Some amp and guitar manufacturers have a habit of resting on their laurels, and letting their past glories carry them through decades forward. Hughes & Kettner is not one of those companies. Instead of rehashing old ideas and repackaging them as new, Hughes & Kettner always seem to be pushing the envelope in amp design, while never forgetting that it’s all about the tone. From high-end stomp boxes, to killer tube and solid state amps, to the legendary Red Box DI, H&K continues to move forward and wow guitarists the world over. Their newest line, the Tubemeister series, has been making major waves over the last year with 18 and 5 watt heads and combos. Combining big tube tone in a portable package, the Tubemeister amps have been extremely well received, deservedly so. Riding on that success, Hughes and Kettner introduces the Tubemeister 36 Head.

The Tubemeister 36 (TM36) is a 36 watt edition of the popular new series. Like the 18 watt version before it, is sports an FX loop, multiple channels, and a built-in power attenuator. It also includes the Red Box DI output, which is allows you to send a cabinet-emulated line out to a mixer or mic preamp. This is a great option for those of us who love home recording but have neighbors who don’t appreciate our musical genius! It also offers a power soak, allowing you to operate in 18, 5, and 1watt modes, or a silent modes which you can activate for direct recording. However, the TM36 packs a lot more than its 18-watt predecessor. Here are some key upgrades:

1) MORE POWER! – As you’ve probably figured out by now, the TM36 has twice the power as the 18 watter. It is powered by 4 EL84 tubes, and 3 12AX7 preamp tubes. Aside from volume, it does add quite a bit of depth to the overall tone. The lows are able to push quite a bit more, and 4×12 cabs get to resonate and move more air.

2) 3 Channels – The TM36 features Clean, Crunch, and Lead channels. The Clean channel has its own independent EQ controls, while the Crunch and share an EQ. All 3 channels have their own Gain and Master volume controls.

3) Digital Reverb – Unlike the 18 and 5, the 36 has built-in digital reverb, accessed on the rear panel via an On/Off button and a Min-Max knob. While the reverb does not get very saturated, it does vary depending on the channel you are on. If you are on the Clean Channel, it is wetter, and dries up as you move to the Crunch and Lead channels.

4) MIDI Footswitching – Here’s where the TM36 is unlike nearly any amp available, regardless of power. Using the optional FSM-432 MIDI board (the same one used for their Coreblade series), you suddenly have access to a multitude of tone combinations. Not only can you switch between channels, but using the MIDI board allows to to preset the power soak setting, the FX Loop, and Reverb. Heres a quick example: You can program the board so you can have one channel be Clean, with Reverb on, running at 36 watts. Then you can program another channel to be your Lead channel, running at 18 watts for added breakup, with Reverb off and the FX loop on! As the FSM-432 has 32 banks, each with 4 presets, you can program 128 different settings….which is freaking crazy.

As Hughes & Kettner was kind enough to loan this to me for a week, I decided to put it to good use. My first night with it, I took it to my band’s rehearsal. Hourly rehearsal joints are hit or miss when it comes to amps, so it was nice to bring something solid to the jam. I plugged it into a Marshall 1960 cab, and blasted away.

I started by checking out the Clean channel. With the added power, I was taken aback by the clarity. Compared to the TM18, the 36 gives a considerable amount of depth and true clean tone. Set the Gain low and the Master high, and you have a very clean, AC30-like chime. Crank the gain and pull back on the Master, and you get a Plexi vibe that is very reactive to your picking velocity.

The Crunch channel offers a very open sound that lends itself well to big open rock chords. As it is not overly compressed, it is a bit unforgiving. In other words, if you haven’t been practicing, this channel will not cover it up for you. It is very reactive to touch, and has a bit of a darker overall tone to it.

The Lead channel was where I spent most of rehearsal, as I like big loud gain. For me, this is where the TM36 won me over, much like the 18. With most amps, I usually dial in a thick rhythm sound, and use an overdrive for leads to add some compression and saturation. With the TM36, I didn’t even use a pedal. I was able to dial in a tone where the chords shined through, yet with enough sustain to bust out leads without any assistance form a pedal. This is a rare trait for any guitar amp in my experience.

Then it was gig time. I strapped the TM36 and my Pedaltrain Jr. to my cart, and hit the road……make that rails. My band was playing Trash Bar in Brooklyn that night, and I was stoked to play through this thing again at an unreasonable volume. Upon plugging it into the house Marshal 4×12, many friends approached me to ask what the little glowing box I had was. After turning it on and up, the sound guy kindly asked me to bring down the volume. I obliged…..until he walked back to his booth of course. Throughout the set, the TM36 held it’s own, and sounded fantastic. It must have brought something extra out of me, because many of my friends told me after the set that my playing was particularly on point that night. I’d like to take all of the credit of course, but great gear brings out the best in any player.

We then took the TM36 to the studio to do the demo video that is featured with this blog. The sound you hear in the video is my Les Paul Custom plugged straight into the head, into a THD 2×12 cab. To mic the cab, we used a Shure SM57 (is there any other cab mic out there?). We also included the raw audio files from this session, as we wanted to give you the same performance through a cab, as well as the Red Box DI out so you can hear the tone from each.

We also included a short little ditty I came up with on the fly. It’s basically sampled drums, 2 rhythm tracks (recorded using the Crunch channel), and one blistering solo (Me? Humble?) recorded using the Lead channel. Hopefully this provides some added context for how good this amp really sounds.

