Studio Sense
Headphone Freakout Solutions
As an engineer or producer, you’re surely used to seeing weird looks on the faces of the talent—maybe it’s just looking through the...
Rob is a journalist, producer/engineer, musician and songwriter who started with Pro Audio Review magazine in 2007, moved with PAR to Pro Sound News in 2015 and in turn moved to Mix with PSN. Rob opened Catalyst Recording in 1993, focusing on mobile recording, winning two Emmy’s along the way towards becoming an audio Jack-of-all-trades; mixing FOH and monitors, broadcast TV A1 and A2, mixing live sporting events, mixing theatre, chief engineer at the nation's top (Fortune 500) karaoke production studio, recording/mixing radio commercials, scoring film, mastering, teaching college-level audio courses, producing audio books and mixing streams/podcasts. Today Rob mostly records/produces/remixes musical artists across the spectrum and does lots of web-based mixing and mastering (Mac, smart-plugs and analog-summing, fwiw).
Product Reviews
Real-World Review: Neat Mics’ King Bee, Worker Bee and Beecaster Studio Microphones
Newcomer Neat Microphones has launched a line of affordable mics bold bee-inspired color schemes and some highly unusual design features.
Studio Sense
Audio For President
I can no longer sit idly by as this nation’s politics are domineered by outsiders, rogues, technocrats and ideologues. It is obviously clear what...
Studio Sense
LDCs, IFBs, Jimmie Johnson and the Pursuit of Excellence
For Rob Tavaglione, recording a phone interview with top NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson was a routine audio session—until he heard what the six-time championship...
Studio Sense
Cutting The Clutter: My Year-Long Rig Reduction Regime
We audio engineers are notorious for having, collecting and bragging about our rig—our ever-growing and oh-so-precious kit. Producers smile confidently for the...
Studio Sense
PAR Advice: An affordable mic for singer/songwriters
As it happens from time to time, I get requests for advice from fellow engineers. Sure, there's questions about compressors or methodologies, but the...
Studio Sense
Studio Sense: Pro Audio Review – The Future Is Now!
PAR has recently launched “PAR-Tube,” our new video initiative that commences our move into the future. The digital revolution has just begun...
Product Reviews
Review: Fostex PX-6 Professional Studio Monitors
Rob Tavaglione takes a look at Fostex PX-6 Professional Studio Monitors.
Product Reviews
Review: MXL Genesis FET Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone
MXL sells a lot of good microphones at great prices, including the Genesis FET.
Product Reviews
Review: SoundField SPS200 Surround Sound Microphone
Multiple diaphragm surround-sound mics seem like such a luxury to engineers who work in stereo.
Product Reviews
Review: Daking FET III Compressor
By Rob Tavaglione. At $2,200 list, the FET III is a professional piece in price as well as design and function.
Gear and Technology
Rupert Neve Designs Portico II Channel
Considering the legendary status of Mr. Rupert Neve, it is not surprising his channel strip is “hard not to love.” How much love? Read...
Product Reviews
Audio-Technica AT4050ST Stereo Condenser Microphone Review
The Audio-Technica AT4050ST studio microphone is a reliable, flexible stereo recording mic that’s also useful for field and live sound applications.
Product Reviews
Review: Sterling Audio ST6050 Large Diaphragm FET Condenser Microphone, Ocean Way Signature Edition
Aesthetically beautiful, sonically (mostly) neutral and blessed by lauded LA engineer Allen Sides, the flexible ST6050 is Sterling Audio’s flagship LDC.
Product Reviews
Review: ADAM Audio A77X AX-Series Powered Studio Monitors
The “ideally priced” ADAM Audio A77X AX-Series powered studio monitors are nicely frequency balanced, thoughtfully designed, capable of loud performance and factory guaranteed for...
Studio Sense
It Takes Two Kinds
Surely you've heard the saying, “There are two kinds of people in this world,” as it has been creatively applied to most any discipline,...
Business
Boss DB-90 Dr. Beat Metronome
The production of modern music often requires intricate tempo mapping of a click track; this is where nothing beats the detailed control found in...
Studio Sense
Tubes = Tone: Is It Time For Some Guitar Amp TLC?
Attention recording engineers: Are you looking to inspire guitarists and capture noteworthy tones?
Studio Sense
Final Master Delivery for Our Post-Physical Media World
"Today I delivered 26 files, spread across six discs (or folders), to my client for their four song project. Hmm, I remember when that...
Studio Sense
The Art (and the Risk) of the Rough
Admittedly, the beginning of a recording project is the best part; all the optimism, all the teamwork, and all the focus on the big...
Studio Sense
Music Production Biz in ’12
A new breed of engineer/hit-maker has emerged, one who tracks drums in a bedroom with questionable results, yet can "expertly" use drum replacement software; that...
Studio Sense
Positively On Location
Sometimes audio engineering can seem like a pretty lousy job. If you've ever spent days away from sunlight, alone in a small room, dealing...
Studio Sense
2012 Sounds Good To Me!
The good news is that the economy is likely going to be slightly better off in 2012. Barring some unlikely lack of cooperation by...
Studio Sense
The AKG C214: It’s Not Simply 200 Less (Rather It’s Something Entirely Different)
I know what you're thinking (a la Nigel Tufnel): “Well, it's 200 less, isn't it?” Sure, the C214 offers fewer features than its esteemed older...
Studio Sense
Top Ten Things I Gave Thanks For This Thanksgiving
In no particular order … Pitch correction: Whether AutoTune or the powerful pitch corrector in my preferred Digital Performer DAW, I’d rather highlight and...
Product Reviews
Review: Lauten Oceanus LT-381 Tube Multi-Pattern Large-Diaphragm Condenser Microphone
An “extremely versatile,” unique LDC specimen, the Oceanus is deep and broad in both qualities and potential applications.
New Products
Review: Solid State Logic E Signature Channel
The production hues of the 1980s are back, so there’s no better time than now to examine Solid State Logic’s new rack-mounted version of...
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