Blog n Roll Rentals

X-Mas wasn't too chilly with the Mojave Audio MA-300...

2012-01-02T21:19:00.000-08:00

Over the holiday weekend I took a test-drive with the MA-300 large-diaphragm condenser microphone from Mojave Audio. Initially, I was skeptical about it. I had never heard of ‘Mojave Audio’ as a brand until recently, and I had assumed that it was a semi-affordable condenser to compete with AKG or Audio-Technica. I quickly found out that there was a lot more to the company and the mic than I could have anticipated.

Mojave Audio is a relatively new company, created by ‘ribbon microphone’ legend David Royer. If you aren’t familiar, Royer reintroduced ribbon microphones to the world in the late 1990’s, and became an instant legend for doing so. Royer’s work has often been compared to the quality of leading German products, and his mics are regarded as a studio essential for achieving rich and warm tones.

The MA-300 is loaded with JAN military-grade vacuum tubes, a 15- DB pad, as well as a high-pass filter, and multiple patterns (which is the only difference between cardioid sibling MA-200). It’s multiple patterns are controllable from a converter box, which allow it to use cardioid, figure-8, and Omni patterns. This converter box sends it’s own phantom power, and it can handle phantom power added additionally, which is handy if you want to use it in large mic set-ups.

To start, I set it up to record some chimey acoustic guitar. It instantly sounded so gratifying. It focused on high-mids, and cancelled out any problem frequencies that often occur on recording acoustic guitars. Instantly upon play-back, the guitar sat out in the mix, with a warm tone and the exact frequency range I wanted to it to sit in. I was so impressed! Perhaps it’s the JAN tubes in them, but this mic instantly sounds golden. Recently I tested the P-67, which I was also immensely impressed by (see Colin Laflin’s awesome P-67 review), but the MA-300 achieved the sound I was peronsally wanting to hear from Peluso’s replica.

Next I moved onto testing it on vocals, and yet again, it performed flawlessly. The vocals sat in the mix pre-EQ or compression almost exactly where they needed to be. It handled lows smoothly, and in the high mid-range (1kHz+) is where the mic added compression like warmth and voice. Something I didn’t get to try that most demos and reviews of the MA-300 praise is its ability as a drum room/overhead microphone.

I highly recommend checking out this awesome product from Mojave Audio, and the best way to take the test drive I did on your own recording is to rent it from Rock N’ Roll Rentals!!! You can get it for a “Reservation Rate” (Tues/Wed/Thurs-Monday) for $29 or on a monthly rental for $64, which is a real steal for getting to know this and other recording microphones!

-William Glosup

Rupert Neve's Time Machine Tape-o-Magnetron-alizer

2011-11-26T15:27:00.000-08:00

Just kidding. On review here is the Portico 5042 Tape FX unit from Rupert Neve Designs, a tape simulator meant to capture the fatness and saturation of recording to tape, without the expense and Lord-of-The-Rings-caliber journey it takes to acquire magnetic tape. The general idea is simple - use all the analog components of a tape machine (fat transformers, tape heads, etc.) - and in place of the tape, have a saturation control.

It's fairly common to record sources with lots of transient content (particularly things inclined to be harsh...i.e. cymbals) like drums, acoustic guitar, and vocals to tape for a number of reasons. Tape acts as a limiter - when things peak above the area that can be written to tape, that portion of the waveform is simply shaved off, without losing the "punch"...even the best of limiters have a hard time doing this. The components in a tape machine generate a lot of "harmonics", particularly 3rd order harmonics, which for a wide variety of reasons, cancel and phase frequencies down the spectrum. In normal, practical, "actually matters" parlance, it mellows harsh things out and makes them sound "rich".

As for the unit itself, it does this far better than any plugins I've used. The transformer selection is typical for the rest of the Portico line, and imparts a very fat "Portico sound", heavy in the 300-500hz range, which can overwhelm certain things quickly, but is great for fattening up thin parts.
The saturation is great - can be driven incredibly hard and still retain punch, and because of the two channels, you can run a single source to both channels (depending on the setup of your patchbay) and treat the same signal in parallel...leaving one nearly untouched and the other smashed to heck (a technique commonly used on vocals, bass, or drum buss). The tape "speed controls" simulate what happens at different tape speeds - namely a more responsive high-end at the faster setting. This can sometimes add "harshness", depending on the source, but is particularly helpful if the Portico 500hz "fatness" is overwhelming.

My biggest gripe with this unit, one that rendered it EXTREMELY tedious, is the lack of a stereo link. For all intents and purposes, this is a dual mono unit. The pots aren't precise enough that similar settings yield similar saturation, so sending stereo sources through it like a mix or drum overheads (two MAJOR USES for analog tape) is incredibly time consuming and tedious. It took ages to get the stereo image balanced, and even then, I wasn't certain if I was achieving identical effects on the L and R channels of my overhead track...resulting in a shifty snare and kick that seemed to dance around my overhead "center". This was even more noticeable on a full mix.

If you need to run this on several mono sources, or run a single source through two different saturation units, this unit is killer. Sometimes this unit is all it took to get something to sit in the mix. If you're looking for something to reliably handle stereo channels though, you should be prepared to spend some time dialing it in. Either way, great to track through-right after the pre, before the interface - to fat sounds, nice limiting (often essential in today's demand for loud mixes/masters), and well worth the money! $43 a weekend, $95 a month, at Rock N Roll Rentals!

Hail, "Heil!"

2011-07-22T00:24:00.000-07:00

If you haven't noticed, which I'm sure you have - Rock N Roll Rentals is now carrying Heil microphones. The creator, Bob Heil, is really giving the big brands a run for their money with the release of his extraordinary line of dynamic microphones. I was able to experiment with the PR-40 while tracking local punk-alternative band, "Cannibal Barbie" at Werd Recording Suite.
At first feel, the mic's build and weight gave claim of an undeniably great product. The solid capsule coupled with a dense grille could even make certain GmbH microphone manufacturers jealous of it's resilience. Now, where to put it?

First came the drums. The large diaphragm, and the likeness to the Electro-Voice RE-20 begged for me to put it on the kick drum, but I did not. I was already very content with my Audix D6/Shure SM7b combination - and, let's be honest, we all know where we like that huge pickup; the snare. But why? I always enjoy capturing a full sound of the snare drum, moving away from things like SM57s, MD421s, or similar products. This is not to discount the awesomeness engrained in the workhorse dynamic mics, but we as engineers seem to always feel the craving to have our own "sound" for future generations to use the "[your name here] miking technique." In a bluegrass, jazz, or soft rock situation, I would be tempted to even use a large diaphragm condenser such as the Neumann TLM 103, but with a piccolo snare being whipped like a racehorse, no amount of padding on my signal chain would bear the intensity of the cracks - not to mention the intense bleed of the accompanying noisemakers. The resulting recording of the snare was actually not surprising at all. This is NOT a bad thing - it sounded like a dynamic mic should on a drum. The big plus was the addition of some low end - thickening the snappy sound of the snare. The lateral rejection capability of this mic was a little weak, but not disappointing. I was pleasantly satisfied with the track - but not done yet.

