TALL ORDER

The Ara’s height makes it a showpiece of any home or studio desktop and at a more functional level, it actually means the diaphragm is closer to your mouth which results in less roominess and a more intimate sound. There’s a decent weight to the microphone base which has a soft padded layer underneath to stay planted on your desktop. Unscrew the circular section of the base to reveal a thread for attaching the Ara to a regular microphone stand. Being able to tilt the mic up and down is handy should you want to go from recording your voice to, say, an acoustic guitar, all while sitting behind your desk. The blue screws on either side of the yoke mount can be tightened to hold the mic at the right angle.

As a USB mic for everyday applications such as Zoom or Skype video calls or even gaming, the Ara will take your audio quality up a few notches over your computer or laptop’s built-in microphone, and look very cool doing it. Making recordings with Ara is where it’ll excel. Aside from spoken-word uses, you may find it performs commendably even on sung vocals or instruments should you need a quick run ’n’ gun setup. While not as versatile as its Lyra sibling, Ara is a great USB mic all rounder with enough flexibility to manage a number of uses.

ALL IN ONE

The two point tremolo bridge is a familiar design that’s been around forever and it just works. I like using the side of my palm on the block saddles to add a touch of tremolo without having to screw in the tremolo arm. 

The guitar arrived setup with a nice low string action that was super easy and comfortable to play, albeit with no shortage of fret buzz. Intonation was spot on. The action was a little too low for the open B string which was being choked out by fret buzz but that was an easy DIY fix. A padded Fender gig bag is included with a Player Plus guitar. 

Tonally, the Player Plus Strat leaves little to be desired. The pickups feel responsive with the right balance of twang and thickness. It’s an inviting guitar to play which encourages experimentation and effortlessly handles different genres and styles in typical Stratocaster fashion.

The more time I spend with this guitar I realised Fender has worked hard to make this instrument as versatile and user-friendly as possible. It feels buttery smooth, has Noiseless pickups, locking tuners, push/pull pickup combinations, all of which combine to make this Strat as nimble as it is capable. The Fender Player Plus is a full package instrument that’s practical, fun and adaptable. As a first Fender, or seventeenth, it’s sure to please.

ON THE OUTSIDE

Front panel control on the Revelator io24 is elegant and functional. Having a built-in colour screen and rotary push-knob is a luxury on an interface of this size. The blue glow around the dial lends it a smart aesthetic while the backlit rubber buttons are great for dimly lit studios. Pressing the dial on the home screen cycles its function through Monitor volume, Headphone volume, and Input/Output Mix. I must admit the multi-function knob concept often results in me constantly changing settings for the wrong thing – like wondering why the mic meter is still clipping when the level is decreasing in my headphones only to realise I’m turning down headphone level and not preamp gain. Just make a habit of checking the screen for the knob’s current function before tweaking it.

The two X-MAX preamps supply a clean 60dB of gain. Push buttons 1 or 2 to select the respective physical input where you can wind up the gain and engage phantom power or a 80Hz high-pass filter. 

UNIVERSAL CONTROL

On the software side, Revelator io24 is piloted from the Presonus Universal Control application, available for Mac or PC. Importantly, it’s where the Fat Channel processing for both analogue inputs can be manipulated. 

I was pleasantly surprised by the breadth of Fat Channel options. Beyond the very usable presets, you can individually control multiple processors – a HPF, gate, compressor, EQ, limiter and Voice – through a dropdown tray which reveals the plug-in GUIs. A few variants are available for the comp and EQ including FET, Tube, Passive and Vintage emulations. The kid in me had endless fun mangling a vocal mic with the more ridiculous Voice presets… Bots, Pitch Down and Ring Mod, in particular, are a hoot. There’s a modifiable reverb too, with separate Ch1 and Ch2 sends and a Return fader.

Two snapshots of Fat Channel settings can be toggled using the Preset button on the interface. What’s cool is these presets will be retained within the Revelator io24 even without a computer connected, letting you gain up and process mics to take the output straight into, say, a camera, with nothing but the untethered interface (and of course a USB power supply).

Speaking of being untethered, the Revelator io24 can be controlled wirelessly with the UC Surface app for iPad, Windows and Android. Just connect your device to the same network as the computer for mobile manipulation of all mixes and Fat Channel processing.

IN THE MIX

Universal Control lets you create up to four mixes – Main, Record, Loopback 1 and Loopback 2. That’s right: you get two whole mixes dedicated to assignable loopback channel outputs. So not only can you use Revelator io24’s two loopback inputs to accept audio from your computer applications, but you can push curated mixes back into those applications. Click the headphone icon on any of these four mixes to monitor it through the headphone output. 

The Main mix goes to the physical monitor outputs on the back of the interface. 

The Record mix is greyed out until you click the Stream Mix button at the top of the window. This sends the output of the Record mix back into your computer via USB as a stereo mixdown which appears in a DAW or live streaming software as the ‘Revelator IO 24’ input. 

And as mentioned, the other two Loopback mixes create independently routable stereo mixdowns to fling to various internal locations, be it another VC application or live streaming software. 

