Demos

Many of us have said, "If I only had more time to write, I would come up with better songs." Now that most people have been afforded more creative time due to quarantine measures, we're left trying to find inspiration in truly troubling times. Obviously, you’re not going to love every song you write, but the key to becoming a better songwriter is writing more and practicing your craft. In this blog, we’ll share some of our favorite tips for staying productive and making the most out of your time at home. Continue reading →

Moog has announced today that the brand is reviving its classic 16 Channel Vocoder for 2020. The news comes more than four decades after the Moog Vocoder first appeared in gear shops around the world in 1978. The new Moog Vocoder will be extremely faithful to the classic design of the original. The storied synth brand has left the schematics completely intact and each unit will be hand-soldered at the brand's factory in Asheville, North Carolina. The only update to the Moog Vocoder will be improved connectors and power supply for reliability. Continue reading →

Whenever we talk about thought leaders or innovation in pro audio, one must begin with Rupert Neve. While he got his start creating monitors, Rupert will forever be known for his work designing consoles and mic pres. The timeless 1073 has long been lauded as the world's preeminent mic pre, a design which Rupert has continued to build upon with his current brand, Rupert Neve Designs. For their latest product, the 5211 two-channel mic pre, Rupert Neve Designs has taken elements from their original 5012 two-channel mic pre and given them a significant upgrade for 2019. One of the biggest updates is the addition of a variable Silk control, which offers users the ability to finely control Rupert's Class A output stage (the same as the Shelford Channel). The original only featured a single Silk button with no knob to control the output. Continue reading →

When it comes to classic studio and live microphones, the Sennheiser MD 421 II and MD 441-U have been staples since their release in the late 1960s. In our new VK Shootout, we're pitting the dynamic microphones against each other in a session, as we use both the MD 421 II and 441-U on vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and drums. The Sennheiser MD 421 II has a large diaphragm, directional cardioid response and is capable of handling extremely high sound pressure levels. That's the reason you'll most likely see this classic in front of a guitar cab or on a drum set (particularly toms). The microphone features a five-position bass roll-off switch, which can control proximity effect for close-miking situations. Continue reading →