Above: Andy Bensley of Genelec and Andy Jones discuss the 8381As at HHB London.

What is it?
Adaptive Point Source main studio monitors with the advantages of huge dynamic range, power and directivity, but also with the ability to be transported and used in a variety of locations thanks to a free-standing design and cutting-edge GLM and SAM technology.

What’s great?
The soundstage is extraordinary and combined with the dynamic range, will let you place track elements with ridiculous accuracy. The sound is also honest, open, huge and addictive. The relative mobility thanks to their free-standing design is also a win.

What’s not?
Only bigger budgets and rooms need apply.

The bottom line:
Genelec has transferred some of its best technologies into a set of main room monitors that deliver the best of all worlds and an immersive experience that will give you an almost arrogant level of mixing confidence. Of course they are top level speakers, but you can pay a lot more for permanently fixed solutions and the inflexibility that often goes with them.

Price: Price: £59,999 per pair, US $64,000

Where to buy: Genelec

Genelec’s 8381A studios monitors have the full-range power and frequency response of main studio monitors, but also a lot of the advantages of smaller speakers in terms of cutting-edge room correction technology and (relative) mobility. In fact they pack in a lot of the features and some design elements of their smaller siblings, The Ones, and while they are not officially part of that Genelec speaker range, they are known as ‘The Main Ones’.

There’s no getting away from the fact that these are speaker solutions for big budget operations and medium to large sized rooms. They stand tall – around 145cm x 50cm x 70cm – and have a free-standing design that includes a five-way speaker set-up, with no less than three sets of mid- range drivers, and a large Double Low Woofer System on which the top half of each cabinet is mounted, with three possible angled positions.

Genelec says the idea is that they deliver everything that you would expect from studio speakers installed within larger studios – think those that are built into the walls of studios A and B at Metropolis. They can be transported to projects for a semi-permanent set-up giving them and users much more flexibility – and the 8381s can be located freely within a room to create less impact on studio infrastructure.

This is backed up by the fact that the 8381As use Genelec’s ground-breaking but now widely imitated GLM (Genelec Loudspeaker Manager) software combined with the company’s Smart Active Monitor (SAM) technology. These mean the speakers can self-adjust according to a new room environment, moving crossover frequencies and attenuating frequency responses according to data fed in via a reference microphone system. The setup is quick, the results usually stunning, so you effectively end up with a set of high-end main room monitors that can be used in /many/ main rooms, not just a permanent and expensive fixture in one location.

The Main Point
The 8381A’s key technology is called Point Source Continued Directivity (PCD), and a first for the speakers. It essentially means that the main frequencies are coming from a single point source so are in perfect time and space for a highly accurate and wide soundstage. And PCD covers /all/ key frequencies thanks to more Genelec technologies focussed on each part of the range.

Firstly, GLM and SAM are not the only technologies shared with The Ones. The 8381As also share a Minimum Diffraction Coaxial (MDC) coaxial design where a 25mm tweeter sits in the centre of the first 127mm mid-range driver, a single-point source part of the design that results in an accurate image. That is your high and hi-mid frequencies taken care of.

Next up, this coaxial designed tweeter and mid driver setup is surrounded with a Quad Midrange System (QMS), four further 127mm mid-range speakers. Like The Ones – the 8341s, for example – these separate drivers almost join forces, in this case also helping to produce an ultra-precise mid- range imaging within the soundstage.

Mounted at the front of each speaker below the QMS array is a front 381mm driver called a woofer, but acting more like a low-mid speaker. Finally the whole enclosure sits on top of a second cabinet with a ‘Double Low Woofer’ (DLW) system, two 381mm drivers that deliver the sub frequencies and the low end part of the PCD system.

It’s a fairly complex five-way system, then, but all of its component parts combine to provide the highly-directional PCD system, and headline specs that include 5926 watts of power over a vast 20Hz to 35kHz (+/-1.5dB) frequency range. The max short term SPL hits 129db per pair too. It’s also worth noting that the 9320A Reference Controller is included with each pair.

But the even bigger headline is the resulting sound. After a number of listening tests we travelled through several opinions and emotions, all of them ranging from impressed to actually slightly overwhelmed. With the right mix, the stereo imaging was extraordinary, almost to the point that we thought some detail was around us. But the biggest takeaway was not just the horizontal soundstage, but the vertical height and the depth of the field.

No doubt helped by the physical size of the speaker – they are the optimal level (or can be adjusted using an incliner) for listening – and also that 5-way driver system, you get an extraordinary ‘height’ in the listening experience. It’s almost like you are presented with a much more accurate, high resolution grid of your mix moving left/right and up/down so you can place everything with extraordinary detail.

I expected to hear more in the mix – as you so often can when going from consumer to studio monitors – but with the 8381s it wasn’t so much that, but becoming more immersed within all three dimensions: left/right, up/down and partially ‘within’ the mix. We noticed the sweet spot was wide, but there was definitely a position where it was best enjoyed.

Another interesting test was when the SAM/GLM system was switched back to revert to a non adjusted set-up. The non room calibrated mix was noticeably less buoyant and lively, unusually flatter and less absorbing. As we have always found in previous reviews, Genelec’s GLM system really does work and is a lot simpler to employ than you might think.

We’re obviously not going to pretend these speakers are in any way for everyone, but the extraordinary detail in playback has already won them places in regular audiophile set-ups as well as the more studio orientated projects for which they were designed. Genelec has filled a gap in the market we hadn’t considered – main room monitors you can take anywhere and ones that will adjust to wherever you go. If you want to get to an (almost!) arrogant level of confidence with your mixing – and doing it anywhere you like – the 8381As are demanding to be heard.

Q/A with Andy Bensley, regional business development manager, Genelec.

So last year was our 45th anniversary. We wanted to do something special and thought, essentially, what could we do? And the 8381A is kind of an evolution on from The Ones.

What if we could do that on a main monitor scale, offer precision, accuracy as well as high performance high SPL, and the flexibility to place these things anywhere within the room?

If we look at what we’ve done in the past with our in-wall systems, there was a lot of work that would need to be physically done to the studio space to accommodate these larger monitors. So it would require a monitor wall, and a lot of work with acousticians. A lot of factors would have to be known ahead of time – what console is going to be in there, what’s going to be happening with the furniture in the room, where is the listening position because the monitor focusing will be dictated by that listening position.

What we’ve seen over the years is people moving into different rooms on shorter leases, for example. And if the monitoring set up comes with the facility, they’re not really in a position to redesign the room. Working within the space that they’ve got seems to be the order of the day. So that’s where we’ve seen these adaptive technologies, specifically with our GLM calibration software, where you can freely place these systems and get excellent results.

In a similar vein to The Ones and the W371A adaptive woofer system, everything is modular. Each element is calibrated individually with crossovers assigned based on the acoustic properties of the room. So the combination of the system and GLM will then decide which woofer is going to play up to which frequency. And the idea is to give you a frequency response that’s complete, so that we are reducing the influences of the room due to placement . But also, we’re able to control the directivity as well. So we’re able to deliver as much direct sound in the listening position as possible.

