digital
12.2012
$5.99

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A MUSIC PLAYER PUBLICATION

{7}
Serious
TOOLS for

Serious

DJs

iPad is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Wi-Fi router required for wireless operation. Wi-Fi router and iPad not included.

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OUT

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c o v e r f e at u r e
20 Soundgarden King Animal, the band’s first album in 15 years, marks the rebirth of their
mighty creative approach, and a maturity in songwriting, performing, and recording.
20

S P E C I A L F E A T U R E 30




40

L I S TE N

Holiday Gift Guide We’ve assembled our all-time favorite stocking stuffers for your
favorite musician or engineer. The best part? Nothing on this wish list will run you more
than a hundred bucks.

Donald Fagen For his fourth solo album, Sunken Condos, the lifelong sonic
perfectionist learned to embrace a new recording model. Fagen and his producer,
longtime Steely Dan associate and multi-instrumentalist Michael Leonhart, share the

studio story.



48 Rana June The “iPad DJ” geeks out about music, data, and human-computer
interaction, and shows us her home-grown futuristic rig featuring 16 iPads, wireless
hardware, and biometric technology.
PR O F I L E S

40

P L AY L I S T
52 Music reviews from Electronic Musician contributors

lust

rOUNDup
56 DJ Gear We know that you don’t just push play—serious DJs need serious tools. So we put the latest and
greatest production gear to the test.


r E V I E w s


6 emusician.com 12.2012

68

Mackie DL1608 Digital mixer with iPad integration

70

Slate Digital Virtual Tape Machines Tape-emulation plug-in

12.2012

contents

70

80





NEW GEAR

74

Production tools to help you make better music

BONUS GEAR

76

Electronic drums



MASTER CLASS

80



TECHNIQUES

88

Recording The ins and outs of patchbays

90

Live Advanced gating techniques

94

Steinberg Cubase Perform time-stretching and create special effects




POWER APP

LEARN

From Samples to Score Composing for picture? Make the most of libraries.

D E PA R T M E N T S


10 Community



F I R S T TA K E

14

C R A I G ’ S L I S T 98

Swedish House Mafia at Coachella
The Five Most Toxic Hazards of Holiday Music

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12.2012 emusician.com 7

www.emusician.com | Vol. 28 No. 12, DECEMBER 2012
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Michael Molenda

[email protected]

Craig Anderton

Executive Editor

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Editor

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managing Editor

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COMMUNITY

insight

Pushing Buttons
DJs have come a long way from

the club booth. Today, acts like
Swedish House Mafia, Skrillex, and
Tiësto are selling out stadiums and
headlining festivals around the world.
But as EDM continues to explode,
backlash is brewing in some circles.
There’s no question that
executing the kind of elaborate
multimedia “experience” that fans
have come to expect can come at
the expense of a live performance
element, as Deadmau5 famously
pointed out this summer in his
Tumblr missive calling out DJs
as “button pushers.” (Judging
by our own poll below, a lot of
Electronic Musician readers feel the
same way.)
But to insist that a DJ act must
be 100 percent live to be legitimate
is missing the big picture. DJing lies
at the intersection of performance
and production; there are as many
styles as there are DJs, skills can
shine in the studio or onstage, and
DJs can approach their craft from
the perspective of a musician or
a producer.

With that in mind, this month’s
Roundup (page 56) digs into a
spectrum of sophisticated DJ tools,
from iOS devices to controllers to
instruments. If you’re serious about
DJ production—both live and in
the studio—there’s something here
for you.
Then, get inspired by Rana
June (page 48), who’s been dubbed
“the iPad DJ” but is really more
like the Bionic Woman, with
her homemade rig featuring 16
iPads and bodypack controls that
incorporate mood metatagging,
realtime reactive triggers, and live
instruments. I don’t think anyone
is calling
her a button
pusher.
Are you a
DJ? How do
you work?
We’d love
to hear
from you.

“Obviously we’re
surviving. Some of us
have health insurance,
some of us don’t, we
basically all live in
the same places, no
one’s renting private
jets. Come to your own
conclusions.”

Sarah Jones
editor

Grizzly Bear’s Ed Droste on
inflated ideas of the financial
success of indie bands, on
Vulture.com, September 30, 2012

[email protected]

The Electronic Musician Poll

Which most closely expresses your feelings about DJs?
They’re not real musicians, and they
take work AWAY from legit musicians



50%

37%
  electronic musicians

6%
DJs are currently the most adventurous
Club DJs are pretty cool, but
not mobile DJs 3%
I don’t know much about DJs 4%

Dave Vann

They are musicians, they just 
work in a different medium

10 emusician.com 12.2012

dig my rig
On May 24, 2012, I set out on a musical and physical
challenge in a bid to inspire the performances for my
new album, Just for the Record. While cycling 2,000
miles to the furthest four points of mainland Britain
with a mobile recording rig on my bike, I discovered
locations along the way that provided inspiration for
my songs and vocal takes.
My “bikerphone” rig includes an M-Audio Fast
Track Pro, MacBook Pro i7 with Avid Pro Tools 9
and Apple Logic 9, a pair of Audio-Technica AT4033a
mics, Beyerdynamic DT 250 headphones, Contour
roam camera, Emerald x7 indestructible carbon-fiber
guitar, a Nady bullet mic, and as much duct tape as I
can carry. The BBC said, “it was the wettest June on
record.” How did they know I was recording?
Paul Cheese
Paulcheese.com

ask!
I get lots of
contradictory
advice for setting levels with
digital recording—from “as
close to 0
as possible”
to -18dB, and
everywhere in
between. So . . .
what is it?
Keith Shellard
Milwaukee, WI
via email

It depends on where
in the signal chain
you’re checking levels.
When entering your
interface inputs,
leave some headroom
to accommodate
unanticipated
transients; typically,
keep peaks below
–6dB (although
many engineers are
more conservative).
While giving up 6dB
of dynamic range
sacrifices about one
bit of resolution,
with today’s 24-bit

converters this
makes no practical
difference.
Once within
your DAW, an audio
engine with at least
32-bit floating-point
resolution offers
virtually unlimited
dynamic range.
However, although
individual channel
meters can “go into
the red” without
causing distortion,
dynamic range is
again an issue when
these signals leave

your DAW and return
to the audio interface.
One potential problem
is inter-sample
distortion where,
due to the outputsmoothing process,
the true signal level
can exceed what
the meters indicate
(sometimes by several
dB). So, when mixing,
it’s good practice
to keep output
peaks lower than
–6dB—then during
mastering, raise the
level as appropriate

while checking
for inter-sample
distortion.
Finally, there can
be a tendency toward
“channel level creep,”
which necessitates
turning down the
master output level.
It’s better to keep
the master around 0
and if needed, group
the channel faders
temporarily, and
adjust their levels
so the output signal
peaks at around –6dB.
THE EDITORS

Note that the master fader is set to 0.0,
and the output has peaked at –6.2.

Got a question about recording, gigging, or technology?
Ask us! Send it to [email protected].
12.2012 emusician.com 11

COMMUNITY
PreSonuSphere 2012
Free Workshops, Interactive Song Creation,
and Hands-On Gear Fun

photos by Daniel Keller/Get It in Writing

Craig Anderton held
mastering seminars.

The track on recording, mixing, and mastering a
song from start to finish was extremely popular.

The second annual PreSonuSphere conference—where PreSonus
users attend workshops and concerts, share ideas, and interact
on a peer-to-peer basis with company engineers, clinicians, and
executives—was held September 28 and 29 at the Shaw Center
in Baton Rouge, LA. Expanding on last year’s one-day inaugural
event, this year there were three continuous tracks of workshops,
as well as multiple workstations where attendees could play with
the gear and pose questions to PreSonus gurus.
Kicking off with a pre-show jambalaya dinner, the seminars
focused primarily on live sound and recording. Presenters
included studio designer John Storyk, live sound engineer Ace
Baker, producers Brent Milligan and Fab Dupont, and Electronic
Musician’s Craig Anderton—who also moderated a free-wheeling
panel discussion on the future of the music business. One seminar
track even took attendees through the creation of a song, from
setting up the mics, though recording, mixing, mastering, and
distribution (with the latter focusing on the recently-acquired
Nimbit.com site).
Plans are already underway for PreSonuSphere 2013, and
PreSonus deserves credit for putting on a highly successful event
that was probably a bean-counter’s nightmare—but left a trail of
satisfied, and more knowledgeable, attendees in its wake.

Gadget Geek
Fans of the ’90s classic Allen Sides Microphone Cabinet reference CD-ROM have reason
to rejoice: It’s now available for your iPhone. Produced by legendary guitarist, songwriter,
and producer Steve Vai, using Sides’ microphone collection at Ocean Way Recording
studios in Hollywood, the Ocean Way Microphone Locker app makes it a snap to find
the ideal microphone for your tracking project. “When the app revolution hit, I remembered that great CD-ROM and knew it would make an extraordinary app,” says Vai, who
secured the rights for the CD-ROM contents and worked with renowned engineer and
microphone authority Allen Sides, along with Metal Sidecar, LLC to build the app. “You
can actually access Allen’s mic collection and match them with a complete range of musical instruments. You get tips on the best miking techniques and can listen to samples
played by top session cats like Hal Blaine on drums.” The app demonstrates ways to pair
the right microphone with the right instrument, along with optimum placement, and
includes a comprehensive list of 66 microphones and 33 instruments, with diagrams
and specs. Ocean Way Microphone Locker is available for $9.99 at iTunes.

Correction

The opening night concert,
In our “Extreme Studio Makeover” feature (October 2012), the A-NO-NE Wavelength Calculator
mixed by Ace Baker.
application was incorrectly referred to as an Apple product. The software is by A-NO-NE; for more
information, visit a-no-ne.com.

12 emusician.com 12.2012

Steve Vai in the studio.

Carbon and Graphite 49 USB MIDI Controllers.
Featuring intuitive controls, stunning visual displays and great feeling
semi-weighted keys in two elegant designs, these controllers are the change that
music creators have been waiting for in performance, production and portability.
© 2012 Samson | samsontech.com | facebook.com/samson | @samsontech

Swedish House
Mafia:
Desert
Pyrotechnics
Indio, CA
April 24, 2012

A little rain couldn’t dampen the spirits of the
swarming sea of fans dancing and sweating
to the beats of Swedish House Mafia, the
Stockholm-based power trio of Steve Angello,
Sebastian Ingrosso, and Axwell (Axel
Hedfors), as they closed out the first night of
Coachella 2012. Their set featured original
material and remixes of Coldplay, Diddy, and
Temper Trap, enveloped in a sensory overload
of video effects and pyrotechnics. Although
all three are respected DJs and producers in
their own right, the trio appreciates being
acknowledged for creating music onstage,
as Hedfors recently told the Wall Street
Journal: “When you get recognition, when
[the audience] sees you haven’t just pressed a
button or two, it’s very refreshing.”
photograph by

Dave vann

14 emusician.com 12.2012

12.2012 emusician.com 15

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Back in the

SUN
Fifteen years after
Down on the Upside,
Soundgarden reunite
to record King Animal,
which reveals a new
maturity in the band’s
musical kinship and
creative collaboration
in the studio

disbanded in 1997 after millions of records
sold and the grunge style they helped birth having turned as
clichéd as a plaid flannel shirt, acrimony seethed from every
pore of their combined being. The band’s black hole had finally
sucked out the sun.
“We weren’t behaving with the band’s collective interest at
heart,” guitarist Kim Thayil reflects. “We had become selfishly
oriented, and when you’re selfishly motivated, that’s not good
for bands and families and other partnerships. When you’re
younger, you champion your own selfish interests. Those
behaviors are oriented less toward the band and more toward
one’s self, and those can be destructive elements in the survival

when soundgarden

by Ken Micallef

20 emusician.com 12.2012

Soundgarden (clockwise from
top)— Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron,
Chris Cornell, and Ben Shepherd.

N
12.2012 emusician.com 21

Back in the

SUN

of a band. They can lead to friction and conflict,
which isn’t good for the creative process.”
King Animal, Soundgarden’s first album
in 15 years, confirms the rebirth of the band’s
mighty creative approach, encompassing
their songwriting, performing, and recording
processes. Recorded simultaneously to Pro
Tools HD and two-inch tape, it’s a blast of raw
rock passion in an industry sorely in need of a
scourging cleanse.
“I really can’t stand modern pop music in
the sense that everything is pitch corrected
and Beat Detectived and picked over to the
degree that everything is perfect,” singer
Chris Cornell snarls. “I don’t connect to it
emotionally or in any way.”
By contrast, King Animal is a natural, warm,
and transparent recording produced by the
veteran crew who helped track and mix 1994’s
Superunknown and 1996’s Down on the Upside.
Recorded on home turf at Seattle’s Studio X,
produced and engineered by Adam Kasper,
assisted by second engineers Nathan Yaccino,
Josh Evans, and Sam Hofstedt, and mixed by
Joe Barresi, King Animal employed the digital
domain, but with an analog heart.
“I recorded directly into Pro Tools HD and
also off tape through a Studer A827,” Kasper
explains. “I lined up the tape portion with
the Pro Tools track and that gave us both
options. Coming from a tape background, you
learn to record drums with compression and
understanding how things hit tape. You want
to get things pumping and sounding big, and I
learned how to do that by understanding how
tape responds to kick drums and snare drums
and saturation. Running [the signal] through
two-inch tape you get that flavor, so I always
maintain that signal flow to Pro Tools.
“If you track directly to Pro Tools and tape
simultaneously,” he adds, “then blow up the
waveforms in Pro Tools, you’ll be amazed
how the analog waveform looks rounded and
limited, in a way, but the Pro Tools version has
spikes and hard edges; your ears must be able
to hear that.”
Soundgarden’s origins lie in the largely
pre-digital mid-1980s, and they still favor the
sound and style of analog recording. The band
acknowledges the speed of digital tracking, but
don’t necessarily embrace the sonic results.
“Obviously, technology has changed quite
a bit since 1996,” Thayil says. “Engineers have
greater facility working with Pro Tools, but we
22 emusician.com 12.2012

Ben Shepherd (left) and Chris
Cornell work out a track.

have an aversion toward Pro Tools. We like the
way records sounded in the ’80s and ’90s, and
we definitely think there’s a difference between
analog and digital. We were raised with LP and
even the 8-track! When CDs first came out,
I didn’t like their sound. Maybe those fairly
audible scratches and pops were part of the
general ambience philosophy that I was used
to hearing with LP. The LP sounded warmer in
terms of the low end, and it sounded natural.
The CD, it sounded like something was missing.
And it seemed thinner and colder.”
Soundgarden tracked drums and bass in
Studio X’s large live room, then overdubbed
guitars in the control room, tracking multiple
amps and effects simultaneously in an iso
booth. For much of the King Animal sessions,
Cornell recorded vocals home, alone, like a
painter splashing canvas.
“Chris sang through a 1966 Neumann U67
modified to the original specs,” Kasper explains.
“It’s the best mic for Chris, a blowing-up,
spinning, killer sound. We usually run two
compressors, an LA2A, and a UREI 1176, also
a third one for monitoring, which helps a lot
because Chris has low-range vocal sounds, then
he gets up high. He has two different tones, at
least. I don’t EQ his vocal, but it does get a little
sibilant at times so I may adjust the attack or
deal with it later by de-essing. But that nice
distortion happens organically with the tube
mics and Chris screaming into them.” [Laughs.]
Cornell diagrams his home rig as a
“Chandler preamp, an LA2A, through an
Apogee converter using a variety of different
mics including a hot-rodded U67. I used that
on several songs on Superunknown and Down
on the Upside.” Logic Pro 9 is his platform of
choice when going it alone.

“I’ve had the best luck cutting vocals by
recording when I am the only one there,”
Cornell explains. “I started recording at home
for that reason. I’d written a song, ‘The Keeper’
for a film called Machine Gun Preacher. I
recorded the track at a friend’s studio, but it
wasn’t happening. So I tried it again at home
and it worked. That led to me singing a lot of
the new Soundgarden album at my home studio.
“I’m not communicating with another
person there so I can try ideas very quickly,”
Cornell continues. “Recording digitally allows
everything to happen so fast. For instance,
there’s a harmony vocal in the chorus of ‘Black
Hole Sun’; I was recording myself and I threw
it on there. I liked the way it sounded. If I was
in a room communicating with an engineer,
I might not have bothered. I couldn’t have
immediately listened back to it on speakers,
which is a better way for me because I hate
referencing vocal takes on headphones. I can’t
tell if it’s what I want until I’m standing in
front of speakers. Then, if I’m singing through
the vocal chain that I will be using for takes,
what I come up with can be the keeper takes. I
can capture that weird spark that a demo has.
I’m not over-thinking. It’s all brand new and
for me it works.”
Cornell elaborates on his “demo as final
take” approach: “There’s often a spark to a
demo, to the first time I sing something, where
I’m literally reading the lyrics off a piece of
paper cause I just wrote it. I don’t know what
the phrasing is or what the melody exactly
is yet. It’s happening in the moment and I’m
demoing it then I discover it. And I have better
luck if the vocal is the last thing I do. On Down
on the Upside Down, ‘Pretty Noose,’ ‘Burden
in My Hand,’ ‘Boot Camp,’ those were all the

Paul Lorkowski

Back in the

SUN

first time I ever sang them, and those became
the final vocal takes. I’ve beat my head against
the wall many times where I did a demo at
home, obviously not well recorded, but there’s
something about it that I just can’t replicate no
matter what I do or where I’m recording or who
is engineering or what mic I am singing into.”
But with Cornell and Thayil’s unusual
guitar tunings, it can be difficult for Cornell to
get his voice around a track, even if it’s one he
has written. In those instances, he or Kasper
(who supplied many of the guitars, basses, and
amps for the session) will insert a reference
note as an anchor.
“Harmonic tension is often a large part of
what it is about the personality of a recording
that I like,” Cornell says. “That harmonic
tension is necessary but there’s a limit to how
much that works. [Laughs.] There’s a fine line
between tension and awful. And I can straddle
that line surgically; I will obsess over it. The
first song I ever did with Soundgarden, ‘She
Likes Surprises,’ we were out of tune but we
liked the recording so I played a very clean
electric guitar track strumming bar chords
through it, which I never would have done
as an arrangement. And then I sang to that
and we liked the feel. If we add a track just
24 emusician.com 12.2012

Cornell records resonator guitar.

for vocal reference, sometimes it will work
within the context of the song. We do it to have
something warm to sing to so I don’t have to
struggle for pitch.”

