Jul/0910
R.I.P ProTools, Logic 9 is out!
Finally! All the editing capabilities of ProTools in a comfortable DAW! This is something I was waiting for a while… The major Logic Pro 9 upgrade! Just like Apple did with Final Cut Pro 4 a while back, this upgrade to Logic is SERIOUSLY replacing the expensive Digidesign rigs by a comparably inexpensive computer with whatever interface you want and all the power you need, making it a TRUE alternative, not just an add-on. Not to mention that it’s all wrapped up in a much more friendly environment, stuffed with quality plug-ins and instruments… A musician’s dream, and the end of the engineer’s nightmare!
As an engineer, one is seeking for rapid editing and efficient file management in order to have an effective workflow that will save precious studio time for creative mixing. Up until now, editing was Logic’s weakness… To most engineers, the way to edit is the PT way: a one size fit all tool. Logic’s old tool menu was time consuming and not so effective. So much crap has flew out of my mouth because of that thing! But fortunately enough, this is all in the past… Logic has developed a new way to ”know” what tool you want to use. Apparently there are ”hot zones” in which your tools will automatically switch to what is best suited accordingly to where your pointer is.
The other biggie between Logic and PT was the time adjusting tool, as well as the whole quantization process, which in PT was made very easy… Well it’s all implemented in the new version of Logic, and way improved from the PT time stretching tool. It’s more closely resambles to the ”Ableton Live” approach of elastic audio rather than it’s, now obselete, Digidesign lookalike. The idea is to be able to easily move, stretch and compress bits of audio timewise. This is a serious improvement from the last version’s time stretching capabilities that was a little awkward to use…
The whole quantization process has also been improved by a very helpful visual color coded transient separators, making it very easy to quantize, groove or simply apply small corrections to an already tight track. To me, it looks much more versatile and friendly than PT’s beat detective…
An other fun implementation in version 9 is the sample converter, which enables an audio region to be automatically sliced up in bits and pieces based on transient response and re-mapped in a sampler, each bit being automatically assigned to a midi note which lengths is proportional to it’s original ”audio” length. It therefore makes every ”hit” or note independently tweakable and editable in the sampler instrument… But my words are shallow to describe the power of this new feature, so might as well show you the video…
Next is the major upgrade of the amp emulation. Honestly, i’ve never been a fan of plug-in amps and other such emulators, nothing sounds like the real thing… On the other hand, I’m a big fan of re-amping, thus giving its credit to a good emulation… Let me explain… If I am to track guitar overdubs for a band that is not quiet sure how they want their guitars to sound like, the idea of tracking the pure signal coming out of the guitar and taking as much time needed to find the right amp, microphone, placement and tone is pertinent. But tracking a guitar through a DI won’t get the player to play as he would in a real amp, as the DI sound has nothing to do with the real thing! That’s where the plug-in comes into play… By sending the player back a realistic amp sound, I’m allowing the performance to be as close as possible to one played directly in an amp. Also, playing around with the plug-in is a fast and time saving way to audition what kind of sound that would best suit the mix… Logic’s new ”Amplitube” approach does that just well! If we get to a type of sound we like turning knobs and switching amps with a mouse, then I’ll easily be able to get to that sound with the amps and cabs I got in the studio, sparing us from trying every single Head/Cab combo possible!
Finally, the last thing worth talking about is the whole ”comping” business… Logic found a way to improve their amazing non-destructive multi track comping stack. It’s easier and much more flexible from the earlier version…
Even if I had already convinced myself that ProTools was history, the new version of logic seals the deal! Now i’m all over it.
Jul/090
The first mass… (La première messe)
Finally, I was able to master the art of MySQL and all the other web crap caca doo enabling me to write this message! Well I guess this is sort of an intro to our blog… So here’s how it goes:
First, the purpose of this blog is to post some tips on recording and post some new gear that either caught our attention or just that we know of. From those vanished away in the forgotten realm of vintage to the brand-spanking-new, straight out of the box piece of gear that just came out on the market, we won’t have rules… Just passion, that will clearly leak on you. Because we all are, gearsluts, weather it’s assumed or not… We sure assume it!
We’ll also post the progress of the transformation of a newly acquired church into a completely awsomely wicked ass-whipping recording studio, hence the name “The Recording Church”. No need to mention that this is also a way to promote our services and prove our competence, hoping you will read a post, see a picture, visite our web site and happily book a week or two! No seriously, I think we’ve got a pretty unique concept, that proudly merges a quality recording session with an unforgettable human and travel experience. You need to go to the web site to understand the concept… ya ya… now!
- Greg and Louis, Recording Church owners and engineers.
Bon! J’ai finalement passé au travers des débilitudes MySQL et autres merdes de programmation qui me permettent d’écrire ce message! J’imagine qu’il serais donc pertinent d’introduire notre blogue… alors, voilà!
Le but premier de ce blogue est de donner des trucs et des anecdotes sur nos techniques d’enregistrement ainsi que d’écrire des revues sur l’équipement qui a attiré notre attention… Des vieux dinosaures sortis des boules à mittes au chef d’oeuvres technologiques qui sentent encore le neuf, nous n’aurons pas de filtre autre que notre passion pour l’équipement en ce qui à trait de nos choix de revues. Car avoué ou non, nous avons tous un côté ”pute à gear” qui sommeille en nous… Dans notre cas, il est bien réveillé!
Ensuite, nous passerons par ce blogue pour vous tenir à jour sur le développement de la conversion d’une église en studio d’enregistrement haut de gamme; d’où le nom ”L’église d’enregistrement”. Pas besoin de mentionner que ce blogue promeut aussi nos services ainsi que de vous prouvé nos compétences, en espérant qu’un jour vous allez tomber sur un article, voir une photo, visiter note site web et joyeusement nous réserver une ou deux semaines pour votre session! Non, mais sans blague, je crois que nous tenons un concept assez unique qui marie une qualité d’enregistrement incomparable avec une expérience humaine de voyage que vous n’oublierez pas! Il faut aller visiter le site web pour bien saisir le concept… oui oui… maintenant!
- Greg et Louis, Propriétaires et ingénieurs de l’église d’enregistrement.
P.S. Nous allons essayer de traduire le plus possible nos articles pour notre clientèle francophone… Il reste que parfois, le temps est un obstacle! On vous promet un gros effort en français!