MusicTechMag JULY 2017

DANNY AVILA MIKE HOWLETT THE 80S LEGEND FREE DVD!
A STAR ON THE RISE BEHIND OMD & TEARS FOR FEARS 1.37GB
Issue 172 July 2017
of samples
www.musictech.net
110 mins
of video
Issue 172
July 2017
GET HANDS-ON WITH

MASTERING
10 pages of practical pro advice
& tips for perfecting your tracks
www.musictech.net
ON TEST
WORKSHOPS
Create pulses in Logic

Integrate Live and iOS
Use your DAW with Eurorack
07
07
Issue 172
July 2017
5.99
9 771479 418016
9 771479 418016
MT172.Cover.For Print.indd 1 01/06/2017 16:36

Welcome MT
Expert Panel
Editor At Large Andy Jones
Andy has an MA in Music Technology and
has been writing about it for 25 years. He has
launched and edited several magazines on the
subject. He has far too many synthesisers.
Mixing/Mastering/Logic Mark Cousins

Mark specialises in sound design and
cinematic productions. Hes recorded with
orchestras across Europe and is heavily
involved in soundtrack composition.
Modern Production Marc JB

Marcs career has involved production for the
likes of Lady Gaga, Pink and Rihanna and he Welcome to Issue 172 of MusicTech
has over 80 US and UK No. 1s to his name. Aside magazine! You may be thinking
from his wide-ranging industry knowledge,
Marc is also a renowned DJ. thats not Andy Jones, who is this
Studio Hardware John Pickford
imposter?, so allow me to introduce
A studio engineer for over 25 years, Johns myself. My name is Andy Price,
a keen sound-recording historian who has a
passion for valve-driven analogue equipment
and Ive been working with the
and classic recording techniques. MusicTech team for the last four
Ableton Live Martin Delaney
years. Its a real honour to take the
Martin was one of the first UK Ableton-Certified wheel of this fantastic magazine,
Trainers. Hes taught everyone from musicians
to psychiatric patients and written three books particularly from the aforementioned Andy Jones, whose
about Live. Martin also designed the Kenton
Killamix Mini USB MIDI controller and is now
vast industry knowledge and experience remain a vital
the editor of Ableton Live Expert. part of MusicTech as he becomes our Editor At Large.
Of course, the old adage if it aintt broke, dont fix it rings true with a vast
Synthesisers/Modular Dave Gale swathe of the magazine, and so the responsibility falls to me to carry on bringing
Dave is an award-winning media composer, you the same high-quality, expertly written content that was a hallmark of my
orchestrator and producer, with a passion for
synths and modulars in all their forms, whether predecessors editorship. A knock-on effect of this evolution of staff is that weve
software, hardware, vintage or contemporary. refocused on MusicTechs modus operandi: to help you make better music. Its all
too easy to lose sight of this fundamental idea as were increasingly overawed by
Electronic Music Alex Holmes the latest state-of-the-art music making technology.
Alex has been a computer musician for 15
years, having a keen passion for beats, bass
To that end, weve created a brand-new beginners section of the magazine,
and all forms of electronic music. Hes currently aimed both at those who are new to music making in 2017 and catering for those
involved in three different dance-music projects. who need a refresher on its core elements. Well be bringing you further instalments
every issue. Meanwhile, our cover feature focuses on the ever-mysterious process
Pro Tools Mike Hillier of mastering and our guide will furnish you with the knowledge you need to try
Mike spent five years at Metropolis Studios,
working alongside some of the best-known your own hand at this oft-misunderstood stage of production. Elsewhere weve got
mix and mastering engineers in the world. our usual plethroa of reviews and tutorial content. I hope you enjoy the issue.
He now works out of his own studio in London.
Andy Price Editor

Email: andy.price@anthem-publishing.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MusicTechMag Twitter: @musictechmag
Instagram: musictech_official Tumblr: musictechofficial.tumblr.com
Cover Image ClaudioCueni
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MAGAZINE July 2017 |3
MT172.Welcome.For Print.indd 3 01/06/2017 16:51

MT Contents
MT Contents
Issue 172 July 2017
GET HANDS-ON WITH

MASTERING P18
FREE SAMPLES! P114
REVIEWS P66
TUTORIALS P49
MT Cover Feature MT Interview
DIY MASTERING
How to master your mixes in style p18
DANNY AVILA
Spains new EDM superstar p32
ROLI
BLOCKS and Dashboard p81
10 Tips
Better vocal recordings p64
4 | July 2017 MAGAZINE
MT172.contents.For Print.indd 4 01/06/2017 17:05

Contents MT
MT Issue 172 Full listings

The Latest Reviews
STUDIO
006 | News
Genelecs The Ones unveiled, plus
all the latest product releases
012 | SHOW OFF YOUR STUDIO
Your amazing studio spaces in print
COVER FEATURE
018 | Get Hands-on
AKAI MPC LIVE

With Mastering
Top producer and remixer Marc JB
offers tips and tricks for mastering
Plus hardware and software INTERVIEWS
from Lauten Audio, Universal 032 | Danny Avila
Audio, ROLI, ALM Busy Circuits, Spains Danny Avila is a rising star
Spitfire Audio, Blue, sE, Allen in the DJing and producing world
& Heath and more 040 | Mike Howlett

A Grammy-winning producer
offers his tips and advice
Technique And Tutorials
TECHNIQUE
49 MT Modular
049 | MT Modular
How to use Eurorack with a DAW
DAW and Eurorack integration 052 | Live In Depth

Live and iOS in perfect harmony
52 Live In Depth
Integrate Live with iOS devices
058 | Logic In Depth
Add pulsing to your productions
064 | 10 Tips
58 Logic In Depth
Create better vocal recordings
102 | Beginners Guide
Part 1: The Complete Guide To
Creating pulsing effects in your tunes
DAWs plus Buyers Guide
64 10 Tips
How to achieve better vocal recordings
SUBSCRIBE
038 | for a great offer
REVIEWS
102 Beginners Guide Part 1

066 | AKAI MPC Live
The MPC Touch evolves
070 | Lauten Audio LA-320
The Complete Guide To DAWs and a handy Buyers Guide
Intriguing new valve mic
076 | Universal Audio
MT Interview Apollo Twin Mk II
A new desktop interface
081 | ROLI BLOCKS And Dashboard
Is this the future of DAW control?
083 | ALM Pamelas New Workout
New BPM-based clocking module
087 | Spitfire Audio LCO Strings
Modern-sounding string library
91 | Mini Reviews
114 | On your MT DVD
40 MIKE HOWLETT
MT172.contents.For Print.indd 5 01/06/2017 17:05

MT Studio
MTStudio
FOR MORE
OF THE
LATEST NEWS
All the latest happenings from the music technology industry CHECK OUT
MUSICTECH.NET
THE ONES THAT YOU WANT MusicTech was invited over to with Genelecs Directivity Control Waveguides (DCWTM)
and The Ones concealed dual-woofer design, it also
Londons Metropolis Studios in promises less-coloured reflections.
May for the unveiling of Genelecs Because we were there, listening with our own
(only slightly champagne-addled) ears, we can verify
new product line, The Ones a that The Ones represent a phenomenal listening
Total spec overview family of new speakers which, experience, in particular the 8331s which pack a
phenomenal punch for their size.
of Genelecs The Ones with Genelecs award-winning The number of big ideas contained within these
Point source,
accurate imaging 8351s, form the worlds smallest small monitors is truly remarkable, but no list of
Compact three-way (most features can ever match up to the experience of simply
compact on the market) three-way coaxial monitor lineup listening to them, says Genelec Managing Director,
Best-of-the-market woofer
G
directivity fewer reflections Siamk Naghian. For professionals worldwide, the
from nearby surfaces enelecs two new speakers, the 8331 and 8351 has already become the trusted standard for its
Horizontal and
vertical orientations 8341, join the larger 8351 to form a range neutrality, and its smooth frequency response both
No off-axis colouration now dubbed The Ones. The new speakers on- and off-axis. Now that same precision and
Low inter-modulation both share the same design and coaxial three-way performance is available to everyone. With
distortion (three-way,
steep crossover) driver as the 8351, but come in a much the 8331 and 8341, the size of your studio is no longer
Constant delay smaller package, doing away with the previous a barrier to the size of your ambition.
Low diffraction
Enables ultra-nearfield
constraints of coaxial point-source setups. The Were certainly very keen to get our hands on them,
monitoring company claims that these new monitors will deliver not just for review purposes, but for them to maybe
Genelec SAM monitor, precise imaging both on- and off-axis and neutral even become our new go-to reference monitors. Well
full GLM support
Leading industrial design reproduction, meaning users can make mix decisions keep you posted In the meantime, for more info, see
Built for a long lifetime with confidence while also listening for longer. Coupled www.genelec.com. MT
MT172.News.For Print.indd 6 01/06/2017 11:23

Studio MT
PLUG-INS,
BABY
Five new plug-ins including
Auto-Tune Realtime feature
in Universal Audios new
THE
updated version of UAD
U
niversal Audio recently released the latest
version of its UAD software (9.2) for UAD-2
and Apollo platforms. The new version
includes five fantastic new plug-ins that
could potentially add a great deal to your
Survey 2017
current DAW-based mixing setup. Nestling among
the five new additions is the long-awaited Antares
Auto-Tune Realtime plug-in, which has been frequently
requested by UAD users for quite a while, as well as an
enticing SSL 4000 G Bus Compressor Collection.
Universal Audio claims the Antares Auto-Tune
Realtime plug-in, optimised for instant live vocal
tracking in the studio or on stage, has the lowest
latency in the industry for auto-tune pitch correction,
and that its SSL 4000 G Bus Compressor Collection
has been remodelled with stunning accuracy,
making mixes bigger, more powerful and punchy.
The Brainworx Fuchs Train II Amplifier specialises
in grind and distorted tones, the Softube Eden WT800
Bass Amplifier enables the easy crafting of bass tones
for any genre and UA Pure Plate Reverb brings
authentic warmth and texture.
For our money, the Antares Auto Tune Realtime
FILL IN THE MUSICTECH

plug-in could seriously benefit those mixing pop music
as well as EDM. Well be checking it out very soon,
alongside many of the other plug-ins weve mentioned.
SURVEY, WIN PRIZES

See www.uaudio.com for more on the 9.2 update. MT
Enter our survey, tell us what you think and what

you want and you could win some great studio kit
H
ere at MusicTech HQ, were heading to the URL below. Aside from
always very keen to find helping us make MusicTech an even
out which elements of the better resource for producers
magazine, website and everywhere, theres an added incentive
our social-media platforms for sending us your thoughts: in
youre enjoying the most. Whether its conjunction with Aston Microphones,
features, tutorials, the DVD content or once the survey is closed, 10 selected
whats happened to you with your career entrants will receive either an Origin
in the industry, wed love to know your microphone or a Halo reflection filter. So
thoughts and feelings, so were better please take part in the survey: youll be
equipped to provide you with the type helping us and you could be adding
of content you need. some high-value recording gear to your
So weve put together the MusicTech setup! To enter, head to www.musictech.
2017 survey, which you can access by net/2017/05/the-musictech-survey. MT

Studio MT
THE AGE OF REASON Propellerhead finally introduces

VST plug-in support for version 9.5
but without compromising their creative process,
says Mattias Hggstrm Gerdt, Reasons Product
Manager. Opening your favourite VST plug-ins in
of its much-loved DAW, Reason Reason taps into Reasons legendary workflow, from
I
simply playing your favourite instruments to using the
ts been the developers number-one-most- audio and CV connections for a truly modular music-
requested feature, one weve waited over 15 years making experience.
to see and finally, Propellerhead has announced VST support opens up new creative potential. Youll
that the Reason 9.5 update will include VST plug-in be able to drag-and-drop from the browser, use CV and
support. While Propellerheads addition of its Rack audio connections with your plug-ins, play in new ways
Extensions technology to Reason was a big draw, the with Players, put them in Combinators with Reasons
Spec fact that previously purchased plug-ins werent own devices or Rack Extensions. Reason 9.5 was
Rack-friendly VST support compatible made crossing over to a new DAW less-than released on 29 May, and any owner of Reason 9 will
Patchable Racks tempting. However, with Reason 9.5, the skys the limit. receive the new version for free through Reasons auto
Drag-and-drop from browser
Plugin Rack Device Feature Todays music makers need access to all the update. If you buy Reason 9 today, youll receive the 9.5
Route audio in new ways great software instruments and effects out there, update free. See www.propellerheads.se for more MT
MT172.News.RESENDp9.indd 9 01/06/2017 16:27

MT Studio
BACK IN BLACK
Aston releases the Halo
Shadow, a moodier-looking
version of its reflection filter
A
ston Microphones continues to release
quality microphones (and accessories)
and here, were highlighting a new
iteration of its Halo reflection filter
and all-round portable vocal booth,
the Halo Shadow. The Halo Shadow brings a new,
more eldritch aesthetic to the standard Aston Halo,
forgoing the purple colouring for an all-black finish.
Its identical in every other way to the Halo which,
when we reviewed it, impressed us enough
to have us cooing that it was more than just
another reflection filter.
The Halo Shadows features include lightweight,
high-tech construction, with patented PET felt,
British architectural design, 360 filtering and
proprietary easy mount hardware. Aston claims
that, in use, the Halo offers radically improved
isolation, a much bigger surface area and depth of
acoustic treatment and more linear absorption and
diffusion. Theres more at www.astonmics.com MT
MUSICTECH MAGAZINE Managing Director Simon Lewis Suite 500, Virginia Beach, VA 23451-2983
www.musictech.net simon.lewis@anthem-publishing.com All content copyright Anthem Publishing Ltd 2017,
Anthem Publishing Ltd all rights reserved.
Creative Director Jenny Cook While we make every effort to ensure that the
Suite 6 Piccadilly House
jenny.cook@anthem-publishing.com factual content of MusicTech Magazine is correct,
London Road Bath BA1 6PL
Tel +44 (0)1225 489984 we cannot take any responsibility nor be held
Subscriptions & Back Issues
accountable for any factual errors printed. Please
Tel 0844 844 0398 (UK)
make every effort to check quoted prices and
Editor At Large Andy Jones Tel +44 (0)1795 592849 (overseas)
product specifications with manufacturers prior to
andy.jones@anthem-publishing.com Price (12 issues) 64.95
purchase.
UK basic annual rate
Editor Andy Price
andy.price@anthem-publishing.com Printed by William Gibbons & Sons Ltd No part of this publication may be reproduced,
+44 (0) 1902 730011 stored in a retrieval system or resold without the
Art Editor John Thackray prior consent of Anthem Publishing Ltd. MusicTech
john.thackray@anthem-publishing.com Distributed by Marketforce (UK) Ltd, Magazine recognises all copyrights contained
Production Editor Owen Bailey 5 Churchill Place within this issue. Where possible, we acknowledge
Canary Wharf the copyright holder.
Digital Editor Chris Mackin London
chirs.mackin@anthem-publishing.com E14 5HU
Multimedia Editor Alex Holmes Tel: +44 (0) 20 378 79001
alex.holmes@anthem-publishing.com
Licensing enquiries Jon Bickley
Business Dev. Manager Di Marsh +44 (0) 1225 489984
di.marsh@anthem-publishing.com jon.bickley@anthem-publishing.com
Head Of Marketing And Production
Verity Travers MusicTech Magazine, ISSN number 1479-4187, is
verity.travers@anthem-publishing.com published monthly (12 times per year) by Anthem
Publishing c/o USACAN Media Dist. Srv. Corp.at 26
The Experts (see p3) Power Dam Way Suite S1-S3, Plattsburgh, NY 12901
Mark Cousins, Martin Delaney, for US$129.99 per year. Periodicals Postage paid at
David Gale, Mike Hillier, Marc JB, Plattsburgh, NY and at additional mailing Offices.
Marcus Leadley, John Pickford
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to MusicTech
CEO Jon Bickley Magazine c/o International Media Services, 3330
jon.bickley@anthem-publishing.com Pacific Avenue,

Authentic analog sound
lives on UAD and Apollo.
Only UAD hardware and Apollo interfaces

availability are subject to change without notice. The Universal Audio name, UA diamond
2017 Universal Audio, Inc. All rights reserved. Product features, specifications, pricing, and
run genuine analog emulations from Neve,

logo, Apollo, and UAD are trademarks of Universal Audio Inc. All other trademarks
Ampex, Fairchild, Manley, Lexicon, and dozens

more. Because only Universal Audio faithfully and
exhaustively models the warmth, grit, and color of
the original vintage hardware. Test drive an Apollo
contained herein are property of their respective owners.
interface or UAD Accelerator today. Analog lives here.
www.uaudio.com
UADPlatform_1p_RIGHT_A4.indd 1 4/24/17 9:43 AM

MT STUDIO Show off your studio
SHOW OFF
YOUR STUDIO
Your studios on show! If you want your studio featured, simply
upload a shot to the MusicTech Facebook page. This month,
we check out an impressive, neat and bespoke facility in Israel
Bat-Shlomo Studios, Israel

Interviewee: Eran Barkat, General Manager
Contact: batshlomostudios@gmail.com, www.batshlomostudios.com
MusicTech: Tell us about your studio? because its a relatively new setup. RCA and more. Since its also about the
Eran Barkat: Bat-Shlomo Studios is The main DAW is Pro Tools HD running music (and post production), theres a
located in Israel in the countryside, on a 2014 MacBook Pro. We have a large range of musical instruments as
10 minutes from the beach. Its in a Presonus 16.4.2 mixer and interface well, including a Yamaha U-3 piano,
very peaceful place surrounded by connected via Thunderbolt. Preamps Yamaha drumkit, plenty of keyboards,
nature, and 40 minutes drive from include a Lev Solutions Integrity II plus samplers and sound modules, as well
the hectic life in Tel-Aviv. models from Urei and dbx. as plenty of guitar amplifiers from
We also have surround monitoring Fender, Orange, Gallien-Kruger,
MT: Give us a rundown of the gear in through a Tannoy system and, of Marshall and Ampeg.
the studio course, a pair of Yamaha NS-10
The studios equipped with some of monitors. We have a variety of mics MT: Do you use any other DAWs over
the latest music and production gear, from AKG, Shure, Sennheiser, RDE, and above Pro Tools?
110| |July
12 November
2017 2015 MAGAZINE MAGAZINE
MT172 SOYS.For Print.indd 12 31/05/2017 15:22

STUDIO Show off your studio MT
We do offer both Logic and Cubase as MT: How much time do you get ABOVE: Its a simple,
high-quality setup,
well, but we mainly use Pro Tools for to spend in the studio on an with some great
the day-to-day work. average week? outboard under the
I just hope my wife never gets to NS-10 monitor,
and that very
MT: Whats your favourite piece of gear answer that one, as shed probably colourful Presonus
in the studio? say way too much. I think its probably mixer/interface
At the moment, its easily the clear between 60 and 90 hours a week RIGHT: Theres a live
and fine sound of the Lev Solutions (and Im afraid that is probably room for guitars and
vocals, but its hidden
Integrity II, because its great for just being conservative).
somewhere. Find
about any application you can think of: out where over
from recording vocals all the way MT: What sort of projects do you work the page
through to guitars and drums. with in the studio?
MAGAZINE July 2017 | 13

Show
MT MT STUDIO
off your
Show
studio
off your studio
Bat-Shlomo
Studios (contd)
We concentrate on a mix of music
production and post-production.
We do a lot of Israeli primetime
TV shows, such as the Israeli version of
American Idol. We also do many other
varied and wide-ranging recording
projects: anything from musicals to
one-song projects.
Mostly, though, when all is said and
done, we just try to have as much fun
as we can. Its very much like a second
home, so we might as well enjoy
ourselves here.
ABOVE: When not
working to picture,
MT: Whats next on your shopping list, the large screen on
the previous page
gear-wise?
goes up to reveal the
A Neumann U 87 microphone and vocal room behind
some Adam monitors. the glass
RIGHT: The other live

MT: What is your dream piece room, situated next to
the vocal and guitar
of gear? room (see picture
As far as my absolute must-have gear below right), features
an impressive
goes, I have to say, I really dont like
Yamaha drumkit
this question I think its a cruel one!
I think most people in this industry
will agree with me, there are so many
great microphones, so much great
outboard and so many software
plug-ins out there.
Also the technology keeps
advancing every day and every hour,
so that theres really no limit to the
dreams of purchasing the next new
pieces of gear for your studio. And
that brings me neatly to your next
question, about inspiring other
musicians and studio owners
MT: How did you know?! So, do

you have any advice for aspiring
producers and studio owners?
Well, its not always all about the gear,
of course, its all about the music and
the soul of things and its also about
having as much fun and excitement as
you can in life. When the song works,
it works, no matter if you are
recording it with an expensive
boutique microphone or a really
cheap one.
If the results hit you in all of the
right places, youre probably doing a
good job, so dont worry too much
about it.
110| |July
14 November

SOS Minimoog Model D.indd 1 23/03/2017 16:53:26
Show
MT MT STUDIO
off your
Show
studio
off your studio
Robsta DGR
Contact: robsta187@gmail.com
MusicTech: Tell us about the gear in I did try and switch to Studio One, ABOVE: Nice studio work for professional productions or
under-lighting
the studio? but I found that there were really just having fun jamming.
Robsta: Asus F550L laptop; a 19-inch useful and important functions
Packard Bell monitor; KRK Rokit 5 missing in it. MT: Whats next on your shopping list?
G3 studio monitors; Beyerdynamic Im looking forward to buying
DT 880 Pro headphones; RDE NT2A, MT: What is your favourite piece of an Arturia DrumBrute. Its a great
Shure SM58 and T-Bone SC450 and studio gear? drum machine.
SC 1100 microphones; ART Tube I think that my favourite equipment is
microphone preamp; Focusrite the Icon Platform M DAW Controller MT: Whats your dream piece of gear?
Scarlett Studio interface; Alesis Q49 largely down to its motor faders, Im afraid there are too many great
MIDI keyboard; Akai LPD8, MPD218, the clarity of use and the important pieces to name a specific one.
MIDImix, M-Audio Trigger Finger Pro, functionality. It means that I can do so
Native Instruments Maschine Mikro many things without even touching MT: Do you have any studio advice for
Mk 2 controllers [thats quite a lot of my mouse. anyone starting out in music
pad controllers Ed]; Numark Party production or studio building?
Mix DJ controller; Icon Platform M MT: How often would you say you Dont worry too much about getting
DAW controller [and thats just spend in your studio per week? too much equipment when you start.
added a few more Ed]; Arturia About 30 hours. The first thing you need is, of course,
MicroBrute; t.akustik CBT-37, WAS-7 a DAW. Then you need good studio
and EQ Acoustics Classic Wedge MT: How do you use your studio? headphones, an audio interface and a
acoustic treatment. As in, are you recording bands, MIDI Keyboard.
working professionally, or just Thats the basics and with it, you
MT: Which DAW do you use, and why? making music for fun? can start making music. Oh yes, one
I have always used Image Lines FL All of those things! I use the studio last piece of advice: dont have open
Studio. Since starting out with it, for everything, whether Im recording drinks in the workplace! MT
110| |July
16 November

FO C AL I S HAP E Beyond the curve!
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transparency. Designed to meet the needs of nearfield monitoring, Shape monitors combine an ingenious design and numerous
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Shape AS Vortex.indd 1 24/04/2017 16:04:03

MT Feature Get Hands-on With Mastering
Image ClaudioCueni
MT172.Master Feature.For Print.indd 18 01/06/2017 17:09

Get Hands-on With Mastering Feature MT
MT Cover Feature
GET HANDS-ON WITH

MASTERING
T
For 20 years, Marc JB has been mastering
mixes for the likes of Lady Gaga and Rihanna.
Here, he explains the beautiful art of mastering
and details the techniques needed to make
he process behind mastering may seem
like a dark art but the aim is simple.
Good mastering makes a record sound
sonically balanced, warm, clear, punchy,
present and loud (without distortion, of
course), with tight bass and sublime stereo width.
your own tracks sound as epic as possible If a record sounds good on a variety of systems a
phone speaker, laptop speakers, supermarket PA, a
lift, car stereo, hi-fi system, club PA and festival
sound system then we have mastering success.

