Among Philips headphones there is a new device : SHK2000 – kids’ 32 mm over ears headphones with 12 Hz – 22 kHz reproducible frequencies and neodymium magnets. Their sensitivity is 99 dB, impedance is 32 Ohms, maximal input power is 40 mW and mass is 100 g. Cable connects to both cups, it has 1/8″ mini jack nickel-plated plug for connection to sound source. Headphones are made in bright blue and green colors, fitting kids; their maximal volume is limited by 85 dB for safe listening; they are built without screws for safety and their headband is adjustable. Package contains : Philips SHK2000 headphones themselves, warranty card and user’s guide. Headphones are of high quality, having wide frequencies range, neodymium magnets and safe for children characteristics; there is ability to anticipate, that Philips will not overprice them at the moment of appearance in the shops, so they can be surely recommended for purchase for the youth.
The King of a Golden Hall ( Rohan, The Lord of the Rings ) in DAW REAPER
Music from The Lord of the Rings inspires, lets continue creation of compositions from this film with soundtrack “The King of a Golden Hall ( Rohan )” in a DAWREAPER. MIDI notes I downloaded from Internet, thank you goes to their original author, this time in tracks and notes themselves there was almost no need to change anything : everything already worked. Only for main instruments I applied band compressor ( it compresses only part of frequencies, instead of a whole range ) and applied automation to it to switch it on only in needed parts, so that it will not touch areas, which play good without it. In composition there are only 4 tracks : wind instruments ( sampled synthesizer DSK Brass with preset French Horn, low-pass filter to remove high frequency noise and ringing and reverberation ), violin ( DSK Strings with preset Violin and reverberation ), low frequency string instruments ( DSK Overture with contrabass and cello + phaser + small reverberation ) and additional string instruments, playing only in key parts of composition for its strengthening ( DSK Strings with viola and harp ). Via this link completed composition in FLAC format and archive with project file and sounds can be downloaded : The King of a Golden Hall ( Rohan, The Lord of the Rings ) in DAW REAPER.
VST instrument DSK Overture and effects ESI Phaser, Reverberation and Chorus and ReaCompressor in DAW REAPER
For reverberation and phaser I used VST plugins, coming with ESI sound card, for band compressor built-in effect of REAPER and for low-pass filter scripted effect of this DAW. All in all creation of this composition is much easier, than other ones : tracks and MIDI notes are of high quality, there is ability to attach instruments and effects, make small adjustments and strokes and composition plays. I did not added drums to it, because it plays without them and they are excessive in it.
Hybrid VST synthesizer Funxion in DAW REAPER
Then small balancing of instruments’ volumes, so that they play together in composition and do not try to silence each other; in this sound track I did not moved instruments in stereo picture, because there are not much of them and their movement would cause emptiness in other channel. Then small amount of listens, render of the project into FLAC file and composition ready. Next time I’ll continue work in this direction and will create variation of other composition, see you in the broadcast.
One of the MIDI keyboards of Alesis company is a compact V25, which has 8 velocity and pressure sensitive drumpads. It has 25 full-sized velocity-sensitive keys, 4 assignable knobs and 4 assignable buttons, octaves control buttons and modulation and pitch-bend wheels; all controls, except of keys, have backlight. It is powered only from USB connection, on its rear panel there is also TRS 1/4″ jacksustain pedal input; keyboard works in Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 and Mac OS X 10.7 operating systems without additional drivers via Plug and Play technology, in which it tightly interacts with modern DAWs : Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase, FL Studio, Cackewalk Sonar, REAPER and others, and their VST instruments and effects.
USB MIDI keyboard Alesis V25 ( back panel )
With it following software is supplied : DAWAbleton Live Lite 9 and AIR Music Tech Xpand!2. Package with MIDI keyboard Alesis V25 contains : USB cable, warranty card and user’s guide. Keyboard is very compact and has full-sized keys, 8 drumpads, modulation control and pitch-bend wheels and other assignable controls; wherein it has one of the smallest prices among MIDI keyboards, so it can be viewed as entry-level very functional device in this direction.