These are the two main goals of this system. And then finally, a huge amount of dynamic range in it as well – we’ve got something like a total of six kilowatts of power driving each 8381A.

That adds up to 129 dB of short term SPL per pair. So we’ve got systems that are very capable, with a huge amount of dynamic range, a huge amount of information that can be presented.

But the killer thing with this, because it’s a point source system – with the combined tweeter/midrange and the four midrange drivers – it adds up to an acoustically coaxial system.

Yes, you can listen at less than a meter, or 10 meters. So these are super flexible in terms of where you place these within the room, as well as the point source design, you’ve got so much flexibility. In this room, with a traditional three way design, the usual listening position would always be further back in the room, where each individual driver comes into focus together.

But equally, you could tuck these in even further and listen at the best position as well. You’ll be able to hear how firm that phantom center sounds as you start to move.

One approach that we could have taken would be to just put another 12 inch woofer in the top section along with the tweeter in the mid range driver – like a traditional coax – but then you get the issues of interference with the mid range and the tweeter, with modulation and discontinuity in the frequency response. It’s very difficult to predict what the response is going to be from that kind of design.

So because we’ve got such a large area on the front, we were able to space those five inch mid range drivers in a position where acoustically they essentially sum up to one driver. So you get this acoustic coaxial performance, but it doesn’t interfere with the dedicated mid range/tweeter coax in the center. There’s no interaction between them and the sound just adds up and comes at you from one place.

And this is the idea of the system, because none of those component parts operate on their own. A lot of what is happening under the hood of GLM is being informed by the 8381A system, compared to a third party calibration system working with a third party speaker system – where neither of them know what’s happening. In that situation, the calibration can be asking certain things of the driver makeup that they’re not necessarily capable of delivering. Because we know the capabilities of each of the driver crossover regions etc, GLM will never ask the system to do something that it’s not capable of. So we’re able to guarantee a level of performance not only in terms of SPL, but in terms of the frequency response and the quality of the audio, because we know all of the different component parts.

And we know how the DSP is going to manage and drive the system as well. So that’s a big part of the design process, as well, knowing how we can get the best out of each of these elements. With this project, there were a number of different iterations of the mid range system – whether it was going to have a dome design, or a traditional kind of recessed concave driver, and seeing the measurements from the impulse responses of how the intermodulation was being affected.

And all these kinds of artifacts we were seeing from having the concave design, that’s what led us to the dome design of the QMS mid range drivers. It’s given us a huge amount of control in terms of the design and the predictability of what the final product is going to be. And again, that’s part of the work that was done with The Ones, because no one was making that kind of coax element.

The target customers for the 8381A will be those that are recording, mixing and mastering music, along with post houses. They’re super capable, regardless of the genre. So whether you want something that’s incredibly loud and impactful – to provide a vibe for composition and writing – or you want something that’s super accurate for mixing, they can wear many hats. Plus you’ve got all this performance and exceptional imaging, which isn’t necessarily the case with a lot of larger systems.

For those customers wanting to know whether the 8381As are suitable for their room, we receive this kind of request from customers all the time, asking ‘I’ve got this room with this design, what would you recommend?’ We’ve got a team of nine or 10 people, probably more worldwide that are out there visiting rooms all the time.

So we have a huge amount of experience between us in terms of how our systems perform in the real world, what rooms, what they’re suitable for, how the system scales, in terms of whether being a stereo or an immersive system, and what would work in each scenario etc. But we’ve also got a massive amount of information that we’ve received from customers that are calibrating their systems via GLM’s cloud services. We’ve got access to around 10,000 measurements of people’s rooms, so we’re able to see what the common trends are and where people are typically seeing cancellations in their response. From that we’re able to see our customers’ issues with cancellations, and work out how to solve that with a new product design.

That was origin of the W371A woofer system, and now the 8381A, where rather than trying to fix acoustical issues within the room with EQ alone, we’re able to do it by assigning different drivers to fill in the frequency response. If you do it that way, you are optimizing for a larger area rather than just one specific spot. Otherwise, if you fix one area with EQ, as soon as you move out of that area, you’re into another null where there’s a difficulty – and so you’ll have a reluctance to leave that sweet spot.

Interview: Aki Mäkivirta, Genelec R & D Director

The post Review: Genelec 8381A appeared first on Audio Media International.

What is it?

Smart Active Monitors that self-adjust according to your room and now deliver an in-depth acoustic report about that room.

What’s great?

The sound is already fabulous before the technology does its work – and that tech is seamless and easy – but now your room can sound as good.

What’s not?

Monitors with this number of acronyms are never going to be cheap, but actually the price has come down.

The bottom line:

Genelec continues to develop these top range monitors, adding software updates to GLM that make them seem future-proof. They sound fantastic, and with the full range of technology deployed can sound even better, in any room. And now you can even get help to sort that room out too.

Review

Genelec’s 8341A monitors are three-way, compact monitors with a distinctive coaxial design. As part of the company’s The One Series (they are the second smallest of four models) they are packed with pretty much every piece of technology – and acronym – that Genelec has come up with in decades of monitor design. And while they are Smart Active Monitors (SAM) that will adjust their response to your room, they also include a new feature that delivers an acoustic ‘GRADE’ report on that room. Genelec thinks (correctly) that sorting your root-cause acoustic issues can always be a worthwhile exercise, and this new service certainly allows you to identify such issues. Before that, though, let’s see why these are called ‘The Ones’.

The Ones for you?

We explain the SAM system in more detail in our feature about monitor technology (in issue 7), but essentially it employs Genelec’s GLM (Genelec Loudspeaker Manager software, now at v4.2.2), and a measuring microphone connected to a network connector. You play a selection of frequency bursts into the microphone from the speakers and the monitors then adjust their frequency response to tailor to your room according to the results they get back. They are essentially making sure you hear a true version of your mix, even though your room might be countering that by being acoustically awful. It’s a system that Genelec has made famous and similar setups are now employed by the likes of IK Multimedia and KRK. But The Ones have a lot more…

The 8341s have Genelec’s famous coaxial design, where the tweeter sits between a set of dual woofers that essentially act as a single unit, and this helps widen the sweet spot. This dual woofer setup also delivers a bigger bass response than monitors of this size should as it is effectively spread over a wider area. Genelec’s Directivity Control Waveguide helps give broader imaging, and other features like the smoother edges help reduce secondary reflections and flatten the overall frequency response.

Now it’s important to say at this point – before we start looking at even more tech built into the 8341s – that these design elements already deliver the goods, especially when you consider the size. The bass is tight, non flabby nor over-egged but has a power that you really don’t expect. The frequency response is wide (38Hz – 37kHz) and flat (±1.5dB at 45Hz-20kHz), so you are already getting great sounding speakers before any of the other advances have had their say.

The sweet spot is especially broad – one of Genelec’s big aims with these speakers. We’re not sure how much that would benefit smaller rooms, as space might be an issue, negating the availability of a wide sweet spot to physically sit within. But there’s enough power to get these monitors working well in larger rooms too, and certainly generate a wide enough image so that more than one person can enjoy the results.

