Archives for September 2019

5 Unexpected Ways to Use Reverb in a Mix

September 9, 2019 by Elaine Sy Leave a Comment

Reverb is used to add depth and a sense of acoustic space to a sound source. We apply it to an instrument or a voice to give a sense of dimension. However, it must be used appropriately or else it may sound weird. So here are some unexpected ways to use reverb.

There are a couple of great techniques for stereo-izing a mono source using reverb. One is to create two mono reverb sends (rather than a stereo reverb). From there we can differentiate the reverbs by changing their internal settings, or even using different reverbs entirely.

The new DPA 2028 Vocal Microphone promises to reproduce the “full, natural sound of the artist’s voice”

September 6, 2019 by Elaine Sy Leave a Comment

DPA Microphones’ 2028 Vocal Microphone is a model that the brand claims allows the artist’s voice to shine. It is designed for stage, broadcast and pro A/V applications. It features a supercardioid polar pattern as well as new a shock-mount, pop filter and fixed-position capsule.

With all of these, the artists are able to focus on their vocals. Hence, there’s no need for engineers to spend their time covering up sonic artefacts. The 2028 Vocal Microphone is available for $700 and it has three variants: wired XLR with handle and two wireless configurations, one with the SL1 adapter (for Shure, Sony, and Lectrosonics) and the other with the SE2 (for Sennheiser).

Read more about this here: https://www.musictech.net/news/gear/dpa-2028-vocal-microphone/

9 Tips for Using Reverb with Drums

September 5, 2019 by Elaine Sy Leave a Comment

You want your drums to sound bigger but it sounds narrow, dry, and small during recording. Therefore, you send it to a concert-hall reverb. However, that is a wrong move because now you have are small, narrow drums surrounded by a lot of incongruous reverb. So here are the different tricks to try and apply all over the kit.

Reverberating drums can lead to a cloudy, washy mix and we don’t want that. We want to have depth, thickness, presence, and a sense of space—all with reverb. The first tip is to try adding a reverb directly on the drum bus before your compressor.

8 Things to Consider for Recording Acoustic Guitar

September 4, 2019 by Elaine Sy Leave a Comment

There are several factors to consider when recording an amazing acoustic guitar sound. To capture the acoustic guitar in the studio, the 8 things to consider are body, picks, strings, microphone, space diffusion, signal chain, context, and headphones.

The dreadnought is the most popular acoustic guitar size. It is one of the trickier body sizes to record and it tends to be very pronounced in the bass, scooped in the mids, and ripe with high-end. As for the pick, the technique also makes a huge tonal difference. A slight movement of hand and guitar pick toward the bridge or neck can alter the sound considerably.

Impact Soundworks Releases Ventus Winds Duduk for Kontakt Player

September 3, 2019 by Ken Leave a Comment

FULTON, MD — Impact Soundworks released today VENTUS WINDS DUDUK, a sample library for KONTAKT PLAYER featuring the haunting sound of an Armenian double reed woodwind. Used in countless film, TV, and game soundtracks, the mellow, mysterious tone of the duduk has been recorded with all crucial articulations, ornaments, and techniques. With this library, composers and producers can now create realistic and authentic duduk performances in their DAW. Ventus Winds Duduk is fully NKS compatible for use with Maschine and Komplete Kontrol hardware, and is available now for $99 from Impact Soundworks.

As the sixth entry in the critically-acclaimed Ventus series of virtual instruments, this duduk offers the same core features as its predecessors: a range of multisampled playing techniques, true legato transitions, multiple types of release noises, ornament articulations, and hundreds of pre-recorded phrases. However, ISW has gone a step further and redesigned the instrument script from the ground up using the new in-house developed Agility platform.

“Our goal is always to make it easy for composers to get a great, authentic sound from our instruments,” said lead developer Andrew Aversa. “We designed Agility to make that possible, even for non-western instruments like the Duduk. You don’t need to be an expert to create a realistic performance!”

Through Agility, the duduk includes useful features such as a wide-screen, 4K friendly UI, a fully modular FX rack, and flexible articulation mapping & editing. It also offers improved legato playing and an innovative new approach to polyphonic legato that should make it much easier for composers to write chords and harmonies without worrying about the instrument ‘guessing’ notes or transitions incorrectly.

See the Ventus Duduk in action on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEmuCRLe594

Ventus Winds Duduk is now available as a digital download for $99. Owners of previous Ventus series instruments qualify for a discounted crossgrade price. Audio and video demos, specifications, and more product information is available at the Impact Soundworks website:

https://impactsoundworks.com/product/ventus-duduk/