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Cboose Access to Muslc - tbe UK's leaolng popular muslc college
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Te|. 0!225442244Fax. 0!225732275
ma||. computermus|cQfuturenet.com
Web. www.computermus|c.co.uk
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1he Mission Our goa| is to he|p
you create great music with your PC
or Mac. With that objective a|ways
in mind, we bring you stepbystep
tutoria|s on a|| aspects of
softwarebased music production,
unbiased reviews of the |atest
products, technica| Q&As, and a
Dua| Layer DVDROMpacked with
exc|usive software and samp|es.
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F*&5amplitude !! 5ilver is your full free 0AW, onlyonthis issue's disc
F*,We get intothe guts of Artillery2
CMinthis month's 5tudio5ession
F*+FuntCase gets downanddirtyin
his studio- withonlyone speakerl
If you're newto a|| this, check out the CMBeginners fo|der on
the DVD- a |ibrary of materia| put together to he|p you get your
head around many basic computer music concepts
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F*' Never mindwhat we think- what
doyoureckontobx_shredspread?
Del[cX[h (&'& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % +
1he message fromDean 1ay|or, tit|ed /Rant, in
57's lnbox got me thinking.
I persona||y don't see the prob|emin using |oops
and samp|es. We're a|| here and producing music
because we |ove music. Lven using samp|es and
|oops, you're producing a unique track that other
peop|e wou|d not have made because they're not
you - there's nothing wrong with this as |ong as
you are making it your own track.
Samp|es and |oops he|p creativity and workf|ow.
You cou|d spend hours or even days trying to
create some sounds of your own and find they
just don't work, but a
readymade |oop might
yie|d sudden inspiration
for a newtrack.
As a producer, you
sti|| need to bring peop|e
through the track, the
rises and dropoffs,
the breakdowns, etc.
Samp|es and |oops
don't do this for you - you, as a producer, have to
have the ski||s to do this, writing a great track. Yes,
it makes it easier to put a coherent track together,
but six minutes of the same |oop repeating itse|f
wont interest anyone. So producers that use |oops
and samp|es in their productions have parts of
themse|ves in themin the they way they've arranged
it, the effects they've used, sty|e they write in, etc.
And if they use a preset in a synth, they've sti|| got to
write a great synth |ine, which is no different to, say,
someone picking up a guitar and writing a great riff.
Seeing as we are a|| producing music because we
|ove it, we shou|d be giving credit where credit is
due when a great track is made, no matter where
the bui|ding b|ocks have come from.
LukeBredin, Benfleet
Toor|ghtI The argument that you're not mak|ngrea|
mus|c un|ess you're programm|ng/record|ng/des|gn|ng
everyth|ngfromscratch|s one that, wh||e not hardtosee
the th|nk|ngbeh|nd, [ust str|kes me as rather e||t|st. ven|f
the track youmake cons|sts ent/rely of prefab|oops, where's
the harm? It's a|| mus|c and|t's a|| good. RM
AbletonLive 7he0ltimate0uide, the
secondinour newseries of Comuter
Music bookazines, is onsale now
|eno our o|q|ta| ear ano nave ,our sa, |na|| Yc_dXen6\kjkh[d[j$Ye$ka
C[iiW][ e\ j^[ cedj^
P_f _j
I have been subscribing to
Computer Music for two years
nowand amconstant|y |earning
and getting a great amount of
inspiration fromyour tutoria|s.
I have, however, found
one thing that I wou|d |ike to
comment on. I've just noticed
that the samp|es on the 56
DVDare he|d in ZIP fi|es, which
makes quick auditioning of
themfromthe DVDa nightmare.
Instead of being ab|e to audition
and drag fi|es off the DVD
straight into my DAW, I have to
nowdrag the ZIP fi|e onto my
desktop or externa| hard drive
and then extract themfrom
there. 1his trip|es the time that
it used to take just to audition
your samp|es!
Is there a reason for this
change to ZIP fi|es If not then
p|ease, p|ease wi|| you change
it back again!
5eanWebb, Auckland,
NewZealand
0on't worry- it's not a
permanent change. We very
occasionallyhave tozipour
samples whena particularly
large librarywon't fit onthe
0V0uncompressed. Beingat
24-bit qualityandso
numerous, some of our bigger
sample collections dodemand
a lot of storage space, andif
we've got a particularlyhigh
volume of other content on
the disc, zippingthe files is our
onlyoption. Hopefully,
though, you'll agree that the
inconvenience of havingto
extract themtoyour hard
drive for auditioningis a
price worthpaying. kM
www.
M[Wh[j^[kbj_cWj[
Your U/timate Guide to Ab|eton
Live is awesome! Just |ike the
Reason one before it did with
Reason, it's rapid|y becoming
my Live bib|e CI use Reason
ReWired into Live in my studio).
A coup|e of questions, though.
) Are there going to be any
more U/timate Guides 2) Any
news on Live 9
5tehenPasquale,
Chienham
Yes, l canconfirmthat our
0ltimate0uidebookazines
are anongoingseries. l'll be
able totell youwhat subject
the next one's onsoon.
AbletonLive 7he0ltimate
0uide is onsale ingood
newsagents now, andat www.
myfavourltemagazlnes.com.
Oh, andno, we've not heard
The
writer of our
Messageof
theMonthwill
receiveu-he's
superbUhbik
effects bundle
for Mac andPC,
worth$!49l
www.u-he.com
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reaoer ena||s
0on't panic- your music-makingmachinereallywon't enduplookinglikethis
just becauseyou'vekept it connectedtotheinternet
anythingabout thenext version
of Liveyet. 5oon, hopefully.kM
<K:
Your Prob/emSo/ved feature
in 55 was very he|pfu|, but it
over|ooks an important factor for
DAWstabi|ity. not |eaving a studio
PC connected to the internet. 1he
prob|ems that cou|d arise from
that cou|d at the very |east ruin
a studio session and at worst
destroy your computer.
Peop|e who are honest|y
paying for software are being
punished by VS1/VS1i and DAW
programs that are constant|y
|ooking for internet connections
to verify the authenticity of the
software due to piracy. 1here are
many programs on|ine - such as
Litt|e Snitch - that a||owyou to
monitor the 'ca|| home' functions
of software. Not to mention, if you
do have a virus on your computer,
most viruses update via the web.
Without that connection, the
virus does not spread as fast and
cou|d in fact be removed via your
antivirus software. An internet
connection cou|d a||owthat
virus to update itse|f past the
newest countermeasures.
Out of curiosity I tried
monitoring ca||hone functions
one day, and the programthat I
used |it up |ike a Christmas 1ree.
Particu|ar|y offensive was Native
Instruments Service Center,
which seemed to be ca||ing home
every 30seconds to make sure
my paidfor copy of Massive was
|egit. Other programs, such as
Ab|eton Live and FruityLoops
were ca||ing home so many times
it wou|d make L1 jea|ous.
In short, this invasive action
robs precious CPUcyc|es and
RAM, and if the VS1 was in use, it
cou|d in fact crash your DAWor
computer. When a producer is
working on music, he isn't
supposed to be chatting on
MySpace, Facebook, 1witter or
MSN. 1hese types of actions
cou|d |ead to further system
instabi|ity. None of the pros
|eave their studio computers
connected to the internet.
My suggestion is to check for
VS1 and DAWupdates once a
month max and disconnect your
PC or Mac immediate|y after.
Christoher LJohnston,
7oronto, Canada
The idea that youshouldkeep
your music computer offline is
anoutdatedone, andmost of
the 'risks' youdescribe are
simplynon-issues. xercise the
usual computingcommonsense
tbackup, runa firewall, don't
opendodgyemail attachments,
don't install crackedsoftware,
etcI andthere's noreasonnot
tokeepyour music computer
online shouldyouchoose to.
Online authenticationis
annoying, certainly, but it
generallyuses very, verylittle
interms of resources; andwe
cansafelyassume that any
sensible developer will test
their call-home systemwiththe
relevant plug-ins running.
Finally, it's verymuch
standardpractise for many
producers these days tpros
included, l canassure youI
tohave all manner of lMand
social networkingapplications
runningwhile theywork. lt
just isn't anissue. kM
Out o| cur|os|t, l
tr|eo non|tor|nq
ca||none |unct|ons
one oa, ano tne
oroqran l useo ||t uo
|||e a Cnr|stnas tree
N|W R|||/'|' CO|||N lND'R/ |/|||NlNC'
FheZkY[h I[ii_edi B_l[
CnSeptember 25/26, SA London
hostedthe f|rst ever Comuter Mus/c
event, Producer Sess|ons L|ve, he|d|n
partnersh|pw|thour s|ster magaz|ne
Future Mus/c. We hadh|ghhopes for the
occas|on, but evenwe were surpr|sedat
[ust howterr|f|c |t a|| turnedout tobe.
Spread across six f|oors, PSL featured
hour|ong presentations and Q&As from
nine star producers, free sessions on today's
top DAWs, masses of gear to buy fromshow
sponsors Abso|ute Music, and demo rooms
where you cou|d try the |atest products
fromAb|eton, PreSonus, Universa| Audio,
MAudio, 1oontrack, SSL and many more.
Saturday kicked off with a subquaking
session fromSteve Mac fo||owed by an even
more thunderous |esson fromDave Spoon.
A|ex 8|anco created a tune on the f|y,
Nine pro producers and tens of top music techno|ogy companies at the first ever event
revea|ing the methods he and Jon Carter
use to acce|erate trackbui|ding. 1ommy D's
session was abso|ute|y packed, and we
watched fromthe side|ines as he dispensed
the kind of deepseated know|edge that's
made himthe producer of choice for so
many huge names. James Wi|tshire from
Freemasons was Saturday's 'head|iner', with
much scribb|ing of notes as he detai|ed the
para||e| processing techniques that he
reckons are essentia| to huge mixes.
Chicane producer James Hock|ey
kicked off Sunday's sessions, fo||owed by
another fromDave Spoon. Danny 8yrd
bui|t a breakdown/bui|dup/drop structure,
demonstrating the tricks of the trade in
creating effective Dn8 arrangements.
Nu.1one, meanwhi|e, revea|ed to us howhe
recreated a section of a Chic tune, primari|y
to avoid mechanica| copyright issues but
gaining abso|ute f|exibi|ity into the bargain.
Amazing to watch! Fina||y, Sharooz's session
made it c|ear that a great track can be way
more than the sumof its parts, as |ong as
you knowhowto put themtogether.
It seemed that everyone |eft PSL |aden
with insights, inspiration and that itch to
get into the studio - and that inc|udes
ourse|ves and the producers! We fi|med a||
the sessions and hope to make the materia|
avai|ab|e at some point. Nothing can beat
being there in person, though, especia||y
if you have specific questions that you'd
|ike answered. We think it's safe to say
that Producer Sessions Live won't be a
oneoff event, though, so see you next time!
www.producersessionslive.com
Fromthe opportunityto
get your hands onthe
latest gear tohearing
big-name producers tsuch
as 0ave 5poon, topright,
and5teve Mac, bottom
rightI reveal their toptricks
first hand, P5L was a
roaringsuccess
. % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % Del[cX[h (&'&
C_nZemd
As you'|| have gathered fromRonan's
introduction and our |ead news story,
Producer Sessions Live was a fantastic
success. Whi|e the main drawwas perhaps
the chance to |earn firsthand the 'secret
techniques of the pros', there was a |ot more
to be g|eaned than just fancy processing
tricks, and for the benefit of those who
cou|dn't be there, I think it's worth
re|ating some of this.
I think a |ot of attendees wi|| have been
re|ieved to discover that professiona|
producers are human and thus fa||ib|e, just
|ike the rest of us. 8y their own admission,
not every idea they come up with in the
studio necessari|y turns into musica| go|d.
1he 'trick' is that they have the intuition to
knowwhen a particu|ar track idea cou|d be
something specia| Cand when to give it up as
a bad job), and howto make the most of it,
both in musica| and production terms.
1he overriding |esson here is that, as in
many wa|ks of |ife, you have to be prepared
to fai| in order to succeed - you might have
to go through a hundred bad ideas just to
get to one good one. As a case in point, I
recent|y spent an evening going through the
300odd guitar riff ideas I've amassed over
the past fewyears. 1hese were a|ready the
ones that I thought were pretty good, but I
sti|| whitt|ed it down to around a hundred of
the best and co|ourcoded a|| the audio c|ips
according to riff type. No doubt on|y a fewof
these wi|| end up actua||y making it into
songs, but that's OK with me - I'd rather have
one good tune than ten mediocre ones. It's
a|| about qua|ity contro|.
Coing back to PSL, I think many wi|| have
found it reassuring that, quite often, there
rea||y wasn't anything unusua| or obscure
going on in the producers' mixes - just
common sense techniques app|ied in the
right p|aces. When asked about what LQand
compression settings they use on particu|ar
sounds, the answer fromthe pros was
a|most invariab|y thus. It depends. It's easy
to fa|| into the trap of throwing every
production trick you knowat each sound in
the mix, but the rea|ity is that app|ying a
sma||er amount of appropriate processing
wi|| invariab|y give better resu|ts.
Our Deputy Lditor presents
a |arge co|umn of fai| - that's
howhe |ikes it, strange|y
If you've ever |ustedafter the sound
of chop|ex's v|ntage tape de|ay un|ts
for your axes, you're |n|uck. Un|versa|
Aud|ohave re|easeda "warts anda||"
ama|gam-emu|at|onof the P3 andP4
un|ts. These mode|s have beena part|cu|ar
favour|te of some of the b|ggest gu|tar|sts
of the |ast fewdecades, |nc|ud|ngr|an
May, J|mmy Page anddd|e vanHa|en.
Cunning|y named LP34 1ape Lcho,
the newp|ugin c|aims to target specific
behaviours of the c|assic mode|s in order
to produce the rich and warmtape de|ay
effects unique to the "distinct, chaotic"
sound of the Lchop|ex units. Universa|
Audio big up LP34 1ape Lcho as "virtua||y
indistinguishab|e" fromthe c|assic sound.
It can produce a range of tones froms|ap
effects to "se|fosci||ation chaos".
;F#)*JWf[ ;Y^e
Universa| Audio go straight to tape with this newde|ay
/s |n nan, wa||s o| |||e
,ou nave to oe oreoareo to
|a|| |n oroer to succeeo
Asoft synth that tru|y innovates Cou|d be.
CWZhedWBWXi 7Wbje
Madrona Labs have re|easedAa|to, a
sem|-modu|ar synthw|than"|nnovat|ve,
patchab|e UI, d|st|nct|ve sounds anda
charm|ngpersona||ty". It a|ms tog|ve
mus|c|ans the ab|||ty tocreate sounds
prev|ous|y tr|cky tomake w|thsoft synths.
At |ts heart |s a comp|ex osc|||ator w|thFM,
t|mbre andwaveshape contro|s capab|e
of produc|ngsounds that are "un|que,
ma||eab|e anda||ve". The osc|||ator |s sa|d
tobe |nsp|redby the creat|ons of synth
des|gn|egendDonuch|a.
Lach of Aa|to's voices has a bui|tin
sequencer with patchab|e, independent|y
contro||ab|e rate and offset "that make it
easy to achieve evo|ving, chaotic textures".
1here's a |owpass gate modu|e too, a|so
pervoice, featuring customisab|e vactro|
emu|ation Coptocoup|ed vo|tage contro|,
as used by 8uch|a) in its contro| path, which
"s|ows down the response to incoming
signa|s through a non|inear fi|ter". After
the gate modu|e, the signa| for each voice
passes through a patchab|e waveguide/
de|ay modu|e that features a waveshaper
and a peaking LQfor yet further sonic
manipu|ation possibi|ities.
Madrona say that Aa|to is capab|e of
producing a range of sounds "from|ush to
edgy". 1he p|ugin is avai|ab|e as an AUfor
Mac and costs C99. AWindows version is
penci||ed in for re|ease |ater this Autumn.
www.madronalabs.com
oo|n|on news
/a|tos sounos are not
n,oeo or con||neo
tne, are w|oeranqe
ooen ano natura|
|aorona |aos
The interface gives
animatedvisual
feedback- it makes
perfect sense when
yousee it inactionl
lt's not anofficial emulation, but comingfrom
Universal Audio, it'll nodoubt soundlike one
LP34 1ape Lcho is avai|ab|e as a UAD2
p|ugin for Mac and PC and costs $99.
www.uaudio.com
Del[cX[h (&'& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % /
Abunchof compact USkeyboard
contro||ers have made |t tomarket of
|ate, sowe thought |t appropr|ate toput
themunder the spot||ght.
First up is the Korg microKey. 1his
US8powered keyboard features 37
ve|ocitysensitive mini keys that Korg c|aim
"accurate|y convey the dynamics of your
performance to any software package". Its
most nove| feature is the fact that it can
function as a US8 hub - the microKey's two
US8 ports mean that musicians can muck
around with two more US8 gadgets than
usua|. 1he keyboard a|so features some
octave shift keys and pitchbend and
modu|ation whee|s. It wi|| set you back
82 and works with PC or Mac.
www.korg.com
LSI's Keycontro| 2b X1 is US8powered,
cased in a|uminium, and is a p|ugandp|ay
MIDI device requiring no drivers. 1he
Keycontro| has 2b fu||size keys as we|| as
octave switch keys, a pitchbend whee|,
modu|ation fader and four end|ess rotary
encoders. It a|so comes with Cubase 4 LL.
1he 2b X1 is for PC and Mac, priced at 79.
Keep an eye out for its big brother, the LSI
49 X1, too. this wi|| cost 99 and has a
mammoth 49 keys. Yowzer!
www.esi-audio.com
Arturia expand their Ana|og Lxperience
range of 'keyboards 'n' software' with 1he
P|ayer. It has 2b ve|ocitysensitive keys and
manages to cramone c|ickab|e encoder,
four regu|ar encoders, one modu|ation
joystick and seven switches onto its case.
1he P|ayer comes with Arturia's Ana|og
P|ayer software, which features 000synth
sounds and many presets that bring you the
sounds of esteemed Arturia synths |ike the
minimoog V, Moog Modu|ar V and CS80V.
1he P|ayer is the most expensive keyboard
in our roundup, coming in at 29.
www.arturia.com
1he A|esis Q2b is another fresh|y re|eased
2bkeyer. It's ve|ocitysensitive, and features
pitch and modu|ation whee|s, octave
switches and a Vo|ume/Data Lntry s|ider,
a|| in an effort to enab|e musicians to
"add expression, range and dynamics to
performances quick|y and effort|ess|y". 1he
Q2b is US8powered, doesn't require any
drivers and is c|asscomp|iant, making it
another keyboard that's ready to get going
whenever you are. It comes with Ab|eton
Live Lite and wi|| cost you 60.
www.alesis.com
One for the iMusicians among you, Akai's
newSynthStation2b aims to "transformyour
iPhone into a music production studio" -
though you can a|so connect it to your
computer as norma| via US8 or MIDI cab|e.
1he keyboard contains a bui|tin dock for
iPhone or iPod 1ouch, and features two
octaves of ve|ocitysensitive synthaction
keys, p|us pitch and modu|ation whee|s,
octave up/down buttons and soundbank
buttons. It a|so has stereo RCA |ine
outputs and a headphone jack. 1he
SynthStation is retai|ing for 7b and wi||
work with Akai's SynthStation Studio
app Cb.99 fromthe i1unes App Store)
on your iDevice as we|| as "virtua||y any"
MIDI software on your desktop.
www.akaipro.com
1he wor|d's gone compact keyboard kerrrazy!
B[ii a[oi _i ceh[
:WcW][Z
Yesterday, as I was taking my dai|y stro||
through the interwebs, I came across a
demonstrationa| video a company had just
re|eased, for an instrument they had
invented Cand which, in the interests of
keeping the peace, sha|| remain name|ess.)
1his instrument has been around for a
coup|e of years now, and whi|e it is a certain
shade of unique, it is essentia||y a variation
on the 'push a button, out comes a sound'
devices that so regu|ar|y entrance the
don'twantto|earnkeyboards crowd.
'A|ternative' contro||ers often manage to
make me gigg|e, if not LOL outright. 1hey're
a|most a|ways invented as an easierto|earn
a|ternative to keyboard instruments, which
is a tough rowto hoe, considering that we've
been using variants of the ubiquitous
keyboard since the 4th century, to the point
where the piano is essentia||y a fundamenta|
part of Western cu|tura| identity. Yet every
fewmonths someone comes a|ong and
says, 'I've got this thing here that wi|| free
you fromthe oppressive over|ords of
21one Lqua| 1emperament, and a|so |ooks
sort of |ike a guitar, which ought to he|p your
sex |ife a bit!'.
Instruments |ike these never take
into account one fundamenta| truth. a MIDI
contro||er doesn't rea||y count. Instruments
have traditiona||y had a formthat c|ose|y
fo||owed function. With the advent of MIDI,
we were ostensib|y freed fromthat, but
u|timate|y, 'push a button, out comes a
sound' is a|| the same instrument. And that's
the prob|emwith this video I just saw. the
guy demonstrating the instrument p|ayed
some bass samp|es, and this e|ectric guitar
samp|e, and some drumsamp|es, but the
instrument itse|f - we||, by itse|f it doesn't
sound |ike anything at a||. It's just a big pi|e
of buttons and a MIDI Out port. I'|| stick with
a keyboard contro||er, thanks. I a|ready
knowhowto p|ay that.
Cnr|s Ranoa|| |s tne coowner o| /uo|o Danaqe lnc
ano oroor|etor o| tne /na|oq lnoustr|es o|oq on wn|cn
ne requ|ar|, ou||s no ouncnes
www.audiodamage.com
www.ana|ogindustries.com
1wittergChris_Randa||
/|ternat|ve contro||ers o|ten
nanaqe to na|e ne q|qq|e
|| not |O| outr|qnt
Are MIDI contro||ers rea|
instruments Afirm'no',
reckons Chris Randa||
Clockwise fromtop-left: Arturia The
Player, 5l Keycontrol 25 XT, Akai
5ynth5tation25, KorgmicroKeyand
the Alesis 25
'& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % Del[cX[h (&'&
news
After threatening to cance| in 200,
Scene.org have just announced that
their prestigious awards ceremony wi||
indeed take p|ace in 20. Having been
he|d for eight years at Cermany's now
defunct 8reakpoint party, the operation
wi|| move to Norway's 1he Cathering, the
second |argest annua| computer party in
the wor|d Cafter Dreamhack).
L|sewhere, there's an impressive new
video doing the rounds. Using Renoise in
tandemwith Livid Instruments' Ohm64
contro||er - and working at |ightning
speed - Canadian tracker veteran Hitori
1ori seems to be doing for Renoise what
on|y Derren 8rown can do for a deck of
cards. Head to fwd4.me/fWx to check
out this jiggerypokery for yourse|f.

by u|te &Crange
It's not hard to see why cdak sto|e first
p|ace in the combined 64K/4K compo
at the recent Chaos Constructions 200
party in St Petersburg. Visua||y stunning,
it's worth pinching yourse|f whi|e watching
to keep in mind that the who|e production
fits into a meas|y four ki|obytes of disk
space. Lookswise, it's |ike Jhe Matrix
meets Jron. Sonica||y, it's something
that Vange|is might we|| have wanted in
8/aderunner and, on reading the credits,
it becomes apparent why. the man behind
the audio is 8rothomstates, who was a
big name in the days of DOS demos under
his Dune pseudonym. 1his exce||ent
soundtrack is but the |atest sp|endid
feather in a very we||p|umed hat. Links
are on your DVD, as usua|.
Cet dirty with this virtua| guitar amp and cabinet for Live
7Xb[jed 7cf _j kf
Want to get your hands on a superb,
recommended co||ection of the best
free music software around 1hen pick
up the a||new Specia/ 44. It features a
massive co||ection of 99 p|ugins, p|us a host
of other indispensab|e software too|s. Lvery
sing|e one is on the inc|uded DVDand has
been handpicked and tested by us, so you
can rest assured that it's a|| ki||er and no
fi||er! Synths, drums, unusua| instruments,
a huge co||ection of processing too|s and
much more - it's everything you need to
make great music Cand a |ot of fun to boot!).
1urn to p60for stockist detai|s and on
sa|e dates, or order at the site be|ow.
www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk
<h[[mWh[ If[Y_Wb
Scene.org Awards news
and some mindbending
stuff fromHitori 1ori
Canao|an trac|er veteran ||tor|
or| seens to oe oo|nq |or
Reno|se wnat on|, Derren |rown
can oo |or a oec| o| caros
All this injust 4K, withBrothomstates/0une sonicsl
JhWYa[hi
:[ceiY[d[
Ab|etonare d|rty|ngupthe|r ub|qu|tous
L|ve DAWw|tha newgu|tar amps|m,
creat|ve|y ca||edAmp. Codeve|opedw|th
ana|ogue mode|||ngw|zards Softube, Amp
a|ms to"de||ver warmthanddr|ve w|thout
hass|e" and|s bund|edw|tha separate
effect ca||edCab|net, wh|chprov|des -
youguessed|t - a se|ect|onof mode||ed
speaker cab|nets, a|| of wh|chhave
"opt|m|sedm|cs andm|c pos|t|on|ng".
Ab|etonare keentopo|nt out that Amp
canbe usedtoprocess anyth|ngyou||ke -
us |t, for examp|e, toaddgr|t or evena||-out
d|stort|ontosynths.
1here are seven amps on offer, a|| of
which are based on c|assic gear - specific
amps aren't named, but gearsavvy axemen
shou|d be ab|e to suss it out. 1he C|ean and
8oost effects are based on the '8ri||iant'
channe| of a 60s amp that was "wide|y used
by guitarists of the 8ritish Invasion", whi|e
the 8ass amp is "mode||ed after a rare PA
fromthe 70s, popu|ar with bass p|ayers due
to its strong |owend and 'fuzz' at high
vo|umes". A|so avai|ab|e are 8|ues, Rock,
Lead and Heavy amps. Cabinet inc|udes
severa| speaker mode|s, each of which can
be used by themse|ves as we|| as in
conjunction with Amp. A|so inc|uded to
showoff Amp's capabi|ities are a bunch of
instrument and effect racks, c|ips and more
than 400presets.
Amp wi|| set you back C99 but is a|so
part of Ab|eton Suite 8 CCb49), so if you're
a|ready a user, just down|oad the update to
get your hands on it.
www.ableton.com
news
|ocus on na||nq nus|c
|nsteao o| searcn|nq |or
tne r|qnt |noo - qet
qooo o|rt |ast
/o|eton
5oftube providedthe
05Pmuscle for Amp,
whichbodes verywell
Del[cX[h (&'& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % ''
Authent|c|ty |s a b|gword|nthe wor|dof
computer mus|c, andwe're not [ust say|ng
that because |t's got a dozen|etters |n|t. For
many deve|opers, creat|ngp|ug-|ns that
accurate|y emu|ate c|ass|c hardware
compressors, s andother stud|ostap|es has
become someth|ngof anobsess|on, w|theach
newv|rtua| processor prom|s|ngtobe c|oser
tothe or|g|na| thanthose that came before |t.
However, whi|e we're a|| for having the
sound of vintage equipment in our DAWs,
shou|d we rea||y be expected to put up with
a|| of its idiosyncrasies as we|| We're ta|king
about products that were bui|t decades ago,
so is it rea||y too much to suggest that some
concessions to modern interface design and
programming shou|d be made
Let's start with the CUI issue. why is it that
we get interfaces that, a|though 'c|assic' in
appearance, waste screen space and are often
i||ogica| and confusing
Universa| Audio have produced count|ess
hardware emu|ations for their massive|y popu|ar
UADDSPpowered p|ugin systems, and their
P|ugin Product Manager Wi|| Shanks fee|s that
tota||y authentic interfaces are va|id. "With a|most
every piece of we|||oved vintage audio gear,
there are contro|s or behaviours that f|y in the
face of modern expectations on howequipment
shou|d work or sound," he says. "However, this
odd behaviour or unusua| contro| arrangement
is often precise|y the access point that makes
the vintage unit desirab|e.
"Our aimis to preserve as c|ose|y as possib|e
the sound and experience of using the origina|
hardware, because this is what our demographic
- ie, the 'core' UADcustomer - expects. 1hey
|ove the exacting detai|s, primari|y with the
sonics, but a|so via the CUIs."
Beea_d] ]eeZ
When asked the same question, Softube's Nik|as
Ode|ho|mtakes a simi|ar |ine, stressing that
companies |ike his are simp|y responding to
their customers. "1he quick answer is that
peop|e want that famous '|ook' on their screen,
and they don't fee| comfortab|e if it |ooks |ike
something e|se, or very computerish," he says.
"Another factor that is important for us is
that users often have an intuitive fee| for the
workf|owwhen it comes to hardware, and when
you create an interface that |ooks more |ike
a modern piece of software, you |ose that.
"If an interface |ooks |ike hardware, no one
wi|| expect a knob to sudden|y disappear or
change function, as they often do in modern
CUI design, so they fee| more comfortab|e about
it. It's a|| about expectations, I guess."
1his is sure|y true for some customers, but
possib|y not for a||, and in particu|ar, the growing
number of younger computer musicians who
have no experience of using any hardware
whatsoever. Wou|dn't it be possib|e to offer
a|ternative CUIs - ones that take advantage of
modern design ideas and are optimised for the
computer screen - for such users
Wi|| Shanks admits that Universa| Audio have
considered this idea, but have no p|ans to fo||ow
through with it at the moment. He a|so reminds
us that "if the CUI is distracting, in most DAWs
the user can access a 'contro| view' that a||ows
the most straightforward interface possib|e -
just a set of s|iders."
>ej ij[ff[h
Aesthetics are one thing, but what about when
a deve|oper's decision to be tota||y authentic
actua||y affects the way that a p|ugin performs
We've heard quite a fewusers ask why contro|s
on vintage software effects often move in steps
rather than smooth|y, for examp|e. Are
deve|opers just s|avish|y copying the origina|
for the sake of tota| authenticity or are there
technica| reasons why it has to be this way
"A bit of both," says Nik|as Ode|ho|m. "In
many cases, it's the |imited choices that makes a
piece of gear c|assic. A 1rident ARange wou|dn't
sound |ike an ARange if it was fu||y parametric.
"And then it rea||y depends on the hardware.
Some pieces, |ike the fi|ter boxes we emu|ated
in the Abbey Road 8ri||iance Pack, are so
extreme|y stepwise in their design that the
process invo|ved in 'smoothing' the contro|s
wou|d be the same as redesigning the circuits
fromthe ground up. And then it wou|dn't rea||y
be a c|assic piece of gear, wou|d it"
You have to take his point, and Mike Fradis,
Product Manager at Waves, makes a simi|ar one.
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Alongwith, compressionisthe'bread
andbutter' of mixengineering. Whereas
adjustsfrequencybalancetbass,
treble, etcI, compressionmanipulates
thewayinwhichthelevel of asignal
variesover time, whichiswhat wecall
theaudio's'dynamics'. Thebasiccontrols
onacompressor areattackandrelease
time, thresholdandratio. Thesecanbe
hardtograspat first, but there'saclassic
analogythat shouldhelp.
lmaginelisteningtomusicwithyour
handonthevolumeknob, readytoturn
it downif it getstooloud. Whenthis
happens, youcouldturntheknob
quicklytfast attackI or slowlytslow
attackI. Oncetheloudpassageinthe
musicisover, you'll turnthevolume
backup- again, youcoulddoit quickly
tfast releaseI or slowlytslowreleaseI.
Thisreducesthe
'dynamicrange' of the
audio- that is, thelevel
differencebetween
loudandquiet parts.
Areal compressor
worksmuchlikeour
example, usinga
detector circuit that
trackstheincoming
level andadjuststheoutgoinglevel as
necessary. Becauseareal compressor
canreact morequicklyandaccurately
thananyhuman, it canrespondto
individual drumhits, for example.
But howdowedecidewhat is'too
loud'?That'swhat thethresholdisfor:
oncethesignal passesthethreshold
level, thecompressionstartstoact.
Ratioisalittlelessobvious. With
aratioof 2:! andaninput signal that
exceedsthethresholdby!0dB,
you'll get anoutput signal that's
only5dBabovethethreshold. Witha
ratioof !0:!, that samesignal would
leavethecompressor at just !dB
abovethethreshold. Lower ratioswill
thereforeretainmoreof theoriginal
signal'sdynamics, whichmayor may
not bedesirable.
"If you are ta|king about [{ API/VSeries,
where frequency and sometimes gain have
steps and not continuous contro|s, the reason
for that is that when we are mode||ing we are
emu|ating the e|ectrica| circuit - the circuit is
designed in steps and is not continuous."
Fradis a|so returns to the authenticity
argument. "We want engineers who expect a
certain sound froma piece of hardware Cwhen
they dia| in, say, Cain b and Peak Reduction b on
an LA2A) to get exact|y the same sound. 1his
adds to the user experience and he|ps themfee|
as if they are messing with the actua| unit."
If you're |ooking for an even more extreme
examp|e of a deve|oper striving for abso|ute
authenticity, take MO1Uand their MasterWorks
Leve|er. 1his emu|ates the 1e|etronix LA2A
optica| |eve|ing amp|ifier and, in MO1U's words
"is so accurate, you need to give the p|ugin a
minute to warmup and 'sett|e in' to its fu||y
operationa| state, just |ike the rea| hardware!"
It sounds |ike a gimmick, but MO1U's Director
of Marketing, JimCooper, insists that it isn't.
"With a rea| LA2A, and by design in our Leve|er
p|ugin, you can get different 'warmstate'
behaviours depending on the audio materia|
you run through the unit during its 'waking'
stage, a process referred to as 'priming the ce||'.
"In the Leve|er, a menu |ets you save the
warmstate and reca|| it without retraining the
ce||. 1o get to that unique warmstate, however,
you must |et the p|ugin go through the waking
process the first time, just |ike the rea| hardware.
"Our nove| computationa| mode| reproduces
the LA2A's observed physica| behaviour
astonishing|y we|| whi|e consuming minima|
host CPUresources. 1he Leve|er's abi|ity to save
and reca|| the 14 optocoup|er ce||'s 'warmstate'
represents a unique advancement in the fie|d of
mode||ing p|ugins."
8[oedZ [ckbWj_ed
Whi|e some deve|opers seek on|y to emu|ate the
origina| hardware, it is worth pointing out that
others have gone beyond their source materia|.
Cytomic's 1he C|ue, for examp|e, mimics SSL's
hardware buss compressor but adds additiona|
Range and Mix contro|s, a PeakC|ip option and
a sidechain feature with externa| and |owcut
options. So, it's arguab|y a more practica|
proposition than its forebear.
1hen there's ArtsAcoustic's 8ig Rock Csee
p04), which not on|y gives you an accurate
representation of L|ectroHarmonix's Sma||
Stone phaser peda|, but a|so features extra
options and features.
One might postu|ate that as a newgeneration
of softwaresavvy producers comes through,
the demand for p|ugins that s|avish|y emu|ate
hardware that's o|der than they are wi|| decrease.
However, Waves' Mike Fradis can't see this
happening. "I think that as time passes, the
demand for good emu|ations of c|assic gear wi||
increase because the young generation wi|| sti||
be raised on stories of howthey recorded Led
Zeppe|in, 1he Ro||ing Stones, Pink F|oyd, etc, and
they wi|| |ike the option of knowing howc|assic
hardware sounded," he says. "After a||, that's
what makes it c|assic hardware."
Softube's Nik|as Ode|ho|mdraws para||e|s
with guitarists' |ove of vintage instruments.
As he right|y points out. "1he Strat survived
the 80s, didn't it"
?di ekji
NOVATlONULTRANOVA
Novat|onmade the|r name w|th
hardware synths, andthey
recent|y returnedtothe fo|dw|th
the U|traNova.
We dohope a
software vers|on
|s forthcom|ng,
a |a VStat|on..
XMARK5
Popu|ar bookmark-sync|ng
serv|ce Xmarks |s toshut down.
W|thmany browsers nowoffer|ng
bookmark sync|ngCa|be|t |nan
app-spec|f|c mannerJ andXmarks'
attempts at d|vers|fy|nghav|ng
fa||edtocatchon, they've dec|ded
toqu|t wh||e they st||| can.
TH FACTOR
Cet your tunes onthe DVD
w|thThe FactorI It k|cks off
every Tuesday onour Facebook
page Cbit.ly/9HpW67J. nter your
tune andvote for others' tracks
w|ththe 'L|ke' button. ach|ssue,
our favour|te w|nner appears on
the DVD.
THYJU5T 0ON'T CT lT
M|crosoft's W|ndows Phone
7 advert doesn't qu|te have
|ts |ntendedeffect onus - we
actua||y l/ke be|ngthat guy
whonear|y gets f|attenedby
a bus because he's toobusy
f|dd||ngw|thNanoStud|o.
bit.ly/9FNBY0
0UK NUKM4VA
Last year's news that Duke Nukem
Forever hadbeenshe|ved|eft us
fumb||nga|m|ess|y through||fe,
bump|ng|ntoob[ects, mutter|ng
'Where |s |t?' every fewm|nutes.
Imag|ne our [oy, then, upon
hear|ngthat Cearbox Software
p|antore|ease DNF |n20!!I
VRYVOCAL
We've seensome un|ntent|ona||y
com|ca| promov|deos over the
years, andnowwe've another to
addtothe ||st. that for Son|vox's
forthcom|ngVoca||zer p|ug-|n. To
see twogrownmengett|ngfar, far
tooexc|tedover sa|dproduct,
browse tobit.ly/aZkd3C.
8kij_d]
`Wh]ed
Computer music
termino|ogy exp|ained.
1his month. Compression
5oftube's Tube-TechCL !Bsports the classic compressor control set
andnot muchelse. lt sounds fab, though
Del[cX[h (&'& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % ')

