C0 Mputer Music M4 Gazine 4 Ugust 2014

August 2014 / CM206
V
ID
E
O

+
P
L
U
G
IN
Every technique
demonstrated and
free reverb plugin
to download
2700
SAMPLES
FREE
REVERB
ARTURIA
BEATSTEP
MELDA MAUTODYNAMICEQ 8
SSL X-SERIES PLUGINS
+
20 MORE HOT REVIEWS!
CUBASE SECRETS
80s POP TIPS
PITCHBEND
POWER GUIDE
MUSIC THEORY
ALL WITH VIDEO
PRO SAMPLE PACK
Exclusive sounds from
The Young Punx
30+
TUTORIAL
VIDEOS
Place your tracks in the perfect space with the
producers guide to professional reverb technique
welcome
This Welcome section might be the first thing you
read in Computer Music, but Ill let you in on a terrible
secret: its always the very last thing to be written. Its
just too easy to put it off leave it till later Ill do it
tomorrow And so on, until its deadline day, were
running on naught but coffee fumes, and Ive got an
impatient printing press on the phone demanding the
final (well, first) page of the print run. Once Ive come
up with the all-important scene-setting opening lines
from which the rest will naturally unfurl, it all comes
tumbling out the tough part is just facing up to and
overcoming that getting started hurdle.
In all creative matters, getting off to a good start,
following a workflow that develops your ideas
optimally and crucially being able to call
your work finished are vitally important
if you want to actually create complete
works, be they written articles, visual
artworks or, of course, songs. To this
end, weve enlisted musical creativity
guru Zencha to reveal his Creative
Concepts to you on a monthly basis
the first instalment kicks off on page 28.
Enjoy that and
Lee du-Caine Editor
ENJOY THE ISSUE
Where to get
intro / computer music <
HOW TO USE
Theres extra video content wherever you
see this icon.
This icon means there are extra files to
help you follow a tutorial feature.
Wherever you see this icon, theres
downloadable content such as videos,
software, samples and tutorial files.
See the Contents on the next page
for how to download.
DOWNLOAD
Tutorials featuring this icon make use of
our own Plugins.
TUTORIAL
FILES
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P
O
P
Essentials
Has mixing got you bouncing off the
walls? Get your sense of space back
with our in-depth guide, p32
COVER
FEATURE
reverb
contents
ISSUE 206 AUGUST 2014
Reviews
88 SSL X-SATURATOR,
X-PHASE & X-VALVECOMP
90 MELDA MAUTODYNAMICEQ 8
92 DRUMSPILLAGE 2
96 ACCUSONUS DRUMATOM
100 ARTURIA BEATSTEP
PLUS 18 MORE PRODUCTS REVIEWED!
72 THE A TO Z OF
COMPUTER
MUSIC: S (PART 1)
74 THE EASY GUIDE:
CONTRAPUNTAL
MOTION
76 KEEP IT REAL:
ORCHESTRAL
MALLETS
Producer masterclass
Tutorial
Tutorials
Interview
51 ULTERIOR MOTIVE
We get the DnB duos back story and
find out how they went about remixing
a much-loved classic Future Cut track
55 80s POP TIPS
Recreate the decade of excess in
your DAW with our synth, vocal
and production techniques
61 CUBASE SECRETS
How many forgotten functions are lurking
beneath the surface of Steinbergs venerable
DAW? We lift the lid on some of the best
67 PITCH N GLIDE
Bring your melodies to life
with portamento, vibrato
and pitchbend techniques
80 CHICANE
Nick Bracegirdle discusses
production preferences and
his latest Chicane album
4 / COMPUTER MUSIC / August 2014
Tutorial
Tutorial
20 INBOX
22 NEWS
28 CREATIVE CONCEPTS
49 NEXT ISSUE
106 SUBSCRIBE
112 BACK ISSUES
114 BLAST FROM THE PAST:
ARP ODYSSEY
CM VERB SAMPLES
Tutorial videos
download
Cook up simple-but-swell algorithmic reverb sounds
in a pinch with this free plugin from Acon Digital, p10
This issues exclusive free content from Computer Music
Our exclusive collection of
free plugins for Mac and PC.
See whats available on p14
A folder full of audio examples,
synth patches and project files
to help you follow our tutorials
CM Plugins Tutorial les
800 exclusive samples worth of eclectic hits and
loops in the duos own style. Get them on p12
Our fantastic software, samples, videos* and tutorial
files are now available to download! To get access,
head to vault.computermusic.co.uk on your
PC or Macs web browser. Youll be asked to register
and answer a few simple questions to prove that
youve got the mag. Youll then be given access to
our content! You can sign in any time to register
new issues and download more content.
* The Producer Masterclass video is not currently available as a download, though a
solution to this is being worked on. Apple Newsstand readers can still watch the video
via built-in internet streaming just hit the Play Video button on the page.
DOWNLOAD
31 high-quality
videos to guide
you through our
tutorials. Wherever
you see the below
icon, theres a video
version to watch
August 2014 / COMPUTER MUSIC / 5
PLUS!
1900
BONUS
ETHNIC FOLK
SAMPLES
Ulterior Motive show us how they remixed Future
Cuts Obsession in this in-studio video, p51
Nine videos to walk you through reverb applications
both large and small. Watch and learn!
8 Getting creative
with reverb
9 Convolution
reverb basics
3 Using reverb to place
sounds in space
7 Using CM Plugins to
mimic a spring reverb effect
4 Working with rendered
reverb for flexibility
1 Exploring basic
reverb parameters
5 Controlling the stereo
width of reverb
6 Panning reverb returns
for width and space
2 Sending sounds to a
reverb return channel
This issue includes over 30 high-quality videos. Get
them on your PC/Mac at vault.computermusic.co.uk
video
Read the full article on p32
Our fantastic software, samples, videos
and tutorial files are now available to
download! To get access to this content,
go to vault.computermusic.co.uk
on your PC or Macs web browser. Youll
be asked to register and answer a few
simple questions to prove that youve got
the mag. Youll then be given access to
our content! You can sign in any time to
register new issues and download more
content. For more info, see our Vault FAQ:
bit.ly/cmvaultfaq
DOWNLOAD
CUBASE
SECRETS
REVERB: THE GUIDE
We lift the lid on
this powerful DAWs
lesser-known features
2 Stacked instrument
tracks with MIDI sends
1 Adding a one-key
bounce-to-track macro
3 Controlling multiple
channels as one
Read the full
article on p61
Read the full
article on p10
Read the full
article on p74
Read the full
article on p67
video
PRODUCER MASTERCLASS
*
ULTERIOR MOTIVE
We get tangled up in their remix of Future Cuts
Obsession in this 45-minute studio session vid
bit.ly/cmvaultfaq
* Please note that the Producer
Masterclass video is not available as
a download via our Vault, though Apple
Newsstand users can watch the video
via built-in internet streaming.
DOWNLOAD
PITCH N GLIDE
3 Using portamento
instead of pitchbend
2 Making an Earthquake-
style hook with portamento
1 Programming a Bodyrox-
style bendy synth riff
7 Restoring traditional
synth performance controls
5 Drawing and editing
pitchbend curves
4 Creating a huge Dolby
THX-style gliding chord
6 Combining pitchbend
and mod wheel vibrato
EASY GUIDE:
CONTRAPUNTAL MOTION
Create complementary bass and melody
parts without hours of headscratching
Expressive melody lines are
a cinch with our guide to
glide, pitchbend and more
ACON DIGITAL CM VERB
See and hear this months
newest plugin in action
See for yourself how to achieve classic
synth sounds, huge vocals, gated snares
and plenty more typical 80s tones
9 Big, wide 80s
pop guitars
3 Getting massive gated
80s pop snares
6 Getting a huge 80s pop
vocal sound
This issue includes over 30 high-quality videos. Get
them on your PC/Mac at vault.computermusic.co.uk
video
10 Master bus processing
for an 80s pop sound
7 Programming a Human
League-style 80s pop synth
1 80s FM pop synths
with Rhino CM
4 Making an 80s pop
drum beat
2 Arpeggiated 80s
pop synths
5 Creating your own 80s-
style orchestral hit sample
8 New Order-style 80s
bass with bouncing octaves
bit.ly/cmvaultfaq
DOWNLOAD
80s POP TIPS
P
O
P
Add gorgeous ambience and lush cavernous space to your tracks with
our latest exclusive Plugin a versatile reverb efect for PC and Mac
>Exclusive full software
Were used to hearing real
sounds in real spaces, so
electronically generated synths,
beats and samples can often seem
raw, jarring and unnatural. This is
where reverb comes in, adding a
sense of space and reality, and
giving our ears that spatial
information theyre after. The
effect may go unnoticed in a mix,
but removing it completely will
result in a less satisfying sound.
But anyone whos ever used a
reverb effect knows theres more
to it than that, as reverb can
conjure up epic sonic scenes and
dense environs in which to place
sounds. However youre using it,
getting reverb right is an important
part of making your productions
and mixdowns sound their best.
All DAWs come with reasonable
reverbs, but having a choice of
verbs means you can try out
different textures. This is where
our exclusive new reverb effect
from Acon Digital comes in. Based
on their feature-packed Verberate,
CM Verb is a deceptively simple
VST and AU effect for PC and Mac
that has a state-of-the-art
algorithmic reverb working behind
its straightforward interface. This
makes it ideal for beginners and
seasoned pros alike, and its great
for both quick experimentation
and as a go-to mixing tool for
whenever you need a streamlined
but sublime-sounding reverb
effect. If youve been put off
upping your reverb skills by
intimidating interfaces, this is the
perfect place to start.
In this tutorial, well show you
exactly how to use each and every
one of CM Verbs parameters, and
give you some choice tips on how
to get the most out of this
incredible-sounding tool. You can
find more tutorials using CM Verb
in our epic Reverb: The Guide,
starting on p34. And be sure to
check out Acon Digitals full-
fledged Verberate, priced at a
resoundingly reasonable $99.
www.acondigital.com
HIGH CUT-OFF
The high-cut lter cutoff
frequency in Hz - everything
above this value is attenuated
REVERB TIME
How long the reverb takes
to decay to 60dB lower
than the original input
WET LEVEL
The output level of
the wet, processed
signal in dB
DRY LEVEL
The output level of the dry,
unprocessed signal in dB
WET MUTE
Mutes the
wet signal
Acon Digital
CM Verb
LOCK USER SETTINGS
Keep the parameters
from changing when you
select a new mode
REVERB PROGRAM
Select one of CM Verbs ve
different modes here
MENU
Access the
manual and
get more info
DRY MUTE
Mutes the
dry signal
Get the plugin, the video and
the Tutorial Files on PC/Mac at
vault.computermusic.co.uk
DOWNLOAD
LOW CUT-OFF
The low-cut lter cutoff
frequency in Hz - everything
below this value is attenuated
> download / acon digital cm verb
> Step by step
Getting started with Acon Digital CM Verb
Begin by running the relevant PC or
Mac installer from the Acon Digital
CM Verb folder. Once the installation has
finished, load up your DAW of choice, and
youll see CM Verb in the list of available
effects. In the Tutorial Files folder, youll
find a loop called Dry beat.wav. Drag this
onto an audio track in your DAW.
1
Were going to use this simple drum
beat to see what CM Verb is capable
of. Add CM Verb as an insert effect on the
audio track. The default setting, Medium
Hall, gives us a pretty strong reverb effect
thats a little much for our beat. Lets tame
it by dialling the Reverb Time down to
0.50 seconds.
2
Thats much more like it. We can
control the balance of the Dry and Wet
signals with the vertical faders on the left
of the effects interface. The small square
buttons underneath each act as a mute.
Click the Dry faders mute to hear just the
wet signal useful for getting just the right
reverb characteristics.
3
With the dry signal silent, its easier to
hear the effect that the Low cut-off
and High-cut-off filters have on the sound.
Turning the Low-cut filter up takes out the
wet signals low end great for making it
less muddy whereas the High-cut
attenuates the high end, making the
sound duller and less likely to clash
with other bright elements. Set the
Low Cut-off to 900Hz.
4
Click the Dry signals mute again so
that we can hear the dry and wet
signals together. Even though weve
reduced the reverb time, the effect is
quite strong, so turn the Reverb Level
down to -20dB. If you prefer to enter
values via your keyboard, simply click
on the value, and a cursor will appear so
you can do just that.
5
This gives us a subtle reverb that adds
a certain something to the dry loop,
giving it a more natural sound, more
energy, and an enhanced stereo image.
Now weve played with CM Verbs main
parameters, lets switch to a different
mode. Click the Reverb Program field
and select Gold Plate.
6
The five reverb programs all change
multiple, inaccessible parameters
(available in the full Verberate), giving
radically different results. Now rather than
the relatively restrained default Medium
Hall mode, weve got a big, splashy plate
sound. This can work well on atmospheric
noises, drums and vocals. Likewise, the
Large Gothic Cathedral program is great
for soundscapes and epic sounds.
7
You can get a more subtle touch from
Studio A, a tight room reverb, and
Medium Chamber is ideal for more vibey
instrument sounds and synths. Toggle the
Lock user settings button to keep the
parameters fixed as you audition the five
reverb programs. The menu button gives
you access to CM Verbs Manual, About
screen, and the Verberate web page.
8
TUTORIAL
FILES
acon digital cm verb / download <
POWER TIP
>Reverb bonanza
CM Verb has a lush, high-quality
sound, but weve only scratched
the surface of the plugins functions
and capabilities over these two
pages. Its possible to take things
much further with a greater
awareness of reverb and its uses in
computer-based productions, so
weve put together a mammoth
in-depth guide featuring a whole
host of tutorials and videos to
help you become a true reverb
expert. Head over to page 32 to
take your spatial awareness to a
whole new level.
VIP Series samples
The Young Punx
The eclectic electro funksters deliver 800 incredible
WAV hits and loops with their own unique flavour
Studio wiz Hal Ritson gives us the lowdown on
this outstanding packs creation
Computer Music: How did you create the
samples? What gear and software did you use?
Hal Ritson: Well, its quite varied, ranging from
modern plugins like Massive, Reaktor, Polysix
and Unique; to classic hardware synths like the
Moog Voyager, Roland D-50 and Roland JD-800;
to you know, people holding instruments near
microphones. The library is a mixture of loops
and sounds used on our three albums our own
actual sample library we use when making
tracks plus custom samples made for
Computer Music.

: Your live drums and breakbeats sound
brilliant! How did you get such an authentic
old-school sound?
HR: All the breakbeats were made using 100%
vintage equipment (the drums, mics, preamps,
compression, etc) and recorded using various
retro micing techniques such as the Glyn Johns
technique [four mics: overheads, kick and
snare]. We have great attention to detail, picking
an exact year and studio location (eg, New York
in 1972) and doing recording sessions in that
working methodology for really authentic
sounds. The drummer is Alex Reeves, who plays
on all The Young Punx albums and was the
drummer in Dizzee Rascals live band when we
were backing him for his 2009-2010 live shows.
Weve produced four Vintage Breaks sample
libraries for Sample Magic in this style, but the
beats on this Computer Music library can only
be found here.
: We also love the tearing electro basslines
in the pack. Any tips for creating these?
HR: We tend to like using quite raw sounds that
have both a fat subby element and a saturated
raw top end, so that one sound basically fills the
full frequency range. That one simple bassline
can do most of the work in rocking the
dancefloor. Were also suckers for the sidechain
compression effect on basslines. It comes in and
out of fashion, but it always works for us
because it enables the bassline to never clash
with the kick, as the moment the kick comes in,
the bass gets out of the way for a moment.
: What, in your opinion, makes a good
sample library?
HR: Sounds that push you a little outside what
Download these VIP Series
samples on your PC/Mac at
DOWNLOAD
> download / samples
188 drum hits
152 drum and hat loops
73 vintage breaks
21 live guitars
21 live horns
96 loops (bass, synths and more)
78 bass sounds
53 FX
66 hits, chords and stabs
53 synth sounds
800 VIP SAMPLES
London-based Hal Ritson and Bristol-
dwelling Nathan Taylor, together known
as The Young Punx, specialise in dance music
with a mashed-up mentality. The duo have
three albums under their belts Your Music Is
Killing Me (2007), Mashpop and Punkstep
(2010) and All These Things Are Gone (2014)
that mix elements of musical genres such as
swing, disco, funk, heavy metal, yodelling,
opera and even surf with modern dance
styles such as house, breaks and DnB to come
up with their unique brand of diverse, chaotic
and exciting party soundtracks.
We asked the pair to encapsulate their
eclectic sound in 800 WAV hits and loops
exclusively for Computer Music readers.
you usually do and so inspire you to make
new music, while not being so much of a
construction kit that all the compositional
decisions are made for you so your track still
sounds like you, not like the same track
everyone else is making with the samples!
: What advice do you have for readers who
get stuck during the production process?
HR: Creatively, dont just keep sitting at the
computer screen going stale. You can get more
done by going out into the world, living a bit,
seeing people, doing activities, travelling, and
then, having rebooted your mind, only come
back into the studio when a great idea comes to
you and you really, really want to work on it.
Alternating between EQing your kick and
checking Facebook is not going to make
anything that sounds special and exciting. Live
an exciting life, then make exciting music.
Sonically, I think its great to keep swapping
between different monitoring levels. A loud
monitoring level gives you the excitement and
energy of the track; but, you need to monitor
quietly in fact really quietly to hear if all the
elements in the track are sitting well together,
so regularly changing volume in the room can
give you different perspectives on a track.
: What plugins or emulations of classic kit
that arent currently available would you like
to see developed?
HR: I tend to collect hardware for synths from
the mid 80s to mid 90s, as there dont seem to
be any models for this era of synth save for the
Korg M1 emulation. You can get models of old
analogue Roland synths, but not the later
LA-type synths. Its a hole in the range of soft
synths currently available.
: Whats next for The Young Punx?
HR: Well, you know how it is: you make an
album, then you hit the road to play it to people.
We have gigs throughout the summer across
Europe and Asia, so well be out there wearing
top hats, drinking rum and firing MIDI Fighter
3D dub laser FX at people.
Web: theyoungpunx.com
Facebook: facebook.com/theyoungpunx
Twitter: @theyoungpunx
HARDWARE
Roland D-50
Roland JD-800
Roland JP-8000
Yamaha DX100
Yamaha TX81Z
Moog Voyager
Korg Kaossilator Pro
Casio VL-Tone VL-1
Yamaha CP1
Fender Rhodes
Line 6 Variax
Sandberg Plasma custom bass
Fender USA Strat
Gibson Les Paul Studio
Gibson ES-175
Electric double bass
Saxophones and a violin
SOFTWARE
Apple Logic Pro
Ableton Live
Arturia synths
NI FM-8
NI Massive
NI Kontakt
LennarDigital Sylenth1
PSP Audioware PSP Vintage Warmer
Camel Audio CamelPhat
Izotope Vinyl
FabFilter Pro-L
Slate Digital Virtual Buss Compressors
SoundToys Decapitator
SPL Transient Designer
Sugar Bytes Effectrix
Selected
kit list
samples / the dvd <
VIP
SERIES
Our exclusive collection
of instruments and
efects is included with
every issue of Computer
Music its all you need to
make great music now!
The Plugins collection
is a suite of complete,
limitation-free instrument and
effects plugins. Its an
incredible resource, boasting
35+ pro-quality plugins that
you wont find anywhere else,
all for PC and Mac, in VST and
AU formats. All of the included
software is created exclusively
for us by respected
commercial developers such
as LinPlug, Sugar Bytes, Ohm
Force, KV331 Audio, u-he,
Cableguys, eaReckon,
Vengeance-Sound, Rob
Papen, Synapse Audio and
MeldaProduction.
FREQUENTLY
ASKED
QUESTIONS
What is Plugins? Is it
just freeware?
No, and neither are the
plugins limited or crippled.
Its a set of virtual instruments
and effects created by some
of the best developers in the
business just for us you
wont find this set of plugins
anywhere else!
Where do I get Plugins?
As a download from our Vault
(see p5 for instructions on
how to access) or on the DVD
that comes with the print
edition of the magazine.
How do I install Plugins?
Youll find installation
instructions for each plugin in
the How To Install file in the
CM Plugins folder.
What do I need to use them?
A PC or Mac and a music
program (aka DAW) to host
them (ie, plug in to). You need
a DAW that can host VST or
AU plugins, such as Ableton
Live, Reaper, FL Studio (PC),
Cubase, Logic (Mac)
Garageband (Mac), or
Sonar (PC).
Which of the plugins have a
64-bit version?
Over half of the plugins have
64-bit versions, which youll
need if youre using a 64-bit
DAW that does not have its
own bit bridge (eg, Logic Pro
X, Ableton Live 9). If youd still
like to use 32-bit plugins in
such a DAW, try a third-party
bridge like jBridge (for VST) or
32 Lives (for AU).
Still got questions?
See the full FAQ at
bit.ly/cmpluginsfaq
> download / plugins
HYBRID
SYNTHS (continued)
KV331 Audio SynthMaster CM
Dual wavescanning oscillators
Multimode filter and built-in effects
Customisable waveshaping distortion
FM/AM synthesis modes
Extensive modulation capabilities
Based on SynthMaster 2.5
AU/VST 32-/64-bit
www.kv331audio.com
Enzyme CM
Scanned synthesis sound generation
Straightforward preset-based setup
Assign presets parameters to controls
Based on the full Enzyme synth
AU/VST 32-/64-bit
www.humanoidsoundsystems.com
FM SYNTHS
BigTick Rhino CM
Feature-packed FM synth
Large, flexible envelopes
Modulation matrix & macro controls
Built-in effects
Based on the full Rhino synth
AU/VST 32-bit
www.bigtickaudio.com
HYBRID
SYNTHS
Cableguys Curve 2 CM
Design-your-own waveforms synth
Phat 16-voice Unison mode
Four Macro knobs
Based on Cableguys Curve 2
AU/VST/RTAS 32-/64-bit
www.cableguys.de
Synapse Audio Dune CM
VA and wavetable oscillators
Powerful per-voice modulation
12-slot modulation matrix
Based on the full version of Dune
AU/VST 32-bit
www.synapse-audio.com

u-he Zebra CM
Blendable oscillator waveforms
Super-programmable step LFOs
Slick delay, reverb and chorus/phaser
Original synth designed just for CM
AU/VST 32-bit
www.u-he.com
INSTRUMENTS
PLUGINS
Get these instruments on your
PC or Mac right now at
DOWNLOAD
plugins / download <
VIRTUAL
ANALOGUE
SYNTHS
LinPlug Alpha CM
Dual oscillators with blendable waves
Easy operation Modulation matrix
Slick chorus effect Polyphonic glide
Based on the commercial Alpha synth
AU/VST 32-bit
www.linplug.com
XILS-lab PolyKB II CM
Models the sound of the ultra-rare
PolyKobol hardware synthesiser
Packed with mix-ready preset variants
Knobs assignable to main parameters
Based on XILS-labs PolyKB II
www.xils-lab.com
Madrona Labs Aalto CM
Unique and powerful monosynth
Unusual oscillators with FM
Waveguide delay section
Intuitively patchable modulation
Onboard reverb Step sequencing
Based on the full Aalto synth
AU/VST 32-/64-bit
www.madronalabs.com
PRESET-BASED
Camel Audio Alchemy Player CM
200 awesome ready-to-play patches
Loads SFZ patches often included in
our own sample collections!
Based on the full Alchemy synth
www.camelaudio.com
REAL
INSTRUMENTS
Synapse Audio Plucked String
Synthesises plucked string sounds
Stereo mode mimics double-tracking
Three-voice mode for extra phatness,
Five selectable modes: Noise, String,
Gourmet, Nylon and Acoustic
AU/VST 32-bit
www.synapse-audio.com
Rob Papen RG-Muted CM
Creates realistic funky guitar grooves
Onboard sequencer
Effects and modulation options
Based on Rob Papen RG
AU/VST 32-/64-bit
www.robpapen.com
SAMPLERS
Expert Sleepers

XFadeLooper CM

Creative crossfade-looping sampler
Hard sync mode Modulation
Blendable multimode filter
Saturation section Flexible looping
Based on Crossfade Loop Synth v3
AU/VST 32-/64-bit
www.expert-sleepers.co.uk
Loomer Cumulus
Granular sampler
Scenes function for sequencing slices
Not based on an existing plugin
AU/VST 32-/64-bit
RTAS/Standalone 32-bit
www.loomer.co.uk
DRUM
MACHINES
AudioRealism ADM CM
Old-school-style drum machine
Emulates Rolands legendary TR-606
Also contains custom samples
Based on the full ADM
AU/VST 32-bit
www.audiorealism.se
LinPlug CM-505
Analogue-style drum synth
12 different drum sounds
Distortion and bitcrushing effects
AU/VST 32-bit
www.linplug.com
To watch expert videos
showing the Plugins
in action and explaining
their features, head to:
VIDEO GUIDES
bit.ly/CMPlugsJun14
> download / plugins
EQ/FILTERS
(continued)
OverTone DSP Program EQ CM
Pultec-style vintage EQ emulation
Dual low-frequency boost/attenuate
controls; high-mid boost; high shelf cut
Tube amplifier circuit-only option
AU/VST 32-/64-bit
www.overtonedsp.co.uk
ANALYSIS
Blue Cat Audio FreqAnalyst CM
Pro-quality, feature-packed analyser
Numerous customisation options
Based on Blue Cats full FreqAnalyst
PC VST/RTAS 32-/64-bit
Mac AU/VST/RTAS 32-bit
www.bluecataudio.com
Photosounder Spiral CM
Musical, note-based spectral analysis
Useful for figuring out notes in audio
Based on the full Spiral plugin
AU/VST/AAX 32-/64-bit
www.photosounder.com
PITCH
MeldaProduction
MHarmonizer CM
Multivoice harmoniser
Create lush harmonies from one part
Based on MMultiBandHarmonizer
PC VST 32-/64-bit
Mac AU/VST 32-bit
www.meldaproduction.com
EQ/FILTERS
DDMF CM EQ Pack
Two superb equalisers
IIEQ Pro CM: 19 filter types
LP10 CM: Linear phase mastering EQ
Based on commercial DDMF plugins
PC VST 32-/64-bit
Mac AU/VST 32-bit
www.ddmf.eu
eaReackon CM-EQUA 87
Smooth three-band EQ
Adjustable low-cut filter
Switchable high/low shelves
Analyser, EQ tips, limiter and more
Based on eaReckons PR-EQUA 87
AU/VST 32-/64-bit
www.eareckon.com
Vengeance Sound Philta CM
Dual high- and low-pass filter
Four slope settings: 12/24/48/96dB
Resonance and width controls
Link function and notch mode
Based on Vengeances Philta XL
AU/VST 32-bit
www.vengeance-sound.com
Ohm Force Ohmygod!
Resonant comb filter
Distortion section
LFO with sync Output filter
www.ohmforce.com
DYNAMICS
HoRNet Fat-FET
FET-style compressor
Similar to classic 1176LN Peak Limiter
Ultra-fast attack as low as 0.02ms.
Based on HoRNet MultiComp
AU/VST 32-/64-bit
www.hor-net.com
ToneBoosters Barricade CM
Intelligent, mastering-grade limiter
Dual stages of transparent limiting
Dynamic response controls
Stereo options and versatile metering
Based on the full Barricade
AU/VST 32-/64-bit
www.toneboosters.com
SKnote Snap
Boost or tame transient brightness
Brighten or dull a sounds sustain
Uses two intelligently linked filters
Not based on any existing plugin
AU/VST 32-/64-bit
www.sknote.it
eaReckon CM-COMP 87
Slick, punchy compressor
Mix knob for parallel compression
Limiter to keep the output in check
Clear VU- and LED-style metering
Based on eaReckons SD-COMP 87
AU/VST 32-/64-bit
www.eareckon.com
DYNAMICS (continued)
LVC-Audio Transector CM
Transient tweaking and saturation
Define and process envelope stages
Useful metering/display functions
Mix control for parallel processing
AU/VST 32-/64-bit
www.lvcaudio.com
DELAY/
REVERB
KResearch KR-Delay CM Edition
Powerful stereo delay
Ping-pong setting and stereo filtering
Clear visual feedback
Syncable delay/pre-delay times
AU/VST 32-bit
www.kresearch.com
LiquidSonics Reverberate CM
Convolution reverb
A selection of real-world presets
Import your own impulse response
Based on the full Reverberate plugin
AU/VST 32-bit
www.liquidsonics.com
KResearch KR-Reverb
CM Edition
Based on KResearchs KR-Reverb
Adds pre-delay and damping controls
From tiny rooms to epic plates
AU/VST 32-bit
www.kresearch.com
EFFECTS
PLUGINS
Get all of these effects on your
PC or Mac right now at
DOWNLOAD
plugins / download <
DISTORTION
Sonimus Satson CM
Classic mixer channel emulation
Subtle warming saturation
Gentle, musical high/low filters
Based on Sonimus full Satson
AU/VST 32-/64-bit
dsp.sonimus.com
Kuassa Amplifikation CM
Twin-channel guitar amp sim
Channel 1: Clear, chiming cleans
Channel 2: Down n dirty distortion
Based on Amplifikation Vermilion
AU/VST 32-bit
www.kuassa.com
Kuassa PreMix CM
Subtle saturation to screaming drive
Three-band Baxandall sweetening EQ
A/B comparison function
AU/VST 32-/64-bit
www.kuassa.com
Cableguys Waveshaper CM
Graphically editable distortion curves
Design curves by dragging nodes
Syncable input vs output oscilloscope
AU/VST 32-/64-bit
www.cableguys.de
DISTORTION

(continued)
Rop Papen RP-Distort CM
Five crunchy distortion algorithms
EQ, dynamics, widener + modulation
Filter and parallel processing controls
AU/VST 32-/64-bit
www.robpapen.com
MULTIEFFECTS
Subsonics Labs Wolfram CM
Pitchshifting, distortion, phase-
shifting, panning, delay and filter
Flexible modulation
AU/VST 32-/64-bit
www.subsoniclabs.com
Sugar Bytes Artillery2

CM Edition
MIDI-triggerable effects keyboard
Amplitude modulation, 8-stage
phaser, resonant filter delay and more
AU/VST 32-bit
www.sugar-bytes.de
Inear Display Eurydice CM
Buffer override/repeat, delay,
bitcrusher and filter with modulation
Custom signal routing
AU/VST 32-/64-bit
www.ineardisplay.com
Procrastination! Gets me every time. If there was
a competition for the most amount of four-bar
loops created, mastered to perfection, then set
aside forever, then I would win, hands down.
Ive enjoyed countless tutorials on all
manner of sound design and plugin education
and over the last few years this has helped
massively increase the quality of my
productions. Great! My kick and snare now
sound fat, punchy and sit beautifully in a mix.
What an awesome sounding loop Ive created
Now how do I turn this into a good SONG?! Ive
found that to improve output of songs, I had to
just finish them, even if I wasnt blown away with
the end result. They would improve, one after
the other, simply by the process of consistently
finishing tracks regardless of initial intention.
I think this must be all too common, and its
never been easier to get distracted from
finishing tracks in search of help to create the
perfect kick, for example. Could help here?
Have you done an article on song structure/
development and finishing tracks recently?
Gary Harper

