The TapeLake

This is way too cool to not share with all of you.  I won't give anything away by writing about it. Just watch it, words won't do it justice any how. You can think about how badly you want it afterwards.



The comment below got me thinking and I decided I should add another video of the Uokahd (TapeLake) in action with all of its strange sonic glory on display for you to hear, and see.



More about the man behind Uokahd can be found at www.danperrone.com


All the best,

Nick

Harmonic Distortion Tutorial Video from Samplecraze

So... You've got the music skills. Do you have the sound skills? If you don't quite yet worry not my friend,  we've got harmonic distortion to help fill the sonic gaps in your productions. Have you ever wondered why there is so much talk about tubes & tape machines in audio? Well, aside from the fact that they're just plain cool they also impart certain sonic characteristics on source material known as harmonic distortion. This distortion occurs as overtones of the original sound wave's frequencies and you're about to learn a whole lot more about it!

RMS755 Super Stereo Compressor from Roll Music Systems

Looking for your first piece of analog gear?  Tired of the brittle sound digital mix bus compressors provide over your mix downs?  An affordable & high quality stereo mix-bus compressor might be your ticket to turning your lifeless digital mixes into something quite fantastic.

Pictures From AES 129

Hey everyone!  Here's a little album of all the pictures I took while I was in San Francisco at AES 129.  Hope you enjoy & thanks again for the continued support of ZeSoundSuite!



Best,

Nick

Sherman Rodec Restyler Analog Filter

It was only a couple days ago that I introduced you all to Rodec's MX2200 DJ Mixer.  Today I'm going to feature the product that brought me into the Rodec light.  The Rodec/Sherman Restyler is an analog EFX unit built by two of the best boutique analog audio manufacturers in Belgium.  Sherman products have made their name in the standalone analog filter world, and Rodec makes some of the best analog DJ & Live Sound mixers you can buy.

Sherman's Filterbank 2 has become a staple in the analog filter game, it literally features everything any analog filter nut could ever want.  The Restyler isn't quite as versatile but IMO, I feel like that's what makes it so special.  The Restyler has no MIDI or LFO features, not to say this is a bad thing.  Both Sherman & Rodec took a more direct approach when they designed & built the Restyler, no fluff, just the stuff you need to give your music those fantastic analog filter characteristics that have been around since the days of Hendrix & even before.

On first glance the Restyler is certainly a visual wow, when you're looking at the Restyler, it stares you back in the face and screams; "manipulate every part of me, NOW!"  The unit sits tilted at a nice angle that should be rather comfy & ergonomic for most of you DJ's & Performers out there.  The knobs, buttons & faders live separated and spaced out from each other on the unit, this means even fat finger people like myself won't have a problem mashing the controls to infinity and back during a live set.

The Restyler won't leave you in the dark either, the visual feedback from the multiple LED's on the unit ensure that you and the Restyler are constantly in close communication.  Feedback from a piece of equipment isn't as important in the studio world when we should be using our ears but, in a live setting (specifically one with crumby stage monitoring) these visual cues can often times be all we have to go on.  The Restyler has all the typical metering LED's you're used fo and some that might be less familiar.  It's large blue LED ring around the Master pot indicates filter modulation by pumping on & off based upon how much filter modulation is being applying to your source material.  The blue & green trigger LED's rung around the "Slave" pot indicate which filter (master or slave) has the greatest effect on the source material you're running through the Restyler.  If the master filter is processing more source material, than the slave the LED will be lit with blue, if the processing is taking place inside the slave filter, the LED will light up green.  Any combination of the two filters will be represented by the illumination of both colors around the slave knob.

Three sliders handle the output levels of the low-pass, band-pass, & high-pass filters.  Their travel is quite short at only 20mm but users do say they are still quite effective.  If a fader is raised above the center unity detent the output of the filter is increased whilst simultaneously reducing filter modulation.  The modulation knobs offer both positive and negative modulation with the unity setting set not dead center but at the 9 o' clock position.  The Restyler features both amplitude and frequency modulation sourced from an envelop follower. (an envelope follower extracts multiple frequencies from a single wave and then uses the information to control EFX; phase, wah, etc.)  The three slope buttons on the Restyler change the filter cutoffs from the default 12dB to a steeper and more aggressive 24dB slope.  According to Sound on Sound (where I first discovered the Restyler) The 8 button combination provides you with enough filter flavours to satisfy just about any producer or DJ.  The Restyler is more than just a filter, utilizing the controls correctly you can gate and delay material too, the Restyler does major work beyond just typical filtering, revealing a whole set of EFX characteristics not first considered when talking about filters.  It's all just a matter of how the user puts the Restyler to work.  Keep in mind that a limiter behind the Restyler is extremely important, filters can do major damage to not only our ears but our equipment as well.  If you abuse this beast it will in turn abuse you; destroying your ears first and then demolishing your equipment.  Treat it with respect and safe guard from costly mistakes by using a limiter post the Restyler in your chain.

