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BEATS
CONTENTS
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PEOPLE
• MUSIC
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SEPT/OCT 2012 | EDITION 63
03 EDITORS NOTE & INFO 04 COVER FEATURE - DENON SC2900 06 DJ GEAR: NUMARK 4TRAK 08 GEAR NEWS 12 HEADPHONE SHOOTOUT PT. 2 16 DJ GEAR: PIONEER RMX-1000 18 DJ GEAR: RELOOP ADM-5 DJ MONITORS 20 DJ GEAR: ALLEN & HEATH K2 CONTROLLER 22 PRODUCTION TIPS: WITH JON S SHAW 26 TUTORIAL: HOW TO MAKE DUBSTEP WOBBLE BASS
EDITOR’S NOTE s I sit here and put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard to be exact) three newsletter emails have just arrived in my inbox from three major DJ gear manufacturers all promoting some new and innovative piece of tech that they will be releasing soon. I love my job! If you’re a tech-head like me you’ll love reading about these too. So whilst the stuff we feature this month is indeed brand new and innovative, you better believe it, next edition will have a ton more new products to keep us all salivating at the steady stream of tools on offer to ‘play or create that perfect beat.’ On our cover you’ll see we’ve profiled the new Denon SC2900, a very keenly priced media player that has many a forum going crazy over its attributes. Followers of Denon gear may ask what the difference may be between this and the SC3900 featured in our last edition. Dave Skinz explains it all on Pgs. 4&5. We also continue with our popular Headphone Shootout feature, profiling some more DJ headphones, but we also have a good look at several varieties of ‘phones designed for studio use. Now it goes without saying that this subject will always be highly contentious since we don’t all share the same set of ears. What we did do though is use a very good 4channel headphone distribution amplifier - the Presonus HP4- to perform immediate A/B/C/D testing across four headsets at a time. Added to this we also used the same mastered tracks (one’s we could agree on to be very well produced and across a few genres) and also an unmastered rough mixdown to try and get a better idea of each headphone’s overall
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sonic ability. We’ve attempted to summarise our findings across three pages (12-14). Numark continue to lead the charge with biggest variety of DJ controllers known to man and this issue we test drive the new 4Trak, a genuinely professional piece of tech in every sense of the word. Skinz gives it a go and reports back on Pg. 6. Pioneer prove once again that as a leading hardware manufacturer they will not be deterred by the onslaught of software-replacinghardware trend with the introduction of the RMX-1000 Remix station. If DJing is fun, live remixing (well okay mainly FXing) is double the fun. Check it out on Pg. 16. We also check out a set of DJ monitors - yes you read right - DJ monitors, not studio monitors, a novel concept by German manufacturers Reloop, and lastly but certainly not least, the new K2 controller from Allen & Heath which has already surfaced on many a pro DJs setup. Finally I’d like to welcome Donovan Leon from DCL Studios to the team. Don will be constructing a series of ‘How to’ tutorials giving readers a step-by-step guide on how to create specific sounds or genre defining arrangements. You can read his first tutorial on Pg. 26. Don’t forget to visit www.bpmmag.co.za for daily gear news. DAVE MAC Editor-in-Chief
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DJ GEAR
By Dave Skinz
DENON DN-SC2900 PRO PERFORMER WITH A DIGITAL TUNE UP THAT'S SURE TO ECLIPSE THE FIELD Price: R 11,995.00 Supplier: Audiosure Tel: (011) 790-4600 Web: www.audiosure.co.za / www.denondj.com
What Is It? Hot on the heels of the SC3900, Denon have launched the SC2900 Media Player which at first glance looks pretty close to the aforementioned apart for one major thing; the SC-2900 has a brand new fixed platter system dubbed Eclipse. The rubberized top and side platter itself is similar in size to the 3900's but it is surrounded by a unique system of bright LED lights which gives you marvelous visual feedback of the platter’s rotation. The LED lights are defaulted to Denon's vivid blue with a red marker for your Cue and moving red LED to track your platter position but after reading through the user manual and checking out the internal preset settings, I discovered that you can change those LED's to red or purple if so desired. The Eclipse platter has rotary controls for start and stop speeds as well as a torque adjust slider to really let you dial into the way you like your platter to respond. Denon have taken it a step
further by letting you adjust the touch sensitivity on the top even while playing live. It is set to a default value of two but you can take it all the way to five if you've got feather fingertips. As I mentioned, visually the 3900 and 2900 look very similar but after taking the SC2900 for a spin I quickly discovered that there are a couple of buttons and functions that are in fact unique. The most significant of these is a BPM Sync button [found to the right of the play button] which I am certain will upset a couple of die-hards. So yes, now with the SC2900 you can sync lock your tracks by linking two SC2900s together and setting one of the units up as a master whilst the other will BPM lock and slave to this master. This can be set either by using Denon's Auto BPM, the BPM TAP function or by manually inputting the BPM. Another function unique to the 2900 is Slip which is a way of keeping your bars locked in a mix while still performing back-spins, loops or scratches. Slip adds a whole new dimension of chopping and remixing on the fly with the safety net of
knowing that the track will always remain on the beat. The final major difference is a Shift button which basically lets you change or access things a little quicker or to be able to build bigger pages of MIDI info. The Denon SC2900 is ready to rock all the current formats available which are accessed and controlled by the four buttons above the display screen. There is the traditional CD mode which will play CD-ROM, CD-R or CD-RW discs in audio or MP3. USB will let you plug in your flash stick or portable USB drive to the slot on the face of the SC2900 and have instantaneous access to a maximum of 10,000 tracks through 9 levels of folders. MIDI mode lets you connect your computer and use the SC2900 as a controller and take advantage of the excellent on-board audio card that can run in 16 or 24 bit resolution and from 44.1KHz all the way up to a mammoth 96KHz sampling frequency. Very handy when you combine that with the fact that the SC-2900 is natively configured for Traktor 2 and that the brilliant Traktor 2 LE is bundled in for you. The final and most interesting mode of operation is LINK. This mode will afford you a couple of choice alternate ways to connect your SC2900 to others and a way to integrate peripheral devices you already own into your performance. The first and most basic use of LINK is to connect up to four SC2900s together by creating a network thereby ensuring you can use one USB device across all four units. The other and most impressive use for LINK is in conjunction with Denon's patented Engine software and a network router.