“I really can’t stand
modern pop music in the
sense that everything is
pitch corrected and Beat
Detectived and picked
over to the degree that
everything is perfect.”
—Chris Cornell
“The big challenge has always been having
something Chris can sing to,” Kasper adds.
“Chris has such volume in his voice that
he projects acoustically. I have to get the
headphone mix up above his singing volume

so he can pitch off of the track. Everything is
really hot, so sometimes a guitar might be too
fuzzy or slightly bending oddly so we might
put in a clean guitar or a piano chord for him
to pitch off of. Once he has something solid to
sing to, with the volume and the response of
the compressors set, then he just nails it.”
Kasper added effects both during and
after Cornell’s vocal takes. “When you hear
panning, feedback, and delay,” he explains,
“that’s AudioEase Speakerphone plug-ins.
They’re amazing. You can do three or four
effects simultaneously, and they’re all actual
samples. You can have a Leslie effect in a
bedroom or a garage with an old Neumann mic
running through a speaker phone. We’d use
that for vocals. We might run a guitar through
a Speakerphone plug-in but we used it mostly
for vocals. It has filters, compression, all kinds
of EQ, speaker phones, and radio toys. These
are actual things they have found and sampled
and you can see little pictures of them. They
even use a trunk speaker from an old Volvo.”
Soundgarden was no less painstaking when
tracking guitars. In a band where everyone,
including drummer Matt Cameron and bassist
Ben Shepherd, compose on guitar, Thayil
had his hands full. “On every record we’ve

Back in the

SUN

made except for our first Sub Pop EP, Chris
and I would double the guitar performances,”
Thayil explains. “But these days, I like more of
a streamlined guitar sound. And it’s less time
consuming to create. But the multiple guitars
are still in there (Thayil: Guild S300, Guild
S100, 1966 ES335 Trini Lopez, Gibson Firebird,
Gretsch Duo Jet; Cornell: Gibson ES335,
Gibson Archtop, Gibson Les Paul Custom,
Martin D28). I’d record one guitar, Chris
would do another one, sometimes an acoustic
(Neumann M49, 10 inches away, aimed at
the 14th fret), and we’d record different
amps simultaneously (Mesa Boogie Electra
Dyne/4x12 cab, Mesa Boogie Tremoverb, 1970s
Ampeg combo, 1950s Fender Champ, Divided
By 13 FTR 37/2×12 cab, Matt Cameron’s 1960s
Vox AC30). We miked them separately (Shure
SM57, with Royer 121 and Neumann U87),
isolated them with a room divider, and aimed
each one differently. We’d create a blend of
the different amps. We might put a delay on
one guitar or treat them as separate tracks.
And it’s also easier to accent certain parts of
the arrangement now. We’d have one main
performance, then go back and overdub a
chorus or color a certain guitar section. We’re
accenting or emphasizing different parts.”
As on all Soundgarden albums, King Animal
features some of the greatest guitar sounds this
side of Frank Zappa’s nicotine-drenched SG.
“Been Away Too Long” buzzes with cathartic,
manic tones; “By Crooked Steps” offers
freakish delights; “Bones of Birds” closes with
a dying crow’s cry.
“The guitars in ‘Been Away Too Long’
sound like angry mosquitoes,” Thayil laughs.
“There’s a number of things there: a delay,
and tremolo, and vibrato. We were really
trying to make it sound as dentist drill-like
as possible—shrill and piercing. We cranked
up the high end on some pedal. And we have
a digital Leslie pedal that creates a Rotovibe,
Leslie effect. It captures a fast spinning Leslie.
We wanted to make that sound as irritating
as possible.
“‘By Crooked Steps’ is more of a performance
thing,” he continues. “I’m playing beneath the
bridge on a custom Gibson ES 335 Trini Lopez.
I’d do that effect on my Guild S100, which I
love, as well; both of them have a lot of room
between the bridge and the tailpiece. You can
get the string to sound out like harmonics
playing it there, so I was picking beneath the
26 emusician.com 12.2012

JoeBarresi
Barresi
Joe
onmixing
mixing
on
KingAnimal
Animal
King
On his recording tools . . .
I use Pro Tools HD3 or Studer A800 tape machines for playback through my SSL
G+ desk. If there is any digital processing, it may be a de-esser inside the box (like
Massey or McDSP plugins), or the occasional delay effect with [Line 6] Echo Farm.
All processing is usually analog and done on the SSL, with access to a wide variety
of outboard gear as inserts, effects, etc. I have an Alan Smart compressor and
Sontec EQ on the stereo bus into a Lavry A/D for the main mixes. For compressors,
it could be Tube-Tech, Pye, Neve, Distressors, etc., along with the console channel
compressors. Most EQ is done on the desk, except some Quad 8 and Neve strips for
fattening; delays are always Wem. I have nine sets of speakers—everything from
NS10s to KRK V6s, NHT Moos, NHT A-20s, NHT M100s, M-Audios, Radio Shacks,
Acoustic Research, and Blue Skys—and I try to listen on as many as I can, to see
how well a mix will translate on all types of systems.
On balancing the mix . . .
On this record, I tried to make the panning like the band plays live—with most of
Kim’s guitars on the left, most of Chris’ on the right. I’d say this holds true on about
85% of the album.
When Adam and the guys tracked, they basically recorded multiple amps as a
single performance, leaving them on three to four tracks, so I had complete control
to rebalance the guitars as I saw fit. This flexibility allowed me to change guitar
sounds in different sections of the song if I needed to.
On carving out an articulate low end . . .
My main concern was to keep the bottom end of this record big. I loved the bass on
Superunknown; when those songs were played on the radio, they destroyed anything
played before and after, so I tried to keep the bass on this record as important.
On the “hi-fi” aesthetic . . .
There are a few tracks that are on the dirtier side—that comes from overdriving
the desk or certain pieces of gear. It’s fairly normal in the analog world to think in
terms of gain staging because there are so many variables: playback levels, line
inputs, insert points, fader levels, parallel and serial processing, etc. I don’t think
many people think like that when mixing strictly digital. For instance, I could change
the sound of the vocal by how hard I would push it into the channel limiter or the
inserted compressor—not something I would ever think of in the digital world. But
for the most part, I tried to keep the record open and more “hi-fi.” Matt’s drums
sounded great, and a lot of that is derived from the overheads and room sounds, so
that was the starting point for each mix. Then I made sure Ben and Chris’ voices got
heard through the wall of guitars. Sometimes reamping the bass and certain vocals
through small amps worked to make them sit in the track better.

Back in the

SUN

bridge while bending the string either at the
nut or above the 12th fret, which gives you this
higher, shriller sound. Then we threw a delay
on it. It creates a ghostly, spinning, turning
sound when you add the delay.”
Cornell’s “Bones of Birds” is one of the
album’s most memorable, menacing moments,
a study in sludge ecstasy spinning a tale of
time lost and survival of the fittest. It ends
with eerie cries. “I love guitar solos just being
a swirling squeal for 30 seconds and not
having to actually play anything,” Thayil says.
“’Bones of Birds’ was like that. The effects at
the end sound like a murder of crows. That
was something Adam read about that Pink
Floyd did on Mettle. It’s a backwards wah wah
and a delay and then controlling the volume
knob and dialing it in until it’s right about to
squeal and twist and bend. You cock the delay
pedal at a certain angle and just by turning the
volume off and on you get that ‘whee whee’
bird’s sound.”
Ben Shepherd switched between Fender
Precision and Fender Telecaster Precision
basses, played through an Ampeg SVT VR
head/8x10 cab and a Mesa Boogie Carbine
head/6x10 cab. Nathan Yaccino printed a Little
Labs DI combined with Neumann U47 FET
“for each cab, placed far away—mic placement
for guitar is close, but for bass it’s backed off
ten inches and aimed at a middle driver.”
Currently playing switch hitter between
Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, drummer Matt
Cameron is the band’s not-so-secret weapon,
his staggering ease in navigating the band’s
odd metered grooves and oddly phrased guitar
rhythms part of his formidable style. Add to
that Cameron’s incredibly deep pocket and
musical phrasing, and you have a drummer
beyond compare.
“With Matt Cameron, you could put up
one 57 five feet away from the kit and it would
sound awesome,” Yaccino says. “He almost
mixes himself while he plays, the way he hits
all the drums is very even. It’s so easy to record
him, it’s unreal. We did have room mics up, but
Matt wanted more of a dry sound, so we didn’t
use the rooms. Studio X has a large live room
so we stuck the drums smack center in the
middle of the room, which is unusual. We were
then able to bring baffles around him and be
more strategic about placement. Having more
control over deadening, we had 360-degree
space to place baffles.”
28 emusician.com 12.2012

Yaccino used two mics on Cameron’s bass
drum: a Shure Beta 52 inside and a Neumann
U47 FET out, Shure SM56s (the prototype to
the 57) for snare bottom and top, Sennheiser
MD421s for toms (tops only), and AudioTechnica MK40s as overheads left and right,
and an old RCA ribbon 77 as center overhead,
placed 12 feet high and 15 feet on either
side pointing away from the drums. As with
the guitars and bass, Neve 1073s were used
throughout the signal chain.

“A big part of the drum
sound is the overheads.
Close-miking was just
if we wanted to boost
the level, the main
sound is coming from
the overheads. Matt
wanted a dry sound. No
room mic sound at all,
no reverb, no triggers. I
pumped up the low end
and the compression to
get a full kit sound.”
—Adam Kasper
“A big part of the drum sound is the
overheads,” Kasper explains. “Close-miking
was just if we wanted to boost the level, the
main sound is coming from the overheads.
Matt wanted a dry sound. No room mic sound
at all, no reverb, no triggers. I pumped up the
low end and the compression to get a full kit
sound. With a great drummer it’s almost better
if you use less mics. A player like Matt can
mix himself in the room pretty well. He isn’t
hitting the cymbals too hard, and he plays as a
performance. If a drummer is bashing cymbals
way too hard, those mics will collapse and the
toms will sound tiny.”

Sixteen years on, stronger, still strange,
and more proficient than ever and ultimately
surpassing the hoary grunge tag, Soundgarden
lay most rock bands to waste on King Animal.
The album may create its own tsunami in
style, and perhaps scald clean the sensitive
croons and subdued strums that have replaced
much of what used to constitute American
rock. Cornell may not love gridding nor Beat
Detective, and Thayil will probably never
maintain a personal Pro Tools rig like his
fellow band members. (He commits everything
to memory.) But does he see any advantage in
digital technology?
“Of course,” Thayil replies, “it expedites
recording. There’s no downtime between takes.
With Pro Tools, you can do 20 takes almost
immediately and decide which one you like
best. We used to do analog backward effects.
Chris did that brief backward guitar part in the
beginning of ‘By Crooked Steps’ when he was
demoing vocals, on his computer. We used to
do backward guitar solos by flipping over the
tape and playing to the track. With Pro Tools,
I tried turning the computer upside down but
it didn’t work! Doing things like that are pretty
amazing facilitated by the computer. The
benefits are pretty amazing in that things work
quickly, but it’s the way things sound. I do not
like things that sound all Pro Tools-y, I like
things to sound organic and natural.”
Thayil hasn’t forgiven digital or embraced
Pro Tools. But Soundgarden has made
personal amends, and accepted each other
and their extraordinary musical kinship. “It’s
human nature to be somewhat altruistic in
looking out for your brothers and offspring or
parents,” Thayil muses. “It exists in various
groups like that. So as a band we grew up. We
loved each other as friends and as individuals
but when you put four guys together in one
band we may have neglected the band’s vision
as a whole. We’ve matured, and we’ve all
learned to appreciate our family and our band
as a whole.” n
Ken Micallef has covered music for the usual
joints, including DownBeat, The Grammys,
Rolling Stone, and Emusic.com.
More Online
Read interview outtakes with
the band and engineers.

Emusician.com/december2012

The

Electronic
Musician
Holiday
Gift Guide
Deck the halls
with boughs of
goodies
By Craig Anderton
deserve it. Or maybe a friend or significant other
deserves it. It’s the end of the year, and you’ve survived 2012—
the Mayan calendar turned out to be just a calendar and not
a Prophet of Doom, you’ve cleaned all the mud off your shoes
from stepping in political campaign commercials, guitars are
still cool, the music business is showing signs of figuring out
some new directions, and it’s the holidays! Sure, your employer
is too cheap to give you a bonus, but no worries—you can find
yourself some pretty cool stuff for not a lot of bucks.
Following is a list of 22 worthy stocking-stuffers, arranged
alphabetically by manufacturer; in recognition of what we’ll
euphemistically refer to as “economic realities,” all of them
cost $100 or less. To arrive at that price, we dispensed with the
usual MSRP, MAP, “street,” and other weird numeric variants
in favor of listing how much money you’ll actually need to buy
something (excluding taxes). But it’s still a good idea to shop
around—you might find some of these on sale. Happy holidays!

hey, you

30 emusician.com 12.2012

Laptop Stand
Akai Pro

$70

akaipro.com
Whether you’re a laptop
DJ, use a laptop for
remote control in the
studio, or need to save
space on your desktop
(the physical one, not the
one with the cute little
icons), a laptop stand
is just the ticket. Akai’s
enigmatically-named
Laptop Stand is, well,
an affordable and sturdy
laptop stand.

Gig Box

American Recorder
Technologies

$30

americanrecorder.com
Talk about adapters: TRS
to XLR, 1/8" to TRS, 1/8"
to RCA, TS to RCA, RCA
to XLR, dual banana
plugs, rackmount screws,
cable ties . . . you get the
idea. Think of it as gig
insurance for all of those
times, when you’re trying
to fit a round peg into a
square hole. Or jack.

Mikey Digital

Blue Microphones

$100

bluemic.com
Give your iOS device the
gift of good audio with a
stereo condenser mic that
plugs into the device’s
digital connector, thus
bypassing the onboard
audio preamp and
converters. It even has a
line/guitar/mic-friendly
input and sensitivity
switch.

D5S-6 Spray
Caig DeoxIT

$20

caig.com
It’s a contact cleaner,
conductivity enhancer, it
dissolves oxidation and
corrosion, and does your
laundry. Okay, it doesn’t
really do your laundry.
But if you’re tired of
hearing crackles when
you turn a switch or
insert a plug into a jack,
this is the droid you’re
looking for.

GrooveTech Guitar
Player Tech Kit
CruzTOOLS

$60

cruztools.com
What a difference a good
guitar setup makes—
assuming you have prolevel tools, and a guide to
tell you how to do it. This
kit has both: tools include
11 hex keys, truss rod
adjuster, thickness gauge,
ruler, capo, cutters,
string winder, and 6-in-1
screwdriver. The tools
are lifetime guaranteed,
too.

EBow

Heet Sound

$100

ebow.com
If you have to ask
what it is, you haven’t
been paying attention:
invented in 1969, it
remains the coolest
guitar accessory since
the vibrato tailpiece.
Formerly available only
direct, you can now find
the EBow at Sweetwater,
Guitar Center, and
various distributors
worldwide.

iKlip Studio
Desktop Stand
for iPad
IK Multimedia

$30

ikmultimedia.com
With the iPad becoming
an increasingly popular
studio accessory, where
do you put it? This
desktop stand holds the
iPad securely, whether
in portrait or landscape
mode, at your choice of
angles for convenient
finger-pointing and
swiping.

12.2012 emusician.com 31

The Electronic Musician Holiday Gift Guide

Batt-O-Meter

Keith McMillen

$22

keithmcmillen.com
I use this all the time
because I use batteries.
From checking a 9V
battery for my beloved
DriveTool Junior
pedal to replacing the
AAA cells in a wireless
keyboard, the Batt-OMeter doesn’t just let
you know if the battery
is alive, but tells you
its type and remaining
capacity.

