Russ shows how to get more interesting acoustic guitars using the example from the track “Let Her Go” by Passenger.
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Russ shows how to get more interesting acoustic guitars using the example from the track “Let Her Go” by Passenger.
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Native Instruments has today turned back the clock again with ABBEY ROAD 50s DRUMMER.
A KONTAKT instrument Abbey Road 50s Drummer features the sound of two classic drum kits from the 1950s. The kits provide the distinctive drum sound of the era, which was necessary to compete with the electrified instruments gaining popularity at the time. Recorded with both state-of-the-art and period equipment at Abbey Road Studios in London, 50s DRUMMER also includes a groove library, mixer presets, and a new set of brush articulations, delivering the authentic feel of rock and roll, rhythm and blues, country, and jazz from the 1950s.
ABBEY ROAD 50s DRUMMER features rare instruments from the very earliest years of popular music. The first kit is an early 1950s Gretsch Cadillac Green Nitron with a 20” bass drum, 12” rack tom and 14” floor tom. Its toms are tuned low, providing a smooth, open sound that still allows excellent placement in a mix full of amplified instruments. The second drum kit is a late-1950s WFL kit. The WFL provides 20” kick drum, 12” and 13” rack toms, and a 16” floor tom. The WFL kit’s toms are tuned high, offering a brighter tone that perfectly complements the Gretsch. Each kit features three different snare drums from the same period, offering a wide tonal variety and added degree of customization. The kits are outfitted with a selection of 1950s Zildjian A and K cymbals to round out their authentic vintage tone.
50s DRUMMER was recorded at London’s Abbey Road Studios in the legendary Studio Two. Alongside traditional microphone techniques, vintage RCA 44-BX and AKG D12 microphones, a REDD.17 valve mixing console and valve tape machine were used for 50s DRUMMER’s vintage channels. Users can dial in these ‘vintage channels alongside the modern state-of-the-art equipment for a seamless tone spectrum, ranging from completely modern to period-accurate vintage and anywhere in between.
New brush articulations were also recorded especially for 50s DRUMMER to reflect the playing techniques of the decade. Its extensive groove library encompasses early rock and roll, rhythm and blues, country, and jazz, as well as a wealth of contemporary rhythms, affording users an effortless way to begin sketching out complete drum recordings. Regardless of genre, producers looking to add original 50s flavor to their productions will relish the recording quality, ease of use, and attention to detail in ABBEY ROAD 50s DRUMMER.
ABBEY ROAD 50s DRUMMER is available at the NI Online Shop for $99 / 99 EUR / 9800 YEN.
Additional information on ABBEY ROAD 50s DRUMMER is available at:
www.native-instruments.com/abbeyroad50sdrummer
I have just come across a new player on the cloud storage and file sharing ‘block’ simply called Copy. Two things caught my attention. They give you 15GB to start with and then if you find a successful referral then you both get an extra 5GB, not just the person offering the invitation.
Copy comes from Barracuda Networks and is a new online file syncing, sharing and storage service built on the secure Barracuda Cloud. Since its public debut less than 90 days ago, Copy apparently is already approaching half a million users worldwide.
Another feature clearly aimed at Dropbox is Copy’s “Fair Storage for All” Initiative — Instead of counting data in shared folders against all members’ individual storage quotas so everyone pays for the same data over and over, Copy allows users to “split the bill” and control which files count against their storage capacity. You can watch the 40-second video on the Copy “Fair Storage for All” initiative.
Copy works across Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux computers and offers mobile device support for Apple iOS (iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad) and Android, with Windows Mobile coming soon.
Copy say that they provide a secure alternative to other cloud storage services. Included data verification inspects data before Copy accepts it into the user’s cloud storage. File-level ownership is verified prior to transferring anything to other devices. Copy also allows users to share files privately using Copy’s built-in identify verification. It also has the same “share public link’ feature that Dropbox has with the same idea of a folder you drop stuff in to share and backup across all your computers just like Dropbox.
Individual Copy accounts provide 15GB of cloud storage free of charge, and paid plans start at $9.99USD/month or $99USD/year for up to 250GBs.
This is obviously a new outfit so we don’t have a track record to judge them by but it wouldn’t take much for them to outplay some of their obvious competitors, so if this range of features appeals then sign up, install the app and we both get an extra 5GB of space.
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When we discussed the issue of “Should Pro Tools Users Get Same Software Features As Pro Tools HD Users?” in Podcast 65 Neil came up with the idea of “In App” purchases following our conversation about Apple’s App business model. 
