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Daws &

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INTERNA TIONAL EDITION

CONTENTS

>>> CONTENTS

Welcome to the newly redesigned 2014 edition of The Interntaional Guide to DAWs and Plug-ins. Whether you’re in music, film, TV, radio, games, or any other audio profession, this guide will help you parse your way through the fast-growing world of digital audio workstations and third-party plug-ins.

16 Steinberg

I would be hard-pressed to name another innovation that has shaped the way we record audio more than the advent and proliferation of the modern digital audio workstation. With each software release these products become more powerful, more intuitive, and more creative, bringing processes, sounds, and techniques that were once only available in a major studio filled with outboard gear into the hands of the pro-audio public. While the market for DAWs has seemingly matured in the last few years, and the leading manufacturers are easy to pick out, there is still a steady stream of new releases and updates (and let’s not even get started on the wealth of choices when it comes to plug-ins). Choosing the right workstation for your workflow and style is at the core of the recording process. That’s where this guide comes in. Within the pages of the 2014 DAWs & Plug-in Guide you’ll find informative and promotional articles on the current offering of DAWs and plug-ins. We’ve enlisted the help of Audio Media contributor, engineer, and music technology author Stephen Bennett to give us a run-down of the current offering for DAWs, showing recent advancements and giving suggestions of which workstation will offer the best features for you, whether you’re predominantly recording audio, composing music, or performing live. Stephen also talks to a number of leading plug-in manufacturers about their most innovative products and where they see the market moving next. Lastly, we’ve also included a manufacturer index at the back for your reference. This Guide, along with the others in the series (Theatre Sound, Microphones, Monitors & Headphones, Broadcast Audio, and Consoles) are Audio Media projects and are designed to help you navigate your way through the swaths of products available and find what’s right for you.

For more details visit www.audiomedia.com

Directory

Jory MacKay, Audio Media

May Issue 2014

DAW Distinction Getting Plugged in Merging Technologies Presonus Source Elements

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iZotope

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AUDIO MEDIA (UK) Audio Media is published by Intent Media London, 1st Floor, Suncourt House, 18-26 Essex Road, London N1 8LN, England. www.audiomedia.com Telephone: 020 7354 6001 www.nbmedia.com

Jat Garcha jat.garcha@intentmedia.co.uk The contents of this publication are subject to worldwide copyright protection and reproduction in whole or in part, whether mechanical or electronic, is expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the Publishers. Great care is taken to ensure accuracy in the preparation of this publication but neither NewBay Media nor the Editor can be held responsible for its contents or any omissions. The views expressed are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the Publishers or Editor. The Publishers accept no responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, or artwork. © 2014 NewBay Media. All rights reserved.

May 2014 03

DAWS

DAW Distinction The rise of the DAW has been one of the defining moments in modern music production. Stephen Bennett looks at what’s next for the all-mighty digital audio workstation. THE TRANSFORMATION of the early computer-based sequencer into the Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) of today has been a gradual evolution, with each generation of software from the various manufacturers leapfrogging each other with respect to features and power. The DAW market is a mature one, with basic facilities, such as those enabling the arrangement of audio and MIDI data, editing, mixing, automation, use of Virtual Instruments (VIs), and effects’ processing using the computer’s central processing unit (CPU) being common to nearly all of the software currently on the market. However, there still appears to be room for innovation with every iteration of competing DAWs bringing something new to the table. Although each DAW may have a specific feature that different users might find useful, most engineers who’ve been in the game a while will choose their DAW by inertia – no one wants to learn a new way of working unless they have to. Confusingly, many DAWS have completely different descriptions for similar functions, making choices of which piece of software to use based solely on feature set difficult. Sonically, DAWs may differ when pan laws and plug-ins are brought into the equation, but many ‘null tests’ have demonstrated that, where conditions are identical, all DAWs sum audio in the same way – its just adding numbers together, after all. However, the internet is rife with claims that despite mathematical proof that files exported from the summing engines of DAWs are indeed identical, people still claim to hear differences between competing software – though most of us are unlikely to choose our tools on such shaky foundations.

Far more important to the working engineer are ergonomic workflow and essential specific features that may be available only in a particular DAW. This is undoubtedly where the various pieces of available software do begin to differ from each other.

THE CENTRE OF THE MODERN STUDIO Steinberg set the general pattern of DAW workflow early on with its MIDI-only Cubase sequencer for the Atari ST and most software on the market today still conforms to many of these design paradigms – although there are some exceptions. Cubase featured (and still features) a central arrange page where

“Because most DAWs have become multi-functional tools with similar feature sets, workﬂow has become a major deciding factor in users’ choice of software.” Stephen Bennett recordings can be captured in a similar fashion to the way engineers worked with multi-track tape machines in the past. Recorded parts can be edited within this page or opened in sub-windows for finer adjustment. However, the DAW is a flexible beast and provides the various software designers plenty of scope for innovation. Some DAWs, such as Cubase and Logic Pro, have evolved from MIDI-only beginnings and tend to be full of features useful in composition, while other were designed from the ground up as audio recorders – for example, Avid’s Pro Tools and Merging Technologies’ Pyramix. Some DAWs eschew the traditional ‘tape recorder’ paradigm and focus on looping and arrangement. Although Ableton Live is probably the best-known software of this type, in the 1980s, E-Magic’s Notator and Creator software for the Atari ST were built around similar concepts – as is the new Bitwig Studio DAW for Linux, Windows, and OSX. Ableton Live allows the user to perform real-time pitch and tempo manipulation and has therefore become as

Anymix Pro surround processor folded into Steinberg’s Nuendo 4 The International Guide To Daws & Plug-ins 2014

Apple’s Logic Pro X Drum Designer – a virtual drummer

much of a performance tool as a recording system. Various Open Source DAWs have also become available for multiple platforms, and Harrison, makers of high-end mixing consoles, has developed one of these using Ardour as a platform for a DAW dedicated to mixing that features software emulations of the company’s high-end desks.

