In the clouds?

Have you heard the term “Cloud Computing?” More accurately, it is called cloud-based file exchange and storage. Well, it goes back a bit in history, lending its lineage to the point-to-point data circuits to VPN services of the telephony industry. The actual concept has been around since the 1960’s, however it has taken shape in the present to offer a wider variety of benefits to the recording and entertainment industry. Existing today are some sites allowing musicians to collaborate, offering some rudimentary mixers and effects, mostly in real-time. However for professional recording, there is still a large bandwidth issue with this concept. I know my partners and I use Dropbox and Google Docs on occasion to share files, ideas, and mixes because we live 700+ miles apart. I remember the day, and some others of you might also, when you had to physically mail a tape to your friend, maybe to arrive three or more days later, unless you paid the extra for overnight delivery. Nashville producer Robert Venable uses this approach to songwriting, utilizing Google Docs and updating files in Dropbox. This is the new way to collaborate with other professionals, breaking down the mileage barriers once keeping millions from doing business together. Bandwidth can still plague some applications; this is a problem that will soon come to an end. There are a number of producers and engineers using these cloud-based sites like Dropbox, Mozy, YouSendit, and Google Docs to interact with more professionals than ever before. These systems also help streamline a process that needs to be completed as quickly as possible, remember, time is money. As technology increases and bandwidth follows, we will see a tremendous rise in the number of professional applications of these cloud-based services. This only increases and strengthens the industry as it breaches further into the digital age.

References:
Kenny, T. (2011, May 1) Editors’ note: are you in the cloud? Retrieved June 15, 2011 from, http://mixonline.com/recording/tracking/editors_note_cloud/

If you want to read more about being in the cloud, or more about the professional audio industry, go check out mixonline.

Revenge of the Synth

Hey all you synth lovers out there, does the name Tom Oberheim twirl an oscillator? In April of this year, Tom announced two new additions to his line of resurrected SEM analog synthesizers! That’s right, I said analog. The SEM-PRO incorporates 21 mini-jacks for signal access, the SO4V, or Son of 4 Voice, the return of the vintage ‘70s design. My focus is on the SO4V, 100% discrete analog, no chips what so ever. It can be used as a 4-voice polyphonic synth or as 4 individual synths under MIDI control. If that wasn’t enough, two SO4V’s can be daisy chained to create an 8-voive. There are two LFO’s that are MIDI sync capable, generating multiple waveshapes including sample and hold per voice. Each voice has two programmable ADSR envelope generators, selectable master tuning for detuning very large unison sounds, polyphonic portamento with linear or exponential response. By the way, portamento simply means; “glide.” There are independent mix and pan controls for each voice. The SO4V will be available May/June 2011 and go for about $3,495 so be on the lookout. Now, it goes without saying, even the most beautifully designed pieces of gear have some frustrating points. What some may find a bit frustrating is that the MIDI version of the SEM responds to note on/off and pitch-bend, plus a choice between velocity, aftertouch, or a single user-defined MIDI CC number. This is quite the limitation to preserve the architecture of the sound of the original. Also, there are no patch memories; you can only store a single setup. However, to keep costs lower it is sometimes more important to focus resources in other areas. Regardless, for the price and the quality that Oberheim synths always offer, it is a must have. Despite the insignificant issues one may find with these new synths, the Oberheim SEM analog synths are worth every penny and will recreate some great synth sounds for today’s music.

References:
Reid, G. (2010, September) Tom oberheimsem, Retrieved, June 15, 2011 from, http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep10/articles/tom-oberheim-sem.htm

For more on Tom Oberheim, visit: http://tomoberheim.com/