Performance Percussion PP142 Cajon

Performance Percussion's PP Drums division has been offering great value, low-cost drum kits and a host of percussion instruments for a while now, and most recently has included a highly affordable cajon in its widening catalogue.

The company's PP142 Cajon is a good-looking entry level model that springs a few surprises with its wide sound potential.

Build

This classy-looking, honey-stained cajon stands 48cm tall by 30cm wide and 31cm deep, and considering that it's a 'budget' model, it really looks the business.

The first thing that strikes you is just how light it is when compared to some more costly versions and this is because of the type of synthetic material from which the surround is formed. You get a traditional-looking cajon with a rear sound-hole and four small rubber feet that keep things grounded nicely while you're playing.

The snare mechanism consists of four vertical (non-adjustable) guitar-string snares that do an admirable job of providing just the right amount of snap to your strokes, and this effect can be further adjusted via a removable horizontal Velcro strip. The rear sound-hole sports an attractive PP swirl motif but overall this cajon's look is definitely a classic example of understatement.

Hands on

The frontplate has a satisfyingly yielding quality and as such is extremely comfortable in performance. As this particular cajon is firmly aimed at the novice, this aspect will be greatly appreciated because you'll be able to play for extended periods and not 'feel it' as with models with a thicker (more substantial) frontplate.

The bass tone is really satisfying and easy to achieve and the finger tones and slaps complement the rich bass response nicely. The snare wires' snap effect rounds out the overall sound characteristic really well, meaning this cajon will have an immediate overall appeal to players of all levels.

This is a great excuse to explore the world of the cajon. If you've been curious about investing in one of these fascinating instruments but have previously been put off by having to shell out for even a modest mid-range model, then this could certainly offer a solution. PP also generously includes a decent padded carrying bag (with handle and shoulder strap) into the bargain.

Pearl Masters Premium Legend Kit

Pearl's Masters Series has been in production for nearly 20 years and the Masters tag now covers two Pearl ranges, Masters Custom and Masters Premium.

Masters Premium (where this kit is located) is further divided into two sub-ranges, Masters Premium Maple (MMP) and Masters Premium Legend (MPL). Pearl's system of nomenclature might suggest that MPL is the better of the two Masters Premium options; in fact both ranges are identically priced. What separates them is the shell construction.

Build

MMP drums are built around 4-ply maple shells with reinforcement rings while the review MPL kit is made with straight-sided 6-ply shells. Despite the difference in ply count, the MPL shells are only 0.4mm thicker than the equivalent MMP drums.

This is owing to the MPL plies being 0.9mm thick (with six making 5.4mm) while the MMP shells use alternating 0.9mm and 1.6mm thick plies (two of each ply totalling 5mm). Pearl has a long history of using the alternating ply technique so, by its own admission, creating thin shells from sheets of uniform thickness of ply is something of a new concept for the company. The 5.4mm shell is consistent across all the drums, including the bass drum and snare.

Pearl describes the maple used as A-class and as being "sourced from the best maple available", but other than this, few details of the wood are available. Certainly the look and feel of the maple confirms Pearl's assertion, as the grain is both tightly packed and smoothly flowing.

The standard of shell construction is also unquestionably high, with each drum being as close to perfectly round as could be expected. Pearl's overlapping scarf joints are a beautifully executed detail.

Although a more involved method of joining wood, there are solid technical and aesthetic reasons for incorporating scarf joints and it's a pleasure seeing such a technique used. The shell's interiors are sealed with a clear lacquer while the bearing edges are precisely cut at 45° with a smaller 45° back-cut.

Five stock lacquer finishes are available with a further 27 special order options, making 32 choices altogether. The Navy Blue Sparkle of the review kit is one of three new colour schemes, along with Matte Natural and Brooklyn Burst.

Pearl's reputation for lacquer finishes is well deserved - the quality and depth of the lacquer is difficult to describe without getting into the realms of drum fetishism. Matching wooden hoops glitter at each end of the bass drum while the rest of the drums are fitted with Pearl's new Fat Tone hoops.