Between the video, the review, and the included audio files, I think I’ve made my point: This amp rules! When I reviewed the TM18 head last year, I was so blown away that I didn’t give it back. The TM36 might take some strong arms to pluck from my hands as well. Thanks again to our friends at Hughes & Kettner for letting us put this through the rigors of NYC, and for making another solid amp in their huge family of amazing gear. If you want to get one for yourself, hit us up at ProAudioStar.com. Until next time, PLAY LOUD!!!!

Joseph Colmenero

ProAudioStar.com

06/12/12

Warm Audio WA12

There are so many ubiquitous terms in the audio industry: bright, brittle, beefy, fat, punchy.  For those who like to make a discussion more frustrating, you can say brown, purple or green. Perhaps the king of audio adjective is “warm” – saying something is “warm” can mean a broad spectrum of audio qualities. Is it with less high end, lower added harmonic, slow slew, head bump, tape, tube, transformer, saturation…the list goes on. But overall, the dominant meaning of “warm” when referring to do audio is how much it reminds you of vintage analog. That sound you can’t seem to get with your IC preamp and your icy DAW environment. Naturally, naming your audio company Warm Audio will bring with it a certain level of expectation.

Warm Audio currently makes one product: the WA12 Discrete Mic Pre. The design is based on the classic API 312 mic amp module. Many companies like BAE and OSA have made clones for 500 series racks and can cost around a grand. WA12 is at a very reasonable $449 US. What’s more impressive is the guts of this thing are top notch. It’s completely discrete with dual custom wound USA made Cinemag transformers and a 1731 style opamp (the ones used in the original 312). Even though it follows the 312 schematic, it’s important to note that the WA12 is certainly it’s own thing.

Ok so what do we have here? Open the box to a half-rack sized chassis with a blood orange colored face. From left to right, the front layout is a ¼” input, switches that read HI-Z, +48V, PAD, POL (polarity), TONE, a gain knob that goes from 29-65 and a POWER button. Each button has a corresponding red LED as a helpful reminder that the switch is depressed. On the rear: a combo jack for microphone input, two balanced outputs (one XLR and the other TRS) and the 24V AC external power supply input (included).

It was interesting to find out that you can power the unit with the Golden Age Projects PS-AC4 power supply. This way you can have one power supply for several WA12s or GAP PRE73s. You can also use this so you can use different country’s outlets.

In use:

When I took the WA12 home I had a few voiceover jobs lined up. We had a few scripts to go through with the male talent, with each requiring a different character voices. I plugged in my AKG C414 ULS, and right away I noticed that this pre has loads of gain. Voiceovers require a quiet mic pre that can boost up the level of conversation volume performances.  A few clicks of the great feeling gain knob to about 9 o’ clock and I was in a good place. The sound was very solid, the low end was tight and low mids around 200-300hz were especially sweet and not boxy.

I played with the tone button a few times (when something is labeled “TONE” how could you resist?). It’s not a feature on any other 312 clones so I was intrigued. Seemed to boost the gain a few db, give the audio a beefier low mid and smooth out the esses in the voice.  Taking a look at the manual showed me that the “TONE” button changes the impedance from 600 ohms to 150 ohms. This is really cool! You can get up to +71db of gain for ribbon mics and you can play with loading to get another flavor of tone and saturation.

Next, I tried out the direct in with a bass guitar with EMG active pickups. Hitting the HI-Z button turns off the back combo input and sends the front instrument jack into the entire preamp circuit, transformers and all. I like to play my instruments wide open and I kind of wanted to be able to bring the gain down even lower. I had to put in the pad and bring the gain all the way down. Maybe an output control would be nice so as to experiment with driving the sound. The sound was very solid and detailed. It handled each note with balance and I was impressed with how much it made me notice the sonic texture of my fingers on the strings. With the TONE engaged the sound gets much more sub lows, and I could really feel the difference from my subwoofer. This would be perfect for synths.

Pros:

• Loads of gain with low noise (perfect for ribbon mics)
• Tone switch gives a whole new flavor
• Great value for what it costs
• Delivers on it’s name sake
• Power compatible with the Golden Age Projects PS-AC4
• TONE!!!

Cons:

• No band pass filter
• Couldn’t seem to attenuate enough for active instruments
• I find wall warts annoying

The Warm Audio WA12 is a really great value for $449. This is a great take on the API 312 design. You get an all-discrete vintage sounding mic pre with custom U.S. made transformers. It’s quiet with loads of gain and has that sweet “TONE” switch. I would suggest following the WA12 with something like a compressor so you can find that sweet spot in the gain without clipping your recording input.

DJ Ghostdad takes a look at the Moog MiniTAUR layout and features. The Cutting Room Studios in Manhattan was gracious enough to host this review.

Just in case you were wondering

Joseph Colmenero

ProAudioStar.com

03/09/12

Since the late 80’s Manley Labs has been manufacturing some of the best tube equipment for studio and HiFi.  Around 1992 they wanted to put some of their best designs into solid-state gear. In order to keep the Manley Labs brand associated with mastering quality vacuum tube gear they acquired a 1940s company called Langevin (LAN-jeh-vin). J. Langevin and James Lansing created the Langevin Manufacturing Corporation after working at Western Electric. Their designs are still highly sought after today.

Manley’s own original designs and some remnants of J. Langevin and James Lansing’s have been incorporated into Manley’s line of solid-state audio equipment. Manufactured in Chino, California includes the Dual Mono Mic Preamp with EQ, All-Discrete Pultec EQP-1A, Stereo ELOP Limiter and the DVC; which is a combination of the dual pre with the ELOP.

