American Songwriter » Recording

Review: Focusrite Forte Audio Interface

Andy McDonough — Thu, 23 May 2013 18:31:57 +0000

$749.99 list / $499.99 street price Overview The Focusrite Forte is a great-sounding, 2-in/4-out USB audio interface that's ideal for songwriters who use either a Mac or a PC. With its clean sound and simple physical design, it is easy to transport, clean looking on the desktop, and functional. It's easy to see why recording professionals are using the Forte for demos and mobile recording sessions. A top-quality piece of audio gear that can convert audio at up to 24-bit/192 kHz, the Forte can help you take your songwriting to the next level. Professional songwriters, studio engineers and producers have long been fans of Focusrite gear that has been used to make hit recordings for decades. The company knows a thing or two about capturing good sound and it's not surprising that their little USB offering follows the same high standards. If you are making demos or recording your songwriting sessions, the most important thing you need to know about the Forte is that it can be used with digital recording software to capture your voice and guitar or other accompaniment without coloration or distortion. That said, there are some things you'll want to know about how it works to help you make a buying decision. Design At a glance, it's obvious that a good deal of thought went into the physical design of the Forte. It features a sleek, solid aluminum enclosure, colorful OLED display, and an oversized multi-function knob. A small display on the unit shows individual track levels along with meters that turn green, yellow, and red indicating signal level. Below the display are four touch-sensitive mode buttons for selecting input level, speaker volume, headphone volume, and DAW mode for controlling a software transport. The multi-function knob has a smooth, solid feel and spins freely to adjust levels and make selections. A single ¼-inch headphone jack is located conveniently on the front of the unit. At the back, you'll find a power input, a USB 2.0 port, an input for the breakout cable (Focusrite calls it a loom cable), and a pair of TRS line outputs. Since these outputs are not part of the loom, you can keep the loom in a drawer when listening over speakers and keep the desktop clear of cables. The short loom sports a pair of XLR microphone inputs along with a pair of TRS line/instrument-level inputs, so you can connect two mics and two instruments at the same time and leave them connected. The four audio output channels can be connected to an amplifier and speakers, powered monitors, or a mixer for additional monitoring or headphone outputs. Set-up and Performance Setting up the Forte was easy, requiring me to register on the company site before downloading the necessary drivers and bundled software. Once software is installed, you can connect the Forte via USB. The bundled Forte Control software offers low-latency monitoring and level control from your PC and the Midnight Plug-in Suite provides Focusrite's EQ and compressor software. Before you can start recording, you'll want to select the Forte as the input and output device in your recording software and attach the loom connector for instrument and mic inputs. As I expected, Focusrite preamps sounded warm and clean for my first quick recording of close-in voice and guitar tracks. Changing microphones, I was able to immediately hear the 'personality' of each microphone giving good indications that the Forte was not coloring the sound. The Forte's preamps also sounded noticeably cleaner and had more presence than other USB interfaces I've used. The playback quality of full-range reference recordings was stellar through the Forte with tight and extended bass response. I found the Forte's DAW mode to be very useful, allowing the desktop unit to be used as a remote. Tapping on the multi-function button in DAW mode, you can use the singular button to start and stop recording and to shuttle forward or back in your tracks. While you still need a mouse and keyboard to select and arm tracks, the Forte is handy as a remote, especially if you are recording yourself. The Focusrite Forte audio interface is a great choice for songwriters looking to produce high-quality demos or just get great sounding recordings of their work. It's an affordable, professional interface that is well designed physically, simple to set-up and use, and engineered to help you record clean, professional sounding tracks.

The post Review: Focusrite Forte Audio Interface appeared first on American Songwriter.