CLOSE TO THE EDIT DAWs enable the engineer or musician to capture two types of recording – audio and data (as MIDI and automation data, for example). In modern DAWs, the lines between the two types of capture are becoming increasingly blurred, with audio editing now almost as fluid as MIDI and other data manipulation. Common recording features, familiar to users of tape machines, are to be found in most DAWs – channel arming and various monitoring options, punch-in and out, locators, cycle and so on. Many DAWS are ‘always in record’ to receive inputted MIDI note and controller data, so you no longer need to press the dreaded red button when recording Virtual Instrument or external MIDI parts. Though this feature has yet to be applied to audio recording, it can’t be long before DAWs become always-record ready. Some companies are changing the way that audio is recorded and edited. Pyramix, for example, allows the recordist to capture audio onto four separate drives simultaneously and for the editing process to begin before all the takes have been completed. www.audiomedia.com

DAWS

display of level, average loudness, and stereo imaging, while some have more sophisticated tools available such as Magix’s Samplitude Pro’s track-level spectral editing and Nuendo’s Loudness track that displays a graphical representation of the average loudness of a recording over the whole project.

Merging Technologies’ Pyramix

Avid Pro Tools’ innovative Beat Detective

Editing in competing DAWs is essentially performed in the same fashion, with tools for copying, pasting, and cutting recorded material – although some have brought familiar video editing techniques into the audio world. These allow editors to use ripple, roll, slip, and slide edits to finely line up transitions between recorded regions. Most DAWs now have some type of multi-track phase-locked ‘takes’ feature that packs into a folder (or groups together) various different passes of a recorded part to allow the editor to quickly select the best sections of the recordings. Many DAWs feature virtual VCA (Voltage Controlled Amplifier) grouping and all are capable of automating every part of the mixing process including effects. DAWs such as Pro Tools, Nuendo, and Pyramix have dedicated hardware controllers to assist with hands-on recording and mixing, but most can be used with tabletbased devices running either the Open Sound Control (OSC) protocol or bespoke software, such as that found in the Apple iPad controller for Logic Pro X. Speaking of tablets, many companies now have cut-down versions of their flagship software available for these mobile devices – it’s an area that should become more interesting as the power of this hardware increases. Although most DAWs have long had some kind of (usually offline) audio pitch and tempo processing facilities, modern software usually contains some kind of real-time processing tools. Cubase/Nuendo’s VariAudio system presents the analysed monophonic audio as ‘blobs’ that can be edited to bring to a defined tuning or transposed to create harmonies. This way of displaying the pitch content of audio is almost exactly the same as that first seen in Celemony’s Melodyne plug-in – but Steinberg isn’t alone in borrowing this idea, as Apple’s Logic Pro X’s Flex Pitch feature and MOTU’s Digital Performer use almost exactly the same pitch editing concept. Melodyne www.audiomedia.com

has been incorporated directly into Presonus’ Studio One and Cakewalk’s Sonar X3 via its proprietary ARA (Audio Random Access) interface. Pro Tools’ audio editing tools are grouped under the moniker of Elastic Audio and the software’s Beat Detective feature was the first to incorporate transient detection and quantisation tools designed for editing rhythm parts – although the idea of slicing audio at user defined or automatically detected transients first popped up in Propellerhead’s ReCycle software. Once these transients are specified, audio can be quantised or forced to align to the ‘groove’ of other audio or MIDI recordings and most DAWs feature some type of audio to MIDI and drum replacement features. In the same way that plug-ins allow a DAW’s feature set to be easily expanded, some

DAWS AND COLLABORATION Although most DAWs have facilities to import and export various file formats to allow users to move sessions between different company’s software some are starting to build other kinds of collaborative tools into their systems by taking advantage of the connectivity the internet and networking provides. Cockos’ Reaper incorporates the NINJAM system to allow users to share and collaborate over the net. Sonar has built-in Gobbler connectivity – a third-party internet collaboration tool – while many DAWs provide facilities for users to export mixes to Soundcloud and iTunes. Pro Tools and Pyramix incorporate IP over networking protocols to allow collaboration between different users of the same software, while Reaper can offload effects processing onto another computer via a network connection. CONCLUSION Although some DAWs are aimed squarely at post production and others lean towards providing mostly compositional tools, most straddle the two fields.

Cubase/Nuendo’s Variaudio in action

software allows the user to create new internal processing tools. Logic Pro’s misunderstood Environment enables the programmer to design sophisticated MIDI editors and processors and has been joined in version X by a MIDI scripting language that can be used to build MIDI plug-ins. Ableton Live’s audio and MIDI processing facilities can be extended by a specialised version of Cycling ‘74’s DSP programming language, Max for Live, while Reaper goes one step further with its built-in JS scriptable plug-in engine that enables users to write high-quality effect plug-ins that sport 64-bit audio resolution and sample-accurate MIDI. Most DAWS contain basic metering and audio analyser features, covering the

DAWs will most likely continue to converge in feature sets and continue the trend to swallow up innovations that once existed only as third-party plug-ins. However, plug-in designers continue to innovate and are likely to find their ideas being copied or eventually incorporated into a DAW. If you think for a moment about what a modern DAW can do while running on even modest computer platforms, you’ll see that these programs have arguably had the greatest influence on music, radio, and audiovisual production since Edison recorded Mary had a Little Lamb into his phonograph. DAW Evolution may have slowed but there’s no sign of it stopping anytime soon. The International Guide To Daws & Plug-ins 2014 6

