Leo Gillis

Since the late 1940s, Schoeps Mikrofone has been producing some of the world's most renowned microphones from its home base in Germany. The brand is responsible for creating the first dynamic microphone and continues on today as a leader in small diaphragm condenser mics. In our new Buyer's Guide, we're taking a deep dive into the world of Schoeps Mikrofone. Continue reading below to learn more about company founder Dr. Karl Schoeps, the brand's storied history, and get a tour of its current product offerings available to engineers today. Continue reading →

The concept of modular synthesis may seem overtly complex at first glance. However, if you break it down into the most basic components, it becomes less daunting than you might think. Throughout this Buyer's Guide, we'll talk about the different formats of modular synth, the cases and cables they utilize, and the many types of modules that help your custom rig create unique sounds. Read on to enter the wonderfully beautiful and strange world of modular synthesizers. Continue reading →

The 500 Series format is comprised of a whole slew of different signal processing modules in a compact rack unit. Mic preamps, equalizers, compressors, DI boxes, filters, effects... You name it, you can find it in a 500 Series version from a wide variety of manufacturers. Most of those manufacturers participate in the VPR Alliance, established to set standards for the format to ensure that the end user can rely on consistent specifications with regard to voltage, current draw, size, etc. along with proper compatibility with existing modules. The essence of this idea is to make it simple for the user to mix and match modules from different makers, thus allowing for the broadest range of implementation for their products. Continue reading →

Compressors and limiters are some of the most important and versatile tools that any audio engineer can use. Virtually every modern recording uses compression somewhere in the chain of tracking, mixing, and mastering. This ubiquity makes them valuable but also creates confusion when considering the many choices in the marketplace. To help straighten that out, we’ll discuss the main types of compressors and the terminology that explains their usage. The purpose of a compressor is to even out the audio signal in order to tame loud transients and bring up lower amplitude material. Compressors were born out of necessity to fill that very straightforward role, to protect radio transmitters from overly hot signals, and to keep recordings in a narrower dynamic range that was easier to reproduce on tape or record. Continue reading →

Germany has been important to the history of pro audio, as it has given us many of the tools we use daily in the studio. In 1999, ADAM Audio was founded in the capital of Berlin and nearly a decade later the company is continuing the country’s legacy of innovation by creating incredible monitors. The history of ADAM Audio starts way before 1999 though. It begins with Oskar Heil’s design for the Air Motion Transformer in the 1960s, which would serve as the basis for ADAM Audio’s X-ART (eXtended Accelerating Ribbon Technology) tweeter. The design, which uses a pleated diaphragm as opposed to the traditional piston-like diaphragm, was truly the starting point of all forthcoming ADAM Audio designs. Continue reading →

A decade ago, the Neve Genesys burst onto the pro audio scene to fill an ever-increasing void. The problem studio owners were facing was that as the world of digital continued to expand, there was still a desire for the warmth and character of analog. In order to get the best of both worlds, a studio would need to maintain both a fully analog front end system and a separate control surface. This created workflow problems. Engineers and producers were looking for an analog console that could talk to a DAW and vice versa. Enter the Neve Genesys. Continue reading →

In the world of modern audio, all roads lead to digital. Some of those audio paths are smooth and quiet as fresh asphalt, while others are made of grooved concrete that offer up road noise. No matter the route, BURL Audio's B80 Mothership is capable of transforming your audio unlike any other converter. At BURL Audio, the transition from analog to digital, or vice versa, is about far more than the accuracy of binary digits. It’s about what they like to call "soul power." When you hear a playback that sounds larger than life - that’s soul power. When you hear a playback and can’t believe it’s your performance – that’s soul power. When you hear a playback that just sounds like a record, even before it’s processed – that’s soul power. BURL Audio's B80 Mothership gives you that power and will be the vehicle for your journey to audio riches. Continue reading →

Every acoustic sound source, be it a piano, violin, guitar, speaker cabinet, or the human voice, requires a microphone to capture that sound. That makes the microphone the first interface with the vibrating air and the first link in the audio chain. Like any endeavor, you want to have a solid foundation. The microphone is that foundation. Choose the right one and your life just got easier. Choose the wrong one and you’ll be fighting an uphill battle all the way through the signal path. And nobody wants that. Continue reading →

A crucial link in the audio chain is the microphone preamplifier, aka the mic preamp or mic pre. The output level of a microphone is very low and requires amplification to bring it up to line level. That’s what a mic pre does. But a mic preamp can’t drive a pair of speakers; that’s the job of the main amplifier.A key part of the job for a mic pre is to keep input noise to a minimum and to amplify without distortion. Being the first amplification stage of the microphone signal, the mic preamp is essential to getting a good sound. Choose a poor one and you’ll be working harder to overcome its limitations. Choose a good one and processing your sound will get a lot easier. But what are the differences between average preamps and better ones? Let’s look at some of them. Continue reading →

Sometimes the end is the beginning. When it comes to your audio signal chain, it all ends at your studio monitors, which are then the beginning of your interaction with the sound that they relay. At this key juncture, you want the best product your budget can afford. When building a new studio or upgrading an existing one, the monitors should be at the top of your priority list. For many of us, that means specifically nearfield reference monitors. Why nearfield? What makes the “nearfield” so important for listening is that the closer the speaker (aka the driver) is to the ear, the less room reflection is involved in the sonic waves. This allows the listener to hear more of the captured signal and less of the room, with all its inherent distortions. Big wall and soffit-mounted monitors are great to have, but the real detail is found in the nearfield. Continue reading →