February 2012
70 posts
The AIR Users Blog Is Now Pro Tools Expert
You probably noticed a change at the top of the page. For anyone that has been with us for awhile, you’ll remember when “Digidesign is now Avid” was announced. This is not quite like that, but there are some similarities.
When Russ began the AIR Users Blog several years ago the primary focus was on supporting the users of the (then) new virtual instruments and plug-ins from the Advanced...
Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 Audio Interface Review
Resident Pro Tools Expert Russ Hughes takes a look at the Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 USB audio interface and gives you his take on it.
Get The Reverb Effect From David Guetta's Titanium...
Russ shows how to get the reverb effect used in the David Guetta song Titanium. As usual, with just the stuff that comes with Pro Tools.
Be An Xpand2 Power Users Part 2
click here to watch
In this video Russ shows you how to do even more with one instance of Xpand2 by using automation.
Digital Production Partnership unveils new...
The Digital Production Partnership (DPP) – a partnership between ITV, Channel 4 and the BBC – has unveiled its new Technical and Metadata Standards for File-based programme delivery in the UK. Through the DPP, seven major broadcasters (BBC, ITV, C4, Sky, Channel Five, S4C and UKTV), have all agreed the UK’s first common file format, structure and wrapper to enable TV programme delivery by...
The AIR Users Blog Is Now Pro Tools Expert
You probably noticed a change at the top of the page. For anyone that has been with us for awhile, you’ll remember when “Digidesign is now Avid” was announced. This is not quite like that, but there are some similarities.
When Russ began the AIR Users Blog several years ago the primary focus was on supporting the users of the (then) new virtual instruments and plug-ins from the Advanced...
Progress On The Development Of AAX Plug-ins
Our AAX plug-in database on the Pro Tools Expert site continues to grow, I have added 3 more entries in the last 24 hours BUT it seems that developers are in no hurry to produce AAX Native plug-ins and even less hurry to produce DSP versions. Matt from iZotope has said “While I know this is something we’d like to do, I have not been made aware of any timetables for such features in any of our...
Calling all ADR folks - EdiCue offering a group...
In case you aren’t sure what EdiCue does, this is what they say…. EdiCue enables sound editors to create ADR Cues and Department Notes within Pro Tools. It can create PDF scripts in various formats and generate files that trigger audio beeps or vision wipes to assist the recording process. Here is their intro video….
So back to the group buy…. Sounds In Sync is currently offering a Group Buy...
Bobby Lombardi Talks About Eleven Rack And His...
Russ Hughes Talks To Bobby Lombardi About Eleven Rack from AIR Users Blog on Vimeo.
Another great interview from Bobby Lombardi as he talks about Eleven Rack.
Bobby Lombardi Talks About Eleven Rack And His...
Russ Hughes Talks To Bobby Lombardi About Eleven Rack from AIR Users Blog on Vimeo.
Another great interview from Bobby Lombardi as he talks about Eleven Rack.
Avid Have Released A DV Toolkit 2 To Complete Prod...
Avid have finally done it. On the Avid Store there is now a product which enables you to upgrade from DV Toolkit 2 to Complete Production Toolkit for £529 or $799. Create even larger sessions and get many of the same features of Pro Tools|HD* systems with the Complete Production Toolkit, a powerful expansion option for Pro Tools software. Have the flexibility to work on studio-created sessions...
Calling all ADR folks - EdiCue offering a group...
In case you aren’t sure what EdiCue does, this is what they say…. EdiCue enables sound editors to create ADR Cues and Department Notes within Pro Tools. It can create PDF scripts in various formats and generate files that trigger audio beeps or vision wipes to assist the recording process. Here is their intro video….
So back to the group buy…. Sounds In Sync is currently offering a Group Buy for...
ReVoice PRO Beta from Synchro Arts - the new...
Synchro Arts are beta testing their new product ReVoice Pro which is their new Vocalign tupe product. So what does it do? ReVoice PRO is a revolutionary new audio processing program for professional audio editors. It supports the efficient use of two unique automated processes:
Audio Performance Transfer (APT) Gives an audio signal the selected timing, pitch and/or loudness characterics of a...