Surely this wouldn’t be that difficult as Avid have added the Marketplace menu into Pro Tools 10. This got me thinking, what the feature options might be…
What do you think? Are there any other features? What prices would you put on each of these features?
I think it is safe to say this won’t happen for the Pro Tools 11 launch unless Avid decide to do a ‘hackathon’ session, but I suspect they are flat out getting Pro Tools 11 ready to launch so it is more likely to happen in a future upgrade if they decide it is a good idea.
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Whilst at NAB 2013, between breaks demoing RX2, Mike chatted with iZotope’s Matt Hines and found out how the company started from a dorm room at MIT. Listen to the interview to find out the rest.
If you cannot see the audio controls, listen/download the audio file here
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Russ, Mike, Neil & James are here with a packed Pro Tools Expert podcast that includes;
You can listen here;
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Our recent discussion about Pro Tools HD features without buying the hardware had a great response.
We continued the discussion on the podcast and decided to run this poll. We’ve based it on the price of Steinberg Nuendo (around £1500) although you have to pay £300 extra to get the NEK (Nuendo Expansion Kit) for the more composer friendly Cubase features.
However we want to know how many Pro Tools users would pay £1500 to get all the HD features without the hardware. Please feel free to comment.
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Sonnox have just announced on their Facebook page the release of the AAX version of their Oxford Limiter plug-in, much loved by post and music guys alike. Anyone like to spot the difference? This is what they say…
Unique processing in the form of the Enhance function provides the sample value limiting needed to reliably avoid overloads in digital workstation environments and allows unprecedented volume and punch to be applied to programme beyond that available from conventional limiting functions.
Comprehensive metering is provided which displays not only conventional peak sample value, but additionally allows the user to monitor the true validity of the programme in order to avoid the generation of damaging reconstruction overloads in the target equipment which are often invisible during production (sometimes termed ‘inter sample peaks’).
A further function allows the user to dynamically correct for reconstruction overloads in real time, thereby achieving maximum possible modulation levels without the risks of producing illegal signals often associated with compression and limiting.
Comprehensive dithering functionality with selectable and variable depth noise shaping ensures first class mastering output quality in either 24 bit or 16 bit modes.
Features
- Enhance section to increase perceived loudness
- Reconstruction meter shows ‘actual’ signal rather than sampled signal
- Auto compensate feature corrects recon errors without losing overall programme loudness
- Attack, release and variable soft knee controls
- Comprehensive dither and noise shaping
- Complete with many factory presets
Formats
HD-HDX: Pro Tools AAX DSP, TDM, Native
Native: Pro Tools AAX Native, RTAS, Audio Units and VST
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Russ takes a look at some of the drum sample libraries from Drums on Demand. The libraries work with Structure, Kontakt, EXS, Reason and Garageband.
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Waves are to turn TDM v9 licenses into Soundgrid licenses, this is what they have said….
Very soon, the TDM licenses in your Waves account will be replaced by a new SoundGrid license. Your TDM compatibility will remain unchanged; but now, you’ll be able to take advantage of the awesome new possibilities offered by the SoundGrid platform. SoundGrid will breathe new life into your system, and extend its functionality for years to come. If you use Waves TDM V8 or below, and are covered by Waves Update Plan, move up to V9 and receive the SoundGrid licenses at no additional charge.
Also they have reitterated their support of AAX NAtive…
Waves is currently working closely with Avid on AAX Native support in time for the Pro Tools 11 release. This means you can breathe easy, knowing that the plugins you purchase now will be fully supported today, tomorrow and into the future. In fact, whether you bought your plug-ins 5 years, 10 years, even 20 years ago – as long as your Waves Update Plan coverage is current, you’ll receive the AAX Native update at no additional charge. And with SoundGrid in the mix, you’ll get more from your AAX plugins, for less than you’ve ever imagined.
This confirms their plans to compete with AAX DSP using their DigiGrid platform, so another hardware platform to run dsp type plug-ins.
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Community member Marco Niccolai wrote to us with a brilliant email containing an in-depth exploration of Eleven Rack - even if you don’t own it then you should check this out. It is very thorough and Marco deserves our thanks!
“Hello Pro Tool Expert, I really appreciate your daily support, this time a wish to give, if can help, a little tribute to the community. I start to appreciate Avid Eleven Rack, it recreates a lot of nice gear, but it’s not easy to understand what you are using whatching only a small graphic interface. So I took the detailed descriptions on Avid site, some pics of the gear and the corresponding ER interface. Put all together and did a recap on a PDF. If you think this can be useful for the community, you can download from here and let it be available for who want it.”