We have indeed done articles on this
important subject in 175, for example, we
tackled the topic head-on in our Start to
Finish guide. And if you flip to page 28, youll
find the first instalment of our brand new
Creative Concepts series, designed
specifically to inspire creativity and help you
start, work on, and yes! finish songs. Of
course, that doesnt mean we wont still
tackle such topics in dedicated larger
tutorials too consider us on the case. LdC
Send us your letters and technical queries! Email us at cminbox@futurenet.com
Message of the month
Requesting backup
Thanks for the article on backing up your
stuff in 204. Like most of us, I thought that
a drive failure would never happen to me.
How wrong I was! I used to have all of my
samples on a separate hard drive, and when I
recorded a song, I would burn it to disc for
safe keeping as well as keeping a copy on my
laptop. One day not too long ago, my
additional drive failed over 300GB of
samples that I have spent time collecting
from many and varied sources were now all
gone. I did not fully realise the implications of
this until I tried to load a completed song into
my DAW with the intention of reworking it
and got a message saying Files missing. I
now have a number of songs that have all of
the samples used in them missing.
After reading your article, I decided that I
really did not want to have to go through this
again, so I set up cloud accounts that I could
send songs I complete to. Your article has
prompted me to act, and Im even looking
into cloning my drives as an extra precaution.
Tony
Thanks for sharing your experience, Tony
let it be a lesson to other readers! LdC
The writer of
our Message of the Month
will receive FabFilters
fabulous Creative Bundle
suite of plugins for Mac
and PC, worth 279!
www.fabfilter.com
Steve Fisher
D. Only when they have
a massive discount.
Otherwise theyre
generally too expensive.
Hartej Dhiman
A. Ashamed to say at
least one per month.
Mitchell Waters
E. Once I saw you guys
were giving away all
those free goodies with
your magazines I lost
my mind.
Daryl Blakemore
A. At least once a month.
But more often than not
its usually a couple from
the same creators.
Hsu Chaw-Bin
E. I dont even have the
money to buy plugins I
live up to all the free
plugins around!
Viciouz Saundz
C. Every time I see a
plugin thats different
from others.
We asked our Facebook fans:
How often do you buy a new plugin?
The poll
Backup: boring, but it
just might save your
musical bacon
B: 17%
C: 15%
D: 26%
A: 24%
A At least once a month
B A few times a year
C When I need something
specific/different
D When theres
a sale
E I stick to free
ones mostly
E: 17%
> reader emails
GET INVOLVED AT www.facebook.com/computer.music.mag
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Youve been listening to
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Selector
ISSUE 206 AUGUST 2014
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Gavin Gdoublef Fields
10/10
Incredible
Brett Wood 0/10
Great for the
lazy producer.
Clive Winningley 8/10
I wish Ableton could
macro every feature of it.
Corey Brubaker 8/10
Although Ive had some
trouble loading certain
packs, there are lots of
dope sounds, and I like
being able to change
the skin.
Alex Picciafuochi 10/10
Huge sound and
incredible swing!
Wesley Weed 8/10
I love to use it for
inspiration when I am
trying to start a track
from scratch.
Knud-Henrik Bentzen
8/10
One rockin ROMpler!
Frank Sparti 7/10
Incredibly powerful and
probably worth it for the
features, but hard to
justify vs. synths with
similar features.
Lee Simmonds 6/10
Massively overrated.
When you remove the
obscene amounts of
reverb and delay on most
of the patches, the sounds
are fairly basic, and the
filters are awful too.
David Rosen 10/10
Absolutely essential
for electronic music
and pretty much
anything else.
Cullum Ferguson 9/10
Great to get your ideas
down quickly with a
wide range of high
quality sounds with
versatile tweakability.
Martti Merilaid 3/10
Learn to use Massive or
something to make your
own presets.
Greg Moore 5/10
If you absolutely,
positively want to sound
like everyone else, this is
the plugin for you.
Scott Blizzard Davies
8/10
Extreme ease of use
for beginners but also
has some great in-
depth features for
experienced producers.
Baron Simms 1/10
Regurgitated Euro-pop
crap heard too many times
on too many records.
Every preset washed in too
much reverb and delay.
Reader reviews
We asked our
Facebook fans to rate
reFX NEXUS
2
Our rating: 9/10, 131
Average score
from 67 reviews
7.4
out of 10
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NEW RELEASES COMMENT INDUSTRY HAPPENINGS
Long-awaited synth in beta testing, nearing official release
u-he Bazille almost here!
u-hes tentative synth plugin Bazille
has become the companys Chinese
Democracy. First previewed in 2009,
we got a better taste of it at the 2013
Musikmesse, but only now do we have
a sort-of-confirmed release date: on or
around 1 July.
Bazille offers a modular engine which
allows for the patching of any signal output
into any signal input, which means that it
shares some common ground with ACE,
another u-he synth. However, this time
around, were dealing with a four-oscillator
digital synth rather than a virtual
analogue. Those oscillators can interact via
Frequency Modulation, Phase Distortion,
and Fractal Resonance.
Alongside said oscillator quartet, youll
be looking at four analogue-style filters, and
for modulation, four ADSR envelopes, two
LFOs and two ramp generators. Theres a
morphing sequencer, a multiplex module
for clever routing, spring reverb and other
effects, and a MIDI & Tools panel for even
more expanded control. The central display
gives visual feedback on the synths
Universal Audio Neve 1073
Modelled on the Neve 1073 channel amplifier,
UA have released the Neve 1073 Preamp & EQ
Collection for UAD DSP systems
and Apollo interfaces.
A more accurate emulation
than UAs existing Neve 1073
and 1073SE plugins, it includes
all ten clipping points from the
preamp and EQ circuitry, and
support for UAs Unison
technology, allowing Apollo
interface preamps to act just
like the real thing for that
classic recording tone.
The new plugin is said to
feature a complete circuit
emulation of the original
hardware, delivering all of its
grit and saturation. Presets
come courtesy of a range of
famous Neve 1073 users.
With its panoply of controls, Bazille looks like hours nay, years of filter-patching, oscillator-wobulating fun
UAs 1073 Collection
seeks to ape the classic
Neve channel strip
MeldaProduction have added some new skins
for the eighth incarnation of their entire range
The new Neve 1073 plugin is one of our
most ambitious projects to date, reckons
Universal Audio CEO Bill Putnam Jr. We are
proud to bring such an exacting emulation of
this legendary piece of hardware to the UAD
Powered Plug-Ins platform.
Its on our testbench now, and youll have
the results when were through with it.
www.uaudio.com
MeldaProduction plugin
effects reach version 8
Since MeldaProduction offer free updates
for life on all their plugins, we dont often
stop to muse on their latest features, but
the wholesale upgrade of their effects
range to v8 is a good time to take stock.
Read our review of MAutoDynamicEQ 8 on
page 90, and a hands-on video of it in
action at bit.ly/MAuto8CM.
For version 8, the biggest updates to
Meldas 71 plugins (collectively available
as the TotalBundle) include resizable GUIs
with selectable styles, a GPU-processing
option for graphic duties and added
sidechains in all plugins with modulators.
www.meldaproduction.com
current waveform.
Its been undergoing beta testing, and
were expectant that Bazille will come to full
fruition in the coming weeks, but with u-he
being such sticklers perfection, we wont be
too surprised if they hold things up a little
more to get things just right. Itll cost you
100 whenever it is. Well tell you if its been
worth the wait in our forthcoming review.
www.u-he.com
> news
news <
Addictive Drums 2 ushers in a change of business model alongside its new features
Get your classic Linn LM-1 sounds from vLinn
Addictive Drums 2
XLN Audios virtual drum kit has a strong
reputation for ease of use, tweakability and
most importantly creating realistic drum
parts without too much bother. For v2, the
business model has changed slightly: you
now get the core Addictive Drums 2 engine
with every add-on kit pack, and you can also
purchase Artist, Producer and XXL Studio
bundles that let you take your pick of two,
three or six sample, MIDI and kitpiece packs.
There are new features too, of course read all
about em at bit.ly/AD2News
The cheapest Artist Bundle costs 179.95,
while each AD2 ADPAK costing 89.95.
www.xlnaudio.com
Special:

Make Better Beats!
In Computer Music Special 66: Make Better
Beats!, we show you how to make your
rhythm tracks bigger, punchier and funkier.
By following our step-by-step tutorials,
youll learn to sequence, design and mix
beats in a range of styles and flavours using
synths and samples. We also reveal the
secrets to emulating realistic live drum
tracks, guide you through the world of
hand percussion, talk to seven top
beatmakers (including Mr Scruff, Reso and
Om Unit), and round up 14 of the best
software drum machines.
www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk
Aly James Lab vLinn
Linns classic LM-1 drum machine continues
to draw the attention of emulation-happy
software developers, and the latest
developer to recreate the LM-1 is Aly James
Lab, who have just released the vLinn LM-1
Drums 32-bit VST for Windows.
VLinn is supposed to the closest
experience to the real thing because, rather
than being based on samples, it models the
LM-1s internal circuitry, even being capable
of loading EPROM data.
Its donationware with a 15 minimum
payment, and 64-bit and OS X versions are
scheduled for 2015.
www.alyjameslab.com
Quicco mi.1 wireless
MIDI adapter
Japanese developer Quicco Sound hope to
provide wireless MIDI I/O to devices with
standard MIDI DIN ports. Operating over
Bluetooth and powered by the current
coming out of the MIDI ports, mi.1 is
currently only compatible with iOS, but
OS X support is supposedly on the way.
The big question here concerns latency, but
if mi.1 can keep it as low as possible, then
Quicco might be onto a winner. This could
be a cheaper alternative to the PUC,
reviewed on p109.
The device is currently the subject of an
Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign, $35
potentially getting you an mi.1 in September.
Itll go on sale for $45 the same month.
bit.ly/1jrnJ71
Special 66 vows to make you a better beatsmith
with its many tutorials and plenty of on-disc extras
NI have released iMaschine 1.1 (above),
adding iPad support. v1.1 adapts to the iPads
larger screen and enables two-handed
operation by putting editing and performing
functions on the same window as the apps
16 drum pads, two-octave keyboard and the
audio recorder. It also comes with an
expanded library of sounds, the option to
sample music from your iTunes library, and
several workflow enhancements.
www.native-instruments.com
Elsewhere in updates, Steinberg continue to
bring Cubasis for iPad into line with desktop-
based DAWs. New abilities in 1.8 include MIDI
CC, automation, and support for Audiobus 2.
www.steinberg.net
Owners of any Steinberg UR interface (with
the exception of the UR22) can now control
its DSP features (effects and mixer) using
Steinbergs free dspMixFx app (above). It
allows you to control all DSP features and
create your own latency-free mixes on your
iPad with effects ideal for live recording
sessions where getting exactly the right
sound for performers is paramount.
www.steinberg.net
Faber Acoustical a developer of software
for sonic analysis tasks have released
SoundMeter.Pro for
iOS. Coming in at an
eye-watering (for an
app) $99.99, itll take an
incoming mic signal
(built-in or otherwise)
and analyse the heck
out of it. Theres a non-
Pro version of it, too,
weighing in at the
rather-less-pro price of
$19.99, which still aint
all that cheap for an app,
we have to say.
faberacoustical.com
App watch
Why did you start LVC-Audio?
MW The plugins come from my passion to
create. Everyone in this industry has a
passion for music. Some are passionate
musicians, some are passionate writers/
producers, mixing engineers, or whatever. Im
passionate about designing tools that can be
used by amateurs and professionals to make
better-sounding music. I get the same feeling
when Im coding an awesome plugin as when
Im playing bass in a band.
Metering features prominently in your
plugins. Why are meters so important?
MW Proper gain-staging is an important
aspect of recording and mixing, even within
the digital realm. Its very easy to push plugins
and DAWs too hard in an attempt to balance a
mix. When values go above 0dBFS, its really
unpredictable what will happen. Some plugins
work fine above this level, and others perform
erratically. Meters are a constant reminder to ensure appropriate levels.
You mentioned once that vintage-style control knob graphics
have nothing to do with software. What are your thoughts now?
MW Well, I might have to go back on my previous comments about
knobs. Knobs serve a purpose, but they also lock you into concepts that
may or may not be relevant in the plugin world.
Everyone knows what a knob is and how it works: you turn it right to
get more of something and left to get less. Theres also a trend with
plugins to look as old and beaten as possible as if the older the plugin
looks, the more expensive it sounds. This makes no logical sense. I really
respect Sean [Costello] from ValhallaDSP. He went completely opposite
from the trend to look real.
How did you come up with the concepts for your plugins?
MW They came from my own passions, experiments and accidents. For
Transector, I started working on the design, and different controls and
features started to emerge.
Then there are the LVC-Audio
accidents, like PreAMPed. I was
working on a compressor, and I started
to add features to make it sound
analogue. I played around with the
controls within a compressor for
about a day before I realised that it
was better suited as a separate plugin.
I also get many ideas from users emails, forum posts and general
suggestions. My upcoming plugin is based partially on a forum post
where people were asking for a plugin feature that didnt exactly exist. If
you have ideas or feedback, Im all ears.
Whats next from LVC-Audio?
MW There will be a new freebie this summer as part of KVRs Developer
Challenge 2014. I think many people will find it to be a useful tool for mixing
and mastering. I also have plans for some compressor-based plugins. Right
now, my plans are to stay with mixing tools. I dont want to rule out a synth,
but I cant imagine it anytime soon. Of course, Im still adding in development
time for happy accidents and great user ideas. Just like writing music, I view
development as a creative and organic process.
www.lvcaudio.com
I view development
as a creative and
organic process
Matthew
Witmer
The developer behind Transector CM sheds
light on his approaches to programming
LVC-Audio
OverTone DSP DYN4000
The EQ and dynamics masters behind
our own Program EQ CM have release a
Classic British Console Dynamics plugin
(PC/Mac, VST 32-/64-, AU 64-bit only) to tend
to your compression/limiting and gating/
expansion needs.
Threshold and Release knobs accompany
Ratio (for compression) and Range (for
expansion) as the main parameters, with a
range of useful secondary features:
sidechain, variable release, fast attack
option, etc. Its nicely priced at 20.
For those beginning to take a shine to
OverTone DSP, were expecting them to add
reverb to their processing catalogue at
some point in the future.
www.overtonedsp.co.uk
AudioRealism
ReDominator on AU/VST
Already available as a Reason Rack
Extension ( 203, 9/10), AudioRealisms
ReDominator is now available to other
DAWs in the form of a VST/AU plugin.
An emulation of Rolands 1986 Alpha
Juno synth, Redominator
recreates the audio engine of the
original and also includes a patch
converter that enables you to
import SysEx data from the
hardware. Oh, and yes, the
famous hoover patch is included.
Brand new for AU/VST are a larger
interface, a Chord Memory function
and extra presets. It should cost 55,
and if AudioRealisms schedule has gone as
planned, you can buy it right now.
www.audiorealism.se
HoRNet Magnus
Magnus is a two-stage brickwall limiter from
HoRNet thats unashamedly designed to
make your tracks as loud as possible. The
two main features are a Clipper, which
is designed to cut away small peaks,
and a Limiter with a fixed threshold
of -0.2dB.
Using these knobs, you can
increase the level until you have the
desired amount of limiting. You can also
adjust the Release time or simply select the
Auto Release option.
Its available now in 32-/64-bit VST, AU
and RTAS formats for Mac and PC, for 20.
www.hornetplugins.com
AudioD3CK KRUCZ
KRUCZ is a musical maximiser that
isnt intended to smash your signal to
smithereens. With its lookahead, variable
attack and release, filtering and plenty of
soft-clip settings, it certainly looks like
it has enough flexibility to treat a range
of signals with care. Alongside KRUCZ,
AudioD3CK have also released ST-R-I-P,
an analogue-style channel strip plugin
providing a compressor and equaliser
for your insert slots.
Both plugins are available in toy
(for non-commercial use) or tool versions,
19 and 49. Format-wise, you get AU and
VST for PC/Mac, 32- and 64-bit.
audio.d3ck.net
Get with the
programmers
> news
news <
If youre looking to take your boring old
sounds and magic some new into them,
then youd be hard-pushed to find something
better than CDP for the job. Composers
Desktop Project (composersdesktop.com)
has been serving up audio metamorphoses
since 1987, and having recently gone open-
source and free, theres never been a better
time to get on board.
Essentially, CDP is an ever-growing
collection of DSP manipulation tools that
transform your sounds in crazy and
inventive ways. . While results are often out-
of-this-world cool, the command line-style
entry required to make the thing actually
work can be a hurdle for some of us less-
geeky types. So what has this got to do with
trackers? Well, thanks to Renoises Lua
scripting (bit.ly/1k1p0TC), a new graphical
tool is now available that takes all that pain
away and delivers seriously powerful game-
changing audio design goodness right inside
the tracker itself.
You could also do it the hard way, but
after watching BTs recent CDP
demonstration video (bit.ly/STjjM6), we
definitely prefer the Renoise option.
DEMO OF THE MONTH
Bleep and Destroy by Conspiracy
When Archer MacLean unleashed
International Karate on the 8-bit world in the
mid-80s, he spawned a fan following that
would resonate down the ages. Which is
why, in 2014, Conspiracy have now themed
their latest musicdisk around that same
seminal C64 game. The music is a heady mix
of SID chippery and guitar power chords. As
you might expect, its incredibly cheesy, but
very well-produced and a lorra lorra fun. The
graphics even retain the authentic trousers
down animation from IK+ when you quit the
demo. bit.ly/1mFNwsq.
Powerful command-line
music tool CDP gets
Renoise integration
CDP is an ever-growing
collection of DSP manipulation
tools to transform your sounds
Bleep and Destroy stays true to its exalted game
Trackers &
Demoscene
Ins & outs
MAKE A MOOG
When we go to a festival,
the only thing were likely
to come home with is a
case of trench foot, but those who
took up the Engineer VIP Package at
Moogfest 2014 were lucky enough
to be able to build and walk away
with Werkstatt, an exclusive synth.
OFF THE WALL
His new album may be better
than expected, but were not at
all sure about the whole Michael
Jackson hologram business. It
might have been a technically
impressive achievement, but
isnt it about time we all
moved on?
BLUE MIDIDAY
We may never get rid of every
single cable in our studio,
but thanks to Quicco Sounds
mi.1 and Zivixs PUC, we might
soon be able to send and
receive at least our MIDI
signals wirelessly, using
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi.
SPOTIFY DJAY
It might not change the game for
pros, but for house party DJs,
Algoriddims decision to integrate
Spotify into its well-respected djay
iOS app is seriously good news.
If the mix never ends,
though, how on Earth do
you kick people out?
A SKY FULL OF WHAT?
Coldplay and Avicii, then. On the
one hand, their collaboration
(A Sky Full Of Stars) sounds just
like the EDM-by-numbers
production you might have
expected (gentle bit, build, drop,
then repeat); but itll probably
go down a storm in a big field.
WHO WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER?
Speaking of which, Queen have
confirmed plans for a new album
using scraps of Freddie Mercurys
vocal recordings from the 80s. As
Brian May says, you can do
almost anything with Pro Tools.
Yeah, but that doesnt always
mean that you should.
Samplephonics Matta:
Dark Garage and
Dubstep is a cross-
genre pack of loops,
one-shots and sampler
instruments in a very
generous collection of
formats from the eponymous duo. 40.
www.samplephonics.com
1.2GB of kicks, snares,
melodic loops, bass
drops and what have
you, Essential EDM is
said to be at the
forefront of the current
EDM sound. 30.
www.loopmasters.com
Extreme Environments
is a Kontakt instrument
for quickly and easily
creating dense and
complex ambiences.
Its part loop player,
part convo reverb, also
operable via EXS24 and
Space Designer. 60.
www.timespace.com
Reggae Percussion
features nine tasty
percussion instruments
including the reliable
snare and intriguing
thunder so that ev-ery
mouth can be fed. Over 1000 samples/
loops in WAV and REX formats for 30.
www.futureloops.com
Club Kicks 3 contains
big and bold club-ready
kicks from Sample Magic
that should, hopefully,
do exactly what you
expect them to. Theres
101 of them, and at 9.90, thats less than
10p a kick.
www.samplemagic.com
Sebastien Lger Funky Tech House is a
30 collection of bass,
beats, hooks, FX and
more in a variety of
formats. Lgers take on
electronic music goes far
beyond the French filter
house clichs, say Loopmasters.
www.loopmasters.com
Soundware news
This months round-up reaches fever pitch with stretching and
shifting galore, a superior string machine and a buzzin classic
freeware news
WOK Stretcha
Stretch your horizons (and
samples) with this weird n
wonderful widget from WOK
Take timestretching to extremes with this grainmaking goodie from WOK
> news
Experimentalists rejoice! Those
wacky wildmen at WOK have a freebie
thats sure to get your garde
up your avant-garde, that is! Part
effect, part sample-player, and all
outrageous, Stretcha does just as the
name implies: it stretches an audio file
to absurd lengths in order to produce
other-worldly tones from even the
most mundane sources.
It does so by employing granular
resynthesis, wherein a sound is broken
down into many tiny grains that are then
played back at a much slower rate
than the original sample. Audio files are
loaded directly into the plugin. A Stretch
knob controls the amount of stretch applied,
while a Pitch control does exactly what
youd expect. Sounds are triggered via a
Play button using an Auto mode or to be
scrubbed manually with a slider. A
diminutive waveform display gives you an
indication of where you are in the waveform.
Its all great fun and immensely inspirational.
The developer modestly calls it a one-
trick pony, but we think thats selling it
short. The version were looking at here is
free to use if you dont mind a nag screen,
but there is a commercial version as
part of the developers STRETCHPACK,
which is a mere 6.50 for three plugins.
music.service-1.de
Sometimes the
simplest tools are
the most useful. If
thats the case,
well be slapping
Audio Assaults
KlipFreak on tons
of tracks. Designed to do one thing only and do
it well, KlipFreak is a basic clipper plugin. Its
surprisingly laid-back, too, for a clipper.
Recommended for drums or master busses, it
gives you a mere three controls: Input and
Output levels plus a Clip knob.
audio-assault.com
Audio Assault
KlipFreak
Before there
were polyphonic
synthesisers,
electronic
musicians
supplemented their sound with the once-
ubiquitous string machine. Famous string
machines like ARPs Omni were bestsellers
for their manufacturers, even outselling
their famous synthesisers. Selena is modelled
after such an instrument, with simple controls,
lush string sounds and swirling phaser and
chorus effects.
bserrano.free.fr
B. Serrano
Selena
Todays finest
software pitchshifters
can sound amazingly
natural, yet
surprisingly few have
harmonising features
too. Enter PitchProof,
with its simple guitar
pedal-inspired interface and spot-on harmonies.
The newest version adds some much-needed
keyboard-driven modes for real-time shifting
based on incoming MIDI notes. It can also
function as a guitar tuner handy!
aegeanmusic.com
Aegean Music
Pitchproof
Britain never had what could be termed a
thriving synthesiser industry, but the few
that were developed on these shores were
bona fide classics. EDPs Wasp has earned
its place among the legends. Cheap and
cheerful, its diminutive size and flimsy build
concealed a dual-oscillator monster with a
wicked multimode filter, dual envelopes
and an LFO with sample and hold.
This surprisingly powerful instrument
was lovingly recreated by DASHSignature.
Once commercial, the 32-bit Windows
and Mac PPC versions are now free. You
can also get an upgraded version for a
donation of nine bucks.
nusofting.liqihsynth.com
CLASSIC FREE SOFTWARE
DASHSIGNATURE DAHORNET
ABLETON/CYCLING 74 MAX FOR LIVE
The release of Ableton Live was a revolution
for me. Now, many years later, I have the same
feeling again. Improvisation and spontaneity
are very important in my live shows and jazz
concerts. I wrote 20 or more little helpers with
Max for Live and JavaScript that can do 50
things at the same time when I just press one
button or turn one knob. I can create a lot of
drama with one knob just like a musician with
one string of his violin or one key of his piano.
WAVES L2 AND RENAISSANCE VOX
Waves still make the best-sounding and
most musical plugins for me. L2 does the
perfect job as a limiter when you need to do
a quick demo that has punch. Renaissance
Vox Compressor you just need to drop into
your vocal channel adjust for three
seconds and the sound is perfect.
NATIVE INSTRUMENTS MASSIVE
This is my number one sound source when it
comes to virtual synths. Simple as that.
CELEMONY MELODYNE
This is probably my most important software;
I use it in many different ways. Of course its
made for pitch correction, but it can do so
many creative things that I love. Its wonderful
to create chords from single sounds or from
noise, double voices Every note can go
anywhere, up and down; it can be short or
long. Sound becomes like Play-Doh.
VIENNA MIR
I discovered Vienna MIR while searching for
software for my next album, which Im doing
with an orchestra. I wasnt happy with the
room sound wed recorded, so I needed
another solution. When I put my 48-channel
project into MIR, I was absolutely blown away
this is by far the best-sounding software
reverb Ive heard, and I checked them all
Henrik Schwarz
A deep house veteran with a part-time jazz habit,
Henrik lets slip which music software does it for him
Henrik will be at Unknown Festival at Amarin, Croatia, 8-12 September
www.unknowncroatia.com
years
back
It was time for us to show you how to
build The ultimate computer music
studio in August 2004, as we presented a
pretty exhaustive feature with advice on
sorting out your rooms acoustics, setting
up your monitors and mics properly and
a whole lot more. Best of all, and for the
benefit of those who hadnt quite
mastered it yet, we had a step-by-step
guide to using a chair.
Elsewhere, we showed you how to
sound like Prince (which, given how
diverse his back catalogue is, could have
meant almost anything), and we
reviewed the first version of Guitar Rig.
Strangely, this could now be seen as a
sort of precursor to NIs Maschine, as it
was, we think were correct in saying (and
1996s Generator notwithstanding), the
companys first attempt at producing
a software/hardware hybrid product
(it shipped with its own foot pedal
controller unit).
Finally, in response to demand,
Steinberg announced that they were
releasing a paper manual for Cubase SX/
SL (it came as a PDF when you bought
the software), but that it would cost users
25. Based on our calculations, thats
about 33.50 in todays money, which
doesnt really sound any more appealing.
Computer Music 76 sent you
straight to your studio with
a pencil behind your ear
76 told you how to sort out your studio, alongside
our usual sagely sonic step-by-step tutorials
Whats on your
hard drive?
We reviewed the first
version of Guitar Rig
I can create a lot of
drama with one knob
NEXT MONTH Zencha throws out the unneeded parts of music theory
I spend a lot of my time thinking about
creativity; thinking about how to be more
effective in taking the magic inside my head
and, ultimately, having it play back to me as a
complete and finished track. Unfortunately,
crossing the finish line is no easy task. Not
doing something is infinitely easier than
actually doing it, and finishing a track is
way harder than procrastinating. Over the
coming months, Im going to be talking
about how to get things done and how to
get things finished.
But theres another sinister sister problem at
hand: starting. Starting tracks can be just as
troublesome for some people as finishing them.
You can spend hours trying to step into the
musical world only to wind up on some online
forum or snacking in the kitchen. Distractions!
Starting a creative work should be easy, so
lets take a look at some ways to start better.
The first issue we need to focus on is a limited
and incredibly valuable thing. Its time.
Punching in
Time is a serious concern for those of us trying
to pump out creative works. Either we dont
have enough of it, or we dont know how to
manage what we do have.
For both of these time concerns, one strategy
worth trying is a technique called timeboxing.
This means deciding on a particular amount of
time say, 15 minutes and
then boxing with your
activity for that period of time.
Sometimes simply opening up
your DAW becomes a
daunting task, but timeboxing
can get the ball rolling. You
say to yourself, OK, Ill try to
write a song for 15 minutes. If
nothing happens Im bored,
or I want to do something else
Ill walk away. But I have to do 15 minutes.
The benefits are clear. The small time
investment is an incentive to get in and try
something with the option of disengaging. Its
also enough time for you to actually get into the
groove and continue working on the project. Or
not but at least you can say you tried!
Constraints
Constraints are limitations theyre boundaries
to help you find a way. Theyre incredibly helpful
when attempting creative work. Theres nothing
worse than staring at an empty sequencer not
knowing how to even begin, but constraints can
help you start moving.
Placing a constraint on yourself could be as
simple as deciding the key youre making music
in, how long the song will be, its tempo, and the
genre you want to attempt. If you find yourself
truly struggling to get the ball rolling, try setting
even more specific constraints, such as: Only
three instruments will be used, and one of them
is a banjo. You could even decide on the
arrangement before starting write it down on
paper. Ill do an intro, verse, another verse,
chorus, verse, chorus, breakdown, outro. And
one of the instruments is a banjo. Banjos rule!
Context
Next, context. Empty sequencers suck, so your
job is to get something anything onto the
screen. Drop a drum loop or play a quick bass
synth line. Its important to not be too
judgmental. The point is to get something on
the sequencer so you can work from it. This
setting the scene is what I mean by finding a
context from which to start. For a specific
example, see the box below.
Finally, I want to mention an approach to
written work that I call word vomiting. Its
gross, but it makes sense. When you want to
start a written piece, you shouldnt be so
concerned about proper sentence structure or
pretty word choices those polishes can be
done after a draft is written. The most important
thing is that you start getting words and ideas
onto paper; or in our case, start getting music
notes or samples into your DAW.
After years
of studying
the creative
process, multi-
genre producer
Zencha has
mastered the
art of taking a
track from start
to finish. Here
he brings us his beyond-technical
approach to music making, casting the
spotlight on workflow, arrangement
and the creative mindset.
www.zenchamusic.com
Zencha
Getting started
Heres an example of how I recently used
constraints and context to help me get a
track started easily. I decided I wanted to
make a smooth deep house track saxes
and Rhodes galore. Those were my
constraints, and this decision was helpful
because I knew Id first have to nail the
foremost thing in house music: a groovy,
four-to-the-floor drum beat.
Right after I created the beat, I wanted to
provide more context for myself, so I
opened a folder of Rhodes piano loops and
tried a few until I found one that fitted. The
idea at this stage was to provide fuel for the
creativity to come.
So, I had the basis of my rhythm section
and my harmony. That took a huge weight
of decisions and creative effort off my
shoulders in less than 15 minutes, leaving
me free to focus on one of my favourite
parts of the process: turning on my M-Audio
Venom (which I use primarily as a
keyboard), loading up a saxophone sampler
and playing in a tasty melody to sit nicely on
top of the Rhodes loop and house beat.
And with that, I have a core of a song.
From this point, fleshing out the loop
further, tackling some arrangement, or
smoothing out the production quality are
some ways I can continue my workflow.
Constraint and context in use
Time is a serious concern
either we dont have enough
of it, or we dont know how to
manage what we do have
Zenchas
creative
concepts
Zenchas
Having trouble starting a track? Weve drafted in a master
of the creative process for our all-new inspirational series
/ burning question
IKMultimedia
In my opinion, it will not
happen anytime soon.
The reasons for this are
various: the current state of the
technology (ie, Bluetooth
latency) and its cost; worldwide
regulations on RF products
preventing small- to mid-size
manufacturers (like the majority
in the MI industry) having
enough resources to afford the
certification processes that are
required (and which differ in
each country); and that, given
the size of home studios,
wireless solutions are not
needed as much as in the stage
situation. Enrico Iori, CEO
Molten Music Technology
I think the iPad has
demonstrated howeasily
a wireless device can be
integrated into a studio setup for
control data. For audio, wireless
technologys biggest hurdles are
latency and quality, and Imnot
convinced that wires are always
a problemlooking for that kind
of solution. Ideas like RedNet
help rein in cabling nightmares,
and perhaps a more robust USB
standardwhichcarries power and
data is more helpful than
removing cables well always
need power. To answer the
question, I dont think they need
to be. Robin Vincent
FXpansion
For hobbyist studios,
perhaps; for pro studios,
no. The total bandwidth
requirement is huge, some gear is
sensitive to RF interference, and
much of peoples best-loved
equipment pre-dates digital
electronics, never mind wireless.
Perhaps a more important
question is: once your setup
moves beyond entry level
(laptop, speakers, a controller or
two), does leaving wires behind
actually make managing
connectivity any easier or more
flexible? Angus Hewlett, CEO
Focusrite
Making a wireless studio
a reality may prove very
difficult. To create a
credible network of wireless
audio devices, a round-trip
latency below9ms is required.
Currently, this is only possible
with RF systems, which can
exhibit round-trip latencies as
lowas 6ms yet are too large and
expensive for most applications.
The alternatives lower-cost
wireless solutions like Bluetooth
have very high latencies. The
studio audio market is a niche
and lacks the investment power
to set the agenda for Bluetooth
latency targets. My guess is that
the low-latency cableless studio
is going to be a long time
coming. Rob Jenkins, Director
of Product Strategy
Zivix
Wireless technology has
madeincredibleprogress.
At Zivix, we see a hybrid
studio becoming more prevalent
in the future. Wireless technology
will pave the way for much more
mobile studios, giving access to
music creation to a much broader
audience, which is great. At the
same time, there will always be a
certain gravitas to the traditional,
full studio setup, and we dont
see those hallowed spaces
completely going away. Chris
Heille, Music Product Specialist
Will wireless
MIDI andaudio
replace cables
anytime soon?
Spend the day with MPG Mastering
Engineer of the Year 2013 Matt Colton
in this exclusive guide to digital and
vinyl mastering.
THE PRODUCTION ACADEMY
23 27 June 2014
MASTERINGFOR
DANCE MUSIC
2 August 2014
Sound On Sound Editor-in-Chief
Paul White and Alchemeas
Jon Olliffe (Nick Cave, Ms Dynamite,
PJ Harvey) host this all-encompassing
studio masterclass.
SUMMER SCHOOL
30 June 4 July 2014
Twelve students join the Sample
Magic team at SM HQ and the
award-winning Alchemea studios
to explore all areas of dance
music production.
Five days of industry-led learning
covering artists, managers, label
owners and entrepreneurs. All
you need to know to master the
complexities of todays music
business.
MUSICBUSINESS ACADEMY
8 12 September 2014
Sample Magic has been creating industry-leading tools
for dance music producers for almost a decade. Now, in
association with Alchemea College and Attack Magazine,
were proud to announce a new series of in-depth courses
to take inspiration and education to the next level.
SAMPLE MAGIC COURSES
Samples__Patches__MIDI__Plugins__Books__Apps__Courses
samplemagic.com
Give your sounds the right sense
of depth, space and size with our
expert guide to this essential effect
> make music now / reverb: the guide
THE GUIDE TO
See the videos, and get all the
plugins and files youll need at
DOWNLOAD
reverb: the guide / make music now <
As anyone whos ever experienced the
deeply disconcerting aural dead zone of
an anechoic chamber will know, without
reverberation, the world would be a strange
place indeed. Sound waves bouncing off
surfaces play a huge part in giving us a sense
of spatial positioning to accompany the input
of our eyes and other senses. Its an
inevitable, inescapable force of nature and
an essential element of music production.
Artificial reverb, whether created by a
hardware box or a software plugin, aims to
simulate real-world ambience to a varying
degree of sonic authenticity. While sample-
based convolution reverbs are jaw-droppingly
convincing in their emulation of specific
captured spaces, the vast majority of reverbs
are algorithmic, doing their thing using nothing
more than mathematical signal processing and
thus being able to generate unreal, wholly
imagined spaces as well as more realistic ones.
Although classified as an effect, reverb
shouldnt be lumped in with chorus, delay,
filtering and other optional processors its as
fundamental to the craft of mixing as EQ and
compression, and almost every sound in every
track you make will benefit from at least a touch
of it. But like all powerful tools, reverb must be
used responsibly. Apply it incorrectly and youll
suck the energy and life out of your mix as
those all-important transients get washed away,
high frequencies disappear beneath a wave of
scintillating echoes, and bass loses definition
and power. And thats where we come in
Were about to show you what all those
controls control on your reverb plugins do, and
how to use them effectively. Well use a variety
of plugins throughout, but one thatll feature
particularly heavily is CM Verb, our own version
of Acon Digitals Reverberate, included with this
issue of . Well also get our established
Reverberate CM and KR-Reverb CM plugins
involved, so if you dont have them installed,
head for the CM Plugins folder. Without further
ado, then, lets conjugate some verb
Sonys DRE S777 was the first reverb to allow users to load an impulse response space of their choice
A brief history of reverb
Most plugin reverbs released these days tread
their own futuristic paths, but if youre after
classic spring, plate and vintage digital reverb
software, there are plenty of options out there.
Spring reverb, first (still a fine choice for
guitars and vocals, amongst other things), and
combining algorithmic and convolution
technology, Overloud SpringAge (79,
www.overloud.com) gives a good level of
control over its single spring, with three varied
models to choose from. PSP Audiowares
SpringBox ($83, www.pspaudioware.com)
can run between two and six springs and
sounds stunning, although it doesnt enable
adjustment of individual springs.
Softubes unsurprisingly named Spring
Reverb ($99, www.softube.com) (below)
boasts the excellent Shake control for aping
the awesome noise that shaking a spring
reverb unit elicits, and can be loaded with one,
two or three springs for an increasingly dense,
smooth sound. It is, however, the most limited
of these three in terms of editing.
Being a free download, TAL-Reverb-III
(above) (kunz.corrupt.ch) is a quality plate
reverb sim that should be in everyones plugins
folder great on drums, in particular. At the
other end of the scale, Universal Audios EMT
140 Classic Plate Reverberator for UAD
systems ($199, www.uaudio.com) does a truly
stunning job of modelling three unique plates
from The Plant Studios.
Digital reverbs are the best represented of
these three vintage categories, particularly
when it comes to old-school Lexicon-alikes.
ValhallaDSPs VintageVerb ($50,
www.valhalladsp.com) is a bargain-priced
reimagining of various Lexicon algorithms of
the 80s and 90s trust us, buy it. Native
Instruments Reverb Classics (169,
www.native-instruments.com), meanwhile,
brings you the hallowed sounds of the Lexicon
224 and 480L developed by Softube, they
sound superb, although Universal Audios
pricier Lexicon 224 Digital Reverb ($349)
(below) is truer to the real thing. We wrap up
with another UA masterpiece: their EMT 250
Classic Electronic Reverb ($249), emulating
the legendary digital verb that started it all.
Classic reverb plugins
While natural room/hall ambience has always
been a feature of recorded music, it wasnt until
the invention of artificial reverb in the late 30s
that recording engineers were given the ability
to control and shape the sounds of the spaces in
which their instruments were being placed.
The earliest artificial reverb effects were
created by simply outputting recordings made
in acoustically deadened rooms through a
loudspeaker placed within a reverberant space,
and capturing the resulting sound. Small rooms
and chambers were the first vessels to be used
to this end, but over the coming decades,
imaginative equipment manufacturers such as
EMT, Fender and Hammond came up with a
range of more interesting, flexible and portable
possibilities in the shape of spring and plate
reverbs, both of which remain relevant today,
albeit mostly emulated in digital form.
Plate tectonics
A plate reverb turns the input signal into
vibrations that are transferred to a large metal
plate, the sound of which is recorded by an
attached pickup (or two for stereo models). The
only point of adjustment on the plate is a
damping pad used to control the reverb time;
and having described plate reverb as portable
earlier, we should point out that the EMT 140
plate, for example, weighed in at over 250Kg
still easier to transport than a room, though!
Spring reverb essentially works in the same
way as plate reverb, but in a much more
compact form, with the transducer and pickup
placed at either end of a spring mounted in a
small box. Standard spring reverbs have
traditionally been particularly popular with
guitarists, due to the ease with which they could
be built into guitar amps, and prior to the advent
of digital reverb, springs were pretty much the
only game in town for the budget-limited studio.
The digital age
In 1976, EMT changed the music production
landscape forever with the EMT 250 the worlds
first digital reverb. Still highly sought after for its
timeless sound, this lever-operated classic
kickstarted a whole new paradigm in signal
processing. And cost about $15,000. Two years
later, the Lexicon 224 packed in much of the
same good stuff for around half the price and
quickly became a studio staple. Indeed, Lexicon
is probably still the first name that comes to
mind when one thinks of high-end hardware
reverb units, although the likes of TC Electronic,
Eventide and Yamaha shouldnt be far behind.
Digital reverbs actually create their virtual
spaces using multiple feedback delay lines so
youll often hear delay and reverb discussed as
branches of the same process. The dense, fading
tails of these delays coalesce to give the
impression of sound waves bouncing off the
walls of the space being emulated, with more
feature-packed modules enabling independent
adjustment of early and late reflections.
Digital reverb reached another milestone in
1999 as Sony unveiled the DRE S777 the first
real-time convolution processor. Using samples
of real spaces (impulse responses) to generate
staggeringly convincing environments, it cost
over four grand and made compelling alternative
to its less realistic algorithmic counterparts.
Today, of course, plugins are very much
where all the action is taking place in cutting-
edge reverb design, although theyre still
divided into the same two fundamental types
they have been for the last 15 years: algorithmic
and convolution. And not only do the likes of
Audio Ease Altiverb, 2CAudio Aether and UVI
SparkVerb give even the best hardware reverbs
a run for their money in terms of sound quality
and features, but they cost considerably less
and can be racked up in as many simultaneous
instances as your Mac or PC can handle.
Welcome to the future!
Sean Costello is the brains
behind ValhallaDSP, and
his affordable line-up of
Lexicon-inspired reverb
plugins are renowned for
their beautiful sounds and
retro approach. We halled
him in for questioning.
: What makes a great reverb?
SC: A great reverb is one that sounds great to
the listener or user. Its all subjective. A spring
reverb, for example, utterly fails when judged by
the same criteria as a high-end digital reverb
(spaciousness, envelopment, frequency
response), but a spring reverb is all kinds
of awesome.
: Do you think todays software reverbs are
a match for high-end hardware?
SC: Todays software reverbs are getting close
to the classic high-end hardware. At this point,
the differences are less about the algorithms
themselves and more about the analogue
processing and fixed-point digital artifacts in the
older hardware. Older reverbs had a fair amount
of digital grunge, noise and clipping, and some
people prefer the sound of that.
A tip for anyone who works both inside and
outside the box: try putting a digital reverb
plugin on an analogue send. This will make the
plugin sound much more analogue.
: Many reverbs offer a range of algorithms
Room, Hall, etc but what does that really mean?
SC: It all depends on the vintage of the reverb
processor. Older hardware units tended to use
different algorithms for different reverb types,
but those algorithms had little resemblance to
physical reality the algorithm was named
according to its sound. The late Keith Barr
(founder of Alesis and MXR) discusses the
naming of algorithmic reverbs at bit.ly/1n5T4MN.
Some modern reverb algorithms use
physical modelling to more closely match a
physical resonator. A modern plate reverb
may use convolution to model the whip crack
at the start of the decay, and a modern room
reverb might use ray tracing for the first
few orders of wall reflections. However, the
tradition of naming an algorithm after its
sound remains alive.
ValhallaDSP on reverb
A reverb plugin takes the input signal and repeats it over time as above. The dimensions of the parts of this
response diagram their levels and timing are adjusted when you change the controls on a reverb plugin
Anatomy of an algorithmic reverb
The output of a reverb plugin may sound like a
fairly straightforward wash of sound, but it
actually comprises a complex combination of
components that can be adjusted and shaped to
conjure up spaces from the tiniest of boxes to
the vastest of vistas. At the heart of any reverb
algorithm are a multitude of delay lines, each
essentially representing an individual echo or
reflection, and while the controls on offer vary,
there is a fundamental operational architecture
that the vast majority adhere to
Direct, early and late sounds
Say a balloon pops in a room. Waves of sound
come issuing out from it in all directions. The
sound aimed directly at your head will be heard
first we call this the Direct Sound.
The next thing you hear, arriving shortly after,
is the sound that has reflected off the surface
(wall) nearest to you; followed by other Early
Reflections of the sound off other surfaces.
As the soundwaves continue to bounce off
multiple surfaces before arriving at the ears, the
many resulting echoes pile up, increasing in
density and decreasing in energy. These are the
Late Reflections of the reverberant sound.
In a reverb plugin, the Direct Sound is taken
to be your original, dry input. The plugin may
offer separate control over the Early and Late
Reflections timing and levels, with the Decay
Time determining how long it takes for the tail
to fall in volume by 60dB. A Size control may
also be on offer, governing how big your virtual
space is.
Density, diffusion and shape
Reverbs may also feature density and/or
diffusion parameters, although not always with
those exact names. Density sets the number of
echoes in the reverb tail per second the higher
the setting, the thicker and more natural the
tail; Diffusion controls the build-up in density of
the initial tail reflections (those immediately
after the early reflections) to emulate smooth/
rough/soft/hard surfaces. A few reverbs include
a Shape control, for altering the number of
surfaces making up the virtual space and the
angles between them.
Back in the day, hardware digital reverbs
combined the density, diffusion, shape and size
parameters in space-specific algorithms, rather
than giving the user full control. These algorithms
were named after the spaces that they sounded
closest to, (hall, room, chamber, cathedral,
plate, etc), even though they had little to do
with physical reality. Some reverb plugins still do
this (ValhallaDSPs vintage-inspired line-up, for
example), but modern technology allows for
algorithms to be based more closely on the
physical characteristics of a space.
Pre-delay
An important parameter found on most reverb
plugins is Pre-delay. Ranging from 0 to about
250ms, this delays the input of the source signal
into the reverb, creating a gap between the
direct sound and the early reflections. At low
settings, the reverb will feel directly connected
to the source; at settings beyond about 50ms,
the gap becomes increasingly noticeable.
Other functions
High/low Damping reduces the decay time for
the high or low tail frequencies, while high-/low-
pass or shelving Filters enable bass and treble
to shaved off globally. Without such frequency
shaping, the top and bottom of a mix can easily
become swamped by even relatively short
reverbs, and the tail can lose its sense of realism
high frequencies drop off very quickly in real-
world reverberation. Boosting below 700Hz is
considered important for emulating halls and
other large spaces.
If your reverb plugin boasts a Stereo or Width
control, you can adjust the stereo width of the
early reflections and tail. This could range from
mono to 1:1 mapping (left input-left output; right
input-right output) to beyond, using antiphase
signals (where each output is inverted in phase
and added to the other). Finally, youll invariably
find a wet/dry Mix control or separate level
controls for dry and wet signals, to set the depth
of the reverb in relation to the source.
Late Reections (Tail)
Decay Time
Early Reections
Pre-delay
d
B
Time
> Step by step
1. Exploring basic reverb parameters
We fire up Ableton Live, program a
drum pattern (1 Dry drums.wav), then
insert Lives Reverb plugin into its channel.
We turn off everything that can be turned
off, so that it isnt filtered or modulated at
all, and set the plugin to a 50/50 mix of
drums and reverb. Any typical reverb
plugin will do, and your DAW almost
certainly includes one that has very similar
features to the one were using here.
1
Rather than a set of specific room
algorithms, Reverb sports a single
room Size control. At its lowest setting, the
drums sound like theyre in a bathroom; at
max, theyre in a stadium. The Decay
Time sets the duration of the reverb tail,
from 200ms to 60s that is, how long the
reverb takes to fade away to silence.
These two knobs set the character of our
reverb tail (late reflections), along with
2
the Diffusion Network controls.
Different reverbs will offer different
controls with which to adjust the density
and smoothness of the tail here, we have
the Density and Scale parameters in the
Diffusion Network section. Your reverb
may well let you modulate the tail to
impart a bit of wobble, too Reverbs
Chorus module gives control over the
speed and depth of its LFO.
3
In the real world, early reflections are
the very first echoes to arrive at your
ears, before all the echoes aggregate to
form a more smoothly decaying tail. The
Shape control on Lives Reverb sets the
prominence of the early reflections, while
the Reflect dial sets their volume in the
mix (Diffuse does the same for the tail).
Check out audio of the different settings
for all steps in the Tutorial Files folder.
4
The time it takes for the first early
reflections to appear is called the pre-
delay, and it can be used to give transients
a bit of space before the reverb kicks in,
and add to the impression of size with
large spaces. Lives Predelay, found in the
very lower left of Reverbs interface, is
typical, ranging from 0.5ms to 250ms.
5
Our reverb spans the frequency range,
but in a mix, you may want to rein in
the highs/lows. Some reverbs have filters
for this Lives has them on the input and
in the Diffusion Network (the latter acting
as reverb damping controls, to control
bass/treble tail length). Your reverb may
also have a stereo width control for
narrowing/widening the signal. Again,
hear it all in action in the Tutorial Files.
6
Four of the best algorithmic reverb plugins
Eventide Blackhole
181 9/10 $199
A powerful reverb for creative sound
design rather than the emulation of
anything even approaching real-
world spaces. It sounds truly unique,
and the morphing Ribbon Controller
and Hotswitch enable smooth or
sudden transitioning between two
complete parameter setups.
www.eventide.com
2CAudio Aether
156 10/10 $250
2CAudio are true masters of reverb
design, and their flagship, Aether, is
surely a contender for greatest reverb
ever made, hard or soft. With its
extensive control array, under-the-
hood randomisation and lush,
scintillating sound, it simply doesnt
put a foot wrong.
www.2caudio.com
UVI SparkVerb
200 8/10 $199
A beefed-up version of a reverb
algorithm from their UVI Engine
instrument, SparkVerb might put
its novel Preset Voyager patch
generation system at the top of
the marketing blurb, but the real
draw is its fabulously musical sound
and ease of use.
www.uvi.net
eaReckon EAReverb
164 8/10 129
Beautifully laid out and packing seven
size variations on its core algorithm,
EAReverb is at its best generating
small-space ambiences, which it does
supremely well. A max decay time of 3.8
seconds does make it something of a
specialist proposition, but advanced
early reflection controls make up for it.
www.eareckon.com
TUTORIAL
FILES
In the average mix,
the majority of sounds
will require some
amount of reverb
> Step by step
2. Sending sounds to a reverb return channel
We want to put the drums, percussion
and synth in this track in the same
reverb space, so we insert identical CM
Verbs into their three channels (1A. Dry
Mix.wav and 1B. Three Reverbs.wav).
This works well enough despite requiring
us to set three separate wet/dry balances
until, that is, we want to change the
sound of the reverb, which means making
our adjustments three times.
1
The solution is to use just one reverb
to process all three sounds, rather
than give each sound its own plugin. This
will also cut down on our CPU usage. To
do this, well send the three tracks to one
reverb on an auxiliary return channel. So,
we delete our existing reverbs, create an
auxiliary return buss in our DAW (see your
DAWs manual if youre not sure how) and
insert a new CM Verb on it.
2
Raising the Send levels on the drums,
percussion and synth channels taps
the signal off to be processed by the reverb.
By default, CM Verbs Dry Level is set to
0dB, so well hear the dry signal in each
channel and again in the reverb return
not desirable. We mute the dry signal so
that all we hear on the return is reverb. If
your reverb dry/wet mix control instead,
set it to 100% wet to achieve the same.
3
Now we can make changes to our
reverb settings by adjusting just one
instance of the plugin rather than three!
We can tweak the settings to adjust the
currently loaded reverb or change the
sound entirely by removing CM Verb and
calling up a whole new one, such as
Logics Space Designer, shown here. Hear
it in 4. Different reverb.wav.
4
Another convenient benefit of using a
reverb on an auxiliary return is that
you can adjust its level via its channel
fader, and process the reverb signal
discretely with further plugins. In
Processed reverb.wav, were EQing and
compressing the reverb from step 3 for a
harder sound. Well go into greater detail
about shaping and customising reverb
returns using plugins in a later tutorial.
5
Finally, switching your reverb send
from post- to pre-fader means that
the send level to the reverb wont be
affected by changes to the sending
channels level fader the reverb return
will stay at the level set by the Send
control, even if the volume fader is pulled
right down. Youll rarely use this, but it is
handy in certain situations, such as
creating huge wet-only reverb effects.
6
You have two choices when it comes to
deploying a reverb plugin within your DAWs
mixer: you can either insert it directly into the
channel of the sound youre looking to process,
or place it on an auxiliary channel and send a
controlled amount of the signal from the source
sounds channel to it in parallel with the main
signal. But why, you might be wondering, would
you want to do the latter, rather than just keep
things simple by doing the former? There are
several reasons
In a typical mix, the majority of sounds will
require some amount of reverb, and with
the average mix comprising upwards of 25
tracks, inserting separate reverbs on all of them
will not only make the mixing process itself
a nightmare but will also place great demands
on your computers CPU. Having so many
disparate ambiences going on at once can
quickly result in a confusing sound, too. The
basic solution to all of this is to run one reverb
on an auxiliary channel, and use this for all your
reverb needs. Of course, you might need more
options than that, so you might instead set up
two or three such auxiliary channels, each with a
different style of reverb one short, one
medium and one long, say and send each
sound to whichever one you deem appropriate.
Thus, not only have you boiled your 20-odd
reverbs down to three, sparing your poor
computer, but your mix will sound much more
cohesive through having only three spatial
settings involved. You can also process each
reverbs return channel (its output back into the
main mix) using EQ, compression, chorus or
whatever other effects you like in order to
brighten, darken, beef up or widen it again,
doing this to a series of channel-inserted
reverbs would not only be hugely impractical
but would, of course, also affect the dry sound.
On the next page, well look at the placement
of sounds by sending to multiple reverbs, but
first, lets walk through the basics of setting up a
single reverb return.
Sends and returns
> Step by step
3. Using reverb to place sounds in space
Reverb can be used to move sounds
towards the perceived front or back
of the 3D soundstage. 1. Unmixed
orchestra.wav is a quick orchestral
passage comprising strings, brass, wind
and tuned percussion sections from
Sonokinetics Minimal library for Kontakt.
We then add to this with a snare drum part
courtesy of FXpansion BFD 3, and render
the whole thing as five tracks of audio.
1
Before positioning our sounds in space
(were going for strings up front, brass
and winds in the middle and percussion at
the back), we need to do a rough mix, just
in terms of levels and panning. Tweaking
the volume levels gives us a more palatable
balance. Each of our tracks is a stereo
orchestral section, so the instruments are
already placed in the stereo field, thus our
panning offsets are kept small.
2
OK, were ready to introduce our
reverbs! We set up three plugins on
auxiliary buses in our DAW, naming them
Close, Medium and Far. For Close and
Medium, we load up our very own CM
Verb, with Close set to the small, short
Studio preset and Medium set to the
bigger, longer Medium Hall. For the Far, we
opt for ValhallaDSP VintageVerbs Huge
Synth Hall preset. All three are 100% Wet.
3
We want the string section upfront, as
it would be placed in a real orchestra,
but still with a sense of space beyond the
width of the dry, close-miked recording, so
we send it to the Close reverb. We also
tweak the reverb itself, raising the Reverb
Time to 1.8s and upping the Low Cut-Off
to 226Hz. This last adjustment takes the
very lowest frequencies out of the reverb,
to not take up headroom unnecessarily.
4
Our brass and woodwinds will share
the 3D middle of our soundstage, and
to that end, we send them both to the
Medium reverb (Reverb Time: 3.22s).
Again, we shave off the bottom of the
signal, but this time the Low Cut-off is
applied at just 100Hz, since the low end of
the brass above that actually works well
within the reverb. Audio for this and other
steps are in the Tutorial Files folder.
5
We place the snare off in the distance
by sending it to the Far reverb. At the
current VintageVerb settings, though, its
way too bright and long, so we reduce the
Decay Time, HighFreq Damping and
Predelay (we dont want any noticeable
slapback). Lowering the damping darkens
the top end, pushing the snare even further
away. We also send the Percussion to this
reverb, just to give it a touch of ambience.
6
The snare still sounds rather too
present for our liking. Weve darkened
it with the reverbs damping, but we can
also EQ the snare itself to make it more
distant still dulling the treble increases
distance. Using our DAWs built-in EQ, we
apply a High-cut Filter at around 5kHz,
with a small hump at the cutoff point to
retain impact. We also up the snare channel
by about 3dB to compensate for the cut.
7
Applying the same principle in the
opposite direction, we give the strings
a high EQ boost to bring them further to
the fore, and lower their overall volume by
3dB. Brightening a sound by emphasising
its highs brings it to the front of the stage,
while darkening it by attenuating the top
end sends it further back. Similarly, short
reverbs imply closeness and long reverbs
give the impression of distance.
8
POWER TIP
>Horses for courses
While a carefully designed 3D
soundstage can imbue a mix with
palpable depth, always bear in
mind the established tenets of your
genre. While certain genres benefit
from every sound occupying its
own individual front/back position
(ambient, orchestral), rock, dance
and pop music usually require their
focal elements to be kept upfront.
Depending on the track, that might
be the majority or even all of them
drums, bass, guitars and vocals in
rock, for example. Of course, rules
are made to be broken, though, so
if youre absolutely sure that
ghostly, wandering snare works
well in your latest DnB roller, who
are we to suggest otherwise?
> Step by step
4. Working with rendered reverb for flexibility
CM Verb is perfect for fast and
intuitive mixing, but here were going
to customise reverb signals further,
showing you how to modify the signal
from any reverb through processing and
audio editing. Load the audio files from
the Tutorial Files folder onto new tracks
in a 125bpm project there are a few
house parts taken from this issues VIP
Series pack by The Young Punx.
1
Load a fresh CM Verb on a new
auxiliary return track and Send the
Clap channel to this reverb return with a
0dB amount. Now load up the Gold Plate
program, raise the Reverb Level to 0.0dB,
then turn off the plugins Dry button so
only the wet reverb signal can be heard
through the returns output.
2
Now solo the return track and render
it out as an audio file in Live, we can
just solo the Return channel and record
the results, but other DAWs may require
you to route the signal differently to
export the Return only. We can now drop
this new piece of audio on a fresh channel
and place it alongside the original clap on
the arrange page. Mute the original aux
return, as we no longer need this playing.
3
Chop out each section of clap reverb
and delete any silence in the audio file.
Now its easy to shorten or lengthen each
claps reverb sections turn off your
DAWs quantise if needs be. Over a bar
section, well drag the edges of the audio
regions to shorten the reverbs length,
leaving a small gap in our beat for groove.
Fade the edges of the audio to prevent
any clicking at non-zero crossing points.
4
Although CM Verb houses its own
basic low- and high-pass filters, we can
boost or attenuate the reverb signals
specific frequencies more precisely using
any EQ plugin. Place our own IIEQ Pro CM
from CM Plugins as an insert on the
channel. We apply a tight high-pass to
sharply roll off any bass from the reverb
signal, and a high-shelf cut then dulls the
reverb, sitting it back in the mix slightly.
5
Now well customise a longer reverb
effect over our synth stab. Set up CM
Verb on a new return, load up the Large
Gothic Cathedral preset, mute the Dry
signal, then fully send our stab channel
to this return. We export this reverb return
in isolation, as we did with our clap reverb,
making sure to select a big enough range
to render out the long reverb tail that
follows after the tracks eight-bar length.
6
Once this reverb signal has been
imported onto a fresh audio channel,
we can customise it more precisely with
audio manipulation and plugin
processing. A touch of compression evens
out the levels of the reverb tail, preventing
it from being lost in the mix. Tight volume
fades on the audio file can make the
reverbs level drop more smoothly,
preventing it from muddying things up.
7
To make our reverb signal poke
through the mix, well use the dry Stab
signal to trigger sidechained compressor
over the reverb, ducking it down slightly
when each stab hits. Well keep the effect
light here, but you can always apply more
extreme pumping for an obvious,
bouncing effect.
8
POWER TIP
>Export/import
In Live, weve captured our reverb
as an audio file by soloing the
return channel and rendering it
through the master channel, but
soloing an auxiliary return in other
DAWs may result in silence. Try
routing the output of your return to
the input of a new audio channel
and record the reverb in real time.
Alternatively, some DAWs offer a
handy export menu to render only
selected tracks such as your aux
return. You could also put the
reverb directly as an insert on your
channel, set to 100% wet, before
exporting the channels output.
Here well explore how panning can
be used when working with reverb
and return tracks. Load up Stab.wav from
the Tutorial Files folder onto a new track
in a blank 128bpm project. We load up
Softubes TSAR-1 reverb (though you can
use any reverb) on a return track, then
send our stab to this track at -5dB. By
default, TSAR-1 is set to 100% wet already.
1
Old-school mixer channels and reverb
units were often mono, so producers
would use clever panning to achieve
wider mixes. We place a basic width plugin
(found in most DAWs) on our return track
after the reverb, and sum this channel to
mono. Now pan our stab signal left by 30,
and our mono reverb right by 30. Listen to
the retro widening effect weve created.
2
We reset our stabs Pan to 0, bringing
it back to the centre of the mix. Older
reverb units would often employ two
similar but not the same mono reverbs
to the left and right channels, generating
an unrealistic but wide effect. We create a
second return track, and drop an entirely
different reverb plugin on this track. Were
using ValhallaDSPs VintageVerb here.
3
We send our stabs to the second
return by -2.5dB. After loading the
plugins Halls Vocal Hall preset, we pull
the Decay down to 0.90s, then again sum
this return to mono as before. Panning our
original TSAR-1 channel hard right and our
VintagVerb return hard left gives us a
different reverb signal for each channel,
and an 80s-style dual mono reverb effect.
4
> Step by step
6. Panning reverb returns for width and space
How does stereo
reverb work?
Stian Aagedal of Acon Digital
creators of CM Verb discusses
how reverbs handle stereo input
and output signals. Early
incarnations of digital reverbs
would sum the input channels to
mono and perform all further
processing on this mono signal.
At the very end of the processing
chain, different techniques were
used to create de-correlated left
and right outputs. Later designs
allowed early reflections to be
processed in a true stereo setup,
and today, state-of-the-art
algorithmic reverb designs
feature true stereo processing
we try to simulate what happens
on the way from a sound source
placed left or right in the room
to the listeners left and right
ears, yielding four different
signal paths.
But what is true stereo?
Martijn Zwartjes of 112dB
creators of the excellent Redline
Reverb also sheds some light.
True stereo, in a reverb context,
means that the left and right
inputs both have independent
full stereophonic reverberation
the left and right input will be
processed differently. There are
different ways of achieving this.
If you apply a signal to the left
input, the first reflections are on
the left and then the right kicks
in and vice versa. There is
crossfeed between the left and
the right half of the reverb, so
to speak.
> Step by step
5. Controlling the stereo width of reverb
Lets look at how we can manipulate
the width of reverb for a more mono-
compatible mix. Load the three audio files
from the Tutorial Files folder onto three
new tracks in any DAW. We have a backing
track, dry riff loop and the riffs reverb
signal exported from a return track. Use a
basic width plugin to sum the master to
mono, and hear how our synths reverb is
lost, destroying the impact of the riff.
1
Making the riff mono-compatible will
preserve the tracks overall mix
balance over mono systems (clubs, radios,
phones and so on). Load Fluxs StereoTool
(free from fluxhome.com) over the
reverb channel, and pull the Width slider
down to around -5dB. Push both the Left
and Right Input Gain dials up to +3dB to
re-level. The riff and reverb now retain
impact when the mix is summed to mono.
2
For greater stereo control, we can use
mid/side processing to alter a signals
mono and stereo elements separately. A
mid/side EQ can provide frequency-
specific control to narrow a reverb signals
lows and mids while keeping the high
frequencies width intact. Some reverb
plugins, such as eaReckons EAReverb,
even contain controls for narrowing and
widening specific frequency areas.
3
Processing
reverb returns
with effects
As weve already seen, if your
reverb signal is coming from an
auxiliary return track, or has been
rendered to audio in your project,
then its relatively straightforward
to apply effects plugins over this
signal, just like you would over any
other channel, without affecting
your original dry source sound.
Reverb signals can often contain
unwanted low or mid frequencies
that can easily swamp a mix and
cloud more prominent track
elements. While a reverb plugins
inbuilt high-/low-pass filters can
help, dedicated EQ plugins allow
you to surgically shape the
frequency content of your reverb
signals more flexibly. Carefully
remove some treble to sit the
ambience back in the mix, or harshly
high-pass it right up to the higher
mids if needs be. You can also level
your reverbs separately in the mix
with compression, and accurately
control their widths with dedicated
mid/side or width plugins.
Non-traditional processing
techniques can customise isolated
reverb signals. Applying modulation
or spatial effects chorus, flanging,
phasing, short delay or even more
reverb can often get a static reverb
signal moving and provide you with
a unique texture of ambience to
liven up a dull mix.
If your reverb plugins output is
too bright or shiny for your taste,
external plugins can be used to
grunge the signal up. Try saturation,
low-pass filtering, bitcrushing,
width reduction or a combination of
all of them to emulate a darker old-
school reverb tone. As with any
effect-stacking, be careful not to
overdo things and create a mush of
sound. Use your plugins bypass
functions to compare before and
after states.
Effects aplenty applied to a reverb return
Weve talked about treating reverbs
with other effects, but how about
creating a reverb with them? Here, well
use Plugins to mimic the dark and
dusty spring reverb sound a distinctive,
retro-sounding verb found in many old
guitar amps thanks to its cost-effective,
compact design. Drop 1. Dry Guitar.wav
(from the Tutorial Files folder) onto a new
track in a fresh 109bpm project.
1
A spring reverb sends a signals
vibrations down a spring before a
transducer reamplifies them at the other
end, to create a bouncing reverb effect.
We can emulate this sound with some
short mono delay and processing. Load
KResearchs KR-Delay CM onto a new
return track, send the guitars track to this
return by a full 0dB amount, then pull
back the return channels fader to -7dB.
2
Open up KR-Delay CM, switch it to
Link mode (to enable a single mono
delay line), then crank up the Dry/Wet to a
maximum 100% so we only get the wet
delay signal coming through. We then set
a short Delay time of roughly 75ms, and
an approximate 70% Feedback amount.
Solo the return track and hear how we
already have a ringing, spring-like effect.
3
Insert a new instance of Kuassas
Amplifikation CM after the delay
plugin on the return channel and select
the factory Dirt preset to grunge up the
delaying signal. To add some extra
ambience over these spring delays and to
help smooth out the sound, insert a fresh
instance of KR-Reverb CM next in the
chain and turn its Dry/Wet parameter
down to around 35%.
4
To restrict the frequency response
of our faux-spring reverb, we insert
IIEQPro CM next in the chain. An LPF24
filter at around 3200Hz and an HPF24
filter at around 140Hz create a band-
pass filter over the signal for a lo-fi guitar
cab effect. Finally, we use a basic width
plugin to sum the signal to mono in true
retro style.
5
Weve created our own custom spring
reverb chain here, but there are several
dedicated spring reverb-emulating plugins
worth investigating for a truly authentic
tone. PSPs SpringBox and Softubes Spring
Reverb are two of the best around, with
the latter even housing a dedicated Shake
slider to emulate the shaking of a spring
reverb unit. Our own Reverberate CM also
contains some spring reverb impulses.
6
> Step by step
7. Using CM Plugins to mimic a spring reverb
> Step by step
8. Getting creative with reverb
Now were going to explore some of
the more creative and unrealistic uses
of reverb. Well use a variety of commercial
reverb plugins, but the principles can be
applied to any software reverbs. Import
the track elements from the Tutorial Files
folder into a 130bpm project. Its a basic
melodic techno-style arrangement
featuring an intro, drop, breakdown and
second drop.
1
SC Trigger.wav is a short kick sample
playing on every beat. We can use this
ghost trigger signal later to sidechain
reverb signals (or any track), even when
our kick drum isnt playing. Make sure its
channel isnt playing through the master
out in Live 9, we can just mute the
channel, but in other DAWs, you may have
to route the track to no output or similar
to get it to work.
2
Lets start by adding some rhythmic
pre-delayed reverb to our clap. Put
Valhallas ValhallaRoom on its channel
as an insert, then pull the Mix down to
around 35%. Setting the Predelay to
215ms and the Decay down to 0.50s
gives us a short, percussive hit of reverb
on the offbeat after each clap.
3
We place 112dBs Redline Reverb on a
return track and select the Redline 112
Lush Universe preset. Automate the
Intro Riffs send level to this reverb return,
increasing tension before both drops. For
some unrealistic pumping, our trigger
channel fires our DAWs compressor,
ducking the reverb signal. We render this
reverb signal to a new channel and cut it
off abruptly when our track kicks in.
4
On a second return track we place
Eventides Blackhole, set to the Sends
23 Neutrino patch a particularly
unrealistic reverb. We automate our main
riffs send amount over the fourth bar from
the drop, creating a stretched, swirling
sound effect. Increasing the plugins Size
parameter to 100 lengthens the effect
even further. Sidechain compression
makes the effect duck under each kick.
5
Add another Blackhole on a new return,
load the Devine DecayDrop preset,
and turn its Mix to 100% wet. Insert your
DAWs compressor after it, and route the
Synth Stab channel to its sidechain input.
We then send the stab channel to this
return normally, the hit would be covered
in reverb, but now the ambience ducks out
of the way of each stab. A high-pass filter
at 470Hz prevents low-end mix conflicts.
6
Now lets use the classic reverse
reverb trick to make a swelling rise for
our main breakdown. Create a new audio
track and copy the first beat of our riff
onto a new audio channel, then swamp it
in a cavernous reverb. Were using
eaReckons EAReverb. The Special
Infinite preset suits our needs here.
7
After recording this long reverb onto
another new audio track, or rendering
and reimporting the file, we can reverse
this audio file to create a sucking reverb
effect to lead into our second drop, being
sure to chop out the section of original
signal left at the end of the audio. We now
EQ, filter and sidechain this effect to taste.
8
Some kind of impact is needed when
our track kicks in a second time. We
duplicate the first clap of the second drop
onto a new channel, then drop CM Verb
onto this track. We select the Medium
Hall program, then turn up the Reverb
Time to around 20, Low Cut-off to around
1200, Reverb Level up to 0dB and turn
off the Dry signal. Sidechaining against
our trigger makes the effect pump.
9
Traditionally, digital reverb units and plugins are
algorithmic, meaning they mathematically
simulate a spaces acoustic response using
digital calculations and real-time processing.
A convolution reverb operates in a different way:
a real spaces acoustic character can be
sampled, creating whats known as an impulse
response (or IR) file. This file can be loaded into
a convolution reverb plugin, and the plugin
will convolve this impulse response with your
channels signal. The result is a reverb effect that
contains the character of the original acoustic
environment placing your sound in the same
sampled space.
112dB developer Martijn Zwartjes clarifies the
differences between a convolution reverb and
an algorithmic one
Its a bit like the difference between a synth
and a sampler. A convolution reverb is more
like a sampler you need an impulse response
file of a specific room. You load that file into
the convolution reverb; now the reverb will
sound exactly like that room. An algorithmic
reverb is more like a synthesiser it will not
sound exactly like this or that room, but it is
more tweakable.
Matthew Hill of LiquidSonics is the developer
and convolution expert behind Reverberate
CM and its bigger brother Reverberate. He gives
us yet more technical insight.
A convolution reverb applies a filter to a
sound by multiplying every input sample
with each sample in the filter (IR), and adding
them all up with what came before in a big
delay line. Impulse responses (these filters) can
be taken from rooms by exciting them with a
test tone then comparing the input with the
output technically known as correlation
or by firing off blanks from a gun and
recording the decay. Sound technicians filming
on location often do this so they can capture
and control the natural reverb in post-
production. Why hunt for a forest impulse
response that sounds right when you were
already in the perfect forest?
By loading up an impulse response from a
particular environment or space in a convolution
reverb plugin, you can impart the acoustic
characteristics of that environment to your
individual sounds or mixes useful when
you want to place a sound in a famous concert
hall or specific location, for example. So why
would you ever use an algorithmic reverb
plugin again?
Martijn Zwartjes gives reasoning for both
types. I believe whether you use an algorithmic
or a convolution reverb is a matter of taste. Both
can deliver realistic and fantasy spaces.
There are differences though. When using
convolution reverb plugins, if you want to have a
lot of variation in rooms, you need a large
collection of impulse responses on your hard
drive rooms, halls, places, etc. If you need the
reverb to be a bit bigger, less boomy or bit more
diffuse, you need to find a different IR from that
list. If you dont know the name of the room
youre looking for, you have to go through a long
list until you find one that fits the bill. Now take
an algorithmic reverb plugin: if you want the
room to be bigger, less boomy, or with a bit more
diffusion, then instead of going through a list of
IRs, you will find a lot of knobs that can change
all the properties of the room knobs for size,
frequency response, decay times, etc. If you find
the reverb should have a bit more or less this or
that, then you can grab the appropriate knob
and dial it in.
Stian Aagedal, the algorithmic reverb expert
behind Acon Digitals Verberate and CM Verb,
echoes Martijns perspective: The ambience
from a specific acoustic environment might
be desired, especially for post-production tasks,
so convolution reverbs are ideal if you have
the exact impulse response at hand. If the
impulse response doesnt quite give the desired
outcome, however, attempts to modify or
alter parameters can quickly lead to unrealistic
results. Algorithmic reverb plugins are highly
customisable; especially since a few recent
advances in the field have allowed algorithmic
reverb designers to recreate some stunningly
realistic spaces.
Matthew Hill offers his thoughts on
algorithmic vs. convolution reverb: At the most
basic level, there is no difference between an
algorithmic reverb and a convolution reverb.
They both apply (or convolve) a filter to a sound
a very long filter that you can hear decay off. It
is in the generation, acquisition and application
of this filter where they differ dramatically. An
algorithmic reverb constantly modifies a short
filter with feedback elements (an infinite impulse
response the feedback means it technically
never ends unless truncated). A convolution
reverb applies a very long finite impulse
response filter that does not change and has no
feedback in it.
Filtering and modulation is applied within
the feedback paths of an algorithmic reverb.
Getting the feedback elements, modulations,
crossovers, interpolators, equalisers and so on
right is extremely difficult, and few people know
how to do it well. The ringing metallic sound of a
cheap algorithmic reverb results from poor
design really bad ones sound a bit like flangers
because internally theyre actually very similar.
Running a good algorithmic reverb doesnt
require much computation power by todays
standards and has been affordable for musicians
since the 80s Lexicon PCM units, but you still
dont see many good ones because its so
difficult to get right.
Convolution reverb
Convolution vs algorithmic
Matt Hill of LiquidSonics makers of Reverberate
CM offers us the solution to convolution
Impulse responses are recorded in real spaces, allowing your sounds to be placed in sampled environments
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Lets explore convolution reverb.
Horn.wav is taken from this months
VIP Series pack by The Young Punx, and
can be found in the Tutorial Files folder.
Drop this sound onto a new audio track in
any DAW, then load up the convolution
reverb found in Plugins LiquidSonics
Reverberate CM as an insert on the track.
1
Algorithmic reverbs generate virtual
acoustic spaces in real time, but a
convolution reverb loads snapshots of
real-life acoustic environments, applying
their characteristics to your sounds.
Reverberate CM comes with over 40 such
impulse responses (IRs), so hit the small
eject button to open a selection menu.
We choose Long Plate-01-44100Hz.
2
The most common use of convolution
reverb is for real life acoustic
environments, as you can place your
sounds in ultra-realistic spaces, from
studios to cathedrals and more. On the
other hand, these reverb algorithms arent
as customisable as algorithmic ones. Here
we can adjust Reverberate CMs length
functions, envelope shape and IR gain.
3
Often, you can reverse an impulse
response to create a real-time reverse
reverb effect. This feature isnt
available in Reverberate CM, so instead we
use its commercial bigger brother
Reverberate. After loading the 29:
Medium Plates TS preset from the
bottom menu, we hit the left arrow
found under the Length header at the top
of the plugin to reverse the impulse
response and create a reversed reverb tail.
4
> Step by step
9. Convolution reverb basics
Rolling your own IRs
An impulse response is created
by playing back a test signal
(such as a sine wave sweep or
short pop) through a speaker set
up in a particular location, and
then recording it through a mic in
that environment. The resulting
audio file can then be loaded into
a convolution reverb plugin, and
you can apply that locations
reverb characteristics to any
sound in your DAW. This isnt just
for acoustic environments you
can obtain (or create) IRs that
contain the sonic characteristics
of classic reverb hardware units,
amplifiers, speakers, guitar
cabinets, EQs and more.
Convolution technology
allows access to a huge range of
acoustic spaces, but youre
reliant on having a wide selection
of impulse response files to hand.
Most convolution reverb plugins
come bundled with a wide
selection of IRs, allowing you to
place your sounds in particular
rooms, studios, halls, churches
and other acoustic spaces.
Commercial IR packs can be
purchased from sites like
samplicity.com and Numerical
Sound (numericalsound.com).
To impart the characteristics of a
room or space that you have
access to, simply create your own
IR of that environment. Were
going to tackle this topic in a
future issue of . Most
convolution reverbs allow you to
import any WAV file to extract
ambience directly, albeit with
unpredictable levels of success.
Four of the best convolution reverb plugins
SIR Audio Tools SIR2
119 8/10 149
Its not the most youthful member of
the convolution reverb party, but it
has stood the test of time thanks to a
reasonable balance of customisation
options, expansive features and a
light CPU load. If you want to try it
out, the first version is available free
for Windows users.
www.knufinke.de
LiquidSonics Reverberate
142 9/10 50
LiquidSonics flagship convolution
processor is filled to the brim with
flexible features, offering a true stereo
reverb signal using separate IRs for
the left and right channels. Post-
processing effects like chorus, delay
and EQ (with LFOs) allow you to
customise IRs even further.
www.liquidsonics.com
Audio Ease Altiverb 7
178 9/10 604-1028
Aimed at the higher end of the
market, Altiverb 7 is the convolution
reverb of choice for those wanting a
mammoth selection of high-quality
IRs painstakingly sourced from
around the world. Advanced picture
browsing, keyword searching and
chaos function come as standard.
www.audioease.com
Apple Space Designer
67 10/10 (with Logic)
Possibly the best reverb plugin youll
find bundled with any DAW, this can
often be seen popping up in our
Producer Masterclass videos. A broad
collection of versatile impulse
responses and tweakable parameters
give Logic users a definite advantage
straight off the shelf.
www.apple.com
Reverb mixing tips
When it comes to using reverb as a mixing tool,
there are no definitive guidelines, and use of
reverb is even more of a creative, stylistic
choice than studio staples like EQ and
dynamics. Still, there are certain tips,
techniques and rules of thumb that are worth
knowing heres a selection of our favourites
01
No two algorithmic reverb plugins
are created equal. One might have a
distinctively bright sound, whereas
another might sound softer; one may
specialise in shorter room ambience, while
another will tackle huge spaces with aplomb.
Get to know the nuances of the reverb plugins at
your disposal, so you can select the right tool for
the right purpose. And dont discard the
cheaper-sounding reverb plugins out there!
Sometimes a harsh, metallic reverb tone can be
exactly what you need to add the bite needed to
make a sound poke through the mix.
02
When using headphones, it can
be difficult to apply reverb
accurately, as its all too easy to
misjudge things and blend in too
little or too much ambience. Try to leave the bulk
of your reverb mixing for times when you can
work on monitor speakers. If you dont have
monitors, try to test tracks on other sound
systems (car systems, laptop speakers, and so
on) to get a feel for the bigger picture.
03
There are no strict rules about how
much reverb and of what type
should be applied to a particular
instrument, but listening carefully
to tracks in your chosen genre(s) should give
you ideas about what works and what doesnt
for that style. In most genres, however, its
accepted practice to avoid reverb on your kick
and bass sounds, or at least roll off the reverbs
low-end, to prevent low-frequency clouding.
04
Dont confuse room size with
decay! While it might seem logical
that a big room would have a
massive long tail, if you think
about it, it doesnt have to in the real world, the
walls of such a room could be heavily damped,
for instance, so that the tail dies down quicker,
for example. Put this to use when mixing by
remembering that a big, spacious sound doesnt
necessarily mean 10-second reverb tails.
Likewise, if you do want long, flowing reverbs,
dont forget that room size is still fully adjustable
once youve set the decay time.
Applying high- and low-pass filtering to your reverb
signal can make it far less obvious in the mix
Think of reverb as just another part of the mix that needs
shaping, and compressing it doesnt seem so crazy!
06
Obvious, full-range reverb was
popular in the 80s, but nowadays,
many producers like to use reverb
in a much more stealthy fashion.
To conceal your reverb in the mix, thus lending
space in a more discreet manner, roll the top and
bottom end off of your reverb channel with EQ.
07
Dont just rely on plugins you can
capture your own room ambience.
Solo and play back a signal from
your speakers, then record that
output using a microphone. Mix this room
recording back in with your dry signal to add
your rooms ambience to the sound. Experiment
with recording in different spaces!
08
You may encounter situations
where your reverb interferes with
the impact of sounds, or the
transients are masking the reverb,
meaning you have to turn it up more than youd
like to get a spacious effect. In such situations,
try slowly increasing the predelay parameter to
put a little distance between the initial transient
and the subsequent reverb reflections, giving
both space to breathe.
05
With many modern virtual
instruments now offering some sort
of onboard reverb module, its quick
and easy to apply ambience inside a
synth. But its likely you have a better option at
your disposal in your plugins folder. Try turning off
the instruments reverb and using a dedicated
software reverb (either as an insert or on an aux
return) for a more polished reverb effect.
09
Another tactic to seat reverb more
neatly in the mix is to use limiters,
compressors or transient shapers
on your verb return to reduce
peaks, allowing transients to poke through. Try
placing the processor before the reverb, too, for a
subtly different effect. Of course, a classic use for
dynamics processing is for gated reverb see
how on page 56 in our Ten Top 80s Pop Tips!
10
If you just cant get the spacious sound
you require from reverb, try subtle
delay instead. Think of it as you would
a reverb, dialling in your delay to
gently fill the required space.
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16
JU
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ULTERIOR
MOTIVE
Producer Masterclass
The rising stars of DnB show us how they
remixed Future Cuts anthemic Obsession
Selected kit list
Greg Hepworth and James Davidson
are Ulterior Motive, purveyors of dark
and techy DnB. Debuting on Teebees
Subtitles in 2009, the pair quickly made
waves in the scene and are now working
on their first album due for release on
Goldies legendary label Metalheadz. We
caught up with the duo in their
Bournemouth studio to find out the story
behind their stunning remix of Future
Cuts DnB classic Obsession.
Id started playing Obsession out again,
and I was thinking it could really do with a
remix, begins Greg. We were playing at a
Metalheadz night in London, and we had a
conversation with the guy who managed
the label at the time. We asked if we could
remix it, and the label said yes. We had the
parts within two days! Wed be working on
it, and all of a sudden AIM would pop up,
and it would be Friction saying Are you
remixing Obsession? A lot of people couldnt
believe we were doing it, and theyd say,
Dont fuck it up! and Dont ruin it! The
pressure was on to get it right. We really gave
it a good bash and sat down and worked on
it hard, including two 24-hour sessions.
While some remixers are left to their own
devices, Metalheadz had a clear direction
that they wanted Ulterior Motive to take for
the project. Goldie said it couldnt be any
sort of minimal rubbish it needs to be
distorted, rough, and really rugged! reveals
James. Sometimes, when you do a remix,
there are a couple of false starts, but this
one was on the right path right from the
beginning. Mind you, its such a strong tune
that we didnt want to deviate from it. We
just wanted to update it.
Its such a strong tune
that we didnt want to
deviate from it. We just
wanted to update it
Thankfully, the parts provided by the
label were more or less complete. The fact
that Future Cut still had the samples was
amazing, James continues. That was a
stroke of luck. Normally, when you remix a
classic these days, you have to recreate it all
from the vinyl or something. Replacing any
missing sounds took some lateral thinking
from the pair. I think there were two samples
missing: a dubby vocal and the strings of the
intro, remembers Greg. So we replaced the
vocal with another one sampled off an old-
school tune, and sampled the strings off the
original Obsession vinyl. Again, it sort of
modernises the tune but keeps it in the same
realm as the original. We replaced some of
the stuff that was provided, too. We didnt
want to use the rewinds from Adam Fs
Metropolis, and we replaced the 808 cowbell.
We always try and do that sort of stuff its
always better to put the work in and make it
your own than to just stick a hi-passed
Amen over something and call it a remix.
Disaster almost struck when the project
files and samples were accidentally deleted.
The remix had to be ready for a big festival
we were playing at, Greg explains. Wed
promised wed have it ready, and when we
sent the first draft, Goldie was going nuts. But
when we came to mix it down, it wasnt on the
computer! The folder had completely gone
the whole project was missing, the lot!
There were just three days to deliver the
remix, remembers James. We had to bite
the bullet and get some hard drive recovery
software, and eventually we managed to
get all the samples back. We had to
rearrange the whole thing, and there was a
lot of blood, sweat and tears before the
deadline putting it all back together.
In this exclusive video tutorial, Ulterior
Motive show us the techniques they used
to upgrade Obsession into a contemporary
DnB banger.
HARDWARE
Apple Mac Pro
Edirol FA-101
Mackie HR824 x2
Audeze LCD-2
Korg Z1
Novation Nova
Arturia MiniBrute
Emu E5000 Ultra
Waldorf Pulse
Mackie 1604-VLZ Pro
Apple iPad
SOFTWARE
Apple Logic 9
Camel Audio CamelPhat
iZotope Alloy
Ohm Force Ohmicide
XLN Audio Addictive Drums
Selected kit list
> make music now / producer masterclass
ON THE DVD
Watch Ulterior
Motive pull apart
their remix of
Future Cuts Obsession in
this in-studio video youll
find it on your DVD in
the Tutorial Videos folder.
VIDEO
MASTERCLASS
The original Future Cut tune was really
raw, and we didnt want a minimal break
Sculpting beats with EXS24 and Alloy
02:18
Ulterior Motive program their beats
using samples triggered from
instances of Logics built-in sampler, EXS24. The
advantage of this over using audio is that it allows
them to quickly preview different drum hits in
context by mapping them across the keyboard.
Much of their drum processing is conducted in
iZotope Alloy. For instance, to beef up the tracks
main snare, they use the EQ section to boost the
fundamental frequency and employ the transient
shaper to make its attack snappier. To get an old-
school flavour, multiple breakbeats are layered over
the top of the single hits. We just put and took out
layers to try and get it sounding big and rough. The
original Future Cut tune was really raw, and we
didnt want a minimal break, James discloses.
Creating drum fills with
Addictive Drums
07:04
As well as the vintage breaks
used to bolster the main beat,
Ulterior Motive employ a virtual drummer plugin
to create the fills, or edits at the end of each
section. All these are written and edited in
XLN Audio Addictive Drums, Greg enthuses.
Weve used it a lot in our previous productions,
like Featherweight and 2098. We really like it;
its got a good acoustic sound. It sounds nice
and live, and its really easy to program and get
a nice bright-sounding kit. These edits are
created and bounced down in a separate project
to save memory.
Supplementing the intro
pads with Zebra2
35:35
The pads from the original version of
Obsessed werent included in the parts
that Greg and James were given, so they sample them
from a vinyl copy of the track. However, this isnt an
ideal solution, so to help smooth out the result, they
layer the samples with a pad from u-hes Zebra2 synth.
Its just a preset weve tweaked a little bit, and it just
helped fill in the gaps from the vinyl where it didnt
quite marry up properly, explains Greg.
Resampling reeses with
FM8 and Ohmicide
13:56
For their raw bass tones, Greg and James
create simple bass sounds in FM8 with
detuned sine tones and a little frequency modulation.
The synth is then run through Ohmforces multiband
distortion Ohmicide, which transforms the sound into
a huge distorted reese. The harmonic movement
generated by the detuning and frequency modulation
is dramatic and obvious, and the sounds high end is
then enhanced with Pro Audio DSPs Dynamic
Spectrum Mapper. Its bounced to audio, played back
using Logics EXS24 sampler, and underpinned with a
distorted, filtered reese sub bass line.
Enhancing vocals
with CLA Vocals
40:45
The vocals on the original version
of Obsession were sung by prolific
DnB chanteuse Jenna G. These were provided to
Ulterior Motive in stem form. It was already
processed, so we didnt have to do too much to
it, reveals James. The vocal is limited with UADs
LA-2A, then run through Waves CLA Vocals, where
its compressed, the treble is boosted, and some
of the bass is taken out. Finally, u-hes Runciter is
used to make a high-pass filter sweep before the
drop. In the intro, the vocal is duplicated and
pitchshifted down five semitones with Logics
Pitch Shifter II to create a harmony.

