BPM-TECH - SeptOct 08 - Spring Issue

& Musician’s Corner

w w w . b p m m a g . c o . z a

LEGENDARY PERFORMANCE

This month we review SHURE ULX & KSM Range Allen&Heath’s

XONE 62 M-AUDIO KEYSTUDIO49i Studio Control in a Box

First look at Spectrasonic’s new

OMNISPHERE

plus...

Preparing for mastering Choosing studio monitors Creating an Electro track pt.2 College Spotlight on...

Academy of Sound Engineering

WWW.WILDANDMARR.CO.ZA

LOUDSPEAKERSCDPLAYERSFLIGHTCASESLIVEMIXERSAMPLIFIERSMICROPHONES

by Damien Albetto

S

hure mics are one of the most popular choices of microphone used worldwide and indeed in South Africa it is certainly a top seller. You will find the SM58 on almost every gear rider for live performance as it is a robust, reliable and tonally sound microphone.

T

ULXP24/58 Wireless System

aking the SM58 package one step further, Shure also offer the ULX range - their wireless systems which come in two options - standard and professional. Both share similar features and of course the award winning SM58 mic with the professional version, denoted by a P in its product name i.e.

ULXP24/58 and the standard variation denoted as such: ULXS24/58.

The professional version, which we had the opportunity to test, has added features; notably a 5 segment RF meter, a more advanced multi-function LCD, a metal chassis (plastic for the standard), along with several other add-ons for the more professional setup.

Aside from the ULX2 transmitter (the SM58 mic) there is also the optional ULX1 body-pack.

The transmitter is a mere 79 grams without the battery and with dimensions of only 96.5 mm H x 67 mm W x 26.7 mm D is suitably portable for all conditions.

Range is said to reach as far as 100 metres in optimal conditions. We tested it up to around 50 or so metres in a fairly built up environment and it never even hinted at dropping the signal. Clarity is good and it is of course an SM58 so if you're partial to these mics (and so many are), you have a winning combination of reliability and quality.

ULXP24/58 WIRELESS

KSM27

KSM32

PG 3

LEGENDARY TM PERFORMANCE

Shure KSM Studio Mic range

S

hure certainly rule the roost when it comes to stage mics, this being evident once again with the SM58 being the outright winner in a recent UK retailers poll of most sold mic as well as the consumers choice award.

The KSM series is their studio range first introduced just before the millennium and was Shure's first foray back into high-end studio microphones for some time. Being largediaphragm condenser mics the three models in KSM44 the range offer excellent choices to fit one's budget starting with the reasonably priced KSM27, the mid-priced KSM32 and the top end KSM44.

We had the pleasure of trying out both the KSM27 and KSM32 which made for a handy comparison as I was able to appreciate the subtle differences. In the end it was a simple case of “you gets what you pays for.”

The manual will tell you that the KSM mic is suitable for basically any type of recording from vocals, to broadcasting, acoustic, electric, woodwinds etc. The first thing I noticed about the KSM27 is how quiet it is.

When turning it up the ambient room noise from the computer became apparent long before I could hear any self noise. It also features a 15dB pad and a bass cut-off/roll-off switch which enhance its versatility and with it being so quiet, is a flexible solution very well suited to a digital computer recording setup. We recorded some really quiet acoustic guitar pieces and were pleasantly satisfied with the clarity and fullness of the results. Vocals too were clear, balanced and an accurate reflection of what we were hearing yet somewhat forgiving of those nasty frequencies the human voice can screech out at times.

By contrast the mid-priced KSM32 is a tonally fuller sounding microphone and has a smaller ¾-inch diaphragm (1-inch on the KSM27) and it actually faired a bit better on the guitar bits we recorded, although for the vocals we were equally satisfied. It seemed to have a slightly lower output too. Not dissimilar to the 27 model, the 32 definitely has a warmer, fuller sound and an improved bass response. Basically it sounded a bit more highend than the entry-level derivative.

Visually they are beautifully constructed mics, robust in feel and professionally sleek in appearance with their champagne coloured finish.

They also come with suspension mounts, protective dust bags and the 32 also boasts a swivel-mount and flight-style aluminium case.

In conclusion if I had just purchased one of these mics I think I would be very satisfied with my choice. It feels like a wholesome package when you unpack it and certainly they both delivered great results. Both are equally versatile mics with the more affordable KSM27 offering a good quiet, rounded response and it's lack of personality (i.e. it is quite transparent in character) makes it a good first all-purpose choice for your home studio. The KSM32 does have that extra warmth though so depending on your budget I say buy the highest-level one in the range you can afford. I am told the KSM44 is yet another step up in quality.

