July 2003 In This Issue
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Reviews Laptop Computer With the largest screen ever featured on a portable computer, Apple's flagship laptop would be tempting even if it didn't offer lots of musician-friendly features such as versatile connectivity and quiet operation... Virtual Modular Synth For Mac & PC For their latest software instrument, Arturia have taken on the tough job of modelling a modular synth — and it's the granddaddy of them all, a Moog modular... Switched-on software or spaghetti junction? We find out. Phantom-powered Valve Microphone This ground-breaking new tube mic design can run directly from phantom power. But how does it sound? Active Monitoring System Blue Sky provide their innovative speaker technology, first seen in the Sky System One, in a new and more compact system. Instrument-modelling Hardware Synthesizer Software instruments are flexible, upgradeable, and frequently offer better user interfaces, while hardware offers better tactile feedback and is easier to use live. But what if you could combine the plus points of both? Enter the Noah... PCMCIA Headphone Output For Laptop Computers Your laptop computer probably already has a headphone output - but does it offer low-latency 24-bit ASIO, GSIF, MME, Direct Sound and Core Audio drivers? Echo's Indigo does. Modelled Electromechanical Tonewheel Organ Synthesized, sampled, or modelled, the Hammond B3 tonewheel organ has inspired many imitations over the years. Now, for 15 thousand pounds, you can own Hammond's attempt at recreating the original. How close have they come? We consider this year's Model... Loop-based Music Production Software For Windows Making Waves have been developing their eponymous looping software to include new features such as VST Instrument support and high sample-rate recording, while retaining its core virtues of simplicity and low hardware requirements. Soundcard For Mac & PC RME have added MIDI I/O and extensive DSP facilities to their well-regarded Hammerfall digital soundcard. Will the new Hammerfall DSP keep its place as a benchmark for audio interface design? Sample Library Cinematix Vol. 1: 3* Mac & PC Notation Software For Guitarists Sibelius Software have won over the classical music community with their well-regarded score-writing software. Can their new G7 package do the same for guitarists? Virtual Drummer VST Instrument For Mac & PC If you don't fancy programming drums from scratch, but you find pre-recorded drum loops too inflexible, perhaps what you need is Steinberg's virtual drummer... Software Studio For Windows Synapse Audio's Orion is now supplied platinum-coated and, with only a modest price rise over the Pro version, is also available in a cardboard box. CD Guitar Trainer Tascam's colourful new CDGT1 lets you easily practice playing or singing alongside your favourite CD. | People + Opinion Recording Blur, Tom McRae & Elbow Blur's latest album has taken the band 18 months to make, commuting between London, Devon and Morocco. Somehow, producer Ben Hillier also found the time to produce new records by Elbow and Tom McRae... Recording Rappers In The SoHo Grand Hotel A gaggle of famous MCs, a star of the extreme sports world, and a laptop recording setup in a hotel bedroom: could the MuskaBeatz project show the way ahead for rap music? Will Gregory: Recording Black Cherry It seems that almost everyone who's heard Goldfrapp's debut album Felt Mountain has fallen under their spell. Now the duo have returned with a second, Black Cherry, and a harder, synth-based sound. Too Many Hooks Spoil The Broth There are very few hit records or classic albums that couldn't have been made using 24 tracks or less, and where more tracks were used, it's often the case that the drum kit and unused vocal takes accounted for over half of them. These days, with virtual tracks at our disposal, alternative takes cost us nothing. SOS Editor-in-chief Paul White proffers more words of wisdom... Recording Solomon Burke's Don't Give Up On Me S Husky Hoskulds The success of soul legend Solomon Burke's comeback album is a testament to the virtues of keeping things simple in the studio. Using Real Drummers We can argue about copyright ownership until the cows come home, but the real issue is not who owns it, but who played it? Technique Construct your own matrix sequencer Logic Notes Re-live the hardware of the early synth pioneers this month, as we show you how to construct your very own matrix sequencer in the Environment. MediazGo; Window Media Centre Edition; NAB This month we investigate two new technologies from Microsoft that could change the way we use audio and video for entertainment; plus, as video becomes more pervasive in the music technology market, we look at some of the latest announcements from NAB. Digidesign (Avid) Pro Tools Tips & Techniques The subject of clocking in digital audio systems is often a hazy area of understanding among us users, perhaps because we've been turned off by propellerheads who love arguing about it. Here's what you need to know in Pro Tools from a practical angle. PC Musician Few things are more frustrating than unwanted clicks and pops in your recorded audio. But what are the main causes, and how can they be eliminated? Freeze Tracks; AUs; Audio Hijack Pro; Rax Digital Performer Notes More on DP4 and OS X this month, including the new 'Freeze Tracks' feature... IDE Drives For Music - RAID Arrays Macintosh Speed Tests Traditionally, SCSI drives give high sequencer track counts while IDE drives are more affordable but perform less well. Can you obtain better Mac sequencer performance and save money by using multiple IDE drives? We present some evidence... Identifying & Solving Mains Supply Problems In The Mains Most of us never have trouble with the electricity in our studios — but as with everything we take for granted, fixing problems can be difficult when they do arise. We look at some of the main problems and solutions. Steinberg Cubase Tips & Techniques This month we take another look at Cubase's Macro facility and discuss a selection of examples for adding some rather neat features to the program. Using Your Sequencer's Delay Effects Although delay can be one of the most simple studio effects, software delay plug-ins often provide a bewildering array of options. So we take a look at what all the sliders and switches do, and provide advice on how best to use them. Allan Murrell This month the intrepid SOS team travel to Wigan to address Allan Murrell's recording, monitoring and mixing problems. Articulation & Bowed-string Synthesis The skilful articulation of a synthesized string patch can improve it no end, even one created using very basic building blocks, as we saw at the end of last month. But we can take this approach much further... Tweaking Extensions To Boost System Performance Apple Notes It's history in OS X, but extension management is a subject every OS 9 user has to deal with. This month, we offer some final advice on the subject and see if tweaking extensions really can boost your system's performance. Use Old Computers As Standalone Effects & Instrument Racks PC Notes This month we offer a few suggestions about using your old computers as stand-alone effects and and instrument racks, and look at a utility to remap incoming MIDI velocities. |
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