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18,000 audio professionals crowded the aisles at San Francisco's Moscone Convention Center for this fall's 125th AES Convention. (Photo courtesy of AES.)
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From October 2-5, 2008, much of the recording universe was in San Francisco for the 125th Audio Engineering Society Convention. With more than 400 exhibitors showing off the latest recording technology to roughly 18,000 attendees, it was a little bit like having the keys to the candy store after hours for those of us who work in the recording industry.
Aisle upon aisle featured equipment and software, while dozens of interesting workshops and after-hours events anchored this year’s convention. We’ll check out a range of new microphones, plug-ins galore, and a high-end compressor that was turning heads (and ears). Plus, we’ll report on some of the emerging trends that are reshaping the record-making business and the business of operating a recording studio today.
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The Black Hole microphone pictured on a mini-tripod stand.
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New Microphones
I spent a good bit of time visiting with Edijs Rudzis, from JZ Microphones, Ltd. JZ Mics is a hand-built microphone manufacturer based in Latvia. Since launching in September 2007, they’ve been gaining a solid reputation both here and in Europe for no compromise, high quality condenser mics. Their centerpiece at AES was the Black Hole (BH-1) which is a multi-pattern condenser mic that exhibited outstanding clarity and depth in the limited demo that could be done on the trade show floor.
It offers cardioid, figure-8, and omnidirectional pickup delivered by hand-paired dual diaphragms mounted back-to-back. The mic also has an innovative built-in swivel that allows for precise positioning much more readily than some mics that use a “bird cage” type of mounting system. JZ’z Black Hole SE (BH-2) is a sister mic, with a single capsule offering cardioid pickup. It offers similar richness and depth to the BH-2 without the additional patterns.
“We designed the BH-2 for critical home studio users who may have some experience with inexpensive condenser microphones and are ready to step up to a mic that will deliver higher quality performance,” says Edijs. He pointed out that JZ mics are available from Full Compass Systems and other US distributors and come with a five year warranty. He also mentioned the Black Hole PE (BH-3) version which adds a selectable -5 or -10dB pad to the SE. All three mics are ruggedly built and ship in an elegant hardwood case. Street prices for the Black Hole series are $1,595 for the SE, $1,695 for the PE, and $1995 for the BH-1.
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The Black Hole microphone pictured in its handsome hardwood case.
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Walking down a few aisles, I encountered the crew from Cascade Microphones, another boutique mic manufacturer that has grown a loyal following based on their Fathead ribbon mics which offer excellent value and performance. Michael Chiriac of Cascade proudly showed of their new C-77 ribbon mic, which was turning quite a few heads at the show.
“It features an open grill design and Lundahl 2913 transformer with solid-core copper wiring. We also went the extra mile and put in a Chicago Switchcraft connector, so it is built for a lifetime of studio use. Each one is hand assembled and tested our Olympia, Washington facility,” says Mike.
Once again, the ability to do precise listening on a trade show floor with thousands of engineers milling about is limited, but the quick listen over headphones that I gave the C-77 provided a rich, warm tone reminiscent of a vintage ribbon mic, along with a nice top-end crispness. Hearing the C-77 reproduce a voice so cleanly made me want to get one of these into the studio for my next vocal tracking session. True to their mission to provide outstanding quality products at affordable prices, the C-77 retails for $499.
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Cascade Microphone's C 77 was one of the hits of the AES, once again delivering knock out performance at a reasonable price point.
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Bay Area-based engineer Stephen Hart also was investigating new equipment for his studio, The Mix Room, and happened upon a new mic he liked. “I’m a fan of miniature mics and liked the new DPA 4099 I saw. It’s a small supercardioid with a clamp that mounts directly on the guitar body, allowing you to position the mic 3-4” in front of the guitar. Perfect for live or studio settings. I’m looking forward to hearing it on a session, because at its price point, around $600, it looks to offer big bang for the buck.”
New Software and Hardware Goodies
PSE enlisted the aid of San Francisco-based freelance engineer Andy Freeman to scour the show floor for new software, and he spent a good bit of time visiting with Steven Massey of Massey Plug-Ins, based in Oakland, CA.
Keeping with the tradition of the many audio innovators who are “discovered” at the AES, Massey may be one of the next audio inventors to launch into the recording studio gear stratosphere. Why? Because Massey designs high-quality, full-featured plug-ins for the Pro Tools market and sells them at a sub-$100 price point. Andy points out, “With engineers looking for cost-effective plug-ins that don’t require purchasing an expensive bundle, Massey Plug-ins fit the bill perfectly for those of us on a budget.”
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DPA's 4099 series offers a cost-effective, high performance solution to micing acoustic instruments for the studio or stage. |
Andy talks about what makes Massey’s business model so different than other plug-in companies. “They are a perfect fit for project studios because of his innovative demo policy. Rather than making a crippled demo version of a plug-in, or having it make an obnoxious beep every few seconds, he releases full-function demo versions that can be used forever. Steven’s philosophy is to ‘Use it as long as you like.’”
The restrictions that are placed on demo-version users are mostly geared, in Andy’s opinion, toward getting professional users to purchase the software. “These include ‘no bypass’ functionality, and no retention of settings when the session is re-opened,” says Andy. “Personally, I have no problem putting down $69-100 for the full version when the products work so well. I use the Massey CT4 compressor on just about every session I record.”
