Comments for Late Reflections - the Silent Sky Studios Blog http://silentsky.net/wordpress A blog (mostly) about recording Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:26:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Comment on Using an Insert Jack as a Direct Out by Jon (admin) http://silentsky.net/wordpress/?p=113&cpage=1#comment-71 Jon (admin) Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:26:49 +0000 http://silentsky.net/wordpress/?p=113#comment-71 Hi Nick, it's really not too much of a struggle to find the "first click". just plug your cable in, but don't push it all the way into the jack. Just try it--you'll know it's working and you've found the first click when it sends a signal to your recorder and still passes sound uninterrupted to the main outputs, headphone out, etc. of your mixer. To make your own custom cable that you can plug all the way in and it still pass signal: Take a Mono/TS patch cable and cut the plug off of one end. Get a Stereo/TRS 1/4" plug and solder it to the end, connecting the shield as normal to the Sleeve Connect the center conductor wire (there should be only one if it was a Mono/unbalanced cable) to <em>both</em> the Tip and the Ring. Hi Nick, it’s really not too much of a struggle to find the “first click”. just plug your cable in, but don’t push it all the way into the jack. Just try it–you’ll know it’s working and you’ve found the first click when it sends a signal to your recorder and still passes sound uninterrupted to the main outputs, headphone out, etc. of your mixer. To make your own custom cable that you can plug all the way in and it still pass signal:

Take a Mono/TS patch cable and cut the plug off of one end.
Get a Stereo/TRS 1/4″ plug and solder it to the end, connecting the shield as normal to the Sleeve
Connect the center conductor wire (there should be only one if it was a Mono/unbalanced cable) to both the Tip and the Ring.

]]> Comment on Using an Insert Jack as a Direct Out by nick http://silentsky.net/wordpress/?p=113&cpage=1#comment-67 nick Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:20:11 +0000 http://silentsky.net/wordpress/?p=113#comment-67 Great guide. Exactly the info I was looking for. Could you please give a more (dumbed down) detail for the creation of the insert cable so I don' t have to struggle with a "first click". Here is my set up. Live recording using the insert out of a peavey md16, to a zoom r16. Thanks if you have time to write back. Nick Great guide. Exactly the info I was looking for. Could you please give a more (dumbed down) detail for the creation of the insert cable so I don’ t have to struggle with a “first click”.
Here is my set up. Live recording using the insert out of a peavey md16, to a zoom r16.
Thanks if you have time to write back.
Nick

]]> Comment on Samplitude 11 Producer: Part 1 by Jon (admin) http://silentsky.net/wordpress/?p=161&cpage=1#comment-57 Jon (admin) Wed, 23 Jun 2010 13:54:14 +0000 http://silentsky.net/wordpress/?p=161#comment-57 I've never used Music Maker, but I am familiar with the product. The way I understand it, Music Maker is geared more for loop-based production, whereas Samplitude Producer/Music Studio is more for full-on audio and MIDI recording and editing. You mentioned VST plugs in Music Maker--I believe that there's also a "Producer" edition of Music Maker that does support VST's. So you might consider it, if you're comfortable with the workflow in Music Maker. I'm sure that changing over to Samplitude Producer would be an adjustment, but most of Magix's programs use similar conventions, so I'm sure you'd be up and going without too much trouble. As for stability, I was actually getting a lot of "Lost ASIO Buffer" messages on a brand new Dell system runing Samplitude Music Studio 14. I loaded the trial version of Samplitude Producer 11, and no more Lost ASIO Buffers. That was one of the motivating factors for me upgrading. I also used to get occasional BSOD's running MS14 on an older system, but I've had none in Sam 11 Producer. So in my opinion, it's very stable. I’ve never used Music Maker, but I am familiar with the product. The way I understand it, Music Maker is geared more for loop-based production, whereas Samplitude Producer/Music Studio is more for full-on audio and MIDI recording and editing. You mentioned VST plugs in Music Maker–I believe that there’s also a “Producer” edition of Music Maker that does support VST’s. So you might consider it, if you’re comfortable with the workflow in Music Maker. I’m sure that changing over to Samplitude Producer would be an adjustment, but most of Magix’s programs use similar conventions, so I’m sure you’d be up and going without too much trouble. As for stability, I was actually getting a lot of “Lost ASIO Buffer” messages on a brand new Dell system runing Samplitude Music Studio 14. I loaded the trial version of Samplitude Producer 11, and no more Lost ASIO Buffers. That was one of the motivating factors for me upgrading. I also used to get occasional BSOD’s running MS14 on an older system, but I’ve had none in Sam 11 Producer. So in my opinion, it’s very stable.