Thanks Marco, this is excellent.
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In this video Mike shows how to use Save Session Copy to preapre a session so that it is saved with all its media and the correct version ready for your collaborator.
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Ample Guitar M Lite aims to bring the Martin D-41 Guitar sound to your studio.
Ample Guitar Lite M is a 670MB reduced version of the 5.59GB Ample Guitar M virtual acoustic guitar.
It features:
Ample Guitar M Lite is available in VST, RTAS and AU formats on Mac OS X and Windows 32 and 64-bits. You can download and compare it to the full version at www.amplesound.net.
Or check our FREE plug-ins database for all the FREE Pro Tools plug-ins
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There seems to be a lot of interest and discussion around a the whole issue of Pro Tools users getting the same software features as Pro Tools HD users. Perhaps Avid have made a rod for their own back, this was in fact what CPTK gave users before it was dropped from Pro Tools 11.
However, there are two sides to this argument - on the one side there are those who want the features but don’t want to have to buy what they see as a hardware dongle. On the other side we have those who have invested a great deal in a full HD/HDX system who feel somewhat p*ssed off when they see none-HD users getting the same software. It’s a fallacy to think that HDX users simply benefit from better software, DSP hardware offers lower latency at higher track counts, so there’s more to this debate than simply a software one.
Some suggest that no other company offers tiered systems, not true. Steinberg have several versions of Cubase, as well as Nuendo. Cakewalk Sonar and Studio One have several versions, Reason comes in two versions. Whereas DP and Logic do not, although one could argue that Garageband is Logic Lite. Furthermore, Apple are a unique case, as the software is part of the complete OS package when buying Apple hardware and is often used as a loss-leader to get people to buy Apple computers. Comparing a FREE copy of Garageband with something like Pro Tools Express or Reason Essentials is not comparing Apples with Apples (forgive the pun). One could also argue, as many PC Emagic users did at the time, that Logic does come with a hardware dongle… a Mac!
Given these fact, is it reasonable to expect Avid to give the same features to every user when many competitors don’t? Is it reasonable to expect the same software without making the same investment?
We would be interested in hearing from both sides on this discussion.
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Mike presents a show & tell review of the Cedar Studio for Pro Tools plug-ins and covers the DNS One, DeBuzz, DeClip and Adaptive Limiter 2 plug-ins.
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After several (what seem to us unecessary) weeks, Avid have finally decided to revise their CPTK to Pro Tools 11 upgrade pricing.
In an announcment this morning via the DUC they write…
“Hi folks, After considering your feedback, Avid is pleased to announce revised pricing for Complete Production Toolkit customers who wish to upgrade to Pro Tools HD 11 software. The pricing now matches the standard Pro Tools HD 11 software upgrade pricing.
Customers will be able to purchase these upgrades from the Avid store when Pro Tools 11 software is available for sale later in Q2:
Price (US MSRP)
PRO TOOLS 10 + CPTK to PRO TOOLS HD 11 $599
PRO TOOLS 9 + CPTK to PRO TOOLS HD 11 $999
Again, thanks for your input and commitment to the Pro Tools platform. We’re committed to serving you.”
Now, let’s wait to see the arrival of Pro Tools 11.
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Ever wonder what it’s like to record at the world’s most famous recording studio? Or how a Grammy-nominated producer can pull the perfect performance out of any artist, including Katy Perry and OneRepublic?
Follow up-and-coming UK band Strangefruit’s every step—from preparation to the final mix—as they record a song at Abbey Road with multi Grammy-nominated producer Greg Wells.
Sign up now to start watching and be alerted when the next episode is available.
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The winner of the Revoice Pro vocal alignment software is Dave Holt from Tampa, Florida, USA.
Pro Tools PC have released a picture and a base price as well as more details…
They have said that US and International pricing to follow. If you are interested then you can sign up on their web site.
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Our friends at Softube have kindly donated a Summit Audio Grand Channel plug-in which is awesome. Click on the image above to see it in all’s it’s magnificent glory!
Not wishing to mess around with long forms and hard questions, all you need is to complete the form below for a chance to grab this uber cool plug-in. No purchase necessary.
Please complete all fields. One entry per email address. You are entering for a chance to win one copy of a Softube Summit Audio Grand Channel, no cash alterntive. Judges decision is final and no correspondance will be entered into. By entering you are giving permission for either/or both Softube and Pro Tools Expert to contact you in the future. You can opt out at any time after the draw has ended, if you do so before it ends then you will be removed from the draw. Contest ends 16th June 2013.