Image ClaudioCueni
ABOVE AND PREVIOUS PAGE: What is mastering?

Mastering is an art form: if you Once an audio recording is mixed down, mastering
can afford to hire a specialist
to work their magic on your is the final stage of creative sound shaping, before
tracks, then thats the way to the record is let loose into the big wide world for
go for the best results. But replication and distribution. Traditionally, mastering
following Marc JBs tips and
has been the domain of specialist mastering
mastering a track in your own
studio will give you valuable engineers, who use high-end equipment with
insight into the process impeccable monitoring and great experience to
manipulate the audio. Doubtless, if you have the
funds, this is still the best route to go. But were
blessed these days with the ability to master in our
DAWs, with the assistance of a huge array of inbuilt
and third-party plug-ins. So lets take a look at some THE END OF THE LOUDNESS WARS
practical ways to get to grips with the process For years, clients have been pushing mastering engineers to make their
record super loud compared to other tunes, in the hope that this will make it
Preparing your tune for mastering stand out. Mastering engineers have used mystical trickery (like clipping the
occasional transient at the start of the mastering chain) to achieve the
Before we get into the wonderful world of mastering,
desired results. Thankfully, sense has prevailed and weve seen an end to
we need to make sure the record mix is correct. To this rampage of ruined recordings. Since the peak of the loudness wars
get the best possible sound, here are some useful around 2005, recordings are becoming better, with higher dynamic range.
pointers to make sure the mix is sounding fantastic Streaming services, and iTunes Sound Check, are normalising tracks
before we focus our attention on the mastering stage. (iTunes Sound Check -13LUFS, iTunes Radio -16LUFS, YouTube -13LUFS,
Spotify -12LUFS). This means they are making loud ones quieter and, in
some cases, quiet ones louder, for consistent listening pleasure. This also
Set up your monitoring so you have a clear,
means if you master a track over the normalisation threshold of these
uncoloured sound. services, youre losing dynamics and punch in your tune. So, if youre
Use great microphones, and the best recording gear mastering for iTunes, master to -13LUFS for maximum playback quality.
you can lay your hands on. Heres what happens if you master too loud. I used one of my chillout tracks
Use traps, sheets and reflective surfaces to create a Kid Tricky, as found on Spotify, for the example seen in the image above.
good acoustic environment. 1 Original Source Track -20LUFS True Peak Max -4dBTP
2 Track mastered at -8LUFS
Get the best musicians, playing great instruments.
3 Track normalised to -13LUFS
Take your time recording, and spend time editing 4 Track mastered to -13LUFS
the takes. Ensure youve managed to capture the Look at the difference in quality between this and the -8LUFS track,
best compiled (comped) performance. which has been normalised. They sound the same in terms of loudness,
Mix the tune, making sure every sound has its but the -13LUFS master has better dynamics and more punch.
space. EQ parts so they have their pocket of

from your speakers and room, which can make it on the first sample. Crop the end with a fade out.
difficult to be completely sonically subjective about Back in the days of big pro recording studios in the
what youre working on. Here are some tips for a 70s and 80s, there was one guy whose job was to ride
good setup the master fader down on recordings he had the
steadiest fingers in the world!
Have your monitor tweeters at ear height place Next up, heres a tried-and-tested plug-in chain
them in an imaginary equilateral triangle with your for this tutorial. This is by no means the only way to
listening position. organise mastering plug-ins, though There are
Isolate the monitors from your work surface, or many ways of organising the processing chain.
place them on heavy stands, to avoid the furniture
vibrating and making noise. Restoration > EQ > Imaging > Exciter > Reverb >
If you have the cash, then its well worth Compression > Limit > Dither
acoustically treating your space. Ideas for good
placement include bass traps in the front corners, RESTORATION If youve been given a recording with
broad-band bass traps behind you and full-range noise, hum or clicks for example, you may be
traps in the reflection points to your left and right. restoring an old recording then now is the time to
You can find reflection points by getting a friend to use dedicated software, such as iZotopes RX 6 Noise
put a mirror on the wall where you see the Reduction And Audio Repair plug-in pack. Dont
speakers is where the sound is reflected to you. push the processing too hard, or the high frequencies
Use the free program Room EQ Wizard (www. will disappear.
roomeqwizard.com) to find your room modes
(where the sound is bouncing and resonating EQ When an EQ is applied to a master, it affects
Find reflection points by getting

between the walls) and
to see how your room
a friend to put a mirror on the wall:

colours the sound. I
have generally found
where you see the speakers is

the most annoying room
resonances between 40
where sound is reflected to you

to 120Hz; theyre harder
to tame.
Audio purists will say,
know thine speakers. But I say, use a room everything. Boost the thump of a kick drum, and
correction plug-in like IK Multimedia ARC II all bass frequencies will be boosted there, too
to make your monitors flat at all frequencies. this then makes the high end sound quieter, as there
Dont be tricked into listening too loud. Many can only be a certain amount of energy across the
monitors start distorting at higher levels; this frequencies. Cut a harsh frequency at 4k, and it will
can make them sound more energetic and exciting. cut the presence on all instruments. Cutting the
However, this will be lost on the master, which may presence of a snare will also make the vocals sound
sound muffled as a result. If you want to listen at dull. Were looking to achieve a good tonal balance.
the often ear-shattering volume level you might Have a look at some of your trusted reference tunes
experience in a club, then turn up the volume for a on a spectrum analyser, and youll discover that a
short while and then back it down again, so youre satisfying energy around the bass and a gradual
not exposed to the volume for too long. Your ears high-frequency roll-off sounds pleasing to the ear.
are all-important dont risk your hearing. Different genres have different tonal balances, so use
Listen to tunes of a similar genre, which you know the spectrum analyser for a little guidance let your
sound good on a variety of playback systems. Play ears do the deciding.
them on your monitors, to get your ear trained to
the sound of your setup. Find a comfortable level to BASS, BASS HOW LOW CAN YOU GO? Back in the
listen to, and mark the volume dial have this set 70s, the best home speakers produced frequencies
as your go-to level for mastering. down to about 80Hz, so most music was mixed and
mastered with no energy below this point. Now,
Lets master! speakers can go down to eye-wobbling frequencies
Okay, folks this is it, this is where we are actually like 20Hz. But beware, if theres a lot of energy at
going to do it. Im so excited about this, I may just these low frequencies, the mids and highs may be
put the kettle on for a cuppa. For this article, were quiet on the master. This is especially apparent on a
assuming that youre working on a DAW, in the box. phone speaker, which may only produce frequencies
Each stage of processing is subtle (unless the from 500Hz up. You aint gonna hear an 808 sub-bass
recording needs desperate help): but, as a whole, the line on a phone, dear. This can be helped during
combined effect on the sound is noticeable. mixing, by layering up another bass with a higher
frequency component.
CROP Tidy up the start and end of your recording.
Crop the intro, leaving a tiny fade in before the audio 25-40Hz Try putting a high-pass filter here, to get rid
starts. Many records are cropped to the start of bar of rumbly sub noises. Be careful that the filter
one, which is great for DJ mixing; however, some doesnt add distortion to the kick fundamental (the
playback systems may glitch if the audio comes in lowest frequency in the sound) and 808 basslines.

SONTRONICS
S
best
O
N
T
R Back to Basics Mastering Feature MTMicrophone
brand
O
www.sontronics.com
N
I

C
S
TYPICAL LOUDNESS LEVELS

-38 LUFS Cinemas high dynamic range, which results in pleasant
dialogue levels and very loud action scenes
Sounds even better than
it looks an absolutely

-19 LUFS Vinyl LP
-16 LUFS iTunes Radio Sound Check auto level
-15 LUFS Michael Jacksons Dont Stop Til You Get Enough
wonderful microphone
ED ShEaRMUR, Film Composer
-9 LUFS Mastering past this can sound distorted and fatiguing (Before I Go To Sleep, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, abduction)
-7.2 LUFS A big American artist master that came into the studio recently
-6 LUFS In-flight entertainment
50-80Hz Bass Tighten up the bass by giving a boost

to the thump of the kick in this range. This also
carries the sub in the bassline, giving weight and
depth. Essential for deep vibes in roots music.
MERCURY
NEW! variable-pattern
90-200 Hz Low Mids Gives richness, a low, warm, valve condenser mic
loving embrace and adds punch to a snare. Too
much, and the mix is boomy. Too little, and the mix hand-built in the UK
is thin and weedy. The midrange frequencies 200Hz
to 2kHz are the most important, as they carry the
message of the track. The fundamental frequency
of lead parts, such as vocal, guitar, brass and piano,
are in this range. Try filtering out bass and treble,
and the human brain will fill in the rest of the
information. However, take out this midrange, and
the sound is hollow and unintelligible.
200-500Hz Mids The sonic solidness in lead

instruments if the mix is sounding muddy, back it
off. Many speakers have a crossover point between
the bass and tweeter speaker at this frequency.
500-1000Hz High Mids The body of many instruments

too much makes the mix nasal and hollow.
The high frequencies

Around 2Hz Boost this for bite, edge, clarity and
aggression. Harshness and vocal sibilance is around
2-4kHz: a balance is needed to give the mix presence,
but not harshness, in this region.
5-10kHz High Treble Boost for presence, brightness

and openness. This frequency range can breathe life
into a track. Too much will sound nasty and blow
your tweeters.
12kHz Very High Treble Boost for fairy dust and

sparkles. Too much will sound synthetic and natural.
We have the air of vocals, the sizzle of hi-hats, the
brightness of strings and the biting presence of
synths. Some sample collections Ive bought recently
have a ridiculous amount of energy at 18kHz plus,
which is fatiguing and pointless. Use wisely.
The pinnacle of microphone engineering
combined with our passion for creating

The lower a Q factor on an EQ, the wider the beautiful yet affordable microphones
frequency range that has been boosted or cut.
Use a low Q to make gentle contouring changes
TREVOR COLEY, Sontronics founder & designer
to the sound. Use very high Qs to make surgical
adjustments to the mix if, for example, theres too
much low conga, vocal sibilance or annoying muddy SONTRONICS USERS INCLUDE: ED ShEERaN TaKE ThaT MUSE
room resonance in the sound. To find annoying aBBEY ROaD STUDIOS PaUL EPWORTh DaVE GROhL FLOOD
frequencies, use the highest Q and boost the EQ aEROSMITh MUSE PaUL WELLER UNDERWORLD KEaNE
PJ haRVEY GaRY NUMaN CENZO TOWNShEND aIR STUDIOS
UNDERWORLD QUEENS OF ThE STONE aGE SOPhIE ELLIS-BEXTOR
ED haRCOURT ENTER ShIKaRI BBC BIGMAGAZINE
BaND July 2017 MORE
aND | 23

Tutorial 1 Step-by-Step: mastering using built-in plug-ins
Mix down your tune with a maximum peak of -4dB. Use your Exciter Ive used Cubases Quadrafuzz to add some very gentle
01 plug-ins to remove noise or hum, if necessary. Add Fade In/Fade
04 tape saturation from 150Hz to 1.5Kz, and a touch more at 1.5kHz
Out (see below). and up.
Add reverb, if needed. Its not my cup of tea, so Im leaving this

05 dance anthem alone!
Compress with a ratio of 1:2, I moved the Threshold down until
06 I had about -4dB of gain reduction. I found that an attack of 55ms
02 EQ here, Ive put a high-pass cut at 38Hz (EQ1); added some
thump to the kick (EQ2); reduced the low mids slightly (EQ3); allowed the transient energy of the kick, hats and guitar through. I
notched out an annoying guitar resonance (EQ4); added some started off with a long release and shortened it, until I could feel the
presence (EQ5), and added some sizzle with a high-shelf EQ (EQ8). track pumping at an agreeable 94ms.
Limit/Dither I increased the makeup gain on the compressor

07 until I got about -4dB of reduction on the brick-wall limiter.
Beyond this, the sound was becoming distorted. I then added the
Imaging. Im using Cubases Frequency EQ, in Mid/Side mode, Dither plug-in, set to 16-bit.
03 to boost the mids upwards in stereo (EQ8), and then taking out Here is my master, with a loudness of -10LUFS. Im going to listen
some stereo harshness of the guitars at 2.95kHz (EQ7). 08 to this on a few systems and check that it is rockin. Then Im
going to celebrate with a curry, a very hot one (not pictured).
Class
MT172.Master Feature.For Print.indd 24 01/06/2017 16:26 Cla
Get Hands-on With Mastering Feature MT
high to scan through all the frequencies. When the We need a central frequency component to anchor
EQ starts resonating like hell and sounds terrible, the sound. Listen to the mix in mono, to check it has
you may have found a problem frequency that can weight through the frequencies. Also, you can use an
then be notched out by a few dB. Do this at low EQ with mid/side functionality, to boost the side
speaker volumes, so you dont take your ears off! aspect or cut the mid aspect to widen at a frequency
Regular EQ can add phase issues around the range. Cubases built in Frequency plug-in is great
frequency affected, so try a linear-phase EQ plug-in for this.
that will give you phase-free EQing for your precious
record. Some modelled and vintage EQs add sonic Exciter Its so exciting, and I just cant hide it
character to the sound, so try different types even Exciters add selective distortion to the sound which,
try chaining EQs, to get a
signature sound.
Stereo-widen the mix too little,
Imaging Stereo-widen the
mix, to make it sound
and the image will sound flat and
lush and expansive. Too
little, and the image
uninteresting; too much, and
will sound flat and
uninteresting; too much,
the image will sound hollow
and the image will sound hollow and unintelligible. when used right, can add a touch of grunge in the
Use a dedicated plug-in, such as the excellent midrange and sizzle and presence at the high-mids
iZotope Imager, to widen the mix keep the bass to highs. Dont excite the bass, unless you want to
frequencies pretty central (mono) in the mix, hear distortion artifacts on your kick and bass
especially if youre pressing to vinyl. Stereo width on fundamentals. Go easy on this too much is
the low bass end can cause the needle to jump out of fatiguing. Try iZotopes Exciter, for precision
the groove. Widen from 150Hz-plus, but be subtle, as processing. Also, tape emulations add in distortion
there is a trade-off as the stereo component goes harmonics, which can create warmth and saturation.
up, the relative mono component comes down, which I love the Steinberg Vintage Open Deck for the warm
can lead to a lifeless mix. sonics of tape saturation.
Classic
Classic SeriesSeries
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Classic
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Reverb If the record is lacking cohesion, then a little Ratios Try starting with a compression ratio of
reverb can put all the instruments in the same space 1.5:1 to 2.5:1.
and help glue the mix together. This is purely Threshold Adjust your threshold until youre getting
optional, as less is best, and clean mixes are punchy maximum 1-4dB gain reduction on the loudest
and in your face. EQ down the bass and low mids sections. Loop your loudest section for ease.
on the reverb to avoid muddiness. Use subtly. Soft/Hard Knee Activate the soft or hard knee if you
have one the knee sweetens the compression
Compression Dynamic range is the difference effect around the threshold.
between the loud and soft passages in a recording. Attack Mastering attack ranges are typically
Compression makes the louder passages quieter, 50-300ms. A longer attack time will allow the
decreasing the dynamic range and helping make the transients of the mix to pass through. Transients
mix sound fatter and more exciting, bringing details add punch and life, resulting in a more aggressive
to life and evening out
the mix. However,
compress the mix too
Compress the mix too much, and
much, and all the
transient energy (the
all the transient energy (the thump
thump of the kick, the
crack of the snare, the
of the kick, the crack of the snare,
attack of a synth) is
lost from your mix,
the attack of a synth) is lost
rendering it lacklustre. sound. Short attacks give a smoother sound. Start
By necessity, radio really squashes the dynamic off with a long attack, and decrease until the mix
range, so that it can sound at a steady level on your loses punch, especially on the kick and snare.
car system. If you listen to classical music, which Release Typical release times are 50-500ms. Faster
GREAT can have a very high dynamic range, the quiet release times give pump, aggression and grit, and
SOFTWARE passages may be drowned out by the noise of the car. slower times smooth out the track. Play with this
iZotope Ozone 7 Cinema, by contrast, has a huge dynamic range, for until it sounds perfect to your ears.
This stellar plug-in also
impact. In-flight entertainment has a very low
comes with all of its modules
as separate plug-ins. dynamic range, so that the audio can be heard above Multi-band compression splits the audio into
Waves L3-16 the plane engines and screaming children. several bands which can be adjusted individually.
This multi-band maximiser is If the audio material has very loud passages, we The bands can also be adjusted in gain. Using the
superb. A winner for creating can manually ride the fader to reduce the volume, or same techniques as single-band, settings can be
mighty, phat mixes. boost the gain of the quiet passages. This is manual dialled in to make the bass, mids and highs
Yamaha/Steinberg
compression. We can also use single- or multi-band, individually smoother or more aggressive. Also,
RND Portico EQ
Modelled on a Neve EQ, or a combination. Single-band compression, like the experiment with dynamic EQ plug-ins, which
this adds character and a famous SSL mix-buss compressor, affects the whole combine EQ and compression for precise control
beautiful high-end sheen. frequency range simultaneously. over the sonic signature.

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Tutorial 2 Mastering with iZotope Ozone
This is an excellent plug-in. I selected the CD Master preset, This is a very involved and sophisticated plug-in with Vintage
01 changed the EQ slightly and bought down the Limiter threshold
02 EQ and Limiter, Tape Emulation, Imaging, Exciter, Dynamic EQ,
until I got -9LUFS. It took about 30 seconds to do, and sounds amazing. the list goes on. I also find this an invaluable mix tool.
Limit Our tunes need to be of a comparable volume

to other tunes in the genre, otherwise theyll be ESSENTIAL HARDWARE
perceived to lack energy. The level, or loudness, of a The Clarity M from TC Electronics frees up valuable screen real estate to
give you a straightforward read out of your mastering levels. I find the most
recording is measured in LUFS (Loudness Units
useful parameter is the sliding 10 sec LUFS meter, which quickly shows me
Relative To Full Scale) or dBFS (Decibels Relative To the loudness of my master. With this on my desktop, my workflow has
Full Scale). These are all negative values, with 0 improved considerably.
being absolute maximum. The higher the LUFS, the
louder the master; values of -7 and above can sound
distorted and fatiguing. Lower LUFS values allow distortion can creep into some systems being driven
transients to come through, making the mix punchy. to 0dB. I particularly love the Waves L3-16
Play your loudest section and adjust the threshold Multimaximizer, which limits the sound using a
till you get the desired amount of limiting. Here are 16-EQ-band priority basis: very clever and powerful.
some guidelines:
Classical -18LUFS Dither If mixing down at CD quality, mix down to
Jazz -9LUFS WAV 16-bit 44.1kHz. Set dithering to 16-bit, to get rid
Pop -8LUFS of low-level noise produced when the bit-rate is
Tunes on a recent house remix package -8LUFS reduced. You can also export straight to MP3, filling
Hip-hop and aggressive genres -7LUFS in your ID information; however, MP3 is degraded
Now we are moving into nasty distortion and sound quality, so think about having a WAV as your
degradation of your carefully crafted song. Watch sacred master. Set your left and right locators
out, as inter sample peaks can distort on certain around your audio, and mix down.
playback systems, so be sure to check the recording
quality if pushing to aggressive values with a good Celebrate You look good, your music sounds
level meter, like TC Electronic Clarity M. Its good awesome, youre gonna be big time to celebrate
practice to set the limiter ceiling to -0.1dB, as some with a cup of tea, or whatever floats your boat. MT

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MT Interview Danny Avila
MT172.INT.Danny Avila.For Print.indd 32 01/06/2017 16:44

Danny Avila Interview MT
AVILA IN
THE SUN
Young, talented and increasingly popular Spanish
bedroom-producer-turned-EDM-superstar
Danny Avila has achieved an enviable amount
in a short space of time. As fame beckons,
Avila speaks to MusicTech
2
2-year-old Danny Avila is since then, but DJing was always my
part of a new breed of main passion. Even before I had my
bedroom producer who, first mixer and started to learn how
after immersing himself in to DJ, I was really fascinated every
music technology from a time I saw a DJ playing somewhere.
young age, is now taking the world Id usually stay for hours watching
by storm. His recently released them play.
remix of Tistos On My Way is
arguably finer than the original, MT What was it about DJing in
and Avilas profile has raised particular that appealed to you?
considerably over the course of the DA In the beginning, for me, DJing was
last year, with live DJ sets at some like playing an instrument. Being able
of the largest festivals on the to put different songs together and
planet, including EDC Las Vegas and tell a story in a DJ set felt like
Coachella, to generating over two magic. I loved everything about it
million Facebook followers! So from the first moment I touched a
whats it like being a globetrotting mixer. I wanted to improve my mixes,
young star on the rise? We speak to my interaction with the crowd and
Danny and get the inside track was looking for new ways to DJ and
make my sets more interesting by
MusicTech How did you get started with adding more and different sounds to
your career in music? the songs I played.
Danny Avila Ive been a music guy since
my early days. I asked my grandfather MT Yet your musical background plays
to buy me a violin as a birthday a part?
present when I was about six years DA Yes, totally! Like I mentioned
old. Ive played many instruments before, I come from playing several

Danny working with

rekordbox and
Pioneers Toraiz
instruments like violin, guitar and the
classic piano. This definitely helped Tisto has always been one of
sampler/sequencer,
and using his trusty
me develop my musical skills, even
though I havent played these my biggest idols. He helped me a
lot, musically and personally
NXS2s live
instruments in a while now. I should
start practising again, ha ha.
from musical to personal advice. per cent worth it, though. My goal is
MT What gears in your setup? But I think the great thing about music definitely to incorporate it in some of
DA My main setup consists of four is there are always new talents my sets, eventually.
CDJ-2000 NXS2s and a DJM-900 coming up; its very important to keep
NXS2, plus an RMX-1000 as sampler an eye open for that sort of stuff. MT How do you use the rekordbox
and effects machine. My main DAW is software in your setup?
Logic Pro X and I use Pioneers MT Do you have any software or DA rekordbox is everything for
rekordbox software. hardware youre keen to get hold of? me. I wouldnt be able to comfortably
DA A few months ago, I started playing play a set if it wasnt for the way you
MT Who are your idols, and why? around with the Pioneer Toraiz SP-16. can prepare everything in rekordbox
DA Tisto has always been one of my Its super interesting, but I definitely in advance such as organising my
biggest idols and early influences. need some more free time to make it music library, playlists, hot cues, cue
He was definitely someone who has fit properly in my sets and feel points and so on. Its just so essential
helped me so, so much in my career, comfortable using it on tour. Its 100 for my way of DJing. In addition, I

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Danny has
collaborated with a
import all my data into my USBs
and then I have all my stuff set up
If I come up with a melody
I think is strong, I try to finalise it,
series of dance
musics top correctly on whatever CDJ Im using
producers, held a Las out there.
Vegas DJing residency
and played the worlds
biggest festivals MT What advice would you give to
then build everything around it
and is still only 22 aspiring music makers and/or DJs? or even making drum patterns and Krewella, twoloud and many
DA Work as much as you can! It doesnt adding to it. It works in many different more. Im releasing a brand-new
really matter if its producing, looking ways. What I like to do is to get the collaboration with NERVO called
for new music for your DJ sets or main idea finished first. So if I come LOCO very soon, and much more
finding new ways to make your sets up with a melody I think is strong, I try stuff coming soon with really
more interesting. The more you work, to finalise it until I think its perfect, interesting collaborations!
the better results you will get. then build everything around it.
MT So whats next for you?
MT How does a track start for you? MT Which producers have you DA I just signed a pretty huge global
DA Its always different, to be honest. collaborated with and who do you deal with Sony International in
It can be working with a topline from want to work with? London, which is super exciting. I
scratch, coming up with a certain DA I have music out there with artists cant wait to show everyone what I
melody and building a track around it like Tujamo, Gavin James, Tisto, have planned next. MT

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MT172.subs.3ap.indd 39 01/06/2017 16:49

