Gareth started making music in 1993, and has recorded and performed with local Chicago acts Doseagles, Tales of Gesignia, and Spooky Koala the Black Holy Ghost. Currently, he does video production and occasionally plays drums while wearing an alien suit as a member of Texas-based space-western art collective Space Is Dirty. At zZounds, Gareth manages the Recording and Computer Audio categories, and writes product reviews on the zZounds Blog. Favorite instruments and tools include Apple Logic Pro, Korg Monotron, and the harmonica.
Let it Bleed
It’s become a standard practice of modern recording to try and isolate each vocal and instrumental track as much as possible. For instance, making sure there is only snare coming through the snare mic, or isolating the vocals from the guitar during a simultaneous guitar-and-vocals track, etc. The idea behind this, which makes a lot […]
Why Choose a Line Array Speaker System?
If you’re in the market for a new PA system, you may have noticed the emerging category of consumer line array speakers from brands like JBL, Altec Lansing, and QSC. What makes these speakers ideal (or not) for a given venue or live performance situation? Let’s take a look. Sound Dispersion Line array systems have […]
Raymond Scott, A Synth Pioneer
Born in Brooklyn and a graduate of the Julliard School of Music, synth pioneer Raymond Scott began his career in music in 1931, playing piano for the CBS Radio house band. In 1936 Raymond Scott put together a six-man “quintet” (Scott liked the word quintet, although his band had six members). The Raymond Scott Quintette […]
iZotope RX 7: Spectral Repair
Spectral Repair is a module available in iZotope RX 7 Standard and RX 7 Advanced audio restoration software that lets you remove and replace unwanted sounds and frequencies in audio. Two things make Spectral Repair much more precise at removing problem sounds than simple EQ’ing or filtering: 1. visualization of the audio and 2. algorithm-based audio […]
The Spongy Sounds of the IK Multimedia UNO Synth
Why do you need an analog mono synth? Surely any sound that you can make with an affordable, tabletop analog model like the IK Multimedia UNO can be recreated digitally, right? Wrong. Serious synth players know that analog has its own inimitable vibe and sound. As interest in analog synthesizers remains high, it can be hard […]
iZotope RX 7: A First Look
First released in 2007, iZotope’s RX software has become an increasingly popular option for audio repair work in music and post-production. One big reason for RX’s popularity is the regularity of major updates, which tend to include improvements as well as useful new capabilities. RX 7 is no exception to this rule. Packed with analyzing, […]
Demo of Roland SYSTEM-500 510 Synth Module
Looking to get outside the world of synth presets and clean, digital sounds? Modular analog synths are a great way to do that, which is one reason they’ve been making such a comeback in recent years. Once relegated to only the most technically minded enthusiasts, modular synths are now available from multiple manufacturers in the […]
True Peak Limiting
At first glance, limiting seems like a straightforward concept. Audio that peaks at -0.1 dB is audio that peaks at -0.1 dB, right? Well, unfortunately for people who are mastering their own tracks, it’s not quite that simple. But with a little knowledge of true peaks vs. sample peaks, and of how to set your […]
Arturia MatrixBrute: The “most powerful analog synthesizer ever?”
“When was the last time you met an instrument that truly inspired pleasure and creativity?” Here at zZounds, we’re no strangers to marketing hype or brand-new, exciting analog synthesizers, but the above quote from Arturia’s website may be completely justified when it comes to their mind-boggling new creation released at the 2016 NAMM show — […]
