Gearwire Labs

Call it a "workhorse," call it "wino's pet," just don't call it "droopy." The sE Electronics 2200a is a straightforward cardioid condenser that's been used recently by Amy Winehouse, and by sE Electronic's own Bob Reardon, who shoves Owen out of the spotlight for a second to get a little sumthin' off his chest.  

Be careful when you watch this video featuring the Yamaha TQ5 tabletop synthesizer. Gearwire cannot be held responsible if during the course of this video, Mario Lopez, French Stewart or any other cast member of VH1's "I Love The 80s" 1988 episode haunts your dreams with terribly corny jokes.  

If you've been stuck using the standard preamps on your audio interface or multitrack recorder, it might be wise to look into a dedicated mic pre. Find out how fine tuning more controls can improve your sound.  

The ART Pro VLA returns for a final installment as Bob DiFazio uses it for a practical application. Also, catch his final word on the Pro VLA as a compression unit.  

Bob DiFazio continues his look at the ART Pro VLA Compressor. This video features a closer view of the ratio and output knobs, complete with one of the most unnecessarily involved LOTR references I could imagine.  

With the Korg PX5D's USB connectivity, you can do more than just edit effects presets from your PC. To that end, the PX5D ships with Ableton Live Lite, just to give you an idea of how much you can actually do with this little, evil thing.  

An engineer without a compressor is like a professional eater without a mouth. Bob DiFazio explains the ART Pro VLA compressor and how the only recipe for success is no recipe at all.  

Paul Kramer from Marshall amplification stopped by GW to show off the company's new JVM210C, a 100 Watt two-channel combo so versatile, you'll wonder why anyone would buy a Spider III. Other than the price, I mean.  

When Bill Holland hooks a Korg R3 up to a Q-Tron envelope filter and finds his arpeggiated groove, I'm not sure whether to whip out my glow sticks and pacifier or my Boosty star-glasses and rainbow-dread wig. Please, won't somebody tell me how to properly enjoy this electrofunkadelia?  

Bill Holland is out to prove that one person's garage-sale fodder is another's "highly desirable vintage synth module." In this GW Labs vid, Bill's cued up a sequence in Logic 8 that he's feeding to a mid-80's Yamaha TQ5. Hot Chip is getting ideas.  

The Korg PadKONTROL comes packed with Ultra Analog Session software so that right out of the box, you've got some swanky stuff to work with. DJ Puzzle Jason Donnelly has everything connected, and here, he explains what the controls can do.  

According to IMDB, DJ Puzzle Jason Donnelly, "a young rapper, struggling with every aspect of his life, wants to make the most of what could be his final opportunity but his problems around gives him doubts." Can the Pioneer CDJ1000 MK3 and Korg KAOSS Pad KP3 help him succeed?  

This video is definitive evidence that DJ Puzzle Jason Donnelly is a vampire. Remember that scene in Interview With The Vampire where Brad Pitt and Christian Slater begin the interview and Brad Pitt flicks the lightswitch and before the lights turn on, he's already sitting at the table? That's how fast DJ Puzzle sets up the Korg PadKONTROL.  

If you're wondering what to get DJ Puzzle for his next birthday, wedding, bar mitzvah or other special event, look no further. Puzzle loves the CDJ1000 MK3 and the Korg KP3 and in this video, he gets to use them side by side. What a treat!  

The austere arpeggios on the Korg R3 just weren't dirty enough for GW's Bill Holland. His solution? Run that signal through a Q-Tron envelope filter. George Clinton would be proud.  

The PreSonus ADL-600 preamp has a wide load of interesting features, and Gearwire's Bob DiFazio explains what they do. When should you use a polarity switch? What has T.J. Cross done since 2002? Half of these questions and more are answered in the enclosed video!  

We continue our examination of the iZotope Ozone 3 mastering plugin where Gearwire's Bill Holland focuses in on paragraphic EQ. Watch and learn as Bill navigates and creates different curves and more.  

Do you like free plug-ins? Of course you do. Check out Airy's AU303, a TB303 emulator that takes emulation seriously.  

Do you know that sound effect that happens in bad comedy movies when something embarrassing happens that completely interrupts the goings-on and causes a large crowd to stare at the main character? You can do that with the Pioneer CDJ1000 MK3.  

In the third installment of Gearwire's field recorder shootout, Owen O'Malley seeks out Chicago's premier acoustic open mic night legend, J. Irving-Giles. Josh took a break from enchanting coffee-drinking audiences with his folksy ballads and writing in the third person to put three field recorders to the test.  

The iZotope Ozone 3 plugin can put the final touches on your mixes. Bill Holland checks out Ozone 3 and readies you for a closer look by previewing the plug and its credentials.  

"CDJ" mode may be chock-full of intuitive features and practical applications, but it's only the beginning. Watch as DJ Puzzle Jason Donnelly switches over to "Vinyl" mode on the CJD1000 and works up a sweat.  

We continue our look at the Zoom SB-246 Streetboxx as Bill Holland overviews some of the functions that make the SB-246 usable live.  

DJ Puzzle goes through the features of this Pioneer deck in "CDJ" mode. Puzz shows us how the Cue function mode can be your best friend: getting you out of bar scrapes and in with the ladies.  

Been thinking about upgrading from your tape four-track Portastudio to the digital world? Before you do, sit yourself down in from of this video and let Bob give you a piece of his mind.  

Gearwire's Bill Holland goes 8 Mile with the Zoom SB-246 Streetboxx. Will Bill give up his rig and start making his beats on the SB-246? Probably not, but check out the beats you can make using this small groove machine.  

Learn about backspinning, hot cues, and more. DJ Puzzle gets crazy with the Pioneer CDJ1000 MK3. By watching this video, you certify that you're 18 years old or over.  

Do you like the Aural Exciter and the Big Bottom from Aphex? Then you'll probably like the Aphex 204, a processor that has two channels with both devices on each one.  

In his previous video, DJ Puzzle Jason Donnelly showed us the Behringer BCD3000 and mentioned it included a copy of Traktor 3 LE. In this continuation, Puzzle shows us how to use the two in conjunction.  

Jason Donnelly, aka DJ Puzzle, takes a look at the BCD3000 DJ Control by Behringer. It looks like Behringer City has really assembled a winner with this one -- many of their products are low priced, but this one is also a pretty good value.