Sweetwater inSync

There's Still Time to Win Big!

Wed, 16 May 2012 12:00:01 +0100

May is Microphone Month at Sweetwater, and we're celebrating with a HUGE giveaway! You could win a fully stocked microphone locker loaded with 29 microphones valued at more than $33,700! Plus, the package includes all the Ultimate Support mic stands you need! Check out the full list of gear on the contest page, then get your entry in! The winner will be selected on or after June 1, 2012, so you've still got time to throw your name in the ring...but don't wait too long or this prize package could go to someone else!

Pushing the Nvelope

Wed, 16 May 2012 12:00:00 +0100

Take complete control over the "shape" of your tracks with the brand-new Nvelope 500 from Elysia! The Nvelope allows you to reshape the attack and sustain characteristics of any sound, from drums to guitars to a full mix. Tweak the attack for maximum impact and detail. Roll up the sustain for fullness and character. Switch to EQ mode for total control of the spectral content of the signals. With two channels, you can process kick and snare separately or link together for stereo keyboards or a full mix. You won't believe how powerful the Nvelope 500 is until you put it work! The Nvelope 500 is in the popular and convenient 500-series format, and will work with any 500-series-compatible chassis.

Welcome Westone!

Tue, 15 May 2012 12:00:01 +0100

Hearing is believing, and with Westone in-ear and personal monitoring solutions, you won't believe how good what you are hearing sounds! Westone has been specializing in personal hearing since 1959, and is a world leader in the field. The Westone UM1, UM2, UM3X, and UM3X RC in-ear monitors use balanced armature technology for maximum clarity and definition that allow you to hear every detail in your live monitor mix. These phones are compatible with all personal monitoring systems and provide deep bass, full mids, and articulate highs. The True-Fit sound port provides maximum comfort and in-ear coupling. A complete set of essential accessories is included. The Westone W1, W2, W3, and W4 personal listening headphones provide the ultimate in music playback, suited to everything from studio use to on-the-go listening. These great-sounding earphones offer maximum comfort and include a travel case, assorted ear tips, a 1/4" adapter, an inline volume attenuator, and a cleaning tool. For breath-taking clarity and realism, look no further than the Westone 4R earphones with their 4-way design, True-Fit technology — simply stunning!

Creation Station Financing

Tue, 15 May 2012 12:00:00 +0100

Get a new Creation Station studio computer with 18-months interest-free financing when you use your Sweetwater Musician's All Access Platinum Card! Choose from the Sweetwater CS200, CS250, CS400, or CS450, all built from the ground up specifically for intensive recording and mixing. Find out why a Sweetwater Creation Station is the best Windows PC for your music studio — and use your Sweetwater Musician's All Access Platinum Card to get 18-months-same-as-cash-financing!

Load Up your Motif XF — Free!

Mon, 14 May 2012 12:00:01 +0100

Only at Sweetwater! Buy a Yamaha Motif XF workstation — including the MOTIF XF6, MOTIF XF7, and MOTIF XF8 — and get Sweetwater's exclusive software/hardware upgrade (worth over $1,000) for free! We've taken the Yamaha MOTIF XF 10th Anniversary Pack and pumped it up into a Sweetwater version worth over $1,000. Sweetwater has taken the free 512MB flash board and swapped it with a 1,024MB (1GB) flash board (a $299 value). We've also added our exclusive Sweetwater Sample Library for the MOTIF XF (128 programs), combined them with the Chick Corea Electric Piano Library, and put the file onto a 4GB thumb drive along with the latest operating system updater file. We've even included our exclusive Sweetwater Guide to help you update your MOTIF XF, easily install the 1,024MB flash board, and load the sample libraries into the flash board. (And since it's flash, you only have to load the libraries once!) Here's everything you get FREE when you purchase a Yamaha MOTIF XF from Sweetwater:

FL1024M 1GB Flash Memory Board
Sweetwater MOTIF XF Sample Library
Chick Corea Mark V EP Sample Library
Three 128MB Inspire Sample Banks (Vol. 2, 3, and 4)
18.2 GB GEN16 Z-Pack Zildjian Cymbal VST
YC-B3 Organ Tone Wheel Emulation VST
Steinberg Prologue Analog Synth VST
Keyfax Drum and Percussion Patterns
XF Fully Loaded Instructional Video
Free BFD Custom Absolute Expansion Kit
$40 off KARMA MOTIF software
10% Discount on MOTIF Waveform Editor
10% Discount on all DCP Sound Libraries

Egnater's Free EL34 Deal Is Back

Mon, 14 May 2012 12:00:00 +0100

Whether you're looking for a sparkling-clean American amp sound or the bite and growl of a British high-gain model, Egnater delivers. These amps normally come with 6V6 tubes, but they can also easily adapt to EL34s, to provide a different tonal color. This month we're including a duet of EL34 tubes (a $48 value) with selected Egnater amps, FREE. But don't wait — this offer expires May 31, 2012!