Both models would fit nicely into a professional studio's arsenal of microphones and are indeed a “shure” thing.

PG 4

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

PREPARING FOR PRODUCTION TIPS NO. 17

By Jonathan G Shaw

MASTERING mix to the RMS meter though – listen to your mix and make the call but do not let it clip at any cost. Level is not the issue here; the transparency of the mix is.

Make the track as dynamic as possible – compression should be seen, but NOT heard – things should only sound pumping if that is what the mix engineer is after. No processing should be done to the final output – no limiting, compressing, equalisation, effects, NOTHING! Tip: 3: Communication goes both ways

A

t some point or another you will start to find that you want to get your tracks mastered. Many try to accomplish this task by themselves but it is always better to get an extra set of ears to take a listen to stuff that is about to be finalised for a release or to go to radio.

Tip 1: You are not the master Trying to master your stuff yourself can teach you a lot about why you need to get it professionally mastered. Compare your results to other tracks and you will find just how hard a task it is. You will struggle with things like getting it as loud as possible without destroying the valuable dynamics that give the track life. Another thing is trying to get the correct tonal balance, something which a mastering engineer has years of practice with and, after mixing, you may have no clue because your ears are conditioned for listing to the track for too long. It’s natural, so don’t feel bad because you can’t.

Tip 2: It’s in the delivery

You can devise an electronic and printed mastering information sheet that accompanies the disc. Include general comments about overall problems or concerns for all mixes. Don’t feel bad writing down potential mix issues for each track such as “bottom end needs more punch” or “needs big warm feel and closer dynamics”. All this can make you look more professional and avoid the mastering engineer contacting you unnecessarily.

Produce your track at 24 bit with the highest resolution possible. If your computer struggles with 24 bit it’s time to upgrade. If it struggles with higher resolutions, stick to 44.1 kHz but try to record at 88.2 kHz. Avoid 48 kHz as this is DVD quality and the bits “don’t fit nicely” into CD standard (16 bit, 44.1 kHz). Also, Tip 4: It’s where you go try to find 24 bit samples to work with.

Tip 3: Your nix is 95% of the master

You can choose a mastering facility based on a few things. First off, I’d say you need to check what they have done before. A well-known client base can speak volumes. Next is the difference between hardware and software mastering tools. The pros generally have an arsenal of some real high quality outboard gear. Many cheaper, lower end mastering facilities use digital tools exclusively which may be okay in some circumstances. Finally, it depends how long you’ve been mastering for as experienced ears are what you need at the end of the day.

A good master is a perfect mix. The more you reference your mix on many other systems (like the car, a hi-fi system and computer speakers) and get a feel for the clarity and punch the better the master will be. You should concentrate on getting your mixing loud, but not “being” loud. What I mean is that at consistence monitoring levels your mixes should be loud in feel. DO NOT let the track peak over -3 dB but try to get your mix high in RMS (average level) between -17dB and -20dB. If the red light is coming on, on anything (tracks, sends or master fader) it’s a BAD thing. Don’t Adios amigos!

International Superstar Dj Phil Reynolds Recommends the Calahari Cosmos Music Production College.

Music production College Electronic Music Production Sound Engineering Post Production Sound to Picture Multi-Track Recording Jingles

SO MUCH BETTER...

IN A REAL STUDIO

Unit 4 | Vrede Park | Vrede St | Bellville | CPT

021 949 8999 | 079 369 4600 | 076 133 7019 | info@calaharicosmos.co.za

www.calaharicosmos.co.za

We specialise in House, Electro, Breakbeat and Psytrance....

PG 6

By Dave Mac

R

eviewing DJ gear has been a somewhat enlightening experience for me.

Notwithstanding the obvious “horses for courses” approach one should take in realising (both as a writer and you as a reader) that any review done is to some extent a subjective assessment and cannot or will not be met with universal agreement by all, one’s job can be made really easy now and then.

Sometimes the product on review simply misses the boat completely and I’ve seen this happen a few times, even with big, well known companies. Other times the gear is just so good, that if one wants to, one can nit-pick but there are plenty on-line forums out there to vent your likes and dislikes no matter how biased or unbiased they be.

out on one channel when in the mix. You can actually leave some of the low frequencies in whilst manipulating the more troublesome range around 250hz.

This works incredibly well (the EQ’s all cut down to -26db which is effectively like a kill switch), the only problem being that once you get used to it, you’ll miss it on a basic 3-band EQ. The added control definitely gives one’s mixes a more textured, balanced sound.

The Xone:62 also comes with a pair of VCF filters (one for each side of the xfader), with LPF, BPF and HPF (or combinations like "notch" for instance), frequency knob (to make up for sweeps) and resonance control (mild to wild and all in between).