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Engine Engine is Denon's custom music library software and is compatible on both PC and Mac systems. It will scan all the music on your computer and then create custom info for each track like a full wave display, BPM, key and then let you program in hot cues and loop points before re-saving all that info with the tune, so if you copy tracks off your computer [say, onto a thumb drive] for gigs, all that info goes along with it. However if Engine is directly connected to your SC2900 you can actually use your computer to browse and play tunes from your music library and with a little more set-up you can even wirelessly connect an iPad and use the lovely touch-screen to navigate and load your music instead of a laptop.
Layout The SC2900 has gone with the same hard plastic cue and play buttons from the 3900 and a similar layout and display to its rotational brother. The hot-cue and looping sections are simple and neat and after prepping your music in Engine the auto-loop and loop cut/extend buttons are very accurate. Navigation is via a backlit push-in rotary placed in the top right corner with forward and back buttons right above the smaller time, display, single/cont and memo/util buttons. The back-panel of the SC2900 has your stereo RCA connections as well as digital and fader start outputs. USB B for connection to the computer is right next to the network link and Denon have opted for a figure 8 power supply port with a recessed power button. There is also a Kensington lock if you are worried about your SC2900 getting nicked.
Who should own one? The Denon SC2900 is a professional device in every sense of the word. It has certainly leaned more toward the digital DJ with its custom features but its build quality and performance will go toe to toe with any CDJ out there at the moment. It might be seen as a bit of overkill for a mobile jock but will certainly not be out of place in club booths, DJ boxes, or onstage anywhere around the world.
The Verdict If you get a chance to demo or play on the SC2900 do yourself a favour and switch it off and on again. Simply watching the screen and lights boot up just before the platter eclipses its way around really captivates one and should certainly puts a smile on your face. The SC2900 is not just a fixed platter version of the 3900; Denon have traded the SC3900’s more analog orientated functions like Timecode support
and authentic turntable feel with a BPM sync, Slip effect and a Shift button to offer even more MIDI options for your digital set-up aiming this device firmly at the digital DJ. The quality of the buttons and faders are first class and the platter can really be set up to your tactile needs. The most amazing thing for me however is the instant loading of tracks even if they haven't been prepped in Engine beforehand. Having said that Engine is pretty easy to get to grips with but be warned this is not a plug-and-play option if you want to make use of it. It’s pretty easy to see that Denon are listening carefully to their public and delivering on requests to make a fixed platter player to match up to their competitors and on many fronts they seem to have delivered. Certainly the entry price can be regarded as very competitive since build quality, features and functionality are all what is to be expected from Denon; top drawer. But what makes the SC2900 a particularly promising option to consider is that it is such an intuitive media player and an absolute pleasure to perform on. Expect to see many more of these in a DJ box near you soon.
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DJ GEAR
By Dave Skinz R
NUMARK 4TRAK ANOTHER SIZZLING METAL MASTERPIECE FROM NUMARK FOR 'TRAKTOR-ITES.’ Price: R 14,950.00 incl.VAT Supplier: Viva Afrika Tel: (011) 2503280 Web: www.numark.com
WHAT IS IT? The 4TRAK is a four channel MIDI controller and mixer from Numark that is built to manipulate Native Instruments’ Traktor Pro DJ software. Those familiar with the Numark range will see the similarities between the NS6 and the 4TRAK; the aforementioned is shipped with Serato however and the 4TRAK ships with a customized version of Traktor Pro 2.
ANATOMY The 4TRAK is quite striking on first inspection with its brushed silver aluminum housing. The face of the 4TRAK is dominated by the four fader channels and the two huge control wheels which are taken directly from the NS6. These metal and plastic wheels both have 3600 ticks of resolution per rotation to give a real responsive feel under your fingers. The platter is lit for visual tracking and will change colour between blue and green to give a better indication of which channel you are controlling. The mirrored pitch faders on either side of the wheels feel super tight and the cue, play/pause and sync buttons are large rubberized and backlit. Numark's navigation section above the channels is comprehensive with a standard push-in rotary but it also houses master and booth volume and a dedicated record button. Just outside the navigation area is a system unique to the 4TRAK and that’s a dual adjustable key lock that allows you to tune your Key-
Lock to any specific key without affecting the speed of the track. Very cool feature for those that use mixed-in-key or the Camelot system and offers some truly creative options for transitions in key mixing. Another cool feature is a strip search function that lets you scan through a loaded track with the utmost speed by scrolling your finger across the backlit bar. Particularly handy for the turntablists that often only use certain parts of songs. Each side of the platter has 5 backlit hot cues as well as a comprehensive eight button loop section to create, edit, shift, cut or extend loops. It’s also interesting to see two sets of buttons dedicated to locking or shifting your beat grids within Traktor. One of the best features on the 4TRAK is the FX Kommand Module effects strip that connects to the top of the face via a set of supplied brackets and digitally via USB. It has four middle dented rotary filters which line up for each channel and two banks of 5 buttons and 4 rotary pots to control and manipulate Traktor’s dual effects engine. Each of the four channels on the 4TRAK has a button for FX1
and FX2 assign so the architecture lets you have one effect on all four channels or build a two part chain that can be routed to all four channels. While we are all ogling at how amazing the MIDI functions are, let’s bear in mind the 4TRAK is also a fully functioning four channel audio mixer as well, with two Phono inputs and four Line inputs via RCA as well as two Mic inputs via 1/4” jack. Your master output is via balanced XLR or RCA and there is a booth output via RCA. The headphone section is wisely placed on the front of the 4TRAK and you have standard or mini jack inputs to choose from with the conventional volume and cue mix rotary. Another neat feature on the front is a rotary crossfader gradient adjust as well as line fader gradient switches in one of three settings.