]]> Comment on Samplitude 11 Producer: Part 1 by Eric St. John http://silentsky.net/wordpress/?p=161&cpage=1#comment-56 Eric St. John Wed, 23 Jun 2010 04:00:52 +0000 http://silentsky.net/wordpress/?p=161#comment-56 I've been using Magix Music Maker 2005 deLuxe since, well, '05. I've found it to be quite powerful for entry-level DAW software- actually better than its follow-ups in that it supports VST plugins. I've also found that the harder I push it, the more unstable it becomes- buffer tweaks notwithstanding. I'm looking into upgrading to Samplitude with high hopes that it will remain user-friendly like my MMM as well as my Movie Edit Pro 14 apps. But I certainly hope that it's more stable. I've reloaded MMM countless times over the last couple of years as I've learned more in the way of computer recording. I’ve been using Magix Music Maker 2005 deLuxe since, well, ’05.
I’ve found it to be quite powerful for entry-level DAW software- actually better than its follow-ups in that it supports VST plugins. I’ve also found that the harder I push it, the more unstable it becomes- buffer tweaks notwithstanding. I’m looking into upgrading to Samplitude with high hopes that it will remain user-friendly like my MMM as well as my Movie Edit Pro 14 apps. But I certainly hope that it’s more stable. I’ve reloaded MMM countless times over the last couple of years as I’ve learned more in the way of computer recording.

]]> Comment on Using an Insert Jack as a Direct Out by admin http://silentsky.net/wordpress/?p=113&cpage=1#comment-55 admin Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:09:50 +0000 http://silentsky.net/wordpress/?p=113#comment-55 It should work just fine with your 424. Funny, my very first multitrack recorder was a Portastudio 424--ah, memories. The purpose of the trim knob on a mixer is to take a mic-level signal and boost it up to a line-level signal. Then the fader just controls the volume. In turn, the 1/4" inputs on most multitrack recorders and recording interfaces are designed to handle a line-level signal. Therefore, using this technique is perfectly acceptable. If anything, it would be <em>more acceptable</em> on an analog recorder (such as your 424), because tape is much more forgiving of sharp transient peaks than what digital is. So you could acutally be a little more careless in setting your levels to prevent any clipping (not that I would ever encourage being careless). So if anything, I would say it would be <em>more </em>acceptable on an analog recorder. It should work just fine with your 424. Funny, my very first multitrack recorder was a Portastudio 424–ah, memories. The purpose of the trim knob on a mixer is to take a mic-level signal and boost it up to a line-level signal. Then the fader just controls the volume. In turn, the 1/4″ inputs on most multitrack recorders and recording interfaces are designed to handle a line-level signal. Therefore, using this technique is perfectly acceptable. If anything, it would be more acceptable on an analog recorder (such as your 424), because tape is much more forgiving of sharp transient peaks than what digital is. So you could acutally be a little more careless in setting your levels to prevent any clipping (not that I would ever encourage being careless). So if anything, I would say it would be more acceptable on an analog recorder.

