Propellerhead Software Reason and Record Duo List Price: $449.00 (bundle) www.propellerheads.se The end of this summer dropped a left-right combo on music makers with Reason 5 and Record 1.5. For those unfamiliar with Reason, it can be explained as audio and MIDI software that looks and works like real hardware. Virtual racks of synthesizers, samplers, [...]

ROLAND SP-404SX Linear Wave Sampler LIST PRICE: $465.00 The Roland SP-404SX is a linear wave sampler boasting a renewed sound quality over the original SP-404. For commanding the attention of today’s youth culture, it’s the best weapon technology has to offer. The SP-404SX forges new sounds, and the linear sampling marks an improved sound quality [...]

ALESIS MICRON SE Analog Modeling Synthesizer LIST PRICE: $699.00 This Alesis analog modeling synth showcases an amazingly wide array of sounds. It’s even somewhat ironic that such a small (yet robust) package has the ability to produce so much. The Micron SE—the “SE” stands for Special Edition blue paint job, instead of standard red—packs in [...]

LIST PRICE: $1395.00 WWW.MOOGMUSIC.COM Moog is staying true to its analog roots in a world gone digital. The Little Phatty Stage II is a modern Minimoog Model D that has the digital chops to manage MIDI and store presets, all while maintaining a pure analog signal path. The editing controls are all analog potentiometers. That’s [...]

LIST PRICE: $249.00 WWW.SUBMERSIBLEMUSIC.COM Get less talk and more rock with this virtual drummer plug-in (RTAS/VSTi/AU) that puts the remarkable sound and talent of some of the best drummers alive right onto your tracks. Kitcore takes the work off your CPU and delivers the goods with a horde of varying drum sounds and styles set [...]

LIST PRICE: $154.00 WWW.SHURE.COM/X2U Less is more. Simplicity and function are two words that best describe this interface/adaptor. Its slim design allows its use anywhere, with any mic. It even has a phantom power option for condensers. It features a headphone jack with volume control, which allows for zero latency monitoring. This scores big. It [...]

Ableton has made yet another successful upgrade to Live. The new version updates some existing features, and launches some new instruments, new effects, and some mastering tools.

Lap steel by itself can be quite a lonely sound, but its a great deal better when played along with a rhythm section.

This session brought together the most people I’ve recorded in this office yet. Tally up four band members with instruments in-hand, myself, a photographer, a manager, a band tech, one Davis Inman making sure every detail was addressed, and five mics with stands and cables.

A sturdy, dependable accessory for any recording session.

The Audix SCX25A flexed its muscles as an extremely agile microphone.

By far the most impressive characteristic is the tone that these allow an acoustic instrument to achieve.