One of the Firewireaudio interfaces of Focusrite company is a Saffire Pro 14 – device with 8 inputs, 6 outputs, support of 96 kHz and 24 bits work mode and 2 Focusrite preamplifiers. On its frontal panel there are : 2 combined XLR/TRS 1/4″ jack microphone/linear/instrumental Hi-Z inputs; 2 their gain control knobs with signal and clip indicators; phantom power +48 V switch for both inputs with indicators of its activity and instrumental mode of both inputs; main outputs volume control knob; power, Firewire connection and device locking indicators; as well as TRS 1/4″ jack monitor headphones output. On back panel of device there are : coaxial digital SPDIF input and output; power adapter input; MIDI input and output; Firewire port for connection to computer and powering ( audio interface can work in mobile mode without power adapter ); 4 analogue linear TRS 1/4″ jack outputs; and 2 the same type inputs.
Firewire audio interface Focusrite Saffire Pro 14 ( back panel )
Part of parameters of work of Focusrite Saffire Pro 14 are controlled through Saffire MixControl Application; connectors of device have following parameters : microphone inputs ( THD+N 0.001 %, noise level -124 dB amd impedance 2 kOhms ); linear inputs ( THD+N 0.001 %, noise level -90 dB and impedance more than 10 kOhms ); instrumental inputs ( THD+N 0.004 % and noise level -87 dB ); analogue outputs ( THD+N 0.001 % ); channels isolation is a 100 dB. Dynamic range of analogue to digital conversions is a 109 dB, digital to analogue 106 dB. Audio interface works in Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 and Mac OS X with support of ASIO 2.0 and Core Audio interfaces, accordingly, via which it works with modern DAWs : FL Studio, Cackewalk Sonar, REAPER, Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase and others. With it following software is supplied : Focusrite VST/RTAS/AU ( compressor, reverberation, Gating and equalizer ), DAWAbleton Live Lite 8, AU and VST versions of synthesizer Novation Bass Station and around 1 GB of free samples Loopmasters and Mike the Drummer. Device’s sizes are 215 ( width ) x 45 ( height ) x 220 ( depth ) mm and mass is 1.5 kg.
Package contains : Firewire audio interface Focusrite Saffire Pro 14 itself, power adapter, FireWire cable, disks with drivers and software, rubber pads for device, warranty card and user’s guide. Interface has high characteristics, wide connectors range and convenient controls, there is also need to note, that among USB audio interfaces of Steinberg, Behringer, Focusrite itself, Roland, ESI, M-Audio and other manufacturers production there are similar and even more functional devices.
Another one new device from Pioneer company is a 10 mm in-ears headphones SE-CL712T with 5 Hz – 22 kHz reproducible sounds frequencies range, microphone and closed-back architecture. Their sensitivity is 105 dB, maximal input power is 100 mW and impedance is 32 Ohms. To both cups 1.2 m cable is connected with microphone and smartphones control button, built in to volume control module, as well as 1/8″ mini jack connector with gold-plated contacts. Headphones mass is 4 g ( without cable accounting ); they are supplied in red, white, blue, black and pink color variants; package with Pioneer SE-CL712T headphones contains : 3 interchangeable eartips of different sizes ( large, medium and small ), warranty card and user’s guide. All in all headphones are good, with large membranes for in-ears headphones, wide reproducible frequencies range and microphone; their price is approximately 20 USD, from one side they are not overpriced, from the other : for such money there is ability to buy large monitor headphones and receive better sound, so here choice is between compactness and sound quality.
Company M-Audio presented new USB audio interfacesM-Track 2×2 with convenient controls on body and support of 192 kHz and 24 bits. On its frontal panel there are TRS 1/4″ jack instrumental Hi-Z input, phantom power +48 V switch button for microphone input and TRS 1/4″ jack output for monitor headphones. On top panel there are : gain control knobs for both inputs, with levels and clips indicators; main outputs volume control knob; source signal switch Direct Monitor/USB; volume control for monitor headphones; switch on button with power and phantom power indicators. On back panel of device there are : Kensington Lock slot, USB port for connection to computer and powering, 2 main ( left and right ) TRS 1/4″ jack outputs of card and combined XLR/TRS 1/4″ jack balanced microphone/linear input.
USB audio interface M-Audio M-Track 2×2 ( back panel )
Device M-Audio M-Track 2×2 can work in Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 and Mac OS X 10.8 and newer with support of ASIO 2.0 and Core Audio interfaces, accordingly, via which it tightly integrates with modern DAWs : Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase, FL Studio, Cackewalk Sonar, REAPER and others. With it following software is supplied : AIR Creative FX Collection ( 20 AU/VST effects ), AIR Strike, AIR Xpand!2, AIR Mini Grand and DAWSteinberg Cubase LE.
