Music Tech October 2013

THE BASS STATION RETURNS | 769MB OF SAMPLES | BECOME A POWER USER PART 2
4GB+
www.musictech.net
Issue 127
October 2013
RECORDING MASTERCLASS
From mic to hard drive - the pro guide to the perfect take
32
PERFECT RECORDING IN CUBASE, FL STUDIO AND PRO TOOLS HOW TO SOUND LIKE KRAFTWERK & PRODUCE TRANCE MAKING THE MOST OF ABLETON PUSH
More Reviews
PAGES OF TUTORIALS
2 LOGIC PRO X WORKSHOPS

NEW FEATURES & QUICK SWIPE
Ultimate mics
The top 25 condenser mics revealed
DVD inside
BASS STATION II PLUS 18 more of the latest

studio releases reviewed
Issue 127 October 2013 5.99
769MB of samples & 1.2GB of video
www.musictech.net
ATH-M50
More Colour In Your Mix

Audio-Technicas acclaimed ATH-M50 studio monitor headphones deliver natural response throughout the entire frequency range, without hyping or diminishing sounds along the way. Wherever your passion for music leads you, listen for more.
Now offered in a new limited-edition red, in addition to the original black and white models. Natural response ideal for professional monitoring and mixing Collapsible design for easy portability and convenient storage Proprietary 45 mm large-aperture drivers with neodymium magnet systems Closed-back cushioned earcups for isolation Adjustable padded headband for comfort during long mixing/recording sessions
www.audio-technica.com
Welcome MT
Expert Panel
Meet the team of experts behind the magazine
Cubase Tim Hallas
Tims a music technology consultant and education expert. As Cubase Editor he will be bringing you a range of technique features for the popular DAW over the coming months.
Mixing/Mastering/Logic Mark Cousins

Mark specialises in sound design and cinematic productions. He has recorded with orchestras across Europe and is heavily involved in soundtrack composition.
Recording & Guitar Tech Huw Price
A recording engineer since 1987, Huw has worked with David Bowie, My Bloody Valentine, Primal Scream, Depeche Mode, Nick Cave, Heidi Berry, Fad Gadget and countless others.
Scoring/Orchestral Keith Gemmell
Keith specialises in areas where traditional music-making meets music technology, including orchestral and jazz sample libraries, acoustic virtual instruments and notation software.
Ableton Live & DJing Liam OMullane
Liam has worked as a D&B scratch DJ as well as releasing dubstep, D&B and hardcore tracks. His passion is to master the production styles of the latest genres using Live.
Those of you old enough to remember the Atari ST the rst computer I used for making music if you dont count the ZX Spectrum I blew up after building a MIDI interface for it will recall that getting audio onto its hard drive was nighon impossible, mainly down to it not having a hard drive in the rst place. Indeed, shouting into the oppy drive slot was pretty much the only way of getting audio into computers in those days. My, how things change
Thanks to a mind-boggling number of interfaces, big processors and fewer oppy drives, todays computers are all about audio. But, just like the old days, the start of the recording process still usually involves a good mic, while the actual capture of it may vary from DAW to DAW. And thats where were at in this issue Part 2 of our Power User series across every major sequencer covers the subject of setting up for recording (apart from Liam, whos gone off-road with Live and Push). And at the front end of recording Huw reveals the best 25 condenser mics, throwing in all sorts of advice along the way. From mic to hard drive, I think we have it covered but, as usual, get in touch and let me know (contact details below). Enjoy the issue Andy Jones Senior Editor Email andy.jones@anthem-publishing.com Send your tweets @AndyJonesMT (although dont expect much tweeting from me) Read my blogs at www.musictech.net
Reason & Mobile Hollin Jones
As well as teaching music technology, producing and writing soundtracks, Hollin is an expert on everything Apple, mobile or computer-related, as well as being an accomplished keyboard player.
Electronic Music Alex Holmes
Alex has been a computer musician for 15 years, having a keen passion for beats, bass and all forms of electronic music. Hes currently involved in three different dance music projects.
Studio Hardware John Pickford
John is a studio engineer with over 25 years of experience. He is a keen sound recording historian and has a passion for valve-driven analogue equipment and classic recording techniques.
Pro Tools Mike Hillier
Mike spent five years at Metropolis Studios, working alongside some of the best-known mix and mastering engineers in the world. He is now building his own studio in south London.
Head to our constantly updated website for the latest news, reviews and 10 years worth of quality content musictech.net
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MAGAZINE October 2013
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MTM Contents
MT Contents
Issue 127 October 2013
14 THE ULTIMATE MICROPHONE GUIDE

The rst part of a major series of guides, starting with large-capsule condensers and explaining many of the tech terms involved in recording with mics plus top tips and advice along the way
Advance
W NE vs ! OLD
06 Sound like 75 Kraftwerk

Simple can be best
Deconstruction
INDUSTRY OPINION
The latest trends discussed
MAGAZINE
4 | October 2013
Contents MTM
p88 p82
MT Issue 127 Full listings
p99
The Latest Reviews
BASS STATION II Plus reviews of Sony Sound Forge,

Steinberg HALion and many more
DAW Tutorials
p95
006 | Advance MusicTechs team on the latest industry developments, plus predictions, releases and whats been happening at MusicTech.net 014 | The Ultimate Mic Guide Huw Price kicks off a series of mic articles with condensors and reveals the best 25 out there LANDMARK RECORDING 029 | Joy Division Unknown Pleasures TECHNIQUE 032 | New features in Logic Pro X BECOME A POWER USER: Part 2 038 | In Steinberg Cubase 044 | In Ableton Live 050 | In Avid Pro Tools 054 | In Propellerhead Reason 058 | And in FL Studio 064 | In Apple Logic Pro 069 | New! Genre Focus How to produce trance music 075 | New! The MT Deconstruction Kraftwerk The Model
BECOME A POWER USER MAJOR SERIES: PART 2

p64 p58
p93 p32
p54
p38
080 | Subscribe and get free digital editions, plus save 35% REVIEWS 082 | Novation Bass Station II 086 | Zvork Noxious Reason Rack 088 | KRK Rokit 5 monitors 090 | Sony Sound Forge editor 093 | Steinberg HALion sampler 095 | Arturia Spark LE & Minilab 096 | UA Ocean Way Studios plug 099 | AKG C1000S MkIV mic 100 | Kush Audio Electra 500 EQ 102 | Spitre BML Horn Section 104 | Mini Reviews 112 | Next Month in MT 114 | On your MT DVD
p44
TRANCE! 69
Genre Focus
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MT Advance
MTAdvance
Round-ups Analysis & comment
Industry insight
MODERN WORLD VS THE GOLDEN, OLDEN AGE

Are modern tools making it all too easy? Is classic gear superior? Liam OMullane evaluates todays world of music tech.
No matter what generation youre from, youll have experienced or you may well even be one of those people who harp on about the older ways being better. And whether its about musicmaking kit or the gear a DJ uses, some people will always draw some form of comparison between todays tools and those from a previous era. I have to say that I encounter this attitude more often than Id like to, so Ive decided to put a stake in the ground and look at the pros and cons of both the old and the new when it comes to recording, sequencing, sampling, controlling and DJing, as these seem to be the key groups most relevant to our readership. As many of you are working with music for pleasure, Ill focus on the period during which these tools rst
The Coles have a ribbon-based larger-than-life sound and are often used as overheads. The 940 from Lewitt is incredibly versatile, having nine polar patterns and the ability to blend between valve and FET circuitry.
COLES 4038 VS LEWITT LCT940
RECORDING
SAMPLING
AKAI 3000 VS HALION 5
The latest against the greatest...
NEW vs OLD!
AKAI hardware sounds great and has the iconic cyclic time-stretch thats all over early rave music. HALion 5 is a sampler and synth with a huge library to immediately paint your sound with.
Some people will always draw a comparison between todays tools and those from a previous era
became accessible to the home user the 80s. This is when the home studio was starting to become a reality, but it was a reality that didnt come cheap. In fact, youd have been hard-pushed to afford more than a tape recorder and mixer without shelling out thousands of pounds. In this regard, I completely resonate with the argument that you were forced to work harder with the tools you had back then as the limitations of kit and nances forced it upon you. Recording is a physical process that hasnt changed greatly. Saying this, many audio interfaces will include decent, clean-sounding mic preamps these days, which means theres no immediate need to buy additional hardware early on. Mics also seem to be a lot more versatile, letting you make more of a single, bigger investment in a higher-end mic. What I can see as a potential negative to todays gear, though,
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is the temptation to edit a good take from 100s of takes that are sub-par as a whole. This is one of the many temptations available thanks to modern digital audio workstations. Sequencing has stopped being a purely CV- or MIDI-based affair and blossomed into part of the complete virtualisation of a hardware studio. Again, with all these bells and whistles comes the temptation to do too much, or to run ahead before the core elements are up to scratch. A positive, however, is the creativity offered by interactive tools such as Logic Pro Xs Drummer plug-in and sequenceable effects like Sugar Bytes Effectrix. These obviously simplify the task of creating variation in your work as its simply a matter of pressing a few buttons, but they can also inspire new ideas. Sampling has changed hugely over the years, with many people now exploring the artform on audio tracks via heavy editing rather than using traditional MIDI-controlled samplers. But if you like the interaction of MIDI control, modern virtual samplers now integrate better with other software, noticeable loading times are a thing of the past, theres no limitations on sample size, and they often come with huge libraries all for much less than their hardware counterparts. One thing about working with software, though, is the graphical interface, which most classic hardware obviously lacked. Back then, editing start points was done by ear this meant that sample-triggering wasnt mechanically perfect, adding a bit of groove as a by-product.
6 | October 2013
MAGAZINE
Advance MT
The 1210 is a solid, highperformance turntable thats now a niche tool for DJing. Traktor DJ for iOS has a great touch interface for manipulating audio. The Z1 offers tactile control for the mix.
TECHNICS 1210S VS TRAKTOR DJ & Z1
DJING
After attending the yard sale at Sarm Studios, Mike Hillier shares his thoughts on the past, present and future of commercial studios.
A few weeks ago I went along to a yard sale at Sarm West Studios in Notting Hill, London. Founded by Island Records and originally known as Basing Street Studio, the site has been host to an enviable list of guests, many of whom produced some of their best material there Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, the Rolling Stones, Bob Marley and countless more. Trevor Horn, the current owner, has decided to renovate the property, turning it into a collection of residential apartments, ofces and two new underground studios. The famous rooms and Bob Marleys bathtub will be gone for good. There was the odd interesting piece of gear at the yard sale, and I was pleased to see an old Focusrite chassis nd a home at Artspace Studios, Brixton, even if I went home empty-handed. Its a shame, though, to see such a space disappear not just for the rooms, but because of its history. I cant help but think that some of these studios, like the old Olympic facility in Barnes, which closed in
Dyna-Mike reports
SEQUENCING
The Atari had its quirks but was a great no-nonsense MIDI-only sequencer. Logic is everything you used to buy as hardware in virtual form and then some. New creative doors open with each update.
LOGIC PRO X VS ATARI 520ST
The Evolution was more of a revolution at the time in terms of cost and features. Push is the modern equivalent, opening up new ways to interact with music and Ableton Live.
EVOLUTION U CONTROL VS ABLETON PUSH
CONTROLLERS
Speaking of working by ear rather than your eyes, when it comes to MIDI controllers there hasnt been a complete rewrite of how they work. Until Abletons Push, most commercial MIDI controllers kept to the format of traditional keys, pads, dials and faders. So asides from the modern convenience of how well they integrate or plug-and-play USB connectivity (remember 5-pin MIDI?), not a lot has changed. Push, however, opens up possibilities for the future. Yes, it makes playing the right notes easy thanks to its scale-based layout, but the format will make you work differently, which will hopefully result in new ideas. Plus, its pushing us towards working without a GUI again, which I cant encourage enough. Finally, DJing is a very hot topic at the moment as Native Instruments has just released the Z1 controller. This makes DJing on your phone a reality as it lls the need for tactile control. The only thing Im not sure of yet is the future of the performance aspect. The craft of selecting a record, placing it on the deck, beat-matching and then mixing was all part of the entertainment. Today it can be hard to make the connection between the sounds and the performers actions. Theres no denying that its all a lot more affordable these days and professional results can be made for much less outlay. But easy? I think not! In my opinion, the difference is that todays artists need to focus on restraint and pay more attention than ever to quality control, as a lot of modern technology can try to guide you down a certain path. Be conscious of that and ensure youre its master, not its slave.
In 30 years well be looking back at bedroom studios as places where the magic happened
2009, and Townhouse, West London, which closed in 2008, have an emotional value that is worth more than their economic value as yuppie ats. Its not all bad news: another studio I was at recently, Weisseloord, outside Amsterdam, has been extensively rebuilt and is now set up to be one of the greatest studios in Europe. The guitar collection has few rivals, but its the stunning live room and wonderful atmosphere that set it apart. Natural light in every space, and a variety of acoustic environments all patchable from anywhere. These huge studios are having to compete with small production rooms and project studios, and many of the biggest records being released today are made in such setups. Perhaps in 30 years well be looking back at bedroom studios as places where the magic happened, and lamenting how Burials bedsit in Wandsworth is being knocked down to make room for twerking-class homes. Mike Hillier has been part of the MT furniture for nearly ten years. Despite this he has managed to nd the time to build a studio in south London. He is also the co-founder of @SonicMeet, a regular industry social event that takes in studios of all shapes and sizes around the country.
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Advance MT
Company iZ Technology Price Radar 6 from 3,100. ADA II from 3,376 First impressions This type of gear might not be a consideration for the bedroom studio, but if you are running a recording studio for serious work, a dedicated piece of recording hardware can be a worthwhile investment. MTs own Mike Hillier is setting up Radar in his own studio as we speak to find out how this latest incarnation performs against previous releases. Contact SCV 020 8418 1474 Web www.izcorp.com
RADAR 6 & ADA II
Company Genelec Price M030 389 (each) M040 579 (each) First impressions Genelec speakers are at the centre of many pro studios. Whether its the squarer-looking 1032As or the rounder 8000 series, Genelec always strikes a good balance between performance and aesthetics. The M Series are made from a natural composite material that is part-wood fibre and part-recyclable material, conforming to the Genelec Embedded Sustainability initiative. Were all for a green ethos, but the question will be whether these speakers can perform as well or better than the companys existing range. Contact Source Distribution 020 8962 5080 Web www.sourcedistribution.co.uk
M030 & M040
Company M-AUDIO Price 250 First impressions One of the most saturated areas of the music technology market is the keyboardbased MIDI controller. Some are blatant clones of popular models, while others do have some genuinely unique features. M-Audio has released a lot of controllers in its time, and the latest AIR Series has some exciting features, such as aftertouch and pressure-sensitivity on the drum pads, plus a slick-looking design. Well get back with our verdict once weve used it for a few songwriting sessions... Contact inMusic UK 01252 896090 Web www.inmusicbrands.com
AXIOM AIR 25
MTTest Bench
17XS MKII COMPRESSOR/LIMITER
Upcoming hardware and software releases under the scrutiny of Music Techs experts now read the full reviews soon!
Company Lindell Audio Price 779 First impressions The FET compressor makes a return with this latest Lindell release. Taking a nod from the classic Urei 1176, our reviewer John Pickford has high expectations for this units performance following his previous experiences with three smaller Lindell 500-Series modules in Issue 119. Hes in the middle of a good soak-test right now, so well be back with his verdict next time. Contact Nova Distribution 020 3589 2530 Web www.nova-distribution.co.uk
Company Roland Price 529 First impressions Dubbed a perfect performance tool for next-generation loop artists, this may look like a stomp-style multi-FX but is actually designed for desktop control using your hands. As this is purely designed for vocal performers, were interested to see how deep this unit can go in terms of performance control and processing power in the quest for a slicker sound. Contact Roland 01792 702701 Web www.roland.co.uk
RC-505 LOOP STATION
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MT Advance
Liam OMullane reminds himself of the importance of breaks.
Leaving the cave
Ive been working a lot recently full-time here at MT, on my own production work, attending university part-time, taking a few evening courses, slowly renovating my house, and starting to go through the process of building my own detached studio. Im perfectly familiar with the work hard, play hard ethos, though Ive been neglecting the play side of things for quite a while now. Luckily for me, my other (better) half took it upon herself to whisk me away for the late August Bank Holiday weekend. We went down to the English Riviera for some sea kayaking, game-playing, freshmussel-eating and steam train-riding, all of which are my favourite things... We all know the importance of taking breaks when you work and I do take regular screen breaks, audio breaks and general physical-position breaks throughout my day. But this weekend break conrmed something I forget on a regular occasion: Ive remembered that nothing clears the head more than getting outdoors and enjoying some countryside. Im fortunate enough to have a great view of the southern valleys of Bath from my house (not my
A slew of new controller releases will tempt you out of the studio and onto the stairs?
What a month for controllers. Novation has led the way with not one, not two, but three different releases. First up is the Launchkey Mini, the little brother to the Launchkey. Featuring 25 quick keys, 16 pads and eight rotaries, it certainly brings a lot of control power to your mobile setup for just 79.99 and Novation wants you to know just that with an accompanying 13-minute epic video of a guy producing the same tune on a roof, in a park, in a taxi and (annoyingly, especially if you want to get past him) on some stairs. [Why stairs? Why would you do that? Ed] The video even lets you choose the location, so if you get bored with his taxi antics, check the park one! Anyway, next up is Launch Control, which, on the face of it, looks like a simple eight-pad, 16-rotary controller. While it is just that, its been designed as the perfect partner to Novations Launchpad indeed, you can use the Launchpad app with Launch Control and iPad to trigger samples and effects. With eight preset templates (plus eight user) you can also quickly switch between instruments, which is very handy. Again, at just 79.99, wheres the negative? Launchpad Mini is the third in the Novation hat-trick and, not surprisingly, a mini version of the companys aforementioned Launchpad. It features 64 three-colour pads and while itll work with your Mac or PC, you can see that Novation has a very rm eye on the iPad market again and it has been designed to be buss-powered from all three. Again, Novations Launchpad app comes into its own with Launchpad Mini, having a pre-loaded sound library so you can make music straight away. All three controllers ship with the app plus Live lite and the companys Bass Station and V-Station plugs. And, again, with all three just 79.99, you have to marvel at the price. Just dont go using them on our ofce stairs Novation isnt the only company on the controller rampage as Pioneer has also been busy, though this time its with the DJ in mind. Serato DDJ-SP1 is the rst controller designed to work with the Serato DJ software. You get seamless access to the softwares four decks and features by way of four deck controls, 16 pads and eight rotaries. Other features include a track slicer, Slip mode and 30 iZotope effects. The controller is expected to retail for 329. More from www.pioneerdj.com and www.novationmusic.com
Take control of your music anywhere!
Remember that sitting in a room for hours on end staring at a screen is not natural
studio, sadly), but even with this on my doorstep, nothing gives you a true break like being outdoors not just merely looking at it. My short holiday did what I can only describe as lifting a veil from my brow as I came back with a sense of complete clarity. I could hear every aspect of my music production projects that required attention which I couldnt hear before and, in general, had a clearer outlook on all the other commitments I have. So why am I telling you this? Well, we all get stuck in a rut from time to time and sometimes fail to spot that its even happening. I have a friend who insists he can only write music when the mood arises, and I too used to only write during these moments. But when you need to make music as a job, you need to gure out ways to keep yourself motivated. For me, this was a change of environment, a change long enough for my body and mind to have a true break from the norm. For you it could be the same, or just a working change. Maybe do your writing away from the computer grab a guitar and sit in a eld, anywhere that disconnects you from the usual day-today process. The main thing to remember is that sitting in a room for hours on end staring at a computer screen is not natural do yourself a favour and get outside.
10 | October 2013
MAGAZINE
Advance MT
Whatever your input preference, IK has you covered...

IK Multimedia has surprised us again, this time with the iRig Pro interface, which offers a lot of connectivity as well as the higher-quality signal you get from connecting to the 30-pin or Lightning port on your iOS device. USB connectivity for your Mac is also included, along with a bundle of IK software. Although IK already makes the iRig PRE for those who want to record on-the-move using their iOS device and their own choice of mic, it uses the notoriously noisy headphone port, which makes it more suitable for practicing or recording sketches. The upgraded connectivity on the new iRig Pro is therefore very welcome. However, the improvements go further in that the XLR connection is now a combi-input. This means that a line-level or Hi-Z input can be attached. Phantom power is available through a 9v battery and a 5-pin MIDI input is also included useful for hooking up that guitar footswitch lying around the studio, or a touch-based controller while you sing. iRig Pro is available now for 119.99 Web www.ikmultimedia.com
MT Focus Ableton Live 2013 on sale 3rd October

Those of you who own Ableton Live probably already think its a bit special and so do we, so much so that we have produced a special (see what we did there?) issue of MusicTech dedicated to the DAW. MusicTech Focus Ableton Live 2013 is on sale on from 3 October in all the best newsagents and features an incredible 42 pages of in-depth Live 9 workshops, 50 Live tips and a whole range of features on DJing, mixing, recording and mastering in the software, plus our rst-ever Push tutorial. You even get a DVD packed with tuition videos, making this the complete Live package and an essential purchase for all Ableton users. We went for a green cover in the end, even though theres a slightly silly publishing belief that green covers dont sell... So prove that wrong and go and buy it! www.music tech.net
The original Bass Station was a cult hit in 1993, nding its way onto countless early dance music classics. Its now back: bigger, fatter and bassier. With a fully analogue signal path featuring two oscillators, a sub-oscillator, two lters, overdrive, arpeggiator, step sequencer and much much more - Bass Station II is set to blow a new generation of subwoofers...
www.novationmusic.com/bassstationII
MAGAZINE Xxxxxxxx XXXX
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MT Feature The Ultimate Microphone Guide
14 | October 2013
MAGAZINE
The Ultimate Microphone Guide Feature MT
If you want to make recordings youll need a microphone and there are many out there to choose from. In the rst of four special features, MusicTechs resident mic expert Huw Price looks at the most popular condensers and guides you through what to look for and the best ones out there, whatevers in your wallet
his article is the first in a series of in-depth guides that well be running on microphones of all varieties. Over the course of it well be taking a close look at the features, sound quality and technology behind them to help you decide which microphones best suit your needs and your budget. Microphones come in various guises, but they all perform exactly the same function: theyre transducers, which means they convert one form of energy into another. Microphones convert acoustic energy into electrical energy ie, an alternating current that is analogous to the original sound wave. There are various ways to achieve this transformation but most studio and stage microphones can be divided into three categories: moving-coil, ribbon and condenser. Condenser microphones are usually subdivided into two categories determined by the size of the capsule large or small. Commercial studios are obliged to provide a large selection of microphones, although PWL Studios famously owned only one microphone a Calrec Soundfield when they were creating Rick Astley and Kylies timeless hits. And while this is unusual, many home recordists might need only one or two microphones, especially if they record only lead and backing vocals with a bit of occasional percussion or guitar. With that in mind, were starting this series with a look at large-capsule condenser microphones. This is almost certainly the most popular and biggestselling category because theyre widely regarded as the best type for all-round recording duties. Even so, large-capsule microphones come in various forms and with a wide variety of features that affect their sound and suitability for certain applications. Buying a microphone is one of the most important gear choices you can make, so its worth familiarising yourself with the sonic and technical features that will help you to identify the one thats right for you. Although this feature is about large-capsule condensers, much of what follows will apply to small-capsule condensers, dynamics and ribbons, too.
THE ULTIMATE MICROPHONE GUIDE

T
MT Cover Feature Studio Technology
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Picking a microphone that will suit your needs requires getting to grips with the terminology...
Mics & micing: terms & technique
he perfect microphone would be able to capture pure sound without distortion or deviation in the frequency content of the source. Some get close to this theoretical ideal, but they tend to be niche products used for critical recording and measurement rather than general-purpose recording. Most large-capsule condensers impart some of their own characteristics to a greater or lesser extent. This is called colouration, and many mics have acquired cult status due to their ability to enhance or flatter certain voices and instruments. This colouration can take various forms. For instance, the treble region may be accentuated to create an airy sheen; the midrange may be
unpleasant distortion if the wrong microphone is exposed to high SPLs inside a kick drum, in front of a guitar amp or even a very powerful singer. Distortion can occur in the capsule itself, in the preamp circuitry or both. If its occurring in the preamp, an onboard attenuation pad may provide a workaround (see HPF & pad switching). If you think that high SPLs may be an issue with the work that you do, check out the maximum SPL figure for any microphone youre considering buying. Although condenser microphones are capable of capturing frequencies at the upper end of the human hearing range, not all do. For instance, the frequency response of most early Neumanns starts to roll off above 15kHz, and those mics designed to emulate the Neumann sound may do the same. If you need a mic for recording drum overheads, acoustic guitar or piano, treble roll-off may be problematic. At the other end of the spectrum, theres no point in using a microphone with inherent bass roll-off when recording instruments with very low-frequency content, so consider the frequency range you need a mic to cover when youre deciding which one to buy.
Pick it up
If youve used only hand-held dynamic mics, your experience will be limited to a fixed cardioid pickup pattern. Large-capsule condensers commonly have pattern selector switches offering omnidirectional as well as figure-8. Some provide intermediate patterns, too, taking the total up to five or even nine. Omnidirectional settings allow the mic to pick up in a spherical pattern around the capsule so it can be addressed from the front, back or sides. This is very
If you record a wide variety of musicians, buying a coloured mic may limit your options
beefed-up to add body and presence. Some circuits will impart a subtle degree of harmonic distortion that creates an effect often described as warm.
MT Pro Technique Microphone preamps