A clever hybrid of triple flanged and die-cast hoop, they claim to offer the best of both worlds by taking a fairly standard flanged hoop design then folding over the top edge and welding it. The result is light (the hoops are 1.6mm thick) but the thicker top edge has the stoutness of a die-cast hoop.

Pearl reckons that Fat Tone hoops hold their tuning, add clarity to rim-shots and cross-sticking, but don't influence the overall sound to the same degree as die-cast hoops.

Hands On

Elsewhere across the kit, details abound, such as the huge bass drum claws, telescopic spurs and Pearl's chunky tom Opti-Mounts.

Another new design concept found on all of the drums is the Golden Ratio air hole. The Golden Ratio is an ancient mathematical principle based on proportions and Pearl has interpreted the formula in the positioning of the air holes.

In practice this means that the air holes on toms and bass drums are found closer to the resonant head to increase low frequencies, while for snares the holes are nearer the batter head to accentuate attack.

The review kit is based on a shell-pack made up of a 22"x18" bass drum, 10"x7" & 12"x8" toms and a 16"x14" floor tom, augmented by an additional 14"x12" floor tom and 14"x6 " snare. For such a large, thin-shelled drum, the bass drum produces very little in the way of overtones. With no dampening - only Remo Powerstroke 3 batter and ported front heads - it's deep and punchy but unwanted frequencies are minimal.

With the heads tightened the sound becomes quite bright and buoyant, but the drum's power remains obvious. At lower tunings the note stretches out to Olympic dimensions but there is still an unmistakably taut feel to its response - it's all muscle and no flab.

The toms are fitted with clear Ambassadors top and bottom and this combination produces almost velvety tones that are gloriously resonant. The sound of each drum can be picked out in isolation, even during flurries around the kit. Each note lingers on, fading cleanly, and by the time the larger floor tom is reached there is a near crescendo of toms humming in sympathy.

When the kit was miked up and gigged, we had to apply a tiny bit of dampening to both floor toms to stifle some of the ringing, but in all other scenarios (including recording) these toms could be left wide open. Played softly they murmur, while increasing the dynamics reveals more richness and body. Here the Fat Tone hoops add a degree of attack as well.

Swapping the supplied heads for coated Ambassadors dilutes some of the sheer presence in favour of a thinner, woodier sound. Twin-ply clear heads, meanwhile, saturate the already fat notes even further.

In contrast to the other drums, the snare sports Pearl's all-new swivel tube lugs, sourced from the company's Reference Pure Series. The drum gives a similarly polished performance, possessing the sharpness of a metal-shelled drum with the added warmth of a wood shell. The Fat Tone hoops undoubtedly encourage its aggressive presence while also allowing the shell to breathe.

With tension ratcheted into the head the drum is crisp and loud enough to loosen your fillings. Backing off the tuning relaxes the sound into a super-fat crunch that is equally penetrating.

Again, only token amounts of dampening is required (if any) as the snare is finely balanced on the line between having an edge and being too uninhibited. Quieter playing is also well catered for, with gentle brushstroke and cross-sticking carried faithfully.

Olympus LS-3

We've long been fans of Olympus's superb LS-5 recorder - it's a stalwart of studio session and artist interview alike here at FM. The LS-3 offers perfect evidence as to what a further couple of years of refinement can do.

We've always loved the LS's pro-aimed 'proper hardware button for everything' policy. While the LS-3 is much smaller, it's still covered with buttons - and a big screen keeps you up to speed with easy to understand displays of vital info.

There's an incredible 4GB of storage on board, an SD card slot for more and the same full 24-bit recording as its bigger brother. Compromises come in the size of the mic capsules, but the difference in sound is negligible.

Apogee Jam

Apogee and Apple's bromance continues to benefit us lowly consumers in the form of their newest iOS/OS X interface, the Jam. It's of slender form, looks the part and we're happy to report that it's accurately priced.

The Jam is aimed at guitarists with a single ¼" input, clip, power and status LED, volume control with 40dB of gain and a bespoke connector to either a 30-pin iDevice connection or USB for Mac. We tried it with GarageBand for iPad - it worked first time, no questions asked.

