Former audio engineer, current editor-in-chief of zZounds.com. When I’m not geeking out about recording gear and enforcing proper punctuation, I can be found playing the keytar. It’s a serious instrument, you know.
How to Trade In Your Old 600 MHz Wireless Microphone Systems
If you use wireless microphones or wireless personal monitor systems in the United States, you should be aware of the 600 MHz wireless spectrum auction. In spring 2017, the FCC reallocated the 600 MHz frequency band (614 – 698 MHz) for wireless broadband use. This reallocation means that operating wireless microphones or personal monitor systems […]
Adam Ezra on Making an Album with 400 Producers (and One Very Special Guest)
For folk-roots rocker Adam Ezra, music is a powerful force for bringing community together. So it’s no surprise that the Adam Ezra Group’s 2017 album Hurricane Wind is an all-hands-on-deck community effort, with some 400 fans playing a role in the production process — not only crowdfunding the project, but actually producing it. zZounds sat […]
Understanding Peak, Continuous, RMS, and Program Power Ratings for Speakers
When you’re shopping for loudspeakers, you’ll see manufacturers using many different terms and numbers to describe their power handling, or wattage. Read on for help demystifying peak, continuous, RMS and program power ratings! Peak Power Ratings A speaker’s peak power rating is the maximum wattage that its voice coil can handle in very short, occasional […]
Megan Slankard and DJ KennyM: Amplified by Bose Portable PA Systems
Megan Slankard is a California native, while Kenny Martins hails from New Jersey. She’s a guitar-toting singer-songwriter and indie rocker, while he’s “DJ KennyM” — a producer and DJ who gets crowds dancing with two turntables and a Maschine. But although they come from opposite coasts and different musical traditions, Megan and Kenny both rely […]
How Do Headphones Produce Bass Frequencies?
To reproduce low frequencies accurately, loudspeakers need to be big. It’s why dedicated subwoofer speakers often use large drivers, commonly around 18″ wide for live sound reinforcement, and at least 8″ or 10″ wide in the recording studio. Yet headphones use comparatively tiny drivers — usually no larger than 50 millimeters, and much smaller for in-ear […]
What’s a “Class A” Amplifier?
“Class A” refers to a specific amplifier output design. Without diving too deep into electrical engineering, suffice it to say that Class A is the simplest, most basic circuit topology for an amplifier, and the easiest to design with less inherent distortion. Theoretically, you might say it’s a “perfect,” linear amplifier circuit: the output is […]
Ribbon Microphones 101
Attention, home studio musicians: If you’ve already invested in a large-diaphragm condenser mic or two, perhaps it’s time to add a ribbon microphone to your bag of studio tricks! Here’s a beginner’s guide to ribbon microphones and how you can use them to get that smooth, “vintage-style” sound you’re going for. Ribbon Microphones, Yesterday and […]
QSC at NAMM 2017: New K Cardioid Sub & E Series Speakers
Fans of QSC loudspeakers had plenty to see and hear at the QSC NAMM 2017 booth, with the debut of the QSC K Cardioid powered subwoofer, plus the new E218SW sub and E215 full-range cabinet in QSC’s E Series of passive speakers. In our video from the NAMM show floor, QSC’s Chris Brouelette gives an […]
Interview: Kenny Carkeet, Keyboardist for AWOLNATION
Kenny Carkeet has been making music with AWOLNATION — the electronic alt-rock band masterminded by frontman Aaron Bruno — since the project’s inception in 2009. “I’ve been playing with AWOL since the very beginning,” recalls Carkeet. “I met Aaron when he was still kind of creating the AWOLNATION thing…even before this was a band.” The […]