Notably this is not a digital filter ... pure

62 This here is intended as an unbiased synopsis of the Xone:62 and it falls quite comfortably into the category of “easy to review.” Aside personal likes and dislikes not many DJs are going to argue with me as I state the many virtues of the No.1 choice mixer for clubs throughout Europe.

Admittedly in a brochure, or on the net, or indeed even the accompanying images on this page, the mixer does not scream out for attention. Almost austere in appearance... one may even think it to be a little uninspiring visually.

Fear not though because when you unpack this baby any illusions of plainness you may have had will dissipate. It’s a solid, hefty piece of gear and it’s built like a tank.

It’s a 6 stereo channel DJ mixer with plenty of features, none of which I would call gimmicky. Input is via gold-plated RCA with 2 channels also donning XLR Mic inputs.

The remaining four are switchable between phono and line-in. Each channel has AUX control and send which can be set to pre or post mix. This is ideal for connecting an FX unit, Kaos pad etc. The stereo outputs are also XLR. The cross-fader is a high quality 45mm Penny & Giles fader with curve switchable to cut or dip. It is silky smooth and 3 channels can be assigned to the left and three to the right (x & y).

It’s also worth noting that the faceplate and pots can all be unscrewed from the front so the unit is designed to be easily serviceable. You also get a 4-band EQ per channel with the extra knob controlling the lower-mids around 250hz. This works extremely well in the mix as it allows one to create smoothly harmonics mixes in a frequency range that often can prove the most troublesome. Basically with this added EQ you don’t have to cut all the bass

analogue and one can quite easily hear the difference. The analogue filters are wonderfully warm and controllable. The monitoring system is also quite versatile and importantly ... simple. A volume knob, a split cue button and an aux activate button is all you need with the booth monitor control sensibly located directly beneath this. Booth controls include volume, mono buttons and a mute button.

The Xone:62 is very spacious, has no extra flashing lights other than those that tell you exactly what is and isn’t activated, has superb VU meters, the main output ones being a healthy 12 in total and also 4 led VU’s on each channel. The main VU’s can also be split between program and cued track when the split cue button is in use.

The sound is warm, direct, crisp and clear. Driving this console as hard as I could on a small PA I could detect no audible distortion or teetering in its delivery. Add to this the beautiful analogue VCF filters and you’ll be hard pressed to find a finer overall sound quality. It’s not cheap that I will say.

But whatever your reasons are for buying a mixer right now, if it’s sheer quality, playability and life-long durability you’re after the Xone:62 should be your first choice. Pure class!

Voted Best Club Installation Mixer This pure-bred club mixer has truly raised the bar in terms of club audio quality. It’s also quickly become the mixer of choice for many of the world’s greatest DJs, thanks to its pristine sound, its phenomenal VCF filters and its creative 4 band EQ. Club owners – if you want to know how good your big-money speaker system could sound, try it with a Xone:62.

Professional 6 channel Club/DJ mixer

Professional 4 channel Club/DJ mixer

Professional 3 Channel DJ mixer

8-channel USB audio interface

Imported and distributed by:

JHB: Tel: 011 790-4600 | Fax: 011 466-3855 | CT: 021 529 5599 | Fax: 021 529-5556 DBN: 031 569-9260 | Fax: 011 790-4593 | BLOEM: 051 430-4455 | Fax: 051 447-2183 email: sales@audiosure.co.za | website: www.audiosure.co.za

PG 10

By Damien Albetto

I

N the bigger scheme of things M-Audio is a relatively new company in the world of pro-audio. Founded in 1988, it remains a business unit of Avid Technology, a company that has built an esteemed reputation in the world of movies and video.

Notably they are also the designers and developers of the ProTools digital audio workstation.

M-Audio has always delivered solid products to entry and mid-level users, providing an innovative range of gear suitable to the average home studio budget. Their products are always keenly priced, have good feature sets and sometimes even get the ‘serious’ critics nodding their head in approval.

The Keystudio 49i is a relatively new addition to their audio interface keyboard range and with 4 octaves it is the entry level model designed to give you an all-in-one mini-music making/playing solution. The unit has a built in 2 in, 2 out, 16-bit, 44.1Khz sound card, XLR microphone jack, 1/4" instrument and RCA inputs, 1/4" jacks for stereo line output, dual front-mounted headphone jacks, a hardware direct monitoring control knob, assignable modulation wheel and piano volume control, a pitch bend wheel, octave +/buttons assignable to alter octave, transpose, program, bank LSB, bank MSB, MIDI, and a sustain pedal and MIDI Out jack.