Standalone and desk-mounted microphone preamps are essential for bringing very low microphone-level audio signals up to the line-level we need to process and record the sound. They must present suitable input impedance to the microphone and be able to add gain without adding noise or distortion. Actually, a bit of distortion can sometimes sound good, but only if you can control it. A good preamp can signicantly enhance the sound of a cheap microphone, and a really ne preamp can make a decent microphone sound fantastic. However, a high-end Neumann or Telefunken will still have that sound even if youre recording through a Mackie 1604. The upshot is that if your mic sounds dull, lacks detail or is coloured in a way you happen to dislike, upgrading your microphone preamp isnt the x, but even so, a decent mic deserves a decent preamp. The preamps found in most audio interfaces tend to sound decent enough, but they wont enhance the sound, add character or bring out ner details in a recording. There are many parallels between choosing a mic pre and choosing a microphone. Some sound coloured while others are neutral. Some overload in a warm and pleasing way while others are engineered Universal Audios Twin-Finity 710 preamplifier has both tube and for vanishingly low distortion levels. solid-state signal paths. You can also choose between valve, discrete solid-state and op-amp circuitry with inputs and outputs that are balanced electronically or by transformers. Many also feature switchable bass roll-off and attenuation pads and some provide a high-impedance (Hi Z) input for direct guitar and bass recording. Dont forget that phantom power (nominally 48v) is essential if youre planning to use Having a dedicated space lets you use larger kit like drum kits or condenser microphones. amps
Close proximity
Cardioid and figure-8 microphones also exhibit something called the proximity effect. This manifests itself as a lift in the low-mid and bass frequencies as the microphone is moved closer to the sound source. Some microphones are more prone to this than others. Colouration can be hit-and-miss. If you plan to record only one singer or one instrument, then, providing youre able to audition the mics first, you may select one that provides the sonic character youre looking for. On the other hand, if you record a wide variety of singers and musicians, buying a heavily coloured microphone may limit your options. If you are unable to try out a microphone before buying it, you should read as many reviews as possible. SPL handling (Sound Pressure Level) is also important. Youd expect any large-capsule condenser to be able to cope with acoustic instruments, but you may encounter
16 | October 2013
MAGAZINE
MT Pro Technique Connecting to your DAW

So youve got a microphone and youve got a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) running on your computer, but how do you get the microphone signal onto your hard disc and into your DAW? For that youll need an audio interface to convert the analogue signal into binary data. Some computers will accept microphone signals, so you can The Scarlett 8i6: use the digital converters on the computers soundcard. eight inputs/six outputs, plus two Unfortunately, the preamp and converters are unlikely to sound much good and the absence of phantom power means you wont of Focusrites award-winning be able to use condenser microphones. A proper audio interface mic preamps. will have better-sounding digital converters and many provide one or more mic inputs with phantom power. Check out the Alesis i02 and the Focusrite Scarlet. If you need to record several musicians simultaneously, you can investigate interfaces with more mic preamps, such as the MOTU 8-Pre, ART Tube Opto 8 and the PreSonus FireStudio. Alternatively, you may opt for an interface with two or more mic inputs and several line-level inputs. That gives you the option of using onboard mic preamps or external mic preamps that can be plugged directly into the line-level inputs. Try the MOTU 828 MkIII, RME Fireface UC, Focusrite Safre and UAD Apollo. Audio interfaces can connect to computers in various ways, including USB, FireWire 400, FireWire 800 and Thunderbolt. Consult a dealer to learn which interfaces will be compatible with your computer, DAW and operating system.
Engineers such as the legendary Bruce Swedien routinely engaged a bass roll-off when recording anything other than low-frequency instruments. They would swear its the only way to achieve clear, punch and tight low end in a track recorded with multiple mics. HPF switches are also used to counter proximity effect when circumstances make close-micing unavoidable. An attenuation pad can be used to avoid overloading the microphones onboard circuits when its located straight after the capsule, but it will not cure mechanically induced distortion coming from the capsule itself. Many microphones feature pads with one or two levels of attenuation, but some methods used to achieve the attenuation such as negative feedback are considered to cause phase distortion, and since the noise floor of the mic remains the same, signal-to-noise ratio becomes worse. We wouldnt recommend using attenuation pads unless you have to.
useful if youre recording several singers at once because they wont have to bunch up together at the front of the mic. Omni can produce excellent results as room mics and it allows for close placement because omni mics dont exhibit any proximity effect. A figure-8 will allow you to record two vocalists simultaneously, with one at the front of the mic and another singing into the back. The null point can be aimed towards unwanted sounds to minimise spill and a figure-8 mic can be combined with a cardioid microphone for mid/side stereo recording. The mics dont even need to be matched. Switching from one pattern to another will also produce subtle shifts in frequency response that will allow the microphone to interact with a variety of sounds. For instance, omni settings often provide a deeper, flatter bass response. You will also be able to dial in various amounts of room ambience to keep things dry or add a degree of space to the sound. Even so, cardioid remains the default setting for most condenser microphones, and if you anticipate recording only vocals and occasional instruments in less than ideal acoustic environments, a fixed cardioid may be all thats needed.
A right state
With very few exceptions, condenser microphones have onboard preamps that serve two functions. Firstly, they amplify the signals coming from
MT Pro Technique Portable acoustic treatment

These days, most of us record in less than perfect acoustic environments. When were not achieving the sound quality were aiming for, its tempting to blame the gear, but its worth considering how the sound of a room inuences the tone of our recordings. Its pretty obvious when you think about it. For instance, if youre recording in a room without carpet or soft furnishings, the nature of your recordings will be bright, containing lots of room ambience because there is nothing to soak up the sound waves and theyll keep bouncing off the hard surfaces for some time before they fade away. Conversely, the carpet, curtains and soft furnishings in a bedroom or living room will absorb sound energy, particularly in the mid and high-frequency regions. Try singing or playing guitar in your bathroom then your bedroom youll hear the difference right away. In professional studios its standard practice to record vocals with as little room ambience as possible. In order to achieve this a lot of time, money and effort must be expended to control room acoustics and create vocal booths. Most project studios are multi-function environments, so installing permanent acoustic treatment solutions will probably be impractical as well as too expensive. Fortunately, there are plenty of portable acoustic treatment solutions that can be used wherever theyre needed. Companies like GIK Acoustics produce a variety of panels that absorb and diffuse sound waves. You can hang them on walls and ceilings or mount them on stands to build a booth around an artist. You can install panels in a mix room and borrow them to use elsewhere when you need to record. Most revolutionary is the sE Electronics Reexion Filter and the host of imitators it has spawned. The Reexion Filter is a semicircular absorption screen that mounts on a stand and wraps around a microphone. Essentially, it soaks up reected sound waves and prevents them from reaching the back and sides of a microphone. The effect is dramatic and it can enable you to sE Electronics Reflexion Filter make viable recordings in the most challenging acoustic spawned a host spaces. If you place an absorption panel behind the singers of imitators... head, its even better.
On a roll
HPF stands for High Pass Filter, which is also known as bass roll-off. Removing bass may seem anathema to many, but it makes a lot of sense when youre using microphones. Unless youre recording instruments such as kick drum, bass guitar or double bass, theres unlikely to be anything musical going on below about 100Hz. However, you are likely to pick up varying amounts of low-frequency garbage, especially if you record at home.
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the capsule; secondly, they lower the output impedance. Condenser microphones have been around for almost a century and up until the 1960s valve preamps were the only option. During the 1960s the major manufacturers began using transistors rather than valves. They were cheaper, more reliable and they could be powered from the mixing desk. Valve mics must be used in conjunction with dedicated power supplies. Despite the practical advantages, though, many recording engineers preferred the smoother, fatter and larger-than-life sounds of certain vintage valve microphones. The value of many mics made between the 1940s and the 1960s gradually increased because valve mics were no longer being produced. Today, theyre once again commonplace. Some are amazingly affordable, others are high-end replicas of historic models.
Once the capsule and preamp have performed their functions, the signal must be balanced in order to travel along the length of the cable. The signal is split in two and the polarity of one side is reversed. This process is reversed when the signal reaches the preamp. When the polarity of the signals is put back in-phase, any noise picked up by the signal wires is combined out-of-phase and therefore cancelled out. Two methods are used to balance the output of condensers. Some are balanced electronically, others continue with transformer-balancing. Neither is intrinsically superior because so much depends on the circuit design and the quality of the transformer. You may also find that transformer-balanced mics tend to sound better with transformer-balanced mic preamps. Conversely, the low output impedance of many transformerless mics may not interface too well with vintage mic preamp designs.
Colouring sound
It all goes back to the colouration thing. Valve mics tend to be coloured, and some manufacturers at the cheaper end of the market go a bit over the top to satisfy customer expectations. Solid-state microphones are still easier to use; theyre often more versatile and they can have plenty of character, too. While some valve mics have a well-justified allure, the mere presence of a valve in the preamp circuit guarantees nothing.
Sensitive issues
If you place two microphones in front of the same singer and the output from one is higher than the other, the higheroutput mic is said to be more sensitive.
www.shure.co.uk www.shure.co.uk
18 | October 2013
MAGAZINE
MT Pro Technique Suspension mounts

There is a distinction between acoustic treatment and soundproong. Professional recording studios are often obliged to spend signicant amounts of money ensuring that noise is contained within the studio building and, just as importantly, outside noises are prevented from getting in. In an ofce building, at or house there will be vastly more ambient noise. Suspension mounts wont help with airborne noise but will help to reduce rumble and vibrations from trafc, lift shafts, heating pipes and so forth from travelling up through the mic stand into the microphone. They may also help when youre recording musicians who like to tap their feet. Manufacturers publish sensitivity ratings for their microphones and most state the sensitivity in dB relative to 1v/Pa. Because the reference level of one volt exceeds the output level of most microphones measured in millivolts the quoted dB figure will be negative. So, a mic with a sensitivity of -45dB is more sensitive than one with a rating of -65dB. All microphones generate some noise regardless of whether sound waves are present. This is referred to as self-noise or equivalent noise level and it indicates the pressure level from sound waves that would be required to create an output voltage equal to the voltage being generated by the mic itself. A noisy mic will present problems if youre trying to record quiet singers and instruments because there will be too much noise in the signal-to-noise ratio. Most mics come with suspension mounts, but at the budget and ultra-high ends of the market you may have to pay extra or source your own. We recommend Rycotes USM: they accommodate all shapes/sizes of microphone, weigh next to nothing and never fall apart. Enhanced Audios M600 is another universal mount, but it isolates a mic from transferred noise by minimising contact area. Rycotes USM It also dampens ringing in the mic body and has a patented makes an audible improvement to sound quality. Lyre mount. Two scales are used: dB(A) and CCIR. A good noise rating will be below 15dB(A) on the dB(A) scale and below 30dB on the CCIR scale. Condensers have become quieter over the decades, but most engineers accept that valve microphones vintage and modern tend to be noisier. Condenser mics are susceptible to transmitted noise and suspension mounts are traditionally used to alleviate this. In this competitive market, manufacturers often add value to their products by including a suspension mount as part of the deal. Other bundles may also include a pop shield, wind shield or a cable. Although your priority should be the microphone itself, its worth checking out these extras if your budget is tight. Read on for the best mics in every budget.
Available from Shure Centres only
True digital diversity for a rock-solid wireless signal with exceptional digital audio clarity. Automatic frequency management ensures an uninterrupted change of frequencies in case of interference. Shure proprietary lithium-ion rechargeable batteries that provide up to 16 hours of continuous use with multiple charging solutions such as USB-, car- or in-receiver-charging. Find out more at www.shure.co.uk
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On a tight budget? Youd be surprised by what you can get for your money...
Price 89 Contact Audio-Technica 0113 277 1441 At 16mm, the diaphragm in this microphone falls somewhere between small and large, but the side-fire body means we can include it here. The capsule is also a permanently charged back-electret rather than a traditional condenser. There arent any pad or HPF switches, but the AT2020 can handle an impressive 144dB SPL. The sound quality is impressive, with a negligible noise floor and very healthy output level. The high frequencies have a crisp and sweet sparkle that adds a degree of presence, but not in any artificial way. The midrange is very well defined there are no obvious colourations and the bass is solid. Web www.audio-technica.com
Budget mics under 200
AUDIO-TECHNICA AT2020
Price 159 Contact Life Long Music via website This nine-pattern valve microphone is sold under a huge variety of names. The Alctron HST-11A comes straight from the factory and its the cheapest and best stock version to buy. Loosely based on the AKG C12, the HST-11A features a 12AX7 valve preamp, transformer-balanced output and ships with a windshield, power supply, suspension mount and interconnect cable. Although coloured in a valvey sort of way, the HST-11A is a match for many more expensive valve condensers. Commonly used for DIY upgrades that range from cheap and easy to expensive and delicate, this microphone can sound amazing. Web www.lifelongmusic.co.uk
ALCTRON HST-11A
Price 149 Contact Source Distribution 020 8962 5080 Australia-based mic-maker Rde was among the very first company to enter the fledgling budget condenser market, with a U87 lookalike called the NT2. The fixed-cardioid NT1-A is a substantially upgraded version of Rdes entry-level classic that comes with a metal shockmount and zip-up pouch. A gold-sputtered one-inch diaphragm feeds a transformerless JFET preamp; frequency range is quoted as 20Hz20kHz. Regarded as an all-round recording mic with a bright sonic signature, plenty of treble detail, defined low end and a slight boost in the upper bass, it can handle SPLs up to 137dB and has an impressively low noise floor. Web www.rodemic.com
RDE NT1-A
Australia-based mic-maker Rde was among the very first to enter the fledgling budget condenser market
Price 119 Contact Sonic Distribution 0845 500 2500 Finished with an unusual black rubber coating, the sE X1 is a fine-looking microphone. Its not sold with a suspension mount but sE Electronics does offer one thats suitable. The upside is a switchable 10dB attenuation pad and switchable bass roll-off starting at about 600Hz. Sensitivity isnt amazing but the noise floor is very low. Test recordings revealed a very detailed sonic character with surprisingly little midrange colouration and a nice tinselly top end thats bright but not edgy or harsh. Slightly lean low mids were our only reservation. Web www.seelectronics.com
Price 179 Contact Musictrack 01767 313447 A fixed-cardioid with a dual-diaphragm 32mm capsule. Unusually, the diaphragms are mismatched to create a dual sonic signature. The front houses a brightsounding six-micron diaphragm, and theres a warm eight-micron diaphragm at the back. You can switch from one to the other and there are HPF and 6dB attenuation switches, too. The output is transformer-balanced. The effect of the voicing switch is fairly subtle, yielding a hint of extra sheen in the high frequencies in bright mode. Even so, the V67i is a capable all-rounder, though some may consider the 150Hz HPF frequency point slightly high. Web www.mxlmics.com
MXL V67I
SE ELECTRONICS X1
20 | October 2013
MAGAZINE
MusicTech
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Choosing a mic in this price bracket opens up yet more tempting choices...
Price 280 Contact Sonic Distribution 0845 500 2500 The 2200 has gradually evolved from a simple, no-frills fixed-cardioid condenser to this multi-pattern version with added 10dB attenuation pad and switchable bass roll-off. This model has won several awards and was most famously used to record Amy Winehouses vocals for the Back To Black album. The package includes a shockmount and pop shield. Cardioid provides a bold sound with detail, some high-frequency sparkle and just enough midrange-enhancing colouration. Omni sounds open and deep, but figure-8 has slightly lower output, more colouration and thinner mids. Web www.seelectronics.com
Mid price mics 200450
SE ELECTRONICS 2200A II
Price 444 Contact SCV London 020 8418 1470 With a transformer-balanced output and a 12AX7 valve, the CV12 trumps HST-11A-derived mics with its 10dB pad and 80Hz bass roll-off. Nine polar patterns are selectable and it ships in a metal case with a power supply, shockmount and wood microphone box. Delivering what you might hope from a large-capsule valve condenser, its round and smooth with nicely weighted mids and an impressively detailed treble response. The CV12 distinguishes itself on vocals, generating a full-bodied sound with plenty of low-mid girth and clearly defined consonants. Suitable for any recording scenario where a little softening and smoothing is required. Web www.avantonepro.com
AVANTONE CV12
Price 327 Contact JZ Microphones +37 167 246 648 The body has a wide and flat oval shape, which obviates the need for side support pillars and allows sound waves to reach the edge-terminated 27mm capsule unobstructed. JZ also uses Golden Drop technology to make diaphragms that are faster to respond, resulting in low coloration/distortion. Bass is full and vibrant, but stops just short of boominess. The midrange is natural and theres no discernible treble hype. The V11 has a wide sweet spot so is ideal for vocalists who cant keep still. Web www.jzmic.com
JZ MICS V11
The Sputnik produces clean and natural-sounding recordings without obvious colouration
Price 425 Contact Sold at Maplin, PMT, Dawsons stores The capsule is based on the B6 capsule used in BLUEs flagship Bottle and the housing rotates 90 degrees to refine the aim of the three patterns. A discrete Class-A preamp feeds a transformerless output stage and the Reactor ships with an aluminium flight case and a wire mesh pop filter. Cardioid is bright and sparkly without being harsh, capturing complex harmonic overtones. The quick transient response provides a sense of detail and realism. This brightness makes the bass seem a little light and sibilance may become an issue. Omni is more coloured but the bass integrates better , while figure-8 sounds fatter, with rolled-off highs. Web www.bluemic.com
Price 405 Contact M-Audio 01923 204010 With its distinctive looks and chrome finish, the Sputnik does have a space-age vibe. Inside its just as interesting, with a military 6025M valve and a JFET biasing arrangement to maximise headroom and dynamic range. Features include a 10dB pad and switchable 80Hz HPF. It ships with a dedicated power supply and seven-pin cable, shockmount, soft bag and custom flight case. Some contemporary valve mics are heavily vintage-voiced but the Sputnik produces clean, natural-sounding recordings without obvious colouration. Cardioid sounds best, but omni and figure-8 are excellent too. Web www.maudio.co.uk
M-AUDIO SPUTNIK
BLUE REACTOR
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As the numbers start to get serious, so too do the potential contenders...

Price 779 Contact JHS 0113 286 5381 Lewitts founder formulated his ideas about microphone design and manufacture while working for AKG. Lewitts are designed in Austria and manufactured in China. This multi-pattern large-capsule condenser has solid-state components and electronically balanced output. It ships in an aluminum carry case complete with a suspension mount and windshield. Front-mounted push-buttons control the five pickup patterns, four-stage HPF and three-stage pad. Settings can be locked and automatic attenuation prevents overload. The 640 exceeded our expectations, sounding balanced, uncoloured and full. A real Swiss Army Knife-type of microphone. Web www.lewitt-audio.com
High-end mics 450850
LEWITT LCT640
Price 670 Contact Audio-Technica 0113 277 1441 This is Audio-Technicas take on a certain classic FET microphone the model number holds the clue. Three pickup patterns and a transformer-coupled output combine with an 80Hz filter and a 10dB pad to allow SPL handling up to an impressive 155dB. A suspension mount is provided in the box. High frequencies are bright but sweet and full of detail. The midrange is uncoloured and the bass is tight, well focused and solid. It captures the woodiness of an acoustic instruments sound and a sense of air. Vocals are clean and crisp with no trace of sibilance, and it sounds amazing on bass and inside kick drums. Web www.audio-technica.com
AUDIO-TECHNICA AT4047 MP
Price 469 Contact Source Distribution 020 8962 5000 Rdes valve condensers have a good reputation, and the K2 stands out from the crowd thanks to its continually variable pattern selection. It ships in a moulded plastic carry case with a suspension mount, interconnect cable and dedicated power supply. Other features include a 1-inch capsule, a 6922 valve, transformerless output and a very impressive 162dB max SPL. The K2 is known for its bright and present upper mids and a tasteful degree of valvey midrange colouration. Although it can be sibilant on some voices, the sound quality is generally considered to very smooth and self-noise levels are far lower than most valve mics. Web www.rodemic.com
RDE K2
The K2 is known for its bright upper mids and a tasteful degree of valvey midrange colouration
Price 572 Contact Golden Age Music Group +46 322 66 50 50 High-quality components, thick copper PCB traces and an inverted 6072a valve with a 1-inch dual-diaphragm capsule providing nine patterns. Apparently this was Ray Charles favourite vocal mic, and he used one on his last three CDs. Recommended for male and female vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, sax, strings, double bass, drum overheads and broadcast applications. In cardioid it has a full and clear midrange with intimate and larger-than-life presence. The lows are deep and sonorous, but tight and focused with a useful treble emphasis. Omni and cardioid settings sound quite similar, although omni has smoother low-mids and figure-8 has a slightly hollow midrange. Web www.adkmic.com
ADK TT MK10
24 | October 2013
MAGAZINE
In this territory, some of those legendary mic tones come into reach...
Price 999 Contact KMR Audio 020 8445 2446 Peluso is very honest about basing the nine-pattern P12 on the Alctron HST-11a, but crucial components are upgraded. The preamp circuit is a near copy of an AKG C12s, with a selected 6072A valve and a reproduction T14 output transformer. The edge-terminated CEK-12 capsule is assembled in Pelusos own lab. We were hoping for a bright, tinselly treble with smooth but present mids and a full but not overblown bass. The Peluso P12 didnt disappoint. Vocals had breathy presence, acoustic guitars sparkled with woody warmth and enhanced realism, and cymbals floated over mixes. Web www.pelusomicrophonelab.com
Top level mics 8501,250
PELUSO P12
Price 999 Contact KMR Audio 020 8445 2446 The Peluso 2247 is to the Neumann U47 what the P12 is to the AKG C12. Again, the only Chinese components in evidence are the body, grille housing and shock mount. The BV8 transformer comes from Cinemag and a 6072A valve is used in place of the ultra-rare VF14. The nine-pattern switch may not be vintage-correct, but its welcome nonetheless. With rolled-off treble, larger-than-life midrange and a soft but clear bass, its a distinctive tone that will suit some vocalists better than others. Stunningly intimate, this effortless and natural sound genuinely evokes the vintage Neumann spirit at an affordable price. Web www.pelusomicrophonelab.com
PELUSO 2247
Price 987 Contact Harman Pro 01707 668222 Described as the fourth-generation descendent of the C12, the C414 has remained an industry standard since the early 1970s. The iconic design featured body-mounted switches that provided four pickup patterns and multiple pre-attenuation and HPF filtering. The model has undergone continual evolution as AKG tried to improve performance while retaining the signature sound. The current XLII version handles 140dB SPL and has 6/12/18dB pad and 40/80/160Hz HPF settings. Output is FET-balanced and it comes in an aluminium case with a shock mount, pop filter and windshield. Bright, clear, versatile and easy to use, the C414 is a bona fide all-purpose mic. Web http://uk.akg.com
AKG C414
TELEFUNKEN USA CU-29 COPPERHEAD
Price 1,078 Contact Unity Audio 01440 785843 Selected components include WIMA, Sprague and Russian-made capacitors with low-noise resistors and a custom-wound transformer. The valve itself is a new old-stock Telefunken 6AK5W pentode. The Copperhead ships in a wood box with a suspension mount, link cable and power supply. The larger-than-life presence is striking, with a fat midrange and beefy valve colouration. It has a velvety Neumann-like quality with a hint of upper-frequency glisten that helps to make the Copperhead warm but detailed. If fixed cardioid isnt restrictive, the CU29 wont disappoint. Web www.telefunkenelektroakustik.com
Price 989 Contact Violet Design (+372) 645 5007 Violets designs invariably provide a refreshing blast of freshness and fun. The Amethysts capsule sits in a housing above the preamp section, reducing reflections and allowing the fixed-cardioid capsule housing to be shock-mounted. The all-discrete Class A preamp feeds a transformerless output stage. The Amethyst Vintage delivers very clean, intimate and high-resolution vocals, and proximity effect adds body to the impressively detailed sound. High frequencies are very clear without sounding too bright, and the fast transient response produces lively and punchy recordings with strong, clear bass. Web www.violet-design.com
VIOLET AMETHYST
The Peluso 2247s effortless and natural sound genuinely evokes the vintage Neumann spirit at an affordable price
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You wont want to take chances if youre spending this kind of cash, so here are some of our top picks.
TELEFUNKEN USA ELA M250
Ultimate mics 1,250 and up
Price 7,320 Contact Unity Audio 01440 785843 The Telefunken ELA M250 was introduced in 1958. Originals are rare and ber-expensive, but Telefunken USAs ELA M250 is a very close replica. A pattern selector sits under the capsule housing and a 6072A valve drives a vintage-correct transformer. Push up the fader and youll immediately realise that youre dealing with a special microphone as the high end lays over everything like tinsel. The detail and transparency are quite remarkable, yet it sounds intimate rather than forced. Describe the sound as a glorious hybrid of U47 fatness and C12 silky highs and we could only concur. Web www.telefunken-elektroakustik.com
Price 4,930 Contact Sound Link 01869 600817 Gefells long-awaited CMV 563 reissue includes an M7S cardioid capsule and bayonet-style fixing for Neumann, BLUE and Violet capsules. The originals never came with suspension mounts but the reissue does, along with upgraded Tuchel connectors. An EF86 valve replaces the original EC92 and the output transformer is made in-house. The reissue capsule sounded a tad brighter than our original, but ours probably sounded that way when it was new and the preamps were indistinguishable. The sound is massive, smooth and authoritative, with deep, solid lows and rolled-off treble. For full-fat, velvety classic Neumann tones its the real deal. Web www.microtechgefell.de
MICROTECH GEFELL CMV563
AUDIO-TECHNICA AT5040
Price 2,548 Contact Audio-Technica 0113 277 1441 Rectangular capsules are nothing new, but combining four in a cardioid condenser certainly is. AudioTechnicas designers intended to combine the fast response and extended high frequencies of small capsules with the sensitivity and high output of large capsules. Divided into pairs, the polarity is reversed, ensuring balanced audio throughout. The AT5040 excelled in each and every test with its effortless and natural tone. The treble was wide-open without sounding forced and the midrange was so true that, where we might usually apply EQ, none was deemed necessary. Web www. audio-technica.com
Youll immediately realise that youre dealing with a special microphone as the high end lays over everything like tinsel
Price 1,699 Contact KMR Audio 020 8445 2446 Having worked its way through the catalogue of classic mics, Pelusos version of the Neumann U67 was inevitable. This nine-pattern replica is based on a mint and unused original in Shures lab. The onboard HPF and pad switches are vintage-correct, but a 6AK5 valve replaces the EF86, necessitating a minor transformer modification. We were hoping for an unfussy, general-purpose mic with a thick, velvety midrange, solid bass and smooth high frequencies. Thats exactly what the P67 delivered, albeit with a touch more gloss in the treble. The P67 is not fussy about placement it makes recording easy and it just works. Really well! Web www.pelusomicrophonelab.com
PELUSO P67
26 | October 2013
MAGAZINE
Price 2,227 Contact Sennheiser 01628 402200 The Neumann U87 has been in production since 1967 and was probably the worlds most widely used studio condenser until the early 90s. Introduced as a solid-state successor to the U67, onboard switches provide 10dB attenuation at 100Hz and three pickup patterns. The midrange is full and plummy and the treble is smooth but slightly attenuated. Its a mic that can be used on just about anything always sounding good and sometimes outstanding. Post-1986 U87 AI models have improved sensitivity and SPL handling, but most modern mics have superior specs. Even so, only a U87 really sounds like a U87. Web www.neumann.com
NEUMANN U87 AI
Price 3,000 Contact KMR Audio 020 8445 2446 The mechanical cardioid/ omni switch is accessed through an opening in the foamed aluminium grille. This rigid structure obviates the need for reflective flat metal housing rings and contains the single-sided capsule. It captures whatever youre recording with a disarmingly natural quality. Transients are fast, the midrange is full and up-front, and the lows are solid without boominess. Overall theres an effortless sense of detail and transparency to its work. Web www.josephson.com
JOSEPHSON C715
Price 1,649 Contact JHS 0113 2865 381 The transformerless LCT940 allows you to select a valve or FET signal path and even combine the two to taste. This nine-pattern condenser microphone has a feature-packed external power supply/control unit with auto-attenuation plus multiple pad and HPF settings. The flight case contains a suspension mount, foam windshield and interconnect cable. Noise levels in both modes are extremely low but sensitivity is higher in tube mode. With equalised volume, there is a discernible difference in tone. The valve side sounds fatter and richer, with the FET side a little dryer and more realistic. FET provides more definition in the high end and the tube thickens things up nicely in the low mids and smoothed-out the treble. Web www. lewitt-audio.com
LEWITT LCT940
PROFOUND SOUND
New! ROKIT Generation 3
For a quarter of a century KRK has been the professionals choice for mixing and mastering hit records around the globe. KRKs ROKIT studio monitors have been the most popular choice for accurate monitoring, selling one million systems over the years. Now KRK introduces the new ROKIT Generation 3, continuing the legacy of performance ROKITs have become known for. So whether youre just starting out in desktop recording, or youve already laid down a few thousand tracks, give a listen to the ROKIT Generation 3 line of monitors and experience a standard in performance and accuracy that raises the bar once again. Soft-dome tweeter provides clarity and extended response up to 35kHz Proprietary waveguide technology optimised for superior stereo imaging Lightweight, glass-aramid composite woofer delivers clear midrange and tight bass Bi-amped, class A/B amplifier offering maximum headroom with minimal distortion Low and high frequency adjustment gives you unprecedented voicing control for optimal room acoustics and mix translation
www.krksys.com
KRK Systems is a member of the Gibson Family of Brands. 2013 Gibson Guitar Corp. All rights reserved. Proudly distributed in the UK by Focusrite. In the UK? Want to audition KRK ROKITOctober Generation 3? MAGAZINE 2013 | e-mail krk@focusrite.com for your nearest ROKIT G3 dealer.
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Eris. Affordable studio monitors that dont treat you like a kid.
LOW CUTOFF lets you match Eris to a subwoofer without screwing up the bass. 3-position ACOUSTIC SPACE switch lets you control Eris bass output depending on whether youre placing them in corners, or on each side of a video monitor but close to the back wall, or farther out towards the middle of your control room.
INPUT GAIN optimizes signal to noise ratio
MID frequency continuously variable 6dB
HIGH frequency continuously variable 6dB
eres a dirty little secret: Most monitors in Eris price range are designed so that they sound impressive in the store lots of bonky bass and tizzy treble but they arent accurate when youre trying to do a serious mix in your studio. The new Eris E5 and E8 are true pro monitors with the precise back-panel acoustic-tuning tools you need to tailor their sound to your room environment and musical genre*. Youll end up
Eris E8 8"LF, 1.25" HF 140 watts
Eris E5 5.25"LF, 1.0" HF 80 watts
with mixes that sound good everywhere (including iTunes and CDs), not just in your control room. Eris monitors pack longthrow Kevlar K100 low frequency transducers and low-mass, silk dome high frequency transducers with separate butt-kicking Class A/B amps for each. Above all, Eris are musical, powerful, and excruciatingly accurate. Get the whole story of Eris on our site. Or visit your PreSonus dealer for an ear-full of Eris.
Exclusively distributed in the UK and Ireland by Source
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T: 020 8962 5080

