Mike, Dan, and Julian chat through issues from the week's news as well as the usual tips, tricks and questions answered.New Podcast Sponsor - e-instrumentsThanks to e-instruments who are supporting the podcast this month and this week we are featuring the Session Keys Grand Y which captures one of the most used Grand Pianos. It's designed to be transparent yet have a dynamic sound to make it the go-to Grand for Pop and Jazz artists offering powerful bass-lines as well as sparkling right-hand runs and with a multitude of modern features, the sound possibilities don't end there. DealsSave 25% on Zplane ElastiqueAAX Pitch And Time Plug-in for £230. Check out the comparisons between the ElastiqueAAX and other pitch and time manipulation plug-ins, and read what Alan Sallabank has to say.   If you need to change the time and pitch of content, especially if you work in post production then do not miss this deal.  Don’t forget to check out the deals from our Partners in the Partner Deals section on our Deals page. Talking Points Kindly Sponsored By Universal AudioUntil May 31st you can save up to 60% on classic Neve compressors, EQs and channel strip UAD plug-ins. The “Neve Sound” has been integral to legendary pop, rock, and hip-hop albums for over 40 years. From the sheen of a 1073 EQ to the smack of the 33609 compressor, get the only genuine Neve plug-ins on UAD and Apollo hardware during UA’s Neve Sale!  Would You Buy Avid Pro Tools If You Were Starting Again? Have Your Say In Our Poll Is This What The Apple Mac Pro Modular Will Look Like?CompetitionsCan You Tell A Real Rhodes Suitcase Piano From A Sampled Virtual Instrument and which do you prefer? This prize draw competition includes a shootout. Listen to 3 examples, and see which one you prefer. One of them is a real 1973 Suitcase, the other 2 are the e-instruments Session Keys S. Enter and win a copy.  Win 10 Plugin Alliance AAX DSP Plugins Of Your Choice Our friends at Plugin Alliance have worked hard to support the AAX DSP platform and have 51 AAX DSP plug-ins now. In this competition, one person will win 10 Plugin Alliance AAX DSP plug-ins of their choice and 5 runners up will win one AAX DSP plug-in of their choice. If you have an HDX system you will want to enter this competition…  Community Feedback Kindly Sponsored by RSPE Audio SolutionsIf you are looking to give your studio the power to Create, Edit, Mix, Master and Deliver Dolby Atmos content, then check our friends at RSPE Audio Solutions as for over 15 years, they have been a proud Dolby Professional dealer and installer and they are one or a handful of dealers you can supply the Dolby Atmos Mastering Suite. Alex Reverberi has been in touch with an idea following on from our discussion about Native and HD versions of Pro Tools. He would like Avid to give us the option to control third party hardware via Pro Tools instead of having to use a separate app for it. As a multiple Apollos 8p user he would like an option to enable users to control the hardware, Unison preamps, do zero latency monitoring while tracking directly through Pro Tools instead of having to set up a separate mix in Console.This Week’s Featured Pro Tools Expert InterviewThis week’s featured interview is James’ interview with John Rivers, owner of Woodbine Street Studios in Royal Leamington Spa. John talks about his journey into recording from being a professional drummer and later playing keyboards and becoming a  Hammond organist, John's collection of vintage compressors, his Audient 8024 24 channel console and how he uses it for tracking but not mixing choosing instead to mix totally in the box. Questions From The CommunityDon Hamlett would like our advice on buying a pre-owned MacBook Pro to work with Pro Tools.Check put the list of approved MacBook Pro machines on the Avid Compatibility charts. Scroll down to the OSX Computers section and open that and then down to the laptops section and you wil

