News and Updates

One of the latest products to land in here is the new Resident Audio T2 audio interface.

It's a pretty crowded market, so what is it about this new one that you should be bothering with?  This new interface offers two line/instrument/microphone inputs with phantom power, a headphone output and monitor outputs and midi in and out all in a compact package- all pretty standard features for an interface of this size.

What makes it unique is the thunderbolt powering. With the Thunderbolt port on modern Macs and some PCs offering higher bandwidth, faster connections and more power than either USB or Firewire, if you're lucky enough to have these ports available on your laptop, you can have a truly portable solution for recording and producing on the move.

You can check it out on our site here for the full information and call us if you're interested in hearing one.

One of the new products announced at NAMM this year has been the Teenage Engineering Pocket Operators. They’ve created quite a bit of a buzz already and they’re something that we’re looking forwards to seeing here ourselves.

For those that don’t know, Teenage Engineering are a Swedish design company, most famous within the music world for their OP-1 (as seen on a certain Swedish House Mafia track). It is a fresh approach to what music creation is about.  Just listing the spec doesn’t really do it justice, (for the record, the OP-1 contains 9 synth types, 7 stereo effects, built in sampler, 5 different sequencers, tape-style editing and a 4 channel mixer, an FM tuner and a built in battery that last 16 hours in use and 2 years in standby). It’s not until you start to play with it that you start to appreciate the attention to the creative details… ever wanted to etch-a-sketch a sequence? How’s about throw some notes into a tombola and see what plays?

The fundamental difference with the OP-1 is that it’s workflow is built around performance- it compels you to experiment, to commit ideas down and move on. It is creativity as art, challenging you to move out of your comfort zone, to try out new things, accept mistakes as part of the process and move on.

With this ethos in mind we can’t wait to welcome the new Pocket Operators! Retailing at less than £50, these little boxes are each dedicated to one task alone- rhythm, bass and melodies. Featuring an array of buttons and a couple of knobs a piece and sporting their innards on display… Multiple synth engines in each, built-in sequencers and the creative use of the LCD displays, these units promise to bring a bit of that Swedish creativity to even more people…

Shipping in March/April time, we’re taking pre-orders on them and we will have them on display at our show room as soon as they land.

http://www.giraffeaudio.com/products/brands/teenage-engineering.html

Genelec are known the world over for their range of professional monitors. Their 8000 series are ubiquitous in professional environments from location broadcast vans, to recording studios and post productions rooms across the world.

If you want to experience what these award-winning monitors are capable of, you can hear them first hand at Giraffe Audio. We carry the 8010, 8020, 8030, 8040 and 8050 on permanent demonstration at our showroom. If you're interested in auditioning any of the larger series we can arrange on site demonstrations for professional studios!

Call or email us any time for more information or see our website here for the range

In case you'd been thinking about a Universal Audio Apollo before Christmas but missed their offer, it's been extended until the end of March, 2015!

Buy any Twin, Apollo, or Apollo 16 model — and you can get up to $1,295 worth of UAD Plug-Ins — from the likes of Neve, EMT, Studer & Manley — for free!*

No coupons or redemption codes are necessary. The plug-in(s) will be automatically added to your account once you register your new Apollo interface.

Already own any of the promotional plug-ins? No problem. Purchase and register a new Apollo Twin, Apollo, or Apollo 16 and you’ll receive a single-use coupon of equal value to the plug-in(s) you already own.

* Free plug-ins vary based on the Apollo model purchased. For more information, visit www.uaudio.com/promotions.html

It's that time of year again when you've got to spend time in pubs with part time drinkers, wear stupid jumpers and avoid the romantic advances of your co-workers... No, it's not the world cup come early, it's Christmas!

We'll be off from this coming Friday, 19th, until Monday 5th January, taking some much needed rest and recuperation.

We've plenty planned for 2015, with new gear on demonstration, plenty more news and offers, and events all based on keeping you up to date with what's going on in the world of Audio Production. We'll be holding more events and workshops, too, so stay safe and have a good Christmas break :)

We had a new box turn up a few days ago that we’ve been really excited to have for demonstration… the Zen Studio by Antelope Audio. If you've not heard about it yet, its a new audio interface from a very forward-thinking company. We did an unboxing video here:

Here's our Zen Studio running with all kinds of nice 500 series outboard

Every Connection Possible

These are the 4 inputs for the Zen Studio that are microphone/line level/instrument

The Zen Studio features 20 analogue inputs; 12 microphone inputs- 4 on the front panel and another 8 on the back.  All 12 microphone inputs will accept line level signals, and the front four will also accept high impedance instrument inputs. The remaining 8 are line level on  a single DSUB connection.

There are two ADAT inputs to add up to 16 channels digitally, then another 2 channels which are digital on SPDIFF.

The ADAT connections are located on the right hand side

The output section is similarly well spec’d. There are 8 line outputs on a DSUB, the main monitor outputs along with two headphone outputs. On the digital front, there are the corresponding two ADAT connections and the SPDIF.

There are two BNC connections for the wordclock in and out for synchronising other digital equipment.

Lastly, there’s the USB. Antelope are one of a handful of companies that actually develop their own drivers. TheThe latencies on USB are comparable with the best out there.

DSP Mixing

There’s a very comprehensive routing panel for when you’ve got signals into the Zen Studio. You can send inputs to any of the hardware outputs, the USB recording channels, the onboard effects, or any of the four internal mixers. You can also route any of the USB playback channels, the effects outputs and the internal mixer outputs to any of the hardware outputs.