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*But if you yearn for a lot of thudding bass and ear-melting highs like our competition puts out, you can still do that with the same controls. Just dont expect good mixes.2013, PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc, All Rights Reserved. Eris is a trademark of PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc.
Unknown Pleasures Landmark Productions MT
Producer Martin Hannett Engineer Chris Nagle
UNKNOWN PLEASURES JOY DIVISION
Landmark Productions No22
Joy Divisions haunting, angular and atmospheric debut now enjoys its status as a much-revered classic. Andy Price has the insight...
essers Ian Curtis, Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris and Peter Hook formerly known as Warsaw, now Joy Division entered Strawberry Studios in Stockport on 1 April, 1979, to cut their first LP, sporting a fruitful array of songs and ideas carved from years of writing, rehearsing and gigging on the Manchester scene. Newly signed to Tony Wilsons Warhol-inspired Factory Records (famously signed in blood) they, along with left-field producer Martin Hannett, had a pioneering new vision for a record that would ultimately become one of the most highly regarded British albums of all time. We gave (Martin) great songs, Hook said in a BBC interview circa 2006, and like a top chef he added some salt and pepper and some herbs and served up the dish. But he needed our ingredients. The ingredients that Joy Division were crafting for this record were deep and textured, from the ominous ascending/descending riffage of New Dawn Fades to Peter Hooks melodic bass-driven Shes Lost Control, the set of ten songs is a tour de force of emotion, tight musicianship and atmospheric sounds that were difficult to categorise in a late 70s world of ten-a-penny punk and new wave artists. Martin Hannett was the perfect choice to mastermind the production of the debut. A quirky and eccentric man with a mop of curly brown hair, Hannett was the typical mad genius harbouring some progressive and occasionally challenging ideas about production. He took charge of the record and stripped away much of the ferocity of the live sound and instead painted a more spacious and desolate world for the songs to inhabit. Hannett obsessed over the drum sound, believing it to be the fundamental element on which the songs hinged (so much so that he would record each drum separately to eliminate bleed). Perhaps the most famous story that illustrates Hannetts OCD tendencies is that of sending drummer Stephen Morris to the roof of the studio to get the perfect drum acoustics for Shes Lost Control. He later
forced Morris to reassemble his kit with parts from a studio toilet in his quest for the perfect drum sound a sound that many would argue he achieved. Hannett used his three AMS digital delay units on many of the albums tracks as well as the much less extravagant Melos tape and BBD echo units. The ambient synth and lead lines were initially composed and recorded on Transcendent 2000s before switching to ARP Omnis their analogue beauty shines forth during moments such as the staccato freak-out on Insight and the dramatic and slightly ethereal hums and stabs on album conclusion I Remember Nothing. Hannett also worked closely with Curtis to get the right takes, distance and effects for the vocal tracks, even resorting to recording Curtiss lead vocal down a phone line during the recording of Insight. Hannetts sparse and tense mixes became the albums (and arguably Joy Divisions) defining sonic characteristic, imbuing Morris robotic yet effective drumming, Curtiss anguished lyrics, Hooks fluid bass parts and Sumners jagged guitar with a vast and doom-laden sonic sheen. This was a change for a band whose live sound was much smaller, adrenalised and aggressive. When the album was finished and released, the band had mixed views on it, although they would later come to embrace
Unknown Pleasures would be regarded as the bands definitive musical statement

Hannetts approach as Hook would later testify: It definitely didnt turn out sounding the way I wanted it, Hook revealed to Mojo in 2006. But now I can see that Martin did a good job on it. Theres no two ways about it: Martin Hannett created the Joy Division sound. The band would use Hannett again for second (sadly final) record, Closer. Unknown Pleasures early sales were weak, though critical reception was positive and interest was spiked by the release of the non-album track Transmission as a single. Tragically, it would take the suicide in 1980 of frontman and creative nucleus Ian Curtis to really push the debut album into the public consciousness, with the iconic cover image a totemic symbol of a band defying the boundaries and musical conventions of their time. Although the posthumously released follow-up Closer arguably demonstrated a fuller and more colourful evolution of the Joy Division sound, it was Unknown Pleasures that would ultimately be regarded as the bands definitive musical statement. The rest of the band, of course, would continue to pursue new musical frontiers under the guise of New Order, to varying degrees of success.
Unknown Pleasures was recorded at Strawberry Studios, Stockport, in 1979.
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MT Technique New features in Logic Pro X
Logic Pro X: the new features
Logic Pro Become a Logic Power User
Powered by
Logic Pro Xs extensive range of new features and tools expands yet further its creative potential. Mark Cousins gets you up and running with some of the new tools.
On the disc
Accompanying project file included on the DVD
he latest incarnation of Logic Pro is the product of one of the most comprehensive overhauls of any DAW in recent years. Alongside the completely refreshed interface, Logic Pro users have a host of exciting new features to play with, covering everything from virtual bass guitar ampliers to a whole new form of pitch elasticity. With so many new elements and features to explore, though, it can take some time to fully understand what you can now achieve with Logic Pro X, so weve rounded up what we consider to be among the most exciting
The combination of Retro Synth and the new Arpeggiator is well worth closer exploration
additions Drummer, Retro Synth, the Arpeggiator and Flex Pitch to give you the all-important lowdown on how these elements work. Although it would be easy to dismiss Drummer as a GarageBand-like loop engine, its actually a surprisingly powerful and complex addition to the Logic Pro universe. Initial encounters with Drummer give the impression of a tool thats almost foolishly simple
FOCUS ON RETRO SYNTH

One of Retro Synths most intriguing features is its ability to switch between four different modes of vintage synthesis: Analog, Sync, Table and FM. In truth, the rst two types are actually variants of subtractive synthesis (the Sync mode adding a hard oscillator sync between the two oscillators), but Table and FM are both unique, covering PPG-like wavetable synthesis and primitive re-creation of the FM synthesis used in the Yamaha DX7. Whats interesting about the three modes is that the majority of the parameters lter settings, envelope generators and so on are carried across whenever you move from one mode to another. This approach can lead to some interesting moments of serendipity a patch might start off in a subtractive mode, only to be moved into FM, thereby creating a completely different timbre. This is a great trick to try with the presets, often creating radically different sounds with just a push of a button. As you get more experienced, youll start to note the subtle sonic and technical differences between the modes, allowing you to exploit the unique sonic qualities the different models offer.
pick a genre, choose a drummer, then tweak a few controls on a X/Y pad to get an instant rhythm track! However, when you start swapping components of the kit and changing some of the ner point of the performance, you realise just how complex and interactive the Drummer engine really is. Once youve assembled your basic rhythm track, its well worth swapping the default stereo kit for one of the Producer Kits. The Producer Kits are made from Track Stacks (another new feature), which enables you to expand the basic kit and gain access to each and every channel used to record and mix the real kit, even down to the room mics. For producers of electronic music, the combination of Retro Synth and the new Arpeggiator is well worth closer exploration. In particular, the Arpeggiator is part of a suite of new MIDI plug-ins that can be instantiated directly into the signal path of your mixer. The plug-ins work as live transformers of MIDI data, so that performances you play on a MIDI keyboard (or MIDI data recorded into a region) are transformed as its routed to your chosen virtual instrument. With its immediate control set, Retro Synth is an ideal pairing with the Arpeggiator especially once you start to unlock the modulation routings and the Arpeggiators intriguing Grid mode. Since its introduction in Logic Pro 9, Flex Time has proved to be a real life-saver in the studio. Flex Pitch is the logical extension of the Flex Time functionality; this time allowing you to adjust qualities of a performance in respect to pitch, intonation and formants. Once analysed, an audio region can be seen with a unique Piano Roll Editor overlaid on the waveform. Using Flex Pitch, intonation can be rectied at the push of a button, or you can explore more creative applications, such as completely re-pitching a melody. This article is only an introduction to the new features of Logic Pro, although theres enough detail to get you up and running. Keep an eye on future tutorials, though, as well be exploring these elements in much greater detail. MT
This tutorial is endorsed by Point Blank Music School, which specialises in courses on production, sound engineering, the music business, singing, radio production, DJ skills and lm production, all run by top British music producers and media professionals, with regular visits from legends in music and media.
32 | October 2013
MAGAZINE
New features in Logic Pro X Technique MT
MT Step-by-Step Working with Drummer
Given its complex interactive control set, Drummer works outside the usual virtual instruments system, instead using its own form of track. To start working with Drummer, therefore, use the New Track command (Track>New Tracks) and click on the Drummer option. Logic will instantiate the Drum Kit Designer instrument and create some default regions for you to work with.
01
The key musical properties of your drum track are dened by your choice of Genre, and from within that, the particular drummer you choose. Genre can be selected from the Genre popup menu, where you can choose between Rock, Alternative, Songwriter and R&B. The choice of Drummer then selects a kit and overarching style to the playing, which you can adapt as appropriate.
02
Using the Drummer Editor you can start to ne-tune the performance that the Drummer is currently delivering. The X/Y pad, for example, lets you dene the complexity and loudness of the pattern in many cases, changing the actual sounds used as well as the respective velocity. Clicking on the kit elements brings them in and out of the performance.
03
Once you start working with the Drummer Editor you really start to appreciate the interactive nature of Drummer and the vast amount of variation that can be created. Click on the details, for example, to go one step deeper, adjusting parameters such as the relative loudness of ghost notes, as well as forcing the hi-hat towards a more open or closed position.
04
Each region of Drummer offers you a blank set of variables to explore. So, for example, you could start with a soft and simple pattern for the rst verse, then move to a loud and more complicated pattern featuring toms in the chorus. To structure the performance to your song, therefore, create new regions and adapt them using the Drummer Editor.
05
Changing the current stereo kit for one of the Producer Kits will give you complete fader-by-fader access to the sound of your drums. You can change to a Producer Kit version (indicated with a + sign as a sufx) via the Library. Look for the Producer Kits folder and, once loaded, expand the Track Stack to see the full channel list.
06
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New features in Logic Pro X Technique MT
MT Step-by-Step Retro Synth and the Arpeggiator
The Arpeggiator and Retro Synth are a great combination of new features worth exploring together. The new channel strip makes the signal path easy to understand. First, insert the Arpeggiator as a MIDI plug-in using the plug-in slot just below the EQ. Follow this with an instance of Retro Synth in the Instrument slot that follows on.
01
The Arpeggiator works as a live modier, so whatever you play will be arpeggiated accordingly. Start by experimenting with the Note Order section to dene the key properties of the arpeggiation effect. The graphical buttons dene the movement of the notes (Up, Down, Up/Down, Random and so on), while the Oct Range control denes the span of the arpeggiation in octaves.
02
Try changing the Pattern mode from Live to Grid to appreciate the real power behind the Arpeggiator. In Grid mode, you can specify a unique Velocity level for each step, remove steps altogether (this is useful to create rhythm), as well as change from single notes to chords. In Chord mode, the current held notes are played together rather than being stepped through.
03
Tweaking some key parameters on the Retro Synth can really help bring your Arpeggiator sequence to life. Start in the Filter section, changing the Filter mode to LP 24dB Fat and adding a touch of resonance in the Filter display. The resonance gives the sound more nasal bite, as well as adding excitement when the lter starts to move.
04
To make the lter movement more dynamic, take a closer look at Filter Env. Create a more percussive sound by lowering the Sustain level and increasing the Speed of the initial decay. The result is a spikier envelope, which sounds best when the Env (or Envelope Depth) parameter is backed-off in the Filter section.
05
the Filter Env, therefore, and open the Settings screen. In the Settings screen you can map Velocity to Filter Cutoff, raising the fader (assuming youve turned down the main lter cutoff) to make it more dramatic.
nal piece of the puzzle is using Velocity to directly control 06 The Filter Cutoff rather than via the Envelope. Reduce the Vel slider in
| 35
MT Technique New features in Logic Pro X
MT Step-by-Step Editing with Flex Pitch
Flex Pitch is a Melodyne-like pitch-correction tool that works as an extension of the existing Flex Time system. First, enable the Flex View using the menu command Edit>Show Flex Pitch/Time. Assign the track a Flex mode, in this case selecting the Flex Pitch from the top of the dropdown list.
01
Open the Editors window and select one of the vocal regions to see the current Flex Pitch information. As well as the main waveform youll see a form of Piano Roll Editor to indicate the relative note pitches. Within each block is also a pitch-tracking display, indicating pitch drift at the end or the start of note, as well as vibrato.
02
One quick x for vocal is a simple pitch quantize across the entire part. You can identify intonation issues from the misalignment of the notes. This can either be corrected manually or by [Ctrl]-clicking on the display. Pick Set all to Perfect Pitch from the two available options and the part should be corrected accordingly.
03
Once youve corrected the general intonation issues you can also start to look at making a few creative tweaks to your original vocal performance. An interesting option is to explore a completely re-pitched vocal part (by dragging each note to a new position), which can be useful for adapting a melody or creating backing vocals.
04
The small nodes at the borders of each note can be used to change a variety of note properties. The middle node on the bottom, for example, can be used to change the amount of vibrato applied either exaggerating an existing vibrato pattern or smoothing out the pitch drift to make a more uniform sound.
05
parameter, which enables you to modify the dynamic properties of the performance on a note-by-note basis. Rather than overly compressing a vocal to make all of the words audible, consider lifting their amplitude using Flex Pitch.
nodes in Flex Pitch cover formants and pitch drift at either 06 Other end of the note. Another useful control for vocal parts is the Gain
36 | October 2013
MAGAZINE
MT Technique Recording & editing audio
Creating & editing audio recordings

New Series
Cubase Become a Cubase Power User
Now that your Cubase setup is primed and ready to go, its time to explore your options for recording and editing audio. Tim Hallas gets behind the mic.
On the disc
elcome to part two of our series of articles covering all the aspects of Cubase. Last month we looked at the very basics of creating projects in the software; this month we move on and start getting sound in and out of a project. There are essentially two different types of le that we will primarily be working with in Cubase audio and MIDI. Audio is sound that is captured from a real-world sound source via a microphone, MIDI is
Regardless of what genre you work in, audio is going to play a part to some extent
simply data that can be used to play instruments remotely or from within the software. In this second tutorial we will take a look at audio how to capture it in the software and then how to edit it. Audio recording might seem a bit basic to be covered in a power-user section, but it is, of course, the bread and butter of what we as musicians, engineers and producers
work with on a daily basis. The fact is that, regardless of what genre of music you work in, audio is going to play a part to some extent. Whether you are simply recording guitars and vocals for a folk album or using cut-up samples for a Fatboy Slim-style mash-up, audio is something that you cant escape. There are many different ways of getting audio into Cubase, the most obvious being to record it into the Arrange window. It also has the ability to import existing audio for you to work on, either for mastering or to chop up and use as a sample. Although I would hope that most users can already do this, its worth refreshing the basics as sometimes things get forgotten and some more efcient working practices might come to light. Cubase is a great program with which to record audio it features everything that the musician and producer might need. We will look at how to incorporate other types of music data into the project in a future article, but for now, have fun recording and editing audio. MT
FOCUS ON INS & OUTS

Something to check initially within Cubase are the input and output routings the most common reason for users being unable to get sound in or out of Cubase. To determine yours, click on Devices>VST Connections and you will see a window with tabs for input and output that displays the number of busses (the term for input and output channels) and where they are sending audio to and from. To add a new buss, click on the Add Bus button and select how many input channels you need, whether you want them in mono or stereo, and name it. Once this is done you can save the setup as a preset by pressing the + button; this is worth doing if its a frequently used conguration. I have some basic presets congured and saved, including an 8-in/8-out setup that I can quickly customise for typical sessions. If you are still getting no sound from Cubase, click on Devices>Device Setup and check the VST Audio System tab, ensuring that the correct audio card and driver is being used for your computer.
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MAGAZINE
Recording & editing audio Technique MT
MT Step-by-Step Setting up audio recording and getting audio into Cubase
Start the project by creating some audio tracks click on Project>Add Track>Audio. Once the pop-up window appears, select how many tracks you are going to need and whether they are going to be mono or stereo. You can also give each track a name at this stage. Click Add Track to place it in the Arrange window.
01
You will also see a button labelled Browse, which expands the window to display assorted track presets, including appropriate output effects. However, try to keep it as basic as possible when tracking it is good to hear the audio as near to neutral as you can because effects can mask issues with the capture.
02
When you have your tracks in the Arrange window you need to make sure that the routing is set up appropriately, as unlike some DAW software, Cubase does not automatically increment the inputs sequentially on new tracks and everything will default to the rst input buss. To change this, click on the Input Routing dropdown menu on the Channel Inspector panel and select the correct input source.
03
You now need to check that the signal is at an appropriate level. On each channel header there is a small speaker icon; this is the input monitor button and when active illuminates in brown. Pressing this enables you to see and hear the incoming signal level from the microphone. Set the gain to an appropriate level for capture by adjusting the controls on your interface.
04
Youre now ready to record. Select the channels you want to record to, press the Record Enable button and hit the magic record button in the transport window. Congratulations! Your audio is now recorded and ready to edit.
05
If youre importing audio to a project as well, click on File>Import>Audio File, select the le you want and click Open. Cubase will ask you if you want to copy the audio to the working directory, then place it into the project on the currently selected track at the position of the playback head.
06
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MT Step-by-Step Editing audio from the Arrange window
After your audio is tracked, you will need to edit it so that it ts within the project. Start by setting Snap (where the cursor makes the edits) to an appropriate level by clicking on the grid type and choosing a level of detail that allows accurate selection. Beat is usually detailed enough, but you can sync it to the quantize settings if you need to be more precise.
01
It is very likely that you will have multiple takes of each recording and need to create a composite of the perfect take. Start by clicking on the button in the track header labelled Show Lanes; this opens the takes below one another. Select the Comp tool (the nger) and simply swipe the different sections of takes that you like; Cubase will do the rest and make edits at the appropriate points.
02
If you havent comped or are using multiple tracks for different takes, you will need to do some basic editing. To remove the end from an audio le, either use the Scissors tool and cut at the appropriate point. If you just want to tidy up the end of a le, hold the cursor over the bottom corners of the le and drag to shorten or lengthen an element in the Arrange window.
03
If you need to create a crossfade between two takes, make sure there is a little overlap between the two Arrange window items and drag them into place. When the two ends are overlapping, press [X] on the keyboard; Cubase will automatically add a crossfade. If you need more control, press [X] again and Cubase opens the Crossfade window, in which the fade curves can be adjusted.
04
If a le needs to loop, select the item that you want to repeat and click on Edit>Functions>Repeat ([Ctrl]/[Cmd]+[K]). In the pop-up that appears, select how many occurrences you want. These are proper copies rather than ghosts of the original, making them easier to edit later on.
05
The Arrange window is also where you nd automation tools. Volume and any other parameter can be adjusted by dropping the little arrow in the bottom-left of the track header. To activate this, press the Read button on the track header and draw in adjustments in control that are needed. This is a great way to make manual crossfades between takes and cover up glitches that havent been edited out.
06
40 | October 2013
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MT Step-by-Step Editing audio with the Sample Editor
The Sample Editor (double-click on an audio le) is the window in Cubase that allows detailed processing of audio les. It gives you access to all the expert tools that can be used to make the elements of you project as good as they can be before they are assembled within the Arrange window.
01
Try starting with Gain, often needed if a track has been recorded a little quiet. When selected, it opens a pop-up window that allows for settings to be adjusted; in this case, how much gain to add. Tread carefully as all the processes are destructive, so everything you do cant be undone once its done, its done, and cant be bypassed in the same way as if you were using a plug-in.
02
The Sample Editor also includes tools for audio quantisation. Start by selecting the Denition tab and choosing the level of detail that the grid uses up to 1/16 (semiquaver) then use the Auto-Adjust tool. This generates a template to synchronise the music to the project and tightens up the timing of a le.
03
VariAudio is a tool that enables Cubase to correct the pitch manually when a performer is slightly out-of-tune. The Pitch and Warp tool analyses the notes and then draws blocks similar to MIDI data that the user can drag around (use the Quantise Pitch slider for multiple notes). The Straighten Pitch slider removes vibrato and other pitch variation from notes for a smoother sound.
04
The Hitpoints tab enables you to generate slices of audio. This is particularly useful if you are turning audio into samples or chopping-up drum sounds for really mechanical quantisation. Click on the Create Slices button and Cubase will generate short audio les of each hit, placing the resulting slices into the Arrange window for further timing adjustments.
05
At the top of the Sample Editor window there is information regarding the le itself, including original tempo, number of bars and time signature. All of this can be changed for example, if Cubase analyses the tempo incorrectly during the Hitpoints process, it can be corrected here. The panel also includes general information about the le, such as the resolution it was recorded at and so on.
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MAGAZINE
MT Technique Composing with Push
Making the most of Push