Review: Zoom Q2HD Video Recorder

Walter Lindley — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 21:45:57 +0000

Less than ten years ago, a musician looking to videotape a rehearsal or make a music video had to shell out a few bucks and go through lots of setup time, followed by extensive editing time. Thankfully, video recorders have come a long way since then. And though you can find a video recorder on most smart phones, either the audio or video quality suffers when trying to capture a live full-band performance. Samson Technologies bridges this gap and ups the ante with their Zoom Q2HD, an affordable handheld camcorder which offers HD Video, video editing software and the very cool feature of live web-streaming capabilities, all at a street price in the $200 range. Best of all for musicians, the Q2HD is the first portable camcorder of its kind to offer Mid-Side audio recording. This type of recording allows for the crucial element of adding ambience and separation to a recording via a uni-directional microphone that captures sound directly in front of you (Mid) and a bi-directional microphone that captures sound from the left and right (Side). You can also adjust the width of the stereo field from 30 to 150 degrees, which is very useful in controlling how you would like to present the soundstage. The layout of the unit places the USB, HDMI and 3.5mm audio outputs on one side, with a gain control, delete button and SD card slot on the other. The microphone is set on top of the unit, encased in a shielded capsule. Setup and monitoring is done via 9 different icons visible on the 2” video screen, controlled by a playback/record wheel below. There are several standard presets or you can also manually set your own levels (sound, lighting, video) for more involved recording. The unit comes with a 2 GB SD card which, depending on the audio/level settings you choose, will yield anywhere from 40 minutes of HD video to substantially more time at lesser quality or audio only. The 2 GB card will definitely suffice for sketching out new song ideas but for extended rehearsals or music video production, you’ll want to swap out for a larger size card and more recording space. For our test, we recorded a show by Brian Kirk and the Jirks, voted one of the country’s top bands by The Knot wedding site. Our settings were PCM 96/24 Lo-cut on, concert audio input, 150’ degree mid-side angle mic and Mic level gain at a modest 3. We opted for a WVGA/30 setting for video for one song and switched to 1080/30 HD for the second. Playback was monitored afterwards on both the unit itself (headphone line out) and a Macbook Pro through studio speakers. The Q2HD’s video performance was on par with cameras in this unit’s price range, even under less than ideal lighting- one side of the room was all windows letting in sunlight and the other a darker shaded wall pattern. The audio quality is where the unit shines – the sound was excellent across the board. The mid-side recording faithfully captured the band’s diverse range of jazz standards and modern pop, with the horns, guitar, vocals and rhythm section all presented in full, crisp detail. After recording, you can make quick edits directly on the unit using the Divide and Trim functions or export the file to your computer for more detailed editing using Zoom’s Handy Share software. Live streaming is enabled via a USB cable connected to your computer. The Q2HD is compatible with Ustream Producer, Flash Media Live Encoder, Skype and other streaming applications. You’ll need to download the webcam audio driver from Zoom’s site before using this feature and, depending on the streaming service, you may also have to do the same on those sites. The manual could be a little more detailed here. It took a little time setting up the live stream, which turned out to be on the streaming services end not recognizing the Q2HD at first. Still, a little note in the manual stating there may be more steps involved would be better than ‘after the Q2HD connects to the computer, you can use it as a web camera for video streaming.’ The battery life leaves a little to be desired, with the two AA’s yielding just over two hours of use. This includes any setup, rewind and fiddling about time so buy quality batteries and be prepared to have backups on hand, or use the included AC power adaptor. The Q2HD is small enough that you can pack it in your pocket or your gig bag where it will take up very little space. Whether you’re looking to build a fan base around the world by broadcasting live on the web or simply want to document the creative songwriting process, the affordably priced Zoom Q2HD is a great value. List price: $349 (accessory pack not included) http://www.samsontech.com/zoom/products/handheld-video-recorders/q2hd/

The post Review: Zoom Q2HD Video Recorder appeared first on American Songwriter.

Winter NAMM, Day 4: The Swan Song

American Songwriter — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 18:15:10 +0000

NAMM 2013 wraps up today and signs of that are everywhere. At the Hilton that adjoins the convention center the stage was torn down at breakfast time. Some of the vendors have begun packing up to make a quick getaway at closing time. And blurry eyes are everywhere after tiring non-stop dealing and late-night extra-curricular activities. VIEW THE PHOTO GALLERY FROM DAY 4 VIEW THE PHOTO GALLERY FROM DAY 3 VIEW THE PHOTO GALLERY FROM DAY 2 VIEW THE PHOTO GALLERY FROM DAY 1

The post Winter NAMM, Day 4: The Swan Song appeared first on American Songwriter.