The Langevin Dual Vocal Combo is a dual channel strip that occupies 2U rack space. It has a thick brushed-aluminum face with a French raspberry color. The unit’s features are a minimalist’s toolbox starting with two transformer-coupled Class A Preamps with 50db of gain for the microphone input about 40 for the instrument input controlled with a knob labeled “Input Attenuate”. A unique feature is how the phantom is engaged with a locking switch that needs to be pulled out; a very simple and much appreciated forethought toward microphone safety. The EQ section gives you +/-10db of Low and High shelving with selectable frequency centers at 40Hz or 80Hz and .8kHz and 12kHz bypass-able with EQ IN/EQ OUT switch. The limiter section can work in dual mono or stereo link; selectable with a singular switch between the VUs. Just three controls: Reduction, Gain and Bypass. The VU meters can be switched independently to Meter Output or Gain Reduction. Each side’s layout is mirrored except the EQ; which confused me a few time at first.

The connections on the back of the unit are XLR for Mic in Balanced Line out, TRS 1/4” for limiter in, preamp out and unbalanced line out, AC and a set of grounding terminals for chassis earth ground. The preamp out gives you a tap right after the EQ.

First I recorded a Taylor acoustic mic’d with an X/Y stereo pair of AKG 451s. The preamp didn’t offer enough gain and I had to use the limiters gain to give me an extra boost. The pre was soft in the highs but strong in the mids. Limiter was too much to use for a finger picked acoustic but when I switched over to recording electric guitar direct it made for a fun and funky squash.

Day 2, I used the DVC to record drum room and grand piano. The drum kit was a 4-piece maple Yamaha studio and for room I used a pair of U87. The preamp provided plenty of gain the EQ rolled off the high very smoothly around 8kHz. Drum rooms ran through the limiter exactly imitated what I would usually do with a pair of LA-4s. Compared to the LA-4s the sound still had a bit of edge but with a much wider bandwidth and less distortion. The stereo linking on the limiter worked perfectly for the room pair. Later in the day I put it on our Yamaha C5 using the same U87s. The sound was surprising upfront and focused. I didn’t use the limiter since it wasn’t necessary.

Bass guitar direct was possibly the best instrument match for this unit. The preamp was clean and the EQ retained the tone of the instrument while the limiter held on to the dynamics even when switching between free-stroke, picking and slap playing styles. I wasn’t thinking much about the unit when tracking bass, which for me is a good sign.

Lastly with a Vocalist, I recorded a very throaty roots reggae singer. He has a very bursting vocal style. The microphone was an ADK A 51 TC with the mic pre gain at about noon and around 2db boost @ 12kHz. Limiter was showing me around 3-5db of gain reduction on the VU. I typically use a Urei LA-3A. The limiter on the DVC worked really well to capture his blasts of dynamics. The overall sound was solid and I was very happy with the smooth EQ and the lightning fast limiter.

Pros:

Transformer-coupled preamp, vintage passive style EQ. Limiter is the same as the more expensive Manley ELOP just without the tube output stage. Great on Bass and Vocals

Cons:

No HPF. Pres may not offer enough gain for quieter mic sources.

The verdict; from what you get with the limiter alone the Langiven DVC is an incredible value. To me the ELOP alone was the key feature of this unit. The preamps have a vintage feel to them; warm overall with a solid midrange. The DVC is a solid unit for tracking vocals and direct instruments.

We check in with Passion Pit while working on their new album to see what they think of Arturia’s brand new all analog synth, the MiniBrute. Arturia lent us a demo and once we showed it to the guys with Passion Pit we knew we werent getting it back. They liked it so much they had to put it on some of the songs they were doing and even re-recorded some bass parts with it. With is robust sound and ease of use this keyboard will no doubt be a must have!

Heres what Arturia has to say about it.

“The MiniBrute is Arturia’s new analog synthesizer. With a pure analog signal path and several innovative features, it sets a new standard for what a hardware synthesizer should be. The pure analog, multi-wave oscillator combined with a huge sounding classic multi-mode filter, and wide range of modulation capabilities will bring new life into your recordings and stage performances. Add to that outstanding features like the Ultrasaw, Metalizer, Brute Factor™, Arpeggiator, LFO with sample & hold, full USB/MIDI/CV connectivity; all of which are housed in a rugged metal enclosure”

Check out the video for The Bottom Line in a Brooklyn Minute, and the recording samples at the bottom of the page to hear for yourself.

Ah, the venerable valve mic. The great-grandaddy of modern condensor microphones. Along with the legendary RCA ribbon designs of the 1940s, Georg Neumann’s Telefunken U-47 valve microphone is, to this day, considered to be one of the greatest microphones ever made. Vintage U-47s in pristine condition can fetch tens of thousands of dollars on the open market. Heck, working original VF-14 tubes alone are worth thousands of dollars. For all intents and purposes, the U-47 is arguably the single most important microphone in history. Nearly every Beatles album featured it extensively, as did many of the defining recordings of the 50s and 60s, and Frank Sinatra reportedly refused to sing without his. Its warmth, lush mid-range boost, and unprecedented detail retrieval set the standard for tube mics (if not studio mics as a whole) to come.

Half a century later, it seems like every company is making a tube mic. Some are trying to emulate or reproduce the U-47, with many offerings even including the number 47 in the name somewhere. Others trace their lineage to the AKG C12 (probably the second most famous tube mic in history), and others still are trying to craft a tone and heritage of their own. The Genesis is gaining a reputation for being in the first camp: a bright, rich, flagship vocal microphone in the style of the U-47. So how does the Genesis stack up? Well, while I’m not lucky enough to have a vintage U-47 to compare it to directly, I do have a rebuilt U-47 that I’ve been working on for the past few years, using all original vintage parts except for the case, parts of the power supply, and the tube. I’m also going to shoot it out against the M-Audio Sputnik, a comparably priced modern tube mic with a very different character, and one of my own personal go-to microphones for vocals. Let’s get to it then!