CALAXYHlCH
App|e's |Padcou|dhave
some ser|ous compet|t|on
|nthe formof the |mm|nent
SamsungCa|axy Tab. Th|s
ent|c|ngmach|ne |s sma||er
and||ghter thanthe |Pad,
but has the same speed
processor Cand|nfact uses
the same Cortex-A8CPU
coreJ andtw|ce the amount
of RAM. It a|sosupports up
to32Cremovab|e storage,
un||ke App|e's dev|ce, wh|ch
re||es on|ts f|xed|nterna|
space. The dev|ce w||| run
vers|on2.2 of the Andro|d
operat|ngsystemCFroyoJ,
andoffers W|-F| and3C
w|re|ess connect|v|ty.
Ina recent
demonstrat|on|nJapan,
the dev|ce was shown
w|re|ess|y|ntegrat|ngw|tha|| manner of househo|d
ob[ects, |nc|ud|nganoven, a tumb|e dryer anda fr|dge.
Agadget that potent|a||y enab|es us tostart cook|ng
d|nner wh||st s|mu|taneous|y ad[ust|ngsett|ngs |s
our |dea of heaven.
www.samsung.com
5OFT OPTlON
Here's someth|ngthat's boundtoget tech|es' tongues
wagg|ng. Inte| have begunoffer|ngsoftware-based
'upgrades' for the|r hardware. Customers |nse|ectedtest
markets |nthe US are be|ngoffereda $50card/voucher
that a||ows themtodown|oadsoftware toun|ock unused
threads andcache onthe|r Pent|umC695! processors.
Thoughthe |dea of hav|ngtofork out extra tofu||y enab|e
the hardware that's a|ready |nyour mach|ne m|ght seem
repe||ent, the p|us s|de shou|dbe more affordab|e k|t for
those whodon't needthe extra power, andmaybe |ower
pr|ces a|| round, as |t |t shou|dbe cheaper for Inte| to
produce one do-|t-a|| ch|pands|mp|y |ock out features
tocreate the |ow-endvers|ons.
www.|nte|.com
LlCHT FANTA5TlC
off|ns at the Un|vers|ty of Ca||forn|a Santa Cruz have
deve|opeda t|ny opt|ca| dev|ce bu||t |ntoa s|||conch|p
that's capab|e of reduc|ngthe speedof ||ght by a factor
of !200. A|though|ncreas|ngthe speedof ||ght wou|d
|mpress us evenmore, the breakthrough|s |mportant
because the ab|||ty tocontro| ||ght pu|ses |s a b|gstep
towardsthecreat|onof a||-opt|ca| quantumcommun|cat|on
networks. Inother quantumcomput|ngnews, a team
fromthe Centre for uantumPhoton|cs at the Un|vers|ty
of r|sto| have made a ch|pthat uses ||ght |nsteadof
e|ectr|c|ty andcou|d"pu|| |mportant |nformat|onout
of the b|ggest databases a|most |nstantaneous|y". We're
not sure |f th|s w||| be enoughtohe|pW|ndows |ndex our
samp|es any faster, but we're w||||ngtotry anyth|ng.
www.ucsc.edu
www.phy.br|s.ac.uk/groups/cqp
Canyougive us a brief overviewof
your achievements?
"1he biggest accomp|ishment has
been to democratise samp|ing. Carritan
Persona| Orchestra made it possib|e to
bring orchestra| samp|ing to a|most a||
musicians. Our Orchestra| Strings |ibrary
was the first 'super |ibrary' and it
revo|utionised the industry in 200 - it
introduced the first MIDI performance
too|s C|egato, autobowstrokes and
repetition) and dynamic mu|ti|ayer
crossfades. We a|so pioneered the
integration of samp|ing with notation
programs such as Fina|e &Sibe|ius."
0oyouthinkphysical modelling
canever replace sampling?
"Unti| recent|y, samp|ebased
methods have been the most rea|istic but
advances in physica| mode||ing and other simu|ation methods are
getting very c|ose. 1his is an area we're active|y focusing on and we are
doing research and deve|opment with newand innovative processes."
Whydidyoudevelopyour ownAria sample playbackengine?
"With other samp|ers, we were deve|oping to a predetermined
architecture. We needed the freedomand f|exibi|ity to deve|op things
that were not possib|e with other samp|ers. For examp|e, our first Aria
based product - the Authorized Steinway Piano, done in partnership
with Steinway &Sons - required features we had to deve|op ourse|ves. It
was not possib|e with other samp|ers to do the type of sustain and
sympathetic resonance techniques we wanted to incorporate. We
partnered with P|ogue Art et 1echno|ogie, Inc to programa samp|e
engine that was f|exib|e and powerfu| and that cou|d fu|fi| our needs."
0oyouhave anyinterest insynthtechnology, drummachines,
etc? 0idyouexperiment withthese withyour Ml0l harp?
"My MIDI harp is what got me interested in samp|ing over 20years
ago. I made some wi|d sounds for it.
1raditiona| instruments represent
most of mankind's history and
experience with music. 8ut new
sounds have a|ways created new
genres of music. We are working on
some interesting projects that are
very unique and exciting."
Last year, youacquiredthe technologybehindthe
discontinuedCiga line fromTascam. Where's that going?
"We are sti|| working on it and it has been more difficu|t than we
imagined. 1here is not much I can say as to which - if any - Ciga
products may eventua||y make it to market. 1here wi|| definite|y be
Ciga techno|ogy, IP and rights that are making their way to Aria."
What's comingnext fromCarritan? Andwhat happenedtothe
5tradivari ViolinandCofriller Cellolibraries?
"A Wor|d Instrument |ibrary containing some 3b0different ethnic
instruments wi|| be re|eased this year. A Stradivari vio|in and Cofri||er
ce||o, a|ong with other so|o strings, wi|| be inc|uded in a newadvanced
string |ibrary that we are working on. We have a fewother |ibraries in
the works too."
Weird and wonderfu| goingson in
the wider wor|d of computing
Ioij[c
Y^[Ya
New sounos nave
a|wa,s createo new
qenres o| nus|c
Could5amsung's CalaxyTabgive the
iPada runfor its money?
news
=Who
=Whh_jWd
=[j m_j^ j^[
fhe]hWcc[hi
Carritan's eponymous founder speaks to
about samp|ing and the company's future
=Whh_jWd
'* % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % Del[cX[h (&'&
MOTUCT MlCRO
MOTUhave
releasedthe
tinyMicroBook
audiointerface,
whichturns a
Mac or PCinto"a 4x2
recordingstudiowithall the
audiol/Oandmixingneededfor
pro-qualityrecordings". 5mall enough"to
fit inyour pocket", theMicroBookhas4x
physical l/Ochannels, a preamp-equipped
mic input withphantompower, a!0-bus
mixer, 7-band, compressionandmore.
lt costs 259.
www.motu.com
COMPO5 TOWlN
lf youfancyyourself as a songwriter,
checkout Point Blank's competition,
whichcelebrates its newpartnershipwith
5oundCloud. Topwriter/producer Jony
Rockstar - who's helpedAlicia Keys, Lily
Allenand5ugababes intothe Top!0- has
providedabackingtrack. Uploadyour
songby0ecember 3! for achancetowina
placeonPoint Blank's 5ongwritingcourse,
a studiodaywithJonyandmore.
www.pointblankonline.net
7l_Z hebb ekj CXen )
Av|dhave announcedthe Mbox 3 ser|es
of ProToo|s product|onpackages. The
rev|sedMbox, Mbox ProandMbox M|n|
offer p|enty of newfeatures, w|thAv|d
c|t|ngbetter ana|ogue c|rcu|try and
"h|gh-performance" converters.
8anish the winter b|ues with Afro 8razi|
Parade C25) fromLatin fusion act Da
Lata. It contains 400M8 of "sundrenched
samp|es" inc|uding "infectious" bass
grooves, beats, guitar and percussion
|oops, keyboard parts and FX.
Croove 1ech
C35) is a 900M8
pack embodying
"the newsound
of Ibiza and the
freshest house
sound of the
year". It contains
500bass, drum,
chord and fi|ter
|oops and 400
FX, synth, bass and drumsounds.
If you'd |ike to wage war on the dance
f|oor, Industria| Strength's Drop C4) wi||
back you up, with 35 24bit "subs|amming"
FX inc|uding sweeps, decays, kick booms,
and "unfathomab|y deep subbass bombs".
www.loopmasters.com
Cet dirty with 8unker 8's Symphonic
Dubstep C20), which combines "the
incessant energy of dubstep and the epic
scope of symphonic arrangements" to
create 2 construction kits crammed with
4.C8 of content. From"|yrica| woodwind"
and "resonant horn" passages to "razor
COMPTlTlONWlNNR5
ln !56, we hadtwoincredible prize
bundles upfor grabs, eachcontaining
everysingle u-he product: Zebra, Uhbik,
AC, MFM2 andFilter5cape. The two
luckywinners of this enviable prize are
KeithHalfordand5teven5eparovich.
Congrats, chapsl
The generositydoesn't endthere,
though- turntop94tofindout howyou
couldwinsuperb5late 0igital softwarel
D[mi _dXh_[\
IekdZmWh[d[mi
1he Mbox and Mbox Pro have a softc|ip
input |imiter, bui|tin DSP reverb, guitar tuner
and an assignab|e Pro 1oo|s mu|tifunction
button. 1he FireWire Mbox Pro's extra
features inc|ude more monitor contro| dia|s
and word c|ock. Connectivitywise, the US8
Mini has two ins Cone with mic pre) and two
outs, the standard US8Mbox has four ins
Ctwo mic pres), four outs and MIDI I/O, whi|e
the Pro mode| features 8 ins Cfour mic pres)
and two headphone outs.
1he Mbox Mini is 245, the Mbox is 425,
and the Mbox Pro is 550. A|| work with PC
or Mac and come with Pro 1oo|s LL software.
www.avid.com
LORNCR0lT
Youmayremember
last issue's
interviewwith
troubleddoomstep
producer Lorn.
Accompanying
the article were
a selectionof
appropriatelydark
andmysterious
photos, but
unfortunatelywe
forgot tocredit
Lorn's photographer, Nathan
Osterhaus, for these pictures. 5o
apologies for that, Nathan- and,
indeed, anyreaders whomight have
beenwonderingwhothe talented
lensmanresponsible was.
news
beats and wobb|y bass|ines", 8unker 8 say
these sounds wi|| sit we|| in both dancef|oor
destroyers and Ho||ywood scores.
Very much the opposite is Sony's 1wine.
8ui|d C20), which offers "an a|chemica|
fusion of e|ectronic and acoustic e|ements".
1he 34 |oops inc|ude "atmospheric guitars,
haunting pianos, mang|ed me|odies and
twisted voca|s" as we|| as basses, FX,
rhythms, drones and oneshots for your
best experimenta| tracks.
www.soundstosample.com
Dri|| CC20) is a mi|itary SFX |ibrary with over
4000samp|es of batt|efie|d radio comms,
"bonecrushing" dri|| instructor commands,
morse code and more. 1his ain't for the
easi|y offended!
www.sonokinetic.com
An oddity here. Puremagnetik have samp|ed
the cu|t Suzuki Omnichord and presented it
in Live, Logic and Kontakt formats. It's
current|y free for
Puremagnetik
subscribers, the
rest of us wi|| be
ab|e to pick it up
for $2 once it's
on genera| sa|e.
www.pure
magnetik.com
/rt|sts at a|| |eve|s can
nore eas||, create n|x
ano recoro w|tn
oro|ess|ona| resu|ts
/v|o
The MboxPro
Del[cX[h (&'& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % '+
If you're after an iPad contro||er app for
Ab|eton Live 8, try App8C's touchAb|e.
More than just a c|ip |auncher, it works over
WiFi to give access to Live's instruments,
mixer and FX, as we|| as un|imited tracks
and parameters, and fu|| automapping.
C|ipwise, you can do the basics C|aunch,
|oop, stop, etc) as we|| as mess with their
parameters. For |ive mixing, the Mixer screen
features an XY pad for contro||ing vo|ume,
panning, master settings and more. Output
meters provide feedback on track |eve|s to
he|p avoid c|ipping. If you're not a|one on
stage, Dua|User mode wi|| be handy - it |ets
you tweak one set through two iPads.
touchAb|e a|so enab|es you to compose
|ive via its keyboard and drumpads. 1he
7note keyboard has a touchandscro||
octave se|ector and two ve|ocity modes,
Range and C|oba|. Range mode is pretty
nifty. it provides "five ve|ocity steps within
the same key". 1ouch the key at its top for
|owve|ocity and hit it at the bottomfor
maximumnoise. 1he drumpads - which
can be disp|ayed in grids of either eight or
6 - a|so have the two ve|ocity modes.
touchAb|e is avai|ab|e for iPad in the App
Store nowand costs 9.99.
www.touch-able.com
1empo Rubato's NLog MIDI Synth app
makes a "rea| synthesiser out of your iOS
device". An extended version of the N|og
Synthesizer, it adds MIDI support via the
Line 6 MIDI Mobi|izer interface, enab|ing you
to connect your iPad, iPhone or iPod 1ouch to
an externa| hardware keyboard.
1he onscreen virtua| keyboard provides
"po|yphonic rea|time response", whi|e Doub|e
Manua| mode offers two 'boards onscreen at
once. Lditing options inc|ude two osci||ators,
three enve|opes, two LFOs, fi|ters, effects,
and pitchbend and mod whee|s.
NLog MIDI Synth is avai|ab|e for iPad,
iPhone and iPod 1ouch in the App Store now
and wi|| set you back b.49.
www.temporubato.com
Newmusicmaking apps for iPhone/iPod 1ouch
7ffmWjY^
It seems |ike it's impossib|e to get away
fromHa/oReach news at the moment,
and this co|umn is no exception! 1he pro|ific
and highprofi|e game soundtrack |abe|
Sumthing L|se have announced the re|ease
of Martin O'Donne|| and Michae| Sa|vatori's
score as an epic twoCDset.
Here's O'Donne||. "We've been composing
and producing music for 8ungie's Ha/o
universe since 999 and this soundtrack
represents the cu|mination of our efforts.
Once again we were ab|e to work with other
composers C Pau| Johnson and Stan LePard,
a|ong with recording much of this music
at Studio X in Seatt|e with the Northwest
Sinfonia and Choir. 1his is about two hours'
worth of music cu||ed frommore than five
hours of music actua||y produced for the
game itse|f. We hope everyone enjoys it."
A|though it's drawn criticismfromsome
quarters for its |ack of memorab|e motifs,
we reckon you'|| find this evocative score
just as enthra||ing as the music from
previous tit|es in the Ha/o franchise. Have
a |ook at www.sumthing.comfor more.
8efore we shoot off for this issue, here's
a quick recommendation. check out the
game soundtracks and other music
avai|ab|e at Attract Mode. It's a website
bi||ed as a "video game cu|ture shop",
which means |ots of bri||iant |imitededition
content by indie creators - in this modern
age of face|ess consumerism, it brings a
persona| touch! We'd |ove to see more
soundtracks on there, though, so what are
you waiting for, indie game composers
Check it out at www.attractmo.de.
/ ou|c| reconnenoat|on
cnec| out tne qane
sounotrac|s ano otner nus|c
ava||ao|e at /ttract |ooe
=Wc[el[hjkh[
Can't get enoughof Halokeach? Thenmake it the
soundtracktoyour life withthe splendidset of
thighI scores available via 5umthinglse
1he |atest happenings in
the wor|d of video game
music production
touchAble brings deeplycomprehensive wireless control of AbletonLive to
your iPad, whether your 0Jing, composingor producing
NLogMl0l 5ynthturns your iO5 device intoa
powerful virtual synth, complete withMl0l input
', % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % Del[cX[h (&'&
news
5TlNBRCCUBA5 5
"We've used Cubase as our DAWof
choice for writing music since, we||, a
|ong time ago - |et's put it that way.
Rea|istica||y, I'msure we cou|d use any
environment and achieve simi|ar resu|ts,
but for us, Cubase fee|s |ike home. 1he
newversion is rock so|id and that's a||
we ask for."
UNlVR5AL AU0lOFAT5O
"1o be honest, I cou|d have |isted any
number of Universa| Audio p|ugins
but this one particu|ar|y stands out.
We've used the Lmpirica| Labs FA1SO
in hardware formever since it came
out and this emu|ation is stunning|y
accurate. Whether you want to warm
up a synth sound or s|ama drumgroup,
it's perfect."
KORCLCACYCOLLCTlON
"1here was a time when Korg
undoubted|y made the best synthesisers
around, and the MS20, WaveStation and
Po|ysix wou|d probab|y be up there as
the best of what they've achieved. 1he
p|ugin versions are very accurate and
sound pretty fat when compared to the
origina|s. 1he MS20is a particu|ar|y
strong synth."
ACC55 VlRU5 Tl
"Not software through and through, I
know, but the |eve| of contro| for synth
programming you can achieve by having
software contro| |ike this is next |eve|
stuff. A |ot of purists wou|d argue 'hands
on contro| is key', but for me, the abi|ity
to contro| hardware via computer |ike
this is fine."
5OUN0TOY5 0CAPlTATOR
"1here is no p|ugin distortion that even
comes c|ose to this, in my humb|e opinion.
1here's a massive range of achievab|e
effects - anything fromadding s|ight dirt
to a voca| to tota||y destroying a sound
out of a|| recognition. Again, I cou|d have
picked any of Sound1oys' p|ugs, but this
is the king for me."
:h_l[ j_c[
JhW a
John L||iot of the famed UKhouse duo c|ues
us in on their top five bits of software
Trafik's newalbum, NoneBut 7heBrave, is out now
www.trafikmusic.co.uk
ln sure we cou|o use
an, env|ronnent ano
acn|eve s|n||ar resu|ts
out |or us Cuoase |ee|s
|||e none
o[Whi
XWYa
In a striking coincidence, the vintage
edition of we're scrutinising this
time around proud|y presents exact|y the
same cover feature topic as |ast issue.
Remix! Whi|e the music industry has
changed comp|ete|y since those days,
the main incentive to remix - to get your
sound out there and catch the ear of
record |abe|s and ravers a|ike - has not.
8ack in 28, we pushed the fo||owing
approach to getting a break. "1ry ca||ing
into a recording studio and speaking with
the producers - if you're a smooth ta|ker
and very |ucky, you cou|d end up wa|king
out with a DA1 to remix". In fact, we
sp|urged a who|e box's worth of text
going on about howDA1 was the on|y
format to use "if you're serious about
taking on remixes". Dusty o|d DA1 is now
a reassuring|y distant memory and not
one that we |ike to revisit often.
Our roundup of MIDI interfaces saw
us correct|y predicting that US8 was the
future for periphera|s, but not without
stating that US8 's speed of 2Mbps was
"fast enough for most uses". Not sure
howfar we'd get on that nowadays.
And fina||y, 28 had us sa|ivating
over the soontobere|eased Reason.
"Apparent|y, the patch |eads 'swing' when
you f|ip the racks round". It didn't take
much to impress us back then.
We think back to the chi||y
winter of 2000to revisit a
fromdays gone by
Dust, o|o D/ |s now a
o|stant nenor, ano not one
tnat we |||e to rev|s|t o|ten
Remix? 0on't mindif l dol Andif youwere feeling
verybrave, youcoulduse n-Trackstudio!.2 todoit
news
Del[cX[h (&'& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % '-
:[l[bef[h Nat|ve Instruments
<ehcWj PCRTAS/VST/standa|one, Mac
AU/RTAS/VST/standa|one.
M[X www.nat|ve-|nstruments.com
Audio software giants Native Instruments
a|ready offer free versions of some of their
products, and nowtheir Kore 2 P|ayer and
Kontakt 4 P|ayer have been joined by Reaktor
P|ayer and Cuitar Rig 4 P|ayer. Reaktor P|ayer
comes with three instruments and Cuitar Rig 4
P|ayer inc|udes 20effects. A|| are avai|ab|e as a
sing|e down|oadab|e pack, Komp|ete 7 P|ayers.
We ta|ked to Sascha Kubiak, Director of Native
Instruments' Producer Division, to find out more.
What wasthethinkingbehindthenewplayers?
"Reaktor and Cuitar Rig have become versati|e
synthesis and soundprocessing p|atforms, so
we wanted to open their tech up to more peop|e.
1he p|ayers a||owus to deve|op affordab|e
individua| instruments and effects that drawon
a|| the sonic power of Reaktor and Cuitar Rig
without requiring peop|e to own fu|| products.
Cuitar Rig is opening up into a universa| effects
p|atform, as you can see fromadditions |ike the
Ref|ektor studio convo|ution reverb."
Aecfb[j[-FbWo[hi
If you |ike the |ook of Native Instruments' wares but don't want
to sp|ash any cash, this bund|e has your name on it
:[l[bef[h Fuzzp||z
<ehcWj PCVST
M[X www.b|cyc|e-for-s|ugs.org
1his c|assic virtua| ana|ogue synth is a
bit of of an underappreciated gem,
probab|y due to its hardtodecipher,
oatmea|co|oured interface. Inviting it
ain't, but Oatmea|'s impenetrab|e
frontend hides a synth with some
unusua| and interesting features.
A twoosci||ator po|ysynth, Oatmea|
gives you a choice between various
standard virtua| ana|ogue waveforms,
inc|uding a user wave that can be
drawn in using a simp|e disp|ay. As
we|| as a standard pu|se width
modu|ation mode, there's a|so a 'user
PWM' mode, where the user waveform
is inverted and shifted according to
the PWMsettings.
Oatmea| inc|udes two mu|timode
fi|ters, each of which can be set to one
of b modes and |inked so that the
second fi|ter c|ones the first.
Another coo| feature is the abi|ity
to modu|ate the pitch of the synth
via aftertouch, which makes it an
extreme|y expressive instrument for
keyboard p|ayers. It's a|so possib|e to
assign a randompan position to each
voice, which can make for some
interesting stereo effects.
Oatmea| is a great p|ugin that
remains something of a cu|t favourite,
and is definite|y worthy of serious
investigation. If you fancy giving
Oatmea| a try, then we recommend
checking out the a|ternative skins.
Whereas with most instruments
optiona| skins aren't particu|ar|y
usefu|, with Oatmea| they he|p to
make the interface c|earer and easier
to operate. You can find |ink to a great
number of Oatmea| resources at
www.kvraudio.com/forum/
viewtopic.php?t=!33930.
<h[[mWh[ 9bWii_Y
EWjc[Wb
P[d FWhjo
lt's beenloomingonthe horizon
for more thana little while now,
but BigTick's handy-looking
universal preset manager Zenhas
finallybeenlaunched. Arrivingjust
toolate for full inclusioninthis
issue, Zenis available as a Windows
V5T. Be sure tocheckout the next
issue of , where we'll take an
in-depthlookat this unusual utility
andlet youknowwhether or not it
was reallyworththe wait.
www.bigtickaudio.com
<h[g B_a[ C[
After last month's handyMUtility
plug-in, MeldaProductionhave
unleashedyet another cool freebie
effect: MFreq5hifter. Unlike a
pitchshifter, this frequency-shifting
effect doesn't maintainharmonic
relationships andsocanbe used
tocreate everythingfromsubtle
stereoexpansiontototal sonic
carnage. Tryit if youdarel
MFreq5hifter is available as a
Mac AU/V5TandPCV5Tplug-in.
www.meldaproduction.com
8ed]e 9hWpo
lf you're a Windows user whojust
can't get enoughbongoaction,
you're goingtowant tocheckout
OtobongofromMildon5tudios. This
peculiar percussioninstrument
automaticallyvaries the location
andintensityof the tapeachtime
youtrigger it. 5oif youwant totake
your tracks tothe jungle andthen
out intospace, Otobongocouldwell
be the one for you. The instrument is
available inPCV5Tformat.
www.mildonstudios.com
/|reeware news
5othe players will become platforms for
commercial content?
"Yes. With products |ike Ref|ektor we're major|y
moving forward into the studio effects market,
so expect more of this sort of thing fromus."
0oyouhave anytips for Komplete 7 Player?
"I don't have any specific tips apart fromrea||y
exp|oring the inc|uded presets and a|| of the
soundshaping options, which might take quite
a whi|e! 1he next step up fromKomp|ete P|ayer
is the newKomp|ete 7 L|ements package, which
adds 2000additiona| sounds that were se|ected
fromthe arsena| of the fu|| Komp|ete 7 bund|e."
Will Nl be issuingmore freeware inthe future,
or releasingupdates for Komplete 7 Players?
"With Kontakt, Kore, Reaktor and Cuitar Rig, our
|ineup of free p|ayer versions is nowcomp|ete.
1ogether they cover a|| the bases of synthesis,
samp|ing and effects processing. 8ut we wi||
definite|y come up with more free materia| in
the future. Christmas is a good opportunity!"
You can down|oad the Komp|ete 7 P|ayers
8und|e or its individua| e|ements from
www.native-instruments.com.
Oatnea|s |noenetrao|e
|ronteno n|oes a s,ntn
w|tn unusua| |eatures
'. % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % Del[cX[h (&'&
MU5l C l 5 OUR PA55l ON
Muslkbaus Tbomann
Treppenoor| 30
D-96138 8urgebracb
Germany
T +49 9546. 9223-0
F +49 9546. 9223-24
L lnternatlonal@tbomann.oe
| www.tbomann.oe
www.thonann.de | lnternationaI HotIine: +49 9546 9223-55 | Fax: +49 9546 9223-24
All o||ers are subject to avallablllty! We oo
not take any responslblllty |or any mlsprlnts
or mlslnterpreteo ln|ormatlon!
All prlces lncluoe 17,5 UK vat ano Ta palo ls
clearly sbown on all lnvolces. For vAT reglstereo
companles tbls can be oeoucteo at source. Please
note tbat all our lnvolces wlll be ln euros.
All transactlons are carrleo out ln euros ano as
sucb tbe G8P prlce can vary oepenoent on tbe
current oay's rate o| ecbange. Tbomann are not
llable |or any surcbarges aooeo by your bank or
caro lssuer.
Tbe prlces below are baseo on tbe
publlsbeo oay's rate o| ecbange.
1 LUP = 0.850 G8P, 1 G8P = 1.176 LUP
Mackle DB100
Returblshed BundIe
0igitaI open architecture mixing desk
72ch/9GkHz (8Gch/192kHzj, 8 ousses, 2
touch screens, 25 motorised faders, 4-oand
E0, compressors and gates, V8T plug-in
compatiole, 2 PCl slots, flexiole l/0, 9 slots for
optional l/0 cards (not included in oasic configj,
Nackie Control Universal mode for DAw control.
8und|e |nc|. Xbus AFS card, Xbus
d|g|ta| card and 2x Xbus ||ne card.
8-Stock w|th fu|| warranty!
order code 251867
.
l.
Presonus
$tudloIlve 16.4.1
16-channeI digitaI mixer
Built-in 82x18 Firewire audio interface,
,Fat-Channel' processing with 4-oand E0,
compressors, limiters and gates. 1Gx inputs, Gx
auxiliar] mixes, 4x suogroups, 1Gx
Class A XNAX mic preamps,
44.1kHz & 48kHz sample
rate, 2x master D8P FX,
talkoack. Dimensions. 48.7
x 17.5 x 5G.8cm (wxHxDj.
order code 225534
l!.
!11.
Phonlc $ummlt
0igitaI mixer
1G channels, 24oit/9GkHz, phantom power, 17x
1OOmm motor fader, touch screen, 2G semi-
parametric 4-oand-E0 for all inputs, AE8/EBU
l/0, 8 multi-function outs, 2 effect processors,
2G d]namic processors, 8D card, optional
Expansion Card compatiole with
win XP/Vista/7 and Nac
08X (incl. 8now leopardj,
ext. power suppl], weight.
1O,5kg, incl. 19" rackmounts.
order code 246336
!.
!.
Mackle Onyx 31.4
Live mixer
28x mono ins, 4x suogroups, 8x outs, 4-oand
E0 with full] parametric mids and fixed lo/
hi, 8OdB pad, low cut, Gx aux sends, lED
and insert per channel, Gx2 matrix, internal
compressor/limiter, D-8uo 25 direct out,
talkoack, phones out, main insert, internal
power suppl]. weight.
21.8kg
order code 194635
!!.
I.
Yamaha MG 31[14F
32-channeI Iive mixer
24x mic ins, 4x stereo ins, 2x 8PX-qualit]
FX processors, 7-oand master E0, 2x aux
sends, 2x stereo returns, 24x inserts, 8-oand
E0 with parametric mids,18dB low cut filter,
48V phantom power,
internal power suppl].
Dimensions. 1O2.7
x 14 x 55.1cm.
weight. 2Okg
order code 161994
!.
.
the t.mlx 1831 F
8ack mixer
18 channels, G microphone inputs, 4 stereo
inputs, ouilt-in U8B/NP8 pla]er, 24oit D8P
effects unit with 25G programs, 9-oand E0,
8-oand E0 mit patametric mids (channels 1-4j,
4-oand E0 (channels 5-12j, 2-track
l/0, 4 aux outputs,
dimensions. 41,5 x 4O x
11,5cm, weight. G,7kg.
order code 242617
lI.
l1.
$oundcratt EF 8
8-channeI mixing desk
8x mono inputs, 2x stereo inputs, inserts on
all channels, 1x FX send, 1x aux send (pre/
postj, 48V phantom power, solo/mute switch,
integrated lexicon FX with 82 presets, peak
lEDs on all channels, integrated
power suppl]. Dimensions.
88 x 9.1 x 8G.2cm.
weight. 4.Gkg. 0ptional
rackmount availaole.
order code 118879
l.
l1l.
Behrlnger
enyx 1441 U$B
24-channeI mixer with 60mm faders
1O mic ins with 48V phantom power, 75Hz
low cut, compressor, 24oit multi FX with 1G
presets, internal U8B sound card, 4 stereo ins,
8-oand E0 with parametric mids, 4 aux (pre/
postj, insert, Peak lED and mute each channel,
2-track l/0, XlR main out, 4 suo groups,
internal power suppl], includes 19" rack kit
and energ]XT2.5 compact music production
software.
o. code 242913
.
l.
Yamaha MG 166cx
16 channeI mixer
8x mono mic/line ins (XlR/jackj, 2x mic/line
ins (XlR/stereo jackj, 2x stereo line ins (jackj,
8x aux sends, 8x inserts, 8-oand E0 with
parametric mids, internal compressors per mic
channel, 8PX FX processor with 1G programs,
18dB high pass filter, high-end
mic preamps, 48V phantom
power. Dimensions. 47.8
x 1O.2 x 48.9cm.
weight. 5.5kg
order code 115511
.
1.
AIesls MuItlMlx 16
FlreWlre
16ch. mixer with Firewire interface
8x mic/line ins, 4x oalanced stereo line
ins, 8-oand E0 per channel, 2x aux send/
returns, 1OOx 28oit FX programs, headphone
out. Firewire interface. 18 ins, 2 outs,
24oit/48kHz, A8l0/wDN
drivers for win XP 8P2,
Core Audio drivers for Nac
08 X, includes Cuoase lE.
order code 186079
.
!.
AIIen & Heath
2ED-10F
Mixer
4 mic/line ins, 2 dual stereo ins, DuoPre
TN
preamp, 2 aux sends, U8B send/return, internal
24oit FX processor, HP-filter, stereo return,
2-track return, main insert, internal power
suppl], weight. 8,8kg, incl. Cakewalk
8onar lE.
o. code 246916
lI.
l1.
kIIen & eath I0-10
without FX processor.
order code 246915
l!.
!.
the t.mlx Mlx 501
5-channeI mixer
1x mic in with 2-oand E0, 2x
stereo ins, 2-track l/0, "
oalanced jack out. Dimensions.
18.8 x 22 x 2.8-4.5cm.
weight. O.8kg
order code 207200
!.
l.
the t.mix Mix 802
2x mic ins with 8-oand E0, 2x stereo ins,
2-track l/0. Dimensions. 19.8 x 2G.8 x
2.8-4.5cm. weight. 1.2kg
order code 207202
1.
.
AIesls MuItlmlx 4 U$B
4-channeI mixer with digitaI output
1Goit, 44,1kHz signal on U8B, 4 line level
ins, 2 XlR ins with gains and switchaole 48V
phantom power, high impedance guitar input,
2 channel E0 on mic ins, multicolor
lED metering, main and
headphone outs with
independent level
controls, incl. power
suppl], dimensions wHD.
15,2 x 19,G x 5cm, weight.
O,Gkg.
order code 235244
.
.
Behrlnger R1601
Eurorack Pro
16-channeI Iine mixer in rack format
1Gx oalanced line inputs, extremel] noise-
free Ulh design, transparent sound, oalance
and volume control per channel, monitor/FX
send, mute and clip lED, stereo jack output,
headphone out with seperate volume control,
AlP8 pots, shielded transformer, ver] solid
contruction.
order code 163892
!!.
.
Behrlnger
enyx 1104 U$B
12-channeI mixer
4 mic ins, 48V phantompower, lowcut, internal
24oit FX with 1G presets, ouilt-in U8B sound
card, 2 stereo ins, 8-oand E0, 2 aux, peak lED
and mute each channel, XlR main out, internal
power suppl], incl. 19" rack kit, dimensions
HwD. 9,7 x 27 x 82,8cm, weight. 2,8kg,
incl. energ]XT2.5 Compact music
production software for win XP, Vista
(82oitj, Nac 08X and linux.
order code 243148
!.
!11.
EdlroI R-09 HR 4GB
$D Card BundIe
24hitI96kz mp3Iwk recorder
Up to 82Okops mp8 pla]oack and recording,
recording on 8D or 8DHC card (up to 80Bj,
integrated stereo condenser mic, 0lED displa],
ouilt-in preview speaker, incl. wireless remote
control with split function, U8B 2.O, stereo mic
in, stereo line in, lncl. power suppl], 512NB 8D
card, U8B caole, Cakewalk P]ro AudioCreator
lE, wireless remote controller and small taole
mounting plate. Bundle incl. 40B 8D card.
o. code 207377
lI.
lI.
$ony PCM-M10
FortahIe 24hitI96kz audio recorder
Built-in stereo microphone, internal speaker,
cross-memor] recording, internal 40B flash
memor] + Nicro8D/memor] stick micro slot,
limiter and low-cut filtre, 5s. pre-
record ouffer, manual or automatic
recording level control, U8B-2.O
connection, includes power suppl],
8oundforge Audio 8tudio lE, caole
remote, 2 AA oatteries and caole,
finish. gre].
o. code 238886
l.
lI.
2oom H4 M
Wlzoo BundIe
24hitI96kz digitaI recorder
Perfect for interviews, podcasts, meetings and
live recordings. 2 ouilt-in stereo microphones,
requires 24V or 48V phantom power, U8B
port. lncludes windscreen, U8B caole, cover
and Cuoase lE4. 8und|e |nc|udes
408 S0 card, Super|ux H081 stereo
headphone and w|zoo Pub||sh|ng ,Nob||e
8ecord|ng' Thomann Spec|a| Fd|t|on by
Ka| Schw|rzke.
o. code 232016
.
l.
058 audio interface and 0kw controIIer
1G-track pla]oack and 8-tracks recording,
24oit/48KHz PCN recording, internal stereo
condenser mic, 8 mic ins, 2 outs, 8 oalanced
XlR / 1/4" TR8 connections, internal effects,
Nackie Control emulation via U8B, works as
U8B storage, support for win XP/Vista and Nac
08, incl. 8teinoerg Cuoase lE4
and 10B 8D card. 8und|e
|nc|. the t.bone NLS
stereo headphones and 408
S0 card.
order code 245233
.
!1.
2oom R14 BundIe
0igitaI recorder
24-track pla]oack and 8-track recording
simultaneous, 24oit/9GkHz, 8 ins and 2 outs,
ouilt-in stereo mic, compressor/E0, tuner
and metronome, support 8DHC cards up to
820B, U8B 2.O, 8x XlR-/TR-lnput Nic/line/
Hi-Z, headphone out, incl. 8teinoerg Cuoase
lE, 10B 8D card, U8B 8tick (20B with Drum
loop liorar]j, power suppl] and caole. 8und|e
|nc|. the t.bone S0400 stud|o m|crophone,
the t.bone H0-800 stereo headphones
and cab|e.
o. code 253669
!.
1.
OIympus L$-5
FortahIe digitaI recorder
24oit/9GkHz, wAV, wNA, NP8 and PCN
recording, ouilt-in microphone, large
oack-lit displa], 20B internal memor],
8D/8DHC card extension slot, internal
stereo speaker, U8B 2.O connection, op-
tional remote control, dimensions wHD.
4,8 x 18,15 x 2,24cm, weight. 1G5g
(incl. oatter]j.
order code 250006
!I.
!l.
2oom H1 BundIe
MohiIe mp3Iwk recorder
1-point stereo mic design, N8 stereo technique,
record 8GO sound as 2ch or 4ch data, ouilt-
in U8B interface with audio interface function,
wAV 9G/48/44.1kHz and NP8 up to 82Okops
VBR, headphone out, uses 8D cards (up
to 40Bj, perfect for interviews, podcasts,
meetings and live recordings. lncludes
U8B caole, stand, mic-stand adapter,
power suppl] and 512NB 8D card. 8und|e
|nc|udes the t.bone H00 headphones.
order code 137629
!I.
!1I.
Tascam DR-07
MohiIe digitaI audio recorder
Record and pla] mp8 (up to 82Okopsj and
wAV files (up to 24oitj, 44.1/48kHz, ouilt-in
stereo mic, analogue automatic level input
control, analog limiter, stereo
in for external mic, stereo
line input, headphone/line
out (stereo mini-jackj, U8B
2.O, powered via AA alkaline or
hiNH oatteries, includes 20B 8D
Card and windshield.
order code 223287
!.
!!.
M-Audlo
MlcroTrack II
MohiIe 24hitI96kz recorder
Records wAV, BwF and NP8 to
Compact Flash cards or Nicro
Drives, optimized gain adjustment,
48V phantom power, analog limiter,
U8B 2.O connection, oalanced line
ins, ouilt-in high-fidelit] microphone
preamps, 8/PDlF input, lithium-ion
oatter] (recharge via U8Bj.
order code 184184
!.
!!.
2oom H1 BundIe
MohiIe digitaI audio recorder
24oit/9GkHz linear PCN, real X-Y mic ar-
rangement, ouilt-in monitor speaker,
auto recording level, lo-cut filter, time-
stamp, track mark function, A/D and
D/A conversion, 128 times oversampling,
recording media. micro 8D memor] card
and micro 8DHC memor] card (up to
1G0Bj, U8B 2.O, incl. 2 0B micro 8D card,
windshield and U8B caole. bund|e |nc|.
the t.bone FP 2 dynam|c earphone.
order code 253718
.
.
The Thomann servlces
www.thonann.de 30-day noney back guarantee
TeIephone HotIine: +49 9546 9223-55 free shipping to the UK and lreIand on
Fax: +49 9546 9223-24 orders above L159
Matlve Instruments
RompIete 7
0ompIete package of software
Contains. Kontakt 4.1, Aos]nth 5, 0uitar Rig 4
Pro, Reaktor 5.5, Batter] 8, FN8 and Nassive,
more than 1OOOO presets and sample-
liorar]s with 1OO0B, all instru-
ments as stand-alone or plug-in
usaole, supported formats. stand-
alone, Audio Units, V8T, RTA8,
A8l0, Core Audio, Core NlDl,
Direct8ound.
order code 252237
1.
.
Dlgldeslgn Dlgl 003
Factory CompIete
0ompIete Froduction IooIkit
18 simultaneous channels of audio l/0, 8
analogue ins and outs, 4 mic preamps, 48V
phantom power, 8 motorized faders, 8 rotar]
encoders for pan/send/meter/plug-in control,
8-channel ADAT optical l/0 or 2-channel 8/PDlF
optical l/0, 1x NlDl in, 2x NlDl out, BhC word
clock l/0, Digidesign Pro Tools
lE 8, Factor] plug-in oundle
and Complete Production Toolkit.
order code 232218
.
lI.
RME HD$PE Madltace
F0I express interface
NADl ExpressCard (84mm standardj for
noteoooks, G4 input/G4 output channels, 1x
NADl l/0 (optical and coaxialj, 44,1kHz/192kHz,
clock-mode slave and master, s]nc sources.
NADl coaxial, NADl optical and internal,
connections. oreakout oox. input and output
NADl optical, NADl coaxial (BhCj,
NlDl l/0, incl. DigiCheck software,
ExpressCard NADl, 1m caole
(lEEE 1894j, driver-CD.
order code 213735
!l.
!!1.
RME Flretace 400
Firewire audio interface
24oit/192 kHz high performance Firewire
audio interface, analog technolog] from
ADl-8 converter, mic preamp technolg] from
0uad and 0ctaNic (2 mic preampsj, TotalNix
technolog] from Hammerfall D8P series, ver]
reliaole
drivers.
order code 193883
I.
I.
Focusrlte
Llquld $attlre 56
Firewire audio interface
24oit/192kHz with liquid preamps, 28x l/0,
8x XlR mic ins, 2x ADAT l/0, coax 8/PDlF
l/0, 8x analog ins (" oalanced jackj, 1Ox
analog outs (" oalanced jackj, word Clock,
NlDl l/0, includes Focusrite V8T/AU plug-ins.
Dimensions. 85 x 9 x 28.5cm (19"/2Uj. weight.
5kg
order code 228525
I.
II.
Tascam U$-1641
058 2.0 audio interface
24oit/9GkHz, 8x mic/line ins with phantom
power and front level meters, 2x oalanced
line/instrument ins (frontj, 4x oalanced line
ins (rearj, 4x line outs, monitor out, 8/PDlF l/0
(switchaole to AE8/EBUj, NlDl l/0. Compatiole
with win XP, Vista 82 and Nac 08 X (1O.4
or higherj, includes 8teinoerg Cuoase lE 4.
Dimensions.
19"/1U
order code 138750
l.
ll.
Presonus
Flrestudlo Project
Firewire audio interface
24oit/9GkHz, 8 XNAX Class A mic preamps, 8
analog mic/line ins, 2 instrument ins, 8 analog
line outs, 8/PDlF digital l/0, NlDl l/0, oalanced
send/return, zero latenc] monitoring with
FireControl mixer/router, headphone output, 8
input level meters, includes recording software
Presonus 8tudio
0ne Artist, 19"/1U.
order code 199889
.
!.
Apogee Duet BundIe
Firewire audio interface
24oit/9GkHz, 2 channels, Firewire 4OO l/0,
oreakout caole with 2 XlR mic ins, 2 1/4" jack
instrument ins, 2 1/4" jack monitor outs, multi-
segment lED displa] input and output levels,
multi-function controller knoo, headphone out,
Naestro software for advanced control and
low latenc] mixing, compatiole with an] Core
Audio compliant audio application, compatiole
with Nac 08 X Core Audio. 8und|e |nc|. or|g|na|
Apogee carry case and 208 US8 st|ck.
o. code 209773
1!.
.
Focusrlte
$attlre PRO 40
24hitI96k Firewire audio interface
2Ox l/0, 8x mic preamps, 8x analog l/0 (2x
mic/line/instr. comoo XlR, G mic/line comoo
XlRj, ADAT l/0, 2x 8/PDlF l/0, 2x monitor
outs, monitor switch, 2 separate headphone
ouses, NlDl l/0, zero-latenc] D8P mixer/router,
internal power suppl], includes plug-in suite.
Dimensions. 19"/1U. weight. 8kg
order code 219725
1l.
.
MOTU UItraIlte
MRIII Hybrld
Firewire and 058 audio interface
24oit/192kHz, 2 mic/instrument inps, G oal.
ins and 1O outs (1/4" TR8j, 48V phantom
power, 8/PDlF l/0, headphone out, CueNix FX,
internal D8P, lCD displa], suitaole for use as
a standalone mixer, compatiole with windows
and Nac, supports wDN, A8l0 and
Core Audio, incl. AudioDesk
software for Nac.
order code 239141
1I.
1I.
Dlgldeslgn
MBox 1 Mlcro
MohiIe Fro IooIs L system
Aoout the size of a t]pical U8B flash drive,
high-qualit] sound, stereo out for headphone
or speaker monitoring (no audio insj. lncludes
Pro Tools lE, Bomo Factor] and DigiRack
plug-ins and Digidesign's Xpand! sample-
pla]oack/s]nthesis workstation, for win XP
and Nac 08 X, U8B ous powered. work with
Pro Tools and compose wherever inspiration
takes ]ou.
order code 139283
ll.
!!.
M-Audlo
Fast Track Pro
058 audio interface
4x4 24oit/44.1kHz, stereo in up to 24oit/9GkHz,
U8B powered, 2x mic/instrument preamps
with switchaole phantom power, 2x inserts, 2x
oalanced line outs, 4x additional RCA outs, 8/
PDlF coaxial l/O, 8/PDlF out (AC-8/DT8 surround
sound compatiolej, NlDl l/0,
compatiole with ooth Nac
and PC.
order code 184360
!.
!l.
E$I E$P1010e
24hitI96kz F0Iexpress audio interface
PCle card with external 19" interface, 8 analog
ins (2 with mic preamp and 2 Hi-Z instrumentj,
+48V phantom power, up to 8 analog ins and
outs, coaxial 8/PDlF l/0, 2 headphone outs, 2
NlDl l/0s, support for DirectwlRE 8.O, EwDN
driver. NNE, Direct8ound, A8l0 2.O support,
windows 7/Vista/XP/2OOO/2OO8
compatiole, power suppl]
optional, incl. 8teinoerg
Cuoase lE 4.
order code 230632
!.
!l.
M-Audlo
Fast Track MRII
058 audio interface
24oit/48kHz, XlR microphone input with 48V
phantom power, 1/4" instrument input with
gain control, 1/4" stereo headphone output,
RCA stereo speaker outputs, plug-and-pla] U8B
connection (U8B 2.O compatiolej, including Pro
Tools N-Powered Essential.
order code 237376
!!.
!.
E$I DuaFlre
24hitI96kz Firewire audio interface
2x ins with level controls (" jackj, mic
preamps with phantom power (XlRj, 2x hi-Z
ins, 4x analogue outs, direct input monitoring
with level control, headphone out, ous powered
or via separate power suppl]. 8upports
DirectwlRE 8.O, NNE, A8l0 2.O, 08lF 2.O,
Direct8ound and Core
Audio. lncludes power
suppl] and 8teinoerg
Cuoase lE 4.
order code 206255
.
!.
Movatlon Launchpad
B-$tock
khIeton LiveIMI0I controIIer
Bi-directional communication, G4-outton
grid with colour-s]nced status feedoack,
scene control switchaole to control volume,
sends, muting and more, up to G units ma] oe
operated simultaneousl], U8B ous-powered,
large ruooer grips, automap-enaoled, includes
Aoleton live 8 launchpad version.
8-Stock w|th fu|| warranty (LF0s have
s||ght|y d|fferent br|ghtness}.
order code 253157
!!.
.
Behrlnger BCF 1000
0kw controIIer
8 motorised faders, 1G + 4 illuminated
switches, footswitch connection, 82 user
presets, NlDl l/0 (useaole as
Nidi interfacej, lED
displa], generic
U8B NlDl supported
(windows

XP and
Nac 08 X
j
.
order code 168766
!.
!l.
Matlve Instruments
Traktor RontroI 1
058 0J controIIer hag hundIe
lnstant recognition o] Traktor, software
controlled oacklit outtons, fits perfectl]
alongside a standard cluo mixer, super-intuitive
loop and cue control section, 8 knoos and 8
outtons, push encoders, expandaole (connect
two X1s to control four decksj, incl. Traktor
lE, Kore2 Pla]er (incl. selection liorar]j and
NlDl templates for controlling other DJ and
performance software. 8und|e |nc|. X1 8ag
o. code 243915
!.
!.
Maschlne
6roove production studio
Pad controller, 1G d]namic pads with
aftertouch, 2 oacklit displa]s, 11 rotar] knoos,
41 outtons, U8B-powered, NlDl l/0, pattern-
oased sequencer with G4 patterns per
group, step sequence programming
and realtime recording, drum grid and
piano roll editors, sampler,
> 2O ouilt-in effects, >50B
sounds, PC/Nac.
order code 223060
.
1.
MC ControI V1
0kw controIIer
Touch-sensitive knoos, motorised faders,
touchscreen displa] and 0lED, supports HUl
and Nackie Control compatiole DAw software
for Nac 08X. Dimensions. 5O x 28.5 x 8cm.
weight. 2.5kg.
order code 248964
!.
!!.
Hammond R-3C
0rgan with 73 keys
11 presets x 12 oanks + cancel, 2 sets, digital
leslie and Viorato scanner, real dual tuoe amp
for pre amplification and leslie overdrive, Vase
lll sound generator, 1O revero modes, NlDl in/
out/thru, line out, foot switch/leslie switch,
expression pedal, dimensions lwH. 119 x 4O x
12cm. weight. 18,5kg, finish. walnut.
order code 138158
l111.
lII.
Yamaha Motlt $ 7
88-key workstation
855NB wave R0N, 128 voices, presets.
1O24 normal voices + G4 drum kits, colour
displa], 4-part arpeggiator, 4 la]ers or splits
in performance mode, sequencer, internal
sampler, U8B, Ethernet
order code 111124
l.
!I1.
Rorg M50-61
5ynthesizer
G1 velocit] sensitive ke]s with natural touch,
max 8O voices in single mode and 4O voices
in douole mode, ED8 from Korg N8, large
PCN-RAN (25GNBj, G4O programs and 512
comoinations, 1G tracks and programs per
comoination, large TouchView displa], 5x
inserts, 2x master FX & 1x total FX with 17O
effects, virtual drummer with 1G71 patterns,
sequencer, 8D Card
slot, U8B.
order code 217612
.
l!.
Meo Instruments
VentlIator
8otary 0ahinet 5imuIation
Reproduction of a leslie 122 Roto effect,
rotor speed adjustaole, drive section for real
tuoe feeling, variaole mic position of the
virtual mics, true o]pass, speaker simulation
disconnectiole for guitar amp, connection
for remote footswitch/halfmoon switch, stop
function with remote switch, power suppl]
included, dimensions. 19.2 x 15.8 x 5.5cm,
weight. 1.1kg.
o. code 237621
II.
l.
Doepter Dark Energy
DVD BundIe
xpander
Nonophonic stand-alone analog s]nthesizer
with U8B and NlDl interface, U8B, NlDl input,
4 CV outputs, 1 gate output, external power
suppl], dimensions wDH.
18,5 x 14,5 x G,5cm,
weight. 1,2kg. 8und|e
|nc|ud|ng german v|deo
tutor|a| 0V0 Hands on
Synth Sound.
order code 245106
I.
!.
Yamaha P155
5tage Fiano
88 graded hammer action ke]s, pure CFlll
piano voice, 17 voices, pol]phon] 128 voices,
dual and split mode, metronome, 2 headphone
outs, 2x 12w, includes note stand, FC-4 pedal
and PA8O1 power suppl], weight. 18,Gkg.
Black & eoon]
order code 223258
Black & mahogan]
order code 223244
!!.
.
Rawal E$ 6
5tage piano
88 ke]s, 82 sounds,192-voice pol]phon],1OO
rh]thms, transpose, intonation, string response,
orilliance, dual/split mode, 2-track recorder,
metronome, 2 headphone outputs, NlDl l/0,
line l/0, U8B-host. lncludes F1OH sustain
pedal, power suppl] and
music rest.
Finish. Black
order code 218136
Finish. 8ilver
order code 218137
!!.
I.
RoIand FP-4
0ompact digitaI piano
8peaker s]stem, 88 PHA Alpha ll ke]s, 128
voices, 888 sounds and 9 drum sets, 0N2
s]stem, 8-track recorder, 1/4" jack l/0, 2x 1/4"
TR8 stereo headphone outs, U8B, NlDl l/0,
foot pedal inputs (damper, soft, sostenutoj, DC
in (9V AC power suppl]j. Dimensions. 184.2 x
8O.5 x 18.5cm (wxDxHj. weight. 15.8kg. Finish.
Black
order code 112451
!!.
!!.
CIavla
Mord EIectro III
5tage keyhoard
Based on authentic emulations of Hammond
B8 and electric pianos, hord sample liorar]
support, flash memor] for 25GNB samples and
12G programs, new effects
and amp emulations,
compressor and E0.
G1 waterfall ke]s
order code 220551
!II.
!1.
78 waterfall ke]s
order code 220582
!Il.
!1.
CIavla
Mord $tage 88 E
5tage piano
88 weighted ke]s with aftertouch, 8 split
zones, organ section with Hammond B8, Vox
Continental and Farfisa organ, piano section
with 0rand Piano, Rhodes, wurlitzer, Hohner
Clavinet and man] more, large effect FX, 25G
NB memor] for
piano samples.
order code 219785
l.
l!.
Rorg $P-170
5tage piano
88 natural weighted hammer action ke]s, 2x9w
ouilt-in speakers, 1O sounds, effects. revero
and chorus, ke] transpose and pitch control, 2
line/headphone outs, NlDl out, dimensions. 181
x 82.5 x 18.8cm, weight. 12,1kg.
Black
order code 242228
l.
1.
white
order code 242231
l.
1.
Thomann $P-5500
5tage piano
88 hammer action ke]s, 559 sounds, 2O8
st]les, 8 user st]les, 1OO songs, G4-note
pol]phon], accompainment control (start/stop,
s]nc start/stop, fill-in A/B, fadej, dual mode,
split mode, D8P, transpose function, lesson
function, pitch oend, headphone out, stereo
aux l/0, NlDl l/0, U8B port. Finish.
8ilver 0re]
order code 154087
II.
l.
Ihomann 5Fw5-5500
wooden stand for 8P-55OO
order code 204071
1.
.
Thomann $P-5100
5tage Fiano
88 hammer action ke]s, 2O sounds, 2O st]les,
GO songs, dual mode, split mode, metronome,
D8P, transpose function, headphone output,
stereo aux output,
stereo aux input,
NlDl in/out, U8B
port.
order code 154090
!.
l.
Ihomann 5Fw5-5100
wooden stand for 8P-51OO
order code 154141
1.
.
M-Audlo Axlom 15
Master keyhoard
25 velocit] sensitive semi-weighted ke]s with
assignaole aftertouch, 8 NlDl assignaole trigger
pads, 8 NlDl assignaole rotar] encoder knoos,
G transport outtons reassignaole to other NlDl
parameters, preset / program change / NlDl
channel +/- outtons, sustain and expression
pedal jacks, ouilt-in U8B NlDl interface,
powered via U8B ous or optional
power suppl]. Compatiole with
win XP and 08 X.
order code 190173
!I.
!1.
Mldltech
Mldlstart 3 U$B
MI0I keyhoard
49 full-size touch sensitive ke]s, pitch oend
and modulation wheels, U8B port for direct
connection to Nac/PC, NlDl out, includes U8B
caole and Nagix 8amplitude 8E PC software.
Finish. 8ilver
order code 116317
.
.
The Thomann servlces
www.thonann.de 30-day noney back guarantee
TeIephone HotIine: +49 9546 9223-55 free shipping to the UK and lreIand on
Fax: +49 9546 9223-24 orders above L159
tc eIectronlc
Volce Llve 1
ocaI muIti FI pedaI
Up to 8 voices or 4 douoled harmonies,
revero, tap dela], megaphone and distortion,
compressor, de-esser and E0, NlDl or mp8,
lCD displa], XlR, line in, aux in,
headphone output, coax 8/
PDlF l/0, oackup and audio
streaming. Dimensions. 85 x
7.G x 21.Gcm. weight. 2.8kg.
order code 225557
.
1.
Dlgltech
VocaIlst Llve 3G
ocaI harmonizer
Automatic intelligent 8-part harmon], ]our
voice plus 2 more, gender controls, 5 harmon]
patches, real-time chromatic pitch correction,
warmth, compressor, 2-oand E0, low cut, noise
gate, revero, 5 dela] settings, chorus
and revero effects, ouilt-in tuner, XlR
mic/line in, 48V phantom power,
headphone output, incl. power
suppl].
order code 243163
l.
ll.
Boss VE-10
ocaI Ferformer
Vocal effects d]namic compressor / de-esser,
enhancer, dela], revero, 2 harmonist and pitch
correction, lCD displa], looper
mono, 88 sec., sounds. 8O
preset + 5O user, requires
optional power suppl]
Boss P8A-28O (order
code 1O2842, not
includedj.
order code 235812
!.
!!.
tc HeIlcon
Harmony-G
0ompact vocaI processor
Harmon] arrangement algorithm listens to
guitar and voice to follow ]our music, G revero/
dela] comoinations for vocal and guitar in,
1O presets each with A/B location, selectaole
harmon] voicing, XlR mic in with 48V phantom
power, stereo line out (oalanced XlRj,
guitar in and pass-thru for seperate
amp/tuner, includes external power
suppl].
order code 205731
!1.
!lI.
tc HeIlcon
VolceTone Create
ocaI FI unit
99 music st]le oased FX comoinations, 5
,favourite' user presets, XlR mic level l/0
in stereo or mono, clean studio
qualit] mic preamp with
phantom power, 2x XlR
outs (for mono or stereo
operationj, tap tempo
function.
order code 117131
!1.
!lI.
Behrlnger FBQ1501
UItragraph Pro
2x15-hand graphic equaIizer
FB0 feedoack detection s]stem, servo
oalanced ins & outs (jack & XlRj.
order code 167770
II.
.
8ehringer F806200 0Itragraph Fro
2x 81-oand graphic E0, FB0 detection s]stem,
jack & XlR l/0.
order code 172364
!.
!1!.
FMR Audlo RMC 1773
8eaIIy nice compressor
8tereo compressor with two modes. ,hormal'
for effective compression and ,8uper hice' for
transparent compression. Controls.
threshold, ratio, attack, release
and gain. 8witches. o]pass &
8uper hice.
order code 179985
!.
!11.
8hLk 7239 8eaIIy nice IeveIIing ampIifier
1OHz-1OOkHz O.5dB @ OdBu, clip point.
+22.5dBu @ 87THD.
order code 190166
l.
!I1.
dbx 166 L
5tereo compressorIIimiterIgate
Patented 0verEas] technolog] (attack & release
timesj, XlR l/0, -1O/+4do switch, stereo link,
dox sound.
order code 131808
!I.
!1.
dhx 166 IL
2-channel compressor/limiter/gate, stereo
or dual mono, 0verEas] or hard knee mode,
Peak8top limiting.
order code 131035
l.
ll.
tc eIectronlc M350
0uaI engine rack processor
15 true and stunning stereo reveros, 25G multi-
FX/revero presets + 99 user preset locations,
a total of 855 presets, full DAw integration
through V8T/AU compatiole editor, auto-sensing
24 oit 8/PDlF digital l/0 (coaxj, 44.1-48kHz, "
jack in/out, NlDl in/out.
order code 192915
!I.
!1.
Behrlnger ADA8000
8-channeI k0I0k converter
8x mic preamps with phantom power, 24oit
AD/DA, 44.1 & 48kHz, wordclock or ADAT
s]nc, ADAT l/0, ADAT in can oe routed to line
outs, mic and line in/outs are routed to ADAT
out, excellent expansion for DDX821G or an]
interface/mixer with ADAT l/0.
order code 164573
!.
!I.
UnlversaI Audlo
LA-610 MRII
UAD-1 Duo BundIe
0Iassic tuhe recording channeI
Based on the legendar] Bill Putnam G1O
tuoe mic pre and E0, Authentic Teletronix
lA-2A st]le T4 opto-compressor, complete
vintage channel strip, mic pre with gain and
level controls, true o]pass, large metering
and improved signal output. 8und|e
|nk|. Un|versa| Aud|o UA0-2 0uo P0|e
0SP 0ard.
o. code 252465
!1.
!lI1.
UnlversaI Audlo 710
Twln-Fltty BundIe
1-channeI micIIineI0I preamp
Dual path 81OV class A valve & transimpedance
solid state preamp, +7OdB gain, 48V pha8ntom
power, -15dB pad, phase invert, 75Hz low cut
filter. Bundle includes UAD-2 8olo PCle D8P
card, V8T and AU support, liveTrack
low-latenc] live monitoring/recording
mode, Nix Essentials ll (117G8E limiting
Amplifier Emulation, RealVero Pro,
C8-1 Channel 8trip, Pultec E0P-1A E0
Emulationj.
order code 244200
I.
II.
2-channeI vaIve preamp
Discrete Class A solid state, 48V phantom
power, phase reverse, pad function, flair
presence enhancement, ver] clear and warm
sound. Dlmensions. 19"/2U
order code 123370
1l.
!.
Focusrlte
OctoPre MkII
8-channeI mic preamp with kI0
lntegrated 8-channel 24oit/9GkHz digital
output, -1OdB pads, 5-lED input metering
and direct output on each channel, internal
clocking and external via BhC, 8 inputs (2 mic/
line/ instrument comoo XlR, G mic/line comoo
XlRj, 8 outputss jack, 2 ADAT outputs (dual
lightPipej, s]nc-to-wordclock input, JetPll
Jitter-elimination, 19", 1U,
weight. 8,G kg.
order code 236376
.
!.
ART Tube MP
Iuhe microphone preamp
Hand selected 12AX7A valve, limiter, 48V
phantom power, phase reverse,
XlR and jack l/0,
perfect for hard
disc recording
or as a valve Dl.
order code 191529
I.
!.
EV RE10
0ynamic Iarge diaphragm microphone
RE series, cardioid, switchaole HP filter, variaole
D design, 15O0, 45Hz-18kHz, includes clip
and oox, ideal for vocals, orass and oass
drum. length. 217mm. Diameter.
54mm. weight. 787g
order code 128926
11.
l.
Meumann TLM 101
Large diaphragm condenser microphone
Cardioid pattern, 2OHz-2OkHz, 5O0 impedance,
12dB-A equivalent noise level, 144dB max
8Pl for THD O.57, includes 802 stand mount
swivel. weight. 2GOg.
Finish. hickel
o. code 237768
Finish. Black
o. code 237769
.
1.
ARG C414 LII
Large diaphragm condenser mic
9 polar response patterns (cardioid,
wide cardioid, eight, h]percardioid,
omni and 4 mix patternj, 2OHz - 2OkHz,
G/12/18dB pad, 4O/8O/1GOHz HP
filter, 14OdB 8Pl max., CK12 capsule,
high ooost aoove 4kHz, peak hold
lED, lock modus to save preferences,
transformerless FET XlR out, incl. CK12
mic head, H85 shockmount, popfilter
PF 8O, windsreen w414X and alu case.
o. code 240602
.
Il.
Brauner
Phantom CIasslc
5oIid state microphone
Cardioid polar pattern, pressure
gradient transducer, equivalent noise
<11dBA, signal to noise. 88dB,
2OHz-22kHz, 142dB max 8Pl
@ O.87THD, requires 48V
phantom power. lncludes flexiole
suspension mount, aluminium case
and Vovox caole.
order code 139461
1.
.
Meumann U87 Al $et
Ihe studio microphone cIassic
Variaole large diaphragm microphone,
pressure-gradient transducer
with douole memorane capsule, 8
directional characteristics (omni,
cardioid, figure-8j, switchaole low
frequenc] roll-off, switchaole 1O
dB pre-attenuation, 2OHz-2OkHz,
2OO0. Finish. hickel. 8und|e
|nc|udes FA87 shockmount.
order code 169705
l.
!.
$hure $M 7 B
5tudio microphone
D]namic studio microphone with cardioid polar
pattern, 5OHz-2OkHz, oass rolloff
switch, mid-ooost switch, 15O?,
shielded against oroadoand
interference, fixed stand adapter,
XlR connector, includes
windscreen.
order code 129929
.
lI.
$E EIectronlcs
$E 1100T
Large diaphragm condenser mic
0old plated 1" diaphragm, 1OOHz switchaole
high-pass filter, -1OdB switchaole pad,
frequenc] response. 2OHz - 2OKHz,
sensitivit]. -88dB +1dB (OdB=1v/pa
1OOOKHzj, impedance. <= 2OO0,
equivalent noise level. 1GdB (A
weightedj, max 8Pl. 18OdB (O.57
THD@1OOOHzj, connector. 7-pin,
power suppl] and shockmount
included.
order code 244907
.
l.
Rode MT1-A
M$-180 BundIe
Large diaphragm microphone
8witchaole polar pattern (omni, fig-8, cardioidj,
1" diaphragm, 2OHz-2OkHz, 147dB max 8Pl,
includes 8N2 shockmount.
8und|e |nc|udes the t.bone
NS180 pop k|||er.
order code 223002
l.
l1l.
$CT1000 $et
aIve studio microphone
Trul] warm sound, 2OHz-
2OkHz, omni/cardioid/
fig-8 plus G intermediate
stages, up to 18OdB 8Pl.
lncludes case, shockmount
and power suppl]. 8und|e
|nc|udes the t.bone NS180
pop sh|e|d.
order code 203196
lI.
lI.
Thomann Edltlon
Large diaphragm condenser microphone
ldentical as Rode hT-1OOO, transformerless
8NT circuitr], 1" HF2 capsule with gold-
plated diaphragm, incorporating internal shock
mounting, 184dB d]namic range, 14OdBA 8Pl
capaoilities, frequenc] response 2OHz - 2OkHz,
Cardioid polar pattern, Thomann
Edition in duraole satin olack
finish including shockmount
8NG, caokle and oag.
order code 247421
l!.
!.
the t.bone
$C440 U$B
058 condenser studio microphone
U8B connection for
direct access to Nac
and PC (not compatiole
with windows Vista!j,
cardioid polar pattern,
2OHz-18kHz, includes
plastic case.
order code 197603
.
1I.
the t.bone $C450 $et
Large diaphragm studio microphone
Cardioid, external low cut and -1OdB
pad switch, 2OO0 impedance,
requires 48V phantom power, 8OHz-
2OkHz, includes shockmount and
PVC case. Dimensions. 5O.5 x 19Omm.
8und|e |nc|udes the t.bone NS180
pop sh|e|d.
order code 203194
.
I.
50450 5tereo-5et - matched stereo pair in
case (pop shield not incl.j
order code 174363
!.
!11.
Large diaphragm condenser microphone
1" Capsule, transformerless circuit, requires
+48V phantom power, cardioid, 2OHz-
2OkHz, -84dB sensitivit] (OdB= 1V/Paj,
2OO0, 182dB maximum,
12dB-A noise (lECG51j.
lncludes foam wind
screen, zippered oag and
shockmount.
order code 180703
!.
.
Rode MT1-A
CompIete VocaI
Recordlng $oIutlon
Large diaphragm microphone
2OHz-2OkHz, 1OO0 impedance, 182dB d]namic
range, 187dB max 8Pl. lncludes 8NG deluxe
shockmount, Gm caole and
Peter Freeman ,8tudio 8ecrets'
tutorial DVD.
order code 235937
!I.
!l.
ARG C3000
5tudio Iarge diaphragm condenser mic
Cardioid, 2OHz-2OkHz, 2OO0, switchaole
-1OdB pad, includes shockmount.
Diameter. 58mm. length. 1G2mm
order code 141408
!.
!I.
Meumann RM 184
$tereo-$et
5maII diaphragm condenser mic hundIe
2x KN184 condenser microphones with
sequential serial numoers, cardioid, 2OHz-
2OkHz. lncludes 2x wh81OO windshield, 2x
80 21/17 stand adapters and wooden oox.
Finish. 8ilver
o. code 153692
Finish. Black
o. code 158648
!II.
!.
Oktava MR011-01
M$P1 Matched Palr
Matched stereo set
2x small diaphragm condenser
microphones, cardioid, 2OHz-
2OkHz, delivered in a wooden
oox. Finish. 8ilver. Nade in
Russia!
order code 165104
lI.
lI.
Mk012-01 M5F2
8ingle mic, cardioid
order code 165103
!1.
!lI.
Rode MT5-MP
0ondenser microphone stereo hundIe
2 matched small diaphragm condenser
microphones, O.5" gold sputtered
capsule, cardioid, 2OHz-2OkHz,
excellent for drum overheads,
acoustic guitar and stereo live
recordings. lncluding plastic
case, microphone clips and
wind screens.
order code 154595
l.
ll.
Rode MTG-1
0irectionaI condenser microphone
Broadcast qualit], condenser transducer, low-
noise circuitr], low handling noise, phantom
powered (44 - 52Vj or oatter] powered (1.5Vj,
2OHz-2OkHz, 181dB 8Pl max., ideal for
film/TV/video. lncludes stand mount,
windshield and zip pouch.
weight. 1G1g
order code 179393
!.
!I.
$ennhelser MRE 400
Microphone for video cameras
H]per-cardioid polar pattern, frequenc]
range. 4OHz - 2OkHz, 8.5mm stereo jack plug
connection, includes windshield, connection
caole and 1x 1.5V oatter] (AAAj. 8ize of oase
plate is 18O x
18Omm.
order code 204069
!.
!!.
The Thomann servlces
www.thonann.de 30-day noney back guarantee
TeIephone HotIine: +49 9546 9223-55 free shipping to the UK and lreIand on
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Mumark Mlxdeck
0J workstation
with CD/NP8/U8B decks, mixer, computer, NlDl
interface, dock for iPod, mixer with E0/rotar]
kills, effects with oeat s]nc (echo, filter, flanger,
pan, phaserj, fader start, looping, sampling,
tempo. G, 12, 25 and 1OO7, controllaole over
NlDl software without timecode over U8B, 2
displa]s, Nac 08 X or windows XP/Vista, incl.
power suppl] and U8B caole.
order code 245624
.
I.
Rane $L3
$erato $cratch Llve
0J compIete system
Compact hardware design, 8 Vrms 24oit,
44.1/48kHz converter, 1O4dB DAC d]namic
range, aux in for live recording or live feed, aux
out for 8P-G sample pla]er, U8B 2.O, phono
preamp in studio qualit], direct thru, due to
8erato's proprietar] control scheme,
the result is a feel and sound
indistinguishaole from pla]ing vin]l.
order code 228530
.
1.
Matlve Instruments
Traktor $cratch Duo
FrofessionaI 0J system
Control digital music files using turntaoles
or CD decks, up to 2 decks simultaneousl],
controllaole o] CD pla]er and NlDl controller,
U8B 2.O audio interface,
ous powered, 4x high-gain
outputs, 4x inputs with
phono preamps, 8x lEDs,
2x vin]ls and 2x CDs.
order code 227391
l.
l1.
Dj ConsoIe RM
0J controIIer
lntegrated U8B audio interface, 2 jog wheels,
G faders, DJ outtons for DJing control, FX and
loop outtons, mic in, headphone out, 4x line
outs (" mono oalanced jackj, 4x RCA outs,
2x stereo ins, includes
VirtualDJ DJC
edition software
(PC/Nacj.
order code 208113
l.
ll.
Deejay BCD-3000
4-channeI 058 audio interface
24oit converter, dual pla]er, mixer, FX, 2 phono
preamps plus monitor section, 2 jog wheels,
pitch oending and cue searching, 8-oand kill
E0, loop outtons, pitch and level faders per
channel plus cross-fader, 2 phono
preamps, mic preamp,
includes hative lnstruments
Traktor 8 lE DJ software.
order code 116476
!.
!!.
Mumark MD 800
5ingIe 00IMF3I058 pIayer
with U8B and NlDl interface, oeat-s]nced D8P
effects with wet-dr] fader, fast, reliaole, slot-
loading drive, 7" scratch wheel, adjustaole
start and stop time for vin]l-like
deck performance, automatic
BPN anal]zer and tap tempo
for manual BPN entr], pitch
G, 12, 25 and 1OO7, oending
over pitch outtons, fader start,
outputs. RCA and digital 8/PDlF.
order code 247251
.
l.
Denon DM-$ 1100
5ingIe 00 pIayer
Touch sensitive jog disc, NlDl interface
controller (PC/Nacj, U8B audio, hot starts &
seamless looping, 8 platter effects, 4-wa] BPN
counter, memo function, pitch range & deep
pitch resolution, viorant tuoe displa] with
2-line character text support, loop
A/B trim, power-on-pla], slot-in
CD pla]er, D-link, 4 ouilt-in D8P
effects, next track function with
cross fader, dimensions. 21.5 x
8.7 x 28.2cm.
order code 205617
1l.
!.
Ploneer CDj-850
5ingIe 0J 00 pIayer
NP8, AAC, wAV, AlFF, 24oit/48kHz, HlD and
NlDl control o] U8B, new audio output s]stem
with wolfson DAC processor, quantized oeat
loop, advanced auto oeat loop, pla]s Audio CD,
CD-R, CD-Rw, U8B, frequenc] response. 4Hz
- 2OkHz, dimensions. 8O,5 x 8G,4 x 1O,5cm,
weight. 8,8kg, incl. Rekordoox music
dataoase management software,
Nac 08X (1O.4.G and higherj,
win 7 & XP.
order code 251872
.
Il.
Ploneer CDj-1000
FrofessionaI muItiformat singIe 00 pIayer
Pla]s Audio CD, CD-R, CD-Rw, U8B, 8D,
DVD-R, DVD-Rw, U8B sources and 8D cards,
includes Rekordoox software, quantized oeat
loop, compatiole with NP8, AAC, wAV, AlFF
and Tonium Pacemaker data,
24oit/48kHz soundcard, HlD
and NlDl controllaole from
U8B, frequenc] range. 4Hz
- 2OkHz, dim.. 82 x 4O,G x
1O,7cm, weight 8.9kg.
order code 238585
!II.
!.
Ploneer DjM-700
FrofessionaI 4-channeI 0J cIuh mixer
Crossfader assignment, fader start,
8-oand E0 (-2GdB to +GdBj,
talk over (-2OdBj,
peak level meter,
rotar] potis for master
output. Dimensions. 82
x 88.1 x 1O.8cm (wxHxDj.
weight. 7.5kg
Finish. Black
order code 118996
!!.
.
Finish. 8ilver
order code 119965
.
I.
AIIen & Heath
OME:41
4-channeI 0J mixer
2 turntaole ins (RCA phono RlAAj, 2 line ins,
X-FX send, 8-oand E0, GdB total-kill E0 on
all channels, internal switch-mode P8U, 2
headphone outs (1/4" and 8.5mmj, VCA
crossfader with curve control, VCF filter with
independent l/0, resonance & frequenc]
controls, U8B 1.1 port (stereo l/0j,
XlR mic in with 2-oand E0 and level
control, finish. olack.
o. code 231622
III.
.
Ploneer DjM 400
FrofessionaI 0J mixer
2 channels, mic/aux switch
(to select 2x mic inputs
or 1x stereo line
inputj, fader start,
crossfader curve
adjustment, talkover
(-2OdBj, peak level
meter.
order code 191081
1.
.
Behrlnger DDM 4000
32hit digitaI 0J mixer
Beat-s]nchronized sampler, 4 multi-FX
sections, 2 patented BPN counters, digital
crossfader and NlDl, 4x phono/line stereo
channels. 2x mic inputs with gain, E0, talk
function and FX. 4x stereo channels
with gain, programmaole
parametric 8-oand E0
with kill function, fader
curve control and flexiole
crossfader.
order code 206918
l.
l1.
Behrlnger Dj 750
5-channeI 0J mixer
24oit digital effects, BPN counter with time
and s]nc displa], Ultraglide faders,
XP0 stereo surround effects,
8-oand kill E0, 8-wa]
kill switch, monitor
function with master/
cue oalance control
and split option, auto
talkover.
order code 223751
!.
!.
GeneIec 8030APM
kctive 2-way studio monitor
58Hz-2OkHz free field frequenc] response,
1O8dB 8Pl peak @ 1 m, 18Omm (5"j oass
driver, 19mm (8/4"j metal dome tweeter with
DCw (Directivit] Control waveguidej,
8kHz crossover frequenc]. Amplifier
power. 4Ow oass + 4Ow treole,
magneticall] shielded, aluminium
caoinet, oalanced XlR input.
Dimensions. 28.5 x 18.9 x 17.8cm.
weight. 5.Gkg
order code 171718
1.
.
Yamaha
H$80M stand bundIe
kctive 2-way studio monitor package
12Ow oi-amped oass reflex speaker, 8" woofer,
1" tweeter, 42Hz-2OkHz, XlR & jack input,
mid E0, room control, high trim,
switchaole low cut, magneticall]
shielded. 8und|e |nc|udes 2x HS80N
and 1 pa|r of N|||en|um 8S-500
nearf|e|d stands.
o. code 227555
1.
.
Mackle HR814 MR1
kctive 2-way studio nearfieId monitor
8.75" low-distortion lF woofer, 1"
titanium dome ferrofluid
cooled tweeter, twin FR series
amps (15Ow lF & 1OOw HFj,
passive radiator provides tight,
articulate oass extension down
to 85Hz, oalanced XlR/TR8
and unoalanced RCA inputs.
Un|t pr|ce!
order code 138446
l.
1.
Adam A8
2-way active hassrefIex nearfieId monitor
9" caroon/rohacell/glass woofer with 15Ow,
X-A.R.T. tweeter with 5Ow, shelving filter
tweeter. >5kHz ~ GdB, shelving filter woofer.
<8OOHz ~ GdB, frequenc] range. 88Hz -
5OkHz, crossover frequenc]. 2,8kHz, 8Pl max.
/ pair 1m. 12OdB, gain. +14dB / - infinite dB,
gain tweeter. 4dB, THD 9OdB/1m > 1OOHz.
<O,57, inputs XlR and RCA, input impedance.
8Ok0, dimensions. 25.5 x 4O x 82cm,
weight. 12.8kg. Unit price.
o. code 245573
.
11.
jBL L$R 4318PAR
kctive studio monitor hundIe
lncludes l8R 4828P and l8R 48OO ACC,
8" 15Ow woofer, 1" 7Ow tweeter, room
mode correction technolog] (anal]ses room
frequencies and trims the speakersj, 5OHz-
2OkHz, 112dB max 8Pl, XlR & oalanced jack
ins, AE8/EBU (XlRj and 8/PDlF
(C0AXj ins, U8B data connection,
Hl0net network. lncludes accesor]
kit (microphone, remote control,
software and U8B caolej.
order code 195301
!l.
!I.
Adam A7
2-way active hassrefIex nearfieId monitor
7" caroon/rohacell/glass woofer with 1OOw,
X-A.R.T. tweeter with 85w, shelving filter
tweeter. >5kHz ~ GdB, shelving filter woofer.
<8OOHz ~ GdB, frequenc] range. 42Hz -
5OkHz, crossover frequenc]. 2,5kHz, 8Pl max.
/ pair 1m. 114dB, gain. +14dB / - 8dB, gain
tweeter. 4dB, THD 9OdB/1m > 1OOHz. <O,57,
inputs XlR and RCA, input impedance.
8Ok0, dimensions. 2O,1 x 88,7 x 28cm,
weight. 9,8kg. Unit price.
o. code 245513
1l.
.
Adam A7
$peclaI Edltlon
kctive nearfieId studio monitor
Finish. white piano lacquer, G,5" Rohacell
/ kevlar sandwich woofer, A.R.T. tweeter,
frequenc] range 4GHz to 85kHz, 1OOw
(sinj, 15Ow (rmsj, XlR and RCA input,
dimensions. 18 x 88 x 28cm, weight.
8kg. Un|t pr|ce.
order code 244797
II.
l.
Adam A7
$peclaI Edltlon
kctive nearfieId studio monitor
Finish. olack piano lacquer,
G,5" Rohacell / kevlar sandwich
woofer, A.R.T. tweeter, frequenc]
range 4GHz to 85kHz, 1OOw
(sinj, 15Ow (rmsj, XlR and RCA
input, dimensions. 18 x 88 x
28cm, weight. 8kg. Un|t pr|ce.
order code 241073
II.
l.
Yamaha
H$50M $tatlv-$et
kctive 2-way studio monitor
7Ow oi-amped oass reflex s]stem,
5" woofer, 8/4" tweeter, 55Hz-2OkHz,
XlR & TR8 ins, adjustaole input level,
mid E0, room control, high trim,
switchaole low cut, full] magneticall]
shielded. 8und|e w|th 2x HS50N and
1 pa|r N|||en|um 8S-500 adjustab|e
nearf|e|d mon|tor stands.
order code 244787
!!.
l1.
GeneIec 8010BPM
kctive 2-way studio monitor
Power switch, GGHz-2OkHz (2.5dBj, 1O5dB
8Pl peak @ 1m, 95dB 8Pl @ 1m, 1O5mm
(4"j high efficienc] oass driver, 19mm (8/4"j
metal dome tweeter with Directivit] Control
waveguide, 8kHz crossover, magneticall]
shielded, aluminium caoinet, includes
wall oracket. Power per channel. 2Ow
(oassj, 2Ow (treolej. Dimensions.
22.G x 15.1 x 14.2mm. weight. 8.7kg.
Un|t pr|ce!
o. code 235038
lI.
lI.
E$I nEar04 CIasslc
kctive 4" studio monitors
Nagneticall] shielded, oi-amped, 2Ow oass
+ 2Ow treole, oalanced/unoalanced "
jack inputs.
Dimensions.
2O.G x 18.G x
14.9cm. Pa|r
pr|ce!
order code 232799
!.
II.
RRR RP5 Roklt G1
kctive studio monitor
45w, 5"+1" speakers, 58Hz-2OkHz,
magneticall] shielded. Dimensions.
27.G x 18.5 x 25cm. weight. 8kg.
Un|t pr|ce!
order code 213024
!1.
!lI.
k8k 8F8 8okit 62
8"+1", 14Ow.
order code 213090
l1.
ll1.
E$I nEar05
kctive 5" studio monitors
Nagneticall] shielded, 88Hz-22kHz, oi-amped,
42w oass + 88w
treole, oalanced
XlR & " jack
inputs. Dimensions.
25 x 1G.G x 2Ocm.
Pa|r pr|ce!
order code 160180
!.
!11.
M-Audlo $tudlophlIe
B5a DeIuxe
kctive nearfieId monitors
7Ow, 5" woofer, 1" tweeter with waveguide, oi-
amping, magneticall] shielded, oalanced XlR
and oalanced/unoalanced
TR8 inputs, volume
control, dimensions HwD.
25 x 17,G x 2Ocm. Pa|r
pr|ce!
order code 207871
!.
!.
Mackle MR8
kctive nearfieId monitor
8" woofer (1OOwj, 1" tweeter (5Owj, frequenc]
response. 4OHz - 2OkHz,
max. 8Pl per pair. 11G
dB 8Pl @ 1m, XlR, jack
(G,8mmj unoalanced and
RCA, magneticall] shielded,
dimensions HwD. 4O,G x 27,G
x 84,Gcm, weight. 12,5kg.
Un|t pr|ce!
order code 207242
l!.
!.
$ennhelser HD-650
ifi headphones
0pen oack, d]namic, impedance 8OO0,
frequenc] response 1OHz to 89.5kHz,
1O8dB 8Pl, 8m caole, 8.5mm stereo
mini jack with 1/4" adapter. weight.
2GOg (excluding caolej.
order code 165585
l.
l!I.
ARG R 701
igh-end reference headphones
Revolutionar] flat wire voice
coil technolog], d]namic,
open oack, G20 impedance,
1O5dBefficienc], 1OHz-
89.8kHz, 2OOmw max input
power, hard gold plated 1/4"
jack plug, 8m caole. weight.
285g (not including caolej.
order code 185476
!.
!.
ARG R171 MRII
0Iosed dynamic studio headphones
Circumaural design, 550, 2OOmw max input,
1GHz-28kHz, 1O4dB/V sensitivit], self-adjusting
headoand and auto-shut-off feature, 8m
caole. lncludes 5m coiled caole, 1 pair
velvet pads and gold plated mini-jack to
" screw-on adapter. weight. 24Og
order code 206951
!1.
!l.
5m extension cahIe
" stereo jack.
order code 153216
.
.
$ennhelser HD15 BE
0ynamic 0J headphones
lmpedance 7O0, 8Pl max. 12OdB,
frequenc] response. 1GHz - 22kHz
(-8dBj, closed s]stem. lncludes 15Ocm
caole with 8,5mm mini jack and adaptor
fr G,8mm jack. weight. 14Og.
order code 249403
!.
!!.
5ennheiser 0 212 pro
820, 12Hz-19kHz.
order code 161045
I.
!.
ARG R 140
5tudio stereo headphones
Half open, 550, 88dB/mw, 15Hz-
2OkHz, ear-enclosing, caole connection,
distortion-free pla]oack (new XXl capj,
involving sound from newVarimotion
s]stem, ideal for walkman and sound
cards. weight. 24Og
order code 153257
.
I.
kk6 k 141 MkII
D]namic, semi-open, 550, 18Hz-24kHz, plug-
in caole. weight. 225g.
order code 206955
.
!.
Ploneer CDj-350
5ingIe 00 pIayer
Pla]s NP8, AAC, wAV, AlFF, U8B (flash recorder,
disc drivesj, U8B A/B connection, includes
Recordoox music management software,
oeat displa] function for oetter scratch and
looping performance, auto oeat
loop function, dimensions.
21.8 x 29.G x 1O.8cm,
weight. 2.7kg, s]stem
requirements. windows
Vl8TA/XP, Nac 08X 1O.4 or
higher.
order code 249908
.
!.
sounos cono|ete w|tn auo|o exano|es on tne DVD
I
ver fanciedusingorchestral instruments
inyour contemporaryproductions? You'll
be relievedtohear that youcandisregard
images of ruddy-cheekedflagwavers at the
Proms. Orchestral samplepackages aren't
just for writingclassical music, andhere we're
goingtoshowyouhowtoworkwiththose
under-usedsymphonic sounds includedwith
your 0AW. Have youever properlyexplored
those timpani or harppatches? No? Well, the
possibilities theyopenupwill surprise you.
It doesn't matter if you don't knowyour L|gar
fromyour e|bow. No c|assica| music know|edge
is required for the fo||owing tutoria|s. we'|| be
putting orchestra| |oops and p|ugins through
the wringer to showthat you don't have to be
Mozart to succesfu||y mang|e, distort and s|ice
those un|oved symphonic sounds. You don't
need to buy any expensive software, either. the
types of instruments and effects we're working
with shou|d come as standard with any norma|
DAWor can be down|oaded fromthe net for
free. We've even inc|uded a coup|e of great
p|ugins on the DVD.
Ski|| is nothing without know|edge, so we'||
acknow|edge the innovators of orchestra|
scoring in dance music. We'|| a|so take a |ook at
howto make the most of orchestra| instruments
and percussion p|ugins to bring symphonic
power to your dance tracks. Orchestra| 1V
and movie soundtracks can benefit fromsome
synthetic spark|e, too, so we'|| showyou howto
make your scores stand out fromthe pack.
Hopefu||y this tutoria| wi|| inspire you to |ook
beyond your usua| synth p|ugins, head for the
orchestra| too|box and mash the c|assics up into
dance f|oor destroyers. So watch out, 8eethoven
- you're about to hear your favourite too|s
abused |ike never before.
EDJ>;:L:
1he audio examp|es
fromthe wa|kthroughs
are in Tutorial Files
;
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'o watcn out
|eetnoven - ,oure
aoout to near ,our
|avour|te too|s aouseo
|||e never oe|ore
w|tn our qu|oe to nanq||nq ano nooern|s|nq s,nonon|c
Orcnestr||, ,our e|ectron|c oance ano ooo oroouct|ons
(* % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % Del[cX[h (&'&
Del[cX[h (&'& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % (+
orcnestra| extrenes / na|e nus|c now
(, % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % Del[cX[h (&'&
na|e nus|c now/ orcnestra| extrenes
'teo o, steo
CWa[ Wd ehY^[ijhWb ijWX
Let's start by |oading up a who|e
orchestra of patches using the sounds
bund|ed with our DAW. You're going to
need every section - strings, woodwinds,
brass and percussion. We're going to hit
'emhard and fast, so you'|| just need
staccato patches with a |itt|e reverb on
each track. 1here's no need to overdo it,
as we'|| insert effects |ater on.
'
Next, start to compose your stab.
We're using a C major chord for the
strings and brass, spacing out the notes
across the instruments' range to add
fu||ness. 1he woodwinds pick out a coup|e
of notes fromthe sca|e. A timpani and
ma||et drumare the percussive e|ements.
CAudio on the DVD. 5tabraw.wav.)
(
8ounce this chord down to a sing|e
newtrack and boost the |eve| of the
samp|e with norma|isation or gain
adjustment so that it's near|y distorted.
Nowchop off the reverb tai| just as the
|eve| reaches about an eighth of its fu||
vo|ume. CAudio. 5tabnormalised.wav.)
)
Copy and paste the samp|e after
itse|f and reverse the second one.
Nowif you p|ay the c|ip quick|y you'||
get a short staccato hit, but if you ho|d
it for |onger, you'|| hear a s|apback
effect as the reversed samp|e kicks in.
We then use Logic's LXS24 samp|er to
map the samp|e across the keyboard.
CAudio. 5tabreversed.wav.)
*
Lffects can rea||y make this samp|e
sing. 1o prepare the track for them,
insert an LQ, then cut the top end
starting at !0kHz and reduce the
bottomend be|ow200Hz. 1his
prevents the |ower parts of the hit
frominterfering with any drumtracks.
CAudio. 5tabreversedeq.wav.)
+
Next we add phaser and exciter effects
to bring out the spark|e in the samp|e.
Fina||y, we go for a |itt|e bit of reverb set to
30%Wet and a 2.95 second Reverb Time
to add some space to the sound. And there
you have it - pure 80s stab nosta|gia at
your fingertips. CAudio. 5tabfinal.wav.)
,
If you think you've never |istened
to a track featuring a samp|e of
"c|assica|" music in your |ife, you're
a|most certain|y wrong. Here's just
one examp|e. In the ear|y 80s a
staggering|y expensive
synthesiser/samp|er was re|eased.
the Fair|ight Computer Music
Instrument. At 20,000it was top
tier stuff, avai|ab|e to on|y the
richest, most successfu| musicians,
but one particu|ar sound made it
on to many a pop and hiphop track
- the ubiquitous ORCH5 preset.
Origina||y a short section fromIgor
Stravinsky's lirebird Suite, this
immediate|y recognisab|e stab
squirmed its way onto tracks
by 1revor Horn, Kraftwerk and
count|ess Detroit techno artists of
the time, before gradua||y making
its way into the pop mainstream,
where it can sti|| be heard today,
thanks to the current wave of 80s
synth pop nosta|gia.
<W_h[dek]^
1he c|ip was origina||y samp|ed in
979 by computer programmer
David Vorhaus and appeared
a|ongside other orchestra| snatches
on a 25f|oppydisk set packaged
with the Fair|ight CMI. 1he synth
was designed primari|y as an
ana|ogue/digita| sound mode||er,
and the creators considered its
abi|ity to p|ay back digita| sound
samp|es a cheat to get around the
|imits of its processing power.
However, musicians soon rea|ised
that the machine's 8bit samp|ing
capabi|ities cou|d be used to more
creative effect.
8e|ow, we go back to the future
to showyou howyou can use
samp|e |ibraries to create orchestra
stabs and then bring themfresh up
to date using effects. 1he
wa|kthrough revea|s howto write
a short stab, then process it to
make it sound right at home in a
banging dance track. You don't
have to stick to one chord, either.
if you have a |ibrary featuring
woodwind runs, string g|issandos
or brass rips, try experimenting
with those too.
:_iYel[h j^[ehY^[ijhW
TheFairlight CMl featuredanorchestral
sample that provedverypopular indeed
FEM;H J? F
4JWf[ Z_ijehj_ed
1he WA1KA1 tape de|ay p|ugin is
inc|uded on the DVDand can
a|so be down|oaded from
www.genuinesoundware.com. It
aims to rep|icate the o|dschoo|
tape effects of the 960s. As the
virtua| tape goes through the
mu|tip|e capstans, subt|e variations
in tone and repetitions feed back
into the mix to produce an
ana|ogue distortion effect.
Del[cX[h (&'& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % (-
# ( #
Jkhd Wie\j _dijhkc[dj jed[ _dje WZ_ijehj[Z b[WZ iekdZ
We start with a standard harp from
Carritan Persona| Orchestra - a
superb sub200orchestra| ROMp|er
package. CPOis idea| for beginners as
easy stereo stage and LQcontro|s are bui|t
into the p|ayer's mixer. CAudio on the DVD.
Harporiginal.wav.)
'
We LQthe samp|e with a be||shaped
curve to cut a|| the highs and |ows,
emphasising the midrange with a big
spike. We a|so add a chorus effect set to
50%dry/wet Mix, 9%lntensity CDepth)
and 5Hz Rate.
(
We use Logic's Samp|e De|ay p|ugin
to make the sound bounce back and
forth between the |eft and right channe|s.
You may have to pan the samp|e back to
the midd|e s|ight|y to even up the
spectrum- we're panning to o'c|ock C+!5)
to counter the effect.
)
Next we add Logic's Overdrive effect
on the HardandLoud setting. You
might want to compress the track at this
point, too. P|acing your compressor before
the overdrive effect wi|| make the
distortion even more noticeab|e.
*
Fina||y, we add the WA1KA1 tape
de|ay p|ugin Con the DVD). As you
p|ay the instrument you'|| want to adjust
the 5ustain contro| so that the repeated
de|ay taps don't overpower the mix.
We've used automation to do this. CAudio.
Harpprocessed.wav.)
+
Let's ta|k about tone. 1raditiona|
orchestra| composers use tone to
give their pieces shades of |ight
and dark, and to ref|ect the
emptiness or busyness of certain
fee|ings. Certain instruments evoke
a particu|ar tone. As a genera| ru|e,
instruments usua||y increase in
harshness fromwoodwinds
through strings to brass. 1hink
about the difference between a
score written to accompany a batt|e
scene versus one written for
sneaking through the woods.
Subverting the norma| tone of
an instrument can have surprising
resu|ts, which is why composers do
it a|| the time for effect. For examp|e,
you can overb|owthe norma||y
inoffensive f|ute to distort the
notes, or mute French horns to
produce a far more subt|e effect
than the usua| brass 'parp'.
Here we're going to take a
soft harp sound and add effects
and distortion to bring it out as a
powerfu| |ead instrument. You
cou|d a|so reverse this idea for
instruments that traditiona||y carry
harder me|odies. take a trumpet
or vio|in and LQit soft|y, cutting the
harsh tones so that it wi|| sit happi|y
in the background. Certain modern
composers exce| at this, notab|y
1homas Newman, whose
instrumentation is often so |ayered
with effects that it's hard to te||
what the instruments are.
FbWo_d]m_j^jed[
Legendary
American
composer Thomas
Newman is a
master of tone
Some soundware pub|ishers
see the viabi|ity of 'unorthadox'
orchestra| pa|ettes, and as a resu|t,
many samp|e co||ections have
sprung up. One recent re|ease is
LastWest's 1he Dark Side, which
gives you pre|oaded distorted and
twisted rock and orchestra|
textures out of the box.
8ut where's the fun
in that Come on -
|et's indu|ge in a
|itt|e DIY.