The following day, we tracked vocals. Again, I had to steer away from the large diaphragm condenser because of their susceptibility to harshness on loud or screaming vocals. Furthermore, we have all seen Thom Yorke's shrill mouth literally eating the end-cap of the RE-20, so I felt the need to try the dynamics on these vocals. Just in case, I put alongside the Shure SM7b as a safety precaution. I realized while setting up, the PR-40 would be much more diverse in its capabilities had it high-pass and/or 'presense' options on it (as the SM7b has). After review of the 'game tape,' I actually ended up sticking with the SM7 for these vocals. My reasoning was - the vocalist's nasally lyrics did not play well with the frequency response of the PR-40. It was a VERY close call. I even considered using both and blending the two, but in the end, the PR-40 did not make the cut for these tracks.

In the end, had I not another mic to compare to, I would have easily kept and been highly satisfied with the sound of the PR-40. At a $21/month rental rate though - really - you MUST use this mic.

Written by Audio Engineer/Producer Ali Ramzanali

The New U (...67 copy, that is)

2011-07-13T21:13:00.000-07:00

On review today is the Peluso P67, modeled after the famous vintage (discontinued, and thus wildly expensive) Neumann U-67. It's not uncommon for well-maintained 67's to sell for upwards of $10,000. Until John Peluso spent over 2 years on the p67 to get it just right, attaining its signature sound (think the Beatles' Revolver, Bob Dylan, Chris Cornell's Soundgarden tenure, Kurt Cobain on "Nevermind", among many, many, many others) - meant shelling out big bucks in an expensive studio or, if you were lucky enough to live in L.A., New York, or Nashville, renting one for nearly the price of a month's mortgage payment.

Fortunately for us, Peluso Microphone Labs put in the time with several great u-67 specimens and tweaked the p67design til it closely matched the original, creating a mic that holds its own in shootouts with the best of engineer-ears.

The original u67 finds its use primarily on vocals, acoustic guitar, and less often (though no less spectacularly) on electric guitar cabs. I can't really describe with words what it does to the sound, but as this is a blog, I'll try...and you can listen to clips below.

It seemed to be that vocally (clips 1 and 2), it captured about what I'd expected - a nice low end, detailed midrange, and a crispy but not overhyped high end. In terms of high end, I'd put it somewhere between a u47 and a c12 (or for existing Peluso fans, a 2247 and p12). The midrange is where I really sensed something unique. Interesting handling of the critical 400-600 range, and a very unique sounding upper midrange. While the response is spec'd as mostly "flat", we all know the human voice is anything but, and putting several vocalists in front yielded a consistently unique, interesting EQ curve.

The mic was dense in the midrange, with a particular emphasis in the 500 region (a region typically reserved for things that occupy the "front" of a mix), and around the forward sounding 2k region, which would ordinarily yield a very "forward" sounding vocal track, if not for the interesting phasing/compression characteristics. More on this later. There was a high frequency air present as well which began its rolloff somewhere around 8k. In many ways, this is a "midrangey" mic, not boasting the warm, resonating low end and bright, airy high end of the p12. The clips of the acoustic are a great indicator of the low and high end differences (clips 3 and 4).

Most fascinating was the mic's tendency to sound somewhat compressed already, even filtered in a way. Some reading and novice examination of the u67 schematic shows several negative feedback loops, which without getting overly technical, loops the signal back in to earlier parts of the circuit, resulting in phase cancellation at certain frequencies and gives things a very unique color and a somewhat "squished" sound. (The forward, fast, "spanky" sound of a Vox AC-30 is primarily due to its LACK of negative feedback loops. The bloom and compression heard in many Two-Rock amps, particularly the John Mayer signature head, are the result of carefully tuned negative feedback.) The tube only accentuates this tendency toward compression, resulting in a sound similar to fast attack, medium release settings on a compressor...a sound known to push things "back" in a mix. This all comes together to bring us a mic that sounds detailed and forward EQ-wise without being difficult to place into the mix. Given the desire for compressed vocal sounds, it's no wonder 67 microphones are all over modern rock records.

I was most pleasantly surprised when I decided, given its interesting midrange, to try it on electric guitar cabs. No matter what sound came out of the amp, the resulting signal (again through the neutral FMR RNP) had an unmistakable vintage, retro vibe to it, a certain throatiness (due to its handling of the 500hz range) that perfectly accentuated the sounds of a Gretsch ( see clips 5 and 6) or Telecaster.

Needless to say, next time I need to record an edgy or aggressive vocal track or am in need of a vintage "vibe" to my guitar tracks, I will be reaching for Peluso's p67. You can do so as well at Rock n Roll Rentals, for $45 (weekend rate, Tuesday to Monday) or $100 bucks for the month.

Latest tracks by Rock n Roll Rentals

by Colin Laflin

Peluso P28: Your Acoustic's New Best Friend

2011-06-13T01:41:00.000-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to record a mid-tempo track for Austin songwriter Paul Whitney, consisting of acoustic guitar, mandolin, brushed snare, hand percussion, and vocals. The goal here was to sound natural and close, with an intimate sense of space and a degree of polish without harsh brightness. So I set out to find some gear.

I've always felt frustrated recording acoustic guitar - it has to have warmth and body and transient crispness - all without sounding boomy or thin. I think we're all familiar with "cardboard box with strings" recordings of acoustic instruments, or worse, the god-awful "ice-pick on strings" sound often achieved by incorrectly chasing "sheen" and "polish".

Worse still, these problems can't be corrected with compression without very obvious artifacts - fine in a layered rock mix, but murderous to the vibe of a quiet acoustic song. My quest then, was to find a flat, natural microphone, one that could pleasantly squish some transients, and provide a warm tone while keeping a "woofs" and "booms" at bay.

Enter the Peluso P28 pencil tube microphone.

The Mic:
A small diaphragm condenser modeled after the classic AKG C28 (but at a fraction of the cost!) this condenser imparts the warmth and body so sought after with large diaphragm condensers (which would ordinarily "boom" and "scrape" on an acoustic guitar recording), with the accuracy and transient response of a small diaphragm condenser. Though listed as a small diaphragm condenser, at 18mm, it's larger than expected compared to something like a Rode NT5 (13mm).
What attracted me to this microphone was the tube, however - not because tubes are "rad" or "vintage" (although, they totally are), but because tubes are known for their natural compression characteristics, which seemed promising for handling pick noise and harshness.