With most lower-priced interfaces, latency is frequently an issue, something guitarists are not as forgiving of as more technical folk. Thankfully the Jam reels it in to a very slight delay - nothing that will incur any frustration.

The Jam did clip a little easily - it was hard to get the volume right so hard strumming and picking were both within the dynamic range we wanted. But when we found it, the sound quality was excellent - it was as if the Jam wasn't there at all.

A treat to use, and a no-brainer for guitarists looking to maximise the value of their iPad.

KRK Rokit RP10-3

Home studio owners are spoilt for choice. KRK is just one of the many manufacturers that have flooded the market with accurate, revealing near-fields at attractive prices.

Strangely, affordable options are much more limited in the three-way monitor market. KRK's new Rokit RP10-3s aim to address this discrepancy, bringing three-way monitoring down to an affordable new price point.

Rokit don't stop it

The RP10s bear significant similarities to the rest of KRK's Rokit range, featuring front-firing ports, a vinyl-coated MDF enclosure, glass/aramid low-frequency driver and a one-inch soft dome tweeter. The major difference is the presence of a third driver; where the rest of the Rokit range are two-way designs, the RP10s are a three-way design with a 10-inch woofer and 4-inch mid-range driver.

For our test I borrowed a pair of RP8 G2s in order to make a direct comparison. The difference in physical stature between the two monitors is obvious, and on setting them up together and trying them side-by-side it's clear that the sonic difference is equally dramatic.

The RP10 is significantly better in every respect: the bottom end's tighter and deeper, there's no honkiness from the port at any listening level, the mid-range is more detailed and transparent, and the top end is smoother and more revealing. The RP10s don't sound hi-fi in the hyped, flattering sense, but there's an enjoyably involving character to the sound that's missing from the smaller models.

Fat bottoms

The RP10s' low-end frequency response is seriously deep, with a bump at around 40Hz followed by a gentle roll-off down to the -3dB point at 31Hz. Needless to say, you won't need a subwoofer with these.

Strangely, KRK has chosen not to offer acoustic space settings to tame the bottom end. Instead, you'll have to make do with adjusting the LF level switches, but the maximum of 2dB low frequency attenuation might not be enough to compensate for placement near a wall or other equipment.

Soffit mounting is also out of the question, but horizontal placement is made possible thanks to a rotating sub-baffle which houses the tweeter and mid.

Given that most of the competition costs at least twice as much as the RP10s, it's inevitable that there must be compromises in the design. Like the smaller monitors in the Rokit range, the frequency response of the RP10s isn't the flattest we've ever heard.

Likewise, they certainly aren't the most powerful three-way design you'll find, with a 30W class A-B amplifier for the highs, 30W for the mids and 80W for the bass. Even so, they're relatively efficient and there's plenty of clean power before the amps break up.

Conclusion

The RP10s are highly capable monitors that compete favourably with products twice their price. Whether as a near-field with an incredible low-end response or as a dedicated mid-field to supplement an existing pair of monitors, I see no reason why they won't be popular with producers working in absolutely any genre.

Our only major concern stems from their size and imposing bottom end. The list price of £1,098 is likely to translate to a street price just over £800, and by pitching such a large monitor at a project studio-friendly price, KRK runs the risk of attracting customers whose rooms really aren't big enough or sufficiently treated for the RP10s to work properly.

That's not a criticism of the monitors, per se, but a warning. Assuming your room can handle them, the RP10-3s have to be considered an attractive option at this fantastic price.

Vertigo Sound / Brainworx VSC-2 Plug-in

VCA-based compressors are probably the most commonly available units worldwide.

Most manufacturers have at least one VCA-based unit in their product range and, consequently, they span the complete price spectrum. German manufacturer Vertigo Sound fits very much into the high end of that spectrum, both in price and quality.

"This little beauty doesn't just deal with any sound you throw at it; it excels with all of them."

The analogue version of the VSC-2 has a big reputation in studios all over the world. At nearly £4,500 it still manages to twist the arm of many audio pros that try it into buying it: quite something in these cash-strapped times.