The inputs and outputs of the Restyler are certainly DJ friendly as they offer RCA in's & out's.  The restyler also features combi jacks (XLR & 1/4' Connections in one Jack) for 1/4" & XLR Inputs, and 1/4" Outputs.  This is a stereo unit and is mainly designed for the processing of entire songs in a live situation but, I see no reason why it can't become a trusted tool in many production studios as an outboard filter EFX unit too.  There's no doubt the Restyler can liven up those linear and lifeless sounding soft-synths from your DAW.  After all analog filters are a large part of what gives true analog synthesizers their own character & sound.

I've never actually used a Restyler so I can't really speak much as to how it works once in your hands.  However, the Restyler to me seems more like an instrument than an EFX box.  The analog character from both Sherman & Rodec should liven up almost any piece of material ran through the Restyler.  Wheather you're a performer on the go or a producer locked up in a studio the Sherman/Rodec Restyler is certainly something you want to take a look at.  The audio world is slowly becoming more and more consumed by the hard and lifeless sound of digital audio, utilizing something like a Restyler adds the analog flavor that will set your music apart from the rest.  For more information on the Sherman-Rodec Resytler be sure to visit the Restyler Website and check out the video below!

Empirical Labs EL-8 Distressor

The ELB Distressor from Empirical Labs is probably the most recognizable and consistent piece of gear you'll ever see in any music production studio.  If you look at videos or pictures of professional dance music producer's studio you'll see at least one EL-8 and most of the time you'll see two!

Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor is an analog compressor that integrates digital control over separate analog circuits.  This design gives the user total flexibility and makes the Distressor one of the most versatile compressors out there.  The Distressor is really a handful of units all rolled up into one single rack space unit.  Even without any compression applied there is a treasure trove of harmonic tricks & character you can apply to your material using the various harmonic/distortion modes built into the Distressor.  Most of these modes model vintage sounding gear that today would cost you an arm and a leg to afford. (more on this at the end of the article)

The Distressor offers 8 different compression ratios from a subtle 1:1 ratio to Empirical Lab's "Nuke" setting (200:1)  These ratio's aren't selected with a knob like on most compressors, you use a switch, this switch digitally engages different analog circuits based on your chosen compression ratio.  Thus giving each compression curve it's own personality and release character.  The more subtle curves add just the right amount of low order harmonics while the intense ratios provide the user bright and shiny sound characteristics perfect for livening up drum groups or room mics.  The most sought after curve the Distressor possesses is no doubt the 10:1 "opto" curve.   In this setting the analog circuits are switched to a different set designed to emulate the famous opto LA2A of yesteryear from Universal Audio.  Professionals will tell you that the Distressor's "opto" mode sounds a bit harsher than the LA2A but, they will also tell you the Distressor does a damn good job of emulating on of the finest compressors ever built.

Another very handy feature of the Distressor is it's "fool proof" operation, you don't have to be an compression master for this beast to help your work.  According to Empirical labs if you leave the knobs towards the middle and the ratio set around 6:1 you can't really go wrong.  The large knobs with high resolution numbering in small steps makes it very easy to adjust settings, furthermore this feature makes recalling previous settings when coming into the studio with fresh ears in the morning a breeze.

The last feature I'll touch on is the Distressor's three harmonic/distortion modes.  The first two modes; Clean & Distort 2 are designed to add warm 2nd order harmonics similar to the sound achieved when using classic tube gear.  The third mode; Distort 3 provides 3rd order harmonic distortion much like the warmth & sound achieved when using an analog tape machine.

