15 minute read
Making Tracks
PRESONUS: 1-2 STUDIO PUNCH
By Wesley Bryant-King
Advertisement
Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of sampling some of the gear from Baton Rouge, La.-based PreSonus Audio Electronics. The company has carved out its spot in the market with a specific array of gear that ranges from the basics, like audio interfac es and both live and studio speakers, to some niche products like the Fader Port studio control surfaces that I reviewed for this magazine not long after their introduction.
B a c k a t W i n t e r NAMM 2020 this past January, I got a peek at some new gear, and re cently had a chance to run some of it through its pac es: the newly upgraded Eris E8 XT active studio moni tors, and the very unique ioStation 24c that doubles as an audio interface and a studio controller. Let’s take a look.
Eris E8 XT
If you’re serious about music production, there’s at least one item in your audio arsenal that’s a must-have, and that’s a decent pair of studio monitors. If you can’t hear your mix and hear it accurately, the rest of your work is for nothing. And as I’ve written many times, I believe that monitors with 8-inch main drivers are about as small as you generally want to go without a dedicated studio subwoofer (and you might still want one even then). As it happens, 8-inches is the biggest in the Eris line, PreSonus’ mainstream monitor series, and yet they still run right about $260 each on the street – not bad.
The company recently upgraded the Eris E8 — hence the “XT” designation on the end of the name. PreSonus claims that the units now have a lower lowend (to 35 Hz), and a wider sweet spot that makes two-people-in-the-room monitoring less of a concern. What I can say subjectively is that they sound pretty awesome; the sound is super-crisp and compares quite favorably to the various studio monitors I regularly use in my home studio.
As always, I use a room-tuning system to evaluate monitors and correct for my sound-treated (but still acoustically imperfect) room, which also lets me see how the monitors perform. Reasonably flat across the range, on the low-end, I start to see some drop-off at 50 Hz, and they cross the usual -10 dB threshold right about the promised 35 Hz.
We could debate whether that’s low enough for critical low-end work, so if that 35 Hz floor leaves you wanting, then you could always opt for one of PreSo nus’ Temblor T10 studio subs. That’ll get you down all the way to 20 Hz, according to the company’s spec sheet, but it’ll run you another $430 or so, street price.
In any case, the Eris E8 XT units offer triple inputs (RCA, 1/4-inch TRS, and XLR), and the back panel sports a low cut-off switch, continuous mid- and high-frequency trim to plus/minus 6 dB, and an “acoustic space” switch for compensating for wall or corner placement.
To top it all off, the Eris E8 XT is certainly a handsome devil sitting on my speaker stands — great looks, great sound and a great price seems like a win ning combination.
Eris E8 XT: Great-sounding, affordable.
ioStation 24c
Every studio needs some way of getting sound in and out of the computer, so a de cent quality audio interface is a must-have for DAW-based music production work. But if you’ve spent any time working with a DAW (digital audio workstation), then you Ace Interface: know that reaching for the mouse for every PreSonus’ single operation can get exceptionally tedious. ioStation 24c. It was with all this in-mind that PreSonus created the ioStation 24c. The “c” at the end of the name is your clue that this unit is one for today’s newer computers with its USB-C interface — perfect for late-model Mac and MacBook users like me. It’s a basic, 2-channel-in/2-channel-out interface, which is adequate for many (and perhaps most) home-studio use cases. (You won’t get enough inputs for things like mics and hardware synthesizers, or enough outputs to handle dual studio monitors by itself for A/B comparisons — but you may have no need for such things.) Speaking of mics, while arguably more of interest for genres other than EDM, the ioStation 24c uses PreSonus’ XMAX mic preamps, while the company claims that its high-quality ADCs pro vide solid dynamic range to make the most of what you record.
But it’s not the audio interface that makes the ioStation 24c unique; it’s the fact that it also puts all your transport controls right at your fingertips, along with an array of command buttons that are designed to make using your DAW much easier. Of particular note is the cool, motorized fader on the unit; be cause it’s motorized, it’ll adjust itself to match what the software is doing as you navigate tracks, and tactile control sure beats using a mouse. The “Session Navigator” provides access to controls designed to make it easier and faster to navigate the ubiquitous timeline that’s at the core of any DAW.
As with any control surface, the ioStation 24c can take some getting used to, and initially anyway, will likely slow down your workflow more than it speeds it up. But the more I used it, the more I liked it, and the more efficiency I realized from using it. Even better, I have to say, the unit looks pretty sexy sitting on my studio desktop.
The ioStation 24c supports both Mackie Control and HUI protocols, which translates into the unit working well with the leading DAWs, including Pro Tools, Logic Pro X, and my own go-to DAW, Ableton Live. Even deeper integra tion is provided with PreSonus’ own Studio One DAW software, a version of which is included.