New Series Part 2
Ableton Live Become a Live Power User
Learning to use Push entails more than simply understanding its functionality. Liam OMullane shares best practice for starting ideas and laying out a song.
On the disc
ush raised many an eyebrow when it was announced alongside the release of Live 9. At rst glance it appeared to be just another control surface, to be used much like a Novation Launchpad S or AKAI APC40. But the more we looked into its feature set, the clearer the real focus of Push became. Although Push can indeed work in a Session View-type mode like the APC and Launchpad a much greater emphasis is placed on giving the user the tools they need to create songs from scratch. All of this can take place within Push itself, without you ever needing to look at your computer. This enables you to get the bulk of your composition work done while remaining in a creative headspace rather than a technical one, when you use your eyes as much as your ears.
The more we looked into its feature set, the clearer the real focus of Push became
FOCUS ON USING THIRD-PARTY PLUG-INS
By default, third-party plug-ins dont like to play with Push. In this respect, Push is still very much a Live library-based tool unless you customise it a little. In order to access a third-party plug-in from Pushs browser you rst need to add the plug-in to Lives own library by housing it within a Rack and saving it. Click on the plug-in to bring it into focus, then select Group from the Edit menu; Grouping puts the plug-in inside a Rack. Next, use the Congure button to add sliders for the parameters you want Push to see from the plug-in. If you want more immediate use of the plug-in, try right/[Ctrl]-clicking (PC/Mac) certain sliders and assigning them to the Racks own macro controls. Rename the Rack appropriately and save it to your Live library.
Ableton has branded Push as an instrument rather than a controller, and this side of its nature becomes increasingly evident as you spend time with the device. Its designed for fast and intuitive access to most of Lives essential tools, but that being said, theres very little information on how you exploit them to get rapid, productive results. This lack of direction is reminiscent of the early years of Live, when users dened different working methods and workows, not Ableton. And like Live, Push has an open framework that enables users to work in any way they see t. But without the experience of already having created songs with Push, it can be difcult to understand how you might go about using the device. Sadly, because Push doesnt give you access to all of Lives features, you cant simply apply your usual techniques as you would when working with Live alone. Here we will demonstrate some proven working methods for using Push to get from an initial idea to a full song arrangement. Before we start, were assuming that youve learned the basic functionality of Pushs features; if not, there are some excellent video tutorials at www.ableton.com or you can check out Lives manual, accessed via the Help menu. The videos cover creating beats, playing chords and melodies, tweaking and mixing, Session mode, pad sensitivity and workow. From there on, were going to show you how to make the most of Pushs strengths, as well as how to work around a few weaknesses. Ideally, you will already know an undo from a redo, the difference between clip and scene launching, step sequencing and Pushs innovative scale system. If all these sound familiar, lets get stuck in. MT
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MAGAZINE
Composing with Push Technique MT
MT Step-by-Step Programming a drum pattern
Program in a kick drum or hi-hat on the beat as this can be used as a pleasant-sounding metronome. Creating a new clip will trigger playback the moment you enter the rst note, so if you dont want to hear the pattern as you work, either press stop immediately or put your rst note at the end of the bar, giving you time to then program in the rest before the clip repeats.
01
Its a good idea to hit the Duplicate button every time you create a new rhythmic layer. This approach makes it much easier to access different variations of the drum pattern to work with. Wed press Duplicate now if we feel that we may later want to strip things right back to the fundamentals of our song.
02
For parts that play more frequently (such as hi-hats or shakers), enable Repeat mode, hit record, and then select the repetition speed you want from the quantize division buttons to the right-hand side of the main pads. Disable Accent to use the pressure sensitivity of the pads for immediate dynamic control of the repeated notes velocity as you play.
03
Swing can be applied globally via the second dial in on the left-hand side of Push. This works very well for getting an immediate sense of feel in your pattern. If you have more time, though, wed recommend editing your patterns on a note-by-note basis as this offers a much ner degree of control.
04
Note Nudge becomes available when you hold down a note in your drum pattern. Explore nudging for a sense of feel; moving certain sounds a little later in time can give a rhythm more of a laid-back feel. Moving sounds earlier gives them a sense of urgency and makes your pattern sound like its pushing itself ahead in time. You can ne-tune velocity values here as well.
05
You are now at a stage where you can add some more sporadic percussive sounds to create a longer pattern with more variation. First press the Double button a few times to create a longer pattern, then hit record and play in a part that doesnt repeat itself too much. This is often easier to do when you perform it live, but you could always do it via step-sequencing, with careful use of Nudge as well.
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MT Step-by-Step Exploring melodic ideas
Pushs scale system offers a unique way to approach melodic work, and there are several ways to interact with it. The rst approach is to nd a chord shape you like the sound of. This can involve one or two hands, but two hands can make this exercise a little harder as you then need to move the same hand shape around the scale grid. This technique is for super-easy chord changes.
01
The choice of scale is easy to change and its worth taking some time to explore the library included with Live. Scale-changing is immediate when applied, which makes it a creative tool in itself. Instead of moving your chord hand, hold a chord shape and switch the key or scale with the other hand as you play.
02
You can take a completely pattern-based approach to exploring new chord shapes as you move on, too. If you nd a particular shape with one hand, try ipping it around by either 90, 180 or 270 degrees with the other hand for the next chord. Use the repeated green lights as a guide to determine how your next chord can be linked to the previous one in terms of pitch.
03
Because you can play the same chord in different areas of the scale grid, interesting rhythmic possibilities can be explored as you can play the same or neighbouring notes with both hands, like a drum. Hold the same chord with your left and right hands, then either alternate between two identical chords or use the individual notes for creating arpeggiated pieces.
04
If you havent already tried tweaking your current melodic sounds to better suit your ideas, explore the instruments ADSR, lter and other settings to tighten or open things up as appropriate. These parameters can be tweaked during playback for more variation, and you can record your automation passes by pressing Automation, followed by Record.
05
Although varying parameters over time can work on many occasions, a general static change of certain parameters from one song section to the next can also do wonders to help dene the sections in your arrangement. Enable Automation and Record, then hold a nger against the encoder dials side so a xed position can be recorded as new automation.
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46 | October 2013
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MT Step-by-Step Arranging with Push
When your basic song ideas are together in Push, its time to commit them to Arrangement View so you can move over to the computer and nish everything off. There are a few ways to do this, the rst of which uses the classic approach of launching clips as a performance. To begin, switch from Note mode to Session mode.
01
You can now see all of your clips and scenes, which can be launched via the illuminated pads or quantize buttons down the right-hand side respectively. From here you can start creating more scenes using Duplicate, then modify certain clips or use Delete to create different combinations of clips for more variation.
02
If youre struggling to decide what your song sections should include, try a bit of experimentation. If you switch to Track View you can use either the mute of solo buttons to try out different combinations. Soloing a main riff is great for a breakdown, or just the drums for intros. If you nd a combination that works, duplicate the scene and delete the unwanted clips.
03
You can reprogram certain clips for more variation, but this isnt the only option another approach is to alter a clips properties. Press the Clip button to view and alter the play marker position and loop-length values (short loops work very well for stuttered effects). You can alter the start position to move around the contents of the clip. Hold down Shift for ner movements.
04
If youve played around with your scenes enough to know how your song arrangement should be, hit the Arrangement Record button in Live and launch your rst clip or scene from Push to begin capturing your songs layout. If youre a little unsure whether the arrangement is right or not, record a few attempts, one after another, then wait a day or so before reviewing them and deciding which is best.
05
For a more full-on performance as you record into Live you may want to set up various essential parameters to tweak as you record. To create custom mappings, switch Push into User mode and use MIDI Map mode in Live to assign certain parts of Push to elements of your performance. Make sure that the input of Push has Remote Mapping mode enabled in Preferences or mapping wont work.
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48 | October 2013
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MT Technique Organising your session
Organising your session

New Series
Pro Tools Become a Pro Tools Power User
Following rules and regulations might seem counterproductive to creativity, but youll sure appreciate it when it comes to the mix. Mike Hillier puts everything in its place.
On the disc
ro Tools can be a confusing place in which to work, especially if that work involves big sessions with huge track counts and various different musical sections. Finding your way around these sessions can be a nightmare, but Pro Tools has a variety of tools for aiding navigation around a mix. In this tutorial we look at how best to set up your Pro Tools rig for a recording session, focusing on the I/O setup window, routing, preparing a click track and the various record modes available to you. The rst thing we do when we start a new session is to go through and make sure that everything is named appropriately Audio_01_bip provides no useful
PRO TIP
Window Congurations can be useful for common tasks. We like to create Window Congurations that show and hide the Mix and Edit windows in various congurations, as well as congurations that show our master channel metering plug-ins. It can also be useful to create a Window Conguration that hides everything so you can listen to your mix without following it onscreen. This can help you listen to the mix as a whole rather than as a series of decisions.
A good engineer will have ensured files were appropriately named before the mix
information as to what is on the channel, and while a good recording engineer will have ensured all their les were appropriately named before the mix, we still encounter this problem frequently. Going through and listening to each channel can be time-consuming, especially if theres an unexpected instrument change on a single channel, but it can still save a lot of time later in the mix. With everything named correctly, we then like to sort all the instruments into groups usually the drums and percussion rst followed by bass
FOCUS ON MEMORY LOCATIONS

Memory locations are most commonly used to mark out the various sections of a song, providing a means for the engineer to see quickly where each section starts and nishes and to skip to those sections from the keyboard. However, selections can also be retrieved with Memory Locations, so we like to also create Memory Locations for things such as the whole track making it easier to bounce the track or bounce sub-mixes. We also like to create Memory Locations for specic tasks, such as drum editing. A Memory Location can recall which tracks are shown and which are hidden as well as the track heights and zoom settings, all of which make it ideal for quickly hiding all the non-drum audio channels and zooming the Edit window to the perfect settings to begin editing audio. You could even include a Window Conguration with Beat Detective already open.
instruments, midrange rhythm and pad-type instruments (guitars, synth pads, strings, brass, piano and so on), lead instruments and, nally, vocals. We then colour channels to provide visual identication at-a-glance. The exact order can change from track to track, but its useful to stick to the same colour scheme. Grouping clips can be useful from both a visual perspective as well as for when youre editing. More useful, however, are Mix/Edit groups, which can be activated whenever necessary to perform grouped fader moves, grouped edits, and to show/hide whole channels quickly. Showing only the section you are working on at any one time can be very useful for navigating larger Pro Tools sessions. In addition to Mix/Edit Groups for each instrument group, we like to create groups of all the audio channels, so we can quickly show only audio channels in the Edit window and hide aux busses. Furthermore, if you are using sub-groups it can be useful to create a Mix Group of all the sub-groups, enabling you to quickly work on these channels to get your mix working at a more macro scale. Memory Locations and Window Congurations can be incredibly useful for speeding up your workow once the mix gets under way, making it easy to quickly skip to the start of any verse and loop sections without taking your ngers off the keyboard. Indeed, a good Pro Tools operator will make very little use of the mouse. MT
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Organising your session Technique MT
MT Step-by-Step Preparation & navigation
Open the 02 Organising Sessions session le from the DVD. The session has part of a mix newly imported into it ready to begin. All of the tracks and clips are named, some even have notes. Quite often you will get mixes that simply come with clips named Audio 01 or similar; if this happens, you will have to solo each one and name them before you even get started.
01
Were going to start by creating Clip Groups in the Edit window. Highlight all of the nine drum clips by [Shift]-clicking on each clip and then group them by pressing [Ctrl]+[Alt]+[G]/[Cmd]+[Alt]+[G] (PC/ Mac) to group them as a single Clip Group. Repeat this to group the bass, vocals and guitars. Clip Groups are useful for any clips that you want to edit together.
02
Open the Color Palette by clicking on the blue bar to the left of each channel in the Edit window (or at the bottom of each channel in the Mix window). Alternatively, if you have the Track Color hidden, you can open the Color Palette from the Window menu.
03
Select all the drum channels (not the clips) and select a colour for drums. It helps to remain consistent from one song to another with your choice of colour, and keep similar tracks in similar colours you might choose dark-blue for drums and light-blue for percussion and so on. Repeat this process for the other instrument groups.
04
If your tracks are now coloured but your clips remain the same, go to Preferences>Display and, in the Color Coding section on the right, change the Default Clip Color Coding to match Track Color. This will change the colour of all your clips to match the Track Color choice. You can, of course, choose to colour clips individually if you prefer.
05
When we created the Clip Groups, Pro Tools simply names them Group_##; by double-clicking on the Clip Group we can give each one a more descriptive name. This is especially helpful if youre collaborating on a session, as your collaborator may not follow your particular colour scheme.
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MT Technique Organising your session
MT Step-by-Step Preparation & navigation... contd
Clip Groups are useful, but Pro Tools has another, more powerful grouping tool: Mix/Edit Groups. Highlight the two kick channels in either the Edit or Mix window and press [Ctrl]+[G]/[Cmd]+[G] to group them. With a Mix Group active any fader-moves, solos or mutes will effect all grouped channels equally, while an edit will effect clips in all grouped channels equally.
07
We like to create as many Mix/Edit Groups as we think were going to need early on, creating one for every kit piece in the drum kit and another for the kit as a whole, plus additional groups for every instrument that has been tracked on multiple channels. This can come in very useful for gain-staging later on in the mix. Groups can be turned off individually from the menu.
08
Not all of our groups need to effect both the Edit and Mix windows. We like to create a group for all audio tracks that effects only the Edit window, and many of our instrument-specic groups may need to effect only the Mix window, especially groups of aux channels.
09
Once weve grouped our tracks we like to place markers on the timeline to make it easy to see where on a track were working, and to provide a means to skip to different sections easily. The obvious choices are to place markers at the start of each different song section, marking Start, Verse 1, Chorus, Verse 2, Bridge and so on. To add a Memory Location at the timeline simply press [Enter].
10
With markers in place you can jump to any Memory Location by pressing [.] then the number of the Memory Location followed by [.]. You can also highlight a region from the current position to a Memory Location marker by holding down [Shift] while pressing [.] then the number then [.].
11
Once youve placed quite a few markers it can be difcult to remember which number each one is. To bring up a list of Memory Locations press [Ctrl]+[5]/[Cmd]+[5]. This list shows the number of each Memory Location in the left-most column, with the other columns showing what makes up that Memory Location.
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MT Technique Tracking audio in Reason
Audio recording in Reason

New Series Part 2
Reason Become a Reason Power User
Whether youre recording a lone vocalist or a four-piece band, audio tracking in Reason is now easier than ever. Hollin Jones sets the stage...
or much of its life, Reason was a MIDI-only sequencer and a very good one, too. Then Propellerhead came up with an interesting new application called Record, which added professional-quality audio tracking to the Rack system from Reason. Fairly quickly, the two applications were combined into one for Reason 6, which offered the best of both worlds. Now, in Reason 7, the audio features are more powerful than ever. In this tutorial well be looking at setting up your project for recording, assigning inputs, understanding metering and using insert effects during recording and multitracking, among other things.
On the disc
Record brought professional-quality audio tracking to the Rack system from Reason
Reason will record through any audio interface, even your computers built-in hardware, although thats not recommended. Propellerhead actually makes its own audio interface specically for Reason called Balance, and as well as typifying the companys friendly approach to design, it has a couple of interesting features. Firstly, you can leave everything connected and then switch inputs from the front panel. Even better is Clip Safe mode: press the Clip Safe button and Reason will automatically capture a second take at the same time as your rst, but at an automatically optimised volume level. This means that if you have set your input gain too high and
your take is distorted or clipped, you can simply revert to the safe version. Even for experienced producers this can really save your bacon if anything goes wrong. Another nice feature of Reason is that it stores all your recorded audio inside a single project le. If you look at a Reason project it is basically a single le, and everything associated with a project is contained within it. This makes it impossible to mislay or delete audio les accidentally since they are self-contained. To export them to the Desktop you can simply use the Bounce command from the sequencer. Theres also some excellent timestretching and slicing technology going on, but well get to that in a later article. For now, read on to nd out how to record audio in Reason. MT
FOCUS ON MONITORING
When you record anything using a microphone its essential that you turn off your speakers if they are in the same room as the mic youre recording through. If you dont do this you will in all probability get a horrible feedback loop that is awful to listen to and can damage your speakers. If you are recording something that doesnt need a mic the stereo outputs of a keyboard or a drum machine, for example then its ne to leave the speakers on during recording as there is no live open device in the room. Obviously, when you turn the speakers off youll still need to monitor the sound, so a good pair of headphones is a must.
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Tracking audio in Reason Technique MT
MT Step-by-Step Recording audio
Connect your audio interface to your Mac or PC and make sure its drivers are current and working. In Reasons Preferences, go to the Audio tab and, in the Audio Device list, make sure that your device is selected. Switch its sample rate to your desired setting before starting any recording (44.1 or 48kHz is usually the best setting).
01
In the Active Audio Channels area, make sure that you have switched on as many channels as you need. This may be only two if you are doing simple stereo recording, or more if you are multitracking. At the bottom, choose a monitoring option. The safest is to select Manual, which activates monitoring only when you tell it to, helping to prevent feedback.
02
Come out of the Preferences and choose Create>Audio Track. Go to the resulting audio track module in the Rack and expand it. In the centre you will see an Audio Input selector. You can use this to choose which of the available inputs will be used to record from. An acoustic guitar or vocal might need a mono input, a keyboard might need stereo.
03
Use the Level slider (now found directly on the Rack module in Reason 7) to set a level for the input. You can also adjust gain controls on your instrument and interface. Generally speaking, its best to run instruments and interfaces at around 7580% volume and do the nal control in the software. The main thing is to avoid clipping.
04
PRO TIP
Press the [F3] key and you can call up a large recording meter window. This is handy because it enables you to monitor your levels from across the room. Imagine you are at a drum kit or sitting with a guitar and trying to change levels. With this you can see your level from a distance.
Click on the Show Insert FX button on the audio track module. Here you can add insert effects to the signal, which will be heard but not recorded as part of the take. This can be useful for adding reverb to vocals while monitoring, or guitar effects, for example. Be aware that this can introduce latency more on this in a moment.
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MT Technique Tracking audio in Reason
MT Step-by-Step Recording audio... contd
Click on the Show Programmer patch and you can access a way to use insert effect patches. Find the Patch Load button and navigate to the Sound Bank, then the Effect Patches folder. In here you can nd various presets for vocals, guitars and other track types. Try loading one, and you should hear it applied as you sing or play.
06
If you nd that using insert effects introduces latency a time-lag between making a sound and hearing it back through your headphones go back into Audio Preferences and try lowering the buffer size temporarily. This will deal with the latency problem, but as you add more tracks to a project youll need to push the buffer size higher to help overall performance.
07
Record-arm your audio track by pressing its Record Enable button; if youre recording with a mic, make sure your speakers are muted before pressing the Monitor Enable button. Hit the Record button in the transport bar and youre away. Record as long as you need then press the Record button again to stop recording, or the Stop button to stop both recording and playback.
08
Another technique is to record in a loop. Imagine you have a vocal line that you are struggling to get right, or you want to try several variations of a melody but without duplicating lots of stuff in the sequencer. Set the left and right markers over the bit you want and activate looping in the transport panel.
09
PRO TIP
Theres an input selector on each audio track in the sequencer as well as in the Rack. You can use this to quickly assign any available audio input to any audio track. Remember that you can assign the same input to more than one track, or multiple inputs to one track, should you need to for any reason.
The clips will record in a loop, each one muting the last. When done, stop recording and double-click on the clip. From the left-hand side of the track, select Open in Comp Edit to reveal the various takes. We will look in a future tutorial at comp editing, but this is how you access material recorded in a loop.
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Tracking audio in Reason Technique MT
MT Step-by-Step Recording audio... contd
To record over a section of audio you can simply scroll back to before it occurs then record as before; Reason will automatically mute the clip as you pass over it. It will then be accessible in Comp mode, to arrange the different parts into one continuous take. You can also use the Dub button on the transport panel.
11
Press the Dub button during playback and a new audio track is added to the Rack that has the same settings as your rst track but no content. You can keep recording onto this new track without stopping playback, then edit the audio on both tracks independently. Its like old tape overdubs, but much more exible.
12
Another option is to do as before but use the Alt button instead. Whereas the Dub button creates a track and leaves the original playing, the Alt button creates a track and mutes the original, so its good if you want to try some new stuff without hearing whats already there. Dub is good for creating harmonies.
13
To record multiple tracks at once a drum kit or several mics, for example you simply repeat the single-track technique but assign different inputs to each one. Here you can see four tracks selected, each with a separate input assigned. Check your routing and levels, record-arm each track, then press record.
14
PRO TIP
You can get creative with the way audio is routed inside Reason by hitting the [Tab] key to spin the Rack around and re-patching the audio inputs. Using this trick you can send certain sources straight to specic destinations. This approach is useful when using Reason with external mixing hardware.
To get an audio clip out of Reason and onto your Desktop, select it in the Sequencer and right-click on it. From the Bounce menu choose Bounce Clip To Disk and it will be output. Otherwise, the audio remains inside the project le. You can also export stems from the File menu, but this method is quicker if youre dealing with smaller clips.
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MT Technique Making music with MIDI
Recording & controlling MIDI

New Series Part 2
FL Studio Become an FL Studio Power User
Theres much more to working with MIDI in FL Studio than simply pressing keys on a keyboard. Hollin Jones reveals its full music-making potential...
L Studio is, at its heart, a great MIDI recording and sequencing application. Even though it is capable of recording audio, for much of its life it concentrated on MIDI, and this is still the thing for which many people love it the most. In part this is down to the fact that it comes with such an amazing selection of MIDI-triggered instruments, and has a range of tools for programming and inputting data. It helps to be a great player, of course, but its far from essential thanks to FL Studios step-input mode and arpeggiator, among many other clever ways to input notes. The great thing about basing a lot of your composition around MIDI tracks is that they are almost endlessly exible, having none of the limitations of digital audio les. MIDI can be copied, pasted, altered, manipulated and re-routed easily. Its weightless, too, as MIDI data occupies very little hard drive space and requires no CPU power. In fact, the only thing that drains resources is whatever you send the MIDI to in order to make sound, typically a software instrument. You can also use MIDI tracks to trigger external hardware, of course, and route the audio signal from synths, drum machines and other MIDI hardware back into FL Studio for recording. This enables you to incorporate older, more traditional hardware that might be ddly to program
On the disc
into the much more user-friendly world of FL Studio, where putting together complex parts is much easier than it ever was using outboard kit. In terms of getting MIDI in, you can use your computers keyboard, a regular MIDI keyboard or a more specialised MIDI control surface. FL Studio supports the connection of multiple devices, although to avoid conicts it can be a good idea to assign each one a unique MIDI channel. In fact, there are a number of controller templates to be found in the FL
MIDI is almost endlessly flexible, having none of the limitations of digital audio files
Studio installation directory (\Program Files\Image-Line\FL Studio\System\Hardware specic). These templates are loaded into the editor that came with your controller and will map it to FL Studio. So, hook up your MIDI device and get recording parts right now! MT
FOCUS ON RIFF MACHINE

Theres a handy tool in FL Studio for generating MIDI parts, called Riff Machine. Choose Tools>Riff Machine and a new window opens. Within it you can create random patterns for whatever generator or instrument you currently have selected. There are multiple options including chords, progressions, arpeggios, ips, humanisation and interpretation. Each one has a set of tweakable controls and can be previewed. If youre happy with the results, accept them, or start again and do something entirely new. This is a great way to create complex and involving MIDI parts from only the most basic of input. It helps you to create music from nowhere, or to take the music you have already made and alter it easily.
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Making music with MIDI Technique MT
MT Step-by-Step Inputting & controlling MIDI
With your MIDI interface or device connected, go into FL Studios MIDI Settings section and make sure it is visible and selected. If you click on the Controller Type menu you will be able to assign it directly if its a device that has a template supplied. Otherwise, just choose Generic Controller from this menu.
01
Set the MIDI channel for the device in the Port box by clicking and holding then dragging the mouse up or down. Its also possible to set dedicated MIDI channels to control things such as Song Marker Jump, Performance mode and Generator Mute from this window (if you have additional controllers connected for these purposes).
02
In the main window, go to the transport panel and right-click on the Record button to access the recording lter. Make sure that Score is selected so that notes will be captured. By default, recordings will go into the Piano Roll Editor for a track. Here you can change this to send notes to the Step Sequencer.
03
The simplest way of inputting MIDI doesnt actually involve an input device at all, just the mouse. Go to the Step Sequencer and set the length of the pattern in the box at the top-left, then check the master tempo of the project and edit if necessary. Click the buttons in each channel to trigger a note at a specic point.
04
PRO TIP
Youll want to use a click track when recording. If you right-click on the Tempo eld you can access a range of shortcuts to tempos, a tap tempo option and even an option to link the projects tempo to a controller so it can be speeded up or slowed down dynamically on-the-y.
Thats ne for beats, but for anything melodic you will need to be a little more creative. Try creating a bass instrument, for example; it will appear in the Step Sequencer window. Select it and then click on the Keyboard Editor button at the top right-hand corner of the Pattern window. This enables you to use the mouse to enter multiple chromatic notes.
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Making music with MIDI Technique MT
MT Step-by-Step Inputting & controlling MIDI... contd
This Editor has a few more tricks up its sleeve, such as tiny portamento switches at the top of each note lane, denoted by triangles. You can also apply swing to the pattern using the tiny variable slider at the top of the window, and activate looping for the pattern using the Loop button by the Length box.
06
Next to the Keyboard Editor button is a Graph Editor button. Press this to reveal a window that lets you control the CCs for any of the notes in your pattern. Select the Pencil tool and use the mouse to drag up or down to make individual notes louder or quieter. Drag the Pattern window to make it longer if necessary.
07
The slider at the base of the Graph window can be moved to reveal other CC parameters, including Pan, Release, Mod and Shift. Use the Pencil tool to draw in controller data for any of these and make your part more dynamic and interesting rather than just a straightforward set of notes. Draw in a zero value to delete data.
08
As an alternative, you might want to use a MIDI keyboard to input MIDI note data. With your device set up, right-click on the Record button and make sure that you are set to send data to the Piano Roll by ensuring Record to Step Sequencer is turned off. Play in some notes and record them, perhaps with a countdown.
09
PRO TIP
A three-minute buffer records all note activity from external controllers and Typing Keyboard to Piano. This can be dumped to the Piano Roll at any time via the Dump Score Log to Selected Pattern command in the Tools menu you need never lose a performance again, even if you were just noodling!
Well look in a future tutorial at the many MIDI editing tools, but theres more you can do with recording and programming in the Piano Roll Editor. For example, if you go to the Options menu and the Chord section, you can draw in any number of complex chords just by clicking with the mouse great for sounding like a pro player.
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MT Technique Making music with MIDI
MT Step-by-Step Inputting & controlling MIDI... contd
Another way to create music is to play or draw in some notes and then apply MIDI processing to them. Try this by inputting some notes into the Piano Roll Editor, then, from the Options menu, choose Tools>Arpeggiate (or press [Alt]+[A]). You will see an Arpeggiator window plus some controls.
11
Use the Arpeggiator Control window to load a preset and then tweak it. You can dial in different kinds of settings to make simple parts more complex while keeping them in time. You might not think of this as recording MIDI, but it is in the sense that you are creating notes out of nowhere and using them in a pattern.
12
You can try the same trick with other tools in the Tools menu. Try, for example, selecting some notes by dragging around them and then choosing the Flam, Strum or Claw tools. Each one introduces some tweakable new patterns into the proceedings and helps you to generate new parts with minimum effort.
13
Another option is to enter MIDI notes using your computer keyboard. This can be done by going to the Options menu and checking that Typing Keyboard to Piano is switched on (or press [Alt]+[T]). Now you will nd that your keys trigger notes in a chromatic fashion, which is handy for monophonic parts and beats.
14
PRO TIP
You can link almost any parameter on any virtual instrument to a connected external MIDI controller. Simply right-click on the desired command and select to link it; a window will open allowing you to do this. This is great for recording automation as well as other parameter changes.
If you return to the Step Sequencer window you can right-click on any sound source and choose to ll the sequence with every 2, 4 or 8 steps. This is a quick way of creating beats, and data can be shifted around or randomised once its inside the sequencer to quickly alter your beats, melodies or riffs.
15
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MT Technique Quick Swipe Comping
Quick Swipe Comping explained