Fortunately for those with shallower pockets, Vertigo have teamed up with FM favourites and recent UAD companions Brainworx to bring us a software plug-in version.

Blue for you

With its bold blue front panel and black and white knobs and meters the VSC-2 is reminiscent of many late '70s and early '80s devices. It has a straightforward but comprehensive control set.

Starting on the left is the continuously variable threshold. Next comes the ratios and here it's a bit more complex.

The stepped controller starts at Soft and steps through 2:1, 4:1, 8:1, 10:1 and then to Brick. The Soft setting certainly does what it says on the tin and provides a very gentle soft knee response even if you really hammer the input.

As you step up the ratios, the VSC-2 'pulls' much harder, right up to the Brick setting where basically nothing is going to get past it.

Next come the attack and release sections, both controls being stepped. As you can see from the picture, these are all but identical to the attack and decay settings of the SSL Buss compressor, among others.

Those values have certainly proved themselves popular with plenty of engineers worldwide - so if it ain't broke… The final knob is a continuously variable gain make-up.

The VSC-2 is also able to work as a dual mono device, so you get separate left and right switches for in/out and for the sidechain filters. These are there to prevent excessive pumping of low end, particularly when used on program material, by removing some of it from the detection circuit. They're set at a very useful 60Hz and 90Hz.

On the level

In operation, the VSC-2 proves itself to be a very versatile beast. Although big, expensive stereo units such as this are normally aimed at the mix buss or drum groups, the mark of a truly great compressor lies in its ability to deal with many and varied sound sources. This little beauty doesn't just deal with any sound you throw at it; it excels with all of them.

Starting with a stereo drum group you can go from a small amount of subtle compression to savage limiting - and through every stage in between. Even when being hit really hard, the VSC-2 doesn't lose the clarity of the source sound.

With minimal choking of the high end and judicious use of the sidechain filters, the low end won't start to pump the signal too much.

On the mix buss it's the same thing: great sounding compression that you can take much further than you'd expect without the signal collapsing into mush or just becoming very one dimensional.

Lower ratios give a really pleasing tightening of the overall sound, and higher ones grab hold of the peaks and put a real energy and drive into anything with strong percussive or groove elements.

With acoustic instruments, its subtle side takes the fore. Acoustic guitars lose none of their air but gain a powerful presence in the track. Attacks can be tamed or enhanced and auto release helps to provide some really smooth results. Pianos can be given the high-energy treatment or brought under control without losing their sense of dynamic.

Bass is a very different animal altogether and often requires quite a heavy hand to make it behave. With both synths and bass guitar the VSC-2 stands for no nonsense.

It keeps the sound big and fat while ironing out the peaks and troughs without any hint of trouble. On subtle warmer basses it enables you to leave the low end plenty of room to breathe with no compromise in the level control department.

Vocals also benefit from the VSC-2 treatment. Because it doesn't trash the high end with extreme settings it's possible to pull a very dynamic vocal into line. We tried it with the old trick of chaining two together, the first one set to Brick to knock off the peaks and the second set to 4:1 and pushed hard to give the sound.

The combination added real excitement to the voice without losing transparency, and the nasty peaks of the original were tamed without the obvious choking you get with some units.

On softer voices it's possible to get just the right amount of gain control while adding some warmth and strength. All in all, great for vocals.

Whatever you want

The VSC-2 could very easily become your 'go to' compressor: subtle and smooth when required, but fat and ballsy when you need it, too. Its excellent transparent quality coupled with its innate ability to pump up any sound that passes through it makes it one of the most versatile and desirable plugs available right now.

In short, this is a fabulous analogue compressor successfully transported into the digital domain at one-twentieth of the price of the original unit. Hats off to Vertigo Sound and the Brainworx team.

Line 6 Mobile In Mobile POD

Since the launch of IK Multimedia's iRig and AmpliTube for iPhone, there's been a slew of companies joining the 'iAmp' revolution.

Line 6 has thus far been conspicuous in its absence from the App Store, but that's about to change with the launch of its free Mobile POD app and (not free) Mobile In hardware interface. Unlike similar interfaces, the latter plugs into your iOS 5 device's docking connector, rather than the headphone socket (more on this later).

