New Studio Computer

Posted January 2nd, 2012 by ben

The time has come. The prayers have been answered. My sanity has returned. - R&T has a new computer!
 
Upgrading from a dinosaur Power Mac G5 to an 8-Core Mac Pro, it’s like a whole new universe of computer processing! Let’s break this down:
 

 
In other words, it’s ridiculous.
 
Posted by Ben McGuinn, R&T’s resident engineer, on January 2nd, 2012.

New Gear At Rough & Tumble

Posted July 18th, 2011 by ben

We’ve picked up a couple of great pieces of equipment in the recent weeks.

First up is this odd looking stick known as the Bose L1 Model II. The L1 is a self contained, modular PA system that has an ultra flat, 180º sound coverage. The super-wigs over at Bose really thought this one through in terms of super clean sound and extensive features in a compact, portable form. In addition to the 24 vertically arranged speakers, we also have 2 B1 subwoofers (each with 2 high-excursion 6-1/2″ speakers) to handle any kind of big bass that you can throw at it.

The icing on the cake is the T1 ToneMatch mix engine that supplies all the tools that you would need for your ultimate live performance. Compressors, EQs, reverb, delay, modulation effects (chorus/flanger/phaser) – all recallable! Bose has also developed something they call ToneMatch. The Bose sound engineers did extensive testing to find the optimum EQ settings for a boat load of things. Have a Neumann KMS105? A good old SM58? There are settings for those. Have a Taylor Grand Auditorium GA3? There’s a setting for that. Wait, you have a Martin OM-42? Yeah, there’s a setting for that one too. You get the idea. For a full list of features, presets and all of the other magical things that the T1 does, click here.

The second addition to the R&T equipment roster is a vintage Korg MS20 synthesizer, aka my most favorite thing in the world. When I recently picked this treasure up from it’s previous owner, it was in sad shape (as most MS20s are, being over 30 years old and regularly gigged). After a trip to the keyboard tech genius Tim over at Keyboard Cottage, it’s now healthy and epically awesome. From bleeps to bloops, massive square wave bass to piercing chiptune leads. You’ve more than likely heard this synth so many times without realizing – Gorillaz, Aphex Twin, Daft Punk, Depeche Mode, Goldfrapp, Ladytron, Mr. Ozio – the list goes on indefinitely. Forever. 

Posted by Ben McGuinn, R&T’s resident recording engineer, on July 18th, 2011.

Audio Nerds! – FREE SoundToys Plug-In!

Posted March 19th, 2011 by ben

SoundToys is giving away their new compressor/distortion plug-in! No strings attached! I personally haven’t been able to use it, but SoundToys never disappoints with their weird but useful plugs. Did I mention it’s free?
 
Follow this link, set-up a quick account and use redemption code 269-5859-503 to receive the FREE iLok license and download the plug!
 
 

Here’s a little background behind the Devil-Loc (AKA Shure Level-Loc) from Soundtoys:

Essentially a distorting compressor but so much more, it’s really quite simple but also a bit supernatural. Because the release time of the compression is effected by the input level (like the Level-Loc) it’s a bit hard to predict exactly what will happen the first time you work with it. Luckily with just two knobs, you can find the magic spot for your track fairly quickly and you’ll be going for that sound more and more. Don’t be fooled by it’s simple front panel, this plug-in has a lot more cool sounds than you’d expect out of two knobs. Get crushing kick drums, to almost rhythmic level sweeps with the crazing sucking compression, to blitzed out blasting beat loops. Drive it hard and you get straight hardware sounding break-up and drive. It’s a devil in disguise, and the devil’s in the details, and the devil made us do it and all those other devil references.

 
Posted by Ben McGuinn, R&T’s resident recording engineer, on March 19th, 2011.

Planet Waves – NS Capo Tuner

Posted December 9th, 2010 by ben

I wish I thought of this!
 
Whenever I’m recording a capo’ed acoustic, the tuning always seems to go out within a couple of passes, causing the whole session to pause (while the guitarist rummages around for his tuner that’s halfway across the room while simultaneously losing the mic sweet spot that I just spent 20 minutes dialing in). The bonus to this tuner is that when not in use, it can live on your headstock functioning as a standard piezo guitar tuner.
 
The downside: it costs $55. But that’s not much of a surprise with Planet Waves products; every PW product that I’ve used (including a lot of R&T’s cabling) is build like a tank and well worth the extra bucks.
 
DAddarioPlanet Waves » Instrument Accessories > Capos » Dual Action Capo Tuner.

Posted by Ben McGuinn, R&T’s resident recording engineer, on December 9th, 2010.

SPL Transient Designer 4

Posted November 9th, 2010 by james

In this episode, R&T look into the hardware version of the SPL Transient Designer. This one has been on the hit list for some months. After recently getting some mixes of one of our artists back from a ‘real man doing real things’ kind of engineer who swears by this box, we are sold. Kick, Snare, Tom, Tom is where it’s headed. Once again, word from this same engineer is that the plug in versions are a ‘non-starter’. Something about wire, capacitors, transistors and a power supply that make all the difference.
 
Posted by James DiLella, R&T Producer/CEO/Founding Partner, on November 9th, 2010.