December 2004 In This Issue
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Competition WIN Mackie 1620 Onyx Firewire Mixer Deadline: 2005-01-31 Fancy this fabulous 16-channel analogue mixer plus the Firewire digital card (total prize worth around £1150)? Enter our competition and you never know your luck! Reviews PREVIEW: Virtual Analogue Synthesizer It's back! And it's deadlier than ever! We get a first look preview of the next-generation Virus... Compressor Pedal This new optical compressor not only has a smooth sound, but also offers gain-reduction metering to help you set it up. Desktop Computer Apple's original iMac marked the beginning of a turnaround for the company, and despite the consumer-oriented nature of the product, iMacs have found a place in many a home studio over the years. With the iMac range finally inheriting a G5 processor, have Apple created the perfect entry-level machine for demanding Mac musicians on a budget? MIDI + Audio Sequencer (Mac OS X) The new version 7 of Logic is a huge upgrade which sees the program assimilated even further into Apple's product range, and adds some intriguing new instruments and networking features. Following last month's preview, here's the full lowdown... Software Music Studio (Mac/PC) Storm, the French software studio from virtual-instrument creators Arturia, keeps on improving. We check out version 3... Four-voice Analogue/Digital Synth & Sequencer 2002 saw the release of the Evolver, a quirky hybrid analogue/digital synth and sequencer from Sequential synth pioneer Dave Smith. Now he continues his renaissance with a four-voice polyphonic version that integrates neatly with the original. Dual Compressor/Limiter Despite being both smaller and lighter, this new compressor yields little in performance to Dbx's flagship 160SL. Drawmer 1968 Mercenary Edition Valve Compressor This new 1U rack from Drawmer offers their best-sounding compression yet. Active Monitors & Subwoofer Genelec update their popular 1000-series monitors, improving the technical specifications without losing the family sound. Sample Library Reviews/appraisals of the latest sample CDs: Computer For Music Production AMD's Opteron range of CPUs are popular with musicians and ready for 64-bit computing — so how does Inta Audio's Opteron PC compare with typical Intel machines? Universal Software Sampler (Mac/PC) MOTU's software sampler seeks to be accessible to everyone, irrespective of preferred platform, sequencer or sample format. Can Mach Five really be all things to all people? Native Instruments Elektrik Piano Sample-based VST Instrument (Mac/PC) For years it was instantly associated with smooth late-70s productions, and now the sound of the electric piano is enjoying a comeback. But just how good is Native Instruments' sample-based virtual version? Firewire 800 Recording Interface (Mac/PC) RME's Fireface 800 brings together all of the company's expertise in developing audio hardware for computers, mic preamps and converters into one highly desirable unit. But can you really fit so much functionality into one interface without cutting corners? TC Electronic Powercore Compact Integrated Effects Unit (Mac/PC) The latest addition to TC's Powercore range offers the convenience of Firewire connection at a bargain price, with some serious new plug-ins included. Singing Synthesis Software (Windows) Miriam Stockley is the first well-known singer to undergo the Vocaloid sampling technique, allowing anyone with a PC to install her as a virtual instrument. But how well does it work in practice? Sound Shaping Plug-ins (Mac/PC) If you are the kind of person who likes to accentuate the transients in their pitch-shifted recordings, before vocoding them and auto-doubling the results, Waves have the perfect plug-in bundle for you... Live Sound The Isle Of Wight Festival Sound Behind The Scenes The Isle of Wight Festivals of 1968-1970 attracted hundreds of thousands of music lovers, and after a long break the event is back. We talk to some of those who helped create the festival's sound, past and present. | People + Opinion
The Art Of Production Since emerging from the Liverpool music scene at the turn of the '80s, Ian Broudie has juggled parallel careers as an artist and a producer. He has a new solo disc in the shops, and with albums by the Coral and the Zutons riding high in the charts, his production services are in greater demand than ever. Leader Is the increasing use of digital music downloads starting to take effect on the art of mastering? Part 2: 1979-1985 This month, we see how Roland survived some tricky times at the start of the 1980s, and how founder Ikutaro Kakehashi ensured that they were well-placed to take advantage of technological developments over the following few years. Technique Digital Performer v4.5 First Look Digital Performer Notes MOTU recently announced the latest big update to Digital Performer, version 4.5. We offer a brief preview of some of the new features to come, as well as explaining how to use DP effectively with Ableton's Live. Logic — Live-style Tricks from Touch Tracks Logic Notes Have you ever coveted the real-time functions of Ableton's Live? In which case, you will be interested to know how you can simulate some aspects of Live in Logic using the Touch Tracks object? Sonar v4: Workflow Improvements Sonar Notes Not every new feature of Sonar 4 is a headline-grabber — there are many new facilities and tweaks to existing features that you might not initially notice, but which could make a big difference to your workflow. PC Notes The PCI standard has more ins and outs than you might be aware of. We attempt to sort them out, as well as highlighting a problem that can cause software authorisations to expire before their time. Richard X & Mark Vidler The craze for mashing up wildly different records to create illicit bootleg mixes has moved into the mainstream, and underground producers such as Richard X and Mark Vidler now find their services in hot demand from artists and record labels. Apple Notes There's no shortage of Apple news this month, including the release of new versions of Logic, a revision to the iBook line and a new, cheaper G5 model. Typical Home Studio Locations Buying a house is a big investment, so it's important to pick the right property, and if you are a recording musician you will probably want it to include a suitable space for a studio. We weigh up the pros and cons of different studio locations within a typical small home, and also look at the kind of work that each space might require to make it usable. CLASSIC TRACKS: The Cure 'A Forest' Producers: Robert Smith, Mike Hedges Mike Hedges made his 1980 debut as a producer with one of The Cure's most enduring singles. 'A Forest' and the accompanying Seventeen Seconds album used his and the band's creativity in the studio to the full. Reader Recordings Analysed Think your own music is good? Listen to these tracks from SOS readers and see if you agree with the good Doctor's prognosis... Steinberg Cubase Tips & Techniques We take a look behind the behaviour of Cubase's most common mixing controls, to show the many options beneath the seemingly simple surface. Digidesign (Avid) Pro Tools Tips & Techniques There's an outbreak of literary criticism in this month's column, as we take a look at some of the Pro Tools books currently doing the rounds. REX Loops: Substituting Sounds Reason Notes Ever loved the feel of a REX loop but disliked the drum sounds? Using Reason, you can steal the feel and substitute sounds of your choice... We show you how. Rob O'Neil A dodgy snare recording was just one of the problems facing Rob O'Neil at the mixdown stage, so the SOS dynamic duo (Paul and Hugh) visited his home studio to help him sort things out. The SOS Guide To Keeping Your PC Cool, Quiet, and Stable PC Musician Even a few degrees of extra heat inside your computer could damage your CPU and shorten the life of other components. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to bring down your PC's temperature while still ensuring the quiet operation you need in the studio. Sound Advice
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