SONIC TALK Podcasts

This week Mark is excited about his new iPhone app RJDJ which does seem pretty nifty, we then talk of the new Apple laptop range which seems to have omitted musicians and video producers from it's possible customer base by the exclusion of FireWire on the Mac Books and only FW800 on the MBPros, we touch on the panels experiences with the new Spectrasonics Omnisphere mega instrument, then we take a look at the new SoundCloud.com audio sharing and distribution service, then we touch on the new Metallica album which has been mastered too loud and results in poor MP3 encoding and other issues, the Tone Generation series from Ian Helliwell is up next, then it's smelly Mac Pros and other stinky equipment to end the show on a low note.

So this weeks show covers, Punk meets butter as Johnny Rotten appears in a butter ad in the UK - we wonder if it's all gone wrong and at what point is it acceptable to take the money and run. Then Dave drops a massive hint on the next 80's band to reform, Mark shows us an interesting duet between Le Bon and Debbie Harry, then we discuss the new Roland Cakewalk V-Studio, ProTools 8 and a time/pitch conundrum for Mark.

As this is episode 101, we indulge our grumpier sides and talk about things that really annoy us in the studio world, but not before we marvel at Matt Mahaffey's amazing rendition of classic AC/DC track Back in Black on drums and Omnichord, then we discuss the recently delayed release of the Linn Drum II and the availability of Dave Smiths new Mopho desktop synthesizer. Then we discover who are panel would like to meet or work with alive or dead - which was one of the topics we didn't get around to last week (no surprise!).

First up we remember the voice of Don LaFontaine, Mr movie trailer himself, then we ponder the SPL Transient Designer which seems to be used so much these days, another brief spell remembering Richard Wright keyboard player with Pink Floyd, the wonderful International Dance Party machine and other party machinery and finally the Korg M3 Xpanded and other workstationery.

After thanking the powers that be for not obliterating us in the Cern particle accelerator experiment that took place on the morning of our recording, we move on to Sony's latest laptop recall gaffe, then the new HG Fortune The Dream Machine self generating VST synth, then the first 100 Million views for a Youtube video goes to.... After which we ponder the new Waldorf Blofeld keyboard and how Sugababes got away with using that Apple Loop as the main theme of their hit 'Change'.

First up we ponder the significance of Universal Audio's latest UAD-2 Sharc powered DSP plugins and examine their claims in detail, then we run from the awesome attack of the musical robots - is no one safe? After which, we discuss the new wave of DIY stompboxes and otherwise, followed by EQ tips and pratice.

Firstly we talk of Creamfields and other weather dependent activities, then we're into Slau's response to Rich Hilton's question on M&S mic tecnhnique, sound libraries on hard discs and other sound effects related chat, then we talk of music that makes us cry, Psychedlic Furs and then to a topical politics in music.

After I gloat about the Olypmpic medals table, we talk about good working practices to make sure your ears stay healthy when wokring in the studio, then on to manuals paper and otherwise, followed by a spell on Alan Blumlein - grandaddy of stereo recording then the promising Girton Labs SenseSurface a sort of hybrid LCD/ hardware control system, then I wax lyrical about the iPod Touch and the pretty promising App Store from Apple - saviours of the developers? We end on a blast of Isaac Hayes who sadly passed away on the 10th of August.

Mark Tinley, PJ Tracy, Dave Spiers, Rich Hilton and host Nick Batt As well as the Olympic theme and singers and composers of Olympic theme songs, we linger in the backstage area to discuss band riders and unreasonable requests, a quick announcement for the B52's remix competition winner, GigaStudio to be no more, the enigmatic Studio Electronics Omega Orion - to Nelly Hooper and then 6 degrees of separation just about finishes us off.