Mike, Dan, and Peter chat through issues from the week's news as well as the usual tips, tricks and questions answered.New Podcast Sponsor - e-instrumentsThanks to e-instruments who are supporting the podcast this month. This week we are featuring the Session Keys Electric R which has been designed to capture the essence of a vintage 1976 Mark I. Considered to be the defining sound of Soul, Funk and Fusion the 1976 Mark 1 still holds a place in keyboard player’s arsenal to this day. The Electric R has a clean studio sound and a crunchy live sound, as well as a range of effects and e-instruments, have designed the Electric R to be as authentic to the original as it is versatile.Source Connect NowAs you may know, we are spread out around the UK & Europe when we record the podcast. In the past, we have used a variety of internet based solutions so we could hear each other.  We have settled on Source Connect Now which gives us ISDN equivalent quality audio using a Chrome browser, no software to install. You can get a free account from Source Elements.DealsSave 25% on Zplane ElastiqueAAX Pitch And Time Plug-in for £230. Check out the comparisons between the ElastiqueAAX and other pitch and time manipulation plug-ins, and read what Alan Sallabank has to say.   If you need to change the time and pitch of content, especially if you work in post production then do not miss this deal.  Don’t forget to check out the deals from our Partners in the Partner Deals section on our Deals page. Talking Points Kindly Sponsored By Universal AudioUntil May 31st you can save up to 60% on classic Neve compressors, EQs and channel strip UAD plug-ins. The “Neve Sound” has been integral to legendary pop, rock, and hip-hop albums for over 40 years. From the sheen of a 1073 EQ to the smack of the 33609 compressor, get the only genuine Neve plug-ins on UAD and Apollo hardware during UA’s Neve Sale!  Pro Tools Cloud Collaboration From Avid - 1 Year On - What Is The Story?What Was Your First Third Party Plug-in Purchase For Pro ToolsCompetitionsCan You Tell A Real Rhodes Suitcase Piano From A Sampled Virtual Instrument and which do you prefer? This prize draw competition includes a shootout. Listen to 3 examples, and see which one you prefer. One of them is a real 1973 Suitcase, the other 2 are the e-instruments Session Keys S. Enter and win a copy.  Win 10 Plugin Alliance AAX DSP Plugins Of Your Choice Our friends at Plugin Alliance have worked hard to support the AAX DSP platform and have 51 AAX DSP plug-ins now. In this competition, one person will win 10 Plugin Alliance AAX DSP plug-ins of their choice and 5 runners up will win one AAX DSP plug-in of their choice. If you have an HDX system you will want to enter this competition…  Community Feedback Kindly Sponsored by RSPE Audio SolutionsRSPE is proud to announce they are the exclusive US reseller for Non-Lethal Applications Video Slave 3. If the Avid Video Engine isn’t cutting it for you, contact RSPE to learn how Video Slave 3 greatly improve your workflow.If you are looking to give your studio the power to Create, Edit, Mix, Master and Deliver Dolby Atmos content, then check our friends at RSPE Audio Solutions as for over 15 years, they have been a proud Dolby Professional dealer and installer and they are one or a handful of dealers you can supply the Dolby Atmos Mastering Suite.  Boris Milan has been in touch to thank us responding to his question about his Pro Tools Upgrade plans, even though we had three different answers it gave him some valuable perspective about his options and him to reconsider what to do.Jamie Dockerty asks if we can look at reviewing the Acustica Audio Plug-ins especially the new Gold and Amethyst3 plug-ins.Barry Towndrow wrote to say that a few weeks ago we mentioned a USB hub but didn’t make a note of it at the time.This Week’s Featured Pro Tools Expert InterviewThis we

James, Julian and Alan chat through issues from the week's news as well as the usual tips, tricks and questions answered.New Podcast Sponsor - e-instrumentsWe now have new podcast sponsors and it’s a different brand each month. Thanks to e-instruments who are supporting the podcast this month. The e-instruments Session Keys are a series of highly expressive and versatile acoustic grand pianos and famous electric pianos designed to help you quickly achieve great results. This week we are featuring the Session Keys Grand S which gives you one of the most iconic Concert Grands used in concerts and recordings around the globe. It's warm tone and full resonances mesmerises in itself but the additional sound design tools open up a new world of possibilities. You can get an exclusive 10% discount on all Session Keys products but you will need to listen to the podcast to get the discount code Source Connect NowAs you may know, we are spread out around the UK & Europe when we record the podcast. In the past, we have used a variety of internet based solutions so we could hear each other.  