The Setup:
Peluso p28, Rode Nt5, SM-57 Kel Audio HM7U
FMR RNP
Tascam USB 1641

I setup with a commonly used mic setup - SM-57 on the 12th fret of the acoustic, Peluso p28 on the soundhole, both mics about a foot away from the instrument, and the Kel Audio Large Diaphragm condenser capturing some room ambience. This yielded a nice sound, though not really resembling what i was hearing in the room. The 57 over-emphasized the upper mids, and the p28 was a little too "warm" and close sounding. I was pleased, however, to find that even with vigorous strumming it was immune to the boom and random resonances you often hear from other mics.

So I changed my approach, using a technique more often found in bluegrass and country settings - the Peluso over the player's shoulder, pointed down at the soundhole where the pick hits the strings (about a foot away), and given the p28's warmth, the nt5 on the 12th fret a foot away (in case i needed to mix in additional brightness). This position really hit the spot - yielding a warm, natural sound with a little bit of roominess to it, with a smooth high end, that, due to the tube and careful positioning, avoided the terrible ice pick scrape sound. After a little tweaking, we were off to tracking. See clips 1-4 on the player below.

P28 Review by Colin Laflin

Next was the Mandolin - I used a similar position (why change what's already working?) to great results - see clips 5 and 6 - the p28 providing more warmth and body to the mandolin than what was actually present in the room! It really made a $300 dollar mandolin sound alot more expensive than it was. I added a little LA-2A compression to smooth out the high notes, and boosted a little 500-600hz to emphasize the "throatiness" of the instrument.

Next was the brushed snare part - a driving rhythm that runs through the song, we needed airiness without harshness or too much snap. I can't say enough about how well suited the p28 was for under the snare - 4 inches away from the bottom head, 45 degree angle, just slightly short of where the snares hit the head, taming what can often be a terribly NASTY snap of snares into a palatable "pit pat". Add a 57 on top for some body, and I had my snare sound. The clips you hear below have no compression or eq...the squish and gush you hear is all that beautiful little tube!

Just for fun, I tracked some shaker with the p28 as well - again, accurate transient response with the right amount of gush and swish, smooth, present highs.

I was thoroughly impressed with this mic - I will never, ever record another snare without trying one of these underneath. And the same goes for the acoustic guitar - unless I'm layering on top of a massive rock mix, I plan on having a pair of these around anytime I need to track acoustic instruments. Natural, warm, smooth high end, and immune to booms and harsh, scrapy highs. Nicely done, Peluso. The c451b's should be shaking in their shockmounts.

I should probably also mention that everything used in the recording - including the guitar and mandolin (with the exception of the Kel HM7U room mic) - can be rented at Rock n Roll Rentals!

In particular, all of this Peluso P28 goodness can be yours from Rock n Roll Rentals for the weekend rate of only 17 bucks!

Reviewed by Colin Laflin

Red is the new White!

2011-03-25T07:57:00.000-07:00

I heard that Jack White loves using Ribbon Mics exclusively while recording electric guitar. Though, I play nothing like he does, I do like his guitar sounds more often than not. By recommendation, I decided to use a Shure KSM313 Bi-directional 'Roswellite' Ribbon Mic in front of my Vox AC15 the other night while recording a few guitar parts. Shure hand-makes these mics with a super-elastic paramagnetic material, modeled after Crowley & Tripp's conventional foil ribbon designed to produce 2 distinct impedance gradients on each side of the transducer. I started out by placing the mic dead-center, about 8-inches away from the grill... and it sounded so good right off the bat, that I didn't move it. The front 'logo-side' of the KSM313 captured a full, round sound slightly mid-range and on the dark-side. I recorded some 'jangly' guitar chords this way and it hit the spot! When I turned the mic around, I recorded a few single-note guitar melodies, slightly overdriven, it seemed to capture a bit more of the higher frequencies, while still retaining alot of the low-end. I'm going to continue trying out various Ribbon Mics on guitar in the coming months after my positive experience with the KSM313 and I recommend using it on your next electric guitar recording. Also check out the other 'Red' gear we have in stock at Rock N Roll Rentals. (see also Nord)

by Jared Paul Boulanger

API/ATI 8MX2: Classic Taste, Modern Face

2011-01-31T09:41:00.000-08:00

Automated Processes, Inc. (lovingly known as API), has been creating modular '500 series' studio gear since 1968. Their inevitable growth in popularity brought them much success, as well as the opportunity to develop more lines of gear and better circuitry. After their recent aquisition by ATI, API released the 8MX2 8 x 2 x 8 Mixer/ Mic Pre.

I was able to use this solidly-assembled tank of pre's in a recent session with Miranda Dawn & The Lucky Break Horns at Werd Recording Suite. The application was for a 3-piece horn ensemble (tenor sax, baritone sax, and trombone) using 3 Royer R-121's, as well as a Peluso 2247LE as a room mic. Ribbon mics are notorious for being able to round of the harshness of a blasting horn - and round, they did. Coupled with the 8MX2, I was able to not only boost my gain enough for the ribbons while adding minimal floor noise, but I was also able to soft limit the horns' raging signals.
The final product? Brilliant. No, they're not 500 series ATI Pre's, but good-gosh - they will be an awesome addition to your rack (at a meager $170/month at Rock n Roll Rentals.)
by Ali Ramzanali

Compress your Preamp or Pretend you're on 'Mash'...

2011-01-18T00:40:00.000-08:00

One of the perks of working for Rock N Roll Rentals besides 'Pizza-Saturdayzz' is that we get to test all sorts of musical and recording equipment most of us otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity to experiment with... This luxury comes especially handy when you're a poor musician and can't afford to record in a studio. So here I am needing to track drums for my band The Sour Notes in my guitar-player's East-side warehouse apartment... Two of the pieces of gear I chose among others was the JDK R20 Dual Channel Mic Preamp and R22 Dual Channel Compressor.