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Create a 0second, fastmoving
orchestra| section. We're using
Symphobia for speed. Don't worry if it
sounds a |itt|e messy or isn't quantised
correct|y C|ike our c|ip) - it doesn't matter.
8ounce the c|ip down to a WAV and
export it to Pau|stretch. CAudio on the
DVD. Pstretchclip.wav.)
'
1imestretch the c|ip by a factor of 20
using the Type setting Blackman
Harris and a Windowsize of around !K.
Next, p|ay around with the harmonics in
the Process windowand use the Octave
Mixer too| to mix in 50%of a -! and +!
harmonic. CAudio. Pstretchraw.wav.)
(
Lxport this |oop back to your
sequencer and app|y a |ong, du||
reverb. LQaway some of the high tones to
stop the samp|e being too shri|| in the mix
Cthe timestretching process can |eave
highend artifacts).
)
1his |ong samp|e can nowformthe
basis of a track - we use ours to
support a chi||out number with piano
and c|arinet. A fourband mix preset in
iZotope's Ozone 4 brings out the warm
midtones. CAudio. Pstretchfinal.wav.)
*
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The timestretchingtools built
intomost 0AWs are great for
makingsmall adjustments tothe
timingof audioclips without
affectingtheir pitch, but the
results cansounddecidedly
choppybeyondthe 200%mark.
The free Paulstretch
application, however, analyses
andretains the harmonics of the
original clipover a muchlonger
time spanusing'spectral
smoothing'. lt's able todo
mind-bogglingthings like make
a five-secondsample last for five
hours. Audiois processedas
millions of tinysections
t'windows'I, thensmoothedto
ironout the clicks andflutters
that come withlongstretch
times. Theprogramincludes
a feweffects, andthere's an
onboardcompressor anda
harmonic shifter witha small
mixer tocontrol the levels.
The interface is verybasic
andyoucan't runPaulstretchas a
plug-in, but it's simple touse and
veryresponsive. lt alsogives you
real-timefeedbackonyour sound
as youchange the parameters.
lf youwant tostretchyour
samples byupto!,000,000%,
Paulstretchis for you. Findit at
bypermammut.sourceforge.netl
paulstretcbandonthe 0V0.
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1ake an orchestra| samp|e p|ayed at
a fast pace - we've chosen a f|uttered
f|ute. Se|ect a sma|| section and timestretch
it in your samp|e editor. 500%of its origina|
|ength shou|d do the trick. 1hen app|y an
exciter to high|ight the high frequencies,
as we'|| be messing with those next.
CAudio on the DVD. Flute raw.wav.)
'
Set up a be||shaped LQfi|ter on your
stretched samp|e. Next, automate the
frequency and gain of the peak frequency
Cthe top of the be||). In Logic, this is easi|y
done by manua||y moving it around whi|e
p|aying the fi|e in Latch mode. Next, do
the same with the cutoff frequency for the
bottomend. CAudio. Flute d.wav.)
(
For our |ast trick, we throwin a |ot
of effects. a stereo spreader, an
autofi|ter Cto sweep the fi|ters from|eft
to right) and a short, bright reverb. You
cou|d a|so gate the sound to make it
sync rhythmica||y with your track.
CAudio. flute final.wav.)
)
Turna ten-secondsample intoa
ten-minute trackwithPaulstretch
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If you're using synth presets rather
than creating your own sounds, at
|east make the effort to add effects
so that your sounds are different to
the factory settings. If you don't
have time to experiment with
effects, some p|ugins have a
Randombutton that wi|| randomise
a|| the settings to varying degrees.
You're sure to find something
unique if you just keep c|icking!
Once you've found something you
|ike, edit the dia|s to remove any
e|ements you don't |ike.
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Let's start with the orchestra|
instruments. First we sketch out a
mysterious cue with piano and strings
using the pizzicato Cp|ucked) patches
for doub|e bass and vio|ins. We a|so
add a high vio|in section that comes in
ha|fway through the piece. CAudio on
the DVD. Mysterious.wav.)
'
1his sounds great on its own, but
|ets add a sing|enote drone from
an ana|ogue synth. We've chosen a pad
patch ca||ed 5andwalker fromA|bino 3
Cwww.robpapen.com), which transitions
via the modwhee|. Keep the whee| moving
to create interest throughout the cue.
CAudio. 5andwalker.wav.)
(
As the piece is very freesty|e and
needs a bit of rhythm, a high, breathy
and very fi|tered sound is added in
rhythmic bursts. We've gone for an
A|bino patch ca||ed Breeze, which
provides a rhythmic beat. Next we widen
the sound and app|y a subt|e f|anger.
CAudio. Breeze.wav.)
)
1here's just one more sound to add.
the subt|e 0arkMinor, introducing
more rhythmha|fway through the track.
A onefinger pu|se is a|| that's needed.
CAudio. minor.wav.)
*
Fina||y we master the who|e
track with more stereo spread,
excitement and compression to pu||
out a|| the interesting frequencies.
We're using a mastering package
COzone 4), but you cou|d add the effects
separate|y for the same kind of mix.
CAudio. Addanalogue master.wav.)
+
So you've maxed out your RAMand
CPUwith a huge, fu||sounding
orchestra| masterpiece of
b|ockbuster proportions. Howare
you going to make it stand out
Writers of primari|y orchestra|
music have a|ways used unusua|
effects to |iven up their music and
push the boundaries of sound even
further - so that's one thing that
c|assica| composers and modern
day dance music producers have in
common! Richard Strauss used an
orchestra| 'wind machine' back in
897, and big band jazz songs from
the 920s were fu|| of swanee
whist|es and woodb|ocks to add to
the party atmosphere. Looking
specifica||y at fi|m, 1heremins
punctuated many 950s 8movies,
and as e|ectronic music grewin
popu|arity during the 960s, entire
movies were scored with ana|ogue
synths. 1he ubiquitous Moogstarred
on the soundtrack of 97 c|assic A
C/ockwork Drange, for examp|e.
Recent screen soundtracks
have seen composers start to
rep|ace doub|e basses with synth
bass|ines, and harp and percussion
sections with arpeggiated ana|ogue
b|eeps. Aside frombeing more
innovative, it seems that this sty|e
se||s we||, judging by howmuch this
type of music is used on 1V shows
|ike CSl and Desperate Housewives.
1his switch has a|so been
prompted by tighter budgets for
Kfj^[ZhWcW
Mass ffect 2's soundtrackis a fusionof
traditional instruments andnewsounds
1V and fi|msoundtracks. It's far
easier to get away with using |ess
rea|istic orchestra| instruments
froma samp|e |ibrary if other
e|ements in your cue a|so sound
e|ectronic. Came producers have
gone down this route too, the recent
soundtrack for Mass Lffect 2 being
a great examp|e of the combination
of o|d and newsounds.
In the tutoria| be|owwe show
you howto create a c|ip right out
of CSl NewYork using pizzicato
vio|ins and pianos combined
with ana|ogue synth sounds from
Rob Papen's A|bino 3 p|ugin.
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Set your tempo and drop in a |ooped
beat to keep the piece in time. We're
about to do a |ot of chopping and moving
things around, so make sure that your
DAW's Snap setting is on. CAudio on the
DVD. Beat andstrings raw.wav.)
'
1ake your orchestra| samp|e and
match it to the beat so that it syncs
up. Insert a noise gate p|ugin and set its
thresho|d to cut out the quietest sounds
and any reverb tai|s, making the part drier
but sti|| me|odica||y and rhythmica||y
intact. CAudio. 5trings matched.wav.)
(
Nowcarve your orchestra| |oop
into sma|| sections of equa| |ength.
In Logic, se|ect the Scissors too| and ho|d
the Alt key as you c|ick to divide the first
section on the far |eft. Logic wi|| take the
|ength of your first cut and repeat it across
the rest of the phrase.
)
Zoomin on your phrase and begin
removing s|ices, random|y or not.
You can |eave these parts si|ent or rep|ace
themwith other sections frome|sewhere
in the phrase. Co crazy - the more you
rearrange, the more interesting the phrase
wi|| be. CAudio. 5trings chopped.wav.)
*
Once you're finished getting creative
with the rearrangement, add some
|ooped sections to fi|| in some of the gaps.
It's starting to sound good! Add a |itt|e
reverb so that the short sections f|owinto
each other better. We a|so e|ect to app|y a
stereo spreader effect. CAudio. 5trings
choppedverb.wav.)
+
Fina||y, take just one very short phrase
or note and copy it to another track.
App|y a |ong, wide reverb and |et track
p|ay whi|e the reverb is sti|| going on track
2. We add a bass|ine to finish things off
and master the who|e piece with Ozone 4.
CAudio. 5trings choppedfinal.wav.)
,
Many big producers use either
samp|ed orchestra| c|ips or sounds
cribbed fromsamp|e CDs to add
interesting f|avours to their pop
songs. 1hink of Robbie Wi||iams'
Mi//enniumCwhich uses a chunk of
John 8arry's You Dn/y Live Jwice)
or the string |oop fromthe Verve's
8ittersweet Symphony, and it's
easy to understand howusing a
memorab|e orchestra| samp|e as
the basis for your track can turn it
fromsomething conventiona| into
something tru|y specia|. With this in
mind, our next two wa|kthroughs
showyou howto modernise your
orchestra| |oops.
One method is to chop the
samp|e up. 1he easiest way to do
this is by manua||y s|icing it, as
shown on this page. A|ternative|y,
you cou|d insert a noise gate into
the channe|, which we'|| a|so show
you howto do on the facing page.
1his method is fidd|ier to set up but
more f|exib|e in the |ong run.
Beefo jkd[i
Start by picking the orchestra| |oop
that you want to use. 1his cou|d be
a sma|| snippet of a recording, or
something that you've composed
yourse|f in your DAWand bounced
down to a stereo samp|e. As we'||
be chopping it up, it's best to
choose a samp|e that isn't too
comp|ex. A sing|e instrument or
short phrase using a group of
instruments wi|| be best. S|ow
phrases a|so work we||, because
you'|| be |ooping and chopping
themto create a rhythm. 1ry to
keep the amount of reverb and
other effects on the origina| samp|e
to a minimumso that you can add
themin as you p|ease |ater.
We're using Logic in the
fo||owing wa|kthroughs Cwe||,
a|| of the wa|kthroughs, in fact),
as it emp|oys a very neat way of
uniform|y chopping |ong samp|es
into tiny pieces automatica||y Csee
step 3 be|ow). 1he same resu|t can
be achieved in any DAW, but it
might require a fewmore steps,
depending on the functiona|ity
of your particu|ar package.
9^eff[ZWdZ]Wj[ZehY^[ijhWb beefi
Manypoptracks have usedorchestral
samples togreat effect
FEM;H J? F
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1he great thing about using a
sidechain noise gate rather than
s|icing up the tracks manua||y is
that it |eaves you free to change
the pattern of the gating at any
point during the writing process.
A|| you need to do is to change
the arrangement of the snare part.
A|ternative|y, you cou|d rep|ace
the snare with an arpeggiated part
that wou|d retrigger the orchestra|
gates automatica||y. 1he creative
possibi|ities are end|ess and it
works with a|| kinds of instruments.
See if you can think up any more
innovative ways to foo| around
with your sound.
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First we use ProjectSAM's Symphobia
to write a simp|e string section. Long,
sustained notes are the best for this type
of work, so we go for the 5tr ns sustains
preset. It features |egato strings mapped
across the who|e keyboard. Next, we add
a brass me|ody. Again the emphasis is on
a simp|e, |ong me|ody, as we'|| be gating it
into much sma||er sections. CAudio on the
DVD. 5trings andbrass.wav.)
'
Next we add a choir track. 1his one
comes fromLastWest Symphonic
Choir's Full Chorus preset. We're using
b|ock chords again here. 1he modwhee|
is mapped to contro| the intensity of the
singing so that we can emu|ate the way a
rea| choir wou|d natura||y sing the notes.
CAudio. Choir.wav.)
(
On another track, we need to set up an
instrument to rhythmica||y trigger our
gate via its sidechain input. Choose an
instrument with a fast attack and a fast
re|ease - it doesn't matter what it is as
we're not actua||y going to hear it. We've
chosen a snare drum. 1ap out a rhythm-
write a short section and |oop it. CAudio.
Trigger snare.wav.)
)
Next, set up an effects send fromthat
snare track to an auxi|iary output.
We're sending it to Bus ! here. 1urn off the
5nare track's audio output, and do the
same for the Bus ! track. 1his track wi|| be
used to trigger the gate p|ugin on the
orchestra tracks.
*
Add a sidechainequipped gate to
each orchestra| track and set its
sidechain to be triggered by Bus !.
Set a high Threshold, and the vo|ume
Reduction to -!00. CAudio. Cated.wav.)
+
Your gating wi|| probab|y produce
nasty c|icks at the start and end of
each transient. Set the gate's Attack and
Release times to 5ms - this wi|| app|y
a very fast fadein and out to each sound,
stopping the samp|e fromcutting in with
a c|ick. CFi|e. noclick.wav.)
,
1his sounds great, but it's sti|| a bit
p|ain. Let's add some effects to spice
things up. Set up two more effects sends,
Bus 2 and Bus 3. Pan themhard |eft and
hard right and send 00%of each
orchestra| track to both.
-
Add a different effect to each channe|.
We've used a f|anger on the |eft CBus 2)
and a phaser on the right CBus 3). You can
send the audio outputs to another bus for
more effects or just hurry themstraight to
the Master channe|, which is what we're
doing here. A sma|| amount of reverb
breaks up some of the gate's choppiness.
CAudio. Catedorchestra final.wav.)
.
Up to this point, we've |ooked at howto mess
with orchestra| sounds to give thema modern
edge suitab|e for fi|mscores, 1V soundtracks
and dance f|oor productions. 8ut what if your
track is a|ready a masterpiece, and you want to
add some c|assica| rea|ismto bring out its drama
L|ectronic dance music shame|ess|y pumps
sque|chy bass|ines and snar|ing |eads through
the sound systemto drag punters he|p|ess|y
onto the dance f|oor. 1hings can be a |itt|e
more refined than that, though. more subt|e
instrumentation can sti|| entice c|ubbers to the
f|oor. Labe|s |ike Hed Kandi and producers such
as 81 and Way Out West make sure they keep
a broad range of instrumentation - inc|uding
many cu||ed fromorchestra| sections - at their
fingertips. Skimthrough Lady Caga's a|bum
Jhe lame Monster and you'|| hear gypsy vio|ins,
c|assica| harps and even accordions. It seems
that dance artists are fa||ing over themse|ves
to feature bowed and p|ucked strings. 1heir
point is, why |imit yourse|f to a certain range
of sounds when you can use so many
In the wa|kthrough to the right we're
shoehorning some c|assica|sounding strings
into a breakbeat piece. 1o make things sound as
rea| as possib|e, we'|| use a|| of the different
sections, inc|uding vio|ins, ce||i, doub|e basses
and vio|as. We wi|| a|so have a |ook at LQing and
compressing the sounds so that they fit we||
within the mix - essentia| ski||s in any genre of
dance music production.
We're using Peter Sied|aczek's String
Lssentia| package because it features a|| of the
required articu|ations, inc|uding staccato and
|egato patches. We're on|y using the c|ose mic
strings in this wa|kthrough. Our trick of adding a
universa| bus reverb to tie a|| the tracks together
is a neat technique if you're using severa|
differentsounding instruments together in one
song, so keep it in mind beyond these pages.
'||ntnrouqn |ao,
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near q,os, v|o||ns
naros ano accoro|ons
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KD?DL?J;:
Freemasons' |atest a|bumShakedown
2 features |ots of c|assica|
orchestration under the guise of
'dance music'. James Wi|tshire and
Russe|| Sma|| have reinvented happy
house without ever straying into
cheesy onefinger riff territory - and
they've done it using tight me|odies
and effective orchestration.
1he boot|eg of Uninvitedfeatured
the origina| A|anis Morissette voca|,
and Freemasons produced it just for
their DJ sets. One night it got nicked
fromthe CDp|ayer when a forgetfu|
Freemason |eft it at a gig. It was
boot|egged onto the web and the
number of down|oads was so huge
that the pair decided to revoca| it
and give it a fu|| re|ease. 1hey used a
string section scored by renowned
arranger Simon Ha|e and performed
by the London Session Orchestra.
"We used |ive strings because
nothing can come c|ose to their
sound when p|ayed and recorded
we||," said James, in an interview
with dontstayin.com. "Some years
ago I worked out of the London
recording studio session circuit, so I
knewa|| the best peop|e to get. Our
biggest cha||enge was to get them
to fit with an e|ectronic backing -
strings are incredib|y resonant
instruments and take up |ots of
room. Uninvited's fina| mixes took
two weeks to comp|ete, but it was
worth every moment."
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IAOH;C?N
Semina| 70s concept a|bumWar Df
Jhe Wor/ds is a cinematic
soundscape |ike no other, and its
30th anniversary sawit remixed by
breakbeat duo Hybrid. Weaving dark
breaks and a dub bass|ine in with the
origina| strings, the remix keeps the
spirit of the origina| whi|e moving it
forward for a newgeneration.
Hybrid are big fans of the
c|assica| sound. 1he promotion of
their second LP, Morning Scili, saw
themexp|aining their inf|uences in
an interviewwith Jive magazine.
"We've been |istening to abso|ute|y
anything other than dance music,"
said Chris Hea|ings. "We've been
|istening to stuff |ike 1he Doves,
Aqua|ung, Radiohead, Sou|wax and
|ots of jang|y indie guitar bands, and
c|assica| music, particu|ar|y Arvo
Part and A|exander Cretchaninov.
"I |ove the way that fi|mscores
achieve moods. We take a |ot of cues
fromthat. we ana|yse a |ot of it and
try to write it into our own music. We
get things to a critica| point and then
bring someone in to score the music
for us - they'|| come with us when
we go to Russia or wherever to make
sure it's conducted and recorded
proper|y. He'|| make what we've done
work for the orchestra. 1hen we take
it back, chewit through the machine
some more and put it back in."
;II;DJ?7BB?IJ;D?D= ;II;DJ?7BB?IJ;D?D=
5cores of dance tracks
use recognisable classical
instruments toaddboth
intrigue andoomph
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Traditional stringensembles varyin
size fromthe simple stringquartet
ttwoviolins, viola andcelloI toan
orchestral sectionof 60+ players
spreadacross the various
instruments. But nomatter what the
size of ensemble, thesoundstage
shouldbe more or less the same:
highinstruments onthe left
throughtolowones onthe right.
5o, for a concert hall spread, pan
first violins too'clock, second
violins to!0o'clock, violas between
!2 and! o'clock, cellos to3o'clock
anddoublebasses to5 o'clock.
However, if youhave nobassline in
the mixother thanthat playedby
the double basses, this setupcan
skewthe bass tothe right. lf that's
the case, just bringthe double
basses backtothe centre.
There are manymore general
mixingtips for strings that canhelp
toneatenupyour tracks. For legato
passages, a long, wet reverbsounds
great, but if your strings are faster,
increase the 0ry/Wet ratiotowards
a closer, drier sound. Tie the reverb
tothe trackbyturningoff predelay
andearlyreflections.
Youdon't have togolouder tobe
heardmore clearly. 5olostringparts
will standout if youcut the reverb
completely- this will bringthemto
the front of the mix.
Listentoyour stringsection
all the waythroughandwatchout
for points whencertainsections
overpower others. Whenyou've
identifiedanyproblemareas,
adjust the throughout the piece
tocounter them. 0elicate ing
won't be noticedbythe listener
but will create a smoother sound.
5ome sample packages will
include the 'correct' reverb
levels andpanningfor eachof
the different instruments within
the samples themselves tomake
life super-easy.
Once you've founda good
template for your strings, save itl
Balancingstrings is challenging
andyoudon't want tohave tostart
afreshfor everytrackyouwrite.
Whenpanninga stringensemble, remember
that theyalways sit ina certainarrangement
We start by setting the rhythmwith
a breakbeat Cor two). We have two
different |oops panned hard |eft and
hard right. We a|so add a shaker
panned centra||y to tie the beats
together. CAudio on the DVD. Break
strings beats.wav.)
'
Next we add a bass|ine and some
sque|chy 18303sty|e acid sounds
fromSy|enth Cwww.lennardigital.com)
to give the bottomend some kick. We a|so
add a |one piano |ine with an echo. Make
sure that the sounds are c|ean and free of
reverb. CFi|e. Breakstrings bass.wav.)
(
Next we add a bus channe| CBus !) and
set a |ong, bright reverb, cutting the
0ry output to 0%. We can send varying
percentages of the other dry tracks to
this bus to provide the same reverb but in
varying amounts. Keep the reverb tight by
reducing the Predelay to 0.
)
We add our orchestra| tracks using
staccato and |egato patches. Make
sure each section of the strings is panned
suitab|y Csee right). We set up an Ozone 4
p|ugin so that we can LQthe strings as a
group. CAudio. Breakstrings raw.wav.)
*
We route the strings 00%through
the Bus ! reverb and set up a
compressor with s|owAttack and
Release time to stop themfading into the
background when p|ayed soft|y. 1hey
need to stand out above the forcefu|
beats. CAudio. Breakstrings comp.wav.)
+
We send 50%of the bass|ine and 303
tracks to Bus !, too, a|ong with 00%
of the piano. So|o Bus ! to check the |eve|s.
You especia||y want to watch out for the
strings reverb becoming too
overpowering. CAudio. Breakstrings
reverb.wav, Breakstrings final.wav.)
,
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Start with a standard rock drumkit
|oop and LQaway the very bottom
end - everything be|owaround 200Hz.
1his is where your orchestra| bass drum
wi|| sit. Add a fast, tight compressor to
bring the drums to the front of the mix.
CAudio on the DVD. Rockkit.wav.)
'
Add a timpani |ine and again cut
everything be|ow200Hz so as to not
overwhe|mthe bottomend when we add
the bass drumin the next step. A |itt|e
goes a very |ong way here. remember, this
is a drum. CAudio. Timpani.wav.)
(
We put in an orchestra| Wagner
bass drumand cut everything !)
200Hz. 1his drumwi|| be the foundation
of the |oop, and it's a powerfu| beast,
which is why we're sitting it at the bottom
end of the mix in its own LQrange - to
prevent mudiness. CAudio. Wagner.wav.)
)
We finish things off with a few
orchestra| cymba|s, a waterphone
and some meta| hits fromthe Wor|d
Impact C|oba| Percussion |ibrary.
1hese unusua| hits provide some great
variations on the standard orchestra| kit.
CFi|e. 0rivingdrums final.wav.)
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The traditional use of drums and
percussionwithinorchestral
arrangements is toemphasise
andreinforce the emotions
conveyedbyother instruments
inthe orchestra. Orchestral
percussionis seldomusedas
instrumentationinits ownright.
Occasionallycontemporary
artists grabholdof orchestral
percussionandsprinkle it with
abandonover their tracks. Just
thinkof Mike Oldfield's 7ubular
Bells, or take a listentothe Pet
5hopBoys' 0oWest tohear how
fat timpani hits canreinforce
percussionsections. Youdon't
hear many90s dance tracks
without some kindof reversed
crashcymbal, or manyballads
without tinklingwindchimes.
lnthese twowalkthroughs
we'll showyouhowtocombine
orchestral percussionwith
standarddrumkits tocreate
some unique rhythmsections.
There reallyis nolimit tothe
noises that tamperingwith
orchestral sounds cancreate.
lnthe first walkthroughwe add
timpani andother percussion
instruments toa basic drumloop
tocreate a drivingandurgent
beat, while the secondexample
sees us keepingthe effects more
subtle for anR&Bslowjam.
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We set up our s|owjaminstruments -
s|inky beat, e|ectric piano, synth
bass and grand piano - and |oad up
Carritan Persona| Orchestra's Aria
P|ayer with some basic orchestra|
percussion. CAudio on the DVD. 5low
jamonlysynths.wav.)
'
Cymba| rides wi|| make this track
f|ownice|y. We use our keyboard's
modwhee| to subt|y increase and
decrease the vo|ume of the cymba|s.
We a|so add a triang|e tink|e at the
beginning of each bar. CAudio. 5lowjam
tri andcym.wav.)
(
Woodb|ocks and shakers comp|ement
the track, whi|e wind chimes provide a
c|assic sound that fits in nice|y. Fina||y we
add crota|es - a set of tiny, thick orchestra|
cymba|s. CAudio. 5lowjamshakers and
crotales.wav, 5lowjamfinal.wav.)
)
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patcbeo lnto anytblng, everytblng runs taster tban auolo rate. LFOs go up to 20kHz. Lnvelopes are snappy as a wblp.
Cross-mooulatlon sounos rlgbt. LFOs, M|D| ano envelopes can be run tbrougb resonant vCFs. Go wllo ano smlle wblle
you teeo mooules back lnto tbemselves. ACL ooes some slck stutt - lucklly you'll never run out ot patcb coros.
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Urs Heckmann - Auolo Sottware
P|ugin instruments that
emu|ate the many
e|ements of rea| orchestras
are |egion, but you rea||y
have to hunt through the
options to find more
interesting sounds. Don't
|et this market saturation
put you off, though. we've
done some snooping for
you and uncovered severa|
virtua| instrument
packages that each offer
something more |eftfie|d
than the usua| string and
brass co||ections.
ProjectSAM's very recent
re|ease Symphobia 2
Cwww.projectsam.com)
features an innovative orchestra|
pa|ette that bui|ds on the
foundations of its predecessor. A||
the usua| orchestra| instruments
are present and correct, but the
samp|es are presented as ensemb|e
performances instead of as
individua| instrumentation. 1his
means that you can find a great
se|ection of overb|own winds,
c|ustered note effects and a|| sorts
of strange string performances
within the co||ection.
Symphobia 2 is great
for emu|ating
orchestra| techniques
that other samp|e
|ibraries strugg|e to
make sound rea|istic.
You don't get many
ve|ocity |ayers
Csometimes on|y one),
but you do get 33C8 of
unusua| articu|ations to
p|ay with. Lxpect to pay
a|most 000for
this heavyweight.
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For a co||ection of rea||y
screwedup instruments with
effects bui|t in, you cou|d do a
|ot worse than LastWest's new
samp|e co||ection 1he Dark Side
Cwww.soundsonline.com).
1his 40C8 co||ection inc|udes
many fami|iar instruments
mang|ed beyond be|ief to
create rack after rack of eerie,
dark and unrecognisab|e sounds.
Using ana|ogue effects units and
tube processors, the producers
have broken a|| the musica| ru|es
to distort each of these
instruments to the |imit. 1he
package a|so runs on the
renowned LastWest P|ay engine.
Lach sound is customisab|e to
a considerab|e degree and a
decent range of effects are
inc|uded, so you can do a|| your
processing within 1he Dark Side
interface itse|f. 1his package
retai|s for around 300.
Cinematique Instruments
Ccinematique-instruments.com)
covers string instruments from
centuries gone by, inc|uding
zithers, auto harps and ce|tic
strings. As a bonus, the producers
have a|so packed in a se|ection of
percussion samp|es chosen
especia||y for their weirdness. 1he
instruments can be bought as a
package C60) or individua||y for
around 5 per instrument. You can
see the various instruments in
action on the website.
If you need quick and easy pads
with simp|e descriptions, head for
Native Instruments' Absynth
1wi|ights. 1he patches are infinite|y
adjustab|e, and happi|y the factory
presets are a|ready winners. 1he
huge samp|e |ibrary features
strings, horns and choirs, a|| of
which are twisted magnificent|y
to give an otherwor|d|y effect -
and at C49, the who|e thing is a
de|icious|y creative stea|.
De ced[o5De fheXi
1here are a|so many free oddba||
sounds to be found on the web. VS1
4 Free Cwww.vst4free.com) brings
togther many usab|e ROMp|ers.
High|ights in the Fo|k/Lthnic
section inc|ude some tru|y unusua|
instruments. If you've ever needed
to emu|ate the sound you get when
you rub your finger around the
edge of a g|ass, you'|| want to
check out C|ass Armanica. 1here's
a|so a kazoo p|ugin and a very
usab|e accordion.
8abe| Audio Cbabelaudio.net)
is home to a sma|| se|ection of
freebies, inc|uding a |ove|y ange|
g|ockenspie| and some superb|y
recorded wind chimes.
Navigation is something of
a nightmare, but hunt around
enough and you're bound to
stumb|e across something
unusua| on VS1 P|anet
Cwww.vstplanet.com), the
home of freeware p|ugins.
1here are tons of free effects
p|ugins here, a|| of which you can
use to mess up your orchestra to
varying degrees. We particu|ar|y
|ike Mutant Reverb for its high
soundwarping potentia|.
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In this feature we've |ooked at the
Western orchestra and howto use
it in different and unusua| ways.
However, there are who|e other
continents fu|| of traditiona| musica|
instruments that can bring some
more |ife to your productions.
Dropping a bamboo f|ute or sitar
into a pop track gives a surprising
twist to the piece, and who|e samp|e
|ibraries have been deve|oped to
cater specifica||y to this need.
QuantumLeap's Si|k
Cwww.soundsonline.com) focuses
on the sounds of the Si|k Road
region of China, Persia and India. It
contains a ton of sounds, inc|uding a
30piece Persian string section. 1his
is a comprehensive, exquisite|y
samp|ed co||ection. At over 300, it's
not cheap, but these are some very
serious instruments.
Carage8and and Logic users
can pick up the Wor|d Music Jam
Pack for 70Cwww.apple.com).
1his packs in 2C8 of samp|es and
instruments in App|e Loops and
Carage8and instrument formats.
1he sounds are very easy to p|ay
'|ive' as the keyboard modwhee| is
mapped to switch between each
instrument's different p|aying
sty|es. For examp|e, the Chinese
f|ute inc|udes sustain/f|uttered/g|ide
and grace note effects, depending
on what position your modwhee| is
in. In practice this works very much
|ike a samp|er's key switch
command, and you can achieve
rea|istic resu|ts through a
combination of note ve|ocity,
pitchbend and modwhee| position.
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Cive your tracks a taste of lndia andthe
f ar east withuantumLeap5ilk
Whychainyourself toone culture?
Coglobal withWorldMusic JamPack
ne orooucers nave
oro|en a|| tne nus|ca|
ru|es to o|stort eacn o|
tnese |nstrunents
to tne ||n|t
There are hundreds of
orchestral plug-ins out
there, sochoose packs
featuringmangled
samples tomake more
interestingmusic
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PC MAC
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Magix Samp|itude Si|ver CPC)
CSi WatKat CMac/PC)
Pau|'s Lxtreme Sound Stretch CPC)
1ogu Audio Line 1ALNoiseMaker
CPC/Mac)
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8|ip Interactive NanoStudio
CPC/Mac)
8rainworx bx_shredspread
CPC/Mac)
Me|daProduction 1ota| 8und|e
CPC/Mac)
PSP Audioware PSP 8b CPC/Mac)
Sugar 8ytes Cuitarist CPC/Mac)
Jkjeh_Wb \_b[i
Focus
Studio Session
Lasy Cuide
Orchestra| Lxtremes
Off the Dia|
Q&A
Samp|itude
Sma|| Wonder
Sound Lssentia|s
1he Cuide to Spectra|
Audio Lditing
1ota||y 1rackers
1he White Stuff
IWcfb[i
1he 248it Upfront House
Co||ection, inc|uding beats
and bass |oops, drumhits,
oneshots, sound effects and
synth mu|tisamp|es
H[WZ[h Cki_Y
8e||ectroniQ- Sub Aquatics
8utterf|y Stone - lee/ing in my
8ones
Mr. Dishc|oth - Shinobu
She|don Dearn - Prismatic
1his awesome eighttrack
DAWhas powerfu| audio and
MIDI editing capabi|ities, fu||
VS1 compatib|ity and
everything e|se you need to
make comp|ete tracks today.
Samp|itude Si|ver requires
registration via emai| address
- see the tutoria| over the
page for fu|| instructions.
Ioij[ch[gk_h[c[dji
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W|ndows XPor |ater.
M[X www.samp||tude.com
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Magix Samp|itude Si|ver, our 24bit Upfront House Co||ection, the |atest reader
demos, dubstep producer FuntCase on video and more, a|| on this issue's disc!
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Cet that authentic tape de|ay
sound with this c|one of the
c|assic Watkins Copicat de|ay
effect. With |ight system
requirements and MIDI |earn
capabi|ities, it's particu|ar|y usefu|
for those |ooking to mess
around with sounds |ive.
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M[X genu|nesoundware.com
F7KBI;NJH;C;IEKD:
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1his amazing programcan turn
practica||y any piece of audio into a
majestic ambient track - and a|| in
rea| time! For making epic pads and
soundscapes, or just as
entertainment in its own right,
Sound Stretch rea||y is inva|uab|e.
Ioij[ch[gk_h[c[dji
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M[X hypermammut.sourceforge.
net/pau|stretch/
JE=K7K:?EB?D;
J7B#DE?I;C7A;HF9%C79
1he |atest p|ugin synthseiser
from1AL boasts tons of tasty
features and their most accessib|e
interface yet, making it an essentia|
insta|| for any synthhead.
Ioij[ch[gk_h[c[dji
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CWY AU/VSThost
M[X kunz.corrupt.ch
Magix5amplitude !! 5ilver
is yours onlywiththis issue
of Comuter Musicl
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1his desktop taster of the awesome iOS
app offers a|| the same features as its
mobi|e counterpart. Cet it insta||ed and
turn to p54 for our essentia| guide to this
amazing |itt|e DAW.
Ioij[ch[gk_h[c[dji
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F9 W|ndows XPor |ater
M[X www.b||p|nteract|ve.co.uk
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Designed for getting doub|ed guitar parts
as wide and fat as possib|e, bx_shredspread
is bi||ed as an inte||igent stereo processor.
1his tria| version wi|| expire after 4 days.
Ioij[ch[gk_h[c[dji
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|ater, RTAS/VSThost
F9 !CHz CPU, 256MRAM, W|ndows 2000
or |ater, RTAS/VSThost
M[X www.bra|nworx-mus|c.de
C;B:7FHE:K9J?EDJEJ7B
8KD:B;F9%C79
1his comp|ete co||ection of
Me|daProduction demos features a
wea|th of effects and ana|ysis too|s, as
we|| as a|| of their free p|ugins. 1he tria|
versions emit noise periodica||y, and
wi|| open the Me|daProduction website
on |aunch.
Ioij[ch[gk_h[c[dji
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AU/VSThost
F9 SS2-capab|eCPU, W|ndows XPor
|ater, VSThost
M[X www.me|daproduct|on.com
FIF7K:?EM7H;FIF.+F9%C79
PSP Audioware's fo||owup to their
much|oved PSP 84 p|ugin, this farout
de|ay effect inc|udes coo| newfeatures such
as LFOsynchronisation to track position,
sidechain ducking, de|ay |ine panning, gating
and more. You can use this demo version for 4
days, after which you'|| need to buy a |icence to
continue with it.
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M[X www.soundrad|x.com
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Programyour own guitar parts with Sugar
8ytes' |atest instrument. It inc|udes a bui|tin
step sequencer a|ong with amps, peda|s and
effects to he|p you get great tones. 1he demo
version won't save patches or reca|| settings
with your project, times out after each
30minute session and expires after 30days.
Ioij[ch[gk_h[c[dji
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Findout what we reallythinkof P5PAudioware's P5P5 delayinthe reviewonp!02
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thinkingyou're really
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5ugar Bytes' Cuitarist
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1his specia| edition of Magix's fantastic PC DAW is yours to keep! We show
you how to get it insta||ed and start putting your first project together
|xc|us|ve |u|| so|tware|
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Magix's Samp|itude is one of
the most sophisticated DAWs
around, offering a p|ethora of
advanced features. On this issue's
DVDyou'|| find a specia|
version of the |atest edition.
Samp|itude Si|ver. Si|ver has
fewer features than the fu||on
Samp|itude and Samp|itude Pro
versions, as we|| as a few
restrictions - the most notab|e
being that you're |imited to eight
tracks. However, it sti|| has the core
audio, MIDI recording/editing and
p|ugin hosting capabi|ities of the
commercia| versions, and its more
than up to the job of enab|ing you
to create highqua|ity music.
Samp|itude Si|ver's myriad
features are far too numerous to
cover comprehensive|y here, but
high|ights inc|ude a resizab|e virtua|
mixer, DX and VS1 instrument and
effect hosting, various bui|tin
visua|isation modes, inapp media
management, aux routing, bui|tin
wave and MIDI editors, off|ine
effects processing and more.
1here's p|enty for both novices
and experienced musicians to get
their teeth into, and in this
stepbystep guide we'|| take you
through its insta||ation, setup and
basic operation. You'|| need an
emai| account to receive the
authorisation code, but Samp|itude
Si|ver doesn't require your
computer to be on|ine during
activation. So, without further ado,
grab your DVDand |et's go!
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Start by opening the 5oftware\PC
5oftware\Full 5oftware\5amplitude
fo|der on the DVD. In there you'|| find
5amplitude_!!_5ilver_en-U5.exe. Copy
this to your desktop and doub|ec|ick it to
run it. Fo||owthe onscreen instructions to
insta|| the software.
'
C|ick the |ink that says Register the
Programanduse it without any
limitations. Fo||owthe instructions and
register for a |ogin. You wi|| receive an
emai| inc|uding your registration code for
Samp|itude Si|ver. Lnter this into the
TRlALC- fie|d on the sp|ash screen to
register the software.
(
1he first thing you'|| see is the New
Virtua| Project Settings window.
1his gives you severa| options, inc|uding
creating a newproject CArranger view),
opening an o|der project or |oading the
demo project. Let's start with the demo -
c|ick 5amplitude 5ilver 0emo.vip to
|oad it up.
)
1he project wi|| |oad and you'|| see
the Arranger viewappear. 8efore we
attempt to p|ay back the demo project,
|et's ensure that the audio driver settings
are optima|. Se|ect Options5ystem/
Audio fromthe menu bar. In the
5oundcard&driver fie|d you'|| see the
current|y se|ected audio driver.
*
8y defau|t the audio driver wi|| be set
to A5lOMagixLowLatency200,
but If you have a dedicated ASIOdriver for
your audio interface then you can se|ect
that fromthe |ist of drivers instead. If you
need to change the output, c|ick the
5ettings button.
+
Use the Audio0evice menu in the
windowthat appears. If you
experience stuttered p|ayback or CPU
over|oad, you may find that increasing the
number of samp|es in the Buffer 5ize
pane| he|ps. C|ick the cross at the top
righthand corner of the Magix Low
Latency 2008 windowto c|ose it.
,
C|ick the OKbutton to exit the Audio/
5ettings menu. Let's p|ay the project
back. C|ick the big Play button on the
transport bar. If you can't hear anything,
check your audio driver settings and that
your speakers are set up correct|y.
-
You can quick|y navigate your way
around the project using the s|ider
at the bottomof the 1ransport bar. If you
want to see the who|e project at once,
drag the righthand side of the horizonta|
scro||bar, or c|ick the - button to the right
of it.
.
1o bring up the mixer, c|ick the Mixer
button on the too|bar at the bottom
of the screen. 1he mixer enab|es you to
change the parameters of mu|tip|e
tracks quick|y, and gives you a handy
overviewof the tracks in your project.
Nowwe've seen a fewof Samp|itude's
features, it's time to get our hands dirty
with a newproject.
/
Del[cX[h (&'& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % *)
sano||tuoe s||ver / na|e nus|c now
'teo o, steo
=[j je ademIWcfb_jkZ[ Yedj_dk[Z
Se|ect FileNewVirtual Project
tVlPI, and c|ick the Arranger view
option. A defau|t fourtrack project wi|| be
created. You'|| see that the first audio track
is armed Cthe red record armbutton is
i||uminated). 1o record your interface's
audio input, c|ick the Record button on
the 1ransport bar, then c|ick 5top when
you're done.
'&
A Recording Finished windowwi||
be disp|ayed. C|ick the OKbutton to
save the recorded audio, or 0elete to
de|ete it. We don't need this audio, so
c|ick De|ete. 1o disarmthe audio track,
c|ick its red |ight.
''
Let's import some media. In the
Tutorial Files\5amplitude fo|der on
the DVDis an audio fi|e ca||ed
0rumBeat.wav. Drag this onto your
desktop. Se|ect FileLoad/lmportLoad
AudioFile, or press Ctrl+Wto bring up
the Open Audio Fi|e window.
'(
8rowse to the 0rumBeat.wav fi|e,
and c|ick the Open button. You'||
be presented with another window
disp|aying various options for importing
audio. Ignore these for the moment, and
just c|ick the OKbutton. 1he audio fi|e
wi|| be p|aced at the start of the project.
')
You can drag the audio a|ong the
track to change when it starts, or
move it onto another track. You'|| notice
that the fi|e doesn't automatica||y snap to
the start of the beat or bar. 1o activate
Samp|itude's Snap mode se|ect
View5naptogrid, or press Ctrl+).
'*
Current|y the snap mode is set to
5MPT/milliseconds. Rightc|ick the
time|ine and se|ect Bars/Beats instead.
Next, rightc|ick the time|ine and se|ect
CridBeat Crid. Fina||y, rightc|ick the
time|ine and se|ect 5howCrid, or press ).
You can nowsee the snap points, which
the audio wi|| automatica||y adhere to.
'+
1o adjust the start and end points of
an audio fi|e, drag its bottom|eft or
righthand corner. 1o change its vo|ume
|eve|, drag the centra| hand|e up or down,
and to adjust the fade time, drag the fade
hand|es on the |eft or right edge. You can
|ock and un|ock the position of the object
by c|icking the key icon.
',
Next, |et's add a virtua| instrument.
C|ick the second track to activate it,
and c|ick the MIDI pane| at the |efthand
side of the screen to expand it. C|ick the
Out menu and se|ect the Newlnstrument
option. Samp|itude wi|| te|| you that no
VS1 patch has been se|ected and bring up
the DX/VS1 Lffects window.
'-
C|ick the fo|der icon and se|ect
Browse V5Tfolder to bring up the
dia|og. Locate your VS1 p|ugins fo|der
and c|ick OK. C|ick OKagain to exit the
window, and Samp|itude wi|| scan the
fo|der for p|ugins. When it's done, se|ect
the Newlnstrument option again and this
time you'|| be ab|e to choose fromthe
avai|ab|e instruments. 1o add a newMIDI
object, se|ect Ml0lNewMl0l Object.
'.
** % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % Del[cX[h (&'&
na|e nus|c now / sano||tuoe s||ver
/ '/||||' / VlD|O
7hj_ij <kdj9Wi[
The dubstepf||thmonger |nv|tes
you|ntoh|s stud|otoshowyou
howhe gets h|s horr|b|e wobb|es,
dark beats andother |nsane
sounds. Inth|s exc|us|ve v|deo, the
ournemouth-basedproducer
works throughh|s Reason-based
co||aborat|onw|thSouthbound
Hangers, W/zardSleeve.
FheZkY[h CWij[hYbWii L_Z[e
M[X mmm$coifWY[$Yec%\kdjYWi[
Studio s|ickster A|ex 8|anco has produced a bangin' |ibrary of
f|oorshaking house sounds for your de|ight and de|ectation.
J^[ (*#8_j
Kf\hedj >eki[
9ebb[Yj_ed
House is one of the most
mu|tifaceted of dance music
genres, and every year it evo|ves
and spawns yet more subgenres. In
order to make sure you're supp|ied
with the |atest in house |oops and
sounds, we've commissioned
veteran house producer A|ex
8|anco to create this awesome
se|ection of cutting edge,
pristinequa|ity 24bit samp|es.
!20bass and |ead |oops
!6c|assic synth
mu|tisamp|es
505 drumhit samp|es
429 percussion |oops
!6 bass|ines
202 voca| snippets
1he synth patches used were
sourced fromc|assic hardware
instruments such as the Korg
Prophecy, Yamaha ANx, Access
Virus and Ro|and A|pha Juno 2.
1here's a|so a se|ection of |oops
fromAudio Damage's c|ever new
Axon virtua| instrument. 1hen
there are some c|assica||y effected
house voca| snippets, which were
created using pitchshifting and
te|ephonesty|e techniques.
Loopwise you can get busy
with hundreds of tough beats
made using the newKong drum
machine in Prope||erhead's Reason
b, whi|e an assortment of
accompanying bass, |ead and
arpeggiated riffs fromthe
awesome Sy|enth go very nice|y
with themindeed. 1he co||ection is
rounded off with a huge se|ection
of fat drumsamp|es, perfect for
big, dancef|oorbashing beats.
www.myspace.com/djalexblanco
(&&& iWcfb[i
Ro,a|t,|ree orooua||t, sounos|
>7L?D=FHE8B;CI5
ln tne un|||e|, event tnat ,ou nave trouo|e w|tn ,our o|sc
seno an ena|| to supportQfuturenet.co.uk ano tne,||
ne|o ,ou out ||ease oo not onone us as we oont q|ve
tecnn|ca| suooort over tne te|eonone|
l| ,ou exoer|ence a oroo|enw|tn ,our so|tware ,ou
snou|o ||rst re|er to tne so|tware nanua| n|s |s o|ten
oe||vereo w|tn tne so|tware |tse|| or |s sonet|nes o|aceo
on ,our naro or|ve wnen ,ou run tne lnsta||er l| ,ou ||no
tnat ,ou oont unoerstano sone o| tne |eatures o| tne
so|tware renenoer to reao tne nanua| ||rst 'nou|o ,ou
oe un|ortunate enouqn to run |nto an, tecnn|ca| o||||cu|t|es
w|tn tne so|tware |t |s o|ten oest to qet |n toucn w|tn tne
oeve|ooer o| tnat so|tware - tne, are orooao|, oetter
eou|ooeo to o||er ,ou tne suooort ,ou neeo tnan we are
8R0KEN0I5C5: lf your discis corrupt, crackedor otherwiseinoperable, we'll sendyouaspankingnewreplacement within2days. 5endthe
0V0to: 0isc0epartment, Reader 5upport, FuturePublishing, CMU!5/November/!0, BathBA! 2BW. 0on't forget toincludeyour full nameand
postal addressl
EDJ>;:L:
I7CFB;I
Your exc|usive
sounds are in the
5amples fo|der
IWcfb[ WdZ
l_Z[e fbWoXWYa
videos are presented
in MOVformat, which
means that you need
Quick1ime, Quick1ime
A|ternative or VLC
insta||ed on your system
to p|ay them. Macs
feature Quick1ime
as standard, and PC
owners who don't have
Quick1ime insta||ed
can use VLCinstead.
VLCis an opensource
media p|ayer that can
hand|e pretty much any
format you can throw
at it - you'|| find it in the
VLCMedia P|ayer fo|der
on the DVD. VLCis
a|so recommended to
Windows users who
find that 24bit samp|es
won't p|ay back in their
Windows Media P|ayer.
For the |atest version, go
to www.videolan.org
Del[cX[h (&'& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % *+
I
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7
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>
;
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;
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et the
Studio
insta||ed
w
ith
our easytofo||ow
PD
F
guides! 1hey're
on
the
D
V
D
in
T
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e
C
M
5tu
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io
/C
M 5tu
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Tu
to
rials
fo|der.
7FFB?97J?EDI
Ekji_cIodj^CWa[h 9CF9
Create your own VS1 synths and effects
NJIe\jmWh[ [d[h]oNJ($+9eh[ 9C;Z_j_ed
F9%CWY%B_ dkn
VS1 host and sequencer with modu|ar routing
?DIJHKC;DJI
7b]eCki_Y ;b[YjhW8Wii HWYa 9CF9
Lasytouse bass synth that's packed with presets
8_]J_Ya H^_de9CF9
Amazing hybrid synth with coo| FMcapabi|ities
9CMki_aIjWj_edF9
Hybrid samp|er/synthesiser
:ec_dWjeh F9
Virtua| ana|ogue synth with a c|assic featureset
<WX<_bj[h Ed[ ($&' F9
8eautifu|sounding sing|eosci||ator synth
>ec[]hemdIekdZi 7ijhWb_i 9CF9
Modu|ationheavy 'soundscape' synth
>ec[]hemdIekdZi
7ijhWb_i Eh]ed[ 9CF9
F|exib|e samp|ebased synth
>kcWde_ZIekdZIoij[ci
IYWdd[ZIodj^9CF9
Create abstract noises and haunting instruments
AejaWi FWWn )9CF9
Featurepacked soft samp|er
AhWab_ 9Ceh]F9
Vintage organ instrument
B_dFbk]7bf^W9CF9%CWY
Subtractive synth with ring and amp modu|ation
B_dFbk]9C#+&+F9%CWY
Ana|ogue drumsynthesis made easy
Cked9CfbWo F9%CWY
Powerfu| ROMp|er instrument
Cked9C#'&' F9
Ana|oguesty|e VS1 synth
CkedIH#(&(F9
6pad VS1 drummachine
Cked9C#)&)F9
Lmu|ation of the c|assic Ro|and 18303 synth
Cked:I#*&*F9
Powerfu| 6part mu|titimbra| VS1 samp|e
EZeIodj^i Kdademd,*9CF9
C64 SIDchipemu|ating VS1i
Fem[h<N>ja_di 9CF9
Samp|ebased e|ectronica synth
IodWfi[ 7kZ_e@kd]b_ij F9
Lffectspacked virtua| ana|ogue synth
k#^[ P[XhW9CF9%CWY
Amazing virtua| ana|ogue synth
Kcc[j EpYWd=[d[i_i 9CF9
Another amazing virtua| ana|ogue synth
NJIe\jmWh[ ;d[h]o9CF9%CWY
Ana|oguesty|e sequencer
;<<;9JI
7_nYekij_Y 9h[Wj_edi ;b[Yjh_#G9CF9
Sweetsounding and f|exib|e equa|isation
7kZ_e:WcW][ Fkbi[ CeZkbWjeh F9%CWY
Wi|d, stompboxesque modu|ation effect
8[jWXk]p 7kZ_eLWiY_bbWjeh F9
Semimodu|ar feedback de|ay mu|tieffect
8bk[ 9Wj 7kZ_e<h[g7dWboij 9CF9%CWY
Sophisticated stereo spectra| ana|yser
9Wc[b 7kZ_e9C<kppF9
Quick and dirty distortion
?cW][#B_d[ 9CLeYeZ[h F9
Specia| version of FL Studio's FL Vocoder
?cW][#B_d[ 9CMWl[I^Wf[h F9
F|exib|e wave distortion effect
?dj[bb_][dj :[l_Y[i
C[]W:[bWoCWii9CF9%CWY
Sound designorientated de|ay modu|e
?dj[bb_][dj :[l_Y[i Ib_f#D#Ib_Z[
9CF9%CWY
Lasytouse doub|e tracker
AH[i[WhY^AH#:[bWo 9C;Z_j_edF9%CWY
Dua| de|ay |ines with fi|ters and sync abi|ity
AH[i[WhY^AH#H[l[hX9C;Z_j_edF9%CWY
Lasytouse, a|gorithmic reverb effect
CWhj_d;WijmeeZ7kZ_e
9ecfh[ii_l[9CF9%CWY
Compressor/|imiter with sidechain input
CWhj_d;WijmeeZ7kZ_e:k[j F9
Lasytouse doub|e tracker
Dk=[d7kZ_eIj[h[e_p[h 9CF9%CWY
Usefu| mixing too| for contro| over your stereo spread
E^c<ehY[ E^co]eZ F9%CWY
Crazy resonant/comb VS1 fi|ter
FIFIfh_d]l[hXF9
Authentic VS1 spring reverb effect
IWd\ehZF^Wi[h#9CF9
Phaser effect with advanced modu|ation abi|ities
I_ckb7dWbe]=k_jWh Ik_j[ 9CF9
P|ugins mode||ed on c|assic guitar effects and amp
Ik]Wh 8oj[i 7hj_bb[ho(9C;Z_j_edF9
Mu|tiFX with interna| sequencer
Our exc|us|ve su|te o| aoo||cat|ons
|nstrunents ano e|ects |s on tne
DVD ever, nontn - |ts ou|te
||tera||, a|| tne so|tware ,ou neeo
to na|e qreat nus|c now|
Classic soft synth5ynapse
AudioJunglist is afirm
fixture inthe 5tudio
*, % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % Del[cX[h (&'&
on tne o|sc / stuo|o sess|on
EDJ>;:L:
<KBBIE<JM7H;
1he amazing Arti||ery2
CMp|ugin is in the CM
5tudio fo|der
Del[cX[h (&'& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % *-
/ art|||er,2 cn
|ow to use 'uqar |,tes c|ever o|uq|n to
tr|qqer nu|t|o|e e||ects w|tn or w|tnout |lDl
I[gk[dY[ckbj_#<Nm_j^7hj_bb[ho(9C
When you're |ooking for interesting
ways in which to process your sounds,
mu|tieffects p|ugins |ike the Studio's
Arti||ery2 CMcan be rea||y usefu|. With
Arti||ery2 CMyou can use MIDI to turn its
various effects on and off, creating funky
sequences. Start by |aunching your DAW
and adding Arti||ery2 CMto an audio track.
'
We need some audio to process.
Open the Tutorial Files\CM5tudio
5ession fo|der on the DVDand drag
the !30house.wav samp|e onto your hard
drive, then onto the Arti||ery2 CMaudio
track. Set your DAW's tempo to !30bpm,
and set up a p|ayback |oop around the
audio fi|e so that it cyc|es continuous|y.
(
You won't hear anything specia| on
p|ayback because we haven't |oaded
any effects into Arti||ery2 CMyet. 1he
easiest way to do this is to |oad one of the
effect's g|oba| presets. C|ick where it says
0efault in the C|oba| Presets pane|, and
se|ect Factory5uper FXKeyboard.
)
1his g|oba| preset features five
different effects, which you can
see spanned a|ong the keyboard at the
bottomof the interface. P|ay the |oop
back whi|e c|icking and ho|ding some of
the keys. You'|| hear various effects being
app|ied to the sound.
*
Copy the pattern shown here. As
you enter notes, you shou|d see
the red MIDI indicator on track f|icker.
On p|ayback, you'|| hear the effects on
top of the |oop. 8y triggering mu|tip|e
effects simu|taneous|y with more than
one MIDI note trigger, you can create
comp|ex sounds.
-
1he keys on the effect's virtua|
keyboard represent MIDI notes. 8y
sending MIDI to the instrument, we can
trigger mu|tip|e effects at the same time.
We need to create a MIDI track and route
it to Arti||ery2 CM. Howyou do this wi||
depend on your DAW. In Reaper, which
we're using here, create a newtrack.
+
Using this method you can bui|d up
quite comp|ex effects sequences. Yet
it's a|so possib|e to use Arti||ery2 CMas
a straightforward mu|tieffect without
MIDI. De|ete the MIDI part and bring
the interface up. 1o activate an effect
'permanent|y', rightc|ick your key or keys
of choice on the interface.
.
C|ick the io button on the newtrack
to bring up its Routing menu. C|ick
the AddNew5ends dropdown in the
5ends section and se|ect the first channe|.
C|ose the routing window, then se|ect
lnsertNewMl0l ltem. Doub|ec|ick the
newMIDI itemto bring up the Crid Lditor.
,
Note that you can on|y have one key
active at a time in each effect zone. In
this preset, some zones behave different|y
depending on which key is active. For
examp|e, c|ick the Low-pass zone. You'||
see that the Keytrack knob is active,
which makes the fi|ter cutoff fo||owthe
note used to activate it.
/
H[WZ[h cki_Y
Our tean o| exoert orooucers ano enq|neers qet stuc|
|nto |our nore reaoeroroouceo cnoons
I[dZ ki
oekh cki_Y
For the chance to be
featured in Reader
Music, simp|y send us
your track via the
SoundC|oud Drop8ox on
our website Csee the
wa|kthrough be|owfor
instructions), a|ong with
a description of your act,
an image Cs|eeve art,
photo or |ogo that you
own the copyright to),
and your equipment |ist.
8e abso|ute|y certain
that no copyright
samp|es have been
used! 1he best tracks
we receive each month
wi|| be reviewed here
and featured on the Yc
DVD, so send yours our
way today!
Ru|es.
. Send no more than
two tracks
2. Submit your trackCs)
via the SoundC|oud
Drop8ox on our website
3. 1he audio and
MIDI fi|es used
must a|| be origina|
and/or roya|ty and
copyrightfree
Not your usua| fare at a||,
this is a||out rock. 8ut even if
this track isn't to your musica|
taste, try to appreciate the
exce||ent composition, and don't
|et the oververbed piano and
c|iched drumfi||s in the
introduction put you off. 1he
kitchensink production is
intentiona||y overb|own and
fits the song's nature. a|though
the programmed mood doesn't work so we||, |acking, as it
does, any human fee|.
Programming aside, the |east successfu| part of this
production is the softness of the mix. It's a|| top and bottom,
|acking any edge fromthe mids, as we|| as presence. 1his is
part|y due to the |eve| of the guitars, which are |ost to the
string pads, but main|y it's because the tones of the drums and
instruments |ack punch. If you A/8 this with any rock track,
it fee|s soft, squidgy and i||defined. 1he song needs more
hardness in the midrange, more transient punch and attack
fromthe drums and more uppermidrange edge fromthe
guitars and voca|s. It'|| sound impressive |ive, though.
M^Wj j^[Whj_ij iWoi0
"This concept took the best material l've beeninvolved
inover the last !5 years, andproducedit without the
limitationininstrumentationof a standardrockband.
Hornsections, full orchestrations, evil synths, breakbeats
andrawguitars all feature. Bandrehearsals are underway
totake this massive soundlive."
;gk_fc[dj ki[Z Home-bu||t quad-core Inte| PC,
MCTUU|tra||te MK2, S220a m|c w|thRef|ex|onf||ter,
Sonar 8.5, Toontrack Z Drummer, Spectrason|cs Sty|us
RMXandCmn|sphere, uantumLeapSymphon|c
Crchestra Co|d, Cu|tar R|g4, mastered|nAdobe Aud|t|on.
8KJJ;H<BOIJED;
<[[b_d] _d co 8ed[i
7hj_ij CWha M_bbejj
M[X mmm$coifWY[$Yec%8kjj[h\boijed[
EDJ>;:L:
H;7:;HCKI?9
Do you agree with our
comments Co to the
Reader Musicfo|der
and have a |isten to a||
four tracks yourse|f
1he fi|tered drumpattern
used in the intro here is
a|ways a great way to start,
because the impact of the main
drums when they fina||y arrive
is big. Here the fu|| drums don't
take |ong to appear and are
fo||owed by an earthshaking
bass sound that further steps
up the size factor. A|| the time,
a suspensefu| echoed be||
synth g|iss and dotted de|ayed synth stab bui|d up the
intensity. 8ackwards noises introduce changes and the
drumprogramming intensifies. 1here's a drop back after
a coup|e of minutes into the more sett|ed verse, which is a
bit disappointing, but then the bui|d back to the midd|e,
where the fi|tered drums reappear, is a satisfying moment,
fo||owed by the best sound of the piece. the chomping,
PacManesque sequence.
1he track has dynamic, driving moments and more static
'watertreading' passages. Were there more of the former,
coup|ed with more intense bui|ds, and |ess of the more se|f
satisfied 'arriva|' parts, the track wou|d be more successfu|.
However, the piece as a who|e is sti|| we|| put together and
the mix is c|ear and tough with a good sense of space.
M^Wj j^[Whj_ij iWoi0
"The trackstartedafter feedingthe chordsample
throughNl 0eepFrequency, whichgave it anunderwater
vibe. l built onthat usingwhite noise andplentyof
automation. l'dnever employedthemes inmytracks
before, but foundit a veryinterestingwayof working."
;gk_fc[dj ki[Z De|| Insp|ron!520PC, KRKRok|t 8s,
Aud|o8soundcard, Aka| MPK49, Ab|etonL|ve 8,
Prope||erheadRecord, NI DeepFrequency, Sy|enth!, PSP
V|ntage Warmer, S| eggs' D|stortedDancef|oors.
8;BB;9JHED?G
IkX 7gkWj_Yi
7hj_ij 8eX 8[bb
M[X mmm$iekdZYbekZ$Yec%X[bb[Yjhed_g
Cotowww.computermuslc.co.uk
and|ook onthe r|ght-hands|de of the
page for our SoundC|oudDropox
w|dget. C||ck 5endmeyour track, then
Cbooseaflleandse|ect your track.
'
nter of the fo||ow|ng|nthe Track
descrlptlonbox. track name, art|st
name, your name, ema|| address, webs|te
Cor MySpaceJ, equ|pment ||st anda br|ef
descr|pt|onof howyour track was made.
(
5oundCloudmakes sendingandreceiving
music easy. Anybodycansignupfor a free
account andstart sharingtracks straight
away, althoughyoudon't evenhave todothat
tosubmit your tracktokeader Music.
*. % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % Del[cX[h (&'&
on tne o|sc / reaoer nus|c
n|s nontn nus|c|an enq|neer ano
orooucer |ar| |r|tn |a||s |n |ove
w|tn a stono|nq oance||oor
nunoer ou||t |or o|q soaces
M^Wji mhed]
m_j^ co c_n5
FheZkY[h%[d]_d[[h CWha <h_j^
A mu|tiinstrumenta|ist and ta|ented engineer and
producer, Mark is just the man you need behind the
contro|s of your session, as a wide range of artists
- fromFutureheads and L|ectric Soft Parade to C|are
1ea| - wou|d who|ehearted|y testify.
I>;B:ED:;7HD
Fh_icWj_Y
7hj_ij I^[bZed :[Whd
9edjWYj wwwn,soacecon/sne|oonoearn
1his is a very heavy track. It's eight
minutes of intense breaks - yet it doesn't
seemover|y |ong, even when |istening to it
over a cup of tea. Check it out on a system
with good bass reproduction, to ensure you
don't miss the best bit.
Lssentia||y a track of two ha|ves, the intro
bui|ds with a gradua||y |owering highpass
fi|ter on the kick behind atmospheric noises
and a synth me|ody. 1he screaming resonant
synth sounds are both musica| and industria|, and as they thicken they
bui|d the crescendo to the main body of the tune. A onebar percussion
drop sees that in, and when it hits, it's a sweet moment. 1he deep, driving
bass|ine with square kick and snap is immense - heavy and so|id. It
cou|d go on forever in the right environment because of the viscera|
excitement it kicks in. 1he attitude captured in just those three e|ements
is a rare treat, and it a||ows for a |ot of space around them.
1he track is tastefu||y and sparing|y embe||ished with interesting
noises. A |onger fourbar drop sees in a top |ine that comp|ements the
bass|ine and bui|ds throughout the section using an opening fi|ter. More
percussion and noises up the ante unti| the big drop, which has much time
to swir| about as the intro riff goes through some distorted changes. 1here
are a |ot of Sy|enth sounds - Lennar Digita|'s p|ugin synth is c|ear|y a
major contributor to the track's success. 1he midd|e section is conc|uded
by a c|osing highpass fi|ter, thinning the synth noises so that when that
bass|ine kicks back in, it has the same impact as before.
Not much e|se changes apart fromthe atmospherics as the first ha|f
repeats itse|f - but I'mno |ess transfixed than I was the first time round!
1he production is simp|e but effective, and the tona| combination of the
rhythmis ski||ed. 1he weight of the bass sound with the punch of the kick
and the bite of the snap is perfect, whi|e the use of reverbed space around
the synth noises brings a depth of fie|d that ba|ances any sparseness.
I'd |ove to hear this on a rea||y big c|ub system. 1op marks!
M^Wj j^[Whj_ij iWoi0
"l wantedthis tracktosoundlike it was beingplayedina large space,
sol startedwitha lot of elements playingfromthe off. l alsobussed
a lot of things toa reverb, the Aether. l thought this might make the
impact a bit stronger whenthe bass kickedin. The mainbreakdown
was made with5ylenth!."
;gk_fc[dj ki[Z |Mac 2.4CHz, Log|c 8, Mack|e Contro|, A|es|s M!
mon|tors, MAud|oF|reW|re aud|o|nterface, Novat|onMIDI
contro||er, ffectr|x, Sy|enth!, A|b|no, Mass|ve, Aether, Absynth, p|us
many of Log|c's p|ug-|ns.
/ reaoer nus|c
What a band name! Featuring
synth sounds that are c|ear|y
inf|uenced by computer games,
this tune has a humour to it that
overt|y contrasts with the intensity
of some of the sounds. And then
there's the moaning |ady.
1he s|owtempo gives the track
a |ot of roomfor space and many
of the sounds are thrown into big
reverbs or de|ays. 1his works on
some of the synths, particu|ar|y the skanking one, but the big
80s throwback of a snare is a |itt|e bit of a surprise. 1he mid
section Cand its big verbed sidestick) works, and it has a c|ever
hint of dub me|odica sound about it.
1here are some crazy sounds that a|| convey chomping
monsters or something simi|ar - and they're somehowa
success in this context. 1he 'angry frog' synth does a good job
of bui|ding up the end section before the panting |ady takes us
out, presumab|y satisfied with the performance.
1he overa|| track is good and tough, he|ped by the punchy
drums and edgy synths, and there's a c|arity and space to the
mix as a who|e. 1he dubby e|ement cou|d have been exp|oited
a bit more, perhaps, but as it stands, Shinobu wi|| certain|y
inspire some interesting shapes on the dance f|oor.
M^Wj j^[Whj_ij iWoi0
"5hinobuis myattempt at creatinga face-melting,
Nintendo-style dubsteptrackcomplete withretro-bit
synths, '!-up' effects andevena creepy'Bowser level'
breakdownl Throwina fat bassline, some heavydrums
anda moaningladyor twoandyou've got yourself a
winnerl njoy."
;gk_fc[dj ki[Z Acer Asp|re 5920gPC, MAud|oF|reW|re
So|o, MAud|oKeystat|on49e, MAud|oAV30mon|tors,
Cubase 4, Reason4, Adobe Aud|t|on.
CH$ :?I>9BEJ>
I^_deXk
7hj_ij @e[ =hWdj
M[X mmm$coifWY[$Yec%chZ_i^Ybej^
C||ck Uploadnewartworkand
choose an|mage. Conf|rmthat you
agree toSoundC|oud's Termsof Use
towards the bottomof the screen, h|t
5endTrackandyou're doneI
)
Del[cX[h (&'& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % */
/|so |nown as orun n oass orooucer D! Dose
|untCase went ouosteo to stoo n|s nates naqq|nq
n|n - ano nes never nao nore |un |n tne stuo|o
<KDJ97I;
FheZkY[h CWij[hYbWii
+& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % Del[cX[h (&'&
EDJ>;:L:
Watch FuntCase put his
advice into action in our
exc|usive video tutoria|!
<kdj9Wi[i ][Wh
PCwithAM0Phenomll CPUandCB
RAMrunningWindows XP
PropellerheadReason4
5teinbergNuendo3
Native lnstruments Massive
RobPapenPredator
RobPapenAlbino3
CakewalkZ3TA+
Yamaha H50Mmonitor
5onyM0RX0200headphones
5tanton5A3 mixer
James' studiosetupis unusual inthat
he uses, er, just a single Yamaha
H50Mmonitor. Howdidthis odd
state of affairs come tobe?
"Whi|e I was working at my o|d office job I
was using PC speakers and headphones.
A guy at work used to bui|d recording
studios. I wanted newstuff, so I asked
himabout speakers. I had budgeted 200,
but he to|d me to get a pair of Yamaha
HS80Ms. I cou|dn't afford two so I bought
one, and put off buying the other. I did
fina||y buy another one, which shou|d be
arriving tomorrow! I'mdoing a|right with
just a sing|e monitor, but it's got to the
point nowwhere my |eft ear is buggered!
Someone to|d me I shou|d |ay it down and
put it in the midd|e of the she|f it sits on,
but by that point I was so used to the
acoustics of where it was that it just made
sense for me to keep it where it was."
Howdoes James deal withmaking
stereomixes usingjust one monitor?
"Using headphones. With Reason, I know
what needs to be done frequencywise
when it comes to making basses and
kicks mono, so I use headphones, or go
round a mate's house and see howit works
on their monitors. I a|so use hifis and
iPod earphones- I |isten on everything I
can to try to get the best mix."
We definitelywouldn't advise usingjust one
monitor, but FuntCase's temporarysolution
hasn't messedwithhis success
FuntCase - AKAJames Hazell - has
rapidlyascendedtodubstepstardom
over the past year, but he's somethingof
a reluctant convert tothe genre, andin
fact todance music ingeneral. Backin
the day, Bournemouthresident James
wasn't into0Mat all. "l usedtoplay
drums andguitar, eventhoughmymum
has always beena 0J playinghappy
hardcore and0nB. veryone was always
tryingtoget me intoit, but l hadlonghair
andwas listeningtometall"
It was the grimy sounds of jumpup Dn8
that fina||y persuaded James that e|ectronic
music was worth exp|oring. "When I heard
1wisted Individua|'s 8andwagon 8/ues, I
got switched onto Dn8. Fromthere I started
mixing and trying to MC. I began mucking
around on Music 2000on the P|ayStation,
copying tunes |ike Mindfie/d by Zen. My
mumgot with a guy ca||ed Harry Detox who
showed me howto use Reason. I was rea||y
into it and started making a|| these tunes -
that were pretty rubbish! - and it a|| evo|ved
fromthere. After about two years of mucking
about, I made my first Dn8 tune and sent it
to a |oad of DJs, |ike Logan D. 1hey p|ayed it
at the big festiva|s and stuff, so I went fu||
steamahead trying to get signed."
James re|eased numerous tracks under
his DJ Dose Dn8 persona, but his friends
were a|| |istening to dubstep. "About a year
ago I started dabb|ing in dubstep because
my friends were winding me up and te||ing
me I shou|d do it. I kept te||ing themno, but
they wou|dn't |isten. So I made Gori//a l/ex,
which got signed. 1he reason I'mca||ed
FuntCase was because I didn't think I was
going to do it serious|y, I was going to carry
on doing Dn8 and make dubstep on the side
for a |augh, but I enjoy it more - there are
|ess ru|es. Drum'n' bass is very strict on
arrangement, and you can't have too many
cutouts. In dubstep you can muck around
and have breaks with randomsounds and
it's so much more fun to make. 1here is
more freedomto use different sounds - for
examp|e, 8oregore screams through a mic
and puts it through distortion. You can't
do that in Dn8, it wou|dn't sound right!"
Ed j^[ 9Wi[
In our exc|usive tutoria| and video, James
ta|ks us through howhe and fe||owSouth
coast act Southbound Hangers made their
co||aborative track WizardS/eeve in Reason.
Recent|y, though, James switched DAWs - he
nowuses Steinberg Nuendo. So, what's the
reason behind the switch
l was qo|nq to carr,
on na||nq Dn| ano
na|e ouosteo on
tne s|oe |or a |auqn
out l en,o, |t nore
"I made a tune ca||ed Mattress Punch,
which sounded great at raves, but not as
c|ear as the other tunes p|ayed on Xtra.
1hat made me want to switch DAWs and up
my game. NowI'mon Nuendo and it's |ike
being back at square one. I've got |oads of
sounds in Reason, so I'mbouncing them
down and doing things with themin Nuendo
that I never thought I cou|d do - for
examp|e, automating the Chopper effect to
make a wobb|e. 1he Meta|iser and F|anger
in Nuendo are way better than the f|anger in
Reason. I'm|oving the fact that I can now
actua||y edit my audio in Nuendo."
What about soft synths "I got taught
howto use Massive when I first started. I
thought it was the most comp|icated thing
ever, but nowit's my best mate! I've been
trying to |earn Z31A+, but that thing is
comp|icated. there are too many tabs. And
A|bino b|ows my mind. I can't fathomwhat
things mean in it!"
Nowturn the page to see howJames
produces his dirty dubstep tracks.
A0J Herocontroller, Cherry
Coke andHariboare all
essential studiokit for
dubstepdonFuntCase
Del[cX[h (&'& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % +'
orooucer nasterc|ass / na|e nus|c now
:Wh[ZjeZeZkXij[f
A?9A
"This is a classic Vengeance kick. lt's so
cleanthat it doesn't needtobe edthat
much. This kickis quite bottom-y, but
there's a little high-midclickinthere,
whichgives it a nice character. l've tuned
it down-. That's not a lot but it will make
a difference tohowit will kickina club- it
puts it moreinthe0Hzrange. l'vegot the
high-pass at 62Hz, whichmakes roomfor
the sub. Youdon't want tocut out too
muchbecause that wouldmake it like a
0nBkick; indubstepyou'vegot more
roomtofit thelowendin. l've alsoadded
compressiontogive it some smack."
BEM#;D:ID7H;
"The low-endsnare gives the trackthe
impact inthe club. l've got anold-school
TCsnare that l use in0nB- here l boost it
at around!70Hz, whichis aroundthe
bottomendfrequencypeakof where it
hits. Tofindwhere it peaks l use a tight
bandtosweeparound, andthenwhen
l've foundit l'll make the bandless tight
sothat it alsohas a low-endsmack."
I?CFB;>?#>7J;B;9JHE
"This is a simple electronic hi-hat sound
that l runthrougha Hall 2 reverb. My
preference is tohave a bigroomsize and
decaywithjust a little bit of wetness to
give it a nice click. Onits ownit sounds
nice, but it won't gel intothe mixunless
youuse reverbonit. lndubstepyouneed
reverbfor the drumsounds toglue it all
together, or alternativelyyoucando
what l do: layer it tohell. lnthat case,
youmight not needtoreverbsomuch."
A?9A(
"This is a reallycrunchydistortedsound
that doesn't hit onthe lowendtbecause
l've cut off the bottomat about
!50200HzI but still retains a low-mid
smack. lt plays together withthe main
kicktoproduce a reallycharacterisedhit.
lf youhave just a kickwithout muchhigh
endgoingon, it makes themixsounddull.
l'veaddeda hall reverbtoit because
without it the soundjust stops - it will
soundtoostoppy-startyinthe mix."
ID7H;IK9A
"l call this a 'woosh' - it's like a sucking
snare before the snare hits. lt's a small
detail, but the small details reallymake a
tune. lt sounds ridiculous onits ownbut in
the mixit gives the whole thinga better
sound. lt has aslight reverbtohelpit gel."
C?:ID7H;
"This is quiteamid-ysnare, but whenyou
make a snare you've got tomake sure
that it hits everypart of the frequency
spectrum. This has beenboostedonthe
topendtogive it that click. l put a triplet
delayonthis andthehi-hat, whichcreates
a patternwhentheyplay."
9B7FH;L;H8
"This is a standardsoundindubstep: the
reverbedclapgives thetuneatmosphere.
lf you've got somethingthat just hits, it
will soundgood, but it won't give youthe
roundness that the whole mixneeds in
order tosoundreallyatmospheric. l'm
usinga Hall 2 effect withquite a bit of size
onthe room, anda bit more wetness."
C?:>?#>7J
"The first hat was reallyhigh. This one is
more inthe high-mids, andinthe mixits
patterns sit reallynicelywiththe tophat.
Theyhit separately, but come together at
some points - sotheyneedtofit each
other. Like everythingelse, make sure
the hi-hat is full-bodiedandcoveringthe
right bit of the frequencyspectrum."
EF;D>?#>7J
"This isn't a typical-soundinghi-hat:
there's a bit of flange onthe sample. l've
edit sothere's nothingunder !00Hz,
andit rolls off uptoabout 300400Hz.
5ometimes hats fromsample libraries
will have a tinybit of bass under them-
youneedtocut that out, because it will
come throughif you're playingthe track
ona big, frequency-sensitive system. l
wantedthis soundtobe reallytinnyand
high, sol've boostedit at about !0kHz
for a nice high-mid, top-endsizzle."
B?L;EF;D>?#>7J
"This is a live-soundinghi-hat tofill out
the frequencyspectrum. lt plays a kindof
0nBpatternthat gives the hi-hats a really
nice shuffle. This one plays slightlyoff,
whichgives it a kindof triplet feel."
9H7I>
"The bottomendhas beencut out upto
200Hz tomake sure it's not conflicting
withanyother low-endfrequencies. l've
pitchedit downto-6; if youmakesurethat
all the cymbals andhi-hats are playingat
the same pitch, it will soundmuchbetter.
l've alsoput a 2/3 delayonit. This is a big
filler whenit comes todubstepdrums,
andit helps togive themextra fullness."
H?:;9OC87B
"This is a 0nB-style layer that rolls up
fromthe bottomto500Hz. l didn't want
toomuchmidinit because a ride cymbal
shouldbe verytinnyandsizzly. Toomuch
midwill create an"openmouth" sound,
whichyoudon't want. Youneeda bit of it
inthere, but you'll have other sounds in
the mids, sokeepit inthebackground."
H?C>?J
"This soundis a nice filter. l put a bit of
distortiononit tohelpfill it out, and
there's alsoa tinybit of reverbonit."
I>7A;H
"l've put a tinybit of reverbonthis and
droppedthe pitchto-. The patternl've
programmedhelps it gel together with
the hi-hats - it gives it a bit of a funky
rhythm. Youshouldalways make sure
that all the holes ina hi-hat a patternare
filled- youwant the whole drumriff to
roll sothat it's not stoppingandstarting."
The Reasonmixer layout for FuntCase's drumtracktoWizard5leeve, complete withsendeffects at the top
James uses the auxsends inReason's mixer totweakhis myriaddrumsounds. Layeringis keytothe FuntCase drumsound- these are just a fewof his drumtracks...
+( % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % Del[cX[h (&'&
na|e nus|c now / orooucer nasterc|ass
8k_bZ_d]M_pWhZIb[[l[iZhkcjhWYa_dH[Wied
"1his is a strange squea|y sound.
I made it in Ma|strmfroma square
and a sine dropped two octaves and run
through the shaper and both fi|ters.
I've automated the Cutoff on one of the
comb fi|ters to drop from26 to 0. Litt|e
variations |ike that make the sounds |ess
boring to |isten to."
'
"1his sound was made by Southbound
Hangers on Massive in Logic, and it's
been bounced down to audio and |oaded
into Reason's NN9. It's an aggressive
sawtooth sound with a bit of resonant
|owpass fi|ter, and I've run it through
Scream4. I've turned the 0amage contro|
down so that the signa| isn't too |oud."
(
"1his is another Southbound Hangars
tune. 1his time I fe|t the signa| wasn't
that strong, so I've boosted the 0amage
contro|, which gives it more overdrive
distortion. I've set the Tone contro|s a bit
higher to freshen it up, and a|so used
Scream4's Body, which is a fi|ter that
makes it sound |ike you're p|aying the
bass down a p|ugho|e."
)
"1his is a rea||y horrib|e wobb|e
sound. 1his sound uses two sine
osci||ators running through the Shaper
in uant mode with the |eve| set to fu||
b|ast. I've got it running through Scream
4, and the mid on the Tone contro|
automates as it p|ays, which opens up
the sound of the bass."
*
"1his is another "wompy" bass, but
it's more of a constant, open sound.
I've used Mod 8 in Ma|strmto modu|ate
the vo|ume |eve| and fi|ter cutoff
frequency. Otherwise it's the same
0igistructor preset, settings and LQas
the previous sound."
-
"1he first bass sound - the squea| bass
- wou|d sound too bare it if p|ayed on
its own. there wou|d be no bottomend or
grit. 1o so|ve that, I've added this sawbass.
It's a simp|e effect used in Dn8 that's great
for fi||ing out a bass that's got a high buzz
to it and sounds too ho||owin the mix. I've
boosted the |owmids to add warmth."
+
"You'|| notice if you |isten to my tracks
that I a|ways put gaps in my tunes - it
wi|| kick off, be a|| gravy, and then I'|| cut
everything out and put a randomsound
in. It keeps the ears interested! Here I've
got a Vengeance sound effect samp|e
panning from|eft to right. I did that by
automating the Pan contro| in the mixer."
.
"I get asked a |ot about these 'yoy'
basses. It's such a simp|e thing! Here
I run a sine bass through a Shaper, then
through the 0igistructor preset in Scream
4, and I've turned up the 0amage contro|
and LQs a |itt|e bit. 1he defau|t body makes
it sound rea||y good. 1his gives it that sort
of disgusting 'womp' sound that you want."
,
"Southbound Hangers' MC Raf
performed the voca| samp|e. Reason
doesn't do timestretching, so to get a
simi|ar effect I've done this rea||y strange
thing where the samp|e is p|ayed
stuttered, whi|e the samp|e start point is
automated and gradua||y increased."
/
'teo o, steo
<kdj9Wi[ ed cWa_d] j^[ XWii[i WdZ <N\eh M_pWhZ Ib[[l[
Del[cX[h (&'& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % +)
orooucer nasterc|ass / na|e nus|c now
Just last issue we presentedour first ever
iPhone apptutorial feature, focusedon
semimodular synthesis environment Jasuto.
As goodas that one is, though, if we hadto
make dowithjust one iO5 music app, there's
nodoubt that we'dplumpfor the outstanding
Nano5tudiofromBliplnteractive.
We fee| confident in saying that it offers the
most satisfying musica| experience of any iOS
app. What rea||y makes it specia| is that it's the
first app we've used that you can use to make a
comp|ete track in pretty much any Ce|ectronic)
sty|e, with an arrangement that's as comp|ex as
most users wi|| ever need and the freedomto
use practica||y any type of sound.
1he sequencer is high|y f|exib|e, and whi|e
not as featurerich as a desktop app, a|| the basic
editing, sequencing and automation
functiona|ity is in p|ace. You won't find yourse|f
confined to a simp|e 6step sequencer here.
Sonica||y, you've got a 6pad samp|ing drum
machine and four synths to p|ay with, the |atter
offering rea|time synthesis, samp|e support,
deep modu|ation options, and bui|tin effects.
1here's samp|ing and even resamp|ing, which
opens up a who|e wor|d of possibi|ities.
Rather than going over the basics - which are
ab|y covered in the exce||ent manua| - we're
going to revea| some of the advanced tricks that
wi|| he|p you get the most out of NanoStudio. If
you put into practice everything detai|ed here,
you'|| soon be making suspicious|y |arge tunes
within your pintsized studio. Mix down to WAV
and use your desktop machine to juice it up with
some fancy mastering p|ugins and no one wi||
ever suspect that your tracks were produced on
a mobi|e phone!
If you've never used NanoStudio before and
are curious as to what a|| the fuss is about, we've
inc|uded the desktop 'demo' version for PC and
Mac on the DVD. It's just |ike the iPhone app,
so you'|| be ab|e to have a go at the tutoria|s.
And for iPhone users, we hope that our guide
wi|| make you see your device as a music
making machine with a phone tacked on, rather
than the other way around. Fina||y, the v.
update shou|d be |ive by the time you read this,
so do yourse|f a favour and check it out.
ne anaz|nq Nano'tuo|o enao|es
,ou to na|e cono|ete trac|s on ,our
||none or ||oo toucn |ax|n|se |ts
ootent|a| w|tn our |noeotn qu|oe
IC7BB
MED:;H
EDJ>;:L:
1ry the desktop version
of NanoStudio and hear
our audio examp|es
'teo o, steo
<Wa[ i_Z[Y^W_d fkcf_d] m_j^ Wd B<E
Programa simp|e fourtothef|oor
dance beat in 1RC6 Cwe're using
NanoStudio's inc|uded 909 bank) and
programsome sustained chords in Lden
Cwe're using the A59.Noise 5trings
preset). Shorten the re|ease on Lden for a
tighter sound - it shou|d sound something
|ike Pumping- None.wav, on the DVD.
'
Now|et's set up an LFOin Lden to
provide a sidechain pumping effect.
Scro|| to the screen showing the four LFOs
and Aux Lnve|ope, and set LFO's
Amount to around ha|fway up, 5ync to
Beat, and Rate to !/4. You shou|d set its
5hape to 5aw0n Cand not SawUp, as you
might have expected!).
(
On the next page, se|ect the first row
CLFO!) and set its 0estination to Amp
and Parameter to Amount. Set the fina|
co|umn, Amount, right down to -!00. You
can nowuse the Amount knob on the LFO
screen to contro| the amount of pumping.
1his trick can be used subt|y, too, as a sort
of fake compression.
)
+* % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % Cedj^ (&'&
FEM;H J? F
4J[cfbWj_ed
If you find yourse|f getting heavi|y
into resamp|ing, you might find it
better to create dedicated temp|ate
projects for each type of sound Ceg,
|ead synth, drumhit, noise FX, etc)
you want to make, and use the Mix
toWavfunction Cin the Manage/
Project tab) to dump out sounds to
bui|d up a customsound |ibrary. It's
practica| to do this midsession, too,
because NanoStudio projects |oad
and save so quick|y. And with a
who|e project at your disposa| for a
sing|e sound, you can potentia||y
stack up a|| four instances of Lden,
to create tru|y titanic tones!
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sna|| wonoer / na|e nus|c now
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NanoStudio's resamp|ing functiona|ity
is very powerfu| indeed, enab|ing you
to record the mixer's master out direct|y
back to a samp|e s|ot in Lden or 1RC6.
We're going to use this to create some fat
unison sounds with Lden, then bounce it
down to a sing|e p|ayab|e samp|e for
convenience. Co to the first Lden synth's
contro| pane| and se|ect A04.Universal
Bass fromthe Clobal Abank.
'
Head to the osci||ator setup screen
and set both 5hape of both osci||ators
to 5aw. Next, move on to the fi|ter page
and se|ect the Off button to disengage the
fi|ter. Move down to the next page and
crank up the 5ustain of the amp|itude
enve|ope, and set the Polyphony to .
1his gives us a simp|e sawtoothbased
po|yphonic synth patch on which to
base our sound.
(
Lden doesn't have a unison function,
but you can easi|y fake it by |ayering
up notes in the sequencer. Create a new
pattern and drawin a |ong C4 note - one
bar wi|| do. Se|ect it, hit Copy, then use the
|eftmost orange 'hand|e' to s|ide it back to
the start of the bar, so the two notes are
stacked right on top of each other. Now
se|ect both of notes and repeat
the process.
)
Nowour sequence p|ays back four
notes/voices at once. 1o create a rea|
unison sound, though, each of those
needs to be tuned a |itt|e different|y. Head
back into Lden and go to the LFOpage.
Set the first LFO's 5hape to Rnd5tep, its
Amount to ha|fway, 5ync to Key, and
Rate to 0.0!, ie, so s|owthat it ho|ds its
initia| va|ue a|most indefinite|y Cdon't set it
to 0.00, because that disab|es the LFO).
*
1he LFOwe've just set up creates a
constant randommodu|ation amount
for each voice - now|et's assign it to
something. In the modu|ation routing
screen, LFO shou|d have its 0estination
set to Osc, Parameter to A+BPitch, and
Amount to 2. Nowwhen you hit p|ay, you
shou|d hear a much thicker tone. 1o
adjust the amount of detune, use LFO's
Amount knob.
+
We current|y have fourvoice unison -
for more voices, just stack up more
notes in the sequencer. 1o pan the voices,
set up the second LFO|ike the first one
and instead route it to Osc/Pan, with the
Amount set to !00Cuse the LFO's
Amount knob to dia| in width). 1inker with
parameters, modu|ation and effects unti|
you |ike what you're hearing! We |ike it
with the waveshaper and chorus on.
,
Nowwe're ready to resamp|e, so bring
up the second Lden. Again, |oad the
A04.Universal Bass patch as a starting
point and disab|e the fi|ter and effects for
now. On the osci||ator page, set Mod to
5ample, then whack the red Rec button
that appears. 1ap the Resample tab and
set a|| parameters to their minimum
va|ues, since we on|y want one bar. 1hen
hit the Rec button and stand we|| back!
-
You'|| see the waveformappear - you
can edit it, but for nowjust hit 0one,
then OK, then give the samp|e a name and
save it. You'|| nowbe ab|e to p|ay the
unison synth sound up and down the
keyboard, and po|yphonica||y too Craise
the Polyphony setting if it's not working).
1hrowon some reverb and de|ay and
you're off! Don't forget to save your new
preset, preferab|y in the Project bank.
.
+, % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % Del[cX[h (&'&
na|e nus|c now / sna|| wonoer
'teo o, steo
FWjj[hdi"fWhji WdZ fh[i[ji
With NanoStudio boasting four Lden
synths, you might assume that you
can on|y use four Lden sounds per song.
In fact, you can use a different patch for
each and every pattern - powerfu| stuff!
1o do this, se|ect a pattern in the
sequencer and tap MoreProperties,
then the Preset tab. Hit nable and se|ect
the patch you'd |ike to use for the pattern.
1he patch names are shown in the c|ips.
'
When switching between patches that
use samp|es, you may find that the
first fewnotes of a pattern don't p|ay. 1his
happens because NanoStudio is sti||
|oading the samp|es into memory. One
way to get around this - if your song
structure permits it - is to insert an empty
pattern that uses the patch you want to
|oad. 1his wi|| foo| NanoStudio into |oading
the samp|es ahead of time.
(
1he other tab under More/Properties
houses a simi|ar|y powerfu| feature,
a||owing you to convert a 'part' Cthe
defau|t mode for a|| sequencer c|ips) into a
numbered 'pattern' and vice versa. When
you edit, say, pattern , a|| patterns with
that number wi|| change. You can a|so
|oop patterns by extending the right edge
of the c|ip Cset the |ength with the b|ue
|ocator strip in the piano ro|| editor).
)
'teo o, steo
<Wa[ \_bj[h[Z Z[bWoi
We've got a simp|e beat and fi|| CFilter
0elayNone.wav) and we're going to
put an echo on the fi|| using resamp|ing
trickery. 1he fi|| is on 1RC6's track 8, so
we switch off 1RC6 track A, then
resamp|e into Lden, using the method
exp|ained in the |ast wa|kthrough. You can
use any sound you |ike, though.
'
1he first ha|f of the bar is si|ence, so
|et's de|ete it. Pinchzoomto where the
first hit |ands and swipe to high|ight the
si|ence prior to it. Make sure you get it as
tight as possib|e, or the echoes wi|| go out
of time. Nowse|ect ZoomAll and drag
the |eftmost orange 'hand|e' to the far |eft,
then tap 0elete.
(
Hit 0one, then OK, and name the
samp|e. Co to the fi|ter screen, crank
up the Cutoff, then ho|d a C4 note - you
shou|d hear the fi|| repeat on a |oop. Now
you can put the Cutoff back down and use
the fi|ter enve|ope with an instant Attack,
|ong 0ecay, |ow5ustain and high
Amount to make the fi|ter c|ose over time.
)
Nowwe've got a de|ay tai|, we can
programit in where needed - ie, just
after the 'norma|' fi||. We programa |ong
C4 note at the start of the bar just after the
fi|| is heard Cin our case, at position 2.0) to
create a convincing fi|tered de|ay. You can
even shorten the note to shut down the
repeats. Nifty! CFilter 0elayLong.wav)
*
It sounds good, but we'd |ike the de|ay
time to be shorter - ie, a quarter note
instead of ha|f a bar. 1his is easi|y done by
se|ecting the note, hitting Copy, then
s|iding it back unti| it's a quarter note
ear|ier, at position .4. 1he two notes are
nowover|apping, but they'|| both p|ay
back just fine. CFilter 0elay0oubled.wav)
+
Howabout a funkier de|ay pattern
S|ide the ear|ier of the two notes to the
right by one 6thnote Cyou can adjust the
grid by tapping the Tools button). Croovy,
innit You can further customise the
sound in Lden using modu|ation and
effects to create very unusua| de|ays.
CFilter 0elayRhythmic.wav)
,
andtwist the Contour knobtodarkenor
brightenthe sound. Youcanalways resample
sounds throughit, too, if youwant touse
theminTRC!6, and, indeed, youcanuse
den's filters inthis manner for basic
high/lowcutting.
O/||/ |/NN|D
There's noobvious panningcontrol inden,
andwhile v!.! offers panknobs inthe mixer,
it's still worthknowingthat there's a pan
destinationinden's modmatrix. Use the
'static LFO' trickdescribedinour unison
synthwalkthroughandyou'll be able topan
individual patches as youlike.
V/Rl|/ O| 'OND
While it's true that youcanuse Nano5tudio's
automationfeatures tosubtlychange
parameters over time, if youjust want
variations onandenpatchteg, toopenthe
filter cutoff wider duringthe chorusI, it's
easier tomake a newpatchandswitchtoit
usingthe patch-changingsystem. We also
findthat withcomplexprojects, it makes
more sense toleave the mixer faders at
unityanddeal withlevel changes ona
patch-by-patchbasis.
|NOWN /|l/'|'
lnterms of pure quality, Nano5tudioisn't the
cleanest appout there, andyoumaynotice
aliasingthigh-frequencynoiseI when
pitchingsamples awayfromtheir root note. lf
you're not usingden's filter for anythingin
particular, tryapplyinga low-pass filter with
a highcutoff andthe at minimum- this can
softenthe abrasive topend. Of course,
sometimes that digital grit is just what the
doctor ordered, thoughl
|R|'| |/N/C|||N
Nano5tudio's preset systemis a little odd, we
have tosay. Make sure youget intothe habit
of savingyour tune's presets regularlyinto
the Project banktthe Clobal banks are
sharedbetweenall projectsI because unless
youactuallyhit the Write button, your
carefullycraftedsoundwill be lost as soonas
youswitchtoanother patch. Whenever you
save your song, it pays toflipthrougheach
denandsave the presets too.
lNClD|N/||/
You'll probablyloadincidental noises like
crashcymbals, build-ups andFXintothe
TRC!6, as this seems the most logical place
toput them. However, if youcanspare an
denchannel, consider makingcustomden
patches for them, as you'll gainenormous
flexibilityandbe able touse the chorus and
waveshaper effects, too. Andif you're
planningonusingtomfills, loadinga single
tomsoundintodenandplayingit
chromaticallywill free upthe multiple pads
you'dhave touse onthe TRC!6.
V |OR /||
Just as we went topress, Bliplnteractive
submittedthe v!.! of Nano5tudiotothe App
5tore - it shouldbe out bythe time youread
this. 5latedfeatures include audiocopy/
paste to/fromother apps, Ml0l file import/
export, Line 6Ml0l Mobilizer support,
project import/export as a self-contained
file, direct export to5oundCloud, advanced
mixdownoptions, improvements to
Nano5ync t24-bit file support, nestedfolder
copying, PPCcompatibilityI, note previewin
pianoroll, andplentymore besides.
NO |/D| /W//
The Holdfunctionof TRC!6is veryhandy,
but it canproduce some oddbuzzingsounds
withfast attack/release times, especiallyon
bass sounds - take a listentoS0S0lrty
Release.wav. lf you're onlyusingit for basic
envelope shaping, youmight be better off
forgettingabout the Holdmode andinstead
usingthe Fade lnandFade Out functions in
the sample editor toachieve the same thing
without the buzzing: S0SCleanRelease.wav
/|||| '/||||'
Cet your i0evice loadedupwithsome quality
sample packs andNano5tudiowill thankyou
for it. Youhave touse the Nano5ync desktop
apptodothis, but it's well worthit, andthe
v!.! update shouldmake the whole process
prettymuchdrag-and-drop.
|| |Q/|l'|R
Nano5tudiodoesn't have a dedicated
module, but the 5thPlanet waveshaper in
dencanfunctionas one - just flipthrough
the modes till youget tothe last one, Only,
DWdeIjkZ_ej_fi
0on't forget that TRC!6has three buses, with
independent reverb, delayandfilter settings for each
Ontrack2 we've got a pumpingpadpreset anda 'soft'
variation- this is easier thanautomatingparameters
The wave editor is verybasic but checkout the fade in/
out options if TRC!6's envelopes aren't doingit for you
Wot, nopanknobs? Not toworry- bythe time youread
this, v!.! shouldbe out, replete withpanpots
We stronglyrecommendtryingall the reverbmodels as
the default one isn't necessarilythe best for your track
0on't write off 5thPlanet as just a distortionmachine - it
canfunctionas a basic too
The power-packedperformance page - everythinghere
canbe recordedinreal time, soget those fingers ready
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Noise andmusic are arguablythe exact
opposite of eachother - althoughwe
suspect that manyparents of teenagers might
disagree. One is chaotic withnostructure at
all, while the other is organisedandmelodic.
Right? Well, no. The twoaren't infact entirely
mutuallyexclusive. lnfact, noise -
specifically, white noise - features lnfar more
music thanyoumight think.
What is white noise Lffective|y, it's a||
frequencies together, at the same time, in
equa| measure - a 'hiss'. It's ca||ed white
noise because of its simi|arity Cconceptua||y
at |east) to white |ight, which comprises a|| the
different co|ours C|ight frequencies) together.
White |ight can be sp|it back into its
component parts - by pushing it through a
prism, rainbowsty|e, for examp|e - and the
same is true for its audio cousin.
1here are other types of noise - pink, brown,
etc - but these are a|| just subsections of white.
Ana|ogous to the scu|ptor's b|ock, white noise is
a b|ank canvas of sound, waiting to be stripped
and shaped into something more attractive.
Cood for us, then, that this makes it an
extreme|y usefu| too| when it comes to music
production. Fromsimp|e hihats, sweeps and
risers to the cheery me|odies of chiptune, white
noise's inf|uence on music is far reaching and
not to be underestimated.
In this tutoria|, we'|| exp|ain howyou can start
incorporating white noise into your productions
right away, be it to add a |itt|e spark|e to some
du|| e|ements or bui|d that washy fi|| you've
been |ooking for a|| this time. After comp|eting
the fo||owing wa|kthroughs, you'|| find yourse|f
hearing white noise in everything - not just
when you |eave the te||y on...
EDJ>;:L:
Audio examp|es from
the wa|kthroughs are
in the Tutorials fo|der,
as are a set of screencast
videos showing these
techniques in action
Del[cX[h (&'& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % ,'
tne wn|te stu|| / na|e nus|c now
Snare drums come in a|| shapes and
sizes. some snappy, some |ong. Using
a |itt|e bit of white noise underneath can
give you more contro| over the sound. With
a drummachine |oaded, add a kick drum,
a short snare drumand a hihat into a
simp|e 4/4 pattern, with the snares on
every other beat.
'
Load up a synth, and set its amp
enve|ope to the same settings we
used for the hihats above. 1his time,
however, increase the 5ustainjust a
touch. 1o create the desired wet/sp|ashy
sound, add a highpass fi|ter and set the
0epth/Amount to around 50%.
(
1his shou|d have created a short
burst of sound that quick|y dec|ines
to just a faint hiss. 1o add this under the
snares, draweighthnotes in on the same
beats. 1o prevent it c|ashing with the
snares and detracting fromtheir snap,
turn off quantise and nudge themto the
right a tiny amount.
)
With quantise sti|| off, try |engthening
the white noise notes gradua||y. A
sma|| change makes a notab|e difference
to the sound, and it's one that cou|d be
automated over time. Adding a 32ndnote
direct|y after the first sp|ash creates a
'f|ickingup' effect for rhythmic variety.
*
'teo o, steo
7ZZ ifbWi^%jW_b je idWh[ Zhkci
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Probablythe simplest andmost
commonwaythat white noise
is usedinelectronic music is in
the creationof percussive
elements, hi-hats andsnares in
particular. Before we get going,
clearlyit's essential that youhave
access tosome methodof
generatingwhite noise.
Fortunately, this isn't
anywhere near as complicatedas
it might sound. There are a few
ways of generatingwhite noise
touse inyour sounddesign
endeavours, but byfar the
simplest is touse a synththat has
a white noise waveformavailable
toits oscillators. Most virtual
analogue synths, bothfree and
paidfor, offer this particular
feature. The other alternative is
touse a sample of some white
noise - whichis veryeasytofind
onthe internet - anduse that ina
sampler plug-in.
Once youhave a source of
white noise, the next most
important considerationis that
youcansculpt it with, filters
andenvelopes, as these are the
best tools for carvingsomething
useful out of the frequencysoup.
Once armedwiththe right
equipment, nothingelse remains
but toget stuckin. Let's doitl
'teo o, steo
9h[Wj[ i_cfb[ ^_#^Wj iekdZi m_j^ m^_j[ de_i[
Load up a synth in your DAWand set it
to generate a noise waveform. Some
synths have noise waveforms inc|uded in
their regu|ar osci||ators, others - such as
Native Instruments' Massive, which we're
using here - have a dedicated osci||ator
for the purpose. When you p|ay the synth,
you shou|d just hear static.
'
In the Amp Lnve|ope, set the Attack,
5ustain andRelease to 0. We want
quick and snappy hihats, with sharp
attack and no sustain. A |onger 0ecay
time gives us some headroomfor variation.
Set this to about midway and keep testing
it unti| it sounds short but c|ear.
(
Add a highpass fi|ter, and set the
Cutoff to about 6070%, keeping just
the high frequencies audib|e. 1his shou|d
finish the basic sound. Drawin some
6thnotes and tweak their |engths s|ight|y
for variation. Keep the 0ecay about
midway up if you need more |ength.
)
,( % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % Del[cX[h (&'&
na|e nus|c now / tne wn|te stu||
With the riser set up as above, turn the
Fi|ter Cutoff knob to maximumand
the Amount/0epthon the modu|ation
enve|ope to 00%, inverting it Cyour
particu|ar synth may hand|e this rather
different|y to ours). If this produces a
sound that's too harsh, bring the Cutoff
back down a bit.
'
Assign an LFOto modu|ate the
osci||ator's pan contro| CPanA) using a
sine or triang|e waveformat a Rate of !/2.
1urn the Amount/0epth knob
to maximumCor +00%). 1his is going to
create a coo| stereo effect by panning the
fa|| |eft and right twice per beat.
(
1his sounds OK as it is, but the effect
cou|d do with a |itt|e something extra.
1urn the fi|ter's Resonance up fair|y high
and assign it to the same LFOas the pan,
with the Amount/0epthat +00%. 1his
gives our fa|| that distinctive whist|e effect.
)
1o comp|ete the effect, assign the
same enve|ope that's contro||ing the
fi|ter cutoff to contro| the Rate of the LFO
used in the previous step. 1his causes the
panning and resonance to speed up over
time. Adjust the amounts to taste.
*
'teo o, steo
9h[Wj[ WfWdd_d] m^_j[ de_i[ \Wbb
CeZkbWj[ j^_i
Risers, falls, crashes, swooshes
andmanyother onomatopoeic
soundcanall be craftedfrom
white noise. But applyingpitch
modulationtowhite noise has no
effect because of the wayit
is made up- all frequencies in
equal amounts. 5ohowdowe
create effects that seemtostart
at the bottomandrise upwards?
lf we have a soundthat
comprises all frequencies, the
best waytoalter its soundis by
usinga filter. Bycarvingout
various frequencyranges you
cancreate that vital sense of
movement withinsound.
While this is fine for one-note
sweepingeffects, it doesn't help
withmakingsomethingmore
rhythmic, suchas hi-hats. You
coulduse manual automationto
move a filter's cutoff and
resonance over time, but who
wants todothat for morethana
fewbars? Theanswer might liein
aless-usedmodulationsource
calledkeytrack.
Keytrackenables the
modulationof a parameter by
Ml0l note value. Asimple
example is openingthe filter
cutoff as the note pitchrises. This
works particularlywell with
white noise - just findthe key
trackoptiononyour synthand
assigningit tothe filter cutoff.
Addtothis suchthings as
volume automationandpanning,
andthe creative possibilities
begintogrow. You're never going
toget therich, melodictones of a
conventional waveformtthat's
not whywe're herelI, but these
techniques enable youtocreate
sounds that are just as dynamic.
'teo o, steo
8k_bZ WXWi_Y m^_j[ de_i[ h_i[h
With your synth CLennar Digita|'s
Sy|enth, in our case) or samp|e p|ayer
ready to go, either |oad in a white noise
samp|e or activate the white noise
osci||ator, and drawin a twobar|ong note.
Make sure the amp enve|ope is set to zero
Attack, 0ecayand Release, and
maximum5ustain.
'
For a rising effect, set the fi|ter to
Low-pass and the Cutoff to a|most 0.
P|aying a key nowshou|d make |itt|e or
no sound. Set a modu|ation enve|ope to
contro| the fi|ter Cif your synth doesn't
have a dedicated fi|ter enve|ope) and set
a|| of its parameters to 0.
(
Set the enve|ope Amount/0epthto
00%, and the Attackto about 50%.
P|aying a key nowshou|d produce a short,
sharp rising sound. Loop the note and
keep adjusting the Attack unti| the cutoff
fu||y opens at the end of the note.
)
Del[cX[h (&'& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % ,)
tne wn|te stu|| / na|e nus|c now
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Start with a simp|e beat. 1his
technique is popu|ar in tech and
minima| sty|es, so kick drum, snare and
hihats Cmaybe the ones we made ear|ier)
are a good starting point. Create a 6bar
|oop, perhaps this wou|d be the basis for a
chorus or breakdown.
'
Choose a simp|e sound. two saw
waves and a square work we|| for
this sort of effect. Over a fourbar |oop,
drawin some notes in the first ha|f of
each bar, except in the fourth bar, where
you shou|d just add in a few6thnotes
at the end. Copy these four bars out to
make 6 bars in tota|.
(
Add your white noise synth to a
newchanne| and drawin a sing|e
note in the second ha|f of each bar. You
shou|d nowhave the bass notes p|aying
for two notes, fo||owed by ha|f a bar of
g|orious white noise.
)
1o make sure they over|ap and thus
interact we||, turn off quantise and
manua||y stretch the white noise notes
back just a touch Ca 32nd or 6thnote
|ength shou|d be p|enty). Listen again to
make sure the two sounds coincide we||.
*
Whi|e we are aiming for some amount
of over|ap, it may be necessary to
automate the vo|ume of the white noise
to make the transition between the two
sound somewhat smoother. A|ternative|y
you cou|d simp|y adjust the enve|ope
attack unti| it sounds smooth.
+
1o finish the effect and make it sit
more comfortab|y with the other
parts, adjust the vo|ume so that it's not
overpowering, add a compressor and
sidechain it fromthe kick drum. 1his
wi|| give the sound a much more
rhythmic fee|.
,
White noise seems to have
deve|oped a certain |eve| of
cu|tura| significance over the
|ast fewdecades. 8ands, a|bums
and even fi|ms have been named
after it. So what is it about this
harsh co||ection of abstract
frequencies that's caused it to
have such a genuine inf|uence
outside the sound itse|f
Musicwise, the idea of
something being randomand
face|ess has a|ways he|d a certain
punky appea|. 8ut with over 30
tracks with the tit|e
current|y avai|ab|e to down|oad
via i1unes, perhaps it's not a|| that
randomafter a||.
Less tunefu||y Cor maybe
not!), white noise is often used
in vehic|e sirens, as it is be|ieved to
make themeasier to |ocate
spatia||y - howmany times have
you heard a siren and spent a few
moments trying to work out where
the ambu|ance is coming from
A|most paradoxica||y, white
noise is a|so at the centre of the
|ucrative newage 're|axation'
industry. 8eing constructed from
the entire audib|e frequency range,
white noise is be|ieved to be an
exce||ent too| for drowning out
unwanted background noise
Cinc|uding distracting noise when
trying to s|eep) and tinnitus. Do a
quick internet search for 'white
noise CD' and you'|| be rewarded
with hundreds of thousands of
resu|ts - not bad for something
that most peop|e just think of as
radio interference.
Strange, then, that what can in
one context be extreme|y ca|ming
can, in another, be brash and
stimu|ating. Chiptune - the modern
and often abrasive sty|e of music
that makes use of o|d 8 and 6bit
sty|e synthesis - owes more than a
passing nod to our b|anche friend.
Just add a bit crusher to some
white noise and memories of
your o|d MegaDrive wi|| instant|y
come f|ooding back.
M^_j[de_i[Ykbjkh[
The emergencyservices use white noise
insirens tohelpdrivers locate them
Wh||e th|s tutor|a| has been
focusedonwh|te no|se Cdef|ned
sc|ent|f|ca||y as a s|gna| of equa|
power |nany sect|onof a g|ven
bandw|dth, g|v|ng|t a f|at
spectra| ana|ys|s curveJ, there
are severa| other co|ours of
no|se, eachof wh|chboasts |ts
ownun|que character|st|cs.
The one you're most ||ke|y
toa|ready know|s PINKN0I5E.
Un||ke wh|te no|se, th|s |sn't
equa||y strongacross a||
frequenc|es. |t decreases by 3d
per octave. However, |t does
present the same amount of
power over frequenc|es that have
the same re|at|ve w|dths. Toyou
andme, th|s means that 80!00Hz
has the same power as 800!kHz.
Th|s qua||ty a|somakes |t qu|te
usefu| as a reference for sound
eng|neers, espec|a||y for sound
check|ng|na ||ve env|ronment.
A|soch||||ngout |nthe no|se
spectrum|s 8R0WNN0I5E.
No, not the brownsound- that's
someth|ngvery d|fferent. rown
no|se Cwh|ch|s namedafter |ts
s|m||ar|ty torown|anmot|onJ |s
a|sosomet|mes ca||edredno|se.
Decreas|ngby 6d|npower per
octave, |t |s |ower |nfrequency
rangethanp|nkno|se. Inc|denta||y,
p|nk no|se |s a||egedtobe ca||ed
suchbecause |t s|ts betweenred
andwh|te spectra||y.
Sp|c|ngupthe pa|ette further
|s VI0LETN0I5E. ssent|a||y
red/brownno|se |nreverse
Cmathemat|ca||y speak|ng, at
|eastJ, |t |ncreases |npower by
6dper octave, g|v|ng|t a very
h|gh-endnature.
Next up|s 8LUEN0I5E.
Noth|ngtodow|thd|ssonant b|ue
notes or [azz, b|ue no|se |s the
reverse of p|nk, |ncreas|ng|n
strengthby 3dbper octave.
V|sua||y ana|ogous toa h|gh-pass
f||ter, th|s |s muchmore 'h|ssy'
thanbrownor p|nk no|se.
Cnthe h|ppy s|de of the
spectrum|s 0REENN0I5E.
Th|s |sn't a techn|ca||y recogn|sed
term. the frequenc|es |nquest|on
are sa|dtobe the 'background
no|se of the wor|d', takenfrom
var|ous outdoor |ocat|ons onthe
p|anet. We're not qu|te sure about
the s|gn|f|cance of greenno|se,
but what we cansay |s that |t's not
very goodfor h|-hats or toms.
Sorry, tree-huggersI
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Start by |aying down a beat. It can be
any type of rhythm, but breakbeats
work particu|ar|y we|| for this effect. 1o
create a bit of atmosphere, try adding a
onenote bass stab with |ots of reverb.
You can try other sounds, but we've
found that this works we|| as a base.
'
Add your white noise synth to a
channe|. Create a MIDI c|ip of eight
bars in |ength, making sure that the drums
and synth stab p|ay for just as |ong, and
set it to |oop. Drawin a mix of eighth and
6thnotes. Add a bandpass fi|ter centring
on around 7$=.
(
Set the |oop p|aying. At this point it
won't sound that specia|, but it shou|d
give you an idea of where this is heading.
Lssentia||y, we're going to |ayer sharp
movements in the bandpass fi|ter over
short notes to create a scratching sound.
)
With the |oop sti|| p|aying, start
p|anning the rhythmof the scratches.
Where wi|| |onger or shorter notes sound
better Drawthemin and adjust themas
the |oop goes round. Some tria| and error
may come into p|ay here.
*
1o create the scratch effect, we need
to automate the fi|ter frequency from
high to |owor |owto high. Longer notes
work we|| for a forward or backward
scratch sound, and |onger gradua|
automation over 6thnotes wi||
create a fadedin 'transform' fee|.
+
1o comp|ete the effect, try adding a
short voca| samp|e, preferab|y with a
highpitched start or a fast attack. Chop it
up into bits, repeating the first part to
correspond and interact with the white
noise scratches.
,
EDJ>;:L:
1he audio samp|es
referred to in the
wa|kthroughs and the
Photosounder demo are
a|| on the disc
5pectral editingmight not be the most
inviting, fun-soundingor
excitement-inducingof terms. lndeed, it's not
evenclear fromthe name exactlywhat it is or
what it's for. 5owhat are we doinghere..?
Spectra| editing is audio processing, but
approached froman entire|y different ang|e to
the c|assic waveformbased editors that have
been the normsince computers were ab|e to,
we||, edit audio. In fact, it doesn't work with a
waveformviewat a||. 1his re|ative|y newediting
method instead charts the frequency Cor
'spectra|') content over time, with its amp|itude
represented by brightness in what |ooks a|most
|ike a threedimensiona| map of sound. 1he
charts p|ot time Cseconds), frequency CHz) and
amp|itude Cd8) together in one view. As weird as
this might seemat first g|ance, viewing sound
spectra||y frees you of many constraints that are
intrinsic to traditiona| audio editors, in many
ways offering contro| over much finer detai|s.
As a resu|t, certain tasks that wou|d otherwise
take hours of fidd|ing with an arsena| of too|s to
carry out become quick and easy. Furthermore,
the very framework of spectra| editing creates
a who|e newset of processes, making possib|e
things that you might have previous|y assumed
to be impossib|e.
As you might expect, this way of working
is great for quirky and offthewa|| effects and
sound design. However, it's not on|y the s|ight|y
barmy and avant garde crowd who stand to
benefit fromspectra| editing. Its proponents
insist its |ure has the potentia| to extend into the
fie|ds of restoration, forensics, broadcasting,
mixing and mastering - pretty much anything
to do with recorded sound. In this feature, we'||
demystify the who|e shebang and he|p you to
get stuck in. 1hat, dear reader, is why we're here.
V|ew|nq sounos |n terns o| vo|une |s one tn|nq
out now aoout oe|nq ao|e to see tne|r |reouenc,
content too` |ne to snow ,our true co|ours
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Spectra| Repair is probab|y the
most powerfu| and versati|e too|
in iZotope RX's |ocker, but it he|ps
to have an idea of what you're
doing with it or at |east a working
procedure for ensuring you're
getting the best out of it. If you're
not convinced by the resu|ts you're
getting with one of the four modes,
try a different one. Most jobs
shou|d be quick and easy, but it
wi|| require a degree of tria| and
error at first. In this case, effort can
defeat itse|f - |ook for the so|ution
with the |east number of steps.
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Load up lsolation_walkthrough.wav
in your spectra| editor. We're using
iZotope RX, the demo of which can be
down|oaded at www.izotope.com. 1he
first step with any spectra| editing job is
to |isten to and |ook at your audio. We've
identified two unwanted incidenta| noises,
which are easi|y heard but not so easi|y
seen in the regu|ar Waveformview.
'
In Spectra| view, it's a different story.
We've spotted the first unwanted
noise - a randomoutofkey tone. We
high|ight it and adjust the vertica|
5pectrogramColor Map bar to increase
its visibi|ity. Use the PlayFrequency
5electionbutton to check what you see.
(
Zoomin vertica||y and horizonta||y
to home in on the tone, then hit the
5pectral Repair button at the bottom.
Push Numbands up to 4096, set
5trength to 3, 0irection to Vertical,
5urroundingregionlength to !00%,
Before/after weighting to 0.0, and
then c|ick Apply. And as if by magic.
)
OK, that was easy. Now|et's go for the
tambourine. You can rightc|ick on the
ru|ers to zoomout fu||y or zoomto defau|t
on the SpectrumCo|or Map - adjust them
unti| you can c|ear|y see the tambourine
sound. Now, drawa box around it.
*
Again, RX's Spectra| Repair does the
trick, but this time we can use the
Pattern tab. Set Numbands to !2, |eave
Multi-resolution off, put 5urrounding
regionlength to50%and Patternsearch
range to 0.5s. C|ick Apply. Not bad for a
fewminutes' work!
+
Reading a spectrogramcan be difficu|t at first,
and is something of a ski|| in itse|f - but once
you've fami|iarised yourse|f with it, it's a very
intuitive and fascinating way to visua|ise sound.
Imagine you're working with a voca|ist at
home and you've captured a oneinami||ion
take - but the neighbour's cat has interrupted
the recording with a series of uninvited miaows.
In the c|assic waveformview, your options for
correcting this are somewhat |imited. An LQ
p|ugin cou|d maybe reduce sections of the
unwe|come sound, but it wou|d be unrea|istic to
expect the voca| to remain c|ear and unscathed.
With a standard wave editor, you probab|y
won't be ab|e to fix the recording quick|y and
easi|y, because you simp|y can't iso|ate this |eve|
of detai| by se|ecting portions of a 2Dwaveform.
8ut when you're using a spectra| view, you can
|itera||y see the unwanted sounds, and so the
you can potentia||y iso|ate and remove them
thorough|y and effective|y.
We've put an audio fi|e, 5pectral_piano.wav,
on the DVDas we|| as the demo of the
exce||ent Photosounder, in case you don't
a|ready own any formof spectrogramsoftware.
1he recording is of a piano p|aying a C major
sca|e. 1he bright |ong b|obs near the bottom
represent the notes, and the comparative|y
faded |ines above themrepresent the harmonic
frequencies that give the piano its character.
Un|ike in the c|assic waveformview, you can
c|ear|y see the pitch rising with each hit. You
can even see the |owpitched sound of the
hammers striking the keys.
So, the spectra| viewgives us |ots of
information about the timbra| qua|ities of the
sound Ceg, howbright it is), and with experience,
deciphering this becomes second nature.
Oekh jkd[i _db_]^ji
Here we see a pianist playinga Cmajor scale - notice
howthe notes move upthe screenas theyrise inpitch
Load up 0NB_5nare_!!.wav.
A|though it's not unusab|e, this snare
samp|e is pretty fi|thy - even for Dn8.
1here's a |ot of unwanted noise, rumb|e
and genera| unc|ean|iness. Let's turn it
into a tight, more e|ectronicsounding hit.
'
In Adobe Audition 3's Spectra| view,
it's immediate|y apparent that there's
a highfrequency |ine around 5kHz. Zoom
in and se|ect it. Audition automatica||y
provides a hovering Volume knob to app|y
to the current se|ection. Reduce it to taste,
and don't be afraid of |eaving a narrow
ho|e in the spectrum.
(
Co back to the Waveformviewand
se|ect the |atter portion Cafter the
body of the snare has finished decaying
and there's just noise going on). Hit
Alt+Nto capture the noise reduction
profi|e. 1hen go to ffectsRestoration
Noise Reduction and app|y it to the
entire fi|e.
)
8ack in Spectra| view, se|ect everything
after the snare's attack, but on|y above
the snare's |owresonance Cabout 200Hz).
Navigate through ffectsAmplitude and
Compressionnvelope. Adjust
the curve to taste, previewing unti| you're
happy, then c|ick OK.
*
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5ofar we've givenyouan
overviewof the basic principles
of spectral editing, but its
potential applications goa
longwaybeyondwhat we've
describedhere. Be daring, have
funwithit andthrowout the
rule book. 5ometimes you'll be
surprisedtolearnthat things you
wouldn't expect toworkactually
do. lt's especiallydifficult to
predict what will or won't work
withlittle or noprior frame of
reference. 5pectral editingcould
reasonablybe consideredan
emergingart form, sotrying
anythingandeverythingwill
take youpast the basic and
obvious applications and
perhaps intopreviously
unexploredterritory.
Armedwitha copyof
Photosounder andAdobe
Photoshoptor equivalentI,
the vast arrayof visual plug-ins
available become your newsonic
5wiss armyknife. Withthis setup
youcanexport audiofiles as
bitmaps, edit their spectral
content, re-import the bitmaps
andconvert thembacktoaudio.
5tart byaskingyourself what the
visual equivalents of useful audio
effects might be, thengocrazy
withthe wildest visuals tofind
out what theydo. Maybe you
couldhave a goat usingRX's
restorationtools toreinforce
weakdrumsounds, creating
industrial-strengthtechno.
0on't let your imaginationbe
your limit: curious exploration
will be rewarded.
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Load Cap_repair_walkthrough.wav
and take a |ook/|isten. Unfortunate|y,
we're not offering prizes for figuring out
where the si|ent gap in this c|ip is. It's often
easier to find this sort of error in norma|
Waveformview, but here a very obvious
break in the audio is readi|y apparent.
'
Zoomin on the si|ence and se|ect the
area fromjust before to just after the
gap. With the Spectra| Repair too| in
Patternmode, put Numbands to !2,
check the box to switch Multi-resolution
on, set 5urroundingregionlength to
200%and Patternsearchrange to 4
seconds, then c|ick Apply.
(
1hat sounds quite good, but it cou|d
have been done without using a
spectra| view, and there sti|| seems to be
an error in the |ower frequency registers.
Zoomin and make a se|ection around the
|owfrequency irregu|arity. Co back to
Spectra| Repair and use the Partials +
Noise tab with the settings shown here.
)
Del[cX[h (&'& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % ,/
tne qu|oe to soectra| auo|o eo|t|nq / na|e nus|c now
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Lven without fancy imageediting
software, there are some quick
and usefu| things you can do with
your image that wi|| heavi|y affect
howit's read as a spectrogram.
Stretching and squashing the
image on the horizonta| axis is
the equiva|ent of timestretching,
so have a go at that. A|so, don't
underestimate the usefu|ness of
margins and borders. Creating
b|ank space above your image wi||
push the image's highest points
down the frequency sca|e,
producing a deeper, darker tone.
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1o start, we'|| need an image fi|e, so we
get experimenta| with wi|d, bright
co|ours and crazy shapes in Microsoft
Paint. 1here's no rea| method to our
madness at this stage - we just |et our
mouse hand go where it wi||.
'
We've inc|uded 0oodle.bmp on the
DVDso that you can fo||owa|ong
exact|y with what we're doing. Use Adobe
Audition's lmport Bitmap option with the
fo||owing settings. White, 0d8, Black,
-!27d8, Camma, 2, Pure Tones, Log
Amplitude Transfer, 5ample Rate,
44!00, Mono, 32-bit tfloatI.
(
Have another |ook and |isten - be
warned, it's very |oud! You can just
about recognise the origina| image by its
shapes if not its co|ours Csince they were
|ost in the process). As you |isten, notice
where there are visua| regu|arities and
irregu|arities, and howthey sound.
)
It sounds to us |ike there might be
something usefu| at the bottomend.
Se|ect the bottomfrequency band be|ow
about !000Hz, then use the 1rimtoo|
CCtrl+T) to cut everything e|se away.
Yep, there's definite|y potentia|. Undo
the trimfor the next step.
*
Co to ffectsModulation
5weepingPhaser. Under ffect
Preset you'|| find the instant|y gratifying
RedPill/BluePill preset. With Preview
turned on, set the Tempo. It sounds very
much |ike a rather fami|iar genre of music
when set to !40bpm.
+
Spectra| editing c|ear|y has a great number of
practica| uses when it comes to dea|ing with
recordings of |ive instruments, and another side
to it is its potentia| within e|ectronic music. Many
revered dance producers have made names
for themse|ves by keeping ahead of the pack,
inventing newand exciting sounds. Whi|e they
usua||y create themby recyc|ing the
triedandtested synthesis techniques that have
been around for decades, there's a who|e |ot
more that can be achieved in the audio domain
without a traditiona| synthesiser.
With some spectra| editing software
packages you can synthesise sounds by
messing around in a painting program,
importing the resu|ting image and then
converting it to audio. 1his can be quite a tricky
business as there are end|ess ways in which an
image can be interpreted as a spectrogram.
Consider howa vibrant, co|ourfu| image might
have its dark and |ight shades interpreted as
different amp|itudes. 1o what sca|e shou|d the
horizonta| axis be converted into time, and what
shou|d the frequency range of the Y axis be
1hese parameters and more are a|| adjustab|e,
making a sing|e image capab|e of producing
a huge range of different sounds.
Over time, you shou|d expect to get a fee|
for howan image might be interpreted. After
a whi|e, it's tota||y p|ausib|e that you'|| be going
into your favourite painting software and
quick|y knocking up a samp|e that you need for
a particu|ar production, fromsimp|e sweeps and
tones to detai|ed atmospheres and even drum
sounds. Fromthat point you might start to think
about creating different |ayers or phrases of
sound in the visua| domain, then editing them
together before importing them.
FW_dj_d]iekdZi _djeb_\[
Withpractice, youshouldbe able topredict what your
images will soundlike - evenweirdones like thisl
Start by |oading 0oodle2.bmp into
Photosounder to get an idea of howit
interprets the sound. Watch c|ose|y whi|e
you |isten, fo||owing the sound with your
eyes and ears together.
'
Let's get psychede|ic in Paint by
repeated|y se|ecting b|ocks and
inverting themto create some movement
andtexture. White patches produce intense
bursts of sound in whatever frequency
range Photosounder interprets themto
be, whi|e b|ack areas create si|ent gaps in
their respective frequency pockets.
(
In Photosounder, set Minfrequency
and Maxfrequency to taste, then do
the same for Time resolution. It might
take a whi|e to render each change, but be
patient and|istenas youadjust the contro|s.
Once you're satisfied with the spectra|
mush, save the fi|e in .wav format.
)
Nowwe can process the fi|e in the
audio domain using our regu|ar
too|s. We convert the fi|e to stereo
format, then use a simp|e reverb
patch with a |ong tai| and Adobe
Audition's Pitch 8ender to create a
tota||y nauseating 'vertigo' motion.
*
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Yecfei_j_ed
One of spectral editing's
most excitingareas of potential
is synthesis. lt's one thingtouse
software tomodifya recorded
sound, but it's a whole different
ball game whenyou're usingit to
generate original audio. lmagine
breakingpast the limitations of
the traditional instruments and
synthesisers, maybe even
drawinginthe textures of
the sounds youwant tohear.
OnPhotosounder's YouTube
channel, you'll find7heAge0f
5teambycomposer lan5haw
of www.lansbawmuslc.com.
Accordingtothe video's blurb
twww.youtube.coml
watcb7v=C0ls0VHPIKI, the
piece was composedentirely
fromsounds createdin
Photosounder. lt's an
imagination-promptingcollage
of sound, made evenmore
interestingbyPhotosounder's
visual interpretationof the whole
thing. lt demonstratesremarkable
visual clarity, sowe'drecommend
givingit a look/listen- if onlyto
get anidea of howanentire
composition's worthof sounds
might lookinspectral view. lt's
alsoa valuable insight intothe
directionthat sounddesignand
music couldmove towards if
this kindof technologywere to
reallycatchon.
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We're going to |oad Cap_repair_
walkthrough_loop_AFTRto create
an atmospheric ambience. Load it into
Photosounder Cthe demo's on the DVD) for
your usua| |ookand|isten routine. You'||
notice that it doesn't sound quite the same
as it did before. 1his is because Lossless
mode is disengaged.
'
Decrease the Minfrequency to around
!7Hz and the Maxfrequency to about
7.5kHz. 1he range of frequencies
becomes tighter and the effect is that the
sounds get bunched together and
truncated, destroying the re|ationship
between chord notes and their harmonics.
(
1his a|ready sounds disturbing, but
|et's decrease the Time resolution.
In this case we've used about 50pixe|s/
second Cdown fromthe defau|t 00pixe|s),
which doub|es the |ength of the samp|e,
creating spooky artifacts and encouraging
the once musica| notes to drone.
)
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Our res|oent s,ntn w|zaro ta|es us oac| to tne ear|, oa,s
o| s,ntnes|s w|tn a qu|oe to |ooq 'ost,|e seouenc|nq
As l write this, the calendar marks a sad
anniversary. lt has nowbeenfive years
since the passingof Robert Moog. His ideas
inspirednearlyeverythingwe electronic
musicians do, andsome of themhave never
beenbettered. Moog's modular designs
begat the Minimoog, whichinturndefined
the architecture of nearlyeverysynthesiser
tofollowit. His controversial tat the timeI
decisiontoattachanorgan-styledkeyboard
toasynthesiser put electronicmusicintothe
hands of traditional musicians, muchtothe
dismayof the avant garde, whoused
touch-plates andpush-buttons. His
adoptionof the A05Renvelopetas
specifiedbyVladamir UssachevskyI made
it thede-factostandardtool for dynamic
sound-shapingfor decades, andis still
seenas a supremelyuseful compromise
betweenflexibilityanduser-friendliness.
And that sequencer! 1here have been many
other ana|og sequencers before and after
Moog's 960modu|e, but fewhave spawned
entire genres of music. 1he 960did exact|y that.
In the hands of K|aus Schu|ze, 1angerine Dream
and Michae| Hoenig, it gave birth to the 8er|in
Schoo| of e|ectronic music. What made the 960
so good A considered ba|ance of power and
p|ayabi|ity. Users cou|d skip steps, change the
sequence |ength, tweak vo|tages and even a|ter
the timing on the f|y. For my money, the best
thing about the 960was its abi|ity to send out
individua| triggers for each step in the sequence.
1his a||owed for a sort of 'ana|ogue
wavesequencing', a technique I use to this very
day. Which |eads us right to this issue's tutoria|.
Scot So|ida's
1he Moog 960wasn't a standa|one
sequencer, it was part of the massive
Moog modu|ar system. If we want to create
the sorts of sounds made by the 960,
Arturia's Moog Modu|ar V is an obvious
choice. Let's fire it up. Ca|| up my factory
bass preset, 5L_5eekNoise.
'
1his is a sque|chy bass sound that's
designed to be sequenced. Instead of
sequencing a fu|| musica| phrase with it,
we're going to use the sequencer
modu|e's individua| trigger outputs to
create a comp|ex, rhythmic sequence, in
which our bass sound wi|| p|ay on|y a
sma|| part. Scro|| up to the Sequencer
modu|e in the top row.
(
Norma||y you'd create sequences by
assigning each rowof the sequencer
to an individua| sound or vo|tage, with a
row's trigger output driving that sound's
enve|ope generators. Here, however, each
step has its own trigger output. 1here's a
manua| button for triggering each step
next to these trigger outputs. C|ick a few
to shutt|e the sequencer's position around.
)
Scro|| down and take note of which
enve|ope modu|es are in use and what
they're patched into. 1he main enve|ope
contro|s the amp|itude of the patch,
Lnve|ope drives the pu|se width of the
Osci||ator Driver and Lnve|ope 2 contro|s
the Fi|ter. Rightc|ick the main enve|ope's
ln patch point and change its trigger to
5equencer 5tep!, as shown.
*
If your sequence doesn't begin
automatica||y, activate it by c|icking
the Onbutton in the sequencer's Osci||ator
section. You shou|d nowhear your bass
note being triggered every time the
sequencer comes to Step of the sequence.
Increase the main enve|ope's Release time
to around 670ms to make the sound |ast
beyond the individua| step being triggered.
+
1urn Fi|ter 's Frequency a|| the way
down, then rightc|ick the Modinpatch
point to reassign 5equencer Output ! as
the mod source. Crank up the modu|ation
amount by c|icking and dragging the |itt|e
ye||owring around the patch point. 1he
sequencer's top rowwi|| nowaffect the
fi|ter. 1urn the 5tep2 knob up to 6. 5tep3
shou|d be 4semitones, as shou|d 5tep4.
,
EDJ>;:L:
Find Scot's preset and
an audio examp|e in
the Tutorials fo|der
-( % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % Del[cX[h (&'&
EI9?BB7J?ED
Many have comp|ained about the |imited number of
simp|e waveforms found on ana|ogue synthesisers,
but did you knowthat you can use an ana|oguesty|e
sequencer as a customwaveformgenerator
Sequencer timing is often generated with an interna|
osci||ator, and that osci||ator can often be cranked up
into the audib|e range. When used with other modu|es,
you can create some pretty interesting waveforms!
7BB J>;MEHB:I7IJ7=;
So your fourstage ADSR enve|ope generator just
isn't doing it for you anymore Have you considered
using your sequencer as an enve|ope generator I've
suggested this before, but it bears repeating. most
ana|oguesty|e sequencers offer a 'p|ay once' mode
and can be triggered to start froman incoming
'vo|tage' fromyour keyboard. 1hat means that you
can use your sequencer as a comp|ex enve|ope
generator. 8etter yet, you may even be ab|e to
impart some g|ide between each step using your
sequencer's bui|tin g|ide function.
FHEJ?FI
=7J;I7D:JH?==;HI
A |ot of instruments provide gates or triggers Cor both)
that can be used to kick start, say, an enve|ope
generator or open up a VCA. A gate is a continuous
event. When it's opened, it stays open unti| you te|| it to
c|ose. A trigger is a sing|e, short event that doesn't
sustain - though it can trigger other functions that do
sustain for a specified period of time.
J7D=;H?D;:H;7C" F>7;:H7
1he a|bumthat started it a||, saw1angerine
Dreammember Chris Franke begin experimenting
with the 960sequencer as a rhythmic device.
>;B:ED" ?DJ;H<79;
Whi|e the Cermans were spacing out to sombre
psychede|ia, Richard Pinhas was putting the Moog to
thunderous use as a backdrop to meta| machine music.
8KIJ?D=@7H=ED
H;9ECC;D:;:B?IJ;D?D=
Scot bought h|s f|rst
synthover a quarter
of a century ago.
Asynthes|st, sound
des|gner andaud|o
eng|neer of
|nternat|ona| repute,
he's prov|dedfactory
presets for many of
the mus|c software
|ndustry's most
acc|a|medsynths, samp|ers and
drummach|nes, not toment|on
the Stud|o. Cnrare occas|ons,
he manages tof|ndt|me tomake
records for eta-|actamR|ng
Records under the name Chr|stus
andthe Cosmonaughts.
IYej Ieb_ZW
Next, repatch Lnve|ope to the Linear
FMinput of that driver instead and set
the Amount to 0.5!6. Rightc|ick Lnve|ope
's ln patchpoint and reassign it to be
triggered by Step 3 of the sequencer. Set
the Attackand 5ustain knobs to 0, the
0ecay to 456ms and the Release to 6ms.
-
Lvery time the sequence comes to
Step 2, it fires off Lnve|ope , which
gives a quick jo|t of virtua| vo|tage to the
frequency. Let's add another sound. Find
the Fi|ters modu|e and run a cab|e from
the WhiteNoise output to Fi|ter 3's lnput.
Run a cab|e fromFi|ter 3's Output into the
second main enve|ope generator. Reassign
that enve|ope's Trigger input to 5tep5.
.
We nowhave a sort of backbeat going.
Let's shape that noise withthe enve|ope
generator's ADSR knobs. 1he Attack and
5ustain shou|d be a|| the way down. 1urn
the 0ecay up to 76ms, and the Release
up to232ms or more. It's pretty |oud, but
happi|y this enve|ope generator is coup|ed
with a VCA and has its own vo|ume
setting. Let's put that to around -6d8.
/
1hat's not a terrib|y exciting sound,
but that's why we stuffed it through a
fi|ter. Increase the Resonance of Fi|ter 3 to
around!andset the Frequencyto
between !200and !400Hz. Sti|| not
f|oating your boat 1hen |et's modu|ate
it! Rightc|ick the modu|e's Modin patch
point, assign it to 5equencer Output 2
and turn the mod amount a|| the way up.
'&
It isn't doing anything, is it Scro|| to
the Sequencer modu|e. 1he white noise
is being heard starting at Step 5, so any
changes to Steps through 4 won't mean
much! 1he fi|ter is modu|ated by Row2. Set
5tep6 of Row2 to -6 semitones and 5tep
7 to 4 semitones to create an undu|ating
rhythm. You can change the sequence
|ength and order using the Next settings.
''
Let's top off our patch with a bit of
de|ay and chorus. Unfortunate|y, the
Moog Modu|ar V doesn't have an infinite
number of VCAs and enve|ope generators,
if it did, we cou|d easi|y create a unique
patch for every step of our sequence.
However, you shou|d sti|| be ab|e to see
howyou can cobb|e together some
interesting rhythmic passages.
'(
Del[cX[h (&'& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % -)
souno essent|a|s / na|e nus|c now
'teo o, steo
7ZZ iWcfb[i WdZ [\\[Yji
Start with the |ast fi|e from|ast
issue's tutoria|. De|ete the Cenerator
machine, then c|ick the 5ynths menu,
choose New5ynth and bring in a Samp|er
machine. Doub|ec|ick the Samp|er and
rename it Kick, then change its co|our and
connect it to the OUT by ho|ding 5hift and
dragging a |ine between the two. CFi|e on
the DVD. CM_trackers_tutorial_30f.)
'
In the 5ynthProperties pane| on the
|eft, scro|| down unti| you see the Load
button and |oad in the Kick samp|e. Now
you shou|d be ab|e to audition the kick. In
the first Pattern channe| Cch0), enter a
kick rhythm. Nowinvoke another Samp|er
machine for our hihats Crename andco|our
appropriate|y) and connect it to the Lcho
device. CFi|e. CM_trackers_tutorial_3!a.)
(
Load the Hi-hat samp|e, then c|ick on
dit in the 5ynthParameter pane|
and choose 5amples. Current|y our hihat
samp|e is in S|ot 0. C|ick S|ot to activate
it, then press the .. button Cto the right of 7)
and |oad the Open-hat samp|e. Scro||
a|ong the active notes and c|ick F6, the
note to the right of the ha|fb|ack defau|t
note. CFi|e. CM_trackers_tutorial_3!b.)
)
Now, when you audition notes,
pressing L6 and F6 shou|d sound the
hihat and openhat samp|es respective|y.
Lnter a hihat rhythmin the second
channe| Cch!) using both these notes.
Change the Lcho's 0elaysetting to 64 and
|ower the Feedbackand Wet settings to
taste. CFi|e. CM_trackers_tutorial_3!c.)
*
Invoke another Samp|er machine, this
time for the snare. A|so bring in a
Reverb machine and connect the Samp|er
to the Reverb and then to the OUT. Load
the snare samp|e into the newSamp|er
and p|ace snare notes on ch0, where our
kick current|y is. 8ring the Wet down on
the Reverb and a|ter other settings to
taste. CFi|e. CM_trackers_tutorial_3!d.)
+
Fina||y, add another Samp|er for a
shaker. 8ring in a De|ay and connect
the Samp|er to it and then to the existing
Lcho. Nowp|ace an even shaker rhythm
on ch2, entering 20in the Volume co|umn
every other note. A|ter the 0elay
parameters s|ight|y to fi|| out the shaker.
CFi|es. CM_trackers_tutorial_3!e,
CM_trackers_tutorials_3!f.)
,