We have settled on Source Connect Now which gives us ISDN equivalent quality audio using a Chrome browser, no software to install. You can get a free account from Source Elements. CompetitionsCan You Tell A Real Rhodes Suitcase Piano From A Sampled Virtual Instrument and which do you prefer? This prize draw competition includes a shootout. Listen to 3 examples, and see which one you prefer. One of them is a real 1973 Suitcase, the other 2 are the e-instruments Session Keys S. Enter and win a copy.  Win 10 Plugin Alliance AAX DSP Plugins Of Your Choice Our friends at Plugin Alliance have worked hard to support the AAX DSP platform and have 51 AAX DSP plug-ins now. In this competition, one person will win 10 Plugin Alliance AAX DSP plug-ins of their choice and 5 runners up will win one AAX DSP plug-in of their choice. If you have an HDX system you will want to enter this competition…  DealsSave 25% on Zplane ElastiqueAAX Pitch And Time Plug-in for £230. Check out the comparisons between the ElastiqueAAX and other pitch and time manipulation plug-ins, and read what Alan Sallabank has to say.   If you need to change the time and pitch of content, especially if you work in post production then do not miss this deal.  Don’t forget to check out the deals from our Partners in the Partner Deals section on our Deals page. This Week’s Featured Pro Tools Expert InterviewThis week’s featured interview is an interview by Sound Designer and Supervisor Jonah Guelzo from a series covering all aspects of Filmmaking from sound, to picture and editing. In this episode, Jonah speaks with Academy Award Winning, Supervising Sound Editor, Lon Bender about founding Post-Production audio company Soundelux in 1982 and continuing his passion for film sound on modern day classic feature films. Talking Points Kindly Sponsored By Universal AudioUntil May 31st you can save up to 60% on classic Neve compressors, EQs and channel strip UAD plug-ins. The “Neve Sound” has been integral to legendary pop, rock, and hip-hop albums for over 40 years. From the sheen of a 1073 EQ to the smack of the 33609 compressor, get the only genuine Neve plug-ins on UAD and Apollo hardware during UA’s Neve Sale! One Pro Tools To Rule Them All - Is It Time For Avid To Do This?Pro Tools Default Shortcuts - Why I Find Them An Essential Part Of My Evolving Workflow Community Feedback Kindly Sponsored by RSPE Audio SolutionsRSPE is proud to announce they are the exclusive US reseller for Non-Lethal Applications Video Slave 3. If the Avid Video Engine isn’t cutting it for you, contact RSPE to learn how Video Slave 3 greatly improve your workflow. Boris Milan currently has a Pro Tools HD6 system but is looking to upgrade but even having heard our discussions about upgrade options as he is looking at buying a secondhand cheese grater Mac Pro with an HDX system or go

Russ, Mike and Dan chat through issues from the week's news as well as the usual tips, tricks and questions answered.New Podcast Sponsor - e-instrumentsWe now have new podcast sponsors and it’s a different brand each month. Thanks to e-instruments who are supporting the podcast this month. The e-instruments Session Keys are a series of highly expressive and versatile acoustic grand pianos and famous electric pianos designed to help you quickly achieve great results. This week we are featuring the Session Keys Electric S. Captured from a carefully restored vintage 1973 Suitcase, Electric S offers the clean unaltered line out signal, the expressive amplified vintage piano sound as well as fascinating acoustic noises and resonances recorded via a unique microphone setup.  You can get an exclusive 10% discount on all Session Keys products but you will need to listen to the podcast to get the discount code Source Connect NowAs you may know, we are spread out around the UK & Europe when we record the podcast. In the past, we have used a variety of internet based solutions so we could hear each other.  We have settled on Source Connect Now which gives us ISDN equivalent quality audio using a Chrome browser, no software to install. You can get a free account from Source Elements. CompetitionsCan You Tell A Real Rhodes Suitcase Piano From A Sampled Virtual Instrument and which do you prefer? This prize draw competition includes a shootout. Listen to 3 examples, and see which one you prefer. One of them is a real 1973 Suitcase, the other 2 are the e-instruments Session Keys S. Enter and win a copy.  Win 10 Plugin Alliance AAX DSP Plugins Of Your Choice Our friends at Plugin Alliance have worked hard to support the AAX DSP platform and have 51 AAX DSP plug-ins now. In this competition, one person will win 10 Plugin Alliance AAX DSP plug-ins of their choice and 5 runners up will win one AAX DSP plug-in of their choice. If you have an HDX system you will want to enter this competition…  DealsSave 25% on Zplane ElastiqueAAX Pitch And Time Plug-in for £230. Check out the comparisons between the ElastiqueAAX and other pitch and time manipulation plug-ins, and read what Alan Sallabank has to say.   