MT Interview Mike Howlett
MIX MASTER MIKE

Grammy-winning record producer Mike Howlett has received a
PhD in music production, become an in-demand lecturer and
helped launch the MPG Awards. Oh, and hes written, produced
and played on some iconic music, too. Who better to open
up a new MusicTech series on legendary producers?
Words Andy Jones
Pictures Mike Prior
MT172.INT.Mike Howlett.For Print.indd 40 01/06/2017 10:46

Mike Howlett Interview MT
M
ike Howlett is
pondering the reasons
for the record
producers existence
his own existence, if
you will and if anyone knows the
answers to these questions, its him.
As the first in our series of interviews
with legendary producers, weve
started at the very top. Howlett
produced records back in the late 70s
and early 80s that defined at least
two genres of music. He picked up a
Grammy award along the way; a
Doctorate in Record Production in the
2000s; he lectures in the subject
around the world and even found time
to help set up the Music Producers
Mike Howlett in his
Guild Awards nine years ago. use? Where are you going to place it? Australian battle of the bands
home studio
Were currently talking about how Youre in the business of using this competition, the first prize of which
the role of the producer has changed technology to create a musical effect: was a trip to London, where I ended
over the years, but Howlett doesnt thats what the producers job is to up staying!
agree that the principles behind it make the music work as a recording. Howlett joined the legendary and
have altered that much at all Which is refreshing to hear, influential band Gong in 1973. Their
Theres been an expanded especially from someone who has album Flying Teapot became the
definition of the term, he says. been involved in production for four second release on Virgin Records,
Youre in the business of using Super harmonics the music we feel
technology to create a musical When I was researching my PHD, I came across super harmonics in music,
being studied by Professor Ohashi from Tokyo University. He examined
effect: thats what the job is people with ECGs measuring brain activity and concluded when you hear
music, you get a reaction with super harmonics so, sound at 30, 40, 50 and
60kHz. These unfiltered analogue signals will trigger areas of the brain that
Someone like Calvin Harris; hes the decades now. Its been a long journey,
we associate with happiness and well being. The question is, are you
producer, the writer, the artist hes though. Howlett was born in Fiji and detecting it with your ears or with your brain? Hes talking about 60kHz: no
everything, and I love that. Prince was raised in Australia and he started out one hears that, no one hears about 20kHz, but somewhere we are able to
an earlier figure moving that whole by playing bass. This would lead him process it. Rupert Neve gave a talk about how he met Professor Ohashi and
thing on, with just the musicality not only to the other side of the world, went into his studio where he had a mixer set up with four faders and asked
rather than the process. But there is but eventually to the other side of the him to listen through all four channels and say which he liked best. After
also a train of thought that says I just glass. I became a professional about 20 minutes listening, he chose one and through the glass in the studio,
stick a microphone on it and catch the musician at the age of 18, he recalls, all the students burst into applause. They could tell from his body language
whole thing, but that is bullshit. working with a band in Sydney called that hed chosen the unfiltered analogue channel. What we dont know is how
we perceive it. Rupert said he could feel something. I think its physical.
Which microphone are you going to The Affair. We ended up winning an


Mike Howlett Interview MT
Mikes 1962 Fender

although it was actually released on throw him on course for production the first single I did was Dont Dictate Precision and vintage
the same day as Tubular Bells. I was fed up with spending too by Penetration [now regarded as a Orange bass amp
Tim Blake was the synthesiser much time together on buses or on punk classic] and it only got to No. 38.
player in Gong and it was the first tours. I realised I wanted to make You ask yourself: What is a hit song?
time Id seen technology like that, music with various people, but then What are the components? In fact,
Mike remembers. It was the Synthi A, move on so you dont get to that point I did a PhD, where I analysed five hit
a suitcase, matrix thing, a wonderful where everyone hates each other. records that I had produced. And I
device and he was a pure synth I was the last man in Gong and did hadnt actually thought about it until
player. We were really musical, and he an album with Nick Mason producing. that point, but each time, we had
was really good at noises that made it He was brilliant. He gave me such identified that is, me and the record
all sound spacey and futuristic. confidence and taught me everything. company a song, and we thought:
When I left the band, I started He gave me the understanding of the This song could be a hit and if we get
messing with the technology myself artist in the room and the producers everything right, we will have a hit.
I built a synth with a wooden The Howlett studio

frame that I painted green. I put Its really basic, Mike says of his current studio setup. I have Pro Tools on
a MacBook Pro. I dont have any hardware any more, apart from my Synthi A
Letraset on it. It looked great 100 and that is fantastic, so I mess with that, and I have an old Orange bass
amp which sounds gorgeous. I have a 1962 Fender Precision Bass Ive owned
and I spent two nights a week in role. Also that its not about the since 1969. When I moved to Australia, I got it valued for insurance; it turned
college and learnt basic electronics. I microphone thats important, but out its worth 15k, even in its slightly battered condition. I paid $200 for it in
actually built a synth with a wooden down the line its all about the Singapore! It sounds amazing, I do nothing to it to make it sound great.
frame that I painted green. I put performance in the studio. I really like the Universal Audio stuff. All their simulations are great and
Letraset on it and it looked great it So I wanted to be a producer and I I love their hardware. I think there are some really great leaps forward. You
was a real pukka thing. My only regret was also fortunate because my look at something like Ableton Live and its kind of the next level, throwing
was that it got destroyed in a studio girlfriend was the head of Virgin everything in to allow you to improvise and play live.
fire about 15 years ago, but I learnt a Music, Carol Wilson. She is an
MT And of the current return to analogue synthesis?
lot about the technology from that. amazing woman and the one who
Its funny, I was thinking the other day about how all these kids are going
By this time, Howlett also learnt found and signed Sting, OMD, Martha
back to analogue synths. Back in the 80s, I was thinking analogue synths
that he was not cut out for being in And The Muffins and more. I started
would be the new Fenders and Gibsons perhaps now were seeing that!
bands full time, a decision that would to produce little bits and pieces and
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Gongs for Mikes

production work for
We identified Enola Gay from
the demos as being the next single,
The future was going to be
synthesisers and computers,
OMD and A Flock
Of Seagulls Howlett continues. I didnt do very
much to change the arrangement on
that one. Structurally, it was a lot
better I thought it was fine and
but itd be warm and human
exactly right. It had a cheesy Roland key songs in a synth-pop movement tracks and that, if you listen to it, is
drum sound and the bongo diddle- that included Soft Cell, Blancmange the breakdown in the middle and the
iddle-id fill which I thought would be and Depeche Mode, where catchy chordal thing throughout.
really good going from left to right, so hooks and melodies would lull you in, Since then, Mikes gone on to
we laid down the tracks to do that. It but the overall message was often a produce acts including The Alarm,
was just directing the performance lot darker. Kraftwerk showed us the China Crisis, Stephen Duffy, Joan
the riff was so strong throughout. way, says Howlett. The psychology Armatrading, Gang Of Four, and
The song would prove to be a was that the future wasnt going to be Comsat Angels. As production
massive hit for OMD and one of the cold and futuristic, it was going to be budgets dried up, Mike took an active
synthesisers and computers, but it role in setting up the Music Producers
would be warm and human. Part of Guild and its annual MPG Awards.
Legendary advice the plot was to write a song that felt I was a founding member, but
like a warm, loving pop song using producers like Tony Platt and Robin
Throughout his production career, Howlett has maintained his mantra that
synthesisers, making it purely Millar were the main drivers. We
the song is key. However, next on the list is the arrangement itself and here,
electronic but giving it an ironic edge. pushed for a long time for producers
Mike has some great advice. Think of the arrangement in frequencies, you
The next single was Souvenir and, to get performance royalties the
know: is the bass in the right place? Is the midrange cluttered? Why cant
by this time, the band had built their same as the artists and record
you hear the voice? Is it because therere five things in the same bandwidth,
own studio in Liverpool with a huge companies. We achieved this in
all struggling for your attention? Think of it in terms of frequency and thatll
live space that a local choir used to the UK and most of the world outside
make life a lot easier. Hes also very much an advocate of seeing bands live,
practise in, which the band would use the US The MPG is the only voice
because a good performance in the studio will very much depend on how a
to their advantage The choir would fighting for record producers.
band plays live Has the performance got any magic? Do you get that little
be outside the control room and there So in closing, what is Mike most
tingle, whether its from the backing track or the singer, especially the
would be a few mics lying around and proud of? The Gong stuff still stands
vocal? If a vocal doesnt cut it, its just a piece of crap, you know? You might
they would do this warm up where out. In the 80s and most of the 90s, it
spend a lot of time getting a great snare sound, but so what? Its about the
they would sing one note all together wasnt cool. Ive always thought what
song, arrangement, and performance. You cant start with a good kick and
for 30 seconds and then sing the next we did was astonishing and now its
snare sound and then have a mediocre song. Its so obvious, yet so many
note and go up the whole scale. So being recognised again. Weve even
people try and go the other way. If only I had that old analogue valve gear
OMD realised their opportunity and been talking to Universal about
from the 60s, then my record would sound good. Give me a break!
recorded these notes on different releasing a boxset, so well see. MT

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The art of DAW and Eurorack integration Pt 1 Technique MT
MT Modular Monthly MusicTech Workshop
Part
One
The art of DAW and

Eurorack integration
Eurorack is a many-headed beast, and knowing how to integrate
your Eurorack system into your production workflow can be a tricky
conundrum. Dave Gale syncs up his system to keep the music flowing
D
uring my career as a media composer me to redo a cue which had the System 100m as part of
and electronic musician, Ive seen it all. its core. This typically meant Id have to leave it patched
Musicians that can and cant read music, for weeks at a time. In the end, this felt a little daft, so I
musicians who can and cant play sold it to buy a Minimoog Voyager which, thanks to its
instruments, and many-a-musician who has memory locations meant patches could easily be stored
felt the allure of the Eurorack. Within this latter stream, and called upon, should they be required.
theres one question Ive heard more often than any Ive always regretted the sale of my System 100m, as
other, and that is: how do you go about integrating your its now regarded as one of those classics, with has the
Eurorack Modular into your workflow, in order to price tag to suit. So when I got into Eurorack a few years
actually make it useful and work for you, the end user? ago, I decided Id have to grasp the nettle which was my
Now, nobody is more aware of this dilemma than I. workflow and find a way to really get it to work for me
Some years ago, I sold a sizeable Roland System 100m and that meant finding a way to get it to integrate
modular system, mainly because it just wasnt getting seamlessly with a DAW which, in my case, is largely
used as much as it should. Why? Well, mainly because I Logic, with a bit of Pro Tools thrown in.
found when I did use it, I would have to leave it patched, In my experience, Eurorack users generally fall into
just in case a TV director came back to me and asked for three categories, so in my (not entirely) exhaustive list,
July 2017 | 49
MT172.TUT Mod.For Print.indd 49 31/05/2017 09:21

MT Technique The art of DAW and Eurorack integration Pt 1
we shall discuss who sits where and how they might into a DAW and used for its timbral goodness. Outside of
best benefit from some integration. the basic subtractive concepts, theres much on offer,
Category 1: these are the carefree tinkerers, the much of it in the domain outside of the purely analogue,
dreamers, the part-time creatives, who love tinkering which seems to be a very big issue for some. In actual
with Eurorack on those rainy Sunday afternoons. For fact, whether something is analogue or digital shouldnt
the most part, were probably looking at people using always be the big question, as both sides of the audio
the Eurorack as a very large groovebox (older readers: coin have much to offer.
do you remember that term from the 90s?) where a Im pleased to say Ive dipped my toe in all three of
system will consist of some drum modules, along with a these camps, some for longer than others, but thats
number of modules centred towards creating great often purely down to the constraint of time. I do know
synth sounds, such as basses. There may be a that, most likely in common with everyone else, I love to
sequencer in there, too, but as with many Eurorack- do a bit of Category 1, when the nights are drawing in:
based ones, it will probably be basic and limited in note Its cleansing for the soul. But with my professional hat
count. There might be some other synths dotted around on, Im far more likely to be in Category 3, using the
to look after chordal duties, since for the most part, Eurorack to create sonic architectures and timbres
Euroracks are all about monophonic lines. difficult to create elsewhere.
Category 2: here we have the serious folks, who look Regardless of which camp youre in, its quite
at the concept of a modular as being perfect for possible you might want or have a sequencer but
performance. These setups are designed with live which will offer the best path to integration nirvana?
performance in mind, and the routing, layout and
sequential operation will all reflect this. As many of us Basic sequencers
know, this can be a tough act to pull off! You might be The Pittsburgh Modular Sequencer: its about as basic
perfectly content to listen to the same rotating phrase, as a sequencer can get, as it offers four, six or eight
PREVIOUS PAGE: The by-now
legendary Metropolis from which is a bar in length, while you musically tweak the steps in succession, in a single forward direction.
Intellijel. Eight steps or more, filter, but many listeners will want more for their money, Voltages are all linear, so youll either need to be super
in a compact concept
and thats where the craft and commitment starts. accurate with your fingerwork or get the help of a pitch
BELOW: An honorary mention Category 3: there are those who like to see the quantiser, always a useful additional to a setup.
goes to Arturias BS Pro. Not
Eurorack-based, but it joins Eurorack as a means to creating sounds and loops that Make Noise Pressure Points with Brains: this is more
everything together beautifully cant be heard elsewhere, which can then be thrown than just a sequencer, but does have handy sequencing
functionality though only of four steps. In fact, it has
three rows of four steps, so can be considered three
four-steppers for the price of one. This can also be
increased to eight steps, if a second Pressure Points is
added. Its linear and, apart from sequencing, offers
wonderfully useful touchplates, which can be used for
other things such as sending in the direction of other
CV-controllable functions. Youll need to buy the Brains
module separately if you want to clock the sequencer,
or add a second Pressure Points.
Xaoc Devices Moskwa: billed as a roto sequencer,
this module has a circular design, which is surprisingly
alluring. Circular designs can often appear confusing, as
you have to look twice to establish where the first beat
of the bar is but packing in eight steps, its a highly
usable design. Equipped with pendulum and random
playback, as well as forward, the Moskwa also allows
for rests to be placed, and offers sensible CV control of
certain elements, such as direction. Slew can also be
applied across the board.
Analogue Solutions EuroKorn: essentially, this is a
Eurorack version of the externally based Oberkorn,
which offers three rows of CV control, along with a
fourth row for gate control. So you could use it to control
three lines simultaneously. As youd expect with this
degree of control, it takes up a fair chunk of rack space
with it 84HP, to be exact.
Complex sequencers
Intellijel Metropolis: now something of a legendary bit of
kit, the Metropolis popularity is peculiar when you
consider that, on the face of it, its essentially only an
eight-note step sequencer. But it does have one or two
tricks up its sleeve; most notably, the ability to control
the gating so that notes can be repeated up to eight at
a time, set by a dedicated slider, and 303-esque glides
50 | July 2017

The art of DAW and Eurorack integration Pt 1 Technique MT
and slides can also be implemented on a step-by-step Sometimes, you want to run micro-tonally, and the SQ-1
basis. It also has the ability to implement rests into a allows this simply and easily. It can also be split into
sequence something which is often overlooked on two eight-step sequencers, too, and offers control of
smaller sequencers, but always very useful. direction and the ability to disable steps.
Tiptop Audio Circadian Rhythms: if youre drawn to However, the ubiquitous Arturia BeatStep Pro
modules with lots of pretty lights, this is a must-see. deserves special mention because its so capable and
The interface for the Circadian is incredibly alluring, not able to fulfil a multitude of tasks. Sequencer length is
to mention capable. Offering a whopping 512 steps programmable, up to a very substantial 64 steps, by way
across eight channels, the Circadian can be used to of chaining 4x16 steps together in a single run. Certainly,
control both sequential lines and triggers for drums. you cant see all the steps at the same time, but what
Thanks to the large number of illuminated buttons on you can do is control them on a page-by-page basis. The
the front, its possible to access steps very quickly, but BS Pro also works in a very old school way thats a
as with all units that offer complexity, you might find throwback to the drum machines of the 80s. Patterns
yourself digging around to make sure youre on the are created and placed in songs (which are known as
correct level to make the tweak, which in a live Projects): but moreover, its possible to control two
environment, could be a menu too far. But at least your monophonic lines, with auxiliary CV control, and up to
music can be more complicated as a result. eight drum triggers, all within the confines of a single
The Harvestman Stillson Hammer mkII: another unit. Quite importantly, it also has some substantial
favoured device for the standalone user, and for very clocking options, with the ability to communicate with a
good reason. This module offers 16 steps, and four number of units via MIDI, and even options for control of
tracks of CV/gate outputs to boot, so immediately, Sync 24 devices, such as the original TB-303.
theres great potential for placing this at the heart of
your rig. Couple this with the ability to program and Standalone integration
store 32 sequences and you can see why its so popular. Now lets imagine that, with your Eurorack tinkering,
Its 32HP which, given what it can do, is a pretty small youve managed to assemble that killer sound, but part
of the wonderful timbre is
How do we get a DAW to run in a sequence generated by

one of your Eurorack
time with a Eurorack sequencer, sequencers so youre

now faced with the thorny
or as is easier and more likely predicament of trying to

get the sequence or loop
the DAW to run the Eurorack? into your DAW. Its a

familiar conundrum, and
footprint, and it has some wonderful onboard tricks, one that well look at from a few angles. Just about all
such as delay, burst and slide time on a per-step basis. Eurorack sequencers have a clock input: so the
As youd expect, it comes with a higher price tag, but question is, how do we get the DAW to run in time with
then if its going to be the centre of your Eurorack rig, the Eurorack sequencer, or possibly more likely and
you would expect it to be reassuringly expensive. easier, get the DAW to run the Eurorack?
A multi-port audio interface may be all you need.
The external contenders Many DAWs can change the settings of the internal
For many, having a sequencer built right into a Eurorack metronome. Logic Pros Klopfgeist metronome plug-in,
isnt the most important issue, so theres an argument which generates the default metronomic click in Logic,
for using something external as your central control. is perfect for generating a click which can be sent in the
Were talking about hardware and not something direction of a Eurorack sequencer. Addressing the
DAW-related. Were huge fans of the Korg Volca range. needs and requirements of the Clock protocol, we need
What Korg has implemented over the last few years something which is generating 16 (or perhaps eight)
with those wonderful, largely analogue units, is nothing pulses to a bar. Create a track with the metronome
short of delightful and inspiring. plug-in assigned and just record a bar of 16 pulses. Its
Whether its the Volca Beats, with its outstanding set a good idea to heavily quantise this and straighten out
of analogue drum sounds, or the Volca Sample, with an any accents: MIDI compression will really help here.
extensive library of preset sampled sounds, theres Once recorded and suitably edited, pop it on a loop and
something for everyone, and they are dirt cheap. So youre done. Now its just a case of routing the newly
cheap, in fact, you could have a complete rig of Volcas created metronome track out of a spare, unused audio
for the cost of a small Eurorack case. The logical output on your audio Interface, and running it into the
extension to these is the equally pint-sized SQ-1 clock input of your chosen Eurorack sequencer.
Sequencer, which offers a basic 16-step sequencer, In my experience, its often a good idea to let the
originally conceived to accompany the MS-20 re-issues, sequencer run for a bar or two in this setup, in order to
but its capable of playing very nicely with both Volcas let it settle, at which point and with suitable audio
and Eurorack (although the clock runs as 8th notes, so a settings applied its just a case of hitting record on
clock divider may be required to sync to a Eurorack). For your DAW and grabbing however much of the sequence
the money, its hard to beat, but while it is basic, I really you feel you need.
enjoy using it. As well as modes for chromatic and Next month, well turn our attention to MIDI, and
diatonic usage, it will also run in linear mode not how the Eurorack user might benefit from a degree of
something that can be said of many of the current crop. DAW-based integration. Clocks away! MT
July 2017 | 51

MT Technique Live and iOS
Ableton Live Workshop Level Beginner
How to integrate
Ableton Live
with your iOS devices for control and music
On the disc Ableton Live can enjoy a rich and varied relationship with your iOS
devices by syncing with Link, by using them as hardware controllers,
Accompanying or as sound sources. Here, Martin Delaney explains how
project file included
on the DVD
S
ince 2007, iOS has matured into a and AudioShare. Apps like Apples Voice Memos let you
sophisticated mobile-computing platform AirDrop recordings, which is fast and convenient.
with the hardware to back it up, and some Theres also no reason why you cant continue to record
highly evolved apps for music recording, audio straight out of your device into Live, courtesy of
programming, and control. Although your audio interface. If youre using MIDI or Link to sync
Ableton itself has never fully embraced the mobile everything as well, theres every chance of getting a very
platform and graced it with an iOS version of Live, its neatly cut, ready-to-use clip straight away.
influence is felt in apps that attempt to provide a Once you wade through the options and the
Live-like experience, apps that support the Ableton Link connection possibilities, you can build a Live/iOS rig
sync protocol and apps that export their files as Ableton that includes MIDI and audio coming from both boxes,
Live projects, ready to open on our computers. in a stable and repeatable setup. The Mac Audio MIDI
Its true that its a little inelegant at times to get Setup utility is a fantastic Swiss Army Knife for audio
audio in and out of iOS apps; it sometimes requires a and MIDI routing, and if youve never explored it, its well
few extra steps, but the workflow is getting smoother worth spending some time to poke around in there. I
all the time, and there are apps which make iOS audio find that using an ad-hoc connection rather than a
management much easier, like AudioCopy, Audiobus, router invariably works better.
Whatever else you might feel about Apple and iPads
and iPhones, the multi-touch functionality works
undeniably well and the range of apps available is
amazing. A full-sized regular iPad, or ideally the larger
iPad Pro, is a great synth and DAW host but also
makes arguably the most powerful and flexible MIDI
control surface on the planet. As Live users, we can take
advantage of touchAble, which is specific to Live, and
provides very deep device control, as well and clip and
scene launching, a mixer, a keyboard, pads, as well as a
custom configurable area. Plus, touchAble is available
as separate iPhone and iPad apps, and the device
controls are an in-app purchase thats well worth
MUSIC ON THE MOVE having. This ones really hard to beat for Live use; put
Most iOS music apps run on both iPad and iPhone; and for me, thats TouchAble and Push together, and youve got it all.
really important for true mobility and the feeling that you can use the
same tools to make music wherever you go. Even the controller apps There are more DIY controllers, such as Lemur and
such as Lemur, TouchOSC and touchAble work on iPhone, and Gadget TouchOSC, where you can use a library of objects to
and Blocs Wave will let you create Ableton Live projects from your build your own personalised control surface. Both
iPhone or iPad, which still blows my mind a bit. Maybe Im just easily
impressed! Having said that, at the moment, I believe the 12.9-inch Lemur and TouchOSC run on either iPhone or iPad with
iPad Pro is the best possible option for iOS music. a single purchase. If youre open to something more
idiosyncratic, particularly if youre more interested in
52 | July 2017
MT172.TUT live4.For Print.indd 52 31/05/2017 15:34

Live and iOS Technique MT
MT Step-by-Step Linking devices to Live
Ableton Link is an awesome tool for syncing iOS apps to each You might want to include audio from your iOS app in your Live
01 other, and to Ableton Live, over Wi-Fi. MusicTech.net has a
02 productions. How this works will depend on the app, but many
separate, in-depth tutorial covering this aspect of Links capabilities. of them rely on iTunes File Sharing.
Lets use Tabletop as an example. Here, I have a little sequence When I connect the iPad to a Mac, I can access that audio file
03 that I want to get into Live. The first step is to save that as an
04 from within iTunes. Other apps might have different sharing
audio file, stored on the iPad itself. options they dont all work the same way.
There wont be any format issues: you should be able to drag the Alternately, I can take stereo out from the iPad headphone jack
05 resulting audio file straight into Live. If you have a commonly
06 and connect it to my soundcard, configure the inputs in Live
used import folder, make a shortcut to it in Lives Browser. and record the audio in, then crop and warp it.
performance and gesture-based control, you should I guess you could use AC Sabre with an iPad, but
look at AC Sabre, an iPhone app which combines itd be like waving a big expensive glass dinner plate
onscreen buttons with the iPhones gyroscope and around. For day-to-day Live control, I use Push; for
accelerometer to send MIDI notes and CCs, creating a mobile purposes, I use touchAble on the iPad Pro; when
unique instrument approach. If youve spent any time I need something more boutique, I build it in Lemur (also
configuring game controllers like the old Wii Remote on the iPad Pro). The other great advantage with the
Control for MIDI, youll take to this, and also appreciate iPad as a control surface over hardware is that if you
that its a little easier to get advanced results. switch DAWs, it follows right along Apples free Logic
July 2017 | 53