trac|ers
IkdLeniIWcfb[h
|art : |n our ser|es on nu|t|o|at|orn trac|er 'unVox
ta|es |n us|nq sano|es ano aoo|nq e||ects
5ofar we've lookedat the synthesis
capabilities of multi-platformmodular
tracker 5unVox. lnthis tutorial, we'll take our
first peekat usingsamples bycreatinga basic
drumtrackusingthe 5ampler machine.
In addition to just being a sound generator,
the Samp|er in SunVox is a versati|e device that
can be a|so used for samp|e manipu|ation. You
can edit, fade or trimsamp|es, assign vibrato,
performfinetuning or app|y vo|ume and
panning enve|opes, much the same as XI
instruments in Fast1racker 2. 1he Samp|er
can a|so ho|d many samp|es at the same time.
However, because SunVox is a modu|ar tracker -
ie, the synths and samp|ers are individua||y
connected to effects units - if you need a
reverb on your snare but not your kick, you
wi|| need to use separate Samp|er machines
for each sound.
We'|| a|so be imp|ementing a coup|e of usefu|
techniques to improve the sound of our drums.
we'|| be using reverb on a snare to give it some
presence and adding de|ay Cor 'echo') to hihats
to make themsound fu||er and more intricate.
It's a good idea to doub|ec|ick Cor choose
Additional 5ynthProperties fromthe
rightc|ick menu) on each Samp|er device and
name it appropriate|y as you go, so that you can
te|| at a g|ance which machine is responsib|e for
producing which sound. Changing the co|our of
machines is a|so a good idea, because the notes
in the Pattern wi|| be depicted in those same
co|ours - making a|| that hex f|ying past much
easier to decipher.
It's time to get started! 1he fi|es and the
samp|es you'|| need are a|| on your DVD.
EDJ>;:L:
A|| the project fi|es
referenced are in the
Tutorial Files fo|der
-* % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % Del[cX[h (&'&
Ki_d] ceZ[i
Co oe,ono na,or sca|es ano s||o |nto nooa| narnon|es to
na|e ,our tunes souno even nore |nterest|nq
5ofar inour current threadonmelody,
we've focusedonthe constructionand
notationof major scales, as well as a few
deviations fromtheminthe formof
chromatic notes. But what happens if we
permanentlyalter the structure of a scale?
Let's beginwitha brief reminder of what a
major scale actuallyis.
J^[ bWZZ[h
1he name 'sca|e' is derived fromthe Latin for
|adder. In every major sca|e the rungs are
arranged in exact|y the same way, and the gaps
between themare of various interva|s - tones
and semitones Cexact|y ha|f the size of tones). In
the piano ro|| editor, the unequa| sizes of the
steps in our archetypa| C major sca|e are on|y
too apparent Csee the first sca|e in Fig!). In the
past we have p|ayed around with this
arrangement and |istened to the effect of, for
examp|e, temporari|y |owering the seventh note
of the sca|e Cto 8
@
in this case). 8ut what if we
keep it |owered permanent|y Whi|e you cou|d
say that we've moved into the key of F, if the
bass stays obstinate|y on C then we're |ooking
at a newsca|e, a|beit one that's on|y one note
different to C major. 1his 'f|at seven' sca|e is
knowas the Mixo|ydian mode and can be seen
ln !56we showedyoua fewexamples
of keysignatures, where a patternof sharps
or flats are placedat the beginningof each
line of music, creatingthe conditions for a
particular scale tor modeI. Apart fromC,
whichrequires absolutelynosharps or flats,
all of thecommonmajor keysignatures are
showninthe example below. Note that C
@
andF