Sound Quality and Tone

It’s important to note before we begin that this is not a mic for all occasions. The Genesis is definitely of the bright, bold, U-47 mold: not quite as dark or warm as many other modern tube mics I’ve heard, though certainly much richer than your average solid-state condensor. Even on vocals – the ideal source for this mic as far as I’m concerned – it’s not for everyone, or even every song. There may well be times when you want a darker, deeper sound (which the Sputnik provides in spades I might add), or for that matter a more neutral, even sound (for which there are dozens of excellent solid-state condensors). That being said, for what it is, and what it’s supposed to do, the MXL Genesis sounds unbelievably good. I was absolutely blown away by what this did to my voice; for my personal preferences, it was scarily close to perfect.

First off, the detail retrieval is stunning. I think of the Sputnik as having excellent detail retrieval, and this is in another realm entirely. Fine consonants and inflections sound clear as day on vocals, and subtle overtones and oscillations translate pristinely on the guitar. All the little nuances that are crucial to convey subtlety of emotion on a vocal take are right there, and I can’t stress enough how important that is. If the tone is right for your singer, this is a real show-stopper.

Tone, of course, is the most important part here, given that this is a valve mic after all. It is definitely a bright mic: not quite so round and mellow a mid-range or low end, but a gorgeous sheen and top end sparkle, and a very tight, well-defined bass (if perhaps a little lean at times). Some EQing is often necessary regardless of the mic you’re using, especially for vocal takes, but you still want to shoot for a microphone that gives you as close to the “right” sound as possible straight out of the box. For my own vocals, this is clearly that sound, and off the top of my head, I can think of about a dozen singers I know personally for whom this would sound ideal as well. Especially for rock vocals, this is in fact and indeed the tone you’re looking for. Something that will shimmer and shine and effortlessly slice through a mix like a stiletto without sounding grating or harsh. On the right source, I can’t imagine there are all that many mics that sound much better than this.

Versatility

As you may have gathered by now, a jack-of-all-trades the Genesis is not. It does sound quite natural on more sources than many tube mics I’ve worked with, but then again, I usually don’t think of tube mics as being superbly versatile in the first place. It’s also a fixed cardiod pattern, which does narrow its focus somewhat (if you’ll pardon a rather amusing pun). This is not necessarily a bad thing. If you’re looking for a single microphone that will work for a wide variety of instruments and sounds there are better choices out there, but odds are, if you’re not looking to build a pretty substantial collection of mics in the first place, you’re looking for one or two that work especially well for what you do. Most “versatile” mics sound pretty good on most things, and those kinds of workhorse mics are essential to have for any complete collection. But my guess is, especially if you’re a singer, you don’t really want your primary mic to sound “pretty good.” You want it to sound frackin’ sweet, and that is exactly what the Genesis will do on most voices. It also sounds really excellent on acoustic guitar and guitar cabinets, and you may well end up finding that it has the right sound for a number of percussive instruments as well. The trick here, as with most colorful mics, is to be willing to experiment a bit. Get a feel for its sound, and try it out on sources that you think that sound might work for. Sometimes it will, and sometimes it won’t. You’ll know when it does.

Design and Build Quality

Before I even touch on the equally colorful aesthetics of this mic, I should start by mentioning that the Genesis is very well put together. It’s a solid, heavy microphone that really feels well built. While I’m not keen on the fact that they only give you a hard wood case for the microphone itself (most other tube mics have cases that accommodate the accessories and dedicated power supply that tube mics need as well), the accessories themselves are of equally high quality. The power supply feels as sturdy as the mic, the shock mount attaches firmly and seems to provide good protection, and the included XLR 7-pin cable (a necessity for tube mics to carry power from the dedicated PSU) is Mogami cable, which should pretty much speak for itself. My favorite extra though is custom-fit metal pop-filter, which matches the gold tone of the microphone grill and can be fastened directly onto the main capsule body. It fits like a glove and it works (and looks) a heck of a lot better than your standard cheap cloth ones.

As for the design aesthetics, well, it’s definitely distinctive. It’s a huge microphone, the body and the power supply are both a bright, brick red and both the grill and the accessories sport a gold finish. It’s honestly up to you whether you find this tacky or sexy. I personally think it looks pretty fancy.

Value

There are cheaper microphones out there that will invariably sound better on certain sources. That’s pretty much always the case. There are also cheaper mics that will sound good on the same sources that the Genesis sounds good on. The Genesis is not a “cheap” mic. What it is, however, is a $500 dollar microphone that easily competes with $5000 microphones of a similar character. Understanding that it is, for all intents and purposes, a “boutique” grade investment that needs to be used for the right applications, I’m frankly floored by how good the Genesis sounds, and not just for its price. Keeping in mind that there are other excellent tube mics out there with a very different feel, for the kind of sound the Genesis gives you, the closest competition I can think of off the top of my head is the $1300 Peluso 2247, a phenomenal and extremely faithful reproduction of the original U-47. I’d have to listen to the Peluso again to make a good comparative judgment, and that alone is high praise.

The Final Verdict

The Genesis is a stunning microphone. You will have to play around with it to find what it shines the brightest on, but singer/songwriters take note: this is your big label sound on your GB gig budget. The level of sheen, detail, brilliance and shimmer you can get out of the Genesis is unlike anything else I’ve ever heard south of a $1000. In spite of the fact that I own several excellent tube mics, most costing several times what the Genesis costs, the good folks at Pro Audio Star are not getting this back. I can’t think of a more stirring endorsement than that.

