Recording

PreSonus is shipping what looks to be the Monica Bellucci of recording system remotes, the Monitor Station Remote for the FireStudio 26×26 FireWire Recording System.

The Monitor Station Remote (MSR) is an integrated surround sound/stereo speaker manager, input switcher and communication system. The MSR connects to the FireStudio via standard Cat 5 Ethernet cable. There are also two headphone outputs on the FireStudio for added convenience.

The Monitor Station Remote is integrated with the FireStudio’s Control Console routing/mixing software giving total control of routing tracks, mixes, switching inputs and outputs, as well as talkback, mute, dim and mono, all the press of a button. The FireStudio with the Monitor Station Remote is a total recording environment designed to keep the creative juices flowing. Read more…

VocalBooth.com, a manufacturer of modular sound reduction enclosures, has released their 14 Carat Diamond Series vocal booths. The Diamond Series, named for its shape, is a five-sided booth engineered to utilize the corner of a room. The five sided design also creates non-parallel walls that help to reduce standing waves.

The new 14 Carat series is the largest of the Diamonds with the approximate volume of a 7′x7′ square room. the booth comes in single wall and more sound proof double wall design. The booths can be assembled and taken down an unlimited number of times. Customization options range from colors, foams, fabrics, windows, wood floors and more.

VocalBooth.com rooms are completely enclosed systems with active ventilation, lighting, optional windows and cable passage. Standard and custom sizes range from 4′x4′ up to 16′x16′, with pricing starting at $2,799 (shipping included).

Applications include recording, voice over, broadcast, studio control, audio post production, rehearsal and drum isolation. The new 14 Carat series starts off at $7,595 (shipping included) and is available now.

Dangerous Music is shipping D-Box, a multi-purpose hardware product for DAW users. The 1U rack-mount box combines 8-channels analog summing technology and a collection of important features garnered from other Dangerous products. The D-Box has an integrated programmable monitor control section with analog and digital inputs, on board 24 bit/96KHz D-to-A converter, talkback, dual headphone amps, speaker switcher and more.

“As the digital recording environment continues to evolve we at Dangerous responded to the need for a high-quality multi-function product that is both compact and affordable to all DAW users,” says Bob Muller, Dangerous Music’s Founder and Co-owner. “In the D-Box we combine our signature analog summing section with what we feel are some other useful capabilities that we’ve developed in our other products, like the Monitor ST. Most computer musicians struggle with controlling monitors, smooth switching between analog and digital inputs and with headphone cues when tracking and mixing. We’ve solved those problems in a very integrated way, with no sonic compromise and within a very small footprint.” Read more…

Good Vibrations, by Mark Cunningham, is a fun and frustrating ramble through the history of record production. It offers insight into the production of some of the most significant pop records in history, including Pet Sounds, Telstar, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Dark Side of the Moon, Bohemian Rhapsody and many more.

The book gets off to a great start with two forwards, by Alan Parsons and Brian Eno. It’s capped with a glossary of music production terms.

The bulk of the book, though, is made up of interviews with some of the most important producers of all time, including Les Paul, Sir George Martin, Trevor Horn, Tony Visconti, Hugh Pagham and many more. Most of the interviews are very interesting, and offer first-person insight into the making of some great records. Read more…

Musikmesse: Alesis has introduced the iMultiMix 8 USB Mixer with professional mixing and direct-to-iPod recording.

The iMultiMix 8 USB features a mounting dock to enable recording directly to any 2nd through 5th generation iPod. Unique to its class, the iMultiMix 8 USB is the world’s first mobile recording mixer with iPod transport controls and a control wheel built right into the surface for complete control of the iPod while it is being docked in the mixer.

Home studios, musicians, podcasters and houses of worship can use the versatile direct-to-iPod recording feature for convenient transfer into iTunes upon connection to a computer. Files recorded into the iPod are CD quality, 16-Bit, 44.1 kHz .wav files.

Mac OS and Windows users can connect to the iMultiMix 8 USB using USB for direct to computer recording as well. In addition to its computer connectivity, the iMultiMix8 USB offers eight analog inputs, one hundred 28-Bit effects, phantom power, and 2 switchable mic/line/guitar inputs.

The iMultiMix 8 USB has the same world-class effects on the Alesis MultiMix 8 USB, one of the most popular recording mixers available. Vocalists can add professional quality reverb and guitar players can create flange effects, all of which are mixed and recorded to the iPod with ease. iPod owners will find this mixer the perfect compliment for a wide variety of recording needs thanks to its natural merging of the control wheel and traditional mixer knobs. The iMultiMix 8 USB is scheduled to ship in Q3 2007 with a suggested retail price of $499. Read more…