The Mobile In is fitted with mini-jack sockets: one stereo for line-level sources and one mono for your guitar. Line 6 supplies a quarter-inch-to-mini-jack cable, so that you can connect your instrument without having to use adaptors or buy a new lead, and the Mobile In plugs into your docking port to offer your device a pre-converted digital signal.

The Mobile POD app is free from the App Store, and you can open it without owning the Mobile In interface. The thing is, it just won't work without Line 6's hardware, even if you own one of the other available interfaces on the market; believe us, we've tried.

If you do have the right kit, getting started is easy thanks to the app's layout. The bottom half of the screen represents your 'rig', while the top part enlarges an amp or effect for editing. Simply tapping on the controls of your gear in the rig zone selects it and enlarges it in the top area.

To change the type of amp or effect, you tap the Cycle button to bring up your gear menu. The models sound killer, and Line 6 has also bundled in hundreds of presets. These range from sounds based on classic tunes to those in particular styles.

Also included are some artist-programmed sounds, although they could do with updating. Hoobastank? P.O.D.? 311? It's as if someone's nu-metal lovin' uncle got a job at Line 6. Please file these away with your eyebrow ring and cornrows.

The app also enables you to connect to Line 6's CustomTone.com preset bank for access to another 10,000 sounds - all gratis. Once you're done tweaking, you can save your own sounds and arrange them into Setlists for recalling later.

For the most part, we love the sounds that are on offer here, but there are a few problems. For starters, there's no way of integrating your iPod library for jamming and there isn't an aux in either.

We also want to record with the awesome sounds Line 6 has provided, and there's no facility for this. Finally, and this is a biggie, when you plug in the interface, you can't charge your device. We got about an hour's worth of playing on our iPhone 4 before we had to unplug and recharge.

There's no doubt that the Mobile In/Mobile POD combo sounds great - it's possibly the best we've tried, sonically speaking - but while the app is free, the overall package is relatively expensive, given that the competition offers recording, the option to jam with your music and audio file uploading for less.

It is what it says it is: quality POD sounds and presets on your iPhone/iPad, and this is where its strengths lie, but we were slightly disappointed by the lack of extra features.

Image-Line Harmor

Image-Line seems intent on single-handedly flooding the market with variations on additive synthesis. And who are we to complain?

We're always carrying on about how we'd like tosee developers exploring new territory, and while additive synthesis ain't exactly on the bleeding edge, it's a darned sight more futuristic than yet another analogue retread.

Image-Line has released a long line of additive instruments, each with varying capabilities. Some have been dedicated to resynthesis; others to percussion.

The company even gave us a taste of the new offering in the form ofits stripped-down, proof-of-concept sibling, Harmless. If that one knocked you out, then this will blow you away. In many ways, Harmor is a return to form for Image-Line.

First, the bad news: Harmor is Windows-only. This is going to be disappointing for any Mac users who continue reading this review, because Harmor really is a blinder of a synth.

With its charcoal and plum shadings, its look is also unmistakably Image-Line. Format-wise, it's aVSTi and FL Studio plug-in.

Give and take

The developer positions Harmor as an 'additive/subtractive' synthesiser, but there's no doubt that the emphasis is on the former. Even typically subtractive elements like the filter are achieved via additive technology.

Yes, some things will be familiar. There are, for instance, selectable oscillator waveforms - a pair per 'Timbre' - that can be mixed as you see fit. However, those waveforms are generated by additive means, and displayed in the Env window.

You can draw directly in this window and import single-cycle waves, audio files or images to create your own waveforms. Up to 520 partials may be present in any waveform. It should be noted that each patch can consist of two complete and individual patches that are stacked or dynamically mixed.

Harmor includes many ways to tweak your waveform, and some of them might be unfamiliar. Examples of these new paradigms include the Prism and Harmonizer sections.

The former simply shifts the positions of the partials, making them inharmonic; while the latter replicates and transposes harmonics. Both have the effect of thickening the sound in some way, or creating dissonant timbres.