TEST CASE

Of course, the best way to understand all of that information is to use the interface in a real world scenario. I put Revelator io24 to the test with a typical scenario for an online content creator: live streaming a video call conversation, with the ability to add background music underneath. I used Google Meet for the video call, iTunes for music, and OBS as the streaming software. 

The three audio inputs comprise my microphone coming into a Revelator preamp, the audio from Google Meet, and the music from iTunes. To take individual control of these sources, a bit of careful setup is required. First, I assigned Google Meet’s input and output to Loopback 1. Next, I set the output of iTunes to Loopback 2 (on a Mac, you do this in System Preferences). Then in OBS I set the primary audio source to ‘Revelator IO 24’, which is fed by the Record mix once Stream Mix mode is activated in Universal Control.

Switching over to Universal Control, I went to the Loopback 1 mix (feeding the Google Meet input), turned up my mic channel so the guest could hear me, added a little Loopback 2 level so the caller could hear the music as well, and made sure the Loopback 1 fader was muted to avoid a feedback loop of the caller’s own voice. 

Now that the Google Meet feed was set up, next was configuring the recording feed. Clicking the Stream Mix button in Universal Control activates the Record mix and instantly level showed up in OBS. Clicking the headphone icon on the Record mix ensured I was monitoring the same mix that would be streamed. The beauty of this independent control over all inputs is being able to craft the perfect balance of my voice, the guest’s voice and the background music for the live stream. 

Ultimately, the benefit is clear: to have so much control in routing audio between applications makes for much more customisable, flexible and professional-sounding podcasts or live streams. The two layers of icing on top are, 1) the ability to record and stream at the same time, and 2) the ability to use Fat Channel to sweeten your analogue inputs.

PACKAGE DEAL

In case you’re DAW-less, Revelator io24 comes with a copy of Studio One Artist which lets you enjoy the tight integration perks of using PreSonus hardware and software. And it really can’t be overstated how great an addition Fat Channel is. It’s what makes the interface supremely capable, even if used only as a recording tool by a bedroom musician. 

PreSonus has put a lot of thought into the Revelator io24 to ensure it works for the podcasters and live streamers whose online presence matters. All too often managing multiple streams of live audio within the one computer required workarounds and compromises. Revelator io24 puts you back in control.

YOU’RE THE VOICE

AT: Can you describe your role on The Voice?

AS: So I play keyboards and I’m also the programmer. It’s a very technical role that involves sound design, creating all the additional instruments and backing tracks that accompany us on stage. One of the key things that I do, is program all the big orchestral tracks. That’s really one of my specialised skills — something I may do better than most and I think that’s maybe why they haven’t got rid of me yet, because I’m an old bastard. They can’t replace me with Karaoke tracks just yet! My speciality away from the piano is programming, sound design, samples, and production. 

AT: What are your go-to sample libraries for this work?

AS: I’ve collected a lot of things over the years to create my own unique sound. A lot of people tend to go out and buy a sample library because they’ve heard someone else is using it, and I don’t think that’s necessarily always the best way. I like to use my ears and I love plug-ins that only have one knob! One of the writers that I collaborate with a lot at The DA’s Office [where Adam is a creative director and composer] is Anthony Ammar, and I think he makes some of the best software libraries in the world. His company is called Evolution Series and many Hollywood Film composers like Hans Zimmer and Theodore Shapiro use his sample libraries. He’s particularly well known for his world percussion series. He’s got this way of capturing instruments that I think blows everyone else out of the water. Native Instruments is my main sample platform but I’ve literally got an 8TB hard drive full of samples. I use software from companies like Spitfire audio, LA Scoring Strings, to Project Sam, Arturia, Izotope, Soundtoys, Kush Audio… I could rattle off the names of 50 different software companies that I use. In terms of the production that you hear on the show, I create a lot of my own sounds with some helpful plug-ins.

AT: Do you have processing chains that you rely on for certain sounds?

AS: Yep, I build all my own busses and sends with specific customised signal paths of compressors, reverbs, filters and EQs that make the production sound really good. Having all of that stuff at the ready helps me find that uniqueness I’m looking for and I can deliver great results quickly.

STUDIO SENSIBILITIES

AT: What about in the studio? Do you have a big setup at home?

AS: Some people might read this and think I’m crazy but basically I have a setup I can fit in to a backpack. I’m a believer that all the ideas come from inside. They don’t come from having a lot of gear. For me, becoming a minimalist in the studio increases your creativity. Having all that hardware lying around can be a real distraction, and I know a lot of people in that world who don’t work a lot. I think it’s very prohibitive having all that stuff…you don’t need it! For me I just need a MIDI controller keyboard, a laptop and some really high quality headphones and hard drives. I can literally throw my stuff in a backpack, get on my motorbike and ride to someone’s house to record a session or mix a track in a cafe or write a song in the park on a sunny day. If I need to record live drums I can go to a big studio like 301 in Sydney, plug my laptop in and run a session from there. I’ll also take my laptop into a mix room and do analogue mixes through a desk. It’s really simple. I do have high quality monitors with a sub at home but that’s about it.