Massey’s current array of plug-ins include the following products: the aforementioned CT4 compressor; THC Distortion Stompbox; L2007 stereo mastering limiter; VT3 3-band equalizer; Tape Head tape saturation effect; TD5 analog tape delay; and a nifty De:Esser.
Stephen Hart was also on the lookout for new and useful recording software. “I was impressed by two different plug-ins, both of which are de-essers. The first is my favorite new product, the Sonnox Oxford SuprEsser. It’s an amazingly useful de-esser and dynamic equalizer that can help to remove things that you don’t like on a recorded track. For instance, I was recently recording a vocal track and the singer was really popping a lot of p’s. My assistant engineer wanted to stop the take to change our mic set up, but I didn’t want to interrupt the flow of an otherwise good performance. I also had confidence the SuprEsser could deal with these errant plosives. Sure enough, after we finished recording that vocal, we ran the track through the SuprEsser and those pops no longer existed. It works using a look-ahead design and has a pretty lengthy processing time, so it’s not usable in real time, but after the track has been recorded, it’s an outstanding tool for dealing with plosives and other sibilance problems.” Retail for the SuprEsser is $355.
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Massey's affordable CT-4 compressor plug-in is becoming one of the most popular software tools in the Pro Tools world. |
“The other plug-in I discovered,” Stephen continues, “is another de-esser, the McDSP DE 555. It’s a new generation of de-esser that is very effective and works nicely no matter how low the input signal level may be.” The DE 555 lists for $495.
On the hardware side, Stephen liked a high end ($3500+) compressor from Charter Oaks, a boutique manufacturer that impressed him as being very unique in its design approach.
“The SCL-1 is a stereo compressor that touts its ability to provide a constant output level with no pumping or gasping artifacts no matter how complex the program material,” he states. “It has the ability to offer very fast release times while adjusting the average level to keep the output constant. As I was getting a demo on its design and use, although it’s not inexpensive, I was struck that I absolutely could use this compressor in a wide variety of situations.”
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The Sonnox Oxford SuprEsser delivers incredible power and flexibility in addressing problems like plosives and frequency anamolies on a track. |
Stephen ends his list of tips with an inexpensive but incredibly useful device for vocal sessions. “I actually walked out of the show with one new recording accessory in hand, an integrated mic holder and pop filter from Sabro-Som mic accessories, designed by a Brazilian engineer. I’ve been frustrated many times by the hardware failure of pop filters during a session, and this all-in-one solution is a dual mount that allows the mic and pop filter to be mounted on the same piece of hardware. I used this $50 device the very next day and it worked beautifully. No more worrying about drooping pop filters. Sometimes it takes a frustrated engineer to design a better product, and this is certainly the case with the ST-POP.”
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The DE 555 De-Esser from McDSP is another outstanding dynamic processor showcased at the AES. |
Trends in the Business of Recording
Among the dozens of workshops, presentations, tutorials, seminars, and panel discussions, the theme of DIY and how every musician can become his own recording studio if he so chooses pervaded many of the presentations and lots of conversations at AES. These changes have potentially important ramifications if you will be working with bands and artists to help them record and distribute their music.
The AES Keynote address, “The Artist Owns the Industry,” was delivered by long-time studio mogul Chris Stone, founder of the original Record Plant Studios. The Record Plant not only set the standard for high-quality recordings in the 1960s-80s, but viewed the artist as a valued partner in business. Stone observed that the recording industry as we knew it in the 20th century is gone, due to the power, speed, and flexibility delivered by the Internet. Stone opined that major labels and major recording studios will likely remain viable into the future, there will just be a lot fewer of each. He believes that the rise in digital music sales forecasts the eventual end of the major label system as we know it today, and that the old system will morph into thousands of Indie labels all across the globe.
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Once again, a recording engineer demonstrates the ability to truly design & build a better-sounding device, the Charter Oaks' SCL-1 stereo compressor. |
He suggested that for those with entrepreneurial instincts, the new recording industry is not a grim shadow of earlier times, that instead, many new entrepreneurial opportunities for audio professionals exist including providing label startup and marketing services to bands and small labels, music video production for YouTube, electronic press kits and other web outlets, music licensing and placement services, niche studios specializing in a certain aspect of recording such as video games, post production, etc. Stone emphasized that making money in audio services requires one to “find and enlarge your competitive advantage” or if you are just starting out, apprentice for someone who is successful and get paid while you learn your craft.
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Sabra-som's ST-POP is an accessory no studio should be without. |
A second event that resonated along the same DIY theme was a presentation titled, “The Music Business is Dead – Long Live the New Music Business!” by Digidesign founder Peter Gotcher. Peter’s new firm, Topspin Media, is ambitiously setting out to provide artists and labels with the tools to provide instantaneous distribution of music through both digital and traditional media online. Topspin also allows artists to seamlessly manage their relationship with fans through its emerging set of web-based tools, the first of which is dubbed Topspin Manager.
It’s worth noting that long-time industry veterans David Byrne and Brian Eno chose to release their new album, Everything That Happens Will Happens Today, exclusively via Topspin Media a full two months before the album will be available at traditional retail. Doing so creates a strong bond directly between the artist and their fans. Topspin’s goal is to provide a direct, more profitable relationship for artists and labels by this direct connection. If Gotcher experiences even a fraction of the success of Digidesign, Topspin would seem to be a company worth watching.
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