New Series Part 2
Logic Pro Become a Logic Power User
Powered by
Harnessing the full power of Quick Swipe Comping allows your sessions to run smoother and more efciently. Mark Cousins polishes his performance.
nless youre lucky enough to work with a musician who consistently delivers one-take wonders, its highly likely that your nished recording will be compiled from a jigsawpuzzle of different takes. Using Logic Pro Xs Quick Swipe Comping, though, can make the task of recording and assembling a nished comp considerably easier, enabling you to record multiple takes and switch between them with relative ease. However, although a basic
On the disc
Your finished recording will likely be compiled from a jigsawpuzzle of different takes
comp is easy enough to achieve, its well worth looking at some of the deeper functional complexities of Quick Swipe Comping to make the most from this essential feature. In essence, the Quick Swipe Comping feature is a handy way of recording multiple passes of the same musical part, whether its a vocal or an instrument line. At the top level, the region might seem like any other audio recording, but expand the Take folder and youll see the complete series of takes, alongside the precise edit points used to create the nal comp. This functionality not only makes multiple takes easier to work
with, but also enables you to experiment with the various edit points with ease, even down to the ability to create several differently named comps from the same material. As well see, though, recording and creating your comp is just the start of the comping process. Once youve made your edits, you need to consider the options in respect to how the audio resides in your session. One option might be to atten the comp a process that renders it as a series of regions, which can then be polished and rened using Logic Pro Xs conventional audio-editing tools. If you want to retain the option to return to the original comp later, options such as Export Active Comp to New Track are worth exploring. With a little practice, youll soon be recording, editing and attening your own comps, keeping your tracks area clean and creating near-perfect performances. MT
This tutorial is endorsed by Point Blank Music School, which specialises in courses on production, sound engineering, the music business, singing, radio production, DJ skills and lm production, all run by top British music producers and media professionals, with regular visits from legends in music and media.
FOCUS ON CONTEXTUAL MENU OPTIONS

Whatever level youre working at in Logic, its always worth exploring whats lurking in the Contextual menu. You can activate the Contextual menu at any time by holding down the [Ctrl] key and clicking with your mouse. A different menu will pop up based on the current window youre residing in, as well as the object type you click on. In the case of Quick Swipe Comping, for example, you gain access to a couple of useful features. My favourite is arguably Slice at Comp Section Borders, which is usually applied once youve created the basic comp. The Slicing option then makes it easy to time-slip any of the edit points (remembering rst to disable Quick Swipe Comping) without having to edit the regions rst.
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Quick Swipe Comping Technique MT
MT Step-by-Step Working with comps
Whenever you record over an existing performance, Logic will create what is known as a Take folder. The Take folder system is useful both as a means of handling multiple different takes of the same musical part and creating comps, whereby edits are placed to switch between different phrases or words in a performance.
01
A Take folder looks different from a conventional audio region notice the addition of some important icons added to its top left-hand corner. The arrow, for example, allows you to collapse or expand the folder, displaying the various original takes as well as the edits point (indicated by the coloured shading) used to switch between the different performances.
02
Clicking on the second icon opens the Quick Swipe Comping menu, which has a series of features and functions that let you audition and edit the takes. On the uppermost level, for example, you can see each take. This is a great way of auditioning each performance, irrespective of how far into the editing process youve gone.
03
To create your comp, pick the Create New Comp option from the dropdown menu. The rst comp, with the A prex, is created as a result of your recording. Your new comp, prexed with the letter B, can be made by dragging the edit points or clicking and dragging on the respective take. The nal take can be seen at the top level.
04
In theory, once youve created your comp you can leave the Take folder as is. There are, however, a number of situations in which you might want to atten, export or unpack the comp. Flattening the comp (via the Quick Swipe Comping menu) is particularly useful when you want to rene the crossfades between takes.
05
Flattening the comp will render the edits as a series of regions on the same track, with a predened crossfade between each take. In most cases, the default crossfade should be ne, but if youve attened the comp you can use the Crossfade tool (or region resizing in the X-Fade Edit mode) to manually adjust each edit point.
06
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MT Technique Quick Swipe Comping
MT Step-by-Step Working with comps... contd
The only downside to the attening process is that you lose the ability to return to the Quick Swipe Comp later on in the production process. An alternative is to use the menu option Export Active Comp to New Track, which creates a attened comp on an adjacent new track. Simply mute the original track so that you dont hear the two playing simultaneously.
07
If you want full access to the contents of the Take folder, youll need to use the Unpack option. Using Unpack will render all the current comps, as well as place each and every take on a separate track. This is useful if you want to explore a completely different creative direction with the source material youve recorded.
08
As weve seen in all the unpacking and attening options, the nal comp is rendered with a series of default crossfades. The setting for the default crossfade time is part of Logics Preferences, found under the General tab of Audio Preferences. The default setting is 10ms, which is usually ne for most editing activities.
09
Comping between takes is easy enough, but what if you need to slip a take, or part of a take, in time? The trick here is being able to disable Quick Swipe Comping editing as part of the Take folder. You can do this by clicking on the third icon in the top left-hand corner, switching it to Scissors mode.
10
With Quick Swipe Comping disabled, you should be able to use Logics conventional editing tools particularly the Scissors and Pointer tools as a means of cutting and repositioning any of the takes. Notice how the comp remains in place youre simply editing the Take folder through a different portal, as such.
11
If you want to move the comp to another DAW, its worth knowing how to render it as a single, contiguous le. One option is to use the Flatten and Merge feature, which will atten and bounce the nished comp as a new audio le. If youve attened already, consider using the Join function to achieve the same objective.
12
66 | October 2013
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Analysing a trance track Technique MT
Producing a trance track in the box Part 1

New Series
Technique Genre focus
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This month the nuts and bolts of creating music entirely in the digital domain come under scrutiny as Rob Boffard deconstructs a trance track.
aking music in a digital environment requires knowing certain things about music in the digital format. The problem is that while those things are relatively straightforward once youve got a handle on them, they can often be a little mystifying at rst especially if youve never encountered them before. In this tutorial were going to analyse a trance track in Pro Tools, and in doing so well deal with some of these concepts. Weve put together a trance track because it perfectly illustrates some of the things youll need to deal with as a producer things like MIDI data, watching your levels, putting effects into play and cleaning up your sound. Whats
On the disc
A trance track perfectly illustrates the things youll need to deal with as a producer
more, breaking down tracks in this way and seeing what makes them tick can be extremely useful for understanding how to mix them properly. The rst component of digital music that were going to show you how to deal with and manipulate is MIDI data (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) the language, of course, that enables your computer to communicate with instruments, be they hardware or software varieties. While youll get a much better handle on how it works by following our step-by-step guides and physically doing it for yourself, the easiest way to visualise MIDI data is as sheet
music: it tells your orchestra (the instruments you have lined up) what to play and how to play it. This will all make a lot more sense very shortly. Well also be dealing with effects, levels and meters. Effects are relatively easy to understand but applying them effectively is a different story, but, as with MIDI, well get to that. By breaking down how effects can change and enhance an element of our trance tune, youll be able to see just how powerful they can be. Knowing how to read levels and meters is crucial to getting a good mix. Using a couple of dedicated plug-ins, well take a close look at just how loud our trance beat is and whether this is a good thing. It might not be! Finally, as a bonus, well go through dealing with artefacts in sound. Even with a software instrument being played using MIDI data, you risk some gremlins and glitches in your audio. Learning how to spot these and deal with them is absolutely crucial, as nothing will scream amateur louder than a poorly edited track! So this month were very much setting the scene and next month well look more at the compositional side of the genre. MT
This tutorial has been endorsed by The Academy of Contemporary Music. ACM delivers programmes for serious students looking to become music industry professionals. Its faculty includes lecturers who have performed and recorded alongside some of the biggest names in music and worked in every area of the industry. www.acm.ac.uk
FOCUS ON HD MIDI
Heres the thing about MIDI: its old. Three decades old. But you can plug a 1980s synth into your 2013 Mac and they can happily talk to each other. Nobody has really messed with MIDI because it works beautifully. However, that may be about to change: last year, the MIDI Manufacturers Association teased what they call High-Denition MIDI. The main concept and operation is unchanged, but HDMIDI will offer increased numbers of channels that you can assign controllers to, plus a greater number of control steps. While this is unlikely to change the face of music-making, it gives producers a degree of control they didnt have before. As always, keep an eye on MT for further announcements.
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Analysing a trance track Technique MT
MT Step-by-Step Notes & FX
Lets start by taking a look at the lead sound of our trance track. Weve created it using MIDI, and to demonstrate how the language works, were going to draw in a few additional notes. Massive, from Native Instruments, is our synth here, and were going to input the notes into the area using the piano keyboard running down the left.
01
Select the Pencil tool and start to draw in notes. Each note has a default Size and Velocity (well deal with that in a moment) and we can extend or shorten notes by dragging on either side, as if it were a chunk of audio. Notes can be auditioned by clicking on the keyboard even if you dont have Pro Tools, most DAWs should allow this.
02
Press play and we can hear Massive perform the notes. But like keys on a piano, we can tell Massive how hard or soft to hit each note. This velocity can be edited for each note by clicking the little down arrow on the bottom of the Track Inspector. The lower the line, the softer each note will be hit.
03
Like audio, everything in MIDI can be automated. This makes it easy, for example, to have the velocity increase or decrease automatically as the track plays. And by the way, even if we have multiple notes stacked on top of each other, we can still edit their velocity as per the picture above.
04
Now weve got a good, solid trance lead. But it sounds a little at especially when paired with our drums and bass line. Time to add some basic effects to sweeten it. We do this by switching to the Mix window and clicking-and-holding in the Inserts tab of our track.
05
Insert Effects are the easiest way to colour a sound. Lets add a touch of delay and reverb to start. Effect settings are down to personal preference, but remember that a little goes a long way, so well keep an eye on that Wet/Dry knob (labelled Mix here), which will control how much of the effect is applied.
06
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MT Technique Analysing a trance track
MT Step-by-Step FX & metering
Effects such as compression and EQ will help to make a sound easier to manage and make it easier to t into the mix. This is a perfect opportunity for us to use a Send Effect instead of dropping an effect right onto the sound, we mix an effected signal in with the original. Were going to do it with a compressor using parallel compression.
07
Its as simple as creating a stereo aux track, dropping a compressor onto it, then routing our original audio to it. We can then use the fader that pops up to control how much of our original, uneffected audio gets sent to the aux track. Raise the fader until you can hear a nice level of compression happening.
08
One of the things that any track will need doing to it is cleaning up artefacts. In our case, weve got a drum loop with a few glitches in it that could do with removing. Using the editing tools in Pro Tools is easy, and if we look closely at our drum line, we can see that there are quite a few breaths to get rid of.
09
When you listen to any audio, you should also be checking to see whether it fades in and out smoothly failure to deal with this could mean nasty clicks in your audio. For example, our MIDI notes come in very sharply, so we need to dial that down. The easiest way to do this is to adjust the Envelope Attack value in Massive.
10
Finally, lets take a look at metering. Open the mixer and play the mix. Right away we can see that some of our elements are too loud theyre clipping (above 0dB) and show it by going into the red. The best way to start any mix is to drop everything right down, including the master fader, which weve dropped to -12dB.
11
A tracks output can be measured in Peak (how loud it is at any given point) or RMS (which gives you an average of the tracks loudness). Bottom line: you want RMS, and your nal master output shouldnt be much higher than -3dB. And if youre wondering: yes, there is a complicated mathematical explanation for why loudness is measured in negative decibels, which we wont go into here.
12
72 | October 2013
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Kraftwerk The Model Deconstruction MT
MT Deconstruction Kraftwerk The Model

New Series
Technique Classic Track
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By closely examining other peoples tracks you can learn some stunning techniques that you can use in your own music. In the second part of this series we look at Kraftwerks classic The Model and learn that simplicity is everything...
elcome to a new series of Deconstructions originally devised by our friends over at Point Blank Music School. These articles are about how classic tracks were put together, not so much from a tech point of view although we will cover some of the sounds used and where you can get them but also focused on arrangements. In the rst part we saw how a simple major/
tutorial we cover each of these sections, explaining how they are made up with synth, bass and beats and how they combine to make the overall song. What The Model also demonstrates is that naivety works in music as well as it does in the visual arts and how, when combined with deadpan vocals and lyrics, can result in a work of genius. MT
The article was created with the help of Point Blank Music School, London. The school offers a range of courses for all aspects of music production, covering every aspect of the music-making process and explored in a hands-on environment focused on developing skills and building creative condence. Inspirational tutors many of them signed to labels and actively performing, DJing and releasing tracks provide support throughout, creating a hothouse of knowledge, learning and opportunity. www.pointblanklondon.com
Simple melodies combined with classic chord changes can make a great tune
minor chord change helped make Faithless Insomnia. Now we turn our attention to German synth pop legends Kraftwerk. You might think of Kraftwerk as all mono synths, bleeps and elektronik beat music, but they are also about melody, and, with The Model, chord changes, too. The song demonstrates how simple melodies combined with classic chord changes can make a great tune and that you dont always need to make complicated melodic gestures to impress. The song itself is broken down into four sections: the very similar intro and verse, followed by a more complex bridge and an outro (similar to the intro but with a different synth melody). In the following
THE BAND, THE TRACK

What can you say about Kraftwerk that hasnt been said before? They are the band that accidentally gave birth to modern dance music all music, some die-hard fans might say by being the rst exponents of melodic synth pop. They started in the 60s as Organisation, but enjoyed their greatest success as Kraftwerk in the 70s/80s, with releases such as Autobahn and Computer World. The Model was released in 1978 on The Man Machine album, but became a UK No. 1 three years later as part of a double-A-Side single with Computer Love. Since the 80s there has been little new music, but lots of tours, festival appearances and fan-chatter about new material. Even with only one original member left, the lack of new tunes/interviews is maintaining the mystique, with the more hysterical commentators now arguing that Kraftwerk are the most inuential band EVER. So the message is: keep schtum and you will eventually be credited with everything...
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LS-12/14
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MT Step-by-Step Key elements
The rst thing to identify are the rst chord patterns in the song. There are two main chord patterns: one for the intro verses and one, more complicated progression, in the bridge. The key of the song starts in A minor, and in the intro progresses to E minor.
01
This continues in the verse, but for the bridge section the progression moves from C through B minor, to A minor to G, then C to B minor to E. This bridge section is only a small part of the song, but offers an interesting uplift to the song, which could have been struggling to maintain interest had it not been for this section.
02
Lets look at the beats. Kraftwerk are known for their simple but effective beats and their very electronic classic kicks and snares (think Roland TB series). Weve used the rather great Microtonic plug-in as our source, but to be honest, were using only a kick and snare and youll probably nd these classic samples in your own collection.
03
Set your tempo at 124BPM (the original track tempo; less if you are not condent in recording) and play the simple kick/snare pattern as shown. Were not even going to add any more percussion at this stage because, like we said, Kraftwerk liked to keep their beats easy back in the day.
04
Now to play a 16th pattern A minor to E minor chord progression for the intro. Cycle four bars into your sequencer and progress from notes A, A, C, E (A minor) on bars 1 and 3 to E, E, G, B (E minor) on bars 2 and four, playing eight times a bar. Use a simple lead sound with a sharp attack played an octave down.
05
Next we turn to the bass, which is again very simple but cycles around following the AE progression. Select a punchy bass sound and play the riff as shown, which is essentially notes A on bars 1 and 3 down to E on bars 2 and 4. You can hear that the backbone of the song is in place all based on just one progression so far.
06
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MT Step-by-Step Key elements... contd
The main synth line plays an important part across the whole song, but for the intro and verse simply copies the bass line easy! Select a lead synth sound for this, something analogue with a fast release. Note-wise it is almost identical to the bass but played an octave or two higher.
07
In the verse section this synth line follows the vocal rather than the bass (and rises an octave) following the notes A, C, B, A, B, G, E, E and repeats. Feel free to sing along deadpan-style at this stage
08
Record the bridge section over a cycling 8 bars, which starts at C (notes C, C, E, G) to B minor (B, B, D, F sharp) to A minor ( A, A, C, E) to G (G, G, B, D) and then C (notes C, C, E, G) to B minor (B, B, D, F sharp) and nishing on an E7 (E, E, G sharp, B, E). Use the same sound and pattern as in part 6.
09
The bass line in the bridge section follows the same progression but is simply the root notes played an octave apart a great trick employed a lot in synth pop! Only four notes are used per bar, with a little swing used to get added feel.
10
To complete the bridge section add a choir-like chord to follow the progression used in step 9 and overlay with an expressive lead sound following notes C, B, A on bars 1 to 4 and then C, B, E, G sharp, A, C. This completes the bridge section. The nal part is the melodic arpeggiated section that closes the song.
11
This has exactly the same make-up as the intro/verse created in steps 4 to 6 but a new synth line using the same sound as in 7 but playing the notes E, C, A, C, E, C, E, F, E, B, G, B, E, D x 2 over 4 bars. So there you have all four sections of the song: intro, verse, bridge, arp. You can check out a video of this tutorial on our website at www.musictech.net or www.pointblanklondon.com
12
| 79
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MT Reviews Novation Bass Station II
MT Reviews
Hardware Software Mobile Technology
software instruments? Crazy! And next month Ill be looking at the latest steam-powered piano
Samples
Future past future, er

Yes, proper analogue synths really are the in thing at the moment. But does this resurgence in classic synth hardware mean that the computer music revolution has faltered? Are people sick of software? Well, the folk at Novation have certainly been getting a message like that and told us a few months back that one of the reasons that Bass Station II is coming is because people really do like knobs (stop laughing at the back youre better than that) and that they are just not getting this hands-on control from computer-based plug-ins (and iPads/ Pods for that matter). And then theres dance music. Has it really changed that much over 20 years? Sure, its become a bit slicker, a bit dirtier in places, but the emphasis is still very much on the beats (repetitive or not) and the bass. So the timing does seem right for a new Bass Station, and its not just the old one repackaged: it comes with extra dirt and can any 303 owners calm down now please it also comes with added acid
10/10 $
Value
Excellence
Bass Station II
Details
Price 399 Contact Novation +44 1494 462246 Web www.novationmusic. com
NOVATION
20 years after the original, Andy Jones meets an update to one of his first synth dates. Is she marriage material? Time to buy a hat
Second date
So thats the reasoning, and now here it is. Actually, this isnt the rst time Ive laid my hands on one as we rst encountered the Bass Station II at Novations HQ some months ago a then unnished prototype, but broadly similar to the nished item I have in my hands today.
Key Features
Analogue signal path, digitally controlled 2 filters: Classic and Acid 70 patches, 58 user patches 32-step sequencer & arpeggiator 6 sound sources
llow a little indulgence please. Twenty years ago, a younger me was starting out on music technology magazines. It was a time when people danced to repetitive beats and bleeps in elds; music made by people with ancient Roland gear, notably a TB-303 for bass and TR-808 or 909 for beats. This gear consequently became very expensive. Other manufacturers saw an opportunity (not Roland, bizarrely) and what started as a trickle became a wave of new gear specically tailored for those repetitive beats, bleeps and bass lines. One of the rst such releases was the Novation Bass Station. I remember joining a magazine just after it had reviewed it a glowing review which compared it favourably to those early acid machines. This angered proper 303 owners, who said it sounded nothing like them. (And you thought it was all Happy pills and smiling faces back then. Oh no, there was a lot of lter-based anger in home studios of
MAGAZINE
the time.) But even though it didnt quite re-create the tones of the 303, the original Bass Station became a classic in its own right. A software version came out and did well, but music changed and the synth was phased out, to become just one in what is now a long lineage of Novation models.
The timing seems right for a new Bass Station and its not just the old one repackaged
So 20 years on and I nd myself on another music technology magazine reviewing Bass Station II, an analoguebased monophonic and monotimbral synth. Its like the last couple of decades havent happened, or were in some kind of reverse-based music technology time-loop thing. What? You mean people used to make music using Bass Station IIs an analogue synth in that its audio path is analogue but under digital control. It has two primary oscillators, a sub (locked to and always one or two octaves below the rst) plus three other sources: noise, ring mod and an external input. A simple mixer section lets you adjust the levels of the rst three with individual rotary
82 | October 2013
Novation Bass Station II Reviews MT
controls, while a switch enables you to select one of the latter three to be adjusted by a fourth rotary. The sub has its own octave and waveform section while the two primary oscillators can be switched between to adjust their waveforms and tuning. Both oscillators pitches can be modulated by LFO1, which has four waveforms, a Speed and Delay selector, plus a Depth rotary. They can also be modulated by a Modulation Envelope (ADSR sliders), the depth of which is controlled by another rotary. Both of these options tend to give you pitch effects from anything such as vibrato (subtle adjustments to LFO1 will give
a pretty impressive Hoover-like sound from scratch. Press Save and thats preset number 71 in the clip! Lastly in the oscillator section is Osc Sync, which allows you to make the waveform from the rst oscillator retrigger oscillator 2s waveform before its cycle is complete. This can produce interesting sideways-types of effects that can add brashness to a sound, in my case it was a bit more pitchy edge. You turn this on, by the way, using one of Bass Station IIs On-Keys, whereby each of its playing keys is assigned another function that you access by holding the Function key. Osc Sync, for example, is the upper D on the
Alternatives
Funnily enough, another synth I reviewed recently, the Moog Sub Phatty (849), has a very similar architecture to Bass Station II, right down to the distortion circuit. You do pay more for the Moog by some measure, but consider it the polite and great-sounding parent of the rude young kid that is the Bass Station II. Ill be getting them together in some kind of bass off in a couple of months.
Basses are rich, punchy, fat and varied and the leads tear through where they should
you this) to more dramatic movement over a longer period with the Modulation Envelope. The Pulse Width rotary comes into its own when either of the primary oscillators is set to square or pulse waves and controls the width of that cycle. Again, this can be modulated by the Mod Envelope, manually or with the second LFO. Experimenting with this can result in edgy and very big sounds, with the Mod Envelope especially taking a dramatic role. Indeed, by exploring this section I found Id created keyboard, so switch it on by holding down Function, pressing upper D, then the right arrow below the screen to nudge the value from Off to On. Easy.
The acid effect

Phew, so thats the oscillators a lot to say for a little synth. Moving over to the Filter section, and whatever you have summed together from your various sources (the two main oscillators, sub, external, noise and ring mod) now streams through the lter and this is where things get very interesting.
Firstly, you have a choice of Classic or Acid lters. The former is variable, so the slope can be adjusted between 12 and 24dB and the type adjusted between low-, band- or high-pass. The Acid lter, however, is a xed 4-pole low-pass based on diode ladder types found in various synths popular in the 1980s, according to the manual. Were pretty sure they mean the aforementioned Roland TB- 303, as you get splashes of its acid-like squealing across presets, but more on these later. The big Frequency dial is one you will return to for massive and dramatic sonic changes, while the Resonance dial also does its thing, enhancing or reducing frequencies around that set
The 25 full-size keys are velocitysensitive with assignable aftertouch.
MT Navigation Up-close and personal

FUNCTION BUTTON Hit the Function button and the synths actual note keys enable you to access other functions.
OSCILLATORS Two primary, one sub, noise, ring mod and external input are your sources.
b a e
FILTERS Acid and Classic mean that Bass Station II has a great variety of big, quality sounds.
ADSR The Amp, Mod and Amp/ Mod Envelope is a typical ADSR set of sliders.
LFOS LFO 1 modulates pitch while 2 concentrates on frequency.
| 83
MT Reviews Novation Bass Station II
by the Frequency dial. It adds growl and a lot of edge to whatever sounds you are working with. Like the Pulse Width, the frequency can be modulated by both LFO2 and the Modulation Envelope. So think of Bass Station 2s modulation possibilities simply as: LFO1 and the Modulation Envelope control the oscillators, while the ME and LFO2 control the frequency (in Classic mode). Its perhaps a little simplistic but you get why the Mod Envelope is so important it has a hand modulating three important components in the synths architecture.
You dirty boy