Whilst this sounds pretty complicated, it’s actually fairly straight forwards. Antelope have made it easier to follow what’s going on by colour coding the different types of channels. When you’re looking at either the routing panel, the effects pages, or the mixers, those colours come up and you get a very quick idea of what is going on.

We were very quickly able to build different monitor mixes for a vocalist and a guitarist, combining inputs from the microphone along with what was already recorded on the computer. You can also save presets for all the different work flows that you use.

The internal effects are also controlled from the software. You have access to 16 channels of high quality compression and 5 bands of equalisation that can be used on any of the channels and used either for monitoring or recording.

In addition to the software control, the Zen's front screen gives very quick visual information as to what is happening. The rotary control and buttons let you alter monitor and headphone levels quickly.

There are also a couple of extra menus that let you alter input levels, synchronisation settings and which outputs the rotary control affects meaning that you can change some key settings without having to fire up the software every time.

Mobile Recording. Studio Anywhere

Add all this together and you've got an interface really designed to appeal if you're out and about recording and want a compact interface, need a high input count, but also want the option of connecting other outboard gear. And all without compromising your sound quality.

We've got ours on full time demonstration- you can contact us if you want to come and see if or if you've any other questions that you want to ask.

Antelope Zen Studio Product Information

Been thinking about getting into Ableton? Maybe you've seen Push in action and want to get going with one? Maybe you've a loved one that you know wants to get into music production?   To help make that a bit easier, we've got 20% off Ableton Intro, Live, Suite and Push - just in time for Christmas!

Don't forget- we've got the latest Suite 9 on full time demonstration at the store here, along with Push, which if you're using Ableton and you've not seen yet, you should!

We've got these offers going on until January 15th, so if Santa does decide to miss you out, you can always come and see us yourself in the new year!

You hear all the time people talking about "analogue warmth" and how recordings "back in the day" were better- most of that is due to how analogue electronics deals with signals. The op amps, valves and the transformers that these things are built from all affect the sound, changing it, making it rounder; adding character.

The preamp is an interesting little box that is often over-looked when it comes to home and project studio set ups. They're built into your audio card and you can plug your guitar or microphone straight in, so why worry about it?  The integrated circuit chips that make up most modern microphone preamps do the job ok- they will amplify the signal to level that the rest of the electronics can deal with- but they don't add soul...  if you've found that your recordings are lacking compared with the classics, it could be part of what you're missing.

The Meris 440 is based on the API312- this was a classic preamp that was in the consoles of the studios around LA in the 1970s and part of what became known as the "west coast" sound. It's been a favourite of engineers the world over ever since because of its warmth and tone.

If you can make it to our event, you'll hear first hand the difference a good preamp like this makes to your recordings. We'll be demonstrating how it can be used on both guitars and vocals, and how it will work with your current recording set up, improving your sound whether you're running a professional studio or recording yourself at home.

You can check out our unboxing video here and book a place at the event to come and see it in action  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/giraffe-audio-meris-440-launch-event-tickets-14169863443 

Here's one for your diaries- On Tuesday 25th November, we've got Sound Network, the UK distributor for Meris, joining us for a demo event of their new Meris 440 preamp.

We'll be giving you a chance to get hands on with the 440, learn about this 500-series mic pre's unique features and hear how its 100% analogue signal path and Cinemag transformers deliver that classic "West Coast" tone.

We'll be kicking off at 4:00pm. Book your place here

One of the things we spend a lot of time doing up here at Giraffe Audio, is listening to monitors. They're one of the most crucial parts of the studio and arguably the one piece of equipment that can make the most difference to how you work.

This week, we've been taking a listen to the new Focal Alpha range. Focal are a French speaker company that have been producing products for both the consumer and the professional market since 1979. They've been making big strides into the studios of many artists and production houses over the last few years since the launch of their CMS and SM ranges. Anyone who knows us, knows that we're big fans of Focal range of monitors.

The Alpha series are Focal's entry into what is a very crowded entry level market. Rather than join the race to the bottom, Focal have priced their new monitors a little above the competition putting them in the upper region of entry level; £396 for the Alpha 50s, £476 for the Alpha 65s and £556 for the larger Alpha 80s.

Technically, they boast some impressive specifications; For their sizes in their class, each speaker goes very low- 45Hz for the Alpha 50, 40Hz on the Alpha 65 and an room-shaking 35Hz for the Alpha 80. Bi-amped, each monitors amplifiers are similarly powerful for their sizes, with the Alpha 50 20W for the tops and 35 for the bass, 35W for the tops and 70W for the lows on the Alpha 65s, and a big 40W for the tops and 100W for the bass on the Alpha 80s. They share the polyglass constructed woofer and inverted aluminium tweeter. The rear panels contain the inputs for power, balanced XLR or unbalanced phono, along with some adjustments for the low and high frequencies.

How does all of this hold together when you plug them in?  I'll not sit here and spurt superlatives, but rather say, come and take a listen (or get to your local stocking dealer if you're not based around the Midlands). There's a lot of competition at this end of the market and these Focal not only hold their own against the competition, but put pose a significant challenge to the current market favourites.

For the full spec;

http://www.giraffeaudio.com/focal-alpha-50-active-monitor-single.html

http://www.giraffeaudio.com/focal-alpha-65-active-monitor-single.html

http://www.giraffeaudio.com/focal-alpha-65-active-monitor-single.html