MT Step-by-Step Linking devices to Live (contd)
iPhone 7 users will need to use their Lightning-to-audio adaptor There are some wonderful iOS synths, like Moogs Model 15, for
07 to accomplish this task. Its not such a big deal; the adaptors in
08 example. If you want to send MIDI from Live to that, youll need
the box with your phone, behind the earbuds. some way to get MIDI from your computer to the iPad.
You could try physical connections by using a hardware device We can also send MIDI over Wi-Fi. On macOS, you do it via the
09 like the iConnectivity iConnectAUDIO4+. It will connect to, and
10 Audio MIDI Setup utility. Get both devices on the same network.
power, a computer and iOS device and transmit MIDI between them. Open Audio MIDI Setup, then open the MIDI Studio window.
Click the + sign under the My Sessions box to add a new session, In the Directory box, you should see your iOS device listed.
11 12 Choose it and click Connect. In the Live Routings section,
and switch it on. Rename it if you want to. At the bottom, where it
says Who may connect to me?, choose Anyone. choose Network Session 1 as the output.
Remote app is great for Logic Pro X users, for example. but no MIDI. Interestingly, Korg has announced Gadget
In a further instance of Live/iOS integration, there are a for Mac, which is completely compatible with the iOS
few apps that can export files as Live projects e.g. versions, but with the layout optimised to use larger
Korgs Gadget and iKaossilator, and Novations Blocs displays (and obviously no touch screen). I hope this
Waves bringing Live and iOS much closer together. doesnt threaten the included Ableton project support
This process will get you a Live set containing audio on the iOS versions: that would be a real shame.
clips exclusively, with tracks and scenes as applicable, According to the announcement, though, the desktop
54 | July 2017

STAFF PICKS
DECIMORT 2
HIGH QUALITY BIT CRUSHER
Decimort recreates the colouration and adds the vintage
STAFF PICK
samplers magic to any sound.
I love this plugin. The included
emulation of the highly Electronic music (especially Hip-Hop) producers have
under rated ASR-10 sampler long been aware that classic samplers (such as early Akai
is perfect for adding that and E-MU units) had a character and sound all their own:
legendary ASR sound. I have they added a grit and color to the
A/Bd it with my hardware
samples and loops they played back
version and it sounds great.
which made them sound fat and sit
Its a time saver. Im using it on
my drums bus now. well in a mix. This sound coloration
Kelvin was due to the encoding techniques, lower sample rate
Plugin Boutique and bit depth, and conversion circuits used by these early
samplers. Decimort recreates this coloration and adds that
vintage sampler magic back to any loop, any bassline, or
any sound played through it for that matter!
THE PLACE FOR MUSIC PLUGINS

MT Step-by-Step Linking devices to Live (contd)
You can choose Network Session 1 as a MIDI output in Lives On your iOS device, launch your selected app and make sure
13 Preferences, sending track, sync, or remote information, or all
14 Network MIDI is on. Now when you start Live running, with a
three. Youll need to select that in your MIDI track output as well. MIDI clip and some notes, you should hear the iOS synth play.
If it doesnt work, try creating an ad-hoc network from the Once youve mastered that kind of setup, it should be relatively
15 computer rather than going through a router. Do this in the
16 easy to figure out how to do it the other way round to send MIDI
Wi-Fi menu here, and then join it from your iOS device. from your iOS device to Live.
Your iPad or iPhone makes a great multi-touch controller, If you prefer to use cables, controller apps such as touchAble and
17 either used alone or alongside something like Abletons Push.
18 Lemur support MIDI via the Apple Lightning cable straight to the
Between them, you can do just about anything. computer, which might feel more secure in some situations.
version will support Ableton Link, just as the iOS Windows world as well, so it becomes a true cross-
ones do. Also, it seems the Gadget synth and sampler platform DAW that everybody can use. Just to be
instruments will be installed as separate AU/VST extra-thorough, a purchase of Korg Gadget also
plug-ins, so you can even run them inside Live. includes a free Ableton Live Lite download.
This is the best possible example of blurring the iOS is a friend and playmate for your Live setup, and
lines between iOS and Mac OS. Im not a Windows can merge perfectly with Push or any other hardware
user, but Id like to see Gadget make it over to the controller make the most of it! MT
56 | July 2017
MT172.TUT live4.6ap.indd 56 31/05/2017 09:37

MT Technique Creating pulsing effects
Logic Pro X MusicTech Workshop Level Intermediate
Creating
pulsing effects
On the disc Making your audio and instruments pulse in time with your track adds a
new level of sonic interest to your mix. Mark Cousins finds his pulse
T
Accompanying
project file included he ability to turn a static sound into a establish whether its a subtle tempo-synced pulsing,
on the DVD
pulsating rhythmic effect can add both or a more radical modification of volume.
rhythmic and chordal interest to your music. Tremolo is the most immediate way of achieving
Were going to create a range of pulsing tempo-synced pulsing effect, but theres a clear
effects using Logic Pro Xs audio plug-ins, limitation if you want to produce a pulsing effect that
which means it can be applied to an instrument in your isnt just a 1/8th or 1/16th movement. In this case, youll
mix whether its something youve recorded, or a need to turn to the Noise Gate and a technique called
virtual instrument. Key Gating. For this, you need a spare audio track or
As youll see in the walkthroughs, there are a number instrument to work as the trigger for the gate. In most
of key plug-ins to create pulsing. The first of these is the situations, this tends to be a short, percussive sound
Tremolo plug-in, in the Modulation plug-in folder. The like a hi-hat. The trigger sound is then fed through to a
Tremolo plug-in, of course, was primarily designed to bus with its output assignment removed. The signal
process instruments like an electric guitar or Fender being Key Gated then has a Noise Gate inserted across
Rhodes electric piano, mimicking the Tremolo effect it, which is then triggered, via its Side Chain input, using
found on many guitar amps. In its default setting, the the signal on the bus. The main benefit of the Key
Tremolo plug-in modulates amplitude, with a different Gating technique is you have precise control of the
phase offset between the two channels (left and right), rhythm of the pulsing effect. Another nice trick is
so the sound appears to wobble between the left and varying the length of the sound used to trigger the gate,
right-hand speakers. If were creating pulsing sounds,
though, this movement between the two speakers is TRACK TO REGION AUTOMATION
less relevant, so youll immediately need to turn your By default, Logic stores its automation data as a separate entity
attention to the Phase control. With phase set to 0, the to regions. In theory, this means regions and/or track automation
data can be edited and moved independently of each other.
amplitude modulation is the same across both
However, its possible to lock automation data onto a region using
channels, which gets us much closer to the pulsing the menu option Mix > Convert Automation > Convert all Track
effect we were looking for. With the two channels in Automation to Region Automation. Moving track automation to
regions makes a lot of sense here, where a set of automation
phase, we now need to consider the shape of the moves become an intrinsic part of a regions musicality. Move the
modulation, moving away from the soft pulsing effect region, and the automation data always moves with the part,
and onto something with a more pronounced attack, without the need to manually confirm each time you move the
region. Mix > Convert Automation > Convert all Region Automation
using combinations of Symmetry and Smoothing. to Track Automation can also reverse the process.
Perfect symmetry
On the whole, youll want to work with two contrasting
Tremolo settings. Using the lowest Smoothing setting,
for example, you can create a Square wave-like pulsing
effect, with the relative width of the pulsing defined by
the Symmetry. Set Symmetry to 1% and youll get an
effect much like a retriggered AR envelope generator,
with Smoothing now setting the relative length of the
release. Finally, the relative Depth of the effect can
58 | July 2017
MT172.TUT logic.For Print.indd 58 31/05/2017 15:34

Creating pulsing effects Technique MT
MT Step-by-Step Pulsing FX
Working from the project on the DVD, load the Tremolo plug-in Changing the phase control from 180 to 0 means the effect is
01 onto the Pad track. The default setting is a soft auto-pan Tremolo
02 synchronised between both the left and right channels, creating
from left to right, using a tempo-synced time division defined by Rate. a soft pulsing effect. Depth sets volume attenuation between steps.
Symmetry and Smoothing extend the range of shapes for the Smoothing at 0% will create a square pulsing effect. Use the
03 pulsing effect. Try reducing Symmetry to 1% for a repeating AR
04 Symmetry to set the pulse width of each step, moving between
envelope, using Smoothing to set the curve of the Release phase. an open setting at over 50% or a clicky pulse as you go below 50%.
An alternative to Tremolo is to use Key Gating, if you want a sense Route the EXS24 to a spare bus. Remove the output assignment
05 of rhythmic interest. Start by programming a basic trigger
06 from that bus (so we dont hear the hi-hat). On the pad track,
pattern. We used a default EXS24 kit for a basic hi-hat pattern. apply a Noise Gate plug-in. Change its Side Chain assignment to Bus 2.
easy if youre using the aforementioned hi-hat. The effect, this time modulating the timbral properties
trick is to set the Threshold correctly, so that the gate rather than the amplitude. You can approach the
only shuts once the sounds reached the mid-point of pulsing effect as a combination of both amplitude and
its release. Also, as with Tremolo, its worth adjusting timbre, maybe using a soft filter pulse setting followed
the depth of the effect to vary between a soft pulsing, by a hard gate, or vice versa. For pulsing treatments,
and a more extreme gating effect. AutoFilter includes a dedicated tempo-synced LFO
Having played with amplitude, its also worth section, opening up a wealth of creative possibilities.
exploring how a filter can be used to create a pulsing Use the Ramp Down shape, for example, to create the
July 2017 | 59

MT Step-by-Step Pulsing FX (contd)
The effect will probably start working now, with the hi-hat Next, you can explore various ways of softening the effect.
07 opening and closing the gate. Fine-tune the Threshold so the gate
08 Change Reduction to change the amount of volume attenuation,
responds correctly in relation to the steps with the open hi-hat. or adjust Release to create a longer decay between each step.
As well as using amplitude to create a pulsing effect, we can also For a basic pulse, remove the default Envelope modulation from
09 use the AutoFilter plug-in to modulate timbre. Use AutoFilters
10 50% to 0%. Increase LFO to around 34%. A good movement can
LFO section, which modulates Cutoff, for the pulsing movements. be created with a 1/16 Rate and the Ramp Down waveform.
Its also worth adding mix automation, creating a slow undulating Its worth exploring the other LFO shapes on offer. Another useful
11 12 option is the Sample & Hold Waveform. Weve used the softer
movement over several bars, as well as the LFOs 1/16th
movement. This explains why we left headroom on the LFO percentage. filter attenuation (6 rather than 12) and some extra resonance.
repeating envelope effect we achieved both with the two AutoFilters in series to created a hybrid movement
Tremolo plug-in and the side-chained Noise Gate. The combining the properties of two waveshapes.
other shapes including Ramp Up, Triangle, Sample & Unlike the Tremolo and Noise Gate example, the
Hold and Square waveshapes all have their own AutoFilter includes two ways you can set the relative
applications. Sample & Hold, for example, can produce strength of the effect. Firstly, you can adjust the amount
a step sequencer-like effect, where each tempo division of LFO modulation applied to the cutoff. Rather than the
has a slightly different filter setting. You could even use LFO completely sweeping the filter, sometimes you can
60 | July 2017

MT Step-by-Step Pulsing FX (Cont)
You can combine both amplitude and filter movements for a You can adjust the filters strength with both the amount of LFO
13 hybrid pulsing effect. Here, the Noise Gate chops the sound up
14 modulation and the Dry Signal control. Raising the Dry Signal lets
into 16th steps, each of which is filtered by the AutoFilter. a proportion of the unfiltered sound through.
Using the plug-ins can be very rewarding, but its well worth Modify your setting to another time division. Our pattern has a
15 exploring options where you print the treatments as audio files.
16 triplet 1/8th setting on AutoFilter, with the same triplet
Here, weve started by bouncing the 16th movement to disk. movement applied to our Key Gate trigger. Bounce the new sequence.
Import the two (or more) audio files into your project. You can now We also reversed some of the triplet movement at the end of the
17 create a sequence that moves between the 16th movement and
18 phrase. To do this, select the audio region and from the Inspector
a triplet note division by muting and un-muting each audio file. click on Reverse check box. The region should play back reversed.
achieve the most musical results with relatively small experimenting with further instruments, effects and
LFO depth settings. The Dry Out option blends a features using these tools. In many ways, the most
proportion of the unfiltered signal back into the mix. interesting results come when the three plug-ins
explored here are combined with other elements:
On the pulse whether its a granular pad on Alchemy passing through
Having explored the three main ways of creating pulsing a pulsating Tremolo plug-in, or an arpeggiated Retro
effects using audio plug-ins, its now just a matter of synth passing the AutoFilter plug-in. MT
62 | July 2017

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#42589 - Presonus Eris ad V7.indd 1 09/05/2017 09:32

MT 10 Tips Recording better vocals
10 Tips for recording

better vocals
Vocalists can have fragile egos and might only do their best work over
shorter sessions. Its important, then, to get everything right before
a session and have everything running as smoothly as possible
during it. Here are our top tips for the perfect vocal recording
RELAX
01 Create a relaxed atmosphere in your studio before
any vocal recording. Remember that the vocalist is
hopefully pouring their heart and soul into your recording,
so needs to feel as comfortable as possible. A nice glass
of water? Relaxing music? A comfy sofa? All of the above,
please. No loud noises, no fumbling with gear. Have
everything set up before they arrive, so theyre not
hanging around while you mess around with your wires.
THAT WAS GOOD NO, REALLY, IT WAS

02 During the recording process, gently encourage the
singer. Be constructive with your feedback, make the odd
suggestion so they know youre paying attention, or if you
have nothing positive to say, then just keep quiet. Theres
03 nothing worse than a producer or engineer sticking their
oar in with too many opinions during what can be such a
personal process.
Sometimes a singer is best 03

LEVEL UP AND DOWN
during practice, so record Get your levels right at the start of the recording
and you wont have to worry (too much) about constant
05 everything monitoring later during the recording. Always get your

vocalist to practise a loud segment at the start of a
recording, so you can see just how hot the signal will get
and adjust accordingly. Keep it on the low side as you can
boost a low signal, but you cant reduce a clipped one.
AND TALKING OR PRACTICE? RECORD THAT, TOO

04 Record everything. Sometimes, a vocalist will
sing their best effort when theyre just warming up or
practising, as when they know theyre being recorded,
it may put added pressure on them. If they dont know
youre recording them, that pressure is lessened and they
do their best work. Yes, it sounds a bit creepy recording
them when they dont know it but it works, okay?
RECORD IT DRY
05 Like any good recording, dont swamp it with effects
at source. Keep it dry and you can add effects later. Record
Tip 3: Here, were naughtily in the with effects and you cant get rid of them later [unless
red with our vocal recording. youre using one of those fancy reversing effects from the
Always go low, as you can boost
the recording later
likes of Zynaptic, that is, but you know what we mean
Ed]. In order to help you get a dry recording, youll
Tip 5: Reflection filters, like need to lessen reflections from your room, so consider
these from sE and Aston, are
great for helping deliver a vocal filters from the likes of sE (Reflexion Filter) and
decent dry vocal recording Aston (the Halo).
MT172.10Tips vocals.For Print.indd 64 31/05/2017 08:38

Recording better vocals 10 Tips MT
USE A P-P-P-POP SHIELD

06 Youll need to avoid excessive plosive sounds in
your vocal recording that is, the b and the p sounds in
words and the best way to do this is with a pop shield.
Many mics come with their own and youll need to place
it directly inbetween the mic and vocalist, about 8-10cm
away from the mic (and the vocalist the same distance
the other side). Back in the day, they used to make pop
shields with a pair of ladys tights and a wire coat hanger
but, come on, new pop shields are as cheap as chips
these days do you really want to try and impress a
singer with your studio setup by having a pair of your
mums tights on show?
KNOW YOUR MICS

07 You should know your mics well, and which one is
suited to which type of vocalist. Many engineers will have 06
a small but perfectly formed collection of mics suited to
different singers and will know which one to use in
Do you really want

advance of a recording. Consider using different mics
during a recording if theres a lot of dynamic change in
to impress a singer
the song its a good idea to use a condenser mic for
quieter parts of a song, and to allow the singer to
with a pair of your

experiment with a dynamic mic for the louder parts.
mums tights?
GET PERSONAL WITH YOUR MONITORING
08 Vocalists will want to sing along to a mix of the song
through headphones and youll want them to do this, so
they sing in tune so make sure you have different options
available, and that theyre ones that allow the vocalists to
just listen through one of the cans, so they can also hear
themselves at the same time. Youre best off choosing
closed-back headphones that dont allow the music from
the song to bleed through the headphones and get picked
up by the mic. Make sure the monitor mix level is set up
correctly for the vocalist at the start of the recording, so
theyre singing at the right level if its too loud, then
theyll sing too loud to compensate. Tip 6: Use a pop
shield to reduce
those bs and ps
LEARN HOW TO RECORD TAKES AND COMP
09 Unless Adele turns up for your session, or you only Tip 7: Know your mics
have five minutes to do a recording, then you should this Neumann U 47
is a great choice
make multiple takes of a recording by looping the of condenser
recording around a certain section within the song. Also,
Tip 9: Learn how to
try to run through a complete song as many times as you
record different
can. In most DAWs, recording like this is easy to set up,
07 takes and comp the
best bits together
so you can comp the best bits of your multiple takes
together to get the best results. Learn how to set this up
with minimum fuss in your DAW way in advance of your
session, and the extra takes you recorded may come to
your rescue when it comes to arranging the vocal later
as youll be able to comp the good bits from different
takes together to get one great result.
IGNORE THE TECHNOLOGY

10 Of course, we dont quite mean that. What we mean
is that you need to get to the stage with your recording
setup so that the actual vocal recording is fairly
painless and quick (theres nothing more boring
sounding than a bored vocal recording). So get everything
running smoothly, so you can actually concentrate on
how good the vocal sounds. Can you hear the words and
the emotion and is it actually in tune? Get the tech
running right, so you can think about the bigger picture, 09
and youll get better vocals each time. MT
MT172.10Tips vocals.RESENDp65.indd 65 31/05/2017 15:25

MT Reviews Akai MPC Live
AKAI
MPC Live
Its unusual to see a controller transition to standalone hardware, Innovation
but Akai has done just that the MPC Touch has spawned the
MPC Live. Martin Delaney samples its standalone charms
A
Details lazy version of this review and Im guessing most readers under but the Lives housing is deeper,
Kit Akai MPC Live would link back to our a certain age havent either, so lets top-to-bottom, and the rear panel is
Manufacturer Akai coverage of Akais MPC leave the nostalgia-wallowing to the spectacularly well-endowed, with a
Price 799
Touch, and say See that oldsters. Unlike the MPC Touch, which master volume knob, 3.5mm
Contact via website
Web its just like that, but standalone! is purely a controller and interface for headphone jack, six 1/4-inch outputs,
www.akaipro.com There is some truth in that, but itd Akais MPC software, the Live is a Kensington lock slot, record volume
www.inmusicbrands. definitely be missing out on the bigger genuinely standalone hardware unit; knob, phono inputs with a ground peg
com
picture. So lets make more effort, and it doesnt need a computer to help it and line/phono selector switch, two
discover what makes the MPC Live create beats, melodies, or even entire 1/4-inch inputs, SD card slot, two
different from its predecessor. Well arrangements. However, despite that MIDI inputs and two MIDI outputs,
also do this without dwelling on Akais critical standalone status, it can step two USB A plugs, one USB B plug,
long history with hardware samplers up and control the MPC software on a mains-power input, and an on/off
Ive never owned or used an MPC, Mac or PC, just like the Touch, so its switch nice work fitting all that in!
as versatile and inclusive as you need Im obliged to moan about the lack of
Key Features it to be. a 1/4-inch headphone jack, but no
Dimensions (mm): 2.5GHz CPU 2 x 5-pin MIDI inputs The box contains the MPC Live, a complaints other than that.
424x224x69 16 velocity/ 2 x 5-pin MIDI mains power supply, USB cable, The Live contains 16 GB of internal
Weight: 2.7kg pressure-sensitive outputs printed Quickstart Guide, and memory, and a 2.5-inch SATA
2GB RAM pads with 8 banks 2 x USB type-A
instructions for installing the MPC connector, so an HDD or SSD hard
16GB user storage, 4 touch-sensitive ports
10GB pre-installed Q-Link knobs 1 x USB type-B port software on your computer. First drive can be installed for even more
content 360-degree SD card slot impressions are that the Live is solidly storage, and theres also a
System encoder The MPC Live is built and reasonably compact, while rechargeable battery in there,
requirements for 22 dedicated powered by either maintaining a sensibly spaced control providing up to six hours of mains-
MPC 2.0 software: function buttons the included
Minimum 2GB 6.9" diagonal mains adaptor
layout. The top panel features 16 free jamming on a 45-minute charge.
free disk space multi-touch display or by using the velocity-and-pressure sensitive My review example arrived fully
(20GB for all 2 x 1/4" TRS inputs built-in lithium- rubber pads with RGB backlights, charged, so within a few minutes of
content), minimum 6 x 1/4" TRS outputs ion rechargeable five touch-capacitive Q-Link unboxing, I put it in a bag with some
4GB RAM (8GB 3.5mm stereo battery, which
encoders, a bunch of buttons, and a headphones and went to a coffee
recommended), headphone output provides up to six
minimum dual-core 2 RCA inputs hours of battery life 7" multi-touch display. From above, it shop for my first session. The MPC
does look exactly like the MPC Touch, Live weighs 2.7kg, which isnt bad for
MT172.REV MPC Live.For Print.indd 66 01/06/2017 10:48