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We’ve been getting some info regarding a couple of things about Pro Tools 11 installation software.
The first one is that the installer for Pro Tools 11 is currently around 600mb for Mac (possibly the same for Windows too), previous versions of 10 have averaged around 2.4gb, which shows the new installers are about 25% in size before uncompressing. One wonders where all that extra stuff has gone to.
Secondly, the Mac installer is simply a drag and drop into your Applications folder for installation. Nice.
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Russ shows how to track both clean and effected tracks at the same time in Pro Tools, giving the best of both worlds.
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Synchro Arts are now offering a plug-in rental service for those who just need one of their cool plug-ins for a project. The service covers ReVoice Pro (Mac) and VocAlign Pro v4 (Mac and PC).
A nice touch is that if you rent for 4 periods then you get the plug-in to keep.
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Our friends over at Sonnox have made this excellent video interview with Ruadhri Cushnan of Mumford and Sons and Ed Sheeran fame, to name just two. Check it out.
By the way, check out the audio interface which seems to be in use as part of his Pro Tools HD workflow, an Mbox, it’s good to be able to take large HD sessions mobile like that when not in the studio.
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Russ, Mike, Neil & James are here with a packed Pro Tools Expert podcast that includes;
You can listen here;
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Thanks to a tip off from community member Noir, here’s a sneak peek we’ve grabbed of the new ‘right click’ plug-in preset shortcut in Pro Tools 11. It works for both plug-ins and instruments.
More to follow
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Our friends over at Vienna Symphonic Products are doing some deals at the moment with 25% off selected products.
If you missed our review of VEP5 running with Pro Tools then check it out here.
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Russ takes a look at the Sonnox Oxford Inflator, now available on the UAD platform.
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Got that? Some clever marketer at Native Instruments got all their nines rocking and are offering a bundle of 9 Maschine Expansions at $99 but you only have 99 hours to get them in.
We’re guessing the only thing they don’t want you to say to this deal is nein!
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Last week we reported on the changes at DV247, with the closure of their high street stores and a new global presence being run from a German company. It seems to have sparked some serious online debates with one blogger calling it “almost criminal”. Only those within the company know what really happened, but having been inside a company when insolvency practitioners arrived, I can tell you that they may operate within the letter of the law, but they make bankers look like angels when it comes to exercising moral and ethical judgements.
A few months ago the head of Tesco (for our US cousins read ‘Walmart’) when asked if seeing boarded-up shops made him sad said: “It does but it is part of progress. People are not made to shop in supermarkets, they choose to shop there.” If ever there was an example of a very clever man saying something utterly dumb, then perhaps this was it - talk about a self fulfilling prophecy. People shop in supermarkets because they have no choice!
Now let me be clear, I’m not one of those big is bad, little is good kind of people, however I’m also not one of those people who simply shrug their shoulders and say “it’s progress!”
Is it?
Progress for some seems to be defined as bigger, faster, cheaper. It’s actually thinking which is quite recent and born out of the industrial revolution, which has led us to be relentless global consumers at any cost. Even if that means Chinese workers have such poor working conditions they throw themselves off the roof of factories just so we can get a smart phone or hundreds of people are buried when a factory collapses, just so we can have a cheap t-shirt! If that’s progress then we are all screwed. There’s no such thing as zero cost, what I mean by this is that if something needs to be cheaper, then someone is going to have to pay, even if it isn’t you.
I’m not suggesting for one minute a connection between the recent DV247 situation and the death of workers in the third world, but what I am suggesting is that to get things at a lower price then someone always pays. In the case of DV247 it’s staff, suppliers and possibly customers.
However, let’s imagine that we just don’t care about those costs to others, then what about the cost to you and me?
I’ve made it no secret that I think there are a lot of local dealers who don’t deserve to be in business, they add no value in terms of service and support than me buying it mail order. However GOOD Local dealers matter for a number of reasons, they offer;
Those are just a few of the things you get, but there are more from a GOOD local dealer. They may cost a few pounds/dollars more in the short term, but that’s just for the box, what about all the value added stuff - surely that has a price? I recently saved £50 on a Mac Mini by buying mail order, it worked for 3 weeks and then went back to the dealer - the story from there on out is a painful one, I’m not sure I’ll ever see it again and every day I don’t have it costs me money as it’s part of my workflow - I can tell you right now it’s the most expensive £50 I’ve ever saved.
Should we care if local dealers disappear? Look at that list and you decide and then vote with your wallet.
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