Audiophile Naija

Tannoy has a good reputation. That says a lot about their products because a good reputation takes time to build and in their case, more than half a century. With names like Michael Jackson, Tony Maserati, Beyonce and just about anybody who's anybody in the global music hall of fame written on the package box, you know you've made the right decision right? Well that depends (I'll explain why soon, just read on). This post is a personal review of the Tannoy Reveal 502 and it's safe to say since the technology is the same across all siblings in the reveal series, the following should also be true about the 402 and 802. Physical Appearance I wouldn't say Tannoy Reveals are the cutest monitors to look at and I would have preferred an LED at the front not rear panel just for aesthetics and to make you more aware your speakers are on.  Oyibo have a name for everything and one I was particularly happy to see was "poke resistant tweete...

Hi guys! Let's face it, most studio monitors you want to use already have past and current owners. It's cool to check monitor specifications and YouTube videos but word of mouth is still most people's decision making resource. So we at Audiophile Naija came up with a simple monitor review form that allows you answer key questions about your speakers within two minutes tops. Most of the questions are multiple choice questions that cover your monitor's frequency response, stereo imaging and how viable they are for mixing and mastering. The goal is to use this information to create a monitor assessment chart based on real user's opinions about their speakers. This document will assist buyers on their first or next monitor purchase so they can buy exactly what suits them. We encourage you to be a part of this! To review your monitors, please follow this link . Yours in gears, Chidi 'Tite' Nnadi

Figuring out a name for this post was harder than writing it because I couldn't think of a general category to place all three. Groove boxes? Sure, but they do much more than that. Midi controllers? Yes but that still doesn't nail it. DAW controllers? Yes but the MPC live and X can operate solo. So what the hell are they? Maschine, Push and MPC. They're pretty, they're stylish, they make you feel like you're actually doing something not just looking at your monitor as you drag the mouse around. They give you a hands-on feel during production. But the most important question still remains this, will they improve your sound? Let's find out! What do they do? In a nutshell, these controllers have embedded in them - literally all the important functions needed in music production and these functions can be accessed using the pads, buttons, knobs and encoders found on the machines. That means you can comfortably make a beat from s...

Your favorite hype man might be in the business of "making noise" but in the studio or live in concert, that's the last thing you want to hear. Noise comes unexpectedly, ruins a clean signal and reduces the dynamic range of records amongst other vices. So no, noise is not your friend. This post is is going to take a look at how using the right cables and devices can help ensure the cleanest signal and mitigate against noise. Common sources of  Electrical Noise Electromagnetic Induction : Cables can pick up noise from nearby devices with varying magnetic fields like a computer monitor (screen) via electromagnetic induction. That's why studio speakers which are usually placed close to computer screens/monitors are usually magnetically shielded. Radio Frequency Interference RFI : Ever hear a particular noise from your speakers when your phone is close to it and there's an incoming call? That's RFI, it basically occurs when cables or electrica...

The internet is already replete with so many resources on compressors and what they do. So pardon me if I skip to the chase and talk about the compressor from an application point of view. This post aims at helping you know what to expect sonically when you turn those dials on your compressor plugins and how to apply this musically to a mix. Important note!   For teaching purposes, we are going to assume a fixed gain reduction ratio of 3:1 and the threshold set to a level where the compressor begins to work. For more information on compressor parameters - threshold, ratio, attack and release please visit link Uses of compressors in a mix There are two basic uses of compressors in a mix: 1. Dynamics Control. 2. Depth placement. 1. Dynamics Control As history tells us, this is the trigger that inspired what we know today as a Compressor. Man wanted a way of averaging the loud and more quiet portions of a conversation, so they created a device that a...

A fairly common frustration for music producers and artists is having a sound in your head but not being able to reproduce it in real life, let alone apply it to your music. In all honesty, some sounds will only remain in your dreams; but if you're better equipped to to squeeze more out of your synthesizers, there's a good chance you might reach your sonic destination. The 'Phonosynthesis' series will attempt to demystify software synthesizers (or 'soft synths' for short) and make those numerous knobs, envelopes, matrixes and sliders not look so intimidating.  I'm no Gordon Reid, but if I can help you manipulate your tones to get your desired sounds on not just your favorite synths but any synth you lay your hands on, then my friend - we have done well. What are synthesizers? Serum - A Wavetable Synthesizer Synthesizers are electronic musical devices that generate sounds using electrical circuits and or mathematical algorithms (in t...