32 emusician.com 12.2012

NANOKONTROL2
Slim-Line USB
Control Surface

IEC(F)-3 Prong(M)
Power Adapter

2 LED USB Light

$60

$4

livewire-usa.com
Uh-oh . . . you lost the
IEC cable for your rack
gear or keyboard or
whatever. Carry one
of these around, and
you can plug your gear
into any available AC
extension cord. Someday
you’ll need this; might as
well pick one up now.

mightybright.com
It’s a DJ favorite, but any
time you need to work
with a laptop under
low-light conditions,
this light . . . uh . . .
shines. Just plug it into
your laptop’s USB port,
and two white, bright
LEDs can light up the
keyboard. It’s also great
for illuminating the
back of computers and
other gear.

Korg

korg.com
Korg makes a bunch
of cool stuff for less
than $100, so this was
a tough choice. But if
you don’t have some
kind of control surface
for tweaking virtual
instruments, effects,
and fader strips in your
DAW, this hits the sweet
spot between “I can
actually use it” and “I
can actually afford it.”

Live Wire

Mighty Bright

$15

Cable Station
Pedalboard
Cable Kit
Planet Waves

$70

planetwaves.com
Pedalboard cables come
in two popular sizes:
too short and too long.
So why not make your
own? It doesn’t matter
if you hate soldering or
are all thumbs, because
the Pedalboard Cable Kit
has enough jacks and
wire to make five sturdy,
high-quality, custom
cables in minutes—
without soldering.

Finally—Sound Forge Pro, the standard-setting, industry-defining audio editor, is available for the Mac. Built from
the ground up, it reboots the legacy with a contemporary working environment designed exclusively for OS X.
This dynamic lightning-fast production tool provides a fresh outlook on Mac audio editing while delivering the
exacting power and functionality you’ve been waiting for. Sound Forge Pro Mac has everything needed to
prepare, process, and render finished audio master files. It further enhances the legendary Sound Forge quality
with iZotope™ Mastering Effects Bundle, a suite of essential high-end processing plug-ins, taking your experience
farther than you thought possible. Sound Forge Pro Mac redefines your editing experience.
The long wait is over. Sound Forge Pro Mac is finally here.

Learn more about Sound Forge Pro Mac or download a free trial at: sonycreativesoftware.com/sfpm

Scan to see a full list of Sound Forge Pro Mac features.
Copyright ©2012. Sony Creative Software Inc. All rights reserved. “SONY” and “make.believe” are trademarks of Sony Corporation.

The Electronic Musician Holiday Gift Guide

TriPad Mic Stand
Isolator

KS-18Z Keyboard
Stand

Meteor USB Mic

SM57

$20

$75

$70

samsontech.com
USB mics are handy.
USB mics like the
Meteor with a fold-up
stand, a headphone jack
with volume control, and
zero latency-monitoring
are even more handy.
And, if you want to strike
up a lively conversation
with TSA agents, just
stick this cool-looking
USB mic in your carryon bag.

$100

Primacoustic

primacoustic.com
Primacoustic comes up
with a lot of products
that are so simple and
obvious that no one ever
thought of them before.
Case in point: TriPad.
Put these on your drum
mic stands, and cut
way down on vibration
transfer. Cheap, cheerful,
and effective.

34 emusician.com 12.2012

Roland

roland.com
While keyboard
stands are common,
this one handles up
to 198 pounds and
accommodates 88-key
keyboards. It weighs
only 17 pounds, and
folds up for convenient
transport. I presume I’m
not the only one who
finds the words “sturdy”
and “easy setup and tear
down” appealing.

Samson

Shure

shure.com
Yes, it’s a classic mic.
Yes, it’s been used on
thousands of recordings.
Yes, it handles abuse
amazingly well. And yes,
it actually is a $100 mic,
so it’s Shurely worth
having this baby (or the
Shure SM58, its $100
relative) in your mic
locker.

Guitar Case Roadie
Stage Ninja

$20

stageninja.com
This stupid-simple
clever device lets you
carry Two Things That
Aren’t Too Thick with
Handles, like guitar
cases, keyboard cases,
gig bags, etc. So you
can carry two guitars
into the gig with one
hand, and have a hand
free for opening doors,
scratching yourself, or
fighting off adoring fans.

Serious Gear.
Serious Sound.
Designed for the most demanding performances, the new Live X family of
PA loudspeakers sets new standards for portable sound.
Everything Electro-Voice has learned making audio systems for the world’s
biggest events is built into Live X: our latest precision-engineered components;
durable, lightweight solid wood cabinets; best-in-class SPL output and
frequency response; and stylish, stackable designs – all at a price point
previously unheard-of for loudspeakers of a similar pedigree.

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Electr

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The Electronic Musician Holiday Gift Guide

CMC-PD Pad Controller
Steinberg

$100

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Although four of Steinberg’s CMC
controllers are Steinberg-specific, the
CMC-QC Quick Controller and CMC-PD
Pad Controller work with pretty much
anything and include software editors for
assigning controls. The CMD-PD is aces
for groovemeisters—especially since the
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know and love.

36 emusician.com 12.2012

Home and Studio Guitar Keeper
String Swing

$15

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You want your guitar easily accessible while
recording, but a guitar stand takes up space,
and you don’t want to keep putting your axe
into a case and taking it out again. So, put
your wall space to use and hang your guitar.
String Swing even handles headstocks with
single or uneven heels.

PDX-11 Portable iPod/iPhone
Player Dock
Yamaha

$100

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We understand: You don’t want to carry
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Yamaha has a much more manageable
alternative—an iPod/iPhone player dock
that gives your iOS player a big voice with a
portable package.

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40 emusician.com 10.2012


FAGEN
Donald

A studio perfectionist adapts to new
recording models, warms up to digital,
and gets into the groove to create
Sunken Condos
BY KEN MICALLEF
his fourth solo album, Sunken
Condos, Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen knew he
wanted a warm, rich sound, the kind he and
Walter Becker achieved when working at such
fabled New York rooms as A&R and Automated
Sound. “Those studios all had their own sound
and each room had its own sound,” Fagen recalls.
“The live chambers at A&R were famous because
Phil Ramone had tuned them a certain way. We
used them when were mixing Aja. They had this
beautiful sound when you clapped your hands, a
really transparent sound. It didn’t have any of that
“ssh” you hear with digital echo. It was beautiful.
We always looked forward to working in those
studios. But now you have to adapt.”
Even for an artist of Fagen’s stature, new rules
insist on guerilla recording and getting the most
bang for your studio buck. Joined by longtime
Steely Dan associate, multi-instrumentalist, and
producer Michael Leonhart, Fagen and a cast

When planning

of Steely Dan regulars set off on recording at
such boutique New York studios as Audio Paint,
Hirsch Studios, Stratosphere, and “Pat Dillett’s
Studio,” as well as Sear Sound, Avatar, and Leonhart’s own Candyland.
“The incentive was to find a place where we
could have a lockout seven days a week to have
more time and perhaps save money,” Leonhart
explains. “Morph the Cat was recorded almost
like a live jazz album, with musicians in the room
and not a lot of overdubbing; it was a break from
the Steely Dan records and Donald’s earlier solo
albums. Donald wanted to approach this one like
a painter, doing some things live and overdubbing
other things. When you’re adding Prophet 5s and
keyboards that have different tunings and soloists
are coming in and out, you need a lot more time.”
Lacking the corporate backing once afforded
Steely Dan, Fagen and Leonhart were also looking to save money. “If we’re paying $2,000 a day,
12.2012 emusician.com 41

profile
seven days a week, that’s 14 grand,” Leonhart says.
“So we figured, ‘How do we do it and maintain the
fidelity?’ I made up an Excel chart diagramming
which studio would be best for each element of the
session. It’s like being a parent and deciding which
school the kids are going to.”
But saving cash didn’t mean they scrimped on
gear. Candyland, where drums and some instruments were recorded, is a feast of vintage keys
including an Optagon, Hammond L100, Clavinet
D6, Prophet 5 (from Aja), Fender Jaguar organ,
Hohner E7 clavinet, Roland Juno-6, 140 and 200A
Wurlitzers, Hohner Bass 3, Farfisa organ with a
Partner 14 Drum Machine, Crumar organ, and
a ’70s Realistic synthesizer by Moog, as well as
Univox Hofner bass, Melody Maker bass, and an
electric sitar given to Leonhart as a wedding present from Walter Becker. Leonhart records in Logic,
and uses outboard gear including a UA M610 preamp, Shadow Hills Quad Golden Age, Altec 1591a,
Teletronix LA2A, and Neumann U87 and KM84,
JRS-34 Cloud and Shure SM57 microphones.
Ultimately, the bang is in the buck, Sunken Condos sounding extremely rich, nuanced, and clean.
Fagen’s vocals are especially relaxed sounding, and
the intimacy of Leonhart’s drum work (credited as
“Earl Cooke, Jr.”) imbues the entire album with a
cozy R&B groove.

How does one develop those ears?
Fagen: I really don’t know. Walter and I always
used the jazz we heard on those records that
Rudy Van Gelder used to make for Prestige and
Blue Note; that was our template. His records
sounded clear and dry, pretty much. Although
they sounded very lively.

in Logic; Pro Tools to me has a better system for
latency; it’s been designed that way. With Donald,
we had the mics set up and the levels were good so
I would just hit record and make sure nothing was
going over [into the red]. A key part of the chain
was the Metric Halo LIO-8 A/D converter; I can’t
say enough about it. The Metric Halo provided
zero latency compared to other pieces. The whole
chain was the Metric Halo, the [Teletronix] LA2A,
his U87, the UA 610 preamp, and Mogami cabling.
Then it was the mix. Just the right amount of
groove, then a sense of pitch to give him something to latch onto. I approached any vocal guidance as a lover of his music and his lyrics. He had
all the melodies set, and he would sing and I’d
use my best bedside manner, there would come a
point when he needed to do more takes, or I might
recommend a melody line. We developed a sense
of trust. And I think he sang his ass off.

Do you have a home-recording rig?
Fagen: Yeah, in the beginning, I gave Michael
some really cheap demos made in GarageBand. I
play everything myself without time correction.
Sunken Condos sounds very warm and
I try to get the good groove. I just use whatever
intimate. Was there a sonic template for
sounds come with GarageBand, then I [compose]
the album?
a drum track and a bass track and a couple keyFagen: I’ve always looked for a natural sound. I
boards and something that sounds a little bit like
like a fairly dead room; I don’t like a big roomy
a guitar and something that sounds a little bit like
sound. It was recorded mainly in two studios.
a clavinet. I do a little rhythm arrangement of the
We did some horns in the bigger rooms, but I
tune. Then Mike played drums to my arrangethink it’s really just a matter of taste and just
ments, and we had a drum track. Then we started
knowing what mics to use. Using tunable keyWhat kind of effects did you use on his vocals?
boards are important. They sound more natural replacing the parts with real basses, and real
Leonhart: We used some Altiverb plug-ins on vopianos, and Rhodes pianos.
than synthesizers.
cals in mixing to an SSL board, but we always track
vocals dry. We used a little compression from the
Was recording in smaller rooms about getting What’s your process for tracking vocals?
Fagen: If I write a song, I don’t practice it; I work Teletronix LA2A, just kissing it. In mixing, we also
the most out of limitations?
it out in the studio. I sing the song for the first time had an EMT 250, a Bricasti Design reverb, and a
Fagen: Pretty much. Even though Steely Dan
in front of an engineer. And then kind of work out Studer 2-track for slap. The UA only goes down to
recorded in the greatest studios, we never
how I want to do it by doing takes. I can see why -10, so I used an in-line pad, which colored it, but for
needed really high-tech gear. We always had
non-super-high volume, it’s great. We also had a
someone if they’re good at clicking a button and
some state-of-the-art stuff, but as far as instrurecording themselves, that’s a good way to do it. I Shadow Hills Quad GAMA with the mod to switch
ments, we used traditional instruments for the
between nickel (Focusrite), iron (Neve), and steel
most part. Getting a good sound is really a matter like to have an engineer there. I do a lot of takes.
(API) transformers. Donald’s first vocals went
of taste, if you want to know the truth. It’s not so
Michael, how did you record Donald’s vocals? through the Neve setting then we moved to Hirsh.
much about equipment as knowing the difference between what sounds good, and what only Leonhart: Donald needs, in the digital realm,
So Michael Leonhart is “Earl Cooke, Jr.”?
absolutely zero latency. That’s an issue with a
sounds good for a minute. You have to know
Fagan: Yes, that’s his nom de musíque. Michael
lot of digital gear. We were recording the vocals
what’s going to sound good next week.
42 emusician.com 12.2012

NO
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WWW.
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profile
would get behind the drums sometimes at Steely
Dan soundchecks and I thought he had a great
feel. So when we started doing this record, I
gave him one or two tracks to play on, and he
sounded so good that he ended up doing all of
them. Being a jazz musician from a young age, he
has this little shuffle in his feel, very old-school,
and relaxed. That really made the record feel like
it does.

Michael, how did you approach the drums on
the records?
Leonhart: After choosing the right drums,
including a Ludwig & Leedy snare from Homer
Steinweiss, and 1970s Ludwig drums I borrowed
from Sean Lennon, we started recording what
we thought we would be demo drum tracks.
Sometimes Donald would say, “It sounds great,
do another pass and send it to me tomorrow.” I

would do the takes, the feel would be there, but
the sound wasn’t right. There was no rush; Donald is never in a hurry. I am a very limited drummer; I do what I do. But nothing is triggered.
Did you grid the drums?
Leonhart: Everything went to click. But Donald
is not looking to put everything on the grid,
because that feel is awful. Steely Dan was notorious in the ’70s and ’80s for trying to create the
perfect drum take. Moving these tiny increments
that 99% of the world can’t hear. But Donald is
open to anything to get that feel, that snap, but
we didn’t line up the kick drum in Pro Tools.
That’s not a human feel. So when I was engineering and cutting things up, Donald wouldn’t
look. The easy thing would be to snap it to the
grid. But Donald has the patience and the discipline to disregard the visual aspect. We recorded
the drums in my studio using a Shure SM 57 or
vintage AKG D1000E on snare, two Cloud JR34s
as overheads, Neumann U87 or Audix D6 on the
kick, an old MD421 on toms, and a KM84 on the
hi-hat, with no room mics.
The record is very intimate sounding.
Leonhart: That wasn’t a mistake; it took many
months to do it. We put up baffles for horns and
drums in my studio. At the brownstone, it was a
long space, so we put up gobos and cut the room
in half. We put up baffles and turned the control
room into an iso booth and used the live room as
my station to monitor. We did it very patiently
and made wise chess moves.
Did Donald enjoy working in the smaller
studios?
Leonhart: Well, after mixing the album, Donald
asked very sweetly, “Where does it go now?
What do I get? Tape or acetate?” I said, “We
can email you a hi-res version.” “What is that?”
he said. “What planet are you on?” Donald is amazed by those mesmerized, catatonic
people who walk down the street looking at
their phones.
Is recording in smaller studios about working
within the limitations?
Leonhart: Absolutely. I got used to asking myself,
“Is there any ambient noise, hard drive noise,
refrigerator noise?” When you’re in a huge
studio, that is usually taken care of. But even in
world-class studios, I’ve heard playbacks where
overheads are not on, or they’re clipping. Rookie

44 emusician.com 12.2012

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profile
sh*t. People get sloppy. Working in smaller
studios takes more concentration; you have to
be very careful to not f*ck it up. For example,
today in my studio, it’s raining; I can’t record.
So today we’d take a break until it stops raining.
Sometimes, it was a nuisance to have to check
everything in smaller studios and make sure
things were not losing fidelity. With Donald’s
albums, if there’s the slightest instance of things

smearing or being out of phase or cancelling,
it’s thrown out. We got rid of an entire sevenhorn arrangement on a Steely Dan recording
because the flutes were wrong. Knowing that,
you have to really be careful. That’s Donald’s
level. I am a fan of lo-fi and sampledelia, or The
Band albums; there’s an honesty and integrity
to that. But with Donald, that’s not the medium.
The medium is getting this extremely rich,

three-dimensional thing. That’s been the nicest
compliment, people saying this is rich and full
and tight sounding.
Donald, do you miss the days of working with
analog consoles and tape compared to digital
and its speed?
Fagen: The greatest thing about tape was how
a really experienced engineer knew how to
saturate the tape when recording drums or
guitars to fatten everything up. It was a very
delicate thing. You don’t want to sound distorted, but you do want a little of that saturation that you get using analog tape. Someone
like Phil Ramone knew how to do it; Elliot
Scheiner learned it from Phil. It really made the
drums sound great. Everything sounded a little
warmer on tape. But because we did so much
overdubbing, after a while the oxide started to
come off and we had a lot of errors. We had a
lot of trouble with tape; it would come off cause
we played it so many times! So I actually like
working in digital.
How do you feel about the notion of working at smaller studios and being more self
reliant?
Fagen: Well, I think it makes sense. You can really set up a little studio in your house; that’s obviously the way to go. It’s too bad, ’cause I love
recording in [pro] studios. I love the differences
between them. I loved working at A&R and Automated Sound and all these great studios that
had these beautiful-sounding rooms and I loved
the way they smelled and the wood! It was fantastic. And also, I like having a second engineer,
and someone to go get coffee and all that stuff!
[Laughs.] But that’s not happening now.
Leonhart: I tell people to surround themselves
with experienced people. When you’re with
someone who has a lifetime of experience,
that’s how you learn. I can’t record a 30-piece
orchestra; I would be sh*tting my pants. So I
know when to call someone in. Studio gear is
only made to further a great idea. I like gear, but
I prefer a great idea, something you can’t buy
or put your hands on. It’s great to understand
the gear, but do it with humility, realizing that
there are people who only do this stuff. That’s
their passion. The guys at Daptone and Truth
in Soul learned by failing and going to the guys
from the ’60s and ’70s. You learn it by making
mistakes with people who can show you how to
correct it. n