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P
O
P
It was the decade of
excess, with huge hair
and huger hits. We
show you ten ways
to encapsulate the
electronic renaissance
right in your DAW
See them in action get video
for every tip on your PC/Mac at
DOWNLOAD
Every once in a while, the sounds of the 80s come
back into fashion again. Even if youre too young to
remember the decade itself, you will have heard the
influence of the 80s in music from Guetta to Gaga think
bouncy basslines, slick synth lines, lush electric pianos
(probably from a Yamaha DX7) and processed drums
aplenty. In fact, some acts like Chromeo and Justice make
the sounds of that decade their stock-in-trade, and
actively seek to emulate the mixing techniques of
the period.
This month were going to give you a masterclass in
getting ten iconic, quintessential 80s sounds. Well also
be exposing the hot hardware of the decade but rather
than suggesting you splash your cash on piles of retro
studio gear, well demonstrate how you can use your own
DAW and plugins to emulate the sounds of yesteryear.
Where possible, were using synths and effects from the
Plugins collection available on the DVD or from the
Vault. Take a look at the accompanying videos where we
demonstrate exactly how its done. So, don your Aviators
and powersuit, and lets pop back to the 80s...
10
TOP
TIPS
1. 80s FM synth sounds
Some sounds reek so much of the 80s that
theyve become sonic stereotypes. FM synths
are just one such example they featured
heavily on many tracks, especially the 32 classic
factory patches from the popular Yamaha DX7.
You can hear the DX7s electric piano patch on
countless 80s ballads and its basses in tracks
such as Madonnas Live To Tell and Another Part
Of Me by Michael Jackson. The excellent Rhino
CM from the plugins collection has stellar
FM capabilities, and its already tooled up with
presets ripe for 80s tracks. It can be utilised for
FM pianos, brass and bass. If you find the theory
behind FM synthesis daunting, then dont worry
the presets have handy User Controls at the
bottom right of the interface for easily tweaking
the basic parameters.
We load up a generic rock drum kit
instrument and program snare hits on
the backbeat. Next we send the snare to
an auxiliary return with a reverb placed on
it. In this case, were using Reverberate
CMs Basic Hall, but any long hall or plate
reverb would work just as well.
1
To widen the reverbed sound and
make it fill out the mix even more, we
use the free mid/side bx_solo plugin from
Brainworx, set to a Width of 200%. This
simply boosts the side portion of the
signal essentially, the stereo elements of
the reverb are increased in level.
2
A Noise Gate comes next, to chop off
the reverbs tail, giving us that familiar
gated snare effect. We experiment with
the Threshold setting and set a Release
time of 20ms to prevent unwanted clicks.
A 40ms Attack holds the gate before it
opens, letting the snares crack through.
3
3. Massive gated snares
The gated snare sound which is often attributed
to Phil Collins was actually created by producer
Hugh Padgham for the Peter Gabriel track Intruder,
on which Collins played. Learn how to recreate this
typical 80s effect here
> make music now / ten top 80s pop tips
2. Arpeggiated pop synths
Hardware synths like the Roland Juno-60 featured
onboard arpeggiators. You can hear the effect on
tracks like Limahls NeverEnding Story and Take On Me
by A-ha. The classic up/down pattern was common and
often had a ping-pong delay effect added to lend
further live and movement to the sound. You can
mimic this easily using the arpeggiator in your DAW
or synth, along with a basic delay.

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4. Programming
80s pop beats
80s drum tracks featured some very
distinctive sounds. Samples from drum
machines like the Oberheim DMX and Linn LM-1/
LM-2 were ever-present, so choose these kind of
sounds in your own productions to add
authenticity. Head to bit.ly/1sahaIf for free Linn
sounds and bit.ly/SrVxHe for lots of other
1980s drums including the ubiquitous Roland
TR series. You can find many useful 80s drum
sounds within our own plugins; ADM CM
synthesises great TR-606 sounds, while CM-505
features some terrific 80s synth percussion,
especially within the Synthpop banks. When it
comes to programming the drums, use plenty of
synthetic toms, cowbells and delayed claps.
Kicks and snares were seldom used in a basic
4/4 arrangement, but also peppered throughout
rhythms on the offbeats, too. Compression was
usually not so heavily applied to drums as it is in
modern tracks, so go easy with this. Kick drums
in particular didnt sound as weighty as they do
now, with most of the driving percussion power
coming from the snare. Add in some chamber or
plate reverb to push the drums back in the mix
and give an 80s sheen.
Dont have a Fairlight handy? Make your
own ORCH5-style stab using samples!
Oberheims DMX drum machine the
perfect choice for authentic 80s beats
6. Vocal verb
There are distinctive elements
to 80s vocals, especially from British
artists. The vocals were often sung rather
dramatically with plenty of vibrato. In
addition, the lack of detailed pitch/timing
correction meant that singers shortcomings
couldnt be corrected digitally.
Slapback delay and harmonisation would
often thicken up dry vocals. Reverb was used
liberally, so dial up the wet value of your hall
and plate reverb plugins to create a cave-
like ambience. Lexicon hardware reverbs
helped to define the sound of the era. You
can get their 224 unit as a modelled plugin
from Universal Audio, Native Instruments
(Reverb Classics) or Lexicon themselves.
There are also impulse responses sampled
from real Lexicon units that are worth a try,
with a free selection at bit.ly/Qd3IFq
captured from a Lexicon 480L load them in
convolution plugins like Reverberate CM.
5. Make an orchestral hit
The ORCH5 sample from the Fairlight CMI
cropped up in countless iconic 80s tracks
Afrika Bambaataas Planet Rock is a particularly
clear example. The original sample is said to have
been culled from Stravinskys Infernal Dance. Make
your own by layering staccato orchestral sounds,
resampling them and applying a bitcrusher.
Find out what ABCs Martin Fry
meant by The Lexicon of Love by
treating your vocals to the
classic 224 or 480L sounds
ten top 80s pop tips / make music now <

NEXT MONTH Classic 70s synth techniques from prog to pop with video for each one!
Set the Filters Cutoff to 50, Reso
to 40 and Env to 100. Change the
filter shape to LP Ladder 24dB, which
will give us a sharp filter cutoff with
more pronounced resonance. We set
the FM1 dial to 20%, dialling in a little
frequency modulation to make the
sound crisper still.
2
Set the Filter and Amp envelopes to
a Decay of 50 and Sustain of 20.
This gives us a bouncy lead sound as
the filter closes. In Live 9, we add an
Overdrive plugin (though any basic
drive plugin will do), setting Tone to
20% with 70% Wet and Drive levels.
Finally, a touch of reverb seals the deal.
3
8. Bouncy octave bass