MXL Genesis Tube Mic Audio Comparison by ProAudioStar

About the Recordings: There are a number of competing schools of thought when it comes down to how to design the perfect preamp or microphone shootout. Converters, EQs, compressors and other pieces of outboard gear are fairly straightforward because you can simply run the same sample through each piece of gear you’re testing, but mic preamps, interfaces and microphones are a little more problematic. Ideally you want all your competitors recording the exact same source using the exact same ancillary equipment simultaneously, but that’s usually impossible. I’ve seen some shootouts simply mic their monitors playing back the same clip, and while that certainly helps to eliminate performance variables, I don’t think it really gives you a true and accurate sense of what a microphone or pre actually does on a given source. So I’ve opted to simply record three different takes of the same short clip for each given sample, using the exact same settings and gain for guitar, and in this case using the same Onyx Blackjack preamps and converters attenuated to the same gain, and doing my utmost to maintain a consistent performance on vocals. There are definitely some slight variations, but most everything that can really affect the sonic signature – gain, tone, EQ, etc – was kept consistent.

All pads and high pass filters were disabled for all three microphones, and the Sputnik’s and rebuilt U-47’s pickup patterns were set to cardiod to match the fixed cardiod pickup of the Genesis.

Clean Guitar: This was recorded using an Epiphone Supernova played via a Marshall MG15CDR studio amp and recorded into a Mackie Onyx Blackjack recording interface. All reverb and other effects were disabled, all tone controls were set at neutral, the amplifier’s gain was attenuated at 75%, and the Onyx preamp gain was attenuated at line level. Mogami Gold TS and XLR cable was used for all interconnects.

Overdrive Guitar: Same as above, except gain and volume were both set at 50% for the MG15CDR’s overdrive mode.

Male Vocals and Spoken Word: Using the same Blackjack interface (with preamp gain set to 30) and Mogami Gold XLR, I sang a clip from Lost Under the Sun, the opening track on my upcoming album, Tears of Men, and spoke a short introduction to the microphone tests.

Dev is a professional jazz-fusion composer, singer, sound engineer and front man for the band Wire Spoke Wheels, living and operating in beautiful Bushwick, Brooklyn. He’s also co-founder and co-chairman of Frost Audio, a small Michigan based audio company specializing in high performance cables and loudspeakers, all hand-made in the USA. He’ll be releasing his next studio album, Tears of Men, in early 2011. To learn more or hear his work, check out www.devavidon.com

We get a lot of questions at the warehouse about which controller a beginner should get when entering the controller DJ world.  The Numark Mixtrack Pro and the Vestax Typhoon are the heavy hitters in the entry level price range right now and I’ve seen a lot of debate in the forums about which one is better.  Check out the above video for my personal take on the strengths and weaknesses of each.

As I stated above I’d have to give the edge to the Mixtrack Pro when it comes to responsiveness of the jog wheels and faders, but I like the construction and layout of the Vestax Typhoon.  Software may be another thing you want to consider when checking these both out.  Once you learn to DJ you’ll be able to apply your skills to any software or scenario, but getting used to the nuances of one program often happens with the first one you really dive into.  The Mixtrack Pro comes with Virtual DJ which has a strong and well supported user base.  The Vestax Typhoon offers an entry level version of Traktor which is widely used by industry professionals.  You can map either the Mixtrack Pro or the Typhoon to upgraded versions of VDJ or Traktor but if you don’t want to purchase additional software you may want to keep in mind what comes in the box.

These controllers are both USB bus powered and have on board sound cards meaning all you need is a set of headphones to start rocking.  They’re great for anyone just starting out without a big budget.  Check out the  video above for the full rundown!

Running low on warehouse space this week we took to the streets to shoot a video on four pedals from Moog we’re going to be carrying in the warehouse.  MoogerFoogers are great for fattening up any digital source with analog circuitry and are built by one of the originators of analog synths and effects.  Effects pedals are often thought of in the guitar context but these analog effects are extremely useful in the production setting, and with the midi syncing features of pedals like the MidiMurf and the MP-201 controller you can take the guess work out of syncing these effects with your live setup.

MPC’s are a great instrument in the studio or synched to you live/DJ set, so I used my MPC-1000 as both a sound source and midi clock to sync the MidiMurf pedal to.  The MidiMurf is 8 dynamic filter bands that animate in time with a set tempo or your midi source.  The volumes of each filter band can be controlled via the sliders on the front of the pedal and the envelopes of the filters trigger according to one of 12 selectable patterns stored in the pedal.  You can edit these patterns with software provided by Moog to create your own animation sequences.  The warm analog filters instantly beef up any sound, and the animated filtering in time with the beat lead to grooves that can simulate filtered modular synth sequences from the days of old.

Moog’s MF-102 Ring Mod has to be the best sounding ring modulator I’ve tried.  It’s capable of a range of ring modulation form subtel tremolo effects all the way up to harmonically rich distortion.  The on board LFO also makes this pedal capable of creating timed groove effects, and while it doesn’t have a MIDI input available to sync too, the CV inputs on the back of the pedal can take a synched signal from the MP-201 to keep your effects in time.

The MoogerFooger MF101 Low Pass Filter is a monster for low pass.  It was nice to have on the end of my effects chain to sweep down on the high end into some deep bass grooves.  All the elements of this effect can also be controlled via CV including the cutoff, resonance, and envlope amount meaning you can sync these effects to your MP-201 control pedal.