Akai MPC Live Reviews MT
such a sophisticated music device, Material can be imported from a USB while capturing content on the fly, and
though in truth, its a bit much to carry drive connected directly to the Live, theres also the lovely XYFX page,
every day, unless youre a most or sampled from the left/right inputs which turns the display into a
dedicated user. on the back, or from a turntable Kaoss-ish touch pad for effects
I began by exploring the pre- connected to the phonos (but not all control. If you really want to be
installed demo content, which gives at the same time). dogmatic about it, you could achieve a
a good representation of whats The resulting samples can be finished-feeling final mix using only
possible. The projects cover genres tuned, chopped, sliced and looped, the MPC Live.
such as hip-hop, chilled trap, and tech and triggering them can be as And throughout it all, the hardware
house and include one-shots, loops, straightforward as launching a loop or experience makes itself evident at
and playable instruments; spending one shot from a pad, or it can involve times, youll miss the expanse of a
some time with these demos will help building multisamples with velocity- computer screen, and the crazy world
you get a handle on just what the Live based layers, or melodic sample- of options that go with it, but the MPC
is capable of. It takes a little while to based synth instrument setups. has an incredibly tactile set of pads
grasp the layout and figure out what Beyond traditional sampling activity, and chunky controls, a true multi-
to push, tap, or swipe and when, but it the MPC Live introduces full linear touch screen, and theres the magic of
soon becomes second nature; in audio-track recording and editing, hardware the focus it brings, as
terms of complexity, the MPC Live sits with individual processing and emails and notifications and selfies
between Pioneers Toraiz SP-16 (more relocating of audio regions, as well are forgotten for a while, and theres
simple), and the Elektron Octatrack as real-time time stretching and just the hardware and the music
(more obscure and techy), and its
accessible enough that you can start
working immediately.
The lovely XYFX page turns
Having explored the demos, I
started a new empty project,
the display into a Kaoss-ish
previewed and loaded a drumkit,
created a bass instrument track, and
touch pad for effects control
programmed patterns for both of pitch-shifting, so it really can function youre making. Im totally comfortable
them. There are plenty of options to as a self-contained DAW in a making music with software, and
suit your preferred working methods hardshell. Also new, on the unlike some folks, I dont feel guilty
you can record your parts from the performance front, is clip launching, about it at all, but its refreshing to go
pads in real time, complete with where the Lives pads become a 4x4 out with a dedicated piece of
quantisation, draw them on the platform for playing clips, in a familiar hardware and some headphones, and
touchscreen, or return to the pads to Push/Launchpad style, with jam and create without distraction.
enter notes step-sequencer style. In everything quantised, and triggered Naturally, youll want to share the
truth, the pads are so good on this pads flashing before coming into play. final result with the outside world;
thing that I found myself opting to Its not as fully evolved as something you can move the project to your
record in real-time much more than like Ableton Live, because, of course, computer and open it in the MPC
usual. No matter what input method thats what Live (the DAW!) specialises software, but for ultimate tweaks, be
you prefer, theres a reasonable level in but it is very impressive, fun and aware that the MPC software can run
of MIDI editing available afterwards; totally usable as a performance tool. as a plug-in inside other DAWs, such
its not up to deep DAW-style Audio effects are the icing on the cake as Live or Logic Pro; worlds within
functionality, but good enough to get for all of this programming and worlds, its very deep. If moving to a
the job done. Once youve created sampling and jamming, and the MPC computer isnt possible or just not on
some patterns, you can play them Live offers way more than the usual your list of favourite things, you can
back manually, or organise them into limited hardware options, including render your arrangement directly as a
a song that you can play back in a (amongst others) compressors, stereo file (AIF, WAV, or MP3, up to
programmed sequence. delays, distortions, EQs, and reverbs. 32-bit/96 kHZ) to the onboard hard
Effects can be added during audio drive, or connected storage.
One-stop shop recording, and printed to disk with And while were discussing the
The MPC Live is a real sampler, so the sample, which isnt something outside world, lets consider that the
its as much about capturing and Id do in a studio situation, but in MPC Live features Bluetooth and BELOW: We like the
output flexibility,
customising your own sounds as it is the more immediate world of live Wi-Fi, which could provide interesting MIDI connectivity and
programming, or using library content. performance, it skips a step or two new options for file sharing, or online USB control options

MT Reviews Akai MPC Live
3 4
2 8 5
6 7
Overview
1 DISPLAY
You didnt get this on your dads
5 MIDI CONNECTIONS
Im loving the amount of It brings the whole package
pads, display, sampling, audio
MPC - a full-colour 7" multi-touch connectivity on here. With two
display, which is now your MIDI inputs, two MIDI outputs,
main point of interaction with and MIDI over USB, the MPC Live
tracks, programming, samples,
and arranging
can occupy the centre of any
hardware/hybrid setup tracks and clip launching
2 BATTERY POWER 6 THE PADS
Run the MPC Live from mains Yes, of course there are pads! simply to sync with external synths or thing, add a MIDI keyboard I
power, or use the built-in High-quality Akai rubberised drum machines, or as part of a more connected an old M-Audio Oxygen 25
rechargeable battery for up to pads, velocity and pressure
six hours of plug-free jam time - sensitive, and with multicolour complex relationship involving and it worked straight away. The MPC
just add headphones backlit LEDs; make beats, trigger programming MIDI patterns on the Live works well enough on its own, but
samples, play synth parts, or MPC Live to trigger sounds from the we all have our personal takes on
3 AUDIO IN launch clips
The MPC Live has four audio other devices, in a nice, stable MIDI control, our favourite input
inputs phonos for capturing 7 BUTTONS AND ENCODERS computer-free environment. I tested devices and hardware synths, and its
from record decks, complete The screen is what its all about,
with ground peg, and left/right but sometimes, you still need to this concept with a Novation Circuit, good to see that acknowledged. On
1/4-inch jacks for capturing from reach for a real knob or button, synced via MIDI out from the MPC the topic of expansion, if youre
other stereo sources and the MPC Live delivers those
as well
Live, and then routing the Circuits seriously considering using the MPC
4 AUDIO OUT left/right audio outputs into the Lives Live, Id fully embrace the standalone/
There are six 1/4-inch outputs, 8 USB FOR MIDI CONTROL
available individually or as Round the back, there are three
audio inputs, and through some of the mobile ethic by budgeting for an
pairs. Half default to the main USB ports a type B for storage/ internal effects, capturing a few internal SSD to save a lot of trips back
stereo output, offering excellent computer connections and two samples along the way. The two to the computer, and a bag or case as
flexibility for routing out to a mixer USB A connections, which can
or effect processors power two USB MIDI controllers worked very well together, the Circuit well or some bubble wrap, at least.
adding real-time synth fun, while
keeping a fully battery-powered Hardware DAW
software updates, or accessing operation (Circuit can run off AA The MPC Live is the next logical
cloud-based content libraries. I dont batteries). I wished for another pair of step after the MPC Touch it does
know for sure, because these features audio inputs, though, so I could add a everything that the Touch does,
arent present in the current release second synth or drum machine, taking and more, with all the computer
although it should be coming soon. the Lives rig hub status up another interaction that goes with it, but the
A major benefit of this wireless notch (the forthcoming, larger, MPC X standalone independence steers it in
functionality will be Ableton Link does have more inputs, though). a completely different direction. This
support, which will be excellent; The layout is well-organised and is an incredibly versatile machine,
imagine an MPC Live running off the fast to use, but no control surface being a self-contained platform in its
internal battery, syncing wirelessly does it all, which is where those USB own right, but also working as a
with iOS devices, or computers, or type-A slots come in theyll host and control surface with Mac or PC, so it
other MPCs; I cant wait! Link is just power class-compliant USB MIDI goes where you go, where your
one sign that the MPC is very much controllers. I tried a Faderfox PC24 projects go. If you like options, this
intended to integrate with other and a Novation Launch Control XL, has got your name all over it; play
hardware; after all, it has those MIDI and they both lit up and worked beats and clips across the pads, play
ports as well, which can be used perfectly. If keyboards are more your keyboard instruments, program MIDI

Akai MPC Live Reviews MT
ALTERNATIVES
AKAI MPC X - 1,549
The more ambitious samplist might look ahead
to the imminent MPC X, which will be Akais
new flagship standalone sampler: including a
larger display, 16 pots with individual status
displays, two mic inputs, and 8 CV/gate outputs
PIONEER TORAIZ SP-16 - 1,279
If youre coming to hardware and performance
sampling from a DJ background, you might feel
more at home with the SP-16, although thats
not to say other people wont enjoy it as well,
especially with that Dave Smith Instruments
analogue filter. The SP-16 is relatively basic,
but well built and a lot of fun to use.
ELEKTRON OCTATRACK - 999
The Octatrack is a real love-hate device,
and way too complex for a lot of users, who
were expecting Ableton Live in a box, but
it is capable of wonderful things if you put
the time into it. Not keen on that Compact
Flash storage, though. See also Elektrons
new Digitakt, a more straightforward drum
machine/sampler.
patterns, capture audio for live

sampling and looping, create full
arrangements, and mix them down
afterwards. For most users, itll be the
standalone qualities of the MPC Live
thatll draw them in; I really liked the
MPC Touch, but at times, I felt it was
such an almost-hardware experience
it was kind of frustrating it couldnt
truly be used standalone. The MPC
Live brings the whole package the
pads, the display, the sampling, audio
tracks and clip launching, elevating it
above the competition in terms of
what can realistically be achieved
with a standalone box. If you want
deep hardware sampling, sequencing,
and well, a hardware DAW, which is
what it is the MPC Live is currently
the best option. MT
MT Verdict
+ Well-organised layout
+ Standalone, but with a great deal
of integration
+ A fully functional hardware DAW
+ Portable and cool-looking
creative tool
+ Future possibilities are
very exciting
- We want more audio inputs

- A little less weight would be nice
The standalone MPC is back, and

Akai has done a great job of
combining hardware and software
striking the perfect balance
between accessibility, portability,
and complexity. Use the MPC Live
on its own, in a hardware rig, or
with your computer it all works,
and in surprising depth. Im now
very excited to see what the
companys forthcoming MPC X
brings to the table.
9/10

MT Reviews Lauten Audio LA-320
LAUTEN AUDIO
LA-320
Need a valve mic to add to your collection?
Mike Hillier warms up to Lauten Audio
I
n its matte black body, silver which may help to add weight and
grille, and with nothing but the depth to a thin-sounding vocalist, but
Lauten Audio logo and the mic in this instance, only made the vocal
name printed on the body in sound boxy. Engaging the high-pass
white, the LA-320 has a simple, filter helps a lot, and brings more
understated visual aesthetic. But clarity to the sound. The midrange
since it boasts a 12AX7 valve stage, seems to be doing much of the heavy
were hoping the voicing of this mic lifting with this microphone, with a
will be anything but understated. very smooth and focused high-end.
Engaging the high-pass

filter helps a lot, and brings
more clarity to the sound
The LA sound The Origin has more presence up at
In addition to the valve stage using a the top, and the bottom end didnt
Chinese 12AX7B, a low-noise version require any filtering to get it into the
of the ubiquitous 12AX7 valve the ballpark, but it doesnt have quite the
LA-320 has both a high- and low-pass midrange the LA-320 brought forward.
filter built into the onboard PCB. The Engaging the low-pass filter gives
mic comes in a flight case with its even more focus to the midrange,
own power supply, five-pin XLR cable, and pushes the recording back in the
and shock mount. mix a little. This might be perfect for
As with any high-voltage valve backing vocals, or a fizzy electric
equipment, its important to give the guitar, but it wasnt going to suit a lead
valve a chance to warm up before
you get stuck in using it. This gives the
Details
heater in the valve time to bring the Key Features
Kit LA-320
cathode up to working temperatures, Manufacturer LA-320
as a cold cathode cant emit electrons, Lauten Audio 1-inch dual
Price 439 large-
so wont function in its ideal manner. Contact diaphragm
We give the valve half an hour, and use Synthax condenser
the time to prepare everything else we 01727 821870 capsule
Web www. Cardioid
The LA-320s need for the session. lautenaudio.com pickup pattern
aesthetics are Our first test with the LA-320 is on 12AX7 valve
simple yet stylish
a male vocal, pitting it against the 120Hz high-pass
(solid-state) Aston Origin. Without the filter
NEXT PAGE: 12kHz low-pass
The LA-320s 12AX7B
high-pass filter engaged, the LA-320
filter
valve on display has a distinct low-end boominess,
MT172.REV Lauten.For Print.indd 70 31/05/2017 08:51

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MT Reviews Lauten Audio LA-320
Measuring up high-pass filter if youre working with

If youre looking for a valve microphone on a
a busier mix might make more sense.
budget, the sE X1 T (229) is also a contender,
and it sounds surprisingly good for such an The low-pass filter came into its
inexpensive mic. Ultimately, though, it doesnt own on the guitar-amp recording, and
have the depth of the LA-320 and only comes
with a high-pass filter.
if your budget can stretch to a pair of
If your budget allows, the SE Z5600a II these, we imagine theyd make strong
(719) or RDE K2 (699) provide multiple overhead mics for recording a drum
pickup patterns, which make these more
flexible options. kit, using the low-pass filter to deal
with some of the brittle top-end that
condenser mics can pick up when
vocal, except maybe under very used as overheads, producing a
specific circumstances. Next up, we warmer, more ribbon-like sound.
tracked a slide-guitar part using a The LA-320 is a highly useful mic.
If your budget can stretch to

a pair, we imagine theyd make
strong overhead drumkit mics
resonator guitar tuned to open A. This It certainly has the capacity to bring
time, the enhanced proximity effect out more depth in thinner sounding
helped to add an incredible depth voices and instruments, and with the
to the part, for a larger-than-life high-pass filter engaged, the low end
recording of an instrument we often can be really brought under control
have trouble with the resonating for instruments that dont need this
element of this particular guitar has a extra push. Its a worthy mic for the
pronounced midrange with a price point, and performs well under a
tendency to sound boxy, especially variety of circumstances. MT
when its played hard.
The shimmer from the resonator MT Verdict
was lost a little with the low-pass
+ Valve condenser mic
engaged, so we went with the natural
+ High- and low-pass filters
response of the mic. In comparison, + Comes with flight case
the Origin produced a more honest
recording of the guitar, with a less - Fixed cardioid pickup pattern
pronounced bottom end, and again,
The LA-320 is another great mic
a more emphasised midrange this from Lauten Audio, and is sure
is a fault of the instrument, not the to bring something to every
microphone, but one that shows the mic cabinet.
importance of having a variety of mics
available to you.
8/10
Switching from micing the
acoustic instrument to using the
built-in pickup and micing our
five-watt Tweed amp, the
low-pass filter on the LA-320
came into its own. By engaging the
filter on the LA-320, we were able
to focus the frequency range of
the mic onto the most useful
range being pushed out by the
speaker, saving us the effort of
EQing this out later anyway.
Again, the proximity effect helped
add some extra weight to
the gnarled,
chewed-up,
gritty sound
coming from
the amp, but
filtering this
out with the
MT172.REV Lauten.For Print.indd 72 01/06/2017 06:28

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MT Reviews Apollo Twin Mk II
UNIVERSAL AUDIO
Apollo Twin Mk II
Universal Audio unveils the next generation of its Excellence
Thunderbolt-powered desktop interface, the
Apollo Twin Mk II. Mark Cousins takes a closer look 10/10
U
niversal Audios ability to includes the DSP processing from with a direct link between the plug-in Details
straddle both the UAs UAD-2 system (now available in and the functionality of the interfaces Kit
hardware and software QUAD, DUO or SOLO formats). As well preamp, even down to a small click as Apollo Twin Mk II
Manufacturer
worlds of recording has as recording through the interface, the Twin Mk II toggles impedance. Universal Audio
arguably been the making of the you can also use the unit as an The Apollo Twin Mk II is designed Price
SOLO 699, DUO 899
company. The bridge between these external DSP processing system, with modern recording practices in
and QUAD 1,299
two domains comes in the from of relieving strain from your computers mind from the functionality of the Contact
Universal Audios Apollo range, which CPU, and running plug-ins exclusive unit itself, through to the software www.uaudio.com
cleverly fuses an analogue front-end to the UAD platform. used to control it. The interface itself
with the ability to process signals
through a range of analogue
modelling plug-ins. Having been first
Apollo fuses an analogue
introduced back in 2012, the Apollo
range has now grown to include six
front end with a range of
different interfaces, largely
differentiated by the number of inputs
analogue modelling plug-ins Key Features
and outputs on offer. This Apollo Twin What really transforms the Apollo features two Unison mic/line 2 premium
Mk II arguably forms the entry level to concept is the implementation of preamps, two line outputs, a Unison mic/line
preamps
the Apollo product range, focusing on Unison technology, which creates a front-panel Hi-Z instrument input
2 line outputs
a two-input design ideal for desktop hybrid between the analogue front and headphone output, as well as Front-panel Hi-Z
musicians that may well form the end and Unison-driven plug-ins on two digitally controlled monitor instrument input
perfect starting point to an expanding the UAD platform. So the Unison outputs. Despite the input count and headphone
output
studio setup. plug-ins enable the modelling of a being relatively light, its worth noting Built-in
range of mic preamps, guitars amps there are also eight additional digital talkback mic
Apollos mission and stompboxes, pairing impedance inputs, as well as the option to 2 digitally
controlled
What makes the Apollo range switching and gain staging on the cascade further Apollo units.
analogue
different to other audio interfaces? analogue front-end with component- Although not dedicated switches, monitor outputs
Well, alongside the traditional level circuit modelling in software. theres plenty of hands-on control Up to 8 channels
front-end of a conventional audio Loading a Neve 1073, therefore, feels with the Apollo Twin Mk II, starting off of additional
digital input
interface, the Apollo series also (and sounds) just like the real deal, with a prominent big knob used to set
MT172.UAD.For PRINT.indd 76 31/05/2017 09:23

MT Reviews Apollo Twin Mk II
Sooner or later, youll want to start

exploring the wealth of other plug-ins
available on the UAD platform,
especially those which feature Unison
technology. As a means of evaluating
what plug-ins most interest you,
Universal Audio has included a 14-day
demo period with each plug-in, reset
with each purchase from its store.
DSP delights
Compared to many other two-input
interfaces available, theres no doubt
the Apollo is in the premium price
bracket. However, when you consider
the whats on offer including Unison
processing, DSP plug-in hosting for
mixing and the new talkback options
the Apollo Twin Mk II is the most
complete two-channel system weve
ABOVE: The Apollo pre-amp gain, monitoring levels and traditional insert-based processing seen for modern recording a perfect
Twin Mk II Console
software component
so on. The switches at the bottom of youd expect to find in your DAW. fit for a modern desktop studio,
offers real-time the unit can be alternated between With respect to the application of where flexibility is key and you dont
emulation of preamp controls like phantom processing, its worth making some need a huge number of ins and outs.
analogue classics
power, bass roll-off, and so on key distinction as to what is and isnt Having reviewed the original Apollo
and monitoring controls. Some of the recorded. Given that Unison-powered interface some years ago, it was
most significant improvements over plug-ins work directly with the pleasing to see just how much the
the original Apollo Twin relate to its preamp they will get printed to your Console application had evolved, and
monitoring provision, with options DAW irrespective of any settings in more importantly, how the list of
like Mute, DIM, Mono, and ALT speaker Console. This is great if you want to Unison-powered plug-ins had grown
switching now included. inject a touch of analogue warmth quite significantly. Having initially
into your recordings (especially when concentrated on mic preamps
Console operator you consider how much processing powered by Unison, its pleasing to
An intrinsic part of using Apollo is power plug-ins like the Tweed 55 can see the efforts being applied in guitar
its Console 2.0 application, which use up), but you want to be wary of and bass plug-ins, which seems a
looks after routing, monitoring and, applying too much saturation! neat fit with the technology. In use,
most importantly, signal processing. Plug-ins applied via the insert path plug-ins like the Fender 55 Tweed
Its a beautifully designed piece of or aux send, however, can either be Deluxe are much closer to the sound
software, with lots of functionality all used for monitoring purposes, or and feel of playing through a real amp.
applied with both the look and feel of printed straight to your DAW like the Overall, the Apollo Twin Mk II is a
a traditional hardware console. Unison plug-ins. Youll probably want fantastic audio interface wed
For the first-time user, though, to pick the monitoring only option wholeheartedly recommend to all.
Console might take a little while to then load the same plug-in setting From the quality of the audio
understand, but the reward is an inside your DAW to carry on where you conversion, to the thought applied to
application that places few limits to left off. The ability to print effects to the Console application, the Apollo
your creative and technical workflow. your DAW may well be a good option Twin Mk II is a high-class product
Arguably the main role of Console for those with more engineering delivering supreme audio quality at
is to facilitate the application of signal confidence, or for those short of DSP every stage of a production. MT
processing, either in the form of resources when theyre mixing.
Unison-powered plug-ins, or As standard, the Apollo comes with
the Realtime Analog Classics plug-in
MT Verdict
Measuring up bundle, which covers 15 or so + New talkback features
As a point of comparison, Apogees Element 24 (549) takes a essential plug-ins from the UAD + Expanded set of Unison-powered
completely different approach to a two-channel audio interface. catalogue. Unison-powered plug-ins plug-ins
Rather than having any hands-on controls, the device is entirely + Great for tracking and mixing
controlled via software, with just physical in and outs included on the include the 610-B Tube Preamp and + Record or monitor with UAD
unit itself. The sound of Element is good (with many parts of its design EQ as well as the Raw Distortion plug-ins
being directly ported from the Symphony range), but it lacks the DSP stompbox. Signal processors like
muscle both in respect to Unison technology and DSP-assisted
the Teletronix LA-2A, 1176SE and - Expensive
mixing that gives the Apollo Twin Mk II the edge. - No Thunderbolt cable
Pultec EQP-1A come in their legacy
form, which are older versions of the With a host of new improvements,
key UAD compressors and equalisers the Apollo Twin Mk II is the most
that have since been updated. That complete solution for tracking and
mixing on a desktop computer.
said, these legacy version still sound
great, and are slightly less taxing on
the Apollos CPU resources.
10/10
MT172.UAD.For Print.indd 78 31/05/2017 15:36

ROLI BLOCKS & Dashboard software Reviews MT
ROLI
BLOCKS & Dashboard
The announcement of the Dashboard software for ROLIs BLOCKS Innovation
at NAMM has made these intriguing devices an even better
prospect for DAW users, as Andy Jones discovers
R
OLIs BLOCKS are a futuristic Starting with the Lightpad BLOCK, aftertouch-like effect; Glide left and Details
set of devices aimed at all as with the other three, youll need to right allow you to use glissando Kit BLOCKS
levels of music producer get it connected to the NOISE app via changes between notes; Slide up and Manufacturer
ROLI
but specifically at anyone Bluetooth. Easy stuff. Think of the down let you assign parameters to how Price Lightpad 169;
wanting to make music on the move, Lightpad as the central performance you move your fingers up and down the Loop 69; Live 69
both quickly and somewhat component and you wont go far wrong. screen; and finally, Lift Off can change Contact
Sound Technology
unconventionally. They take the The NOISE app has two modes. Song another parameter as you release 01462 480 000
companys multi-dimensional touch View is where you play and record loops the note. Web www.soundtech.
philosophy as found on the rather co.uk, www.roli.com
amazing RISE keyboards one step

further by plonking it squarely (literally)
Its wireless, its modular System requirements
iPhone 6, 6 Plus or
newer; iPad air or
onto a wireless modular setup that you
can configure yourself. You heard that
as usual with ROLI, its so on newer; iOS 9.0
or above
right the concept is both wireless and

modular. As usual with Shoreditch-
trend that I feel compelled to
based ROLI, its so on trend you can
almost smell the street food and vinyl
drink craft beer as I review it
stalls. I even feel compelled to drink to make songs (with a grid system, Making music Key Features
craft beer as I review it rather like Lives clips), and Instrument Before we go onto the other modules, LIGHTPAD
View is where you play individual just a quick departure back to the 15x15 LED
The concept sounds across four tracks to make NOISE app and Song View matrix Bluetooth
Im going to glide over the three types of music (drums, bass and two synths). This is the big draw of BLOCKS: it controller
Includes USB-C
module available in the BLOCKS system Instrument View is also the best makes music making easy. You can to USB-A Cable
but before that, youll need to download place to easily explore the key to the launch pre-written loops across the Dimensions
the NOISE app for iOS, which is also a system and ROLIs philosophy: the four tracks, but quickly overwrite them (mm): 94x20x94
great partner for the RISE keyboards. now-infamous multi-dimensions of with your own and then chain them Weight (g): 250
Its been significantly updated to act as touch. You use intuitive gestures that together to make complete songs. LOOP & LIVE
the sound engine for these units; you include these dimensions: Strike is Adding beats is super easy; just press a Dimensions
(mm): 94x20x48
effectively use them to compose your just like hitting a regular note with button and loops will play in time, but
Weight (g): 160
music and NOISE to make the noise. different velocities; Press gives you an then you can record your gestures to
MT173.REV ROLI.For Print.indd 81 31/05/2017 09:24