The sound of a bouncy octave bass playing
eighth-notes is a standard 80s pop trope, and
a synth with FM capabilities is great for this. Set
one of the oscillators to a pulse wave with the
filter cutoff controlled by an envelope with an
immediate attack and a reasonably fast decay to
nothing (ie, sustain at minimum). Then
modulate that oscillator with another oscillator.
A square wave is perfect for this, but you can
play around with others. Playing notes from
alternate octaves (or using an arpeggiator to
achieve the same) will create a bassline similar
to New Orders Blue Monday.
10. Master bus
processing, 80s-style
Listen carefully to any 80s pop track and you
might be surprised at the clarity and finesse
of the mixes. Part of this was due to the
domination of the Solid State Logic 4000
mixing desks with their clean-sounding EQ and
punchy master buss compressor. This signal
path has since been modelled by Waves at
bit.ly/1kLapqH, Universal Audio (bit.ly/1nNoj1Z),
or you can get EQ and buss compression
from SSL themselves (bit.ly/1jxbeC8). Low
frequencies were often dialled back, and
there was typically an emphasis in the 8-9kHz
range to add bite and sheen. On the master
channel, brickwall limiting as we now know it
was not used, but subtler compression was
common. This created more dynamic range in
the music than modern tracks. Lastly, use a tape
emulation plugin to glue the track together
and mimic two-inch tape recording.
Starting with the INIT patch in
Dune CM, we set a 50/50 mix of
OSC1 & 2 and 100% level for OSC3
which plays an octave below. All are
set to saw waves. Set the Unison
Voices to 4, Detune to 15 and
Spread to 70 for a thick sound.
1
9. Big 80s guitars
There are some distinctive tricks
that can make a guitar sound like
its straight out of the 80s. Artificial Double
Tracking (ADT) was often used to thicken up the
sounds of guitars, and there are many plugins
thatll emulate this. For a more hands-on
approach, take your mono guitar and duplicate
the channel twice, so you have three channels.
Add a short 20-30ms slapback delay to one of
these using a delay plugin. Pan the other two
hard left and right, then put a pitchshifter on
each, one set to +5 cents, the other at -5 cents,
100% wet. Route these three tracks to a bright
hall or plate reverb (or both for extra depth!).
U2s The Edge is a
known lover of tone-
thickening effects
> make music now / ten top 80s pop tips
7. Pop synths
Ditch the guitar and
go for a fat synth
lead instead. Here well
pastiche the lead riff from
The Human Leagues
Dont You Want Me.
ITV/REX
CUBASE
Unleash the potential of this
power-packed DAW with our
guide to its lesser-known features
How well do you know Cubase? Have
you peeked into every nook and cranny,
scraping out every last bit of audio-wrangling
power? If youre anything like most computer
musicians, youll have just figured out the
features needed to get the job done. Secrets?
What else could you possibly need to know?
Lets face it: Cubase is old. We dont mean
that as a criticism, but rather as an observation.
Cubase itself has been around for a quarter of a
century and grew out of a MIDI sequencer that
was even older. Like a fine wine, Cubase has not
just aged but matured, becoming better with
each passing revision. New features have been
consistently added and old wrinkles ironed
out. This steady refinement of the program
means that, unlike newer DAWs, there are fewer
undocumented tricks or secrets. That does
not, however, mean that all of its features are
obvious. The very fact that its been evolving
for decades means that there are likely features
and functions that youve never encountered or
have overlooked, and some of them might make
your life a little or even a lot! easier.
With this in mind, weve picked the brains of
experts and veterans in an attempt to collate a
selection of the coolest unusual, undocumented
or uncommon Cubase practices. Over the next
few pages, well be showing you some of our
favourites. From the simplest key modifiers
to custom macros, well clue you in on things
that will speed up your workflow and maybe
even provide a little much-needed inspiration.
Well cover MIDI and audio tricks alike, and
show you how to circumvent some of Cubases
shortcomings. Weve even included step-by-step
tutorials and videos describing some of the
most useful tricks in detail. No matter whether
youre a long-time power user or a complete
newcomer, were sure youll find something here
that youll use every time you fire up the Cube.
Its high time to move beyond the obvious
and enter the arcane secret society of advanced
Cubase users. So plug in that dongle, fire up your
computer and let us guide you
S
E
C
R
E
T
S
> make music now / cubase secrets
> Step by step
1. Adding one-key bounce-to-track functionality to Cubase
A common complaint about Cubase
is that it lacks an easy, one-button
method to bounce a track or tracks to a
new track. Well, thanks to the magic of
macros, you can make your own one-click
bounce to track function. A macro is
simply an automated chain of commands.
Start by going to File Key Commands,
then click Show Macros. Next, click New
Macro and name it Bounce To Track.
1
We consider the commands wed use
to manually render a selected event
to a new track and add them to the macro
first, wed position the locators. Click
Locators to Selection and click the Add
Command button to add it to the macro.
This command will ensure that, when the
macro is run, Cubases left/right locators
encompass the currently selected clips,
ready for exporting that range.
2
When bouncing to a track by hand,
the next step would be to export
the range, taking up a few clicks and
navigating through a few windows.
Adding the commands shown above will
recreate the sequence of tasks wed carry
out. Some of their functions may not be
immediately obvious, but well explain the
reasoning behind them a little later.
3
Once you have all of your commands
added to your macro, you can enter
a key command to activate it. Type a
suitable unused key combination into the
Type In Key field up on the right were
going for Option-Shift-T. Now, find your
new macro in the Macro folder in the
Commands list over on the left and select
it. Click the Assign button and youre
ready to rock. Click OK.
4
Now click on Naming Scheme. You
can add or delete naming elements
using the naming elements at the top.
Weve selected Project Name and added
another element, Channel Name, and
finally a Counter element, which is
necessary for the incremental naming.
Now you can do things like inserting
leading zeros and the number at which
your new files should start.
7
Next, we need to customise the
particulars of the Export process.
This only needs to be done once for
this particular macro, but you can make
changes later if you need to. Go to File
Export Audio Mixdown. Set the path
for your exported audio. Enable Pool and
Audio Track in the Import Into Project
section as well as Close Window After
Export just below that.
5
Now you can close the Export window.
Weve got a simple multitrack synth
project. Remember the Sync Channel
Selection with MixConsole command we
added? That ensures that the selected
channels will be selected for batch export.
So, we select the tracks and events wed
like to bounce, then hit Option-Shift-T and
our macro will do the rest.
8
Now we enable Channel Batch Export
this is needed for the incremental file
naming to work, which itself stops Cubase
popping up a file overwrite warning
every time you want to use the macro.
Channel Batch Export will also allow us
to select and bounce multiple channels to
separate rendered tracks. Itll happily work
with just a single track, too.
6
To make our macro work even more
slickly, go into Cubases Preferences,
open the Editing Preferences and
enable Track Selection Follows Event
Selection. This will ensure that when we
select events, their corresponding tracks
are automatically selected, though you
can still add and remove tracks from
this selection manually, if needed, for
exporting a group buss too, for instance.
9
cubase secrets / make music now <
Folder tracks are a neat way to layer
instruments, but sometimes it can
result in cluttered, difficult-to-navigate
projects. There is, however, an easy way to
layer software instruments: by using MIDI
Sends. Lets start a new project and create
a MIDI Track. MIDI Sends are not available
by default. Youll have to right-click in the
Inspector to show them.
1
Now we can decide what instruments
we want to stack and add them to our
project using the usual Instrument Tracks.
Here, weve added an instance of HALion
Sonic SE2 and called up a choir patch.
Next, well fire up Retrologue and dial in a
big analogue bell sound. Finally, lets add
in an instance of Padshop with its Alien
Water preset.
2
Normally, if we wanted to stack these
synths, wed have to arm them all for
simultaneous recording and wed wind up
with three identical MIDI tracks. Its easier
to select our initial MIDI track and use its
MIDI Sends. Lets do that now, activating
three of the Sends. As you can see, theyre
all labelled as Not Connected.
3
Now its simply a matter of assigning
each MIDI Sends output to a different
instrument in our project. Here, each of
our sends is indeed assigned to one of our
synths, and they are all simultaneously
triggered from our MIDI track. Now we can
record them as one using only that one
track. If you like, you can then use a Track
Folder to tidy things up.
4
> Step by step
2. Stacked instruments with Cubases MIDI Sends
Sorted!
Weve got a lot of plugins. As well
as our massive collection of 40
plugins, our plugin folders
are stacked to the rafters with
everything from the finest
freeware to high-end offerings.
But simply dumping a bunch of
DLL or VST files into ones VST
folders results in something of a
disorganised mess and makes it
quite difficult to locate a specific
plugin from Cubases browser.
There is, luckily, something
you can do about it. You see,
Cubase knows when you create a
subdirectory in your VST folder
that matches one of its own. So if
you create a folder named, say,
Synth in your VST directory and
dump your synths into that
folder, they will appear in
Cubases existing Synth folder in
its browser, alongside its own.
The same goes for effects and
their associated categories. Trust
us, its worth the effort!
> Step by step
3. Controlling multiple channels as one in Cubase
Have you ever run into a situation
where you needed to control the
same parameters across multiple
channels simultaneously? Routing those
channels to a Group seems the obvious
way to approach this, but there is another
option: Linked channels. Here we have a
project with a few guitar tracks that wed
like to control as one. Well hold Shift and
select all three.
1
Now we need to right-click on one of
the channels to bring up the menu of
available options. We click Link Selected
Channels. Youll be met with the Control
Link Settings window. Here, you can select
all of the parameters that you wish to be
shared under the same control. We want
our tracks to respond in kind to
adjustments on insert effects, so lets tick
Inserts. Click OK to close the window.
2
Now, lets have a play with the level
and panning of one of our guitar
channels the same adjustments are
applied to the other two channels.
Better still, we can add an insert effect
to one channel and the same effect will
likewise be added to the remaining two,
with any adjustments to the parameters
of the insert effect reflected in all of the
linked channels.
3
Make some sense of the Plugin browser
by organising your folder directories
01
VELOCITY RAPTURE
MIDI velocity modulation can do
wonders to add life to a stilted
performance, though it can be
difficult to control during recording and tedious
when adding notes one at a time in the piano
roll. Either way, editing the velocities of
individual notes can be more than a little time
consuming. Speed things up by simply holding
down Shift-Ctrl (Shift-Cmd on a Mac) then click
and drag on your notes to change the velocity
level in a hurry.
02
OCTAVE DOCTORING
Heres a super-fast way to adjust
the octave of your MIDI events in
the Project view: simply select the
MIDI notes youd like to adjust and then hold the
Shift key along with the up or down arrow keys
to raise or lower the octave of the selected
events. Neat.
.
03
NOTE TAKEN!
Cubase provides plenty of export
options. Audio, MIDI, OMF and
even tempo track information can
16 Cubase tips and tricks
Automation envelopes neednt be tied to a clips length
by unlinking them, you can time them independently
be spat out of the program. One often
overlooked feature is its ability to export the text
contents of the built-in Notepad available on
each Cubase channel. This is terrifically useful
when sharing projects with collaborators,
particularly users of other DAWs.
04
BUILD A BETTER
TOOLBOX
Most windows can be reshaped
or scaled up or down in size
even some that may not appear to be possessed
of such flexibility. Take the Toolbox, for instance.
You probably already know to right-click if you
want to bring up the Tools menu, but did you
know that right-clicking and holding (or Ctrl-
clicking and holding on a Mac) for a few seconds
will allow you to drag to reshape the Toolbox?
05
COLOUR
COORDINATION
There are so many ways to
customise Cubase that we almost
hesitate to offer up even more. This one is all
about colour, as in your colour settings in the
Appearance section of Cubases Preferences.
06
THE KEYS TO VARIAUDIO
VariAudios Pitch and Warp function can
analyse your audio files, detecting both
the pitch and timing of your mono
recordings, splaying the results across a piano-roll style
grid. You can then correct pitch and timing simply by
dragging on each segment. Its made even easier with
shortcut keys. Hold Ctrl/Cmd to snap segments to
notes, hold Shift to move them freely, and hit Tab to
toggle between Pitch and Segment editing modes.
You probably already know that you can click on
the assigned colour example for a given graphic
bit and select a new colour. Yet right-clicking will
bring up more options, including the option to
copy or paste a colour, reset a colour or display
HSV and RGB values numerically.
07
WE DONT NEED NO
STINKIN PATCHES!
If you still use any hardware
synths or effects, they probably
come loaded with hundreds if not thousands of
preset patches, often divided into banks. This
many patches can be quite difficult to manage,
but Cubase has been making it a snap for eons.
Thanks to the one-two punch of MIDI Devices
and Patch Scripts, you can import SPF files of
the factory patch lists of your favourite synth. If
such a file isnt already available, you might want
to dig up a copy of Steinbergs ancient (and free)
ScriptMaker program, which will allow you to
roll your own Patch Scripts. Its for Windows
95/98, though we ran it just fine on Windows XP
using a virtual machine. To get it, point your
browser at bit.ly/ScriptMaker.
08
PILING ON
THE INSERTS
Steinberg have bundled loads of
excellent effects plugins into
Cubase, including many go-to insert effects like
compressors, limiters and filters. However, there
are only eight insert slots on each track. Though
that ought to be enough for even the most
complex productions, you need not feel
restricted by this limitation. You can simply
route the tracks Output into an empty Group
channel. This will give you yet another full
complement of insert slots with which to play.
And one crucial point about Cubases insert slots
that is overlooked by many: the first six are pre-
fader, but the last two are post-fader!
09
POINT OF INSERTION
Heres a real timesaver for those
times when you have a track
loaded with insert effects:
Holding Shift-Alt and clicking on a tracks e
button in the Track Inspector will instantly bring
up the GUIs for all inserted effects for that track. Commit a few simple key modifiers to memory if you want to get the most out of Cubases VariAudio feature
All the colours of the rainbow are at your disposal
in Cubase use them wisely to keep organised
> make music now / cubase secrets
16 Cubase tips and tricks
13
RUNNING WITH SCISSORS
Ever needed to chop up an event into slices
of equal length? Its easy to do in Cubase.
Select the scissors tool, determine the
desired length of the clips, then hold Alt and click on
the spot that should represent the rightmost end of
the first segment in what would be the first clip. Your
entire event will be divided into clips of that length. On
a related note, if you need quick access to the scissors
tool while using the regular pointer, just hold Alt!
10
GRID (UN)LOCK
Snapping events to a grid is one of
the great innovations of modern
music production, allowing you to
correct and perfect timing, align events and
clips, and otherwise ensure that your songs
rhythmic structure stays lock-stepped to the
clock. However, its also useful to have freedom
of movement within the project without
conceding to the grid. If youre constantly
toggling the snap function on and off, though,
did you realise that simply holding down Ctrl
(or Command on a Mac) while moving or
resizing audio or MIDI events will momentarily
bypass the snap function?
11
EXCLUSIVE BEHAVIOUR
There are lots of nifty functions in
Cubases MixConsole, some of which are
less than apparent on first (or second, or
third) glance. Take a look at the top of the
MixConsole. Youll see a tiny star just to the right
of the Racks dropdown. Its easy to miss, but it
provides a lot of control options for adjusting
the MixConsoles behaviour. One such option is
Exclusive Expanded Rack. Ticking this causes
only the selected rack section to expand.
Choosing any rack section will cause the
others to collapse. That should help cut down
on scrolling.
12
HOLD THAT THOUGHT
As weve mentioned elsewhere in this
article, there are some mouse-click
tricks of which you may be unaware.
Clicking and holding in Cubase 7.5 sometimes
produces a different result than simply clicking.
For example, clicking on a Solo button in the
mixer solos a track or channel, but clicking and
holding the same button puts the channel into
Solo Defeat mode.
14
IN WITH THE OLD
With all the power provided by VST
instruments and effects, its easy to
forget that Cubase still has a lot of
features dedicated to integrating external
hardware devices though some of these
features rarely get a look in. Device Panels are
one such feature. Device Panels let you create
virtual control panels for your MIDI hardware
much as you can create Quick Control panels for
your virtual gear. Rolling your own Device
Panels is pretty easy, too. Cubase provides
plenty of tools to use, including all the knobs,
faders and buttons youd need to create your
own virtual hardware panels. Better still, there
are lots of ready-made Device Panels freely
available online. A carefully crafted panel will
allow full automation of MIDI CC and SysEx
parameters. Theyre quite cool, really!
15
IN WITH THE
EVEN OLDER
Now that weve jogged your memory
about Device Panels, well point out
that theyre not just for MIDI gear. Some intrepid
Virtual control over hardware used to be commonplace.
Device Panels still allow you to tweak your MIDI gear
Automatically chop a whole region into equally spaced selections with just one click
Device Panel designers have whipped up a
bunch of keen panels to serve as dummy
panels for non-MIDI gear, such as those dusty
(but highly prized) old analogue synthesisers.
While you cant use these panels to actually
control the gear, this is terrifically useful for
making a record of the positions of the knobs
and sliders for each patch making it relatively
easy to recreate a patch at a future date, even if
your old instrument lacks patch storage.
16
YOU SEND ME
You probably know that clicking
on an insert effect slot in the
MixConsole will bring up the inserted
effects GUI, but were you aware that you can do
the same with Send slots? The trick? You need to
hold Alt (aka Option on the Mac) while double-
clicking the Sends slot. Boom! Another plugin
trick: open a plugin, and from the top-right
dropdown menu, select Switch to Generic Editor
to access its underlying parameters directly
sometimes you can gain access to hidden
parameters this way! Switch back to the normal
graphical interface in the same way.
cubase secrets / make music now <
Get expressive with the
guide to using pitchbend,
glide and vibrato like a pro
PITCHN

GLIDE
pitch n glide / make music now <
Decades ago, the first forays into
electronic music were condemned as
being lacking in expression. While this is
something of a generalisation, it actually was
quite difficult to make the earliest electronic
instruments respond to a human beings
touch in the same way as, say, a guitar.
So when instruments like the Minimoog
appeared, with their performance-enhancing
glide controls, modulation and pitchbend
wheels, electronic musicians finally had a
means to add more expression to their playing.
The soft synths found in current DAWs have
inherited and developed these tools to the point
where, if you tailor your playing and set up the
synths controls correctly, you can get a really
expressive sound. And even if youre no Jordan
Rudess, you can just as easily imbue a
programmed MIDI part with expression by
adding performance data such as portamento,
pitchbend and vibrato via your DAWs
automation system.
Portamento (aka glide) is a term for the
pitch of notes sliding into one another, creating
a smooth, bendy sound. Its an interesting
effect, because how it ultimately sounds
depends not only on the way you set up the
synths controls, but just as much on how you
program or play the part.
Vibrato is a regular, usually slight movement
up and down in a notes pitch, typically
controlled by a low frequency oscillator (LFO) in
your synth. Intended to add interest to long,
static notes, in the world of real instruments,
its brought about by a player moving a violin or
guitar string up and down, or modulating the
airflow through a wind or brass instrument, and
so on. Traditionally in the world of synths,
pushing up the mod wheel progressively
increases the depth of the LFOs effect.
Pitchbend, meanwhile, is the synth
equivalent to a guitarist bending a string to
make the pitch of a sustained note move up or
down, and its introduced by moving the
pitchbend wheel away from the centre point.
Over the next few pages, well be looking at
how to use programming to implement some of
these features and effects found on your soft
synths, so follow our step-by-step guides, and
youll soon be bending and wobbling your
basslines, melodies and more like a boss.
To get the kind of twangy, portamento
synth riff used in the D. Ramirez remix
of Bodyroxs Yeah Yeah, we load up the
Exceeded LE preset in Curve 2 CM. One
oscillator is tuned down to -24 semitones
(two octaves) and another is tuned to +4
semitones (a major third). Ramp up the
Fatness macro control to about 60% to
thicken the sound.
1
In your piano roll editor, program in a
staccato sequence of short notes,
similar to the one shown above with a
moderate swing quantize. To get the most
out of the portamento effect, weve
included some large intervals between
some of the notes, such as the octave leap
between the first C2 and C3. This will give
us some dramatic swooping bends.
2
But play the sequence at this point
and theres no discernible portamento
effect, as Curve 2 CMs Play parameter is
still set to Legato mode, in which
portamento only works between notes
that overlap. To enable portamento on
staccato notes like we have, switch the
Play parameter to Mono mode. Now each
successive note glides up nicely from the
pitch of the previous note.
3
Set the glide time controls for both
oscillators to about 160ms. This
lengthens the subtle pitch swoop at the
start of each note, creating that familiar,
twangy effect. Note that in Constant
mode, the portamento always takes the
same set amount of time to reach the
target pitch, but in Proportional mode,
the effect takes longer on larger intervals
and less time on smaller ones.
4
> Step by step
1. Program a Bodyrox-style synth riff
Slide rules
The difference between
portamento and pitchbend is
that pitchbend is (typically)
triggered by moving a MIDI
controllers pitch wheel, whereas
portamento is more like an effect
akin to sliding a finger up and
down a guitar string, and its
achieved mainly by manipulating
and setting synth controls, note
lengths and overlaps.
Both give a similar kind of end
result, in that the pitch slides
smoothly and continuously from
one note to the next, but with
portamento enabled on a synth,
and the voice control set to
mono, you get an automatic glide
up to the start of each note from
the previous one. This is usually
controlled by a Rate or Time
parameter that governs the
duration of the slide, but note
length and frequency, together
with the way your notes overlap
and the size of the intervals
between pitches can all have a
big effect on the way the
portamento parameter behaves.
There may also be more than
one portamento mode to choose
from on your synth, delivering a
range of different results. Most
modern hardware and software
synths offer several choices for
control over this classic effect,
based on your playing technique,
as well explore on these pages.
> Step by step
2. Get an Earthquake-style hook using Massive and extreme portamento
Select New Sound from Massives File
menu to load the Untitled preset. Set
the 4 Env Sustain level high and lengthen
the Release so the notes sustain while a
key is held down and tail off when its
released. In Voicing, switch to Monophonic
and set the Trigger Mode parameter to
Legato Triller. The sound wont retrigger
when you play multiple notes.
1
Set your project tempo to 153bpm and
place a long, low E
b
note through the
entire length of the four-bar MIDI region.
Place a few other ascending notes as
shown. Place these about one 16th-note
earlier than required, allowing time for the
glide to swoop up to the required note
pitch. Make sure the ends of the notes
overlap slightly for a smooth glide.
2
Now set the Glide mode in the Osc tab
to Equal and adjust the Time control
until the swoops are sounding right. This
should be around the one oclock position.
As the pattern repeats, adjust the length
of the final high note in the sequence to
get a satisfying laser gun type effect as
the sound swoops back down to the lower
pitch of the start note.
3
> make music now / pitch n glide
Were going to make a THX-style
polyphonic glide that begins with a
cacophony of random pitches that slowly
drift together and solidify into a specific
chord. Choose a synth with a portamento
function that can be set in seconds weve
gone with Synthmaster CM. Our chosen
preset, LED 80s Rock Saw MK, already has
legato/portamento enabled by default.
1
We want the sliding portion to be five
bars long, and the resolved chord a
further two bars. Use your DAWs time
display to measure the number of seconds
your glide portion needs to be. Five bars
at 120bpm lasts for exactly ten seconds.
Set the portamento time accordingly, and
add a compressor across the track to keep
the volume level of the swoop even.
2
Insert a long note at the first starting
pitch. You could start anywhere, but
we start with a low F1. Copy this first note
and place the copy at the required ending
pitch A
#
2 in this instance about one
16th-note later than the original note.
Press play and you should hear a long,
sweeping note that glides up from F1 to
A
#
2, hitting the target pitch at the ten-
second mark.
3
Duplicate the track and instrument and
repeat step 3 for as many notes as you
want in your final chord, using both upward
and downward swoops. Choose a variety of
starting pitches, and vary the intervals
between the start and end notes on each
track. Our final pitches for the six voices are
C1, C2, A
#
2, D
#
3, G3 and A
#
3, making a Cm7
chord. Hit play and hear six random voices
gradually converge into a sweet chord!
4
> Step by step
4. Set up a Dolby THX-style polyphonic glide
Aaaand.... slide!
When playing a hardware synth,
a very good trick to get a slide to
reach your note at just the right
time, is to gradually twist down
the portamento control to make
sure the portamento gets close
to zero at that point. In a DAW-
based production, or when
playing via a MIDI controller with
knobs, you can replicate this by
automating/assigning the
portamento time or rate control,
dramatically increasing the
control you have over the shape
of the slide.
Portamento doesnt have to be
extreme. Most lead synth sounds
sound better with just a hint of
portamento dialled in so that the
front of each note cuts in
slightly, and because of its set it
and leave it quality, its a great
way to quickly personalise an
otherwise run-of-the-mill preset.
Other things you can do with
portamento include a theremin-
type sound, perfect for spooky
soundtracks. Use an extreme
portamento time setting on a
monophonic synth sound with
the oscillator set to a square or
pulse wave. Get an LFO involved
to provide permanent vibrato at
a moderate rate and depth, and
youll be scoring Frankenstein
movies before you know it.
> Step by step
3. Using portamento instead of pitchbend
Programming pitchbend curves in
your DAW is great for linear swoops
and dives, but what about more intricate
stuff? Heres an example of a Massive lead
line recorded from a MIDI keyboard using
a pitchbend wheel. A lot of the bends in
here would have taken a while to draw in
by hand. We can use portamento
programming to achieve the same result.
1
Program in the notes without any
bends. In this example, the notes that
are to be bent will be bent up and then
back down again, so they should be three
times the length of the unbent notes. Set
the Trigger mode to Legato Triller with a
Glide Time of around 11 oclock. This gives
a medium portamento effect without each
new note retriggering the sound.
2
To achieve a two-semitone bend, place
a 16th-note in the centre of each
longer note, two semitones higher in
pitch. Because it doesnt retrigger the
sound, it shifts the pitch smoothly up and
then down again, just like a pitchbend
wheel. Adjust the notes length and the
synths Glide Time parameter if needed to
fine-tune the timing of the bend.
3
You say
you want a
resolution
Of all the various messages
contained within your average
stream of MIDI data, the information
transmitted by your controller
keyboards pitchbend wheel is
unusual in that it has a much higher
resolution than most other
continuous controller messages
such as modulation, pan, or volume.
Whereas these types of messages
have only 128 possible values
(0-127), pitchbend data is classed as
a high-precision, 14-bit Absolute
controller message with 16,384
possible values (0-16,383).
This is one of the reasons why
pitchbend has its own category in
many DAWs, and this range of
values is so great that some DAWs
have to scale it down to a workable
resolution that can be handled by
their automation systems. Not
everybody handles it the same way.
Logic Pro X, for example, in its MIDI
Draw editor (formerly known as
HyperDraw) maps the 16,384
possible values to a range of +/-63,
with 0 being the centre position, ie,
normal pitch, -63 fully bent down
and +63 fully bent up. Ableton Live
and Cubase, on the other hand, use
a full resolution of +/-8192 in their
MIDI automation systems to handle
pitchbend. This is undoubtedly a
good thing, as it allows maximum
control over the perceived position
of the pitchbend wheel, but the only
drawback when editing pitchbend
curves at such a fine resolution is
that it can be hard to find the exact
centre point value of 0 unless youre
really zoomed in.
Heres a performance tip for an
expressive solo technique that you
can program in if youre not a keyboard
player. It uses the pitchbend wheel to
emulate a sort of guitar-like vibrato that
sounds different to that produced by the
mod wheel. Start by programming in a
synth line like this with a couple of long
notes. You can find ours in the Tutorial
Files folder.
1
Open the pitchbend editor in your
DAWs piano roll, and set the
pitchbend range of your synth to +/-2. Click
on the automation curve to create nodes
that set the pitchbend to specific values at
specific times. Using this method, draw in
a pitch curve to bend up the first long note
of the phrase a whole tone, as shown.
2
Now zoom in on the second long note
and draw in some wiggles as shown
above. This produces a kind of vibrato
effect, but modulates the pitch as if the
player was wobbling the pitch wheel back
and forth. This is a technique that
keyboard players sometimes use when
performing with a sound that has no
vibrato linked to the mod wheel.
3
Most DAWs will allow you to select
portions of an automation curve and
copy and paste it into other regions in
order to duplicate its effect elsewhere in
the track. For example, Logic has a special
automation select tool in its toolbox to
achieve this. First open up your pitchbend
edit window and select the Automation
Select tool.
4
Using the tool, draw a selection
window around all the control points
that make up the section of automation
data you want to copy. The selected
portion of the curve will turn white to
show that its highlighted. Use the normal
Cmd-C (or Ctrl-C) keyboard shortcut to
copy it to the clipboard
5
Select the region you want to paste
the data into and position the
playhead at the exact point you want the
pasted-in curve to begin. Use the standard
Cmd-V (or Ctrl-V) key command to paste
it into position at the playhead.
6
> Step by step
5. Drawing and editing pitchbend curves
How far your DAWs pitchbend automation
units extend may affect how fine your
programmed sweeps and bends can get
Live
Logic
Cubase
> make music now / pitch n glide
Heres a preset in NIs Massive Peach
Lead thats crying out for some lairy
pitchbending and mod wheel vibrato But,
when you go for the wheels, nothing
happens because the mod wheel is
unassigned, and the pitchbends range is
zero by default. Click the leftmost Osc tab
in the centre panel this lets you access
Massives global oscillator settings.
1
To restore pitchbend to the pitch
wheel, set the Up and Down range
parameters (found in the Pitchbend
section over on the left of the Osc tab)
to your preferred settings. For general
soloing, we favour a setting of +/-2
semitones, so that when the wheel is
at its fullest extent, the note is bent by
a whole tone.
2
To get the mod wheel controlling
vibrato again, go to the Vibrato
section over on the right of the Osc tab.
First, we need to set the desired vibrato
rate. Turn up the Depth knob about
halfway so that we can hear the effect
working and play a sustained note. Turn
the Rate knob until the speed of the
vibrato is about right weve gone for
around the 2 oclock mark.
3
Next, right-click on the Depth control
and select MIDI Learn. Move the mod
wheel back and forth to the extremes of
its travel. The Depth knob should move
accordingly, meaning its been successfully
assigned to the mod wheel. Now when
you play the sound, you should be able to
bend the notes up and down with the
pitch wheel and introduce vibrato at the
selected rate with the mod wheel.
4
> Step by step
7. Traditional performance controls in Massive
Reinventing
the wheel
If youre a synth player who cant
get used to not having vibrato
permanently assigned to the
mod wheel, you might be
frustrated that many of the
presets in current soft synths
leave the mod wheel unassigned
or have it controlling something
like filter cutoff by default. For
instance, NIs Massive has been
criticised in the past for not being
the most expressive of synths.
Yet with a bit of fiddling about,
its possible to restore normal
functionality to the pitch and
mod wheels, as shown in our
tutorial to the left.
In general synthesis terms, to
restore mod wheel vibrato
functionality to a preset that
lacks it, youre looking to assign
an LFO to vary the pitch of the
synths oscillators at a set rate.
Then assign the output of the
mod wheel (MIDI CC1) to control
the depth of the LFOs effect. This
is so that the further you push the
wheel, the more pronounced the
vibrato becomes. Massive has its
own way of doing this, as weve
shown in our walkthrough, but
the general principle should
work for most other synths too.
> Step by step
6. Combining pitchbend and mod wheel vibrato in one riff
Heres a simple funk track with a beat
and a bassline. Weve programmed a
simple lead synth riff over the top, using
Synthmaster CMs LED DXieHard preset,
which has a pitchbend range of five
semitones and the mod wheel hooked up
to vibrato by default. Using the method
described on the previous page, were
going to draw in some pitchbend curves.
1
Bend the first note up two semitones,
and insert an upward bend part-way
through the fifth note, so it bends into its
correct pitch. If your DAW supports it,
produce a curve between the two nodes.
Ctrl-Shift-dragging will do this in Logic
your DAW may do it differently. Speed up
the bend by dragging the second node to
the left to shorten the curve.
2
For vibrato, switch the curve to
Modulation and draw nodes in a
trapezium as shown on the two longer
notes. This applies controller number 1
MIDI messages (modulation) to the notes,
in a move equivalent to shifting the mod
wheel up about halfway and holding it
there for almost the whole duration of the
note. An instant funk lead solo!
3
SAMPLE AND HOLD
Usually abbreviated to S&H, Sample and Hold
is a synthesis technique by which a snapshot
of an oscillator waveform is captured and held
for a period of time, then used to modulate
another parameter filter cutoff or oscillator
pitch, for example. The oscillator used for S&H
will very often be a random noise generator,
making the sampled waveform particularly
useful for the creation of old sci-fi soundtrack-
style beeps and burbles.
SAMPLE
Any digitally stored piece of audio can be
considered a sample, but the word is generally
used in relation to the short clips and loops used
in music production, rather than full tracks. The
act of sampling involves recording a sound into
your computer via an analogue-to-digital
converter (your audio interface) and using the
resulting sample either as is or processing and
manipulating it into a whole new sound.
Samples can either be placed directly on audio
tracks within a DAW, or imported into a sampler
or sampling synth, where they can be played
up and down the keyboard via your MIDI
keyboard, triggered percussively using a MIDI
drum kit, etc. They can also be employed as
one-shots or loops, the former playing back
only once when triggered, the latter cycling
repeatedly until triggering or playback stops.
The advent of sampling was a milestone in
music production history, and without it, dance
music, electronica, hip-hop, drum n bass and
many other styles either wouldnt exist at all or
would sound very different indeed. Today,
theres a sizeable commercial market for pre-
produced samples, with companies such as
Loopmasters, Sample Magic, Zero-G and
countless others pumping out packs of loops
and one-shots to serve all musical needs
imaginable, as well as lavishly produced
multisampled instrument libraries that give the
home-studio-based producer affordable access
to astonishingly realistic virtual drum kits,
orchestras, guitars, pianos and pretty much any
other real-world instrument you care to name.
SAMPLE RATE
When an analogue signal is converted to a
digital one, the number of times a second that
the waveforms position is captured and logged
as a discrete digital value is called the sample
rate. The higher the sample rate, the greater the
range of frequencies that can be captured
some modern DAWs are capable of handling
audio at a sample rate up to 384kHz (384,000
captures per second).
However, the average musician really neednt
go beyond 96kHz at most. Indeed, the highest
frequency that can be represented by a digital
signal is half that of the sample rate known as
the Nyquist frequency so with human hearing
maxing out at around 20kHz, its no coincidence
that the sample rate for CDs (the original digital
consumer format) is 44.1kHz. That particular
rate (CD quality) remains the standard for
audio playback today, and it is able to store and
reproduce all audio content perfectly within the
range 0-22050Hz. Another point to consider
when selecting sample rates, of course, is
storage space every doubling of sample rate
doubles the size of the audio file, after all.
SAMPLER
Once upon a time, a sampler was a physical
device used to record and play back samples.
Today, the hardware sampler is all but dead,
replaced by the more powerful DAW-integrated
soft sampler, most of which are only used to play
back imported samples rather than record them.
A sampler can be used to map related samples
(a series of sampled piano notes, for example)
across the range of the keyboard for pitched
play, or to place discrete sounds (eg, the various
elements of a drum kit or a collection of loops)
on individual notes. As well as their position on
the pitch axis, samples can also be mapped up
and down the MIDI velocity range eg, sampled
gentle taps on a snare drum for low velocities,
heavy hits for higher ones. Most samplers also
feature a range of synthesis controls (filters,
envelopes, LFOs, etc) for manipulating their
loaded samples, as well as effects, mapping and
playback options, and more.
SATURATION
Saturation originally referred to the over-
magnetising of magnetic tape, resulting in overt
distortion of the recorded signal or gentle
warming, depending on how heavy-handedly it
was applied. These days, the word is used to
describe the subtle distortion of any valve,
transformer or other circuit or stage through
lightly overdriving it. Although tape is no longer
a feature of the average recording studio, and
valves and transformers are becoming rarer, the
unarguable benefits of saturation can still be
had via the increasing number of plugins on the
market that emulate them.
Getting stranded by sonic speak? Take
yourself back to school with our ongoing
guide to the specifics of music production
computer music
to
of
The
S
Akais S1000 sampler was partly responsible for waves of new genres, but its obsolete nowadays
PART ONE
72 / COMPUTER MUSIC August 2014
Some synths like Alpha CM offer Sample
and Hold in addition to basic LFO waveforms
NEXT MONTH Plenty more S words in the chin-stroking second instalment of A to Z: S
Three of
the best
SCRUB
The ability to shuttle playback backwards and
forwards through audio at a user-controlled
speed (either using the mouse or the jogwheel
on a hardware control surface). Scrubbing is a
software-specific feature (ie, not a universal one)
that helps position the playhead precisely in
applications that support it.
SEMITONE
An interval of half a tone on the western musical
scale, and the distance between adjacent keys
on a piano keyboard F to F
#
, say, or B to C. An
octave comprises 12 semitones.
SEND/RETURN
The send control on a mixer channel taps the
signal from that channel and literally sends it to
a dedicated return channel, which is fed back
into the mix. The main use for this setup (known
as a send/return loop) is effects processing: with
an effect (eg, a reverb) inserted into the return
channel 100% wet, any number of source
signals can be fed to it in varying amounts via
their send controls, thus placing them all in the
same sonic environment.
SEQUENCE
A series of MIDI or audio events in a DAW/
sequencer is a sequence, and the act of creating
such a series is called sequencing.
SEQUENCER
The definition has changed greatly over the
years (and these days the word has been all but
replaced by DAW Digital Audio Workstation),
but a sequencer nowadays can be described as
a software or hardware device for recording and
editing MIDI and often audio and arranging it
over time. The earliest software sequencers
were MIDI-only, with audio added later, but the
concept is the same: sequences are recorded in
real-time via a MIDI keyboard or other
instrument, or programmed using the mouse
and keyboard, then edited in terms of pitch,
timing, velocity and various other parameters in
a MIDI editor (piano roll, drum, event/list, etc).
Another popular form of sequencer, the step or
pattern sequencer, can be found on many
synths and drum machines, enabling non-real-
time sequencing within their own interfaces.
SHUFFLE/SWING
The shifting of every second note on a specified
note-value grid (usually, that means every other
16th-note) to the right by an adjustable amount
in order to apply an increasingly swung or
dotted note feel to the rhythm. In software, the
exact timing of any given swing percentage will
vary, but the benchmark is still Akais classic
MPC series, the swing settings of which have
been emulated time and time again by software.
SIBILANCE
The harsh, high-frequency s and sh sounds
that are inherent in any vocal performance and
often need to be reined in as part of the mixing
process. Just EQing out these frequencies will
make the whole vocal sound dull, so frequency-
conscious compression is the solution. This can
either be applied via a compressor with a
sibilance-boosting EQ inserted into its sidechain
input, or a dedicated de-esser plugin, either of
which essentially do the same thing: reduce the
volume of the vocal when sibilant frequencies
are detected. Some smarter de-essers will
attenuate only the sibilant frequency range.
SIDECHAIN
A secondary input on a compressor or gate into
which a separate signal to the one being
processed can be fed and used to control the
action of the compression or gating. The classic
example in modern music is the rhythmic
pumping effect created by sidechaining a
bassline or pad sound (or even a full mix!) with a
4/4 kick drum, but sidechaining is also useful for
de-essing vocals (see Sibilance) and general
ducking (lowering in volume) of any sound to
make room for another sound occurring at the
same time. A sidechain input is a common
feature among todays dynamics plugins.
SLOPE
The slope of a filter determines the steepness
of its response curve. So, a 12dB/octave slope
reduces the volume of the signal by 12dB for
every octave it extends beyond the cutoff
frequency in the direction established by the
filter type above for a low-pass, below for a
high-pass. Higher slopes give more brutal
filtering, while lower slopes give a more natural
sound. Most filters offer a choice of slope
usually 6, 12 and 24dB/octave, some including an
18dB option and a few sharpening up to 48.
Slope is also described in terms of the
number of poles of the filter, each pole
contributing 6dB/octave of attenuation a
4-pole filter, then, has a 24dB/octave slope.
SNAP TO GRID
With a DAWs snap to grid function enabled, any
action that changes or establishes the position
of an event or events (inserting, moving or slicing
of clips, MIDI notes, automation data, etc) on the
timeline will result in that event(s) automatically
aligning with the quantise grid (set by the user),
rather than the actual position of the mouse
pointer. With snap enabled, dragging an audio
clip into a project and placing it between two
gridlines will see it jump to the nearest one.
NATIVE INSTRUMENTS
KONTAKT 5
170 9/10 339
The industry standard without a
doubt. Not only is Kontakt a sampling
powerhouse for those seeking to
create their own sounds, but its also
spawned an entire sub-industry of
third-party library developers.
STEINBERG HALION 5
196 8/10 284
Featuring a collection of excellent
instrument macros and genuinely
useful synth engines, HALion doesnt
quite match the sheer sampling
might of Kontakt, but its significantly
cheaper and arguably ships with the
more interesting sound library.
www.steinberg.net
NEW SONIC ARTS NUANCE
191 8/10 59
Lean, mean and supremely easy to
use, Nuance won us over in our
review last year with its excellent
modulation system, eight-voice
unison, gorgeous filter and
refreshing lack of bloat.
www.newsonicarts.com
SAMPLERS
EDITORSCHOICE
a to z of computer music / make music now <
An overly sibilant hissy vocal can be treated
with dynamics processors to make it mix-ready
Your DAWs arranger and piano roll are sequencers
too, having grown out of older music-making gear
>Step by step
Four approaches to making complementary basslines and melodies
Moving melodies
Dave walks us through four different methods for intertwining
basslines and melodies, spicing up the creative process
Although it may sound like some sort of
obscure South American political process,
contrapuntal motion is actually a term used
to describe the way in which two musical
parts interact.
Think about the relationship between, say, a
melody and a bassline, in terms of the directions
theyre travelling up and down the scale. If you
have a melody whose notes are moving up the
scale, getting higher in pitch, its known as
upward motion, whereas if its moving down the
scale its a downward motion. Straightforward so
far, but its when you combine two parts and start
to experiment with their motion relative to each
other that things start to get interesting.
When you have two parts that work together,
like a bassline and a melody, this is known as
counterpoint. So, when dealing with the direction
in which each part moves relative to the other,
the general term for this is contrapuntal motion,
and it comes in four different flavours: oblique,
parallel, similar and contrary.
So how is this relevant to modern music
production? Well, by altering the relationship
between the bass part and the melody, you can
produce profound effects capable of injecting
tension and movement into a broad spectrum of
musical genres. The four types of motion
mentioned above are mainly considered when
employing a composition technique known as
voice leading, which well be covering soon in a
forthcoming Easy Guide of its own. For now,
however, Ill be briefly illustrating an example of
each type of motion just so we get the basic idea,
rounding off with a look at contrary motion and
how it can be used in your tunes.
Oblique motion is when one part
moves up or down in pitch while the
other remains constant. In this example,
we have a melody that ascends and
descends the scale of A minor, while the
bass part maintains a steady A note. This
is quite a common technique in electronic
music, as its fairly easy to make a melody
work over a static bassline.
1
Parallel motion is when two parts
move the same number of semitones
simultaneously in the same direction. If
one part moves up a semitone, the other
must follow suit, but because they always
maintain a constant interval, like a synth
playing two oscillators tuned semitones
apart, parallel motion parts rarely
harmonise properly in the current key
2
Because each pair of notes are always
a fixed number of semitones apart,
they often hit notes that arent in the right
scale for the key. It would be better if you
could adjust the interval between the
notes when needed so that each pair of
notes harmonised properly with its
partner, and the key of the piece. This is
where similar motion comes in
3
To create Similar motion, we need to
start by working out the key of the
original melody. Were in the key of C
major, so lets assign a number to each
degree of the C major scale, as shown
above. We then choose an interval we
want to base the second part on. Thirds
and sixths are the most popular options,
so well go for thirds as before.
4
Work out the note thats a major third
above the root note of the key were in,
which in this case is E, a third above C.
Now play the C major scale starting from E
as the root note and line up this scale
alongside the original as shown. This will
help determine which notes to use to
harmonise the melody part.
5
For instance, wherever a C occurs in the
first part, we need to match it with an E
in the second part. Similarly, we match D to
F, E to G, and so on. When we look at the
intervals between each matched pair, we
can see that they vary C-E, F-A and G-B
are major thirds (four semitones), but D-F,
E-G, A-C and B-D are minor thirds (three
semitones).
6
Download the accompanying
video and the MIDI/audio files at
DOWNLOAD
TUTORIAL
FILES
Dave Clews
NEXT MONTH Dave explores modes: giving scales a different musical mood
ON A MISSION
Try using the techniques on these pages to influence
the relationship between other lines in your work.
Purposely set out to weave, say, a vocal melody and
a lead synth line together so that they either move
in opposite directions or follow similar motion.
Whichever method you use, the idea is that when
you set out with a particular mission in mind, you
often get wildly different results than youd expect
by simply relying on instinct alone.
MIX IT UP
When you look at how your melody and bassline work
together, ideally, you should be looking for a fairly even
mix of all four types of contrapuntal motion as
described here. Oblique motion will probably be most
prevalent, since bass parts often pedal on the same
note for several beats while the melody wanders
around above it.
PRO TIPS RECOMMENDED LISTENING
>Step by step
Four approaches to making complementary basslines and melodies
In a studio career
spanning almost 25
years, Dave has
engineered,
programmed and
played keyboards on
records for a string of
artists including
George Michael, Kylie
Minogue, Tina Turner
and Estelle. These
days, in between writing articles
for and other magazines, he
collaborates on occasional songs
and videos with singer/songwriter
Lucy Hirst, aka Polkadothaze.
www.daveclews.com
Dave Clews
The reason this works is that both the
melody and the harmony are using
notes from the same scale, just starting in
different places. All the notes used in both
parts are from the C major scale. This is
how similar motion compensates for the
key while parallel motion doesnt, and as a
result works much better harmonically.
Compare the result with Step 2.
7
Contrary motion is when two parts
move any distance in opposite
directions. As an example, bars 1-2 contain
an ascending C major scale melody over a
descending, half-time bassline that plays
C A G F. Conversely, in bars 3-4, the
melody goes down, so the bassline has to
ascend, playing an upward sequence of
notes: C D F G.
8
To illustrate further, heres a simple
track made up of drums, some piano
chords and a string melody. The melody is
picking out the top notes of the piano
chords, which are ascending: C D E
b
F.
These are the first four notes of the
C minor scale, played in octaves for a
thicker sound.
9
Now weve added a sidechained bass
playing long, sustained notes: C D E
b
F
in an upward motion that matches the
string melody. Theres nothing wrong with
this its perfectly logical for the bass to
follow an ascending pattern starting on the
tonic, or root note of the scale but we can
employ contrary motion to do something a
bit more interesting with it.
10
Heres the same track with a different
bassline. While the melody maintains
its upward motion, the bassline now
descends: C B
b
A
b
F. The result is much
more dramatic as the two elements move
in different directions. Whats also
happened is that, because it has to
descend, the bass part now starts an
octave higher than before.
11
For a more dramatic twist, we drop the
bassline down by a major third to form
different chords with the piano part, while
still working with the existing string
melody. Here it plays A
b
G F D
b
, effectively
resulting in the progression A
b
maj7 - Gm7
- Fm7 - D
b
maj7. Try it for yourself and see
how many other contrary motion
basslines you can come up with!
12
TAME IMPALA, ELEPHANT
Check out the end of the first solo
section. The guitar and bass step
downwards, while the keyboard
ascends the scale in the opposite
direction. A more perfect example
of contrary motion you wont find.
RITA ORA, I WILL NEVER
LET YOU DOWN
Watch out for the bass and guitar
in this one in the chorus, the
guitar plays an ascending C
#