46 emusician.com 12.2012

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profile

Rana June
“Three-dimensional DJing” with 16 iPads,
wireless rig, and biometric interaction
BY TONY WARE

rana sobhany grew up in McLean, VA, a
neighborhood in the shadow of the CIA’s
Langley headquarters, one surrounded by
defense contractors, and the kind of place
where the average overheard conversation is
peppered with acronyms and abbreviations.
One acronym you rarely hear there, however, is
DJ, which is a prefix Sobhany, who performs
as Rana June, acquired in 2010 when she first
gained attention as “the iPad DJ,” a foundation
48 emusician.com 12.2012

she has worked hard to expand upon.
The only acronyms and abbreviations that
ever mattered to a young Sobhany, however,
included USB, modem, Telnet, HTML, and
MP3; and speaking in code wasn’t playing spy,
it was computer programming. “Steve Case
[co-founder and former CEO and chairman
of AOL] lived a few blocks down from me,”
reflects Sobhany. “The Dulles corridor [a
nearby high-density region of corporate

headquarters] was such a technology hub. I’ve
been on a computer since age four . . . the idea
of instantaneous communication was always a
part of my life.”
Admittedly flirting with a childhood
interest in politics, not uncommon for
someone growing up within the Washington,
D.C., Beltway, Sobhany eventually went the
high-tech business administration route. This
ultimately led to her involvement launching
Medialets, a mobile analytics/rich media
ad platform that has grown alongside the
Apple App Store, which is equally apropos
for someone McLean-bred, as the first brick
and mortar Apple Store was opened in nearby
Tysons Corner Center mall in 2001.
It was following the introduction of the
iPad in 2010 that Sobhany found a way to
merge her longtime interests. “This just
happens to be the area that I’m the most
passionate about: the intersection of data,

LISTEN

profile

music, mobile technology and humancomputer interaction,” she says. First
performing with a traditional setup of two
iPads cued through a DJ mixer, Sobhany used
programs such as Korg’s iElectribe and Sound
Trends’ Looptastic HD to sequence rhythms
before Algoriddim’s Djay was released as a
one-size-fits-all solution for less ambitious
mobile party rockers. Inspired by the clips in
an evolving scene structure from Ableton Live,
informed by analyzing the chords and keys that
elicit the most audience response, Sobhany has
used an understanding of behavioral patterns
and multitouch processing to book gigs as she
integrates in-house, purposely engineered
apps, and tactile consumer technology (such
as Microsoft Kinect and Google Glass) into her
self-defined workflow.
“It’s not just some auditory change [I’m
triggering]; they can come up and watch me
physically manipulate this music and create a
brand new auditory-visual emotional experience
in connection to that song . . . it’s a threedimensional version of DJing,” says Sobhany. “It’s
performance art meets music production . . . the
name ‘iPad DJ’ was given to me by someone else;
I’ve always associated more with music producers.”
Content for shows comes both from
commercial singles and Sobhany’s
home studio, which is centered around a
MacBook Pro Retina 2.7GHz quad-core
Intel i7 laptop running Logic and Native
Instruments Komplete 8 suite, as well as
Native Instruments Maschine and the Waves
Mercury bundle, Spectrasonics Omnisphere
and FXpansion DCAM Synth Squad, among
other programs. Various hardware controllers,
interfaces, and monitors allow for live guitar
and outboard synths to be incorporated.
Using a meticulous preproduction
nomenclature system, Sobhany has metatagged
all her clips, noting key, BPM, genre, even
applying keywords for mood; this all-inclusive
compiling allows Sobhany to do away with
excessive pre-cueing, which helps compensate
for some unavoidable latency in iOS, which is
still a developing operating system on sleek
but far-from-over-clocked hardware. Assisting
in combating latency (as well as multitasking
and gestural) issues is Sobhany’s increasingly
multifaceted custom setup, which now uses 16
iPads to trigger drums, leads, bass lines, and
samples, as well as to manage reactive lighting
for the iPads’ custom Plexiglas performance
50 emusician.com 12.2012

surface and collect biometric data that
could one day potentially be interpreted and
interpolated into a performance that uses heatmapping and pulse to read an audience’s realtime response to the music’s direction.
“There are so many different timbres of

Sobhany assembling her rig.

“I’ve been on a computer
since age four . . . the
idea of instantaneous
communication was
always a part of my life.”
—Rana June

Mobility is key to Sobhany’s performances.

sound that you really do need the ability to
experiment live . . . so that contributes to the
importance of the redundancy factor,” says
Sobhany. “It’s just helpful to be able to queue
up several things and then to make decisions. I
think it really helps the artistic process.”
Facilitating the transmission of this

ensemble to the audience is a selection of
Shure hardware, including the PSM 900
wireless in-ear monitoring system, the UR1M
UHF-R micro bodypack trasmitter, the
UR4D+ UHF-R+ dual-channel receiver, the
UR2/KSM9 transmitter, plus the PA805SWB
and UA860SWB antennas. Having a proven
wireless component partner allows Sobhany
the flexibility to achieve more mobility
and audience interaction than a traditional
DJ can accomplish. In addition, Sobhany
maintains a Mackie Onyx 1640i mixer
to administrate what is essentially a live
multitrack session.
Sobhany recognizes that the technology
is constantly evolving, and she is glad for it.
She looks forward to and hopes to contribute
to advances in mobile processing power,
wearable technology and inter-device
communication that will contribute to
removing friction between the creative process
and performance. “There is that Steve Jobs
quote, quoting a Wayne Gretzky quote: ‘I skate
to where the puck is going, not to where it’s
been.’ That’s why I wake up every morning.”
Sobhany is always looking for new data to
quantify and new innovations to amalgamate.
Always with an eye to future shows and
moments of inspiration, she keeps her
treasured means of artistic expression close to
the vest.
“You know, DJs travel a lot; you’re at an
airport all the time,” reflects Sobhany. “Now
with all my wireless equipment, there’s about
$50,000 worth of stuff in my pelican case, so
it’s pretty much handcuffed to me everywhere
I go. That’s the ultimate security; they’d have
to saw my arm off to get these babies.” It goes
to show that you can take the girl out of the
land of politics and espionage, but maybe you
can’t take all the covert operations influences
out of the girl. n
Tony Ware is a writer/editor, audio enthusiast,
and the proud owner of one well-loved iPad
2, which he uses to defeat bad piggies and
make flatulent basslines when not scouring
the Head-fi.org forums in search of the
perfectly tuned accessory.
More Online
See videos of Rana
June in action.

Emusician.com/december2012

playlist

The Coup

Sorry to Bother You
ANTI-

first love is hip-hop, which dovetails smartly with the activist ethos
he brings to his music, but it’s dismissive to label him a mere prophet of rage.
With a delivery that mixes wry humor, deep insight and the laid-back style of a
smooth operator, Riley is also keenly aware that he needn’t be limited by funky
beats and raw samples; his albums are collaborative outings, and his latest
features Jolie Holland, Joe Henry, Vernon Reid, and more. Give the man a Moog
Little Phatty, and he’s the toast of the neighborhood.
BILL MURPHY

boots riley’s

Tame Impala
Lonerism
modular

Australian psychedelic
merchants Tame Impala
return with their
vision refined, their
mechanics excelled,
and their melodies
as head-trippingly
colorful as an injection
of peppermint
psyclobin. Exploring
sun-spotting guitars,
sci-fi synths, and
reverberating rhythms,
Lonerism combines
Magical Mystery
Tour with Are You
Experienced?, levitating
listeners skyward and
beyond.
KEN MICALLEF

52 emusician.com 12.2012

Nero
Welcome Reality +
interscope/cherrytree

David Wax
Museum
Knock Knock Get Up

Junkie XL
Synthesized

UK production duo Dan
Stephens and Joe Ray, with
vocalist Alana Watson,
lob the gnarled synths
and dystopian bombast
of ’90s rave architects
such as Joey Beltram
and Messiah atop highly
torqued hook-oriented
dubstep. Repacking 2011’s
debut, the team adds two
original compositions
and one Skrillex remix to
the initial 14 tracks. The
additional sound design
reinforces arena-minded
arrangements with tense
chords, aggressively
detuned bass drops,
and brightly forged rifforiented bass-house, and
increased midtempo
contortions.
TONY WARE

mark of the leopard

Tom Holkenborg
(Junkie XL) has been
busy composing for films
and video games, so the
fact that he can even
find the time to crank
out a new solo album is
a blessing. Synthesized
starts out as an ambient
electronic affair (“Take
Off on Molly’s E”), but
quickly picks up the
pace with the hiphop-flavored “Off
the Dancefloor,” with
rhymes by Isis Salam,
and the dance-pop
bliss of the title track,
featuring Anneli Axon.
BILL MURPHY

On their sophomore
effort, Knock Knock
Get Up, the David Wax
Museum stud their
always-charming,
Mexican folk-influenced
arrangements with
more effects—fuzzedout guitars, smeared
horns, looped mariachis,
and vocal adlibs. With
these manipulated
elements added to layers
of percussion, fiddle,
guitar, accordion, and
vocal harmonies, Wax
and co. have perfected
fusion for roots music
lovers.
BARBARA SCHULTZ

nettwerk

Various Artists
Electrospective:
1963-2010

Buddy Miller and
Jim Lauderdale
Buddy & Jim

emi

new west

Only in this era of
corporate cooperation
would EMI Music, Mute,
and Virgin join forces for
a compilation including
Kraftwerk, Brian Eno,
Depeche Mode, Massive
Attack, Daft Punk, the
Chemical Brothers,
Air, and Radiohead.
Duran Duran and Pet
Shop Boys also appear,
hardly necessary to an
“Electrospective,” but it’s
not titled “Electronicspective,” is it? A remix
compilation (de rigueur)
accompanies a global
“multi-platform”
marketing campaign.
Alternately, you could buy
the original LPs for cheap.
KEN MICALLEF

Buddy and Jim: two
great singer/songwriters
who sound great
together. These two
revered country artists
host a radio show
together on Sirius FM’s
Outlaw Country, and
now they’ve made these
wonderful duets. Stellar
guitar work and strong
harmonies are central
to diverse approaches
including the surf noir
of “Vampire Girl,” the
bluesy “I Want to Do
Everything for You,” and
the rockabilly shuffle of
their beautiful “Looking
for Heartache Like You.”
BARBARA SCHULTZ

Yamaha, our Pro Combo dealers and Music Player Network
magazines all have something in common. We each represent
the different product categories that make up an entire band’s
worth of gear. And now, we have come together and created five
unique sweepstakes to give away some of Yamaha’s most popular
products for keyboard players, guitar players, bass players and
drummers. You can’t have a band without a great PA system,
so there’s a sweepstakes for one of those, too!

Five Sweepstakes,
Combining over $10,000 worth of gear.
To find out how to outfit your band with the
products seen here, scan the QR code
or visit www.4wrd.it/PROCOMBOEM2

Roundup

photo by Dave Vann

Cool Tools for DJs

56 emusician.com 12.2012

Bassnectar gets the
crowd on its feet.

LUST
Versatile gear for
everyone, from
beginner to pro
BY CRAIG ANDERTON
yes, i’m a musician. And yes, I can play an instrument,
thank you—and actually, that’s why I’m so into DJing.
Like recording, it’s a different way to interact with
music, and the DJ setup is becoming a sweet blend
of gear that’s part instrument, part recording studio,
and part sampler. It’s a new type of instrument with
new challenges, and what’s more, it’s racing headlong
toward a musical reality that pushes the envelope of
the things that can be done with deconstructing and
reconstructing sound.
This roundup is a good example of how the DJ
world has expanded: We cover educational programs
for the total beginner, sophisticated monitoring options,
iOS devices you can toss in a backpack, semi-traditional
controllers, “controllerist” controllers, and even
hardware/software instruments that speak to DJs. It’s a
world where anything goes, and one which you ignore
at your peril.
The bad news is that yes, you may lose your gig to a
DJ. The good news is that DJ might be you—and you’ll
enjoy every minute of it.
12.2012 emusician.com 57

LUST

roundup

Numark

N4 DJ Controller/Mixer
$699 MSRP, $499 street
numark.com

Positioned
toward the upper
middle of Numark’s line
of controllers, the N4 4-deck
controller incorporates a 4x4 audio
interface. Despite its reasonable price, it
definitely has a pro feature complement and
vibe; while the plastic case construction saves
money, it certainly seems sturdy (the tall,
rubberized knobs have virtually no “wobble)
and offers the added benefit of making the N4
easy to carry around.
Ins and Outs The I/O is generous—XLR
main outs, and separate RCA master and booth
outs (with individual front-panel level controls
for main/master and booth). Decks 3 and 4
can switch over to stereo RCA jack inputs,
switchable between line and phono. The classcompliant USB interface works with Mac

Sound Trends

OS X/Windows
(98SE on up) and
accommodates
recording your
sets as well as
computer control;
the front edge
is endowed
with two
mic ins
(both
with gain
controls, and
one with bass/
treble), PC/input
source selectors
for decks 3 and 4,
crossfader contour
(scratch and normal), and
two headphone jacks (1/4"
and 1/8"). The global wall-wart
adapter handles 100–240V.
Software The controller/software fit is a big
deal, and Numark has taken the unusual step
of packing in two programs—Serato DJ Intro
and VirtualDJ LE. Serato DJ Intro is two-deck
software that seems optimized for simplicity,
stability, and tight scratching, although it has
fewer “bells and whistles” than VirtualDJ
LE, which is four-deck software with two
samplers per deck and three hot cue buttons.
Another advantage of VirtualDJ LE is that
if you do the optional-at-extra-cost upgrade
to the professional version, you can use
turntables with timecoded vinyl or CD players

This stellar iPad DJ app uses a four-deck
paradigm, but each deck can be a conventional
DJ-style track deck with (of course) iTunes
integration, or a looping-oriented module, or
one of four different instruments. Then there
are the effects. . . .

sync decks, easy loop in/
out to create loops, four
cue points, and “autoloop” for expanding or
shrinking loops to various
bar lengths. Touching and
swiping the waveform does
scratching. This resembles
a conventional DJ deck; if
you can navigate Traktor,
you’re good to go.

Track Deck This has the basics and then
some, with features like automatic BPM
analysis and downbeat detection, the ability to

Looptastic This is just
plain cool. Picture an
Ableton Live Scene, with

meta DJ iOS app
$19.99 MSRP
soundtrends.com

58 emusician.com 12.2012

with timecoded CDs for audio file control,
and output full-screen video. N4 also supports
Traktor, UltraMixer, djay, and PCDJ, but not
Serato Itch.
Mixing Each deck has 3-band EQ, 45mm level
faders, and load and cue buttons for loading
music into the decks and cuing the material
you’ve loaded. You’ll also find the expected
jog wheels and controls/buttons for pitch,
effects, loop control, transport, key lock, and
similar functions, as well as the unexpected
video transition knob (which doubles for doing
track selection with the browser) and fade
controls—yes, control your videos while you’re
controlling the audio. In Scratch mode, the top
of the jog wheels becomes touch-sensitive and
optimized for scratching, while the sides serve
the usual pitch-bend functionality for tweaking
tempo. The pitch sliders are 100mm—nice—and
indicate original playback pitch/speed via LED.
Final Mix The N4 seems oriented more
toward controller-oriented DJs than hardcore
turntablists, with its main claims to fame being
versatility with affordability—while offering
more features than you’d expect at this price.
In particular, being able to handle a wide
variety of input sources takes the N4 beyond
being “just” a laptop DJ software controller
to being a capable standalone mixer sans
computer; and the inclusion of two different,
valid pieces of software is also a cool move, as
users can choose which “flavor” of DJing they
want to do. The N4 is a tough controller to
beat, but an easy one to use.

Play. Capture. Stream.
Introducing the Zoom Q2HD Handy Video Recorder.

