my studios. This week we’re going to concentrate on an artist all the way
from Australia, Col Millington. The name of this release is " Somewhere
Between". The title track is a song that inspired Col to write the whole
album. The songs are original Country Christian and according to Col, the
entire album of 14 tracks seemed to flow from him easier than any other
songs he'd ever written. Having written in the Country Christian genre
myself, I can understand Col's feelings--the songs appear in your head as
thought they just are meant to be heard. And heard they have been, appearing
on radio stations around the world as well local television programs. After
listening to Col's album myself, I can certainly agree with his pastor that
he must have had divine inspiration.
Musically, the album runs more toward the traditional country flavor but the
words are fresh even though Col deals with subjects that have been covered
in songs before. in my opinion, the sign of a good songwriter is when they
take something that's been said before and say it in a WAY that's never
been done before. Col definitely fits the bill there, filling an entire
album with songs that are sure to fan the flames of faith in even the most
jaded Christian listener. To take a listen to Col, buy his cd or to contact
him, check him out at his internet home at http://www.colmillington.com
Col's on tour right now across Australia and New Zealand, so if any of my
readers happen to live in that area, check out a show near you, I guarantee
you'll be entertained, but more importantly, you'll be blessed.
Now in a continuation of my review of products handy for the do-it-yourself
independent artist, I'd like review the Boss BR-1200CD digital home studio.
As artists, we all know how expensive it can be going to a professional
studio to record your songs. Sure you can get the professional musicians
to do your backup (at an extra cost) and a professional engineer to mix and
master your songs (and I use the term "professional" loosely here, because
I've heard some songs from artists who had recorded at studios that made
me want to slap their engineer for leaving blips and hums in the master. So
even after paying the big bucks for a studio, you're never assured of your
songs coming out the way you want. You can complain about it of course, but
will it get you anywhere but shown the door? So the typical do-it-yourself
artist wants to save the money and the aggrivation by recording themselves
in a home-built studio. Most artists looking into this for the first time
can be rather overwhelmed at their lack of knowledge of the recording side
of things. The first question most of them ask other artists is "What kind
of equipment do I need?" Obviously a good microphone will be necessary, and
my recommendation as a good starter microphone for most beginners would be
the Samson CO1 condenser studio microphone.
Great for recording vocals, acoustic instruments and for use as overhead drum mics,
the new Samson C01 large diaphragm condenser microphone is accurate, detailed,
smooth with warm bass and extended top end. This sturdy microphone has a large
19mm diaphragm that produces a smooth flat frequency response. It features a
heavy gauge mesh grill screen, a gold plated XLR connecter and an LED indicating
48V phantom power. The unit includes a swivel stand mount and an optional
SP01 shock mount is available.
Features:
Cardioid Pickup Pattern
Large 19mm Diaphragm
Gold Plated XLR Connector
LED Indicates 48V Phantom Power
Smooth, Flat Frequency Response
Swivel Stand Mount
Optional SP01 Shock Mount
Now that you have your microphone, what do you record INTO.
That's where the
Boss BR-1200CD digital studio becomes an invaluable tool for the independent
artist.
From guitar pick to compact disc, the BR-1200CD can turn your ideas into
radio-quality songs with power and ease.
For those artists far enough along that they would understand these
specifications, I'll go over them because it's got a ton of them. For those
still lost in the "What do I get?" fog, I'll explain the down to earth terms
for you further in the blog, but let's give the geek information first LOL.
Packed with great COSM®effects and amp models derived from BOSS's GT-6/6B multi-effects processors,
plus a great-sounding bass and drum rhythm programmer for instant backing
tracks, the BR-1200CD is the friendliest and most comprehensive hard
disk recorder on the market.
Boss BR-1200CD Features:
Built-in CD-burner and mastering effects for CD-quality mixes
12 simultaneous playback tracks (192 V-Tracks) with individual Comp/EQ
2 individual XLR inputs with phantom power, digital output
GT inside! Famous BOSS GT Guitar and Bass effects engine built in for
unsurpassed signal processing
Vocal Toolbox provides pitch correction and harmony generator for true pro
vocal processing
COSM Mic and Amp models offer incredible hardware simulation
Backing band built in - programmable drum/bass pattern generator with 600 patterns
and EZ compose feature for super fast drum and bass pattern creation
Easy importing of stereo drum loops with Automatic Tempo Matching feature
Internal hard drive can store up to 120 hours of uncompressed music
USB port for data backup to computer, plus importing/exporting WAV files
Boss BR-1200CD Details:
Hassle-Free Recording & CD Burning
Fly from point A to B in record time, thanks to the BR-1200CD's
logical arrangement of buttons, knobs, and faders, and its inviting
icon-based user interface. Recording, mixing, and CD burning is simple.
To record, simply connect an instrument or microphone
(XLR inputs with phantom power are provided), and follow the logical flow
of controls on the left side of the panel. Use the fader pack in the middle to mix,
and press the "Audio CD Write/Play" button to jump to the CD Burning menu.
Multi-Effects & COSM® Models
From full dunk to subtle sweetening, the BR-1200CD is equipped with a powerful
multi-effects processor derived from the famous BOSS GT-6/GT-6B. A lineup of
COSM amp models are in the lineup, including the world standard Roland
JC-120 Jazz Chorus™, R-FIier Vintage, Metal Stack, BOSS Compact Pedal models
such as OD-1 and MT-2, and more. Also onboard - COSM® Mic Models,
which emulate expensive condenser mics. Correct pitch and add hamornies
with the Vocal Tool Box, and for the finishing touch, tap into the Mastering Tool Kit
to put a pro-quality polish on your track.