Winter NAMM: Day 4

Jake Kelly — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 22:10:03 +0000

NAMM 2013 wraps up today and signs of that are everywhere. At the Hilton that adjoins the convention center the stage was torn down at breakfast time. Some of the vendors have begun packing up to make a quick getaway at closing time. And blurry eyes are everywhere after a tiring non-stop dealing and late-night extra-circular activities.

The post Winter NAMM: Day 4 appeared first on American Songwriter.

Winter NAMM: Day 3

Jake Kelly — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 21:52:17 +0000

Saturday continues on with all the hustle and bustle one might wish for…if your idea of a good time is loud noises, crowded walkways, star gazing and circus freak shows. There was certainly some fun things happening on the floor with jaw-dropping talent demos of gear and rock stars in full regalia. And the gear was fun, too. Tune in tomorrow for the final day of NAMM and the best and most interesting the show had to offer.

The post Winter NAMM: Day 3 appeared first on American Songwriter.

Winter NAMM: Day 2

Jake Kelly — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 21:31:03 +0000

It was another cloudy day with showers in So. Cal this morning as NAMM kicked into second gear. The general mood was spirited despite the weather, which also had bouts of sunny optimism…and, it was easy to find some gear that could put a smile on your face. Tomorrow we’ll spotlight some of the wacky, and some of the practical…and some gear that is both wacky and practical.

The post Winter NAMM: Day 2 appeared first on American Songwriter.

Review: Apogee Quartet Desktop Audio

Walter Lindley — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 21:13:51 +0000

APOGEE QUARTET www.apogeedigital.com (MSRP $1,295) Are you a performing songwriter and Apple devotee looking to upgrade your recording setup? Perhaps you have a one or two input recording interface and would like to capture your duo or band in a more organic live setting? Or maybe you simply have outdated gear. If so, make the new Apogee Quartet your command central and don’t look back. Apogee Digital has been at the forefront of digital recording for the last 25 years, and is always at the top of its game with high-end studio products, from the AD-8000 converter to the Symphony I/O interface. The release of the Duet audio interface in 2007, a small unit with a two-input configuration designed for home and project studios, brought Apogee’s quality and reputation to all budding singer/songwriters at a modest price. Since then, the company has introduced other products geared towards this market, including JAM (electric guitar input) and MiC (condenser mic). The new Apogee Quartet falls somewhere between the company’s Duet and Ensemble units. It features four XLR or ¼” inputs, six balanced outputs and a stereo headphone output, along with Word clock, USB, Midi and optical connectors. The high-quality inputs are built using Apogee’s mic preamps and their renowned AD/DA converters. The six outputs work in several different configurations. In addition to a standard L/R mix, you can opt to run three different stereo mixes in a live setting, or compare mixes on three different sets of speakers, or run a full surround mix. The unit is compatible with all Core audio applications, including Pro Tools 9 and up, Garageband, Logic and Ableton Live. Let’s talk Feng Shui. This is one mighty fine-looking piece of hardware! Its sleek design and die-cast aluminum will provide an aesthetic appeal that will look great next to your Macbook Pro. It’s also portable, so you can take it out on the road to record live shows. You’ll want to give it extra TLC though - it’s so pristine looking you may not want to subject it to the rigors of setup and teardown. There’s no need for a breakout box of dangling wires as in the Duet 2, as the Quartet’s raised height places all the connections within the unit itself. A big plus goes out to Apogee for angling the unit for easy viewing of the meters. Not having to lean over to read levels and thus create user fatigue (which in turn lessens your musical mojo) makes this functional design decision a nice bonus. The Quartet features the same AD/DA converters as the Duet 2, so if you’re a solo artist or just record by yourself, the Duet 2 (or any two input unit) may be enough for you. However, when pricing the Duet 2 and its optional breakout box versus the Quartet, the extra inputs, outputs and general flexibility of the Quartet make it an easy decision. Especially for those times when your buddy comes over, inspiration hits, and you’re left dangling a cord with nowhere to go. For our test purposes, we wanted to see how easy it would be for a singer/songwriter to record a demo with more than two inputs used simultaneously. And more importantly, how good would it sound? We opted to go straight from the Quartet into Garageband, which is bundled on any Mac computer (in our case, a Macbook Pro, Version 10.7.5, 2.4 ghz Intel Core iP5, 4 GB ram). Before you start, you’ll need to download Apogee’s free Maestro 2 software, which acts as your mixer and I/O control center for setting levels. If you’ve had any experience with computer recording, Maestro 2 is very intuitive with only a slight learning curve. In my opinion, any DAW, whether it’s Pro Tools, Garageband or Logic, is not the barometer of what makes a good recording. Great sound emanates from the AD/DA converters, preamps and clock stability- all crucial in getting a pristine recording. And at this price point, you’d be hard-pressed to find better hardware than the Quartet. For our demo, we ran a Taylor 814ce direct into the Quartet’s preamps and played the guitar using different dynamics- hard strumming, soft strumming, fingerpicking and single-line riffs. Our second guitar was a Gibson J-100 with the LR Baggs Anthem pickup system playing open-E bluesy licks. The Quartet brought out a true and natural representation of each guitar. It’s often hard to get a great acoustic sound without taking the time to either mic or EQ the guitar using outboard gear. However, getting a great acoustic sound (with no jitter) using the Quartet was immediate and effortless, and that’s almost worth the price alone. In both instances, the tone was rich with ample low end, with the high register notes ringing through clearly. Getting a good low end when recording acoustic guitar can sometimes be problematic so it was a joy to get the sound so quickly. On top of that, all the nuances of your playing are accurately captured, which is a testament to Apogee’s famed converters. Our bass player used his 1983 Fender Precision and was very happy with his tight, punchy tone. Our vocals, sung through a Shure SM-7, were clean, round and full with a lot of headroom. Ten years ago you would have spent an enormous amount of money getting a sound as good as what you can accomplish with the Quartet as your centerpiece. The bottom line is, Apogee’s Quartet provides you with a recording interface at an amazing, unparalleled sonic price to quality ratio.