THE VERDICT The 4TRAK has been extremely well thoughtout and with the NS6 as a sort of “prototype” Numark has really refined what was an already amazing controller into a beast. The 24-bit audio interface is tight and the entire device runs off one USB port. The overall build quality is first class with some real solid and robust faders and knobs and the bundled Traktor 4TRAK edition is a perfect one-to-one button-to-function fit with the user interface and actual layout of the controller. The only real hangup guys might have is that there are no LED Line level meters and the green and blue platter system will take a little getting used to. But the inside and outside channels are marked to acclimatize you to the platter system. Also if you want to try and use DVSTimecode playback you will need an additional audio card. Aside from these small niggles Numark's 4TRAK is a fine piece of craftsmanship that I was well impressed with and would welcome into my studio with open arms.
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MUSIC NEWS
MACKIE GOES WIRELESS WITH THE NEW DL1608 DIGITAL LIVE SOUND MIXER The Mackie DL1608 iPad Controlled Digital Mixer redeems live mixing by combining the proven power of a fullfeatured digital mixer with the unmatched ease and mobility of an iPad. With 16 boutique-quality Onyx mic preamps and the performance of 24bit Cirrus Logic AD/DA converters, the DL1608 has unparalleled sound quality. Seamless wired to wireless iPad control means you can mix from anywhere in the venue with the DL1608 mixer. This gives you the mobile freedom to control not only the mix, but also powerful plug-ins like EQ, dynamics, effects and more. The sleek Mackie DL1608 even supports up to 10 iPads. Forget bulky consoles and racks of gear. The power is at your fingertips!
AMERICAN DJ - VMS4.1 TRAKTOR – FOUR DECK CONTROL Just when you thought the VMS4 Digital MIDI Work station couldn´t get any more popular, American Audio have followed it up with a new version that comes bundled with an exclusive version of the legendary and universally acclaimed Traktor™ Software from Native Instruments that supports 4 decks. The
FAMONETTI TABLE SESSIONS DESIGNER DJ FURNITURE Famonetti manufacture designer DJ furniture with various customised options. The company has designed an aesthetically pleasing table that will be ideal for any home studio, gig, party, corporate function and night club. At most
Designed specifically for the iPad, the Mackie DL1608's Master Fader app brings groundbreaking DAW mixing features and functionality to the live environment. With this intuitive breakthrough app, you can create mix snapshots, channel presets and even record stereo tracks straight to your iPad. Plus, with 'Grow and Glow' giving
you visual indication of the function you're controlling, you can be confident that you're always in control.
Midi Music | (011) 417-3400 www.midimusic.co.za
VMS4.1 Traktor has unique 4 x MIDILOG™ Channels that are compatible with any MIDI learn software or analog inputs. Crossfader curve adjustment, assignable touch strips, 2 x mics with gain, treble, mid and bass control are just a few of the other great features you´ll find in the VMS4.1 Traktor™. Legacy Brands | (021) 551-3296 info@legacybrands.co.za gigs or functions the DJ table is usually a visually poor looking station - that is where Famonetti have decided to introduce a locally manufactured DJ table that will stand out and at least match the often huge budget decor. Features Offered (some are optional and some standard): Durable finish in any colour | Neutrik Connectors | Laptop Holder | LED Concealed lighting (colour changing) | All plugs and cables are concealed | Modular concept - easy to assemble | Graphic Wrapping - e.g. Carbon Fibre effect, custom artwork | Customised Branding i.e. DJ logo, Brand logo for corporate functions/ product launches and events | Various flight case options. The company says that they will be adding other models and styles in the new future. Most importantly it's proudly designed and manufactured in South Africa. Give them a call.
Distributor: Famonetti 082 608-0041 | info@famonetti.co.za www.famonetti.co.za
the XDJ-AERO allows DJs to load music wirelessly from Smartphone’s, tablets, laptops and PCs, instantly taking the hassle out of set up. Pioneer has broken the mould The XDJ-AERO creates its yet again with the XDJ-AERO, own private Wi-Fi network, the industry’s first Wi-Fi enabled allowing DJs to connect to up to all-in-one DJ player and mobile four wireless devices at once, Application combo. allowing the crowd to get involved by sending tracks from The groundbreaking DJ system is set to change the way their own Smartphone’s or tablets to the XDJ-AERO for a DJs play by liberating them more interactive experience. from endless cables and connections. In an industry first, Proaudio | www.proaudio.co.za (011) 822-1430
NEW ‘WI-FI DJ STYLE’ XDJ-AERO FROM PIONEER DJ
NEED GEAR TO ENHANCE YOUR PRODUCTIONS, BUT CAN’T AFFORD IT?
Not everybody can afford to have the perfect home studio to create those awesome tunes. Most settle for an adequate set of monitors, a decent but well priced soundcard and a basic midi keyboard. But what if you could hire a decent preamp and mic when it comes to recording vocals or a friend’s guitar or sax solo? Or a really good set of studio monitors for a day or two to fine tune your final mixdown? Well now you can... Media Gear, a Cape Town based company has introduced a novel and very useful new service. They stock a continually growing inventory of popular Studio Microphones, Studio Monitors, Audio Interfaces, DAW Controllers, Preamps, Recorders, etc - all for rental. This means, that you can get your hands on a silky Neumann, a handy sE Reflection Filter, or a pair of Adam A7X's for the day - all at a rate that would buy you less than 2 hours in an average South African recording studio. Their rental stock caters for entrylevel such as 2-channel interfaces, vocalists that would love to be dialed into a boutique preamp or seasoned engineers looking to do their final mix on monitors of their choice. All equipment is available at daily and weekly rental rates so you only pay for the days you need them. Check them out online. You can also get some groovy discounts by suggesting additional inventory they should be stocking. Media Gear | www.mediagear.co.za | info@mediagear.co.za | (021) 802-0709.