The Distressor isn't built cheap, it's built like a tank and housed in solid and sturdy vent-less single rack unit.  The components are all top quality and most are military grade.  You don't hear of Distressors breaking down too often because they have been designed and built with an immense amount of care.  The power supplies are designed to run cool and all the components were selected in part because of their long life.  Rest assured, you're investment is quite safe when you purchase a Distressor, no need to worry about quality issues with any of Empirical Lab's gear.  If you ever do have an issue they will surely get it resolved for you as quickly as possible.  The people behind Empirical Labs are passionate about audio and this shows in their products and services.


Fact is, I could go on about the Distressor for days, like I said in the introduction to this article, you will be hard pressed to find a professional production studio without at least one Distressor.   I feel like I've said enough for you to get the basic idea though.  The EL-8 Distressor is an extremely versatile and flexible piece of gear perfect for almost any tracking or mixing situation.  If you're making music completely inside of the box and looking for something to add a little magic to the brittle and linear sound of digital music get yourself a Distressor.  It is one of the most unique sounding and multifaceted pieces of professional audio gear you can buy without spending 6 months salary.  To learn more about the Distressor check out Empirical Labs website and scope the video featuring the founder of Empirical Labs!

PS: All of Empirical Labs gear is currently 15% off to celebrate their 15 years in the audio industry.

Rodec MX2200 Professional Performance Mixer

Pioneer...  It's fantastic gear for DJ's.  But, is it the best?  If you ask the guys at Guitar Center they will tell you it is, while their standing in front of the massive Pioneer display.  Fact is, it probably isn't.  Yeah all the pro's use it but it's not the only gear the pro's use.  Professional DJ's & Performers use gear from Allen & Heath, Korg, & even Dennon (sometimes).  Have you ever heard of a Rodec Mixer?  I hadn't heard of them until just a couple months ago, I came across their EFX unit while doing some digging for new ways for DJ's & Performers to make their show one of a kind.

Rodec products are all designed and manufactured in Belgium, and they've been doing it this way since 1954!  Their MX2200 DJ Mixer is one of their newest products from their Progressive Line and I must say that it might just be the ultimate analog DJ mixer out there.  The MX2200 is a 6 channel 12 1/2" professional analog DJ mixer.  All of Rodec's products have been made famous due to their ultra high quality studio ready analog sound.  Nothing sounds like a Rodec... Period.  Now that we've got the "amazing sound" aspect covered we can move on to the specifications of the Rodec MX2200.  The MX2200 features 5 multiple input channels which can handle; balanced XLR inputs, Phono inputs, & 2 stereo RCA inputs.  Channels 1 & 5 also include a digital S/PDIF input as well as an option for a USB audio I/O signal from your computer.  Each of the 5 input channels feature a mic pre with gain adjustment, Pan, EQ, Crossfader routing, PFL Solo for cues & an analog fader for level control.  The 6th input channel doesn't feature RCA or digital inputs but, it does have the same balanced microphone input with pre, gain settings, and PFL functions as the other 5 channels.

There's one more feature to each channel that's a world exclusive, and that's Rodec's FX wet/dry selection potentiometer. (potentiometer= geek speak for knob)  The Rodec doesn't feature an on board FX section, instead they have two FX inserts on the rear of the unit for connection to outboard FX units.  IE: Korg's Kaoss Pad, Rodec's Restyler, Kalediloop.  With the Rodec mixer you have dual wet/dry control over both effects units for each individual channel.  Do you understand how cool that is?  Forget standard and tired Pioneer DJ EFX everyone's heard, you can use a Rodec with two EFX units to create totally original and unique EFX for your sets.  You could even hook a computer up to one of these FX inserts and use EFX plug-ins as one of your inserts on the Rodec.  Then imagine a Kaoss Pad on the other insert.  You could then be rocking a set whilst using the Kaoss Pad EFX blended with any number of EFX from your computer to create truly insane sounds.

Rodec build their mixers in a modular fashion and you can even make changes to the mixer to suit your style.  You can add USB audio I/O to the mixer or Digital Faders (I'm not sure if the digital faders can send midi info though)  Looking at this modular concept it's no wonder they didn't add an EFX unit to their Progressive Line of DJ Mixers.  Rodec has definietly taken the "build your own" setup idea to heart.