The ace in the pack is its on-board, stereo-sampled Steinway premium piano sound with 20-note polyphony and it’s GM-Module which packs an additional 127 sounds and can be loaded on one’s computer for direct interfacing.

Unpacking it, my first impressions are that of a reasonably sturdy piece of tech with nice sleek lines across its plastic facia.

better sound to learn piano on then ... well, a piano silly!!! Notably it also has built in reverb which does enhance the overall piano too.

Still I can’t help thinking that with the plethora of great sounding synths, samplers and other software instruments available these days, you’re going to be using it more for its connectivity to your PC. The GM module is not bad either.

You get 127 sound presets effectively giving you a whole band at your fingertips, what with the host of keys (piano, organs, electric pianos, clavinet), guitar sounds, basses, brass, ensembles, percussion, drums etc. and to varying degrees most sound reasonably authentic. The electric pianos, the clavinet and the brass stood out for me and it is only really the guitar sounds that are rather suspect; or maybe it’s that I’m simply not a guitarist!

The overall feel of the keyboard is also not bad at all for this range and is quite easy to play and responsive. Nice added features include the duel headphone jacks (possibly for you and a tutor), XLR mic input and the direct monitoring feature.

The modulation and pitch bend wheels have a great feel to them too and the octave buttons light up when you have transposed up or down. I would have thought they would have added maybe 2 or 3 additional multi-purpose controller knobs and/or sliders but I guess for its price range your are getting a playable unit with a built in sound card, built in piano and the ability to record in other instruments and vocals.

Add the Ableton Live Lite software that accompanies this unit and basically for the price of this piece of g e a r, a n d y o u r computer, you’re ready to start creating the next dance-floor filler.

M-AUDIO

KeyStudio 49i Installation is very straight forward both for the drivers and the GM module.

The first thing I was dying to try out was the on-board piano sound ... stereosampled Steinway grand piano ... it has to be okay right? Well yes and no, depending on your expectations. The piano sample is not bad and it does deliver a relatively decent piano-like sound, but with 20 voice polyphony you’re just not going to get the range of a real piano and on the lower octave particularly this is more apparent. If you’re happy to stick to middle C and thereabouts give or take one octave up you’re okay! It’s great to practice on though and for this the onboard piano does the job since it negates the hassle of having to connect to a PC to play and what

R5 595

SOFTWARE NEWS BPM Reports

BREAKING NEWS

A

tmosphere, Stylus RMX and Trilogy! Heard of them? Well you should have! These software instruments from Spectrasonics have had a profound influence on DAW production platforms worldwide; Trilogy for its authentic and wide range of basses, Stylus RMX for its innovative control over percussive and rhythmic loops and Atmosphere for ... well, yeah ... atmospheric sounds ... as in lush pads, etc. although the more adventurous have turned Atmosphere into quite a synth beast too.

Anyway, bottom line is the sounds from these packages are found in the production of so much of today’s modern music from hobbyists to the professionals and universally they are acknowledged by top critics worldwide as some of the best software instruments around.

Now the brains -trust over at Spectrasonics have come up with their new incarnation ... their next level virtual instrument which they promise is going to set the bar for the future.

It’s their flagship virtual instrument, Omnisphere, ‘an epic synthesizer’ that they say ‘features a powerful synthesis engine and a huge library of unique psychoacoustic sounds.’ In development for a few years now, Spectrasonics previewed Omnisphere at the Winter NAMM show.

They say, “The revolutionary ‘PowerSynth’ breaks completely new sonic ground by combining a wide variety of hybrid real-time synthesis techniques, an

epic library of remarkable ‘Psychoacoustic’ sounds, and many innovative features that have never been seen before in any hardware or software synthesizer. The new instrument is the first to be based on Spectrasonics STEAM Engine, the company ’s newly developed core technology.”

“This is truly an epic project,” says Eric Persing, founder and Creative Director of Spectrasonics. “We have been working for many, many years; sampling unique sounds, experimenting, specifying the synthesis features and building the STEAM Engine to run it all. It’s been a very exciting process involving our team of software engineers, sound designers, musicians, and graphic artists from all over the world.

We’ve been very deliberate in making it easy to use, and yet extremely powerful.

Omnisphere is our new flagship synthesizer, and points the way to all our future virtual instruments. We are thrilled to offer a new product that will have a host of expansion capabilities in the future.”

‘Although the new synth is extremely powerful, Omnisphere is designed with a unique user interface containing progressive layers of ‘zooming’ to accommodate the complete range of users - from musicians who just want to be inspired by the sounds and customize them in an easy way, to expert synthesists

and the most advanced sound designers.