As we saw with our speaker technology feature, the SAM and GLM systems work a treat, and shouldn’t really be so simple to use bearing in mind the years of development that must have gone into them. But they do work and identified some serious (and seriously embarrassing) issues in our room. Which brings us to the newer GLM GRADE Report – part of the latest GLM 4.2 upgrade – which can identify these issue and remove some of that ‘studio-barrassment’.

Your GRADE Report in detail

You generate a GRADE Report after running the AutoCal feature which is part of the GLM software. It’s simply a matter of clicking an option and asking for it, although the report is not so simple – it’s a truly in-depth summary of how bad (or let’s be positive: well!) your room is impacting your mixes. You get to see the frequency response and how your speakers are having to do to adapt to it with the Peaks Of Compensation. The report details reflection times and reverberation times, all based on your room size, which you do need to enter up front. It’s fascinating stuff, although the most interesting part for us was still discovering the main room peaks and troughs the speakers were compensating for, something we already got with previous versions of GLM.

Obviously it’s a great idea to sort out the cause of any acoustic issues you have, but there may be people who are so happy with the auto-calibration that these speakers provide (and their general sound) that the GRADE Report is an extra they might just not act on, and simply let the speakers do their thing. However you could easily give this detailed 30-page PDF to any acoustic specialist and they would sort your room out… for a fee (or of course you could give it a go yourself). Either way it’s the icing on the cake of some of the best speakers you can buy.

Price: $3095 (each) £2399 (each)

Welcome to issue 7 of Audio Media International

The post Review: Genelec The Ones 8341A appeared first on Audio Media International.

The Sonos Era 300 is the first Sonos speaker with both Bluetooth connectivity and support for spatial audio. By David Phelan.

With the Era 300, the Sonos range of speakers embraces spatial audio with a vengeance: no longer is it just the preserve of the company’s soundbars. The Era 300 is a curious-looking speaker, an oval lozenge that slopes in to the middle, as though somebody put their belt on way too tight. Its shape reflects the positioning of the six drivers inside, including four tweeters that are configured to fire forward, sideways or upwards – again, to make spatial audio a possibility.

It also introduces a new control mechanic: a recessed capacitive volume slider for your finger to swipe the sound up and down. Sonos has had capacitive sliders before, but they’ve been flush and often gone unnoticed. Here, it’s highly inviting and satisfying to use. Much more functionality is found in the Sonos app.

Sonos has always had a reputation for super-easy set-up, and that’s the case here: plug in the speaker, launch the Sonos smartphone app and follow a few onscreen instructions. The brilliant room-tuning system, TruePlay, works automatically, using built-in microphones. There’s also a fuller version available to users with an iPhone or iPad. Trueplay’s effects can be dramatic and are worth doing. For spatial audio, the company suggests placing the speaker at least 20cm from the wall.

Spatial or stereo?

Sonos says that for its ultimate stereo sound, its bigger and pricier Sonos Five is still the best. But the Era 300 has spatial audio. At launch, this is only compatible with Dolby Atmos music from Amazon Music Unlimited or Apple Music’s spatial audio content. That’s one more service than the HomePod can manage, and this is the first non-Apple speaker to support Apple Music’s spatial audio. However, Tidal’s suitable content is not supported.

By the way, BBC radio enthusiasts will enjoy a slam-dunk benefit over the HomePod with this speaker: listening is as easy as saying, “Alexa, play Radio 4”.

Bluetooth at last

Apart from its portable Move and Roam speakers, Sonos has always spurned Bluetooth, saying that streaming over wi-fi offers better sound quality and no interruptions when the connected smartphone rings. The company still believes that, but the addition of Bluetooth here is welcome, and skilfully implemented with near-instant pairing. Spatial audio tracks only work through wi-fi, though, so you can’t stream them except via the Sonos app’s Amazon or Apple channels.

Audio quality

The soundstage here is big, reaching much further than you might imagine from a smallish single speaker like this. Vocals are consistently crystal-clear with mid-notes effective and bass solid but not overpowering. Stereo is better on the Sonos Five but it’s still decent here.

Then there’s the new format, spatial audio. The idea behind spatial is you can hear individually placed instruments or performers, to create a more immersive experience.

And that’s what you get here, again with a sense that the music must be coming from a much bigger speaker, filling a room without being just noise. Not all spatial audio remixes are perfectly done, but when you hit a good one, the results are stunning. Apple Music’s featured spatial playlists are a good place to start, ranging from pop to classical.

Miracle from Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding is beautifully balanced, with the vocals shining through, while Sam Ryder’s latest, Put a Light on Me, is supremely present and immersive.

The Sonos sound is impressive whether it’s an all-around big orchestra you’re listening to, or something smaller. An acoustic solo like October Sky by Yebba is superbly present and almost overwhelming in its simplicity.

Home Cinema

Of course, much Dolby Atmos comes in the form of movie and TV soundtracks. The Sonos Arc soundbar already delivers strong spatial audio, and the company recommends that for your best home cinema surround sound, you really need a compatible soundbar like the Arc plus two, yes, two Era 300 speakers to act as rear speakers, connecting wirelessly to the source. Oh, and a sub-woofer wouldn’t go amiss.

The results, thank goodness, are truly magnificent. In Top Gun Maverick, jet engines screaming overhead really do feel like they’re rushing across your ceiling. Which is all very well, but a set-up like this will cost you £1,700 even before you add the sub. That’s a lot more than a pair of the second-gen HomePods (£600) which won’t be as fully all-enveloping but do a pretty great job, too.

Verdict

One glance at the Era 300’s curious shape tells you this is going to be something different. Even so, it’s not so strange-looking that it will jar with a home décor. The trademark easy set-up is highly and quickly successful. And the Sonos is Android-compatible, not to mention that it plays nicely with BBC radio.

Stereo is good but where the speaker stands out is blow-your-socks-off spatial audio quality, which is wide, tall and immersive. You can adjust EQ levels but, really, Sonos has done a deft tuning job and the music sounds faithful and realistic. If you don’t plan to listen to spatial audio, the allure is less compelling – but only by a little, and the range of spatial content is growing fast.

Good

The new speaker looks eye-catching, has outstanding sound and the trademark simplicity of set-up and use. Unlike Apple’s HomePod, it works perfectly with Android phones. Great as a pair.

Bad

The design could be divisive, and for the full home-cinema experience, the costs mount up quickly.

Verdict: 5/5

The new Sonos looks unlike any other speaker and sounds terrific. The addition of Bluetooth makes it more accessible than ever. If you already have Sonos speakers, this is a great addition to your collection.

The post Review: Sonos Era 300 appeared first on Audio Media International.

It’s often been said that music production is a pricey passion, but in 2023, it’s quite possible to get your hands on some quality hardware and software whilst abiding to a fixed budget. In this feature we’ll outline some solid choices to fit the core needs of any home studio.

Creating a home studio is by no means a one-size fits all situation. Beyond the room you’re working with, the volume levels you’re allowed to exceed and the keyboard and hardware space you’ve got in play, you also really need to work within a realistic budget to prevent that all-too-easy slide into bank-breaking territory. 