If you need to change the time and pitch of content, especially if you work in post production then do not miss this deal.  Don’t forget to check out the deals from our Partners in the Partner Deals section on our Deals page. This Week’s Featured Pro Tools Expert InterviewThis week’s featured interview is James talking to film composer Patrick Jonsson.  Patrick works from a converted bedroom studio in hisNorth London and they talk about Patrick's process of writing for film and his amazing Pro Tools template that allows him to work on surround sound projects while only having a 2.0 monitoring system.Talking Points Kindly Sponsored By Universal AudioUntil June 30th buy any award-winning Apollo rackmount audio interface and get an analog dream studio filled with up to $3,500 of genuine UAD plug-ins from Studer, Lexicon, AKG, Pultec, Fairchild, Teletronix, and more! Buy an Apollo Duo or Apollo Firewire and get a plugin bundle worth $1200, buy an Apollo 8P, Apollo 8 Quad or Apollo 16 and get a plugin bundle worth $2000, or buy any 2 Apollo rack mounted interfaces, and get a plugin bundle worth $3500. Pro Tools Product Road Map - Avid Announce Some Results From ACA Pro Tools SurveyHow To Soundproof A Home Recording Studio - Part 1Community Feedback Kindly Sponsored by RSPE Audio SolutionsRSPE Audio Solutions is your source for complete pro audio systems. From home studios large and small through to professional recording studios or post production facilities, RSPE offers the expertise and equipment to build your dream studio and save you time and money. Check out a few of RSPE’s previous studio builds. Patrick Pearce has an alternative suggestion for James having read part two of his transit

Dan, Julian and Peter chat through issues from the week's news as well as the usual tips, tricks and questions answered.New Podcast Sponsor - Synchro ArtsWe have new podcast sponsors and it’s going to be a different brand each month.   Thanks to Synchro Arts who are this month’s podcast sponsor. VocALign Pro 4 is the most advanced version of the legendary VocALign program, providing instant tight alignment of one audio signal to another. Simply capture a Guide signal with the right timing, capture a Dub signal to be aligned, press one button, and a new aligned Dub is generated and returned to your DAW. It has AudioSuite, AAX, VST3 and AU plug-in integration for most popular DAWs.But note unlike its big brother Revoice Pro, the Pitch of aligned audio is unchanged.Source Connect NowAs you may know, we are spread out around the UK & Europe when we record the podcast. In the past, we have used a variety of internet based solutions so we could hear each other.  We have settled on Source Connect Now which gives us ISDN equivalent quality audio using a Chrome browser, no software to install. You can get a free account from Source Elements.CompetitionsWin The Amazing zplane élastiqueAAX Time & Pitch Manipulation Plug-inWin Music Production Software & Plug-ins Bundle Worth £1,200DealsNo Pro Tools Expert so far this month but do check out the deals from our Partners in the Partner Deals section on this page. This Week’s Featured Pro Tools Expert InterviewThis week’s featured interview is James’ interview on recording & mixing drums with Top Session Drummer Alex Thomas. They discuss Alex’s work, studio and workflow as a solo drummer with a professional studio.  Talking Points Kindly Sponsored By Universal AudioUntil June 30th buy any award-winning Apollo rackmount audio interface and get an analog dream studio filled with up to $3,500 of genuine UAD plug-ins from Studer, Lexicon, AKG, Pultec, Fairchild, Teletronix, and more! Buy an Apollo Duo or Apollo Firewire and get a plugin bundle worth $1200, buy an Apollo 8P, Apollo 8 Quad or Apollo 16 and get a plugin bundle worth $2000, or buy any 2 Apollo rack mounted interfaces, and get a plugin bundle worth $3500.If You Can't Make A Decent Recording Now Then Give Up!5 Reasons For Turning Down Work – Not Every Project Is Right For You Or The ClientCommunity Feedback Kindly Sponsored by RSPE Audio SolutionsRSPE has an ever-growing selection of analog and digital synthesizers, both new and vintage. So whether you’re looking for the newest synth on the market or an obscure vintage piece, consider reaching out to RSPE and see what they can do to help...Darren