Users can go deeper and deeper into the software and progress in their synthesis knowledge by simply exploring additional levels of sound manipulation options. To make sure that all users get the most out of the new capabilities, Omnisphere will ship with an extensive set of video tutorials and synthesis lessons taught by the renown Spectrasonics sound design team.’

‘Omnisphere offers a host of hybrid synthesis and new control capabilities including Variable Waveshaping DSP synthesis, Granular synthesis, Timbre Shifting, FM, polyphonic Ring Modulation, high-resolution streaming Sample Playback, Harmonia™, Dual Multimode Filter structure, Chaos Envelopes™, an advanced Unison mode, and the innovative Flex-Mod™ modulation routing system.’

‘The huge core library of Omnisphere is filled with years of creative sampling experiments and thousands of inspiring patches. Spectrasonics has pioneered several brand-new types of sampling for the core library of this instrument, including unique “Psychoacoustic” sounds and sound-sources created with a new Composite Morphing Technique (CMT) which morphs the harmonic characteristics of one instrument to another. As a bonus, a section of the core library is also devoted to representing the best of Spectrasonics award-winning sample libraries.’ “When all of these organic core library sound sources are combined with the synthesis power of the STEAM engine, the sounds become “alive” in a truly dynamic and expressive way,” says Persing.

‘Among the many unique features this new multitimbral synth offers are its flexible arpeggiators with the innovative Groove Lock™ integration with Stylus RMX - allowing the arpeggiator’s pattern to instantly groove with the feel of the RMX drum loop; Live Mode for transitionless patch switching and layering, Stack Mode for powerful performance mapping; and integrated modulatable FX Racks.’

Omnisphere is also the successor to Atmosphere, and contains enhanced versions of all the classic Atmosphere sounds. The brand new core library in Omnisphere is 10-times the size of Atmosphere though and features thousands of completely new and different sounds.

The release date for the Omnisphere is set at 15th September. We’ll take a closer look once it’s available.

Footnote: This is not a review of the product. Information was sourced from the Spectrasonics’ press release information.

POWER SYNTH

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY NOW!

EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTORS OF SPECTRASONICS VIRTUAL INSTRUMENTS

021 794 1417 | 082 902 6207 | sampled@iafrica.com

www.sampledivision.co.za

LA 15 UN -S C EP H T- ES 08

PG 14

Willie Els also known as BioLogik.

Producer/Engineer. Lecturer at Emendy Sound & Music Technologies. Radio Technician in FM Transmission.

Writer and a complete Audio Junkie.

OOMFING

TO DISCO SMILES

O

omfing, you don’t know oomfing?

Shame on you! How could you not know ‘oomfing’? You might be thinking that I lost my marbles, but wait and see what I am actually on about.

As for the term ‘oomfing’, I’m actually referring to listening or dancing or recording or anything where sound is enjoyable to a certain extent. As for the term ‘disco smile’, well, just read on ...

The ‘disco smile’ is an evil that was brought upon us audiophiles by cheap audio playback manufactures to make us believe that our sound is truly a w e s o m e . To a v e r y disappointing conclusion, it wasn’t perfect. The ‘disco smile’ fooled us, misleading us to a perception that is ‘non-linear’.

Most of us, before we discovered the beauty of flat frequency responses, believed that by boosting the low frequency (bass) on our hi-fi’s or playback systems, gives our music an ‘oomfable’ feeling.

And to make it even worse, we boosted the high-frequency (treble) to give our music a sense of intelligibility. Wrong! What we just crafted is a perfect little smile in the frequency response, shown in Fig. A Hopefully by this point in your music career, you should know that the response in Fig. A is not what we are after. In fact, we would absolutely love a flat frequency response, from input to output.

Not always a possibility; considering acoustics, microphones, cable, converters and monitors tend to color our sound a bit. Sometimes adding, but also sometimes subtracting relevant frequencies from the mix.

When it comes to choosing a good monitor, one should

remember the ‘disco smile’ at all times.

Most reputable studio monitor manufactures can achieve a pretty good response, but in some cases we still get that evil little smile in our frequency response.

In this case, not boosting the low of high registers, but losing the acute mid response.

Unfortunately, it’s not that easy to get rid off, seeing that most studio monitors are

Fig.A

Fig.B

Fig.D

By Willie Els

bi-amplified, meaning two speakers, each amplified individually; one speaker, being a low-mid range driver and one the tweeter.

So, common sense tells us that the signal needs to be divided at some point, knowing what to send to the low-to-mid range driver and what to send to the tweeter. That point is known as the crossover frequency. Somewhere in the signal path we can find a splitter of some type, dividing the signal into two and each being filtered.