While some might scoff at the idea of not investing every penny into making a home studio as high-spec as possible, realistically, most people don’t start off their studio ambitions with limitless cash at their disposal. More often than not, a home studio build is a gradual, cumulative process that takes several months, if not years, to establish.

But, getting that foundation right is very important, and in the following sections, we’ll highlight five core studio essentials – DAW, Interface, Monitors/Headphones, MIDI Keyboard and Microphone – as well as an extra add-on that can augment or enhance a budget home studio. We’re keeping to strict price-restrictions, from (just under) £3,000 to as little as £1,000. While affordable and accessible, all the products listed are recommended choices for any home studio. 

YOUR UNDER £3,000 / $3714 STUDIO

INTERFACE – Universal Audio Apollo Solo 

The titans of the audio interfacing world, UA have muscled into the budget-end of the market in recent years, with the Thunderbolt 3-powered Apollo Solo being their latest foray. Sporting two mic/line inputs and a simple-to-use main display, the interface also houses a DSP chip, enabling it to take on the processing power of some of the company’s acclaimed UAD plugins. A brilliant first step into the UA’s advanced interfacing universe. 

DAW – Apple Logic Pro X 

Apple’s flagship DAW has evolved into a versatile music production workstation over the last decade, with the freshest updates bringing Dolby Atmos support, heaps of in-built samples, instruments, impactful drum and sample-triggering sequencers and a multitude of mix-shaping plugins. For the price, it’s astounding how far you can go in Logic Pro.

MONITORS – Neumann KH 120 A 

As any producer will tell you, hearing your mixes with absolute clarity is pivotal to ensuring the end results sparkle. We’d recommend spending the biggest chunk of your budget on your monitors if you can. Neumann’s KH 120 A’s are suitably high-end, bi-amplified options, sporting customised waveguides, premium-level tweeters and long-throw composite bass drivers. A pair of these would be a wise investment. 

MIDI KEYBOARD – Arturia Keylab 88 MKII  

With the budget you’re working with, you can afford to splash out on a more expansive MIDI controller keyboard. Arturia’s Keylab MKII 88 is an 88-note aftertouch keyboard, sporting sensitive pads, hardy faders and robust rotaries. Arturia’s hardware gels extremely well with the vast majority of DAWs out there right now, and its transport controls will synchronise instantly with their core parameters. 

MICROPHONES – Warm Audio WA-47 JR 

Taking their cues from the microphone heavyweights of yesteryear, Warm Audio have a rep for bringing expertly crafted microphones in the vein of the icons, at an accessible price. The WA-47 JR is a transformer-less FET condenser that imparts a similar warmth to its Neumann inspiration. Its large diaphragm capsule easily captures every nuance of vocals, acoustic guitar and anything else you throw its way. 

EXTRA – Vicoustic Flexi Screen Lite 

With the bedrock established, you can use the remaining cash to invest in one of Vicoustic’s noise-eliminating Flexi Screens. The Lite version won’t set you back much, but will totally eradicate outside noise spill when recording vocals. Vicoustic’s special absorbing material is expertly woven to make sure that the vocal frequency is isolated from any intrusion. 

TOTAL = £2,894 / $3582

YOUR UNDER £2,000 / $2476 STUDIO

INTERFACE – SSL 2+ 

Condensing the technical expertise of one of the industry’s large-format goliaths into a desktop interface, you’ll be guaranteed superior clarity when using the SSL 2+ as your main I/O. A 2-in, 4-out interface, the SSL 2+ also houses a pair of stunning microphone preamps, as well as the company’s Legacy 4K analogue colour enhancement. It’s an affordable way to capture premium-grade audio. 

DAW – PreSonus Studio One 6 Professional 

PreSonus’s DAW has had a slew of appealing upgrades recently (as explored in our recent review) meaning it’s now every bit as robust as some of the more popular DAW figureheads. Its Smart Templates make starting focused projects super easy, while the in-built plugins span every studio process. A mightily slick DAW that won’t break the bank. 

MONITORS – IK Multimedia iLoud Micro Monitors 

IK’s initial leap into the monitoring world may have been dismissed by some because of their diminutive size, but ask anyone who’s mixed with a pair and they’ll explain that these bi-amped beauties are anything but disappointing. Delivering a combined 50 RMS of power via class D power amplifiers, the Micros present a stunning depiction of the stereo field. Extraordinary for the cost and footprint.  

MIDI KEYBOARD – Novation Launchkey 88 MK3 

Novation’s brand of Launchkey MIDI controllers are aimed at the expressive player, with top-notch DAW integration and tactile build quality throughout. Famed for its synth acumen, Novation’s breadth of controller and sample triggering options have become a core focus for the company over the last few years, and the 88-note Launchkey is the daddy of them all.

MICROPHONES – Aston Microphones Spirit 

A bona-fide modern classic, Aston Microphones’ large diaphragm condenser may only have been released a few years back, but its astonishing sonic quality has garnered praise and respect from many big names. Switches on the side allow you to change up the polar pattern, while its distinctive aesthetic will make it a snazzy stand out in your budget studio. 

EXTRA – Sonarworks SoundID Reference for Speakers and Headphones 

With the essentials in place, the remaining cash is able to be put to good use on some high-end studio calibration. Sonarworks are experts in this field, and their measurement mic/software combo Reference will allow you to correct those difficult to tame resonances and bouncing frequencies in your studio, calibrating audio response across your entire system.

TOTAL = £1,805 / £2234

YOUR UNDER £1,000 / $1237 STUDIO

INTERFACE – Audient EVO 4  

Studio legends Audient have been a desktop interfacing champion for years, and the 2in/2out EVO 4 is arguably their most impressive yet. Don’t be put-off by its dinky size and simple controls, within this versatile, mobile-ready box, are a pair of beefy analogue EVO mic preamps that present immaculate audio quality, in tandem with the digital hyper-accuracy of Smartgain to auto-adjust levels. A mighty little powerhouse, EVO 4 does the job and then some.

DAW – Ableton Live 11 Standard 

Regularly hailed as one of the most creatively stimulating DAWs, the formerly dance-music angled Ableton Live is now a multi-faceted artistic paradise, and one of the world’s most beloved musical playgrounds. Packed with sample-based synths, a raft of processing effects and a thriving community of add-on developers. Designed for both production and performance, the Live eco-system provides endless scope. 

HEADPHONES – Audio-Technica ATH-M70x 

Headphone monitoring tops using speakers if you want to zone into your projects in detail, and Audio Technica’s ATH-M70x’s provide some of the most pristine clarity available for the price. The 45mm large-aperture drivers provide the power, while the carefully-tuned frequency response brings perfect balance, without a hint of colouration. The contoured ear-cups bring all-important comfort also.

MIDI KEYBOARD – AKAI MPK MIni Mk3 

A controller which takes the time out of set-up. Akai’s MPK Mini MK3 brings universal integration and a dinky but hardy route into hardware control. With 25 Mini keys, an OLED display for parameter feedback and 8 infinitely tweak-able rotaries to control MIDI CCs, the MKP Mini is a highly recommended first foray into hardware control of your software. 

