Jake Weston

Until March 20th, 2019, many persons who were into podcasting wouldn’t have though that using an SSL to do podcasting was a viable option. But SSL’s Oxford headquarters announcement of a new affordable SSL changed all that. On that day, they launched the smallest and the most affordable analogue SSL in the market. It’s very compact enough that it can enter into a rucksack but manages to have a lot of features that an ideal podcaster would wish for which cannot be found even in expensive mixers. The analogue SSL is called the SSL SiX. As a desktop format mixer, it has inbuilt six channels, of which two are fitted with the company’s respected SuperAnalogue mic preamp. When in mixtown mode, one has access to a 12-channel summing bus and the well-known SSL bus compressor comes in two versions. It will retail for 1,198.80 pounds, which makes it very affordable.

Key Takeaways:

• Until March 20th, 2019, many persons would have thought that using an SSL to do podcasting would not be a viable option.
• The SSL Oxford headquarters have launched the smallest and the most affordable analogue SSL that could ever be found in the market.
• The analogue SSL comes with a super-simplified version with one knob of the SSL Channel Compressor along with new two-band EQ.

“In summary, the new SSL SiX (as it’s called) is a desktop-format mixer with (naturally…) six input channels, two of which are fitted with the company’s respected SuperAnalogue mic preamps.”

Read more: https://www.soundonsound.com/news/ssl-launch-their-most-affordable-mixer-ever

Dynamic controllers or processors are signal processing devices that alter an audio signal using just its frequency content and amplitude level. The term dynamic is applied to these controllers because this process is completely dependent on a program. Compressors and expanders are the two most common dynamic effects. Limiters and noise gates are special cases of these two. When the dynamic range of an audio signal is being measured, one takes the ratio of its loudest, undistorted signal to its quietest signal, and the result is in decibels. The output has a maximum and minimum output signal. The maximum output signal is limited by the size of the power that is supplied to the device while the minimum output signal is fixed by the noise floor. Then comes the matter of compressors. These are signal processing units that reduce the dynamic range of the signal that is passed through them. Humans used to do this compressing at the mixing board in the past but now it is done dynamically.

Key Takeaways:

• Common dynamic effects that can be encountered in the field are compressors and expanders, but limiters and noise gates are just special cases of these two.
• To measure the dynamic range of an audio signal to have to measure the ratio of the loudest signal to the most quiet signal and express it in decibels.
• The use of compressors in our modern times is to turn down the loudest signals in an audio range since compressors reduce dynamic ranges.

“Dynamic controllers or processors represent a class of signal processing devices used to alter an audio signal based solely upon its frequency content and amplitude level, thus the term “dynamic” since the processing is completely program dependent.”

Read more: https://www.prosoundweb.com/channels/study_hall/signal_processing_fundamentals_dynamic_controllers/

One of the topics covered in Audio Concepts 106: Audio and MIDI Signal Flow is the optimal use of audio and MIDI flow in a software-based/in-the-box studio setup. You’ll need the proper wiring to make sure audio and MIDI can travel to and from the computer. Another key step is to bypass the computer’s own proprietary sound card so you can use something a little more sophisticated. Watch the full video to see Joe Albano — a true expert — demonstrate some of the major concepts.

Key Takeaways:

• If one wants to ensure a smooth workflow and achieve great results in his audio, he has to understand how audio and MIDI flow.
• The video contains in the piece starts with the differences between hardware and software-based audio setups, detailing the wiring that is needed for each.
• Joe in the video demonstrates how to set up the different audio connections, including setting up powered and passive monitors and more.

“As far as audio goes, XLR, TRS, TS and RCA connections can be found in various combinations on most gear and you’ll want to bypass your computer’s internal sound card to use a higher quality audio interface.”

Read more: https://ask.audio/articles/working-in-the-box-your-core-studio-connections-explained

A reverb has been termed the sound of space, that something extra that magically creates a sound that is enchanting for the listener. But reverbs can be overwhelming with all the options that are available and the variable parameters that are countless which one can choose from. There a lot of things to talk about when it concerns reverbs but the author will concentrate here only on vocals. To create the perfect soundscape for a song one has to consider the following criteria: 1. The emotional intention of the song. It could either be loneliness or joy, reverb can be used to bring this out. 2. The timing of the reverb. This is because a reverb is fundamentally a rhythmical event. 3. And contrast. When there is contrast in a mix, the reverb works best. You can check out the blog to get other considerations for the emotions of a song using reverbs.

Key Takeaways:

• Reverb has been termed the sound of space because it involves taking a sound and creating a universe around it with extra special magic.
• Because there are a lot of options for reverbs and a lot of variable parameters to choose from within a reverb, creating a magical sound seems overwhelming.
• All sound processing is about dealing with the emotions but with reverb, one is dealing with emotions at a deeper level.

“Here are five considerations to take into account in order to craft the perfect soundscape for your vocal.”

Read more: https://theproaudiofiles.com/vocal-reverb/