The new version of Adobe Audition, Audition 3.0 is coming! It’s packing more heat and to be honest I really can’t wait. After years of just being an audio editor and simply just a multi-track recorder they’ve finally added a feature that I’ve been waiting on and actually thought would have been in version 2.0.

Can you say VSTi? Yessiree! Now you can load up your favorite soft synth and record right into Adobe Audition 3.0. While I love Reason, I hate going through the rewiring process then loading up the file. There are plenty of really hot virtual synths, instruments, and drum sampler vsti’s out there that you will have sound food for years.

Another thing that’s in the new version finally is the ability to group modify envelopes. Once again I should’ve been on the Audition beta team when they grab the software from Syntrillium. These type of features to me are common sense but as they say “common sense is not that common”.

Before I even get to test it out I’m already giving it two thumbs and a toe up. I see if I can add the other toe if the midi quantizing is on point. Only time will tell.

Digidesign Structure family is growing with the the Digidesign Structure LE and Structure Free additions. This is real good news to all you budget producers. Like cooking Digidesign’s A.I.R. team has really put their foot in this one. This is one hot synth that really does sound awesome and makes it very easy to start producing without worrying about if it is compatible with Digidesign’s Pro Tools.

I do recommend just saving your money and waiting to get the full version of Digidesign Structure if you can. I can’t see you passing on those 20 gigabytes of sounds. So…

Here’s a brief comparision between the the Digidesign Structure family:

The Digidesign Structure sound library consists of 20gb with a bonus 30-day trial of EastWest’s 40 GB Goliath. Structure LE consists of 3gb and the Structure Free bringing in a not to bad 885 megs.

All Structure versions support up to 25-bit 192khz common audio files. For all you sound designers the Structure and LE version also can whip out 7.1 surround sound.

Ok now this is what seperate the men from the boys. While I can actually pass on the sounds I can’t pass on the feature to edit the samples and only the full version of Structure can do that. The other versions are limited to only importing samples.

While Structure Free is good for most hip hop producers for those that love making a song with body you will be limited to only 4 instances of Structure. With the Digidesign Structure LE and full version this is unlimited.

The biggest difference of all comes in the sound engine and this is where Digidesign fails in my opinion. The full version of Structure has a whopping multimbral support of 128 channels. Digidesign LE has a measly 8 channels and Free only 4. I would’ve expected at least 64 but no less than 32 for Structure LE and 8-16 channels for free. That’s a big gap in support.

There’s also a huge difference in polyphony and auxiliary outputs. While the main version has 31 aux outs the free version rings in at a whopping nil. Come on guys! Thanks for giving us a free version but should it be this crippled?

Anywho that’s it for me. Save the change get Digidesign Structure. If your limited in funds go for Structure LE. Regardless of the limitations of Structure Free if you just want to take Structure for a test drive those 800megs of sounds should give you plenty inspiration.

More Info at Digidesign.com

Digidesign’s Icon has found a home at multi-platinum hip-hop artist T.I.’s Echo Recording Studios. The George Augsperger-designed Studio A main room is booked months in advanced. This was the type of situation usually credited to SSL (Solid State Logic) console equipped studios but Digidesign’s ICON is now pulling some weight.

Elliot Carter, the chief engineer over at Echo Recording Studios said, “Everybody want to work here on the ICON”. As word in the A music scene spread that they got the ICON the phone began ringing off the hook. Not only from cats in Atlanta but Miami and other cities. If you look at how major recording studios have been falling because every Tom, Dick and Harry can create a professional sound recording in a home studio this is great news.

Visiting engineers at Echo Recording Studios have also been impressed. “Wyclef’s engineer, Serg, was in the other day and we were talking about the ICON,” Carter says. “He’s got this amazing studio—all analog—but he was raving about our place and how easy it was to go from room to room. He loves being able to walk right in and get to work. Another major mixer came up here from Miami, and he shipped two 16-space racks up, but he ended up using mostly plug-ins instead. He called last week and said it sounds like he mixed it on his own console.”

Should SSL be concerned? How will Digidesign’s Echo go up against the SSL Duality? Only time will tell.

Take the Digidesign challenge and see if you know the difference between Pro Tools and analog console mixing. Which one do you prefer? Is it all digital, analog to digital, digital to analog you decide?

For many years it’s all about the SSL console mixer. You could be a crappy music engineer, but if your studio had an SSL console you could charge $100 an hour and clients would flock to your studio. Yes it is that easy. People associate SSL with the platinum commercial sound so you even have sample companies milking the name as well.

Can you tell the difference? Do you actually think music consumers listen to every nuance of a mix?

Most people can’t. It all boils down to the person sitting behind the mix that determines the final result. I will say this however I did fairly well taking the challenge lol… But you have to really listen closely to the samples.

So go ahead and take the Pro Tools vs. Analog Mixing Challenge.

More Music Gear Reviews

I finally got the M-Audio Axiom 61 midi controller keyboard. It a nice piece of work. It’s a nice piece of work. I was just glad that it didn’t have the stupid usb connector as the keystation 49e. With all the controls on the M-Audio Axiom 61 it makes playing around with vst instruments a charm.

The M-Audio Axiom 61 has 8 programmable endless rotary knobs, 9 faders, transport, 8 trigger pads and more. It would have been nice to have a shift on the pads but hey can’t have everything. The board itself is pretty nicely built and the addition of the keypad and transpose keys are a big plus. You also got to love the big back lit lcd so you know exactly what your doing. Although it may just be me but the black keys seem cheap. They have that non glossy finish and you can hear the hollowness of them. The trigger pads are nice with pressure and velocity sensitivity. Now you don’t have to pound on your keys to lay down a drum or percussion track. To be honest I wish they would’ve added four more pads on the Axiom 61. I like the way triggering samples on mpc’s and other style drum machines comes out. Don’t get me wrong the board feels nice but I found that surprising. It also has the standard midi in and out ports so you can definitely put this on the road. It feels pretty solid and sort of remind you of the Korg Triton Extreme. Oh well time to go read the manual…

M-Audio Axiom 61 and mo’ gear reviews

Mmmm SSL mixing consoles! For all you music gear lusters out there that crave an SSL console enter the SSL Duende! Stop dreaming of owning an SSL. Now you can own something that’s from SSL at least without selling the house, car, wife, kids and 50 pints of blood. The SSL Duende brings the SSL console processing power to your DAW.

The SSL console is the final equation in a proffesional recording as seen by the countless hit records. Now get the same superior mix characteristics withing your digital audio workstation. We’re seriously talking about one pumped up plug-in.
The Duende delivers the SSL mixing experience. It’s based on the SSL’s C-series consoles digital technology. It has that legendary stereo bus compressor, powerful channel and dynamics processing to get your mixes that sound like professional records.
The SSL Duende unit is a rackmount that interfaces with the computer via firewire. You get those killer SSL channnel strips, filters, E and G EQ’s packed in a VST/AU format. Sort of sucks that it’s not RTAS ready but you can use FXPansion wrapper for this short coming. Can’t have it all…

SSL Duende and more music gear reviews