MT Reviews ROLI BLOCKS & Dashboard software
experience a lot more tactile and a lot

more fun especially when you take
into account all of those multiple
dimensions that your phone cant do
just yet. The performing aspect cant be
underplayed youll look a lot cooler
with the Lightpad on stage than tapping
away at your mobile phone.
However, this brings up another
point: for performance, youll want to
have a couple connected together and
while the connectors are solid when
lying down on your desk, I can see them
coming apart when you least want
them to when on stage. Whatever your
thoughts, you should try out NOISE, the
app, as its free and youll get a good
sense of what it can do and what the
BLOCKS system can do for you.
Really, for MusicTech readers, the
most exciting aspect of BLOCKS is its
ability to control your music software.
To have the multitouch expression while
playing your instruments in your chosen
PREVIOUS PAGE: bring in all sorts of sonic movement. In DAW (currently Cubase, Logic, Bitwig, DAW can add a level of control you wont
In this setup, two
Lightpad BLOCKS sit
fact, you can do this on any of the four Live and others are supported, but get with any other MIDI controllers
beneath a single Loop instrument tracks, but with the beats, it check the ROLI website). You have to (RISE aside, of course): and they do look
and Live BLOCK is particularly rewarding. update NOISE and then the firmware very cool. Okay, getting the kind of setup
ABOVE: Its a very cool for each BLOCK, which was frustrating, shown in the image to the left will cost
control setup but The other BLOCKS as they need to be at 30 per cent charge over 1,200: an expensive outlay for a
this one would cost
well over a grand. When you start to investigate the other to do it (ours were drained completely DAW controller, but even in Beta stage,
Is it the future of BLOCKS, you realise that these are and took a while to charge). the process eventually worked well, and
DAW control?
essentially more control options and a Once all firmware is updated, its integration between gesture control,
better way of controlling features within quite easy to select new functionality multi-dimensional touch controls and
NOISE. The more you get into them, the for your BLOCK, as a Browse function software is where the possibilities going
more you start using the BLOCKS lets you choose from factory programs. forward look so intriguing and exciting.
hardware and the les you use your So, for example, you can have a Melodic BLOCKS is a good option for mobile
phone that is the very point of the BLOCK which acts as a playing surface scratchpad production, but control over
system. The Live BLOCK, for example, to trigger your DAW instruments, or a software is where it gets interesting. As
has Stay In Key and Chordal options Mixer BLOCK which assigns four faders usual, ROLI is ahead of the curve on this
available at the touch of a button, so to a BLOCK to control your mixer. There one and BLOCKS could be the start of
theres no fiddling on screen. The Loop are even ways to turn a BLOCK into a an incredible journey; best of all, to a
BLOCK, too, essentially takes some of game. Then, within your DAW, you have large extent, the company is putting you
the features out of the phone and puts to select which controller is controlled at the wheel. MT
them right in front of you: set loop by the four faders and you have your
points, record drum parts and switch controller set up.
MT Verdict
the metronome. It is a bit of a faff, if Im honest Im
The overall music-making sure there will be templates for popular + Multi-touch feel and control, at a
experience is good, but as a DAW user, DAWs in the finished version and you relatively cheap price
+ Very cool
you might feel a little out of control will need to connect several together to
+ You can make music very quickly
during parts of the process BLOCKS is have something like the setup shown and easily
aimed at all levels of music maker, after above. Hopefully, when the Dashboard + Lovely modular approach
all. However, work with it and you could software is complete, the experience + DAW possibilities are intriguing,
quite easily use BLOCKS for scratchpad will be a lot slicker thats when these as are other control options
ideas on the road. Yet as a DAW user, BLOCKs will really come into their own. - You can do much of the music
BLOCKS has another trick up its creation with NOISE
multi-touch sleeve for you, and this is Conclusion - The BLOCKS might not stay
where it gets really good A couple of points do need addressing. together on stage
- Dashboard is currently Beta, so is
The first is that you can do a lot of what
a bit clunky to get up and running
DAW control the BLOCKS music-making side of the
Earlier this year, ROLI announced system does using NOISE and your BLOCKS is a cool instrument, but
BLOCKS Dashboard which is a piece mobile phone. However, as you get into now has potentially bigger benefits
to DAW users.
of software, currently in Beta, that the BLOCKS system, you begin to
enables you to configure your BLOCKS
to become different controllers for your
realise that its that bit more intuitive,
and that the extra modules make the
8/10
MT173.REV ROLI.For Print.indd 82 31/05/2017 09:24

ALM Busy Circuits Pamelas New Workout Reviews MT
ALM BUSY CIRCUITS

Pamelas New Workout
ALM Busy Circuits introduces the much-anticipated successor to
Pamelas Workout but will it be showing off all-new moves, or
rehashing the same old routine? Dave Gale limbers up to find out
C
Details locks are one of the absolute exactly what youre doing, with very continue, but its also possible to
Kit Pamelas New foundations of modular, and clear and legible writing on screen. introduce elements of randomness,
Workout and for many, form the starting Some of the text is quite small, but thanks to parameters such as Slop.
optional expanders
point of the music they thanks to the clarity of resolution, In this instance, the Slop setting
Manufacturer
ALM Busy Circuits make. Anything with something is still very easy to read. In essence, introduces a random element into
Price 219 approaching a groove in a modular is PNW offers the user eight assignable proceedings, which equates to
Contact likely to have a module in the system outputs, which can be used to send something similar to Humanise.
ALM Busy Circuits
thats generating that starting pulse, triggers and CVs to any device you The level of humanisation can be
info@busycircuits.
com to which everything else slaves. And
Web www.
busycircuits.com
therein lies the beating heart of
Pamelas New Workout.
The Slop setting introduces
Key Features
Improving Pam
a random element, which is
broadly similar to Humanise
Central BPM-
based clocking As with all ALM modules, Matthew
module Allum (the creative guru behind the
8 fully clocked,
company) closely guards the module might desire. These eight outputs can adjusted, as can all parameters that
independent
outputs names, but in the illustrations to be also be multiplied or divided against are available, within each output.
Various output found in some of the documentation, the onboard clock, meaning that, for
options,
including Pamela can only be described as a example, you could generate a basic LFOs and envs
Gates, LFO and cross between a Baywatch superstar drum pattern with 1/4 notes for a Apart from triggers, PNW is also
Random CV and a mermaid! Pure conjecture on bass drum, and the same 1/4 notes equipped to send other useful output
200 onboard
memory my part, but regardless, this new multiplied by two, to create a basic types, such as Triangle and Sine
locations clock-based treat is incredibly flexible snare pattern. The phase of each waves, basic AD envelope shapes and
Syncable to
in its purpose and design. output can be altered, to allow random waveforms. So it can be
external clock
Current draw: This is a major upgrade to the offsetting so your snare which will regarded as something akin to an LFO
+12: 50mA older Pamelas Workout, and this can appear on beats 1&3 can easily be generator, with Sample & Hold, and
-12: 0.5mA
Module depth : be seen from the outset with the moved to beats 2&4 using this the option to send an envelope phase,
32mm addition of a new OLED display in parameter. The logical extension of too. These CVs are sent on the usual
Width: 8HP place of the previous, more basic, this idea is to go further with a divided 0-5v scale, with adjustments
Skiff friendly
offering. Its now possible to see hi-hat pattern; and so the patch could available at source. And in all cases,
MT172.Pamela.For Print.indd 83 01/06/2017 10:53

MT Reviews ALM Busy Circuits Pamelas New Workout
PREVIOUS PAGE: its possible to bring a number of Pulse Width Modulation or pitch of a with, as the output is clearly
Start, stop, assign
ALMs Pam has a
additional parameters into play. Weve syncd oscillator. Moreover, this could described on the display at the
brand-new workout already mentioned the phase control, happen over a number of bars, thanks parameter level. Once or twice, I did
ABOVE: Triggering
but alongside this, we also have to the clock multiplication function. find myself dealing with a needle in a
some mayhem parameters such as Delay which Its pretty comprehensive so much haystack, as I tried to understand why
through Akemies enable the user to dictate the amount so, it did take me a little while to an output was exhibiting certain
Taiko, the PNW is
perfect for clock of delay applied before the cycle examine all options. It would be very behaviour, but thanks to the Reset
based modulations begins. If you also add into this the easy to just get lost in triggering function, at the individual output
clock multiple/divide options, you can drums, especially if youre drawn to level, it was simple to reset and start
see how this could be used as a very the flashing lights, which do so in time again, which is actually easier than
comprehensive LFO; or even triggering with the clock. Its far more capable scrolling through the steps manually.
an envelope shape, which might fire in than that, of course, and I was soon I found myself building up a basic
time with a sequence to induce a modulating wave shapes and all sorts, groove, and then sending additional
specific modulating effect, such as via envelopes and LFOs. outputs types to another of ALMs
modules, the Akemies Taiko a
Expanders In play module that benefits hugely from
In my view, the big selling point for this module is the possibility All navigation is done through the modulation when in play. The mixture
to expand it with two newly available modules that are sister
products to the main PNW. The Pexp-1 expander offers some program pot, which can be turned, of random elements coupled with
very useful divided and multiplied gates, which are immediately pushed and held. In all cases, doing so more uniform options like the
available to the user from dedicated patch points, but also on will move you forward or backwards clockable LFO made for something
offer are outputs for MIDI Clock and DIN Sync. Both are very
useful indeed, while the DIN Sync output is perfect for older through the menu structure, or allow that could be as random as you like,
Roland devices, such as the TB-303 and TR-606. In my case, I had for easy scrolling or incremental but can also be placed under very
my 606 chasing PNW with astonishing accuracy, which allowed
a programmed flavour to intertwine with the minimal four to
control of parameters. It takes a little heavy control, if so desired. Taking the
the floor kick-drum pattern that Pam could offer. The second getting used to, but the huge boon random and semi-random notions
expander, Pexp-2 is a slightly simpler affair, offering a 24-ppqn here is without a doubt the clarity of further, its possible to assign a
clock output, as well as a MIDI clock output, but this time on a
3.5mm jack. It also serves the useful purpose of allowing easy the screen which makes it very easy Sample & Hold random LFO, which
syncing to a second Pam, should you require it. to see exactly what you are working can of course be clocked, making it

ALM Busy Circuits Pamelas New Workout Reviews MT
especially useful. But one area of Theres also the ability to save few times, but this is probably largely
particular interest to many, will be the individual output settings: if you due to my lack of overall experience
rather comprehensive Euclidean know what you like, itll be easy to with PNW, and with time, this will
operations. By specifying a number of place these in non-volatile memory; doubtless become more familiar.
parameters, its possible to dictate although recalling while the module Overall, theres a sense that ALM has
certain rules for the generation of a is in play mode can induce the odd talked to users to understand what
looped Euclidean pattern. These timing error. they want in this design, and the
include basics like the pattern length, results shine through in the available
to number of hits and degree to Pamelas warm-down programmability. Its small, packs a
pattern rotation, so if you have a There is no doubt that within the punch and is very flexible I think Ive
penchant for minimal patterns that confines of a frankly ludicrously small become a Pam Fan again. MT
can generate and move around, this 8HP, Pams New Workout offers an
will be very useful. Unlike other amazing amount of versatility, and MT Verdict
random devices, such as the Turing actually, given the amount you get, + Very flexible module
Machine, it feels like you have more represents pretty good value for + Vast array of output options
control, and this might make it more money, too. + Triggers are great fun, and very
usable as a result. Theres a lack of good clock-based satisfying to use
+ Perfect Master Clock for a system
LFOs in the marketplace, and on this
+ Rock-solid timing
Alternatives level alone, it offers a good solution. I + Expansion options
The most obvious alternative to Pams New like the fact that this can be placed + Skiff friendly
Workout is the ADE-32 Octocontroller from
right at the front of your signal chain, + Lovely OLED display
Abstract Data (reviewed in MT164). This
offers a very similar set of output options, and act as a master clock, and the + Flashing LEDs make it easy to see
but the obvious difference is the way that whats firing
fact its equipped with a Start/Stop
parameters are selected and assigned. The
ADE-32 is an equally good module, but in button makes it very appealing, while - Small form factor might be fiddly
my review, I did struggle to read the legends, also being under CV control if so - Menu architecture will
largely due to my ailing eyesight. This is
desired. It can be your clock master or require familiarity
where the PNW scores considerably, with its
crystal-clear OLED screen. The good news is your clock slave, and when hooked in Pams New Workout is a highly
both modules score high in all areas most with the additional expanders, offers usable and useful module, that
importantly in the timing area, where they
are both very tight indeed. PNW also offers
a very useful resource for getting offers uses on many levels, from the
the additional flexibility of expanders, clocks in and out, to the outside world. simple to the more complicated.
which may well appeal to some with
additional outboard equipment.
It is a little fiddly: I found myself
pressing and scrolling incorrectly a
9/10
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Spitfire Audio LCO Strings Reviews MT
SPITFIRE AUDIO
London Contemporary
Orchestra Strings
In another twist from the norm, orchestral-sampling Choice
pioneer Spitfire Audio brings us a library with modernist
tendencies. Dave Gale gets contemporary with strings 9/10
9
9/10
O
rchestral sample libraries In common with the LCOs superb sense of a warped record on Details
have very much come of age. manifesto, theres a healthy dose of an old player. Theres another very Manufacturer
Spitfire Audio has impressed suck it and see, with some of the interesting set of slackened patches. Spitfire Audio
Price 299
us with both full orchestral articulations offered being almost These sound as though the string has Contact Spitfire Audio
libraries and Albion series, and here, improvised in form. There is the usual been slackened to such a degree that Email via website
it offers another take on sampling plentiful supply of long and short notes, the pitch modulates to the extreme of a Web www.
spitfireaudio.com
orchestral instruments, which will be of but in both cases, words like vivid have semitone, once the rosin of the bow digs
particular interest to producers and been added to the patch description. Its in. Available in both long and short
soundtrack composers alike. an apt description, as it certainly differs forms, theres a bite at the front of the
Intimate recording
Theres a certain level of intimacy and
Theres a level of intimacy
abstractness to the sampling. In terms
of forces, we are talking about six
here which differs from most Key Features
other libraries a small dry

Ultra-modern
violins, four violas, three celli and two string library
double basses. Immediately, there is a Small string
level of intimacy here which differs from
most other orchestral libraries, and a
room was used for sampling forces, in a
unique setting
Recorded
small dry room was used for this from other Spitfire patches and offers a note, especially in the shorter version, in a very dry
sampling session. refreshingly different angle which is which offers a wonderful high-end environment
FX setting
Two mic positions are available pure, close and full of tonal colour. colour, heard in many 20th-century alternatives,
close or room but with some other There are also some great no vib settings, where the heel of the bow is applied during
interesting alternatives. Apart from the patches, based on open strings, offering used to apply harsh accent. The body of sampling
Requires
option of two stereo mixes, there are an almost Renaissance sense of purity the instrument rattles with HF colour, Kontakt/
also two printed, analogue-FX based that you dont tend to hear very often. and being so dry, cuts beautifully. Kontakt player
mixes which can be fed into the There are also articulations you As Spitfire looks for ever-more- (free download)
28.19GB of
overall output, as every mix element is wouldnt normally come across. A case interesting colours, theres great use
disk space
under its own fader control. Well come in point is Woozy Vibrato which, as the of granular tones and tremolo effects. required for
back to these later, as there are some name implies, is a slow vibrato with The granular elements sound suitably uncompressed
samples
excellent surprises to be had here. almost drunk inflection. Its got that scratchy, as the bow really digs in, but
MT172.REV Spitfire Audio.For Print.indd 87 31/05/2017 09:01

MT Reviews Spitfire Audio LCO Strings
Do I really need this?

This is a library which is more leftfield than
just about all other orchestral string libraries.
It sets out to offer a different palette, which
is intimate, considered and creative in an
almost improvised way. It also offers some
excellent sonic highlights, many of which have
had to be named with suitable adjectives,
because the good old-fashioned Italian terms
just wouldnt work. However, you need to be
aware that you cant go into a contract with
this library thinking it will cover the full gamut
of basic articulations, because youll find
some elements missing. As such, if you need
intimate strings, which are more de rigueur,
you could look at either Spitfires Chamber
Strings, or even the even more stripped-out
Sacconi Strings Quartet.
the lack of legato patching is such a The use of comprehensive but

shame; you might want to break into simple-to-use sample channelling is
that melody in the cellos, and youll nothing new to Spitfire. But somehow in
have to just work with the long versus this setting, it feels really alive. The
short patching to get it to work. difference in tonal components is such,
you can reduce the harshness of the FX
Mixing elements sample channels by bleeding in small
A really nice feature with this library elements of the close or room mics, and
is the addition of six mixer-channel this works so well.
elements, which can be blended to In line with Spitfires other libraries,
offer a terrific complement of the the Ostinatum feature is included in
various sampled channels. Starting LCO strings, too, which helps the
ABOVE: The basic
Kontakt GUI, with with far less arm movement. Also with the obvious, there are faders for user build up patterns to alleviate
Violins loaded. Six added across several patches are both close and room micing. In keeping programming within the DAW, or having
faders await, offering
tremolos, one of which is described as with the librarys overall concept, the to play the same phrase over and over.
instantly tempting
channel mixing irregular. This has a wonderful room has a wonderfully short
humanistic quality, which is quite ambience. Its crisp and bright, but not The contemporary conclusion
ABOVE: Recording
LCO Strings on the random in tone, and just perfect for overbearing. We also have two This is a really interesting and different
Spitfire dry stage adding that slightly obscure element to imprinted FX channels, which have had library and it offers vast articulation
your score. Its certainly heading more analogue FX applied at source. The first options. It wont be for everyone, being
towards the tension-driven side of of these is full of discrete impurity, with so intimate, but it is beautifully creative,
musical composition, but could add a very narrow stereo spectrum; while and offers a great palette. Some of the
some terrific colour for use across the the second is vastly different it patches are quite out there, but lend
board, especially if processed further. sounds tape-based and grainy with themselves well to soundtrack-based
Theres the usual degree of it; theres a superb harshness in the work, or more innovative and creative
uniformity across instruments, but higher mids which will cut through a composition/songwriting work. But if
some articulations are specific to mix like a knife. It actually sounds very youre into commercial pop, youd be
certain departments, with the lower reminiscent of a Mellotron, but with better served by one of Spitfires more
strings offering fewer options, but still greater quality and depth to the overall mainstream string libraries. MT
keeping all the nuts and bolts you really timbre.
need. Theres plenty of MIDI CC control Finally, two full mixer channels offer
MT Verdict
of the samples, with the standard a basic full mix and a pumped mix
Spitfire layout of five MIDI controllable version, doubtless full of compression. + Outstanding clarity of sound
elements, but this can differ if you move + Sheer vastness of articulation
+ Great patch names, which sound
to the individual patch level. Above all,
just as described
what you really need will be available, Alternatives + Very different, and hugely
when you need it. The LCO String library is a little bit out on engaging as a result
its own, owing to its vast array of different + Excellent sample mix palette
There are also extended options
articulations drawn from the classical world + Good price point
beyond the main patch set, which offer of contemporary stylistic playing. If youre
some more normal, intimate string after something more chamber-like (that isnt
from the obvious other choices from Spitfire),
- Lacks some basic patches, such
tones. However, the lack of legato Vienna Symphonic Library has some helpful as legato
patches is a great shame. Theres a offerings, both in its Solo Strings library - Wont work for all scenarios, but is
wonderful purity with this library, and chamber-based Appassionata Strings. great for new timbres
Theres been a growing feeling in recent years
though, as it fills a niche between that the VSL libraries are starting to feel a This is yet another example of a
ensemble size and musical style. Its not little tired, and would benefit from some comprehensive library that offers
sprucing up certainly sonically, the VSL plenty to any creative composer.
a chamber orchestra nor a quartet: and
has moments when you can clearly hear that
in a similar manner, its not your regular you are listening to samples. The Spitfire
Work with it, and you will be
libraries are more convincing in this regard, rewarded with sonic gold.
library, stylistically. It could have a wide
rabnge of applications, especially in
certain TV settings, which is why I feel
and (strangely) are marginally cheaper when
stacked against the full VSL libraries: so the
choice could be a bit of a no-brainer.
9/10
MT172.REV Spitfire Audio.For Print.indd 88 31/05/2017 10:03

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Mini Reviews MT
Blue Confessions
Raspberry Of A Record
Manufacturer Blue
Price 179 (street)
Producer
Manufacturer Hal Leonard
Contact via website
Price 34.99
Web www.bluemic.com
Contact via website
D
escribed as a vocal studio
in the palm of your hand,
Choice Web www.routledge.com
9/10
9
9/10
W
this condenser mic ere playing catch-up with
certainly feels the part. Its not all the books that Hal
flimsy and its great design means Leonard releases, so
it flips out of its mount, which were a little late with this 5th Key Features
Key Features
then becomes its stand and the edition update, although the Chapters on different labels,
iOS condenser cardioid mic who owns what in songs, and
microphone can be easily rotated original dates back to 1998. No
24-bit/48kHz resolution copyright protection
in any way to get the best position 20 Hz to 20 kHz
matter, though, because this 300+ pages
for your desktop. And this is key; Headphone vol, jack and mic level insight into the worlds of record Written by Moses Avalon
the Raspberry is clearly designed Maximum SPL: 120dB SPL production and record deals is as
for podcasters, laptop musicians, Weight (g): 272.3 fascinating now with the advent
YouTubers and iPad and iPhone Carry pouch, USB and of streaming technologies as it MT Verdict
Lightning cable
mobile musicians and this flexible was then (when record companies It may be a little (okay, very)
design means it fits all of the and producers bathed in cash). US-centric, but How to
above uses well. It sounds pretty MT Verdict Theres a lot of great stuff here, survive the scams and shams
of the music business is still
good, too. The 24-bit recording A fantastic design makes the loads of legal advice (maybe a
(often sadly) relevant and a
quality is helped by Blues Raspberry a great choice for little US-centric) and general fascinating read, although
Acoustic Diffuser design, which all of its target audiences and advice on who owns what when it you may feel rather depressed
a fab choice for iOS producers. as an artist after reading it
helps focus vocal recordings while comes to songs. Some could
keeping noise down great for
when you are out and about. MT
9/10 change with the next big court
case, but its a great read. MT
8/10
Allen & only does it act as a high-quality,

20-channel 24-bit/96kHz
Heath soundcard for connected laptops,

but theres also so much effect
XONE:PX5
processing going on under the
hood that DJs could well love it,
and experimental producers
Manufacturer Allen & Heath
might glean just as much from
Price 1,150 (street) it, too.
Choice
Contact Audio Technica
0113 277 1441
Its a four-channel mixer
featuring four stereo three-source
9/10
9
9/10
Web www.allen-heath.com channels for phono, line and USB
inputs and theres a MIDI/sync
T
he world of DJ technology connector around the back. This Key Features
has, of course, been means that it caters for a huge features really do mean that DJs DJ mixer on steroids
moving forwards as range of live scenarios. So you can take their skills up a notch, Four stereo channels and mic
rapidly as that of music can plug your laptop in and mix onto another creative and Three types of input (phono, line
and USB)
production, so much so that the music from it with turntables as performing level.
20 channel, 24-bit/96kHz soundcard
lines between the two have standard, but then blend So, yes the XONE:PX5 is a DJ Rugged finish for live use
often become blurred, with DJs instruments in as well. Imagine mixer at heart, but its packed with XONE:FX for spectral delays,
incorporating Ableton Live and Ableton Live producers with live so many features and technology resonators and reverbs
external hardware into their sets, scratching and instruments being that its certainly one of those MIDI In/Out
3-band EQ, plus filter
while producers often incorporate triggered; or DJs mixing laptop products thats pushing both DJs
Weight: 5.21kg
DJ tech into their live sets. music with turntables, drum and producers to explore each
The new XONE:PX5 mixer from machines and synths. others realms and bring parts of
Allen & Heath certainly helps both Of course, other DJ mixers them into their live sets that MT Verdict
scenarios. Its a very high specd DJ enable much of this, but the PX5 they may not have considered
An easy-to-use mixer with
mixer, but could quite easily find has a suite of effects delays, before. Its expensive, but dont features galore, which can
itself at the centre of a live music reverbs, modulators, flangers and consider it as just a mixer its help many performance
performance rig featuring all distorters plus a great filter potentially the hub of something worlds collide.
manner of instrumentation
plugged into it. This is because not
section and, importantly, its all
very straightforward to use. These
greater. Just think a little out of
the box to get there. MT
9/10
MT172.REV minis.For Print.indd 91 31/05/2017 15:32