Backing Band Built In
Another distinguishing feature of the BR-1200CD is its world-class bass and
drum programmer, packed with instruments and patterns to suit a variety of styles.
Realistic acoustic drums and percussion are included, as well as many electronic sounds
to compose modern hybrid type of music. For bass, you can choose from a variety of bass sounds,
such as slapped basses, picked basses, and fretless basses. Jam along with the supplied
patterns or create your own from scratch. The EZ Compose feature makes ultra-realistic
custom programming a snap. There's also a selection of great loop phrases pre-installed
on the internal hard drive.
Computer Connection
The BR-1200CD has a USB port for simple, one-cable data exchange with your computer. You
can export audio tracks to your computer in WAV format, and safely save backups of your song data.
If you have WAV files you would like to use, you can import them to the BR-1200CD's
tracks via USB as well. The BR-1200CD is compatible to both PC and Mac, including Mac OS X.
Boss BR-1200CD Specifications:
Tracks Track: 12
V-Track: 192 (16 V-Tracks per each Track)
Up to 2 tracks can be recorded simultaneously, and up to 12 tracks can be
played back simultaneously.
Maximum Useful Capacity/Recording Time Internal Hard Disk: 40 G bytes
Recording Time; 120 hours (conversion in one track)
Signal Processing AD Conversion: 24 bit AF Method (Guitar/Bass),
24 bit delta-sigma Modulation (VOCAL, LINE, SIMUL)
DA Conversion: 24 bit delta-sigma Modulation
Internal Processing: 24 bit (digital mixer section)
Recording Data: 16 bit linear
Sample Rate 44.1 kHz
Frequency Response 20 Hz to 20 kHz (+1/-3 dB)
Total Distortion 0.05% or less(INPUT SENS: CENTER, 1 kHz at nominal output
level)
Nominal Input Level (Variable) GUITAR/BASS jack: -20 dBu
MIC 1, 2 (TRS balanced/XLR) jacks: -40 dBu
LINE IN jacks: -10 dBu
Input Impedance GUITAR/BASS jack: 1 M ohms
MIC 1, 2 jacks: 12.5 k ohms (HOT-COLD)(TRS balanced/XLR), 6.5 k ohms
(HOT-GND, COLD-GND)
LINE IN jack: 22 k ohms
Nominal Output Level LINE OUT jacks: -10 dBu
Output Impedance LINE OUT jack: 2 k ohms
PHONES jack: 100 ohms
Recommended Load Impedance LINE OUT jack: 20 k ohms or greater
PHONES jack: 8 to 50 ohms
Residual Noise Level LINE OUT jack: -87 dBu or less
INPUT SELECT: GUITAR/BASS, input terminated with 1 k ohms,
INPUT SENS: CENTER, IHF-A, typ.)
Interface DIGITAL OUT: S/PDIF 16–24 bit (optical type)
USB connector (B type)
Display 64 x 40 mm (Backlit LCD)
Connectors MIDI IN connector
MIDI OUT connector
USB connector
DIGITAL OUT connector (optical type)
FOOT SW jack (1/4 inch phone type)
EXP PEDAL jack (Stereo 1/4 inch phone type)
LINE OUT jacks (RCA Phono type)
LINE IN jacks (RCA Phono type)
MIC 1, 2 jacks (TRS balanced & XLR)
PHONES jack (Stereo 1/4 inch phone type)
GUITAR/BASS jack (1/4 inch phone type)
Power Supply DC 12 V; Supply AC Adaptor (Roland PSB-7U)
Power Consumption 3.0 A
Accessories AC Adaptor: PSB-7U
DISCRETE DRUMS (CD-ROM)
Owner's Manual
Options Expression Pedal: EV-5 (Roland)
Foot Volume/Expression: FV-300L
Foot Switch: FS-5U
Pedal Switch: DP-2 (Roland)
Size and Weight ( excl. AC Adaptor )
Width 478 mm 18-7/8 inches
Depth 297 mm 11-3/4 inches
Height 95 mm 3-3/4 inches
Weight 4.1 kg 9 lbs. 1 oz.
0 dBu = 0.775 Vrms
Yike's that list of stuff looks scary!! This section is for the artist that's still
confused about where to plug the microphone in LOL. If you ignore the above
numbers and terms, what using the Boss BR1200-CD means is you have a studio
that has a smaller footprint than most computer printers on the market, yet
with all the power of most small studios that you can spend a bundle to record
your songs at. Plus it's portable, great for taking on the road to catch
those songs that hit you while your band is practicing while on tour. And the
thing I love most about it is how simple it is to USE and get a wonderful
sounding track out of. Reading the manual and spending a few minutes hands
on with this studio and you'll wonder why you ever spent the bucks to have
your songs recorded in a studio lol. Seriously though, for people that are
multi-instrumental and could lay all their own tracks, this could save a
huge amount of money over time. Coming in at less than $1000, the Boss can
pay for itself if you record just 3 or 4 songs on it instead of paying studio
fees for those same songs. After that, you're recording for free, can take
your time to redo those odds and ends that bug you about the first take, and
to mix and master the song to sound like you WANT it to--not the way some
engineer that you're paying way too much decides it should sound lol.
We have one here at our studios that gets used for a ton of different
functions, from recording those songs that come to you in a hotel room, to
quickly getting down the idea for a song before it escapes you, to full-
blown sessions that end up being mastered into songs that will (and have)
gotten airplay on the radio. So check the boss out at (you guessed it) my
favorite place for the best deals around on musical equipment (and check out
the microphone as well) at http://www.u-ni-que-music.com Get yourself set
up today and make the fabulous music you hear inside tomorrow!!
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