PreSonus is also bundling what they call its “Studio Magic” collection, which includes a number of virtual instruments and effects from major brands, and now even includes a copy of Ableton Live Light — a plus, in my view, for wouldbe EDM producers who might be looking to the ioStation 24c as a convenient, all-in-one way to get started. You can pick yours up for right around $300 on the street.
PRIME GO: DENON DJ’S GAME-CHANGER
By Wesley Bryant-King
If you think you’re experiencing with the previously reviewed PRIME Yes, the Denon DJ PRIME GO is a bit of déjà vu right about now, 2 (which the company prefers to small; it’s just over 16-inches wide, well, perhaps you are. In the last is call a “smart console”), and second, under 11-inches deep, and stands just sue, I reviewed a Denon DJ PRIME with the subject of this review, the 2-inches or so off the desktop. It’s standalone controller, and here I am PRIME GO. slightly chunkier than I expected; right again — reviewing a Denon DJ PRIME While the PRIME 2 was Denon about 8 pounds, in fact, which is nei standalone controller. DJ’s attempt to bring the PRIME ex ther that heavy, nor that light. But I
But this one — the PRIME GO perience to DJs at a slightly lower would soon learn why that is: a bat — is just a little different, a little en price tier, the PRIME GO (I would tery. It didn’t really click until I plugged velope-pushing, and whole heck of a argue, anyway) is less about estab the unit in to AC power, and noticed lot of fun. lishing a foothold at a lower price that there was a battery-charging light
So, why so much from Denon DJ? point, and more about carving out an illuminated, that the PRIME GO has It was apparent back at the Winter interesting niche — and claiming it the word “go” in its name for a very NAMM show this past January that for themselves. good reason: there’s a rechargeable inMusic — parent company of Denon DJ, as well as DJ brands Numark, First Impressions lithium-ion battery is lurking inside, ready to support a brand-new set Rane, and (as recently announced) To be honest, when I opened the of use cases — use cases that at the Stanton DJ as well — was investing box of the PRIME GO, I was expect moment, only the PRIME GO can in the DJ market in a very big way. ing a PRIME controller that was “yet support. But then, that’s been apparent since even smaller” and little else. Judging Imagine jumping into an Uber or they started collecting DJ brands like by the size of the box and its light Lyft for a ride to your next gig and some people collect sports cars. At weight, I was also expecting a lot of organizing your crates for the eve NAMM, however, the company fo compromises, a lot of features to be ning’s set while in the back seat on the cused on Denon DJ for its splashiest stripped out, and to be sort of yawn way there. Or perhaps kicking back announcements, namely how it was ing by the time I plopped it on my poolside, umbrella-adorned cocktail extending its successful PRIME family review desk. I was in for a surprise nearby, setting up cue points for some into two new market segments, first on many levels. new tracks, or practicing some mixing techniques, with nothing more than the PRIME GO, a pair of headphones, and your tracks on a USB key. These are the sorts of situations for which
the PRIME GO is made. And sure, if you want to set up your DJ booth at a party with no power nearby, that might be a possibility, too – although the four-hour battery life may limit you.
But it’s not just the battery. De non DJ has equipped the PRIME GO with its latest Engine OS software, which you access through the unit’s gorgeous 7-inch touch screen. It has the same multi-touch support that the others in the PRIME series pro vide. You even get internet connectivity (wired or WiFi) right on the unit, which at press time gives you the abil ity to use the Tidal streaming service, with other services promised for the near future.
While the jog wheels are, as you would expect, downsized consider ably, that’s one of the few compromises on the PRIME GO. You do have dual mic inputs, making it particularly useful for the mobile-DJ market; you get full XLR master outs (and RCA as well) and separate booth outs (in ¼-inch), which means it’s designed for pros. There’s an aux input available. You also get a nice set of effects to use, along with both high/low filter and a “wash-out” effect, what Denon DJ refers to as “sweep effects,” which can be individually applied to each (contnued on page 40)
PRIME GO: Great functionality for its size.
CALI DJ MIXES MOBILES & RADIO
By Stu Kearns
Visalia, Calif. – When the pandemic hit, Cali DJ Randy Hendrix didn’t diddle way his newly found free time watching Netflix. No, he made an effort to improve his business, Hendrix DJ Company, by working on his website and SEO tactics.
“When this is over and brides start to book again,” he says, “I want to be the one they see when they Google my area.”
Since then, the Central Valleybased DJ has been updating his pro motional materials, adding T-shirts, pens, and pop sockets to the mix. He’s updated his logo, and is going through his equipment and cleaning it, while practicing his mixing, “and looking at more current clothes for events.”