scales containidentical notes, just

spelleddifferently.
Keysignatures alsoserve torepresent
minor keys, whichfor the present maybe
thought of as modes beginningonthe sixth
degree of the major: for example, the 0
major keysignature ttwosharpsI mayalso
indicate Bminor. More onminors later.
This is as far as classical theorygoes, but
if you're notatinga modal piece, youcan
use the keysignature of its parent major, so
the 0major signature couldbe usedfor a
piece that is either predominantlyor wholly
in0orian.
Accidentals tsharps, flats or naturals
occurringinthe bodyof the pieceI may
still be usedeither for chromatic notes or to
temporarilychange the key, but following
the bar line sees the keysignature scale
reassert itself, as inthe example below. lt is
common, however, toadd"courtesy"
accidentals as a reminder.
IjW\\ dejWj_ed if[Y_Wb
on the right ha|f of Fig!.
If the notes of the C Mixo|ydian sca|e are
identica| to those in the F major sca|e Cjust
starting on a different note), then this provides
an a|ternative and equa||y va|id way of
conceptua|ising the mode. we can say that a
Mixo|ydian mode is a sca|e that starts on the
fifth step of its 'parent' major CC being the fifth
step of F). In this way, every major sca|e that
you knowcan be turned into its Mixo|ydian
counterpart simp|y by starting it on its fifth note,
preferab|y underpinning it with a bass pattern
that emphasises said note, and perhaps a
dominant 7th type chord. Lots of traditiona| fo|k
music, b|ues, jazz and a number of pop tunes
feature the Mixo|ydian mode, so it's definite|y
worth getting your head around.
J^[ i[YedZ ceZ[
If we start our major sca|e on its second step,
we create the sound of the Dorian mode. 1his
moda| effect can be enhanced by sustaining the
root note Cnowthe second step of the parent
major) and preferab|y accompanying it with a
minor or minor seventh chord. 1he Dorian
mode is one of the many f|avours of minor
sca|es Cnamed as such because of the minor
third it contains, three semitones above the root
note, rather than the four of the major or
Mixo|ydian) and is used extensive|y, particu|ar|y
in fo|k and jazz Csee Fig2). Like the Mixo|ydian,
the Dorian has a |owered seventh Ccompared to
the major) but, as we have noted, it has a |owered
third as we||. It therefore |ies in a progression of
sca|es. fromthe major, |owering the seventh
gives you Mixo|ydian, and then |owering the
third gives you Dorian Ccompare Fig! with
Fig2). 1he MIDI fi|e on the DVDcontains
brief me|odic improvisations of the three sca|es
in this order, but you wi|| of course |earn more
by conducting your own exp|orations.
CeZ[i _d ZWdY[ jhWYai
You don't have to be a jazz or fo|k fiend to find
these sca|es usefu|. they have distinctive sounds
and can be used in pretty much any genre. If
you're getting fami|iar with a range of major
sca|es, it's fair|y easy to see themfroma moda|
perspective. simp|y underpinning themwith the
appropriate bass note - the second step of the
major for Dorian, and the fifth for Mixo|ydian -
breathes a new|ease of |ife into your fami|iar
major sca|e. With this simp|e expedient, you can
experiment with the two most ubiquitous and
usefu| moda| sca|es in any key, creating moda|
me|odies to your heart's content.
Next time we'|| |ook at one more mode and
turn it into a c|assica| minor key Cor two!).
The major and
Mixolydianscales
comparedare onlyone
note different, but it's a
rather tellingnote.
The 0orian's minor
tloweredI thirdis, if
anything, evenmore
crucial tothe overall
soundof a phrase.
(
EDJ>;:L:
Amoda| audio examp|e
can be found in the
Tutorial Files fo|der
'
BothFs inbar ! are
sharpdue tothe
keysignature. The
first Finbar 2 is
loweredwitha
natural, as is the
second. The sharp
inbrackets inbar 3
is a reminder that
the keysignature
has beenrestored
bythe bar line.