PLUG-INS

Getting Plugged In Stephen Bennett talks to a number of top plug-in developers to find out what the latest and greatest advancements have been in this increasingly crowded market. AUDIO SOFTWARE companies were quick to take up the idea of allowing third parties to add functionality to an existing Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) via plug-ins. Avid (was Digidesign) was among the first to exploit the concept within Pro Tools with its offline AudioSuite and Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) plug-ins – the latter requiring additional DSP hardware to perform real-time processing. However, it was the introduction of the open Virtual Studio Technology (VST) by Steinberg in 1996 that allowed programmers to easily take advantage of the increasing power of the computer itself to create real-time effects and virtual instruments that could be used within existing DAWs. Since that time, many plug-in formats have appeared, such as Apple’s Audio Units (AU), Avid’s Real Time AudioSuite (RTAS) and AAX plug-ins, and Steinberg’s own VST3, but most serious developers code software for most formats. Other companies choose to bring their technology outside the DAW itself to create standalone processing tools, while some aim to combine the haptic immediacy that hardware brings with the world of digital audio. SOFTWARE TOOLS One of the earliest developers of DAW software add-ons was Waves with its L1 Ultramaximiser, which allowed engineers to increase overall loudness levels in a way not possible before. The company now markets an array of plug-in solutions, many of which still push the envelope for software innovation. The Vocal Rider is simple in concept, but contains some clever processing under the hood. “We were very happy with the Vocal Rider’s success as it coincided with our realisation that we should refrain from concentrating on selling bundles to businesses,” says Amir Vinci, Waves’ director of pro audio products. “It was also a technological breakthrough. Vocal Rider is like a compressor, but it works on a longer range of time on the loudness of the vocal and is also sensitive to the levels of other audio. It’s a result of the research we’ve done into making a good mix easier to achieve.” While Universal Audio (UA) has an extensive range of DSP-assisted emulations of classic outboard hardware, the company also offers some unusual processing tools – for

example, how about a plug-in that models entire studios? In this case, it’s the sound of Ocean Way Studios A and B: “The Ocean Way Studios plug-in is the first ambience/ reverb plug-in that models multiple room positions, unique sound source dispersion patterns and the sound of the studio’s vintage microphones simultaneously,” says UA software product manager Will Shanks. “It’s also the only tool that allows the user to dynamically position up to three mic pairs in the room – in this case with acclaimed engineer Allen Sides providing the pre-set microphone choices and their positions. This plug-in is a time saver in many mixing scenarios. For example, recording studios often use the re-micing of rooms to create a new sound in a mix. The Ocean Way Studios plug-in allows you to do that right in your DAW – but it sounds as if you were actually re-micing at Ocean Way Studios. The plug-in can also be used as a small room reverb, artificially removing the direct path to avoid phasing with your sources.” McDSP is another veteran of the plug-in market, having produced some of the most respected software processing tools in the industry. The company is especially renowned for its equalisation software, but it is not resting on its impressive laurels: ‘The McDSP AE400 Active Equalizer is a significant advancement in the field of equalisation,” says Colin McDowell, CEO and CTO for McDSP. “The AE400 features completely overlapping and independent equaliser bands, positive and negative active gain, separate fixed equaliser gains, independent key filtering, a side chain input option for each band, active equalisation threshold, ratio, attack, and release controls per band, band control linking, and McDSP’s world famous equalisation algorithms.” VIRTUAL REALITY Even in the area of virtual emulations of classic processing tools, companies are looking for new ways to enhance the user experience when using their products. One of the main issues with working with a software compressor or equaliser, for example, is that the mouse isn’t the best tool for controlling the on-screen parameters. While generic controller hardware can be programmed to adjust specific software parameters, it’s usually complicated to set up

8 The International Guide To Daws & Plug-ins 2014

iZotope’s award-winning RX software

and unpredictable in use. Enter Softube with its Console 1, a combination of software and a dedicated mix controller. “The Console 1 hardware gives you the immediacy and sound from the analogue world, together with total recall automation while maintaining the low cost you expect when working with software,” says Henrik Andersson Vogel, Softube’s marketing manager. “Essentially, Console 1 is a mixer. You use it in tandem with your DAW, and you get hands-on control of your mix settings and control of a great sounding model of a Solid State Logic SL 4000 E. You select the track you want to work with by pressing the corresponding track selector button on the hardware and then you use the hardware knobs to set EQ, compressor, gate, transient shaper, high and low cut filters, and distortion.” Although Sonnox originally caught the attention of engineers with software emulations of the various components of the Sony Oxford mixing console – hence its name – the company has expanded its range of processing tools to cover other areas, such as those enabling the engineer to prepare audio for various distribution platforms at the highest possible quality. “The new Codec Toolbox is an affordable yet invaluable solution for encoding your music for the web,” says Rod Densham, managing director of Sonnox. “It is the result of a partnership with Fraunhofer www.audiomedia.com