Upon first look at the gear... the rugged, militaristic design and simplistic control panel immediately attracted me to the R20 & R22. I'm a big fan of machines that don't have too-many buttons to fiddle with and when it comes to audio processing, I'd like to think things tend to sound a bit more 'natural' the less you do to it. With the R22, you'll notice, unlike most Compressors, that it doesn't feature 'attack' or 'release' functions, but fear not... You can achieve very controlled compression on whatever you run through it, just with a few less knobs to turn. I've used many similar types of 'rack-compressors' when recording and one thing I appreciated most about the R22 was it's ability to retain most of the original sound's dynamics even when 'hard' compressing. I ended up running a 'top-snare' mic and kick drum through it and found that with a few flicks of a switch and minor dial adjustments, my kick drum tones varied from big ballon-type roundness to quick, punchy-pops all while retaining alot of what I started with coming out of the preamp.... Which brings me to the JDK R20 Dual Channel Preamp. It's pretty basic! 1 gain knob really... What I'm gathering is that JDK products are really into processing your sound 'subtly'. Simple and smooth-sounding... Less is sometimes more!

by Jared Paul Boulanger

Tour without bringing your own gear!... sort of

2010-11-09T07:49:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to perform at the CMJ Music Marathon in NYC... The only problem was that I didn't find out my band The Sour Notes were officially selected until the previous week, meaning the band would have to jump on a plane last minute and travel across the country for a 'one off' show without our gear. The venue we were playing did have a minimal backline, though not accommodating (speaker cabinets without 'heads')... so, since we couldn't make a tour out of it and drive our gear up there in the van, we had to come up with an alternative to 'checking in' our precious tube amps at the airport. Luckily, Electro Harmonix has a nifty line of portable guitar amplification that fits in your carry-on bag called the 22-Caliber & the 44-Magnum, which my band-mate Chris and I both used instead of our amps. We plugged them straight into 4-10 cabs at the venue and were amazed at how great they sounded. The 22-Caliber & 44-Magnum power amps are easy to use, having just a volume knob and a bright/normal switch that gives you two tone options. In my opinion, these little boxes of magic sound just as real as a guitar amplifier and can even 'break up' a little when dialed right. So, if you're already a minimalist pack-er and want to travel even light-er, look into renting the EHX 22-Caliber & 44-Magnum power amp magic boxes from us at Rock N Roll Rentals!!! They, like us... are show-savers!!!

by Jared Paul Boulanger

Royer's R-101 Budget Ribbon Studio Mic: An Intro to Royer

2010-10-27T21:16:00.000-07:00

Any gear head will tell you that despite the amount of upkeep and special attention they require, ribbon microphones can produce a tone that can not be matched by any small, medium, or large diaphragm condenser, and therefore are worth their minty price tag. The richness and stability of the tone, as well as the ability to withstand outrageous SPL's makes the ribbon mic a must have. Drum overheads, electric guitar amps, and brass instruments are probably the most common applications, but when put in breathing proximity to an acoustic guitar or vocals - a characteristic 'vintage' sound reminiscent of the RCA heydays is produced.

Royer Labs, creators of the studio-staple R-121, have released a ribbon mic at a price almost $500 less than the 121, making it their most affordable mic. Despite the lower list price - their infamous 'offset-ribbon transducer' patent was still able to make its appearance in the R-101. Unlike the Californian sister mics of the R-101, the capsule is manufactured overseas (surprise!). However, this does not at all discount the capability of this mics performance.

I was able to try the R-101 earlier this month at Werd Recording Suite to record a piece for the bassoon entitled "Sonata" by Johann Friedrich Fasch, only it was played on a saxophone.

The heavyset mic is set - front side toward the bell for the 'less bright' tone.

Breathe in, press record, monitor carefully, press stop, exhale.

Not surprising, that ribbon tone in through my 80's-era Studiomaster pre's and out through a pair of Adam A7s displayed a tone that warmed my blood and almost stopped my heart - almost.

The presence of the saxophone's reedy resonance showed characteristic of a Royer mic, but there was something different - a darker tone. Personally speaking, it was not the best tone for this application. Perhaps the back of the mic would have sufficed.

Overall I was satisfied, but not thrilled about this mic, but for the price - it would be hard to say no to add the R-101 to your mic collection.

Check it out for yourself at Rock N Roll Rentals for $24 weekly or $48 monthly!

As an added bonus, a clip of the recording:

Written by Audio Engineer/Producer Ali Ramzanali

Boss PS-6 Harmonist Stomp Box

2010-09-29T06:44:00.000-07:00

Boss PS-6 Harmonist

By Oscar Reyna

As Boss likes to do, they have taken one of there older pedals and updated it. In this case they have taken the PS-5 Super Shifter and tweaked it a little. The result is the PS-6 which is somewhat of a multi-effects pedal that allows you to harmonize, pitch shift, detune, and super bend. This pedal allows you to do 3 voice guitar harmonies with the option select the key. A variety of intelligent pitch shift modes recall the Digitech Whammy pedal. Boss’s new technology, the Super Bend, lets you make up to four octaves of pitch bending by stepping on the pedal as if you were engaging it, which is also a feature of the Digitech Whammy pedal. You can also control pitch with the use of an optional expression pedal. The detune function is capable of creating a lush chorus sound without sounding totally cheesy. The PS-6 is a great and versatile pedal for the price (about $189 street price) all in one small stomp box. Guitarists who are fans of the Whammy pedal and bands like Radiohead, Failure, and locally Exeter will definitely want to pick this up.

The BOSS Harmonist is available for rental and sale at Rock n Roll Rentals

"You got any a dem Nooomans?"

2010-09-22T08:01:00.000-07:00

The answer is 'Yes', we have a wide variety of Neumann Microphones available for rent at our warehouse. Neumann is an industry standard for high quality studio mics from Germany. I recently took home a pair of Neumann TLM 102 cardioid mics to try them out while recording a string quartet on a song for my band The Sour Notes. I set up the pair of TLM 102's in an X-Y configuration in the middle of the string quartet who were arranged in a 'half-moon' shape about 4 feet away. I was immediately surprised how well the TLM 102's captured the sharpness of the violins without sounding too-bright, which many large diaphragm mics tend to do. The mic's are a little 'hot' and on the mid-range-y side, but after some minor adjustments with seating the string quartet, like moving the cello furthest away, I was able to get a nice blend of high, mid and low end from them. The mic's really made recording that day a breeze and with the right stereo panning you can get them to sit nicely in the mix with plenty of room to breathe. I'd recommend these mics to anyone recording strings, acoustic guitar, hand-percussion, tamborines, etc... To my ears, they seem to work well with the types of sounds you would want a little dark while retaining it's clarity.

-Reviewed by Jared Paul Boulanger

Popular Gear So Far 2010

2010-08-21T10:52:00.000-07:00

Most Popular Rental Items So Far 2010

PA/Live Sound

Yorkville E10P: DJs and bands alike love this compact powerhouse. Amazing lows from a 10" speaker and clear highs. For bigger gigs add a sub or 2 and you're set.

Yorkville LS2100P: A 21" Sub! w/ 2100 watt power amp. It will shake the bottles off the shelves.

Instruments

Korg SV1: Great Feel. Great Sounds. Great Layout. Sounds and feel on par with the Nord Electro, but its the layout that sets it apart. You feel like you are in the cockpit as you turn the knobs and hit the buttons. (And it has a tube.)

Amplifiers

Ampeg BA300/115: Thanks to Jaylinn from the Boxing Lesson for telling us to get these. We can't keep them in stock.

Motion Sound PRO145: Thanks Ken Tondre from the Compound for hipping us to this Rotory Speaker with regular 1/4" input.

