Practical Noise

Zoom release H2n… now in black and 100% more shiny

practicalnoise — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 08:57:19 +0000

Zoom have updated the H2 to the H2n. Interesting addition is a physical recording level control.

Metadata for Music Studios

practicalnoise — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 04:54:56 +0000

Looks Interesting….. an open source metadata project for music studios to “integrate metadata into the actual recording process, where recording personnel have accurate information about the content contributors: what musicians played, what takes were used, who engineered, etc. This application provides a standardized way to gather that data and to make it easily flow upstream.”

FROM MIX ONLINE

Build Your Own Balanced Attenuator

practicalnoise — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 08:42:21 +0000

Uneeda Audio has a great site with lots of interesting audio information and links for those that way inclined, including a description of how to build your own audio attenuation pad into an XL connector.

I particularly like their Bad Idea Department, which describes a short-lived (!) product that used US domestic power cables as speaker extention cables! Also check out the Laws for Audio Engineers.

This picture makes my eyes water! OH&S anyone?

Mix Magazine’s Top 10 from NAB 2010

practicalnoise — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 06:03:58 +0000

Here’s some interesting products debuted at the 2010 NAB exhibition as reported by Mix magazine. Featured are:
Euphonix MC v2
Fairlight EVO
Focal CMS40
Optocore SANE
RME Babyface
SADiE 6
Solid State Logic C10 HD
Sound Devices CL-9
TC Electronic 6000 MKII
TAC System Inc. NML RevCon-RR

Reverb Remover

practicalnoise — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 03:23:29 +0000

Tacsystem have released the L RevCon-RR, a device that claims:

“NML RevCon-RR is an Audio Suite plug-in that reduces reverberation and makes dilogue sound very clear as if the microphone is guided closer to the target.This is the most complete and the only solution for dereverberation on the market.”

Mix Magazine says:
“Mix received an ears-on demo of TAC System’s innovative new plug-ins including the RTAS/AudioSuite/Audio Units/VST NML RevCon-RR reverb reduction plug-in. It features the ability to de-reverberate a signal and we can certify that the results are incredible. The NML RevCon-RS takes that same basic ability but rather than eliminating the reverberation, it separates it allowing you to steer it to back speakers in a multi-channel monitoring array for realistic surround effects.”

from Mix Magazine

Rolls- interesting range of passive mixers and amps

practicalnoise — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 09:09:37 +0000

I’m sorta curious about building a passive mixer and came accross this: I like look the look of these products from Rolls. They make a range of cheap passive mixers that could be good problem solvers…. (as long as you accept the limitations of passive mixers). I like this.. it’s a balanced mono mic and RCA line input mixer with a 7W output on speaker terminals.

Australian Monitors do a 4 channel passive mixer with two balanced mic inputs. The (mono) output is at mic level. Well, ya don’t get something for nothing!

Korg Release Tiny Tiny Analog Synth

practicalnoise — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 09:12:01 +0000

Pop-less Mic On/Off Switch circuit

practicalnoise — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 08:58:15 +0000

Sick of clicking from switching condensor microphones? Build this. It’s by Bob Stadtherr and is on the Crown site. This page has some interesting stuff on mic usage.

Here’s an even simpler circuit.

Tune all guitar strings at once? Impossible!

practicalnoise — Thu, 06 May 2010 09:14:44 +0000

TC Electronics have invented the Polytune, a guitar tuner that allows you to strum a chord and see if all your strings are in tune.

VST Restores Dynamics killed by Extreme Limiting

practicalnoise — Thu, 06 May 2010 00:08:45 +0000

Hydrogen Audio told me about this freeware VST from Terry West Productions that claims to reduce the effects of “loudness war” type extreme limiting. I haven’t tried it yet but there’s a discussion here that gives others’ opinions.

Some suggest that it works similarly to iZotope’s excellent RX Audio Restoration Software. RX can often work jaw-dropping miracles on digitally clipped material, but I’ve found it to be less useful on harmonic type distortion. This is an awesome tool if you work with inexperienced producers using portable recorders who bring back interviews recorded at too high a level.

Terry West has some other great freeware VST utilities on his site which are well worth checking out.