In this case, the low-mid range signal gets a low-pass filter (Fig. B) and the tweeter a high-pass filter (Fig. C).

Now watch as the two combining creates a dip in the mid-range (Fig. D). That ’s obviously not what we’re after.

There goes our true flat response, a nice little karate-kicked hole in the middle of our spectrum.

Nowadays, manufactures have been hard at work to get a precise filter slope as close to the cut-off frequency as possible, through the help of high decibel per octave filters, but still, leaving a small dip in the mid-range. Then adding a slight slope peaked to each side, compensating for the dip. So, one viewpoint to look at when searching for the perfect monitor is the crossover frequency ‘dip’ in the frequency response. The smaller the ‘gap’, the better, of course.

Hopefully this will clear up the question amongst most of consumers; “But why does reputable studio monitors sound very “harsh” and “gritty” in the mid-range? Well, the answer is quite simple, that’s true midrange gracing your ears. You’ve just never heard it before due to evil hi-fi’s boosting the low and high registers.

Fig.C

FOR UP TO DATE NEWS & REVIEWS

By Dave Mac

reloop RMP-2

I

am a jaded DJ. Been doing it too long and not much impresses me anymore. Technology still holds my interest though and I like to think I keep a watchful eye on the advancements made each year by companies vying for your hard-earned buck as they introduce newer, cleverer, more compact, easier ways to be a DJ. So it’s nice now and then to come across a product that doesn’t seem to try and lay claim to being the next best thing, or re-invent the wheel. The Reloop RMP-2 CD player is one such product. Before this review I hadn’t even heard of the Swedish company. But google them and you will find they have some mighty fine looking DJ gear. Aesthetically the RMP-2 CD/MP3 player is sleek, professional and very well laid out.

It has nice sizable buttons in all the right places ... located where you will find them on other leading brands, a healthy solid touch-sensitive jog wheel that is very responsive and has a good feel, and a comprehensive DSP effect unit that requires singlebutton synchronisation.

The effects are really good in fact and one can quickly set the time signatures on these. (7 in total from 1/8 – 4/1) The FX includes all the usual suspects, flanger, echo, filter, pan etc as well as the vinyl scratch option which is also here. The FX automatically sync to the BPM of the track. Under the FX buttons you will find the sample/loop buttons and again simplicity seems to be the name of the game with 5 sec loops per bank. The looping is seamless and one has a host of banks to store the loops – it’s all pretty straight forward and fun.

Cueing of tracks is done via the pause, find your beat with the jog-wheel and cue procedure. Nice and simple just the way I like it too. Pitch bend buttons, pitch range (+/- 4%, +/-8%, +/-16% or

PG 17

+/-100%) for the tempo slider, a key lock feature, a BPM tap button, reverse button ... it’s got ‘em all.

The screen display is pretty thorough too, and is sizable enough to give you feedback on pretty much everything that’s happening with your track from track no., folder, time mode, BPM display, which play mode one is in and more.

I really, really like the Reloop player. It has great features and basically just feels right when mixing. To be honest it knocks the socks of some of the best name DJ brands.

Steve Elsworth is a DJ, Producer and professional sound engineer, working in and around Cape Town. He is currently one of the head lecturers at Cape Audio College and director of the colleges Electronic Music Programming and DJ courses. steve@capeaudiocollege.co.za

PUMP UP THE BASS I

N the last article I covered the lifeblood of any track; the drums. In this article I will take you through the bass line and the lead line, providing the tight groove for the track.

Fig.1 In the electro genre the bassline needs to be funky and phat. The key to this type of bassline is a big, phat and tonally rich patch; ideally we want to be using some stacked saw or triangle waves. In synthesis we have four main waveforms, they are the saw tooth, triangle, square and sine waves. For a big grooving funky bassline, you would ideally be using any of the first three or a combination of them. The sine wave can also be used for bass but it is used more for the large sub bass sounds.

Fig.2 We are going to produce a monotone, hammering beast of a bassline. We will use some stacked saw and triangle waves with a low pass filter to give a gritty nasty sound and some tweaked resonance settings- remember when the bass kicks in the crowd needs to explode ‌ Our first step is to select a bass patch from our synth, for this example I will be using Reasons Subtractor. Reason comes equipped with a large sample library, which can be

By Steve Elsworth

further expanded with other commercially available refills.

Having selected our patch, we can now play in a monotone bassline that compliments our filthy patch perfectly (see fig .1). Once happy with this, we can fatten it up by using a maximiser and some Scream4 distortion. Now we have suitably filthy electro screaming bassline.

