Plug-ins
KIT Plugins BB N73 Preamp / EQ — A Mix Real-World Review
KIT Plugins’ latest offering, the BB N73, is modeled off of a dozen vintage 1073s owned by Nashville’s Blackbird Studios
Product Reviews
Alclair ESM 13 and Studio4 In-Ear Monitors – A Real-World Review
Nashville producer/engineer Russ Long put Alclair Audio's flagship ESM 13 and Studio4 in-ear monitors to the test in the recording studio, and the verdict...
Blog
The Pro Sound News Holiday Gift Guide 2020
Producer/engineer Russ Long weighs in with his annual suggestions on what to get the audio pros on your gift list this year.
Product Reviews
Samson G-Track Pro USB Mic – A Real-World Review
The Samson G-Track Pro USB mic is a complete recording solution for podcasters and home recordists that features a multipattern USB condenser microphone, audio...
Product Reviews
PhantomFocus System Studio Monitors – A Real-World Review
The PhantomFocus System has evolved into a portfolio of physical studio designs and products that hold their ground against anything in the world today.
Product Reviews
DPA 4560 CORE Binaural Headset Mic – A Real-World Review
The DPA 4560 CORE binaural headset studio microphone allows recorders to capture stereo recordings for atypical binaural setups.
Product Reviews
Making Sound — Creative Music Production Tips and Philosophies – Book Review
Producer/engineer Russ Long pages through Making Sound and declares, "I don’t think there an engineer alive who won’t receive some benefit from reading it."
Product Reviews
Royer AxeMount Dual Microphone Clip – A Real-World Review
Producer/engineer Russ Long has to axe himself, how did we never think of this before?
Product Reviews
Loop Earplugs – A Real-World Review
Producer/engineer Russ Long tried out jewelry-like Loop Earplugs, which reduce 20 dB across all frequencies, and found them “an ideal solution.”
Recording
Studio Showcase: FAME Recording Studios
FAME Recording Studios’ B room captured some of the most incendiary performances of the Sixties and Seventies. Now brought up-to-date with a mix of...
Product Reviews
Ultimate Ears Bluetooth Cable – A Real-World Review
Producer/engineer Russ Long puts a new UE accessory to the test and discovers "anyone wanting the ability to operate wire-free while casually listening will...
Product Reviews
Gamechanger Audio Plasma Rack – A Real-World Review
Producer/engineer Russ Long dives into the Plasma Rack and discovers “the most unique distortion I’ve heard in 25 years.”
Product Reviews
Stealth Sonics C9 In-Ear Monitors – A Real-World Review
Singapore-based Stealth Sonics is one of the more recent IEM companies to garner attention, and after living with the company’s C9 IEMs, it’s easy...
Product Reviews
Zylia Ambisonic Microphone – A Real-World Review
The Zylia Recording System makes capturing immersive audio easy with its ZM-1 ambisonic studio microphone and smart software.
Product Reviews
Royer Labs R-DB20 dBooster In-Line Signal Booster – A Real-World Review
By Russ Long. Ribbon mic manufacturer gets into the mic signal booster/impedance buffer game.
Product Reviews
Blue Ember Microphone – A Real-World Review
By Russ Long. Ember’s low profile and sleek, smart look make it an ideal option for video, yet its sonic performance makes it a...
Product Reviews
Sound Devices MixPre-6M – A Real-World Review
By Russ Long. This interface/recorder is exceptional in that it can operate as either a USB audio interface or as an entirely self-contained, studio-quality...
Product Reviews
Universal Audio UAD-2 Live Rack – A Real-World Review
Russ Long put the Universal Audio UAD-2 Live Rack to the test during a string of Amy Grant/Vince Gill shows at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium,...
Product Reviews
The Pro Audio Holiday Gift Guide, 2018 Edition!
Producer/engineer and longtime PSN reviewer Russ Long serves up his annual list of gift ideas/reviews for all the audio pros who have been good...
Product Reviews
Review: Lynx Aurora(n) Interface
By Russ Long. Anyone in need of a no-compromise interface that has a huge and growing selection of interface options should give the Aurora(n)...
