Native Instruments Premium Tube Series. Today Native Instruments announced a new set of plug-ins titled Premium Tube Series. I’ve used software that emulates the warmth of analog tape (for example, Waves’ Kramer Master Tape) and been very pleased with the results on my mixes. But I haven’t used anything that replicates tube EQ. Interested to try this soon and see if it makes a difference.
Guitar Rig - recording guitar with software. Video of me using Native Instruments’ Guitar Rig to record some guitar parts into Pro Tools. You can hear the before and after effect of using this plug-in software to help shape the guitar’s sound.
Saffire PRO 40. A few years ago I upgraded and bought this audio interface for one simple purpose: to record drums. At the time I was using an old Mbox 2 that had served me well for creating song demos. But when my band decided to record an album at my house instead of at a professional studio I needed an interface that had enough inputs to record my drummer’s kit. With eight mic inputs the Focusrite Saffire PRO 40 had just enough to get the job done. At a price under $600 this firewire unit was ideal for my home studio. Though I wouldn’t necessarily consider it a mobile interface, we did unplug it from my home setup and took it along with my computer to my drummer’s house to record in a nice room with tall ceilings. The results were excellent. If you’re looking for an interface with multiple inputs under $1,000 I would highly recommend the Saffire PRO 40. My band’s entire album was recorded through it! Listen to album recorded with Saffire PRO 40
Rock ‘n Roll Faces. Found a photo from 2009 of my old band, Nightjar, performing live. I’m guessing from the expressions on our faces, and the cans of PBR, that we were having a good time.
Toontrack EZ Drummer. Every time Toontrack sends me an email regarding an update to their drum sampling software (like they did today) I pause and consider buying it. It doesn’t appear to be too expensive and the demos sound quite good. Then I have to remind myself of the times I’ve used similar software and the lack of joy I felt working with it. To be fair I’ve used BFD2, a similar product to Toontrack’s software. I’ve never tried EZ Drummer or Superior Drummer. But it wasn’t the software that was joyless. It was the lack of collaboration. I dreaded sitting in front of my computer and arranging the verse beats, drum fills, etc. It was a completely solo experience, completely unlike the journey you take when crafting music with other musicians. Plus, the final recorded results from my drum software didn’t sound organic. I know that’s not a great description but trying to create “feel” from a machine is nearly impossible. So, whenever possible work with a real drummer. Learn how to properly mic a drum kit. You’ll likely find the experience much more enjoyable.
Ben Nichols guitar pedal chain. As a follow-up to my earlier post regarding the guitar tone of Ben Nichols of the band Lucero, here is the photo I took immediately after their show at The Vogue in Indianapolis. You can hear his tone in this video I took of him performing “Bruised Ribs”, a cover of a Joey Kneiser song. Video: “Bruised Ribs” - Lucero. On a side note, I have no idea why he likes using those coiled guitar cords. He and Brian actually got their cords twisted at one point during the show. Looks annoying.
No one remembers the CD longbox debate? I received a prize at work today. A set of earbuds. The prize itself was fine. I actually needed a new pair. What surprised me was the amount of packaging some marketing exec decided was necessary to promote a product so small. It reminded me of the CD longbox issue back in 1992. Then, consumers seemed to care about the effects of wasteful packaging. Not so sure I can say the same today. Stop by any Costco and decide for yourself. Oh, and if you’re too young to remember the CD longbox controversy, here’s the MTV News clip from that year: MTV News Segment about CD Longbox Packaging (filmed inside Tower Records)
