YSL Pro

Tonight Ray Wilson from Yorkville Sound will be hosting a FREE clinic focusing on the basics of computer based recording at Long & McQuade (Toronto).

Ray has decades of experience with recording, performing, live mixing and much more, so this will be a very informative session.

The session will be quarterbacked by a Universal Audio Volt and some other tasty gear!

The Novation Launchkey 88 MK4 has now been announced ($599🇨🇦)!

The Launchkey 88 brings all the DAW integration, built-in creative tools, and hands-on control of the latest Launchkey range - now with over seven octaves of Novations best-feeling, most expressive keys to date.

You also get eight endless encoders, nine faders, and 16 velocity-sensitive pads for drums, instruments, and clip launching.

Plus, Chord and Scale modes work with the OLED display to keep you in key.

Key Features:

✅Powerful integration with all major DAWs
✅Custom semi-weighted keybed
✅Eight endless rotary encoders
✅Nine faders and buttons
✅16 velocity-sensitive pads
✅Chord and Scale modes
✅Pro-grade software bundle

Available to order now.

Long & McQuade Musical Instruments have just released an excellent video doing a deep dive on the Sequential Fourm. At $1,299.99🇨🇦 this 4-Voice analog synth with polyphonic aftertouch is a must try synthesizer!

🎹 Sequential FOURM – The Perfect Compact Analog Synth! Join Sage on a deep dive into the world of the Sequential Fourm 4-V...

What's this?

Just a couple of legends with STC (now ) 4038 Ribbon Mics picking up their drum overhead sound!

"Royer Labs' R-12 and its sibling, the R-10 [Tape Op #124], are less expensive than the company’s flagship models and aimed at first-time ribbon mic buyers… but dare I say that I like the less expensive R-12 model more than my R-122 active ribbon? I just might for electric guitar applications. They are both excellent microphones and shine in a multitude of applications, but I was impressed by the R-12, and at under $1,000, it makes it an attractive option. I highly recommend the Royer R-12 and can’t imagine not having these mics in the locker as an option for recording guitars and drums from this point forward. They certainly live up to the “tough ribbon” marketing tagline".

Tape Op Magazine has a fantastic review of the new Royer Labs R-12 Active Ribbon Mic which at $1,199🇨🇦 is kinda a bargain. Oh, and until the end of June it comes with a FREE RSM-224 Shockmount valued at $479🇨🇦!

https://tapeop.com/reviews/gear/172/r-12-active-ribbon-mic

Save up to $415🇨🇦 on select Universal Audio Apollo x Gen 2 Interfaces + get Sonarworks SoundID for Headphones & Apollo Monitor Correction Add-on FREE!

Until the end of June save up to $70🇨🇦 on select Universal Audio Volt Audio Interfaces!

Our Studio of the Week this week is Phoebe St. Studio in Toronto!

The studio is on a very leafy street in downtown Toronto, and run by Rob Higgins and Rob Sanzo.

Rob Higgins (artist, songwriter, producer, mixer, engineer, author)

Rob Higgins’ career took off when he beat 35 bassists to become a full time member of Change Of Heart, who had just signed a major label deal with Virgin Music Canada. After a 4 year cycle of writing in Toronto, recording at Le Studio in Quebec and touring Canada with The Tragically Hip, Our Lady Peace and Big Sugar, the group disbanded.

Then as a touring bassist with Our Lady Peace, The Watchmen, By Divine Right and Tristan Psionic, Rob was inspired to start his own band, Dearly Beloved.

Dearly Beloved has released 7 albums and toured 28 countries. Rob produced 6 of the albums, three at Signal To Noise (Toronto), two at Rancho De La Luna (Joshua Tree), and two tracked at Studio 606 (LA - Dave Grohl’s studio).

These experiences inspired Rob to start Phoebe St., Studio in Toronto. In spirit and practice, a marriage of Abbey Road and Rancho De La Luna. An analog-heavy, hybrid haven spread out over an old Victorian with vintage front end.

The basement has an echo chamber and an amp room, main floor has a gourmet kitchen with yard, and a dining/ living space. The second floor has a control/ live room complete with a mix of vintage and new outboard gear and a Ludwig kit.

Floor 3 features a band lounge and a deck for breaks and post-session table tennis tournaments.

Big studio sounds are being captured in a warm and disarming space on Phoebe St. As a result, bigger names are spending time there making records and a YouTube show has been launched called Phoebe St. LIVE. Members of The Watchmen, Sloan and By Divine have participated with new episodes going live every two weeks.

Rob Sanzo (engineer)
Rob Sanzo owned and operated Signal To Noise Studio in Toronto for close to two decades. It was a major hub of creativity and Rob was at the centre of it, working with legends like Sum 41 and CJ Ramone. Rob teaches at Recording Arts Canada and also helps keep the bar high at Phoebe St., sonically, technically and spiritually.

This is tobight at - hope to see you there!

Save the date - Free Universal Audio Event at Long & McQuade (Toronto), Monday June 1!

This Monday, join producer/ engineer/ songwriter/ musician Karen Kosowski, Hill Kourkoutis and Graham C Walsh to discuss their recording and production methodologies, their mixing techniques and their approach to sound. Joining us for the event will be David Roman and Jason Salzman, visiting Toronto from Universal Audio, as well as Ray Wilson and Tim Condon from Yorkville Sound, the Universal Audio distributor for Canada.

Karen Kosowski is a Nashville-based producer, songwriter, and mixer whose work has earned multiple Grammy nominations, along with Producer of the Year nominations at both the Juno Awards and the Canadian Country Music Awards (CCMA). She produced the majority of Mickey Guyton’s album "Remember Her Name", a project that marked a pivotal moment in Guyton’s career and earned three Grammy nominations, including Best Country Album. As a songwriter, she received a CCMA Songwriter of the Year nomination for Tim Hicks’ “What A Song Should Do,” a chart-topping hit in both Canada and Australia.

Hill Kourkoutis is a Juno Award-winning producer, songwriter, recording engineer, mixer, multi-instrumentalist, artist, and director whose work continues to redefine the landscape of contemporary Canadian music. Her work is unified by a deep commitment to storytelling - whether through sound, song, or visual narrative. Celebrated for her genre-defying approach and emotionally rich, cinematic productions, Hill has collaborated with acclaimed artists including Aysanabee, Sebastian Gaskin, SATE, Digging Roots and many more. In 2022, Hill made history as the first woman to win the Juno Award for Recording Engineer of the Year.

Graham Walsh is a Juno Award and Polaris Prize nominated composer and producer from Toronto. A co-founding member of experimental/electronic group Holy F, Graham is known for consistently pushing boundaries. As a producer/engineer/mixer, he has lent his expertise and sensibilities to many acclaimed albums for artists such as Alvvays, Debby Friday (on her Polaris Prize winning LP "Good Luck"), July Talk, METZ, Preoccupations, Bully, Born Ruffians, Kiwi Jr, Bria, and many more.

This FREE event will be a great opportunity for these three artists to compare and contrast the work they do in similar and different genres, and the role that Universal Audio tools play in their productions. This is an interactive event where attendees are encouraged to ask questions. David Roman and Jason Salzman will be able to add some "behind the scenes" spotlights on these Universal Audio tools, and answer Universal Audio specific questions.

Monday, June 1 at L&M Pro - upstairs at 935 Bloor St W, Toronto.
6.30pm - 8pm.

To register, email [email protected]