The MX2200 has multiple outputs for performance and tracking in the studio.  Their is one standard balanced XLR output, and then a second balanced XLR output with an EQ that allows you to control the high and low end of your master channel. (great for adjusting your overall sound to meet the acoustic specifications of where ever you're playing.) The master channel features Rodec's exclusive dual wet/dry EFX control.  For live recording the mixer features 3 RCA & 2 digital S/PDIF outputs.

The bottom line is... Rodec Mixers are built like tanks in Belgium (not china) with quality materials by passionate craftsmen.  They have a reputation of sound that can't really be rivaled in the DJ Mixer world and their products allow the end user to get something that will suit their needs perfectly regardless of how insane their current setup might be.  I hope this has been a decent introduction into the world of Rodec DJ & Sound products.  Maybe one of you looking into some Pioneer of Allen & Heath gear might give Rodec a look.  I highly doubt you'll be displeased.

I had a hell of a time finding a video of the MX2200 but, I did find one of Rodec's Restyler analog EFX units.  Be sure to give Rodec's Website a look so you can check out all of their products!

Thermionic Culture All Valve Professional Audio Products

What sounds better than digital gear?  Analog gear... What kind of analog gear sounds the best?  TUBE analog gear!  All valve (tube) equipment actually process 100% of the incoming signal, Class B (tubes are Class A) forms of equipment only process 50% of the incoming signal.  Not to say this is a bad thing, it's just that tubes do in fact sound better than solid state gear.  They just add that pleasant harmonic touch to everything they process, no plug-in will EVER be able to replicate vacuum tube's effect on audio.  Tubes bring the life and harmonics from a piece of material that would've been otherwise dull and unappealing.  I can't explain it in a way that will make sense without typing 4,000 words though, you just have to hear tubes action for yourself to understand why they're so much better.

Since there isn't a lot of manufactures left who make all tube gear some things have happened to the industry.  First: Gear that's 100% all valve has gotten fairly expensive. Second: Everyone knows tubes sound better, so...  Companies will throw a crumby tube in their equipment to process the basic tone but still leave the power amp as a class B design.  This is just flat out misleading.  Don't buy tube gear from companies who don't specialize in all tube designs.  Thermionic Culture doesn't sacrifice quality to cut the bottom line & fool the consumer, they make amazing sounding gear for the masses who want professional sounding productions!

The man who started Thermionic Culture; Vic Keary, built his first studio's in the 50's and has been in the audio world ever since.  In the 50's you couldn't just buy a bunch of commercially available gear you actually had to "build" a studio, with your hands and brain.  Vic Keary is an audio legend and the company he's created will surely become a page in the book of professional audio companies.

I could spend a bunch of time explaining all of the products Thermionic Culture offers the public but that would be quite a lengthy article.  Instead I'll just give you a run down of the basic idea behind the company and then you'll be able to take that info with you when you visit Thermionic Culture's website to check out their gear!  Thermionic Culture is a professional audio equipment designer and manufacturer from England.  Everything they build is constructed by hand (if this isn't fantastic I don't know what is)  Thermionic Culture's gear can be found in some of the best professional studio's in the world.  People that know audio know tubes sound better, people that know tubes sound better know Thermionic Culture is the business when it comes to sweetening sounds.  Thermionic Culture has 16 different models of all valve based gear in the form of Pre-amps, Compressors, Summing Mixers & EQ's.  I am quite interested in their Phoenix Mastering Compressor and can't wait till I have enough cheese to afford one.  Thermionic Culture's company motto is: 100% Full Fat Audio Content.  Why give your productions and projects anything less than 100%?  Check out Thermionic Culture's Website and do some digging for yourself, you'll understand why this in indeed one of the most respected professional audio companies out there! 

Check out this video from Sound on Sound featuring Kevin Walker from Thermionic Culture to learn more about their flagship product The Culture Vulture!



Best,
Nick

She- Coloris (S-T3RRA Remix) Mastered @ ZeSoundSuite! Welcome To The Future!

I've got a real dope track for all of you today.  It's a remix from S-T3RRA and this one is epic! (I use this word a lot but I mean it every time.)  Tons of filthy distortion, mesmerizing vox sample and a crisp analog bright side all at a massive volume that steals anyone's attention.  Don't miss the Remix of She- Coloris perfectly crafted by S-T3RRA.  Mastered @ ZeSoundSuite!

She - Coloris (S-T3RRA Remix) by S-T3RRA