VOX Night Train: All tube 15watt head with Triod mode (7.5 watts.) Couple with the 12" Celestian Greenback and you're set.

Film / ENG / RTF

Zoom H4N: With great stereo mics and an additional 2 XLR ins, this recorder has been the in demand field recorder for video and bands.

TASCAM DR-680: Tascam is making Pro gear again! For serious field recording.

Canon7D: DSLR camera that has become popular for its HD video.

Recording Gear

Rupert Neve Designs Portico 5012: Everyone who uses this Pre amp with the Silk engaged comes back for more.

Apogee Duet: Apogee conversion in a compact interface. Perfect for home project studios (if you are using a Mac.)

Microphones

Peluso 2247LE: It sounds like a vintage U47! w/ NOS Telefunkin tube.

Shure KSM313: Shure bought Crowley and Tripp for their Roswellite ribbon technology. High SPL and open ribbon sound.

Portico II vs. The Other Guy

2010-07-27T16:12:00.000-07:00

I knew going into it, that having the opportunity to try out the Portico II for my home recording project would leave me regretful I could only use it for a few days, on a few instruments...

I own a far less-expensive Mic Pre at home that I decided to compare the Portico II against while recording bass guitar with similar knob settings on each unit to get an idea of what the difference in quality would be. First of all, if you're recording bass guitar, you might find the Portico II to be the ideal choice, because of it's additional EQ and Compressor Settings, which in my opinion sounded amazing direct input or from the mic'd bass amp. Compared to my own Mic Pre Amp, which did not have these additional features, the initial sounds I got from the Portico II were simply wider and more well-rounded before I even hit the 'Silk' Button, which added a little extra uniqueness to it. All in all, the Portico II is a great '3-in-1' component that would most like satisfy any home or studio recording set-up on a variety of instruments. If you can afford to spend the extra money to rent one of these, it'd definitely kick your recording up a few notches.

-Reviewed by Jared Paul Boulanger

F.M.R. A.R.C. ; Articulation, Resonance and Clarity

2010-07-15T15:38:00.000-07:00

FMR ARC

This is a great unit for getting clean sustain at high volumes. I used it last night at the Broken Spoke here in Austin TX. The rig is a 69' Telecaster through an early 70's Vibrolux. The fidelity was great for a live show. Don't know how it would be for recording but FMR makes great studio gear already, the R.N.C and R.N.P to name a few. The A.R.C. is FMR's first foray into the world of stomp boxes and it rules. You can get the sustain without the crunching that happens with other stomp box compressors. Easy to adjust on the fly because of the big knobs. This is really cool if you're playing through a loud, powerful amp in a small venue. Great stuff.

-Reviewed by Gary Newcomb
after playing at the Spoke w/ Dickie Lee Erwin 07/13/2010

Universal Audio 1176LN Leveling Amplifier

2010-07-06T16:28:00.000-07:00

In a recent mixing session I had a vocal track recorded through a Shure green bullet mic live. Inherently, the mic had a great over-driven sound but also picked up a lot of ambient drums and guitar. I used UA's 1176LN to compress the track. I used a 12:1 ratio and right away could hear the vocals more in the foreground of the track and substantially decreased the ambient noise. Just what I wanted. The compression was very smooth and didn't really suck the tone out. I highly recommend this unit for bringing up weak or over-driven signals to tape or in the mix.

reviewed by Matt Puryear.

Unit available for Rent or Sale at Rock n Roll Rentals

VOX Night Train

2010-06-01T08:15:00.000-07:00

The Vox Night Train is a 15 watt tube "Microstackish" guitar amp. It has two switchable amp modes which deliver all 15 watts or can be cut to roughly 7 watts. I took this amp to a backyard jam with a few buddies. It simply rocks. It has a light but solid construction (Easy to carry via included head tote). Pretty bare bones, no reverb, single channel. Its kind of a screamer and on the pentode(15watt) setting, it had no problem keeping with a neighboring 80watt traynor. Quick attack. A lot of presence and very guttural. It had a very classic but unique tone. The gain and master controls are quite responsive giving you the ability to shape the drive as needed. I used the triode (7watt) setting when I was recording a tune. In this mode the tube power is "relaxed" but lets you crank the amp while maintaining clarity. Perfect for indoor low volume settings. The Night Train has a lot to offer aside from just its portability. Its truly a great jam amp very capable of achieving recording quality sounds. Rent one. Now.
Reviewed by Rene

MA-101fet Condenser Mics

2010-06-01T07:58:00.000-07:00

The MA-101Fet from Mojave Audio is a small diaphragm, solid state condenser mic that comes with interchangeable omni and dynamic capsules. They were designed by David Royer, renowned for his Royer Ribbon mics. I got to try out a pair of these one weekend to road test them. Now I have only a modest set up consisting of a Tascam 8ch. USB interface, a Dell, and a couple of run of the mill mics. I used the 101's on everything I did as I was writing a song but only with the dynamic capsules (my room is a perfect square). On electric guitar, I set one about three feet back from the grill and off axis from the cone. The mic delivered a smooth response that was very easy on the ears as it is designed for use in high SPL sources. Acoustic was no exception. One on the bridge and one on the octave gave me a nice accurate blend with good color. Surprisingly sweet low end. For kicks I used one for vocals as I was scratching out ideas and I did not want to put it down. It was amazing how smoothly the mic captured my otherwise kinda harsh vocal timbre. Smoked my NT-1 (unfair comparison). I did not get to use them on my drum kit though that would've been an ideal testing ground. That's where you come in, so come rent them. :)
reviewed by Rene

Korg's Kaossilator Pro

2010-04-27T15:56:00.000-07:00

The Kaosilator Pro by Korg is the grand daddy to the Mini Kaosillator. This synth is a good resource for sound effects to fill out a song or make it more interesting. The Kaossilator is a good option for someone who needs synthesizer sounds but does not necessarily want to lug around a full blown keyboard setup or hire a keyboard player. Although the Kaossilator Pro does not have as many controls as most synthesizers, it utilizes a touch pad with an x and y axis that is manipulated with with your finger. The sound generated will depend on your hand's placement within the x and y axis. The Kaossilator Pro also offers a little of the more popular effects and vocoding that are available in the Kaoss Pad 3, but if you're mainly after effects, I would recommend getting the Kaoss Pad 3, because you will feel dissapointed if you were mainly after vocoding and effects when getting the Kaossilator, the Kaossilator is prodominately a synth. Besides these functions, the Kaossilator Pro also features a 4 track loop sequencer. The sequencer is easy to use, and once you know where the buttons are, is so easy that you don't even need to look at the module. There is a tap tempo which can slow down or speed up a synth part once it has been recorded. The Kaossilator Pro is a good place to go to when you've finished a song and need a couple extra sound effects to spice things up, or even as a good starting place for writing a song.