The post Review: Apogee Quartet Desktop Audio appeared first on American Songwriter.

Review: HK AUDIO Lucas Nano 300 Portable Sound System

Andy McDonough — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 16:28:48 +0000

List Price: $979.00/ Street Price: $699.00 Whether you are a working professional songwriter or just trying to break into the business, conquering the small venue is key to getting your songs heard. The dilemma we all face is how to get great sound when the venue isn’t set up for performance and without trying to lug a lot of your own sound equipment into the small space generally allotted for performers. The radically small and radically designed HK Nano 300 is the answer. You can get great full-range, stereo sound out of this incredibly small package that will impress the crowd and get you noticed. The Nano 300 is a complete package of subwoofer, satellite speakers and specially tuned electronics. It’s pretty safe to say that if you are a fan of innovative design you are going to find everything about this system to be impressive -— not to mention the great sound that it produces. In fact, there is so much big sound that comes out of this little unit that your audience will be looking around to find the big sound system and they won’t believe it’s the ultra-compact Nano 300. The first thing you will notice is that the entire system when packed to travel is only a little larger than a cubic foot and weighs under 25 pounds. This means it is easy to ‘single-hand’ carry and has a tiny footprint on stage. For easy transport, the unit has two bar-like handles that make it easy to pick up from any angle and the satellite speakers securely lock into the base unit when not in use. There are major differences between the Nano 300 and other systems with a subwoofer and satellites. First, the sub and electronics are all in a uniquely shaped base unit fashioned from a lightweight and anti-resonant polyamide that is shaped to enhance bass while reducing unwanted resonant frequencies. The base houses the subwoofer and a lightweight Class D power amplification system that drives the sub at 160 watts and the satellites at 2x35 watts in stereo mode (70 watts mono). Don’t let the wattage fool you. The efficient design of the subwoofer puts out solid, impressive low frequencies. The base also has a built-in three-channel mixer with inputs for microphones, instruments, line-level and external devices like MP3 players, laptops and CD players. Something you won’t see on other satellite systems is the locking mechanism on both the Nano 300 base unit and the satellites. The locking mechanism allows the satellites to connect to the base unit in a single stack without wires -— extremely handy in a very tight space and for quick set-up. For the best stereo sound, you can also put the satellites on stands. An optional kit from HK includes speaker cables, a pole that fits into the base unit and a compact stand so both satellites can be elevated and separated. Since one of the major benefits of the HK Nano 300 is stereo sound, the optional stand kit is a great investment. You can use other stands as the satellites since the 3/8" threaded insert integrated into the housing readily adapts to all kinds of hardware, like conventional mic stands, trusses, e-drum racks or wall mounting brackets. Additional satellites can be connected together to provide a ‘double stack’ for more high and midrange frequencies. If you really need to cover a large space, the base unit provides a port for linking multiple HK Nano 300s together. Once the system is set up, you’ll find the built-in mixer to have everything you need to cover a small gig. Note that you won’t find traditional tone (treble, mid, bass) knobs on the Nano 300. Instead, the unit provides a level control for the sub to help tune it to the room and a contour knob which provides some equalization for each channel to get the best tone of your voice, guitar or piano. For effects, closer control of equalization for your vocals or instruments or more channels, you can use one of the inputs on the base unit to add a mixer. The HK Nano 300 is a remarkably flexible and powerful system that will get you in and out of your gigs quickly and get you noticed. It’s big sound in a small package. In fact, you and your audience will be amazed at the big, full-range stereo sound from such a little system. Next: Martin D-Mahogany Guitar