Brilliant stereo recording and HD video… Now with live streaming.
© 2012 Zoom | zoomfx.com

LUST

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up to ten loops playing constantly; but each
loop is represented by a little square icon in a
fader track that—surprise—is like a fader cap,
and you can mix all these loops in real time.
Touching anywhere along the fader track
brings in the loop at that level.
Instruments The app includes two synths,
the Drumtron drum machine and SaMPL3R.
These aren’t so much editable as they are
playable, based on the content you load into
the instrument. For example, with Drumtron,
what appears to be a matrix for programming
beats actually contains patterns in the various
cells for different drums; you can play these in
real time, or hold combinations of patterns to
create drum loops. This may sound limiting,
but in practice, it’s easy to add patterns to go
along with the Track or Looptastic “decks,”

Stanton

Scratch DJ Academy MIX!
$69 MSRP, $49 street
stantondj.com
This cross-platform program is intended
for those who want to get started in DJing,
but from the standpoint of putting together
cohesive mixtapes and sequences of tracks as
opposed to learning the tricks and techniques
of controller-based DJ techniques. As such,
it’s more about experimenting with song
orders, harmonic mixing, coaxing tempos and
crossfades to mesh together, and then exporting
the mix into the program’s “Mix Vault.”
While I could do without lines like “mix
the music on your computer into one seamless
set—just like a professional DJ!,” MIX! can
be very helpful for those who need to know
the ground rules of DJing; in addition, short
tutorials explain concepts like beat-matching,
scratching, crossfading, stretching, and even
some music theory. These tutorials aren’t
particularly deep, but their conciseness makes
them valuable for beginners.
How it Works The process begins by loading
your songs into the library, although the
program comes with some content to get you
started. Considerately, MIX! points to your
existing song locations rather then copying
a duplicate set and burying it somewhere
60 emusician.com 12.2012

especially as the patterns are organized
intelligently in terms of musical complexity.
SaMPL3R works similarly to Drumtron, as
you can load arpeggiations, bass, chords, drums,
leads, etc. These can be patterns, or by choosing
Synth, you can call up a keyboard that’s
chromatic or constrained to various scales.
The other instruments include One Shot,
which lets you load or create a bank of up to
ten one-shot samples, drawing from enough
content that I didn’t feel like taking the time
to count the number of samples (e,g., female
voice, male voice, shouts, fx, etc.). The Riser
instrument resembles a dual tonal KAOSS pad,
where one pad controls volume and pitch/
filter, while the other controls modulation.
Although these are “canned” sounds, like the
other instruments, they’re fun and supplement
the Track and Looptastic decks well.

in your root drive. You
can then drag songs into
a playlist to build your
mixtape. If you click on
one of the playlist songs,
songs in the library with
related tempos or keys
are highlighted, which
suggests what you might
want to add next to the
playlist.
MIX! creates automatic
crossfades among the
various songs, but you can
tweak these with respect
to where the crossfading
starts, the crossfade length
and curve, and also add
scratch effects (with several
options) when transitioning
between songs. You can
preview the transitions,
and tweak them until they’re as seamless as
possible. In addition to crossfades, there’s the
option to perform drops (i.e., cut directly from
one track to the beginning of the next track, with
no crossfade) if you want to transition from, for
example, a track with a tempo of 127 bpm to one
at 133.33 bpm. However . . .
Going Deeper You can take MIX!
considerably deeper. For example, opening

Effects All four decks can be processed by up
to four effects in series, drawn from a roster
of 15 effects and controlled via X/Y pad. You
can control one effect at a time, and return to
the underlying deck at any time. One semiexception is Looptastic; it splits its faders into
three zones, which can have independent
effects.
Final Mix Other features include Numark
iDJ Live and Acid file support, headphone
cueing with a specialized cable, Airport
output, MIDI sync, the ability to record your
set, the option to buy additional content (as
well as download free content), and more. But
forget all that, and concentrate on the bottom
line: This is a ton of fun, it’s no toy, and it has a
welcome amount of sophistication. But don’t
say I didn’t warn you—it’s habit-forming.

a song information window allows changing
the tempo and key of individual tracks, the
tightness of beat grid analysis, setting doubleor half-time, tap tempo, and the start point for
beat 1. While these may be complex concepts,
they’re easy to edit. Furthermore, MIX!
uses zplane’s algorithms for stretching, key
detection, and beat detection (all of which are
very accurate); you’ve heard zplane’s work
before with various other popular DAWs.
There’s also a master track with automation

for Microsoft Windows

®

Mixcraft Pro Studio 6
is your complete music
production workstation,
instantly turning your
computer into a fullystocked professional
recording studio.

Available at Guitar Center
and other fine retailers.

 Over 6000 professionally-produced music loops



in an incredible array of styles and genres.

 18 virtual instruments, including emulations of some






of the greatest vintage analog synthesizers, organs,
and electric pianos of all time, plus a huge sampled
instrument library and an impressive new collection
of acoustic and electric drum sounds.

 41 professional-quality effects, including the




iZotope Mastering Essentials suite and the
brilliant new Acoustica Studio Reverb.



Learn more at www.acoustica.com.

Mixcraft Pro Studio 6.

LUST

roundup

curves for tempo and level, as well as
automation for high, mid, and low EQ gain.
Final Mix When I first checked out MIX!, I
wasn’t that impressed precisely because the

program accomplished what it set out to do—
fence off the more advanced sections to make
it easier for beginners. Digging deeper, though,
revealed additional ways to optimize
your mixtapes and in the process,

learn more about the aesthetics of DJing.
Whether MIX! is for you or not depends
somewhat on your level of expertise in DJing,
but find out for yourself: Download the free
trial, and check it out.

Dangerous Music
Source
$1,099 MSRP, $899 street
dangerousmusic.com

Dangerous Music’s Source is an unusual
product with many applications, including
DJing. Geared for portability, Source monitors
and routes a variety of input sources via highend conversion, noiseless switching, and
superb headphone amps. Its size and form
factor suggest laptop-based audio production,
but it’s equally at home in small studios.
Ins and Outs Source has independent
monitoring sections for headphones and
speakers. Both have buttons to monitor any
or all of four shared inputs: stereo XLR+1/4"
combo analog ins, stereo minijack, AES/SPDIF
XLR digital in (with associated passthrough
connector), and USB for stereo audio output
from Mac/Windows machines.
Two front-panel 1/4" headphone outs share
a single volume control, and two separate
speaker pair outs (XLR and 1/4") have their
own shared volume control, too. An additional,
fixed-level line out mirrors the speaker
section’s selected set of inputs. The speaker
outs are designed for powered monitors, so
they’re essentially beefy line outs.
Interestingly, Source includes two power
connectors that match the included global wall
wart. Presumably a single adapter couldn’t
power two Sources, but Dangerous hints at

IK Multimedia
iRig MIX
$99.99 MSRP
ikmultimedia.com

This mobile mixer works with one or two
iOS devices (iPad, iPhone, iPod touch), or an
62 emusician.com 12.2012

possible future
accessories.
Monitoring The speaker section can
switch between two sets of speakers, but all
buttons—input and speaker selectors—are set
up cleverly so they can toggle momentarily
or latch. Furthermore you can enable input
and speaker buttons within their groups
simultaneously, or program them so enabling
one in the group disables the others.
Using It You can bring in stereo audio from
a controller/interface, or via USB from your
computer, and send it (with level adjustment) to
the 1/4" TRS outs for booth powered monitors
and to the XLR main outs. The fixed-level line
out is ideal for recording. Meanwhile, you can
monitor an iOS device or similar player from the
headphones without sending the signal to the
main out, but then enable it to the speakers when
appropriate. Better yet, send a DJ program’s cue
output to the computer’s 1/8" audio output jack,
and patch it to Source’s second analog in. (Simply
aggregate interfaces with a Mac; with Windows,
use ASIO4ALL to enable the USB ASIO and
WDM onboard audio simultaneously.)
Given the Dangerous pedigree and design,
it probably goes without saying, but I’ll say it

iOS device and other player (CD, MP3, etc.)
to provide “DJing to go,” needing only an AC
outlet for the mixer’s global wall wart.
The Hardware The mixer has two channels
with 60mm level sliders, each flanked by a
four-LED level meter. The 60mm crossfader

anyway: The
sound quality is
somewhere beyond excellent. Mixing with
Source becomes a superior audio experience.
Final Mix While it’s not difficult to route cue
and main mixes separately, I’d love to see four
channels of USB I/O for this; and the ability
to set separate levels for the two speaker outs
would be convenient for booth setups. However,
Source isn’t just a DJ tool, but has multiple studio
uses—feed in a digital mixer or audio interface
output (or computer USB out) for distribution
to the two headphones and speakers, switch
between speakers for comparison, send one set
of speaker outs to monitors and the other set
to a sub, switch between a reference CD and
your master out, record a mix back into a DAW
by routing the line outs to two audio interface
inputs, and the like. Ultimately, “going to the
Source” means routing and monitoring that
are portable enough for laptop DJs, but robust
enough for studio work.

has the requisite “loose” feel. Controls
include per-channel cue button, and bass,
treble, and gain controls; master controls are
volume, input select, and X-Sync (covered
later). Interfacing offers RCA stereo outs, 1/4"
headphone jack with level control, two 1/8"
audio input jacks, and Micro-B USB power

Yamaha CS-80
1976

Oberheim 4-Voice
1975

Sequential Circuits Prophet VS
1986
Wurlitzer 200A
1972
Moog Modular Systems
1964

ARP 2600
1971

Moog Minimoog
1970

Sequential Circuits Prophet 5
1978

Roland Jupiter-8
1981

Discover your new analog rig.
The V Collection 3.0 is the finest compilation of
analog synthesizers and vintage drum machines
powered by Arturia’s exclusive TAE ® technology.
It brings your dream analog rig in your favorite DAW
for a fraction of the price. Featuring nine of the most
sought-after analog synthesizers, one electric piano,
thirty vintage drum machines... all the legendary

sounds used by the top producers are here to take
your music to a whole new level.
Rolled up into the ergonomic Analog Laboratory
software, it now provides ways to layer, arpeggiate
synths, and create your own scenes. The V Collection
3.0 is the premium solution to get true analog realism
to shine through your mix.
www.arturia.com

LUST

roundup
bandpass, and highpass
filters; delay, stutter, and
phaser) while the free
version is limited to the
lowpass filter. All effects
have a KAOSS pad-style X/Y
interface.

supply connector. A second 1/4"
jack provides a third input with
level control for guitar/bass/
mic, which you can process
through an iPad app (like IK’s
AmpliTube), then run it into
input 1 while audio from another
device feeds input 2. Or, simply mix
this input (without processing) in with
the other two inputs.
The Software A free version of
IK’s DJ Rig app (also for iPad,
iPhone and iPod touch) gets
you more than started, while
the full version costs $19.99.
You’ll find the basics and
more: two turntables, each with low/mid/high
controls and associated solo buttons, automix,
level and crossfader, bend up/down, sync, cue,
pitch adjust, and four banks of nine one-shot
pads. Each pad has individual level and pitch
controls; replace the pad sounds to create a
custom collection, or record new sounds.
The three output routing options are also
appreciated, and make it possible to use a
single iOS device—you can route the main out
to the left output with cue (headphones) to

Native Instruments
Maschine MK2
$669 MSRP, $599 street
native-instruments.com

The original Maschine did so many things
right, and became so popular with musicians
and DJs (it’s often synced with Traktor), that
an update seemed somewhat superfluous.
MK2 doesn’t address any “fatal flaws,” because
there really weren’t any. But it does offer
workflow improvements, some extras, and
accessories.
NI didn’t mess with the features that
made Maschine a hit: easily navigated
hardware control coupled with pattern-based
sequencing software, lots of content (with
optional expansions), sampling, multi-effects,
and stand-alone or plug-in (VST/AU/RTAS)
operation. But with the benefit of years of
observing the ways people used Maschine, NI
zeroed in primarily on workflow.
64 emusician.com 12.2012

the right, select
a standard L/R stereo
output, or split each deck to its
own channel. Three crossfader curves, and a
crossfader filter for transitions, are available.
Note that the software controls don’t “talk”
to the mixer (e.g., changing the hardware’s
crossfader doesn’t change the software’s
crossfader).
The full version allows for setting internal
loops within the audio along with slip and
hold, offers four cue points instead of one fixed
cue point, provides a waveform view, adds
content, and includes six effects (lowpass,

The Accessories
The rugged, allmetal Maschine
Stand ($79) tilts
Maschine when
used on a tabletop
to a more playable
(and LCDreadable) angle,
and includes a
mounting adapter
for mounting
Maschine like a
snare drum on
7/8" drum clamps.
Rubber pads on the base make sliding around
virtually impossible, and pins hold Maschine
in place on the stand.
Maschine comes in white or black, and
you can customize it with colored, metal (not
cheap vinyl) faceplates that cost $79 and affix
to Maschine magnetically so they’re easy to

X-Sync This is very cool:
When using two iOS devices,
or even an iOS device and an
external audio source such as
an MP3 or CD player, enabling
X-Sync can sync music on the
two different devices. You can
even match the iOS device to
the external source, although
of course, X-Sync is most effective with
rhythmically consistent program material.
Final Mix iRig MIX is portable, light (the
case is plastic), relatively inexpensive, and
capable; it not only works with DJ Rig, but also
the free versions of AmpliTube, VocaLive, and
Groovemaker. IK has been in the iOS game
for a while, so it’s not surprising they’d come
up with something like this—but that doesn’t
diminish its cool factor.

swap out; matching knobs are included. (While
the stand and the new 1.8 software version are
compatible with the original Maschine, the
faceplates aren’t.)
Mechanical Changes Maschine MK2
makes excellent use of LED-colored pads

“The sounds instantly inspire me to produce on the spot. I am able to seamlessly
integrate the PC3LE “Live Edition” into my Abelton Live workflow. Inspiration
can come from anywhere but it definitely helps when it sounds great!”
- Ivan Corraliza (iLL Factor)
Grammy Nominated, Music Producer

A division of Jam Industries Ltd

For more information email or call:
[email protected] | 800.431.2609

LUST

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(which are also somewhat more sensitive
than the original). For example, you can make
the cymbal pads yellow and the kick red for
consistency among kits; furthermore, the
drums shown in the software acquire the
same colors. You can also associate colors
with scenes, groups, and patterns. The buttons
“click” for positive feedback, a big master
encoder with push switch simplifies editing,
and the two displays are more readable over
wider viewing angles.
Software Changes For those who don’t
own Komplete or Massive, the inclusion of
the Massive virtual instrument is a big deal.
It’s a dubstep mainstay, but it’s also a fine,

big-sounding (and CPU-hungry) synth; you get
Komplete Elements, too. The other refinements
mostly involve workflow so you can stay more
in the “hardware domain.” Time stretching
and pitch shifting are now brought out to the
Maschine interface itself, and the Transport
controls can trigger your DAW’s transport. This
version includes new tape and tube modes for
the Saturator effect, and a transient shaping
effect—if you don’t already have a transient
shaper, this is a very useful addition. (Try it on
the bass samples, too.) You can now audition
individual sounds before loading them,
and while this is not a new
feature, it’s

Novation

The Hardware Twitch packs a lot into
a small footprint. Bus power adds to the
portability, although the lights seem less
bright than controllers with dedicated
power supplies. Replacing the jog wheels
with touchstrips isn’t just about a major size
reduction, but a different way of working:
It’s much like “swiping” and grabbing with
touchscreens, and I imagine those raised on
iPads will feel right at home. You can even
“pinch” to adjust loop lengths, and with a little
practice, do decent scratching.
Outputs include separate master (1/4"
TRS, not XLR) and booth (RCA) outs, with
the booth switchable between master and cue.
A built-in, cross-platform 2x4 USB interface
allows direct monitoring, and the mixer
incorporates an auxiliary RCA stereo input
with gain control. The front includes 1/4" and
66 emusician.com 12.2012

Final Mix Like other beats fans, I took
immediately to Maschine; those without
Maschine are fortunate to be able to start with
MK2. For owners of the original, MK2 isn’t
“mandatory,” as the 1.8 software is compatible.
However, this also means the original version
retains its value, so it could be worth selling
and moving to MK2—which offers some
undeniable benefits. Native Instruments has
been generating one hit after another these
days, and Maschine MK2 is most
certainly one of them.

a “translator”
utility to
optimize Twitch’s
MIDI messages for
Live. While it’s not as
tight a fit as the Akai APC
series controllers, those who
use Live in a more “DJ” way will
find Twitch a fluid controller.

Twitch
$624.99 MSRP, $349 street
novationmusic.com
It took a while for DAWs to break from the
“tape recorder/mixer replacement” paradigm,
and most DJ controllers still follow the dualturntable model, even though software is
going where conventional DJ setups never
ventured. Native Instruments’ solution was
to go modular; Novation has retained the
single unit approach, but re-invented it for a
controller-oriented world.

worth pointing out that being able to drag-anddrop MIDI and audio files into your DAW from
Maschine is welcome.