Together with M-Audio M-Track 2×2 package contains : USB and USB-C cables, disks with drivers and software, warranty card and user’s guide. Audio interface is quite good, has 192 kHz sampling rate and 24 bits per sample precision and convenient controls, it is designed mainly for independent musicians and little studios. Because this device is new and, taking into account M-Audio‘s pricing policy, there is ability to anticipate high price for device, so there is ability to look on also on studio USB audio interfaces of Steinberg, Behringer, Focusrite, Roland, ESI, M-Audio itself and other manufacturers production.
Company Philips released new dynamic monitor headphonesSHL2605 with 32 mm membranes, moved by neodymium magnets, support of sound reproduction in 19 Hz – 21.5 kHz frequencies range, closed back architecture and microphone. Their sensitivity is 103 dB, impedance is 24 Ohms and maximal input power is 50 mW. To both cups 1.8 m not detachable cable is mounted with microphone and smartphones control buttons, built into volume control module, and 1/8″ mini jack chrome-plated plug for connection to sound source.
In place of entering into cups wire of Philips SHL2605 additionally reinforced with resin tubes for increased wear resistance and durability during bending and tear off forces application. It has no clip and slider for tangling and clinging to clothes and nearby objects prevention. Headphones are not foldable, they have no active noise-cancellation function, as some other monitor headphones have; each their cup has only 1 audio emitter. Headband and cushions of device are covered with soft material for comfortable wearing during long-time sounds and music listening; it is supplied only in black color variant.
Package contains : Philips SHL2605 headphones themselves, warranty card and user’s guide. These are good headphones with wide reproducible frequencies range, neodymium magnets and built-in microphone, there is ability to anticipate, that Philips will not overprice its device; there is also need to note, that there is ability to buy for adequate amount of money 40 and 50 mm monitor headphones of other manufacturers. At the beginning of August of 2016 year they cost approximately 22 USD – it is quite adequate for them price, there is also ability to note, that if from device compactness and small mass are needed, then there is ability to buy in-ears headphones, oriented for use during sportive exercises and trainings and everyday compact use. Wherein their cable is often equipped with clip and slider.
Philips – is a company, which were founded in Dutch in 1891 year; now it has 3 large subdivisions, which develop and produce : consumer electronics, medical equipment and lighting devices. At current moment this is one of the largest companies – producers of electronics, in which around 105000 people work in 60 countries of the world. In electronics area it produces wide range of devices : from kitchen appliances to headphones and smartphones. Philips is notable for producing quality devices, providing proper technical information about them without using of large amounts of psychological marketing and for setting of optimal prices for its goods.
May it Be, Enya, The Lord of the Rings in DAW REAPER
Today’s article about music creation in DAWREAPER will be devoted to May it Be composition of Enya, which also was used in The Lord of the Rings film. For its creation I downloaded MIDI notes from Internet, thank you goes to their original author, used large amount of instruments and effects and in final version left only sampler synthesizer DSK Overture and effects ESI Chorus, Reverberation and Phaser and built-in compressor to keep basses dynamic range in control. In the source MIDI file there is large amount of tracks, which with rich for frequencies and movement sounds of DAW produce mess, so I left only 4 of them : main strings instruments, flute ( main instrument ), basses and additional strings instruments, which play only in key parts for their strengthening. To make sounds of main and additional strings instruments do not create dissonance, I separated them by stereo channels, this also added volume to composition : to the left there are one instruments, to the right – others. Completed composition in FLAC format, along with project source file and sounds, can be downloaded via this link : May it Be, Enya, The Lord of the Rings in DAW REAPER.
VST instrument DSK Overture and effects ESI Phaser, Reverberation and Chorus and ReaCompressor in DAW REAPER
Source tracks’ MIDI-notes have large amount of overlaps of sounds frequencies, which create audio mess; for example, tracks of string and wind instruments have notes, which move into basses area, wherein basses have notes, which ascend to middle frequencies; so, I removed from tracks all notes, that move outside of ranges. Then applied to sampled synthesized sounds of strings and wind instruments low-pass filters with high cut-off frequency, so that they’ll not move into high frequencies range to main instrument domain – flute. For it I used large amount of different instruments : piano, synthesized flute ( it even sounds more or less good and fits composition ) and other instruments, but exactly sampled synthesized flute sounds fit composition the most. In some of its notes’ sounds there are tambourines, but there is nothing to do about it : instrument is free and high quality in all other respects; clean quality can be obtained with paid sampled synthesized instruments, which use Sound Font samples. There were also large amount of experiments with instruments, effects and their parameters to balance composition and make it sound good ( for example, use of envelope’s Release parameter automation of synthesized in Funxion flute, to make it sound longer at the ends of notes groups, than at the ends of notes inside groups ), I did not described all of them to not increase article size 2 – 3 times and shown only final result.
