October 2003 In This Issue
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Competition WIN Magix Samplitude Professional 7 Deadline: 2003-11-21 Magix Samplitude is an all-in-one audio workstation in a software package. The program has all the necessary facilities for professional-quality recording, mixing, signal processing, mastering and post-production duties, and can even handle full Red Book-compatible CD mastering. Reviews Modelling Preamp Behringer's cost-effective take on amp and cabinet modelling and effects is now available for bass players Book Review One of the most famous mastering engineers in the world has written the definitive work on mastering, and in the process has created an indispensable resource for anyone working with audio. PC Soundcard Creative Labs have updated their popular Audigy 2 soundcard, improving its audio performance and adding new features. Firewire-based Recording System For Mac & PC If you fancied the well-specified, Firewire-based I/O of Digidesign's Digi 002 but didn't need its control surface functions, you now have a cheaper alternative in the shape of the Digi 002 Rack. Direct Sound Extreme Isolation Headphones Headphones Direct Sound Extreme Isolation Headphones are designed to offer more isolation than ordinary closed-back models. Miniature Condenser Mic Kit This affordable miniature mic from one of the top names in condensers can neatly solve a variety of common recording problems. Focusrite Platinum Twin Trak Pro Dual Recording Channel The newest addition to the Platinum range offers a variety of useful tools for the computer-based home studio owner. Sample Library • Bombay Loops & Sounds * Score = 4 PCI-based Audio Interfaces For Mac & PC MOTU's range of PCI audio interfaces is based around a single PCI card, with three different rackmounting units offering combinations of analogue and digital I/O. Modular Software Synth For Mac & PC Native Instruments' flagship modular software synth has now reached version 4, dispensing with the dongle copy-protection that bothered v3 owners, adding many user-friendly features and allowing even greater scope for personalising your patches. Software Synth For Mac & PC Have they gone soft? Well, yes! Widely admired for their hardware synths, Novation have now taken the bold step of releasing a software plug-in synth. But is it the wave of the future, or a software pirate's delight? Synth Workstations Despite the synth-spangled history of the company, it's been many years since a Roland product ruled the high-end keyboard roost, and 2001's Fantom workstation failed to change this. However, there's much more to the new Fantom S than one extra letter... Recording Channel This deceptively simple recording channel incorporates some very clever circuit design to overcome many of the potential limitations of this type of unit. Active Monitors These two-way active monitors provide an upfront sound suited to pop, rock or dance music, at an affordable price. Reprogrammable DSP-based Instrument Times change. When announced in 2001, the Chameleon, a reprogrammable DSP unit, looked out of date compared with the software studio concept. But with piracy rife, and software companies being bought out everywhere, the idea of reprogrammable, unhackable hardware now seems quite timely... USB Audio & MIDI Interface For Mac & PC The baby of Tascam's US range of interfaces dispenses with its big brothers' control faders, but does boast stereo audio I/O with phantom power supplied over USB, as well as MIDI I/O. TC Electronic Powercore Firewire Integrated Effects Unit For Mac & PC TC's plug-in powerhouse is now available as an external Firewire-connected rack unit. | People + Opinion Leader SOS Editor-in-Chief Paul White provides another virtual discourse whilst waiting for some MDF panels and acoustic foam to set... Recording Reality For the 2002 album Heathen, David Bowie and Tony Visconti revived one of the greatest artist/producer partnerships in pop history. Following the success of that project, the duo have again worked closely together on Bowie's new album Reality. The White Stripes Liam Watson went against the grain to build a studio with the retro sound he loved. And now that sound is back in fashion, he's had a number one album with the White Stripes. The Man Who Invented Rock & Roll With the death of producer Sam Phillips, the music industry has lost one of its greatest pioneers. In an interview given towards the end of his life, he looked back on his work with greats like Elvis Presley, Howlin' Wolf, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash, most of whom were unknowns before they signed to his Sun Records label. Technique Apple Notes The jungle drums are beating once again this month, as Apple begin shipping G5 Power Macs, and we take a closer look at Soundtrack, Apple's Acid-like loop-based music production tool, which is now available as a stand-alone product. MPG demo judgement Business End enables you to have your demo reviewed by a panel of producers, songwriters, musicians and managers. This month's industry panel is drawn from the MPG (Music Producer's Guild). Choosing A Portable PC For Music PC Musician The attractions of making and recording music on a laptop computer are obvious, but choosinga laptop can involve you in performance compromises and compatibility problems. Here's what you need to consider if you are thinking of going mobile. Steinberg Cubase Tips & Techniques The Drum Editor has been a part of Cubase for over 10 years now, and in this month's Cubase Notes we investigate its latest incarnation within Cubase SX, as well as bringing you news of a major update to Steinberg's popular sequencing software. Reader Recordings Analysed The Doc offers his diagnosis and cures for another batch of reader-submitted meisterwerks. Digital Performer Notes The news that Waves' range of quality plug-ins is now available for DP adds to the activity in an already interesting month for Digital Performer users — despite a delay in the release of 4.1. Getting Your Studio Sound Live Going Live Thinking of taking your carefully-crafted studio creations to the masses? In which case, here's how to make sure your sound survives the transition to the live arena. Synth Secrets As we saw last month, there's much to synthesizing a convincing flute sound — and yet basic analogue monosynths have offered reasonable flute patches for 30 years. Surely the process can be simplified? Sonar Notes There's more to plug-ins than audio, as we discover when digging deep into the world of MIDI plug-ins and effects. Gordon Giltrap The SOS team visit the West Midlands, where Gordon Giltrap's home studio needs help, nestling as it does in the shadow of one of the UK's most powerful TV and radio transmitters. Logic Notes Logic has a number of simple synths built in, and they're surprisingly useful if you know what you're doing, so here's some advice on getting the best out of each one. Plus there's a bumper crop of sequencing tips to make your sessions faster and more productive. Digidesign (Avid) Pro Tools Tips & Techniques Pro Tools 6.1 adds ReWire support for both TDM and LE users. Here's a look at what it is, how it works, and how to get the best out of it. Using Your Sequencer's Filter Plug-ins Sequencer Filters Masterclass Filters are at the heart of many of the weirder sequencer plug-ins, so this month we check out what each one has to offer, and how you can obtain weird and wonderful sounds for your mixes. Modern Vocal Processing In Practice A new generation of vocal processors, and a new generation of engineers, confront the possibilities and ethics of digital vocal manipulation. PC Notes It's a fair bet that many Windows XP musicians don't even know they have a page file, let alone where it is or what effect it could have on their recording. We reveal all. Music Business
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