1/8" headphone
jacks, and 1/4"
mic input with
gain control.
In addition to 60mm
level sliders (also assignable
to effects—cool) and 45mm crossfader, other
controls provide standard functions such
as low, mid, and high EQ for the two decks,
effects controls, loop options, rotary pitch
control, autosync, etc. More highlights: each
channel’s eight pads, which trigger cues and
loops but aren’t dedicated solely to those tasks.
The Software Twitch is Itch-centric and
includes the program, but is not as tightly
wedded to software as some other controllers.
It includes an overlay for Traktor (2- or
4-deck mappings, with easy toggling between
deck pairs, and excellent use of the pads for
assignable control), and was also designed
with Ableton Live in mind—download a Live
template for Twitch-oriented sets, as well as

Slicing and Dicing One advantage of
using Itch is Twitch’s control over Itchspecific mappings, like slicing. The software
slices the file into eight equal-length cue
points, which you can re-arrange on the fly
with the pads—play them straight through or
loop them—as well as change length with the
touchstrip. For example, you can load a drum
part and twist its beat around in relation to
another track, or split a bass part into sections
and re-arrange the melody; timings are
quantized, so like loop rolls, you can’t go wrong.
And this just scratches (ahem) the surface.
Final Mix. Twitch isn’t a MIDI controller
adapted to DJs, but a DJ controller adapted to
MIDI. Its implementation is most complete
with Itch, but works very smoothly with
Traktor and Live too. Most importantly, it
expands the controllerist’s world, offering an
alternative to traditional approaches. Twitch
is a very hip piece of hardware that bids a fond
farewell to turntables, while looking toward
the future. n

The NEW YAMAHA 

DTX400 Series
It pulses you with a beat that’s all your own – calling you to join
the universal groove. The DTX400 Series is your passport
into the world of drumming.

Combining Yamaha’s expertise in drums and technology,
the DTX400 Series features dynamic acoustic drum and percussion
sounds, plus modern rock drums and electronic tones. Drummers of
all levels will enjoy the full size kit and durable steel rack system.
Customize kits to match your style, and practice with 10 interactive training
functions with Voice Guidance - it’s like having a talking drum teacher
built in! Play along with the musical practice songs or AUX input
and develop the chops to play on acoustic drums. These kits combine
affordability with renowned Yamaha quality for a value that can’t be beat!

NEW
DTX400K

NEW
DTX450K

•  DTX400 Drum Trigger Module with 297 high-quality sounds
•  7" Drum Pads designed for greater playability and durability
•  Large 10" cymbals and Hi-Hat cymbal
•  KU100 Silent Kick Unit for quiet play anywhere
•  10 Preset kits (all of which can be overwritten)
•  10 interactive Training Functions with Voice Guidance
•  10 play-along songs

All the features of the DTX400K plus:
• TP70S 3-zone snare pad for head, rim-shot, side-stick
•  KP65 kick pad with Yamaha FP6110 bass drum pedal
•  HH65 hi-hat controller allows “half-open” hi-hat sounds

699.99
Estimated street price

DTX400K

$

DTX450K

$

499

.99

Estimated street price

©2012 Yamaha Corporation of America. All rights reserved.

LUST

review

Each channel strip has an EQ thumbnail
that you touch to enter processor land, plus
mute button, panpot, gain reduction indicator,
fader (with 60mm throw and highly readable
meters), Solo button, and “scribble strip” label.
You can also enter a name or select a track
icon. (Choose default icons, select your own
photo, or use the iPad camera.)
The DL1608 is actually nine virtual mixers.
The Master Fader’s output selector chooses
among L/R out, six aux outs, reverb send, and
delay send. Once you select one of these
outs, all mixer faders control the mix to
that output. One obvious application is
creating cue mixes.
Overall, the UI is painless—figure on 10
minutes tops to know your way around it.

this compact

Mackie
DL1608
Digital mixer with
iPad integration
BY Craig Anderton

SUMMARY
STRENGTHS:
Well-suited to live performance. Excellent
DSP. 16 Onyx mic pres. Wireless control.
Internal recording.
LIMITATIONS:
Global phantom power. Limited number of
1/4" inputs.

$1,249.99 MSRP, $999.99
street

www.mackie.com

More Online
Try the DL1608 app for
free.

Emusician.com/december2012
68 emusician.com 12.2012

(approximately
15.5" x 11.5" x 4")
digital mixer has a hardware
exoskeleton surrounding an iPad
(1st- to 3rd-generation-compatible) control
surface. The Mackie pedigree is obvious: 16
channels of Onyx “straight wire with gain”
preamps, accessed through 12 mic/line-level
XLR ins and 4 mic/line-level combo jacks to
accommodate 1/4" connectors, mounted on
a backward-slanting rear panel. You’ll also
find six balanced TRS 1/4" send jacks, two
main XLR outs, “line-lump” power supply
connector, Kensington lock, Ethernet to
connect to a router for wireless control, and
a global phantom power switch that enables/
disables phantom power to all inputs.
The front panel has 16 gain controls (unity
to +60 dB), each with a signal present/clip LED; it
also includes headphone jack with level control.
The User Interface Mackie got it right—yes,
you can use an iPad in a live mixing situation.
The iPad is only for control; the DSP is in the
mixer.
The main mixer screen always shows the
master fader. Swiping scrolls through views of
eight channels at a time, including returns for
the Reverb (nine algorithms) and Delay (five
algorithms and tap tempo), and iPad output
for playing back sounds from apps that run in
the background.

Channel Processors Each of the 16 input
channel strips includes EQ (four parametric
bands, with high and low bands switchable to
shelf and a high-pass filter), noise gate, and
compressor. An additional window shows
reverb and delay sends and their parameters.
Furthermore, the DSP section is “swipe-able”
so you can scan through the individual channel
settings without returning to the mixer.
Adjust parameter values by dragging nodes or
entering numbers.
Some channels operate differently; a 31band graphic EQ and compressor are available
for all the Master Fader outs (except Reverb
and Delay sends). Also, the Auxes include a
pre/post effects button.
Cutting the Cable You can control the
DL1608 wirelessly, although you’ll need
a router (not included). Yes, you can walk
around and tweak the 31-band output graphic
EQ to “ring out” out a room, but the mixer can
be controlled by up to 10 iPads, so musicians
can tweak their processing and adjust remote
monitor mixes.
Overall, this is a slick, user-friendly, costeffective mixer—you can even record the mixer
L/R output as a WAV file within the app and
retrieve it via iTunes. The graphics are nice
and big; live, the buttons and faders are easy
targets, so you don’t need serious dexterity
to operate it. The DL1608 isn’t just a oneoff “cool product”—it proves the viability of
combining an iPad with pro audio hardware
for live mixing. n

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LUST

review

Fig. 1. Virtual Tape Machines emulates two tape decks, each using
alternate tape formulations and operating at different speeds.

Slate Digital
Virtual Tape
Machines
Authentic open-reel
analog sound
BY MICHAEL COOPER

SUMMARY
STRENGTHS:
Sounds fantastic and authentic. Offers
calibration controls and grouping.
LIMITATIONS:
CPU hog. Robs DP’s (and possibly Pro
Tools’) keyboard shortcuts. Linking
I/O controls eliminates their offset.
Assignment to a new group nulls controls.

$249 (direct)

slatedigital.com

70 emusician.com 12.2012

there are quite a few tape-emulation plug-ins
for DAWs, but most fall short of glory. The new
Slate Digital Virtual Tape Machines (VTM; see
Figure 1) sounds like the real thing.
VTM alternately emulates a 2-inch, 16-track
Studer A827 and 1/2-inch, 2-track Studer A80
RC tape recorder operating at either 30 or 15
ips (inches per second), using either Ampex
456 or Quantegy GP9 tape. The cross-platform
plug-in is available in AU, RTAS, and VST
formats and requires an iLok 2 dongle.

Non-linear Response Like analog tape, VTM
produces a more saturated and compressed
sound the harder you drive the plug-in. The 30
ips setting extends the high-frequency response,
and moves the head bump (bass-frequency
boost) to a higher center frequency compared to
the 15 ips setting. 456 tape sounds more colorful
but less detailed than GP9 when driven equally
hard. Choosing VTM’s low bias setting better
preserves a track’s dynamics; high bias saturates
high frequencies more readily and rounds off
transients smoothly.
I generally preferred the 16-track machine
on individual tracks and the 2-track deck on
the master bus. For mastering, the 2-track deck
and 30 ips setting provided the airy detail I
usually wanted, with the tape type based on

whether I desired more color (456) or punch
and detail (GP9).
On snare, the 16-track machine, GP9
tape, 30 ips tape speed, and low bias setting
enhanced the attack and compressed the
instrument’s body beautifully. The 2-track
machine also sounded flattering, but made
the snare sound a hair less compact. On drum
room mics, over-biasing the 16-track machine,
slamming the input, and using 456 tape
created a highly colored, compressed sound
that was awesome.
On DI’d electric bass, I loved running the
16-track machine at 15 ips, set to high bias. Using
456 tape and lightly pinning the input meter
boosted the bottom end, broadened the mids,
and rounded the transients beautifully, creating
a lush, fat, and burpy sound. The same general
treatment sounded fantastically lush on doubletracked electric guitars; however, changing the
tape speed to 30 ips moved the head bump and
created better separation in the mix.
Beware the Pitfalls VTM robbed Digital
Performer 7.21 (DP) of its keyboard shortcuts.
(This is also an ongoing problem with Slate’s
long-established FG-X mastering plug-in.)
Regaining control of DP’s transport requires
clicking outside the plug-in’s GUI. Slate

LUST

review

reported a similar issue in Pro Tools, although
I didn’t notice it in Pro Tools 9.0.6. The
company expects a future update to fix the
problem.
Even with its input and output controls set
to 0dB, VTM often added a bit of gain to the
processed signal. VTM lets you link the I/O
controls so that boosting the input causes the
output to dip by the same amount, which is
intended to preserve unity gain; unfortunately,
any existing offset between the controls isn’t
preserved when you click the link button.
You can group multiple VTM instances so
that adjusting a control in one instance similarly
changes the others. When you assign VTM to
a new group, all of its controls return to their
default settings, so make sure you assign it
to the group before making any adjustments.
(Assigning additional instances of VTM to an
existing group makes their controls mirror the
settings common to the group’s other instances.)
Bypassing any grouped instance of VTM—using
the plug-in’s bypass switch, not your DAW’s—
bypasses all other instances in the group. This is

72 emusician.com 12.2012

a great way to compare the effect VTM has on
multiple tracks to their unprocessed sound.
Roll Tape! VTM is the most authentic and
best-sounding tape-emulation plug-in I’ve
heard. The GUI strikes the perfect balance
between flexibility and speedy operation—
there are enough options to shape the sound
of the tracks without encumbering your
workflow by offering too many variables.
Just be forewarned: VTM is a CPU hog.
Each instance consumed around 5% of my
8-core Mac Pro’s CPU resources. A good

conservation strategy is to add VTM to auxes
for subgrouped tracks.
If Slate Digital can’t fix the aforementioned
keyboard-shortcuts problem, I suspect some
users will find it an unacceptable workflow
tradeoff. Not me. VTM sounds so awesome,
I’m willing to put up with the handicap—I’ve
gotta have that sound! n
Michael Cooper (myspace.com/
michaelcooperrecording) is the owner
of Michael Cooper Recording and a
contributing editor for Mix magazine.

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LUST

new gear


2

1

4

3

1
IK Multimedia
iRig KEYS
iOS keyboard controller
$99.99
highlights Ultra-slim, highly
portable MIDI controller
keyboard • connects directly
to iOS device dock connector
(iPhone, iPod touch, iPad) or
Mac/PC USB port • 37 velocitysensitive mini-keys • Core MIDI
and USB class compliant • ultralow power; powerable by iOS
devices or the available USB port
for longer playing sessions
target market Players and
producers who make music “on
the go”
analysis As more apps (like IK’s
SampleTank) become available
for iOS devices, there’s more
need for controllers that provide
a player-friendly interface and
playing experience.
ikmultimedia.com

74 emusician.com 12.2012

2
Native Instruments
Premium Tube Series
Native plug-ins
bundle $229
highlights The series includes
three effects: Passive EQ
(2-channel, 4-band parametric
EQ with additional HP and LP
filters), Vari Comp compressor/
limiter, and Enhanced EQ (adds
warmth and weight to the low end
of individual tracks) • VST/AU/
RTAS/AAX-compatible • effects
also available individually
target market Recordists who
want a more vintage-sounding
plug-in for essential functions
like EQ and dynamics control
analysis Most DAWs include
“bread and butter” EQ and
dynamics processors, but there’s
a growing interest in plug-ins
that provide a more vintage or
stylized sound quality.
native-instruments.com

3
Korg
Krome
Music workstation
$1,999 (88-key)
highlights 640 programs, 288
combinations, 900 arpeggiator
patterns, and more than 600
drum track grooves, including
content from the Kronos
workstation • piano-roll style
sequencer • color TouchView
display with advanced graphic UI
• Krome Plug-In Editor integrates
with computer-based DAWs •
61-key ($1,499) and 73-key ($1,799)
versions also available
target market Keyboard players,
in live performance or studio
applications
analysis The Kronos and Kronos
X have been popular high-end
keyboards; in typical Korg
fashion, the company distilled
many of the most important
elements into a more affordable
workstation.
korg.com

4
DigiTech
Unplugged Acoustic
Simulator
iStomp pedal download
$7.99
highlights Transforms electric
guitar sounds to acoustic guitar
sounds • includes Lexicon reverb
• stereo ins/outs • controls
include low EQ, high EQ, reverb
level, and effect level • downloads
into the DigiTech iStomp
hardware via the free Stomp Shop
iOS app
target market Guitar players who
want to avoid the inconvenience
of switching between electric and
acoustic guitars, particularly live
analysis The iStomp hardware
stompbox’s functionality depends
on which “e-pedal” (e.g., the
Unplugged Acoustic Simulator)
you load into it via the Stomp
Shop app.
digitech.com

All prices are MSRP except as noted

7

5

6

5
Sonnox
Fraunhofer Pro-Codec V2
Codec plug-in
$495
highlights 2nd-generation Sonnox
Fraunhofer Pro-Codec plug-in •
can now master for iTunes via the
Apple AAC iTunes Plus Codec •
supports the latest multichannel
audio codecs (MPEG surround,
AAC-LC, and HE-AAC) • enables
monitoring the iTunes encoding
chain’s exact clipping behavior to
ensure high-quality output during
the mixing process
target audience Mastering,
creating compressed audio
streams for websites
analysis The original Pro-Codec
was the ne plus ultra of codec plugins, allowing realtime monitoring
and analysis of compressed audio
data streams. V2 takes it up
another notch.
sonnoxplugins.com

6
Royer Labs
SF-2
Active ribbon mic
$2,495
highlights Phantom-powered
version of Royer’s original SF-1
ribbon mic • output level of –38dB
• custom-designed FETs for
ultra-quiet operation; self-noise
is lower than 18dB • 1.8-micron
ribbon element for excellent
transient response • negligible
off-axis coloration • loads the
ribbon element optimally • can’t
be damaged by phantom power •
handles long cable runs
target market Recording classical
performances or capturing
acoustic instruments
analysis Sensitivity equal to
phantom-powered condenser
mics means that the SF-2
provides enough level to drive
any recording medium, even with
extremely quiet sound sources.
royerlabs.com

8

7
Radial
Powerhouse
500 series rack frame
$1,000
highlights 10-slot power rack
for 500 Series-format modules •
14-gauge steel construction for
superior shielding and durability
• each channel slot has separate
XLR I/O and parallel 1/4" TRS
connectors for splitting the signal,
cross patching, or acting as a
patchbay mult • 1600mA external
power supply
target market 500 Series module
owners who need to fit the
maximum number of modules in
the minimum space
analysis Interest in 500 Series
modules continues to grow, and
Radial has expanded its line of
frames to accommodate all levels
of users.
radialeng.com

8
MOTU
CueMix FX Software
Audio interface driver update
Free
highlights Driver update for
all CueMix-equipped MOTU
audio interfaces • includes iPad
TouchOSC templates for wireless
control of onboard CueMix mixing/
effects processing • supports Mac
OS X/Windows 7 • bi-directional
communication, so the iPad reflects
changes made on the computer
screen
target market Owners of any “mk3”
or “mkII” MOTU audio interface,
as well as the 4pre, Audio Express,
MicroBook, MicroBook II, PCI-424
core systems, and Track16
analysis iPad control is popular and
convenient; now MOTU interface
owners can exploit this technology.
motu.com

12.2012 emusician.com 75

LUST

E-drums

1

2

3

1
Zildjian
Gen16 AE
Cymbal system
$769–$949 per
system
highlights Real cymbals
with embedded mics •
variety of cymbal types,
including hi-hats, splash,
crash, ride, and china
• available individually
or as a complete system
with AE Digital Cymbal
Processor and cables
target market Drummers
with electronic or
acoustic setups
analysis Designed for
players who want the
feel of real cymbals
but with a flexible,
customizable sound
library. Extremely
versatile.
gen-16.com

76 emusician.com 12.2012

4

2
Yamaha
DTX450K
Electronic drums
$699
highlights DTX400
Drum Trigger module •
4 drum pads including
3-zone snare • 10" cymbal
pads • real Yamaha bass
drum pedal • interactive
training functions with
voice guidance • USB
connectivity
target market From
beginner to pro
drummers
analysis An affordable
practice/session kit
suitable for students or
experienced players.
Compact setup features
10 preset kits that utilize
169 high-quality sounds
from the company’s
more expensive
electronic kits.
usa.yamaha.com

3
Alesis
DM10 X Kit
Electronic drums
$1,999
highlights DM10 sound
module with sequencer
• six drum pads • three
cymbal pads plus hi-hat •
XRack and snare stand
• quick-release clamps
target market Electronic
drummers who want an
affordable, yet full-size kit
analysis With four
rack toms and three
cymbals, as well as 1,000
uncompressed multisamples with Dynamic
Articulation, Alesis
didn’t skimp on the
pads or the sounds with
this kit.
alesis.com

5

4
Roland
TD-15KV V-Drums
Electronic drums
$3,499
highlights TD-15
sound module with
SuperNatural sound
engine • V-Hi-Hat
controller • USB
connectivity on module •
four drum pads • Coach
function • Quick Record
• Quick Edit
target market

Discriminating
drummers who want a
road- and studio-ready
kit that’s easy to schlep
analysis A portable
set with excellent
audio quality, thanks
to its SuperNatural
technology, mesh V-pads
that feel realistic, and
an easy-to-use sound
module.
rolandus.com

5
Simmons
SD5K
Electronic drums
$999
highlights Affordably
priced • 5-piece kit •
2 cymbals plus hi-hat
controller • 10 custom
kits • 22 preset kits •
lightweight aluminum
rack • 48 song presets to
practice with
target market Beginning
and intermediate
players, as well as
schools and home
studios
analysis A full-size,
entry-level MIDIcompatible electronic
drum set that would
work well for students
and personal studios
looking for an
inexpensive drum
controller.
simmonsdrums.net

All prices are MSRP except as noted

REAL CYMBALS

FOR THE WAY
YOU PLAY
©2012 Avedis Zildjian Company

Zildjian has created a revolution in edrums. Gen16,
the world’s first acoustic electric cymbal.
Play the hi-hat like a hi-hat. Choke cymbals. Roll with mallets. Stack cymbals. Experience
all the dynamics without the latency or audio compression associated with digital sounds.
Control audio levels and shape cymbal sounds with up to 99 presets per cymbal. Choose
from an array of cymbal sizes and types made at the Zildjian factory.
Visit Gen-16.com for more information and check out
the “Young Guns” series of performance videos.

