UA has just released their Massive Passive Modeled plug-in. Price is $299. More details here

Recently during some sessions, I came across a couple of consistent Waves plugin misfires when using a Pro Tools HD TDM system.

 1. TDM vs. RTAS Performance

A Waves C1 Gate’s performance varies greatly between TDM and RTAS versions. In the following examples, the session, source file, track and plug-in’s settings were exactly the same, only the type changed. Listen how the C1 RTAS gate randomly changes amplitube and function making it unusable and drastically different from the outcome when using the TDM version of the same plugin. This was repeated and verified across more than one Mac 2 x 2.66 GHz Dual-Core system with 8 GB of RAM running OS 10.6.2 running Pro Tools 8.0.3 cs1.

2. Broken Relink Function

On any multi-mono plugin, the relink function allows you to reset your other instances to the settings of the channel chosen in the “Channel to retain” pulldown. While this worked as expected on any multi-mono plugin I tried, it did not operate as it should on a Waves C1 Gate and C1 Compressor, leaving all settings as is.

This mystery gear showed up onstage at last week’s Jeff Beck/Clapton concert at Madison Square Garden in NY. Anyone have any ideas?

There’s no doubt that different DAWs have unique features you can exploit to make your productions stronger. However, collaboration across applications can sometimes be non-intuitive and bog down your creative process. The steps below outline the technique for easily taking audio between Logic and Pro Tools, and back again.
Logic to Pro Tools Transfer

1. From Logic’s File menu, choose Export/All Tracks as Audio Files. SHORTCUT: Command + Shift + E

2. Choose the location for your files from the next screen

HOT TIP: If you have markers in your Logic session, you can export them as well by creating a MIDI track with as little as one note recorded. Then, stretch the MIDI track to the length of all your other audio regions. As the Audio and MIDI tracks are imported into Pro Tools, the MIDI track, which has the location and names of your Logic markers will also be imported allowing you to locate to the same markers within Pro Tools.

3. In Pro Tools, choose Import/Audio from the File menu. SHORTCUT: Command + Shift + I

4. From the next window, navigate to your files and add them to the Regions to Import list. You can also audition files with the play button. Press Done when finished.

5. Next, choose New Track from the next window (Audio Import Options) and click OK

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Pro Tools to Logic Transfer

1. From the Edit window, highlight all regions you wish to export by putting the cursor at the front (left) of every track, then click + drag to the end of the longest region. SHORTCUT: Place the cursor in front of every region you wish to export and push Shift + Option + Return.

2. Consolidate all selected regions by selecting Consolidate from the Edit pulldown. SHORTCUT: Shift + Option + 3

3. Once regions are consolidated, select Export Regions as Files from the Regions pulldown menu at the right of the Edit window. SHORTCUT: Command + Shift + K)

4. From the Export Selected screen that pops up next you can change the File Type, Format, Bit Depth, Sample Rate and more. Click Choose next to Destination Directory to pick where the exported files will be stored. You can also Resolve Duplicate File Names with the three choices at the bottom of the screen. When done, click Export.

5. Open a New Blank Logic session (Logic prompts you to make at least one track which is ok for now). Drag the entire folder with your exported Pro Tools files to the center of the Arrange window and choose Create New Tracks from the pulldown.

6. Click OK on the Add Selected Files to Arrange window and Logic will import your tracks with the names to your session.

One of my gigs at Mix is program director for our Mix Nashville and LDI events. Mix Nashville (MN) is coming up this year again on May 25/26 and we’ve got some great sponsors, topics and panelists on tap. Nashville engineers Bil Vorndick and Russ Long are onboard as moderators and topics cover effective collaboration, advanced analog/digital techniques, boosting revenue and more. Check out the videos from Bil and Russ below and keep your eyes here for a look at past MN’s and 2010 info as it develops.

Winter NAMM is but a memory but not the slick gear that bowed at the show in Anaheim. The Mix/EM crew shot some great video from which I’ve picked my favorite pieces.

1.  I attended the Waves press event on Friday where Jack Joseph Puig, Chris Lord-Alge and Eddie Kramer showed off their latest plug-in creations. Although some of the GUIs were in beta, the concepts and sounds were fantastic and worth a further listen when they’re released.
2. API’s Arsenal line is now renamed JDK. The R-22 is a two-channel rackmount compressor launched at NAMM bearing the API legacy of quality and an affordable price point.
3. I got a great tour of Amplitube 3 at the IK Multimedia booth. It has some slick new abilities making it sexier than ever to model amps, cabinets, processors and more.
4. Dan Duffell from SSL showed me their new X-Patch system, a very slick and organized way to manage studio signal flow through any gear you’d like.
5. Do any remote recording? Then you have to check out Sony’s new and affordable PCM M-10 handheld recorder. It has lots of great features pulled down from their higher end units and comes with a number of great accessories.
6. Engineers with ears I trust were raving about the new JZ Vintage series mics. It mimics some famous legacy mics via switchable capsules.
7. We ran across producer/engineer Ronan Chris Murphy in the A Designs booth where he gave us an unsolicited testimonial of the new NAIL Compressor. Some unique features make this a box to put on your “must hear” list.
8. Radial Engineering had a gang of studio problem solvers plus their new Workhorse 500: a vertical rack for 500 series units including a summing mixer and easy module linking.
9. Presonus was showing off their new, and larger, StudioLive mixer designed to work across a variety of situations. The slick smart channel design easily puts parameters at your fingertips.
10. Jonathan Little at LittleLabs demoed his 500 series VOG module which makes it easy to pinpoint desired frequencies, lifting a track to greatness. I heard it myself and it’s very impressive.