Pro Tools SE Jump Start OUT NOW
My latest title from Groove 3. Here’s the blurb.
LEARN PRO TOOLS SE IN UNDER AN HOUR
Product Highlights
7 tutorials / Under 1 hour total runtime
For all beginner Pro Tools SE users
Tutorials written by Pro Tools master Russ Hughes
Simple to use video control interface for Mac & PC
Available Options: Watch Online, Download, Stream to iPad, iPhone & iPod
Watch Pro Tools...
Neyrink V Control Pro App For iPad Update 1.5 -...
Russ does a show and tell of the new Neyrink V Control Pro 1.5 app for iPad. He demonstrates the new V-Window which allows control of plug-ins and other windows in your DAW from your iPad over wifi.
Neyrink V-Control Update Allows All Your Plugins...
The already cool Neyrink V-Control has been updated to version 1.5 and it comes with some cool new features, one of which is V-Window. V-Window now allows you to open up your plug-ins on the iPad and have full control over them - no need for expensive controllers.
Updates in full;
V-Window - Provides window control for plug-ins, surround panners, and any other windows.
MultiPanel - New...
Pro Tools SE Jump Start OUT NOW
My latest title from Groove 3. Here’s the blurb.
LEARN PRO TOOLS SE IN UNDER AN HOUR
Product Highlights
7 tutorials / Under 1 hour total runtime
For all beginner Pro Tools SE users
Tutorials written by Pro Tools master Russ Hughes
Simple to use video control interface for Mac & PC
Available Options: Watch Online, Download, Stream to iPad, iPhone & iPod
Watch Pro Tools master...
Get The Guitar From David Guetta Titanium
Another of episode in the highly popular ‘Get the Sound’ series from the AIR Users Blog. This week Russ responds to someone wanting to know how to get the guitar intro sound from David Guetta’s Titanium track. Send in your requests viahttp://www.airusersblog.com/contact-us/
AIR Users Blog Podcast 2 Out Now
With questions arriving daily and several thousand listeners to our new channel, we think people like the idea of a podcast, thanks for the kind comments so far.
Podcast Episode 2 from Eric and me is now available.
If you’ve missed the podcast then check out all the Episodes here.
Get it here on iTunes
Get it here on Podbean
Become An Xpand2 Power User In Pro Tools
Xpand2 is FREE with Pro Tools 8,9 and 10, yet so many users don’t realise how powerful it can be. Russ creates one MIDI track of 4 notes and then makes a whole song from it using just those 4 notes and a single instance of Xpand2.
AIR Users Blog Podcast 2 Coming Tonight
With questions arriving daily and several thousand listeners to our new channel, we think people like the idea of a podcast, thanks for the kind comments so far.
So get ready for Episode 2 from Eric and me, featuring as many of your questions we can get through and also an interview.
If you’ve missed the podcast then check out all the Episodes here.
Get it here on iTunes
Get it here on...
Become An Xpand2 Power User In Pro Tools
Xpand2 is FREE with Pro Tools 8,9 and 10, yet so many users don’t realise how powerful it can be. Russ creates one MIDI track of 4 notes and then makes a whole song from it using just those 4 notes and a single instance of Xpand2.
Bobby Lombardi Talks About Eleven Rack And His...
Russ Hughes Talks To Bobby Lombardi About Eleven Rack from AIR Users Blog on Vimeo.
Another great interview from Bobby Lombardi as he talks about Eleven Rack.
WARNING: Mac OS 10.8 Will Kill Your Pro Tools And...
I know that there are already pre-release copies of Mac OS 10.8 Mountain Lion on torrents (no I don’t endorse it, just stating a fact, in case mass hysteria breaks out at me even mentioning torrent sites) and perhaps I should let those who are stupid enough to use them and try out the software hang themselves.
However, they may also be legitimate Apple Developers like myself, who have the...
WARNING: Mac OS 10.8 Will Kill Your Pro Tools And...