Another thickener comes in the form of a sub-harmonic generator, which is used to add bass and depth. Clipping is also provided.

Harmor sports a dual-filter configuration thatincludes allof the normal goodies. You canchoose from the usual filter mode suspects, with the addition ofCustom Shapes; these are defined inthe ENV(elope) display and are drawn in just like the additive waves. This is seriously powerful stuff!

Since the perception of an additive tone relies somuch on the fundamental, there is a Prot(ection) slider in the Timbre section that ensures the lowest frequencies squeak through unharmed.

The filters are joined by Phaser and Pluck sections. The latter deserves special mention: it functions as a fast-decay low-pass filter envelope to simulate plucked strings. Setting short times garners sounds similar to synth legend Don Buchla's low-pass gate, making it easy to get your bongo on, if you are so inclined.

Harmor's envelopes play a significant role in its ability to produce sounds of stunning complexity. The envelopes and LFOs share the same display and features.

These are the massive multistage envelopes also seen on Image-Line's Sytrus, and they can be applied to virtually any parameter that matters. They are powerful enough that they double as sequencer and arpeggiator as well as a standard envelope. As you'd expect, stages can be locked to project tempo.

Of special note is Harmor's ability to analyse audio and create an envelope based onthat analysis. This seems an obvious task for an additive resynthesiser, and we're glad to see it taking its place here.

...And the rest

Well, not really. We simply haven't got the space to describe every parameter in detail. However, we should point out that Harmor also has a host of more traditional features on offer.

There are loads of effects, for a start, including reverb, delay, distortion, chorus and compression. Effects can be re-ordered on the Adv(anced) page.

There is an EQ and a nifty visual feedback panel that can help get an idea of what's going on under the hood, too. There's also an awesome Strum function that does what its name suggests but turns out to be excellent for wind-chimes and other clangorous patches as well.

So, how does Harmor sound? In a word, magnificent. Image-Line has created a synth that will leave no doubt in the minds of software naysayers.

And talk about an all-rounder! The instruments excels at crystalline digital timbres, but is utterly convincing as an analogue synth, too.

Its resynthesis engine is among the best we've encountered (witness the piano patches) and the image conversion feature makes for some instantly gratifying weirdness.

Images in vogue

The idea of analysing a photograph or other image and converting it into sound is hardly new.

There can be few among us who haven't heard the story of how IDM hero Richard D James converted a pic of his own mug into a spooky, spectral sonogram for the classic Aphex Twin track Windowpane. Image-Line itself has trodden this path before, and with good results.

Harmor has a dedicated Image window. You can import loads of file types, including JPEG, PNG and BMP (not TIFFs, though).

Once imported, there are a number of options. You can invert an image, flip it, or even edit it in Paint from within the instrument.

As with audio files, the image file is scanned from left-to-right when you play and hold a note. You can control the speed, mix, loop and position in time. The Frequency Scale parameter enables you to determine how much pixel brightness affects the pitch.

The effect is quite satisfying. Slow speeds can produce grand, sweeping timbres, while faster speeds can generate gurgling organic sounds or unusual rhythmic devices, depending on the image.

A dab hand at Paint could easily use this to take total control. We had a great time using a Wacom tablet to draw freehand (even if our cursor didn't quite match the pen position).

Overall, there is a richness in tone here that, frankly, took us by surprise. It must have inspired the preset designers, too, because Harmor is rammed full of some of the best plug‑in presets we've heard.

Of course, an instrument of this complexity begs one to dig into the parameters and do one's own thing. Sound designers and all other preset-shunners will find a lifetime's worth ofinspiration, even if it does take a bit of head-scratching to figure out at first.

And that's just it. Image-Line has taken a different approach to the additive hybrid. Normally, developers cludge subtractive elements onto an additive synth to make it easier to use. Not so, Image-Line, which means Harmor can be a bit intimidating on first blush.

However, it quickly reveals its secrets to those who persevere. We urge potential customers not to be put off by its unfamiliar look and terminology - you'll be missing out if you do.

Harmor is an instrument that deserves to stand out from the crowd. Now, where's that Mac version?

Hear the Image-Line Harmor in action