PLUG-INS

IIS, who originally created the MP3 and AAC formats that the majority of people today listen to online or on their portable music player.” Codec Toolbox consists of two applications: the Toolbox Plug-In, which is used for auditioning a mix in real-time through various codecs, and the Toolbox Manager, which includes a batch encode feature and a ‘Clip Safe’ feature that auto-compensates for any ‘overs’ present. “Metadata, such as artist, track name, and artwork, can easily be added to your files to be displayed on your MP3 player or iTunes,” adds Densham. GOING IT ALONE Although the plug-in format allows developers to add features right inside a DAW, sometimes it’s better to provide real-time or offline audio processing as standalone applications. Source Element’s roster of processing tools is awash with unusual and innovative solutions to shift your audio between applications. The company describes its Source-Nexus program as a ‘Swiss army knife’ audio tool that allows the engineer to route up to 24 channels of audio into Pro Tools – even if they’re using software that doesn’t provide inputs and outputs. iZotope’s Ozone was one of the first software processors to combine multiple processing tools dedicated to mastering in a single plug-in and the company has continued to innovate, making a name for itself in the audio restoration field with its EMMY and CAS Award-winning RX software. “The possibilities of software design are endless and iZotope’s development approach has always embraced these possibilities,” says Rob D’Amico, senior product manager for RX. “Thinking beyond knobs and faders, we develop software by focusing on results, designing all-in-one solutions powered by intelligent audio processing and immersive visualisations. With a few clicks of a mouse, RX can remove unwanted sounds from an audio recording and eliminate the need for ADR. Almost any impediment can be treated to improve the sound quality, saving production time, money, and the integrity of the originally recorded audio. Best of all, we’re happy to help engineers to get back to doing their creative work.” For those working in the field of audio restoration and forensic audio, Cedar Audio will need no introduction, developing tools that have proved invaluable in the broadcast, film, and audio fields. The company has been providing solutions for engineers since 1988 and Gordon Reid, Cedar Audio’s managing director, has some interesting insights into the rapidly changing world of software processing: “Not all innovation is contained within new www.audiomedia.com

The new Cedar Trinity audio surveillance system from Cedar Audio

UA’s Ocean Way Studios plug-in

processes such as Cedar’s Retouch, Respeed, and Reshape modules, all of which broke exciting new ground when released. Sometimes a great deal of expertise can be employed to create something that is solid rather than flamboyant, integrating new ideas and facilities in useful ways. The recently announced Cedar Trinity audio surveillance system is an example of this. This combines recording that can be measured in terms of months or even years, a suite of speech enhancement processes that can be used by people with no previous audio expertise, network streaming that allows remote users to review and transcribe previous times of interest while recording continues, and robust file authentication. While the result has been made to look as simple and straightforward as possible, it’s actually the culmination of years of planning and innovative software development. What’s more, it’s possible that elements of the system will later make their way into new Cedar products for the mainstream professional audio industry.”

Occasionally, a piece of software arrives that throws a curveball at the preconceptions and expectations of the typical audio engineer. Antares’ Autotune and Celemony’s Melodyne are examples of software that, although designed for correction of errant pitching, have become creative tools in their own right. Accusonus’ Drumatom promises to follow in the erstwhile footsteps of these venerable programs, providing a facility that, until now, was almost impossible to achieve. “Drumatom is a novel tool that allows engineers to reduce or even eliminate microphone leakage in drum recordings,” says Alexandros Tsilfidis, founder and CEO at Accusonus. “Drumatom gives the option to build a unique drum signature, preserving the personal style of a human drummer and the sound of a well-tuned drum set. Mistakes are unavoidable during the countless hours of a recording session and, in such cases, Drumatom is a lifesaver – it gives you the chance to correct things in the post-processing stage.” Tsilfidis says that we should expect to see further applications of Drumatom’s underlying technology. “After many years of research and development, Accusonus has patented the A3 (Advanced Audio Analysis) technology, which fuels the engine of Drumatom. We have already started implementing this technology into a greater family of audio tools, trying to improve the sound engineer’s workflow in many ways.” Tsilfidis finishes with a comment that demonstrates the continuing inspiration and innovation evident in those companies working in the audio processing field: ‘In Accusonus, we believe that it’s time to take advantage of the enormous computational power available for something more than just perfectly emulating our analogue units. We’ve seen that audio professionals are now ready to accept innovation and we want to push things into this direction!” FINAL THOUGHTS For the developers of DAWs, modifications of workflow or the inclusion of radical new processing features have to be introduced gradually, as users need to continue to remain familiar with the software if the company wishes to retain customers after each update. No such limitation exists for the developers of plug-ins and other standalone processing tools and the companies who are involved in producing this type of software have exploited this flexibility to the max. As computing power continues to increase the audio engineer can expect further innovations – and surprises – to be introduced by the pioneers who continue to push the boundaries of sonic possibilities in the field of digital audio processing.

The International Guide To Daws & Plug-ins 2014 9

MERGING TECHNOLOGIES SA

Pyramix Virtual Studio 9: MassCore Unchained Pyramix 9 arrives with a new mixer, a new hardware interface, and true 64-bit operation, making the most powerful audio engine on the market even more powerful.

In 2007, the MassCore engine provided Pyramix software users with the most powerful audio engine in the world. Capable of 384 discrete inputs and 384 discrete outputs, 256 busses and almost limitless power for plugins, MassCore has always left the competition completely behind. But now, after some 7 years of using ‘hidden’ cores in a multi-core CPU to generate immense processing power and the industry’s lowest latencies, MassCore is still the most powerful engine and it is getting an upgrade to make it even yet more powerful! Enter Pyramix 9, MassCore Unchained. 64-BIT MASSCORE The issue with running something as insane as MassCore in a 32-bit operating system was that there was simply never the room to take full advantage of what the audio engine was capable of. Merging Technologies President, Claude Cellier put it best when he said: “It seems that no matter how much power you present to a digital audio workstation user, they will work as hard as they can to find the upper limits of that power. We are so happy to be able to now completely raise the bar once again on what our users are able to achieve… and we are very interested to see if anyone now is able to find the new limit, or if there even is one!” With 64-bit, Pyramix’s true real-time operation is now able to span not only hundreds of tracks, but also contain more edits, more automation, more plug-ins and span greater project lengths than ever before. One has to admit that it is usually the post-production industry that is leading the way with pushing the boundaries. And, in 10 April 2014