KORG’S NEW KAOSS PAD QUAD Over a decade ago, Korg changed the DJ/music scene with its first-generation Kaoss Pad, a touchpad-based effect controller. Since then, the popular X-Y touchpad has appeared in many Korg products. Now, Korg is taking effects control one step further with the new Kaoss Pad Quad, which employs new effects, functions and features that let users create their own combination of Kaoss effects with simultaneous control of up to four effects in real-time using a single fingertip on its touchpad. Any audio source can be processed: an MP3 player, a mixing board, an instrument or even vocals via the unit’s mic input. Designed to be both usable and highly playable as an effect processor, the Kaoss Pad Quad allows the user to simultaneously control up to four effects from the touchpad. Each of the four effect modules – Looper, Modulation, Filter and Delay/Reverb – contains five options (plus a module
kill), for a total of 1,295 combinations. Effects are chosen directly from the front panel for easy access during live performance. By rhythmically adding successive effects, or switching effects on and off as a song progresses, the Kaoss Pad Quad can add variation and development to the structure of any song. Even the simplest beat can be creatively affected to produce something entirely new. SA Distributor: Tuerk Music Technologies | (011) 792-8402 | www.tuerkmusic.co.za
NUMARK’S NEW IDJ PRO - DJ CONTROLLER FOR IPAD This is something to add to your Xmas stocking – which is about when this unit will be available in South Africa. Various apps in the music realm have been surfacing for iPads over the past year so it was just a matter of time before a fully-fledged DJ unit would appear and Numark have made their move. The blurb: “iDJ Pro from Numark is a professional DJ controller that expands your iPad’s touch interface, seamlessly integrating with Algoriddim's djay for iPad app to form a completely new DJ experience. iDJ Pro features a sleek, brushed aluminum casing and is equipped with all the professional controls you expect, plus some design features and capabilities that will inspire brand-new surges of creativity.” SA Distributor: Viva Afrika (011) 250-3280 | www.vivaafrika.co.za
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Line Array System K-LA unbeatable price, unbelievable sound Full System Price: R 155,000.00 Includes: 8 X K-LA 28 Line array cabinets (Dual 8” MF Drivers, dual1 “HF Drivers - 4 Cabs per side) 2 x Bumper Frames for the K-LA array speakers 4 x Audiocenter VA1201 Amplifiers 4 x Dual 18” Bass Cabs
Total system power: 15 Kilowatts Components VA1201
K-LA 28
Dual 18’’ Bass Cab
AUDIOCENTER Dynamic Audio Solutions
12 DJ & STUDIO GEAR
BPM Report
HEADPHONE SHOOTOUT PART TWO OF OUR HEADPHONE SHOOTOUT (YOU DIDN'T REALLY THINK THAT WAS ALL THE HEADPHONES WE COULD FIND IN THE LAST ISSUE DID YOU?) SEES US FEATURE MORE BRANDS AND MODELS AVAILABLE IN SOUTH AFRICA. THIS TIME HOWEVER, WE ALSO LOOK AT STUDIO HEADPHONE OPTIONS AS WELL AS SOME MORE DJ HEADPHONES.
DJ HEADPHONES Gemini DJX-07 Gemini’s flagship model in their DJX range offers excellent value, great features and a robust build quality at a remarkably competitive price. The low-down: Gemini’s DJX-07 headphones fit neatly and certainly look quite serious. With the closed cups and 50 mm drivers they are quite bulky yet remarkably light. Useful accessories include a carry bag, additional cloth ear-pads and a standard gold mini plug connector with gold ¼" (6.3mm) adaptor. They can also be folded up for transport and the earcups can be rotated for placing on your shoulder or for single-cup usage. Sound quality is well balanced and adequately loud (without being obscene); bass response is decent. Pros: ! Great set of accessories ! Good build quality ! Comfortable ! Very competitive price Cons: ! May prove a bit bulky for long usage Expect to pay: R 795.00
Denon DJ DN-HP1000 Professional DJ headphones from a leading brand means quality, good looks in a hassle free package. Box includes headphones and headphone pouch. The low-down: A very similar headphone to the XD2-53 by Allen & Heath, both in looks and functionality, the DN-HP1000 is a nice chunky set of headphones that can swivel a full 180°. Also with 53 mm drivers, sound quality is top drawer with a particularly rich bass delivery. Thanks to the 180° swivel the fit is comfortable and they feel really substantial on one’s head and are particularly nice for one ear usage. They fold up right to the headband for easy transport but do not have a screw in cable for easy replacement should this break. Pros: ! Top notch sound, especially the bass ! Handsome and pro looking ! 53 mm drivers ! Solidly built Cons: ! Cable not detachable Expect to pay: R 2,495.00
Gemini DJX-07
Allen & Heath XD2-53
American Audio HP700 Allen & Heath XD2-53 A premium set of headphones from a premium brand delivers what is expected of Allen & Heath: pro looks, pro feel and high quality sound. The updated version now includes a detachable cord. The low-down: These silver and black trim headphones are nice and chunky with a definite quality feel to them. The XD2-53’s name is derived from the 53 mm drivers which deliver supreme sound quality, although one does need to crank them a bit. Distortion free, phat bass, well balanced mids and clear highs makes for an impressive overall sound delivery. Isolation is good although they don’t block everything out and despite their size they’re pretty comfortable to wear, albeit a little bulky. Pros: ! Excellent sound ! Great looking ! Quality components ! Reputable brand Cons: ! May be a bit big for really small heads Expect to pay: R 2,595.00
An excellent value-for-money set of headphones that’ll surprise many who try them out. The package includes a headphone bag, screw fit adaptor as well as a right angle adaptor and an extra set of ear cups. The low-down: Appearance wise they don’t look cheap at all, belying their price tag and build quality is on par with many phones twice their price. They also fold up perfectly for travel and are a comfortable, hassle-free fit. Sound isolation is not too great, but overall sound quality, whilst not really comparable to the more expensive headphones out there is certainly adequate. They lack just a little bass but this is only apparent in a proper A/B test. A set of phones that definitely punch way above their price tag. Pros: ! Reasonable sound ! Seem quite durable ! Great accessories Cons: ! Non-detachable cord Expect to pay: R 599.00
Denon DJ DN-HP1000
American Audio HP700
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STUDIO HEADPHONES We look at a collection of studio headphones suitable for mixing and monitoring in your project studio, ranging from budget to professional. Unlike DJ headphones which can ‘colour’ the sound for better audio delivery in a DJ booth, studio headphones need to be as accurate and transparent as is achievable, although this is always a highly subjective topic. To achieve fair and accurate test results we used a Presonus HP4 – high output 4-channel Headphone Distribution Amplifier to test each pair. We also used the same reference tracks and a ‘test mixdown track’ which we tinkered with based on the sound we heard in the headphones. All headphones were considered primarily for use in a project studio environment.