minor scale while the bass
drops from an A down to an E.
bit.ly/TameEle
bit.ly/RitaLetDown
easy guide / make music now <

This month Im looking at a family of
instruments often known in sample
libraries as mallets. Most people are
familiar with the xylophone and its playing
basics: wooden blocks or keys (one for
each note) are hit with beaters held in each
hand. This instrument is just one in the family
of orchestral percussion that includes
the glockenspiel, marimba and vibraphone.
Most of these instruments are played in a
similar manner, but there are a few distinct
differences between them.
Xylophones and marimbas
Lets begin with the xylophone, the orchestral
version of which has a typical range from F4 to
C8, although models do vary. The xylophone is
played with beaters known as mallets, which are
used to strike the bars. The mallet heads can be
made from many different materials to create
distinct timbres. Wooden mallets create a sharp
sound with a fast attack whereas wool mallets
produce a softer tone. Most typically, hardwood
or rubber-headed mallets are used. A marimba
is similar to the xylophone but has a
deeper tone.
A xylophone performer can hold
and use two, four or occasionally six
mallets simultaneously. Multiple
mallets produce chords and fast rolls.
Alternatively, holding mallets of different
materials in the same hand allows for
rapid change in tone whilst performing.
If you dont have a sample set that
caters to different mallets heads,
you can mimic the sound of
softer mallets in your DAW with a
filter, as Ill do on the next page.
Glocks and vibes
The glockenspiel uses metal plates instead of
wooden bars, within a range of 2
1
/2 to 3 octaves
from F5 upwards. Its small, and it has a very
bell-like tone when played.
The vibraphone has a similar size and range
to the xylophone typically three octaves,
although again, models with larger ranges can
be found. Like the glockenspiel, a vibraphones
bars are made from metal, but its resonators
have motorised discs at the top, which spin to
create a distinctive tremolo effect sort of like a
classic Leslie effect heard in organs. Modern
vibraphones have an RPM control for the motor,
resulting in an adjustable tremolo speed.
This can be thought of in the same way as
adjusting an LFOs rate control.
The vibraphones unique mellow sound is
often heard in jazz, but less so in an orchestral
context. The vibraphone also has a pedal, very
much like a pianos, that can be used to dampen
the instrument and prevent the bars from
sustaining. More comprehensive vibraphone
sample libraries will include samples for these
dampened notes. Alternatively, in a DAW, you
can shorten MIDI notes, reduce the amplitude
envelopes release time and introduce a low-
pass filter envelope to soften the timbre as
the note is released. The tremolo effect can
also be artificially created using a dedicated
tremolo plugin.
All bar none
There are specific rudiments that are common
to all mallet instruments: Glissandi are often
played, but these will be either diatonic (just the
white keys) or pentatonic (just the black). Rolls
are a common rudiment where both hands will
rapidly strike the same note. Bounces are also
possible, with the bounced strikes landing
either on the same or another note at a lower
strength. For a great walkthrough of some
lesser-known techniques, check out the video at
bit.ly/1tQG7ud, where an expert demonstrates
rudiments such as legato and harmonics on
the vibraphone.
There are also distinct limitations of mallet
instruments: its rare to hear more than six notes
played simultaneously (three mallets in each
hand), and four is a more common upper limit.
With more
pies on the
table than he
has fingers to
put in them,
Reuben is an
accomplished
DJ, composer
and long-
standing
contributor to . In this ongoing
series of tutorials, he imparts a
wealth of advice aimed at helping
you program more realistic
instrumental MIDI parts.
Reuben Cornell
Orchestral mallets
Reuben Cornells
keep it
real
LIONEL HAMPTON, AUTUMN LEAVES
The jazz master is at his best here, although I couldve
chosen absolutely any cut by this exceptional vibraphone
player. This track is a great example of vibraphone
tremolo in action. The faster passages also demonstrate
some consummate skill in legato playing, damping
and rolls.
bit.ly/1g18vWG
GOTYE, SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW
You might not have realised it, but this 2011 summer
smash is peppered with xylophone staccatos and
glissandi. Its a great lesson showing that when used
with subtlety and invention, the xylophone can sound
delicate and wistful. Its a far cry from more obvious
examples like the strident riff throughout Abbas
Mamma Mia.
bit.ly/1cRgBNd
WAVVES, SAIL TO THE SUN
Showing that the glockenspiel isnt just for classical
music, American rockers Wavves sprinkle the instrument
throughout their Afraid of Heights LP. The powerful
guitar riffs and thrashing drums in this track are given
top-end sheen by the addition of the high-pitched glock.
bit.ly/1ja88tq
RECOMMENDED LISTENING
TREMOLO
This term literally means to tremble or shake, and has
trickled down into musical parlance to apply to notes.
Traditionally, the trembling applies to the volume of
the held note, moving it up and down with time. We
apply tremolo whenever we connect an LFO to a level
or gain control, modulating its volume. In vibraphone,
this effect is created by discs rotating at right angles to
the resonators, also subtly affecting the tone.
Careful though, because tremolo can also mean to
reiterate a note very quickly (eg, quickly bowed violin
notes), or can even refer to the whammy bar on a
guitar, which actually provides a vibrato effect.
JARGON BUSTER
You can mimic the sound of
softer mallets in your DAW
Reubens heading onto the beaten track this month
as he bashes out the facts on realistic MIDI mallets