Heelis wanted to bring our attention to the passing of Tom Coyne, a highly respected mastering engineer.Questions From The CommunityMikel F Krutzaga asks is it possible to import multiple MIDI tempo maps into the same Pro Tools session? Using Import Session Data overwrites the previous tempo map.Varun Krishna has an ORION 32 + and is planning to buy a PURE 2 for printing mixes from the Audient asp 8024 HE console. He asks if it's better to upgrade to ORION HD from ORION 32+ or to integrate 10MX clock to the Orion 32+ and Pure 2 setup? Is there a big difference in DA section of Orion 32 + and Orion HD? He is planning to use the Orion just for DA and will be using Pure 2 for AD and would like to know if there any significant upgrade in ADDA of OrionHD from Orion 32. If anyone knows if this is possible and knows how to do this please get in touch.Find Of The WeekDan - RX6 - Dialogue Isolate Julian - Softube FET CompressorPeter - My neighbour

James, Russ and Alan chat through issues from the week's news as well as the usual tips, tricks and questions answered.New Podcast Sponsor - Synchro ArtsWe have new podcast sponsors and it’s going to be a different brand each month.   Thanks to Synchro Arts who are this month’s podcast sponsor. his month they have announced an upgrade for their Revoice Pro software. Revoice Pro v3.3 is great at timing and pitch matching, and has lots of applications in music and post production. They are also offering a 30% sale onRevoice Pro licenses, rentals and upgrades until midnight 30 April 2017. If you are not sure then you can get a 14-day free trial, and there are loads of videos to help you get the most from Revoice Pro. More details on the Synchro Arts website. With a link in the podcast notes.  Source Connect NowAs you may know, we are spread out around the UK & Europe when we record the podcast. In the past, we have used a variety of internet based solutions so we could hear each other.  We have settled on Source Connect Now which gives us ISDN equivalent quality audio using a Chrome browser, no software to install. You can get a free account from Source Elements.CompetitionsWin The Amazing zplane élastiqueAAX Time & Pitch Manipulation Plug-inWin Music Production Software & Plug-ins Bundle Worth £1,200DealsNo Pro Tools Expert so far this month but do check out the deals from our Partners in the Partner Deals section on this page. This Week’s Featured Pro Tools Expert InterviewThis week’s featured interview is from Musik Messe 2017 in Frankfurt Germany, in which James Ivey talks to Igor Levin, the owner and chief designer of Antelope Audio. Igor tells us about some of his earlier work with pro-audio companies and how he developed previous well-known audio brands.  He then goes on to talk about how Antelope Audio have developed as a brand from just being known for their high-end clocking solutions to being one of the premier brands in the audio interface market with models like the new Zen Studio+ and the Orion series of interfaces.Talking Points Kindly Sponsored By Universal AudioUntil June 30th buy any award-winning Apollo rackmount audio interface and get an analog dream studio filled with up to $3,500 of genuine UAD plug-ins from Studer, Lexicon, AKG, Pultec, Fairchild, Teletronix, and more! Buy an Apollo Duo or Apollo Firewire and get a plugin bundle worth $1200, buy an Apollo 8P, Apollo 8 Quad or Apollo 16 and get a plugin bundle worth $2000, or buy any 2 Apollo rack mounted interfaces, and get a plugin bundle worth $3500.Mac or Windows? - Why Processor Speed Isn't The Only Factor When Measuring PerformanceSimple Tips For A Creative Business Owner Wanting A Smooth Client Approvals ProcessCommunity Feedback Kindly Sponsored by RSPE Audio SolutionsKevin Olusula from the acappella group, Pentatonix, recently chose the ASC AttackWall as the acoustic treatment in his home studio. If you haven’t come across the AttackWall, it is a portable, modular acoustic environment that eliminates the room and creates a reliable, repeatable, and accurate sonic space, which is great when you can’t fix treatment to the walls. AttackWall is available exclusively from RSPE.Eric Rasmusson - Feedback to James' recent switch from Mac to Windows in his Pro Tools recording studioQuestions From The CommunityBrian - Question asking how to stop Pro Tools 10 system crashingJacob Smith - Question asking how to get Pro Tools 12 on Windows from crashing when record enable is selectedFind Of The WeekJames - £9.99 for a Windows only. Easily and quickly produce labels for your patchbays from hundreds of templates - www.patchcad.coRuss - Kodak Magnetic Inkjet Photo PapeAlan - A local specialist camera shop - Nothing beats Expert help and hands-on demonstrations of gear before purchasingListen on to the Pro Tools Expert Podcas