post-production it is not only the audio that needs horsepower. Video playback and remote control all need memory and power as well, and Pyramix 9 doesn’t disappoint in these situations either. IRIS NETWORKED POST SYSTEM AND VCUBE 64-BIT Last year, Smart AV and Merging released the IRIS Networked Post System (http://iris. merging.com). Combining Pyramix DAW with VCube Essentials and the Tango2 interface provided users with a complete studio as a single turnkey solution. With the 64-bit release of the VCube video engine alongside Pyramix 9, Post Pack users are set to be able to playback even more demanding codecs and video file types without having to move the VCube engine to a separate computer. Able to easily playback all major file formats, sequences and codecs, including H.264, DNxHD, AVC Intra, MXF, MOV, AAF, CMX EDL, FCP XML and many others, the VCube component

of the PyraCube system has now had its bar raised as well. And, mixing all of that (no pun intended) with the 24in touchscreen of the Tango2 control surface for mixing and automating makes the IRIS 64-bit system unbeatable. Hapi – SMALL FORMAT AES67 / RAVENNA INTERFACE Meet Hapi, the son of Horus. Born from the most flexible and sonically transparent audio interface and providing the same RAVENNA / AES67 connectivity as its father, Hapi is both the perfect primary interface for smaller systems as well as the ultimate accessory for a system using Horus where control room I/O is required. Able to carry the same AD8D/ AD8DP, and DA8/DA8P analogue cards that fit in the Horus option slots and connect to any RAVENNA or AES67 network the Hapi provides a more cost effective solution than the Horus without having to make a single compromise in quality.

IRIS Networked Post System at Films @59 Bristol, UK The International Guide To Daws & Plug-ins 2014

MERGING TECHNOLOGIES SA

NEW MIXER Being able to construct mixers bigger than any other DAW could ever create means that specialist tools need to be incorporated to help users in navigating through the hundreds of channels, auxes, subgroups, and master busses in a way that does not slow down their workflow. The main addition to the new mixer is the Signal Flow view of the metering. Now, with any strip, or range of strips selected,

that makes the final step of your project an infinitely less complicated one to take. First off, the Final Check Loudness metering has been ported into the mixdown and now provides a log sheet of the loudness measurements in the program. But it also provides the possibility to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Fixâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; the loudness by simple scaling (overall volume increase or decrease) so that even if you do not conform to loudness spec, it will ensure that your final files doâ&#x20AC;Ś and it does all of this

MERGING TECHNOLOGIES SA Is a Swiss manufacturer with over 20 years of experience in developing ground-breaking, professional Audio and Video products for a wide range of entertainment and media industries. With a dedicated user base in the elite end of the music, film, television, mastering, and performances industries, Merging is committed to developing product ranges with unrivalled quality and flexibility, no matter what the application. Merging builds tools for people who want more from their systems, have an inherent need to push boundaries, and believe that quality always comes first, every time.

AES67 NOW!

Merging is a proud RAVENNA partner Two views of the mixer showing the new layout and Signal Flow collapse

MIXDOWN: LOUDNESS LOGGING AND FIX TOOLS Once the mix is finished, Pyramix 9 has a completely redesigned mixdown window

over multiple busses simultaneously! Pyramix 9 is also now able to mixdown multiple busses at the same time, creating a single poly-wav file for each bus. So if you have a stereo and a 5.1 mix, with various deliverable busses, then all you need to do is name them, select â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;mixdown split by busâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, and press go.

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the user can instantly see where the signal is routed to by a slight colour change in the peak meters. Then, with a simple click, the user can collapse the view of the entire mixer so that it only shows those strips and busses being used for the part of the mix that has been selected. Additional updates include automation modes per strip, peak metering in the auxes and subgroup sends, and much more visible strip colouring.

AES67 is becoming quite the buzz word this year. The new interoperability standard for network audio (AoIP) has been quickly jumped on by some of the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest players as the unifying method for connecting devices to a standard network to share real-time audio streams. Merging is proud to announce that all of its hardware and software is completely AES67 compatible with this latest release.

Johan Wadsten, Pyramix product manager notes: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We always want to try and make sure our users are working faster and producing better sounding results than the rest. Version 9 has been a long time coming and I am so excited to hear the results of all our hard work!.â&#x20AC;?

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INFORMATION

Worldwide Headquarters Merging Technologies SA Le Verney 4, CH-1070 Puidoux, Switzerland W: www.merging.com E: info@merging.com Merging UK Offices Emerging UK ltd. 23 Easter Park,Benyon Road, Silchester, Reading RG7 2PQ, United Kingdom T: +44 (0) 118 402 5090 E: sales@emerginguk.com

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Merging USA Offices Independent Audio Inc. 43 Deerfield Road, Portland, ME 04101 T: +1 (207) 773 2424 E: info@independentaudio.com

Hapi: RAVENNA & AES67 interface from Merging Technologies www.audiomedia.com

April 2014 11

PRESONUS AUDIO ELECTRONICS

PreSonus Studio One Professional 2 MusicProduction Software Studio One™ Professional 2 lets you work quickly and focus on your inspiration. Access tools without wading through menus. Load and save audio clips, MIDI files, effects, and VIs by drag-and-drop. Import videos and create soundtracks. Exchange files, presets, instruments, and more with other users. Mix, master, burn CDs and DVDs, and upload to the Web, all within Studio One. MORE PRODUCTIVE. MORE CREATIVE. MORE FUN! PreSonus Studio One Professional 2 presents an integrated approach to recording, from tracking to mixing to mastering and distribution. Built for intuitive use, speed, and efficiency, it’s robust enough for the most complex productions. Studio One has become the DAW of choice for such musical heroes as superproducer Teddy Riley; Grammy-winning engineer Khaliq Glover; and legendary producer/songwriter 5aint. The reasons are simple: Studio One 2 lets them work quickly and efficiently and delivers the features they need and the impeccable audio quality they demand. And thanks to free updates, Studio One is getting better all the time! No wonder it has won so many awards, including Audio Media’s 2010 and 2012 Gear of the Year.

