Yep, it’s that time of year. Holiday season! So whether you hang up a stocking, rip open a present a day, or simply wait for a box from Sweetwater to arrive sometime before the new year, I’ve put together a few suggestions for you to consider when wondering what to buy for that pro audio friend on your gift list.
Lewitt Audio Pure Tube Studio Microphone
Lewitt never ceases to impress, and its Pure Tube microphone is no exception. The tube condenser mic is equipped with a 1-inch diaphragm and hand-selected ECC82/12AU7 tube, and it sounds wonderful.
After a month of regular use, I’d be hard-pressed to find a tube mic for twice the price that could compare to the Pure Tube. This mic has all of the warmth and smoothness expected from a tube mic, while remaining dead quiet.
Billed as a vocal mic, it no doubt captures vocals extremely well, but it is also a standout when recording acoustic guitar, percussion, violin and saxophone.
The mic is available in two versions: the Essential Set, incorporating a basic mic mount and a zipper bag for storage; and the Studio Set, which features a Pelican-style hard case and a shock mount/magnetic pop filter that is arguably worth the price of the mic itself.
Earthworks Audio SR117 Microphone
Imagine a smooth, natural-sounding, hand-held live sound microphone that has virtually no handling noise, a frequency response that gives studio condensers a run for the money, a super-cardioid polar pattern that effectively eliminates feedback potential, and a price-tag that makes it attainable by even the tightest-budgeted bands. While it sounds impossible, it’s exactly what you get with Earthworks Audio’s SR117.
I’ve been putting this mic to work for the last two months, and it’s amazing. While the mic’s forte is no doubt vocals, it works equally well on sax, trumpet and upright bass, and it’s built like a tank, making it the perfect road companion.
OWC Envoy Pro Elektron
When Randy Fuchs told me to drop the tiny (0.5 x 3 x 2 inches, 0.19 pounds) OWC Envoy Pro Elektron hard drive into a cup of eggnog and let it sit for several minutes before putting it to work, every bone in my body shuddered. I did exactly what he said and much to my surprise, even after being completely submerged in a glass of water (I couldn’t bring myself to waste the eggnog!), the OWC Envoy Pro Elektron hard drive performed unlike any portable hard drive I’ve encountered. The lightning-fast drive provides performance speeds up to 1011 MB/s, along with plug-and-play performance for Thunderbolt and USB Macs and PCs, as well as iPad Pro and Chromebook.
I’ve used the drive to multitrack a 64-input, 80-minute concert, to simultaneously play back a 54 track, twohour project that included video, and for regular multitrack recording/mixing with constant use over multiple days, and I haven’t had even a hint of a problem. This thing is wonderful.
KIT Plugins BB A5
KIT has released yet another virtual version of gear from Blackbird Studio’s seemingly unending arsenal, and in proper KIT fashion, they’ve done it right.
Modeled after the celebrated API Legacy desks in Studios B and D, the BB A5 API channel-strip plug-in features the sound of the API 212L discrete mic preamp module and either the 3-band 550A, 4-band 550L or 10-band graphic 560L EQ. As with other KIT plugins, the BB A5 was modeled through the company’s proprietary 10 Hz – 96 kHz Full Range Modeling Technology.
Stocking Stuffers ‘n’ Stuff: The Mix 2023 Gift Guide Addendum
I’ve been up and running with the BB A5 for a couple of months, and I can’t get enough of it. I love the 550A on vocals and acoustic instruments, the 550L on drums, and nothing can touch the 560L on electric guitars.
The Auto- Gain function (I always keep it on) automatically adjusts the output to maintain a consistent gain structure. One of the challenges in working with API hardware involves its notched settings, which require you to adjust in 2 dB increments. KIT BB A5 eliminates this with the addition of a Continuous Gain option that provides variable gain, giving more precise control.
Sensaphonics dB Check Pro
There was a lot of talk about hearing protection when the live industry moved (mostly) from wedges to In Ear Monitors. The potential promise of protection was received with open arms, despite the fact that IEMS are actually capable of exposing the ear to higher volume levels than wedges.
