Reviews
40 Years Of Gear
The History Of Korg: Part 2 In the 1980s and early Õ90s, with Yamaha's help, Korg expanded dramatically, producing some of the first affordable digital recorders and physical-modelling instruments. But it was their world-class synths, such as the M1 and Wavestation, that made them the company they are today...
Bitheadz Unity Session
Bitheadz Unity Session Software Sampling & Synthesis Workstation For Mac Soft-sampling pioneers Bitheadz have created an all-embracing suite of Mac applications to handle sampling, virtual synthesis and more.
BLUE Baby Bottle
Cardioid Condenser Microphone BLUE's newest hand-built condenser mic is their most affordable yet, and continues their tradition for striking styling. But does it sound as good as it looks?
Cutting Edge
Vectors This month we explore the possibility of describing music using an approach similar to vector-based graphics.
K+H O 100 & O 800
K+H O 100 & O 800 Active Monitors & Subwoofer A versatile and cost-effective modular system which can cater for stereo and surround monitoring in both nearfield and midfield applications.
Korg KP2
Korg KP2 Kaoss Pad Dynamic Multi-effects Processor & Sampler Korg give their creative real-time effects processor a face-lift, adding new algorithms, extra sampling power, and tempo-matching facilities.
Metric Halo Mobile I/O
Metric Halo Mobile I/O FireWire Audio Interface Despite the obvious advantages of FireWire as an audio interface protocol, MOTU have had the market to themselves. Now, however, Metric Halo's Mobile I/O looks likely to threaten their dominance, offering true portability and built-in DSP mixing.
Plug-in Folder
Nomad Factory Blue Tubes VST Bundle Nomad Factory Blue Tubes VST Bundle Formats: Mac VST
Plug-in Folder
Ohm Force Hematohm Ohm Force Hematohm Formats: Mac VST, PC VST & DirectX, BeOS
Plug-in Folder
PSP Lexicon PSP42 PSP Lexicon PSP42
Formats: Mac VST, PC VST & DirectX, BeOS
Plug-in Folder
Universal Audio Nigel Universal Audio Nigel
Formats: Mackie UAD1 (PC/Mac VST & Mac MAS)
Roland MMP2
Roland MMP2 Modelling Mic Preamp This new front end from Roland combines two high-quality analogue mic preamps with digital EQ, dynamics, and physical modelling effects. Plus, you can choose to control it from its front panel or from a computer via USB.
Roland XV2020
Roland XV2020 XV Synth Module Designed to replace the JV1010 as Roland's entry-level synth product, the XV2020 is diminutive, affordable, and crammed with those great XV sounds. But what's it like to use?
Sonic Implants
Sonic Implants Symphonic String Collection The sampling world, still reeling from the impact of Garritan Orchestral Strings, faces a full-scale onslaught from a fresh challenger.
Sonic Synth
Sonic Synth Mac/PC Sample Library & Player Sonic Reality's new Sampletank-format library comes with a free player.
Steinberg Plex
Restructuring Synth VST Instrument For Mac & PC You may have seen the cheesy adverts for Plex (featuring, inexplicably, a cow), but they don't tell you much; it's actually a wholly new kind of VST software synth created by Wolfgang Palm of PPG/Waldorf fame. We explain why it's like no udder...
Tascam Pocketstudio 5
Tascam Pocketstudio 5 Portable Digital Studio Tascam's new Pocketstudio might not be quite what you'd call pocket-sized, but it does cram an MP3 digital recorder, a General MIDI sound module and comprehensive multi-effects into an impressively small space.
Tascam US224
Tascam US224 Control Surface, USB Audio & MIDI Interface For Mac & PC With their latest recording tool, Tascam aim to entice hobbyists away from their cassette multitrackers and onto their computers.
Viscount DB3
Viscount DB3 Digital Drawbar Organ Years after releasing their successful OB series of digital drawbar organs under the Oberheim brand, Viscount have updated their take on organ modelling with the new DB series. But the march of progress seems to have executed an abrupt about-turn...