MT Mini Reviews
sE X1 S Vocals are the obvious first

choice. sE was one of the (if not
Studio the) first companies to market

with its Reflexion Filter and, since
Bundle
then, there have been many
similar products released by other
companies. The RF-X Reflexion
Manufacturer sE Electronics
Filter does a great job of
Price 249 dampening room noise for
Contact Focusrite 01494 462246 vocalists, giving you a dry vocal
Web www.seelectronics.com sound to which you can add
effects in the mix. In practice, we
S
E Electronics has a found it worked really well, getting
great rep for bringing the same result as far more Choice Key Features
9/10
9
9/10
high-quality studio gear expensive options. It doesnt work sE X1 S large diaphragm
to the masses by making all the way around you: youll need condenser mic
it affordable, but this pack goes some kind of absorption behind Two switchable attenuation levels
Good for vocals and close micing of
one better by bundling several of the vocalist. But positioned in its
louder sources
the companys products together arc, the results were fantastic. deeper tones, but didnt unduly sE Reflexion Filter with patented
for even greater value. Labelled as We got some pretty good affect or over-brighten lighter multi-layer technology
everything you need to start results with the Reflexion Filter ones. It turns out to be a decent Shock mount with integrated
pop filter
recording right now, it includes set up and with the low-cut filter all-rounder, so maybe the promise
3m cable
an X1 S microphone, RF-X engaged to reduce rumble. The to fulfil all your recording needs
Reflexion Filter, an sE Isolation pop shield does a good job, too, isnt so wide of the mark.
Pack (with pop shield) and a by reducing excessive plosives. You could pay the asking MT Verdict
three-metre mic cable. Wed even say the mic outdoes price here for other companies Fab package with an
Thats not everything, then other vocal mics costing far more; reflection filters, but you also all-round mic and top-notch
youll need a computer and it performed pretty well on get a very good all-round mic filter for great instrument and
recording software, of course recording other instruments. and accessories, too, so its vox recordings.
but it is enough to get you started
on a variety of studio tasks.
Theres a slightly pronounced top
end which helped give air to
no-brainer of a buy, especially if
youre just starting out. MT
9/10
Hexagon instrument. There are 101 presets,

Value
$
which utilise up to four instrument
Sky
parts, plus some electronic noise
to really fill things out. You get a
main oscillator, a sub and two
Developer Sample Science types of field recording, which can
Price $29.99/23.00 be anything from the sounds of
children playing to words from
Contact via website
documentaries (which are all open
Web www.samplescience.ca source and available to use in your
N
ow heres an intriguing music, apparently).
plug-in. Weve seen The interface is very simple
software that is kind of what youd expect, given
designed for specific the price. There are envelope
musical genres country music, controls for the four main parts,
EDM, even shoegaze but this is plus an Electronic section that Key Features
the first in memory that has been offer the following types of noise: 101 sounds inspired by Boards Of
Canada, Tycho, Lone and Com Truise
designed to help emulate a Vinyl (scratching surface noise);
Four-sound layer engine
specific type of band, namely VHS (more of a buzzing sound); LFO depth and rate controls/
Boards Of Canada. Tape (for hiss); and Broken (sort of noise, but Hexagon Sky delivers it destination and source selectors
Aptly, then, its a Canadian like an out-of-tune radio loop). in a very tuneful (okay, de-tuneful) Four background-noise layers
developer which is behind the Despite its simplicity, then, theres way. Its a shame theres not so Global reverb, pitch and
velocity curve
software. Sample Science a lot to blend and mix. A flexible much control going on over its Sub-oscillator
produces bespoke plug-ins, LFO sections adds a welcome sounds wed have loved more
so ones that are clearly highly layer of modulating possibilities. filter action and effects (you just
targeted towards specific needs, The results are, on occasion, get reverb) but were guessing MT Verdict
and if your needs are wobbly, excellent. You get some fantastic an update could easily include
A simple plug-in that can
detuned yet atmospheric sounds, drone-y pads, some atmospheric more mangling. As it is, we deliver some incredible, if
this could be the best 30 bucks stabs, loads of slightly off-kilter slotted Hexagon Sky straight slightly leftfield, inspiration
youll ever spend. The plug-in loops and noise, lots of it. Yes, into some ongoing projects and and ambience.
weighs in at 1.2GB, so you can
guess its a sample-based
its come to the point where were
actually buying plug-ins that do
it added some fantastic slanted
sonics every time. MT
8/10
MT172.REV minis.For Print.indd 92 31/05/2017 15:32

Pro Tools
USB Audio Interfaces by APOGEE
FROM 399.00
on a USB Audio Interface by APOGEE
WWW.GEAR4MUSIC.COM
EMAIL: INFO@GEAR4MUSIC.COM TELEPHONE: 0843 515 0600
MT Mini Reviews
B2B VIBES Vol 3

Hybrid Vs Vintage Soul
Elektrik Blu PUBLISHER Loopmasters
PUBLISHER Loopmasters PRICE 29.95
PRICE 39.95 CONTACT info@loopmasters.com
CONTACT info@loopmasters.com WEB www.loopmasters.com
Excellence
V 10/10
WEB www.loopmasters.com
intage Soul is a new release
B
2B is a new sample-pack in the Vibes Series from
concept from Loopmasters Loopmasters, and contains
and Dread Recordings, with 691MB-worth of 24-bit audio
two artists providing samples in inspired by seminal 70s rnb, funk
one pack. This contains over and soul acts, such as Marvin Key Features
1.36GB-worth of 24-bit audio, with Key Features Gaye, Aretha Franklin and Stevie 70s-style funk, soul and rnb loops
435 loops, 438 one-shots, and 17 873 drum n bass and jungle loops Wonder. The pack includes 300 and hits
and hits Drums, bass, guitars, keys,
synth and bass multis, plus 157 loops in WAV or Apple Loops, plus
Produced by Hybrid and Elektrik Blu flutes, percussion
sampler patches. Its a large 1.8GB in WAV, Apple Loops, REX2, REX2 formats, 71 one-shots, and WAV and REX2 or Apple Loops and
library, with lots of upfront breaks, Live or ReFill formats 12 sampler patches. From superb, REX2 formats
twisted basses and dark pads. 157 patches for EXS24, Kontakt, chunky live drum breaks, to 100 to 125 BPM, 371 audio files
NN-XT, HALion, SFZ 12 patches for EXS24, Kontakt,
Where Hybrids production relies twinkling vintage keys, funky
175 BPM NN-XT, HALion, SFZ
more on classic jungle sounds flutes and grooving funk guitar
with a modern twist, Elektrik Blus and bass riffs, there are plenty of
is darker, with more intricate MT Verdict song-starting ideas, plus a small MT Verdict
sound design. Overall, theres a lot Although a little samey in but lively collection of one-shot
A superb-sounding pack
here for the price and although places, this is a large and drum and FX hits. The playing and thats filled with a variety
some of the sounds and beats are well-produced collection of production both drip with grit and of characterful, live funk
upfront, modern dnb sounds. and soul loops.
similar, youre getting two different authentic 70s style, making this
takes on modern jungle and dnb
to dissect and use. MT
8/10 an excellent treasure trove for
producers of any genre. MT
10/10
Live Racks Mastering
Parallel And Vinyl
Mix Suite Cutting
PUBLISHER F9 Audio with Gearbox Records
PRICE 14.95 Key Features
PUBLISHER MusicGurus
CONTACT info@loopmasters.com Course looking inside a
PRICE $35 (stream online) vinyl-mastering studio
WEB www.loopmasters.com/ Choice 11 lessons, 95 minutes and
CONTACT via website
9/10
9
9/10
labels/80-F9-Audio 42 seconds
WEB www.musicgurus.com Special focus on cutting lathe
J
ames Wiltshire explores the and Struder tape machines
T
many possibilities offered by his unique new course from Recorded at and presented
by Gearbox Records
parallel mixing in this new MusicGurus goes behind the
5 before/after audio files,
collection of Ableton Live Racks. Key Features scenes at Gearbox Records quality-control checklist PDF
There are 22 Main Racks covering Parallel -processing mixing Racks to take a look at mastering a jazz
kick-drum, bass, vocal and drum For Live 9.5+ record to vinyl. In 95 minutes and used in the analogue mastering
22 Main Racks for drums, bass,
tools, NY compression, special 11 lessons, Gearboxs engineers chain. Although youre unlikely to
and vocals
and vintage FX, parallel distortion, 69 Sub Racks covering EQ, tour the analogue outboard and be cutting vinyl yourself, this is an
and an array of parallel EQs, plus compression, distortion and more digital mastering software, interesting insight into a classic
69 Sub Racks with the individual 4 bonus instrument Racks discuss process and cut a final mastering workflow. MT
Created by veteran James Wiltshire
building blocks. Each effect has record for duplication. Of special
been fine-tuned, and you can interest are the chapters on
MT Verdict
quickly add weight, clarity and MT Verdict degaussing and cleaning the
character to beats, instruments Studer C37 tape machine, and on While not filled with many
An expertly programmed musical mastering tips, this
and vocals. The only downer is the preparing and cutting the record
parallel mixing suite that is a fascinating course for
need to do separate volume offers up a wealth of superb using the lacquer-cutting lathe. anyone thats interested in
balancing after the effects, and results, without a third-party There are a handful of useful tips traditional hardware
that some Racks can tax the CPU. plug-in in sight. on EQing and preparing tracks for mastering processes.
You also get four bass, pad, 808
and drum instrument racks. MT
9/10 mastering, but the main focus is
on the equipment and techniques
8/10
MT172.REV minis.RESENDp94.indd 94 01/06/2017 06:29

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Six of the best Buyers Guide MT
Six of the best

Hardware Software Mobile Technology Accessories
Welcome to the MusicTech Buyers Guide, where we round up
some of the best products recently reviewed in the magazine.
This month, six of the best monitors for all price points, studio
sizes and requirements
BEST Small!
IK iLoud Micro
Monitors
D
escribed as the smallest
studio monitors in the world,
BEST High-end
Eve
it would be easy to dismiss
these Micro monitors as
simply too small to cut it in music
production. But actually, they punch
well above their size. We said: Up
against our more expensive monitors,
they surprisingly held their own in the
Audio
SC3010
bass one area where we thought they instruments, any distinct separation Details
might fall down, given their size. There started to fall down somewhat but, you Price
must be some colouration added here, know what, this happens on monitors 279 per pair
we would assume, but IK has done it that can cost 500 or more. We Contact
E
IK Multimedia on
very well, and the bass sounded round concluded: These are probably the 01223 234414 ves SC3010 is a large and
and twangy when needed and not as best desktop speakers you can get Web powerful three-way monitor
artificial as some monitors many times and punch upwards to studio levels, www. that (you might not be
ikmultimedia.com
the price. When adding more bass too. Theyre great, simple as! surprised, given the price tag),
is a pro choice monitor. Theyre designed
BEST Mid-size for larger spaces and studios, so if you

are in-the-box and in the bedroom, then
Dynaudio
look elsewhere in this 6 Of The Best.
Reviewer John PIckford said: These
are versatile and extremely capable
full-scale monitors able to honestly
LYD 7
present your work for lengthy periods of
time without causing listener fatigue.
Even at just shy of five grand, the Eve
SC3010s offer outstanding value for
T
he Dynaudio LYD range won our money, giving you so much in terms of
Monitors Of 2016 award and these are advanced technology, thoughtful design
Details the mid-sized ones in the range of three. and, above all else, superb sound
Price Reviewer Andy Jones said: A couple of reproduction. He concluded: Voices
499 each extras make the 7s more interesting, and and instruments are faithfully
Contact
ultimately more appealing. While the larger 8s reproduced with
sales@ Details
audiodistribution definitely have it in terms of the sound, the 7s first-rate timbral
Price 4,999
group.com had a more rounded response, more even, flatter resolution. These Contact Nova
Web and tighter. You might not get quite the low end are a superb Distribution
www.dynaudio. Trading Ltd 020
com detail you want (as youd get with the 8s) but the choice for those
3589 2530
www. mix sounded more tempered and balanced. For luckily enough to Web
audiodistribution medium-sized rooms, get them. Possibly the have a large www.eve-audio.
group.com com
best speakers from a great range. mixing room.
MT172.6OTBmonitors.For Print.indd 99 31/05/2017 08:37

MT Buyers Guide Six of the best
BEST Beefy detail
KRK
V-Series 4 S8
K
RKs latest V-Series has power. Youll need a larger setup to get
been specifically designed the best from them and, in my case,
for audio production bigger speaker stands but if you have
applications where accurate a medium-to-large-sized setup, they
reproduction is critical. Thats for all of wont disappoint. Theres a separation Details
us, then. Unlike some older KRKs, here across both upper and lower Price 1,400
though, these lack any colouration and ranges that explodes your mix into the per pair
Contact Focusrite
performed very well in our tests. Jon parts that you want to hear, enabling 01494 462246
Andrews said: The V8s are, like the the precision engineering you lust after Web
www.krksys.com
engine size of the same name, built for when mixing. Simply great monitors.
BEST Self-calibrating
Genelec
8330A
T
he 8300 series from Genelec
includes SAM (Smart Active
Monitoring), so can be adjusted
to perfection by tailoring them Details
to different rooms. Its not something Price 1,249 pair
that will necessarily correct a bad room, Contact
Source
but did work very well with these Distribution on
speakers in our test. Reviewer Huw Price 020 8962 5080
said: Music with prominent kick drums Web
www.genelec.com
and dubby basslines sounded much
improved with the calibration. Bass calibration and fine-tuning was that the
notes had a reduced tendency to pop out monitors sounded excellent in our test
of the mix and the more subtle, tonal room. These are open, real and clear
qualities of kick drums were far easier to monitors that still benefit from the
discern. The result of all this automated SAM system.
BEST Mid-priced
Pioneer RM-07 The V8s are like

the engine of the
T same name: built for

he RM Series of pro studio muddiness around the 40 to 150Hz
monitors wowed us when it region on the 7s, which meant that
came out a couple of years
back, and came from a
we could pick out things in our mix
that we couldnt quite reach with the power. If you have a
company making strong inroads into
the pro-audio market.
5s allowing us to reach into the mix for
a precise tweak medium-to-large-
Theyre designed from scratch for
mixers and producers and, on the face
here and there.
An impressive
Details
Price 1,150 sized setup, they
wont disappoint
per pair
of it, no compromises have been made. and accurate
Contact Pioneer
Compared to the smaller 5s, the 7s are monitor. MT 0208 836 3500
definitely the ones to get. Reviewer Jon Web www.
pioneerdj.com
Andrews said: There was a little less
MT172.6OTBmonitors.RESENDp100.indd 100 31/05/2017 15:24

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MT Beginners Guide Part 1: The Complete Guide To DAWs
MT Beginners Guide
The Complete
Guide To DAWs
Welcome to the all-new MusicTech Beginners Section if youre new to the world of music
production, then this is where you need to be. We open up our first instalment with a guide
to the very centre of the music-making universe the Digital Audio Workstation, or DAW
A
warm welcome to the first in a regular information was and still is, for that matter recorded
series of features aimed specifically at via a standard called MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital
newcomers to music production. In every Interface). You play a note on a MIDI keyboard, and that
article, well cover a specific subject in notes position (key) and length is recorded into your
music making with a view to explaining it sequencer. Simple! These notes could then be played
from a very basic level, and will get you up and running back to trigger sounds from inside the computer (back
with simple step-by-step guides. Well also feature then, it was sounds from the computer chips) or
Buyers Guides and each month, well suggest a outside, via sound modules. All recording was done by
music-production starter setup for different budgets, way of a set of transport controls for recording, playing
genres or a specific task. back, fast-forwarding and rewinding, much like the tape
So, where better to kick things off than with the or video recorders of the time.
central component of todays recording studio, the In the late 80s, audio was added to this sequencing
Digital Audio Workstation (or DAW)? capability, so you could take sounds in from the outside
world vocals, guitars and so on and blend them with
From sequencer to recorder the MIDI notes. By the end of the 90s, computers
DAWs used to be known as sequencers: software became powerful enough to run their own instruments
(or hardware) that simply allowed you to sequence or which became plug-in instruments for sequencers, so
arrange notes together to make tunes. They became the software could trigger complex software emulations
popular on home computers like the Atari ST or of real instruments (known as virtual instruments), or
Commodore Amiga, recording digital note information software synthesisers capable of producing sounds
in terms of its note length and pitch. The digital never previously available. Because of all of this extra
functionality and the ability to handle audio, the term
sequencer gave way to the more all-encompassing
term Digital Audio Workstation, or DAW for short.
Open DAW
The modern DAW features all of this plug-in instrument
power, multitrack audio recording and a whole lot more.
Typically, you build up a song within a DAW track by
track beats, instruments, guitars, vocals and so on
by either recording that audio in via a separate
hardware interface or using the softwares virtual
instrument plug-ins. Most DAWs come with a huge
variety of these instruments, although there are many
third-party software companies producing different
ones, sold separately.
LOOPING One of the fundamental aspects of sequencing or using DAWs is looping.

A loop is a sequence of notes like a bassline or piano riff, or it can be an
Pretty much every real instrument has a virtual
counterpart and there are plug-ins that can make
THE LOOP audio loop, like an 8-bar drum loop. You create your song by repeating a drum
loop, for example, to make your entire drum track for the duration of the song,
sounds impossible to produce in the real world, such
is their complexity. You can even recreate an entire
maybe adding some fills and variation along the way. Similarly, repetitive orchestra within your DAW, with plug-in instruments
basslines can simply be looped to take the strain out of recording fairly basic that come with huge libraries of gigabytes of individual
patterns over and over. Software like Ableton Live (above) specialises in recordings made by each orchestra member that you
looping clips to make songs. then trigger and record still via MIDI.
MT172.BG DAWs.For Print.indd 102 31/05/2017 15:49

Part 1: The Complete Guide To DAWs Beginners Guide MT
Apples Logic a DAW overview

TRACKS THE SONG TIMINGS AND BARS TRANSPORT CONTROLS
a Your song comes together track by
b This is shown in the main
c As this song plays, it moves from
d You can move the song pointer (C)
track. In this case, were showing four arrangement window, where you can see left to right (indicated by the pointer). by pressing various transport controls
different tracks labelled Synth, Lead, the information notes, etc as data that The window at the top shows your song for play, record, rewind or fast-forward
Bass, and Audio corresponds to the tracks on the left position in bars, or minutes and seconds
d c
f c
a
b
e
INSTRUMENT TRACK INSTRUMENT

e You have either instrument tracks or
f This instrument comes from Logics
g THE MIXER
And here is the mixer. Virtual faders
h AUDIO TRACK
The other type of track is an audio
audio tracks. In this particular project, own library, which is listed on the left of the allow you to adjust the volume levels of track and the audio information is shown
Logic is triggering one of its own onboard screen. You can load in instruments here, each track, by clicking and dragging them as a graphical wave (white on blue)
piano emulations or via the mixer up or down with your mouse
Tricky for no particular reason

It used to be that DAWs came packed with almost too DAWs used to come packed with
many features, but in recent years, DAW producers have
concentrated on ease of use. So it is now fortunately almost too many features, but in
much easier to switch between them and make music.
The features are still there if you want them, but recent years, DAW producers have
workflow for the main tasks recording and arranging
takes priority and is relatively straightforward. concentrated on ease of use
Putting together pieces of music is logical enough
a process, and one thats still based on those early virtual mixers usually simple sliders, which let you
sequencers. Generally speaking, when recording each raise of lower volume levels per track. There will always
of these tracks, a DAW will show what you record from be a pan control, too this allows you to push the
left to right so how the song progresses through its sound left or right within the stereo space. Very often,
arrangement. The tracks within the song will go from the changes you make with volume levels or changing
top to bottom. Some DAWs, such as Ableton Live and other parameters can be recorded meaning you can
FLStudio, favour a more looping environment, and you record the movements of a track slider or fader to
then arrange these loops to make your song. create a drumbeat or vocal, for example, which fades in
Once youve recorded your audio or instrument and out during a song.
tracks, the beauty of the DAW comes in the
arrangement. Its very easy to cut, copy and paste parts Editing notes
of an arrangement to produce a complete song. Think of If you wish to change your tune, or youve made a
it as a word processor for music making and you wont mistake when recording your initial notes, there are
be too wide of the mark. The relative volumes per usually several ways to edit notes in a typical DAW.
instrument or track can easily be adjusted with onboard Score editing is available in software like Sibelius for

Steinberg Cubase a DAW overview

TRACKS THE TOOLS AUDIO DATA
a Again, in Cubase, the tracks are
b The Tools within a typical DAW are at
c Most sequencers operate with audio
d NOTE DATA
This is the MIDI note data, which
shown from top to bottom and this time, the top or bottom of the screen and allow and note data. The audio is real sound can be recorded to trigger internal virtual
theyre more colour-coordinated. Dont you to select between tools to drag, cut or shown in waveforms, which could be a instruments, or external MIDI hardware
worry, you can change all colours to suit glue notes and sequences vocal or guitar recorded externally
a
c
g
e
f h
TRACK INFO SONG POSITION THE MIXER
e Youll see that the mixer has the
f The song position ie, how far
g Like most DAWs, Cubases mixer
h TRANSPORT CONTROLS
Here, the transport controls for
same names as the tracks above, as it is you are within your arrangement can design emulates what an audio mixer looks playing, fast-forwarding, rewinding and
controlling them. You can also note be shown in minutes and seconds or, like in real life, with faders to increase and recording are at the bottom of the screen
whether the track is stereo (two hoops) as here, bars and beats decrease volume
or mono (one)
DAWs are packed with effects. clash with each other by panning them left or right,
usually with a virtual dial. We could, of course, write an
Theres one main rule: dont entire feature on the art of mixing and weve done so
many times in the past, so visit MusicTech.net to read
overuse them try and get a more in-depth info on the process but theres one
simple rule when it comes to panning a typically
decent recording to begin with acoustic or band-produced song. Imagine the band is
on stage and pan your sequencing parts accordingly
so that, for example, your singer is in the middle,
those musicians brought up in the ways of traditional meaning your pan dial for the vocal stays central. The
notation. For the rest of us, grid editing is available, bass guitar, too, can sit in the middle; the guitars slightly
where you get a virtual keyboard shown on screen and outwards, left and right, keyboards just slightly left and
can click on notes to drag them around, or change their right of centre, and the kick drum in the middle, too.
lengths and their velocities (which determines how loud Try and fill the stereo image from left to right, and
they sound). Once again, the beauty of DAWs is that you youll soon feel that your mix has breadth and depth to
can copy-and-paste individual notes or groups to take it which is the hallmark of professional productions.
the strain out of playing and recording. DAWs come packed with effects that do a huge
variety of jobs. They can be used creatively, to add notes
Panning permission (with delays); or to fatten sounds and vocals up with
Once you have your song arranged in a DAW by copying, choruses; or simply to add a nice sheen with a bit of
pasting and dragging note information and sequences, reverb. Once again, well cover these in future
the next step is to mix the song. Beginners Guides but theres one rule to take away
On a very simple level, this is achieved by raising and now: less is more! Dont overuse effects when mixing,
lowering the track faders so you can hear everything and try and get a decent recording in the first place
you need to. Youll also need to position all of the parts you dont want something that you have to repair with
onto the stereo image of the track, so that they dont too many effects or edits later.