By now the sound Ive been accidentally creating as I work through the synth is taking on a life of its own and Im
sounds, and often each comes with a lot of movement thanks to the onboard arpeggiator. Indeed, the combination of arpeggiator and the extra layers the distortion and sub-oscillator offer can make you feel you are wrestling with more than one note, but monophonic this denitely is its just that the mono is very big. So theres already a lot more happening here than there was in our rst face-to-face demo those few
The full potential of the Bass Station II is way bigger than you might initially think
starting to truly believe Im some kind of analogue synth genius a slightly less good-looking Jean Michel Jarre, perhaps. Anyway, my sound is huge; its fat and its very dirty. What do I need now? Overdrive! Yep, just in case you need it, Bass Station IIs signal path encounters an overdrive circuit that determines the amount of distortion you can add (it actually comes in pre-lter). The Distortion rotary sits next to another Filter Modulation effect just in case you havent already whipped your poor sound to within an inch of its life. I hold back adding too much of either effect at this stage but it certainly didnt stop Novations programmers On my sonic journey through Bass Station IIs features Im quickly realising that the full potential of the synth is way bigger than you might initially think, especially given its small size and fairly simple architecture. Ive already created what I think are a couple of amazing sounds, but lets move on to what the professionals have done months ago. The sound designers have clearly put a lot of effort into what goes where, and while there arent banks of specic sounds together leads, subs and so on this means you are constantly surprised and, in the main, impressed. Indeed, there are only two presets that didnt do it for me. The basses are rich, punchy, fat and varied and the leads tear through where they should. Plenty of the sounds have that added arpeggiation, so you get rich, melodic ideas almost instantly and you are constantly drawn to that big Filter knob for even more instant frequency action. It becomes almost a performance pose: left hand playing riff, right hand dramatically nudging the Filter knob. Alongside the basses and leads, analogue synthesis is able to create other types of sound, and the Novation team has excelled here, too. So there are occasional vocoder-like presets and plenty of bleepy analogue percussion sounds: claps, snares, kicks etc. Get to the top end of the presets and they start to take a turn to the dark side, with more in-your-face distortion. The manual states 64 patches (plus 64 user) but mine ran to 70, which Novation has conrmed is the true number shipping with the keyboard. Either way, the journey through them nished rather too quickly and I was left wanting more. Thats possibly
because the presets you do get are so surprisingly varied that you wonder why more werent included to show off what Bass Station II can do. I suspect, though, that those 56 extras will easily be lled either by owners (Ive added to mine already, its so easy), third parties or Novation itself. Still, the trip through what is on offer was one of the most enjoyable Ive had short, yes, but a more melodramatic me might say high-octane What the Bass Station II is designed to do it does exceptionally well, but do remember that it is a narrowly focused synth in the grand scheme of things. Soft synths can, and do, do everything, but this is analogue, pure and simple. It unashamedly harks back to those elds within the M25 back in 1989, and sometimes steams right up-to-date, nodding its blue hat to dubstep. The focus, then, is squarely on electronica and dance music (old and new). No big pads or digital textures, no polyphony, no chords, no real sounds or emulations, just pure, ferocious, proper analogue synth sounds. Just the sound of the circuit at its raw, dirty, animallike best. And at just 399.99 a mere 50 more than the original cost on its release two decades ago its stunning, simple as that. MT
MIDI I/O and USB connectivity enable Bass Station II to be connected to your music software as well as MIDI-compatible hardware.
Method Spot
The Bass Station II really does come alive when you engage the arpeggiator, which has all of the features and patterns you will want as well as control over tempo. It has a bank of 32 increasingly complex arp sequences that are selected with the Rhythm control, and you can easily adjust both octave and swing. A really useful performance or ideas feature is the onboard sequencer. You can store four banks of 32 notes (retained on power-off) so can jot down ideas when you are on your own doodling, or trigger melodies when showing off to friends.
MT Verdict
+ Rich, deep and painful(!) sounds + Great drive and dirt + Solid construction + Acid lter adds punch + Lovely layout for performing + Sequencer and arpeggiator also great for performance - Couldve done with more presets - Er, the power lead isnt very long Bass Station II is an exceptional synth. For 399 you could buy a couple of high-end synth plug-ins. Dont. Buy this instead.
More than bass

What you might expect the synth to do well basses and leads are indeed a focus, but within those connes the programmers have pushed the limits in all sorts of directions. So while the box might be marked bass, its a box that is absolutely chock-full with brash
10/10
84 | October 2013
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MT Reviews Zvork Noxious
Details
Price 79 Contact www.propellerheads. se www.zvork.fr Minimum system requirements Reason 6.5/Reason Essentials 1.5
For PC & Mac
Noxious
Key Features
Reason Rack Extension Additive synthesis Up to 200 partials per waveform 5 modifiers Multiple filter types Modulation matrix CV in/out control
ZVORK
Rack Extensions are great news for Reason users, but what can Noxious bring to the table? Hollin Jones follows his nose...
ropellerheads Rack Extension system, introduced in Reason 6.5, was a quiet but hugely signicant step forward for the Swedish company. By opening up Reasons Rack to third-party developers, it could free itself from having to spend so much time developing instruments and effects for Reason and expend that effort elsewhere, presumably on the core of the program itself. While many Rack Extensions have already been developed, a signicant number have been ports from other products or re-creations of existing kinds of instrument or effect. Noxious, by independent French developer Zvork, is
a little different. Its a polyphonic additive synthesizer based on its own unique synth engine. The process of buying or trying out Noxious is the same as for any other Rack Extension, and is done via the Props website. Fire it up and the graphics are perhaps not stunning, but design-wise its certainly well enough laid-out. Additive synthesis works by
expecting a piano patch to sound like a real piano what youre going to get is a stylised version. The same with choirs and strings: everything has a deliberately synthesized sheen to it. Depending on your point of view, this can be good or bad. If you prefer your synth sounds gritty and modern, this probably isnt the instrument for you. If you like a slightly articial and dry sound, youre in luck. Noxious fares better when you start mucking about with the controls, and in fairness this is probably the idea anyway. From the section on the left you can choose an oscillator type, partial count and refresh rate as well as ne-tune the oscillator. You can create both regular and inharmonic waveforms from a list, and generate up to 200 partials per waveform. These can then be acted on by up to ve modiers, controlled from the centre section. Modiers are applied in sequence and can modify the levels of the partials, their pitch or both at once, and each modier can operate on a subset of partials. Modier actions include equalizers, tuners or even random noise. By using up to ve modiers in different modes you can quickly make complex sounds and easily tweak the behaviour of the modiers.
Filter fun
From here the signal passes to the lter section, where you will nd two multi-state lters arranged in series.
Noxious is a polyphonic additive synthesizer based on its own unique synth engine
adding lots of oscillators together to create complex waveforms or sounds. Noxious approach is to take an intermediate route to additive synthesis by offering a limited means of manipulating these sinusoidal oscillators, called partials, through modiers and classic lters.
Stock sounds
Rie through the presets and there are a fair few on offer, grouped by category. They tend to fall under headings such as bells, choirs, strings, pads and brass sounds, and there are some percussive and piano-style patches, too. As is often the case with additive synthesizers, theres not much mileage here in
Since Noxious, like other Rack Extensions, has full Rack privileges, you can spin the Rack around to get at its CV controls.
By using up to ve modiers in different modes you can quickly make complex sounds.
86 | October 2013
MAGAZINE
Zvork Noxious Reviews MT
Theres a good range to choose from and they can be used to sharpen or lter down the sound. Next up is the Modulation section, where the lters and modiers you have just been working with can be further modulated using two LFOs, two modulation envelopes, amplitude envelope and performance controllers such as velocity, aftertouch or a modulation wheel. Theres also a mod matrix here
Since Noxious, like other Rack Extensions, has full Rack privileges, you can spin the Rack around to get at its CV controls. Various parameters can be controlled using modulation CV in/out from anywhere else in the Rack. So, for example, you might hook up the velocity of a REX loop to control the pitch of your synth noise, or practically any other parameter to control more or less anything inside the synth. Naturally, the
Alternatives
Rob Papens Predator RE (99) is a more dance-friendly and modern-sounding Rack Extension that also has a wealth of tweakable controls, a mod matrix and even an onboard arpeggiator. Its focus is somewhat different but its an example of another synth that you can bring into your Reason world.
Play around with the controls and you can quickly bend sounds into something unique
that makes assigning variable amounts of modulation within the synth straightforward. The concept is similar to that in Propellerheads own Thor synth: choose a source, a destination and a mod amount. The mod matrix facilitates the livening up of signals, making sounds more dynamic and interesting. Although powerful, you dont have to be a synthesis expert to nd it useful. controls on the front of the synth itself are available to be automated, just as with any other Reason module.
but if you play around with the controls you can fairly quickly bend them into something much more unique and usable. Theres the standard limitationfree 30-day trial, after which you have the option to buy it, so theres really no excuse not to give it a whirl. MT
MT Verdict
+ Surprisingly easy to use + Very exible sound generation + Can sound superb + Mod matrix is powerful + Free fully functioning trial download available - Graphically a bit basic - Some presets feel a little lifeless It might not look too ashy, but once you start messing with the controls and making your own sounds youll nd this a powerful and interesting tool for sound design and electronic music.
Good smells
Noxious is an interesting synth that combines some elements that can be found in some of Reasons own synths with a few neat tricks of its own. The stock presets are a little predictable and perhaps not massively inspiring,
7/10
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Featuring full orchestra, choir, smaller ensembles and a wide range of guest instruments, LUMINA dives into the world of fantasy, mystery and animation, adding depth and delicacy to your musical palette. Based on more recordings than ever before, this third volume in the SYMPHOBIA series is ProjectSAMs most ambitious release yet.
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MT Reviews KRK Rokit 5
50W: 30W and 20W for the 5-inch glass-Aramid composite woofer and 1-inch soft-dome tweeter respectively.
Alternatives
Behringers B3030A Truth (257 pair) is a two-way active studio monitor with a 6.75-inch Kevlar woofer and 2-inch velocity ribbon tweeter, built-in 75W (LF) and 35W (HF) power ampliers, magnetic shielding and servo-balanced inputs with XLR and 1/4-inch TRS connectors. The Tannoy Reveal 601A (286 pair) has a 6-inch (165mm) LF/MF driver and 1-inch (25mm) soft-dome tweeter, 60W (LF) and 30W (HF) amplication, trim switch (+1.5/0/-1.5dB) for room adjustment, rear-mounted volume control, balanced XLR and unbalanced jack connectors.
Quiet affair
Auto-mute is another interesting feature. It kicks in after the input signal has been absent for 30 minutes. We discovered its actually an auto-standby, allowing power consumption to drop to just 0.5 watts. Additional shaping has been applied to the edges of the front panel to further reduce diffraction. The look is certainly more sophisticated and the perimeter of the front port appears to have been rounded off, presumably to minimise chufng. Since the new Rokit 5s are likely to be used with a wide variety of pro, semi-pro and domestic equipment, they are designed to cope with a wide
effective for tightening things up. Monitors at this price point invariably require some learning time and these are no exception. The Rokit 5s really score with their soundstage depth. Whichever way you cut it, these are value-priced (budget) monitors and most monitors in this
Rokit 5
Details
Price 249/pair Contact Focusrite 01494 462246 Web www.krksys.com
KRK
The new Rokit 5s make for a very enjoyable and involving listening experience
9/10
Choice
KRK has launched a third generation of its popular Rokit series of monitors. Huw Price takes the Rokit 5 for a spin.
Key Features
Class-A/B amplifier Proprietary waveguide optimised for superior imaging 1-inch softdome tweeter HF/LF adjustment Lightweight, glass-Aramid composite woofer Front-firing port XLR, 1/4-inch & RCA connectivity
RK claims that its Rokit series is among the worlds most popular monitors and therein lays a dilemma. In this fast-moving environment, should a manufacturer with a successful product sit back and relax, or continue to rene and improve a design? The tricky part is to introduce improvements without detracting from the sound and features that customers liked about the originals. KRKs brand-new Generation 3 (G3) version of the Rokit 5 is said to represent a continuation in the companys design philosophy. So whats new? The big news is probably the extended frequency response. Its within +3dB from 55Hz30kHz, but the quoted frequency range goes from 45Hz to a staggering 34.5kHz. KRK says the sonic signature remains much the same, but the response is atter. Low-frequency adjustment has been added too, along with a 5W increase in onboard power to
MAGAZINE
variety of input levels. The volume control swings the level from -30dB to +6dB with -6dB, 0dB and +3dB settings marked on the way. This exibility is reected by the input choices, which include TRS jack and XLR for balanced connections and RCA/ phono for unbalanced. High-frequency adjustment is provided in -2dB, -1dB, 0dB and +1dB increments. Similarly, the low-frequency adjustment provides -2dB, -1dB, 0dB and +2dB settings. The manual recommends +2dB for open spaces, 0dB for full rooms, -1dB for half-rooms and -2dB for quarter-rooms. The power switch is on the back panel too, but given the auto-standby feature were not complaining. Last but not least, KRK now ts a rubber pad on the base of each cabinet to provide isolation.
price category tend to come up short in this area. The Rokit 5s came close to our Focal CMS40s for image depth something relatively few manage. This is great for acoustic instrument recording and mixing because you get a sharply dened sense of natural room ambience and articial reverb effects. Left/right imaging is more than good enough with uncluttered mixes, but some blurring can be heard with more complex arrangements. Even so, centre images are solid and the midrange detail brings vocals and guitars across nicely. You may notice certain kick drums and percussive parts lacking the punch you might expect, which points to a slightly slow transient response. Regardless, theres no denying that the Rokit 5s make for a very enjoyable and involving listening experience. MT
Bass space
Given the enclosure dimensions, the depth of the low frequencies is impressive, with frequencies below 40Hz clearly audible. Fans of the originals will also be pleased that the slightly enhanced upper bass response has been retained. Consequently, some bass instruments can sound a bit tubby, and the Rokit 5s dont track more intricate low bass grooves as well as some more expensive monitors. Then again, we found the 2dB and 4dB settings quite
MT Verdict
+ HF & LF controls + Auto-standby + Impressive image depth + No port-chufng + Very enjoyable sound - Slight upper bass tip-up - L/R imaging could be sharper Great-sounding speakers for the money, with ample power and user-friendly features.
9/10
88 | October 2013
MT Reviews Sony Sound Forge Pro 11
Alternatives
Steinbergs WaveLab 8 comes in two versions, the full version costing 448 and Elements costing just 82. Sound Forge in its single version is similar to the full version of WaveLab and shares many of the same kinds of features. WaveLab is dual-platform and has a speaker management system thats useful for auditioning speakers. On the other hand, it doesnt integrate directly with something like SpectraLayers.
For PC
SONY
Sound Forge Pro 11

Details
Price Sound Forge Pro 11 257. Audio Master Suite package including SpectraLayers Pro 2 386 Contact via website Web www.sony creativesoftware.com Minimum system requirements PC Windows Vista
Sound Forge for mixing and mastering. Anyone needing deep audio editing or restoration would do well to consider adding SpectraLayers to their setup. Sound Forge is used extensively in the broadcast world and now has a new metering system that is CALMcompliant, meaning you can nd the maximum dynamic range for your audio without exceeding industry limits, which will surely please your clients.
Nectar points
Sony has bundled iZotopes Nectar Elements, a cut-down but still extremely useful vocal-processing plug-in that has some excellent presets for singing, voiceover and other kinds of vocals. You also get some other great iZotope plug-ins, including a mastering suite derived from its Ozone family and a restoration suite. Theres also a good selection of Sonys own tools and plug-ins, and support for VST plugs, too. Sound Forge Pro 11 is an accomplished wave editor with a ton of features that enable you to work with every aspect of audio, from restoration through to mastering. The new tools and renements improve workow and make it more approachable but without cluttering things up. This and SpectraLayers 2 will make a formidable pairing if you want to get right inside any aspect of an audio le and achieve polished results. MT
Anyone working with sound will need a wave editor, and Sony has upped the stakes with Sound Forge Pro 11. Hollin Jones digs in.
Key Features
Audio recording and editing Waveform overview bar Multiple audio editing and analysis tools Input buss FX Multi-channel recording, editing and processing Multiple bundled plug-ins Plug-in chain CALM metering Red Book CD burning
ound Forge is one of the most mature wave-editing applications for the Windows platform, and now at version 11, shows no signs of waning. Sure, DAWs such as Cubase or Logic can edit audio, but specialised wave editors are much better all-rounders, used not only for mastering, but also for radio and podcast production, video work and sound design. Sound Forge Pro 11 is a modest download and can also be ordered as a boxed copy. It must be registered online but setup is very simple and the system requirements are low by modern standards. The concept will be familiar to many: an environment in which you can analyse, edit and generally mangle or tweak audio in any way imaginable. Theres also recording, batch-processing and a host of other tools for working with one or more tracks of audio. Lets look at whats new in version 11.
Sony recently released Sound Forge Pro for the Mac, and although it is a separate application written from the ground up, some of its concepts have ltered over to the much longer-running Windows version. An example is the new Plug-in Chain interface, which provides a slick and effective way to load and manage multiple plug-ins for nondestructive signal processing. Access their settings, rearrange them and save presets and you will nd this a great new way of working with effects. Another inherited feature is the waveform overview bar, which sits at the top of the screen and lets you quickly navigate around your sound. Doubleclick in the bar to centre your cursor in a time range dened by the waveform display, or click and drag to audition looping segments with customisable pre-roll and loop duration times.
MT Verdict
+ Very capable wave editor + Straightforward to use + Powerful tools + Nectar Elements + Seamless integration with SpectraLayers 2 + Open/save almost any le format + Video support - Mac users have a version, but its much less fully featured A capable and powerful wave editor thats adept at everything from recording and editing to sound design and mastering.
Layered up
Sony is simultaneously releasing SpectraLayers 2, its innovative app for working with sound on a spectral level. Now you can send les between the two apps seamlessly, without having to export rst. For example, you can send sections of long les from Sound Forge to SpectraLayers for editing and then send them back to have the changes updated in the original le, saving time and CPU power. Send multiple les to SpectraLayers to take advantage of its unique editing capabilities, then back to
Going modeless
Recording is now modeless, meaning you can record and store multiple takes with customisable pre- and post-roll, monitor unarmed channels while recording, and punch-and-roll record, dropping recording in at a specic point. You can also now use input buss effects to process sound as it is being recorded. The whole recording interface has been streamlined and improved, and is now generally nicer to work with.
MAGAZINE
8/10
90 | October 2013
LISTEN TO YOUR HEART
All product and company names are and of their respective holders. All rights reserved. All specifications are subject to change without notice. 2013 Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH
With more than 1,000 new instrument sounds, plenty of new effects and stunning new features, the latest versions of HALion and HALion Sonic are powerful world-class tools, designed to be at the heart of your creative process.
Learn more at www.steinberg.net/halion
Digital Village Studiospares
Thomann
The UKs single source supplier.

CELEBRATING
1983 2013
YEARS OF EXCELLENCE
Steinberg HALion 5 Reviews MT
Alternatives
For PC & Mac
With extensive scripting facilities and onboard destructive editing plus plenty of thirdparty, support Kontakt 5 (399) is widely considered to be the biggest-hitter in the sampler world. MachFive 3 (299) is also a good choice, having third-party support from UVI Sounds and Software and a new scripting language based on Lua.
If you can live without destructive audio editing, existing users have many good reasons to upgrade. HALion 5 still lacks the scripting depth of Kontakt, but thats compensated for to some extent by its own MegaTrig system, which makes for easy programming of playing styles and articulations.
HALion 5
Details
Price HALion 5 284. HALion Sonic 2 203 Contact www. steinberg.net Minimum system requirements PC Windows 7 Mac OSX 10.7
STEINBERG
9/10
Choice
Value
Get creative
If youre a producer or aspiring sound designer who likes digging deep and creating your own sounds, HALion 5 is an excellent choice. Its deep but easy to use and has a highly exible internal routing system that isnt the slightest bit intimidating. Content is also plentiful for HALion, with a newly expanded 15GB library containing more than 2,500 factory instruments and a huge collection of Yamaha FlexPhrases. It also integrates perfectly with Cubase, WaveLab and Steinberg hardware. With plenty of well articulated acoustic and electric instrument sounds in a wide range of styles, HALion 5 is also a good choice for musicians and composers. For those involved in lm/media work, however, Kontakt is probably the better choice, particularly where orchestral instruments are concerned. Although sharing much of the same content, the icing on the cake is the inclusion of HALion Sonic 2, a valuable extra, especially if you need to work quickly within its crystal-clear workstation environment. MT
HALion 5 extends its sound-creation possibilities with new sound engines, instruments and effects. Keith Gemmell investigates.
onsidering the seven-year gap between versions 3 and 4, the sudden release of HALion 5, Steinbergs VST sampler, after just a couple of years has come as a bit of a surprise. The companys VST workstation, HALion Sonic, has simultaneously been updated to HALion Sonic 2, and although available as a separate product, its included when you buy HALion 5.
On the MIDI front, theres a new MIDI Player and Drum Player, both of which can be edited and triggered remotely with a Trigger Pad. The FlexPhraser has a new user mode, with faders for setting velocity and pitch in up to 32 steps, plus two controller lanes for lters and effects.
Plenty of punch
Eight new instruments have appeared, including three very useful synths: Trium, for modern rich sounds; Voltage, a punchy vintage analogue synth; and Auron, for creating oaty granular pads. Always useful for media productions, the inclusion of 50 melodic world instruments will prove a valuable addition to many a composers arsenal, as will the new world percussion. Both have extensive editing facilities. Mellotron emulators are plentiful these days but HALiotron takes the sonic possibilities a step further with a set of synthesis parameters for modern music-production requirements. A new organ, the Model C, takes full advantage of the new tone-wheel engine, while B-Box is a classic step sequencer for beats and drum tracks. Nine new effects have been added to the existing arsenal: a VST guitar amp, Wah Wah, Auto Filter, Ring Modulator, Tape Saturator, Step Flanger, Vintage Ensemble (classic ensemble modulation effects), Envelope Shaper and Octaver.
Power up
Two new sound engines have been added to the existing combination of analogue synthesis with sampling granular synthesis and an authentic tone-wheel organ simulation. Both offer new sound-creation possibilities, perhaps the most useful from a sound designers point of view being the sophisticated Grain Oscillator section. Loop-slicing was notably absent in version 4 so were pleased to see the inclusion of this vital production tool in version 5, bringing it in line with Kontakt and MachFive. Its well implemented and has two detection modes (Transient and Grid), manual marking and a selection of lters. Sample-manipulation remains excellent, but destructive editing facilities are still missing, which means using an ofine external editor such as WaveLab. That said, most DAWs provide decent audio editing, especially Cubase 7, which integrates well with HALion 5.
MT Verdict
+ Deep but easy to understand + Expanded library + New audio-slicing tools + HALion Sonic 2 included - External destructive editing HALion 5 remains true to its roots an excellent and user-friendly sampler for creative-minded sound designers and producers that integrates perfectly with Cubase and WaveLab. Its great value, too, given the inclusion of the HALion Sonic 2 workstation.
Key Features
2 new sound engines Slicing mode Updated FlexPhraser 2 new MIDI modules 8 new instruments 9 new effects
9/10
| 93
USB INTERFACES
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2013 TEAC Corporation. All rights reserved. All specifications are subject to change without notice.
TEAC UK Limited Meridien House | Ground Floor | 6971 Clarendon Road | Watford | Hertfordshire WD17 1DS | UK Sales Manager: Neil Wells | Mobile: 07836-625057 | Mail: neil.wells@teac.co.uk Northern Area Sales Manager: Russ Fitton | Mobile: 07836-329281 | Mail: russ.fitton@tascam.co.uk | www.tascam.co.uk
www.tascam.co.uk | www.tascam-europe.com
Arturia MiniLab & SparkLE Reviews MT
$ 9/10
ARTURIA
Choice
Value
Alternatives
At around the same price, Native Instruments Battery (199) is a far superior sample-based drum machine and comes with a huge library (no sequencing or hardware). Alternatives to MiniLab include Rob Papens Blue (149) and Sylenth1 (139) from LennarDigital, but youd be hard-pushed to compete with MiniLabs price given that it includes the hardware.
MiniLab & SparkLE

Details
Price MiniLab 99. SparkLE 229 Contact Source Distribution 020 8962 5089 Web www.arturia.com
or split setups, and theres a live page for immediate, organised access to presets during a performance. Two banks are available from the eight drum pads, effectively making them 16. These can trigger notes, user-dened preset snapshots or a bank of editable chords.
Two new mini products have emerged from the Arturia stable. Can they punch above their weight? Liam OMullane finds out.
Production package
The coupling of SparkLE and MiniLab make for sonic heaven if you want strong, rich analogue-esque tones in your productions. SparkLE can provide great drum sounds for most genres and the hand-on aspect of the hardware always opens up unique ideas. MiniLab also hits the mark in terms of quality and variety. Theres a huge range of bass, pads, leads and SFX, and a decent level of access to parameters. Unless youre after cutting-edge digital synth tones, either of these products represents a good investment. MT
Key Features
SPARKLE Standalone, VST/ AAX/AU/RTAS Multiple undo/ redo levels on hardware Dedicated MIDI editor software 16 drum sounds per kit Up to 64 step patterns/64 patterns per project Includes soft protective case MINILAB Standalone, VST/ AAX/AU/RTAS Included Analog Lab has 5,000 sounds Assignable footswitch input Kensington security lock Ableton Live control surface scripts included Dedicated MIDI editor software
lthough its hard to tell from the pictures, both SparkLE and MiniLab are incredibly small and compact. The build quality is what we expect from Arturia they feel good to use and are robust enough to be eminently portable. MiniLab is a dedicated compact keyboard and virtual analogue synth package, while SparkLE is a sample/ modelling-based drum machine with dedicated hardware control. The rotary encoders on MiniLab dont feel quite as sturdy as those on the SparkLE, but this isnt a surprise when you take into account the difference in price. MiniLab is also quite a bit lighter due to its plastic construction; SparkLE is a mix of metal and plastic, which gives it more weight and makes it feel like a more serious piece of hardware.
What you get

The software for both products isnt tied to the hardware, so you can work with or without it depending on where you are. MiniLab has touch-based pitch and modulation strips, eight velocitysensitive drum pads and 16 endless rotary encoders. An overlay card is included, making it easy to navigate the bundled Analog Lab instrument package. SparkLE has square velocity-sensitive pads, three parameter encoders for tweaking, plus various other controls to program and modify drum sounds. The SparkLE software can run as a standalone or virtual instrument within your choice of DAW. You can program drums, tweak them, record in live takes and make use of the X/Y pad without needing to look at the computer screen,
but a higher level of control is available through the added features of the software interface. The X/Y pad is great for corrective or expressive work. For instance, clicking pan and level per drum sound is a simple way to balance your mix as you go. For some reason the auxiliary effects for reverb and delay are pre-fader, so you also have to re-balance your sends when changing their volume levels. Aux levels can also be set from the X/Y pad, but its a bit of a faff. A lter is available on both the master output and each drum sound great when used creatively to record or keep as a live performance element. The Slicer effect is another excellent tool, letting you stutter the master output and control the repeat rate as you move your nger around the pad. As expected, the drum sounds bundled with SparkLE are excellent, and the three parameter encoders give you access to the most important aspects of them. A Soft Clip effect can be enabled on the output, which is very useful for creating a cohesive drum sound. Various drum sounds are included and they cover plenty of acoustic and electronic styles, but many kit names can be a bit too vague to understand without loading them in, which hinders workow slightly.
MT Verdict SPARKLE
+ Great variety of drum sounds + Includes parameter automation + Tune mode works on either the 16 steps or eight drum pads - Hardware-mixing hindered by choice of pre-fader auxiliaries - SparkLE software interface is a little clunky Strong sounds and a good degree of control without you needing to touch your computer.
8/10
MT Verdict MINILAB
+ Excellent sound quality + Pads function as preset snapshot or chord triggers + Mappable footswitch input + Touch-sensitive pitch and modulation sensors - Knobs not as solid as rest of unit - CPU-intensive A huge range of sounds with a well-rounded range of hardware controls. Very good value for money.
On song
MiniLabs software instrument, Analog Lab, has a huge range of sounds that emulate various classic analogue synths. The Arp 2600V, Prophet V, Oberheim SEM V and more are included. You can access the sound library as single sounds, multi-layered
9/10
| 95
MT Reviews Universal Audio Ocean Way Studios
Innovation
9/10
Choice
speaker element, as such, but it does recognise that even the dry source will be tonally modied in some way.
Taking the mic

