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[#1]

Issue 197

Recording and the "Is-Ought" Gap

Is there something an 18th-centrury Scottish philosopher can teach us about recording?

One of the main questions of ethical theory revolves around the “is-ought” gap, as described in the writings of Scottish philosopher David Hume (1711-1776). Wait a minute!! This is Harmony Central, what’s going on here?!?

Actually, this relates a whole lot to the world of recording and music, so bear with me. (Or if this is putting you to sleep, at least make sure you’re not smoking in bed.) Hume’s premise was that you couldn’t deduce what ought to be based on what is. This is something that philosophers have debated over the past few centuries, but trust me, musicians and recording engineers already know this. For example, just because a session is composed of great players doesn’t mean it ought to produce great music. Bad vibes, egos, equipment breakdowns . . . there are a lot of hurdles between is and ought.

So if we can’t deduce an “ought” from an “is,” what difference does it make—especially when it comes to recording? And why should we even care?

Well, musically or in terms of recording, “we is what we is” and that’s the reality of the situation. Maybe you’re a great player, maybe you’re not, but you’re playing music. Maybe you’ve engineered platinum records, or are using an all-in-one recorder for the first time as you record a band that’s been together for a week—but you’re engineering. And it’s true, we can’t predict what ought be based on what is: The great player might be in a creative slump, while the band that’s been together a week might make all the right moves and strike gold on its first outing.

And that’s what makes music and recording so fascinating. Trying to create an “ought” from an “is” is something that most philosophers seem to think is an impossibility. So, forget about what ought to be the result from your session, and just think about what is. Establishing expectations and goals—what ought to be—makes sense, and provides a sort of road map. But also understand that what "is" might imply a completely different result, and you need to be sensitive to any new, unexpected directions your music might take you.

So try to cut free from rules, plans, and the way things were done in the past. If you don’t worry about what ought to be and instead concern yourself with what is, how something ought to turn out will take care of itself. —Craig Anderton

Headliners

Review

Tech 21 Boost Series Pedals

by Phil O'Keefe

Four new dirt boxes, all with a little extra boost

Review

iZotope Alloy 2 Essential Mixing Tools Plug-In Suite

by Craig Anderton

Alloy 2 is a plug-in with six mixing tools—but do they offer anything beyond what's already bundled with your DAW?

Hot Tip

Son of Hot Tip: The AC Adapter Labeling Sequel

by Phil O'Keefe

You really don't want to blow up box A by using the power supply from box B, so here are some more suggestions on how to label your power adapters

Cool Threads

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	Tell Me About CDs—Do You Still Buy and Use Them? The CD is a dead format, and about as antiquated as the Model T Ford . . . right? Not so fast—the CD is still surprisingly popular, and if you think otherwise, the comments in this thread may surprise you.
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	2013 Gibson SG Standard The latest models from Gibson have really caught the attention of the Effects forum. Small pickguards, cool finishes, and reasonable price tags have created quite a buzz. Stop in and see what all the fuss is about.
	Need Suggestions for a Solo to Learn Picking apart and learning a guitar solo can be a fun and rewarding way to improve your chops and learn some new licks. In this thread, the Electric Guitar forum offers some suggestions for solos that are challenging, but not too difficult. Make better music!
	Bass Combo Amp Suggestions Sometimes a large rig isn't appropriate for the gig. In fact, unless you're playing large venues, a combo amp may be a better choice—but which one? That's where the advice of the Bass forum comes in, and this thread is chock-full of great suggestions.

Newsmakers

	Radial Tossover Variable Frequency Divider 500-Series Module Radial's Tossover is a 500-series module that enables you to divide the frequency bands of an audio signal to separately process lows and highs, or combine the two in series to create a band-pass filter.
	Carl Martin "Single-Channel" PlexiTone and AC-Tone Pedals Featuring a tighter bottom end and slightly softer high frequencies, the PlexiTone retains exactly the same gain structure as the High Gain setting on the original Pro-Series PlexiTone. The AC-Tone is a pedalboard friendly, single-channel version of the original Pro-Series AC-Tone.
	Korg Introduces iPolysix App For iPad The iPolysix app evokes Korg's legendary analog polyphonic synthesizer but also adds new features that include a sequencer, drum machine, multiple effects, Kaoss touch functionality, and an automated mixer.
	Tech 21’s Boost DLA Undergoes Makeover and Several Updates Updates to the Boost DLA analog delay emulator pedal include changing the former Flutter control to Tape Drift to add a more vintage tape echo-like random element, and dotted eighth note echo.
	Mackie Updates Master Fader App for DL1608 The free Master Fader v1.3 app update offers wireless support for iPad (4th generation) and iPad mini, access control to prevent accidental changes by limiting access to selected controls on individual iPad devices, and more.
	Zynaptiq UNVEIL Version 1.5 Supports VST, RTAS & AAX Native on Mac and PC A free V1.5 update for UNVEIL, the real-time de-reverberation and signal focusing plug-in, supports more plug-in formats and adds multiple workflow enhancements (including a re-designed automation system for improved automation workflow) as well as new factory presets.

Riffs From HC

The Front Page News Is Back!

On November 20, the news came back to the front page. So why the hiatus? Of all the damage wrought by Hurricane Sandy, you probably didn't expect Harmony Central's front page news to be one of the casualties. But press releases are handled by our east coast office, and when power, internet, and wi-fi went down in one of the hardest-hit areas . . . so did the news.

We've since de-centralized the handling of the news (live and learn, right?), and are back to prepping and formatting the latest releases for your (and our!) viewing pleasure. We apologize for the interruption, but far more importantly, we hope that all of you who were victims of the "storm of the century" have also been able to get back to some semblance of normalcy.

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