Reviews
Digital Audio Workstation [Mac/PC] The challenge was to add yet more features to Live without compromising its legendary ease of use. Have Ableton succeeded?
Active Ribbon Microphone Some microphones ooze quality to the extent that price almost becomes unimportant. Is AEA’s new active version of the venerable RCA 44 design one of them?
Rackmount Synthesizer Workstation Arturia’s first true hardware synth aims to let you conveniently create your own modular system from modelled components of some of the best-loved analogues of all time. How well does it realise this ambitious goal?
Guitar Amp & Effect Simulator Fractal Audio’s Axe-FX is the guitar processor with ’80s looks and 21st-century power!
Cardioid Dynamic Microphone Listening to the sound from this extraordinary dynamic mic, you might be forgiven for thinking it was a ribbon or a condenser.
Firewire Audio Interface The Ionix FW810S comes with built-in Lexicon monitor reverb and onboard Dbx dynamics and EQ. So does all this DSP add up to a genuine USP?
Guitar Modelling Processor In true Line 6 tradition, they’ve followed their Pod X3 and X3 Live processors with a rackmount professional version, the X3 Pro, which has enhanced I/O and a few capabilities not provided on the standard ‘kidney’ or X3 Live floor-unit versions.
Groove Workstation NI’s hybrid hardware and software beat machine promises the best of both worlds. Does it deliver?
Controller Keyboard The updated SL range rejoices in touch-sensitive knobs and sliders, and in Novation’s ingenious Automap technology.
Reviews • D16 Silver Line
• Sonic Charge Synplant
Multi-band Dynamics Plug-in For Mac OS Pro Audio DSP’s first product is a novel dynamics plug-in, with applications ranging from de-essing to loudness maximising.
Active Monitors Ribbon tweeters can yield a smooth sound, while still capably reproducing transient detail — and the Pro Ribbon range promises to do so for an attractive price.
Multi-format Sample Library
Dummy Load & Speaker Emulator
Modular Preamp & Processor System Sound Performance Lab have developed an enviable reputation for their hardware products, and now you can buy more for less with their modular rack system.
Drum-replacement Software [Mac/PC] Need to use samples to rescue a dodgy drum recording? Toontrack’s neat utility will generate MIDI hits and map them to the virtual instrument of your choice.
Amp Modelling Software & Foot Controller Waves have made a rare foray into the world of hardware with the GTR Ground, designed to give hands-free control over their Guitar Tool Rack software amp simulator.
Multi-format Sample Library
Portable 24-bit Recorder The H4 remains one of the most flexible of the current crop of portable 24-bit recorders, but Zoom have found plenty of room for improvement — and, more importantly, they’ve used it.
Competition
Sound Advice
| People + Opinion
Leader Paul White proffers more thought-engaging words.
Producing The Way I See It Artist and producer Raphael Saadiq has channelled his love of classic soul records to create something convincingly vintage, yet fresh-sounding and alive.
U2 : 'No Line On The Horizon' The sessions for U2’s No Line On The Horizon took the idea of spontanaeity in the studio to new levels. Engineer Declan Gaffney was the man charged with creating order from apparent chaos...
Mike Senior The end of the iPod era?
Ronald Prent, Darcy Proper & Wouter Strobbe: Blu-Ray Audio Few artists so far have taken advantage of the Blu-Ray format’s potential to deliver stunning audio quality. A concert film by Dutch metal act Within Temptation shows what’s possible.
Technique
Educational Training in GarageBand With the latest version of GarageBand, Apple have become the first company to integrate educational training into music-creation software. But is this merely a simple gimmick, or a powerful new way of learning to play an instrument?
Producer: John Lennon • Engineers: Roy Cicala, Shelly Yakus Engineer Roy Cicala worked on all of John Lennon’s albums from Imagine onwards, and in ‘Whatever Gets You Thru The Night’, recorded the only solo number one hit single of Lennon’s lifetime.
Logic Notes & Techniques You'll be surprised at how cheap and easy it can be to enhance the usability of your Apple Logic setup with a touchscreen.
Cubase Notes & Techniques If you want something to spice up rhythm-guitar loops to use in your funk and dance tracks, Cubase has just the Tonic
Hear For Yourself Links to audio files that accompany the SOS JUNE 2009 Cubase article, for newsstand/bookstore readers who do not have eSub-access to the main web article.
Digital Performer Notes & Techniques The ability to move around your project quickly and easily, making fast and accurate selections for editing, can take much of the pain out of music production. We round up some of the best power-user shortcuts.
Sonar Notes & Techniques Now that Dimension Pro is included with Sonar 8, it’s time to investigate how to exploit it beyond the usual sample-playback functions.
Part 2: Installation & Session Basics Our short series on getting started with Pro Tools continues with some advice on configuring the software and your first Sessions.
Sound Workshop Beefing up bass parts played on guitar and importing GarageBand songs into Logic are among the challenges for Mix Rescue, as we add some spice to Adam Bevan’s mix.
Hear For Yourself These audio files are presented in both MP3 (for auditioning) and AIF, for more serious critical listening and comparison in your DAW software.
Time for an Upgrade? If you’ve built your own music PC in the last couple of years, you might now be finding that aspects of it need upgrading. PC Notes offers some advice.
Home recordings We lend some practical studio advice to a seasoned pro guitarist who is rather newer to the world of songwriting and home recording.
Music Business
TV Music From The Inside There’s learning, and there’s education. And when it comes to music technology, the two aren’t always connected, believes Paul Farrer.
The World Of The Remixer Remixing is a modern phenomenon that has turned into a viable way for hi-tech musicians to make money from their skills. But how do you get heard, how do you land a job, and how much should you charge to do it? We get you started with the insider’s guide.
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Gear Reviews