You dont have to be a mallet maestro to hit a
bar with a beater, so there are lots of libraries
that make a good fist of mallet sampling.
This freebie glockenspiel for Kontakt
(bit.ly/1hH5olm) has seven velocity layers
but only covers 1 octaves. The 5 glock at
bit.ly/1k3oJdL also includes an unusual
bowed variation. The 9 xylophone at
bit.ly/1fp0cDF is good value with two
mixable mic positions.
For a one-stop solution, a good all-rounder
is the Mallets collection from Sonokinetic.
This 41 library samples orchestral marimba,
xylophone, glockenspiel and tubular bells.
Damped and undamped sample sets are
captured along with different mallet
materials (wood, rubber, wool, leather &
plastic). The collection is mainly aimed at
orchestral writing, but the cleanly sampled
notes can easily be used for other genres.
In my opinion, the best vibraphone on the
market is available from soniccouture.com
for 89. To achieve the unique tremolo effect,
both the open and closed fan positions have
been sampled, and some snazzy Kontakt
scripting crossfades between the sample
sets to create the sound. An alternate option
is the Pure Jazz Vibes library from Orange
Tree Samples, which features the unusual
mallet mute articulation.
Maximum mallets for your money
>Step by step
Realistic MIDI xylophone and vibraphone programming
Im going to use the xylophone from
ProjectSAMs Orchestral Essentials
Kontakt library. The instrument has some
useful onboard envelope and EQ controls
to shape the sound. I program a simple
MIDI phrase, played on just the white
notes at maximum velocity with the
samplers Round Robin function
activated. Dont forget to check out the
audio for each step in the Tutorial Files.
1
Now I add some typical xylophone
rudiments to my MIDI part. I copy and
paste the notes in certain sections,
duplicating them a fifth above the original,
as if the hand is holding two mallets. I also
add a glissando towards the end and
some rolls, which (thanks to the Round
Robin function), dont sound too robotic.
2
Lets add some velocity variation. I
reduce all the note velocities to 100
then add Lives Add Some Random MIDI
effect to the track, setting a Random
value of 20. This adds a human element,
automatically randomising the velocities
between 80 and 120.
3
Lets look at how to change the timbre
to approximate the sound of a
different mallet head. The sound of a
woollen head, for example, can be
emulated by increasing the amplitude
envelopes attack and rolling off some
higher frequencies. I also adjust the
overall velocity to 80 for a softer sound.
4
Lets look briefly at the vibraphone.
Ive programmed a short MIDI file with
the Vibes1 Basic patch in Live. Youll
notice the MIDI notes have all been left to
sustain until our imaginary dampening at
bars 2.3 and 4.3. This would be realistic
because unless dampened, the bars of a
vibraphone resonate for a long time.
5
We can crudely approximate the
vibraphones motorised tremolo
sound using a tremolo plugin. The default
settings on Lives own plugin do a
reasonable job. For a more realistic
tremolo, use a dedicated vibraphone
library with a sampled articulation like the
one from Soniccouture, which I also
demonstrate in the Tutorial Files folder.
6
TUTORIAL
FILES
keep it real / make music now <
Chicanes NickBracegirdle cant help
smilingwhenhe talks about his first studio
a spare roomfull of cracklyandout-of-tune
hardware at his parents house inChalfont St
Giles. I usedtomixdownonmydads oldhi-fi
amp, he chuckles.
Fewpeople walking past the sleepy,
suburban front garden would have guessed
this was the place where huge club hits like
Offshore and Saltwater had been recorded.
Mind you, the yellowFerrari in the front garden
was a bit of a giveaway!
Almost 20years after the success of those
early singles, Bracegirdle is putting together a
newalbum(out at the end of July) at his studio
in the French Alps. Quite a change fromrural
Buckinghamshire!
Yeah, I like mountains. I like to snowboard.
Ive got a place in the Alps and a place up in
Scotland, with a studio in each. Working in
different studios was a logistical nightmare in
the pre-computer days. Can you imagine having
to double up on everything? And even if you did
double up on something like a Roland SH-101,
chances were that the two machines wouldnt
sound the same. Hands up if you used to take
Polaroid pictures of the mixing desk, just so you
could remember all the settings!
God, I sometimes sit in front of my Mac
screen looking back at those early days and
think, Howdid we manage? Howdid we ever
finish a song?
Computer Music: Youdidnt mindmoving
over toa computer-basedstudio, then?
NickBracegirdle: Thats the weird thing I
was really, really reluctant to move over from
hardware. I was a Cubase user right fromthe
early days of the Atari, so I can remember when
they first introduced Cubase Audio. It was an
interesting idea, but in the studio, it was
horrendous. There was this thing called the
CHICANE
80 / Computer musiC / August 2014
The man behind a slewof 90s hits is still going strong
in2014 we caught upwithhiminhis mountainstudio
I sometimes sit in front of
my Mac, looking back at
those early days and think,
How did we manage?
chicane / interview <
August 2014 / Computer musiC / 81
audio pool, and thats exactly what it was a big
murky pool where you fished around hoping to
find the bit of audio youd just recorded!
As someone whod grown up on sequencing
and hardware, I found the whole idea of digital
audio a bit alien. Committing something to
audio meant that it was set in stone; that was it,
no turning back, no more tweaking. That wasnt
howI worked; I was used to having everything
running live and being able to tweak and change
a sound right up until the last minute.
: What changedyour mind?
NB: I was working with Nick Coler [former KLF
associate who went on to work with the likes of
Girls Aloud] and he started introducing me to
the whole idea of audio manipulation. Even after
it was in the computer, you could still mess
around with it. Right, I get it!
That happened to be around the same time
that software modelling was getting a bit more
advanced and, all of a sudden, my old hardware
started to disappear fromthe studio. We wont
need that today we can do it in the computer.
Eventually, I just moved over totally to Logic.
: Anyregrets?
NB: Ha! Are you kidding? Look at any modern
arrangement on the computer screen and try to
imagine making that song using hardware and a
mixing desk. I guess it can all be summed up in
one word: automation. Youd need a dozen pairs
of hands and an awful lot of pre-planning to do
all that on a mixing desk!
Nickwiththe MamboBrothers,
far fromCaf MamboinIbiza
> interview / chicane
As someone whod grown
up on sequencing and
hardware, I found the whole
idea of digital audio a bit alien
It took a while for the technology to really
get up to speed and showus what it could do,
but once we got there, we couldnt turn back.
For instance, Imworking on the newChicane
albumat the moment, and Ive got about half a
dozen tracks on the go, plus I took a two-week
break to do some soundtrack work [Bracegirdle
has supplied the theme tune to Matthew
Friends Perrys remake of the classic TV sitcom
The Odd Couple].
In the old days, you started a track, you
finished it and you moved onto the next thing. It
had to be like that because switching between
tracks was such a faff especially if you were
using a knackered old bit of analogue synth
hardware that wasnt behaving itself. Invariably,
you would listen to a finished track and think,
Damn! Those drums need more compression
The synths need more reverb But getting the
track back up on the desk was such a headache
that youd end up leaving it. The end result was
always a bit of a compromise.
Now, I can come and go as I please. I can mix
down, leave it for a couple of weeks, come back,
have a tweak, leave it, tweak, mix down as many
times as I want. I can give myself a bit of
distance and perspective thats when I knowif
a song is good enough to go on the album.
: Whats the current setup?
NB: The brains are provided by an eight-core
Mac Pro, going through a MOTU828, with a bit
of help froma Focusrite VoiceMaster for vocals
and a Mackie Big Knob. Imstill on Logic 9 at the
Kit list
HARDWARE
Apple Mac Pro
MOTU828
Focusrite VoiceMaster
Mackie BigKnob
Clavia NordLead
RolandS-750
Acoustic Research
RedBox&Tannoy
Ellipse 8monitors
SOFTWARE
ValhallaDSPplugins
Spectrasonics Trilian
LennarDigital Sylenth1
Arturia VCollection
FabFilter plugins
August 2014 / Computer musiC / 83
moment, but Imnot going to upgrade until Ive
finished the album. The whole studio needs a bit
of a spruce up, and it would be ridiculous to do
that while Ive got so much on the go.
In terms of synths, I naturally tend to
gravitate towards software versions of classic
gear like the ARP 2600, the 101 and the Prophet
because Imused to howthey work and I know
what sort of sounds theyre capable of. Ive also
been experimenting with some of the SIDchip
software, which I suppose is fromthat same
analogue era. Yes, I also use Sylenth1 and Trilian,
but I always steer clear of the super-huge, all-
singing, all-dancing machines like Predator
although they sound amazing, they gobble up
so much of your processor.
There was a period where everyone was
saying, Youve gotta get Nexus its perfect for
trance. When I hear that, Imalways suspicious.
It sounds too much like joining the dots and
trying to make a sound that fits every song.
: Doyoumindpeoplecallingyour
musictrance?
NB: Its been happening for almost 20years
now, so its a bit late for me to start complaining!
Imnot even sure what trance means anymore.
I suppose, in the late 90s, there was a sound that
everybody understood to be trance, but I was
talking to Ferry Corsten about this the other day
weve collaborated on a couple of tracks on the
newalbum and we couldnt help but smile
about the whole resurgence of the trance thing.
Chicane has never just been one sound or
one style. What Ive tried to do is make
widescreen dance music some of it is
commercial and poppy; some of it is for the
clubs. I hope that what Ive achieved has been
more than a simple one-word label.
: Has the wayyouwrite songs changed
muchinthose 20years? Does the modern
studiomake it easier tocreate widescreen
dance music?
NB: The answer to that question is yes and no.
Ever since I got my first bits of kit a Casio MT-65,
an SH-101 and a Dr. Rhythm songwriting has
If I get an idea, rather
than try and finish
the song there and
then, I just play 20
things in that style
always been about melody. Thats why I was
always such a big fan of people like Vince Clarke
and Jean Michel Jarre. They wrote great songs
songs with hooks and harmonies and emotion. In
that sense, my approach is still the same: around
90%of the time, a song will start with a melody.
But if you look at the way the studio works
technically, then songwriting is a totally different
beast. My first reverb was a guitar effects pedal
a piece of crap. Now, Ive got Valhalla [DSP]. Ive
seen people talk about it in the tech mags before
and, yes, it really is that good! Shimmer and
VintageVerb is on everything I do, fromthe
smallest touches to the huge sweeps that can
take a song way off into the distance.
Like I said before, songwriting always used
to be a compromise. Not anymore Nowyou
can get an idea into the computer and it sounds
better than it did in your head!
: Inone interview, yousaidsomething
about gettinga sonic moodboard together
whenyoufirst start a song.
NB: You knowhowartists or designers pull
together a selection of sketches or fabrics or
pictures when they start a project? Well, I do
something similar with music. If I get an idea,
rather than try and finish the song there and
then, I just play 20things in that style find
some pads, leads, drumand percussion loops.
Afewweeks ago, mymanager calledme up
andsaid, Youre goingtoget a call tomorrow
fromMatthewPerry. I thought Idmisheard
him. YoumeanChandler? Whythe hell would
Chandler Bingbe callingme? Anyway, it
turns out he knows mystuff, andhe really
likes the wayI canreinvent a tunetake it
somewhere new.
We chatted for a while, and he told me he
was about to re-launch an old American sitcom
called The Odd Couple [originally a 1968 movie
starring Jack Lemmon and Walther Matthau,
it was turned into a TV series in the 1970s with
Tony Randall and Jack Klugman]. He wanted to
bring the theme tune up to date, but in typical
Hollywood style, we only had about two weeks
to do it.
When I first listened to the original, all I
could think was, Its covered in brass and its got
an odd time signature. But then I started to
warmto the challenge, and I actually delivered a
piece of music that really took it somewhere
different. I knewit was a bit too way-out-there,
so I pulled back and gave thema second version
which everybody seemed to like.
I enjoy soundtrack work because Im
working to someone elses parameters, and that
means Imforced to step outside of my world.
Doesnt matter howlong youve been making
music, there are always newthings to learn.
Chandler calling
> interview / chicane
Not necessarily looking for things that will fit in
the song; they are literally just suggestions;
something to help you gauge which way the
song needs to go.
: Does your process involve a mixing
stage? Or, withprocessingandeffects
playingsuchanintegral part inthe sound,
dosongs tendto, er, grow towards a
final version?
NB: Yeah, thats a great way of putting it. They
growand evolve. Imworking on this track at the
moment, with a very heavily effected piano so
effected that it doesnt really sound like a piano.
It would be impossible to just put the nuts and
bolts of a song together and then paint on all
the effects and the widescreen bit during
mixdown. The effects move with the song
theyre part of it in the same way that the
bassline is, or the drumpart.
I suppose the thing that does happen at the
end is a sort of rationalisation of the song.
During the recording, I tend to overdo the parts,
and I overdo the levels a bit. Rich [engineer, Rich
Searle] comes in and just strips things back.
There are tweaks, of course, but all the
riding of the faders, the structure, the edits
all the main stuff is sorted. Theres not even
much in terms of compression, especially on
the downtempo stuff. I like to keep the feel
of it quite real and natural. Immore likely to
rely on levels and placement perhaps
chopping a hook a little bit early to create
space for the sound.
: There are a couple of guest vocalists
workingwithyouonthe newalbum,
includingLisa Gerrard, whoworkedonthe
Gladiator soundtrackwithHans Zimmer.
NB: I like the idea that Chicane is not just
electronics and machines; the organic, human
bits are often the most musical. Its the same
with things like guitars. Over the years, Ive
regularly fudged guitar parts with samples
and sequencers, but if you take the time and
trouble to get somebody to play it, it always
sounds better.
You asked me before if there were any
regrets about technologys shift to digital
and plugins. I suppose that would be my one
complaint. Technology can if were not careful
make things a little bit formulaic. It happened
in the old trance days. After that initial burst of
creativity and inventiveness, it all started to get
a bit samey. Everybody got hold of the same
machines and everybody started churning out
the same sounds.
Today, youve got a similar thing happening
on a much bigger scale. Its so easy for anyone
to get hold of the tools to make dance music,
and some of those tools do so much of the work
for you that content and quality begins to suffer.
I was in the studio the other day listening to
some library packs that even included builds
and drops. Its a song in a box.
Its so easy to make a great-sounding track
with huge dynamics and all the bells and
whistles, but dont forget the tune, and dont
forget the melody, because theyre the things
that will ensure your song will still be played in
ten, 15 or 20years. Even with all this technology
at our disposal, its our ears that still need to be
in control.
No More I Sleep is out now on iTunes.
chicanemusic.co.uk
During the recording,
I tend to overdo the
parts, and I overdo
the levels a bit
Our promise
We bring you honest, unbiased
appraisals of the latest computer
music products. Our experts apply
the same stringent testing methods
to all gear, no matter how much
hype or expectation surrounds it.
1-4 A seriously flawed product
that should be avoided
5 This products problems
outweigh its merits
6 A decent product thats only
held back by a few flaws
7 Solid. Well worth considering
8 Very good. A well-conceived
and executed product
9 Excellent. First-rate and
among the best you can buy
10 Exceptional. It just doesnt get
any better than this!
What the
ratings mean
Awarded to products
that challenge existing
ideas and do something
entirely new
If the product
exceeds expectations
for its price, it will
receive this gong
In the opinion of the
Editor, the best product
reviewed in the
magazine this month
A product has to really
impress us with its
functionality and
features to win this one
88 SSL DUENDE NATIVE X-PHASE,
X-VALVECOMP, X-SATURATOR
Legendary for their hardware consoles, buss compressors and
now plugins, we test out three new effects from Solid State Logic
Accusonus
Drumatom
AudioSpillage
DrumSpillage 2
MeldaProduction
MAutoDynamicEQ 8
90 92 96
LVC-Audio
HotPhuzz
98
Arturia
Beatstep
100
Z3 Audiolabs
RepeatX
102
Mini Reviews
108
Mozaic Beats
AutoTheory
104
reviews <
The latest computer music gear tested and rated!
SSLs Duende Native plugins (VST/AU/RTAS)
are versions of the acclaimed processors from
their now-retired Duende DSP system (see Whats
in a name), native simply meaning they dont
require any additional hardware to run; ie, theyre
normal plugins. Its been a while since weve
seen any new entries to the range, but now we
have three to sink our teeth into: X-Saturator,
X-ValveComp and X-Phase. All three share the
same features common to other X-series plugins
A/B comparison, onboard preset handling,
input and output metering (peak and RMS), and
integrated in/out bypass although up close
there are subtle visual differences between these
three and the existing line. The release also
marks a move to iLok 2 copy protection for the
whole Duende Native line.
The real deal
X-Saturator is, obviously, a saturation plugin, and
it features four main sound-shaping controls:
Drive, Harmonics, Depth and Shape. Drive
controls how much saturation is applied, while
Harmonics influences the type, shifting from
odd harmonics at fully clockwise to a mixture of
odd and even at fully anticlockwise. Depth
handles the overall level of the harmonics, while
the Shape control adjusts the balance between
them, tilting towards the lower or higher ones.
The input/output gain and wet/dry mix can also
be controlled, and the saturation level is
influenced by the combination of Drive and
SSL
X-Saturator, X-Phase
and X-ValveComp 49-199
The Duende Native plugin series just saw the addition of three new
models. Do they live up the high standard set by their predecessors?
All three share
the same features
common to other
X-series plugins
A/B
X-series plugins
all include A/B
comparison
IN/OUT
All three plugins
include internal
bypass for smooth
comparison
AUTO GAIN
X-ValveComp includes
manual and automatic
gain make up
VALVE
Add emulated
valve saturation
and additional
harmonics
MIX
Blend the
compressed and
uncompressed
signal for parallel
compression
DETECTION MODE
Choose between peak and
RMS detection options
SIDE CHAIN
The internal sidechain includes low-
and high-cut filters and solo listen
COMPRESSOR CONTROL
Adjust the threshold and ratio
directly in the interactive display
METERING
X-series meters
include both
peak level with
clip indicator
and RMS
Input levels, as youd expect. Theres also a +6dB
Headroom option, providing an extra 6dB of
headroom above the saturation point. We found
its behaviour somewhat program-dependent,
transient-focussed sounds often sounding
better without it and more legato sounds with.
X-Saturator sounds great, producing soft but
audible saturation that works beautifully on
electric bass, drums, electric piano and electronic
beats. However, its also possible to get X-Saturator
to clip at extreme input levels, producing an
undesirable distortion thats nothing like the
sweet saturation its clearly intended to deliver,
so those input settings are important.
Next up, X-ValveComp is a compressor with
optional valve saturation stage, sporting the
same node-based interactive display as its older
sibling X-Comp. In addition to the regular
Threshold, Ratio, Attack and Release controls,
you get Knee shape, Hold, Peak and RMS
sensing modes, manual and automatic gain
> reviews / ssl duende native x-saturator, x-valvecomp & x-phase
Makeup, wet/dry mix and internal sidechain
low-/high-cut filters. Its very easy to use, and
although its missing X-Comps more esoteric
bleed options, the Valve setting adds an
effective upper-mid enhancement. In fact, the
only real disappointment is that theres no
external sidechain very surprising in this day
and age. Also slightly deflating, incidentally, is
the paltry preset selection (theres only nine).
Pure phase
At 199, X-Phase is four times the price of the
other two Duende Native newbies, so the
assumption is that it must be pretty specialist
and, indeed, special. Essentially, its an all-pass
filter and delay, with manual control of filter
response and delay time, the latter labelled in
metres, feet, samples, milliseconds and seconds
for intuitive interpretation. Its designed to help
you phase-shift a specific frequency range
without influencing gain, primarily for aligning
specific frequencies in multi-mic setups in order
to reduce phase cancellations.
The plugin adjusts the phase around a single
adjustable filter frequency, and the transition
either side of this point back to a point of no
phase change depends on the filter shape, of
which two are available. The first-order filter is a
gentle shelving style; the second-order is the
more powerful of the two with its adjustable Q
factor, inverting the centre frequency phase,
with an inverted phase transition above the
centre frequency. At very high Q, sweeping the
filter frequency produces ringing resonances. At
broader settings and in first-order mode, though,
things are much gentler and less focussed.
We tried X-Phase on a range of viable
sources, including snare mics (top and bottom)
and close and distant drum kit mics (overheads
and room mics), and we can unequivocally say
that it works very well. The display visualises not
only the filters frequency but its shape, helping
you to understand what youre hearing.
Combining the filter and delay let us shift our
drum kit overhead mics later in time, using the
filter to retain punch within a certain frequency
range, such as that of the snare or kick. Even at
sharp Q settings, this sounded very natural.
In its stereo version, X-Phase enables both
linked and separate control of left and right
settings, and you can get quite interesting
results by offsetting a specific frequency on just
one channel although that creative application
alone certainly wouldnt justify the 199
pricetag, we should point out!
X marks the spot
All three of these plugins make great additions
to the Duende Native stable, broadening the
remit of the family as a whole. X-Phase is a
highly specialist tool aimed at those with phase
issues to resolve, and although we found some
creative uses for it, its definitely best thought of
as a problem solver rather than an effect.
Conversely, X-Saturator and X-ValveComp are
both creative plugins through and through.
X-Saturator delivers everything from subtle
edge to full-on fuzziness, and although not as
flexible as a multiband design (like LVC-Audio
HotPhuzz see p98 or FabFilter Saturn, for
example), we really like its overall character.
Finally, X-ValveComp successfully trades the
complexities of X-Comp for a bit of valve flavour
and a simpler interface.
Web www.solidstatelogic.com
Info X-Saturator, 49; X-ValveComp, 69;
X-Phase, 199; all three, 249; all Duende Native
plugins, 1079
SSL
X-Saturator, X-Phase
and X-ValveComp 49-199
Verdict
For Clear, well-designed interfaces
X-Saturators flexible harmonic tailoring
X-Phase is great for phase manipulation
iLok 2 is a better licensing platform
Against X-Phase is pricey
No external sidechain on X-ValveComp
Not many presets
Three quality additions to the Duende Native
roster, but note that X-Phase is more for
phase correction than creative usage
X-Phase 9/10
X-Saturator 8/10
X-ValveComp 8/10
Alternatively
LVC-Audio HotPhuzz
206 9/10 $25
Dual-band saturation plugin
offering plenty of warmth and fuzz
Universal Audio Little Labs IBP
N/A N/A $99
UAD hardware emulation with
timing and phase adjustment
The original Duende was SSLs attempt
to break into the DSP-powered plugins
market. It comprised a hardware unit,
which interfaced with your computer
via Firewire. Proper support eventually
fell by the wayside, as Duende along
with competitors like TCs PowerCore
and Focusrites Liquid Mix fell by the
wayside, leaving Universal Audios
brand-heavy UAD system to reign
supreme. Unlike those other platforms,
however, Duende has been re-invented
successfully in native plugin form.
Prior to these three new additions,
the range consisted of seven plugins:
the SSL console-emulating Channel
Strip and Bus Compressor, the source-
specific Drumstrip and Vocalstrip, and
the X effects X-EQ, X-Comp and X-Verb.
The two console plugins are sourced
from SSLs own digital emulations and
include both E- and G-style EQ (ported
from the C200 desk), and the Stereo
Bus Compressor (based on the XL
9000 K Series desk). The strips are
one-stop shops for common processing
duties: Vocalstrip packs a number of
powerful vocal-shaping features,
including De-ploser and Compander,
while Drumstrip features transient
shaping and an emulation of SSLs
listen mic compressor.
The X processors are modernistic,
versatile plugins particularly X-Comp,
with its excellent bleed feature for
tailoring the low- and high-frequency
content of the signal. X-EQ, with six
peaks, two shelves, two filters and a
choice of parallel or serial band
processing, is another winner.
The Duende range X-plained
X-Phase is a multi-mic phase problem solver rather
than a creative plugin, but its great at what it does
X-Phase is a highly
specialist tool aimed
at those with phase
issues to resolve
X-Saturator
joins the Duende
Native lineup,
providing the
distortion talent
ssl duende native x-saturator, x-valvecomp & x-phase / reviews <
MeldaProduction have produced a lot of
plugins in the last few years, many of them
combining features and functions that you
simply wont find sharing a bed anywhere else.
MAutoDynamicEQ is no exception, merging
dynamic EQ with matching EQ, along with the
wealth of other features that are standard
throughout the entire Melda range of plugins. In
fact, weve reviewed the plugin before, but with
the global v8 update to the entire line (see box
on opposite page), and this being one of Meldas
flagship and most complex processors, we
decided it more than merited a fresh look.
Disregarding its auto and dynamic aspects,
MAutoDynamicEQ can be used perfectly well as
a normal EQ, offering up to seven bands, each
of which draws on a collection of 14 filter shapes
that can be edited in incredible detail if required.
Check out our hands-on video at bit.ly/
MAuto8CM to see the filters and other features
in more detail. As well as that, theres the ability
to add up to 16 harmonics (each one turned on
or off via its own button, totally independently
of the rest) on top of the fundamental frequency
of each EQ band, meaning you can increase or
decrease discrete tonal components of a sound
with relative ease ideal for removing mains
earth hum or enhancing the tone of a floor tom,
for example.
So, lets talk about the automatic EQ function,
which is a supremely easy-to-use take on the
match EQ idea. First, you play a source sound
through the plugin and click the Analyse source
button. Then, you play the actual material you
MeldaProduction
MAutoDynamicEQ 8 75
Version 8 of this powerful plugin brings a new look, GPU acceleration
and improved metering to what was already an amazingly flexible EQ
MAutoDynamicEQ
can be used perfectly
well as a normal EQ
BANDS
All the regular
parametric EQ
controls, plus
dynamics controls
A-H PRESETS SELECTOR
Store up to eight parameter
snaphots for instant A/B/C/
D/E/F/G/H comparison
AUTOMATIC EQUALIZER
Capture the curve of a source signal and
apply it (positively or inversely) to the target
MULTIPARAMETERS &
MODULATORS
Set up LFOs, MIDI control
and envelope followers for
freely assignable modulation
of any EQ Band parameters
METERING
Meters and graphs break out
into a new window that can
be maximised if required
EQUALIZER
SHAPE GRAPH
Analysers and EQ
curves, with
dynamics control
handles on each
EQ filter
DRY/WET
Reduce or increase
the overall depth of
your EQ curve
intend to target with the EQ through the plugin
and click Analyse target. From there, you have
two options: Equalize, which generates an EQ
curve to make the target sound similar to the
source, and Separate, which produces an EQ
curve designed to reduce the dominant
frequencies of the source in the target. Both
modes work surprisingly well, and you can rein
in over-the-top EQ settings should you need to
by manually editing the bands and/or lowering
the Dry/Wet mix control at the top of the interface.
More than you think
You might assume the most obvious application
for the automatic EQ would be mastering, but
we actually found it more useful on mixing
duties, specifically for getting simultaneously
occurring sounds to gel, which it does quickly
and with very little work required. We also found
many creative avenues worthy of exploration by
loading in experimental sources for example,
SOFT SATURATION
Subtle analogue-style
distortion that actually gets
quite rowdy when overdriven
UPSAMPLING
You can engage an oversampling
algorithm for higher-quality
processing
EDITORS CHOICE
See an expert demonstration of
MAutoDynamicEQ 8s features
in our hands-on session at:
bit.ly/MAuto8CM
HANDS-ON
VIDEO
> reviews / meldaproduction mautodynamiceq 8
using a pink noise source to smooth over the
frequency spread of a piano, making it sound
bolder and fuller in the mix. We were also able to
tame harsh synth parts by feeding the very high,
piercing notes in as the source material, then
applying the Separate algorithm to the lower
notes, thus reducing abrasiveness.
Modern dynamics
The Dynamic in MAutoDynamicEQs name
refers to the fact that the seven EQ bands are
also dynamic they can be configured to
compress or expand their specific frequency
ranges using their level, Threshold and
envelope controls. You even get Auto Attack
and Release options (loosely emulating the
behaviour of an opto compressor), and external
sidechain input is in place for frequency-
conscious compression and expansion effects.
For example, we got great results boosting the
low end of a snare and using the dynamics
controls to clamp down on the boosted
frequency range with a punchy attack time,
helping to enhance the drums definition.
On top (and bottom) of the seven dynamic
EQ bands, additional high- and low-pass filters
are also onboard. Each can be set from a smooth
6dB/octave slope all the way up to a super-steep
120dB although they arent dynamic
(presumably because theyre not used to boost
or cut vertically) or included in the Automatic
EQ analysis process.
Fast and furious
Like the rest of MeldaProductions v8 plugins,
the new version of MAutoDynamicEQ benefits
from a reworked user interface (see The new
style). It also sports a frequency analyser that
indicates musical note values where applicable,
and a sonogram that displays a real-time
spectral view of the signal handy for homing in
on troublesome frequencies, like the annoying
resonances of a cymbal or high string part.
As if its comprehensive EQ/dynamics
operation wasnt enough, four very flexible
modulators are on hand, too, for modulating the
EQ controls (Frequency, Gain, Q, dynamics, etc).
These multipurpose marvels serve as envelope
followers, pitch-trackers, advanced LFOs (up to
10Hz with optional tempo sync and morphable
waveforms) and more, opening up a wealth of
possibilities that make MAutoDynamicEQ a
powerful sound design tool as well as an EQ.
MeldaProduction clearly intend for
MAutoDynamicEQ to become your
multipurpose go-to equaliser, even catering for
beginners with an easy screen that gives access
to a range of simplified parameter sets via a
selection of about a dozen presets designed for
typical studio applications (Master enhancer,
De-esser and Bass vs bass drum fix (sidechain),
for example). This is without doubt one of if not
the most feature-rich EQs on the market,
catering to myriad special case uses by
enabling advanced techniques far beyond the
functional boundaries of a conventional EQ.
Ultimately, its a must-have plugin for the
producer who likes to get deep into the intricate
details of their sounds for the purposes of
mixing, mastering or any kind of creative
editing. Simply stunning.
Web www.meldaproduction.com
MeldaProduction
MAutoDynamicEQ 8 75
Verdict
For Solid general-purpose EQ
GPU-accelerated interface
Hugely useful automatic EQ
Highly customisable dynamics
Competitively priced, with free updates
Against None of the styles look so good
Steep learning curve to truly master it
One of the most powerful and versatile EQs
money can buy. Every producer should
consider investing in MAutoDynamicEQ
9/10
Alternatively
Voxengo GlissEQ
N/A N/A $60
Voxengos take on dynamic EQ lets
you compare captured frequency
curves and boasts up to 32 bands
Pro Audio DSP
Dynamic Spectrum Mapper v2
189 9/10 $329
Matches spectral/dynamic content
between target and source signals
Version 8 of the entire Melda plugins
roster features a user-selectable set of
nine core GUI styles, each of which can
be customised in colour scheme, size
and type of control interface (eg, knobs
or sliders). If youre feeling particularly
adventurous, theres even a free style
editor available for download from the
MeldaProduction website, with which
you can create your own styles,
customising further details such as
textures, fonts and icons. It also, we
assume, means therell be more styles
available in the future.
Also new across the board in Melda
8, GPU acceleration offloads some of
the GUI processing (ie, drawing) that
would otherwise be done by your CPU
onto your graphics card, although most
of the time the benefits of this will be
negligible. It does mean super fast
loading time, though, as well as
perfectly smooth window resizing.
V8 also sees improvements in the
metering department, including the
addition of a new selection of meters
displaying the input, sidechain and
output levels, as well as stereo width.
These are smooth, fast and large
(particularly if you take advantage of
the GUI resizing) always welcome
traits in any dynamics metering setup.
The new style
Get deeper into your signal with MAutoDynamicEQs
analyser and sonogram (pictured) views
The seven EQ bands
are also dynamic
they can be configured
to compress or
expand their specific
frequency ranges
Version 8 of the MeldaProduction range sees new GUI and processor-load options
meldaproduction mautodynamiceq 8 / reviews <
Like its predecessor, DrumSpillage 2 is
an Audio Units plugin for Mac with a focus
on electronic percussion, both retro-styled
and contemporary. The new incarnation
expands on version 1 with a redesigned GUI,
more LFOs, new filter and distortion algorithms,
velocity control and a couple of new effects
modules. It boasts a dozen individual drum
models capable of producing a wide range
of sounds, from classic analogue kicks and
snares to woody hits, metallic FM timbres and
vibrant membranes.
The interface works around two main editing
modes. The first is the Pad Editor, a 4x4 grid of
drum pads, the layout of which can be switched
between Spillage and MPC/Maschine grids. In
Spillage mode, C1 is mapped to the top-left pad,
and the scale ascends from left to right down
through the rows; the MPC/Maschine version
starts at the lower-leftmost pad and works its
way across and up from there.
Each pad is surrounded by controls for
preset loading/saving, mute, solo, volume
and pan, and pads can be copied, pasted
and moved by dragging and dropping. Clicking
the pad itself triggers its loaded sound, of
course, and you can enter the Model editor
directly from a pad or via a button at the top
of the GUI.
AudioSpillage
DrumSpillage 2 75
This Mac developers dedication to drums continues with
a second incarnation of their multi-modelling machine
Each pad gets four
LFOs that can be
assigned to various
model-dependent
destinations
PAD
Each pad
represents a single
drum patch and
doubles as a
waveform display
when triggered.
Velocity data is set
by the Y axis
PAN
Adjust the pan position of the pads
sound. Double-clicking resets to the
centre of the stereo soundfield
FILE MENU
Save and load
individual pad
settings, copy and
paste pads, and
drag them around
in the grid
MUTE AND SOLO
Mute and solo each pad.
Group Mute and Solo are
available via alt-click
EDITOR MODES
Switch between Pad and Model
Editor modes, the latter taking you
deep into the 12 synth models
The Model editor is where all the real action
takes place, presenting a full set of sound-
shaping controls for the selected pad and
enabling you to choose from the 12
DrumSpillage 2 models. Most functions are
available no matter which model is loaded,
starting with pan, output selection, volume,
peak meter, pad name (editable) and Polyphony
on/off. Theres also a common set of pitch/
frequency controls: Transpose, Pitch Env and
Presence, the last adding a bit of heft to bass
frequencies and sizzle to highs. A multimode
filter is onboard, sharing a tabbed pane with the
Distortion, Resonator a three-band comb filter
designed with metallic timbres in mind and
Frequency Shifter effects modules.
Each pad gets four LFOs that can be assigned
to various model-dependent destinations, as
well as the Transpose parameter, effects and
each other (LFO FM). Further modulation is on
hand in the shape of Pitch, Amp and Aux
PREFERENCES
Adjust the velocity
curve, select MPC/
Maschine layout
mode and activate
Y-axis velocity
transmission on
the pads
MAIN TOOLBAR
Select/save preset kits, adjust
the global volume and monitor
the signal with the VU meters
KEYBOARD MODE
Clicking this button spreads the pads
sound across the entire MIDI
keyboard range for chromatic play
> reviews / audiospillage drumspillage 2
envelope generators, along with a modulation
step sequencer (Stepper).
(Algo)rhythm
Selecting one of DrumSpillages 12 models
brings up a tailored set of functions specific to it,
alongside all the universal parameters listed
above. There are two bass drum models one
with FM and ring modulation, the other packing
a noise generator with its own resonant filter.
The Snare model is very much of the analogue
variety, complete with noise, filter and x0x-style
Snap setting. The Wood model barks out a range
of unusual tones with its three oscillators and
dual filter controls, the classic Clap model uses
noise and a complex envelope to create vintage
handclaps, and a band-pass filter and dual
oscillators form the core of the Clave model. A
Cowbell is, of course, also included, as are Hi-Hat
and Cymbal models, all with the requisite
metallic flavours.
Perhaps more interesting is the Noise Synth
model, with its quartet of noise generators and
band-pass filters. Yet even that pales in
comparison to the wicked three-osc FM
Percussion model, which produces everything
from crispy kalimbas to sustained metal gongs.
Finally, the Membrane model presents 12
oscillators in four banks to mimic the behaviour
of a set of suspended plates.
Each model delivers the goods. Kick drums
range from deep, resonating booms to sharp,
gritty clicks. Snares crack and snap, veering
towards authenticity or outlandishness
your choice. Hi-hats tick and hiss, and cymbals
sizzle nicely. However, its DrumSpillage 2s
knack for synthetic effects that most impresses.
From glitchy crickets, spacey gurgles and
razor-sharp zaps and blasts to subtle chirps,
hums and beeps, its a broad electronic palette
that will appeal to experimental electronica
heads as well as those building more
conventional beats.
Crash bang boom
We like DrumSpillage 2 a lot, but it isnt without
its flaws. We could consistently stall Logic Pro X
simply by switching between the DrumSpillage
GUI and Logics generic control panel, the
changeover taking an absolute age to happen.
Theres also no built-in pattern sequencer,
and we cant help but wish that there were
a means by which to load samples into the
thing although, to be fair, that would rather
encroach on AudioSpillages other drum
machine, Elecktroid.
More troubling than those omissions,
though, are the features that have actually
been lost between versions 1 and 2, such as
the ability to export pads as samples, and the
randomisation function that gave the modelled
sounds a bit of human variation between hits.
Apparently, these will be returning in an update
at some point, but right now, theyre definitely
missed roll on v2.1, we say.
Niggles aside, DrumSpillage 2 is a percussion
powerhouse that comes in at a great price. Its
supremely versatile and sonically first-class,
and while it may not be the only drum machine
youll ever need, it provides an original and
useful toolset with which to make truly
inspiring noises.
Web www.audiospillage.com
Verdict
For Superb sound
Membrane model is a blast
Works brilliantly as a pitched synth too
Great value for money
Against No sample import
Some version 1 features (temporarily) lost
Stalls in switching to Logics generic GUI
A powerful, intuitive drum synth made truly
versatile with pitched and polyphonic
triggering. But we want those features back
8/10
Alternatively
Rob Papen Punch
167 9/10 125
Multiple synthesis models for
creating classic electronic drum
sounds and unusual effects
Image-Line Drumaxx
152 8/10 73
Uses physical modelling to
create interesting drum timbres
The developer has put a lot of effort
into making DrumSpillage 2 the best
drum machine it can be, so we almost
feel guilty saying that we had just as
much fun using it as a melodic
synthesiser. Indeed, with a click of a
pads keyboard button, DrumSpillage
can play that particular sound across
the full eight octaves of MIDI notes.
With 12 synthesiser models to choose
from and the ability to activate pitched
playback independently for each
individual pad, this seemingly simple
feature takes the instrument to a whole
nother place, making it possible to
create complex, layered timbres
combining multiple synthesis types.
And theres more: click a pads Poly
button and you can play chords, too!
This wouldnt be anywhere near as
exciting if AudioSpillage had settled for
a simple analogue synthesis model
weve already got plenty of analogue
synths, after all but DrumSpillage 2
breaks away from that by offering
familiar (if simplified) FM sounds,
alongside the rather more esoteric
algorithms (such as the Membrane
model), which make for a very
interesting and unusual range of
timbres that youre unlikely to find
anywhere else.
Key notes addressed
The Model editor gives the user access to the inner
workings of DrumSpillage 2s dozen synthesisers
The Wood model
barks out a range
of unusual tones
with its three
oscillators and dual
filter controls
The fantastic three-oscillator FM model offers serious synthesis potential for polyphonic patching
audiospillage drumspillage 2 / reviews <
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For a mix engineer, theres nothing worse
than finding yourself lumbered with a drum
recording thats all but unusable because theres
more hi-hat than snare in the snare mic. Sure,
you can apply a gate so that the signal is
silenced in between snare hits, but that doesnt
stop you getting an obnoxious burst of hi-hat
every time the snare and hat are struck together.
What we really need is some uber-smart
software that can analyse multitrack recordings
and magically remove the leaky elements
altogether, leaving them sounding like perfectly
isolated parts with no spill. Enter Drumatom.
Drumatom is a standalone application for
64-bit Windows and Mac OS X that can analyse a
group of multitrack drum parts and, using
Advanced Audio Analysis A3 technology,
separate the sonic wheat from the chaff within
each one, enabling you to magically dial the spill
out entirely. Its not a gate and its not a filter;
neither is it a triggering tool.
To use Drumatom, you simply drag some or
all of your drum tracks into the app, automatically
creating a Group. You then have to assign each
track a drum channel type (snare, kick, hi-hats,
overhead and tom (high, mid or floor) if your
files are named descriptively, this will be done
for you. Helpfully, you can create your own set
of track name abbreviations in the preferences
to make sure the auto-assignment always works
how you want it to. The whole group of tracks is
then analysed, which can take up to one and a
half times the duration of all tracks together.
With that done, the Focus knob on each drum
track reduces the leakage into that channel,
while the Fine Tune knob mixes back in a bit of
the spill for a more natural sound, and the
suppression meter shows the spill reduction.
Most of the time, the results are nothing short
of spectacular. In our tests, a hi-hat with a lot of
snare and kick in it lost all sign of any spill, with
no perceivable artifacts. Similarly, our kick drum
retained its transient and natural decay but
completely lost the background snare. The
snare proved a little harder to clean up without
some tonal loss, but the result was still impressive
considering the complex frequencies involved
it fared better with fewer tracks in the group.
The process was less effective on toms, as
theyre hit less frequently and thus dont give as
many clues to the algorithm process. In their
case, a gate or manual editing may still be best.
Bleedin good
With spill reduced, your processed tracks can be
exported and flown into your DAW. While the
whole process may sound long-winded,
Accusonus say a plugin version isnt currently
possible because of the intensive DSP involved
and the way the tracks are cross-referenced.
Hopefully, they will eventually find some way of
making it more DAW-integrated, as not hearing
Accusonus
Drumatom $399
This standalone app comes at drum leakage suppression from a
whole new angle, but does it do enough to justify its high pricetag?
Verdict
For Removes bleed!
Few or no artifacts
Intuitive GUI; easy more or less control
Phase coherence for subsequent mixing
Against Standalone only, not a plugin
Cant hear kit in context
Long import, export, re-import process
Agonisingly standalone, but astonishingly
good, Drumatom is an incredible problem-
solver for anyone working with real drums

9/10
Alternatively
Slate Digital Trigger 2
201 10/10 $199
A plugin using suppression to trigger
replacement sounds accurately
WaveMachine Labs Drumagog 5
157 8/10 $89-379
The original drum replacing plugin
is still going strong after 15 years
The strength and brilliance of Drumatom
lies in its ability to analyse a group of drum
tracks and, with clues as to content (tracks
designated kick, snare, etc), intelligently
cross-reference them to come up with an
amazingly accurate reconstruction of the
direct signal.
Drumatoms processing is derived from
the established blind source separation
(BSS) family of algorithms. Its not totally
blind, because the user gives a content clue,
but artificial intelligence techniques are
used to precisely differentiate between
individual sound sources in a mixed signal.
The drum tracks are first translated into
frequency domain data. The group is then
collectively scanned to recognise when and
where the drums are hit before being sent
to the BSS process for separating into their
constituent components. The output is then
reconstructed using reverse FFT and the
signals reordered based on drum type.
But how?!
the drum tracks in the context of a mix makes it
hard to determine the amount of suppression
required all files maintain phase coherence,
though, so you can mix them with the
unsuppressed tracks in your DAW to get the
right balance. You can also save analysed drum
groups for easy revisiting if necessary.
Drumatom really does successfully isolate
direct signal from bleed with very little in the
way of side effects. Its standalone operation will
put some off, but for seriously alleviating bleed
issues on dodgy drum recordings and creatively
controlling spill on good ones, this is the only
game in town.
Web accusonus.com / drumatom.com
> reviews / accusonus drumatom
HotPhuzz is a dual-band saturation plugin
(VST/AU/RTAS/AAX) that emulates valve and
transformer circuits. It offers seven distinct sonic
flavours, with the ability to run two algorithms at
once and mix between them. The dual-band
aspect is handled via a crossover frequency
control (Freq), with Emphasis and Tone knobs
tilting the saturation and EQ respectively around
the crossover point. For both, positive settings
boost high-band and cut low-band processing,
while negative settings do the opposite. On top
of that, the High Frequency Boost button (H+)
boosts the mid to high frequencies by 1.5dB,
while the Timing knob controls the saturations
onset envelope (attack and release). To make it
easy to hear whats going on, the high and low
bands can be soloed independently.
HotPhuzzs signal path involves several gain
stages, including straightforward input and
output gain, and automatic gain-compensating
drive. The overall saturation level depends on
both the Saturation and Drive controls, and a
hard clipper with adjustable ceiling and position
in the signal path (pre or post Out Gain) sits at
the output stage.
The plugin also includes a mid/side option
with independent gain-compensating drive for
the mid and side signals, stereo width control,
L/R Balance, wet/dry Mix, 2/4/8x oversampling,
colour-coded meters with loudness indicator,
and level meter Scale adjustment.
Hot to trot
It comes as no surprise that drums of all types
make perfect fodder for HotPhuzz. We got good
results enhancing just the high-mids and highs
on a full kit balance, but individual sounds such
as snares and kicks can also be processed
successfully by fattening the low frequencies
and/or enhancing the highs. Each algorithm
offers something slightly different to the others,
with Ne by far the harshest and Kr the best for
fat snares and kicks. Staying with drums, the Clip
option in Post position delivers some great SSL
listen mic-style limiter action, and tailoring the
frequency balance with the crossover makes for
a truly flexible effect.
For harmonically rich instruments such as
piano, bass and guitar, we found it wise to
steer clear of Ne, which is simply too fizzy.
The key here lies in tilting the processing away
from lower frequencies, where the distortion
is more obvious. In this way, even piano
can be dirtied up successfully, and processing
just the higher frequencies is an effective
tactic for enhancing vocals, particularly with
the Ar algorithm.
The Timing parameter has less impact than
we expected, but we understand a wider
parameter range may be worked into a future
update. Also, although the Saturation Type
blend control is a potentially significant feature,
how audible its effect is depends on which
LVC-Audio
HotPhuzz $25
This affordable new plugin aims to deliver top-class saturation
in a straightforward but flexible dual-band design
Verdict
For Flexible twin-band design
Multiple saturation types
Cheap
Useful clip option
Sounds great
CPU-efficient, even at max oversampling
Against Not comprehensive distortion
For valve and transformer saturation,
HotPhuzz is a highly recommended
and functionally unique bargain