Product Reviews
Review: Mara Machines MCI JH-110C 1/4-Inch 2-Track Recorder
By Russ Long. The Mara Machines MCI JH-110C 1/4-inch 2-track is undoubtedly the best way to incorporate the true sound of analog into today’s...
Product Reviews
Review: Audio-Technica ATH-M60x Headphones
By Russ Long. These headphones provide a soundstage that is both deep and wide, with exceptional imaging and detail, and they continue to be...
Product Reviews
Review: Genelec 1032C Studio Monitors
Producer/engineer Russ Long reviews the Genelec 1032C—the third generation of Genelec’s legendary 1032 monitor. What's the verdict? Read on....
Product Reviews
Earthworks SV33 Cardioid Capacitor Microphone Review
The Earthworks SV33 cardioid capacitor studio microphone is a no-compromise mic with an ultra-pure signal.
Product Reviews
Review: Sennheiser/Apogee AMBEO Smart Headset
By Russ Long. The concept of the AMBEO Smart Headset is a high-quality pair of earbuds that integrate a microphone on the exterior, allowing...
Product Reviews
Mojave MA-1000 Large-Diaphragm Tube Condenser Microphone Review
With the MA-1000 tube condenser microphone, Mojave built a world-class studio microphone with no compromises, and the result is an audio gem.
Product Reviews
Royer R-10 Ribbon Microphone Review
The R-10 ribbon microphone offers exceptional sonic performance and build quality, and is the most affordable Royer ribbon studio mic to date.
Product Reviews
Review: Magix Sound Forge Pro Mac V3
By Russ Long. Sound Forge Pro Mac 3 is an audio editor and processor that incorporates a highly customizable single-window architecture. While the look...
Product Reviews
Review: Grace Design m905
Arguably more important than any other element in the control room, the monitor controller is the heart of the modern studio.
Product Reviews
Review: Audeze LCD-X Headphones
By Russ Long. Can Audiophile headphones cut it in the world of music production?
Blog
Building Dangerland, Part 5: The Final Touch
Russ Long shares how he completed his Dangerland mix facility.
Blog
Pro Sound News Holiday Gift Guide, 2017 Edition!
The holiday season is once again upon us, and I have a few hints as to what may be the perfect gift for your...
Blog
Building Dangerland, Part 4: Studio Construction—Almost There
Still lacking lighting, furniture, etc., I configured a temporary setup with gear stacked on folding tables and old cases and, while it looks a...
Blog
Building Dangerland, Part 3: Digging In—Floating My Control Room
Based on a long list of factors—with cost being at the top of the list, but also including building code restrictions, spouse-imposed limitations (“We’re...
Product Reviews
Review: Carl Tatz Design PhantomFocus eChair
By Russ Long. I’ve had the opportunity to work and audition several of Tatz’s proprietary PhantomFocus monitoring system-equipped spaces, and they are sonically spectacular....
Blog
Building Dangerland, Part 2: Mixing In A Jail Cell
If someone had told me that I would agree to spending the next six months of my studio life working out of an 8'...
Blog
Building Dangerland, Part 1: Leaving The Carport
Twenty-three years ago, I converted my freestanding two-car garage into a studio. The Carport, as I called it—there was another studio in town called...
Product Reviews
Reviews by Russ Long: Softube, G-Technology & Focal Professional
This month I’m taking a close look at three of my personal product highlights from the recent Winter NAMM show.
Product Reviews
Review: MXL CR89 Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone
The cardioid MXL CR89 provides exceptional performance equivalent to microphones typically costing three to four times more.
Product Reviews
Review: Avid Pro Tools HDX
Generation HDX provides Pro Tools users with Avid’s most powerful and fastest DAW to date. Pro Tools HD has spent a decade at the...
Business
A-Designs Ventura Microphone Preamp/Equalizer
The Ventura combines an amazing mic preamp, a low-noise instrument input and a smooth, threeband parametric EQ that includes high/low filters into a single-rack-space...
Business
API The Channel Strip (TCS) Microphone Preamplifier, Compressor & Equalizer
After being formed in 1968, API quickly rose to high esteem among the world’s top manufacturers in every musical genre to the point that...