I had the least amount of time with the MP-201 and only managed to use it to control my filter cutoff (with some unintentional amplitude distortion involved) but four channels of CV and presets built around each of the MoogerFooger pedal make this the ultimate expression pedal for controlling your effects.  Control Voltage can be sent to a variety of sources including analog synthesizers as well.  In it’s most basic form, the CV that comes from this pedal ramps according to the expression pedal letting you literally grab hold of any knob on a MoogerFooger (or synthesizer element) with the expression foot pedal itself.  You can also send dynamic CV signals like square and triangle waves to animate your effects either according to the expression pedal or synced to the midi input on board the M-201.  Midi to VC gating is highly useful for analog synth users looking to play their synths with a midi keyboard and this pedal can perform this function as well.  The MP-201 seems like a great solution for anyone looking to synch their analog effects to a midi source.

Hope this gives you a little more insight on these analogue effects pedals.  I really only breached the tip of the ice berg in the above video as the range of effects and sounds can change drastically according to your effects chain and up to four dynamic CV controls via pedals like the MP-201.  Give us a shout for the best deals on these pedals and work some classic Moog sounds into your live setup or home studio!

ProAudioStar blogger Sam checked in again with his take on M-Audio’s entry level speaker. We don’t stock the AV-40 right now but those interested in what M-Audio has to offer should check out the BX5a and BX8a deluxe editions. Here’s what sam had to say about the AV’s, given his take on this entry level edition the upgrade to the BX series is sure to blow you away.

I had a chance to try out the M Audio Studiophile AV 40 Speakers a couple days ago. All I have to say is that I am blown away (pun totally intended). They are incredible monitors. I paid around $150 for the monitors and they were worth every penny. I have been using Ableton to produce music and I needed great monitors to give me an accurate read of my music. I live in an area where it is easy for my neighbors to hear music if I play it too loudly, so I needed speakers that had great sound quality but would not disturb the neighbors. The M Audio Studiophile AV 40 provide exactly what I need.

The speaker setup was quite easy to set up. Speaker wires were already included with the box including an 1/8″ to RCA cable. The 1/8″ cable is very sensitive, so it is important to be sure that you have it plugged in securely and not move your laptop around or else the sound will become distorted. Also included in the box was a manual on how to properly set up the monitors. Instead of including a boring manual, a more of a comic style manual was included. It was easy to read and understand.

The speakers are also lightweight and easy to carry to different locations. This is very convenient for me as I tend to use my computer both in my bedroom and living room. I can now easily transition between both locations without worrying about lugging a large setup with me.

Overall, the M Audio Studiophile AV 40 Speakers are phenomenal speakers. I would recommend them to anyone who needs a small monitor setup to give them accurate sound for producing. If you own an actual music studio, these speakers may not be powerful enough for you. You should look into the M Audio BX5A Deluxe or M Audio BX8A Deluxe if you are looking for a more powerful monitor speakers. I hope you have enjoyed this review, now it is time for me to get back to producing. Happy mixing!

Welcome ProAudioStar customer Sam to the blog.  He’s been blogging his thoughts on the getting started in the DJ game at Dazemusic but I asked if we could syndicate some of his content here and he was happy to contribute!  Sam is a turntable/serato guy but was looking for a more portable solution for some of his mobile gigs.  He picked up a VCI-300 MKII from us a few weeks ago and I was curious about his thoughts.  Here’s his in depth review reblogged from his wordpress:

So, I have finally taken the plunge. After nearly a year of research and overanalyzing Youtube videos and DJ forums, I have finally purchased the VCI 300 MKII. I have been using two Vestax PDX-2000 Turntables along with a TTM56 mixer and Shure M44-7 cartridges, but I wanted a smaller setup to take to venues without having to take a while to set up. I also live in a city where it is hard to park close to the venue where I am DJ’ing.

Before purchasing the VCI 300 MKII, my biggest issue was deciding between the MKII and the NS7 performance controller. The NS7 is an amazing piece of DJ equipment. The problem with the NS7 for me, however, was the size of the controller. The NS7 is a large, hard to carry performance controller. It however felt better in my hands overall when I compared it to the VCI 300 controller, when I tested the two controllers back in January.

When I heard about the release of the VCI 300 MKII a couple months ago, I knew Vestax would make changes that would improve the controller. I am not going to talk about all of the features and changes between the MKI and the MKII as they are listed all over the Internet. I am just going to speak about the main differences I noticed as a DJ.

One of the things that bothered me about the original VCI 300 MKI controller was that the overall feel of the controller did not feel very good when I was using it to scratch. Something seemed a little off when I tried scratching with it. I always felt a delay or lag when I used it. I realized my DJ skills may not have been up to par and there could be other DJ’s online who had no problem with scratching on the controller. It was because of this that I searched the Internet for every VCI 300 scratch video I could find. It seemed other DJ’s had the same issue. I even found a forum that went through a long methodology about how to eliminate the lag that involved opening the VCI 300 and inserting a couple screws into the mixer board.

I was hoping this issue would be fixed in the VCI 300 MKII, and from all of my testing thus far, it works great. It has a much better feel than the original VCI 300. The mixer seems much improved to me, as are the control platters. I had to take a bit of time to calibrate the settings to find the right feel for my style of DJ’ing. On the previous version of the VCI 300, a screwdriver had to be used to calibrate the settings. I never tried doing this, and I do acknowledge that I may have had the same feel for the previous model had I altered the settings. However, there are  implications of using the previous model if I am spinning with another DJ. If that DJ has a different feel of the control platters and needs to alter the settings, I’d have to take a screwdriver with me everywhere I go. Now, it is much simpler as this can be controlled with knobs.