Hybrid VST synthesizer Funxion in DAW REAPER
In process of composition creation there were large amount of listens, adjustments makings and listens again till composition started to sound in a needed way; then instruments’ volumes balancing, to make them sound together instead of silencing each other, for example, I decreased basses volume, because this composition is not with a basses power, but a melodic one. Then a few amount of tweaks and composition started to sound good enough. This is it for today, check details in project’s file and ask questions in comments, if you have ones. Next time I’ll create variation of other composition to continue development in this area, see you next time.
One of the Akai’s MIDI keyboards is a device Professional MPK Mini MKII 25 with 8 velocity and pressure sensitive drumpads with backlight and velocity-sensitive keys on 2 octaves. It also has : joystick with 4 movement directions for pitch and modulation control; 8 assignable knobs; built-in arpreggiator; buttons for octaves control, Note Repeat, Full Level and Tap Tempo; 1/4″ jack input for Sustain pedal; and USB port for connection to computer and powering ( it does not require power adapter ).
MIDI keyboard Akai Professional MPK Mini MKII 25 ( back and right panels )
After purchase there is ability to download from manufacturer’s website following programs : Akai Pro MPC Essentials, SONiVOX Wobble, AIR Music Tech Hybrid 3 and MPK mini MIDI Editor; device works in Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 and Mac OS X 10.7 and newer without additional drivers and integrates with modern DAWsSteinberg Cubase, FL Studio, Cackewalk Sonar, REAPER, Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live and others and their VST/AU instruments and effects. Its sizes are 317.5 ( width ) x 181.1 ( depth ) x 44.5 ( height ) mm and mass is 0.79 kg. Package contains : Akai Professional MPK Mini MKII 25 MIDI keyboard itself, USB cable, warranty card and user’s guide. All in all device is good with keys on 2 octaves, 8 drumpads and large amount of assignable controls, there is also ability to look on MIDI keyboards with close keys amount of other manufacturers and choose one, which suits the best for task, in design and in price terms.
One of the most advanced USB audio interfaces of Behringer company is a U-PHORIA UMC1820 – device with 18 inputs, 20 outputs, 8 MIDAS preamplifiers and support of 96 kHz and 24 bits work mode. On its frontal panel following are placed : 2 microphone/linear/instrumental Hi-Z combined XLR/TRS 1/4″ jack inputs; phantom power +48 V switch buttons for inputs 1 – 4 and 5 – 8; instrumental and linear work mode switches, PAD buttons, clip indicators and gain control buttons for each of 8 inputs with preamplifiers; outputs monitoring block with channels selection button 1-2/1-8 and mono/stereo work mode switch; 2 TRS 1/4″ jack outputs for monitor headphones, with channels selectors 1-2/3-4, ADAT/SPDIF work mode switch for digital optical connectors, MIDI input and output, power and phantom power indicators; as well as switch on button. On its back panel there are : power adapter input, USB port for connection to computer; MIDI input and output; optical digital input and output, able to work in ADAT and SPDIF modes; coaxial digital RCA input and output; 10 analogue linear TRS 1/4″ jack outputs ( 1st and 2nd are main ); and another one 6 combined XLR/TRS 1/4″ jack inputs.
USB audio interface Behringer U-PHORIA UMC1820 ( back panel )
Dynamical range of Behringer U-PHORIA UMC1820 is a 106 dB, it draws maximum 20 W of energy; for it drivers are released for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10, in Mac OS X it works without additional drivers, with support of ASIO 2.0 and Core Audio interfaces, accordingly. Which allow it to work with modern DAWs : FL Studio, Cackewalk Sonar, REAPER, Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase and others; its sizes are 46 ( height ) x 483 ( width ) x 130 ( depth ) mm and mass is 1.8 kg; with it DAWTracktion is supplied.
With Behringer U-PHORIA UMC1820 package contains : USB cable, power adapter, 3-years warranty card and user’s guide. All in all interface is good with large amount of connectors, high characteristics and quality inputs preamplifiers, it is suitable for large studios, for small ones there is ability to buy device with the same components quality and smaller connectors amount of Steinberg, Behringer itself, Focusrite, Roland, ESI, M-Audio and other manufacturers production.
