SOUND ON SOUND
Dave Stewart is an English keyboardist, composer, producer and author who started his career as a band member in the early 1970s. Since 1981 he has made 'pop music for grown-ups' with singer Barbara Gaskin, releasing seven albums on the duo's own Broken Records label and performing live in Japan, USA and the UK. He has also written TV & film music and created string and choir arrangements for various artists.
Dave is the author of two music books: The Musician's Guide To Reading & Writing Music (Backbeat 1992) and Inside The Music (Backbeat 1999). He has written for Sound On Sound (while resting between engagements) longer than any of us care to remember.
Gary Garritan's powerfully expressive solo violin instrument features some impressive technical innovations. Will it create a new generation of virtual Paganinis?
Having served up convincing hardware emulations of the legendary Minimoog and Prophet V analogue synths, Creamware turn their attention to the mighty Hammond B3 organ.
The Vienna Symphonic Library are well known for their amazingly detailed collections of orchestral sounds, and now they're providing them as virtual instruments. Will this take the VSL concept to a new audience, or is it a step too far?
East West and Quantum Leap's Symphonic Orchestra was one of the largest orchestral libraries ever released, at 19 DVDs for the full edition. However, it still wasn't enough for some people — so East West have released this 18-disc expander set...
Creamware's Minimax ASB (the company's hardware recreation of the Minimoog) won over the critics — can they repeat the winning ASB formula with Sequential Circuits' Prophet 5 synth? Synth wizard Dave Stewart is your guide...
The addition of woodwind and percussion libraries rounds out Sonic Implants' Complete Symphonic Collection, bringing their three-year symphonic project to a close.
While the sampling world has warmly embraced the drive towards superb sonics, Dagenham-based Worsesounds have made their mark with cheap-but-cheerless sound libraries aimed at the undiscerning...
Big Fish Audio First Call Horns • Best Service Galaxy Steinway 5.1• Big Fish Audio London Solo Strings • Tascam Larry Seyer Acoustic Drums
We check out more sample libraries on the block: Analog Archive ***, Cycles ****, EZ Rollers **** and Notre Dame de Budapest *****
Three sample libraries get the aural review treatment from the SOS samplists: Stylus RMX SAGE Expanders***** VSL Opus 2 ***** Drum Werks Volume 5****