A VISION CREATED FROM EXPERIENCE Created by a German engineering team with many years of experience, Studio One is both powerful and easy to use, integrates tightly with PreSonus hardware, and works well with competing hardware that supports Core Audio or ASIO. Version 2 added more than 100 features and enhancements, including multitrack comping, multitrack MIDI editing, transient detection and editing with groove extraction, Folder Tracks, and tightly integrated Melodyne pitch correction that’s only possible with Studio One. Free updates soon followed: Version 2.5 added almost 100 features and enhancements, and version 2.6 provided another 50. Yet Studio One is still uncluttered and easy to use. STATE-OF-THE-ART COMPUTING Studio One Professional employs a state-ofthe-art audio engine that delivers incredibly

Studio One’s unique Project page is intelligently linked to the Song page and provides tools for mastering, disc-burning, digital release, and direct upload to the Web 12 April 2014

clear, accurate sound and automatically switches between 64- and 32-bit floating-point process precision, on the fly, to accommodate 32-bit plug-ins. Written for multi-core processors, it has 64-bit memory addressing to take advantage of large amounts of RAM. Version 2.6 added state-of-the-art integration with PreSonus’ new StudioLive AI-series mixers, enabling you to edit and use StudioLive AI mixer scenes in Studio One and send them to other apps in the StudioLive AI software library. A Studio One Fat Channel plug-in provides the same processing found in the mixers, so when you load a live recording with mixer scene, your music sounds exactly the same as when it was recorded with the StudioLive AI. Only PreSonus can conjure this sort of magic. AN EASIER, MORE INTUITIVE INTERFACE From the moment you launch Studio One, it’s evident that this is a better way to record. The Start page lets you access recent songs and projects, create new ones, configure external devices, download updates and support materials, and access tutorials, demo songs, and a PreSonus news feed. One click lands you on the Song page, where you can track, edit, and mix in one easy-to-navigate window. The Arrange view employs a waveform display with userselectable colour-coding and sample-level zoom. DRAG-AND-DROP RULES! Just say ‘no’ to mousing through menus. Studio One’s powerful drag-and-drop function allows you to drag an audio clip, effect, or virtual instrument from the browser directly onto a track. Want to save an audio or MIDI clip as a file or save an effect or VI? Drag it from the Arrange or Console view back to the browser! The International Guide To Daws & Plug-ins 2014

PRESONUS AUDIO ELECTRONICS

33 premium 64-bit Native Effects plug-ins and 4 smartly designed virtual instruments. You also get more than 25 GB of third-party software, instruments, samples, and loops. DECIDE FOR YOURSELF Studio One does much more! For details, visit www.presonus.com/products/studio-one; view the free instructional videos; and join the lively Studio One forum. Then download a free demo and try Studio One Professional for yourself!

The Song page allows you to track, edit, and mix in one easy-to-navigate window

CONTROL LINK™ MIDI MAPPING Studio One integrates with hardware controllers simply and easily. Mackie Control and HUI support provides compatibility with a variety of control surfaces. And with Control Link, mapping MIDI controllers is a snap: Open any plug-in, click on a parameter, twist a controller knob or press a switch, click the Link button, and you’re done. Map controllers independently for each plug-in, or map a controller to a single plug-in parameter; the controller will continue to change the parameter value after the plug-in’s GUI is closed. PICTURE THIS Studio One Professional’s video features are great for simple sound-for-picture projects. You can import any QuickTime video into a Song for playback and sync, with adjustable video playback size and time offset. A Follow Edit Position feature helps sync to specific frames.

www.audiomedia.com

MASTERING WITH STUDIO ONE PROFESSIONAL No other DAW offers You can import a QuickTime video into the Song an integrated mastering window for scoring to picture suite comparable to Studio One Professional’s Project page. As you add songs to a project (collection of songs), the songs and the project are intelligently linked so that changes to one are automatically updated in the other. Studio One Professional provides the tools for professional mastering, including INFORMATION a phase meter and spectrum and peak/RMS level meters with K-System options. A Scope plug-in provides oscilloscope functions. WORLDWIDE DISTRIBUTION – INSTANTLY! Mastered albums can be digitally released in multiple standard formats and can be saved as disc images and burned to CDs and DVDs, all within Studio One Professional. You get DDP Export and PQ editing and can include song and album art. Better yet, upload your finished projects to the Web and start distributing them immediately with Studio One’s built-in Nimbit® client and free Nimbit account. You’ll get up-to-date statistics (number of fans, number of active promotions, and sales) from a Nimbit dashboard on the Start page. Want to share your tracks? Studio One Professional includes a SoundCloud client and dashboard, too! No other DAW has these features.

PreSonus Audio Electronics 18011 Grand Bay Court Baton Rouge, LA 70809 USA T: +1 225 216 7887 F: +1 225 926 8347 W: www.presonus.com/products/studio-one United Kingdom & Ireland Source Distribution (UK distributor) Unit 6, Pembroke Buildings Cumberland House Business Park London UK NW10 6RE T: +44 020 8962 5080 F: +44 020 8968 3218 E: sales@sourcedistribution.co.uk W: www.sourcedistribution.co.uk Germany & Benelux Hyperactive Audiotechnik GmbH Neukirchner Str. 18 65510 Hünstetten, Germany T:+49 (6126) 95 36 50 F:+49 (6126) 95 36 569 E: info@hyperactive.de W: www.hyperactive.de

A WEALTH OF PLUG-INS Studio One Professional supports ReWire, VST 2 and 3, and Audio Units and comes with

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COMPREHENSIVE UNDO Studio One enables you to view and undo all edits done since the file was opened, even if you have saved since then. This is a

random access Undo, not a sequential one.