The mixer itself is also something incredible. All of my mixes flow together well. The options for Auto-Gain, the adjustable settings for the crossfader and upfader really do make my mixes come together very well. As for the software itself, it is amazing. I love being able to pick songs straight from the controller without having to touch my computer. The ease of creating cue points straight from the controller is also great.

Overall, I am extremely happy with my purchase of the VCI 300 MKII. Vestax made adjustments that are important to my style of DJ’ing. I play mainly hip hop music, and scratching is important. Having the ability to scratch while carrying around a portable item is important. From my testing of both the VCI 300 MKI and the VCI 300 MKII I honestly do feel a bit of a difference between the two controllers. Last Thursday I received my VCI 300 MKII in the mail, and I DJ’ed an event with it the next day. Everything worked perfectly fine, as I was  able to do what I would normally be able to do on my normal setup with the VCI 300 MKII.

I will still practice on my turntables and mixer and translate those skills to the VCI 300 MKII when I use it for gigs. I will not be taking my VCI 300 MKII to a DJ Battle and attempt to win with it, however, it is a great controller for me to take to events and still have most of the abilities I would have with my usual DJ setup. If you are a DJ looking for a great controller that is portable, look no further, the VCI 300 MKII is the way to go.

Thanks again Sam for this insight.  We’ll be hearing more from him on gear and general DJ techniques here on our blog but to follow him on the daily be sure to check out Dazemusic.  If you’ve got any interest in contributing these kinds of reviews or other articles to our blog be sure to give me a shout I’m always looking for good writers!

We were lucky enough to get our hands on the new Mixtrack Pro from Numark for a few hours at the ProAudioStar warehouse so we made a quick video overview.  It’s essentially the same controller as the Numark Mixtrack with the addition of a sound card so you can cue in headphones and send you main mix out via RCA.  As I said in the video, I was pretty impressed with the jog wheels and responsiveness of the faders on this unit when using it with Virtual DJ.  I didn’t take the time to map it to Traktor but there may already be Traktor maps floating around for the Mixtrack that can be adapted to work with the Mixtrack Pro.  I’d say this is a very serious competitor to the Vestax Typhoon and anyone in the market for an entry level controller should give this a look.  The bundled software (Virtual DJ le in this case) is a notable difference and something to think about when weighing controller options as switching software after the fact will take an additional investment.

Also on our YouTube channel, post takes a quick look at the new M-Boxes from Avid.  This home studio standard interface gets a long overdue update that looks cleaner, feels nicer, and most important of all it sounds better.  You’ll see the Mbox and Mbox mini in the video.  There’s also an Mbox Pro we’ll be stocking as well.  Pro Tools recently reinvigorated their software with version 8 and now you’ve got the updated interfaces to match.  Don’t be scared to use these with other DAW’s like Logic or Ableton either as the Mbox line is a trusted easy to use interface for all applications.

The Monome has been long revered as the holy grail of DIY controllers. It’s open format and active community of builders and developers make it great for people who want to completely customize their music making experience. But building your own can be a steep climb for those not familiar with electronics or programing. Novation recently introduced their own Monome-like controller that begs the question, can it work the same way?

A Monome works with Open Sound Control (OSC), which allows it to send and receive control information in a variety of ways, and many Monome users have developed and shared applications built specifically for the Monome. These applications either work standalone, letting you chop and sequence within one program, or as bridges to other software sending midi and control information to your DAW (Ableton the popular choice among Monome users). While a lot of the standalone apps are built in Max/MSP, they only require you have Max Runtime, a free program to run them. Almost as soon as Novation’s Launchpad hit the market, Monome programs and emulators were adapted to work with the Launchpad and have it function much the same way.

To get the full scoop on how the Novation Launchpad stacks up in the Monome community I hit up Adam Rubaido, developer of the popular Monome Ableton control program 7up. Check the questions below to get inside with an insider:

How has the Launchpad been received by the Monome community?  It’s design and functionality have obvious similarities.  Is this a bone of contention among Monome users or wanna be Monome users (Wannomes)?

Understandably, the release of the launchpad was initially seen as a big corporation’s affront on a much loved independent business’ success story.  It’s hard to argue that the Launchpad and APC40’s designs weren’t lifted from the monome, but the fact is that the demand for grid-based controllers far exceeded supply and those companies made what proved to be a business savvy choice by meeting that demand.  At this point, launchpad users have been accepted as a source of fresh blood in a community of enthusiastic hackers and musicians.

Does the new version of 7up work natively with the Launchpad?  Do you need an emulator?

Using any monome application with the Launchpad will require an emulator to translate the messages coming from the Launchpad into messages that monome applications understand (OSC).  That being said, the process has become relatively painless with a number of emulators out there including MonomeEmu and NoNome.

MonomeEmu works especially well with SevenUp 2.0 as we’ve included support for Launchpad’s multi-colored LEDs.  However, it’s worth mentioning that any time you use an emulator, you’re adding overhead to both your workflow and CPU utilization.

How does 7up compare to the native Launchpad functionality when controlling Ableton Live?

This is something of an apples and oranges comparison as the Launchpad’s built in control surface capabilities serve different purposes than SevenUp’s capabilities.  But, I will however say that in *general*, and especially since the release of Max4Live, you’re going to find more features to play with, more creative capabilities, and more surprises from community-developed monome applications than the out-of-the-box Novation functionality.

Has the Monome community set the standard for open sourcing controllers?  Do you see more commercial products and software becoming user programmable?

I don’t know if the Monome community has set the standard but it’s certainly a successful example of how a business plan can be crafted with community and open standards as a key component.  Right now the community is Brian’s [Monome creator Brian Crabtree] best salesman and also his support department.