(reviewed by Dylan)

Available at rock n roll rentals for rental or sale!

Adam A7 studio monitor customer Review

2010-02-15T11:30:00.000-08:00

Adrian Benavides was the first to rent our new Adam studio monitors. Here is what he thought ...

"The A7s sound great! I'm using them as a second set next to my JBL LSR 2325Ps and KRK10s sub. They fill in the blanks and compliment the JBLs nicely in my room. Very upfront and great for hearing what low mids and mids are doing since my JBLs seem to scoop these just a bit being 5" speakers. The A7s are a good test for vocal placement and checking if the kick thumps enough without a sub : )"

We got blogged! Rental Pros!

2010-02-13T09:46:00.000-08:00

Last week, Jason Bliley from DirectProAudio.com stopped in to exchange ideas and see how we do rentals in Austin Texas. He wrote a blog entry on his visit, read it here.

Direct Pro Audio is a nation-wide leader in internet music retail, and after meeting Jason, I can see why. They approach their business in an open-minded and fresh way. If you don't live in Texas, I would recommend buying on line from these guys.

He offered to give us any advice on installs as they are well established in that field as well. We wish their rental division, Omaha Audio Rentals, the best of luck in expanding their rental program.

Rock n Roll Rentals started our rental program modeled after the great Jack Long's rental program used at the Long & McQuade music stores in Canada. The basic idea is to make it so affordable that it makes sense to rent it, especially on monthly rentals. We use Yorkville equipment (Jack Long's company) as the backbone of our rental inventory. Their 2 year "even if you break it" warranty is the best in the business. They also manufacture great instrument amps (keyboard, guitar and bass) under the name Traynor amps (named after Pete Traynor who designed amps for Jack.) In Rock n Roll Rentals' formative years, Yorkville provided great support to Jim Norman as he expanded Rock n Roll Rentals in the recession of the early '80's. There are not many other businesses in the USA that rents music or AV equipment as affordable. One notable exception is the Doo Wop Shop in Kentucky, so if you are ever in Kentucky, look them up.

Api 500 series

2010-01-05T11:26:00.000-08:00

I brought one of these home a few weeks back. Hearing for years about how great the eq and pre's were, I was exited to hear what everyone was talking about. Part of me wanted to think it was over priced hype. Within minutes, I was trying to imagine how I could buy one. You know, like what could I sell and do I really need a car or a kidney..etc.
Even at full gain the mic pre's were super quiet and sounded great. I'm kind of a compression junkie and I got a great fix. Its the most transparent sounding compressor I've heard. Not at all "effecty" - even at full squish.
Api eq is legendary. Its easy to see why. I found myself reamping older tracks like kick drums and vocals just to get some of that sugar. Really amazing stuff, so musical.
In the end, its so inexpensive to rent that its really ideal for any recording project. Its so portable too. I'm sold. Anybody need a third kidney?
Gary

available for rental @ Rock n Roll Rentals (only in Austin, TX!)

Peluso P28 pencil tube condenser mic

2009-12-17T19:39:00.000-08:00

I got bored with my mics and my same old setup for my little room jams that I write and record, so I rented the Peluso P28 from RnR Rentals to try and kick up the warmth action a bit. I chose a small diaphragm so I could get the the clarity of a condenser but also the the focus of a pencil mic as I record primarily within thinly blanketed square walls. I found that the mic was great on the octave off axis of an acoustic (an old fender, and new gibson). It delivered nice warmth from the tube and was largely flat in response. Then I stuck a tambourine on it, and to me, that's where the mic shined (I know, tambourine). It gave me a nice fat darker tone, kinda reminiscent of a ribbon but using half the gain. Worked well with the tune at hand. Finally, I got curious and cut a couple of vocal takes with it and to my surprise it sounded really good. I was in my living room about 4.5 feet back from the mic and it let in just enough of the room to flatter without giving away that I have no rug on the tile floor and that my old furnace wouldn't shut up. Very warm. I'm curious to see how a couple of these would sound as drum OH's or on an electric cab. Maybe next time... -Rene

Movie Night

2009-11-02T19:24:00.000-08:00

For entertainment at a neighborhood BBQ, I picked up a 2600 lumens Optoma projector and 6' X 8' screen from Rock n Roll Rentals. The kids (natives) were getting restless, and we (adults) turned on a seasonal Charlie Brown movie as the sky began to darken. The wild things sat at attention on blankets in the backyard glued to the action on the screen. The picture was very bright and clear. We have tried projecting on a sheet before, and I must say the screen makes all the difference. It took about 10 minutes to set up the screen, and about 5 minutes to find the best place for the projector. It plugged into the VGA display out of my computer and I used a speaker system that hooked up to the audio output jack. Very little investment for something that entertained so many people. Can't wait for the next neighborhood get together.

by Craig Rock

See projector rental rates and screen rental rates here.
Here is a sample package that is popular.
These great prices available in Austin TX only.

Electroharmonix Memory Toy vs. MXR Carbon Copy

2009-10-02T09:12:00.000-07:00

The Memory Toy is an analog delay pedal made by Electroharmonix. It is one the Nano series pedals so you can expect it to be pedal board friendly. It also runs on the standard 9V power supply, which given the history of Electroharmonix power supplies, is a plus. It is similar to the MXR M-169 Carbon Copy Analog Delay pedal. I happen to have a Carbon Copy in my arsenal of pedals and had the privilege to do a shoot out with both pedals. Both have the same simple controls and are easy to dial in: Delay, Mix/Blend, Regen/Feedback, and Modulation. Both of these pedals have a great analog warmth that will make you forget about ever using a digital delay pedal ever again. I will have to say that the MXR Carbon Copy does offer a bit more clarity and warmth. Where the Memory Toy does win is in the price. It is about half the price of the Carbon Copy. For those musicians who are financially challenged, which most of us are, it is a small sacrifice in sonic quality for a great analog delay pedal.

by: Oscar Reyna

note: both pedals are available at Rock n Roll Rentals for sale and/or rental

Royer Ribbons Recording Drums

2009-09-22T12:02:00.000-07:00

Rock n Roll Rentals is excited to be the newest Royer Ribbon Microphone dealer. When you think of Ribbons - think Royer, and, if you live in Austin, think Rock n Roll Rentals!

Royer Labs has a great resource online www.royerlabs.com. It is refreshing to approach recording drums using a minimalist approach. Of course it helps to have a good drummer and a good space.

Rock n Roll Rentals has, in stock, 4 R-121's, 2 R-122's, 1 R-122V, & 1 SF-12. We can special order any of the other mics for you as well.

The V256 Vocoder pedal

2009-09-14T07:03:00.000-07:00

Electro Harmonix made some smart decisions when designing the v256 vocoder pedal. One of the best features is the Reflex-Tune mode, which is the t-pain/kanye style auto-tune. You do not have to be a great piano player to acheive these tones either.