LEARN
master class

From
Samples to
Score
Libraries are great tools
for film scoring, but
using them effectively
requires more than
merely playing those
cool presets
BY EMILE MENASCHÉ
fro m Aa purely technological point of view, it’s hard to imagine
FROM
a better time to be composing music for motion pictures.
Those of us who grew up striping VHS tape with SMPTE
and trying to get it to lock up a MIDI-only sequencer are
forever thankful for the ability to score video in a DAW
that offers both audio and software instrument tracks. This
month, we’re going to focus on the last item in that list: using
software instruments, and more specifically, sample libraries,
for film music. I’ll draw from both my own experiences and
advice from award-winning NY-based commercial composer
Fritz Doddy and from Ben Newhouse, Music Composition
for Film and Television instructor at Berkleemusic.com, the
online continuing education division of Berklee College
of Music.
Of course, scoring with samples is nothing new: The
practice goes back to the days before mass-produced
samplers, when top composers would spend enough money
80 emusician.com 12.2012

12.2012 emusician.com 81

LEARN

master
class

to buy a nice house on DAWs like the Fairlight
and Synclavier—and earn it back in short order
with all the work those systems generated.
Now most DAWs come with more content
than anyone would ever be able to—or want
to—use. Third-party libraries offer increasingly
complex and realistic options to composers
and producers. That’s all great, but with the
number and size of the samples available
in today’s top libraries, you can easily find
yourself dealing with terabytes of sounds and
thousands of presets. So, like a carpenter, the
first step to any job is gathering your tools and
knowing where they are.
Setting Up Even with today’s faster computers,
film scoring demands a lot of system resources—
especially from your hard drives. If at all possible,
use separate drives for your system, samples,
audio tracks, and video playback.
Managing the second element in that list—
the samples—requires some pre-planning.
Large software instrument collections like
Native Instruments’ Komplete are a godsend for
film scoring because they put so many sounds at
your fingertips. But the content takes up a ton
of disk space. The default location for all those
gigabytes of samples is usually the system disk,
but you can customize the installer to place the
samples on an external volume (Figure 1).
This is easier if you use a desktop system
with multiple drives, either internal to
external. The “sounds” drive is always
available. If, however, you’re like me and use a
laptop for the bulk of your work, you need to
use external drives, keep them handy, and—I
say this from painful experience—keep them
backed up.
In addition to the raw sample data, you’ve
got to manage the presets that draw on those
samples to create playable sounds. Most DAWs
will remember the last settings you use on
any software instruments you load—even on
third-party plug-ins. But it’s still a good idea to
save and name presets and store them within
your sampler’s memory. Not only does this
act as a kind of backup in case the DAW file
gets corrupted (or you forget to Save As and
overwrite a file by mistake); it also allows you to
use the same sounds while migrating between
DAWs or even when working on someone else’s
system (assuming they have the same software).
Setting up a template within your DAW can
help speed things along as well. My personal
82 emusician.com 12.2012

Fig. 1. Managing samples requires pre-planning. Komplete, for example, lets you customize
your installer to place samples on an external volume.

view is that the templates that come with
most DAWs are a little overloaded with plugins to be useful. I prefer to start with a blank
slate and load my own instruments based on
the project, then modify that. Figure 2 shows
an example using Logic Pro 9, with Kontakt,
iZotope Iris, Logic’s own Sampler, and
Addictive Drums all available. I’ve also made
provisions for ReWire tracks from Ableton
Live, Sibelius, and Reason. I may not use these,
but having them available in the template
means that I can easily bring them in, even
after I’ve started writing and saving cues.
Note that the Arrange window is empty,
save for the video track and a few markers. I
don’t always know what I want to use before
I start working, so the basic templates get
modified as I write some rough material. Once
I have a basic sense of what I’m going to want
to use, however, I remove any MIDI and audio
from the track and do a Save As with a blank
slate. It just gives me a chance to go back to
a starting point. At the same time, as soon

as you write a cue, be sure to Save As with
its name. I like to include something about
the video scene in the file name. If I’m really
being organized, I’ll even add a note about
the location in SMPTE time: for example,
1_30_11_01_dialog_bed.logic. I create a master
folder for each film and store the template,
along with the files for each cue, within it.
A template is useful because it not only
saves time, but it helps you focus on a cohesive
sound palette. Remember, with film music,
your goal is almost always to either connect
the listener to the project’s universe—or to
disconnect them temporarily. Using too many
different kinds of sounds in too many places
will sound random. Instead, establish a range
of instruments and then use variations within
that range to keep the viewer connected.
Templates not only include the instruments
you’re using, they can save the presets loaded
into those instruments. But you may not want
to rely on the template solely. “The biggest
rule for sample library management is saving

Fig. 2. A Logic template for loading instruments based on your project.

Fig. 3. EastWest’s Hollywood Orchestra Woodwinds Platinum edition.

all Kontakt multis outside of the DAW session
so I can open them on different versions
of Kontakt depending on what studio I am
working in,” says Doddy, whose credits as
Creative Director of Elias Arts LLC include
“Got Milk” and a recent commercial for the
Verizon Cloud that relied heavily on sound
libraries. “Even if you don’t have the original
libraries, you have a record of the patches
used, MIDI assignments, etc.,” he says.

Know the Instruments Today’s
instrument libraries are amazing, and the
best part is that the products available as I
write this are likely to seem like stone tools
in a couple of years. First, there’s the matter
of storage: The ability to stream samples
from hard drives means that there’s almost
no limit to how long a note can sustain, or
how many variations of a single pitch on a
single instrument you can have.

When realism is your goal, the more
samples per note, the better. The most obvious
implementation of “more-really-is-more” is
where velocity-switching is used to select
among individual samples recorded at various
dynamic levels. Humanizing algorithms can
also randomly select individual samples within
the same dynamic and pitch bands to create the
kind of variation a real player might produce.
Drum sample libraries like Toontrack’s
Superior Drummer and XLN Audio’s Addictive
Drums have been go-to programs for me, for
both song and scoring production. Part of
what makes them so effective is the subtle
variation they can produce even when playing
a repeating MIDI pattern. They’re especially
good when mated to MIDI libraries created by
live drummers.
Similar levels of realism are available with
pitched instruments—though you’ll need
to learn how to harness these tools. Figure
3 shows the main screen for EastWest’s
Hollywood Orchestra Woodwinds Platinum
edition (which is so massive that it actually
comes on its own ESATA hard drive). In this
example, the preset uses alto key switching
to access variations on an alto flute part. The
lower full octave on the keyboard allows you to
change the samples on the fly, while the gray
shaded notes change the pitches. For some,
this realtime control is ideal.
Doddy, however, prefers a two-stage
approach when working with a complex
library. Working under constant deadlines, he
keeps things simple when he’s getting ideas
down, then goes back and works with the
samples to add the little details. “I’m not a big
fan of key switching, as it pulls me out of the
creative flow,” he says. “I try to start everything
as simply as possible for sake of speed. For
example, I’ll flesh out a melodic line for an oboe
using a sustain patch, then I’ll go back and replace
the short notes with an appropriate staccato/
spicatto patch to give it realism and life.”
While it may be tempting to simply play
parts that sound good to your ear, your
score will be more convincing if you actually
know something about the instruments and
ensembles you’re trying to imitate. “Go listen
to live music to pick up arrangement and
orchestration tricks,” Doddy advises. “There’s
a reason there’s usually only one piccolo player
in an orchestra! There are a lot of violins.
Violas? Not as many. Cellos? Even fewer. There
12.2012 emusician.com 83

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Fig. 4. Ableton Live’s Grain Delay is ideal for manipulating a sustain.

are only a handful of basses. Mimic a real
ensemble’s player count with your samples and
it will feel more like the real thing.”
Some composers with classical training like
to score using programs like Avid’s Sibelius
and Notion Music’s Notion3 because they’re
based on musical notation. Both programs can
record performances via MIDI, come with
impressive, multi-gigabyte sound libraries of
their own, and can integrate with traditional
DAWs via ReWire, which allows you to use
them to score directly to video.
Even if you’re like me—that is, not classically
trained—notation software can be useful.
Every project is based on the musical staff,
and there are templates for both single
instruments and ensembles. When you add an
instrument, the program automatically assigns
the appropriate samples to it—you don’t need
to load a sampler per track and then load the
correct preset, as you do with a DAW. This can
be a pretty big time saver when you’re dealing
with, say, a virtual chamber orchestra of 12–18
instruments. Also, the display can give you a
heads up when you try to write outside of an
instrument’s range, and if you spend some
time getting to know about articulation and
expression marks, you can “write in” some
nuances to your score.
According to Newhouse, who also teaches
orchestration at Berkleemusic.com, it’s
important to consider how samples and the
acoustic instruments behave differently.
“It takes no effort for a violinist to switch
articulations, meaning they can alternate
84 emusician.com 12.2012

between staccato and tenuto with complete
ease,” he explains. “But with MIDI sequencing,
changing sample types requires an extra step,
be it adding a key switch or switching to a
new track.” As a result, it’s easy for MIDI
orchestrators to bypass those techniques,
especially when they’re under deadline.
If you want to get more out of your sample
library, you can do the same thing you did
when you were learning to play—practice. Take
some time to get to know how the sampled
instruments respond to controller input,
velocity, etc. Try mapping some controllers of
your own. But simple moves can add realism.
“A mod wheel assigned to track or instrument
volume can impart a lot of dynamics to a part,
as opposed to moving the entire section/
track up or down,” he says. “You can also mix
articulations. With strings, I like to combine
arco [bowed] and pizzicato [plucked] parts.”
But don’t just focus on the attack:
Controllers can be used to ride a note
as it sustains. “Variable decays are more
challenging in the world of samples than
in the acoustic world,” Newhouse says.
“A trumpet player in the real world can
change dynamics on a sustained note with
complete ease. While holding a note, they
can crescendo, decrescendo, remain level, or
some combination of these dynamic changes.
While using samples, we generally have access
to many different decay types. Some samples
have a level sustained sound, others crescendo,
others decrescendo, and so on. However,
once a sample is triggered, the decay of that

sample is generally predetermined. If you want
to change that decay, you have to add MIDI
continuous controller data—be it volume,
expression, modulation, or something else.”
It’s also important to spend time listening to
the instruments in your sample library and get
to know the details about their overall tones.
Doddy says he chooses different collections
based on the way the samples are recorded and
the kind of processing he plans to do for each
individual final mix. “I use all of the Native
Instruments’ Kontakt factory libraries, LA
Scoring strings [which runs under Kontakt],
Abbey Road Keyboards for Reason, EastWest
Symphonic Orchestra—especially woodwinds—
Heavyocity Evolve, and Symphobia; the Sordino
strings are just awesomely beautiful,” says
Doddy, who runs Digital Performer, Ableton
Live, and Reason under OS 10.6.8 on an eightcore Mac Pro with 16GB RAM. “I rely heavily
on LA Scoring strings for realistic legato
string lines, plus the standard patches have no
reverb on them. I prefer to use one instance of
a reverb, either algorithmic or convolution to
impart a sense of real space. If I am going for
an intimate feel, I’ll use more of the Kontakt
factory library for woodwinds, brass, and short
strings, as those patches have no ambience on
the samples. If I am going for a larger feel, I’ll
use the EastWest libraries primarily, as they all
have some natural ambience on them and the
ensemble feels cohesive.”
Get the Real Score Ultimately, your
realistic parts will be more realistic if you
spend time learning the basics. “Even if you
write for orchestral samples as the final
product, it’s extremely beneficial to study
traditional orchestral scores,” Newhouse
says. “Studying scores lets you learn from past
composers. People have been writing music
for orchestra for centuries. Many composers
have already come up with some wonderful
ideas. There’s no sense reinventing the wheel;
studying scores teaches a new composer what
past composers have already figured out. It
also trains you to think of an orchestra as a
complete unit. While looking at a full score,
you can readily see how all the instruments are
working together—which instruments have
the harmony, the melody, the countermelody,
and so on. It’s often harder to visualize the
big picture when simply improvising at the
keyboard one sample at a time.”

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Fig. 5. An example of electric guitar loaded with Iris presets.

Finally, studying scores and arranging
basics will help you avoid what Newhouse calls
“impossible possibilities.” “There are things the
samples can do that the real instruments cannot
play,” he explains. “Even if these impossible
possibilities sound good in the studio, they will
sound less like an actual orchestra and should
be avoided when recreating the sound of an
orchestra is the goal.”
That doesn’t just apply to orchestral parts,
either. “One of the biggest mistakes I hear,”
Doddy says, “is drum programming that features
a ‘drummer’ with too many hands—hi-hat still
playing during drum fills or cymbal crashes.”
And no matter how powerful they can get,
it’s important to understand the limitations of
the technology. On high-budget film projects,
composers often get to replace their samplebased scores with the real thing. But even
on a smaller budget, one well-placed “live”
musician can help. “When a solo instrument—
wind, strings, brass, etc.—is in the forefront,
a sample can sound very unrealistic,” Doddy
says. “Please spend the $112 for a session
player to play the part.” 
 
Surrealism Of course, scoring with samples
doesn’t have to be strictly—or even a little—
imitative. Plenty of libraries focus on sound
design with an eye to film composition. These
can be both useful and inspiring, but as with
loops, the more time you take to individualize
the presets, the less likely you are to hear
another work with the same sound.
86 emusician.com 12.2012

Simply changing parameters like attack,
sustain, and filter settings can offer pretty
good—and easy—results, especially if you
operate those parameters with a realtime
controller like the mod wheel.
Samplers and synthesizers excel at one
of the least exciting (but still important) film
scoring jobs: creating a bed underneath a
scene. This can be nothing more than a drone
if there’s a lot of dialog or other onscreen
sound. The trick is to make the drone
interesting without being distracting. I like to
layer a sustaining low string section sample
with a basic analog synthesizer sawtooth
sound on separate tracks playing the same
MIDI part, then use the mod wheel to adjust
the filter cutoff and/or the attack time of one of
the layers while keeping the other static. That
little change in texture gives the sound some
friction without making the audience think
that they’re watching a horror movie.
Purposely unrealistic modulation and
vibrato can also work, especially when you
combine them with effects that change over
time. Ableton Live’s Grain Delay (Figure 4
on page 84) is one of my personal favorite
tools for mangling a sustaining sound. The
ability to grab a parameter and drag over a
graphical interface works well. I don’t
really think about whether I’m changing
delay time or pitch, I just move controls
and listen.
When your score includes elements of
sound design, it’s nice to be able to sync

timbral changes to picture. The ability to see
and draw your synth’s or sampler’s parameters
using DAW automation can make this a lot
easier than it would be if you were just riding
the controls while watching the screen.
I write this as I’m composing for a new
documentary project where I’ve been asked to
twist familiar sounds into something ominous
and sinister. iZotope’s new sample-based
synthesizer Iris, which has a unique visual
interface that lets you “draw” the parts of the
sample you want to hear over time, is proving
to be a good tool for this job. It can layer up to
four samples at once, each can have its own
set of parameters, and the samples can be of
different lengths and kinds (i.e., single notes
and loops can be used together). Figure 5
shows an example in which my own electric
guitar playing is layered with a couple of Iris
presets. The light areas show the parts of the
guitar you’ll hear. The result is an eerie pad
with plenty of forward motion.
According to Doddy, the old-school
approach of playing samples from a keyboard
can also be very effective. “If the goal is not
realism, I much prefer finding a sample,
dumping into a one-shot sampler and
mangling it from there,” he explains. “Vocal
samples are great to turn into percussion
sounds, as there is always a little pitch
envelope at the front of the note and that gives
it a real organic feel.”
Ultimately, whether you’re using a sample
library to create something that captures a
specific place or era, imitates a traditional film
orchestra, or serves as a jumping-off point for
your own sound design, the connection with
the visual will determine its effectiveness.
Listen to what the director and the action
on screen are telling you, and choose your
colors accordingly. n
Emile Menasché is the author of Home
Studio Clinic (Hal Leonard), editor of In Tune
Monthly magazine, and composer for the
Oscar-nominated documentary Incident in
New Baghdad. He’s currently composing
music for two new films by Incident director
James Spione.
More Online
Loops vs. instruments?
More on libraries.