Prodipe Pro 580 The Prodipe Pro 580’s were (and surely must be) the cheapest set of headphones claiming to be aimed at studio use we could find. Build quality is really not bad although for the price there are understandably no extras in the box. Whilst the sound may appear to be uncoloured (almost bland) there is a definite lack of any discernible bass so mixing on these would not be recommended. However as the box says, for monitoring i.e. doing short bursts of work (I wouldn’t want to use these for long listening periods) they certainly offer enough to not completely deceive your ears and think you need to make any drastic changes to a mix. Pros: ! Cheap as chips ! Fine for basic monitoring situations ! Don’t look cheap ! Fit pretty well Cons: ! No discernible bass ! No detachable cable or extras Expect to pay: R 295,00
Prodipe Pro 800 Is it possible to get ‘professional monitoring headphones’ for R 795,00? Prodipe certainly claim as much on the box. The Pro 800’s are an attractive and pretty well built set of phones. In the box you get an extra set of cloth earcups (plastic vinyl ones are fitted) and a cloth headphone bag. Sound can best be described as fairly bland in the mid range with a slightly emphasised bass and decent treble. They are reasonably comfortable to wear and adjust neatly into foldup position. Mixing proved tricky, deceived mainly by the bass and lack of overall detail. As a backup to your nearfields, they could be used when you need silent monitoring but should not be your only means for mixing and monitoring.
Pros: Good value for money Flawed but workable sound Don’t look cheap Extras in the box Cons: ! Emphasised bass ! No detachable cable Expect to pay: R 795,00
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Prodipe Pro 580
AKG K240 Studio The AKG K240’s have been around for quite a few years and then some. Actually about 40, our research shows. These mid-priced cans can be found hanging in many studios. The retro style may appear a little too oldskool for some but looking past this is essential as they are very functional and are very comfortable to wear, fitting snugly over one’s ears. Sonically the K240’s are a sure bet. Mixing on them produced excellent results, possibly the closest overall sound to what we think one would expect from nearfield monitors. Pros: ! Tried and tested studio headphones ! Lightweight and comfortable ! Nearfield monitor type sound in a set of headphones ! Great for long listening sessions Cons: ! They do look a little dated Expect to pay: R 2,495.00
Continued on pg 14
Prodipe Pro 800
AKG K240 Studio
14 DJ & STUDIO GEAR
Continued from pg 13
AKG K271 MK11
Shure SRH840
The AKG 271 MK11 are closed phones with a reasonable degree of isolation from outside noise and well suited to monitoring. A nice inclusion is the detachable mini-XLR jack and 3 metre cable. Also in the box is an extra set of earpads. They work remarkably well with an almost selfadjusting , free running side mechanism on the sprung wire frame. The inner frame is padded vinyl and the padded circular cushioned earpads fit snugly. Sonically these appeared very well balanced with a nice present bass without being artificially emphasised. The high end seems a little pronounced and this was affirmed when doing a test mixdown although this is no different to what one would get from different studio monitor variants. A very comfortable headphone with a nicely balanced sound, we could see ourselves listening to these for several hours at a time. A novel feature is a switch in the headband that mutes the audio when you remove them. Pros: ! Very suitable for monitoring and mixing ! Excellent fit with self adjusting frame ! Great added features (extra earcups, long detachable cable) ! ‘Auto mute’ switch on headband ! Replaceable, detachable cable Cons: ! The looks? Expect to pay: R 2,995.00
The SRH840s are very comfortable and offer great isolation from external noise. As a closedback headphone they sit nicely on one’s head and are weighty without being intrusive. The sound appeared to be quite bright in the higher mids with a somewhat subtle bass, although it must be said, the bass is very evident, which became apparent with a test mix-down which had favourable results. Once we got used to them, they proved very suitable for mixing and production work with our only concern being sound fatigue after prolonged usage due to their brightness. Overall a very good set of headphones with a detailed sonic delivery. Pros: ! Neat, folding collapsible design ! Very competitive price ! Clear sound ! Suitable for mixing Cons: ! A little ‘shouty’ in the upper mids ! Bright sound could be fatiguing after lengthy sessions Expect to pay: R 2,250.00
Shure SRH440 The SRH440s are a big seller for Shure in South Africa (and probably worldwide) and it’s not surprising since they deliver a well balanced sound image. Understandably less substantial in overall build quality than the higher spec models in the range, what you do get is a clean and detailed sound quite suitable for home studio production. Isolation is okay, but since they are not fully closed back one can expect a certain amount of bleed. Tested with a host of genres and with our test mixdown, results were pleasing and although not uber loud and a little light on the head, they proved easy to wear and a comfortable listening experience. The coiled cable is the only irritation as it is quite weighty tending to pull on the headphones on one’s head if you move about too much. Great value for money with a trustworthy sound delivery. Pros: ! Clean, balanced sound ! Excellent entry price ! Great for home producers ! Replaceable, detachable cable Cons: ! Weighty cable gets in the way ! Exposed cables on headband (could pull loose) Expect to pay: R 1,350.00
Shure SRH940 For an extra R 600 your can get the SRH940 headphones instead of the SRH840. Is it worth the extra spend? We think so. Whereas the SRH840 was a little brighter than preferred, the SRH940 seems to have similar characteristics but somehow less fatiguing. The mid-range between 1 and 3 KHz is still quite punchy and works well on sounds like electric guitars but without the bite that troubled us a little on the 840s. Our test mixdown lacked just a little bass definition, possibly due to the prominent mids and the headphones actually proved better for guitarbased music than electronic, a bit ironic since we loved the SRH440s for the electronic stuff. They are well padded for long listening sessions with good levels of isolation. Pros: ! Very comfortable ! Detachable earpads and cable with extras in box ! Punchy sound ! Usable for long sessions without fatigue ! Cons: ! Not ideal for electronic music Expect to pay: R 2,850.00
AKG K271 Mk11
Shure SRH440
Shure SRH840
Shure SRH940
16 DJ GEAR
By Dave Mac
PIONEER RMX-1000 REMIX STATION
D Price: R 13,299.00 Supplier: Proaudio Tel: (011) 822 -1430 Web: www.proaudio.co.za
What is it? The Pioneer RMX-1000 Remix Station is an FX unit designed to enhance one’s DJ performance with a host of tools to create unique rhythmic changes to a track as well as various remix type effects. Added to this is a mini sample player section to create additional percussive and drum loops which can be used to add one’s own fills to a track.