Yamaha DM2000
Yamaha DM2000 Digital Mixing Console Using the same improved technology seen within the 02R96, Yamaha's DM2000 provides an upgrade path for those who need more channels, even more hands-on control, and the purest in mic preamplification.
| People + Opinion
Mike Oldfield
Mike Oldfield One of the UK's most successful instrumentalists, Mike Oldfield is now embarking on a pioneering attempt to combine music and virtual reality.
Rent
Playback | Readers' Music Reviewed
Sounding Off
The State Of Music Today It's always the music industry that gets blamed when people bemoan the state of music today; but maybe they shouldn't be so eager to point the finger...
The Avalanches
The Avalanches Darren Seltmann & Robbie Chater The Avalanches' acclaimed debut album Since I Left You is composed almost entirely of samples from other records - but there's nothing lazy or unimaginative about their approach to recording...
Technique
Clear Signals
Testing And Improving PC Soundcard Audio Performance An hour spent fine-tuning the performance of your soundcard can yield permanent improvements in background noise, distortion levels and frequency response.
Jaguar; Latency In OS 10.2
Apple Notes Continuing to explore the audio and MIDI facilities of Jaguar, this month we revisit the subject of latency and find out how it will affect Mac musicians in OS 10.2.
LEADER
What Makes A Good Studio? What Makes A Good Studio?
Logic Notes
v5.3 update; Sample Organisation for EXS24 Logic has finally made the transition to Mac OS X, but does the overall improvement in performance make up for the dropping of VST support? Plus, there's a look at the new v5.3 update, some advice on sample organisation for EXS24 users, and more of those handy tips.
Mod Delay
Digidesign (Avid) Pro Tools Tips & Techniques The Mod Delay series of plug-ins, included free with all Pro Tools systems, is the key to creating many classic effects.
Multiple Takes
Steinberg Cubase Tips & Techniques Recording multiple takes is something that musicians need to accomplish all the time when working on a track — so how do you work with multiple takes in Cubase?
Performer Notes
Search Multiple Criteria We continue to ask some Searching questions, and look at what to do when FreeMIDI is no longer enough...
Q&A
Is it possible to link multiple Tascam 788 recorders? Is it possible to link multiple Tascam 788 recorders? How can I move files between my computers? How do I use a degausser to demagnetise tape heads? What's the difference between the Sennheiser MD421 and MD421 MkII microphone? Can you suggest a good weighted keyboard? Can I copy vinyl to CD via an S/PDIF connection? Can I use my Logic plug-ins with another sequencer? How do digital errors affect the stereo image?
Sonar Notes
Automation Facilities; MIDI Troubleshooting Sonar's automation facilities are in the spotlight this month, with advice on how to accommodate different virtual instruments and how to implement advanced control groupings. Plus, there are tutorials on MIDI troubleshooting and creating custom drum loops, as well as another collection of practical tips.
Studio Installation Workshop
Studio Installation Workshop: Planning Your Studio Wiring Suffering from signal degradation or mains hum on your audio lines? The chances are that you're having problems with impedance matching or earth loops. However, with a little understanding and some careful planning, these gremlins can be successfully eliminated.
Studio SOS
Murat Yucel A special holiday edition of our hands-on troubleshooting column comes direct from sunny Turkey, where Paul White forsakes the beach to help Murat Yucel refine his band's recording setup.
Synth Secrets
Synthesizing Acoustic Pianos On The Roland JX10 As explained last month, synthesizing the sound of an acoustic piano is difficult, but it can be done reasonably realistically, as the 1986-vintage Roland JX10 shows. We find out how Roland managed it...
Using Reason: Part 1
Making The Most Of Propellerhead Software's Reason: Part 1 Propellerhead Software's flexible studio package can take you in all kinds of new creative directions if you know how to get the best out of it.
Using Tempo Changes
Sequencing Tips All modern sequencers make it easy to enhance your arrangements with subtle tempo variations, but these facilities are often ignored.
Windows XP Service Pack
PC Notes Just as musicians become acustomed to PCI cards, a replacement has already appeared on the horizon, in addition to the first service pack for Windows XP.
Music Business
On The Record
Running Your Own Record Label: Part 3 This series has already looked at the legalities of song ownership and how to make money from song publishing - but of course, as the head of your own label, you also make money from record sales. Like publishing income, however, it's not straightforward. We explain the basics...
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