@

@

@

@

@
Del[cX[h (&'& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % -+
eas, qu|oe / na|e nus|c now
Welcome tothe thirdina six-part series
oncreatingavant variants of popular
electronic music genres. lnthe first two
instalments t !56, !57I l avant-ified
downtempoandtechno. This issue, l take on
drum'n' bass. 5till tocome are hip-hop,
dubstepandhouse - watchthe skiesl
:_l_d_d] :d8i [ii[dY[
1he first step in avantifying a genre is divining
its essence. I've been using the HAL approach to
do this. history, attributes, |istening. Historica|
research provides a sense of the genre's sty|istic
roots, whi|e compi|ing a |ist of its key attributes
he|ps home in on its core musica| persona|ity.
Fina||y, deep |istening gets the fee| of the genre
in your head and gut.
In an historica| nutshe||. house, trance, and
techno begat hardcore rave, hardcore rave and
Jamaican danceha|| begat jung|e, and jung|e
morphed Csome wou|d say devo|ved) into drum
'n' bass. So Dn8's essence contains bits of the
DNA of a|| these preceding genres. As for Dn8's
key attributes, here's what I
came up with. dance roots,
ecstatic, boundarythwarting,
superhuman drumvirtuosity,
sophisticated samp|ing,
seething with testosterone,
and the 8ig 1hree. crazy fast
breakbeatish drums,
b|obby, hyperpresent bass,
and supp|ementa| |ayers
CFX, pads, movie/1V c|ips
and me|odies). 1here have
been hundreds of fabu|ous Dn8 producers but
here's my persona| top 0. 8ad Company, Di||inja,
Ld Rush &Optica|, Co|die, Crooverider, L1J
8ukem, Pendu|um, Photek, Roni Size and Spor.
I'd |ike to share two coo| takes on the essence
of Dn8, both frommembers of the IDMForums
Cwww.idmforums.com). First, by Dogbreath.
"For me its the fee|ing of speed. 1he beats
washing over you, sp|inters of sound f|ying a||
over the p|ace and the bass|ine twisting and
grow|ing |ike a fire in your be||y." And second,
by Monstre. "1here is just nothing e|se |ike Dn8.
It's f**king rad. It has everything. speed, bass,
comp|ex me|odies, |iquid texture, epic bui|dups,
aggressive drums. And it sounds good too."
:[[f feii_X_b_j_[i
Drum'n' bass is supreme|y amenab|e to
avantification. Indeed, much of Dn8 has one
foot in the avant wor|d to begin with. Focusing
on the 8ig 1hree - drums, bass, supp|ementa|
|ayers - is a great way toget started. 1hink.
extremes! Create a 320bpmvariant of the good
o|d Amen break. Or squish it into a 7/4 meter.
Change tempo every fewbars, gradua||y or
sudden|y. Compose a bass|ine that consists of a
sing|e he|d note modu|ated by mu|tip|e LFOs.
Over|ap ha|f a dozen bass|ines, add a subsonic
sine wave interference track to the mix, perhaps
a theta standing wave to |u|| your victims Cumm,
I mean |isteners) into brainentrained trance. As
for supp|ementa| |ayers, the sky's the |imit - go
wi|d! As |ong as the Dn8 foundation is so|id and
compe||ing, you can get away with anything.
Most Dn8 tracks - even the radica| ones - stay
within the comfort zone of 32/6/8bar sections.
I've gone beyond this by creating sections based
on numbers fromthe Fibonacci series. 0, , , 2, 3,
5, 8, 3, 2, 34, 55, 89, etc. Drumsections of , 2, 3,
5, 8, 3, 2, 34 bars are inter|eaved with bass
sections of 34, 2, 3, 8, 5, 3, 2, , resu|ting in a
symmetry where bass dominance gives way
to drum/bass mix and then to drumdominance.
rachM|e| has
spent the
better part
of a decade
study|ng
compos|t|on
|nAmer|ca
andCermany.
Arecover|ng
atona||st,
h|s mus|ca| |nf|uences range from
Frank Zappa, Kar|he|nz Stockhausen
andNorthInd|anc|ass|ca| drumm|ng
to60s pop, horror mov|esoundtracks,
avant e|ectron|caandabovea||, s||ence.
hWY^C_[b
7lWdj#_\o_d]
ZhkcdXWii
Dn| |s one qenre tnats a|reao, ousneo to tne ||n|t |n a nunoer o| wa,s
se ,our |naq|nat|on to uo |ts |eroc|t, ano ta|e tn|nqs even |urtner
L|ke a|| genres, drumandbass has a d|st|nct
genea|ogy - a process|onof ancestors and
descendants. The nuc|ear Dnfam||y began
w|thhardcore rave, wh|chestab||shed|tse|f
|nthe ear|y 90s as de r|gueur mus|c for
a||-n|ght raves. Hardcore rave was one part
house, one part techno, one part trance and
one part dramat|c newness, character|sed
by heav||y |urch|ngbass||nes andw||d|y fast
breakbeats C!30!60+ PMJ. Whensamp|es
fromo|dJama|candanceha|| tunes were
addedtothe m|x, [ung|e was born.
Ishkur Cof Ishkur's Cu|de to|ectron|c
Mus|c at www.techno.org/electronic-music-
guideJ gets n|ce|y at the essence of [ung|e.
"The ant|thes|s tothe br|ght, f|ashy schma|tz
that some of the other genres exh|b|t, the
b|ack sheepof the e|ectron|c fam||y |s rough,
abras|ve, crusty, d|rty, andfu|| of swagger|ng
mach|smo." Jung|e |s untamed, fera|,
menac|ng, raw. Drum'n' bass - |ts d|rect
descendent - features enoughof that same
rawness tomake the ||ne betweenthe two
genres somewhat hazy. Ingenera|, though,
Dn|s more cerebra| andexper|menta| and
|ess dr|pp|ngw|thecstasy-dr|venJama|can
danceha||-saturatedrapture. Many d|ehard
[ung||sts were put off by Dn's tam|ng-down
of [ung|e - evenIshkur d|sm|sses drum'n'
bass as "[ung|e ||te".
B_l_d] kf je `kd]b[
Dn| |s oeats wasn|nq over ,ou
so||nters o| souno ||,|nq a|| over
tne o|ace ano tne oass||ne
qrow||nq |||e a ||re |n ,our oe||,
rachMie|'s
EDJ>;:L:
Audio examp|es fromthe
wa|kthroughs are in the
Tutorial Files fo|der
-, % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % Del[cX[h (&'&
Let's take a closer lookat the term'musical
genre'. TheFree0ictionarydefines genre as:
"Acategoryof artistic composition, as in
music or literature, markedbya distinctive
style, form, or content." 5o, a musical genre
is a class of pieces that share significant
similarities instyle tbeat, tempoI and/or
formand/or content tinstrumentation, lyricsI.
Cenres donot arise fromthe void,
autonomous andfullyformed. Theyare
interdependent species inanevolving
continuum. For this reason, people often
speakof the genealogyof musical genres.
Cenres oftenshare keycharacteristics with
one another, bothinternal andexternal.
Popular genre evolutionis heavilylinked
tomarketing, consumerismandsociology.
lnhis paper , KembrewMcLeod
writes: "The namingof newsubgenres can
be linkedtoa varietyof influences, suchas
the rapidlyevolvingnature of the music,
acceleratedconsumer culture andsynergy
createdbyrecordcompanymarketing
strategies andmusic magazine hype. The
appropriationof the musics of minorities
bystraight, middle- andupper middle-class
whites inthe U5 andCreat Britainplays a
part, andtherapid, ongoingnamingprocess
withinelectronic/dance music subcultures
acts as a gate-keepingmechanism."
;nf[h_c[djWb_ijiYehd[h0
Cki_YWb ][dh[i
'teo o, steo
7lWdj#_\o ZhkcdXWii
After coming up with the inter|eaving
Fibonacci drum/bass forma| structure
demonstrated on the previous page, I turn
to my o|d friend Reaktor to create the
generative 34bar drumpart. I rip a Dn8
samp|e froma back issue of and
subject it to the s|icing 'n' dicing wi|es of
Lazyfish's exce||ent Sp|itter Reaktor
ensemb|e. Here's the resu|t. Beat.wav.
'
Next, I create the generative 34bar
bass|ine needed. I use radiansound|ab's
magnificent bass synthesiSer, dusk, to do
this. After much experimentation, I decide
to p|ay and sustain a sing|e note CC5) whi|e
using the pitch whee| to modu|ate the LFO
that contro|s the fi|ter sweep Ccutoff
frequency) and the pitch. Bassline.wav.
(
With the generative 34bar drumand
bass|ine parts in hand, I fo||owthe
forma| p|an to create the drums and
bass foundation of the piece. one bar of
drums, 34 bars of bass Cthe entire
bass|ine), four bars of drums Ctwo main +
two 'echo'), 2 bars of bass, and so on.
1he piece moves frommost|y bass to
an equa| mix of drumand bass, to
most|y drums. 0rum+bass.wav.
)
I'mquite happy with the foundation,
but fee| that the piece wou|d benefit
fromsome gooey, noiserich
supp|ementa| |ayers. I decide to create
these by feeding the 34bar drumbeat
into my Reaktor ensemb|e gNash raMb|er,
and the 34bar bass|ine into |uCubrioso.
Here are some excerpts of the sounds that
I ended up with. Mashes.wav.
*
I'ma|most done. One of the things I
rea||y |ike about Dn8 is its use of
snippets frommovies and 1V. I opt to go
back in time and use c|ips froma c|assic
copsandgangsters radio show. I extract
a set of 2 short voca| c|ips -
Radio_clips.wav - and distribute themCby
fee|) over the time|ine of the piece.
1ogether, they te|| a quasistory.
+
A|| the |ayers are in p|ace. drumbeat,
bass|ine, drummash, bass mash and
radio c|ips. A|| that's |eft is to arrange them
in time, mix down and master. Since the
piece is bui|t around the foundation of 76
inter|eaving drumand bass bars Ctop two
tracks above), the mash and radio |ayers
must fit within this time |ine. Here's the fina|
piece, Johnny_Promise.wav. Lnjoy!
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The process of learninghowtowrite,
recordandengineer music toa high
standardcanbealengthyone. Hugeadvances
inthe techwe use tocreate music meanthat
manyof us are attemptingtosingle-handedly
dowhat would've requireda producer,
multiple musicians anda couple of recording
engineers ina professional studioonlya few
short years ago. Yet, as weall eventuallylearn,
noamount of technical knowledge canever
makeupfor thosetimes whenwe'resuffering
froma complete lackof inspiration.
Inspiration means different things to different
musicians. Some of us |ike to have a c|ear picture
of what we're trying to work towards right from
the start, whi|e others prefer to fo||owtheir noses.
Lither way, in a practica| sense we can say that
inspiration usua||y invo|ves having an idea of
what we're working towards, and possessing
the drive and enthusiasmneeded to pursue it.
1he word 'inspiration' means 'breathed upon'.
In ancient times it was considered to come from
somewhere outside the artist and was often
thought of as divine in nature. 1hese days we
tend to think of inspiration as something that
comes fromwithin the artist - perhaps the resu|t
of certain ideas they've been exposed to or
events that they've experienced.
Many sti|| see inspiration as something
s|ight|y beyond our contro|, though - something
that has to come a|ong and find us. 8ut for
professiona| musicians and music producers,
waiting for inspiration isn't a|ways an option.
When a fi|mcomposer needs to provide the
score for a movie, or a dance music producer
has to produce a remix to a dead|ine, he/she has
to |earn howto spark, or even manufacture,
inspiration as and when it's needed.
IjkYa ed h[f[Wj
1he first p|ace that many of us |ook when we're
running |owon ideas is within the music scenes
that we associate ourse|ves with. Linstein once
wrote. "1he secret to creativity is knowing how
to hide our sources." A|though there's nothing
wrong with doing this as |ong as we manage
to u|timate|y create something interesting or
different with these ideas, the downside of
getting too much inspiration frompeop|e
making simi|ar music to us is that it can |ead
to our work fee|ing insu|ar and recyc|ed. Lven
worse, it can |eave us a|ways p|aying catchup
with the more origina| artists in a music scene
and stop us deve|oping a persona| sty|e.
One big reason that many peop|e find it
difficu|t to fee| inspired about their productions
is an inabi|ity to write distinctive, interesting
musica| phrases - without re|ying on stumb|ing
on themby accident. 1his can be easi|y g|ossed
over as techno|ogy and technique p|ay a more
centra| ro|e in our production environments, but
without tack|ing the prob|emhead on, this |ack
of inspiration can |inger and grow.
Here we'|| |ook at ways to spark and deve|op
ideas for both conventiona| composition and
contemporary music production, as we|| as a||
sorts of ways to kick yourse|f out of those
inevitab|e creative s|umps. We'|| a|so |ook at
workf|ows - howour working methods can he|p
us find ideas and transformtheminto tracks -
during an exc|usive interviewwith acc|aimed
drum'n' bass producer Utah Jazz.
Those untrainedinformal keyboardskills
tendtoget intofamiliar andpredictable
habits whenregularlytryingtowrite hooks
andchordprogressions ona Ml0l keyboard,
or whenenteringnotes intoa pianoroll. We'll
almost always favour certainkeys, andour
fingers andnote choices will tendtofollow
familiar patterns aroundthem. This canleave
us feelinglike we've got relativelylittle scope
inwhat we candoona keyboard, andboring
or generic leads andbasslines usuallyfollow.
Aneffective waytobreakout of this habit
anddevelopour musical imaginationis totry
whistling, humming, singingor beatboxing
melodies, basslines andrhythmparts first,
thenworkingout howtoplayor program
themsecond. This methodof writingis
effective because it taps intoanddevelops
our natural musicality. lf it feels difficult or
directionless at first, it maybe because we've
never reliedonour imaginationfor ideas
before; rather we've reliedonwhere our
fingers or mouse pointer falls. We may
eventuallyfindthat we canconceptualise
wholeparts, or evencompletetracks, without
havingtowhistle or hum. This is howmanyof
the best composers throughout historyhave
worked. We canfindourselves doingthings
musicallythat we'dnever have woundup
playinginstinctivelyona keyboard, or doing
brilliant things harmonicallythat turnout to
appear painfullysimple whenwe come to
playthem- perhaps somuchsothat we'd
have talkedourselves out of usingthem.
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cki_YWb _cW]_dWj_ed
One reason oeoo|e
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to wr|te o|st|nct|ve
nus|ca| onrases
While the advent of somanyforms of
newtechnologyhas shiftedthe focus
of muchmodernmusic towards
productionandawayfromcomposition,
the principles of conventional writing
andarrangingremainimportant.
8eing ab|e to write a strong hook,
chord progression or bass|ine is one of
the best ways to find inspiration, ideas
and enthusiasmfor a production, and
throughout the ages, hundreds of
techniques have evo|ved to he|p break
down, quantify and improve the art of
musica| composition.
7bmWoi ijWhj
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Most great pieces of music - from
orchestra| compositions to pop songs -
have a memorab|e feature that makes
themstand out.
1he technica| and methodica|
approach that audio engineering tends
to require makes it easy to start thinking
of musica| composition as being the
ski|fu| or technica| arranging of notes
into something that simp|y works within
a production. Whi|e this perspective is
not necessari|y 'wrong', it can |eave you
fee|ing uninspired and hence |ead to
|essthanmemorab|e music, even when
the production is very s|ick.
You shou|d a|ways start with a strong
musica| idea. 1his might be a rhythm,
a chord progression or a me|ody, but
starting with a strong foundation gives
a track a sense of direction and identity,
which shou|d carry through the who|e
production process.
CWa[ ia[jY^[i
Cet into the habit of recording
a|| of your ideas andmakingshort sketches.
8efore the days of computers, composers
and songwriters kept notepads or books
of manuscript paper fu|| of a|| the |itt|e
musica| ideas they came up with during
practice or just when experimenting or
dood|ing. Most of their works wou|d
eventua||y come fromthese sketches.
more interesting ideas wou|d be revisited
and deve|oped, and eventua||y turned
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lt's always worthconsideringhowyoucan
incorporate more live elements intoyour
studiosessions. These candelineate the feel
or directiona tracktakes, as well as beinga
funandveryencouragingwaytointeract
withour music at those times whenwe're
boredof rearranginggrids andpokingaway
at things withthe mouse.
Joel ZimmermantAKA0eadmau5I makes
laser-tight house productions, but he still
manages toinclude a lot of live elements
inhis work. 5ynths filter andenvelope
settings are almost always manipulatedlive
andrecordedas either Ml0l data or directly
fromthe instrument as audio, while anarray
of Ml0l controllers enable the mighty'mau5
toperformandexperiment withtrack
arrangements onthe fly, rather thanrelying
onestablisheddance protocols.
Another idea canbe toleave the strings or
pads inyour trackuntil near theend, then
recordthemall live for the durationof the
trackwithout anyquantising. The contrast
of natural andmetronomic timingis an
important - andsometimes overlooked-
aesthetic inmanymoderngenres.
Otherwise a simple eggshaker, mikedup
andrecordedfor the durationof a track, can
adda natural, live element toanotherwise
tight, metronomic electronic production.
=e_d] b_l[
0eadmau5 ensures
that he canplaywith
settings live - this
keeps his tracks
freshandexciting
into the rhythms, chord progressions and
me|odies that were the backbone of their works.
A |ot of us do this a|ready when making beats
and drum|oops, as they're a common starting
point in many genres today, but bui|ding up a
|ibrary of bass|ines, synth |eads, strings and short
tracks can give us a much broader se|ection of
starting points and ideas to dip into when
inspiration is required.
>Whced_Y Yecfei_j_ed
In harmonic composition, the track
starts off as a chord progression, onto which
me|odies, rhythms and bass|ines can be added.
1he chords dictate what the music does and
keep things |ocked to a certain pattern. It can be
a good idea to change the chord progression as
the song progresses to avoid things fee|ing sta|e.
A |ot of peop|e find harmonic composition
a very effective way to get started, as it
immediate|y gives you a framework upon which
to structure the rest of a track.
Writing a good chord progression doesn't
require an indepth understanding of music
theory. One easy way to string chords together
is simp|y to move chord shapes up and down
the keyboard. A|though this usua||y invo|ves
hitting a |ot of outofkey notes, there's nothing
wrong with this practice, which is common|y
known as 'para||e| voicing'.
C[beZ_Y Yecfei_j_ed
1his method invo|ves starting off
with a strong, identifiab|e me|ody, then working
out what chords fit around it. It gives you a |ot
more freedomthan harmonic composition, as
not being |ocked to a chord progression enab|es
you to go anywhere with your me|odies and
write in a much |ooser way. Finding chords to
smooth|y harmonise with a me|ody often
requires a |itt|e more musica| know|edge than the
previous approach, however.
A simp|e way to think of me|odic composition
is in terms of arches, inverted arches and ramps
- a me|ody usua||y either goes up then down,
down then up, or just up/down. 1hinking |ike this
emphasises the importance of movement and
direction in a musica| phrase, hopefu||y avoiding
it sounding |ike a randomcombination of notes.
9h[Wj_d] j[di_ed
_d c[beZo
1ension is centra| to creating
memorab|e and interesting music. 1here are
two fundamenta| princip|es that can make
a piece of music resonate with us. it can be
origina|, daring, exciting and unusua|, or it can
fee| fami|iar, nosta|gic, home|y and grounded.
1ension is created through the contrast and
ba|ance of these two e|ements. Put simp|y. the
predictab|e shou|d be ba|anced or contrasted
with the unpredictab|e.
Sca|es contain both expected and unexpected
notes. 1he expected notes are usua||y chord
notes. In the key of C minor, the expected notes
wou|d tend to be C, L
@
and C. D, F, A
@
and 8 wou|d
be unexpected notes. 1he ba|ance and re|ation
of expected notes to unexpected notes give a
me|ody much of its identity.
1o create even more tension, you can use
nonkey Cchromatic) notes. Some of these wi||
sound much more natura| than others, but they
often need to reso|ve immediate|y to a more
predictab|e Cgenera||y a chord) note. Check out
our regu|ar Lasy Guide to music theory Cp75 this
issue) for more on the fundamenta|s of using
nonkey notes to create me|odic interest.
Another way tocreate tension is touse |eaps.
1hese are when a note makes an unexpected|y
|arge jump up or down the sca|e.
H^oj^c_d c[beZo
One method of breaking down
composition into more manageab|e e|ements is
to separate the rhythmof a part fromits pitch.
1his is particu|ar|y effective when adding
me|odic or more experimenta| |ines to a basic
track structure. Say you've got a fewbars of
drums and a bass|ine, and you want to add a |ead.
Consider first what you want to add to the track
at this point - is it a highenergy track that needs
something to push it forward and add a sense of
urgency, is it a |aid back or downtempo song that
requires a chi||edout me|ody, or has it a|ready
got enough energy and needs something more
subdued to bring it down or create a contrast
Instead of going straight to the keyboard, try
drumming a rhythmpart with your fingers on
the tab|etop that might add the qua|ity you're
after as you |isten to the track. 1his method can
bring interesting and dynamic rhythms to |ight.
1he next step is turning this into a musica|
phrase. Co to your MIDI keyboard, se|ect the
sound you want and p|ay the rhythmyou've
decided to go with on a series of sing|e notes.
What's going to give this a musica| identity wi||
be where, and by howmuch, you e|ect to shift
the pitches up and down.
For a dance track, we might use the p|acement
and pitching of the drums and percussion to he|p
us decide where the high and |ownotes of the
phrase shou|d fa||. Refer to the ear|ier sections
on me|odic and harmonic composition, too.
9Wbb WdZ H[ifedi[
One way many musicians |earn to
break down the structure of a musica| phrase is
to consider it as being divided up into a question
part and an answer part - or a 'ca|| and response'.
1he ca|| might be a bar or a fewbars |ong, and
wi|| set something up musica||y that fee|s |ike it
needs to be reso|ved. 1his |ine wi|| sometimes
resemb|e the pitches and timings that a human
voice might fo||owwhen asking a question.
1he response part of the |ine reso|ves the
question Cca||) posed ear|ier. Sometimes it wi||
fo||owa simi|ar rhythm- it might simp|y invo|ve
transposing the ca|| |ine down a fewtones, or
just changing the |ast note - and sometimes it
wi|| bear |itt|e re|ation at a||. Ca|| and response
|ines can a|ternate, forming a hook, or a ca|| |ine
might be repeated a number of times and either
ended or interjected with a response. Sometimes
the answer might be repeated.
A simp|e way to write these |ines is to start
on the root note of a track and find an interesting
way to transition up or down to another. Listen
to the me|ody a fewtimes so that you become
fami|iar with it, then try to imagine what the
response shou|d be. If you find this difficu|t, try
saying or singing the ca|| as an actua| question,
phrased somewhat musica||y, then do the same
when saying the answer. Listen to jazz and b|ues
and identify which phrases sound |ike they're
asking questions, and which sound |ike they're
answering them. Ca|| and response |ines are a|so
often used in sou|fu| and deep house tracks.
)
*
+
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.& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % Del[cX[h (&'&
na|e nus|c now / ||no|nq |nso|rat|on
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05INE55 NEE0 H0kE?
Dn8 DJ, producer and remixer Utah Jazz CAKA
Luke Wi|son) has been c|ocking up critica||y
acc|aimed re|eases on numerous |abe|s since
200, inc|uding Cood Looking Records, Liquid V
and React. He took some time out of his hectic
schedu|e to share with us his methods for
finding musica| inspiration and structuring his
studio workf|ow. "Since my tracks are heavi|y
samp|ebased, I'd say I probab|y spend more
time finding sounds to use than I actua||y do
|aying tracks down," he revea|s. "I have a
hierarchy of fo|ders on my computer that contain
sounds or samp|es fromdifferent sources. If I
find something that rea||y stands out, it moves
into a specia| fo|der that's most important to me.
Sometimes samp|es wi|| sit in different fo|ders or
get moved back and forth for a coup|e of years
before I fee| |ike it's the right time to use them.
"Once I've found a samp|e that I'mitching to
work with, I'|| quick|y chop it up using ReCyc|e
and import it into 8attery 3. After that, and once
the samp|e's repeating on a |oop, I open up a
fo|der with hundreds of breaks in and audition
themover the top to hear if any of themwi|| work.
"At this stage, assuming everything's going
we||, I tend to so|o the drums and start bui|ding
on themwith a fewother hits and percussion
sounds to beef themup a bit. What I find key to
making samp|ebased music is that the pattern
or groove of the drums sits perfect|y with the
main samp|es - especia||y if these samp|es
a|ready have drums on them.
"So I'|| sit for a whi|e and p|ay around with the
kick and snare MIDI b|ocks fromthe break I've
chosen. I'|| structure themin as many ways as
possib|e around the samp|e unti| I find one I'm
happy with. NowI've got a decent 6bar |oop
with, hopefu||y, a 'ki||er' samp|e and some drums
that are working too. At this point, I'|| so|o the
origina| samp|e and start traw|ing through more
to see what e|se I can find to work with it. It's
usua||y sti|| just sounds at this stage, with voca|s
being added right at the end. A tip A|ex Reece
taught me was to a|ways get a track sounding as
good and as interesting as possib|e without
voca|s, and see themas the icing on the cake at
the end, rather than adding voca|s ear|y on and
|etting themcarry an otherwise average tune.
"Once I fee| I've found enough sounds for the
track and I'mhappy with it, I'|| move on to the
arrangement stage. 1he process fromstart to
finish for a who|e tune wou|d genera||y be six
to eight hours. 1his is assuming that I've had a
good day and that the samp|es are coming out
to p|ay and fitting together! Many of my tracks
have been written over years because I've found
a decent samp|e and some interesting drum
work, but then I'mat a |oss as to what to use with
it. I have yet another fo|der of unfinished sketches
and I a|ways audition decent newsamp|es I find
over the top of these ha|fwritten tunes, just in
case it's the missing ingredient I'm|ooking for."
?dje j^[ kdademd
So it's the samp|es themse|ves that provide the
inspiration for many of Luke's tracks. "I do often
p|ay keys, strings or bass|ines on many of my
tunes, but even they tend to be worked around a
samp|e," he exp|ains.
"For Vintage [Luke`s most recent a/bum{, I
de|iberate|y forced myse|f into the unknown and
got my hands on music I'd never heard before
fromsources that that aren't associated with
drum'n' bass. For examp|e, a friend of mine is
a big prog rock fan, so I asked himto hook me
up with some examp|es and then spent hours
de|ving into his co||ection for sounds to use.
"1he samp|es for my first a|bumcame pretty
much entire|y frommy brother's 70s sou| and
funk co||ection. When I start work on my next,
I'|| be changing again and |ooking e|sewhere for
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Performinglive canbe aninspirationinitself, as it gives
youthe freedomtoquicklytrynewthings
Our settingandenvironment canplaya
hugeroleinhowwefeel andthink
musically. 5ometimes the feelingthat
we'restuckinacreativerut canactually
stemfromanover-familiarityor
boredomwithour studiospace.
We've all experiencedthat short
burst of enthusiasmand
creativitythat comes
whenwe buya new
piece of software, but a
cheaper andoftenmore
effective route can
simplybe torearrange
our setupeverysooften,
andperhaps redecorate
our studio. Never underestimate the creative
surge that a fewcolouredbulbs ina fewtable
lamps, a cleanworkspace or some pot plants
canhelptobringon.
Onthe same note, thinkabout visual
distractions inyour studiospace. Atelevision
is one of the worst things youcanhave ina
place intendedfor music, because of its
power todivert attention- it's anaccepted
rule intheatre never touse a workingTVset
as a proponstage. 5eanBoothof seminal
WarpRecords act Autechre even
recommends havingregular periods where
youturnyour computer monitor off and
workmore intuitively, as seeinga track
representedvisuallyall the time candistract
youfromhearingit properly.
We all tendtodevelopcertainprotocols
inthe studiotohelpus move froma blank
slate toa finishedtrack. 'Workflow' is the
systemwe developtobreakdownanddivide
upthe process of writingandengineering
a trackintomanageable elements. While
generallyevolvingthroughnothingmore
thanhabit, workflowcanbe the place where
creativityeither flourishes or shrivels. 5o
it's always worthtakinga freshlookat our
workingmethods tomake sure that we're
regularlygivingourselves the space and
perspective onwhat we're doingtomake
imaginative, thoughtful or spontaneous
decisions where appropriate.
lt's veryeasytodevelopworkflows that
keepus stuckmakingthe same mistakes
over andover. For example, if we start !00
tracks a year but never finishanything,
perhaps half of our workflowworks really
well but we findthe other unappealing.
lf that's the case for you, trytakingsome
old, unfinishedtracks right throughthe
arrangement andmixdownstage just for the
experience of developinga more complete
workflow. The results might surprise youl
RichardJames tAKAAphexTwinI is
knowntoregularlyrearrange his studio
space andchange the gear andsoftware he
works withjust toavoidgettingintofamiliar
habits andtokeepthings feelingfresh.
That's a trickthat youcouldtryyourself.
Beea WhekdZ oek
=[j _dje j^[ em
lf youwant a light
bulbmoment, try
makingyour studio
a little comfier
.( % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % Del[cX[h (&'&
na|e nus|c now / ||no|nq |nso|rat|on
sound sources. 1his keeps me interested in what
I'mcreating, whi|e a|so pushing forward my
sound and forcing me to try different things.
"Since I have a busy DJ schedu|e, I take |ong
breaks fromthe studio and I think that keeps me
fromfee|ing uninspired or unenthusiastic. 8ut
sometimes I'|| be sitting down wanting to get
some newtracks done and it's just not working.
When this happens, I switch off Logic and |isten
to music samp|es fromfi|ms, or whatever other
sources I can find, and keep bui|ding fo|ders and
fo|ders of interesting sounds.
"In fact, I'ma|ways doing this - whi|e on tour
or back at home - which means that when I do
fina||y get back into the studio, I've got more
than enough materia| to be getting on with."
Luke's music has been featured on a number
of 1V shows, inc|uding |ast year's
series, and on top of that he's a|so a high|y
soughtafter remixer. When making music for
other peop|e, his approach to writing is much
the same as when working on his own tracks -
a|though he exp|ains that with tight dead|ines,
it becomes critica| not to get too hung up on
minor detai|s or on trying to force things to
work. "1he key is to knowwhen something's
not working and swift|y move on. A|| great
producers exercise decisiveness and can
quick|y judge whether something's working or
not, and whether it's worth spending time on.
"Upandcoming producers often say to me
that they've spent hours and hours on certain
parts of a track that genera||y peop|e wou|dn't
care about or even take any notice of. I'mnot
sure whether this comes from|ack of inspiration
or just overattention to detai|, but I'd suggest
that if you fee| |ike you're not progressing, take
a step back and |isten to some other music.
"If you're making Dn8, don't take a break and
just |isten to more Dn8! Perhaps read about your
favourite artists and who their inspirations were
and then start |istening to some of their tracks
and then their inspirations and so on.
"Peop|e often comment on the 'nonstandard'
arrangements of my tunes, and this has definite|y
come from|istening to other genres of music.
It's definite|y possib|e to fo||owa dance music
temp|ate and sti|| push the boundaries with
atypica| sounds and arrangements. Not every
tune has to start with 48 bars of drums fo||owed
by 6bars of breakdown, then bui|dupanddrop!"
l sw|tcn o|| |oq|c ano ||sten to
nus|c sano|es |ron |||ns or
wnatever sources l can ||no
UtahJazz takes inspiration
froma wide range of musical
genres anddeliberately
pushes himself out of his
comfort zone
Del[cX[h (&'& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % .)
workinginthis wayis breakingupthe
normal thought process andmakinglots
of tinydecisions ona muchsmaller scale.
As such, it canoftenleadtointerestingand
unexpectedresults - whichcaninspire
manylater decisions.
|R|/|lNC O O| 4/4
Tryworkingwithdifferent time signatures.
While dance music tends tobe prettylocked
tothe 4/4beat - partlysothat 0Js will be able
tomixwith, andtherefore play, different
tunes - there's actuallya whole worldof
different time signatures out there that we
couldbe writingin. Breakingout of 4/4
instantlyoffers us a wide newrange of
different ways tobreakupa rhythm, and
therefore alsotobreakupour melodies.
For example, a 5/4beat couldbe dividedup
intoa three-beat phrase followedbya
two-beat phrase, or four beats followedby
one beat. A7/4beat couldbe dividedupinto
3, 2, 2. lf you're not usedtothinkingin
different time signatures, practice breaking
themupinthis wayandcounting, for
example: !2!23 for a 5/4beat. venif your
tunes are destinedfor the dancefloor,
learningtowrite indifferent
time signatures canbroadenthe
waythat youthinkabout rhythm
andmelody, and
oftenhelpas an
exercise toget us
out of creative ruts.
R/ Dl|||R|N DlVl'lON'
Trydividingyour tunes upintodifferent bar
groupings. While 4/4's a safe beat for the
dancefloor, there's noreasonwhywe should
have todivide our tunes upinsets of four,
eight or !6bars all the time. Trywritinga 4/4
bar of drums witha bassline, as usual, but
insteadof addinga two- or four-bar synth
line, trywritingone that spans three bars
andthenrepeats. lf done well, this shouldn't
soundunusual, andbybreakingout of the
regularityof everythinghappeningin
multiples of four, youcancreate an
interestingeffect where the beginningand
endof a musical line is less clearlydefined.
AphexTwin's is built onloops of
five bars - withthe feelingof four bars played
ina rowthenanextra one addedon- andthis
gives the feel of a trackthat's constantly
leadingintoitself, rather thansimplylooping
fromstart toend. lt's uptoyouwhether you
use this methodtodivide your whole tune up
- intoblocks of three or five, say- or if you
simplyhave one part that loops this number
of bars, while the rest of the tune sticks to
multiples of tperhapsI four.
|N!O/ || |ROC|''
5topfocusingonthe endproduct andlearn
toenjoyexperimenting. Backinthe early
days of electronic music - before there were
clearlydefinedgenres, style guidelines and
productionprotocols - almost every
recordedworkwouldhave startedlife as a
short experiment withsound. This attitude
was prominent right fromthe earlydays of
the synthuptothe heydayof 0etroit techno.
Modern, computer-basedmusic production
setups offer somanypossibilities that we're
almost compelledtofall backoncliches and
protocols just sothat we have some
manageable boundaries toworkwithin. But
everynowandthen, a boredmusic producer
decides totrysomethinga little different with
his/her sequencer andinadvertentlycreates
a whole newtrendor genre. 5odon't feel that
your studiotime should
always be about 'production'.
That simple fact canbe an
inspirationinitself.
|`||OR| Dl|||R|N
|'lC/| C|NR|'
Tryexploringdifferent musical genres. A
great deal of successful music leaves its
influences fairlyobvious tohear, andthere's
nothingwrongwithwantingtoincorporate
or recreate ideas fromother artists inour
scene. Manymoderngenres of dance music
particularlyare reallycollective efforts and
relyona free exchange of ideas andsounds.
But onthat note, a lackof inspirationcan
oftenstemfroma needtochange or broaden
our listeninghabits. Legendarydrum'n' bass
producer Photekonce saidinaninterview
that all youare as a producer is what you
listentooutside of dance music. Many
successful producers winduprarelylistening
tomuchmusic fromtheir chosengenres at
all, insteadseeingthe time theyspend
exploringanddiscoveringmusic fromother
movements anderas as beingequallyor even
more important thanthe hours theyclockup
inthe studio.
|| '|ON/N|O'
5ometimes all the conceptualisingin
the worldjust doesn't leadus anywhere
interesting. For times like this, a spontaneous
or randomapproachtocompositioncanbe
extremelyeffective. CaryCobaintof Future
5oundof LondonandAmorphous
AndrogynousI mentionedinanearly
interviewthat one of his favourite methods
whenworkingwitha synthwas simplyto
scrawl the first thingthat came tomindinto
his sequencer, andmess aroundwiththe
notes andtimings until he got it sounding
about right. Althoughthis mayseem
unmusical andanunlikelywaytoproduce an
instant hit, what we're actuallydoingby
?dif_hWj_edX_j[i [ii[dj_Wb j_fi
Checkout different types of music -
youmayfindthe ways inwhichthey
use rhythmandmelodyinspiring
CaryCobaincomposes
his tunes inanunusual
way- simplyjotting
downthe first notes
that comeintohis head
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The roadtomusic productionprowess is a
longone, andit's filledwithfalse horizons,
darkforests that are easytoget lost in, and
featureless plains where the immediate
future seems bleakandunexciting.
Here at we've |ong provided the
budding producer with accurate and detai|ed
information to make the road |ess wearing
and f|atten those particu|ar|y irritating
obstac|es - and you'|| be g|ad to hear that
we're not about to stop any time soon! Of
course, the fact that you're reading this artic|e
means that you're we|| aware of this, so we
won't bang on about it any |onger. However,
beyond your fourweek|y fix of , there are
other educationa| resources out there for
those prepared to sp|ash out a bit more
than that regu|ar six quid a month.
Over the |ast decade or so - and
especia||y since it became possib|e
to de|iver videos over the internet at
decent speeds - on|ine courses
have become a viab|e option for those
interested in gaining a forma| education in
music production. 1hese courses offer a much
more accessib|e - though sometimes not much
cheaper - route to a qua|ification or just
expertise than attending a bricksandmortar
schoo| or co||ege. And, of course, because we
|ive in the age of 'inthebox' so|utions and
p|ugin instruments, a|| of the musica| too|s
you need to 'attend' such a course are a|so
avai|ab|e on|ine.
So, if you fancy having a crack at an on|ine
course, read on - because chances are you're
going to need to some he|p picking one!
?d\ehcWj_ed el[hbeWZ
With on|ine courses nowcatering for a||
subjects, |eve|s, musica| sty|es and software -
at an a|most granu|ar |eve| - there are a wea|th
of options avai|ab|e for the music production
newbie. 1his can be confusing! 1he key to safe|y
navigating this minefie|d of diversity and getting
the most out of your |earning is to be very c|ear
about your u|timate goa|, and to achieve that
there are many things to consider.
1he very first thing to understand is what
exact|y you want to |earn. You might think you
need to improve your mixing ski||s, when in
rea|ity it cou|d actua||y be your approach to
arrangement that rea||y needs working on.
Or you may be right at the beginning of your
musicianship, simp|y thinking, 'I want to |earn
production techniques'. 1his may sound
perfect|y reasonab|e to the novice, but
production is a vast and varied topic, and
some techniques wi|| be far more immediate|y
appropriate to your work than others.
1his question isn't just app|icab|e to the
beginner, either. in many ways it's worse for
the intermediate. No one wants to part with
hundreds of their hardearned pounds on|y to
spend 2 tortuous weeks |earning howto open
their DAWor being to|d what a MIDI fi|e is. Many
courses for the beginner and expert abound,
but gauging whether something is right for the
'inbetweener' can be a tough ca||.
Fortunate|y, most courses worth their sa|t
wi|| give you a breakdown of the sy||abus and
exp|ain in depth the topics covered. If the course
you're thinking about doesn't do this, consider
contacting the company direct|y and asking
themto provide a breakdown for you. Some
courses provide free samp|e |essons on their
website, enab|ing you to get a fee| for the course
firsthand. U|timate|y, an honest assessment of
where you're starting fromwi|| reap the most
profit when you come to make a decision.
9ekhi[ YecfWj_X_b_jo
Once you knowwhere you are and where you're
going, the journey can begin. What to study isn't
the on|y consideration, though. the
course structure and provider are
a|so important. Ranging from
fu||b|own academic institutions to
sma|| and persona| operations, each
company provides a different take
on |earning. You must identify which
type suits you best.
Whi|e teaching methods may
vary, a|most a|| of themwi|| centre
on |earning through video tutoria|s.
1his approach provides direct visua|
guidance and often |ets you work at your own
pace Cmost courses wi|| |et you comp|ete the
|essons at your |eisure). 1he majority of courses
wi|| a|so expect you to comp|ete course work or
an ongoing project. Many courses offer more
than these core components. other he|pfu|
benefits inc|ude a dedicated tutor, video
feedback, group chats, samp|e packs and other
usefu| resources.
One of the best things about |earning
on|ine is that there rea||y is something to suit
a|| pockets, fromfree to thousands of pounds -
so be prepared to pay for what you get.
8efore you pay up, though, make sure that
the course rea||y does provide va|ue for
money. It's your cash, so don't be afraid to ask
questions before parting with it.
8WYa jej^[
ebZiY^eeb
Because youmake music ona
computer, we assume that
you're not a ham-fistedLuddite.
That said, some people still prefer
well-thumbedtomes tomoving
pictures. lf youwant tolearnat
home but don't findvideotutorials
helpful, want tosupplement your
online course withsome
old-fashionedpaper andink, or just
fancya bit of readingmaterial for
the train, what are the best options?
Fortunatelyfor the more
technophobic producers out there,
books have historicallydone quite
well at helpingpeople learn. Putting
asidefor onemoment twedid
promisethat we wouldn't bangonlI,
here are some goodtitles toget you
startedonyour quest.
|.nce |./c |.n../ o, R|c| 'nownan
This seminal text by
recordingengineer
Rick5nowman
covers prettymuch
everytopic of music
productionthat you
couldimagine,
regardless of what
0AWyouuse or
whether you're
runninga hardware/
software setup.
|//nq ^.d/o o, Roe, lzna||
Muchmore focused
inits scope, thus
affordingit more
detail onthe topics
it includes, Mixing
Audiois successful at
makingexplanations
of this mysterious
andultimately
subjective art
engagingand
informative at the same time.
lf you've ever spokentoa mixing
enthusiast, you'll appreciate that
this is nomeanfeat.
/e ec/e| o| |o.e |./c |/od.c|/on
o, |arc /oano/Dav|o |e|ton
Brought toyoubythe people
behind5ample Magic samples, this
booktakes a more familiar
walkthroughapproachtoan
extensive list of essential skills,
rangingfrommakingyour
owndrumhits
throughvocals to
songstructure.
0espite its title, it
contains a wealth
of knowledge
relevant to
computer music
productionina
range of genres.
W|tn on||ne courses now
cater|nq |or a|| suo,ects
|eve|s st,|es ano so|tware
tnere are a wea|tn o| oot|ons
|earn|nq nus|c oroouct|on on||ne nas
never oeen eas|er out w|tn nore ano
nore courses aooear|nq ever, nontn
wnere oo ,ou start` |eres our |owoown
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n|qner |earn|nq
DWj_edWb 9khh_Ykbkc7del[hl_[me\ edb_d[Yekhi[i _dj^[KA
lt's widelyacknowledgedthat some people learnbetter ina group
environment, while others prefer tostudyalone. 5ome might benefit
fromvisual guidance; others excel ina more formal classroom
approach. Whichever is your preferredmethod, there is a course
for youout there. lf Coogle searches have left youunsure of the
merits of certainestablishments, readonfor our opinionof some
of the course providers out there, andtheir approaches toteaching.
8e|fastbased Sonic Academy offer a wea|th of different on|ine training courses,
avai|ab|e individua||y or as a comp|ete subscription package, at competitive
prices C30per quarter). You can study specific musica| sty|es such as minima|
house and drum'n' bass, or get stuck into universa| techniques through the 1ech
1ips video tutoria|s. Sonic Academy a|so has a friend|y on|ine community for
sharing tips and ideas, which is open to everybody, even if you don't subscribe.
mmm$ied_YWYWZ[co$Yec
1he famous 8ostonbased Co||ege of Music a|so has an offshoot on|ine. A so|id
range of high|eve| music production courses are on offer, as we|| as many more
traditiona| musicbased subjects. 8erk|ee boast an active on|ine community,
dedicated tutors and persona| feedback on your work. Of a|| the courses out
there, 8erk|ee most c|ose|y mimics the conventiona| schoo| mode|. 1he courses
aren't cheap, with prices usua||y over $000. Keep an eye out for their scho|arship
offers - you might be ab|e to |earn for free!
mmm$X[hab[[cki_Y$Ye$ka
Ied_Y 7YWZ[co
8[hab[[
Quantize teach students on a onetoone basis with the
emphasis firm|y on content and qua|ity. A pre|iminary chat
with the tutor ensures that the course is tai|ored specifica||y
to your requirements. A|| |essons are in HDand inc|ude
detai|ed persona| week|y feedback videos, onetoone chats
and un|imited emai| support. Competitive|y priced Cfrom
60to 270), their aimis to turn your ideas into re|easab|e
tracks. Quantize a|so pub|ish free video tutoria|s on|ine.
mmm$gkWdj_p[Yekhi[i$Yec
GkWdj_p[ 9ekhi[i
SAL have been a |eading
force in creative and
media education for
some time. 1heir on|ine
|earning courses are
just as diverse as their
traditiona| c|assroom
range. 1he music and
audio courses provide
training in a|| of the
major DAWs and a|so
cover more traditiona|
audio ski||s such as
mixdown techniques
and music theory.
1he short courses are
packaged by ski|| |eve|,
enab|ing you to |earn at
a pace that suits your
specific needs. Prices
are fair at around C375
for each course.
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n|qner |earn|nq
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lf youaren't lookingtoenrol ina
full-blowncourse, or youpromised
yourself you'dnever be part of an
academic institutionagain, there
are still plentyof options. Manykind
souls dedicate spades of their free
time tocreatingtutorials and
sharingtechniques viamediums
that don't cost a penny. lf youknow
where tolook, youcanget your
educationfor free - leavingmore
moneyfor the student bar.
Agoodstartingpoint is Tom
Cosm's fantastic collectionof videos
at www.cosm.co.nz. Acertified
Abletontrainer, Tomhas amassed
a sizeable communityof students
andfollowers throughhis excellent
tutorials. Naturally, they're all
for the one 0AW, but manyof the
principles he explains are universal,
andTom's laidbackandimaginative
style makes thema funwatch. Visit
his website andyou'll finda friendly
forumas well as other resources -
suchas incomplete songs - tohelp
youonyour waytomixingmastery.
While most of the videos are free,
the complete archive canbe bought
for a small fee tohelpTomfund
their continuedproduction.
Another shiningstar inthe world
of free tutorials is 0ave from
www.boylnaband.com. Using
Reason, 0ave tackles a broadset of
musical styles throughhis 'seven-
daysong' format, where he makes -
that's right - a songinsevendays.
Those whodon't use Reason
needn't avoidthe site, as most of
the techniques discussedaren't
0AW-specific. 0ave's unique
discourse sets these videos apart.
The richest source of online
tutorials has tobe YouTube,
however, andusuallya simple
searchfor your subject of choice
will returna healthynumber of
responses. Over time you'll findthe
users that produce the best and
most consistent resources for your
needs. The social nature of video
sharingsites means that oftenyou
canengage withother users
directlyandsuggest topics for them
tocover. Manyof the paidcourses
lookedat here alsooffer sections of
their courses for free via YouTube,
sosome careful researchcanpay
dividends whenyou'redeciding
whether or not toshell out.
After many years teaching music production in their successfu| Londonbased co||ege,
Point 8|ank have |aunched an on|ine offering. 1he courses cover a comprehensive range
of subjects, sty|es and software, and typica||y |ast between four and 2 weeks. As we|| as
providing a dedicated tutor and persona|ised video feedback, Point 8|ank encourage
student interaction via web chats and their on|ine community. Impressive|y, their a|umni
inc|ude big names such as Leona Lewis and 1ayo. Prices are fair, with a fourweek course
costing 325 and a 2weeker weighing in at 645.
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Initia||y specia|ising in Ab|eton Live but with courses on Logic in the
pipe|ine, Producertech offer a comp|ete production course sp|it into
two |eve|s - beginner and advanced. Lach course can be bought
separate|y for 49, or together at a discounted price of 225. 1he
course comes as a set of highqua|ity videos that you can fo||ow
at your own pace. In addition to the videos, you're provided with
comprehensive course notes, free samp|es and ongoing support
via emai| or their forum.
mmm$fheZkY[hj[Y^$Yec
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Free online tutorials provide amplyfor those whoare
strappedfor cash, or who've hadit withformal learningl
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For well over a decade, Berlin-based
recordlabel Morr Music has kept the flag
flyingfor electronic music andethereal pop.
Youcouldargue that manyacts onthe label
sparkedthe 'laptronica' revolutionat theturn
of themillennium. Artists weren't afraidto
take their Macs out live, press playandstare
at their shoes for a while. lt was the acts from
this scene - 5tyrofoam, Ulrich5chnauss,
Herrmann&Kleine et al - that helpedtosell
tens of thousands of laptops as musicians
across the globe realisedthat theycould
make all the music theywantedwithinthose
four sleekwalls andthen- what theheck-
takeit out onstage. asyl For them, anyway.
For the audience, these shows weren't quite
the spectac|e that a newcentury in music making
had promised to usher in. Watching a physics
student seeming|y write a dissertation on stage
- a|beit whi|e great music p|ayed in the
background- wasn't exact|y stimu|ating. 1o keep
the crowds happy, |aptops on stage were quick|y
bo|stered by intricate |ight shows and Cwhisper)
peop|e p|aying rea| instruments.
One band that rea|ised this fromthe off was
La|i Puna. Whi|e inherent|y |inked to that who|e
shoegazing scene, they wise|y knewthat p|aying
|ive was the key to |ongevity, and so have a|ways
put on a show, despite their sound not a|ways
|ending itse|f to obvious performances. A dozen
years, 800shows and four a|bums |ater, it's c|ear
that they made the right choice. Not on|y has the
musica| |andscape shifted so dramatica||y that
p|aying |ive is arguab|y the on|y way to |ink with
your fan base Cand make money), La|i Puna's
wispy acoustic synth pop is a|so back in vogue.
La|i Puna was formed when |ead singer Va|erie
1rebe|jahr |eft her o|d band, L8 Page, in 998.
She rep|aced themwith a fourtrack but soon
came to the conc|usion that a human e|ement
wou|d be nice - so Markus Acher, drummer
Christoph 8randner and keyboard p|ayer F|orian
Zimmer soon joined. 1heir debut a|bumJricoder
was a success, but it was the fo||owup - 200's
Scary Wor/d Jheory - that |ed to more
commercia| rewards, inc|uding a Luropean and
an American tour. 1his period was a transitiona|
one for the band, with Christian Heiss joining in
p|ace of F|orian.
In 2003 La|i Puna hit the big time again with
laking Jhe 8ooks and once more took the show
on the road around the wor|d - but after the
curtains c|osed on the tour, |itt|e was heard from
themfor seven years. 200sees themreturn
with a|bumDur lntentions and sing|e Jhat Day,
showcasing just howupbeat, fey e|ectropop
shou|d be done. 1he band have been writing this
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|or 2 ,ears now |a|| |unas strateq, o| o|eno|nq st,|e ano
tecnno|oq, seens to nave oa|o o|| Como|e/ |./c uneartns
tne oer|ect n|x o| n|qn ano |owtecn ano |earns nowto not |oo|
|||e ,oure answer|nq ena||s wn||e oer|orn|nq on staqe
sty|e of music for more than a decade, ref|ecting
the output of Morr Music, who have steadfast|y
refused to compromise on their sound and
|asted |onger than many because of it.
?j ijWhj[Z m_j^ fkda a_dZW
Christian Heiss is responsib|e for much of the
La|i Puna sound, and he's a|so the man tasked
with transferring the bu|k of it to the |ive arena.
1hat can present a|| sorts of prob|ems - but
today's techno|ogy has the answers, and he's
we|| versed in it through years of experience.
"I guess some peop|e are just thrown into
music," he says. "I started making punk music
at around 2 or 3 when I swapped the piano for
a guitar and amp and started writing songs with
three chords! 1hen I discovered that computers
had a |ot of potentia|. 1here was Cubase - I think
version 2.2 - on the Atari, and MIDI was the big
thing, with maybe just two audio tracks. It rea||y
was the start of a |ot of different possibi|ities."
Christian threwhimse|f into techno|ogy, and
that decision wou|d ho|d himin good stead. 1he
opportunity to join a successfu| band soon came
his way, and it was his techno|ogica| ski||s that
were the reason for his invite.
"I joined La|i Puna in 200 when F|orian |eft,"
he reca||s. "He was doing the e|ectronics and they
asked me if I cou|d do the job. So we rehearsed
for the first US tour. First of a|| I joined to he|p
bring their sound out |ive, and then, in 2003, we
recorded laking Jhe 8ooks. My job was to bring
in the materia| that sounded e|ectronic - the
synth stuff or sequenced or samp|ed sounds,
things |ike that. When we finished that record it
was c|ear that we wou|d stay together - so then
I had the job of bringing the sound of that
recording to the stage as we||."
Christian has nowbeen with the band
through the writing and recording of three
a|bums and subsequent wor|dwide tours.
His ro|e within La|i Puna is fair|y f|uid - as are
those of a|| the band's members - a|though his
own setup is fair|y distinct and stream|ined.
"My main setup is a Mac8ook Pro with
Ab|eton Live on it," he says. "Softwarewise,
Ab|eton Live changed everything for me. It was
the first time you had an opportunity to jamwith
peop|e andhave |ive contro| over your sequenced
stuff. Lveryone has tried it, but Ab|eton did it and
made it work on stage, and made it safe on
stage. 1hey rea||y did it!
"Within that I have samp|er instruments and
MIDI and audio tracks, which I shape externa||y
with a Mackie 404 ana|ogue desk, with severa|
outboard de|ays and bit crusher effects. P|us I
have a big MIDI contro||er to access Ab|eton."
Del[cX[h (&'& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % /'
|a|| ouna / |nterv|ew
1his is our first introduction to La|i Puna's
marriage of digita| music making with the outside
wor|d - a combination of more traditiona| studio
techno|ogy with stateoftheart recording
techniques that has kept themahead both in the
studio and on stage. In this case, Live triggers
not on|y its interna| effects but a|so an unusua|
range of externa| effects via the Mackie. "We add
guitar peda|s |ike the L|ectroHarmonix Micro
Synth and the Ibanez 1one|ok DL7 de|ay peda|.
I use this setup a |ot when we're p|aying |ive."
De hkb[i _d j^[ ijkZ_e5
1his combination of Ab|eton Live contro| and
hardware peda|s is unusua|, but it c|ear|y offers
La|i Puna some great options for performance
on stage. With their |ive setup disregarding the
ru|es, wou|d you expect anything different from
their song writing process
"[{ may come fromone person's idea,
or froma|| of us - it varies a |ot," Christian revea|s.
"It may come fromMarkus or Va|erie or me or
Christoph in the beginning - it doesn't matter.
So we might have four tracks of rough drum
|oops and a me|ody, or just harmonics or
whatever. And then everyone goes home with
these four tracks or ideas and tries to add new
materia| |ike chord changes or maybe some
samp|es just to make it interesting. After that,
we meet again in the studio, compare ideas
and make the track."
Christian makes a|| this sound very simp|e -
but with four band members working on the
same idea simu|taneous|y, don't they end up
with four very different resu|ts
"We||, yes, often we do - but then I guess
that is the point," he says. "Markus, for examp|e,
might find ideas and samp|es fromo|d records,
whi|e I usua||y do the beat programming and
maybe change chords or whatever."
8ut doesn't that present the band with the
considerab|e prob|emof ge||ing four very
different ideas together in one track
"No," he exp|ains. "1he ideas are never that
different, as we a|| knowwhat we want fromLa|i
Puna. Lven if there is not a strong concept for a
track, there is a strong idea for the band. So there
may be ideas that come a|ong that not everyone
|ikes, but that is very, very rare. It's hard|y ever
that we say, '1here's no p|ace for that!'."
1he band use Logic Pro to record their ideas,
and they have a wea|th of p|ugins and rea|
instruments that they jamwith. "It's this working
process that makes us different fromother
bands or projects," Christian notes. "Va|erie has
a very strong idea for me|odies, and we try to
make themcomp|ex but a|so inc|ude pop ideas.
We a|so try to mix digita| with ana|ogue. we use
a |ot of ana|ogue synths |ike the Korg MS20, the
ARP Axxe and Moog Prodigy, and we'|| mix the
p|ugins with the rea| hardware as we|| as rea|
instruments |ike vibes or |ute or whatever."
So the synths that La|i Puna use are rea|
rather than p|ugins. 8ut as Logic users, they wi||
have sure|y been tempted by the many great
software equiva|ents, right
"We||, the p|ugins sound different - not as
dirty," says Christian. "P|us you a|so get mistakes
fromthe ana|ogue synths - stuff that they're not
supposed to do, which we rea||y |ike. We want to
p|ay a|ong with a song and edit it |ater, not throw
MIDI dots around a screen."
<Wbb_d] _dje fbWY[
It a|| sounds a |itt|e randomat this point. We
have Christian contributing beats fromAb|eton
Live, Va|erie singing and writing me|odies, and
Christoph and Markus adding more e|ectronics
and beats into the mix. 8ut this is where La|i
Puna's compositiona| process starts getting
even more creative! Logic's p|ugins enter the
fray to he|p ge| everything together.
"We use Logic |ike a recorder, rea||y, and we
use it with a|| the Waves p|ugins p|us the Audio
Damage suite," Christian says. "I |ove the ADp|ugs
because they are so strange. You do something
and you don't knowwhat exact|y you've done,
but it sounds great! We don't use many p|ugin
synths, but I rea||y |ike the CForce M1ron -
it sounds dirty, even though it's a p|ugin. Other
than that, we use the LXS24 samp|er in Logic a
|ot to |oad a|| of our own sounds in."
C[Wikh_d] ikYY[ii
After !2years andsomuch
touring, Lali Punacancertainly
holdtheir heads uphighwhen
measuringtheir success next to
their earlypeers. Theyhaveseen
theindustrychangedramatically:
makingmusictodayisn't
anywherenear as muchabout
makingmoneyas it oncewas.
"0on't expect tomakealot of
money( )," says
Christian. "0oyour thing-perform
live, as it's theonlywayyoucan
reachpeople. Watchother people
play, decidewhat youthinkis
goodandtakethings fromother
people's performances, because
youhavetoperformwitha
computer, but, overall, don't
expect anythingl 0oit because
youwant to, anddon't overdoitl"
Youcanmakemoneyinother
ways besides sellingrecords and
performing, though. "Wehad
sometracks clearedfor useonan
ltalianmovieandanAustrianfilm.
Theyaskedustodothemusic.
We'dnever doneanythinglikethat
beforeandwouldlovetodomore.
lt certainlyhelpedus sell tickets
inltalyas welll"
We want to o|a, arouno w|tn a
sonq ano eo|t |t |ater not tnrow
|lDl oots arouno a screen
Lali Puna: Christoph
Brandner tleftI, Valerie
Trebeljahr tcentreI and
ChristianHeiss trightI.
Fourthmember Markus
Acher is not pictured
/( % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % Del[cX[h (&'&
|nterv|ew / |a|| ouna
And so we get around to the more interesting
aspects of using computers |ive and howLa|i
Puna have rea||y stayed the course. Nowadays
there are a wea|th of options to |iven things up
when using |aptops on stage.
"I sti|| use my Mac8ook |ive," says Christian,
"and I have never had a crash in more than 800
shows, so there is no need to change my system
at a||. 8ut there are some things I don't |ike about
App|e, and one is the contro|. 1he user interface
on the computer is the most interesting thing,
but that is a|so the biggest prob|em. You have a
keyboard, a mouse or a trackpad, but the best
thing wou|d be for a user to rea||y be ab|e to p|ay
with a Mac8ook and howyou interact with it."
So Christian has exp|ored a|| sorts of options.
"I've had a chance to use the Jazzmutant Lemur,
but you need a |ot of time to get into the Live
contro||er side. So nowI'm|ooking at the iPhone
and iPad apps for Live, which seemto do most
of the things I want rea||y cheap|y and very easi|y.
I've a|so done a |ot with the Wii contro||er, which
makes it easy to do things |ike moving the fi|ter by
ti|ting the contro| down. Martin [Gretschmann
fromthe band Conso/e{ is a pioneer in that area
and has done |ots of stuff with the Wii contro|,
and he rea||y does it great. He did it before me,
though, so that's why I don't do it!"
"You need something |ike that to make it a
performance with a |aptop on stage, otherwise
what's the point" he continues. "I cou|dn't te||
you if [such performers{ are checking their emai|s
or p|aying music! It is boring to watch and there
is no reason to go to a '|ive' performance these
days and just stare at an App|e |ogo on stage."
La|i Puna are working on an LP p|us a fu||
a|bumfor next year. "We have a|ways had a
|ot of time between a|bums," says Christian of
the band's future p|ans, "|ike six years between
the |ast two. Lveryone has other projects -
Christoph is p|aying with Conso|e and I run a
studio - so everyone needs to do other stuff
to make La|i Puna work. 8ut we're working on
music and a|so touring around Lurope and the
UK now." For more detai|s and tour dates, check
the website. www.lalipuna.de/tour.
I[b[Yj[Z
A_j B_ij
Apple MacBookPro
Apple Mac Pro
Apple Logic Pro
AbletonLive
APl 7600channel strips
ARPAxxe synth
Audio0amage
plug-insuite
lectro-Harmonix
Micro5ynth
Korglectribe
lbanez 07 delay
Neumann!4
5teinbergCubase
t"Occasionally, as it
does some things
Logic doesn'tl"I
Vermona 0RM!
drummachine
Waves plug-insuite
Westlake BB5M!0
monitors
C_n[Z#kf X[Wji
Christianmight useAbletonLiveas
his mainsourceof beats, but he
goes togreat lengths tomakesure
theresults areunusual, tosaythe
least. His drumtracks areamong
themost diversepick'n' mix
collections of beats, loops and
samples imaginable.
"l usetheKorglectribeas astep
sequencer, oftenwiththeVermona
drummachine," hesays. "l then
recordthat andedit it inAbletonLive
or inmy0AWtomakeit interesting.
After that, l'll maybemixit upwith
real drums, likeananaloguesnare
or ridecymbal, or perhaps l'll takea
monorecordingor aloopchopped
topieces andput that underneath
theelectronicVermonaloop."