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Preview any audio clip in the browser, and if the clip has tempo information encoded, it will play synced to the song tempo. View and download SoundCloud-based audio files and use PreSonus Exchange to share effects presets and chains, instruments, and more with other Studio One users – all from the browser. The Console view includes faders, solos, mutes, pans, and more, with extensive sidechaining. Export entire channels as stems, complete with buses, effects, and instrument returns.

April 2014 13

SOURCE ELEMENTS

Game-changing Remote Recording, Monitoring and File Transfer Work with clients and talent remotely in real time. Source-Connect offers high-resolution IP-audio straight into your timeline. With Source-Live, broadcast your mix with HD video to anyone, anywhere. Transfer quickly with Source-Zip. Source-Nexus turns any application into a Pro Tools Plug-in.

Source-Connect Pro X, Source-Zip Pro, and Source-Live with Video

SOURCE-CONNECT Source-Connect, the well-established and most popular ISDN alternative, has new capabilities enabling everyone to work with remote clients in 5.1, stereo, or mono. New features allow connections with the same remarkable audio quality without requiring firewall configuration, while also professionally molding itself into the most security conscious networks. With SourceConnect Pro X, Source Elements is breaking new ground releasing the most affordable 5.1 surround / multi-channel codec available. Directly integrating into Pro Tools 10/11 64-bit or any DAW using AAX, RTAS, VST, and AU, Source-Connect is the IP audio solution from the high end to the home user, Windows and Mac.

NEW: SOURCE-NEXUS A companion to Source-Connect Now and an indispensable plug-in in its own right, turn any application into a Pro Tools plug-in. Two versions: Basic for mono/stereo or Standard up to 24 channels. Coming to AU and VST soon. NEW: SOURCE-LIVE WITH VIDEO Source-Live with Video makes it possible for post-production editors, designers, and composers to work with clients remotely along with HD picture. Superior and artifact free compared to consumer options, Source-Live with Video captures video and audio from any desktop application (Media Composer, Final

Notable users: R5 . ,5 %-)(]-5\ " 5 ) #.95 -)& .#)(5) 5 ' /!]5@5 . ,5 ) #(65 . , (55 5 recording engineer, linked in 5.1 surround into choral sessions conducted at Abbey Road 5 1"#& 5#(5 &&#(!.)(65 15 & ( ]-5*, '# ,5*)-.5")/- 65 ,%5 ) 5 )-.8 R5 hf."5 (./,35 )25 )-.5 ,) / .#)(5 ,0# -5" -5 ($)3 5." 5 & 2# #&#.35 ( 5 )(0 (# ( 5) 55 Source-Connect Pro and its Remote Transport Sync feature when conducting domestic and international ADR and mix sessions for various high profile projects and clients. R5 - ,51#((#(!5 )'*)- ,5 , .5 % (4# 5/- 5 )/, 7 )(( .5.)5 )5 15 & ( 5.)55 5 )( )(50) &5- --#)(-5 ),5\ /** .-5 )-.5 (. ]51#."5." 5 /** .-5 ( 5 #( 5 385 R5 ),5." 5 5- ,# -5\ " 5 / -.]65 )-. &5 / #)5 ( 5#(5 ( )/0 ,5 )(( . 50# 5 )/, 55 Connect Pro X to play back 5.1 mixes live with picture sync to producers at Chase Audio in Los Angeles. www.audiomedia.com

Cut, Pro Tools etc) and streams seamlessly to clients. Collaborating remotely is as simple as signing into a web page. Source-Live sessions also provide voice, video, and text chat for its participants in a virtual control room. SOURCE-TALKBACK Source-Talkback AAX allows for single key toggle, latch, and now featuring Auto mode that opens the talkback when the transport is stopped. Compatible with external switches for wireless talkback control, more affordable and convenient than external hardware. Since 2005 Source Elements has been connecting media professionals with their clients in real time using sophisticated purpose-built software. Their products have been used in countless blockbuster movies and music projects along with commercial productions of all types. Free trials at http://source-elements.com. Call to discuss your unique needs.

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NEW: SOURCE-CONNECT NOW Source-Connect Now makes it possible to establish connections from virtually any modern computer or Android â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and soon iOS device â&#x20AC;&#x201C; with an internet connection; no iLok or

software download required. Made even more powerful by providing free Guest logins, lowquality phone patched interviews and sessions will be a thing of the past. Source-Connect Now establishes new territory in affordability and flexibility: Source-Connect Now accounts are free for basic use.