Next in our quest to build our electro loop is the addition of the synth part. Now in the genre of electro the bassline tends to behave more like a lead as it occupies so much of the track and combined with the drums serves to drive the track forward, so understandably electro synths are usually slight and robotic in nature with fast attacks, quick decay and reasonably fast releases.

More commonly however, the majority of electro tracks employ the blippy and squeaky synths that bring old school science fiction movie soundtracks to mind. These riffs always tend to be really minimal, with big gaps allowing the groove element and the bassline to be emphasized with the little synth sounds playing a few notes in these gaps, helping things shuffle along.

Going back to our session we bring up the latest addition to Reason 4 - the Thor, and search its infinite patches for a suitably blippy patch. We then play the riff in with a three beat gap (see fig .2); this type of start-stop riff allows the bassline to dominate the track. We can then fill some space in the riff by adding in shorter quieter and lower notes before each of our primary ones allowing our riff to gain energy.

The trick now is to use layering of the same riff with a combination of complimentary patches to layer and thicken our track. Again this is done to increase the depth and quality of our track. So how do we do it?

Add in another synth and copy the riff over. Choose a patch that has a more plucked sound to it. By choosing a patch like this you are allowing the new patch to sit neatly under our primary patch as it adds tonal qualities to the original lead synth. Almost done, all that is needed now is to fill in the gaps and allow the track to keep rolling. We accomplish this by copying the riff to yet another track and choosing a synth with a nice tonal quality. Something like a Hammond organ patch or similar. Copy the riff over by one bar so that it covers the end of the previous bars riff. This patch is now providing the much needed musical drive.

Now all that is left for us to do is to tidy up our riffs, so we trim the bass using a high pass filter at around 80Hz, add some strong compression and maximization and stereo spread giving our leads a bit of width. Again do this across all three riffs adjusting appropriately for each sound.

Remember that each sound needs to sit in the mix in a different way so take this into account when working on each riff.

We now have the basis for a phat electro track. Next time I will explain how to deal with the flow and how to sequence the track into your final dance floor masterpiece.

Happy writing‌.

LE DA RFE STOCK A WHITED NCE! LIMLEARA C

FAYGIFTS

Stockist of Studio equipment & Software!

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS NOW AVAILABLE! Wide range of lazer lights & lighting available!

3 Wharfedale Mics in Carry Case

Wharfedale Speakers 1200 WATTS

R299.95

R1699.95

DM 2.0

EVPX 15

PIONEER CDJ 100

EVPX 215 LX 18 EVPX 18B (Bass Bin)

WHARFEDALE AMPLIFIERS

S 2500

R3899.95

Tel: (021) 761 4459 | 25 Maynard Rd Wynberg | CAPE TOWN

TITAN “12 1000 WATT Passive & Active Speakers

WHARFEDALE SPEAKERS

faygifts@telkomsa.net

MP 2800

We also accept payments by Credit Card & RCS

PG 20

BPM Reports

What is...

S

cratch LIVE authentically emulates the vinyl DJ experience, focusing on accurate control and audio processing. It is the only digital DJ system that stays true to the art of DJ’ing with no auto sync or effects by design.

The DJ is in control of the mix at all times, not the computer. Using regular turntables or CD players, you can scratch and mix files from your Mac or Windows computer’s drive using Serato's unique Control Vinyl or CDs. You can easily switch from Control Vinyl to traditional vinyl records as well if you wish.

Serato has researched other forms of control and as a result has also now certified a select range of new generation MIDI controllers with direct USB connectivity to Scratch LIVE. This means that Scratch LIVE can now send track information from the software to the supported hardware on-board displays.

You can also use the platters, buttons and sliders instantly, as supported hardware has pre-mapped controls for a no fuss setup.

Is it any good...?

In 2007 Scratch LIVE was awarded best digital DJ solution for the second consecutive year in the DJ Tech awards.

Scratch LIVE has firmly stamped its mark as the industry standard for DJs who want to integrate their computer based music with real Turntables or DJ CD Players.

The Serato White label Delivery Network is a unique system designed to distribute promotional releases specifically to Scratch LIVE users. Register on the Scratch LIVE forum, and then use the same login to gain free access to some of the freshest music on the planet at no charge via whitelabel.net.

For more info on distribution in South Africa go to www.prosound.co.za

College Spotlight Academy of Sound Engineering

W

elcome to College Spotlight where we get the low-down on some of the top audio training colleges countrywide.