.
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'|ate D|q|ta| are re|ative newcomers

to the p|ugin game, but they've
immediate|y estab|ished themse|ves
as one of its premier p|ayers. In
conjunction with UK distributors
Sub6, we're offering three ki||er prize
packs, each containing Steven S|ate
Drums and your choice of one S|ate
Digita| p|ugin. 1rigger, FCX or VCC.
1he r|qqer ||at|nunC49) drum
rep|acer received a 0/0score in
53, where we ordained it "the
newgo|d standard" in triggering.
|C` C49) is a mastering too| with
a smooth compressor and a |oudness
maximiser that de|ivers vo|ume
without sacrificing c|arity or punch.
It |anded a massive 0/0in 56.
VCC C49) - that's V|rtua| Conso|e
Co||ect|on - consists of channe| and
bus p|ugins that mode| six c|assic
ana|ogue conso|es. It's not out at the
time of writing, but if you'd |ike it as
your prize, you can have it when it is.
Last|y, 'teven '|ate Druns C49),
is a renowned set of drumsamp|es.
>EMJE;DJ;H
1o enter, send a text to 7474 containing.
the keyword 5LAT, fo||owed by a space,
then A, B or C, then another space, then
your email address. A|ternative|y,
you can go on|ine and use the format
www.futurecompetitions.com/cm!5
to enter the competition. Lntries must
be received between Octooer 2 2
and Novenoer o 2, and on|y UK
residents aged 8+ may enter.
J^[ gk[ij_ed
F0Xacblevesloudnessuslng.
A. Peak |imiting
1ext. 5LATAyour.emailQaddress.com
8. Inte||igent transient saturation
1ext. 5LATB your.emailQaddress.com
C. Digita| c|ipping
1ext. 5LATC your.emailQaddress.com
TRM5AN0CON0lTlON58yenteringthis competitionyouareagreeingtoreceivedetai|s of futureoffers andpromotions fromFuturePub|ishingLimitedandre|atedthirdparties. If youdonot want toreceivethis information,
p|ease text the word S1OP at the end of your message. 1exts wi|| be charged at .00 p|us your standard network tariff rate. 1he winners wi|| be drawn at randomfroma|| entries that answer correct|y between 20/0/0 and
6//0. Winners wi|| be notified within 28 days of the c|osing date of the competition, and wi|| then be sent their prize free of charge, to a UK de|ivery address that they must supp|y. On|y UK residents aged 8 and over may
enter. No emp|oyees of Future Pub|ishing Ltd or any company associated with this competition, or any member of their c|ose fami|y may enter. Prizes are as stated and no a|ternatives, cash or otherwise, are avai|ab|e. Future
Pub|ishingLtdaccepts no|iabi|ity for any |oss, damage or injury causedby any prizes won. Pub|icity may be giventoany competitionwinners and/or entrants andtheir names and/or photographs printed. 1he editor's decision
is fina| andno correspondence wi|| be enteredinto. Where prizes are offeredon beha|f of an associatedcompany, these prizes are providedin their entirety by these associatedcompanies. Future Pub|ishingLtdcannot be he|d
responsib|e for any fai|ure to provide prizes as specified and a|| enquiries re|ating to such prizes wi|| be referred to the associated companies. A|| entries must be received by the c|osing date. No purchase necessary. Copies of
competition entry forms and winners' |ist are avai|ab|e by written request fromFuture Pub|ishing Ltd, 30Monmouth Street, 8ath, 8A 28W.
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/* % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % 7kjkcd (&'&
na|e nus|c now/ w|n s|ate o|q|ta| so|tware
J^_i cedj^
/. KHI9bWii_Y 9edieb[
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FIF.+
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'&, Ik]Wh 8oj[i =k_jWh_ij
'&. C_d_ H[l_[mi
''& H[Yecc[dZi
Ekh fhec_i[
We bring you honest, unbiased
appraisa|s of the |atest computer
music products. Our experts app|y
the same stringent testing methods
to a|| gear, no matter howmuch
hype or expectation surrounds it.
'#* Aserious|y f|awed product
that shou|d be avoided
+ 1his product's prob|ems
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- So|id. We|| worth considering
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M^Wj j^[
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Awardedtoproducts
that challenge existing
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lf the product
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for its price, it will
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editor, the best product
reviewedinthe
magazine this month
Aproduct has toreally
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functionalityand
features towinthis one
ne |atest conouter nus|c qear testeo ano rateo|
/. KHI9B7II?9
9EDIEB;
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o|uq|n CC' qets
sone tast, new|eatures
'&( FIF7K:?EM7H;
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'&+ DEL7J?ED:?9;H
n|s co|our|u| contro||er |or 'erato
'cratcn ||ve or|nqs we|| tnouqntout
|unct|ona||t, at a qreat or|ce
Del[cX[h (&'& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % /-
rev|ews
1he first URS LQp|ugins quick|y acquired a
fanatica| fo||owing and much praise for their
sound. Like some Waves and UADp|ugs, the
URS LQs were surprising|y c|ose to the ana|ogue
gear on which they were mode||ed, proving a
viab|e 'stepping stone' for producers yet to
make the transition to working fu||y in the box.
Civen the studio and R&Dexperiences of
deve|oper 8obby Nathan Che and wife Joanne
ran the |egendary Unique Recording Studios in
NewYork), it rea||y was on|y a matter of time
unti| he made the conceptua| |eap that |ead to
the C|assic Conso|e Strip . Some virtua| channe|
strips Cnotab|y Metric Ha|o's) had a|ready
estab|ished themse|ves. What marked out the
URS version as something even better was the
obsessive mode||ing of each stage of the strip,
and its dedicated input stage, which - in 8obby's
own words - "sets the mood of the compressor".
CCSP2 offers even more. If you've never used
CCS before, |et's first run through what you've
been missing out on.
9edieb[ oekhi[b\
1here are many hardware devices prized for the
sonic enhancement they provide. For instance,
Neve, SSL and API conso|es imbue a distinctive
tona|ity, as do tape machines, whether they be

/2 mastering machines or 2 mu|titrackers.

CCSP2's input stage offers a stack of choices
emu|ating the |ikes of these c|assics, and some
offer combinations - ie, the sound of
transformers tape. So if you want your drum
overheads to sound |ike they're coming back
froma