I know that there are already pre-release copies of Mac OS 10.8 Mountain Lion on torrents (no I don’t endorse it, just stating a fact, in case mass hysteria breaks out at me even mentioning torrent sites) and perhaps I should let those who are stupid enough to use them and try out the software hang themselves.
However, they may also be legitimate Apple Developers like myself, who have the...
FREE Grand Piano For Kontakt
Precisionsound have recorded a Yamaha grand piano, close miked in stereo and kept it small, under 200 MB. The 3 page GUI is intuitive and easy to understand with controls for decay, EQ, IR reverb, Delay and Keyboard response. You need the full version of NI Kontakt version 3, 4 or 5 to use this SampleSet.
Download it for free here!
Thanks Eric V for the head’s up!
WARNING: Mac OS 10.8 Will Kill Your Pro Tools And...
I know that there are already pre-release copies of Mac OS 10.8 Mountain Lion on torrents (no I don’t endorse it, just stating a fact, in case mass hysteria breaks out at me even mentioning torrent sites) and perhaps I should let those who are stupid enough to use them and try out the software hang themselves.
However, they may also be legitimate Apple Developers like myself, who have the...
Mapping In Pro Tools
Mapping inputs and outputs in Pro Tools can be confusing. Have you ever opened a session to find that the inputs and outputs are not working and no sound is present? In this video, find out how to get your mapping sorted and saved for future use.
Nectar Explained Out Now
My latest Groove 3 title is out as I get under the hood of the awesome iZotope Nectar plug-in and show you how to get it working, just the way you want, and how to get the most from it to create great vocals in many different styles and genres.
I start at the top with an introduction and overview, then get into Nectar’s settings and meters as well as basic tweaking. Then it steps it up, showing...
BFD Eco v1.5 Upgrade Out Now
The BFD Eco v1.5 upgrade is now available! BFD Eco 1.5 is now fully 64-bit ready on Windows 7 and OSX, and comes with a new kit and additional bonus kit-pieces from the BFD2 library. Please see the FAQs for full details of the new content. The BFD Eco 1.5 upgrade is available for USD $20, EUR €15, GBP £13 inc VAT until 31 March 2012. From 1 April 2012 onwards BFD Eco 1.5 upgrade will be USD...
Focusrite VRM Funny Promo - Review Coming Shortly
This is a funny ad.
Last Night Made Me Proud To Be In Music Production
Last night I was a guest of the Music Producers Guild at the MPG 2012 Awards. It was a night to honour those behind the glass, in fact one of the awards was to the ‘unsung hero’. I think the truth is for most producers and engineers, we are often the unsung heroes period.
I don’t think anyone would suggest for one minute that without us recording artists wouldn’t have the success they do - but...
FREE Modelling Amp Plugin - Mac and Windows
The Torpedo PI-FREE is based on the flagship model, the PI-101, but only features 1 model of power amp simulation (EL34 / AB class), 1 speaker cab (based on a Marshall 4×12) and 1 type of microphone (based on a Shure SM57). And you still have the full Post FX section. And best of all, it is FREE!
More here
MPG Awards 2011 Highlights
Tomorrow I’ll be at the MPG 2012 Awards and tweeting live the results as they happen.
If you want to know what the hot talent is in music production then follow along tomorrow.
Follow here
Getting Hardware Synths Into Pro Tools
Click to watch
Have you got hardware synths, samplers and drums and want to use them with Pro Tools.
In this video Russ shows you how to control hardware from MIDI, get it back into Pro Tools and record the audio.
The First AIR Users Blog Podcast Available Now
Eric Johnson and Russ Hughes talk about phase issues, upgrading from Digi003, MIDI CC data, creative writers block and much more as they answer community questions.
Get it here on iTunes
Get it here on Podbean
Celemony Get A Technical Grammy Award
Peter Neubacker of Celemony accepts GRAMMY Special Merit Award.
Review of UVI Emulation & Drumulation Sound...
Get ready for some real old school sample nostalgia as Russ takes a look at the UVI Emulator and Drumulator sound libraries. This is an extended review which should hopefully help those considering making the investment.