Sensaphonics dB Check Pro allows users to easily monitor the volume level they are hearing via IEMs or headphones. The small enclosure measures just 3.4 x 1.9 x 1 inches and weighs just 3.3 ounces.
It includes a hard-shell Pelican case, Quick Start guide, USB-C charging cable and audio jumper cable. It operates 11 hours on a full change and has no effect on the sound quality (it even passes audio when powered off).
Programmed to be utilized with over 140 IEMs and headphones from 12 major manufacturers, dB Check Pro will accurately tell users how loud they are listening (SPL evaluation can be timed at 1 minute, 15 minutes or 60 minutes or can be set to Continuous) and for how long they can safely listen at this level according to both NIOSH and OSHA guidelines.
A built-in microphone provides information regarding the ambient room dB level, as well. dB Check Pro is super easy to use and it’s extremely revealing.
Chairman at the Board
The short-list of engineers who approach god-like status is rather limited, and Bill Schnee is right near the top. Schnee’s production and engineering credits (which themselves are long enough to fill a book) include Steely Dan, Barbra Streisand, Carly Simon, Marvin Gaye, Neil Diamond, Whitney Houston, Miles Davis, Dire Straits and hundreds of others—more than 125 Gold and Platinum records and 11 Grammy nominations! The book is an intimate walk through Schnee’s life, from his band’s signing right out of high school through his massive success in the 1970s and ’80s. The book is fascinating, funny, educational, and filled with humility and kindness. It’s also wonderfully written.
Vintage FX
Penned by German journalist Matthias Fuchs, with a wonderfully written preface by Eventide’s Anthony Agnello, Vintage FX chronicles the history of 68 classic, vintage, studio effects boxes. The large, hardcover coffee-table book runs to nearly 300 pages and includes complete documentation, along with hundreds of excellent photographs of the inside and outside of these amazing sonic machines. Also included are quotes from the designers, magazine ads, and album cover images of the popular recordings that made use of these devices.
Manufacturers include AKG, AMS, EMT, Eventide, Lexicon, Publison, Roland, Dynacord, MXR, Ursa Major, Yamaha and many others.
Stepping through the book’s pages is like walking through a time warp. I remember the first time I saw an AMS RMX 16 in person, I remember the first time I used an Eventide H910, and I still regret selling my MXR Flanger/Doubler (even if it was to Keith Urban). I’m thankful I still have my Eventide H3000! This book is a historical masterpiece.
IK Multimedia Reverbs
From FAME and The Farm High quality reverbs are one of the fundamental components that set pro mixes apart from the rest, and iK Multimedia has a couple of new plugin offerings that will make raising the reverb bar easy like Sunday morning.
The Fame Studio Reverb plugin captures the iconic sound of the legendary FAME Studios, including sonic models of both live rooms and incorporating iso booths, plate reverb and the renowned and newly restored original echo chamber.
Presets make it quick and easy to get up and running, while the adjustable source position mic level settings, implemented console preamp modeling, and pre-delay/decay settings allow for specific tailoring to any sound source. Great on vocals, acoustic guitars, and drums, I love this plug-in. Every time I use it, I feel like I’m channeling Etta James, Wilson Pickett or Aretha Franklin.
Every Pro Audio Holiday Gift Guide Ever!
The Farm Stone Room reverb plug-in is a sonic model of the stone room at Genesis’ studio, Fisher Lane Farm (i.e., Phil Collins on “In the Air Tonight”). Its modeling blends two room reverb channels: the first, a stereo room captured via a pair of Neumann U87 microphones, and the second, a mono room captured via an STC 4021C “Ball and Biscuit” Dynamic Microphone. The plug-in is easy to use, yet extremely flexible, allowing users to easily shape the sound for a specific instrument and/or song style. While the plug-in sounds fantastic on keyboards, acoustic instruments, and vocals, it truly shines on drums.