/2 tape machine runningat 30ips through

a Neve 073 transformer input, you can have it.
Important|y, if you've never used any of this
archaic equipment or don't care for the s|ight
nerdiness it encourages, you can sti|| f|ick
throughthe settings unti| youhit uponsomething
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p|ay with the demo and
read the CCS manua|
/. % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % Del[cX[h (&'&
rev|ews / urs c|ass|c conso|e str|o oro 2
;:?JEHI9>E?9;
that works for you. Apart fromthe input |eve|
contro|, the character of the input stage can be
adjusted with the horizonta| s|ider. 1his modu|e
of CCS a|one wou|d be a fantastic thing to use on
every channe|, but there's so much more to it.
You can a|so choose your compressor. SSL,
Fairchi|d, Distressor, LA2A, tape compression and
more. 1hey're a|| here, disguised under different
names due to the usua| |ega|/|icensing issues.
Se|ect a compressor and the contro|s move to
suitab|e 'starting point' positions. 1he most
appropriate input stage mode| is automatica||y
se|ected by defau|t, though this can be disab|ed.
8y now, you may be thinking that you've
been outgeeked, and that you'd rather have a
simp|e twoknob compressor and be done with it.
8ut don't be put off by CCS's apparent comp|exity
- just ca||ing up the presets and tweaking the
defau|ts wi|| immediate|y yie|d great resu|ts.
@e_d j^[ XWdZ
Cet ready for the nerdiness to ramp up even
more. You can choose between severa| mode|s
of LQ, and whi|e the origina| gear mode||ed isn't
named, some of our educated guesses are Pu|tec
C95), API C967), Neve 073 C970), Neve 08
C972) and SSL 4000L C980). Lach mode| has
a definite character and you'|| quick|y come to
knowwhich you need. 8ut here's the c|incher.
for each of the four bands of LQ, you can choose
a different mode|. So you can use a 95 Pu|tec
sty|e band to add some smooth air up top whi|e
c|inica||y zoning in on a prob|ematic frequency
in your |ower mids with the SSL. 1here's a|so a
section offering high and |owpass fi|ters, which
can be p|aced before or after the compressor or
used for the interna| sidechain. 1he compressor
can be p|aced pre or postLQ, and a signa| f|ow
diagramoffers anoverviewof the current routing.
1his p|ugin is a simp|e yet very powerfu| way
of introducing warmth and character to your
mixes. Running through the compressor presets
a|one offers rea| sonic a|teration before you even
touch the LQ. If it had a gate, you rea||y cou|d get
by with this as your on|y LQand dynamics
machine. Howabout it, URS
1he CCS Pro comes bund|ed with a DSP
efficient cutdown version, the Strip, and given
that the Pro version isn't greedy in this respect,
you cou|d have Pros ona|| your key tracks and
master busses and Strips on everything e|se
without maxing out your system. 8oth p|ugins
work at up to 92kHz and there's a|so an externa|
sidechain option for CCS Pro.
If you're a V owner, it's a free upgrade, and if
you're not, then we high|y recommend the CCS
Pro 2 for adding top qua|ity ana|ogue warmth
and character to your mixes.
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5owhat's changedsince v! of
CC5 Pro? There's nowanlnput
5tage Bypass buttoninthe 5ignal
Flowsection, makingit easier to
A/Bthe subtleties of the flavours.
The input stages have alsobeen
updated, withtheir characteristics
nowmoreobvious anddistinctive.
The newlnput 5tage Modelling
Lock/Unlockbuttonenables you
touse different input stages with
different compressor styles,
whereas inv! the twowere
intrinsicallylinked.
The compressor has twovery
welcome additions. The Fast
Attackswitchchanges the attack
time range from0.!250ms toa
fast !0 s-25ms, allowing
Fairchild-likesuper-quickattacks.
These are great for brickwall
masteringsettings, where you
want transients eradicated
completely, andalsogoodin
moderationfor more transparent
general masteringcompression.
5econd, the newWet/0ry
fader lets youparallel compress
withinthe plug-in, soyoucould
mixyour super-compresseddrum
soundwitha little of the natural
soundtorestore some of its
transient character, while upping
the level of the general kit sound
andambience. This single fader
saves youthe hassle of creatinga
pair of parallel auxiliaries tie, one
cleanandone compressedI and
havingtoworryabout phase or
latency-compensationissues.
D[m\eh l(
Bundledwiththe CC5
Procomes the 5trip, a
more CPU-efficient, less
modular stripthat maps
nicelytopopular
hardware controllers
Dont oe out o||
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5nazzynewcompressor parameters make Classic Console
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Del[cX[h (&'& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % //
urs c|ass|c conso|e str|o oro 2 / rev|ews
1he Artist Signature Co||ection series of
p|ugin bund|es brings you easytouse,
app|icationspecific effects characterising the
favoured sounds of certain mix engineers. Chris
LordA|ge Caka CLA) is famous for his c|assic
American rock sound, and this range of effects
broad|y covers his trademark tones for rock
instruments. It inc|udes six p|ugins. Drums,
8ass, Cuitars, Voca|s, Unp|ugged and Lffects.
<WZ[h mWo
Lach of the p|ugins consists of five or six
contro||er faders sandwiched between input
and output |eve| faders. Lach contro||er is
assigned a specific sonic attribute, so in the
case of the Drums p|ugin, you get 8ass, 1reb|e,
Compress, Reverb, Cate, and the faders simp|y
dia| in 'more' or '|ess' of that effect. It's not
a|ways c|ear what's going on under the hood
and you don't get precise contro|. 1he idea is
that you don't need to worry about that - just
dia| in what you want to hear.
8uttons above each fader togg|e through
effect variations, and c|icking the chosen co|our
bypasses that effect. For examp|e, on the Drums
p|ugin, the variations for the 8ass fader are Sub,
Lower and Higher. Some of the p|ugins feature
extra contro|s in the top|eft corner. Sticking with
Drums, you can switch between fundamenta|
drumtypes. kick, snare, toms, room, overheads
and cowbe||. 1hese give you CLA's c|assic effects
approaches for the different drums.
1here are a|| sorts of |imitations with this sty|e
of p|ugin, but that's kind of the point. 1he idea is
to get immediate resu|ts without faffing around
with various p|ugins chained together. It's an
instant timesaving fix, and in the case of the
Drums, it rea||y does work we||. You can get
powerfu|, punchy, weighty kicks and cracking
snare sounds in no time at a||. And if you want to
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refine it with, say, additiona| LQ, you can a|ways
add one in |ater. We'd |ike the p|ugins to be
modu|ar, so that it wou|d be possib|e to drag
the faders into a different order. Anyway, we've
ta|ked p|enty about the Drums p|ugin so far.
Our verdict 8ig tick.
H_f#heWh_d] XWii
Cetting a good bass sound is a|ways hard. the
weight, the cut and the drive a|| have to be just
right. 1he CLA 8ass p|ugin provides a range of
immediate setups for a powerfu| rock bass that
wou|d trans|ate effective|y into other genres,
especia||y hiphop and e|ectronic sty|es. 1he
three distortion settings are great. Crow|, Roar
and Rip speak for themse|ves! 1he Sub settings
and three |owfrequency curves put the areas
you want to tweak right at your fingertips, and
the brick wa|| |imiting keeps the sound rock
so|id. 8ass verdict. Lven bigger tick.
On to the Cuitars p|ugin. You can se|ect
between C|ean, Crunch and Heavy amp sty|es. If
your guitars are DI'ed, you can f|ip the ReAmp|ify
switch to app|y a bui|tin amp sim, otherwise the
processing is tai|ored for an amped signa| in the
chosen sty|e. 1here are a|so compression and
LQsettings, and some stereo effects. 1he size
and crunch of the thing is impressive and the
de|ays are synchronised to the host tempo.
Again, the instant gratification is a knockout,
though you wi|| need further p|ugins to refine
your sound. Cuitars verdict. 1ick.
1he voca| is the foca| point for most |isteners,
so the 'instant fix' of the Voca|s p|ugin is on|y
rea||y appropriate when you're in a hurry to get
a monitor mix together. Lven so, the qua|ity of
resu|ts is surprising considering the |imitations.
1he choice of compression curves and the
topend LQare both good. A 'body' or mid
contro| might have been a worthwhi|e addition
but then CLA isn't known for his forward mid
range! Voca|s verdict. Sma|| tick.
1he Unp|ugged p|ugin offers a range of LQ,
compression, reverb and de|ays designed
specifica||y for acoustic instruments, but a|so
usefu| for roughing up c|ean DI signa|s. It has
two different reverbs, each with prede|ay, so
you can get a good range of spaces for your mix.
Unp|ugged verdict. 1ick.
Lffects is a genera|purpose mu|tieffects
modu|e with some distortions and stereo
modu|ations a|ong with LQ, de|ays and reverbs.
One usefu| feature is the 1hrowbutton, which is
for dubbingmomentary |ong de|ays on specific
words or phrases using the host's automation
system. It's a big timesaver, being simp|er to set
up than the norma| send automation process.
So, the Lffects verdict. 8ig tick.
M^Wji oekh Wlekh5
It's c|ear that a |ot of thought and research has
gone into this bund|e. It cou|d easi|y have gone
very wrong because of the inherent design
|imitations, but each of the p|ugins effective|y
encapsu|ates Chris LordA|ge's sound within a
specific window. A|| you have to do is pick the
'f|avours' you want and give yourse|f 'more' or
'|ess' of each. 1he p|ugins have uses outside
rock too. a synth part cou|d easi|y benefit from
Cuitars and e|ectronic drums shou|d sound |ess
tame when driven through Drums. Overa||, this
is a simp|e but very effective co||ection.
M[X www.waves.com
9edjWYj Sonic Distribution, 0845 5002 500
L[hZ_Yj
<eh Instant gratification
Lxce||ent combination of effects
Cood instant LQand dynamics settings
Simp|icity is refreshing
7]W_dij Inherent|y |imited
No option to rearrange the effects chain
Voca|s p|ugin is too basic for most uses
|or |nstant C|/ on tao tnese o|uq|ns
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!53 >> 7/!0>> 45
Strippeddown automixing p|ugin
Waves JJPArt|st S|gnature
Co||ect|on
!57 >> 8/!0>> 646
If you'd prefer the sound of Jack
Joseph Puig, try this bund|e
Whether or not youlike the American
rocksoundof Chris Lord-Alge, you
can't denyhis dominationinthat field
of music. He's beenat the forefront of
rockmixingfor arounda quarter of a
century. His soundis characterisedas
full-onyet light onmid-range tones.
The masses love it andit undeniably
comes across well onthe radio,
sounding'loudandpunchy' when
heardalongside other mixes.
5uchall-out sonics canbecome
tiringonthe ears, however - the Lord
alone knows howhe manages tostick
withit for a whole day's mixingl Chris
will tell youthat part of his secret is
listeningat lowlevels onsimple
reference systems suchas his 5ony
boombox. He'll alsotell youthat he
finishes a mixinone tofive hours.
That's quickl Toworkonthat sort of
timescale, youhave toknowexactly
howyouwant the mixtosoundbefore
youstart andbe instantlydecisive
throughout your mixingsession-
there's notime to'umandah' about
whether youlike the hi-hat sound.
Whatever youthinkof CLA's mix
aesthetic, youcan't denythe calibre
of his CV, withartists like U2, Avril
Lavigne, MyChemical Romance,
Nickelback, Creen0ay, Paramore,
Rod5tewart andCeline 0ionbeing
just a fewof his clients over the years.
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The Vocals plug-indelivers nice results, but we wouldn't
recommendusingit for a finishedtrack
ne |oea |s to qet
|nneo|ate resu|ts
w|tnout |a|||nq arouno
w|tn var|ous o|uq|ns
cna|neo toqetner
The 0rums plug-inwill give youCLA's favourite sounds - mixquicklysoyoudon't get a headachel
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If there's one effects processor that we
never get tired of tinkering with, it's the de|ay
processor. Whether we use it to add a dash of
chorus|ike character, create an unexpected
musica| riff, fi|| out some space in a mix as an
a|ternative to reverb or simp|y make things
sound utter|y bonkers, a good de|ay unit is
your trusted production partner.
Seven |ong years have passed since we
first tried PSP 84. 1oo often dismissed as simp|y
a dua|channe| version of the PSP 42 Cwhich is
based on the c|assic Lexicon PCM42 de|ay unit),
PSP 84 was actua||y a far more powerfu| beast,
with a p|ethora of additiona| features. High|ights
inc|uded the vast|y enhanced fi|ter section,
which offered a powerfu| fi|ter Cband, high or
|owpass) that cou|d operate on either the input,
the feedback section or just the de|ay effect
section. 1he resonance cou|d be cranked up to
se|fosci||ation, and five different types of
temposyncab|e LFOwaveformwere on hand to
be added to the a|ready pretty crazy
proceedings. 1he abi|ity to switch the fi|ter to
process the input, feedback or overa|| signa|
was a|ways worth trying too.
8o|ted onto this was a reverb section, offering
p|ate and spring modes, which cou|d be p|aced
on either the entire signa| path or just the effect
signa|. 1his was c|ose|y fo||owed by some
saturation features to offer a warmtosquashed
effect. Oh, and one of PSP 84's best features was
its abi|ity to adjust and modu|ate the 'speed' of
the de|ay |ine, just |ike a tape de|ay - enab|ing
the production of everything fromsubt|e
wowing to crazy pitchbending effects.
D[m\eh (&'&
A|| of these features are present in PSP 85,
and they sti|| a|| sound pretty amazing, are in
no way obso|ete and shou|d constitute part
of PSP 85's appea| to newusers.
Of the newfeatures, one of the most
interesting is sidechain ducking. PSP 85 can
use either an externa| source Chost permitting,
which most do these days) or the input signa|
as a key to attenuate the effect signa|. 1hus, the
echoes wi|| become quieter whenever there is
input, but wi|| rise in vo|ume to 'fi|| the gaps'.
In theory, you cou|d achieve this in other ways,
but having it bui|t right in is a great convenience.
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Another neat newfeature is the de|ay |ine
panning, which is independent for each channe|,
as is the de|ay gate, which mutes the de|ay when
it drops be|owa certain |eve|. 1he |atter is great
for taming runaway de|ays, or simp|y making
thempunchier and more obvious|y rhythmic.
And the prede|ay at the de|ay input stage offers
yet further sonic contro|.
Again, these features are a|| things that can
be achieved Cafter a fashion) without these
contro|s, but the convenience makes theman
exce||ent addition.
Some of the newfeatures can't be achieved
by other means, though, such as the fi|ter
resonance modu|ation and the trackposition
LFOsynchronisation. 1he |atter function means
that with some of the crazier evo|ving effects,
you can be sure that things wi|| a|ways sound
the same upon each p|ayback. 1his is most
we|come, as some p|ugins have reduced us to
tears when the best effect sequence we'd ever
heard sudden|y popped out of the LFOdriven
chaos, never to be repeated.
As you'|| have gathered, PSP 85 isn't your
average de|ay, and to rea||y get a grip on what's
going on under the hood, we recommend taking
a |ook at the manua| Cinc|uded on the DVD),
which inc|udes a b|ock diagramof the signa| path.
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Some of our favourite enhancements are very
much on the surface. Lach section of the CUI is
divided up and |abe||ed, with its own On/Off
switch. We high|y recommend disengaging each
section in turn when working through the presets
as it can rea||y transformthemCand some presets
are a |itt|e heavier on the reverb than we'd |ike).
Whi|e the s|ight|y c|uttered and confusing
interface remains as busy as PSP84's Ceven
busier, in fact), the newHe|p section Cmarked
by a question mark) enab|es you to hover over a
section for a comp|ete |ist of a|| the parameters
and a brief description of their function.
PSP 84's success was down to the c|ever
interaction of its individua| sections. It was
described by many at the time as being more
than the sumof its parts, and this newversion
rea||y picks up where the |ast one |eft off. 1here's
nothing radica||y newhere - just |ots of great
refinements. Anybody who's got the previous
version shou|d at |east try the demo of PSP 85 -
we suspect that you wi|| quick|y see the va|ue
in upgrading.
PSP 85 fee|s and sounds |ike a robust,
o|dschoo| bit of kit - but one with futuristic
innards. It's capab|e of some astounding
nextgen resu|ts, but there is a so|idness to
the sound that fee|s substantia| and vintage.
It can produce f|anging effects, phasing effects,
de|ay effects, swir|ing/squeaking effects and
everything in between or on either side. It can
be a creative too|, an inspirationa| too| or just a
workhorse. Most important|y, it doesn't sound
|ike just another de|ay. Lven if you have ten
other de|ays fighting each other for space in
your p|ugins fo|der, we guarantee that you'|| get
something fresh out of PSP85 - and that a|one
makes it we|| worth the asking price.
M[X www.pspaudioware.com
9edjWYj contactgpspaudioware.com
?d\e Crossgrade fromPSP 84, $59
L[hZ_Yj
<eh Creat presets and fantastic sound
Sidechain ducking
He|p function
LFOtrack position synchronisation
Creat fi|ter section
High|y f|exib|e
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FabF||ter T|me|ess 2
!42 >> !0/!0>> 84
1his superf|exib|e de|ay features a
mindb|owing modu|ation section
Aud|oDamage R|cochet
!25 >> !0/!0>> $49
Ste||ar resu|ts on a budget. It can't
match PSP 85's power, though
Witha plug-inthat's home toas many
interactive parameters as there are on
P5P5, gettingthe exact results you're
after canoftenbe a bit hit andmiss. 5o
muchso, infact, that evenexperienced
engineers cansometimes needtotake
a stepbackandpartake ina thoughtful
headscratchas theytrytoget the most
out of a goodcomplexdelayunit.
This is where the presets come in.
P5Phave done a reallygreat jobof
offeringa hugelybroadselection,
withpatches suitable for mangling
a drumloop, phatteninga synthriff,
creatingcrazybreakdowneffects
fromthe soundof one handclapping
andloads more besides.
Whatever your musical baghappens
tobe, we'drecommendtryingout P5P
5 onsome randomelements using
randompresets, just tosee what it can
do. Prettysoonyou'll get a sense for
what they're all for andthus be able to
make some informeddecisions about
whichpresets toturntointhe heat of
the moment.
We won't lie toyou: it cantake a
while toget a goodgriponP5P5.
But our goldentipis totryit out on
eachtrackof the next project you
make, andtryfive totenpresets each
time. Just takenfromthis standpoint,
we were amazedbyhowmuchwe
endedupusingit onour tracks.
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TheHelpsectionoffers easy-to-access explanations for all themaincontrols andanoverviewof thedifferent sections
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Presets canbe a great help
whenyou're learninghowa
plug-inworks, andP5P5's
are prettygnarly
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1he L|ectroHarmonix Sma|| Stone has a
sound so desirab|e that hardwarehappy
engineers use this humb|e peda| effect at the
mix stage in preference to fancier rackbased
processors. Cerman software deve|opers
ArtsAcoustic decided to deve|op their own
p|ugin emu|ation of this c|assic, dubbing it
8igRock. It goes beyond the origina| design
by adding p|enty of extras, turning it into a
kind of big brother - hence the crafty name.
1he origina| design's continuous|y adjustab|e
LFOrate and two 'co|our' Cresonance) options
remain, and when you |oad up the p|ugin, these
are the on|y contro|s you'|| see, besides the bypass
switch. In this formit operates as a mono effect,
and aside fromthe LFO's red LLDand footswitch
LLD, this is howthe origina| MkII peda| |ooks.
Se|ect the Advanced tab and a bunch of extra
features are revea|ed. Important|y, the p|ugin
nowoperates in stereo. 1he co|our option
becomes a continuous contro| C000%) and this
contro| extends beyond the origina| high
resonance setting Cwhich you'|| find at 88.5%).
8ecause the origina| setting a|so inf|uenced the
fi|ter structure, this contro| morphs between
those two designs.
Next up are three contro|s that affect LFO
behaviour. Amount, Centre and Offset. Amount
se|ects a modu|ation range for the LFOC03
octaves), Centre adjusts the modu|ation centre
frequency C40Hz4kHz), and Offset adjusts the
|eft/right phase offset of the LFOCup to 80
either way). In Advanced mode, you can sync to
host tempo, with the Rate knob setting note
divisions rather than frequency. You can a|so
app|y an offset to the LFOcyc|e using the Phase
contro|. 1hings are rounded off with high and
|owpass fi|ters and a dry/wet mix contro|.
HeYaij[WZo
8igRock's sound is instant|y |ikeab|e, and in
basic mode, the Jean Miche| Jarre pad preset
de|ivers |oads of thick, resonant swir|.
As expected, though, it's the advanced features
that take this to another |eve|. A sma|| tweak
of the Offset contro| and you find yourse|f
surrounded by a smooth stereo swir|ing effect -
push it too far, though, and the outofphaseness
can be disorientating! Factor in the |ow and
highpass fi|ters and centre frequency setting,
and tai|oring s|ow, evo|ving temposynced pad
effects is very easy. We were surprised by how
powerfu| the co|our option cou|d be at its
maximumsetting, and a|so with the variety of
f|avours that it achieves in other positions. A|so
rather usefu| is the LFOPhase Offset knob, as
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CWY C4 or Inte| Core So|o, 28M8 RAM,
OS X 0.5 or |ater, VS1/AUhost
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<eh Captures essence of the origina|
8rings modern f|exibi|ity
Lxce||ent for adding swir|ing stereo width
Usefu| starter presets
7]W_dij LFOis rudimentary
A|ways |oads in basic mode
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D!6CroupFazortan
!3! >> 7/!0>> C35
Creatsounding Sma|| Stonea|ike,
with severa| 'missing' features
added since our review
SoundToys Nat|ve ffects V4
!52 >> !0/!0>> $495
Contains the PhaseMistress phaser,
a|so avai|ab|e to buy separate|y
5ince its first appearance in!974, the
5mall 5tone has beenproducedinvarious
guises, includingthree variations under
the Russian-built 5ovtekname. Originally
designedbyex-M5 synthengineer 0avid
Cockerell, the 5mall 5tone uses OTAs
toperational transconductance amplifiersI
rather thanregular op-amps or the FTs
tFieldffect TransistorsI usedinMXR's
Phase pedals. These components impart
thirdharmonic distortions and, combined
withits complexfilter design, shape that
distinctive richswirl.
Althoughthe 5mall 5tone's features have
remainedthe same, component choice and
circuit boarddesigns have variedover the
years. Of theeight variations manufactured,
the first twomodels are the most sought
after, andthe most recognisable edition
has tobe the silver-and-orange-facedone.
This U5 secondrevisiontMkllI is the one
ArtsAcoustichavemodelledfor theBigRock.
Ijed[Z _d bel[
EDJ>;:L:
Hear 8igRock in action,
then try the demo and
read the manua|
you can position it so that the sweep starts
where you want it to within its cyc|e.
So, any frustrations A coup|e. First, we noted
that a newinstance of the p|ugin a|ways
|aunches in basic mode. More |imiting is the fact
that you're stuck with just one LFOwith a fixed
shape. Lven so, if you're interested in 8igRock,
your primary concern wi|| be with whether it
de|ivers that c|assic rich tone, and this it
certain|y does.
M[X www.artsacoustic.com
9edjWYj sa|esgartsacoustic.com
'&* % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % Del[cX[h (&'&
rev|ews / artsacoust|c o|qroc|
Dicer offers handson contro| of three key
performance features of Serato's Scratch
Live. autocue points, |ooped ro||s and |ooping.
Setup cou|d not be simp|er. In the Dicer box you'||
find two identica| contro||ers, each offering five
main pads and three mode se|ection buttons.
1hey s|ot snug|y into the 45RPMadaptor ho|es
on 1echnic SL200turntab|es. A|ternative|y, you
can unscrewthe attachment and stick themto a
pair of CDJs or a |aptop using the inc|uded 'DJ
putty', which is a sticky, reusab|e substance.
Connection is via US8. connect one contro||er
direct|y to your computer, and use the inc|uded
/8 jack cab|e to |ink the two units together.
Operation is simp|e too. When used as a Serato
Scratch contro||er, there are three modes. hot
cues, |oop ro|| and auto |oop. 1he buttons |ight
up in red, green and ye||owto indicate the mode.
In hot cues mode, you can set, erase and
rep|ace up to five trigger points, and it's very
easy to do this on the f|y. 1he buttons are very
responsive, too. Next comes the outrageous|y
fun |oop ro|| mode, which offers five different
speeds of rapidfire |oops, triggered by pressing
and ho|ding the five buttons. Speeds range from
rhythmic repeats to a||out stutters. When you
re|ease the button, the track continues in exact|y
the p|ace it wou|d have been if you hadn't
triggered it - perfect for |ive edits and bui|ds.
1he fina| mode - auto |oop - dea|s with |onger
|oops and is designed more for mixing and
extending tracks as opposed to performing.
You can trigger |oops with ease - simp|y hit a
button again to un|oop.
Hebb j^[ Z_Y[
We were underwhe|med when we unpacked
Dicer, but the moment we began using it, we'd
have happi|y mixed for a day. Within minutes we
were pu||ing off comp|ex combinations. Used
judicious|y and creative|y, it's no gimmick and
wi|| rea||y enhance a set.
If you do get bored, Dicer's functions can be
mapped to MIDI functions in Serato, p|us it works
as a p|ain o|d MIDI contro||er for any software.
1he co|our intensity of the LLDs can be contro||ed
via MIDI Cthis is howwe conjured up the co|our
combination shown above), so there's potentia|
for twoway interaction with software.
Dicer doesn't do anything you can't do in
another way, and it's not as f|exib|e as most
contro||ers. However, we've never used anything
that makes it a|| so easy and so fun, and at the
same time is so exquisite|y compact and
convenient for the gigging DJ. It's a hit!
M[X www.novationmusic.com
9edjWYj Focusrite, 0494 462246
ne contro||er ||nqs n|t tne D! nar|et out
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<eh Fits perfect|y on SL200 turntab|es
8uttons have a nice fee|
Simp|e, sensib|e |ayout
Co|oured back|ighting
Can rea||y enhance a DJ set
1here's current|y nothing as convenient
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Novat|onNocturn
!24>> !0/!0>> 69
Lnough contro|s to do the same job
but not as suited to |oops/hot cues
Nat|ve Instruments Traktor
Kontro| X!
!50>> !0/!0>> !75
Lots of contro|s, but pricier and
takes up more space
There's anuncommonlylarge amount of
commonsense, pragmatismandpublic
spiritedness inthe 0J controller industry.
For example, the recent Native lnstruments
Traktor X! was not onlywell suitedto
Traktor's natural foe, 5cratchLive, but even
came witha printedtemplate overlayfor it.
5imilarly, the 5erato-centric 0icer comes
withtemplates for Traktor users, too.
Of course, the 0icer units are designed
for 5cratchLive's loopingandcue-point
features, but Traktor has plentyof similar
tricks upits sleeves. Andwhile a large
number of Traktor users don't use the
5cratchtie, 'virtual vinyl'I version, theytoo
cantake advantage of 0icer for easycontrol
of performance functions, attachingthe
control units toa laptopusing0J putty.
One more thing: manydigital 0Js already
have a controller, but the neat thingabout
0icer is that it canmake a nice adjunct, and
soneedn't be seenas a straight alternative.
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novat|on o|cer / rev|ews
8i||ed as "the most comp|ete guitar software
of a|| time" and "the perfect guitar emu|ation",
Sugar 8ytes' Cuitarist had our expectations
running high. If the c|aims are true, we shou|d be
ab|e to create the sound of any type of e|ectric
guitar with it, p|ayed in any sty|e, running
through practica||y any amp/effects rig - oh yes!
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1he attractive CUI is dominated by its centra|
work window, with the guitar neck at the bottom.
Pressing the P|ay button kicks off the defau|t
song. the strumming machinery springs to |ife,
the robotic 'fingers' jump around the fretboard,
and you can see the step sequencer working
through its pattern in the main window. 1he
bui|tin sequencer p|ays the guitar, using it's own
bespoke contro||ers for the different articu|ations.
A|ternative|y, you can a|so trigger chords and
strumming via MIDI.
We first ran through a fewpresets to get a
fee| for what Cuitarist can do. 1he resu|ts are
mixed. Cenera||y, the c|eaner riffs are more
successfu|, with some surprising|y good picking
and strumming action. Some of the rock efforts,
on the other hand, are embarrassing|y robotic.
Oh, and it seems that there's no way to change
tunings. 1his the most comp|ete guitar
software of a|| time!
OK, |et's back up a bit. 1his isn't quite what we
expected, so what is it It's a virtua| guitar that's
p|ayed by a pattern sequencer and is designed
to emu|ate rhythmparts p|ayed on an e|ectric
guitar. It has the capacity to emu|ate nuance and
expression, and you can a|so customise chords
and fingering patterns. A|| of this can be p|ayed
|ive or sequenced.
Lxpressive qua|ities |ike mutes, deadened
notes, stops, s|ides, s|ower or doub|e strums and
up or down strokes are easi|y entered into the
step sequencer grid. 1hat strumming pattern
can then p|ay a series of preset or customised
chords in whatever sequence you |ike, and in
turn these sequences can be chained into a
song. In addition, the Animation feature |ets
you change notes in each chord throughout the
pattern to enab|e me|odic parts with hammer
ons and pu|| offs.
1here's a choice of four samp|ed guitars. a
Duesenberg Starp|ayer Specia| in both standard
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Hear what Cuitarist can
do, try the demo and
read the manua|
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rev|ews / suqar o,tes qu|tar|st
and bright varieties, a Stratocaster and a
1e|ecaster. 1he guitar mu|tisamp|es can be
triggered in a randomroundrobin sequence
that keeps repetitions sounding natura|, and
the mod whee| can be used to dampen/deaden.
Patterns can be dragged and dropped into MIDI
sequencer tracks and there are some fun extra
contro||ers for |ooping and timestretching that
bring a modern edge to a traditiona| instrument.
1here's a|so a nice S|owDown feature that gives
natura|sounding ra||entandos.
1here are three amp options Ctwo mode||ed
amps and DI/bypass), a modu|ation box, a
de|ay/reverb stomp and a vo|ume/fi|ter rocker
peda| with which to shape your sound. 1hese
effects are in a fixed order and sound passab|e,
far better resu|ts are achieved by putting
Cuitarist through a dedicated amp simp|ugin.
Cuitarist fa||s far short of its c|aimof being
the most comp|ete guitar software of a|| time.
An instrument that combined, say, Virtua|
Cuitarist 2, L|ectri6ity, Cuitarist, VSL Cuitar,
Amp|i1ube 3 and Cuitar Rig 4 wou|d perhaps be
ab|e to make such a bo|d c|aim- but we fee| that
Sugar 8ytes' wording is mis|eading.
1aken for what it is, Cuitarist is a nice
customisab|e strumming and picking machine
that's great for |aying down supertight funky
wah parts. If you need e|ectric rhythmparts in
a hurry, it cou|d get you out of a spot, and as a
songwriting too|, it's awesome. 8ut a 'must have'
product shou|d be ab|e to do a |ot more.
We noted a number of omissions and
shortfa||s in use. 1here's no semiacoustic
335type guitar, for instance - this wou|d make
Cuitarist a jazz weapon! Indeed, acoustic guitars
- and even uku|e|es and banjos - wou|d seem
perfect for this engine. 1he existing axes have
no pickup se|ection. Lffectswise, the amp sims
are very rudimentary andthere's nocompression.
We'd |ike to be ab|e to free|y move the 'fingers'
and save the resu|ting chords - and create
customtunings and save themas presets.
You can detune individua| strings, but there's
no g|oba| finetuning. Fina||y, we'd |ike to see a
g|oba| dynamics setting that contro|s the
genera| picking hardness.
Sugar 8ytes acknow|edge these criticisms,
some of which wi|| be reso|ved in future updates,
and we hear that a Cibson 335 is in the works.
1his is a disappointing yet promising start. We're
|ooking forward to the updates, the first of which
- v. - shou|d be out by the time you read this.
M[X www.sugarbytes.de
9edjWYj infogsugarbytes.de
L[hZ_Yj
<eh Cood graphica| interface
Simp|e to use
Creat songwriting too|
Can sound |ife|ike.
7]W_dij .or terrib|y robotic!
Limited choice of guitars
No pickup switching
Lffects are rudimentary
Cu|tar|st |a||s snort |n a |ew |e, areas
out tne |unoanenta| conceot |s so||o ano
tne |nter|ace |s |||eao|e
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7bj[hdWj_l[bo
V|r2 |ectr|6|ty
!57 >> 9/!0>> 259
Light superbsounding samp|ed
e|ectric guitars, but no sequencer
RobPapenRC
!32 >> 9/!0>> 79
Samp|ed e|ectric rhythmguitar
with sequencing and funky effects
The patternsequencer tabis where you
get your groove on. The Tempofield
sets the resolutionof the pattern- the
actual tempocomes fromthe host
sequencer, or the tempodialoginthe
standalone version. This is a !6-step
patternandit's easytosee at a glance
the level of eachstep, andwhichstrings
are played. achstepcanbe anupor
downstroke, andcanbe mutedor
deadenedvia the 5tyle editor lane.
There are several 'lanes', including
the 5tyle one we just mentioned, each
of whichenable youtoadddifferent
articulations. The pop-upfor the 0rag
editor lane is shownabove, revealing
vibratooptions andslurs, whichcan
be either portamentoor glissando
tsmoothor stepped, ie, bends or slidesI
betweenchords. The 5trumlane
enables youtoinsert slower or double
strums, andthe 5toplane kills ringing
notes or creates a staccatonote/chord.
Withcareful programming, it can
effectivelybe string-specific.
Belowthis is where youbuildthe
chordsequences, withRepeat showing
howmanybeats eachchordplays for.
At the bottomare the chordvariations
or chordbuttonassignments - Lock
holds a chordinplace for editing
purposes. 5ugar Bytes have stuffed
a lot of power andflexibilityintothe
interface without overcomplicatingit.
Fh[jjo fWjj[hdi
Here's everyvariationof your root chord- that shouldkeepthe jazzers happyl
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snort o| |ts c|a|n
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cono|ete qu|tar
so|tware o| a|| t|ne
nter chords
andchoose from
manydifferent
articulations inthe
patternsequencer
Del[cX[h (&'& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % '&-
suqar o,tes qu|tar|st / rev|ews
/ rao|o||re rounouo o| aoos sano|e ||orar|es RO|o|ers ano nore
n|n| rev|ews
M[X www.u|oops.net
9edjWYj infogu|oops.net
<ehcWj Android
1his is a onestop musicmaking environment
for your Android phone. It's a free down|oad, but
there's a $5 year|y subscription to un|ock |imits
on track number, render requests and more.
We're reviewing the subscribed version here.
ULoops inc|udes synths, drummachines
and an FX instrument ca||ed Modu|ator. You
can a|so record audio fromthe bui|tin mic of
your device. Add reverb and de|ay as we|| as
insert effects to rea|ise comp|ete tunes. 1he
sequencer has a bui|dingb|ock approach.
a Song contains a sequence of Loops, and each
Loop can contain any number of the instruments
mentioned above. Lach instrument has a
number of presets and numerous parameters.
1o make a|| of this work on an Android device,
a |itt|e trickery is invo|ved. instead of audio
coming froma bui|tin engine, it comes via a
DSP server on the internet. Once you create
a Loop, you hit a Render button and ULoops'
server renders an OCC
audio fi|e and sends it
back to your device.
Render times were
under five seconds for
a fourbar |oop on the
H1C Lris we were
using. Obvious|y, you
need an active
internet connection
CWiFi or phone data)
to use ULoops.
Working this
way takes some
getting used to.
For examp|e, the
Synthesizer modu|e uses an organ patch that
you hear when programming patterns - on|y
after hitting the Render button wi|| it p|ay back
with the intended sound. 1he Drummodu|e
does use bui|tin drumsamp|es. there are 4 kits
with 7 sounds that have unique persona|ities
but were often too |ofi and short for our |iking.
We a|so noticed tiny gaps between |oop sections.
M[X www.harmonicdog.com
9edjWYj hami|tongharmonicdog.com
<ehcWj iPhone and iPad
1he origina| version of Mu|ti1rack was one of the
first proper mu|titrack DAWa|ikes for the
iPhone, with a c|ean interface, troub|efree
operation and a whopping 6 tracks of audio.
1he most notab|e upgrades for v2 inc|ude
nondestructive editing, copy and paste, |ooping
and, of course, iPad support. Oh, and nowadays
you can use up to 24 tracks in the app - not bad.
Mu|ti1rack records at CDqua|ity 6bit, 44.kHz
reso|ution with 32bit interna| processing. It on|y
offers eight stereo tracks as standard, but an
inapp purchase a||ows you to upgrade it to 6
tracks for 4.99 or 24 for 9.49. For rough demo
recordings the interna| mic can be used, but the
best resu|ts are achieved by p|ugging in a qua|ity
iPhone mic |ike the 8|ue Mikey or a guitar
interface |ike the IK Mu|timedia iRig.
1he featureset is basic in comparison to a
traditiona| DAW, but options such as punch in
and out, mu|tip|e undo |eve|s and a bin browser
make it a surprising|y versati|e portab|e
recording too|. 1he adjustab|e buffer size means
round trip |atency can be set as |owas ms, and
|atency compensation
means overdub timing
isn't a prob|em. 1he
|ess cramped UI on
the iPad makes things
easier, but the smart
design means the
iPhone version is
sti|| easy to use.
UIPasteboard
support enab|es audio
to be copied/pasted
between other apps,
and audio can a|so be
imported via i1unes
fi|esharing and direct
iPod |ibrary access.
A bounced mix can
be exported as a
WAV or OCCand
sent via emai|, WiFi
or up|oaded to
SoundC|oud CMP3
support is in the pipe|ine). Overa||, Mu|ti1rack
has advanced significant|y since its first
incarnation. 1here are sti|| some minor
weaknesses - the popup menus in particu|ar
Ckbj_JhWYa :7M(
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Kbeefi Cki_Y9ecfei[h <h[[%'+o[Whbo
However, minor comp|aints aside, stuffing
this much power into a sing|e app|ication is an
impressive accomp|ishment - especia||y for a
p|atformthat's not the friend|iest for audio. An
update shou|d be out by the time you read this,
promising samp|e support, a more robust patch
|ibrary, and improved |atency and audio qua|ity.
d-%'&d
can be fidd|y to use - but the simp|e workf|ow
and good sound qua|ity make it one of our top
choices for mobi|e recording.
d.%'&d
'&. % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % Del[cX[h (&'&
rev|ews / n|n| rev|ews
IekdZEhZ[h
;b[Yjhed_Y:hkci Leb '
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M[X www.bestservice.de
9edjWYj mai|gbestservice.de
<ehcWj 8attery 3, Kontakt 3 Cand higher), WAV,
MIDI
1his pack comprises a compi|ation of samp|es
taken fromSoundorder's existing 8attery samp|e
sets, a|ong with some brand newFX and two
entire|y newbonus kits. 1his amounts to 32
standard kits with the bonuses on top. very nice!
Various f|avours of house drums are on offer here, and there's a
decent trance kit thrown in for good measure, too. You don't need to
own 8attery or Kontakt to enjoy thembecause the rawsamp|es are
inc|uded. 1hese are a|| instant|y usab|e across the spectrumof LDM.
d/%'&d
BeefcWij[hi :EMDBE7:
F[j[BeYa[jj MehbZ
F[hYkii_ed )&
M[X www.|oopmasters.com
9edjWYj infog|oopmasters.com
<ehcWj WAV, RLX, App|e Loops
avai|ab|e separate|y
1his co||ection of topnotch wor|d
percussion is fromprofessiona| session
percussionist Pete Lockett. 1he 455
WAVs and 403 RLX |oops comprise everything fromtink|y cymba|s
to thunderous 1aiko drumming. Lverything is recorded to a high
standard, and there's p|enty of expressive p|aying.
1his is a sensib|e purchase if you're working on soundtracks or
indeed in any genre that cou|d benefit fromunusua| percussion.
you get a |ot for the price and there's some tru|y origina| work here.
d/%'&d
Fkh[cW]d[j_a :EMDBE7:
JeoXen('(
M[X www.puremagnetik.com
9edjWYj infogpuremagnetik.com
<ehcWj Live 8, Logic 8 or Kontakt 3.5
Here's another bri||iant|y quirky pack from
Puremagnetik, focusing on the rawsound
of e|ectronic toys. You get mu|tisamp|ed
musica| toys, two 'menus' of sound FX and
speech fragments recorded fromspeaking
toys, and a sma|| percussion set.
Qua|ity recording combined with origina| sound choices Can
Otamatone and Sonica number among the interesting me|odic
sources) mean that you won't get anything exact|y |ike this anywhere
e|se. On|y you wi|| be ab|e to determine whether you actua||y need
such a co||ection, but at a price this |ow, it's a profound|y fun bargain
|ibrary of sonic oddness.
d.%'&d
:[jkd_p[Z :EMDBE7:
>WccWdZ;]]i -
M[X www.detunized.com
9edjWYj contactgdetunized.com
<ehcWj Ab|eton Live Pack
1his Live Pack fromDetunized features
the |egendary Hammond 82 Organ, a
Les|ie 25, and a 1rek II 1P28 percussion
modu|e. 1here are two f|avours. 1ype A and 8. 1ype A gives you
access to a set of common|y used parameters, with drawbars
avai|ab|e via the chains' |eve| contro|s, whi|e 1ype 8 has the
drawbars mapped to macro contro|s. Four organ|ike mini
instruments are a|so inc|uded.
1his u|traaffordab|e pack is perfect if you own Live and want a
quick, easy way to add some decent Hammond vibes to a track. If
you're after a comprehensive rock/b|ues organ co||ection, though,
you'|| need to |ook e|sewhere, and no doubt fork out far more cash.
d.%'&d
<_h[beefi :EMDBE7:
:WdY[8[Wji
WdZ8h[Wai ,.
M[X www.fire|oops.com
9edjWYj via website
<ehcWj RLX, WAV, App|e Loops
A co||ection of 565 dance drum|oops spanning
genres fromhouse to Dn8. C|itch, e|ectronica
and ethnic |oops a|| make an appearance.
1here's a |ot on offer here, the prob|emis that
practica||y none of it is that usab|e or inspiring.
1here's a |ack of punch, genera||y poor use of compression, too much
muddy |owend and fewstandout moments.
Despite containing a |arge number of samp|es, a pack in this price
bracket - and one that offers on|y drum|oops - is going head to head
with the giants of the dance samp|e wor|d. Unfortunate|y, this s|ight|y
amateurish effort can't rea||y compete.
d+%'&d
:Wha I_Z[ e\ j^[ Jkd[
Jm_ij[Z9_ij[hd*&
M[X www.darksideofthetune.com
9edjWYj infogdarksideofthetune.com
<ehcWj WAV
1wisted Cistern features samp|es captured in a
disused underground water storage cistern of
twomi||ionga||on capacity. It "discharges a
haunting 45second reverb". You get 97
sounds as we|| as 30drumsamp|es.
After some time spent with these samp|es, it
a|| starts to seems|ight|y point|ess. there's noticeab|e background
hiss in p|aces and reverb tai|s are even cut off of some sounds.
Without a topnotch recording and more exciting source materia|,
better resu|ts wou|d arguab|y be provided by a p|ugin. And it's a rea|
shame that no impu|se responses were created of this fascinating
rea|wor|d space. We |ove the concept here but the sound qua|ity
|ets it down.
d*%'&d
'ounoware rounouo
Del[cX[h (&'& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % '&/
n|n| rev|ews / rev|ews
BeefcWij[hi :EMDBE7:
:@ C_njeebi &' # C_d_cWb
KdZ[h]hekdZJ[Y^de '+
M[X www.|oopmasters.com
9edjWYj infog|oopmasters.com
<ehcWj WAV, Ab|eton Live presets
As the boundaries of conventiona| DJing b|ur
into those of production, Loopmasters have
jumped on the concept of 'fi||er' materia|. Consisting of |oops and FX
made to fi|| and bridge the gaps in your mixes, DJ Mixtoo|s is perhaps
the most perfect|y nondescript house music we've ever heard.
Made up of 6, 32, 64 and 28bar parts, each is readymapped for
Ab|eton Live. It's hard to fau|t DJ Mixtoo|s - the price is right and the
materia| de|ivers without imposing its sty|e too much on your mix. If
you want to make better use of your C and Ddecks in 1raktor, or need
an extra beat to smooth transitions in Live, this cou|d we|| be for you.
d.%'&d
IWcfb[ CW]_Y :EMDBE7:
Eh]Wd_Y>eki[ +&
M[X www.samp|emagic.com
9edjWYj via website
<ehcWj WAV, RLX 2, Sty|us RMX, App|e Loops, LXS24, Kontakt 3,
NNX1, AIFF
Whi|e it's not entire|y c|ear what to expect of 'organic' house, on
first |isten it seems to fa|| somewhere between afterhours house
and minima|, and even incorporates triba| sty|es. With 873M8 of
WAVs to make your own, Organic House covers most bases, from
drum|oops and oneshots to synth |oops, percussion and FX,
tota||ing 256 fi|es. With each |oop at either 25 or 28bpm, the
pack is poised to send good vibrations through the dancef|oor. 1he
combi |oops that demo the stems in other fo|ders sound fresh and
uptodate, and the vagueness of the 'organic' tag actua||y gives it
broader scope, meaning this pack cou|d be used in anything from
the tightest 8er|in minima| to the funkiest Lssex house.
Organic House might not be as bargainous as other packs, but
you're paying for qua|ity over quantity here Cand it's worth noting
that you do get many formats for your out|ay). Samp|e Magic tend
to have their finger on the pu|se - and this pack proves it.
d/%'&d
Fh_c[ Beefi :EMDBE7:
<_bj[h >eki[7jjWYa ((
M[X www.prime|oops.com
9edjWYj infogprime|oops
<ehcWj WAV, Live Pack, App|e Loops, Acid
Loops, RLX 2, FL Studio, Reason ReFi||
Fi|ter house means |ooping 70s funk samp|es,
banging kicks and some of the best fi|tered
breakdowns to ever rock the dancef|oor.
1hing is, if you're expecting Chic|ike bass|ines
or Chaka Khan chords, you won't find themhere because this is
|itera||y house, fi|tered - it shou|d be ca||ed House Attack! 1he
synth |oops are more Cuetta and Deadmau5 than DJ Fa|con or Daft
Punk, which in itse|f is no bad thing. With 200|oops and 00
oneshots, there's enough to p|ay with, and at 2530bpm, you'||
certain|y find space for it in more modern dancef|oor jams. Just don't
expect that French touch. Non.
d-%'&d
8_] <_i^ 7kZ_e
>[Whj e\ j^[9_jo ,+
M[X www.timespace.com
9edjWYj 1ime+Space, 0837 55200
<ehcWj WAV, App|e Loops, RLX, ACID, RMX
Whi|e the cover of Heart of the City might
bring to mind a John Carpenter soundtrack,
it's actua||y a|| about hiphop, with a|most 000
|oops at your disposa|, stemming from40
construction kits. Labe||ing a|| of the kits with
a NewYork reference, this pack tries to bring
the street to your studio, but makes numerous
wrong turns. Sty|istica||y, it's outdated and cheesy, with the sounds
being 'cheap' and not far off Cenera| MIDI. Worst of a||, there's a
hamfisted attempt at groove, swagger and swing, the resu|ts being
beats and synths that often just sound unfortunate|y out of time.
Whi|e 8ig Fish Audio have done some great hiphop |ibraries, this
certain|y ain't one of them.
d)%'&d
8_] <_i^ 7kZ_e
7cX_[dj Iaob_d[ .,
M[X www.timespace.com
9edjWYj 1ime+Space, 0837 55200
<ehcWj WAV, App|e Loops, RLX, ACID, RMX
1his pack de|ivers substantia||y more than
the usua| ambient c|iches, and it does it
by packing in tons of instruments, frompiano
and guitar to saxophone and f|uge| horn. Of
course, there are p|enty of trippy synth sounds
and spacious FX too. 1here's f|exibi|ity where
you need it, such as me|odic |ines in mu|tip|e keys. It wou|d have
been good to have some of the reverbed sounds as dry versions
too, but they do sound terrific and are ready to go.
Let us be c|ear about this. this pack is best suited to those
working on soundtracks. If that's you, then with 2266 we|||abe||ed
|oops at your disposa|, Ambient Sky|ine wi|| he|p you to assemb|e
the perfect ambient atmosphere fair|y quick|y.
d.%'&d
''& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % Del[cX[h (&'&
rev|ews / n|n| rev|ews
EDI7B; DEM
;II;DJ?7B H;7:?D=<EH
7BB 78B;JEDB?L; KI;HI
'teoo,steo qu|oes to
||ve cs core |eatures
|nstrunents ano e||ects
Creat|ve oro,ects ano
nasterc|asses |or ||ve
users o| a|| ao|||t, |eve|s
lnc|uoes a DVD oac|eo w|tn
exc|us|ve sano|es |ron
|eao|nq sounoware orooucers
JKJEH?7BI" FHE@;9JI" GK?9A=K?:;I7D:CEH;
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Wa[hie\
Avai|ab|e at 8orders, WHSmith and a|| good newsagents, or buy on|ine at
Fhef[bb[h^[WZ
H[Wied+ )&&
H Wj_d] 0/0
H [l_[m[Z 56
9edjWYj Sound 1echno|ogy, 0462 480000
M[X www.prope||erheads.se
M^Wj _i _j5A se|fcontained virtua| studio,
Reason revo|ves around a rack that can be
stuffed with synths, drummachines, effects
and more. Additions for v5 inc|ude Kong, an
awesome semimodu|ar drummachine, 8|ocks,
a superb sequencing system, Dr. Octo Rex,
which supersedes Dr. Rex and |ets you |oad up
to eight RLXfi|es at once, hardwaresty|e direct
samp|ing, and a genera||y s|icker CUI.
L[hZ_Yj "It's a|ways been a superb app, but with
v5, Reason fina||y fee|s 'comp|ete', offering a
high|y satisfying musica| environment."
ne oest new qear |ron tne |ast tnree |ssues
Ronan |acoona|o
|o|tor
PSPAud|oWare's PSP85 m|ght [ust be
the u|t|mate sounddes|gner's de|ay
p|ug-|n. Shame I'mnot the u|t|mate
sounddes|gner, but at |east I've now
got the too| |f not the wherew|tha||.
M^Wj m[l[ X[[d ki_d] j^_i cedj^
|ee ouCa|ne
Deout, |o|tor
!!2d's |g|ue L|m|ter |s see|ngmore
andmore act|on|nmy pro[ects. |ther
|ts ana|ogue mode|||ng|s sospot-on
that |ts takenthree months for |t to
'burn|n' or I'ms|mp|y warm|ngto|t.
|n Cant
|u|t|neo|a |o|tor
I'mfar toobusy tot|nker w|thNI's
Reaktor, but thanks toReaktor P|ayer,
I've got the chance tomess about w|th
some top-notchensemb|es for freeI
Don't hate the P|ayer - hate the game.
Ca|t, |oster
|roouct|on |o|tor
I'm||ke a magp|e but attractedto
br|ght|y co|ouredas we|| as sh|ny
ob[ects, soth|s monthI'ma|| |na f|ap
over Novat|on's funky D|cer, wh|ch|s
current|y s|tt|ngpretty |nmy setup.
L_h(
;b[Yjh_,_jo (+/
H Wj_d] 9/0
H [l_[m[Z 57
9edjWYj 1ime+Space, 0837 55200
M[X www.timespace.com
M^Wj _i _j5A Kontaktpowered co||ection of
eight samp|ed guitars, this is |ike Superior
Drummer or 8FDbut for guitars instead of
drums. 1here's a Fender Strat, a 1e|e, a standard
Cibson Les Pau|, a P90|oaded 'Pau|, an LS335
and an L4, and even a Rickenbacker and a
Dane|ectro. L|ectri6ity's c|ever underthehood
humanisation makes programmed or p|ayed
parts sound more |ike a rea| p|ayer, and there's
surprising|y good amp simu|ation bui|t right in.
L[hZ_Yj "A superb so|ution for anyone seeking a
broad pa|ette of convincing samp|ed axes."
Ij[_dX[h]
Dk[dZe+ '+)'
H Wj_d] 9/0
H [l_[m[Z 55
9edjWYj via website
M[X www.steinberg.net
M^Wj _i _j5Cubase's big brother is a DAW
of epic price and proportions, being aimed
primari|y at postproduction professiona|s.
Newfeatures inc|ude an enhanced automation
system, intuitive surround panner, better
Media8ay, and a funky pitch effect. Some of
Nuendo 5's improvements are a|ready shared
by Cubase 5.5, and - fingers crossed - hopefu||y
we shou|d see more of themmaking an
appearance in Cubase 6.
L[hZ_Yj "A so|id and attractive update that's
|ight on point|ess 'whizz bang' additions."
''( % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % Del[cX[h (&'&
rev|ews / reconnenos
;:?JEHI9>E?9; ;:?JEHI9>E?9;
;:?JEHI9>E?9;
''* % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % Del[cX[h (&'&
na|e nus|c now / oac| |ssues
8WYa_iik[i
?iik['+( @kd[ (&'&
1ime+Space UVI Soundstation and
2045 dark dub samp|es on the DVD
1he beginners' guide to mixing
1ricks with time
.And the kitchen sink Cfo|ey sound)
Producer Masterc|ass. 8onobo
VengeanceSound VPS. Metrum, Sound1oys
V4, DMCAudio Lqua|ity and more reviewed
?iik['+) @kbo(&'&
8ig 1ick Audio Rhino CMand 267
ambient samp|es on the DVD
Ambient masterc|ass
Rhythmand stea|th Cvideogame music)
See the music Ca visua| |ook at sound design)
Producer Masterc|ass. Jayce Lewis
Xfer Records Nerve, FXpansion 8FDLco,
UADFA1SO, Magix Vanda| and more reviewed
?iik['+* 7k]kij (&'&
Synapse Audio Jung|ist and 200 Carniva|
Rave samp|es on the DVD
Make a track for free
1ouch of genius Cmake music on your iPad)
Hard times Cintegrating outboard gear)
Producer Masterc|ass. 8|ame
XILS|ab Po|yK8, Line 6 Pod Farm2, UAD
Precision Lnhancer Hz and more reviewed
/our cnance to oroer an, |ssues o| Como|e/ |./c
tnat ,ou na, nave n|sseo over tne |ast s|x nontns
?iik['++ I[fj[cX[h (&'&
FXpansion Curu CMand 202 jazz samp|es
on the DVD
1roub|eshooot your music computer
iPad MIDI contro|
8ui|d e|ectronic beats fromscratch
Producer Masterc|ass. Nick 1hayer, 8|ack Noise
Steinberg Nuendo 5, 1oontrack 8eatstation,
Audio Damage Discord3 and more reviewed
?iik['+,EYjeX[h (&'&
249 1ime+Space samp|es and 200 drum'n'
bass samp|es on the DVD
1he Cuide to Reason 5
Lxtreme enve|opes
Jamming in Ab|eton Live
Producer Masterc|ass. DJ Fresh
Cakewa|k VStudio 20, Steinberg HALion
Sonic, S|ate Digita| FCX and more reviewed
?iik['+- 7kjkcd (&'&
Inte||igent Devices S|ipNS|ide CMand 207
Remix 1oo|kit samp|es on the DVD
1his is the Remix
Fingerdrumming for beginners
Cating and ana|ogue warmth
Producer Masterc|ass. S.K.I.1.Z 8eatz
F|ux IRCAM1oo|s 1rax, Voxengo HarmoniLQ,
Audio Damage Axon and more reviewed
Je ehZ[h"YWbb
&.**.*.(.+( \kjkh[6ikXiYh_fj_ed$Ye$ka
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Ca|| To|| free !800 428 3003 ouot|nq cooe a2
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/our ouest|ons answereo
8[bbo Xej^[h
Question
l'mtryingto
recordsome bellygurgling
noises for use inmytracks.
l've triedplacinga microphone
near tomybellyandrecordingbut it always
soundmuffled. l'mafter somethinga bit
clearer. 0oyouknowanywaytoget clearer
recordings? l'musinganMAudioMicrotrack
andthe mic that came withit.
Dave Foam
Answer
We can on|y imagine that recording
be||y noises is quite difficu|t. Not on|y do you
need access to the requisite gurg|ing be||y, but -
depending on the stomach in question - the
gurg|es cou|d be quite quiet.
Idea||y, you'd want to use the most
sensitive mic and highest qua|ity preamp
possib|e, and whi|e the Microtrack is a
decent bit of gear, its defau|t mic is
un|ike|y to be idea| for this. A qua|ity
condenser microphone shou|d yie|d
better resu|ts. It makes sense to put
the mic as c|ose to the source of
the sound as possib|e, though we'd
hesitate to recommend trying to
access your stomach interna||y,
so you'|| probab|y have to sett|e
for pressing the mic against your
f|esh whi|e your innards gets
their rumb|e on.
As an a|ternative to a mic,
consider a device that's designed
specifica||y to pick up bodi|y
sounds. a stethoscope. 1here are
e|ectronic stethoscopes out there
with audio outputs for recording,
though they can be pricey. Another
option is to get ho|d of a regu|ar
acoustic stethoscope and modify it,
as exp|ained here. www.bit.ly/dxAMiO.
If you want your sound to stand up in the mix,
consider using the art of fo|ey to create a
|argerthan|ife stomach gurg|e. Stomach noises
are created by oxygen moving through |iquid. If
you've used a bott|esty|e water coo|er, you'||
knowthat they produce a simi|ar g|oopy sound.
1ry experimenting with recording the sound of
water Cor other f|uids) g|ugging out of various
bott|es, then manipu|ating the recording by
changing the pitch, LQand so on. 1he resu|ts
may sound more |ike the sound you're after than
a recording of the rea| thing.
Hebb_d"hebb_d"hebb_d
Question
l've beentryingtoadddrumrolls
tomytracks, but whenever l do, it sounds too
computerised, like a drummachine. Howcan
l make snare rolls that soundmore realistic?
Ca||umForster
Answer
Cetting programmed drums to
sound rea|istic can take quite a bit of time and
effort, which is why virtua| drummer software
Thewriter of our uestionof theMonthwill
receivetheir choiceof twoArtist 5eries
samplelibraries courtesyof Loopmasters.
www.loopmasters.com
The stethoscope: not exactly
a studioessential, but if
you're lookingtorecordany
formof, er, bellynoise, you
might want toconsider
investinginone.
'', % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % @kbo(&'&
l was wonoer|nq || tnere |s an, wa, tnat
l cou|o use n, o|o conouter to ooost tne
orocess|nq oower o| n, ||ac
such as LZdrummer and 8FD is so popu|ar.
However, with a fewtricks it is indeed possib|e
to programsnare ro||s that don't have that
artificia| 'machine gun' fee|. See Sequence
convincing snare ro//s on the right for
instructions on howit can be done.
=e ]e F9fem[h
Question
l have a newiMac andanold
PCwitha prettydecent processor anda nice
amount of RAM. l was wonderingif there is
anywaythat l coulduse myoldcomputer to
boost the processingpower of myiMac. l've
heardabout the Waves 5oundCrid5erver
andnoticedit is connectedvia anthernet
cable or wireless hub. This inspiredme to
wonder if there is anywaytocombine the
machines via thernet? Failingthat, couldl
use a Mac mini ina similar way? l'mlooking
tomaximise the power of the machine with
minimal cost anduse it ina 05P-type wayfor
plug-ins, as myiMac suffers under the strain.
Christopher McC|ymont
Answer
1here are various ways to use
networking in order to combine the power of
mu|tip|e computers. Some are dependant on
what software you use. For instance, App|e's
Logic has the capabi|ity to use distributed
networking as |ong as you've got a fast enough
network Cspecifica||y, Cigabit Lthernet). With this
system, one machine runs Logic and the other
runs the Logic Node app|ication. 1he master
then off|oads effect and instrument ca|cu|ations
onto the other machine. 1his can work in near
rea|time depending on variab|es such as CPU
|oads and buffer settings. Here's the prob|em
for you, though. this systemwi|| on|y work on
Mac computers, and so you wou|d indeed need
to get ho|d of that Mac mini you mention.
Steinberg's Cubase and Nuendo have a
simi|ar faci|ity ca||ed VS1 SystemLink, which
works via digita| audio cab|es over S/PDIF, ADA1,
1DIF or ALS, assuming that each computer is
equipped with a suitab|e ASIOcompatib|e
audio interface. 1his systemis pretty f|exib|e,
and it enab|es you to share the |oad between
different machines, or use one machine to run
processorintensive send effects. It a|so works
crossp|atform, but the downside is that you
need to buy mu|tip|e copies of Cubase or
Nuendo, as we|| as audio interfaces with the
appropriate digita| audio connections.
1here are a fewnonDAWdependant
app|ications that enab|e you to send data
between DAWs, inc|uding the PCon|y FX
1e|eport Cget the demo at www.fx-max.com),
and the freeware Wormho|e 2. We reckon
If you've ever tried to programa
snare ro|| using a samp|e or a
sound froman o|dschoo|
ana|oguesty|e drummachine, you'||
knowthat making it sound 'rea|istic' is
a|| but impossib|e. 1he key is to use a
number of subt|y different samp|es.
Create a newpatch in your samp|er,
then |oad 5nare! and 5nare2 Cfromthe
Tutorial Files/&Afo|der on the
DVD) onto separate keyzones.
'
'teo o, steo
Programthe drumro|| to a|ternate
between the two sounds, as shown.
You might start off with the hits
perfect|y quantised, but if you rea||y
want it to sound authentic, turn your
DAW's Snap function off and make
s|ight adjustments to each hit's timing.
(
Varying the note ve|ocities is
another way to give the sound a
more organic qua|ity. 1his is usua||y tied
to the sound's vo|ume |eve|. Depending
on the |eve| of comp|exity you want to
go into, you cou|d a|so use it to subt|y
modu|ate the patch's LQor fi|ter cutoff
to change the tone of harder hits. Here
we've assigned the ve|ocity to an LQ
band's Cain |eve|.
)
I[gk[dY[ Yedl_dY_d]
idWh[ hebbi
lf yourequire more plug-inprocessinggrunt thanyour extremelypowerful newiMac canprovide, a. we're
impressed, andb. youhave a fewoptions, but all of themrequire a fair bit of moneyand/or settingup
Del[cX[h (&'& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % ''-
exoert aov|ce / oca
Ca|| up ZebraCMCon the DVD) in
your DAW. 1his synth is idea|
because its unison detunab|e osci||ators
make it easy to create fat textures. Start
by turning the Fi|ter Cutoff a|| the way
up, and the Volume of the second
osci||ator a|| the way down.
'
'teo o, steo
Set the first osci||ator's Voice to
uads, and activate the VoiceReset
mode. Set the Wave knob to 2.00, and
turn the 0etune |eve| up to 24.50. 1hat's
pretty much it, programmingwise. If
you're after an authentic ear|y 90s fee|,
try samp|ing a short note to produce a
consistent stab sound.
(
Whether you're resamp|ing or
p|aying the sound straight out of
the synths, you'|| find it's a bit bassy.
We suggest app|ying some LQto cut
out the |owend. Here we've taken off
9.6d8 at 49Hz and boosted it by 2.d8
at !77Hz.
)
/ou wou|ont oe ao|e to use a o|||erent
auo|o |nter|ace || ,ou want to cont|nue
runn|nq |ro oo|s |n an, caoac|t,
CWa[ j^[ ;l[hoXeZo _d
j^[ FbWY[ iodj^ ijWX
lt's well worthupgradingthe original Mboxtothe Mbox
2 or even3, bothof whichare officiallysupportedby
Redmond's newest operatingsystem, Windows 7
Wormho|e 2 is your best bet - it's free and
crossp|atform, and it enab|es you to route audio
between machines. 1he software has been
made opensource, but deve|opment appears to
have sta||ed of |ate, so it's probab|y not much of
a |ongtermso|ution. A|so, it doesn't faci|itate the
transmission of MIDI over the network - though
software such as MusicLab's MIDIoverLAN
CP Cwww.musiclab.com) and the free ipMIDI
Cnerds.de) do. You cou|d potentia||y use one of
those programs in conjunction with Wormho|e
2, but this setup is potentia||y more hass|e than
it's rea||y worth.
One way you can squeeze more processor
power out of your CPUis to set your audio driver
to a |arger buffer size. 1his wi|| mean that your
DAWdoesn't operate quite so snappi|y, but in
return you'|| get a |itt|e more out of your CPU
before it starts to choke. 1o find out howto
access your audio driver's settings, consu|t your
audio software's documentation. It's a|so good
practice to try to be sensib|e with your p|ugin
usage, and make sure that a|| of the effects or
extra tracks you're adding are actua||y making a
difference to the song. You can bounce comp|ex
tracks to audio to conserve CPUcyc|es, and
most DAWs offer a 'track freeze' feature, which
enab|es you to bounce tracks, then instant|y
'unbounce' themfor further editing |ater.
8[jWbWj[ j^Wd d[l[h
Question
l have a follow-upquestion
tothe one printedin !52 concerninga
computer upgrade andmyoriginal Mbox.
Youstatedthat the Mboxis completely
incompatible withWindows 7, but thengoon
tosayAvidreleasedbeta Windows 7 drivers,
sol ama little confusedas towhether this
wouldhelpme use myMboxona newlaptop
withWindow7. lf not, canyourecommenda
couple of inexpensive, goodinterfaces?
Also, l believe l amgoingtobuya 0ell
laptopwiththe newlntel Core i3350M
2.26Chz. Are there anyissues or anything
l shouldknowabout withthis processor?
Lvan Marx
Answer
In our origina| rep|y to your question,
we said that your origina| Mbox has been
unsupported by Avid since the re|ease of Pro
1oo|s 8.0.3, and that no Windows 7 drivers have
been re|eased for it. We a|so said that - at the
time - Avid on|y offered beta versions of their
Windows 7 drivers for a|| their hardware, which
you wou|d have to bear in mind if upgrading to
an Mbox 2 interface. So, you cou|d use an Mbox
2 on Windows 7 by using the beta drivers, but
you cou|d not use your o|d, origina| Mbox.
However, since then, v8.0.4 of Pro 1oo|s has
been re|eased and Windows 7 is nowofficia||y
supported by both Pro 1oo|s LL and Pro 1oo|s
MPowered. 1he Mbox 2 drivers for Windows
7 are a|so officia| now. So it shou|d be very
straightforward to run an Mbox 2 with your
Windows 7 machine. If you do decide to buy
another Mbox, you shou|d a|so check out
the brandnewMbox 3 |ine, which is covered on
p5 of this very issue.
You ask for recommendations of another
inexpensive interface, but you wou|dn't be ab|e
to use a different audio interface if you want to
continue running Pro 1oo|s in any capacity. a||
of Pro 1oo|s LL's audio input and outputs have
to run through the Mbox, so its very much
integra| to using the software. If you want to
continue using Pro 1oo|s and are intent on
running Windows 7, you're going to have to go
for an Mbox 2 or 3 or |ook into getting one of
MAudio's MPoweredcompatib|e interfaces
and a suitab|e version of Pro 1oo|s MPowered.
If you're choose to give up on Pro 1oo|s and
move to a different DAW, there are a wea|th
of audio interfaces out there to choose from.
Interfaces with simi|ar specs to the Mbox Cie,
inc|uding 2x ana|ogue audio ins and outs p|us
MIDI and headphone outputs) inc|ude the
Ro|and US25LX CRRP 89), Native Instruments
Audio Kontro| CRRP 242) and MAudio Fast
''. % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % Del[cX[h (&'&
oca / exoert aov|ce
1rack Pro CRRP 89). A|| of these interfaces
can typica||y be picked up for |ess at retai|ers.
As for the machine you've chosen, the Inte|
Core i3350Mis fine, but we'd suggest that if
you're intending to work on comp|ex projects
in your DAW, you'|| get far more bang for your
buck with a desktop machine. Sti||, if a |aptop's
portabi|ity is important to you, then you'||
certain|y find a PC with that processor to be a
quite capab|e machine.
FheZ_]Wb ied
Question
l have beena fanof The Prodigy
for a longtime, andnowl'mgettinginto
music productionl wouldlike tobe able to
make some of the same sounds that theyuse.
One inparticular that l've beenlustingafter is
the synthstabfromthe start of verybodyin
thePlace. Howcanl make this soundfor
myself withvirtual instruments?
L||is 8ishop
Quest|on >emZe ? cWa[ Wd 7b_[d =_hb#ijob[ de_i[ ki_d] CWii_l[5
;bb_ej >_bb
Ld Rush and Optica|'s huge|y
inf|uentia| A/ien Gir/ boasts an
awesome dark, funky bass groove. You
can indeed get pretty c|ose to this
|egendary sound using Native
Instruments' Massive. Start by |oading the
synth up in your DAWand se|ecting
FileNew5ound. Se|ect ! nv and turn
the 0ecay Level knob up to fu||.
'
1urn Osci||ator's Wt-position knob
a|| the way down so it p|ays a square
waveform. 1he first thing we want to do
is app|y phase distortion modu|ation to it.
Activate the Modu|ation Osci||ator and set
the Phase destination to !. 1his instant|y
gives the sound a much harsher tone with
more midrange action. 1urn the Phase
knob down a bit to make this more subt|e.
(
Drag the 5 LFOmodu|ation hand|e
to the first s|ot under the Phase knob,
and set the modu|ation amount to the
|eve| shown here by dragging up on
the s|ot. Nowse|ect the 5 LFOpane|, and
move the XFade Curve s|ider up to the top
so that the LFOis set to a pure sine wave.
Set the Rate knob to about o'c|ock.
)
Drag the sine wave over to the |eft so
that it starts on the downward s|ope.
We're going to use this LFOto modu|ate
severa| other parameters. Set the first
fi|ter to Low-pass and copy the settings
that we've used here.
*
Next, activate the first insert effect and
set it to HardClipper mode. 1urn the
0ry/Wet knob up to 00%wet Cfu||y right),
and set 5 LFOto modu|ate the 0rive.
8ring up the Routing pane| and change
the position of the insert to the |ast s|ot.
+
For the fina| touch, set the first master
effect to Brauner Tube. Set the
0ry/Wet |eve| to just under 50/50, turn
the 0rive up to fu|| and add the 5 LFO
modu|ation hand|e to its first s|ot. 1his
time, turn the modu|ation |eve| down as
much as possib|e. Layer this sound with
a subbass and you're good to go!
,
Answer
1hankfu||y you've chosen one of the
simp|er Prodigy noises to rep|icate, and getting
fair|y c|ose to it is possib|e using synths in the
Studio Cwhich you'|| find on the DVD).
Check out the tutoria| Make the Lverybody in
the P|ace synth stab, opposite, for a stepbystep
guide to creating this awesome sound.
F_[Y[ e\ 9Wa[
Question
l use Cakewalk's 5onar .5
Producer dition. l'mveryhappywith
this 0AW, but wheni readyour magazine
andonline forums noone ever seems to
recommendit, withpeople talkingmore
about AbletonLive andCubase. venin
!56, whenyoureviewedReason5, you
listedAbletonLive - whichyougave 9/!0
- andFL 5tudio- whichyouawarded/!0-
as alternative pieces of software toconsider
rather than5onar .5 Producer, which
receiveda score of !0/!0. Whyrecommend
Del[cX[h (&'& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % ''/
exoert aov|ce / oca
Quest|on >emZe ? fhe]hWcco emd fWZi _d H[Wied5
@ [\\ 9WhZ
Reason's |ibrary features |oads of
great synth and samp|ebased pad
sounds, but it's a|ways more satisfying to
create your own fromscratch. Arguab|y
the best synth to make pad sounds with is
1hor. Make a newReason project and
Create a 1hor synth. Rightc|ick the synth
and se|ect lnitialize Patch.
'
C|ick the 5howProgrammer button
to revea| 1hor's inner workings. Pads
sound richer if they use mu|tip|e voices, so
set Osc to Multi Osc mode by c|icking
the button at its top |efthand corner and
se|ecting Multi Oscillator. Straight off,
this gives us a nice po|ysynth sound, but
it's a |itt|e du||.
(
1he du||ness is due to the |owpass
fi|ter on the sound. Current|y this isn't
set to fo||owthe note p|ayed. Remedy this
by setting the KB0Ckeyboard) knob to 65.
1urn the NVCenve|ope) knob fu||y up
whi|e you're at it - this makes the enve|ope
have a greater effect on the fi|ter cutoff.
)
Current|y the enve|opes are a |itt|e
quick. Set the ACattack) time of the
Fi|ter Lnve|ope to 2.43 seconds and the
Attack of the Amp|itude Lnve|ope to
around ! second. Set the Fi|ter Cutoff
knob to just above !kHz. P|ay a chord and
you'|| hear a |ush fi|terswept pad sound.
*
For the icing on the cake, activate
1hor's Chorus and De|ay effects to
give the sound some stereo width and a
sense of space. Deve|op the pad further
to suit your needs. If you want to make the
sound more weighty, activate the second
osci||ator by setting it to Analogue mode.
+
Set the second osci||ator's waveshape
to triang|e and enab|e it by c|icking the
2 button on the |efthand side of Fi|ter . Set
the Osci||ator's Octave knob to 3 to |ower
its pitch, and make it quieter by setting the
Mixer pane|'s Balance !2 knob to 4.
,
these over 5onar? Also, is there anythingyou
candoinAbletonLive , Cubase, ProTools
that can't be done in5onar .5.3 Producer?
Shaun Wa||is
Answer
Let's tack|e the recommendation
issue first. Reason 5 is not your typica| DAW,
which is why we chose to recommend more
groovecentric software |ike Ab|eton Live and FL
Studio as a|ternatives. Reason, Live and FL Studio
are great for making 'e|ectronic' tracks, but don't
exce| at recording and mixing bands. Sonar's
strengths are more in the area of mu|titrack
recording, and we'd consider Sonar to be more
in keeping with traditiona| DAWs such as Cubase
and Logic. Indeed, in 49's reviewof Magix's
Samp|itude Pro DAW, we recommended Sonar
8.5, citing it as "another PCon|y powerhouse".
Now, on to the question of popu|arity. Sonar
doesn't seemto be as wide|y used as Cubase,
Logic, Live or Pro 1oo|s. It's perhaps an acquired
taste among computer musicians. some say that
it's not as userfriend|y or intuitive as other DAWs,
whi|e others fa|| in |ove with its f|exibi|ity, deep,
powerfu| featureset and superb p|ugins.
1here are, of course, discrepancies between
the featuresets of the popu|ar music software
packages, but these days it's possib|e to do most
things with most app|ications. Some have
particu|ar strengths in certain areas, but what it
rea||y boi|s down to is what you're comfortab|e
using. Whi|e keeping abreast of deve|opments in
other music software packages is a good idea, if
you're happy with Sonar, you certain|y shou|dn't
worry about what your peers are using.
If[[Z \h[Wa
Question
ls there is a waytospeedup
andslowdowna recordor trackas youplay
it without it affectingthe pitch? lf this is
possible, canyoudoit withTraktor,
AbletonLive, 5eratoor anyof those type
of music programs?
Nikki Co|ding
Answer
It is indeed possib|e to change
the speed of a track whi|e keeping the pitch
constant, and you can in fact achieve this feat in
a|| three of the programs that you've mentioned.
It's easiest to performthis effect in 1raktor -
simp|y activate the Key mode for the track
that you're p|aying back. With this mode active,
you can change the tempo of the track without
changing the pitch, and converse|y, adjust the
pitch of the track without affecting the tempo.
Natura||y, as a DAW, Ab|eton Live's pitchshifting
capabi|ities are more usefu| when working in a
music production context, but they are a|so a
fair bit more invo|ved. See the Change the
tempo of a track in Ab/eton Live tutoria|, right,
for a stepbystep wa|kthrough.
'(& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % Del[cX[h (&'&
oca / exoert aov|ce
Load up Ab|eton Live Cthe demo's at
www.ableton.com) and switch to the
Arrangement viewby pressing Tab or
c|icking the Arrangement Viewbutton at
the top righthand corner of the interface.
Drag the audio fi|e that you want to
change the tempo of onto the Audio
track. Live wi|| begin to ana|yse the track.
Doub|ec|ick the c|ip to see its progress.
'
Ab|eton Live has exce||ent ana|ytica|
abi|ities, but it doesn't a|ways get
things quite right. 1o ensure that Live
has correct|y ana|ysed the track, c|ick the
Metronome button Cat the top |eft corner
of the interface). 1he downbeat - the
higher pitched tone at the start of each
bar - shou|d p|ay in sync with the
downbeat of the project.
(
If the metronome is off the beat or
the tempo drifts during the track,
you'|| need to warp the track manua||y.
Zoominto the waveformdisp|ay at the
bottomof the screenby draggingthe time
|ine. 1o p|ay the audio back froma certain
point, c|ick in the |ower ha|f of the
waveformdisp|ay. Find the first downbeat.
)
If there isn't a ye||owgreen warp
marker there a|ready, doub|ec|ick
the first gray bar above the waveformto
make one. Rightc|ick the warp marker
and se|ect 5et !.!.! here. 1his te||s Live
that this is the first downbeat in the track.
*
Rightc|ick the warp marker again
and se|ect Warpfromhere. Live wi||
ana|yse the track again, hopefu||y more
accurate|y this time. If the timing isn't
perfect, you can create newwarp markers
for the sections that are out of time, then
drag themonto the correct beats.
+
Sometimes WarpfromHere
tstraightI works better than the Warp
fromhere option. If Live has got the tempo
c|osebut not quitebangonCthemetronome
gradua||y drifts out of time as the track
progresses), find the start of a bar towards
the end of the track and move that onto
the correct beat. 1his wi|| often put the
track perfect|y in time.
,
If the first identifiab|e downbeat occurs
a |itt|e way into the track Ceg, there's a
30second meandering intro before the
beat kicks in), you may find that Live chops
off the intro a|together, so that the c|ip
starts 'on the beat'. 1o get the intro back,
move the c|ip a|ong on the track, then
drag its |efthand edge.
-
Listen to the intro with the metronome
running and warp it manua||y so that
it's a|so in time. When you're done, c|ick
the 5ave button in the C|ip viewto save
the warping map as an .asd fi|e a|ong with
the c|ip. Now, whenever you import the
c|ip into Live, it wi|| automatica||y |oad
with the same warp settings.
.
You can nowset the tempo via the
Tempo contro| at the top |efthand
corner. Lxperiment with the different
Warp modes to see which sounds best.
When you're done, c|ick the c|ip in the
arrangement windowto set the time
range, then export the audio using
Filexport Audio/Video.
/
Del[cX[h (&'& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % '('
exoert aov|ce / oca
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For anawful lot of music,
the importance of a good
vocal part can't be overstated.
5ince the dawnof recorded
soundinparticular, the role of
the vocal inmusic has become
trulydiverse. Unlike other lead
parts, vocals, bytheir inherent
nature, are uniquelyhuman.
The voice is undoubtedlythe
most expressive instrument
there is, andlyrics provide an
extra dimensiontothe
emotional content of a piece.
lt's nowonder, then, that we
can't helpbut respondtothe
personal touchthat onlythe
humanvoice canbring, and
that popular music is
dominatedbythe songformat.
So, why wou|d we want to
de|iberate|y process our |oving|y
recorded voca|s away fromtheir
natura|sounding origins and
obscure that instinctive
connection In a word. origina|ity.
Since we a|| have a voice, have
probab|y had a go at singing
ourse|ves Cgo on, admit it) and at
some point have been wowed by a
voca| performance or two,
processing voca|s represents the
next |ogica| step. If the sound of the
regu|ar human voice cou|d be
considered somewhat exhausted,
then techno|ogy serves a purpose
in concocting the voice of a
spacefaring superhuman fromthe
future, if you see what we mean.
Looking at it fromanother
perspective, a |ot of modern music
has become very e|ectronic and
technica| sounding - perhaps
undermining the re|evance of the
overt|y organic voca|. He|pfu||y, the
heavy processing of voca|s can
he|p marry a techy backing track to
the spoken or sung message.
Further, certain processing
deforms voca|s so drastica||y that
the resu|ts might rather be seen as
attempts to add subt|e human
e|ements to otherwise
instrumenta|based tracks, rather
than to add an e|ectronic e|ement
to an otherwise human|ead
recording. 1his serves as an
examp|e of howvoca| processing
has come fu|| circ|e and is once
again primari|y about injecting that
innate persona| touch we a|| |ove
and re|ate to so effective|y.
Read on, then, for our current
pick of voca| processing tricks.
EDJ>;:L:
8eforeandafter audio
examp|es are in the
Tutorial Files fo|der
4
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Let's begin on our road to voca|
destruction with a nice, simp|e voca|
samp|e. Make a copy of it on a separate
track and make abso|ute|y sure that the
copy is a stereo fi|e Ceven if the audio is
identica| in both channe|s).
'
Cut the dup|icate so that you're |eft
with on|y the key phrases that you
want the effect to be heard on. 8ear in
mind that, being a reversed effect, it's
going to sound before the actua| word
being processed. You might want to app|y
fades at the start and end of each s|ice to
avoid unwanted c|icks.
(
Next, bounce the dup|icate and
process it with any corrective or
dynamicsorientated effects you fee|
necessary. We've used a |imiter to even
out the dynamics Cthis wi|| simp|ify the
sound of the effect s|ight|y, |ater on). Once
that's done, bounce the audio and reverse
it, ready for further processing.
)
Insert a de|ay p|ugin into the
dup|icate channe|. You'|| want
something with a |ot of character. Here, for
examp|e, we're using Kjaerhus Audio's
gorgeous C|assic De|ay Cwhich rea||y is a
c|assic), with the qua|ity set |owand a |ot
of |owcut. It sounds very f|uid.
*
Next in the chain is Kjaerhus' C|assic
F|anger p|ugin, on which we're
automating the de|ay time to give a bit of
extra interest and movement to the
sound. It a|so contributes s|ight|y to the
stereo width of the effect, which wi|| give it
more separation fromthe dry part.
+
8ounce the resu|ts fromstep 5
Cremembering to readjust your
|ocators to catch the tai| end of the de|ay),
then reverse the bounced audio back to
its origina| orientation and a|ign it with
the dry voca|s.
,
'teo o, steo
CWZ h[l[hi[Z leYWb [\\[Yji
<ekh
c[cehWXb[
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Cher, Believe
For this landmark
recording,
producer Mark
Taylor went out
ona limband
punchedin
elements of
extreme Auto-Tune onkeyphrases
of the first verse, thengradually
more andmore towards the final
chorus, whichis utterlydrenchedin
the effect. Controversyandhuge
sales ensued.
The Prodigy,
Firestarter
Apparentlythe
moment that
definedthis
former rave
outfit's
transformation
intoelectro-punk
superstars, withcrazyKeithFlint as
frontman. achof his menacing
taunts is precededbya reversed
reverbtype effect, creatingthe
illusionof a residual ringonhis
voice that happens before he's even
openedhis mouth.
Wildchild,
kenegadeMaster
fFatboy5lim0ld
5kool MixI
Lankybig-beat
legendNorman
Cooktookthe rap
sample fromWildchild's trackand
choppedit upinmanic style inhis
sampler. The result is a hectic,
stuttering, hyper-rhythmic
headliner of a vocal, occasionally
evenperformingmachine gunrolls.
Beastie Boys,
lntergalactic
Vaguely
reminiscent of the
theme froma
certain0s kids'
TVshowabout
robots disguised
as vehicles, producer MarioCaldato
useda vocoder effect on
lntergalactic's mainhook.
lncidentally, the vocodedline is
barelyintelligible due tothe heavy
processingbut it tsemi-literallylI
adds another dimensiontothe
backingtrack.
Del[cX[h (&'& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % '()
|ocus / na|e nus|c now
Let's make our voca| sound |ike it's
coming out of some sort of 'space
radio'. For this to work, we'|| want a |ot of
presence in the origina| voca| part. So to
start, we |oad up Cubase 5's
Mu|tibandCompressor, with the Backing
Vocals Clear preset, to even out
frequency range and tighten the
dynamics somewhat.
'
Antares' Warmfromthe AVOX bund|e
comes in handy here for a |itt|e extra
squashing and saturation, and we fo||owit
with a bitcrusher to give it some crunch.
1he samp|e rate divider sounds good as
we|| - crispy and |ofi, just howwe want it.
(
Next we need to get rid of everything
be|owabout 300Hz and above about
3kHz C|eaving us with the approximate
bandwidth of a te|ephone signa|). You
cou|d use steep high and |owpass fi|ters,
but we've used Voxengo's Curve LQto
simi|ar effect.
)
PSP Audioware's MixSaturator2 he|ps
us put a bit of smoothness back into
our nowvery thin voca|. Lngage the Low
processor, with its frequency set to 500Hz
Cit doesn't go any higher) and !5%
Warmth. Some saturation might work too.
*
We send the output of this heavy
effects chain to an auxi|iary reverb set
to 00%wet. We on|y need the ear|y
ref|ections turned on for this trick - turn
the reverb time down to minimumand
make sure there's no prede|ay.
+
Next on the send effects chain, use an
eighthnote pingpong de|ay, again
00%wet. 1his bounces the sound of the
ear|y reverb ref|ections from|eft to right.
Mix this in gent|y with the dry signa| on
the main voca| channe|.
,
'teo o, steo
CWa[ W\kjkh_ij_Y hWZ_e le_Y[
<ekh ]h[Wj leYWb cWd]b_d] fbk]#_di
||tt|e |no|an
'oectrunWorx 2C100
1aking a modern, unique approach to
twisting up audio using spectra|
processing, this modu|ar effect is
capab|e of tota||y transforming a
voice into an a|most un|imited surfeit
of mang|ed derivative oddities - a||
froma beautifu||y c|ear interface.
Add some funk to your voca| or
make it unrecognisab|e.
www.littlendian.com
/ntares |utator |vo |ron /VO`
|vo ouno|e` $499
Fromthe creators of Auto1une
comes Mutator Lvo Con|y avai|ab|e as
part of the exce||ent AVOX Lvo
bund|e). 1he concept is simp|e in
theory. adjust the throat |ength and
width to redesign the voice of an
a|ready recorded voca| part,
pitchshift it, or disfigure it with the
unique Mutate and A|ienize too|s.
www.antarestech.com
'uqar |,tes /rt|||er, 2 C149
AKA '1he Lffect Keyboard', Arti||ery
is dep|oyed by triggering
preprogrammed effects via MIDI
notes froma contro||er or
sequencer. Chop, vocode and
rearrange voca|s, scratch themin
and phase everything at once. Check
out the free CMLdition in the
Studio on the coverdisc to get a taste
of what it's a|| about.
www.sugar-bytes.de
|ooner 'eouent 57.5S
Sequent is another mu|tieffects
processor with modu|ar routing.
Produce unpredictab|e newversions
of voca| phrases in a paradoxica|
'contro||ed chaos' fashion. Distort and
fi|ter your voca| part, intentiona||y
wreck it beyond reason, then fashion
what remains into earcatching new
patterns. If your voca|ist can a|ready
do this |ive, advise medica| attention.
www.loomer.co.uk
'(* % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % Del[cX[h (&'&
na|e nus|c now / |ocus
We need a samp|er that can
timestretch samp|es without affecting
their pitch, so we're using Kontakt in Time
Machine mode. Load your voca| and, if
need be, go into the samp|e editor and
adjust the samp|e start time so that it
immediate|y responds to MIDI triggering,
with no hesitation.
'
For a rea||y coo| voca| sound, use a
|arge Crain size. We've gone for the
fu|| !00ms. Nowadd PitchBendas a Mod
source, setting it's depth to !00%and
targeting the 5peedparameter. 1his wi||
enab|e us to s|owdown and speed up the
samp|e using the keyboard's pitch whee|.
(
ProgramMIDI notes for each of the
voca| phrases you've |oaded in and
modu|ate the pitchbend to change the
speed over time. Sudden jumps work
nice|y, but so do gradua| changes. You can
do this in a MIDI editor or |ive, using your
MIDI contro||er.
)
8ounce the timestretching voca| as a
audio fi|e, then reimport it on an
audio track next to the dry voca|. Cut out
the stretched sections and arrange them
so that they fi|| the gaps in the main voca|
part. Fade themin as shown here.
*
1his is a fair|y simi|ar sound to the
previous effect, but the differences in
execution might we|| make it more usefu|
in certain cases. Start with your dry voca|
on an audio channe|, and a s|iced
dup|icate of that part with just the key
phrases |eft in.
'
We need a p|ugin that automatica||y
stutters audio. 1here are many out
there and most of themare free. We're
using S|oper by Iop|ong
Candreas.smartelectronix.com), which
synchronises to tempo and |ets you go
into great detai| with its parameters. We've
upped the buffersize considerab|y to
produce a g|itchy sound.
(
8ounce the resu|ts fromthe previous
step and find the right spot for it to sit
a|ongside the dry voca|. As an
afterthought, you can use an autopanner
to add separation and improve the
inte||igibi|ity Cif that's what you're after) of
the voca| part.
)
'teo o, steo
J_c[ijh[jY^_d] cWo^[c
'teo o, steo
Ijkjj[h _diWd_jo
?dj[bb_]_X_b_jo
Withall this phasingand
stretching, tearingandbouncing,
there maycome a point at which
you're forcedtoreconsider the
actual role of your processed
vocal. lnsome cases youmight
conclude that it's better if it
doesn't bare anyresemblance to
its original counterpart, evenif
that means it's nolonger
recognisable as speech.
Onthe other hand, clear,
intelligible words might be
extremelyimportant tothe
track/recording, soit's downto
youtomake some tough
decisions. 5ometimes youmight
needtochoose whether or not to
pushthe processingsofar that
the listener won't be able to
understandthe words. Other
times youmight prefer tofigure
out creative ways tofixthe
problem, throughclever use of
the dryvocal where necessary, or
simplybyrearrangingthe vocal
part suchthat the full effect isn't
useduntil the message has been
clearlyput across earlier inthe
recording. The bigtraptoavoid
fallingintois gettingusedtothe
effects andlosingthe
perspective of a freshset of ears.
Trytoimagine you've never
heardthe lyrics before andask
yourself honestlyif you'd
understandthemif this was
your first listen.
Del[cX[h (&'& % 9ECFKJ;H CKI?9 % '(+
|ocus / na|e nus|c now
For our fina|e we're going to mix and
match the resu|ts fromthree different
p|ugins, each one a tad more unhinged
than the |ast, to create an a|mighty
monster of a sound. 1o achieve this, we'||
need four copies of OUR voca|. 1hat's one
dry and three dup|icates to process.
'
First, so|o the first dup|icate and
insert a Supa1rigga
Cbram.smartelectronix.com) p|ugin
on its audio channe|. As soon as you
|oad it up, it cyc|es through a random
mishmash of g|itches and new
permutations, with |ots of stuttering
and the occasiona| s|owdown.
(
Next, so|o the second dup|icate
channe| and insert I||formed C|itch
Cwww.illformed.org). In a simi|ar way to
Supa1rigga, C|itch wi|| microwave, rinse
cyc|e and tumb|e dry your audio
Cmetaphorica||y speaking, of course) into
a random, schizophrenic sequence. It'||
spin it up, spewit back out and then feed it
to your sequencer.
)
Continuing the process on the third
dup|icate channe|, we add Sugar
8ytes Lffectrix, which is capab|e of
creating many |ayers of nutter effects at
once. Scro||ing through the presets, we
come across 0B0emo, which suits our
purposes nice|y.
*
After a|| that mayhem, we export each
of the dup|icate channe|s and
reimport themas audio parts CCubase 5's
batch export comes in handy here). Now,
with everything p|aying back, we cut out
anything that doesn't seemto work.
+
Fina||y, mix the |eve|s of a|| four
channe|s Cremembering to inc|ude the
dry voca| at the end). You might even want
to use a |itt|e panning to give the
composite a |itt|e extra dimension. 8us a||
four channe|s together and whack a
compressor over the |ot to even out the
dynamics. Kerfrikkin'razy!
,
'teo o, steo
J^[ c[jWfheY[ii
8k_bZ_d]<N
Y^W_di
Wheninsearchof that elusive vocal
process that's goingtosoundout of
this worldandlight upyour song,
there's a plentyof fuel for your
creativitybeyondthe regular
plug-ins that are designedfor such
jobs. lf youreallywant tocome up
withsomethingthat's never been
heardbefore, one wayis toget
creative withthe order andsettings
of regular day-to-dayeffects ina
sort of blindexperimental
adventure. lnfact, the originators of
some of the wildest vocal effects
have creditedtheir discoveries toa
"happyaccident" or twoduringthe
productionprocess.
That said, there's probablyno
better waytoincrease your chance
of discoveringa newanduseful
effect thantorecklesslychainand
reorder plug-ins together, witha
total disregardfor what youthink
mayor maynot work. First, think
about sendeffects. These days,
most 0AWs will let youset upan
auxiliarybus for a reverbor chorus
effect tfor exampleI andtheninsert
further plug-ins intothat send
channel. Withthat inmind, you
might gate a reverb, or treat the wet
signal of a chorus toa spot of
auto-panning- but whybe so
predictable? Trymore aggressive
chains. Youcoulddistort a reverb
andsweepit upanddownwitha
resonant high-pass filter. This might
not soundcompletelyoff-the-wall
byitself, but it's the combinationof
suchchains that makes all of the
difference. For instance, youcould
groupwet anddrysignals intoone
buss andcompress the lot. Maybe
after that, a touchof automated
ringmodulationwouldbe enough
tocreate the otherworldlytextures
you're after.
These are just examples, of
course. The real magic canonly
happenwhenyouhave the track
you're workingoninfront of you
andare listeningtothe lacklustre
vocal part inquestion.
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