MICROPHONES – RODE NT1-A 

Rode’s respected NT1-A is a low-noise, large-diaphragm condenser that is able to handle well in any situation, from piano, guitar, drum or vocal recording. The gold-sputtered capsule within has been manufactured to sub-micron tolerances to provide that characteristic warmth you’d typically find among the vintage stable of microphone icons. 

EXTRA –  GIK Acoustics B4 4’ Bass Trap 

With the remaining cash, you’ll be able to take some first steps toward making your recording space behave better acoustically. GIK Acoustics offer a range of standalone panels, absorbers and reflectors. Installing a bass trap can be one of the most discernible additions, particularly in small rooms. One or two of these will do wonders for flattening out any low frequency resonances that your room might be emphasising.  

TOTAL = £966.50 / $1195

With these product suggestions, we’ve hopefully made the point that establishing a legitimate home studio doesn’t have to cause painful financial outlay. The above options could be used as your foundation, or mixed and matched as part of your own set-up. A crucial factor to underline is that acquiring the gear is just one part of the process. Learn to use and get the best out of each item you own, and you’ll be able to maximise its potential when making your music.

The post Kitting Out Your Home Studio on a Budget appeared first on Audio Media International.

Andy Jones takes a look at the latest KRK GoAux 4 portable monitor system

The studio monitor is, of course, the pro producer’s best friend. And once you get to know your monitor’s sonic character, you should be able to mix any track to sound good anywhere. But for the travelling producer or mix engineer who (fortunately) finds themselves working in multiple studios, learning the in house studio monitors could be a time consuming exercise for each session. Wouldn’t it be good, then, to take along your own monitors that you know and love?

That’s impractical with most studio monitors, but KRK’s new GoAux speaker series could be the monitor saviour for any producer who is often working out and about. There are two in the range: the GoAux 3 and GoAux 4 with the numbers, as you might expect, referring to the bass driver size. What stands out immediately on unboxing is the beautiful overall package: a lovely carry case with both speakers nicely protected. It’s not a completely novel concept – IK Multimedia’s iLoud Micro speakers come in a similar bag – but to see the recognisable yellow hue of KRK monitors in such a mobile package is quite something to behold.

Flexibility and features

The KRK GoAux 4 system is truly portable, with an overall weight of just 4.3kg which includes all of the accessories, of which there are many. You get a stand for each speaker which can be angled, and these are easy to use and necessary; placing speakers on your computer desk often requires this angling, yet it’s something missing on many other smaller desktop speakers. You also get an Auto ARC (Auto Room Correction) measurement microphone to connect to the speakers at the front for some simple room correction – more on this below.

Overall Sound

GoAux 4 are bi-amped 100 watt speakers (33 watts rms per woofer, 17 watts rms per tweeter). There’s very flexible connectivity, with 1/4” TRS balanced, RCA, USB-type B, 1/8” Aux connections, plus an input for the measurement microphone. There’s even a Bluetooth option so you can pretty much connect up any device you wish.

And when you do you might be surprised with the clout of the sound given the size of the speakers. They don’t sound too enhanced anywhere, although given the small woofer size you’d expect some colouration. They deliver a clear and punchy tone, relatively flat although not quite as detailed and accurate as our reference speakers (which are much larger and more expensive).

The key here is to set these monitors up with trusted mixes first and then adjust their response, and there are two ways to do this so the sound can be improved anywhere you decide to take them. First there are three-way HF and LF controls around the back, but by far the better way is via the ARC microphone. Place it at ear height and the speakers spit out some audio to ‘listen’ to how the room affects their frequency response and adjust accordingly. It might not be as sophisticated as Genelec’s SMART system, but it is easy to set up and apply. It also does make a difference – sometimes subtle and sometimes very noticeable – but the sound does improve.

KRK GoAux 4 – The Bottom Line

Despite the KRK marketing showing people mixing music with a laptop on a plane, these are probably not practical enough to get out and start working with on a bus or train – you should most definitely turn to a decent set of closed back headphones for that, just to preserve the sanity of your fellow passengers. They do, however, make great monitors to break out in a hotel room, and also a fantastic set of second monitors to A-B your mixes with. They’re reasonably priced, the overall package is superb and the flexible connectivity and positioning options make these some of the best mobile studio monitors on the market.

KRK GoAux 4

What: A set of portable studio monitors designed for producing music on the move.

Good: Lovely speaker package in a truly mobile case. There are flexible positioning and connectivity options, and the automatic room correction allows you to tailor the speakers for wherever you use them.

Bad: They are not going to totally replace your bulkier studio monitor setup.

Verdict: ★★★★★

The KRK GoAux 4 monitors aren’t going to stop you using your main studio monitors, nor are they designed to. They will make excellent second monitors to AB mixes, and of course the portability angle will be a deal maker if you produce music on the move. In that respect, this is one of the most professional mobile speaker sets on the market.

Welcome to issue 7 of Audio Media International

The post REVIEW: KRK GoAux 4 monitors appeared first on Audio Media International.

What do you give the DAW that has everything? asks Alistair McGhee.

Joking aside, that’s a serious question. Modern DAW’s like Presonus’s Studio One already have a deep and mature feature set. and it’s a fair question to ask, ‘how many more bells do we need?’, never mind the whistles!  The challenge to the development team is to add value without just increasing bulk or bloat. Not an easy job for software like Studio One 6 which has ambitions to cover recording, mixing, rehearsing, performing, mastering and delivery.
One way forward is to find new ways to make available more of the power, more of the time. And that certainly seems to have been high on the Presonus developers to-do list for Studio One 6.

First up we have Smart Templates and fully featured Customization Editing. First the Smart Templates, covering a wide range of starting points for your project depending on what you are trying to achieve. Beat Production, Record and Mix, Mastering, Rehears and Perform – there are plenty of options to choose from and the ability to build your own.  One great feature here is the Drop Zone where you can add content that will be added to your new template based project. This can really speed things up, my only complaint being I can’t add the drop zone to a custom template I have made. I feel the Custom Templates are a great stepping stone in the software, where newer users can get up and running without having to waste a lot of time project building. They simply get you to the creative coal face quicker.

Certainly, one of the most long awaited of the new features is the video track and the one I rejoice most over.  It’s dead easy to open a track and drag a video into it. Or select the global visibility icon which gives direct access to adding the video track to your project. With a click you can import the video’s audio and then the doors of dub city are thrown open. Don’t forget to unlink the video and its audio for maximum flexibility. You can even do simple cut and shut editing of your video which is not too shabby at all. I edit my videos in Lightworks and it is a thing of grace and beauty, but…while it gets a gold star for effort it has nowhere near the power of SO6 for audio. Having all the features of Studio One on hand to polish the audio makes for a dream team. And I’m particularly pleased that this new video leverage also ties in with the new loudness features available at mix down in SO6.

