Each year, KVR Audio hosts a developer challenge, looking for the best new audio plug-in or application. The prize pool is generated through donations and awarded to the top few submissions. Each of the 55 submissions for the 2012 challenge is available for free through KVR Audio’s website, so be sure to look through the other entries if the winning submissions aren’t of use to you. It won’t be too long before the 2013 Developer Challenge is announced. If you’re into programming or maybe just have a great idea for some audio software, keep an eye out for the announcement.
You can read about, and download, each of the plug-ins and applications that were submitted to the 2012 Developer Challenge here: http://www.kvraudio.com/news/kvr-developer-challenge-2012—the-winner-is-20871
Avoid Some Room Noise With DIY Filter
Room noise is one of the many frustrations that come with home recording.
Computers, neighbors, and even just less-than-great acoustics in the room you’re recording in can all show up on your raw track.
There are pre-made attachments for your mic that can filter out some of the higher end noise, but why not save your money for something else?
These foam DIY reflection filters don’t make a huge difference, but for the low cost of materials, the subtle improvement is worthwhile.
For information about how to build a DIY reflection filter, and some before and after audio examples, read here: Pro Sound Web post on reflection filter
You May Never Be Great
Audio recording and other creative endeavors are difficult to transition from good to great. If you hope to see a career-changing amount of success, you’ll need to be great. It can be frustrating to work for years on improving your recording and mixing skills but still not be completely satisfied with your productions. This developmental phase takes time, and plenty of it. Many people give up after a long string of “okay” productions, or maybe after feeling like their skills are not improving. The only thing for certain is that by giving up, you change “may never be great” to “will never be great”.
You can read more on this topic here: http://therecordingrevolution.com/2013/01/14/why-most-people-will-never-be-good-at-recording/
Drum Mic Placement
Microphone placement for a drum set can be approached with one of two main strategies. First, treat the drum set as a single instrument and use only a few mics to capture the sound. Or, mic each drum separately, treating it as it like an individual instrument.While both approaches have their strengths, it can quickly seem like a choice between simplicity (small number of mics) and total control of your recording (a mic for each drum).
For information about the pros and cons of each option, read the full article here: http://www.prosoundweb.com/article/from_simple_to_complex_the_wide_world_of_drum_microphone_techniques/
Live Guitar Library Released From Detunized
Detunized has released a new “Live Pack” sample library of guitar samples. This pack also contains 50 side noises, including various string squeaks and scrapes. The pack is compatible with Windows and Mac, and is available for download from Detunized for € 9.00 (about $12 USD). Take a look at their site. Even if this pack isn’t quiet what you’re looking for, they have plenty to browse through.
For more information, read here: http://en.audiofanzine.com/virtual-guitar/detunized/dts044-guitar/news/a.play,n.14890.html