September 2004 In This Issue
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Competition WIN Tannoy Reveal 5.1 Surround Monitoring system Deadline: 2004-10-30 The 5.1 monitoring system on offer in this month's competition comprises four Tannoy Reveal monitors, one Reveal X centre channel monitor and one 5.1 Sub15 active subwoofer, and is worth £1160. Reviews
Modelling Guitar Amp & Guitar
Loop-based Sequencer (Mac/PC) As a creative, stable and above all fun way of combining audio loops in real time, Ableton's Live has proved an ideal counterpart to Rewire-compatible applications such as Cubase. With version 4 offering a wealth of new features, including MIDI sequencing, could Live now replace traditional sequencers altogether? CV-to-MIDI Converter No, we haven't got that the wrong way around... it really is a CV-to-MIDI converter. But why would you want such a thing? Read on... Active Monitors The new baby in Behringer's Truth monitor range offers great value for money and sleek good looks, but how good do they sound? Music PC Computer specifications have changed radically in the three years since Carillon launched their first music PCs, but the company's signature metal rackmount case and attention to detail still sets them apart. Their powerful Core 4 machine offers support for three monitors, plus a huge 400GB RAID 0 hard drive array for audio data. Plug-in Suite (Mac OS X) If you are looking for effects and instruments to give your mixes a sideways slant, Cycling '74 might have just the thing... Firewire Audio & MIDI Interface (PC/Mac) Edirol's first foray into Firewire audio is a compact 10-in, 10-out device with microphone preamps, S/PDIF and MIDI. USB MIDI Controller Keyboard & Audio Interface There has been fierce competition over the past couple of years to create the ultimate portable MIDI controller for use with laptops. Edirol's PCR1 is one of the lightest and thinnest yet seen. Is it what we have all been waiting for? PC Soundcard Emu have already taken the market by storm with their range of affordable, high-performance soundcards, and their new stereo PCI card offers impressive features and audio specifications at a budget price. Sample Library Reviews/appraisals of the latest sample CDs: Modelling Guitar Extending the modelling approach they pioneered with the original Variax electric, Line 6 have now taken a shot at reproducing the sounds of different miked acoustic guitars. Almost completely immune to feedback, the Variax Acoustic will clearly be a hit in some live applications, but does it sound good enough to record? Mic Preamp & A-D Converter This stylish new eight-channel preamp and converter offers front-panel instrument inputs and M&S stereo decoding. (Mac/PC) Guitar Amp Modelling Software & Foot Controller The market for software that emulates guitar amplifiers is pretty crowded these days, but Native Instruments have found a new angle with a modular program that comes with a dedicated hardware controller and interface. Controller Keyboard, Audio Interface & Synth After releasing their Remote 25 MIDI controller keyboard, Novation released the Remote Audio 25, rapidly following it with the Remote Audio 25 Xtreme. Now, the X-Station has replaced both of these. Can we disentangle it from its convoluted beginnings? Condenser Microphone This innovative rectangular-capsule design aims to combine the desirable attributes of small- and large-diaphragm sounds. Real Traps Mini Trap & Micro Trap Acoustic Panels These acoustic panels not only offer sonic improvements over simple acoustic-foam treatments, but are also very easy to install. Synth Workstation Roland's original Fantom workstation wasn't really much competition for Korg's Triton, so it was no shock to see it revamped last year as the hugely improved Fantom S. But surprisingly, Roland have done it again. What's new this time around? Surround Recording System This system can record in mono, stereo, or any current or future surround format — using just one mic. Valve Compressor This new Ivory-series preamp and compressor combines the ease of presets with the flexibility of manual operation. Sampled Tonewheel Organ Plug-in (Mac/PC) Sampled tonewheel organ sounds have been around for many years, but more recently we have seen the arrival of modelled virtual tonewheel organs. Can a sample-based Hammond emulation still cut it? Classic Console EQ Plug-ins (Pro Tools) For all those Pro Tools users who pine for the sound of analogue EQ, URS have recreated the equalisers from three classic mixing desks. Multi-channel Convolution VST Reverb Plug-in (PC) Surround-capable reverbs don't usually come with a price tag of £100. However, nobody seems to have told Voxengo. So just how good is their Pristine Space PC VST plug-in? Live Sound One Drummer's Search For Perfect On-stage Sample Triggering Live Drum Triggering When the epic, studio-created drum sounds