Vocal Production

Dig It All!—DAWs, Plugins, Interfaces & Controllers

DAWs, you can’t live with them, you can’t live without them, am I right? That’s right, the focus of the May issue of RECORDING is all about the Digital Audio Workstation and the interfaces and plugins that love them!

Reviews

We kick off our reviews this month with a look at the current state of three popular DAWs as we look at what’s new in Steinberg Cubase 14, Ableton Live 12.1.10, and the latest Version 1.8.2 build of LUNA from Universal Audio.

On the interface and controller side we check out the new 20th Anniversary Fireface offering from RME––the all-black Fireface 802 FS AE and its limited edition black ARC USB remote. We also give a listen to the Hilo2 AD/DA converter and high resolution interface from Lynx Studio Technology.

Of course, what’s a DAW without some cool soft synths and plugins? From Musik Hack we warm things up with Fuel. Next we learn about Alan Parsons’ new “Pink Floyd” inspired PSP Wobbler plugin from PSPaudioware. Then we have the latest Neve-inspired plugin from the hallowed rooms of Nashville’s Blackbird Studio, The KIT Plugins BB N54 compressor. This month’s final software offering is the new classic synthwave-inspired ICONIC VST library from EastWest.

Breaking out of the box, we check out the five voice, polyphonic analog TEO 5 synthesiser from Oberheim.

Features

This month in RECORDING Techniques, Dave Martin talks about session templates and naming conventions to help you keep track of your DAW sessions. [GET IT HERE] In Inside the Studio, Mark Hornsby mixes it up as he dives into some of the more non-traditional plugins on the market. [GET IT HERE] In Studio 101, Joe Albano’s lesson plan focuses on things to consider when choosing a new computer for your studio. [GET IT HERE] In this issue installment of RECORDING Field Notes, Giles Reaves takes us through a bit of his personal DAW history all the way back before Pro Tools and what’s important to him in a DAW today. [GET IT HERE]

We have a special guest joining us this month–– NUGEN Audio Product Specialist, Freddy Vinehill-Cliffe, brings us a detailed look at loudness metering, i.e. LUFS for Dummies. [GET IT HERE]

In his second column this month, Dave Martin details the recording of “Light of the Moon,” an album he produced and mixed for singer and accordion player Lori Beth Brooke. Discover how he planned and organized the recording of 15 songs over three days across multiple cities and states. [GET IT HERE]

Finally, Editor Paul Vnuk Jr is back with Part 2 of his First Steps In Atmos series. This time we  dig deeper into gear considerations and enter numbers in the Dolby Atmos Room Design Tool (DARDT). [GET IT HERE]

So boot up your computers, launch your favorite DAW and join us in the May issue of RECORDING Magazine.