We kick things off with a look at the Academy of Sound Engineering otherwise known as ASE. I got talking to George Hattingh Jnr, the Sales and Marketing executive who also lectures a course on ear training called “Golden Ear.” The college was started in 1996 by George’s late father George Hattingh Snr, Nick Matzukis, who is also a director of AVL Productions - the sound, stage and lighting company - and in 2004 Tim Kraft also joined the partnership. George Snr. did an internship at the SABC back in 1969 and through his extensive experience and expertise as a sound engineer created a syllabus that a young potential sound engineer could take and qualify with.

Housed in the SABC George Jnr says, “it is a huge factor that our students become part of the heart of SA's entertainment industry from day one. It's also an amazing advantage to have the SABC facilities, which are world class, at our disposal.” He quickly adds, “But we are independent and are not in any way owned by the SABC.” With their location students at ASE are exposed to the industry from the first day they set foot on campus and are able to build crucial relationships with industry pro’s that will give them the edge later on in their careers. George laughs, “If they can't meet the right people in this building, they never will!”

ASE prides itself in offering proper professional audio training. Explains George, “Just last week, a senior executive at the SABC told us that when he interviews prospective employees, the only ones that seem to be able to answer the technical questions he asks are the ones from ASE. We are very gratified by this. I think the difference is that we offer a course that genuinely takes the graduate to a higher professional standard. Our courses are

COMPETITION

Win a bursary for a Part Time Audio Technology Course from ASE by simply answering this question. “Where is ASE situated?”

E-mail your answers to georgej@ase.co.za and put the word “SOUND” in the subject line.

Terms and conditions apply.

BPM Reports

designed to create professional engineers, ready for the industry, and not hobbyists. Obviously our course is more difficult than those at other colleges for that reason. The core of our course is high-level training in Pro Tools, which is without doubt the world's (and SA's) leading recording system. We are the only Certified Training Location for Pro Tools in Africa, and have also recently been elevated to the even higher status of Pro School (one of only eleven outside the USA) which allows us to give training up to Expert Level.

No other college in SA is permitted to give this level of training, so I think the professionalism of our course speaks for itself.” For further info go to www.ase.co.za.

PRO TOOLS

Gerhard Van Der Merwe Professional Sound Engineer Graduate of ASE

Clayton Robbatze DJ at Jacaranda FM Student of ASE

Thoban Jappie 5FM Freelance Sound Engineer Student of ASE

DIPLOMA IN

SOUND ENGINEERING Why ASE? By far the most experienced and respected sound engineering educators in the country Housed in the SABC Buildings, with world class facilities Genuine links to the local and international entertainment industry (live tours and studio)

AFRICA'S ONLY

PRO TOOLS

Without doubt, the finest and most up-to-date equipment (hardware and software) of any South African audio college

Tel: 011-482 9200/8884

Fax: 011 482 9203 | E-mail: georgej@ase.co.za | www.ase.co.za

PG 22

CL204DSP 20-Channel Mixer

BPM Reports

PROFESSIONAL AUDIO

C

itronic have introduced an interesting and competitively priced range of DSP mixing desks suitable to both studio and live environments. We got our hands on the CL204DSP; to have a closer look at the console. At under 5 grand it’s certainly worth a look in with no less than 20 channels and onboard 24-bit multieffects DSP processor.

What you get for the price is a 20channel mixer made up of 4 stereo channels and 12 mono channels. All 12 mono channels have XLR mic inputs as well line-in ¼ inch jacks.

Each of these channels also has their own +48v power button for phantom power. Each channel has 3 band eq with a -15db cut and +15db boost. Beneath the eq’s you will find two aux send knobs and a pre/post button.

As we move down the channel strip we find the effects knob to integrate the DSP effects in the mix on said channel and beneath this a pan knob for left and right. Finally above the channel

faders we find the PFL/Solo buttons and mute button. The 12 mono channels also have the added features just below the line-in/mic XLR jacks of gain knob and low cut filter button. Mains output is via XLR or ¼ inch jack with single jack outputs for monitors.

Above the stereo channels are the 2 stereo aux returns and a set of stereo aux send jacks. The combined 24 bit multi effects unit and 12 led VU meters are very prominent and the blue-lit LCD menu is

quite basic with three controls for your effects. One button selects the type of effect whilst the other selects the timing/ frequency parameter.

Nestled between these buttons is the toggle switch for selecting an effect or toggling the parameter timing setting, depending which button you have pressed. The effects are fairly basic and with only one parameter control there’s not a lot of manipulation one can do. You get various reverbs including a plate verb, echoes, delays, chorus, flanger, voice, wah-wah and some handy combinations of some of the aforementioned.

In conclusion the Citronic is aimed squarely at the professional audio guy who is looking for a multi-purpose unit that will prove versatile and easily adaptable to many different applications. It’s going to give you a lot of options and importantly will not put too big a dent in your pocket.