of the 1980s had to be translated to a stage setting, sample triggering from drum kits came to the fore &mdash and our man Gavin Harrison began his personal quest for the ultimate setup... | People + Opinion Readers' Tracks evaluated Hear the tracks while you read constructive comments from MPG (Music Producers Guild) members who assess the latest batch of SOS readers' submitted recordings. Dweezil Zappa: 64-bit Computing & The Frank Zappa Archive DAWs Of Future Past Frank Zappa produced a vast amount of recorded material during his career, often pushing both his musicians and the technology of the day to extremes. The task of editing, mixing and archiving these recordings is being undertaken by his son Dweezil, with the help of some cutting-edge computing hardware. The Synthesizer Performer As a member of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, a composer for film and TV and a performer in his own right, Jan Hammer helped to define the role of the synthesizer player in rock and jazz. Jim Sutherland: Producing Aberfeldy Mono Forever Recent years have seen a revival in back-to-basics recording techniques, but few engineers or producers have taken things as far as Jim Sutherland did with Edinburgh folk-pop band Aberfeldy... Leader Editor In Chief Paul White evaluates how best to define your music, and whether it is of commercial merit or not. Daniel James Online music: are we missing an opportunity to make audio distribution a better deal for musicians? Technique CLASSIC TRACKS: 'Anarchy In The UK' Artist: The Sex Pistols; Producer: Chris Thomas; Engineer: Bill Price When punk rock broke in 1976, the Sex Pistols caused panic in establishment Britain — and more than a few raised eyebrows in Wessex Studios, where Chris Thomas and Bill Price recorded the band's milestone EMI debut album. Analysis of Readers Recordings Think your own music is good? Listen to these tracks from SOS readers and see if you agree with the good Doctor's prognosis... Reason Notes We explore an advanced technique for creating "instant" tracks using Propellerhead's Reason software. Layering Sounds In Logic's Virtual Instruments Logic Notes Layering hardware sound modules to create new sounds is a simple matter, but things are not nearly as easy when you are working with virtual instruments in Logic. Here are a few useful workarounds. Steinberg Cubase Tips & Techniques Cubase SX's MIDI Device Manager provides a way of choosing patches and banks on your external MIDI hardware by name rather than by number. We look at how to create your own MIDI Patch Name Scripts to make this possible. Music PCs: Manufacturers' Round Table PC Musician Buying a music computer from a specialist builder is an increasingly popular option for the PC musician. We rounded up some of the leading names in music PCs to find out exactly what they offer. New Intel Chipsets: Good For Musicians? PC Notes Intel's latest chipsets are finding their way into new PCs — but do they offer any advantages to the computer musician? OS X Tiger; Cinema Displays; New iPods Apple Notes New Cinema displays, a new operating system upgrade, and a new iPod revision — all in this month's Apple Notes column. Pro gear vs. Project Studio gear Recording chamber music in Birmingham's Symphony Hall is not something you get to do every day, so SOS decided to make the most of the occasion by using two completely different setups, one based on professional equipment (manned by Hugh Robjohns) and one on project studio gear (operated by Paul White). The results were interesting... Digital Performer Notes This month we're feeling bouncy, as we explain how to use DP's facilities to mix down Projects into stereo files for CD burning, MP3 conversion or mastering processes. TV Composer David Lowe This month, we help television composer Dave Lowe transform a cavernous-sounding spare bedroom into a usable home studio. Digidesign (Avid) Pro Tools Tips & Techniques Digidesign's SampleCell products once had a huge army of users, many of whom still have well-loved sample libraries stranded in this format. We look at the options available to continue using these sample patches in Pro Tools. Sonar Notes We bring you yet more Sonar stratagems, including further adventures in envelope copying, some handy track tricks, and advice on using Arturia's Storm with Sonar. Music Business Paul Sanders of Consolidated Independent In the age of iTunes, if you want to sell your music, you have to be able to get it on-line. But to do this, you need to understand a ton of Internet technology. Does this man have the answer? Getting Your Music Heard Find out what you need to do — and avoid doing — if you want your demo to stand out from the crowd. Sound Advice
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BONUS REVIEW: Line 6 Vetta II & Variax Electric 700All Issues
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