PreSonus StudioLive Instant Savings

Fri, 11 May 2012 12:00:01 +0100

To say that the PreSonus StudioLive consoles are a hit is an understatement. Thousands of users can attest to their rich feature set, awesome sound quality, and ease of use. PreSonus is now offering instant savings on these boards! You'll save $75 on the StudioLive 16.0.2, $100 on the StudioLive 16.4.2, and $125 on the StudioLive 24.4.2. The offer is valid during May, 2012 only — act now!

Mic Month: Buy Lauten, Free Stand!

Fri, 11 May 2012 12:00:00 +0100

During Mic Month at Sweetwater, get a FREE Ultimate Support MC-125 ($249 value) with any Lauten Audio microphone! The MC-125 is an incredibly stable and rugged boom stand, perfect for Lauten Audio's robust microphones. Plus, Lauten mics qualify for 18-months-same-as-cash financing when you purchase on your Sweetwater Musician's All Access Platinum Card!

Hybrid Madness

Thu, 10 May 2012 12:00:00 +0100

Few manufacturers have successfully bridged both the hardware and software worlds, but Arturia has done so with smashing success. Now you can purchase selected Arturia hardware controllers and receive free software instruments! Check out these deals!

Purchase SPARK Creative Drum Machine, get a free V Collection luxury box-set containing six Analog Classic software recreations (Moog Modular V, CS-80 V, Minimoog V, ARP 2600 V, Prophet V, and Jupiter-8 V) and Analog Laboratory, allowing all Analog Classics to be opened and edited within one convenient environment window, together with 3,000 presets, plus 200 scenes organised by genres with drum loops, layering, and advanced arpeggiated melodies — a $549 value!
Purchase Analog Experience THE PLAYER, get one free software instrument from eight choices: any Analog Classic (Moog Modular V, CS-80 V, Minimoog V, ARP 2600 V, Prophet V, Jupiter-8 V, or Oberheim SEM V) or SPARK Vintage Drum Machines — worth up to $249!
Purchase Analog Experience THE FACTORY, get two free software instruments from eight choices: any Analog Classic (Moog Modular V, CS-80 V, Minimoog V, ARP 2600 V, Prophet V, Jupiter-8 V, or Oberheim SEM V) or SPARK Vintage Drum Machines — worth up to $498!
Purchase Analog Experience THE LABORATORY, get three free software instruments from eight choices: any Analog Classic (Moog Modular V, CS-80 V, Minimoog V, ARP 2600 V, Prophet V, Jupiter-8 V, or Oberheim SEM V) or SPARK Vintage Drum Machines — worth up to $747!
Purchase Analog Experience THE LABORATORY 61, get four free software instruments from eight choices: any Analog Classic (Moog Modular V, CS-80 V, Minimoog V, ARP 2600 V, Prophet V, Jupiter-8 V, or Oberheim SEM V) or SPARK Vintage Drum Machines — worth up to $996!

Mic Month Bargains!

Wed, 09 May 2012 12:00:00 +0100

A big part of Sweetwater's Microphone Month celebration is the amazing deals we offer on mics all month long — and this year the deals are even sweeter when you factor in our exclusive 18-months-same-as-cash financing when you purchase a qualified item using your Sweetwater Musician's All Access Platinum Card! Check out some of these special offers — but don't delay, these deals expire on May 31, so you'll want to get your order in early!

Shure vocal mic bundles — when you purchase a qualifying Shure mic, you can add a stand and a cable for just $10!
AKG Project Pack — a great studio mic locker starter set — 72% off!
Neumann TLM103 + UA Solo610 — an awesome combination of a great mic with a perfectly matched preamp — $699 savings
Audix drum mic packs — buy the drum miking kit and get an 8-channel snake for just $40!

This is just a taste of the amazing deals that are on offer all month long. These offers — and many more — expire on May 31, so don't procrastinate. Order now, and use your Sweetwater Musician's All Access Platinum Card to get our super financing offer!

Word For The Day: Audio Engineer

Wed, 16 May 2012 12:00:00 +0100

A specialist in working with — recording, mixing, editing, tracking, amplifying, processing — audio signals, whether live or in the studio. See also "recording engineer."

Word For The Day: Recording Engineer

Tue, 15 May 2012 12:00:00 +0100

A specialist skilled in the use of tools and techniques designed for capturing audio information to a recording medium.