For someone like myself being a crossover musician, I can take tracks I’ve worked on at home for The Voice to the show and load them into the OB truck which outputs all the programmed audio, then I’ll be running live string samples off my laptop onstage.

The new laptops these days are frightening! I always buy the most powerful one available and I know I’ll get at least 4 years out of it until it starts to max out. Then it’s time to buy a new one again. For me, it’s such an important part of my workflow. Working on The Voice means you’ve got to be ready for anything. You might rehearse a song with an artist and a coach will change it last minute for another song you don’t know and don’t have time to rehearse. You’ve really got to be on top of your shit, which is why I also really like the Korg gear when we’re in those live performance situations.

AT: I notice you’re driving a pretty impressive looking Korg Kronos onstage.

AS: Yeah I’ve got a Kronos and a King Korg. I use the Kronos for about 80% of what I do, and the King Korg is for the really gnarly dance tracks and the future pop stuff we do. What I love about the Kronos is that it’s powerful, it’s got amazing internal sounds and you can pretty much make any sound you can imagine if it isn’t already there. It’s also got a really powerful multi-effects engine that sounds great and I love the versatility of it. I’ve probably got about 120 presets that are my go-to live sounds and I keep adding to them every year.

AT: You are working with a lot of up and coming vocalists on the show. Any advice for the musicians, engineers and producers reading this?

AS: I’m always A/Bing my work with current stuff and I’ve got a bit of a mantra about being open to learning more and trying new things. I think that’s a really important part of what we do as musicians. When people get to my age they can get a bit stuck and set in their ways, and they don’t want to listen to young people because they think they know everything. Discovery is the big thing for me, and if you’re passionate about music you can keep discovering new things.

The other bit of advice I have is that ego has no place in music. Music is something we all share, It’s the oldest language, ancient communication, it’s art, it’s spiritual healing and it connects us all by the very frequencies it produces. For those reasons, respect each other, listen, be kind, collaborate and be open minded. That is how we keep our industry thriving.

BEAT UP

At the complete other end of the spectrum, I have a pair of Beyerdynamic Beat Byrds. They may be superseded now but you could find them for as little as A$25, so I bought a bunch. From a production point of view, they’re practically disposable — if you lose them or need to lend them to another musician, the implications are minimal — just bust open another pair.

Here’s the thing: they fit me well and sound pretty darn good. Certainly adequate for most stage monitoring and luxurious for the mowing. As good as the Stealth Sonics? Of course not, but the Beat Byrds are just so much easier to live with — I think I’m onto my fourth pair… but who cares?!

What about isolation and ear health? Good point. But I’m not playing on loud stages. The absence of stage wedges, fewer screaming guitar stacks and high quality FOH systems mean I don’t need to blast my ears.

Rock drumming? That’s another story. My daughter is a drummer and I would have no hesitation in bankrolling moulds to protect her ears.

100 REASONS

After about 15 years of leaving Shure to it, Sennheiser is really going hard with its generic single dynamic driver earphones. We reviewed the flagship IE500 back in 2019. They set the standard: very hard to fault and expensive.

Released at the same sort of time, the IE40s are only a fraction of the price of the 500s but offer excellent performance and value.

Now, Sennheiser is superseding the IE40s with the IE100 Pros. I’ve just cracked open a pair, and, much to my surprise, they’re Bluetooth earphones. Or more accurately, they have a Bluetooth option. Sennheiser, rather cutely, suggests one approach is for Live and the other is for Life. I’m a fan. The Bluetooth kit has two lumps in the lead: one’s a transmitter, the other has some basic controls for volume, taking phone calls and muting. It also packs a MEMS mic for handling voice assistant instructions.

The Bluetooth kit’s battery has a run time of some 10 hours and powers via USB.

The Bluetooth kit plugs into the earpieces. Gently pull the plugs out and you can replace them with IE100 Pro’s cables. It’s about 1m long and perfectly adequate for reaching your IEM pack, any other duty will require an extender.

THE POWER OF ONE

Years ago, Shure proved that generic earphones can sound great, without the price tag and all the upkeep of custom moulds.

Sennheiser has proven to musicians and sound pros that you don’t need a whole fusillade of drivers, mechanical filters, labyrinths and micro technology to build a superb-sounding earphone.

The question for we as musicians and sound people is how much isolation do we need to protect our hearing? If you’re a drummer or a monitor engineer sitting next to a bunch of sidefill, then custom moulds aren’t only the right alternative but the only alternative.

For quieter stages, then a pair of generics can make sense.

Personally, I think the price point of the IE100 Pros is perfect. You can pick up a pair for not much more than A$150 and you have an ‘everyday’ earphone that’s just as useful plugged into your laptop and paired to your phone as it is connected to your IEM pack on the weekend. They’re very easy to clean, easy to live with, and if the worst happens — you break them or lose them — you’re not bereft/inconsolable. I think Sennie has found a new sweetspot.