Now when you select ‘Export Mixdown’ from the Song menu, alongside all the options offered by version 5 you get a very flexible set of loudness options for your exported output. And of course this is a big deal in video production, you can tell that by the video options like YouTube and Netflix (I wish!) and of course EBU 128 alongside a host of audio only choices from Spotify and SoundCloud to Tidal. Here is where you can turn up to 11 or at least minus 11 if you select Spotify Loud. One feature here I would like is a measurement option – the opportunity to pick a clip or a whole song and calculate the existing loudness.

Track presets are another tool to aid work flow by inventing the wheel just once. Set your track up just the way you like and then save it or drag it to the Track Presets folder in the browser. Now you if you want that track set up in another project then just drag it in from the folder and hey presto – you get one minute and 30 seconds of your life back. And in a big project those minutes sure do add up.

It’s long been understood that a blizzard of menu options is less likely to get those creative juices flowing and more likely to lead to a sense of wandering in the option wilderness. In short when it comes to the interface, less is very often more. Studio One 6 offers ‘Customization’ in the view menu and there’s a set of four prebuilt options to get your going. The Audio Editing preset being where I normally start. You can of course build and save your own selection – and what you’re doing is deciding exactly what functionality you will see in your Studio One 6 work flow. For instance the Audio Editing control set removes ‘Instruments’ from your Browse tabs – makes sense to me. My only niggle here is there are just a few elements that defy  customisation – give me more power!  Allow me complete control over things I want to remove from the toolbar for instance, I’m looking at you Quantize here. It’s not that I don’t love you, I just don’t want you in every one of my customizations.

It’s not possible to cover every new feature and upgrade in Studio One 6, there’s just too many of them. The de-esser, the vocoder, fader flips  – which will feel very natural to anyone coming to SO6 from a digital mixer.  Micro view of 3rd party plugins, FX tracks in the mixer, new panning options and the ability to lock the track pan to your effects send. And more.

But let’s finish with a bang – the new lyrics features. You’ve written some handy lyrics or maybe stolen them from Billy Bragg –  I sat beside the telephone,  Waiting for someone to pull me through  When at last it didn’t ring I knew it wasn’t you – for instance. Get the lyric track enabled via Global Track Visibility and at the top of your project you’ll see said lyric track. You can type your masterpiece directly into this track and then arrange the blocks of text to align with your song. Or you can enable the Lyrics window where you can view and edit your words in their own panel. The lyric window offers variable font size, a ruler with adjustable measures and a karaoke style colour scheme to keep you on the right lines, literally. It’s a flexible tool and ideal for those with songwriting and performance in their tool bag and ideal too for video voice overs.

You can probably tell I’m most excited by the video and lyrics tracks and the new loudness options but I think the depth of the new features will provide lots of workflow upgrades in the months to come. Studio One 6, not just more bells but also better whistles,…

Welcome to issue 7 of Audio Media International

The post REVIEW: Presonus Studio One 6 appeared first on Audio Media International.

What is it?

Audient’s EVO range of interfaces is designed to offer simplicity, value and a great sound. The interfaces are not perhaps as sonically glossy as those in Audient’s ID range, which all feature the same mic preamps used in the company’s high-end consoles. Instead the EVO range has digitally controlled analogue preamps that allow the interfaces to include features like Smartgain which sets your input signal levels for you.

EVO 16 adds to the range’s 2-in/2-out EVO 4 and 4-in/4-out EVO 8, so you’d expect it to boast eight ins and eight outs and you’d be correct… on the analogue side of things anyway. It is also expandable by way of up to 16 more digital ins and outs via two pairs of optical connectors that deliver 16 channels at 44.1/48kHz or eight at 88.2/96kHz. That’s a maximum of 24 ins and outs, then – an impressive count at this price.

What’s New?

All new for EVO 16 is the Motion UI system that shows parameters on a brilliantly clear display. The other big headline is the loopback feature – available on up to 16 channels – an essential inclusion for podcasters, gamers, and other streamers who demand the flexibility of mixing multiple audio sources from their computer with their own speech.

Build Quality

EVO 16 is compact and well built and uses similar design elements to the original EVOs – the slightly sunken buttons and main dial, for example. While EVO 4 and 8 are designed for desktop use, EVO 16 adds rackable aspirations, with free rack ears available as an option. We used it as a desktop interface and also sat it snugly beneath our laptop, and it performs just as well in these capacities, with rubber feet avoiding slippage and damage.

The eight analogue inputs are all on combi XLR-1/4” jacks with switchable phantom power. You can connect mic, line and instrument level gear to the first two which are located at the front. The remaining six accept just mic/line inputs and are around the back along with the eight analogue outs, which can be connected to studio monitors or outboard gear. Here you’ll also find the USB C connector, power (this isn’t, sadly, a USB powered interface) and those digital connections. The last two outs are two independent headphones on the front of the unit, great for setting up different mixes for two people monitoring or playing.

Day to Day Use

Using the unit is pretty much as easy as Audient intended, especially features like Smartgain. This is an option that we loved on the first two EVOs and it’s present and correct on EVO 16, but with a higher multichannel capacity. Using it is just a matter of hitting the green button, then whatever channel you are levelling and then green again. The channel then sets its input so you don’t clip, and all in less than 20 seconds. Do this across all eight inputs simultaneously if you wish, and you have a very quick multi-input setup for band or drum kit recordings.

The Motion User Interface (UI) feature is based around a bright central display which is very clear across a wide viewing angle. It homes in on specific aspects of the interface – channel input, for example – and displays key parameters which can then be altered with the single main dial on the front of EVO 16. This is a highlight, as clearly seeing what is going on makes you less reliant on having your computer close to hand. However, you will want to use the accompanying EVO Mixer software on your computer for more complex routing tasks.

Sound Quality

Serious studio owners will quite rightly demand the kind of console quality that Audient’s more pro ID range or other high end interfaces deliver. But side by side, the ID specs aren’t too dissimilar to EVO 16’s – certainly on the mic pre side of things – so I think you could end up paying substantially more elsewhere for not that much of a sonic uplift. Certainly for project studio owners and many others, the EVO range delivers the goods. Combined with the digital control, it feels crystal clear and precise, uncoloured and, dare we say, more modern compared to some interfaces that offer all sorts of input colouration.

Bottom Line

Audient’s EVO 4 and 8 clearly have newcomers to music production as a target audience, and those that aren’t bothered about conventional setups nor pristine and legendary console character. EVO 16 takes this core idea but shifts its target further upwards towards studio users who just want to get on with the job with minimum fuss. Then, of course, there’s the growing pro streamer market for which this is an ideal solution across many scenarios. EVO 16 has the answers for when both audiences come knocking, then, and in terms of features, ease of use and bang for buck, there’s very little else that comes close.

The post Audient EVO 16 Review appeared first on Audio Media International.

When it comes to exemplars of the audio industry, there are few companies as revered as Neve, but can they apply that same status to their new audio interface? We bus-power-up some classic mic preamps.

In case you’d missed it, ‘Vintage’ is not so much the next big thing, as the beautiful-new-thing that has been rediscovered, yet again! While there is a quest for ever quieter and more discrete audio interfaces, there’s also a great demand for vintage sounding equipment, from hardware to software emulations.