Run in Re-Mic mode, the Ocean Way Studios plug-in should be instantiated as an insert effect, as the output is a wholly modied version of the original source. Start by selecting the Studio and Source, with the Studio option being switchable between the two live rooms at Ocean Way, and the Source dening some initial dispersal patterns in relation to the source sitting within the room. Although the Source list isnt exhaustive, it offers a good range of starting points, including drums, strings and amplier cabinets. Once youve selected your Source and Studio, you then go about choosing, positioning and levelling a series of virtual microphones. In effect, therefore, the Ocean Way Studios plug-in is modifying both the dry source le, largely through the colouration of the microphones, and mimicking the precise acoustic conditions present at the three mic positions Near, Mid and Far. If you want a relatively dry sound, therefore, use just the Near mics positioned right up against the source. To add more ambience, either move the Near mics away from the source or add the Mid and Far mics into the equation.
For PC & Mac
Ocean Way Studios

Details
Price $349 Contact Source Distribution 020 8962 5080 Web www.uaudio.com Minimum system requirements PC Windows 7 (SP1), UAD-2 Mac OSX 10.6.8, UAD-2
UNIVERSAL AUDIO
UAs latest UAD plug-in is a unique take on re-creating the sound and acoustics of a classic studio. Mark Cousins learns more.
Resolut
Key Features
Acoustic emulations of Ocean Ways Studio A and Studio B Dynamic Room Modeling Incorporates sonic profiles of vintage microphones Includes mic bleed and proximity effects 8 instrument/ vocal source types
he aspirational nature of many of Universal Audios plug-ins hasnt escaped our attention an almost endless list of desirable audio devices that wed love to have permanently wired into our studios (Neve equalizers, Fairchild compressors and Lexicon reverbs, to name just a few). But with the release of the Ocean Way Studios plug-in, this aspirational quality takes on a whole new character. Now, its not just the hardware wed expect to nd in a professional recording facility, but the actual sound of music bouncing around its live room. But can this latest UAD plug-in really place you in the heart of Hollywoods Ocean Way Studios, or is it just a novel twist on the age-old process of reverb?
Audios new Dynamic Room Modeling technology. In short, it uses the same process used to capture the nuances of an audio device, but applied in the context of a recording space, alongside the cupboard of classic mics used to capture the source. Principally speaking, the Ocean Way Studios plug-in works in two distinct ways. Theres a Re-Mic mode, offering a
Making room
As youd expect, the operation of the Ocean Way Studios plug-in feels intuitive and tangibly hands-on in other words, you actually feel like youre standing in the live room positioning microphones rather than tweaking settings on a reverb plug-in. Although
You feel like youre standing in the live room rather than tweaking settings on a plug-in
completely immersive solution to Ocean Ways sound, and a Reverb processing mode that is much closer to the use and operation of a traditional reverb plug-in. In essence, the Re-Mic mode could be compared to the concept of re-amping, whereby a source is fed to a guitar amp in the studio and then re-recorded, complete with colourations of the speaker, new mic and, of course, the room itself. However, the Ocean Way plug-in isnt trying to emulate the the acoustic of the studio isnt expansive, it denitely feels and sounds like a room thats empathetic to a range of instruments, and assuming that your source is relatively dry, a great way of adding dimension and space to your recordings without them sounding noticeably reverberated. If you want to use Ocean Way Studios more like a traditional reverb plug-in, you also have the choice of running it in Reverb mode. Used in this
Making waves
On rst encounter, the role and technology behind the Ocean Way Studios plug-in isnt immediately obvious is it just a convolution reverb, like Altiverb 7, or is it an elaborate mic-modelling tool that enables you to re-colour an existing source recording? In truth, Ocean Way Studios is far more than either, being built on Universal
MAGAZINE
96 | October 2013
Universal Audio Ocean Way Studios Reviews MT
way, the plug-in removes all dry signals from the output, which negates some of the cleverer aspects of the modelling but allows you to use the plug-in in a traditional wet/dry capacity, potentially running a number of signals out to the live room to inject a dose of ambience. You can still colour the reverb with the choice of mics, and change its dimensions by moving them, which makes it far more intuitive and musical than a traditional reverb plug-in.
The Ocean way

Having had the input of Allan Sides (an engineer whos spent plenty of time at Ocean Way) and over three years of
bringing together a number of strands namely, virtual acoustics and mic modelling in a dynamic, intuitive way. Of course, its hard not to draw some comparisons between Ocean Way Studios and the aforementioned Altiverb 7. Indeed, used statically in Reverb mode, its conceivable that theres little difference in the sonic output between the two (its worth pointing out that Altiverb doesnt have an IR le from Ocean Way). However, once you start moving mics around or use it in Re-Mic mode, Ocean Way Studios becomes a far more interesting tool, letting you tailor your acoustic space in powerful and interesting ways.
Alternatives
Looked at solely as a reverb unit, you could achieve comparable results to Ocean Way Studios using Audio Eases Altiverb 7. The key advantage of Altiverb, of course, is its range of impulse responses, covering everything from recording studios (including Hansa Studios and Cello Studio in LA) to cavernous cathedral acoustics like Notre Dame. Although Altiverb includes two or three IRs per space, its a much more static tool: simply choose the IR and process accordingly. In truth, theres space for both plug-ins, but if youre mainly after studio proles, Ocean Way Studios is arguably the better choice.
Nothing else comes close to this level of tangible acoustic control, and given the musicality of the rooms at Ocean Way Studios, few will want to miss out on what it has to offer. MT
MT Verdict
+ Perfect recording studio acoustic + Models both dry and wet components + Detailed controls + A truly unique tool - Slightly limited range of spaces - Relatively DSP-hungry With detailed room modelling and hands-on mic positioning, the Ocean Way Studios plug-in is a perfect tool for adding studio-like spatiality to your recordings.
OWS brings virtual acoustics and mic modelling together in a dynamic, intuitive way
technical development, Ocean Way Studios more than meets its aim of recreating the sound and acoustics of a classic studio. Its also an ingenious new way of looking at signal processing, Ultimately, though, Ocean Way Studios is a truly unique tool, something that can shape both the colour and ambience of your recording in ways almost impossible to achieve elsewhere.
tionLyraadMAR13_Layout 1 19/04/2013 11:37 Page 1
9/10
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AKG C1000S Mk IV Reviews MT
response, the other is a presence booster, providing a 5dB lift between 5kHz and 9kHz.
Alternatives
Other affordable electret condensers include the Audio-Technica AT2031 (135) and the Lewitt LCT140 (199). The true-condenser Oktava MK012 (199) comes with interchangeable cardioid, super-cardioid and omnidirectional capsules, plus an inline -10dB pad.
Adapt or die
Fitting these adaptors is easy: simply unscrew and remove the bottom half of the mic to reveal the capsule and the adaptors push-and-click into place. Removing them can be more problematic our rst attempts resulted in pulling the rubber capsule holder/shockmount away from the body. Fortunately we were able to ret it, and then we gured out that the adaptors have to be carefully prised away from the capsule. Long ngernails help, by the way. Unscrewing the mic also reveals the battery compartment. The C1000S operates on phantom power by default,
character in the low midrange. Fitting the hypercardioid adaptor increased output level and gave the C1000S an even fuller sound; however, the 900Hz resonance was accentuated. The bass roll-off frequency is set fairly low at 80Hz, so it had relatively little impact on the sound when the C1000S was used at a distance. Closer micing revealed a bit of proximity effect, and the HPF certainly tightened up the lows and eliminated boominess without causing any noticeable nasties.
AKG
The latest version is still an affordable, fine-sounding, all-round condenser

but you can now use two AA batteries rather than an expensive 9v PP3. This means the C1000S is well suited to location recording. Tiny switches are located on each side of the battery compartment. One provides 10dB of attenuation, the other an 80Hz bass cut to counteract proximity effect. The switches are a welcome feature but their location inside the body is less than practical. However, this does provide protection considering that C1000s are often used for live work. Consider attaching the mic clip to the rear section of the body so youll be able to adjust settings without altering the mic placement. Unfortunately, close-micing scenarios will require the C1000S to be removed from its clip. Its suggested that the presenceboost adaptor can be used to improve the intelligibility of speech, but its by no means a necessity. The C1000S sounds sufciently clear and dened on its own, and the presence boost may cause sibilance with some vocalists. Even so, we found it added a treble sheen and enhanced the sense of detail with acoustic instruments. The C1000S doesnt have a particularly wide sweet spot so the talent must be encouraged to stay on-axis otherwise treble loss will become noticeable, especially when using the hypercardioid capsule. Without breaking much new ground, the latest version of the C1000S is still an affordable, ne-sounding, all-round condenser. If it aint broke MT
C1000S Mk IV
AKG claims that the Mk IV version of the C1000S is more versatile than ever. Huw Price puts it through its paces.
Details
Price 179 Contact Sound Technology 01462 480000 Web www.akg.com
Key Features
End-fire electret condenser Cardioid/ hypercardioid Presence-lift adaptor Bass roll-off (80Hz) 10dB pad 50Hz 20kHz 200-ohm impedance Battery or phantom power On/off switch
his reviewer must confess to having a soft spot for the AKG C1000. During the mid-1990s, condenser microphones were starting to become an affordable proposition for home recordists, and many completed their rst projects with earlier versions of this microphone. They cropped up in pro studios, too, where many of us discovered just how effective they could be when higherdelity tom and snare sounds were required. They were also small enough for most drummers to miss but cheap enough not to worry about if accidents occurred. They often performed surprisingly well on guitars and drum overheads, too. The Mk IV version of the C1000S has moisture-resistant gold plating on the capsule housing/XLR pins and it ships with two plastic accessories that slip over the end of the capsule. One focuses the cardioid response a little more to achieve a hypercardioid
Sounding out
The C1000S has a full and fairly neutral-sounding midrange, although we did detect a bit of ringing around the 900Hz point. The treble response is not hyped at all, and initial arms-length recording tests on acoustic guitar demonstrated a fairly natural and smooth sonic signature. The C1000S is nowhere near as bright as Audio-Technicas AT2031, but the transient response and level of detail falls a little short. Compared to the Lewitt LCT140 and LCT340, the C1000S has a fuller tone, but the Lewitts have a slightly plummier
MT Verdict
+ Solid build + Good all-rounder + Pad & HPF switching + Adjustable pickup pattern - Switches hard to access - Slight colouration around the 900Hz region Same old sound and looks but with useful additional features providing sensible upgrades on a budget classic.
8/10
| 99
MT Reviews Kush Audio Electra 500
equalization activities, particularly on drums or other transient-rich sounds, where the Proportional-Q controls really aid nding the right frequency and, just as importantly, prevents the EQ from sounding overly harsh.
Alternatives
The beauty of the 500-Series approach is that you can mix-andmatch equalizers as you see t, matching their tone to the effect you want to achieve. Something like the Harrison 32EQ, for example, will have a touch more colour than the Electra 500 due to the use of transformers in the signal path.
Electra-ed
The Electra 500 is available both as a stereo, rack-mounted signal processor and as individual 500-Series mono equalizers. In keeping with Kush philosophy, the panel provides just enough information to get you going, letting your ears be the judge rather than simply dialling in preconceived frequencies. All four controls work as dual-concentric pots, with the outer control usually setting frequency and the inner control establishing the amount of boost (3 oclock is 0dB).
number of 500-Series modules, but also something that could potentially confuse some new users. The nal piece of the puzzle is a switchable Hi Pass lter control, which adds a touch of resonance and has a frequency range of 25400Hz. The Hi Pass lter is a great tool for enhancing bass-end clarity, but it can also perform some interesting work in conjunction with the aforementioned Low Shelf and Lo Mid bands.
9/10
Choice
Electra 500
Details
Price 474 Contact Unity Audio 01799 520786 Web www.kushaudio.com
KUSH AUDIO
A testament to the musical approach Kush Audio takes when designing its products
Although we tested the Electra 500 on a range of sounds, the unit really shines when it comes to drum equalization. The high band works over a musical range of 3.820kHz enough to add bite in the lower range of the spectrum or really lift the air around a kit as you move above 10kHz. Things get particularly interesting in the mids, though, given the use of the Proportional-Q bands. The concept here is that the Q varies in response to the amount of gain starting off wide with a low cut or boost, then becoming increasingly sharp as more gain-change is applied. This approach prevents the midrange bands from ever sounding too harsh, as well as enabling you to ne-tune the frequency setting in a way thats empathetic to the source. The Electra 500 is certainly an intriguing and powerful tool possibly not the most colourful EQ weve played with, but an equalizer that can really get to the heart of a sound, bringing all the correct elements into focus. On drums, for example, we were positively surprised by just how much better the Electra-equalized version sounded not just simply different from the source, but an enhanced version that really aided the musicality of the instrument it was processing. Ultimately, its all testament to the musical approach Kush Audio seems to take when designing its products one thats arguably driven by a need for something to sound right rather than just ticking technical boxes. MT
The Electra 500 is the first electrified transient equalizer weve encountered. Mark Cousins finds out more...
Key Features
Hi Shelf: sweepable 3.8kHz20kHz Hi Mid: Proportional-Q, sweepable 250Hz5.4kHz Lo Mid: Proportional-Q, sweepable 30Hz730Hz Lo Shelf: fixed 350Hz
ush Audios unique ear-driven approach to equipment design has brought us a number of intriguing products, from the unique modied version of Empirical Labs Fatso, called the UBK Fatso, through to the UBK-1 plug-in, reviewed in MusicTech Issue 109. The companys latest product is the Electra 500 a ve-band equalizer teasingly pitched as an electried transient equalizer. But what makes the Electra 500 different from other 500-Series EQs and, for that matter, what is an electried transient equalizer? Although the term electried transient might suggest some form of dynamic processing, the Electra 500 is resolutely an equalizer, featuring a resonant Butterworth high-pass lter, xed low-shelving, two Proportional-Q midrange bands, and a high-shelving band. The concept behind the Electra 500 is that the unit has been tuned to be responsive and empathetic to key
MAGAZINE
MT Verdict
+ Great on drums + Proportional-Q aids use + Never sounds harsh + Unique sound and approach - Fixed low-shelving - Limited panel information - Requires ears! The Electra 500 follows Kush Audios unique sonic approach, resulting in an equalizer that really helps to dene and enhance the signal its processing.
Living colour
Given the exibility around the mids, its a little surprising to note that the low shelving is xed at a somewhat high 350Hz. That being said, however, the Lo Mid can sweep right down to 30Hz, so if you really want to add some rumble, its best to look there rst. Intriguingly, the Low Shelf control can also be switched to work in a unique Fader mode using a switch mounted directly on the Electra 500s board a feature that might be interesting to those choosing to mix through a
9/10
100 | October 2013
MT Reviews Spitre Audio BML Horn Section Vol.1
Although seven microphone positions plus mixed stereo and 5.1 surround versions are included, the initial download contains just the main mics (close, tree, ambient and outrigger). The others follow about three weeks later. Being large downloads, its done this way to avoid server overload.
Alternatives
Sample Modelings French Horn & Tuba (175) includes four different French horns and one tuba. Orchestral Brass Classic (240) includes a reissue of the highly respected SAM Horns. VSLs Horn Ensemble (125) consists of four players, and the Triple Horn (110), a Yamaha solo instrument, is sold separately.
Best of British
In keeping with the Spitre philosophy, three top-class British players were recorded two together (a2) and one solo. This allows larger sections to be built without smothering the individual detailed playing. For example, play two notes together using the a2 patch and you have four horns; three notes together and you have six horns, and so on. The same principle applies, of course, to the solo player.
MIDI. Theres also a brilliant Punch Cog feature for tweaking round-robin notes or simply punching them out.
Breathe in the Air

As with the Albion libraries, the musicians were recorded in situ at Air Studios, seated as they would be on a lm-scoring stage. Its a glorioussounding hall that does full justice to these magnicent horns, although some may prefer to use their own
For PC & Mac
BML Horn Section Vol.1

Spitfire takes a fine-brush approach with a highly detailed new French horn library. Keith Gemmell checks it out.
Details
Price 203 Contact via website Web www. spitfireaudio.com Minimum system requirements PC Windows 7 Mac OSX 10.6
SPITFIRE AUDIO
Spitfires libraries seem to get 9/10 better with each release and this is no exception
Choice
Horn Section is a modular library and Vol.1 contains a selection of essential articulations. More are promised for Vol.2. That said, those on offer in the a2 patch are more than adequate for general day-to-day writing, including two types of legato (ngered and detache tongued), longs and shorts. The longs include stopped notes, where the player hand-mutes the bell a truly beautiful, instantly recognisable sound. Other useful goodies include Multi Tongue, Flutter, Major & Minor Trills, Rips & Falls, Bells Up Long, Quaver and Staccato. A set of special overlays are also included for loading alongside Albion that can be mixed in unison. The solo horn fares less well, having just ve essential articulations. More will be included in Vol.2. Thanks to a set of very wellimplemented controls and microphone/ mix positions, Horn Section is a delight to use, and just about any sound or playing style can be tweaked to taste very quickly. We particularly liked the slider for controlling legato transitions and the new Hall Trigger, which detects sudden dynamic reductions such as forte-piano and prevents the hall from disappearing along with the horns. And theres plenty for more advanced users, too. Articulation setups can be tailored to individual taste and switched using CC, Note, Velocity or convolution reverb. This can easily be achieved by using just the close mic. We cant comment yet on the extra mics because they will not arrive for another couple of weeks, but, to whet your appetite, they include another stereo set positioned closer than the tree and nearer the ground, gallery mics and a second set of close mics, this time vintage ribbons. Spitres libraries just seem to get better with each release and this superb horn library is no exception. The attention to detail is striking and the workow is fast and intuitive, although sometimes impeded by the tiny graphical controls. Generally, though, the great thing about this library is that it allows you to get on with writing and playing with the minimum of fuss using beautifully recorded instruments. MT
Key Features
Solo and a2 (3 different players) Recorded to 2-inch tape 7 mic positions Detailed articulations
pitre Audio is perhaps best known for its excellent orchestral libraries, Albion 1 and 2, both of which are particularly suited to on-the-y, sketchpad-style cinematic composition. The French horns in Albion 1, for example, are assigned to the high brass and play an octave below the trumpets, a common lm-scoring technique. In Albion 2 they are combined with a euphonium. There are no dedicated horn patches in either library. However, as part of a new product range called the British Modular Library, Spitres latest release, BML Horn Section Vol.1, provides composers with the means to compose detailed orchestral horn parts. Available as a download in incremental sections, a full version of Kontakt 4.2.4 or 5 is required to run it.
MAGAZINE
MT Verdict
+ Well implemented controls/mics + Many detailed articulations (a2) + Superb sound - Fewer articulations on solo horn - Full version of Kontakt required An impressive French horn library that has a fabulous sound, detailed articulations and efcient workow. Capable of producing highly musical results.
9/10
102 | October 2013
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MT Reviews
Cinematic Moods
Manufacturer Prime Loops Price 21.95 Contact via website Web www.primeloops.com
ayering up textures for a cinematic score often entails much different techniques from those used when combining instruments for a song or track. For example, you may not be worrying about space and punch in the mix, but more about creating a washed-out ambience or reverb-drenched melody. Cinematic Moods, from Prime Loops, is an expansive-sounding collection of cinematic loops and hits for lm composers looking to super-size their media productions. The pack contains 670MB of 24-bit audio in your choice of ACID WAV, Apple Loops, REX2, Reason ReFill and Ableton Live Pack formats, with 150 orchestral loops and 40 one-shot percussion/SFX hits. What you have are essentially several construction kits, although the parts are divided into individual
Key Features
670MB of 24-bit audio 150+ percussion/ orchestral loops 40 one-shot samples Dramatic cinematic riffs Inspired by the likes of Hans Zimmer and Thomas Newman
instrument folders to help you be more creative. However, if you decide you want to use the parts side-by-side, you can easily combine them as everything is named by tempo, key and kit. Stylistically, the loops fall into either synth-heavy Bladerunner-esque epics, heart-racing Hans Zimmer action scenes, and more delicate Thomas Newman-like pieces. Pastiche aside, the writing throughout is exceptionally good, with haunting strings to effectively tug at the heart strings, intense, pounding drum grooves, and strangely catchy robotic synth riffs.
The loops are divided into folders of bass lines, brass, percussion, piano, orchestral, strings and synth leads/ pads, and for the most part the sounds are fairly convincing. Its only in the occasional staccato string part or fast brass passage that the sampled nature of the source becomes apparent, although most parts are drenched in reverb and could be easily buried when layered with other instruments. Although good, we found the percussion section a little bombastic, with large, industrial taiko-style hits and little in the way of subtle rhythmic textures. Also, most of the single percussion hits are cut very short so you may need to add reverb to get smooth tails. These thing aside, this is a wellprogrammed and inspiring treasure trove of cinematic ideas that could prove to be a useful tool for media composers with writers block. MT
MT Verdict
Its by no means exhaustive, but Cinematic Moods is a great-value treasure trove of emotional and action-packed cinematic ideas.
8/10
Studio Guitars
Manufacturer Prime Loops Price 17.95 Contact via website Web www.primeloops.com rom delicate acoustic arpeggios to chugging distorted riffs, the humble guitar is an incredibly versatile instrument that can t into any number of different genres. However, capturing the perfect tone isnt always an easy task. Luckily, though, the good people at Prime Loops have been busy recording a whole range of riffs from 70130BPM for the companys new pack, Studio Guitars. The library contains a total of 150 loops in 24-bit quality, and you can choose from ACID WAV, Apple Loops, REX2, Reason ReFill and Ableton Live Pack formats. Youll nd three categories to help identify the riffs: Ballad Hooks, Steady Riffs, and Upbeat Jams (although these are really just a way to divide up the different tempos). Within each folder the les are named by key to help easily match up different ideas, and some riffs have alternate
MAGAZINE
Value
Key Features
689MB of 24-bit audio 150 ballad hooks, steady riffs and upbeat jams 70130BPM Martin acoustic and Gibson Les Paul electric guitars Recorded through Fishman, Marshall and Orange amps
versions such as strummed and plucked, offering variety when arranging your track. The Ballad section contains some nice riffs and chord progressions that are both forlorn and more hopeful, and the more upbeat grooves contain enough funk and swagger to add a human touch to your tracks. A range of equipment was used including a 1985 Gibson Les Paul electric and a Martin
DC-16RGTE acoustic. Amps included Fishman, Marshall and Orange, recorded through an AKG C214 microphone. The result is a fairly broad span of tones, from crisp acoustic rattles with the lows scooped out to help sit on top of a bass part, to thick, distorted chords with a subtle hint of spring reverb. Overall, the quality is high, and most of the loops could be dropped into a mix without too much trouble, with a mixture of stereo, mono and layered parts. If youre after a little more aggression, character or depth, you may want to apply a touch more of your own distortion, reverb, chorus or delay, but the loops themselves are solid. Although Studio Guitars may not feature any highly original, anthemic riffs, the ideas are strong and well performed, and could easily act as song starters or layers to beef up a track. MT
MT Verdict
A broad and solid collection of acoustic and electric guitar riffs that could easily be dropped into a range of genres.
8/10
104 | October 2013
TM Classifieds
Indie Folk EZX
Manufacturer Toontrack Price 51.95 Contact Time+Space 01837 55200
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Choice
Reviews MT
eatment
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A vibrant and organic collection of kits that sounds huge and is jam-packed with character.
Holger Lagerfeldt
Comparatively, the multi-mic version has a wider sound stage, with more detail and presence in each instrument piece. Our favourite, though, is the 4-mic version of the 1940s Slingerland, as the 28-inch kick drum in particular sounds absolutely massive. Theres a small number of mixer presets to help you shape the sound, but youre better off simply experimenting until you nd something that ts your track. Youll also nd a decent collection of MIDI grooves played by Stephen Belens, which range from solid and rocky rhythms to slightly more skittish, swung and 3/4 patterns. Just when we thought wed heard it all from the EZX range, Toontrack has come up trumps again with this unique and distinct-sounding expansion. Although its quite a specic range of sounds, Indie Folk is one of the most interesting-sounding EZX packs weve heard for some time. MT
Over wrap of DVD case
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email: info@therecordingworkshop.co.uk
MAGAZINE
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Reviews MT
WOW2
Manufacturer Sugar Bytes Price 99 Contact info@sugarbytes.de Web www.sugarbytes.de
ood-quality lters can work wonders on a variety of sound sources, from raw synth oscillators to beats and vocals, carving out a niche in the frequencies that helps bring the sound to life. Yet many of the lter effects built-in to most DAWs can be somewhat pedestrian in their sound quality and modulation options. In steps WOW2 from Sugar Bytes, the long-awaited follow-up to the original, easy-to-use lter plug-in. WOW2 is a signicant upgrade that brings a host of new features and an exquisite new interface, plus a number of new, high-quality lter and distortion algorithms. The GUI is split into two, with the presets displayed on the left and the lter section on the right. Its surprisingly small, but dont let that mislead you theres an incredible
9/10
amount of power under the hood. Its diminutive size is mainly due to the fact that many of the functions are symbol-based to save on space, making the deep modulation section initially quite daunting. However, it doesnt take long to work things out, and the excellent visual feedback helps to show how each element is being modulated. The main section features controls for Dry/Wet, Level, Cutoff, Resonance, Vowel Mode and Distortion, with a choice of seven distortion types, 21 lter types and nine vowel shapes. All of these parameters can be modulated by right-clicking to
Choice
Key Features
VST, AU, RTAS, AAX formats 21 filter types 3 analoguemodelled distortions; 4 digital distortions Powerful modulation Artist presets and preset randomisation
open the Mod Assign, as well as through MIDI Learn. There are plenty of lter types to help shape your sound including some squelchy Moog Ladder and Diode MS types with 4x oversampling, and each can utilise Vowel mode, whereby the Cutoff control morphs between two different vowel sounds. The distortion section is also especially tasty, comprising three warm-sounding analogue-modelled distortions and four digital distortions that can be placed pre- and post-lter. However, where WOW2 really excels is in the four modulation engines: the envelope follower, LFO, step sequencer and wobble generator (lifted from the Cyclop synth). These really bring the plug-in to life and can even be assigned to modulate each other. If youre in need of a fat, analoguesounding lter, we highly recommend checking out this little beast. MT
MT Verdict
A beautiful-sounding lter plug-in thats fun to program, with an excellent GUI and surprisingly complex modulation section.
9/10
Logic Ultrabeat Electronic Drum Kits