This new DVD set from Alan Parsons looks like a winner. Great production values, serious interviews and access to some of the best minds in recording. A definite BUY

When your Pro Tools system gets sluggish or repeatedly crashes, sometimes the simplest thing can fix the problem. Just upping the computer’s RAM will often help but there are also deeper, hidden features that can get your rig humming along like a bullet train. I invite you to participate and add your own entries in the comments section.

The Problem: When using Virtual Instruments on a multi-core computer, Pro Tools may give you buffer errors saying it is running out of processing power even if no other plugins are in use.
The Fix: Go to the Setup/Playback engine pulldown and set the number of RTAS / HOST processors to 3 instead of 4 (Mac Pro Quad Core). If using a Dual Core or a PPC system, reduce the number of RTAS / HOST processors to 1. This works on LE, M-Powered and HD systems.

The Problem: Apple’s Spotlight is a great way to find data on your computer but it can make your whole system sluggish if not properly set up.
The Fix: Go To Apple System Preferences under the Apple symbol at the upper left side of your monitor. Find the Spotlight option and limit the search index to only the most important categories. Not only Pro Tools but your whole system will run better.

The Problem: Plugins with streaming ability can bog down your system bringing your session to a halt.
The Fix: New with Pro Tools 8, the plugin streaming buffer can help content stream more efficiently from the disk. Go to the Setup/Playback engine pulldown and adjust the buffer size to find the best setting. Also try turning on the “optimize for streaming content� box to enhance performance.

The Problem: Some wildly capable plugins such as AmpliTube Fender from IK Multimedia are DSP hogs and become sluggish with minimal use.
The Fix: Go to the Setup/Playback engine pulldown and reduce the CPU Usage Limit to  60% or less. This will give your system the power it needs to run DSP-intensive plugins smoothly.

The Problem: Pro Tools preference files, database files, DAE files and AMS setup files can become corrupted bringing down your system in short order.
The Fix: Rather than deleting these hidden files yourself, download the free Pro Tools Preference and Database Helper from http://www.jcdeshaies.com/. It easily removes a variety of elusive, damaged and unreadable files that can cripple your system. Versions are available for Pro Tools systems on 10.4 (Tiger), 10.5 (Leopard) but not yet for 10.6 (Snow Leopard) and Pro Tools 8.0.3.

Thanks go out to Pro Tools power user Sean Conkling for helping with this post

Producer/composer Rick DiFonzo of Discrete Drums fame, has created a new, download only, audio loop website at loopworkshop.com. Rather than selling large drum collections, the focus is on small, individual session packs featuring 50 to 150 loops per package.

Files are 16 bit Apple Loop AIF, with 24 bit Acidized WAV files coming soon. With multiple song segments (intros, verses, choruses, fills etc) users can build the arrangement they need, and change tempo within most software apps. Apple Loop encoding allows out-of-the-box tempo shift in Logic and Garage Band.

The advantage to this approach is that users can download only the sessions they need. Small file sizes keep prices low and downloads manageable. Drum sessions are available in rock, alt rock, pop, country, reggae and r&b styles. EXS-24 Sampler instruments are also available, which can be imported by many other soft samplers. Guitar, bass, orch and synth packs are also available.

For detailed product info and audio demos, please visit http://loopworkshop.com

Here are my picks for the Top Worst Audio Trends since 2000. Feel free to add your own comments and picks.

1.  The End of Hi-Fidelity – Digital distribution of music has lowered the fidelity bar to new levels offering consumers less quality than ever. George Massenburg recently spoke out on the effects of compression formats that introduce distortion, destroy stereo image and generally sound awful giving us something to think about and the knowledge to fight back.
2. Illegal Downloading – The popularity of illegal peer-to-peer music “sharing” eroded the power of copyright and greatly affected the bottom line of our industry. The Supreme Court came down on the side of copyright holders but not before the damage was done and an entire generation grew to feel they were entitled to free music.
3. Pitch Correction Abuse – Pitch correction software is nothing short of amazing, but in many cases it created a music culture where talent is optional and production is driven by “fix it later” instead of “get it right.”
4. The Death of Dynamics – While audio pros continue to fight the misconception that louder is better, it keeps rearing its ugly head, even in mainstream media where Metallica fans cried foul when they realized that Guitar Hero: Metallica game mixes sounded better than the record because the songs had more dynamic range.
5. Staying Inside The Box – There’s no question that digital audio workstations, modeling software and plugins are here to stay and have changed our industry. But completely eschewing analog processing and recording in favor of staying “inside the box” denies adding a flavor and color to music that can never be modeled. Case in point, The Dead Weather’s Horehound which was recorded on 2″, 8-track analog tape and is a feast for the ears.