Taking a step away from music and software, I think as consumers become more tech savvy, more curious hackers will emerge and businesses will see the benefits of letting their users take the products to places they had never envisioned.  You see this already with video games (did John Carmack ever envision Team Fortress) and with social apps (did Mark Zuckerberg ever envision Farmville?).  So absolutely, I see user programmability a huge part of tomorrow’s marketplace, music or otherwise.

You’re a producer/Monome user yourself. What’s your favorite thing about using a Monome?

I had a vision for how a grid controller would react to my button presses and I was able to *gasp* act on that vision.  That’s powerful stuff.

But my favorite part of the monome has to be the community that surrounds it.  I’ve met so many amazing people, traveled to so many places, and played so many shows all because of this dumb little box of blinking lights.  It’s been a beacon that’s brought together programmers and musicians and everything in between.  Turns out we get along ok.

Thanks very much Adam!

—

Adam produces and plays live with his Monome as Making the Noise. You can listen to his new album at makingthenoise.com/anything. You can also see the latest version of his program 7up in action with Ableton Live and and MaxForLive at makingthenoise.com/sevenup.

Novation’s Launchpad could be a great route for people looking to break into the customizable Monome community, and is a pretty slick little Ableton controller on it’s own.  Check through some of the links above to see videos of Launchpads and Monomes in action.  Check it out in the store using the link below, and for getting to the end of this article you get a special discount code on the Launchpad! Use the promo code “launchpad7up” for the best price on a Launchpad anywhere on the net.

As laptop DJing becomes increasingly common, it seems impractical for new DJ’s to buy turntables and a mixer just to mix MP3’s. Don’t get me wrong, if you want to play vinyl records also, or do a heavy amount of scratching you’ll need turntables. But for the new digital DJ looking to cue tracks, mix live, and get creative with effects, controllers with soundcards built in are a good way to go. Up until now full featured controller/soundcards have come at a price that might scare away beginners. Enter the Vestax Typhoon.

The Typhoon comes with everything you need to start DJing with your personal computer and music collection. It comes bundled with Traktor LE and lets you load up tracks, mix between decks, and play with filters and effects all without ever reaching for your laptop keyboard. The soundcard on board enables you to send your mix out to speakers and preview tracks in headphones before mixing them in.

The only things keeping it in the beginner zone are the RCA outputs (not as loud as quarter inch or XLR), and the touch sensor discs which aren’t as responsive as the Vestax’s VCI series. But these setbacks seem well in line with the price point.

If you haven’t watched our Vestax Typhoon video feature yet be sure to check it out for a hands on look at the Typhoon. Ships mid August but taking orders now!

Buy the Blue enCORE Mic

BLUE is one of the industry leaders in cutting edge studio microphone designs. With the enCORE 200, BLUE takes a bit of their studio sound magic and puts it in to an affordable ($149) microphone for live sound use.

The BLUE enCORE 200 is a unique and groundbreaking design concept that attempts to solve the age old problem of singers and sound men everywhere. How do you get the clarity and definition of a condenser or studio microphone while getting the flexibility and ease of use of a standard dynamic stage microphone? BLUE’s answer was to create a dynamic microphone with active circuitry. This gives you an increased depth and clarity, with far less feedback issues than a standard stage condenser microphone.

At first glance, I notice of course the stylish looks of this microphone. There are very few microphones on the market that offer a great sound and a unique statement making look. Don’t be fooled though, this microphone is much more than just the surface looks. I also immediately noticed the great feel of the non slip dark blue body and the extremely tough copper colored grill. The enCORE 200 also features a very small orange phantom power indicator, so you know that you are receiving phantom power. The light is unobtrusive and is helpful in making sure you are connected properly.  BLUE also includes a nice green-fur lined carrying bag, which is actually a nice touch compared to the standard unlined zipper bags of many other companies.

After the initial look, I took the enCORE 200 to the stage for 2 of my artists live shows. I immediately noticed an enhanced clarity of the vocals which helped them to sit up in the mix. After years of listening to the standard SM58 live this mic really had an ear opening and impacting sound. I believe BLUE engineers a lot of “ease of use” in to their EQ curves on all of their microphones, so EQ’ing was rather simple. The one negative thing I soon discovered was an increase in handling noise, which I believe is inherent to the active circuitry design. I had to be a bit careful when applying compression, because that will of course increase handling noise.  I thought during sound check that this handling noise might be an issue, but once the band stepped in and the mic was on the stand the handling noise was inaudible and quickly forgotten.  I was on the other hand pleasantly surprised at the lack of feedback that this microphone produced. In the same room I have had feedback nightmares with the Neumann KSM105 which is a high priced ($699) full condenser mic. I’d approximate about a %10 increase in feedback on the enCORE 200 as compared to a standard SM58. Whereas a standard condenser can have as much as a %60-70 increase in feedback over an SM58.

After the show, the complements ensued.  The artists received manycomments on how “cool” their new mics looked, and the technical minded in the crowd were impressed with the clarity of the vocals. I found the enCORE 200 a pleasure to work with and even noticed the increased confidence my artists had from using a visually stunning microphone.

I must say that after some real world experience with the BLUE enCORE 200, I am extremely impressed with what blue was able to achieve. They took the standard dynamic microphone and sonically supercharged it at a price that won’t make you “blue” in the face.  Between the great sound, look, construction, and price range, I really see this microphone becoming an excellent choice over some of the traditional competitors in the same price range. In an industry where any edge counts, this certainly is a great tool to have in your corner.

Until next time, this is Jason Green.