Anatomy The unit is thankfully nice and light at under 1.3 KGs and also not too big at a shade over 33 cm’s in width (the length of a ruler) and 15 cm’s in depth. It’s also pretty sleek, height wise (5.7 cm) so it’ll fit neatly into your bag and also not take up too much space in the DJ booth. It certainly looks impressive helped on by all the different flashing lights and the big rubberised control knobs. But more than this it is also very cleverly laid out with each section not only clearly marked, but also positioned in an order which simply makes sense. On the back you will find jack and RCA inputs and outputs. I won’t go into the various ways you can connect the unit suffice to say that should your mixer have send/ return then this would be the best option. There is also a USB port since the
RMX-1000 comes with ‘Remixbox’ software for customising parameters from your computer, but more than this there is also a VST/Audio Unit plugin which means the unit can be used for FX in your production software as well as a midi controller. Big bonus! The RMX-1000 is made up of four sections; at the top you will find the ‘Master section’ - input/output levels along with LED indicators as well as a ‘quantize’ button, a BPM counter, a tap button, an ‘auto’ button and a set of ‘nudge’ buttons, + and -. Beat detection is remarkably accurate; I found a combination of ‘auto’ and ‘tap’ worked very well. The nudge buttons are exactly the same as nudging a track into sync when deejaying. This will nudge the rhythmic effect should you feel the timing is not 100%. Below the master section is ‘Isolate FX’ with its 3 prominent big black rubberised rotaries. This can be set to Isolator, Cut/Add, Trans/Roll or Gate/Drive. Each setting offers a different set of controls, the first two being filter types and the other three offering 3 additional effects. Control these either with the 3 big knobs or set it to X-pad and use the mini-pad below for wilder, one finger manipulation. Speaking of the X-pad, this section hosts four sample sounds; kick, snare, clap and hi hat. One can add your own sounds via the Remixbox software and then load onto an SD card (housed on the side of the unit). Basically with this section you can
add your own claps, snares etc to the track which will be in sync provided your tempo is matched (remember I mentioned how well the beat detection works?) Each button will trigger said sample but you can also create rhythmic patterns with the Xpad, manipulate volume and pitch as well as do a drum roll. The only downer is one cannot trigger multiple (layered) samples. Lastly we have ‘Scene FX’ the big oval section to the right. Notice the silver arrow on the unit on the Isolator section pointing towards it? That’s ‘cos for best results these two modes go hand-in-hand. The Scene FX has 8 presets effects, 4 ‘Build Up’ type FX and 4 ‘Break Down’ FX. Combining one of these presets and the requisite big black depth knob with the Isolator FX creates a myriad of track altering sounds that’ll keep you entertained (and hopefully your dancefloor) for hours. Handily the ‘Release FX’ switch on the right is used to stop an effect anytime you want with either a brake, echo or spin mode.
Who should own one? Every decent club should have this as standard issue. It’s that much fun! Although many DJs may be a little intimidated by it, heck most are too scared to use the basic FX on a DJM-800! Professional DJs and music producers should also take a look at the Remix Station. It has many uses both in studio and for live performance.
The Verdict The RMX-1000 is a well thought out and stellar piece of tech. It certainly will add a massive new dimension to your sets and could be very useful in the studio too, but it does come at quite a price. If your budget says yes, then give it a try, but be warned, you will get hooked!
18 DJ GEAR
BPM Reports
RELOOP ADM-5 ACTIVE DJ LOUDSPEAKERS FOR HOME USE What Is It? Here’s an interesting concept. DJ monitors. Yup, that’s what the box says. The ADM-5’s are not studio monitors; let that be made specifically clear from the outset. So why would a DJ technology company develop a set of loudspeakers specifically for DJs? What’s wrong with a good old pair of hi-fi speakers? Well to be fair, German manufacturer Reloop may just be onto something here, having identified a gap in the market. How would most DJs (bedroom or otherwise) practice at home if one does not have a home studio set up? The most likely scenario is to plug one’s mixer or controller into the hi-fi and blast through this. But where’s the hi-fi system usually situated in one’s home? In the lounge, connected to the telly, the Xbox and everything else multimedia. Or if you’re living with your folks or sharing a house with some mates your DJ setup is likely to be in your room. The picture becoming a little clearer now? Reloop’s ADM-5 DJ monitors are active loudspeakers (that means they have an amplifier built into one of them) which can be plugged directly into your mixer or controller (one with a built-in soundcard that is) with minimum fuss to get you blasting out those killer mixes.
Anatomy Weighing in at a hefty 5 KGs each the ADM5’s are not light, I assume due to the dense chipboard used for the cabinets. Under the hood is a 5.25 inch bass driver and a 1 inch tweeter. The claimed power output is 30 watts RMS - enough to annoy your parents or house mates but shouldn’t trouble your neighbours too much. The back of the cabinet
reveals three controls; volume, bass and treble plus a power input, jack for a sub-woofer, RCA-in sockets, and an on/off switch. Since only one speaker houses the amplifier (connection to this is via RCA) there are metal screw-down terminals to connect the two speakers to each other via standard speaker cable.