The pedal has an xlr for the modulation input, and either a guitar or the internal synthesizer can be used for the carrier. This means you do not have to be a guitar player in order to get good tones out of this pedal.

The vocoder also has drone and vox-robo modes. The overall tone and shape can be adjusted through the 5 knobs which include blend(wet/dry) knob, Bands(decides how many bands of vocoding are done, which from the name i would guess it goes up to 256, and the tone, gender bender and the pitch knob which all kind of work with each other.

The v-256 has phantom power as well as a hi/lo mic gain switch, and a midi input. A preset can be saved and recalled at a later time.

Buy or Rent here

Summit DCL-200. Reviewed by Ali Ramzanali

2009-08-25T10:22:00.000-07:00

Summit Audio, a company that stands by its name by being the 'peak' in its class. I had a chance use the DCL-200 while mastering Ethan Kennedy's upcoming album "Raucous." The DCL-200 is a refined piece of gear, and it shows; every knob is calibrated to a near-perfect linearity, the build is rugged, the VU's are highly sensitive, and even the switches reflect the integrity of this compressor. After about 15 minutes, the 12AX7A tubes warm up to a blissful level of amplification- I would suggest running any clean signal through this machine with the compressor bypassed. The 'slope' represents the ratio of the compression - ranging from 1:1 (0) to 7:1 (10). Side chain capabilities make it easy to hook up to an EQ to de-ess vocals - if that's what you need. The DCL-200 is a must-have in any studio. Rent it today and hear for yourself. $75 a week, $150 a month, or sale price $3339.99.

New for August

2009-08-05T09:05:00.000-07:00

Vestax is here! VCI 300 ($64/month) and VCI 100 ($32/month) are available for rental. We sell these as well.

We are dealers for Hughes & Kettner - We have in stock Switchblade 50, Edition Tube 25, and Statesman 6L6. German made quality.

We have Nord Electro3's in stock!

The Apogee Rosetta-800 is here! So is the API lunch box ( 2 512C's, 2 550A's, 1 560, & 1 525)

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar04/articles/apogee.htm

Shure X2u : Easiest Best Computer Recording Solution

2009-07-21T13:31:00.000-07:00

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

Shure has manufactured the simplest XLR to USB interface for your PC or MAC. Ideal for recording music this tiny unit features Zero Latency monitoring with onboard headphone amp. +48 Volts allows the use of any condenser mic!
Check out shure's site for the virtual tour

http://shure.com/ProAudio/Products/Accessories/us_pro_X2u_content
Then buy or rent it here.

Sweet Godin Tuner on new Seagulls!

2009-07-13T14:52:00.000-07:00

Come check out these new Seagulls with tuners built into preamp. Seagulls look great and sound great acoustic and electric. They build in Canada with local wood. Read more about them here. Come play one here.

Yellow Chickita's On sale

2009-07-10T14:26:00.000-07:00

Due to a surge in hating on the color yellow. We are offering a stimulus to encourage investment in yellow chickitas.

They are marked down from $2.49 to $1.99.

And as always, You shake 'em - You buy 'em.

The reviews are great!

2009-07-08T11:04:00.000-07:00

From ProAudioReview

From the Rupert's web page

Our rental rates are $50 for the Reservation rate or $110 for the month.

Invest in it for $2249.00

New Lower Projector Rental Rates!

2009-07-07T11:28:00.000-07:00

Effective now. See here

Optoma DLP projectors 2500-2600 Lumens are $50 for the weekend reservation rate.
Optoma DLP projectors 1500-1800 Lumens are $40 for the weekend reservation rate.

Sweet!

Now you can have a movie night, slide show at your wedding, and corporate presentation cheaper than ever.

Rent a screen for best viewing.

Hughes & Kettner Edition Tube

2009-07-06T16:10:00.000-07:00

This amp personifies big sound little package.
You must hear to believe!
Available for rental or sale at Rock n Roll Rentals.

Even More LED Lights in Stock

2009-07-06T15:07:00.000-07:00

We have more LED lights than ever! like ...
and

Closed for the Fourth

2009-06-30T08:46:00.000-07:00

Rock n Roll Rentals will be closed on Sat. the 4th of July.

Come in starting today, Tuesday June 30th, to rent for the BIG weekend.

You can return your weekend rental on Monday the 6th.

The underrated gear : Things to improve your studio space

2009-06-17T11:22:00.000-07:00

Prismacoustic Recoil Stabilizers are perhaps the easiest thing to do to improve the sound in your studio space. Check out why HERE

Buy them at Rock n Roll Rentals RX5 $79.99/each

RX7 $99.99/each

If you are running multiple digital pieces , then syncing with a master time clock like the Apogee Big Ben will dramatically improve the sound of your mix. Read here, Rent here.

Rent Drum kits & Electric Guitars This Summer

2009-06-15T09:16:00.000-07:00

Now is the time to start rocking! We have new Drum kits in for rent - with cymbals! as cheap as $35/ month with a $50 deposit. We will be selling some used 5 piece kits with maple shells , hardware and cymbals for $350. We also have used Congas with stand for $99.00

We have Electric Guitars, Amps and Effects pedals ready to be played. Its affordable and fun!

Try it on your own or with the help of quality instructors like those on our links page.

Rosetta 800 is here!

2009-06-10T12:27:00.000-07:00

8 Channels of high definition Apogee conversion.

Sound good?

$160/month $80/week

New Focusrite shipment!

2009-05-20T15:31:00.000-07:00

We have just received the new Focusrite Liquid Saffire. It features 2 Liquid Preamps with classic pre emulation and 6 quality award winning Focusrite Pres. 24 bit / 192 sampling via firewire. 2 headphone busses. 28 channels of IO!

Come see it here.

Rock n Roll Rentals is an authorized Apogee Dealer

2009-05-05T12:38:00.000-07:00

We are happy to add Apogee Electronics to our line of premium recording gear. Right now we have

the DUET
the ENSEMBLE
the ROSETTA800
and
the BIG BEN

Digital recording never sounded so good!

API Lunch boxes here!

2009-04-21T13:51:00.000-07:00

Available for serious recordings where the highest quality signal path is desired.

API 500 Series Lunchboxes on the way!

2009-04-14T13:53:00.000-07:00

We have Ordered 2 different Lunchboxes setups :

One has 4 512C's, and 2 525's for tracking.
One has 2 512C's, 2 2 525's, 1 550A & 1 560.

Check out apiaudio.com for specs.

We got the Nord Electro 3 & You don't !

2009-04-11T15:39:00.000-07:00

Come by and see the marvelous Electro 3! Now with more sounds and effects.

It's awesome! You must check it out.