MPG Awards 2012 Shortlist
There’s an impressive shortlist for this year’s MPG Awards, who do you think will win?
Avid Mbox Tested On A Firing Range... Really!
Russ Hughes Talks To Ray Tantzen About Avid Mbox from AIR Users Blog on Vimeo.
Russ talks to Ray Tantzen from Avid about the new Mbox designs, sounds and how to get a bullet through an Mbox.
AIR User Blog Podcast
Hey Community Members! Russ and I have been exchanging ideas for Blog content and we’ve come up with an idea that will require your help.
We receive questions, requests, suggestions, comments and video ideas from our readers and we don’t want to ignore that, but we’re not always able to provide direct responses to every inquiry or a video tutorial.
We’ve decided to create a new podcast where...
MPG Awards 2012 Shortlist
There’s an impressive shortlist for this year’s MPG Awards, who do you think will win?
Producer of the Year, sponsored by The BPI BRITS 2012:
Paul Epworth
Flood
Ethan Johns
Recording Engineer of the Year, sponsored by Prism Sound:
Dan Austin
Haydn Bendall
Geoff Foster
Mix Engineer of the Year, sponsored by Solid State Logic:
Dave Bascombe
Tom Elmhirst
Mark ‘Spike’ Stent
...
5 Mixing Mistakes You Should Avoid
If you are new to mixing then this list should help you, if you a veteran then you can drop your top tips at the end of this article in the comments. In the meantime, here are 5 mixing mistakes you should avoid.
Compress The Hell Out Of It. With the advent of mix bus compressor plug-ins and our immersion into flat-lined MP3s, some people think the challenge is to see how little the master...
Good Golly! Go Grab Gobbler's Great Giveaway
The Gobbler team will be launching monthly pricing this coming Monday morning. Monthly accounts will start at $8 per month for a 25GB storage/monthly transfer account.
Up until Monday morning, they will be offering our super-sweet reduced annual pricing, which is up to 70% off the monthly subscription price (if you were to purchase through the whole year).
So if you know anyone who might be...
Reverb Explained Out Now
He might have a name I can’t pronounce, but my buddy Eli has just relased Reverb Explained.
Reverb is perhaps the most misunderstood /misused effect in the mixer’s toolbox today. In this timeless series, DAW superman Eli Krantzberg reveals everything you need to know about this mysterious effect and how to apply it to the most popular instruments in your productions.
$39.99 | Sale: $29.99
Click...
Reverb Explained Out Now
He might have a name I can’t pronounce, but my buddy Eli has just relased Reverb Explained.
Reverb is perhaps the most misunderstood /misused effect in the mixer’s toolbox today. In this timeless series, DAW superman Eli Krantzberg reveals everything you need to know about this mysterious effect and how to apply it to the most popular instruments in your productions.
$39.99 | Sale: $29.99
Click...
Hackers Add New Features To Pro Tools
Russ Hughes Talks To Bobby Lombardi About Pro Tools 10 from AIR Users Blog on Vimeo.
Check out this interview with Bobby Lombardi from Avid, some surprising information on how some features got into Pro Tools 10.
Pro Tools HDX Is Selling
News in from several sources (including vendors) is that Pro Tools HDX is selling, in some cases it’s selling out. There is some stock still in stores, but Avid have run out and are now working on getting more stocks into the dealers, no one at Avid would confirm numbers sold.
From what we can ascertain, there has been a large take-up in hardware upgrades which has fuelled this early adoption,...
Avid Tech Support Utility Tools Video
A nice little video here from Alex at Avid to show how the Tech Support Utility Tool v 3 works. Not sure about the music bed in the background… but hey!
Avid Announces Results for Fourth Quarter 2011 -...
Avid today reported revenues of $185.3 million for the three-month period ended December 31, 2011, compared to $195.3 million for the same period in 2010. The GAAP net income for the fourth quarter was $1.2 million or $0.03 per share, compared to a GAAP net loss of $571,000 or $0.01 per share, in the fourth quarter of 2010.
What this means for us mere mortals, is that Avid have had their first...