In Use The ADM-5’s are designed to sit on a shelf more or less at head level and pointing at the listener, not too dissimilar to how one would set your project studio up. Of course when one is deejaying (even practicing) one will normally be standing over the DJ headset and playing so for best results the loudspeakers should indeed be raised to this level. Now once you have positioned the speakers correctly don’t forget the mirror on the wall so that you can watch yourself punch the air with the next killer bass drop, heh heh! Switching on the speakers revealed a slight low hum, thankfully not audible once the music is cranked, but nonetheless a little strange. Overall the sound quality reminded me of a pair of DJ headphones with its pronounced bass and sharp highs, something DJs may find comforting, but this warm sound does come at the expense
Expect to pay: R 2,495.00 incl.VAT Supplier: Tradelius Tel: (031) 502-3080 Web: www.tradelius.co.za of any discernible punchiness. There are of course the bass and treble knobs to adjust the EQ balance to suit your ears. DJs have a penchant for red-lining the volume but thankfully, intended or not, the ADM-5’s will let you know when you’re pushing them too hard as they will distort.
The Verdict As a simple solution to your monitoring requirements with an affordable price tag, the ADM-5 speakers offer a neat and easy to install package that’ll no doubt provide the ideal setup for the scenarios I’ve mentioned earlier. At R 2,495.00 for the pair you’re essentially buying an amp and two speakers which, notwithstanding the 5 KG weight, are pretty easy to transport and set up anywhere really quickly and hassle free. They are pretty loud and with the exaggerated sound dispersion (coloured sound) they’re fine to blast for fairly long periods of time without any obvious sound fatigue which is great for those mammoth practice sessions.
20 DJ GEAR
By Dave Skinz
ALLEN & HEATH XONE K2 PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE WITH A BUDGET PRICE TAG IN A XONE OF ITS OWN! What Is It?
Who Should Own One?
The K2 is the newest and most compact addition to the Xone family of performance gear from British craftsmen Allen & Heath. If you are familiar with Allen & Heath's range you might look at the K2 and think that it’s there to replace the Xone1D and 2D's and you'd be right, but once you get to grips with it you will see that the K2 offers so much more than its predecessors. The core of the K2 is a 16 bit 4-out audio interface capable of running up to 48,000 Hz so it can function as either a DJ, Studio or Live card, offering a stereo headphone output via mini-headphone jack and master out feed via RCA's. On top of that audio framework slap on 4 x 60mm throw faders, 12 x rotaries, 6 x click-in rotaries and 30 backlit buttons and you have a grand total of 52 hardware controls on a steel controller face that takes up a trim 35.8 cm by 13.5 cm. At first glance you might think that 52 controls is quite a bit to fit into a controller of this size but in fact, thanks to Allen & Heath's latching layers system, those 52 controls can control up to 171 midi-messages over three latching layers or pages. The latching system works by letting you create layers of MIDI info across different portions of the face of the controller which is monitored and changed by the large latching layer button in the bottom left corner changing from red, to green, to orange depending on which page. The smaller backlit buttons will also correspondingly light up red, green or orange depending on which layer you are working on. It can be a little confusing at first but there are layers that don't use the faders or rotaries so you don't have to worry about mistakenly pulling down a fader mid set if you've taken the time to set it up right. Another neat feature to the Xone K2 is the X:Link allowing you to plug multiple units together to give you more outputs and MIDI control options or you can plug a K2 directly into a DB2 or DB4 mixer to have extra MIDImessages. The K2 comes with a solid transport bag that transforms into a stand so that the controller sits flush with any mixer or CDJ and is housed in a light plastic shell with a steel front panel so the facia can take some punishment while still keeping the entire device at 1 kg!
The Xone K2 is a powerful and compact device that comes with maps for Traktor and Ableton Live so it's suited for anyone looking to have MIDI and Audio control of their DJ, Live or Studio sessions. The unit can also be mapped to mimic Native Instruments’ Kontrol X1 or F1 controllers and with the integrated audio card can really cut down on the amount of gear that goes with you to gigs if you already have a set-up.
The Verdict While the controller comes with maps for Ableton and Traktor the real beauty of a device like the K2 is sitting down and customizing the layout to suit your needs. Setting it up in Ableton was ridiculously easy and building a custom map is really an ongoing process as you work out neater and easier ways to trigger, loop, play, effect and launch pretty much anything you want. As for Traktor users there are .tsi files ready-to-go for various modes of control of the DJ software. I couldn't be more impressed with the K2, the only small gripe I have is that there are no dedicated volume controls so you will have to sacrifice a whole two of your 171 MIDI messages to sort it out and some first time buyers might be a little bummed that there is no bundled software.
Price: R 3,695.00 Supplier: Audiosure Tel: (011) 790 4600 Web: www.allen-heath.com www.XONE.co.uk www.audiosure.co.za Overall the Xone K2 is compact, solid and sounds amazing but it's the small things that really hone the K2 package, the free carry bag/stand, the blank overlays for creating your own custom faceplates, and the ability to link K2's that really puts a gloss on it. At the price why wouldn't you want the Xone K2 in your set-up?