Boxing large and clever

Neve’s new 88M audio interface perfectly straddles both ubiquitous territories, with a sense of the old, through the re-versioned use of preamp technology, but with the contemporary angle of a bus-powered interface.

Before we get into the sonics, let’s consider what we have in this box. Firstly, and most obviously, the 88M is a reassuringly weighty device, at 1.675Kg. That’s quite a number of bags of sugar, and might suggest that while it’s slightly larger than many other similar desktop audio interfaces, (it offers a18x20cm footprint) it’s going to feel pretty heavy in transit. Place on your desktop, and the rubberised feet keep it securely in place, while its tolex-style wraparound finish looks classic and stylish.

The front of the interface provides 2 x mic/line/DI inputs, via XLR/1/4” jack connectors, with 4 pots which double as push-button switches. Due to the added functionality, the pots don’t feel quite as sturdy as they might if they were just dampened pots, but the ‘made in the UK’ quality shines through. Each of the input channels toggles between mic/line/DI input, with phantom powering available from a button next to input connector.

The presence of a see-saw monitoring pot allows easy balancing between incoming signals and DAW playback, with the ability to dictate your signal priority, along with the option to switch to mono, proving to be flexible for playback and tracking possibilities. These elements are very simple to access, which is just as well, as the 88M does not offer any accompanying software, to fine tune your interface preferences.

Around the back of the interface, there are monitor outputs on TRS 1/4” jack only, with send and return insert points for both input channels. You may also extend the number of inputs via the on-board ADAT light pipe, making the 88M a perfect partner for outboard mic pre’s with ADAT functionality, which include Neve’s own excellent 1073 OPX, albeit with the optional digital card fitted.

Neve’s classic numbers

Let’s not beat around the bush here, the 88M is a premium quality product, with a premium price. If you buy into this device, you’ll be dialling in to Neve’s history, which might make you wonder why they haven’t placed their legendary 1073 pre amp at the front end? Put simply, it all boils down to power; one of the major party tricks that the 88M has to offer is its ability to run solely on bus power, which is to say that it powers directly from your computer. This explains the presence of the heftier USB3 connector to the rear, with included cables for conventional USB A and newer USB C connectivity, supplying the 88M with the appropriate amount of power. It still blows my mind that you can bus-power an interface such as this, and connect a condenser microphone using phantom power.

USB power has its limits, which explains the move toward a tweaked incarnation of Neve’s very own preamp circuit, culled from the legendary 88RS console. There is a reduction in headroom, over a fully powered channel, but it’s impressive and useable nonetheless, being reliant on the very same input transformers.

Sonically Neve

So having bought into the whole classic preamp argument, it’s time to take the 88M for a test drive.

I used several different mic’s, in different recording scenarios, to get a flavour of what the 88M could offer. Beginning with a U87, tracking was a total cinch! The low-latency monitoring proved to be impressive, with more than enough headroom for vocal work, both at the channel and monitoring stages. Some like their playback loud; that’s not me, although I would defy anyone to suggest that the 88M cannot crank to high enough levels.

While recording vocals, the depth of capture feels impressive, with what I would describe as a full-tone, particularly in the middle frequency band. My other day-to-day interfaces do feel different, with a suggestion of greater brightness in the upper frequency bands, but this is more likely due to a lessening of mid-register frequencies, providing more of a perception than a reality.

Reaching for a Coles 4038, paired with a Fet Head transformer, I picked up a trombone and layered up some tracks. In this scenario, the Neve sounds fantastic. Its classic calling pays enormous dividends here, where the richness of mid-register tone lends itself beautifully to the sonority of the instrument.

While the presence of some mighty channel preamps will provide one reason for the tonal colour, it’s worth noting that the 88M uses a SABRE 32 convertor, which is not the more usual D/A and A/D convertor, found in other interfaces. Under all circumstances, it’s a class act, but as with all timbral colours, you may well gravitate to your preferences, possibly directed by the music you choose to record and produce.

Further recording explorations yield a very solid sound-stage, which is wide and detailed in all respects. Everything just feels like it slots into place. As my time with the 88M increased, I found the overall sonic makeup really great to work with, although referring back to my usual day-to-day high-end interface, the 88M definitely presents what could be regarded as a slightly more vintage or classic tone, which is very desirable. It sounds just as sublime with bass and guitar based content, as it does with drums and synths.

Final summing

There can be no doubt that the 88M is a class performer. One point, that you will either love or hate, is its total reliance on hardware operation. The lack of Neve software could feel like a moot point, dependent on how you choose to use the device. Even more surprising then, that at the input stage, there is a lack of pad, phase reversal switch or low-cut. Granted, you can handle these elements elsewhere, but there is no option on-board. The convenience of USB powering does present less top-end gain, but for most recording scenarios, this is unlikely to be an issue for working.

If you are a Mac user, the 88M is class compliant, and will just plug-and-go. I also tested the 88M, using GarageBand on an iPad Pro, and it worked amazingly well, although Neve recommend using a powered USB hub in this scenario, to provide the full-power-grunt required by the preamps. Connection without a hub did deplete my battery relatively quickly, which is unsurprising! PC users will also need a driver, to couple the device to their DAW.

It’s also surprising, that on a device of this calibre and price, that there is no provision for Word Clock connectivity. With the possibility for ADAT connected devices, this is often a useful preference for digital stability, although Neve confirmed that both the Core Audio driver for Mac and the AMS Neve USB ASIO driver for Windows have the ability to clock from the optical ADAT input or from the internal clock, allowing for accurate synchronization of external ADAT devices.

If you’re looking for a Stereo-based interface, which will provide a quick and easy route to tracking, with one of the classiest signal paths available in this format, the 88M is something of a winner. The price really reflects the overall quality of the product; cheaper interfaces are available, but this has a sonic identity all of its own, and it’s got Neve stamped all over it. Quality costs, and the 88M oozes quality in bundles.

Pricing  (RRP)

Neve 88M – £1075

Welcome to issue 7 of Audio Media International

The post Neve 88M USB Audio Interface review appeared first on Audio Media International.

What is it?

The Mojo 2 is  the latest version of Chord’s widely admired Mojo portable-ish DAC and headphone amplifier.

What’s great?

Thrillingly open, detailed and musical sound. Good connectivity options. 

What’s not?

Charges via microUSB. Not as portable as it thinks it is. Arcane control interface.

The bottom line

Some connectivity improvements are helpful, but fundamentally the allure of Mojo 2 is in the profound improvement it can make to your desktop or (at a push) your portable sound 

Equipment

Chord Electronics has been setting audio standards and establishing bewildering control methods since its inception in 1989. And with the original ‘Mojo’ DAC/headphone amp, the company arguably legitimised the entire ‘portable DAC’ sector – even if it was a pretty chunky device by ‘portable’ standards. 

So successful was the  Mojo from the moment it hit the market in 2015, in fact, that it inspired a slew of imitators (most of them a fair bit more portable, admittedly) from companies both venerable and upstart. Imitation is a form of flattery, certainly, but unless the Mojo 2 can put some distance between itself and all the very many alternatives it’s ‘inspired’, it could well find itself flattered into irrelevance.