]]> Comment on Using an Insert Jack as a Direct Out by tomer http://silentsky.net/wordpress/?p=113&cpage=1#comment-54 tomer Wed, 16 Jun 2010 10:47:03 +0000 http://silentsky.net/wordpress/?p=113#comment-54 Hi, I'm looking to use this technique on an analog Tascam Portastudio 424, but I saw in this thread that it shouldn't be done with an analog recorder: "totally unacceptable for recording to analog recorders" http://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=271980 I don't mind recording only after the preamp without going through the EQ and fader, and I don't understand why won't it work well with my 4 track, What do you think? Hi,
I’m looking to use this technique on an analog Tascam Portastudio 424, but I saw in this thread that it shouldn’t be done with an analog recorder: “totally unacceptable for recording to analog recorders”
http://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=271980

I don’t mind recording only after the preamp without going through the EQ and fader, and I don’t understand why won’t it work well with my 4 track, What do you think?

]]> Comment on Review: Quik Lok BS-336 Monitor Stand Pair by admin http://silentsky.net/wordpress/?p=149&cpage=1#comment-51 admin Fri, 04 Jun 2010 17:11:44 +0000 http://silentsky.net/wordpress/?p=149#comment-51 I'm working from memory here, but the tubes are rectangular in shape, and I would guess that they are about 1" by 3 or or 1" by 4". And of course, they're around 36" in length. I’m working from memory here, but the tubes are rectangular in shape, and I would guess that they are about 1″ by 3 or or 1″ by 4″. And of course, they’re around 36″ in length.

]]> Comment on Review: Quik Lok BS-336 Monitor Stand Pair by admin http://silentsky.net/wordpress/?p=149&cpage=1#comment-50 admin Fri, 04 Jun 2010 17:09:45 +0000 http://silentsky.net/wordpress/?p=149#comment-50 Hi Chris, I'm glad you enjoyed my review. The support tubes and the triangular base are separate pieces. The triangular base has holes in it which the vertical tubes go all the way through so that the tube sticks out the bottom past the base. The tubes are then secured to the base with screws. I suppose you could fill the cable management leg, too, but you'll have two large holes to plug in addition to plugging the end, and you couldn't really use the expanding foam for them, or you wouldn't have much of a gap to fill. Or I suppose you could plug the end, let dry, fill, plug the first cable mgmt hole, let dry, fill, plug the second cable mgmt hole, let dry, and fill. But the fill would be permanent--there wouldn't be any easy way to remove the shot if you ever wanted to. Hope this helps. Hi Chris, I’m glad you enjoyed my review. The support tubes and the triangular base are separate pieces. The triangular base has holes in it which the vertical tubes go all the way through so that the tube sticks out the bottom past the base. The tubes are then secured to the base with screws.

I suppose you could fill the cable management leg, too, but you’ll have two large holes to plug in addition to plugging the end, and you couldn’t really use the expanding foam for them, or you wouldn’t have much of a gap to fill. Or I suppose you could plug the end, let dry, fill, plug the first cable mgmt hole, let dry, fill, plug the second cable mgmt hole, let dry, and fill. But the fill would be permanent–there wouldn’t be any easy way to remove the shot if you ever wanted to. Hope this helps.

]]> Comment on I Have the Power…but How Much Do I Need? by Joshua http://silentsky.net/wordpress/?p=28&cpage=1#comment-49 Joshua Sun, 30 May 2010 23:45:47 +0000 http://silentsky.net/wordpress/?p=28#comment-49 Wow, thank you for this. I'm surprised at how hard it's been to come by such an easy formula! Wow, thank you for this. I’m surprised at how hard it’s been to come by such an easy formula!

]]> Comment on Review: Quik Lok BS-336 Monitor Stand Pair by chris porro http://silentsky.net/wordpress/?p=149&cpage=1#comment-48 chris porro Sun, 30 May 2010 21:33:32 +0000 http://silentsky.net/wordpress/?p=149#comment-48 oh, one more thing. how large is the inside of the tubing? i'm trying to calc how heavy i can load these. i have issues. oh, one more thing. how large is the inside of the tubing? i’m trying to calc how heavy i can load these. i have issues.

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