Russ, Mike and Julian chat through issues from the week's news as well as the usual tips, tricks and questions answered.New Podcast Sponsor - Synchro ArtsWe have new podcast sponsors and it’s going to be a different brand each month.   Thanks to Synchro Arts who are this month’s podcast sponsor. For many years, Synchro Arts have been asked to make VocALign accessible to a much wider range of audio producers and editors. In response, they introduced a permanent VocALign Project price reduction of around 50% of the previous list price. They have reduced the price but they haven’t cut back on the features, VocALign Project 3.3 provides exactly the same power and operations as the previous version. What's more, trial and full licenses now can use simple (iLok) computer-based authorization. Check out the Synchro Arts website for prices and upgrade options  Source Connect NowAs you may know, we are spread out around the UK & Europe when we record the podcast. In the past, we have used a variety of internet based solutions so we could hear each other.  We have settled on Source Connect Now which gives us ISDN equivalent quality audio using a Chrome browser, no software to install. You can get a free account from Source Elements. CompetitionsWin The Amazing zplane élastiqueAAX Time & Pitch Manipulation Plug-inWin Music Production Software & Plug-ins Bundle Worth £1,200DealsNo Pro Tools Expert so far this month but do check out the deals from our Partners in the Partner Deals section on this page. This Week’s Featured Pro Tools Expert InterviewThis week’s featured interview is from the archives and is Mike’s interview with Chris Nicoll who was Head of Production for the Capital FM Network. His work covered radio imaging for multiple stations including Capital FM in the UK. Then there was sound design for Capital TV and HearTV station idents as well as audio mixing for various Capital FM Television advertisements. Chris also runs his own composition and sound design company wizzFX.com with clients like bigFM in Germany and ZM in New Zealand. Talking Points Kindly Sponsored By Universal AudioUntil June 30th buy any award-winning Apollo rackmount audio interface and get an analog dream studio filled with up to $3,500 of genuine UAD plug-ins from Studer, Lexicon, AKG, Pultec, Fairchild, Teletronix, and more! Buy an Apollo Duo or Apollo Firewire and get a plugin bundle worth $1200, buy an Apollo 8P, Apollo 8 Quad or Apollo 16 and get a plugin bundle worth $2000, or buy any 2 Apollo rack mounted interfaces, and get a plugin bundle worth $3500. Apple announced that the Mac Pro trash-can had issues and they are planning to redesign it. Apple Mac Pro - New Modular Version Rumoured - Plus Updates To Existing Mac Pro Range The Apple Modular 2018 Mac Pro - What Do I Think It Will Look Like? Do I Regret Buying My Mac Pro Trash Can? 5 Things You Should Do Every Time You Start A Pro Tools Session Community Feedback Kindly Sponsored by RSPE Audio SolutionsPMC has recently announced their new BB6 Active Studio Monitors and the first place to hear them in the US is RSPE Audio PMC Boutique showroom. If you would like to book a PMC demo in the showroom or in your own studio then do give the RSPE team a call. Jonathan MacMillan has allowed one of Pro Tools upgrade plans to expire and when he tried to install 12.7.1 the iLok license wouldn’t allow him to run it displayed a message saying “Release Limit: Versions released on or before 22/12/2106” and wanted to make sure the community was aware of this.Questions From The CommunityGustav Jackson wanted to ask about Pro Tools metering with the additional options released in Pro Tools 11 and would like our views on the most appropriate metering option to use and whether the Pro Tools meters display true peak or not.  Mike suggested the following 3rd party metering plug-ins that do display true peak.Nugen Audio VisLM2Nugen Audio MasterCheck P