The post Review: HK AUDIO Lucas Nano 300 Portable Sound System appeared first on American Songwriter.

Review: Bose L1 Model 1S with B2 sub

Andy McDonough — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 18:34:35 +0000

Performing your original material is often so much about getting your sound right. Since 2003, Bose Corporation has offered the L1 system, a great portable PA package that’s ideal for the singer-songwriter. What’s so great? In addition to their portability and outstanding sound quality, the L1 systems essentially eliminate the need for monitors in most venues. How they do it is a bit of audio engineering science, but the effect of having an array of small speakers arranged to deliver wide dispersion is that the room coverage is very even—up close, far off, even to the sides you get the same full-range sound. The latest addition to Bose’s L1 line is the Model 1S with accompanying subwoofer (B1 or B2 model). Our test unit featured the B2, a ‘big brother’ model targeted at the performer who needs a bigger sound and more bottom end. If your songs need to shake the room, this is the sub for you. I’ll discuss more about that in a minute. First, let’s talk about the system’s overall size. Bose likes to describe the size of their L1 models by how many people you might have in the audience (100, 300 or 500), which gives you a feel for what venues the system might be best for covering. You’ll also want to consider what kind of original music you are performing—acoustic solo, singer with tracks, full band, heavy synth sounds, etc. – to pick the right L1 system for your music. There are some interesting differences between this system and the other models, but it is essentially the same technology. The clean look of the L1 vertical “stick” is the same across the models, but this unit sports twelve array speakers (as compared to twenty-four in the larger model and six in the smallest L1). All the units boast impressive sound coverage with 180-degree dispersion. The two-piece ‘stick’ assembles quickly and easily into the base unit with no wiring required. In fact, the only wires that are needed for the system are the power cord, a Neutrik-style connector to connect the B2 sub to the base unit, and a proprietary cable that connects the ToneMatch module (Bose’s mixer/EQ unit) to the base. The system has a base unit with retractable legs that makes it very sturdy, and easier to pack and transport. The base unit has one analog input, trim control and signal/clip LED for line-level analog input via ¼" TRS phone cable. This allows easy access for other instruments, mixers or typical audio sources, like DJ mixers, MP3 players, computers or DVD systems. If you’ve used the L1 systems with a sub, you know that the sub provides a smooth bottom end and makes the unit a true full-range system. It’s an amazing sound for the size and weight of the systems. The new B2 bass unit, at about twice the size and power of the B1, provides the extra ‘kick’ that is needed where your music includes sounds like bass drum or tracks with bass and drums. It’s a little more weight to carry to the gig, but well worth it for songwriters who are playing with tracks or whose music counts on a strong, driving bottom end. The B2 has a three-position switch that allows you to tailor the sub to your needs. Since the Bose systems can be sensitive to where they are located (in corners for example) or characteristics of the room, this can be a useful feature. By the way, you can add a B2 or other L1 components to older L1 systems, as Bose makes individual pieces available for purchase separately. However, you will want to check with Bose technical support as set-up can vary per model. If you don’t need a lot of channels, Bose’s T1 ToneMatch audio engine provides four, fully-independent input channels in a very compact package. It’s a great little mixer with equalization and some interesting features. For example, there are more than 100 customized presets for a variety of popular microphones and instruments to get you quickly to the sound you are looking for, along with very clean effects and processing. A small piece of mounting hardware allows you to attach the tiny mixer right on the L1 system at a good height for making adjustments and viewing the lighted display. This versatile mixer is one of the new breed of digital mixers, so there aren’t rows of knobs for adjusting levels and EQ, but that is the trade-off for the small size. The bottom line is that the L1 Model 1S system supported by the B2 subwoofer works well for larger venues or when your music calls for a big sound or just more bottom end. Bose says that their L1 systems allow you to focus more on your music. For performing singer-songwriters that’s certainly true. You’ll be impressed with the sound. www.bose.com Avg. Street Price with B1 subwoofer (complete package): $1799.95 Avg. Street Price with B2 subwoofer (complete package): $1999.95

