Universal Audio’s 710 Twin-Finity was one of the top preamp devices: versatile, innovative, and even affordable. However, it did not come in stereo. A few years later, Universal Audio addresses this concern with the 4-710d Preamp, which includes everything the 710 did plus stereo and more. It’s a four-channel preamp that includes compressors for each channel, a digital 8-channel A/D converter, switchable inserts, a clock subsystem, and soft limiting, just to name a few of its new features.
Each preamp channel has DI input and six switches. It has controls for insert, compressor, input and output gain, and a feature that blends solid-state and tube sounds. You’ll find inputs for XLR mic, line, and a balanced insert send/return, plus four extra TRS inputs. There are also AES/EBU outputs, a word clock I/O, and two ADAT outs.
The preamp outs very nice with just about any instrument. When used with a piano, for example, it can really create a nice, sweet top end that cuts through other sounds. Likewise for a guitar: it can help it cut through a lot of other sounds, giving it a bit of an edge. This preamp may not be the best for drums, however. Continue reading
The Universal Audio UAD-2 Satellite is a plug-in accelerator that allows you to use your UAD-2 plug-ins via FireWire. There are two different versions of the Satellite: a two-chip version and a four-chip version. While other companies seem to be getting out of the plug-in accelerator industry, Universal Audio has gone all-in and has included many different options with the UAD-2.
Audio Technia is known for a number of creating top quality mics, and the AT4033 definitely keeps up that tradition. The AT4033 cardioid mic has actually been updated and slightly revamped into the AT4033a. This redesign has updated a few things Audio Technica wanted to change and features new internal electronics. By changing up the mic’s capsule suspension system, they’ve managed to even further reduce the noise the mic picks up. While the original was a hit and is now a studio classic, this redesign takes it even further.
API’s The Channel Strip is a 500 series compressor, EQ, and preamp all on one rack mountable device. It’s more or less a combination of three of their 500 series processors, so if you own the 512C mic preamp, 550A EQ, and 527 compressor, you won’t notice any major changes in quality. However, if you don’t, it’s great to be able to combine three devices into one and rack mount them out of the way. With 11 different I/O jacks, including XLR channel out and TRS line input, you’ll find plenty of ways to connect devices. The Channel Strip does have a few faults, but it is handy to use and does get the job done.
Project SAM was formed by three composers in 2002: Vincent Beijer, Marco Deegenaars, and Martin Spruijt. These three wanted to create a sample library that featured well-recorded, high quality music that packed an emotional punch. Their main audience for their library collection was film composers. In 2002, they released their Horns library, followed by a number of other brass library collections. In 2004, Project SAM created True Strike, a collection they called a Cinematic Orchestral Percussion library. True Strike 2, an updated version, has the subtitle of Cinematic World & Effects Percussion, and it features some incredibly high quality samples.
The Kurzweil SP2X is a slim, sleek looking stage piano that is designed to take up little space while still delivering amazing sound. The keyboard is also very lightweight, making it a great selection to haul around from gig to gig. The SP2X makes use of Kurzweil’s stereo grand piano sample, but they’ve upgraded it a bit. It’s a little smoother than previous keyboards, such as the PC1X, and more expressive.
There are a number of different drum and percussion libraries out there, and sometimes it can be hard to tell which one is perfect for your projects. Among the number of offerings from Big Fish Audio was the popular volume one of LA Drum Sessions. This sample library was a huge hit, but they weren’t 100% happy with it. They went back to the drawing board and created LA Drum Sessions 2, another set of amazing drum sounds that is a must-have for anyone who uses loops. These samples really bring you a nice variety of genres, tempos, and feels that you can use to make some killer scratch demos and beyond. The approach of the LA Drum Session offering is live tracks played by top session players.
The ISA828 by Focusrite is a powerful eight-channel microphone preamp that is like a super powered version of the Focusrite Octopre. It can function exactly like this older product if that’s what you want, but it has a lot more to offer than the Octopre, especially in terms of versatility and function. The eight original ISA preamps are compacted into a small space, creating an awesome sound quality.
There are many different music libraries out there, and the ones you need depend on what projects you’re working on. The Vienna Symphonic Library has become the standard by which all libraries have been judged against. They’ve got an incredible amount of depth and are set up in a very easy to access and use format. The past collections have been criticized for featuring strings that lack emotion and depth. To answer that, they have created the Appassionata Strings collection.
The 8020b Genelec bi-amplified monitoring system is a handy set of monitors that really pump out the sound. They’re specifically designed for environments that, for whatever reason, don’t have good acoustics and make listening difficult. These are the perfect monitors for someone dealing with a really small space or a space that just doesn’t really let you get a good feel for your sound. However, don’t pass on these monitors just because you have a good space. The 8020b system incorporates a two-way active monitoring system that minimizes all types of distortion and adjusts to the size of the space, giving you great sound in a large, small, or medium area.