New Neumann's In stock

2009-03-06T15:36:00.000-08:00

We have more Neumann Mics!

In Stock Now! Try or Buy:
TLM67
TLM49
BCM705

These go great with:
Focusrite Liquid Channel
ISAONE

Rupert Neve Designs 5012-H

SAFFIRE PRO 40

2009-03-02T15:44:00.000-08:00

Focusrite's new firewire interface is here!
The PRO40 features :

Eight High Quality Award-winning Focusrite Pre-amps
High Quality 24-bit/96kHz Firewire Interface
Total I/O Count of 20 Inputs and 20 Outputs
Two separate headphone buses
Saffire PRO 40 Control Zero-latency DSP Mixer/Router

Watch the Demo at http://www.focusrite.com/products/saffire/saffire_pro_40/

Rent it our buy it at RocknRoll Rentals!

Spring Gear is Starting to come in.

2009-02-25T10:23:00.000-08:00

We have been receiving gear to bulk up for our busy Spring season. Here is a sampling of what we've received this week.
Traynor Bass Amps : the DB100, DB800 w/ TC115 & TC210, DB200 & DB200T.
Check out some of our rental rates!
We have brand new Serato Scratch live SL1.

New Korg! Including ESX1 & EMX1, the nanoSeries, the KAOS pad, and Pad Kontrol.

Radial Engineering - high quality DI's and electronics - the Bassbone, the JDI, and J48.

2009-02-13T15:54:00.000-08:00

I'm Rene, a rental agent for Rock n Roll Rentals, and you gotta try this mic. This is the K-2 tube microphone from Rode. I had the opportunity to use it on a few different applications and was highly impressed at how accurate, smooth, and best of all, warm it was on just about anything I put it to. With vocals, I noticed, a very smooth low end and a bright bump in the mid-range, which is perfect for male or female voices. It had a very forgiving proximity effect even right up on the diaphragm. It sounded great on an over driven guitar at about 3 feet (depending on your room). To me, I though it sounded best on acoustic guitar pointed off kilt towards the bridge. Very warm and delicious! All in all, a great mic to have for multiple studio applications!

Peluso 2247se vs Rode Procaster

2009-02-06T15:43:00.000-08:00

The past weekend I rented both the Peluso 2247 SE and the Rode Procaster microphones for tracking vocals and bass cabinets respectively. After a couple of takes I realized that neither my home recording setup nor my room were right for a mic as sensitive and bright as the 2247 SE.
I ended up using the Procaster and getting a much better result for HipHop vocals. The Peluso is a 2000$ mic while the Procaster is a 200$ mic. This is an example of how, in audio recording, the best thing to do is trust your ears. Spending more is not always going to lead to better results. The two best things you can do is work with what you have and experiment.

by Dylan

You Don't Have to travel the Globe to find a Great Mic

2009-01-21T13:27:00.000-08:00

Violet mics are 100% handmade in Latvia. They are known around the world for their superb performance, consistency, and exotic Styling. All mics come with a 5-year warranty. They are a new player in the game, but the word is spreading around. The testimonials from users are impressive and the reviews are great. We are proud to offer the Globe for rent and sell, and as authorized Violet dealers, we offer the Amethyst, Black Finger with FRR Reflection Ring, and the Wedge. Our rental rates are very reasonable. These are some of the most exciting mics available. Don't be afraid to try them. You will be pleasantly surprised.

Tape Op reviews the Globe and Amethyst

the Globe reviewed by Apple Pro Audio

the Finger reviewed by Apple Pro Audio with Sound Bites

Violet offers a free DVD via their web site. Check out their story.

Matt's Pick of the month

2009-01-14T09:33:00.000-08:00

Focusrite's Liquid Channel is an excellent design in which 40 different classic preamps/compressors have been sonically sampled to create a variety of characteristics and coloring. I tried some vocal tracks with a Neumann U87 ( the recommended mic according to manual) and was pleasantly surprised. I just stuck with the SSL modeling and it was awesome!
There are some tube pre/comp models available. However, seeing that there is no real tube in the unit, I tended to stay away from those settings. Another important feature that makes this a unique piece of equipment is the Harmonics knob. This control allows the user to add color or warmth to the model being used. This can creates a natural break up or distortion to the track which, on my project, was a desired effect. Before I used this piece I was a little skeptical about the whole idea. In use, it sounded great and provided lots of options.

Furthermore, the Liquid Channel is very easy to use and the fact that you don't have to hook together three different units makes the device very convenient as well. Please read about the Liquid Technology here.

Reviewed byMatt Puryear (Chili Cold BLood)

Rock n Roll Rentals is an authorized Focusrite dealer

Economic stimulus Package!

2009-01-14T09:22:00.000-08:00

In this time of economic downturn, we are doing our part to stimulate the economy by lowering several rental rates on Fender electric guitars.

If you are looking for something to get started playing guitar with, that is nicer than the all-in-one guitar in a box setup, we have lowered the rental rates on several Squier electric guitars as well.

We have lowered several prices on Seagull acoustic guitars, including their Artist and Anniversary series.

Stop the Traynor Hatin'

2009-01-13T14:18:00.000-08:00

Traynor Amp's name mystifies people the first time they read it. They wonder, "Is this a Traynor amp like training wheels or training bras?" The truth is that the name Traynor originates from the name of the man who created Traynor amps, Pete Traynor.

If your interested in a breif history of the company, please visit this website.

Traynor's mission statement is to "build the most reliable, most affordable, best sounding, best backed professional audio products that money can buy."

In Austin, Texas, Traynor amps often fall to the way side because people have not heard or played these amps. Traynor is a company that is different in that they do not rely on silly gimmicks or pro endorsements, but rather rely on word of mouth and being "the best value for the money" amp.

Don't take our word for it :

Bass Players Traynor club @ TalkBass

Links to reviews:

Bass Amps
YBA200 @ TalkBass
YBA200 @ Harmony Central

Guitar Amps
YCS90 @ Harmony Central
YCS50 @ Harmony Central
YCS100 @ Harmony Central

Keyboard Amps
K4 @ Harmony Central

Reviews on Traynor's Site

RODE M1 InStock

2009-01-12T13:41:00.000-08:00

Rode continues to design and manufacture quality microphones at great price points. Their newest offering is a dynamic mic to compete directly with the SM58.
Check out Rode's page for specs and details. We rent them and sell 'em too! Try one out to compare to a 58.
In the same line, Rode has built a stage condenser microphone without much handling noise. Get the specs here.

Check out our page for rental rates.

Welcome to our Blog!

2009-01-06T15:59:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Rock n Roll Rentals new Weblog.

We hope to use this forum to discuss musical and audio visual equipment.

Also, we will post news and interesting points.

So, tell your mama. Tell your friends, and check back here soon.