The post Review: Bose L1 Model 1S with B2 sub appeared first on American Songwriter.

Review: Korg microARRANGER

Andy McDonough — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 17:28:20 +0000

Two problems that songwriters regularly face are finding sounds that are inspiring and knowing what their songs will sound like with a band. If you don’t have a studio and musicians at the ready, you might consider an arranging keyboard as a solution to both problems. Korg’s microARRANGER compact keyboard can help you try new sounds and arrangements on your songs—and you don’t need to be a keyboard player to use it. The most striking feature is its compact size (the price is pretty small, too). This is a very light and compact unit. Keyboard players will likely find the smaller-than-normal key size of its 61-key, velocity sensing keyboard to be a drawback, but this unit seems to be more designed for portability than playability. While one could use it in live performance, it would probably be to play back songs that you’ve used it to arrange. There are some useful performance features like fill-ins, intros and endings that are easily accessible, along with a neat feature to cross-fade sequences. The microARRANGER has a built-in stereo speaker system that produces a reasonable sound for working with a song, but if it’s the inspiration of a song coming together you are looking for, you will want to plug this into a full range stereo system or PA. With good headphones or a good stereo the fundamental sounds (pianos, guitars, drums and bass) are pretty impressive. With 660 preset sounds and 128 user programs from Korg, along with 32 drum kits, you’ll have all the sounds you need. There are also four stereo effect processors with 89 effect programs, so your songs will have a professional sound. The major feature of arranging keyboards is the musical styles they support. This unit supports 304 styles with a lot of variations. This is great for trying your compositions in different moods or musical styles. While understanding how to use the microARRANGER’s style features is not something you can just jump right into, a few minutes with the quickstart guide and poking around the keyboard will have you creating song accompaniments pretty quickly. Common features like setting tempo and following bass notes or chords are easy to set up. You can pretty much just pick a style, tap in a tempo and put your hand down on chord and you’re off. Once you are making music with the microARRANGER, you’ll want to record your performances. There are a couple of ways to do this. What you’ll use depends on what you’re most comfortable with. There is a ‘backing’ sequencer that can capture everything in one pass, as you play. What you play, along with each part the unit’s style engine plays, will be captured on a separate sequencer track, so you can use the sequence as it was recorded or edit it at a later time. If you are more comfortable with step recording, you can enter everything in beats and measures—handy, if you are not a keyboard player. There is also a more computer-like, one-track-at-a-time song sequencer with 16 tracks and a capacity of 56,000 notes. The unit has an SD/SDHC card slot for data storage, importing new styles, sharing data with a computer or other keyboard. Sequence data is compatible with Standard MIDI Files, so you can import it into your DAW or software sequence for further editing. If you take Korg at their word and embrace this little box as your ‘composing assistant’, it can be a powerful tool for songwriters. While the microARRANGER is not a solid keyboard for professional players to take on the road, it certainly has a lot to offer in terms of sounds styles, sequencing abilities and portability. Avg. Street Price: $499.00 MSRP: $749.00 http://www.korg.com/microarranger

The post Review: Korg microARRANGER appeared first on American Songwriter.