INFORMATION

Source Elements LLC Evanston, Illinois T: +1 312 706 5555 (US) T: +44 20 7193 8755 (UK) T: +61 2 8005 5903 (AU) W: www.source-elements.com

April 2014 15

STEINBERG MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES GMBH

Audio Editing and Mastering: WaveLab 8.5 Good recordings don’t necessarily sound good. This is one of the reasons why audio mastering is considered a vital step in every recording process. The intricacies involved when mastering require sophisticated tools, and this is where engineers turn to WaveLab. Ranging from mastering engineers who work in the studio on a day-to-day basis down to music enthusiasts keen to digitise entire music libraries, all of them use WaveLab to obtain the highest degree of audio quality, to render audio files to the required format, to edit and master audio material to professional standards. WaveLab gives you complete freedom to edit and process audio files in their entirety or only the smallest of detail. MAKING WAVES The award-winning eighth iteration of WaveLab and its smaller derivative, WaveLab Elements, are available for OS X and Windows. And by running the 64-bit version you can edit and process numerous tracks simultaneously, handle extensive batch processes, as well as analyse and restore audio with the utmost precision. WaveLab comprises four different workspaces, christened Audio File, Audio Montage, Batch Processor, and Podcast. Each workspace is dedicated to a specific job, providing a rich toolset for the respective tasks. Each workspace can be adjusted to your individual preferences, which helps to expedite your workflow. The Audio File workspace is the perfect place for sample-accurate audio editing and high-quality analysis. Simply import the audio file and all the tools and functions are readily available to analyse, edit, and process the material. The Audio Montage workspace allows you to compile multiple audio files, allowing real-time fades and crossfades and providing clip-based effects, edit tools, and global effect plug-ins within the Master section. The third workspace, the Batch Processor workspace, is one of the most powerful tools within WaveLab. Divided into three dedicated areas, the processing chain runs to completion without the need for any interaction from your side. Add effects, specify the file format to which you want to export – run the Batch Processor for multiple files simultaneously and save time. Finally, the Podcast workspace is a complete online publishing toolset allowing you to create and 16 April 2014

Newly introduced: the Encoder Checker is the perfect tool for comparing encoding formats prior to final rendering

metering. The WaveLab Control window can also be conveninetly placed on a second screen, allowing for best overview on what’s going on with the audio material. With its MIDI learn capability, control WaveLab with up to three MIDI controllers. You simply have to assign the buttons and faders of your hardware to specific parameters within the application, giving you hands-on control within seconds. Thanks to the close collaboration with plug-in manufacturer Sonnox, WaveLab incorporates a professional restoration suite

WaveLab provides three-dimensional spectral analysis of audio files

disseminate podcasts for the Internet. With its intuitive user interface, FTP capability, RSS 2.0 support, and time-saving templates, you can produce podcasts in no time without ever leaving WaveLab. Got an iTunes account at hand? Then you can also upload your podcasts to iTunes! Another essential part of WaveLab is the WaveLab Control section, allowing you to group a freely selectable range of analysis tools in a dedicated space. Use studio-grade analysing tools such as the spectroscope, VU metering, oscilloscope, waveform display, spectrum metering, phase correlation, and bit

consisting of DeNoiser, DeBuzzer, and DeClicker to remove unwanted noise for an overall better audio quality. POINT MADE, POINT TAKEN Available from this June, version 8.5 provides significant features and many enhancements to the exciting world of WaveLab. First and foremost, the newly introduced Watch Folders accelerate everyday file conversion and batch processing tasks by designating them to any standard folder of an operating system. Audio and file processing such as dithering, normalisation, and format conversion are The International Guide To Daws & Plug-ins 2014

STEINBERG MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES GMBH

not only hear the difference but also see with your eyes how lossy encoders and its parameter and bitrate adjustments affect audio quality. Toggling between the streams takes the guesswork out of encoding your audio to the right format, such as MP3 192 kbit, iTunes-compatible AAC, or Ogg Vorbis. Speaking of AAC, short for Advanced Audio Coding, with the update to version 8.5, WaveLab now supports encoding to the AAC file format which is the standard audio format for many platforms and products, such as iTunes and iPod. This newly implemented encoder allows you to render music or spoken word files directly to AAC, straight from the export file dialog, in conjunction with the new Watch Folder feature, for instance, for straightforward batch processing or through the Encoder Checker to provide a direct comparison between the different formats. The multi-format rendering tools let you render different formats simultaneously and to save rendering chains for the most common export formats.

WaveLab audio editing and mastering suite Introduced in 1995, WaveLab belongs to one of the very first mastering software applications, and since then has been providing the best workflow and tools for mastering, editing, and restoration for many years. The sample-accurate audio editing capabilities combine elegantly with the versatility of its tool set, including error correction tools and restoration plug-ins such as the DeNoiser, DeClicker, and DeBuzzer by Sonnox. For seamless delivery to audio CD or DDP, WaveLab boasts the finest mastering technology to facilitate matching and adjustment of levels, equalisation, as well as loudness analysis and processing of different audio tracks. Rightfully so, WaveLab is considered the go-to solution for many mastering engineers around the globe.

Mixing and mastering engineer Goh Hotoda

www.audiomedia.com

About Steinberg Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Steinberg is known the world over for its music and audio software and hardware solutions. The company has been developing, manufacturing and selling innovative products since 1984. Used by Grammy and Oscar award-winning composers, engineers and producers, the Steinberg range of products has long since found world renown in all aspects of modern digital audio processing, and form the backbone of facilities specialised in music composition and production, mastering, restoration, broadcast, sound design and audio post for the film industry.

INFORMATION

(Manufacturer’s HQ) Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH Frankenstr. 18b 20097 Hamburg Germany W: www.steinberg.net (US distributor) Yamaha Corporation of America 6600 Orangethorpe Ave CA-90620 Buena Park USA

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automatically imposed onto audio files dropped into the assigned Watch folder, and all tasks run inconspicuously in the background, freeing you up to focus on priorities. The new Encoder Checker included in WaveLab 8.5 lets you preview and compare audio simultaneously through all common encoder formats: listen to the original, unrendered audio and up to three streams each playing through a selected encoder and settings. With the real-time FFT graph, you

WaveLab Control displays analysing tools such as VU metering, spectrum metering, and phase correlation

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“Once I started experimenting with WaveLab, I found it easy to use, and the meters were fast and easy to read, so I decided to adopt it for my work.” Goh Hotoda, mixing and mastering engineer for Grammy award-winning productions

April 2014 17