22 TUTORIAL: PRODUCTION TIPS
By Jonathan G. Shaw
TRICKS FROM THE PRO'S 14: SINGING WITH MYSELF alutations and greetings BPMings! So, are you recording a vocal cleanly? We’ve discussed how to do this previously and established that the quality of the vocal recording comes down to the mic, preamp, room and platform you are running. Now, one trick that remains constant is to double-take your vocal. This is simply recording it twice. To get it to sound right, though, means that the vocalist has to literally repeat it without difference and this is sometimes not easily done. While the subtle differences and nuances is what creates the chorus effect, if the vocalist strays too far off pitch or time, the whole thing can just sound clumsy. I often get the vocalist to practice a few times, then double take immediately backto-back so that both takes are as similar as possible. Doing a third or fourth take not only proves how good the vocalist is, but starts to get a rich vocal sound commonly heard on albums. The randomisation of this way of tracking vocals is sometimes better than putting a chorus or doubler effect. When it comes to equalising vocals, I generally start with examining the sub/bass frequencies. These are what can make the vocal clutter a mix. I cut out up to 300Hz sometimes – but I always ask whether the frequency actually exists to a bothersome degree. As an engineer you need to know your sound, not work on a set of rules (i.e. always cut sub) as every sound is different. Then, take out some lower mids (NB only if necessary) around 800Hz and then bite at 3kHz, and depending on what you are
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going for add or subtract some highs at 10kHz. I generally find subtractive EQ (taking away) works better than additive (turning up). Now, that said, not all equalisers are equal and you will get better results the higher up the pay-for tree you go. When it comes to compression, I will apply about three levels in any one vocal mix. Firstly, I record with light optical compression – this is a basic levelling compression to smooth out levels, and then apply EQ. If you have a plugin that has no attack or release, chances are it’s a levelling compressor. Next, I will put on a peak compressor – fast attack and release are common here and a bit of pump sounds nice. Lastly, I’ll apply heavier
Vocal EQ
levelling to it again to just smooth the vocal take down. Done well, this does not come out overly compressed and sits in the mix quite well.
PLAY LONG AND PROSPER! RESISTANCE TO BETTER SOUND IS FUTILE! Lastly, when mixing, you can ride the fader a bit – turning up in the choruses, down in quiet passages etc, as long as it sounds right. That’s it for now! I’ll hopefully be hearing your vocals on radio soon!
Double vocal
Vocal compressor
Jonathan Shaw is a professional record producer who has worked with a multitude of artists and record labels in a freelance capacity. Outside this, he lectures music business at the University of the Witwatersrand and provides business consultation to the music industry. jshaw@smstudios.co.za
26 EDUCATION By David Maclean
HOW TO GET THAT FAT DUBSTEP WOBBLE BASS ver wonder how crazy music producers such as Skrillex get that fat Dubstep wobble bass sound? Well in this month’s BPM we going to show you exactly how to create your very own signature Dubstep wobble bass sound. For those of you who don’t know, Dubstep is known as a genre of electronic
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dance music that originated in the southern parts of London, England around late 1990’s, although this type of music was mainly an underground scene at the time. We have however seen it being used nowadays in commercial mainstream music from artists such as Britney Spears, Florida and even Pitbull. It features the characteristic of a mainly overwhelming bassline which is normally an extended
bass note modulated in a rhythmic way with reverberant drum sound patterns, clipped samples and now and then occasional vocal riffs. The sound of the bassline is produced by using a low frequency oscillator to modulate certain parameters of the sound source (normally a synthesizer), such as volume, distortion, pitching or most commonly used; the filter cutoff.
Setting the Oscillators
This tutorial was brought to you by Donovan Leon from DCL Studios. DONOVAN LEON is a Producer/ Engineer for DCL Studios and has had the opportunity to work and collaborate with many artists/ producers such as: Crighton Goodwill (Good Noise Studios), Robin C Khol (Jazzworx), L’loyd Cele (2010 Idol Runner up), Jamali (Popstars), CH2, Denim, Thembi Seete (Boom Shaka), Kwesta, Zubz, Sasha P (Nigeria), Jae, Ziyon (Liquid Deep), Verona, 37MPH and many, many more. DCL Studios: Tel - (011) 615-8309 | Cell - 082 426-6400 | Email - dclstudioz@gmail.com / Donovan.dclstudios@telkomsa.net BBM Pin: 28ED7476 | FACEBOOK: DCL. STUDIOS OR DONOVAN DA DON LEON | TWITTER: DCLSTUDIOS
27 have used Protools as my main DAW and Lennar Digital’s SYLENTH1 synthesizer for my bassline although one can use any DAW and any synthesizer that has Low frequency oscillators, is able to modulate the sound source, as well as a cutoff filter and is also able to change its rate (speed). Let’s start by selecting an empty patch and setting Oscillator 1 to a Saw wave. Notice how the sound is very bland. First start by lowering OSC A1 (top left hand corner) by one octave and detuning it by 2 semi tones. Once we have done that copy and paste the settings to OSC B1 by pressing the square BLACK C button [for copy] in the top right hand corner of OSC A1 then pressing the BLACK P button [for paste] in OSC B1. Doing this will duplicate the settings. Next, let us move the octave of OSC B1 up by one octave and change the wave sound to a square wave giving it a much more interesting yet unique sound. Now that we have a more distinct electronic sound we are going to need to run it through the cutoff filter. To do this simply go to filter A and change the filter type to a low pass filter. Both OSCA1 and B1 are running through filter A. I’ve also turned up the drive knob by 1.00 to give it a bit more bite to the sound. Now if we play any note around the bass region on our Midi controller and move the cutoff knob for filter A up and down with our mouse, we get that nice wobble sound. Although we can record and automate this and play around with it we are going to rather use the synthesizer’s LFO 1 to modulate it for us. Let’s keep the setting of the cutoff filter as is. Now that we have the sound we are after lets modulate it by going to the LFO 1 and just underneath the gain knob left-click the empty menu and change it to “Filters cut off A”. Next to that turn the little black modulation mixing knob full to the right or left. Now all that is needed is to crank the LFO 1’s gain full and start playing around with the rate setting which is the speed of which the LFO modulates the sound through the cutoff filter. I’ve set this setting to around 1/8D. In most cases this rate setting is automated to give the bassline the rhythmic elements of the song. Feel free to go crazy on this setting. To make the
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Getting that wobble sound sound even dirtier and interesting I’ve also run it through the synth’s very own bitcrusher, chorus and reverb which can be found in the main centre menu panel of Sylenth1. And that’s it. Don’t forget that once you’re done creating the wobble sound you are after, to save it as a preset so you
don’t have to redo it again and again. To do this just click the dot next to the 4 in the main control panel menu and rename it. It will automatically save the name you give it for the next project. Stay tuned for the next issue on how to make your very own Rise FX used in Dance Music. Happy Producing!!
Modulating the sound with the LFO
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