Build quality

The majority of Mojo 2 is made of anodised aluminium – which feels almost as good as it looks. The casework itself is 23 x 83 x 62mm (HxWxD), but its rounded-off corners help it feel nicely palm-sized. Whether or not it’s pocket-sized is a different question, and whether or not its weight of 185g is pocket-friendly is yet another question.  

It looks and feels like a premium product, though, no two ways about it. And if you’re not the one who has to interpret the dozens of different colours in which its polycarbonate control ‘spheres’ can glow to find out what Mojo 2 is up to, the control interface is uniquely decorative too. If you are, though, lots of luck – the size of digital file Mojo 2 is dealing with, volume level, EQ setting and more besides are all indicated only by variations in colour. 

Mojo 2 is a strictly hard-wired device. The addition of a USB-C input is very welcome, and there are digital coaxial and digital optical inputs as well; analogue audio is available via either (or both) or the two 3.5mm outputs. The battery is good for roughly eight hours of use between charges – Mojo 2 still has to be charged using the elderly microUSB standard, which is a pity, but at least it doesn’t (unlike the product it replaces) get disconcertingly hot while it’s charging. 

Sound

And here the gripes and criticism come to a screeching halt. Attach Mojo 2 to your laptop, smartphone or whatever at one end,  attach an appropriately talented pair of headphones at the other (or an analogue connection to a full-size system) and the difference this DAC makes to the unassisted sound of your source player is never less than significant. In the right circumstances, it can be profound.

It creates a big, well organised soundstage. It has absolute authority over dynamic shifts both broad and fine. It expresses rhythms with the certainty of James Brown. And it knows exactly what’s going on even in the depth of a mix – no detail is too fleeting or too minor to elude it. And it does all of this while maintaining an attitude that’s all about entertainment rather than analysis.

At the bottom end, bass sounds are deep, swift and packed with information. At the opposite end of the frequency range, treble is similarly substantial, similarly rapid and similarly stacked with detail. And in between, Mojo 2 can reveal all the character, all the attitude and all the details of technique that your favourite vocalist has to give.

Integration of the frequency range is smooth, with nothing overstated and nothing underplayed. There’s a unity and coherence to the way Mojo 2 presents music that gives a strong impression of ‘performance’ – even if the music you’re listening to never previously existed outside its creator’s laptop and headphones. 

Naturally enough, the bigger and more information-rich the digital file you serve it, the more convincing and confident Mojo 2 sounds at its output stage. But it’s by no means snobby – if a bog-standard Apple Music stream is what it’s given, it’ll do its utmost to make the best of it.

In short, it seems unlikely in the extreme that you can make a more significant pound-for-pound difference to your digital audio experience than the one Mojo 2 can give you. 

Price and availability

The Chord Mojo 2 is on sale now, and it’s priced at £495.

The post Chord Mojo 2 Review appeared first on Audio Media International.

Røde NTH-100: What is it?
The NTH-100 is Rode’s first foray into the world of headphones.

Røde NTH-100: What’s great?
Articulate, revealing and confident sound. Comfortable. Good-looking (in a rugged sort of way).

Røde NTH-100: What’s not?
Sonic balance won’t suit everyone. Shorter cable is somehow a cost option.

Røde NTH-100: The bottom line
If it’s insight into a recording you want, but not insight of the dry and analytical kind, these Røde could be just the ticket.

Røde NTH-100: Equipment
Rode is an Australian company (the ‘ø’ is a nod to the founding Freeman family’s Scandinavian heritage) – it was established in the 1960s and had its first successes with condenser microphones. Anyone with even a passing interest in professional audio and/or recording equipment knows exactly what Røde is capable of.

And it’s safe to say the company isn’t chasing any kind of modish area of the headphones market with the NTH-100 – this is a closed-back, hard-wired over-ear headphone of the sort that was popular back in the last century.

Røde NTH-100: Build quality
There’s nothing remarkable about the materials Røde has specified for the NTH-100 – sturdy, quite tactile plastic, some exposed and complex angled metal for the arms of the headband, and alcantara-covered memory foam where the headphones contact the wearer at the ears and the inside of the headband. And until you remind yourself the NTH-100 cost just £149, there seems nothing remarkable about the way they’re put together either – but once you keep the asking price in mind, the Røde seem disproportionately robust and well-made.

The black-on-black colour scheme is businesslike (or dour, depending on your point of view) – but you can spend a little extra on differently coloured headbands, earcups and cables if you want to jazz things up a little. And on the subject of cables, the NTH-100 are supplied with a 2.4m cable with a 3.5mm connector at one end and a ‘twist/lock’ version at the other – it’s a sensible length for those who want to use the headphones in a professional environment, especially as the cable can attach to either earcup. But the fact that a 1.2m alternative is a cost-option seems a bit mean.

At 350g the Rode aren’t the lightest headphones around, but they’re comfortable for extended listening sessions. This is thanks in part to the ‘CoolTech’ gel in the ear-cushions that prevents the pads returning your own body heat for an impressively long time. And they stay adjusted exactly as you like them using ‘FitLock’ – a physical headband-locking mechanism that’s a strong contender for a ‘so simple it’s brilliant’ award.

Røde NTH-100: Sound

Inside each earcup, Røde has fitted a 40mm full-range transducer with a claimed frequency response of 5Hz – 35kHz. You don’t need to spend long inside the NTH-100 to realise those numbers are entirely reasonable.

The Rode are an obsessively detailed, painstaking and thrillingly open listen. Their soundstage is so spacious you might be fooled into thinking you’re listening to open-backed headphones. They organise a recording with almost military precision, giving its every element enough space to express itself unhindered. Height, width and depth are described explicitly, too – but integration is impressive at the same time. It’s not easy to combine a sense of space with a feeling of unity and singularity, but the NTH-100 manage it almost casually.

Tonality is equally impressive. The company’s ‘pro’ heritage is obvious in the swift, controlled and unshowy way they hand over low-frequency information – and bass stuff is so well-behaved that the midrange has more than enough space to do its detailed, expressive and revealing thing. At the top end, too, there’s precision allied to bite – and, as everywhere else, prodigious detail levels.

Dynamic headroom for big volume changes is more than adequate, and the Rode pay proper attention to the more nuanced harmonic variations apparent in pretty much any piece of music too. Rhythms are expressed with absolute certainty, and the low-frequency rigour the NTH-100 demonstrate means tempos are always on the front foot too. Some listeners will undoubtedly find these headphones wanting when it comes to outright bass presence, but those who value realism over unnatural, overheated and overconfident low-end sounds will realise the Røde are giving them a complete, but uncoloured, picture.

Which is not to say the NTH-100 are in any way dispassionate, overly analytical or prissy. They understand full well that music is entertainment that’s meant to be engaged with rather than a puzzle that’s there to be solved.

Price and availability
The Røde NTH-100 are on sale now, and they’re priced at £149 per pair.

The post Røde NTH-100 Headphones Review appeared first on Audio Media International.