9/10
Alternatively
Voxengo VariSaturator
127 9/10 $60
Valve and digital saturation in a
two-band design with M/S mode
SoundToys Decapitator
152 10/10 (bundle) $179
Includes five modelled analogue
chains for authentic saturation
HotPhuzz is built on four main saturation
algorithms: Helium (He), Argon (Ar),
Krypton (Kr) and Neon (Ne). Each one
delivers its own slightly different style of
saturation, with He, Ar and Kr producing
odd harmonics and Ne producing both odd
and even harmonics. Three further variants
(He-2, Ar-2 and Kr-2) add small amounts of
even harmonics to the primary algorithm,
adding up to seven algorithms in total. As
mentioned in the main text, you can also
freely mix pairs of algorithms, opening up
many further harmonic footprints.
When run through visual analysis
plugins, Hr and He appear the most similar,
the latter producing slightly more third
harmonic and more higher harmonics. Both
introduce a very similar second harmonic in
Ar-2 and He-2 modes. At the extremes, Ar is
the least coloured, while Ne is the most
coloured, with obvious harmonics up to
the tenth and beyond.
Saturation algorithms
algorithms you combine, and inevitably,
blending in the most coloured (Ne) will have
more impact than blending in the least
coloured (Ar).
Other things we like include the algorithm-
dependent colour-coded meters, which mix the
colours of blended algorithms, and the very low
CPU hit, even at 8x oversampling.
HotPhuzz generates both excellent warmth
and extreme fuzziness, but its fort is actually
the creation of more subtle tones. Its well-
realised dual-band design really helps you to
enhance rather than destroy your sounds. At
this price, its also great value.
Web www.lvcaudio.com
> reviews / lvc-audio hotphuzz
Theres always been something fabulously
fun and intuitive about step sequencing, but
until now, hardware step sequencers have mostly
been software-specific, expensive, or both. With
BeatStep, Arturia hope to bring hardware-based
step sequencing into the modern mainstream.
Its a Mac/PC/iOS-compatible unit that outputs
MIDI via powered USB or minijack-to-5-pin DIN
connector, and CV/Gate via minijack (powered
by the USB connector in the latter modes).
BeatStep has eight buttons for transport, and
a big dial for setting transpose and tempo/rate
parameters; but the bulk of the surface is taken
up by 16 velocity-sensitive pads and 16 rotary
encoders. Build-wise, it doesnt feel bombproof,
but its firm and sturdy enough.
In the mode
BeatStep has two modes of operation. In Control
mode, the pads and knobs can be used for drum
triggering, clip launching or modulating plugin
parameters, with pad and knob outputs edited
in the MIDI Control Center software. There are 16
internal preset slots for saving assignment
setups, and the unit can switch between the full
16 MIDI channels, enabling quick flipping
between multiple plugins or hardware devices.
Sequencer mode sees BeatStep running on
its own internal clock or synced to a MIDI host,
operating as a classic step sequencer, sending
out recordable MIDI data with each of the 16
buttons representing a step in the sequence.
The resolution of these steps (1/32, 1/16, 1/8 or
1/4) can be quickly and easily adjusted from the
front panel, and the note pitch for each step is
set by the corresponding rotary, making it easier
to program than, say, a TB-303. Cleverly, the play
direction can be set (in real time) to forward,
backward, backward-then-forward or random,
allowing for some really interesting and dynamic
live performance possibilities. Interestingly, two
key features of the TB-303 the Accent and Slide
options for steps are nowhere to be seen.
There is that global transpose control, though,
and you can snap notes to any one of a range of
specific scales (eg, Chromatic, Major, Minor,
Dorian, Mixolydian, Harm Minor and Blues) as
well as defining your own User scale. Its not
quite up there with Ableton Pushs In-Key mode,
but it is useful nonetheless. Another nice touch
is that you can switch to Control mode and keep
the sequencer running in the background.
Perhaps the biggest surprise about BeatStep,
unfortunately, is what it doesnt do: sequencing
of beats! While it can step sequence one drum,
theres no way to sequence two or more playing
at once. This is a truly baffling omission, as we
cant think of a portable MIDI controller more
suited to the task, and indeed, the devices name
firmly implies step-sequencing of beats. Arturia
told us they have no plans to add this (to protect
Spark sales, we assume), even though they say it
Arturia
BeatStep 89
This MIDI controller brings us a modern take on a vintage electronic
music staple, but is a step sequencer still a relevant purchase?
Verdict
For Great control for synths
Doubles as a set of drum pads
Creative playback modes
Against No swing dial
No drum beat step sequencing!
No accent/slide control
Instrument/DAW-specific presets needed
BeatStep could have been so much more
but what is here is great, and its only a
firmware update away from perfection
7/10
Alternatively
Akai MPC Element
200 9/10 119
Offers step sequencing plus a huge
sound library and a virtual MPC
NI Maschine Mikro Mk2
N/A N/A 299
Can be used to step sequence soft
synths, drums and more
MIDI Control Center is the application used
to customise all of Arturias MIDI controllers.
It enables buttons and knobs to be assigned
to various operational modes (MMC, patch-
change, MIDI note or switch control for
buttons, and MIDI control or NRPN/RPN for
knobs) and even individual MIDI channels.
MIDI Control Center also serves as a
sequence editor, displaying your patterns
as musical notation or text. Some might
argue that this rather defeats the creative
purpose of using a step sequencer in the
first place, but it can be handy for fitting a
303-style sequence into a track or live
performance. There are also the usual
global parameters: pad velocity curve,
global MIDI and CV channel, transpose, etc.
Edited setups can be saved to BeatStep
itself or exported for archiving and sharing.
On the whole, MCC is a simple and well-
designed app let down only by those
omissions to the BeatStep firmware.
Pimp your steps
is technically possible via a firmware update.
Lets hope they see sense at some point. Crazy
The other major omission is a swing knob.
You can set a swing value using MIDI Control
Center, but you cant control it in real time or
map it to a knob this, however, Arturia are
considering adding to the firmware.
So our only major criticisms of BeatStep arent
about what it does have but rather what it doesnt.
But once we stopped sobbing over our knobs,
we came to appreciate it as a cool and highly
portable MIDI step sequencer and controller. If
either or both of those uses tickle your fancy, you
could do a lot worse, particularly at this price.
Web www.arturia.com
> reviews / arturia beatstep
Repeat-X is an effects plugin (VST) for PC
that gives you control over a collection of
familiar signal processing modules via pattern
sequencing and modulation in a multieffects
unit aimed at glitching, stuttering and generally
discombobulating whatever audio you choose
to feed it.
Its presented in a compact, colourful GUI, in
which a graphical step sequencer section shares
space with a semimodular signal flow editor at
the top, and the various effects and their
parameters occupy the lower half. The majority
of the effects filter, ring modulator, bitcrusher,
panner and delay might appear somewhat
pedestrian at first glance, and the number of
parameters available to each rather limited, but
due to their modulation options, sequencing
and flexible routing, the processing possibilities
they open up are virtually endless.
The overall concept isnt new, of course, but
its no less useful for having been done before.
Each effect includes two or three editable
parameters (Cutoff and Resonance for the filter,
for example, or Mix, Feedback and Speed for the
delay) that can each be sequenced by its own
dedicated pattern. Pattern steps can have fade
curves applied so that they glide (rather than
jump) from one to the next, the value of each
step can be set by an incoming MIDI stream, and
eight sequence snapshots can be saved for
recall. You can set the number of steps and
speed of the sequence, as well as the overall
modulation depth; and a gate lane at the bottom
of each sequencer lets you jump the dry/wet
mix of the effect between fully dry and fully wet,
with a Fade parameter controlling the speed of
that jump, from instant to fading in/out across
the whole adjacent step. Step values can be
randomised, and theres a separate multitrack
FX Sequencer (up to 32 steps) for turning each
of the five main effects (Filter, Ring, Crush, Pan
and Delay) on and off on a host-synced timeline.
A latching mini-keyboard facilitates real-time
soloing of the modules and setting of Repeat
quantise values (see below), all of which can
also be done from an attached MIDI keyboard.
Rinse and repeat
Though we implied the effects held no surprises,
there are a couple worth a special mention.
The Stop effect simulates a tape transport
shuddering to a halt, while Repeat enables you
to sequence repeated slices of the input source
at various speeds and keyboard-controlled
quantise settings, forwards or in reverse.
Repeat-X is very logically laid out and easy to
use. The interface invites messing about and
tweaking, and the sounds delivered are
excellent, if decidedly off-the-wall. This is a
plugin for the experimental set EDM,
electronica and particularly dubstep producers
are the most obvious demographic, though we
Z3 Audiolabs
Repeat-X 40
There are already quite a few sequencing multieffects plugins
out there could there be room in the market for one more?
Verdict
For Cool sounds!
Semimodular signal path
Clear, concise GUI
Well-chosen effects
Randomisation provides usable results
Against Could easily be overused
Wed love to see fully modular routing
An excellent sequencer-driven multieffects
processor that any adventurous producer
could get plenty of mileage out of
9/10
Alternatively
Audio Damage BigSeq2
130 10/10 $49
Six effects blocks, a drag-and-drop
routing scheme and plenty of effects
Sugar Bytes Effectrix
126 8/10 99
14 effects and modulator tracks
in an easy sequencer interface
Self-contained multieffects processors are
powerful tools, but theres a reason effects
pedals still sell so well: flexibility. They give
you the freedom to patch together
disparate effects in any order you like,
enabling the creation of unusual
combinations and signal flows.
Repeat-X provides much of the same
freedom, offering a choice of five distinct
signal routing configurations. These five
algorithms combine variations on serial and
parallel signal paths, allowing you to have
some effects running side-by-side while
others feed directly from one to the next in
linear order. Better still, you can rearrange
the positions of the effects modules in the
signal flow by simply dragging them around.
While wed love to be able to build our
own routings from scratch and even use
multiple instances of the same effect,
whats here is more than enough to keep
us entertained.
Go with the ow
can see it finding its way into cutting-edge pop
tracks, too. The included presets are all quite
good but easily identifiable theyd be pretty
easy to overuse and could become stale in a
hurry; youll want to roll your own to ensure a
unique sound. Although drums are the most
obvious target, we actually liked it even more on
synth and vocal tracks.
Repeat-X is a terrific plugin, offering a lot of
inspiration at a ridiculously low price. Its got just
enough flexibility to keep things from getting
old without the need for a complex GUI, and itll
add an instant ear-catching quality to anything
you throw at it.
Web www.z3-audiolabs.com
> reviews / z3 audiolabs repeat-x
Debuting in late 2013 as a Rack Extension for
Reason, Mozaic Beats AutoTheory is now
available as a standalone app for PC and Mac. A
MIDI mapper designed to make it easy to
create quality compositions, it intercepts MIDI
data from your keyboard and passes it to your
DAWs MIDI inputs in the form of chords and
melodies based on your chosen key and scale.
Its essentially a more configurable take on the
key/scale locking features found in systems like
Ableton Push and Arturia BeatStep (see p99).
Since it acts as a conduit between your MIDI
keyboard and your DAW, the developers
recommend disabling the former completely
within the latter before launching it. Some DAWs
make this easier than others, but theres plenty
of info on the Mozaic Beats website to assist you.
Along the top of the interface are controls for
selecting your base key and scale, together with
a mapping selector that determines how the
keys you play are reassigned to new notes.
Below these is the Chord Generator, which
produces harmonically correct chord shapes
dependent on the selected key, through the user
holding down single white keys. To its right, the
Melody Lock remaps your played-in melodies
(just hit keys at random, if you like!) so that they
conform to the currently selected scale.
AutoTheory effectively splits your keyboard
into two halves the lower keys control the Chord
Generator, while the upper half takes care of the
Melody Lock. Both Chord Generator and Melody
Lock also boast virtual keyboards that can be
clicked or played from your QWERTY keyboard.
The central third of the interface comprises
the Chord Editor, where you tailor the shape of
the generated chords between normal triads,
inverted triads and four different flavours of
seventh chord. Theres also a Strum mode to
emulate guitar strumming, with controls for
adjusting strum duration and velocity. A further
set of buttons to the right can be used to add
extensions in the form of sevenths, ninths, 11ths
and 13ths, and you can set the octave for each
individual note in the chord, as well as nudge
them up or down a semitone. The lower third of
the interface determines which of AutoTheorys
eight output channels transmits the data
generated by the Chord Generator and Melody
Lock. These can then be assigned as MIDI inputs
for your DAWs software instrument channels.
Lets get theory-ous
Once configured, youre free to improvise away,
changing chords with a single finger of your left
hand and noodling away on the melody with
your right. Since the Melody Lock dynamically
reassigns the keys on your keyboard, you can be
confident of your input always fitting the chord
supplied by the Chord Generator. If you actually
know how to play keyboard properly, it can
initially be a bit disconcerting going for an E to
Mozaic Beats
AutoTheory $60
This educational MIDI mapping software breaks out
from the Reason Rack to become a standalone app
Verdict
For Broad appeal, from beginner to pro
Highly configurable
Strum mode emulates guitar strumming
Helpful online documentation
Clean, uncluttered GUI
Against Initial setup can be fiddly
While it doesnt totally demystify music
theory, AutoTheory does make it easier
to produce harmonically-pleasant tunes

8/10
Alternatively
Insert Piz Here MIDI Chords
N/A N/A Free
Donationware MIDI chording
VST plugin for Mac and PC
Xfer Records Cthulhu
191 8/10 $39
Chord memoriser/player & arpeggiator
for chord progressions and melodies
Of AutoTheorys four mapping modes, Chord
Tones and Dynamic Scale are the most useful
for novice players. In Chord Tones mode,
every time a new chord is selected in the
Chord Generator, the notes available on the
Melody Locks virtual keyboard shift
positions, so simply playing the left-most
three or four white keys results in the melody
always blending with the generated chord.
Dynamic Scale mode works in the same
way, but adds further note choices beyond
the selected chord by including all the notes
from the currently selected scale.
The last two modes are geared towards
more advanced players. In Relative Scale
mode, the Melody Lock locks the scale
tones of the selected scale so that the
selected keys tonic note is placed on the
first white key. Absolute Scale mode aligns
both the Chord Generator and Melody Lock
so that each chord and scale tone adopt
their natural key positions.
Absolute beginners
find its become an E
b
; but after a while, you start
to pick out melodies and chord progressions that
you wouldnt have come up with otherwise. The
app provides a musical safety net by making it
harder to get things wrong, so you find yourself
punching way above your compositional weight.
AutoTheory is a useful tool for pointing the
way forward when youre stuck for a chord
progression or melody, and a comfy gateway to
the world of music theory. Whether youre an
experienced keysmith or a total beginner, it
really does pave the way towards composing
better, more structurally sound music.
Web www.autotheorybymozaic.com
> reviews / mozaic beats autotheory

PLUGINS
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INSTRUMENTS AND EFFECTS
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a n d d a t a o n i t . C o n s u l t y o u r n e t w o r k a d m i n i s t r a t o r b e f o r e i n s t a l l i n g a n y
s o f t w a r e o n a n e t w o r k e d P C .
S O F T W A R E P R O B L E M I f y o u h a v e a q u e r y a b o u t u s i n g y o u r d i s c s
i n t e r f a c e o r i t s c o n t e n t , p l e a s e v i s i t o u r r e a d e r s s u p p o r t w e b s i t e a t
w w w . f u t u r e n e t . c o . u k / s u p p o r t w h e r e y o u c a n f i n d s o l u t i o n s t o m a n y
c o m m o n p r o b l e m s .
D E F E C T I V E D I S C S I f y o u h a v e a q u e r y a b o u t u s i n g y o u r d i s c s i n t e r f a c e
o r i t s c o n t e n t , o r a n y t e c h n i c a l i s s u e s r e l a t i n g t o y o u r d i s c , p l e a s e v i s i t
o u r r e a d e r s s u p p o r t w e b s i t e a t w w w . f u t u r e n e t . c o . u k / s u p p o r t , o r
c o n t a c t u s b y s e n d i n g a n e m a i l t o d i s c s u p p o r t @ f u t u r e n e t . c o m a n d
w e l l h e l p y o u o u t . P l e a s e n o t e t h a t w e c a n t g i v e t e c h n i c a l s u p p o r t
o v e r t h e t e l e p h o n e . I n t h e u n l i k e l y e v e n t o f y o u r C D b e i n g p h y s i c a l l y
d a m a g e d , w e l l s e n d y o u a n e w , w o r k i n g v e r s i o n w i t h i n 2 8 d a y s .
W e r e c o m m e n d y o u c o p y a n y r e q u i r e d f o l d e r s f r o m t h e C D t o y o u r
h a r d d r i v e b e f o r e u s e .
A C O N D I G I T A L
C M V E R B
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T U T O R I A L V I D E O S
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T H I S I S A F U T U R E C O M P U T I N G D V D - R O M T h i s d i s c h a s b e e n
t h o r o u g h l y s c a n n e d a n d t e s t e d a t a l l s t a g e s o f p r o d u c t i o n , b u t a s w i t h
a l l n e w s o f t w a r e , w e s t i l l r e c o m m e n d t h a t y o u r u n a v i r u s c h e c k e r
b e f o r e u s e . W e a l s o r e c o m m e n d t h a t y o u h a v e a n u p - t o - d a t e b a c k u p
o f y o u r h a r d d i s k b e f o r e u s i n g t h i s d i s c . F u t u r e P u b l i s h i n g c a n n o t a c c e p t
r e s p o n s i b i l i t y f o r a n y d i s r u p t i o n , d a m a g e a n d / o r l o s s t o y o u r d a t a o r
c o m p u t e r s y s t e m t h a t m a y o c c u r w h i l e u s i n g t h i s D V D , o r t h e p r o g r a m s
a n d d a t a o n i t . C o n s u l t y o u r n e t w o r k a d m i n i s t r a t o r b e f o r e i n s t a l l i n g a n y
s o f t w a r e o n a n e t w o r k e d P C .
S O F T W A R E P R O B L E M I f y o u h a v e a q u e r y a b o u t u s i n g y o u r d i s c s
i n t e r f a c e o r i t s c o n t e n t , p l e a s e v i s i t o u r r e a d e r s s u p p o r t w e b s i t e a t
w w w . f u t u r e n e t . c o . u k / s u p p o r t w h e r e y o u c a n f i n d s o l u t i o n s t o m a n y
c o m m o n p r o b l e m s .
D E F E C T I V E D I S C S I f y o u h a v e a q u e r y a b o u t u s i n g y o u r d i s c s i n t e r f a c e
o r i t s c o n t e n t , o r a n y t e c h n i c a l i s s u e s r e l a t i n g t o y o u r d i s c , p l e a s e v i s i t
o u r r e a d e r s s u p p o r t w e b s i t e a t w w w . f u t u r e n e t . c o . u k / s u p p o r t , o r
c o n t a c t u s b y s e n d i n g a n e m a i l t o d i s c s u p p o r t @ f u t u r e n e t . c o m a n d
w e l l h e l p y o u o u t . P l e a s e n o t e t h a t w e c a n t g i v e t e c h n i c a l s u p p o r t
o v e r t h e t e l e p h o n e . I n t h e u n l i k e l y e v e n t o f y o u r C D b e i n g p h y s i c a l l y
d a m a g e d , w e l l s e n d y o u a n e w , w o r k i n g v e r s i o n w i t h i n 2 8 d a y s .
W e r e c o m m e n d y o u c o p y a n y r e q u i r e d f o l d e r s f r o m t h e C D t o y o u r
h a r d d r i v e b e f o r e u s e .
A C O N D I G I T A L
C M V E R B
E X C L U S I V E P L U G I N
P R O - Q U A L I T Y S A M P L E S
V I P S A M P L E S :
T H E Y O U N G P U N X
P R O D U C E R M A S T E R C L A S S V I D E O
U L T E R I O R M O T I V E
F U L L S O F T W A R E
( P C / M a c )
4 0 P l u g i n s ( P C / M a c )
S A M P L E S
8 0 0 V I P S a m p l e s
T h e Y o u n g P u n x
1 9 4 0 C l a s s i c B o n u s
E t h n i c F o l k s a m p l e s
T U T O R I A L F I L E S
K e e p I t R e a l : O r c h e s t r a l M a l l e t s
T U T O R I A L V I D E O S
C u b a s e S e c r e t s
T o p T e n 8 0 s P o p T i p s
P r o d u c e r M a s t e r c l a s s :
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A rapid-fire round-up of gadgets, ROMplers and soundware
mini reviews
Web www.ikmultimedia.com
Format iOS
Although IKs latest venture might appear to be
almost literally money for old rope 20 quid for
two small pieces of moulded plastic it does
actually have genuine potential as a
performance tool for iOS musicians. In a
nutshell, iRing is a motion control system that
employs your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch
camera to read the movement of two rings in
3D space and translate it into general purpose
MIDI data or proprietary controller information
for bespoke applications.
The iRings themselves (available in grey,
white and green) arent in fact rings at all
theyre more like knuckle dusters, each held
between two fingers of either hand rather than
worn on one. Both are identical, with a double-
sided design one side etched with three
triangular dots, the other with three horizontally
aligned dots enabling the receiving app to see
them as separate controllers when both sides
are presented together (ie, worn on two hands).
iRing currently works
with four apps, all free on
the App Store. Three
(GrooveMaker Free, DJ Rig
Free and iRing Music
Maker) are of the casual
variety, while iRing FX/
Controller is the only one
of real interest to
musicians. This comprises
a serviceable motion-
controlled multieffects
processor for bussing
other apps and external
sounds into, and, more importantly, a MIDI
controller editor, for assigning the X, Y and Z
axes of each iRing, as well as a range of gestures
(punch, rotate, etc), to as many MIDI notes and
controller messages as you like. These are then
output to your Mac or PC where they can be
used to control software DAWs, instruments
and effects, or routed to other apps running on
your iOS device. The interface isnt the most
intuitive weve ever seen, but it gets the job
done. More importantly, hand movements are
read accurately although above a certain
speed the camera struggles to keep up and
jumps from start to end point, rather than
gliding smoothly.
All in all, iRing is pretty impressive, and the
price is fully justified by the experience just a
couple of bits of plastic it may be, but
sometimes good ideas are worth paying for.
n8/10n
Web www.unfilteredaudio.com
Format Mac/PC
This action-packed VST/AU plugin aims to be the
last word in dynamic gating, expanding on its
Reason Rack Extension predecessor in just
about every direction.
As a conventional audio gate, G8 Dynamic
Gate has all the basics covered: Threshold,
Reduction and Dry/Wet mix controls, AHR
envelope, hysteresis, Peak and RMS modes, and
up to 100ms look-ahead. The real-time display
can be configured to show the input and output
levels graphically, as well as the action of the
gate, and the analysis signal (external or
internal) even gets its own Gain fader.
Alongside its Regular Gating mode, G8 also
offers One Shot and Cycle modes. Cycle mode
repeats the gate envelope ad infinitum for as
long as the gate is open, at a speed determined
by the Delay and envelope controls a bit like an
LFO and useful for tremolo chopping and
AM-style effects. One Shot triggers one full cycle
of the gate envelope to completion without
sustain or retriggering whenever the input
signal exceeds the Threshold.
The Reject Outputs feature is
quite ingenious. Rather than being
cast into the audio ether, G8s
rejected (ie, gated out) signal is
sent to an auxiliary output for
routing to a second stereo channel
in your DAW mixer, where it can be
panned, levelled and processed
independently a volume-
controlled output splitter,
essentially. The rejected and gated
signals can also be swapped with
the (automatable) Flip button.
(WIth the Reject Outputs un-routed,
this obviously just switches the
output between the two signals.)
In terms of MIDI functionality, G8
not only accepts note input for MIDI-controlled
gating, but can also output a user-specified MIDI
note whenever the gate opens handy for drum
replacement in One Shot mode and generating
granular MIDI parts in Cycle mode. Finally, as
youd expect, the plugin can be sidechained
from an external source, and both the external
and internal sidechains can be high- and low-
pass filtered.
With its MIDI I/O, extra modes and Reject
Outputs, G8 is one of the most comprehensive
gates weve ever seen and probably the most
creative. The addition of mid/side splitting and
an expander mode would sate the completionist
in us, but thats nitpicking, really this is a
superb plugin that any producer would do well
to investigate.
n9/10n
Unltered Audio
G8 Dynamic Gate $50
IK Multimedia
iRing 20
> reviews / mini reviews
FXpansion
BFD Orchestral 49
Web www.fxpansion.com
Format PC/Mac, BFD3, BFD2, BFD Eco
9GB of orchestral
percussion for BFD3/2/
Eco, BFD Orchestral
covers bass drums
(28" with top-mounted
cymbals, 40" hard,
medium and soft felt
beater), snare drums
(10"x14" Leedy, 14"x6"
stave shell, 14"x5"
Rogers Dynasonic),
chromatically tuned timpani (26", 29" and 32" Ludwig) and
chimes (Musser), two mounted Zildjian cymbals (20" mallet,
18" mallet and stick), and 18" and 20" Zildjian clash cymbals.
The kicks and snares are multi-miced, it all slips effortlessly
into the BFD interface, and the instruments themselves
sound fantastic, with deep multisampling delivering all the
requisite nuance and dynamic sensitivity.
The only downside is that there are no Kits (or, less
importantly, Grooves) included you have to build your own
setups by combining individual elements. For the BFD user in
need of a perfectly integrated set of orchestral skins and
metals, though, this is a lot of percussion for the money.
n9/10n
Zivix
PUC $130
Web www.mipuc.com
Format PC/Mac/iOS
Available for preorder now
after a successful Indiegogo
crowd-funding campaign, the
PUC is a battery or mains (via
micro USB) powered wireless
MIDI interface. With just a
5-pin DIN socket onboard, it
accepts input from any
similarly equipped MIDI
instrument or controller, forwarding its output over its own
ad-hoc Wi-Fi network to your Mac, PC or iOS device.
Setup on Mac and iOS is a piece of cake, using OS Xs
Bonjour and Network MIDI, or the free PUC Connect iOS app
(which runs in the background, feeding the PUCs MIDI output
to your CoreMIDI-compatible apps). Connecting it to PC
requires the installation of the free RTP-MIDI, but that certainly
isnt any sort of chore. Once youre up and running, the link to
the PUC is solid and consistent, and the latency feels
surprisingly low similar to that of a wired connection, we
dare say (and a bit higher on iOS than Mac/PC).
We really wish the PUC also accepted USB MIDI and had two
or three more inputs, but other than that, its a neat, well-
realised device that works exactly as advertised.
n8/10n
Web www.native-instruments.com
Format PC/Mac, Kontakt 5/Player
A Kontakt/Player library for constructing build-
ups and impacts, Rise & Hit enables you to
combine up to four layers, each playing back a
Rise sample followed by a Hit sample. The
length of the Rise is set in host-synced beats
(1-32) or seconds (1-20), and multiple samples of
varying lengths are used to keep things as
artifact-free as possible through the
timestretching process.
Moving a layers Rise Offset slider to the right
delays the start of that layer after note input (in
beats or milliseconds) and shortens the sound
so that it still peaks at the point determined by
the global Rise Time, making it easy to stagger
layer entry points. The Decay sliders,
meanwhile, simply shorten/lengthen the Hit
sounds, and activating the Whoosh button for a
layer mutes the Rise and instead loads a short
attack sample leading into the Hit.
Each Rise and Hit can be individually
processed with one of 26 onboard filters and a
further module from a list of 29
distortions, phasers, flangers,
stereo wideners and more, while
the Master FX page hosts EQ,
saturation, compression and
limiting, as well as Convolution
and Delay send effects. Every layer
effect comes with one adjustable
parameter, each of which can be
modulated via its own high-
resolution step sequencer. The
Pan and Tune for each layer can
also be modulated, for elaborate
pitchbending and stereo swirling.
On the subject of pitch, Rises and
Hits can be triggered
independently from the keyboard for
auditioning purposes, but only at their fixed
pitches, as set using each ones Tune control.
250 multilayer NKI instruments are included,
and you can edit them or make your own from
scratch by diving into the well-categorised 8GB
library of over 700 layer presets and their
component samples (666 Rises, 1122 Hits).
Its an absolutely stunning soundbank,
taking in everything from orchestral swells
to sci-fi rumbles, explosions and more
Galaxy Instruments Uli Baronowsky deserves
massive credit for putting it all together. An
amazing resource for sound designers and
musicians alike.
n9/10n
Native Instruments
Rise & Hit 129
mini reviews / reviews <
Soundware round-up
Niche Audio
Dubstep Supercharged 25
This ballsy little dubstep library comprises 13 Ableton
Live and Maschine projects, and 15 Drum Racks/Groups,
each containing 16 samples and five full-arrangement
MIDI clips. The drums are phat and the basses abrasive
and formant-heavy, and although no effects processing
has been used in either DAW, choke groups have,
making them great fun to jam around with live.
www.loopmasters.com
n8/10n
Zero-G
Dancehall Vocals 60
1100 24-bit vocal samples performed at 136bpm by 14
genuine reggae and dancehall superstars (Junior Murvin,
Pinchers, Junior Saw, Fantan Mojah, Don Goliath, et al). The
samples range from very short indeed (Rrruff!) to about
seven seconds long (disregarding the spoken Monologue
folder). Its hard to imagine a more definitive collection of
vocal samples for reggae, dub, dubstep and dancehall.
www.timespace.com
n9/10n
Hybrid Two
Project Bravo 149
The follow-up to Project Alpha ( 191, 8/10) continues its
filmic sound design theme with 200 new Kontakt 5
instruments drums, synths, effects, drones, transitions
and much more. Once again, these are big, flexible,
superbly produced sounds, easily animated using the step,
gate and awesome new Dual Control filter sequencers.
Even better (yet cheaper!) than its predecessor.
www.timespace.com
n9/10n
Loopmasters
Loops From Behind The Iron Curtain 40
2.7GB of techno goodness from UMEK, including a nifty
dual-X/Y pad synth for Reaktor, ten Maschine projects
and a bank of Sylenth1 presets. The bass and synth
sounds are menacingly rhythmic and spacious, if not
hugely diverse; and the drums are divided into kick,
hi-hat, ride, snare/clap and top loops, enabling you to
composite your own beats with ease a nice touch.
www.loopmasters.com
n8/10n
Sample Magic
French House 35
1100+ funky loops, one-shots and construction kits of a
distinctly Gallic bent, produced using a fabulous array of
hardware at 120, 125 and 128bpm. The bass loops are the
highlight, but the drum, filter and music loops are also
quality. What looks like a huge package, though,
becomes somewhat less so when you factor out all the
stems and variations. Still good value, though.
www.samplemagic.com
n8/10n
Native Instruments
Lucid Mission 44
The addition of Drum Synths to Maschine has really upped
the value of NIs Expansion packs. Lucid Mission includes 32
of them, bringing a welcome level of tweakability to many
of its 40 kits. You also get 50 Massive presets. Sonically, its
an impressively diverse library that would work well with
house, bass music and techier dance styles, as well as the
trancier type of EDM for which it was primarily built.
n9/10n
Sonic Cat
Pop Synth $59
Built on 2.7GB of sampled Roland JX-3P, Pop-Synth
(Kontakt) features two engines, each loading one of
the JX-3Ps 32 presets for mixing into a patch. Each
engine sports Tune, Pan and envelope controls, while
simple delay and reverb effects round things off. The
sounds are fine, and it couldnt be easier to use, but
without even a filter onboard, its a very basic instrument.
www.sonic-cat.com
n6/10n
Mode Audio
Hyper Beats 7
Ten Maschine Groups of 16 Sounds each, every one
based on a Drum Synth with not a sample in sight. A ton
of work has clearly gone into the Drum Synth and
effects chain programming, result in a range of high-
impact, fully customisable percussion for all dance/
electronic genres. With four or five MIDI patterns
accompanying each kit, the deal is very much sealed.
www.modeaudio.com
n10/10n
Rhythmic Robot
Loopscape Vinyl 30
In making this Kontakt 4/5 instrument, Rhythmic Robot
pressed recordings of five classic synth waves to vinyl,
messed the discs up a bit, then sampled them. Via an
attractive intuitive interface, you load a combination of
these waves (at loop lengths of 0.5s to 7s) into each of
three separate modules for mixing, modulating and
processing into pads and musical ambiences (primarily),
bursting with warmth, crackle and analogue life.
www.rhythmicrobot.com
n9/10n
Cr2 Records
Bass Music 13
Cr2 continue their assault on the budget sample market
with 700MB of garage-inspired sounds and 22 minutes
of tutorial videos. While the general production quality
is certainly up there with their previous releases, theres
just something about the drums in this one that leaves
us a bit flat. Its still a solid collection and worth every
penny the sinuous basses and dusty chord hits alone
see to that just not as on-point percussively as usual.
sounds.beatport.com
n8/10n
> reviews / mini reviews
April 2014/ CM202
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HOW TORELEASE
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RINSE &REPEAT
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Autumn 2013 / CM196
Master Apples DAW
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ISSUE 199
January 2014
The Art of Layering:
stack sounds like a pro
FREE intelligent limiter
plugin: Barricade CM
900+ 8-bit samples
Black Sun Empire video*
Ableton Live Secrets
ISSUE 200
February 2014
FREE full PC software:
Cakewalk Rapture
10+ HOURS of expert
video tutorials!
FXpansion SingleMault
CM + Goldbaby sounds
Headhunterz video*
ISSUE 201
March 2014
Radical Rhythms:
Manipulate tempo,
time signature + more
UVI Defcon FREE PC/
Mac instrument
900 Motor City sounds
Electronic Youth
ISSUE 202
April 2014
Get a Grip on Dynamics:
Compression, gating,
expansion, and more
FREE synth, Enzyme CM
963 pro-quality samples
from Twisted Tools
Dubba Jonny video*
ISSUE 203
May 2014
Bitwig Studio: The
Guide video & guides
for this great new DAW
FREE Program EQ CM
Pultec-style equaliser
2700+ samples
Mak & Pasteman video*
ISSUE 204
June 2014
Visual Mixing: Start
making better tracks
with visual mixing aids
FREE Transector CM
transient shaper
1800+ samples
Sigma video*
ISSUE 205
July 2014
DnB Focus 2014 video
masterclasses with
Tyke, InsideInfo, Alex
Banks & State of Mind
FREE Rob Papen plugin
E-Z Rollers sample pack
Markus Schulz video*
ISSUE 194
September 2013
Beats: Create killer
drum parts
FREE eaReckon
compressor plugin
800 VIP Series:
InsideInfo samples
Freestylers video*
ISSUE 195
October 2013
The guide to FL
Studio 11, inc. 11 videos
FREE Spiral CM
visualisation plugin,
4500 samples
Om Unit video*
FX Design tutorial
ISSUE 196
Autumn 2013
The Guide to Logic
Pro X: how-to + videos
FREE saturator plugin
Kuassa PreMix CM
900 modular samples
Drumsound & Bassline
Smith in-studio video*
ISSUE 197
November 2013
Clean Up Your
Recordings: Shine up
your rough tracks
FREE SKnote Snap
transient enhancer
4000+ samples
Kell On Urth video*
ISSUE 198
December 2013
Plug In Your Hardware:
integrate external gear
with your PC or Mac
FREE multieffect
plugin: Eurydice CM
800 Optiv/BTK sounds
Maison Sky video*
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Budding synthesists had few options back
in 72. Massive modular synthesisers had
been around for a while but were expensive
and cumbersome, less suited to the stage
than they were to the studio.
EMS VCS3 was small but unstable, and ARPs
2600 with its patch cables and separate
keyboard was less immediate than the
reigning king of the road, the Minimoog, the
only truly portable all-in-one option. Until, that
is, the ARP Odyssey. This wedge-shaped wonder
was lighter than the Minimoog, yet offered far
more bells and whistles with which to craft
ones, er, bells and whistles. More than that, the
Oddys dual oscillators gave musicians rock-
solid tuning stability, along with a suspiciously
familiar-sounding 24dB resonant low-pass filter,
high-pass filter, FM, oscillator sync, ring
modulation, dual envelope generators (AR and
ADSR) and a noise generator that could produce
sample and hold effects. Flexible and powerful,
the Odysseys panel was relatively immediate,
with colourfully capped sliders providing a
supremely tweakable interface.
It was, to be sure, far more capable than
Moogs mighty Mini, even if it lacked that
beefy third oscillator (the Odysseys LFO
was a dedicated job). Its basses might not have
been as burly, but they were sharp, tight and
punchy. And if the leads werent quite as
present, they could be far more complex. If it
had any drawbacks, it was that it lacked the
left-hand controllers no mod or pitch wheels.
Pitchbend was provided by a simple
potentiometer, later replaced by ARPs own
Proportional Pitch Control (PPC) pad, a bit of
pressure-sensitive rubber that seemed to
confirm that ARP were simply trying to be
well, not Moog. In addition, the sliders were not
exactly the most precise means by which to dial
in a sound and they have aged horribly,
ARP Odyssey
Three great emulations
FROM
THE BLAST PAST
GFORCE ODDITY
A stunning recreation from the folks behind
impOSCar, the Oddity has all of the features
of the original, plus modern niceties such as
patch storage and recall, preset morphing,
and host-syncable LFO. Flying Sliders allow
you to grab one or more sliders and throw
em, recording the results. A brilliant clone
embraced by users of the real thing.
www.gforcesoftware.com
ELEKTROSTUDIO ODSAY
If you dont have the cash for Oddity
(and assuming youre on Windows), you
can avail yourself of the SynthEdit-based
ODSay, a spiffy Odyssey clone from
Elektrostudio. Good sound, the right
features and a nice GUI make this one a
bargain at twice the price! 32-bit
environment or bridge required.
www.elektrostudio.ovh.org
BRISTOL ARP ODYSSEY
Linux fans dont have as many options,
but what they have is almost invariably
free and open source. That includes the
gorgeous Bristol ARP Odyssey, a feature-
for-feature copy of the real deal as part of the
whopping Bristol synths collection. Its a
good resource for the same sorts of sounds
youd get from an actual Odyssey.
bristol.sourceforge.net
Its alive! ARPs answer to the Minimoog refuses to
be consigned to the history books, revived for the
modern age in both hard and soft incarnations
becoming scratchy and jumpy.
There were a number of variants of the
Odyssey across its eight-year production run.
Early models were white, replaced by black and
gold models in the mid-period, and finally, black
and orange.
The Odyssey was embraced by two
generations of musicians: the proggers and
rockers of the early 1970s loved them almost as
much as the new wavers of the 1980s. Edgar
Winter, Tony Banks and Joe Zawinul are but a
few of the former, supplanted by Devo, Ultravox
and Numan in the latter camp.
Todays would-be Odysseans can avail
themselves of a handful of software emulations,
one of which GForces Oddity has been hailed
by users of the real deal. If that isnt enough,
Korg recently announced plans to sell a new
version of the original hardware.
F
R
E
E
F
R
E
E
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> make music now / blast from the past
TECH SPECS
Year of manufacture
1972-1980
Original sale value
1250
Current price
1000-2000
Number made
Approximately 3000
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C0 Mputer Music M4 Gazine 4 Ugust 2014

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