MT Step-by-Step Creating your first song in a DAW
Whenever you open a DAW for the first time, youll probably need Weve created a synth, bass guitar, an audio track for drums, plus
01 to create some tracks. Here, were simply going to add some
02 a piano track. You select the virtual instrument that will be played
instruments and an audio track in Logic. from Logics library to the left.
If you dont have a separate music keyboard to play these Weve recorded across all three instrument tracks and loaded in
03 instruments, you can use a DAWs virtual keyboard, which
04 a drum-loop sample at the bottom. The orange line at the top
enables you to play and record the plug-in instruments with your makes the DAW loop, so you can practise, then record. Record at a
computer keyboard. Again, here is Logics version of it. lower tempo to play notes slower if youre not a confident player.
Now you can either start copying and pasting individual track Weve expanded the Arrangement view so you can see the
05 sections as were doing here with the drum loop, or even copy
06 song develop as the parts are copied, and now its time to mix
everything within the looped orange area to quickly build up a song. the various parts with the virtual mixer now brought in, too.
Finishing up types, which range from higher quality WAV files to

Once youre happy with the results and its rare this MP3s, to upload to iTunes. Some DAWs even have direct
happens, as once you understand all of the options you ways of uploading to specific sites like SoundCloud.
have with a DAW, youll want to explore them all you Professional DAWs are designed to run on desktop
will need to mix the track down to an audio file. and laptop computers and well run through a dozen of
All DAWs have easy ways of doing this. Its usually the most common over these pages in a separate
known as bouncing down to a variety of audio file Buyers Guide. However, there are also some great ones

Ableton Live a DAW overview

TRACKS CLIPS AUDIO CLIP
a Like other DAWS, Ableton Live has
b The software utilises clips within
c Most clips shown here are MIDI clips
d EFFECTS
Live comes packed with effects and
audio and MIDI/instrument tracks. But these tracks, which you can click on and triggering internal plug-in instruments, but you can have several per track as standard.
rather than running top to bottom, they they will play together or loop to make a heres an audio clip triggering the drum When selected, they also appear in the
run left to right song or live performance loops shown at the bottom of the screen bottom window
h
b c
a
f
d
c
g
THE MIXER MAIN BROWSER

e As with Cubase and Logic, the main
f You load in all of your audio, samples,
g OTHER INSTRUMENTS
As well as the effects shown in (d),
h ARRANGE VIEW
Here, you can flip Live into an
mixer is a virtual set of faders and dials plug-in effects and instruments via this Lives instruments and other devices pop Arrangement View, which is more like
used to adjust volume and pan positions of main browser up here when you click on the relevant the Cubase and Logic ones shown on
the tracks track or icon the previous pages
DAWs run on desktops or WWW.MUSICTECH.NET

laptop computers, but there are For loads more DAW tutorials, as well as the latest
news, reviews and 12 years of quality content,
some great DAWs available for head to www.musictech.net now!
iOS, for a fraction of the cost

available for iOS, too, meaning that you can turn your
phone or iPad into a fully-fledged music-making device
(usually for a fraction of the cost of the desktop version).
Well run through four of the best options for this, too.
Elsewhere, weve highlighted three of the main DAWs
Logic, Cubase and Live and shown the differences
between their main screens, but you can also see they
all share many of the same types of features and icons.
Check out the tutorial, too, which offers a quick
guide to creating a complete song so we should have
you up and running with the world of DAW music
production in no time. Next month, well take a more
in-depth look at interfaces. MT

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DEEP
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CUSTOM KITS TO SUPERCHARGE MASCHINE AND ABLETON LIVE

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MT Buyers Guide DAWs

There are many, many DAWs on the market and over the years,
MusicTech has reviewed all of them. Heres our guide to the best on the
market for Mac and PC, with a separate guide to iOS DAWs at the end
LIVE STUDIO ONE

Company Ableton Company Presonus
Price 79 to 599 Price free to 279
Computer Mac & PC Computer Mac & PC
Live started out as the laptop musicians ultimate tool Studio One is very much the DAW that is making waves,
and has developed into a powerful DAW, capable of so largely because it has as many features as software
much more than just dance music. It introduced the costing a lot more and its workflow is exceptional.
concept of clips of music, which can be looped or Theres also a free version that will give you a taster of
more traditionally arranged and also runs third-party just how good it is.
instruments and effects. You might not be surprised to learn that its also a They say Once you touch its fast, flow-oriented,
great live-performance tool, too drag-and-drop interface, youll realise Studio One was built by creative
They say With extensive editing workflows, great-sounding effects people for creative music production.
and fast, flexible exporting options, Live gives you everything to get your We say Studio One is here to stay and will continue to grow into, quite
music done. possibly, the best DAW out there for the songwriter, recording/mixing
We say Live is still the most instant cross-platform DAW on the market. engineer, mastering engineer and producer.
Other DAW manufacturers should take note. Web www.presonus.com
Web www.ableton.com
REAPER
CUBASE Company Cockos
Company Steinberg einberg Price $60 to $225
Price 80 to 488 Computer Mac & PC
Computer Mac & PC To get this amount of power for just
Arguably the daddy of all DAWs, Cubase was many a 60 bucks is why so many people the
(currently) middle-aged mans introduction to the world world over are using Reaper. Its the
of sequencing, as it originally came out on the Atari ST unsung hero of DAW music making and is probably the ideal starting point
in the 80s. Since then, it has become the flag bearer of for music production.
the VST instrument format and has now matured into They say Reaper is a complete digital audio-production application for
one of the best cross-platform options out there. Windows and OS X, offering a full multi-track audio and MIDI recording,
They say Cubase is considered by many as the most complete DAW on the editing, processing, mixing and mastering toolset.
market, and sets the benchmark for music-production software. We say Packed full of functionality, Reaper is simply one of the cheapest
We say Cubase is an elegant and powerful DAW thats a delight to use. and best ways to get into professional music making.
The workflow is highly efficient and the interface is beautiful. Web reaper.fm
Web www.steinberg.net
FL STUDIO
LOGIC Company Image-Line
Company Apple Price $89 to $189
Price 199 Computer Mac (Alpha) & PC
Computer Mac FL Studio has a huge user base, largely because its
Logic is still the one to get if you are a Mac user, as the producers offer free upgrades for life. That means, of
amount of content and number of instruments you get course, that if you were one of the few who invested nearly two decades
per pound is stunning. The latest version comes with ago, youre laughing now
some great easy features, like Drummer for instant beats. They say FL Studio 12 is a complete software music production
They say Whether you produce tracks in a professional studio or are an environment. Representing more than 18 years of innovative
aspiring musician, Logic Pro X gives you all the tools you need to create, developments it has everything you need in one package to compose,
edit and deliver your best music. arrange, record, edit, mix and master professional quality music.
We say Its the best cash a Mac-owning musician can spend, with very few We say If youre into electronic or loop-based music, FL Studio offers
other DAWs out there matching the usability and sonic dexterity that Logic everything you need and that lifetime upgrade option is also a very
Pro X offers. attractive enticement.
Web www.apple.com Web www.image-line.com
PRO TOOLS
Company Avid DIGITAL PERFORMER
Price 23/month or 479 Company MoTU
Computer Mac & PC Price $195 to $499 $499
Very much the pro choice, Pro Tools is the choice of Computer Mac & PC
those after exceptional audio quality and fantastic Its certainly not the cheapest DAW around, but Digital
mixing tools. For composition, you might want to Performer has a wide user base, because its been
choose one of the three above, but for mixing and recording, Pro Tools around for many years and has a very clear GUI and
takes some beating. tons of features.
They say Power your sound with the tools that power the industry. Create They say DP 9 delivers inspirational features devised to ignite your creative
music or sound for film/TV and connect with a premier network of artists, muse, and state-of-the-art studio production for the most demanding
producers, and mixers around the world. production environments.
We say Pro Tools 12.5 puts Avid firmly back in the race. Cloud collaboration We say Digital Performer delivers where it matters and is packed to the
may not excite everyone just yet, but its sure to be a standard workflow in rafters with features yet, because of its long history, workflow has been
the future. refined and made relatively simple.
Web www.avid.com Web motu.com

BITWIG STUDIO DAWs For iOS

Company Bitwig
Price 259 to 379 Now its time for our DAW recommendations for iOS. Yes, you really
Computer Mac & PC can get complete DAWs for your phone and your iPad
Very much the new kid on the block,
Bitwig Studio takes some of the CUBASIS 2
best bits of other DAWs and blends Company Steinberg
them together into a powerful but Price $49.99
easy-to-use interface. Its also been optimised for touch and is one of the Compatibility iOS 8.3 or later (iPad)
best DAWs to use with a tablet PC. If you like your iOS DAWs to work pretty much like a
They say With cutting-edge technologies like plug-in crash protection and desktop DAW, then they dont come more familiar that Cubasis for the
a highly flexible user interface, alongside a lightning-fast workflow iPad. Thats because Steinberg, the company behind it, has nigh on 30
experience for keyboard, mouse and touch screens, Bitwig Studio has years experience producing DAWs. Its expensive for an app-based DAW,
attracted a large and steadily growing user base all over the world. but it is great.
We say If everyone can develop this kind of integration, were all in for an They say Cubasis 2 equals ease of use and is as powerful as a fully
exciting music-tech future. featured music-production system.
Web www.bitwig.com We say Its one of the best DAW experiences to blend old-school
sequencing with new-school touch production.
Web www.steinberg.net
SONAR
Company Cakewalk GADGET
Price $49 to $499 Company Korg
Computer PC Price 19.99
SONAR was one of the first DAWs to really Computer iOS 9.3 or later (iPhone and iPad)
get behind digital audio recording. Its been If you make electronic music, then this is a must-have
through dozens of revisions and updates over its app. You can choose from a wide selection of synths
two-decade history, and is now one of the most and drum machines and easily blend them together
finely tuned PC DAWs available. to be composing and mixing in no time. Its a great
They say Fuelled by over 25 years in the relentless pursuit of innovation, app, which utilises touch very well.
SONAR is reinventing the modern recording studio. They say The ultimate mobile instruments collection the all-in-one
We say Still a powerhouse DAW on the Windows platform, SONAR music-production-studio app.
continues to be one of the most comprehensive DAWs around. We say Probably the best music-making app on iOS and now available for
Web www.cakewalk.com the Mac, so you can use all of those Gadgets on your desktop. Amazing!
Web www.korg.com
REASON
Company Propellerhead AURIA PRO
Price 49 to 289 Company WaveMachine Labs
Computer Mac & PC Price 34.99
Reason is another DAW thats been Compatibility iOS 6.1 or later (iPad)
around for a long time, but is still One of the first quality recording apps for the iPad,
an incredible piece of software. and still one of the best. Auria features channel strips on each of its 48
It emulates hardware instruments in a rack and gets you making music playback channels, with effects bundled in by renowned third-party
with it very quickly indeed, and is probably one of the fastest DAWs for companies such as PSP Audio.
getting ideas into tunes. They say Auria Pro sets a new bar for mobile music production. Whether
They say The recording software, with everything you need to create youre just getting started or are a seasoned pro, youll appreciate the
amazing music and collaborate with others. power and flexibility in this award-winning DAW.
We say Were re-establishing our love affair with Reason, and strongly They say The most pro app here and the ideal choice if youre in a band
recommend it to anyone getting into electronic-music production. and want to record gigs or studio sessions.
Web www.propellerhead.se Web auriaapp.com
MIXCRAFT PRO GARAGEBAND

Company Acoustica Company Apple
Price $49 to $179 Price 4.99
Computer Mac & PC Computer iOS 10.2 or later (iPhone/ iPad)
With a huge range of plug-ins, Mixcraft is one of GarageBand features proper virtual instruments like
the unsung DAW heroes, especially given its guitars and pianos although you neednt be skilled in either to play
price. Weve regularly scored the software well them and with 250 loops thrown in, you can easily be assembling songs
and its a great entry-level in terms of price, in no time; especially with the smart options that help you assemble
not features PC option. melodies and beats.
They say Music-recording software for They say GarageBand is the most popular music-creation app in the
musicians, not engineers. world. Whether youre a novice or an experienced musician, youll find
We say Mixcraft is a surprisingly advanced DAW much to love.
at a very attractive price. Its straightforward to use and even if it may lack We say This is basically your first port of call when it comes to iOS
a little visual sophistication, it has plenty of features and functionality you sequencing well, any sequencing, really because it does so much
need, where it matters. for so little outlay. Its astonishing.
Web www.acoustica.com Web www.apple.com

MT Starter Studio Hardware Software Mobile Technology Accessories

Welcome to our new feature in the MusicTech Beginners Guide,
where we choose a starter studio for a specific task or budget.
We start by detailing some great studio setups for an 800 budget
Monitors Microphone
G T
ood he better your source
monitors recording, the less youll
are a must have to do in the mix
for any later thats the theory
studio you need to anyway. Here are four ways to get
hear the music youre that sound.
producing as
accurately as RDE NT1 USB
possible. Here are Price 129
four budget models. Contact Source Distribution
020 8962 5080
Web www.rode.com
We said: Give your recordings a pro sound
for a non-pro price.
Focal Alpha Range Tannoy Reveal 402 Aston Orgin

Price 185 Price 402: 99 each; 802: 189 each Price 199
Contact SCV London 0330 122 2500 Contact Music Group 0800 917 8926 Contact Sonic Distribution
Web www.focalprofessional.com Web www.tannoy.com Web www.astonmics.com
We said: The clarity, accuracy and sheer We said: Fine-sounding monitors with We said: The Origin is a refreshing twist,
audio quality this monitor provides is rare a range of connection possibilities and and a superb-sounding mic for a variety
indeed at this price point. plenty of power. of tasks.
IK iLoud Mackie CR Range Shure MV88 phone mic Audio Technica AE2300
Price 279.99 pair Price CR3 100; CR4 119 Price 135 Price 249
Contact IK Multimedia 01223 234414 Contact Polar Audio 01444 258 258 Contact Shure UK 01992 703058 Contact Audio Technica 0113 277 1441
Web www.ikmultimedia.com Web www.mackie.com Web www.shure.co.uk Web www.audio-technica.com
We said: The best desktop speakers you We said: A pleasing sound with plenty of We said: Great phone mic and you get We said: The AE2300 has the makings of a
can get, simple as. flexibility and amp power. some vintage Shure vibe, too. modern classic and is a bit of a bargain, too.
Interface DAW
F T
inally, youll need a decent he DAW is the central
interface to get your component in any
signals in and out. Here studio. Here are four
are four great examples options that wont
for budget studio setups. break the bank
Audient iD4 Steinberg UR44 Reason Apple Logic

Price 190 Price 229
Price 49 to 289 Price 199
Contact Audient 01256 381944 Contact Steinberg, via website
Web www.steinberg.net Contact via website Contact via website
Web www.audient.com
We said: Focuses on audio quality rather We said: Great monitoring and DSP Web www.propellerhead.se Web www.apple.com
than gimmicks. This is attractive, sonically features combined with top-class sound We said: We strongly recommend Reason We said We said: Few other DAWs match
impressive and fiendishly useful. quality and easy setup. Useful. to anyone whos getting into electronic the usability and sheer sonic dexterity that
music production. Logic Pro X offers.
Novation Audiohub Focusrite Saffire PRO 26 FL Studio Reaper

Manufacturer Novation Price 259
Price $89 to $189 Price $60-$225
Price 159 Contact 01494 462246
Contact via website Web uk.focusrite.com Contact via website Contact via website
Web uk.novationmusic.com We said: Versatile, compact, easy and Web www.image-line.com Web reaper.fm
We said: The way to go for the desktop DJ reliable, Saffire PRO feels like a trustworthy We said If youre into electronic or We said: Reaper is simply one of the
and producer, offering several interfacing old friend, ready to solve any interfacing loop-based music, FL Studio offers cheapest and best ways to get into
and connecting solutions in one box. problems you may have. everything you need. professional music making.

DISCOVER MORE
Discover new ways to improve your production
skills at Loop+ with our great selection of free
music production tutorials.
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MT Feature 6 Ways to create atmosphere (easily)
MT Feature 6 Ways
01
6 WAYS TO CREATE
ATMOSPHERE (EASILY)
Need background atmosphere, or more tension in your
music? Read on for MusicTechs guide to adding drama,
ambience and occasional menace to your productions
W
e all know DAWs are great at though, and you will drown the whole vast amount you hadnt even considered),
helping you put together thing, so unless youre Aphex Twin from a and that includes atmosphere in spades. If
music. Beats, basslines and couple of decades back, you probably wont you want to add drama to a single sequence
leads can be produced easily get away with it. However, do consider the of notes, consider throwing it through a
with plug-in instruments in unusual when it comes to effects. We know few modules. Its not always predictable
the likes of Logic, Live and Cubase. Each one particularly atmospheric composer you can say that a lot in the world of
sequencer also has ways to record external who takes all his analogue loveliness and Eurorack but you can bet your bottom
sounds and instruments in, of course. puts it through a cheap, digital 90s effects Euro itll be interesting. Make sure you
So far, so good. But adding drama or processor. A fave ploy of many dance record everything, mind. Recommendations
atmosphere to your music is the jam in the musicians is to shove signals through include Erica Synths Fusion (460), Expert
cake its often the point at which your guitar FX for extreme distortion. Do the Sleepers Disting mk3 (125), AJH Ring SM
basic production is lifted onto a new, opposite of what you might expect, then. (250), Roland AIRA modules (245), and
professional level, one that separates your Try Logics Pedalboard or NIs Guitar Rig Mutable Instruments Rings (249).
tune from tens of thousands of others. with your analogue synths, or run your Software only? Softube Modular (from 66).
Read on, then, for how to lift your music guitar tone through the inputs of your
with a bit of atmosphere hardware or software synths. Break out 03 Massive plug-ins
into the outside world from your in-the-box Thereve been many BIG libraries and
01 Go opposite with your effects routes. Talking of the outside world instruments released over the last two or
Using software plug-ins is an obvious ploy three years that deliver on atmosphere. Our
to take your mixes to another place, and a 02 Eurorack favourites include the vocal collections of
touch of reverb will instantly take elements The beauty of Eurorack is that it does Eduardo Tarilonte (Shevannai 159, Mystica
of your mix to fantasy land. Go too extreme, whatever the heck you want it to (and a 199); Output Sounds (Signal $199 and REV
MT172.6 ways.RESENDp112.indd 112 31/05/2017 15:23

6 Ways to create atmosphere (easily) Feature MT
02 03
04
05 06
Theres nothing creepier than seas, theres a world of sound outside your
studio window
a twisted vocal, if you want to be 05 Wag the tail, record the wood
like Manson (Marilyn, that is) If you want a more thoughtful, ambient
atmosphere as opposed to a dramatic or
$199); Heavyocity (Gravity $499); and twisted vocals. Too scared to sing yourself? menacing one, again, dont do the obvious.
Gothic Instruments (Dronar from 66). Consider vocal plug-ins like Yamahas Ambient artists such as Brian Eno and
Vocaloid (from 139); more unusual soundtrack composers like Thomas
04 Vocals libraries like Big Fish Audios Cyborg Newman tend to favour the background
Any vocal lifts any tune. Fact. [Not if you (139); or one of the gazillion sample textures of a recording, as opposed to the
are Jean-Michel Jarre Ex Ed]. Breathy collections out there. rather more up-front notes themselves.
vocals will start adding atmosphere to Eno would rather take the reverb tail
something a little laidback, while 05 Field recordings and construct pads out of that, while
whispered vocals will add more of a Now, let us see, where on Earth can you get Newman tends to include the actual sound
sensual element. Start putting vocals atmosphere? Why, the answer is the very of the instrument the wood, the strings
through effects and you can go anywhere planet Earth itself, of course! Get yourself and the background information. Both
between odd and downright menacing. a digital recorder, or a decent app for your of these approaches add an incredible
Theres nothing creepier than a treated smartphone, and take the thing everywhere subtlety to the results, one you cant always
voice, so if youre following in the footsteps with you and record your location. From put your finger on, but one that leads to an
of Manson (Marilyn that is, not Charles or rhythmic metallic industrial hammering to amazing overall atmosphere. Again, a less
the indie band), consider some terrifying birds singing, from city noise to crashing obvious route yields the best results. MT
MT172.6 ways.For Print.indd 113 31/05/2017 09:15

MT Your Disc
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YourDVD
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This months cutting-edge batch of samples from Loopmasters contains plenty of variety for you Digital
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mastering house itself, an in-depth look at the different parts of the range of third-party plug-ins. Theres also award-winning LA-based
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This months production videos
from Loop+ includes the in-house team
repair software is back, with new A standalone composition tool that NUSOFTING BIT FLUZER taking a look at AudioThings Outer Space
features and modules including connects to any DAW via MIDI. (PC, MAC)
De-rustle, De-wind, De-bleed, New features include automatic Create subtle sound warming or
vintage tape echo, iZotopes flagship RX6
Mouth De-click, Dialogue Isolate chord-progression optimisations, complex rhythmic distortions with software, and the new features available in
and a new mode for editing GM preview synth, new pattern- this bitcrusher plug-in, featuring Plugin Boutiques very own BigKick 1.7
multiple files. www.izotope.com search options, special pattern two channels, input filters and update. Theres also Rob Jones taking us
DEMO//SOFTWARE actions and more. audio bit reductions modulated through some top tips using Ableton Lives
AAS OBJEQ DELAY www.feelyoursound.com by two LFOs. Bit Fluzer has been
Simpler to add easy pitch modulation to
(PC, MAC) FULL//SOFTWARE specially built to support the main
BRAINWORX BX_ motives of repair.org. your samples, and then in Ableton Sampler,
A creative delay unit with unique
filtering options via acoustic object SUBFILTER (PC, MAC) www.nusofting.liqihsynth.com we explore some useful looping techniques
models. Objeq Delay has modulator Add clarity and definition to the for vocals.
type effects, drum-track layering, low-end of your track with this Web www.loopmasters.com/loopplus
one-shot re-crafting, dynamic loop easy-to-use filter plug-in that uses
mangling and drones. a resonant, high-pass filter to
www.applied-acoustics.com clean up sub-frequency mud and
114 | June 2017 MAGAZINE
MT172.dvd page.For Print.indd 114 31/05/2017 15:30

Low Profile, High Impact
The AE2300 features a rugged, brass metal construction and low-profile
design, with the ability to handle high SPLs, and a transient response that far
exceeds typical dynamic microphones, along with a switchable low-pass
filter, making it ideal for live drums, guitar, brass and woodwind.
SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE
RUNS IN THE FAMILY
With nearly 70 years of audio expertise and innovation, AKG builds headphones to suit any application. From the new agship
K872 Master Reference headphones to the budget-friendly K72, each headphone extends the legendary AKG heritage of
superior performance. Massive custom drivers and optimized designs provide remarkable sound quality, while self-adjusting
headbands and premium earcups deliver total comfort even during long sessions. And meticulous craftsmanship and
component quality ensures maximum durability. AKG headphones enable you to make and hear music like never before.
To learn more, visit akg.com or your AKG dealer.
2017 HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated. All rights reserved. AKG is a trademark of AKG Acoustics GmbH, registered
in the United States and/or other countries. Features, specifications and appearance are subject to change without notice.
Designed and engineered in Vienna, Austria
TECHNOLOGY
Distributed in the UK and Ireland by Sound Technology Ltd | 01462 480000 | soundtech.co.uk | info@soundtech.co.uk

MusicTechMag JULY 2017

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DANNY AVILA MIKE HOWLETT THE 80S LEGEND FREE DVD!

GET HANDS-ON WITH

Create pulses in Logic

MT172.Cover.For Print.indd 1 01/06/2017 16:36

Mixing/Mastering/Logic Mark Cousins

Modern Production Marc JB

Andy Price Editor

New to Music Tech?

MAGAZINE July 2017 |3

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GET HANDS-ON WITH

4 | July 2017 MAGAZINE

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MT Issue 172 Full listings

AKAI MPC LIVE

& Heath and more 040 | Mike Howlett

DAW and Eurorack integration 052 | Live In Depth

102 Beginners Guide Part 1

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6 | July 2017 MAGAZINE

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FILL IN THE MUSICTECH

SURVEY, WIN PRIZES

Enter our survey, tell us what you think and what

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THE AGE OF REASON Propellerhead finally introduces

MAGAZINE July 2017 |9

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10 | July 2017 MAGAZINE

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Only UAD hardware and Apollo interfaces

run genuine analog emulations from Neve,

Ampex, Fairchild, Manley, Lexicon, and dozens

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MAGAZINE July 2017 | 13

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RIGHT: The other live

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ABOVE AND PREVIOUS PAGE: What is mastering?

20 | July 2017 MAGAZINE

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Find reflection points by getting

a friend to put a mirror on the wall:

where you see the speakers is

where sound is reflected to you

22 | July 2017 MAGAZINE

MT172.Master Feature.For Print.indd 22 01/06/2017 16:25

TYPICAL LOUDNESS LEVELS

50-80Hz Bass Tighten up the bass by giving a boost

200-500Hz Mids The sonic solidness in lead

500-1000Hz High Mids The body of many instruments