Mike, James and Alan chat through issues from the week's news as well as the usual tips, tricks and questions answered.New Podcast Sponsor - Synchro ArtsWe have new podcast sponsors and it’s going to be a different brand each month.   Thanks to Synchro Arts who are this month’s podcast sponsor. They have just announced an upgrade for their very clever Revoice Pro software. Revoice Pro is great at timing and pitch matching and has lots of applications in music and post production. They are offering a 30% sale on  Revoice Pro licenses, rentals and upgrades is on NOW to midnight 30 April 2017. If you are not sure then you can get a 14-day free trial, and there are loads of videos to help you get the most from Revoice Pro. More details on the Synchro Arts website. Source Connect NowAs you may know, we are spread out around the UK & Europe when we record the podcast. In the past, we have used a variety of internet based solutions so we could hear each other.  We have settled on Source Connect Now which gives us ISDN equivalent quality audio using a Chrome browser, no software to install. You can get a free account from Source Elements. CompetitionsWin The Amazing zplane élastiqueAAX Time & Pitch Manipulation Plug-inDealsNo Pro Tools Expert so far this month but do check out the deals from our Partners in the Partner Deals section on this page. This Week’s Featured Pro Tools Expert InterviewThis week’s featured interview is one from the archives and it is James Ivey talking to Mastering Engineer Ian Shepherd about his work, his website Production Advice and the annual Dynamic Range Day. Ian shares some of his tips and most common mistakes that he often has to try to fix in mastering, before exploring the question - Is there anything that can't fixed in mastering? Talking Points Kindly Sponsored By Universal AudioUntil June 30th buy any award-winning Apollo rackmount audio interface and get an analog dream studio filled with up to $3,500 of genuine UAD plug-ins from Studer, Lexicon, AKG, Pultec, Fairchild, Teletronix, and more! Buy an Apollo Duo or Apollo Firewire and get a plugin bundle worth $1200, buy an Apollo 8P, Apollo 8 Quad or Apollo 16 and get a plugin bundle worth $2000, or buy any 2 Apollo rack mounted interfaces, and get a plugin bundle worth $3500. Why I'm Sticking With My Apple Macs ... Living In The Real World What Is The Voice-over Microphone Everyone Should Own? Community Feedback Kindly Sponsored by RSPE Audio SolutionsRSPE Audio Solutions can handle anything from a single microphone to a complete pro audio system. From home studios large and small, to professional recording studios or post production facilities, RSPE has the expertise and equipment to build your dream studio and save you time and money. Check out a few of RSPE’s previous studio builds using the link in the podcast notes. Knut Richard Vanderloock wanted to share that he has got Universal Audio Apollo multi interface fully working on a Windows 10 computer with Thunderbolt 1. More to follow on this.Questions From The CommunityMick Tone reinstalled Pro Tools Express 10.3.4 and re-stalled his virtual instruments using the installers in his Avid Master Account following replacing a broken iLok. But when booting Pro Tools he gets an error message for each plug-in, so that when the session loads the plug-ins are not available. Can we help?Ed the Piper has been in touch to ask for our views on an Apollo Twin Mk II and an Antelope Audio Zen Tour. Also as he has been away from Pro Tools for a while and would like to know our thoughts about Pro Tools 10 compared to Pro Tools 12, and also some questions about the Avid subscription and upgrade plans.Find Of The WeekMike - Wild Ireland: The Edge of the World A beautiful documentary, shot beautifully, the music was stunning but never intrusive and a lot of the commentary was pieces to camera on location, just gorgeous. It shows that a documentary can be recorded well, shot wel

Russ, Dan and Peter chat through issues from the week's news as well as the usual tips, tricks and questions answered.New Podcast Sponsor - zplaneWe have new podcast sponsors and it’s going to be a different brand each month. So to kick us off, thanks to zplane who are supporting the podcast this month. This week we want to highlight vielklang Instant Harmony v2 which generates harmonies with 2-4 voices. You can also check out Dan’s review. Source Connect NowAs you may know, we are spread out around the UK & Europe when we record the podcast. In the past, we have used a variety of internet based solutions so we could hear each other.  We have settled on Source Connect Now which gives us ISDN equivalent quality audio using a Chrome browser, no software to install. You can get a free account from Source Elements. CompetitionsWin 1 of 5 Copies Of Regroover Essential By Accusonus - Enter and be in with a chance of winning one of five copies of Regroover Essential by Accusonus - worth $99  Win All the SoundBits Sound Effects Libraries - We are offering the chance for one lucky person to win all the SoundBits sound effects libraries. 