Word For The Day: Sonic

Mon, 14 May 2012 12:00:00 +0100

Related to sound.

Word For The Day: More Me

Fri, 11 May 2012 12:00:00 +0100

1. The most common request from musicians directed to a monitor engineer or recording engineer when setting up cue mixes. 2. A common affliction among musicians, who always seem to prefer to hear themselves the loudest in a given mix. 3. A slang term for a monitoring solution that allows musicians to control their own mix and volume level. Each musician is given a small mixer with a headphone output. Generally a stereo mix of the basic tracks is sent into the mixer. Then, specific tracks are sent into the mixer individually, such as the vocalist's voice. The musician can then set the balance between the basic tracks and what they hear of themselves at will.

Word For The Day: Prosumer

Thu, 10 May 2012 12:00:00 +0100

Originally a term with a negative connotation, "prosumer" as a gear class dominates many equipment categories these days and is a suitable classification for many users — because of broad blurring of classifications of gear and users, "prosumer" no longer carries the negative connotation it once had. 1. Equipment designed to bridge the gap between "consumer" and "professional." Prosumer gear typically incorporates professional features and performance but at a lower price point and sometimes with less rugged construction. 2. A non-professional who purchases and uses "professional" equipment.

Word For The Day: Speaker Output

Wed, 09 May 2012 12:00:00 +0100

An output jack that carries speaker-level signals.

Tech Tip: Easy Guitar and Bass Adjustments

Wed, 16 May 2012 12:00:00 +0100

This one simple but often ignored or overlooked tip will make setting up your guitar or bass so much easier and will also prevent damage to bridge and tailpiece components when making adjustments. Loosen the strings before making bridge and tailpiece adjustments! It only takes a second to slacken the tension, make the adjustment, then tune back up to pitch, but your bridge and tailpiece will last much longer!

Tech Tip: Tune Up!

Tue, 15 May 2012 12:00:00 +0100

Literally...for maximum tuning stability on a stringed instrument such as a guitar (acoustic or electric) or bass, approach the final in-tune pitch from below. If you tune a string down, it's likely that there will be extra slack caught in the string, and when it releases, the string will end up tuned flat. If you tune up and overshoot a string's target pitch, drop it back below the target pitch and come up from below again.

Tech Tip: Expression for Line 6

Mon, 14 May 2012 12:00:00 +0100

Looking for an expression pedal for your Line 6 device? Not all pedals are created equal, and some definitely work better than others with Line 6 gear. We highly recommend the Mission Engineering EP1-L6. This heavy-duty, made-in-the-USA pedal is designed specifically for controlling parameters in Line 6 gear, including:

Tech Tip: Ventilator Output Warning

Fri, 11 May 2012 12:00:00 +0100

The Neo Instruments Ventilator is an incredible rotating speaker simulator/emulator — the sonic authenticity of this box is jaw dropping! Even die-hard, "real Leslie only" users have been blown away. Use it on your tonewheel organ (or organ virtual instrument), electric piano, guitar, or any other sound source and prepare to be amazed. Best of all, the Ventilator is a heck of a lot easier to carry around than a real rotating speaker. A word of warning, though: The input on the Ventilator is not designed to handle the output level that a keyboard's headphone output can generate. It may seem safe to use a headphone output to drive your Ventilator. The Ventilator bypass switch will pop, but it will seem to work. HOWEVER, an amplified (headphone) output will cause permanent damage to your Ventilator over time! The moral of the story: feed your Ventilator line-level or instrument-level signals only!

Tech Tip: Drum Squash

Thu, 10 May 2012 12:00:00 +0100

Here's a drum tracking trick that can give you great options for your drum sound: Place a single microphone 5-10 feet in front of the kit at 3-6 feet in height. The idea is to capture a solid mono picture of the overall drum kit. Then, when it comes time for mixdown, run that mic's track through a compressor and squash that baby down! We're after a heavily compressed track that pumps and breathes. We know, normally our advice is to set your compressor properly to avoid pumping and breathing, but in this case, that "trashiness" will play to our advantage. Now, mix that track in underneath your dry drum sound, balancing to taste. You'll find that the compressed front mic adds a thick punch and the pumping and breathing gives life to the drums. For a "trashy" drum sound, run the compressed mic hot in level compared to the dry drums. For a subtle enhancement, bring it up underneath in a supporting role.

Tech Tip: Clyde Standard True Bypass?

Wed, 09 May 2012 12:00:00 +0100

Q: Is the Fulltone Clyde Standard wah pedal a true-bypass pedal, or does it have a buffer? A: The Clyde Standard and the Clyde Deluxe are both true-bypass pedals.