Manufacturer Loopmasters Price 19.95 Contact info@loopmasters.com Web www.loopmasters.com
lthough a large percentage of the sample packs we see here at MusicTech have instrument presets for Logics EXS24 sampler included, its surprising how few packs there are aimed at utilising its other powerful synths, instruments and plug-ins. So we were refreshingly surprised when we reviewed Colin Cs Logic Mix Essential Channel Strips back in Issue 119, which contained a broad range of useful settings and strips for different instruments. Colin is now back with the follow-up, Logic Ultrabeat Electronic Drums, which features 281 drum samples, 27 Ultrabeat kits and 34 Ultrabeat-based Logic channel strips. All of the samples have been created with a choice selection of analogue and digital hardware including Moog, Korg and Virus Ti synths and recorded through
Key Features
Produced by engineer/ producer Colin C Combines original samples with Ultrabeat synth sounds and Logic channel strip settings Ready-to-go drum sounds for techno, electro, house, glitch, dubstep and more 281 24-bit samples 34 channel strip presets, 22 Ultrabeat kits, 5 bonus kits
high-end Apogee converters. From distorted, thuddy kicks and brash, in-your-face snares to subby bass hits and short rise FX, theres plenty here for anyone writing techno, electro, house, glitch, dubstep and DnB. Theres also a handful of acoustic hits, although these have been tightly processed to t in with more upfront electronic genres. We particularly enjoyed some of the FX, Moog and Virus sounds, but encountered the occasional click at the end of samples. Also, some of the snares and hats are a little too aggressive and industrial-sounding. The hits themselves have been laid-out into Ultrabeat Kits with good use of internal ltering to expand the palette and between three and ve sequences programmed into the step sequencer. Things get more interesting in the
channel strips, where a variety of different effects such as the Multipressor, Linear Phase EQ, Compressor, Ad Limiter, BitCrusher and Stereo Spread plug-ins are applied to bulk out the sound. Theres also some more creative use of reverb and pre-delays, the Enverb, Pedal Board and more to create rich, interesting electronic sounds. Although the drum hits are nothing to write home about, the good use of processing in the channel strips could inspire plenty of creative ideas. This pack probably wont suit those looking to write subtle, minimal music or analogue-sounding house, but would be perfect for more glitchy electronica and upfront EDM styles. MT
MT Verdict
A decent collection of bright and upfront drum hits packaged with some interesting Ultrabeat channel strips to help inspire your sounddesign ideas.
7/10
| 107
MT Reviews
Logic Pro X Explained

Manufacturer Groove 3 Price $35 Contact via website Web www.groove3.com
ogic Pro X has been out for a couple of months now and some of you will have already dived straight into its new features, while others wait patiently on the fence for any initial bugs to be ironed out. Whether youre a beginner or seasoned Logic user (or looking to switch DAW to this latest version) this new tutorial from Groove 3 aims to lead you through every function and new toy that Logic Pro X has to offer. Logic Pro X Explained comprises 50 chapters spanning more than ve hours of video, written and presented by Apple Logic Certied Pro Eli Krantzberg. Anyone who is familiar with Groove 3s catalogue of tutorials will surely have come across Krantzberg before, as he has worked extensively with the company, not least on eight other Logic-based courses.
9/10
Key Features
50 chapters 5+ hours of video Tutorials written by Apple Logic Certified Pro Eli Krantzberg Watch online, download, stream to iPad/ iPhone/iPod For beginner to intermediate Logic Pro X users
Choice
The rst half gives a thorough overview of both the fundamentals that will be familiar to long-time users as well as newer features such as Track Stacks, along with how to best set up your projects. Although some may be inclined to skip this section, youd be wise not to, as the new interface hides many subtle tweaks that can signicantly improve your workow. The second half looks at building a basic track, from recording MIDI and audio, working with the Drummer Track and editing regions to adding automation and more. Although the track itself is hardly a work of art, it covers all the bases, including things like multiple Take folders and basic mixing. However, if youre after actual mixing or writing tips, youll want to look elsewhere, possibly at Groove 3s recently released Producing EDM in Logic Pro X tutorial. Whats more, although there are chapters looking at the new MIDI plug-ins and Flex Pitch,
these are fairly brief, as there are actually separate tutorials available on these features. Its always a pleasure to watch Krantzberg as his style is easy to follow but still quite fast-paced, so you always feel like youre moving forwards, while his focus on key commands will help to speed up workow. Overall, this is a thorough look at Logic Pro Xs features that will be useful to beginners and intermediate users alike. MT
MT Verdict
An easy-to-follow tutorial thats packed with useful key commands and info to help you get the most out of the new version of Logic.
9/10
100% PURE ABLETON LIVE

On sale 3rd October 8.99 with free DVD. Digital version 5.99. Available at WHSmith (UK), Barnes & Noble (USA) and all good bookstores in Australia, Canada, and throughout Europe. Or order online at www.musictech.net/tag/focus
108 | October 2013
MAGAZINE
Reviews MT
Qanun
Manufacturer Sonokinetic Price 49.90 Contact via website Web www.sonokinetic.net
Key Features
6.6GB of audio, 14,934 samples Multisampled qanun instrument for Kontakt 4/5 Multiple roundrobins and velocity layers Tempo-synced performances Performed by Gunay Celik
ample company Sonokinetic has added to its growing library of specialist middleeastern instruments with this latest release, Qanun, which complements its previous Ney and Kemence instruments to build a rich ethnic ensemble. The qanun is a plucked, dulcimerlike instrument of 81 strings stretched over a frame, whose distinctive sound comes from string groupings and levers that create scales. The Sonokinetic team travelled to Istanbul to work with expert engineer/composer Ceyda Pirali and renowned player Gunay Celik to capture this unique sound, with the resulting multisamples and loops presented as a Kontakt instrument for Kontakt 4 and 5. There are three playing styles to choose from including a chromatic instrument with three
velocity layers and three round-robins, offering a clean and beautiful sound thats a joy to play. Next up is a collection of ten songs in a range of time signatures and BPMs. As you play each phrase a section of the interface illuminates in blue to indicate the length, and you can transpose up/down several semitones using key switches. Everything is synced using Kontakts time engine, so youll get better time-stretching with the newer Kontakt 5. As with previous Sonokinetic instruments, the intelligent Time Machine algorithm will automatically switch to double/ half-time when you go to extremes, although this can be switched off by clicking on the hourglass in the GUI. The nal section is Improvisations, which are less
tempo-specic, although they have been recorded at 90 and 120BPM. You can change the start point of a riff by using the mod wheel, and you also have several keys of end notes to help nish a phrase. Finally, you have an atmospheric, custom IR reverb and two mic positions: a close mono mic and overhead stereo pair, which can be blended between with a slider. We found that playing the loops and phrases could get a little confusing, as the layout of the keys changes depending on the song, and the Improvisations change at different keys, but this is something you would get used to as you lay down your ideas. Overall, this is a unique and evocative instrument that could be used to add instant Middle-Eastern avour to your tracks or projects. MT
MT Verdict
Slightly confusing phrases aside, this is a beautiful and evocativesounding instrument that would be perfect for media composers and producers looking for something a little different.
8/10
Dirty Arse Drum Hits v1.5

Manufacturer 100 Akres Cassette Label Price 8 Contact via website Web www.sampleism.com Key Features
16-bit files Clean and tape-based processing Well organised folder system 100+ drum hits Captured with Coles 4038
There are six samples here so the focus isnt on multiple captures of the same sound with varied dynamics. Its instead going for that singular, sampled-froma-record sound. Given this theme, these are short samples, with the cymbals being muted or quickly faded out, so there are no high-delity super-long tails, which contributes towards that
hen people use the term dirty, we usually associate it with distortion and lo- audio. But this time the dirt aspect of this small but texturally rich drum hit collection goes right back to the recording chain. This started with a single 4038 Coles mic to capture the drums with a classic mono conguration. The mic then ran into an API preamp, EQP-1A and RMA A/D convertor a simple but tonally interesting processing chain. The pack is split into two distinct sections: the rst comprises recordings made with the chain mentioned above. The second is samples with further processing through a Denon tape deck
We began our tests using the cleaner
lifted-from-vinyl characteristic. In terms of cymbal type, they are all quite bell-like in character, so are useful for forward-sounding,
standalone sounds rather than splashy crashes and so on for accenting. The hi-hats go from tight and closed to splashy and open, with many variants in between. All of the cymbal sounds have that thick but never coarse harmonic content, which is a must for rich breakbeat drum sounds. Snares are also a mixed bag, including side-stick, normal striking and snareless hits. The source material varies a lot more here so we think they had quite a few snare drums to hand. Kicks vary quite a bit in pitch but are generally fairly muted, with a heavy impact smack and tightness to the lower-end energy. Toms also move into kick territory, with many being very low in resonance or with a nice upper-mid attack. They sound ne alone, but we used them to great effect by layering them with the kick samples. MT
MT Verdict
and HHB Radius 50 tube mic preamp. tape folder and explored the small but nice collection of cymbals on offer.
9/10
Choice
A compact and rich-sounding collection of drum hits. Not for those wanting high levels of expression, but instead aimed at getting that breakbeat sound.
9/10
| 109
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Reviews MT
Looplab Vol.1 - Drum & Bass Drumloops

Manufacturer ASL SoundLab Price 23.95 Contact via website Web www.aslsoundlab.com
Excellence
The main loops folder contains kick,
ocusing on the more underground, tough and tech-sounding drum work in the drum and bass scene at the moment, this pack presents all of its content in loop form, giving you only three ways to use it: sequence the loops as they are, re-program and edit them, or sample smaller snippets from all over and layer them to create a sound of your own. The latter two make the included REX les very welcome for immediate use, slice by slice. We began our tests with the pack by trying to build a sonically rich cymbal section to act as a bed of sound to work from. The folder for hi-hat and shufe
patterns was a good place to start and theres plenty of sonic, dynamic and production-style variation from one loop to the next. The stereo eld is Key Features
Apple Loop/ REX/WAV formats 200 loops Productionready sound
snare and basic hat-based rhythms. Again, no single production sound is repeated from one loop to the next so theres hyper-compressed and smacky drums alongside gritty and less dened break-like tones. The lls folder in particular tends to be either exotic percussion or more authentic real-world drum lls using toms. Overall, these loops sound well produced and have a great deal of variety from one loop to the next, making them a superb investment as a long-term sound source. MT
also used to great effect theres no at 16 patterns here, all of the programming is nicely varied. Next we looked for quirky percussive sounds to achieve some variation. Folders of percussion, effected loops and lls all have great content for this.
MT Verdict
A well produced, programmed and varied collection of drum sounds that will provide many sessions worth of inspiration.
10/10
Pocketrak PR7
Manufacturer Yamaha Price 131 Contact Yamaha Music Europe 0844 811 1116 Web www.uk.yamaha.com The unit has a fully manual mode that enables you to record from the onboard microphones, an external 3.5mm mic or line-level input. However, another four recording presets are available for when you need immediate and predictable settings. These are named Band, Speech, Field (recording) and Near useful for when youre in a hurry but nonetheless want to minimise the risk of making a poor recording. We recorded various sound sources with the PR7 and found it had a great stereo image and detail that captured the room ambience very well. The frequency balance is a little bass-shy and occasionally somewhat pokey in the midrange, but its very competitive price nonetheless makes it an attractive proposition. MT
MT Reviews What our ratings mean

Excellence Lets be honest
this product is, at the very least, the best in its class. Attractively priced as well as capable of delivering great results.
Choice
A very good product one that we would single out. Indicates a step forward in the implementation or application of a technology.
Value
Innovation
amaha has released what may appear to be just another tiny portable recorder, but this time the company has done something different, nally implementing a coincident stereo mic setup. This means that the stereo imagery of your recordings will suffer from minimal phase-cancellation issues as the mic capsules sit above each other (something that isnt very common in hand-held recorders in this price bracket). The mic position also makes your recordings highly mono-compatible. The unit weighs only 82 grams including the single AA battery it runs off. Internally you have 2GB of storage to play with; inside the battery compartment is a microSD slot that can accept cards of up to 32GB. File options go up to 24-bit/96kHz.
EXCELLENCE AWARD 10/10 The best in its class. This product produces superb results, is well implemented and sensibly priced. CHOICE AWARD 9/10 This product comes highly recommended and has an effective balance of features and performance. 8/10 A recommended product with features, performance and pricing that meets the needs of its target market. 7/10 A good product but with one or two question marks over ease of use or price. 6/10 This product has merit, but some improvements or a more competitive price would bring it closer to its target market. 5/10 Certain oversights in this products design and performance could limit its usefulness. 4/10 Buyer beware: this is a sliding scale of poor quality, overpricing and/or disappointing performance.
MT Verdict
A very compact and light unit with handy recording presets and a good-quality stereo image.
OUR REVIEWS POLICY

At MT we take our reviews very seriously indeed. We aim to offer you nothing but the best information and expert opinion, helping you to make the right purchasing decisions. Our reviewers are experts in their eld and talk to the manufacturers throughout the reviewing process to ensure accuracy.
8/10
| 111
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Get close to the edit as our Power User series continues

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POWER USER 3
Whats in
Issue 128 On sale 17 October
CLASSIC TRACKS TRANCE PART 2

MUSIC TECH MAGAZINE www.musictech.net Anthem Publishing Ltd Suite 6 Piccadilly House London Road Bath BA1 6PL Tel +44 (0) 1225 489984 Fax +44 (0) 1225 489980 Publisher Simon Lewis simon.lewis@anthem-publishing.com Editorial Director Paul Pettengale paul.pettengale@anthem-publishing.com Senior Editor Andy Jones andy.jones@anthem-publishing.com Art Editor Kai Wood kai.wood@anthem-publishing.com Features Editor Liam OMullane liam.omullane@anthem-publishing.com Digital Editor Andy Price andy.price@anthem-publishing.com Production Editor Lewis Brangwyn lewis.brangwyn@anthem-publishing.com Multimedia Editor Alex Holmes alex.holmes@anthem-publishing.com Business Development Manager Di Marsh di.marsh@anthem-publishing.com Marketing Assistant Anna Wilkie anna.wilkie@anthem-publishing.com Contributors Rob Boffard, Mark Cousins, Keith Gemmell, Tim Hallas, Mike Hillier, Hollin Jones, Andy McLaughlin, John Pickford, Huw Price Cover photography Pete Canning www.viewpoint-photography.co.uk Managing Director Jon Bickley jon.bickley@anthem-publishing.com Art Director Jenny Cook jenny.cook@anthem-publishing.com Subscriptions & Back Issues Tel 0844 844 0398 (UK) Tel +44 (0)1795 592849 (overseas) Price (12 issues) 64.95 UK basic annual rate Printed by Polestar UK Print Limited +44 (0)1582 678900 Distributed by Marketforce (UK) Ltd, The Blue Fin Building 110 Southwark Street London SE1 0SU Tel +44 (0) 20 3148 3300 Licensing enquiries Jon Bickley +44 (0) 1225 489984 jon.bickley@anthem-publishing.com
Apogee One Nord Lead 4

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All content copyright Anthem Publishing Ltd 2013, all rights reserved. While we make every effort to ensure that the factual content of Music Tech Magazine is correct we cannot take any responsibility nor be held accouxntable for any factual errors printed. Please make every effort to check quoted prices and product specications with manufacturers prior to purchase. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or resold without the prior consent of Anthem Publishing Ltd. Music Tech Magazine recognises all copyrights contained within this issue. Where possible we acknowledge the copyright holder.
MAGAZINE November 2010
| 98
MT Your Disc
YourDisc
/ /RETRO NEON PADS
SAMPLE LOOPS/ /ROYALTY FREE & EXCLUSIVE
DVD127 4GB+ PC&Mac
We bring you a stunning collection of retro pad sounds this month, plus instrumental hip hop kits and house/garage loops. Youll also find pro tips on Logic X, Live 9 and Ozone 5, demos, promo videos and all the files for this issues tutorials.
Size 428MB Format 24-bit/44.1kHz WAV, Kontakt, NN-XT Our friends at PinkNoise Studio have dusted off their prized Waldorf Q for this exclusive collection of dense and resonant multisampled pad sounds. Youll find 12 in total, packed with sweeps, movement and subtle detuning to give a retro feel thats perfect for chillwave and 80s-style tracks. The virtual-analogue nature of the Waldorf Q makes for a perfect combination of rich polyphony and analogue warmth, with only a little limiting used to process the output to retain the raw sound of the synth. There are 12 accompanying sampler patches for Kontakt and Reasons NN-XT, so you can get playing immediately. Web www.pinknoisestudio.com
MULTISAMPLES/ /ROYALTY FREE & EXCLUSIVE
VIDEO TUTORIALS/ /34 MINS
/ /SMOOTH HIP HOP KITS
/ /LOGIC PRO X EXPLAINED

Size 120MB Format gPlayer (included) Logic Pro X represents arguably the most significant overhaul in Logics history, bringing a wealth of new features, instruments and tools as well as a major GUI update. However, dont worry if youre left scratching your head as weve got five chapters taken from Groove 3s Logic Pro X Explained tutorial, which sees expert Eli Krantzberg delve into the depths of Apples flagship DAW. Youll find chapters covering the Inspector, the new Drummer Track, MIDI recording tips and region-editing techniques, with plenty of useful shortcuts thrown in for good measure. Be sure to copy the files to your HD before viewing. Web www.groove3.com
Size 113MB Format 16-bit/44.1kHz WAV The combining of melodic instruments and synths with tight, grooving beats can be incredibly effective when writing hip hop tracks. This pack from Equinox Sounds features five original and inspiring construction kits with a range of 100% royalty-free riffs and hits from 97142BPM. Each folder has full-mix and drum-mix versions, plus individual break-out parts including keys, Rhodes, pianos, synth leads, basses, orchestral stabs, strings, drums and FX, which can be combined or used separately to build up your track ideas. Web www.equinoxsounds.com
/ /SOFTWARE
SUGAR BYTES WOW2 (Windows, Mac OSX)
DEMO/ /SOFTWARE
Sugar Bytes has updated its filter plug-in with a host of new features including 21 filter types, three analogue-modelled and four digital distortions, plus a complex modulation section with an envelope follower, LFO, step sequencer and wobble generator. www.sugar-bytes.de
DEMO/ /SOFTWARE
CERBERUS AUDIO EPOCH (Windows, Mac OSX)

Epoch is a dynamic comb filter that offers a unique alternative to traditional filtering and dynamics processors. Create a wide range of tonal colours using transient detection, high-quality oversampling, convolution and FFT-based processing. www.cerberusaudio.com
IGNITE AMPS TPA 1 (Windows, Mac OSX)
FULL/ /SOFTWARE
DEMO/ /SOFTWARE
OSCILLICIOUS BEATCLEAVER (Windows, Mac OSX)

A beat-slicing/audio-editing tool for slicing and manipulating loops and sampling from recordings. The RapidEdit engine allows edits and effects to be applied nondestructively in real time. www.oscillicious.com
The TPA-1 is a digital emulation of a Class-A/B tube power amplifier for guitar, with every component in the analogue signal path modelled to match the original sound. TPA-1 is designed to be paired with any guitar preamp and to have enough versatility to offer both vintage and modern tones. www.igniteamps.com
FULL/ /SOFTWARE
TONE2 FIREBIRD 2 (Windows, Mac OSX)
FireBird 2 is a unique and innovative instrument from cutting-edge synth masters Tone2. Utilising Harmonic Content Morphing Synthesis, FireBird 2 can morph waves in real time, creating both traditional and modern sounds. Also includes 84 oscillator types, 38 filter types and 437 presets. www.tone2.com
114 | October 2013
MAGAZINE
Your Disc MT
/ /HOUSE & GARAGE
SAMPLE LOOPS/ /DEMO SAMPLES
Size 228MB Format 24-bit/44.1kHz WAV House, deep house and garage are proving to be winners on dance floors worldwide, with successful tracks fusing RnB-style vocals with skippy beats and deep synth chords. Loopmasters is bang up-to-date with its current collections, and this month sees a number of samples taken from its recent releases. Youll find a range of light organ chords, bouncing deep bass lines and heavily swung beats from Deep House & Garage, Pete Moss Deep House Roots, Reza House Nation and Wideboys Deep House & Garage. There are also chopped-up male and female vocal snippets from House & Garage Vocals, plus deep reggae chants from Don Goliath Reggae Dub Acapellas 4. As a bonus youll also find a handful of upbeat loops from Monster Sounds Cut Up Boys EDM Ibiza Toolkit. Web www.loopmasters.com
If your DVD is missing please contact your newsagent
VIDEO TUTORIALS/ /60 MINS+
/ /POINT BLANK MUSIC SCHOOL

Size 723MB Format MOV Under the slick GUI of iZotopes Ozone 5 lies a complex and powerful series of processors for mastering your tracks. This months video from Point Blank Music School sees tutor Anthony Chapman explore the different areas of Ozone, including the EQ, Dynamics, Stereo Spread, Harmonic Exciter and the Loudness Maximizer using an unmastered track from Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer. As part of Point Blanks Game Changers series, weve also got an interview with dance music legend A Guy Called Gerald, who discusses his seminal track Voodoo Ray. Be sure to copy the files to your HD before viewing. Web www.pointblanklondon.com
VIDEO FEATURE/ /30 MINS
/ /LOOPBLOG
Size 351MB Format MOV We round up more LoopBlog producer content this month, starting with a Quantize Courses video on using clip envelope automation to craft bass lines in Ableton Live. Sticking with Live, Paul Maddox of Spektre offers useful tips for removing noise from recorded samples, then explains how you can edit auto-filter automation and clip-modulation parameters to sculpt two kicks together. Finally, Rupert Brown from The DSP Project guides us around the FabFilter Pro Q EQ plug-in. Web www.loopblog.net
| 115
NEW!
The Nord Drum 2 is a one of a kind drum synthesizer for drummers, percussionists and producers seeking unique and playable percussive sounds.
The sounds of the Nord Drum 2 are synthesized in real-time with a stunningly expressive dynamic range and rapid response. The powerful sound engine lets you create and play a broad range of sounds from classic synthetic drum machines to life-like tuned percussion and acoustic drums. Flexible input options let you play the Nord Drum 2 with electronic drum pads, acoustic trigger mics, MIDI pads/sequencers and the new compact multi-pad Nord Pad.
Compact and responsive multi-pad. (Optional Accessory)
Use the Nord Drum 2 as a drum machine with our FREE MIDI Step Sequencer for iPad, Nord Beat!
Visit norddrum.com for more info and sound demos!

Handmade in Sweden by Clavia DMI AB
TECHNOLOGY
Distributed in the UK by Sound Technology Ltd | 01462 480000 | www.soundtech.co.uk | info@soundtech.co.uk

Music Tech October 2013

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THE BASS STATION RETURNS | 769MB OF SAMPLES | BECOME A POWER USER PART 2

2 LOGIC PRO X WORKSHOPS

BASS STATION II PLUS 18 more of the latest

769MB of samples & 1.2GB of video

More Colour In Your Mix

Mixing/Mastering/Logic Mark Cousins

Recording & Guitar Tech Huw Price

Scoring/Orchestral Keith Gemmell

Ableton Live & DJing Liam OMullane

Reason & Mobile Hollin Jones

Electronic Music Alex Holmes

Studio Hardware John Pickford

Pro Tools Mike Hillier

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MAGAZINE October 2013

14 THE ULTIMATE MICROPHONE GUIDE

06 Sound like 75 Kraftwerk

The Latest Reviews

BASS STATION II Plus reviews of Sony Sound Forge,

BECOME A POWER USER MAJOR SERIES: PART 2

MAGAZINE October 2013

MODERN WORLD VS THE GOLDEN, OLDEN AGE

COLES 4038 VS LEWITT LCT940

The latest against the greatest...

FOR MORE OF THE LATEST NEWS

TECHNICS 1210S VS TRAKTOR DJ & Z1

LOGIC PRO X VS ATARI 520ST

EVOLUTION U CONTROL VS ABLETON PUSH

MAGAZINE October 2013

RADAR 6 & ADA II

M030 & M040

RC-505 LOOP STATION

MAGAZINE October 2013

Liam OMullane reminds himself of the importance of breaks.

Leaving the cave

Take control of your music anywhere!

Whatever your input preference, IK has you covered...

MT Focus Ableton Live 2013 on sale 3rd October

MT Feature The Ultimate Microphone Guide

The Ultimate Microphone Guide Feature MT

THE ULTIMATE MICROPHONE GUIDE

MT Cover Feature Studio Technology

MT Feature The Ultimate Microphone Guide

Mics & micing: terms & technique

MT Pro Technique Microphone preamps

The Ultimate Microphone Guide Feature MT

MT Pro Technique Connecting to your DAW

MT Pro Technique Portable acoustic treatment

MAGAZINE October 2013

MT Feature The Ultimate Microphone Guide

The Ultimate Microphone Guide Feature MT

MT Pro Technique Suspension mounts

Available from Shure Centres only

MAGAZINE October 2013

MT Feature The Ultimate Microphone Guide

Budget mics under 200

The Ultimate Microphone Guide Feature MT

Mid price mics 200450

MAGAZINE October 2013

MT Feature The Ultimate Microphone Guide

As the numbers start to get serious, so too do the potential contenders...

High-end mics 450850