3 more lucky people will win 5 SoundBits libraries of your choice, as runners up prizes.DealsSave Up To 25% On Leapwing CenterOne And DynOne Plugins - Buy one of these plugins and you can save an exclusive 20% off and get them for £119. Or buy them both together for £222 and save 25%.  New Deals from our Partners section on this pageThis Week’s Featured Pro Tools Expert InterviewThis week’s featured interview is one from the archives and it is James Ivey talking to Mastering Engineer Ian Shepherd about his work, his website Production Advice and the annual Dynamic Range Day. Ian shares some of his tips and most common mistakes that he often has to try to fix in mastering, before exploring the question - Is there anything that can't fixed in mastering? Talking Points Kindly Sponsored By Universal AudioUntil March 31st 2017 you can save up to $500 on UAD-2 DSP accelerators, buy a UAD-2 OCTO Satellite Thunderbolt, USB, or PCIe card save $500, or buy a UAD-2 QUAD Satellite Thunderbolt, USB, or PCIe card save $300. Video Tutorial - How To Configure Gain Structure in Your Studio - Part 1 The Greatest Challenge You Will Face In Your Creative Life And Who Can Help You Beat It A look at our 15 Minute Mix Challenge SeriesCommunity Feedback Kindly Sponsored by RSPE Audio SolutionsRSPE are having a PMC Listening Event With The Award-Winning MB3-XBD and BB6-XBD Studio Monitors on March 30th 2017 when you can join special guest Peter Thomas, founder, visionary, and owner of PMC Speakers as they launch PMC's newest active studio monitors. There will also be presentations by key PMC users from the scoring and composing industry. Names to be announced shortly. Entry is limited, so we recommend you signup asap. Andres Gonzales loves our database of free plugins and would like to know if we have a comprehensive list of sound effects providers. Andrew, there are too many to catalog but the best thing to do is to look at a number of sites that have sprung up supporting and selling sound effects libraries for independent sound effect producers. Here are some to look at. A Sound Effect SonnissSoundBitsPro Sound EffectsAs well as these sites there are a lot of independent sound effects producers with their own sites and you can check out Mike's Sunday Sound Effects Round Up for more details on these and new sound effects releases. Questions From The CommunityStephan Van der Merwe would like to know if the current Pro Tools upgrade plan is a good deal?Aaron Coleman has a problem with two particular Pro Tools 11 sessions with an error message  "Assertion in "/Volumes/Development/124699/Pro Tools/App/MacBuild/../Main/CFicAudioPlayList.cpp", line 286" that keeps coming up and would like to know how to troubleshoot and solve this error.Thread 1 on the DUC Thread 2

In this Pro Tools Expert Podcast Extra Interview, Technical Editor James Ivey talks to LA based producer and engineer Drew Drucker about his beginnings in the music and recording industry, his current work with Wiz Khalifa's Taylor Gang, Burner and some of his future projects including a TV pilot called In Tune, Out Of Bounds a travel show based around music and a musical journey.Graduating in 2005 from the Los Angeles Recording School, Drew has gone on to work with notable artists, such as Lady Gaga, The Weeknd, Busta Rhymes, Lil Jon, B-real, Bruno Mars, and Travis Barker to name a few. James and Drew talk about some of the production techniques that he used to create interesting vocal effects and some of the gear he leans on to get just the right sound or effect for the style of music he is working on. 00:00 Intro Sting00:15 Introductions00:37 Drew, tell us a little bit about yourself and your work and what started you on your path in music and audio?01:40 What sort of music do you find yourself working on at the moment?03:10 So you like to be involved in the project end to end from artist development to mastering?04:04 Is it primarily new up and coming artists you are working with or the establishment? 05:40 What is your DAW / Software of choice?14:10 Gear and all things gear. Are you an "In the Box" or "Out of the Box" guy?17:00 Are you using Universal Audio Apollo as your interface or I/O?17:29 Are you an SSL G or E type of guy? 22:05 Do you have a home studio or do you rent a space?28:27 Do you have any go-to gear that is on your can't live without list?33:03 Are you a guitarist and musician first before being an engineer?38:13 So which do you reach for Autotune or Melodyne?44:24 Sign off.