Tips
Oct 1, 2011,
By Eddie Ciletti
While you are browsing the AES Convention aisles later this month, keep the foundation of your audio facility in mind, and by that I mean the power and ground distribution (P&GD). A humble project studio can be pretty much plug-and-play, but as it gradually morphs into a “facility,” the P&GD infrastructure becomes critical.
...
Sep 1, 2011,
By Eddie Ciletti
Many of the questions I receive on a regular basis involve the often-frustrating process of searching for replacement parts. This month’s reader question comes from someone who is also a friend. Darron Burke of Makeshift Studio teamed up with local Boston-area artist/technician Kevin Micka after a series of emails did not reveal the hidden secrets of a troubled unit.
...
Aug 1, 2011,
By Eddie Ciletti
GEEK: My friend Paul Wolff doesn’t like the moniker, but I embrace it. The positive connotation of “geek” describes someone who is happily hardwired for hardware and technology. I won’t share his negative connotation, in case you’re eating.
...
Mar 1, 2011,
By Kevin Becka
One of the best things about being an audio pro is shopping for gear. This is especially true in 2011 when the options are plentiful, prices are reasonable and the quality is high. We came up with the ultimate audio computer rig in two price categories: $10,000 and $25,000. We are taking for granted you already have a computer, so we’re just concentrating on the DAWs, plug-ins and hardware needed to get audio in and out of the box. ...
Mar 1, 2011,
By Eddie Ciletti
This month, we’re revisiting analog tape and the physical restoration process—as opposed to using the software restoration apps spotlighted in the December 2010 issue of Mix. If you read no further, your most important step is to not attempt to play or fast-wind any tape before evaluation. For seriously problematic tapes, you may want to consult or hire an experienced professional. Precautions are necessary because fewer people have analog tape experience. ...
Dec 8, 2010,
By Eddie Ciletti
Due to circuit simplicity and component size, vintage gear is more easily serviced than most newer equipment, which is one reason I’m constantly revisiting the topic. In the process of increasing functionality and complexity, miniaturization has made visual analysis—and heat dissipation—of audio equipment more challenging. Yet some of the same basic problems plague all gear regardless of its place in the evolutionary time line.
...
Dec 1, 2010,
By Sylvia Massy
Mr. Williams led me through the darkened third-floor corridor of an abandoned brick office building in downtown Joliet, Ill. Cardboard boxes and ceiling plaster lay strewn on the floor, and a jolt of fear pulsed through me as we stepped over piles of debris to reach the illuminated doorway at the end of the long hall....
Oct 25, 2010,
By Sylvia Massy
Okay, I totally accept that old amps have their bad days, but this time she wasn’t coming back. We were midway through bass tracking with the band Dishwalla and my sweet, sturdy old Ampeg SVT decided to take a holiday. So we reluctantly pulled out “The Beast”—my back-up SVT, which is rarely brought out of storage because it’s just too damn hazardous!
...
Sep 21, 2010,
By Sylvia Massy
Ed Heath’s airplane fell apart in mid-air, killing him as it disintegrated. It was 1931, and Heath had been riding on the wings of the American industrial revolution with his line of build-your-own airplanes. ...
Sep 9, 2010,
By Eddie Ciletti
When tube gear is unhappy, the easiest thing to do is swap tubes—not necessarily because they are the problem, but they’re often accessible and (except for subminiatures) are always socketed. The July 2010 column detailed the key components around the tube, but not the schematic. Before picking up that thread, let’s take a few steps back.
...
Jul 9, 2010,
By Eddie Ciletti
Tube replacement is so physically easy that it’s often the first solution when something goes wrong. If a new tube doesn’t improve the sound, reduce the noise or eliminate the funky distortion, you’ll know to dig deeper into the circuitry...
Feb 1, 2010,
By Eddie Ciletti
Live recording in studio or onstage is an adrenaline rush like no other. Compared to tracking one instrument/source at a time, interacting musicians add...
Jan 1, 2010,
By Eddie Ciletti
Batteries have a language all their own. At the heart of all batteries is a single electro-chemical device called a cell. Examples are the AAA, AA, C...
Dec 1, 2009,
By Eddie Ciletti
This month, Tech's Files will stray from the conventional audio signal path and venture into some ber-basic examples of analog control and display circuitry....
Nov 1, 2009,
By Eddie Ciletti
Time travel has always been possible at least in print journalism. In this case, I'm writing about an AES panel discussion that's happening in a few days,...
Oct 1, 2009,
By Eddie Ciletti
This month, I'll explore the relationship between high-frequency drivers and their next of kin (midrange or woofer) essentially, how to optimize your...
Sep 1, 2009,
By Eddie Ciletti
A simple excursion into geek territory can turn into a revelation or three; you might experience profound light-bulb moments or merely the simple reminder...
Jul 1, 2009,
By Eddie Ciletti
Techs Files columnist Eddie Ciletti gives you tips and techniques on restoring and upgrading old tube microphones in Mix magazine July 2009...
Jun 1, 2009,
By Eddie Ciletti
Techs Files columnist Eddie Ciletti explores how signal phase and polarity affect audio control room acoustics in Mix magazine, June 2009....
May 1, 2009,
By Eddie Ciletti
Techs Files columnist Eddie Ciletti shows how to stretch your audio dollars with easy DIY pro gear projects, such as a fuzz box kit in Mix magazine, May 2009...
Apr 1, 2009,
By Eddie Ciletti
Mix magazines’s resident tech offers expert advice and tips on buying Used Pro Audio Gear for the April 2009 issue....
Mar 1, 2009,
By Eddie Ciletti
Mix magazine tutorial examining the role of resistors in low-noise audio electronic circuits by Tech’s Files columnist Eddie Ciletti. Includes thermal noise, equivalent input noise and the differences between wire wound, carbon and metal film resistor designs....
Feb 1, 2009,
By Eddie Ciletti
Mix magazine's resident tech Eddie Ciletti talks about API 500 Series modules in the February 2009 issue...
Jan 1, 2009,
By Eddie Ciletti
Mix magazine's resident tech Eddie Ciletti talks about maintainance of Roland Space Echo and Echoplex tape echo devices in the January 2009 issue...
Dec 1, 2008,
By Eddie Ciletti
Mix magazine's resident tech Eddie Ciletti talks about audio kits and building your own pro audio gear in the December 2008 issue...
|
The Wire, a virtual press conference offering postings of the latest gear and music news, direct from the source. Visit the The Wire for the latest press postings.
|
NAMM 2011: Fairlight CMI
State of NAMM 2011