He’s also been updating his materi als for schools for the fall, and looking into providing trivia events for more weekday cash. “I want to be the one that excels when we are out of this emergency,” he says. “A little work behind the scenes now will create big benefits later.”
Hendrix does have the luxury of a full-time gig — and one that provides him unique advantages to make sure he comes out of the gate in good shape when the pandemic begins to wane. He’s a program director at a radio station, and has been at the same gig for 20 years — KCRZ/HITZ 104.9 and KVMI/My97.5. That, in it self, is a rarity.
“The secret is to work for inde pendent companies,” says Hendrix. “I’ve worked for the big corporations and lasted about as long as anyone else, which is usually three to five years.”
He came to HITZ 104.9 in 2000 to do mornings, then did mornings and program-director duties for middays. Hendrix says it’s been a great help to his mobile DJing. “I program a Top 40 station and that helps with new music,” he says, adding that he’s aided by his Promo Only subscription, too. “But programming music on the air is different than a gig — at the gig, the crowd is in front of you and you can read the crowd.”
On the air is different, indeed. For starters, he must contend with Nielsen ratings, just like TV stations. Says Hendrix: “You have to pull in Shazam, Spotify mediabase numbers, plus streaming numbers, and listen to it and listen to it and use your gut, and hope you made the right pick.”
One aspect of the radio business that Hendrix does love is promo tions. “We dream things up and I make them happen,” he says. “We give away cash, gas cards, trips to Ve gas, shows to Katy Perry, Jonas Brothers, Justin Bieber, Shawn Mendes. I have taken listeners on a limo bus to see the Raiders play in Oakland the last five years, and we take 40 listeners to a beach resort about two hours away for a weekend and put on a luau. It’s always something dif ferent in radio. The listeners become your friends, and the couples become friends, too.”
A program director is one job that’s historically been less than se cure. That’s why Hendrix’s 20-year tenure is so unusual. To drive this point home, iHeartRadio recently laid off thousands of employees.
“I knew people who got let go at iHeart, and try and help them when I can if I hear of anything open,” he says. “It always makes my heart sink, but I learned early on working for a company like that, they use you until they don’t need you – and that’s it. I wasn’t surprised by the layoff. It happens every year usually about November. It’s all about keeping the company on the profitable side. If they need to keep the revenue up, they let a lot of people go and then –
Seasoned Vet: Randy Hendrix spun his first gig in 1982.
boom – revenue is up.”
Hendrix is a realist — in radio, you need to be. “I know it will happen sooner or later,” he says about his tenure ending. “I’m not looking over my shoulder, because I believe if you keep being creative and relative you will keep your gig.”
And there’s always the mobile business to fall back on. “I know I always have the DJ service to fall back on full-time if I am out of a radio job,” he says.
But there are challenges. He’s usu ally at the station for 10 to 12 hours a day, and then has to run off to meet with a bride and groom. As a singleop, he does it all. He’s been doing gigs by himself for decades. In 1982, he spun his first gig. It was his sister’s wedding and he used turntables, cas settes and Bose 802s – he was 12.
“I like the weddings because ev eryone is happy, for the most part, and I get joy out of having a small part of making their day fun,” he says. “Whereas radio stations can be a drama pit most of the time… but fun, too.”
For Hendrix, like many others, the pandemic essentially stopped his mo bile business in its tracks. He’s done a small handful of gigs this year, with everything postponed until the fall. The current crisis, says Hendrix, re calls those post-9/11 and the 2008 financial meltdown.
“This is about scared brides,” he says, “who realize down the road a few months the world will not end, and reschedule within the next 10 months as not to lose the venue.”
Getting back to his gear, Hendrix has, despite the economic downturn, begun to invest in some new items, as he recently picked up a pair of QSC K12 powered speakers. But he still has plenty of older gear, which, he insists, works just fine. “If you take care of it all,” he says, “it can last for ever. I’m a firm believer that, if sounds good to you and your guests, then it doesn’t matter what it is.”
His other PA gear includes Mackie Thump Series 15A active tops and a Thump18 active sub, Yamaha BR15 passive tops, Peavey PV118 subs, and QSC GX5 power amps. Though tran sitioning to Serato DJ software, he’s mainly uses Virtual DJ. He also uses a Behringer VMX1000 USB mixer, a Numark DJ2Go2 controller and a Shure BLX24/SM58 wireless micro phone system. For lighting, he uses a variety of Chauvet DJ units, including a pair of Mini Kinta IRC LED lights, a CH-06 T-Bar Stand and a pair of Scorpion Storm FX lasers.
Generally, his bookings rely on three components. He generates a good amount of business through Facebook (“you show a video and pics of you having fun with a client, and they want that”), word-of-mouth from old clients, and radio listeners who know he’s a mobile DJ.
“That’s my tribe,” says Hendrix, “people who listen to and like music.”
