SOUND ON SOUND
Yet another ultra-compact mixer emerges from R&D, to fierce competition from similar models by other manufacturers. David Mellor does a spot of channel-hopping...
The latest in Akai's line of standalone hard disk recorders, which also includes 8- and 16-track models, sticks with the 4-track format of its predecessor, the DR4d, but adds 250 'virtual' tracks to increase the flexibility it can offer. David Mellor checks out this low-cost entry into the world of disk recording.
After months of curiosity-arousing, X-Files-style advertising, Soundcraft's Ghost is here, offering the project studio owner automated 8-buss mixing at a highly competitive price. David Mellor deliberately avoids all jokes about EQ and haunting sound quality.
If you want to make a living as a producer, masterminding great recordings is not the end of your obligations. You'll have to deal with lawyers, managers, and the business end of record companies — all in the interests of finding work, and ensuring you're paid for it! David Mellor invites you into his parlour...
Offering 5-part harmony at a budget price, the MV5 is Digitech's easiest to use pitch-shifter yet. The David Mellor Singers provide the tune...
Half teacher, half technician, as a producer you're going to have to coax the best from your charges, identify their strengths and conceal their weaknesses. David Mellor dons the velvet glove...
Though hard disk recording offers possibilities far beyond those achievable with magnetic tape, it often sports a vastly more complex user interface, which can alienate the tape-based faithful. But Akai's new 16-track hard disk recorder seeks to meet the tape heads halfway, David Mellor plays ambassador...
An 'Unplugged' session is going to require a very different studio from a techno track bursting with MIDI bells and whistles. Beyond that, choosing a recording studio is down to that elusive spiritual ingredient, 'the vibe'. David Mellor investigates pop psychology...
Once the artist, their record company and A&R manager have agreed the balance sheet, there are still artistic questions to be resolved. This month, continuing his look at working as a team, David Mellor explains how producer, arranger, programmer and session musician can live together in perfect harmony...