Arturia: Origin Desktop synthesizer
reviewed by Dana Gumbiner
I’m a huge fan of Arturia and their virtual synth designs. They are, I feel, one of the best software synth developers around. I love using their “V” synths (Tape Op #41, 57, 67) in...
Gear Reviews
The means contribute to the end. Usually.
Daking Audio: FET III stereo compressor
reviewed by Craig Schumacher
Ah compressors… those wonderful helpers that make our lives easier. It seems like the more you learn how to use compression to your advantage, the more you want different types and flavors to...
Serato: Pitch 'N Time LE plug-in
reviewed by Jeff Elbel
My musical tastes are relatively populistic, but I’ve got the merest hint of music snob in my bones. It’s the part of me that recoils when Antares Auto-Tune is used as an overtly applied...
Shure: KSM42/SG mic package
reviewed by Garrett Haines
The KSM line represents Shure’s premium recording microphones. The newest member is the KSM42, a fixed-cardioid side-address condenser mic. With a similar “giant almond” shape to the...
Roll Music Systems: RMS5A7 Tubule 500-Series tube preamp
reviewed by Dustin Ryan
In a trend of 500-series this-and-that, many manufactures have responded to the question, “Can we get a tube module?” with, “Due to power supply requirements, it can’t be...
Broadcast Pro Audio: Translator inline transformer
reviewed by Thom Monahan
The Translator is an interesting little passive device that purports to add “vintage tone” to your stale signals. It’s a small, bright red, inline XLR coupler with a transformer...
Universal Audio: UAD-2 Satellite QUAD
reviewed by Larry Crane
I’ve used and/or reviewed almost every permutation of the UAD platform over the years, and let me say that I find the UA-developed plug-ins to be some of the finest sounding digital tools on the...
Universal Audio: 4-710d mic preamp
reviewed by Craig Schumacher
Universal Audio just keeps on coming up with great products for both the pro and home studio. Their latest entry is the 4-710d microphone preamp. It’s basically four channels of UA’s 710...
Mixerman: Zen and the Art of Mixing
reviewed by Larry Crane
Are you completely happy with all of your mixes and see no reason to attempt to learn more or get better at this craft? Then read no more — you might not need this book.Foreword: I’ve been...
Milab: DC-96C condenser mic
reviewed by Mike Jasper
Usually when I get a microphone sent to me from a manufacturer, I’m allowed to keep it for a ridiculously long time, sometimes two months or more. Normally I return the mic within three or four...
Solid State Logic: AWS 948 analog console & controller
reviewed by Allen Farmelo
A console review can be rather involved, so let me just say up front that I think the SSL AWS consoles are absolutely excellent. The sound is enormous, clear and strong; the functionality offers up...
Ultimate Ears: In-Ear Reference Monitors
reviewed by Larry Crane
As far as I know, these are the first custom-molded, in-ear monitors developed for pro audio engineers. As these are custom-molded to fit your ears, I first had to go get my ears molded by an...