Emusician.com/december2012

LEARN

recording

Getting
Reconnected
An introduction to the
audio patchbay
By GINO ROBAIR
There comes a time in every personal studio
where more effort is spent connecting gear
than using it. That’s when a patchbay can save
the day. This simple organizational tool lets
you interconnect numerous hardware devices
from one convenient location.
A patchbay has two rows of jacks aligned
horizontally on the front and back of a
rackmountable frame. Each front-panel jack
connects to the rear-panel socket behind it,
allowing signals routed into the back to be
easily rerouted from the front using short
patch cables.

Top to Bottom Patchbays are traditionally
set up using the waterfall principle, where
audio outputs are available from the top row,
and the corresponding inputs are below. That
way, signal flow is always clear.
Connections can also be made within
the patchbay itself, allowing you to send
audio signals from output to input without
using patch cables. This internal connection
is referred to as a normal (see Figure 1a).
Studios typically use normaled connections
88 emusician.com 12.2012

Fig. 1. Signal flow can be redirected within a patchbay.

for channel inserts, tape returns, or routing
synths directly to channel inputs.
You can also use a normaled connection to
patch your mixer’s aux send to your favorite
effects processor. If you want to break the
normaled connection and route another device
into the effects unit, simply plug the new
device into the input on the bottom row (see
Figure 1b).
A half-normaled connection allows you
to split the output signal by inserting a
patch cable into the top row. The normaled
path remains connected while the signal is
simultaneously routed to the other device (see
Figure 1c).
We use the terms denormaled or open when
no internal connections are made within
the patchbay. This is used when you don’t
need a device to be permanently patched to a
destination (see Figure 1d).
A patchbay can also be used as a multiple
or mult. This passive configuration connects
several jacks together so that one input can be
split in order to feed multiple outputs, similar
to the way a Y-cable works.

If you need a combination of these features,
check to see if you can change the normaling
on the patchbay that you intend to purchase.
Inexpensive models may require you to open
up the device and switch jumpers or modify
contacts on the circuit board for the patch
points you want changed. A more convenient
option from some manufacturers lets you
change the normaling by reversing the circuit
board, often without having to disassemble the
patchbay to do so (see Figure 2).
Configuration Considerations Patchbays
are available in a number of configurations and
price points. Many are easy to setup, requiring
you to merely plug your studio gear into the
back panel using standard connectors. On
the other hand, professional-grade patchbays
typically require you to solder the rear-panel
connections.
The least-expensive models use prosumer,
unbalanced connections—RCA or 1/4" TS
plugs, or a combination of both. These work
well for project studios and other informal
situations if the cable runs are short and your

EMI-producing power supplies and wall
warts, are kept at a distance.
Balanced lines, however, provide commonmode rejection, so that unwanted noise gets
significantly reduced. Balanced patchbays
are available with 1/4" TRS, XLR, or tiny
telephone (referred to as TT or Bantam) jacks.
TRS patchbays are popular in personal studios
in part because the patch cables are ubiquitous
and the jacks are smaller than XLR jacks.
TT patchbays are used primarily in pro
studios and utilize the smallest of the balanced
connector types, therefore yielding the
greatest density of patch points: 96 TT points
per rack unit compared to 48 TRS patch points
or 16 XLR patch points in the same amount of
space. TT patchbays are usually wired using
solder lugs or terminal blocks, which is time
consuming to install and a more permanent
solution than the plug-and-play designs.
When it comes to choosing the type of
patchbay you want, consider the price of the
cables as well. TT cables, for example, are the

most expensive, while RCA and
1/4" TS are the cheapest. If you
have soldering chops, making your
own cables is a cost-effective way
to go.
Plan Ahead Before buying
a patchbay, determine the
connections you need and how
you want them normaled. Begin
by creating a chart of all the
inputs and outputs you’ll connect,
including your mixer, interface,
processors, and instruments. An
extensive setup may require more
than one patchbay. By planning
the connectivity in advance, you’ll
create a setup that is convenient
to use and that will enhance your
music making experience. n

Fig. 2. The diagram on top of this patchbay shows how
normaled and half-normaled patching works inside the unit.
The circuit boards are easy to remove and reverse.

Gino Robair is the former editor
of Electronic Musician.

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12.2012 emusician.com 89

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Advanced
Gating
Techniques
Dig deep to create
interesting creative
effects
By Steve La Cerra

Fig. 1. The MasterWorks Gate plug-in from Digital Performer. The gate is inserted on the
synth bass track; on the kick drum track, an aux send is routed to Bus 1. Bus 1 is then used
as the gate’s “KeySource.”

in july, we looked at basic dynamic processing. This month, we’ll explore advanced techniques for using expander/gates. Our initial
discussion of expander/gates was basic: Insert
one on a sound, and it can hide unwanted
noise when the sound is not playing. When the
sound is playing, the noise is still there but it
is typically masked by the sound. A gate can
be used for some interesting creative effects,
but to take full advantage of its capabilities we
need to dig a bit deeper.
Any gate incorporates something known as
a “gain-control device.” Think of it as a remote
control for opening and closing the gate. This
remote-control signal can be the same sound
we are gating, or it can be a completely different signal. For example, when we gate a snare

drum to hide leakage from other parts of the
drum kit, two things are happening every time
the snare is hit: The snare is passed through
the gate’s audio path, and the snare sound is
routed through the remote control path, telling
it when to open and close the gate.
No one ever said that those two signals had
to be the same. Suppose you are trying to gate
a snare drum, but the kick drum sometimes
causes the gate to open. If you could remove
the kick drum from the control signal, the gate
would track the snare drum more reliably. This
is where the sidechain or “key” filter comes
into play. The key filter modifies the control
signal, not the audio path. If we set the key filter to cut everything below, say, 250Hz, a lot of
the kick drum leakage would be removed from

90 emusician.com 12.2012

the control path, reducing the tendency for
the gate to open on kick hits. Since this signal
is different from the audio path, we did not
change the sound of the snare. The same technique can sometimes be useful when trying to
reduce the instance of cymbals opening tom
gates. The “key listen” (or “sidechain listen”)
button on a gate lets you temporarily hear the
filtered signal.
Many expander/gates (software or hardware) provide a separate “key” or “trigger”
input, enabling you to use a secondary sound
to take control over opening and closing the
gate. For example, let’s say you patch a gate
on a synth bass but route the kick drum to the
gate’s key input (see Figure 1). Even though the
synth bass is passing through the gate’s audio

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live

Fig. 2. The rear panel of the Drawmer DS201 Gate provides audio input, audio
output, plus a separate input for a key signal. A front-panel switch turns the key
feature on or off.

path, the kick drum actually opens and closes
the gate. If the kick drum does not hit, you
won’t hear the synth bass, regardless of what
the synth bass is playing. This can be used for
some interesting effects where the synth is
rhythmically matched to the kick hits. Since
the synth is heard only when the kick is played,
it sounds like the kick and synth are playing
together perfectly.

Many expander/gates provide
a separate “key” or “trigger”
input, enabling you to use
a secondary sound to take
control over opening and
closing the gate.
Next, substitute that synth bass for a lowfrequency test tone tuned around 70Hz. Every
kick hit opens the gate on the test tone, making your kick sound like a TR808 kick. You
can use the gate’s hold and release controls to
make the length of the tone as long or as short
as you like. A similar approach can be used on
a noise signal to trigger the gate from a snare.
Every time the snare hits, you’ll get a burst of
noise in time with the snare drum. Again, you
can either add this to the real drum or use it to
replace the snare sound. Trent Reznor will be
proud of you.
Here’s how to create a TR808 kick in Pro
Tools: First, add an aux track. Make sure that
the fader on the aux track is pulled down all
the way or you may be in for an unpleasant audio surprise. Insert a signal generator plug-in
on the aux track (insert menu > other > signal
generator). Slowly bring up the fader on this
track and you’ll hear the test signal. It’s pretty
useless at this point. Set it to Sine Wave and
200Hz. Insert a gate on the aux track (insert
92 emusician.com 12.2012

> dynamics > Expander/Gate Dyn 3), making
certain that the gate follows the tone generator
in the signal path. This means that the signal
generator must be in the top insert slot. Adjust
the threshold of the expander/gate so that the
tone is just muted. Next you need to route the
kick drum to the ‘trigger’ input of the gate. Add
an aux send to the kick drum track. Set its output to Bus 1, set it to pre-fader and bring the
aux send fader up. Set the gate’s key input to
Bus 1. Click the gate’s sidechain ‘key’ button.
Every time the kick drum is hit, the gate
will open, unmuting the tone and giving you
a low-frequency burst (You may need to fine
tune the gate’s threshold control.) Try tuning
the tone down to around 60 or 70Hz. You can
turn this into a TR808 kick by lengthening the
hold and release of the gate, or keep it short
and just use the tone to reinforce the kick. In
fact, if you already like the kick drum sound,
tune the tone to approximately 40 or 50Hz just
to add some impact to the kick drum.
Some engineers have had success using
contact pickups on each drum to trigger gates
on the microphones. This is a useful technique
because the contact pickup is not subject to
any leakage, whereas microphones may capture other sounds that might mis-trigger the
gates (particularly on loud stages). The contact
pickup is placed on the drumhead and patched
to the key input (see Figure 2) on the respective drum’s gate. Since the trigger is in physical
contact with the head, it will send a signal only
when the drum is hit. Leakage is no longer a
factor in opening the gate, so the gate reliably
opens only when the drum is hit. n
Steve La Cerra is an independent audio
engineer based in New York. In addition to
being an Electronic Musician contributor,
he mixes front-of-house for Blue Oyster Cult
and teaches audio at Mercy College Dobbs
Ferry campus.

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05.2011 emusician.com 93

power
app

Steinberg
Cubase

Step 1 Set the
locators for the
target clip length.

Step 2 Click the clip
to select it, then go
to Audio > Process >
Time Stretch.

Perform time-stretching
and create special
effects
BY CRAIG ANDERTON

Step 3 In the Time Stretch dialog box,
click on Use Locators.
objective

Apply both musical and “low-fi”
time-stretching.
background

Cubase offers many ways to fit tempo or
follow tempo changes, such as warping,
musical time, and hit points. However,
this method uses the Time Stretch DSP
function to allow for a wider choice of
algorithms, and applies the process rather
than performing realtime processing.

Step 4 Select a stretching algorithm.

tips

n Step 4: The élastique Pro “Tape”
algorithm changes pitch as well
as time, so setting the locators to
extremes can provide “sloweddown” or “sped up” tape effects.
n Step 4: The Help button in the
lower left describes characteristics
of the various algorithms.
n Step 5: To audition algorithms,
after previewing an algorithm, click
Stop, select another algorithm,
click Preview, audition it, etc.

94 emusician.com 12.2012

Step 5 Click Preview to hear how the
algorithm affects the sound.

Step 6 After finding the ideal algorithm,
click on Process.

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Buying or selling instruments through our Classified Ads offers you
convenience, a big marketplace, and a wide range of instruments
and prices. Electronic Musician suggests the following guidelines
to help the buyer and the seller in these transactions: 1) Get a
written description of the instrument, which should include the
serial number. 2) Get front and back photos of the instrument. 3)
Get a written purchase agreement, with a 24-hour approval clause
allowing the buyer to return the instrument for a full refund if it

ACOUSTIC PRODUCTS &  SERVICES

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS

does not meet his/her reasonable expectations.

INSTRUMENTS

STUDIO FURNISHINGS

96 emusician.com 12.2012

EDUCATION / TUTORIAL

To advertise with us, contact:

Michelle Eigen · 650-238-0325
[email protected]

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

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(All Periodicals Publications Except Requester Publications)
1. Publication Title: Electronic Musican
2. Publication No: 0493-0290
3. Filing Date: October 1, 2012
4. Issue Frequency: Monthly
5. No. of Issues Published Annually: 12
6. Annual Subscription Price: $23.97
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Contact Person: Ulises Cabrera Telephone: 212-378-0431
8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher:
NewBay Media, LLC, 28 East 28th Street, 12th floor, New York, NY 10016
9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor:
Bill Amstutz, Publisher; 28 East 28th Street, 12th floor, New York, NY 10016
Sarah Jones, Editor; 1111 Bayhill Drive, Suite 125, San Bruno, CA 94066-3040
Debbie Greenberg, Managing Editor; 1111 Bayhill Drive, Suite 125, San Bruno, CA 94066-3040
10. Owner: The Wicks Group of Companies, LLC 405 Park Avenue, Suite 702, New York, NY 10022
11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding One
Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or other Securities: None
12. Tax Status: The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income
tax purposes has not changed during preceding twelve months
13. Publication: Electronic Musician
14: Issue Date for Circulation Data: September 2012
Avg. No. Copies Each
No. Copies of Single Issue
15: Extent and Nature of Circulation
a. Total No. Copies (Net Press Run)
b. PAID CIRCULATION
1. Individual Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541
2. Copies Requested by Employers for Distribution to Employees by Name
or Position Stated on PS Form 3541
3. Sales through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and
Other Paid or Requested Distribution Outside USPS
4. Requested Copies Distributed by Other Mail Classes Through the USPS
c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation
d. NONREQUESTED DISTRIBUTION
1 Free or Nominal Rate Outside-Country Copies Included on PS Form 3541
2. Free or Nominal Rate In-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541
3. Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at Other Classes Through the USPS
4. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail
e. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution
f. Total Distribution
g. Copies Not Distributed
h. Total
i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation

16: Total Circulation includes Electronic copies. Report Circulation on
PS Form 3526-X worksheet

PS Form 3526 -X

a. Requested and Paid Electronic Copies
b. Total Requested and Paid Print Copies (Line 15c) + Requested/Paid
Electronic Copies
c. Total Requested Copy Distribution (Line 15F) + Requested/Paid Electronic
copies
d. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (Both Print & Electronic copies)

Issue During Preceding
12 Months
28,949

Published Nearest to
Filing Date
27,964

18,664

18,067

1,122

1,017

19,786

19,084

1,972

1,977

3,626
5,598
25,384
3,565
28,949
77.9%

2,935
4,912
23,996
3,968
27,964
79.5%

9,743

8,461

29,529

27,545

35,127
84.1%

32,457
84.9%

17. Publication of Statement of Ownership for a Requester Publication is required and will be printed in the December
issue of this publication.
I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or
misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal
sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties)
Bill Amstutz, Publisher (signed)

To advertise in this section contact: Michelle Eigen at 650-238-0325 or [email protected]

12.2012 emusician.com 97

CRAIG’S
LIST

The Five
Most Toxic
Hazards
of Holiday
Music
BY CRAIG ANDERTON

1

You’ll hear “Carol
of the Bells.” I mean,
doesn’t this really sound
like it should accompany
some scary nightmarish
scene from a Tim Burton
film? On the plus side,
it has the distinction
of being one of the few
Christmas carols with
the power to depress—
helpful if you’re feeling
too cheery!

98 emusician.com 12.2012

2

Stupefyingly bad
“contemporary”
holiday songs. If
I never hear Paul
McCartney’s “Wonderful
Christmastime,” or Neil
Diamond’s fake Jamaican
accent at the beginning
of his reggae version
of “Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer” (I’m not
making this up), it will
be too soon. PARENTAL
WARNING: Diamond’s
version is on YouTube,
and accessible to children
under 13.

3

“The Little Drummer
Boy” lyrics “pa rum
pum pum pum.” Okay,
it’s a nice little song pa
rum pum pum pum, but
does it really need to
end pa rum pum pum
pum every single pa rum
pum pum pum effing
line with pa rum pum
pum pum? But, credit
where credit is due: That
song was written before
computerized cut-andpaste.

4

“Santa Claus Is
Coming to Town—The
Police State Mix.” “You
better watch out . . . he sees
you when you’re sleeping,
he knows when you’re
awake . . . making a list,
checking it twice . . . he
knows if you’ve been good
or bad . . .” Threats, spying,
database of offenders,
summary judgements
without trial—Santa
sounds like a cross
between a pedophile, the
DHS, and your creepy
uncle Sammy.

5

Kenny G’s holiday
music tours. So there
you are at the local
casino, doing a little
gambling, maybe helping
some Native Americans
extract their revenge
on the original illegal
immigrants, and you find
that . . . Kenny G is playing
his holiday tour and that
particular casino is one of
his victims! Run!

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