SOUND ON SOUND
Time was when synths weren't all weedy presets and wheyfaced copies of real instruments. Regular SOS contributor Paul Nagle is living off his memories...
A monosynth that doesn't cost monopoly money? Paul Nagle thinks Waldorf's new Pulse offers the most fun you can have with your presets off...
This unconventional sequencer program aims to let musicians work like musicians rather than computer programmers, and has already met with an enthusiastic response in its original Mac version. Paul Nagle hand-picks his virtual musicians and gets jamming.
Windows users looking for comprehensive and professional editor/librarian support for their MIDI instruments may not need to look any further. Paul Nagle perks up his patches with Unisyn.
Following on from last year's modular MSR2 synth, Marion Systems' new stand-alone Pro Synth seeks to capture the analogue sounds of yesteryear in module format, without recourse to sample-based synthesis techniques. Paul Nagle lends an ear.
Two of Yamaha's most recent products, the MU50 synth module and the CBX-K1 mini keyboard, are designed to compliment each other as the nucleus of a budget, GM-compatible music-making setup.. Paul Nagle evaluates the pair, and considers the potentially confusing role of Yamaha's XG MIDI format...
With such a huge market to aim at, no software house can ignore the PC musician. Paul Nagle checks out Emagic's latest upgrade for Windows workers.
Paul Nagle takes home a version 2.0 Microwave and discovers why this extraordinary instrument continues to enjoy such a long and illustrious life.
A synth editor program for your computer can expand your synthesis horizons and encourage you to discard those presets in favour of original creations. But what if you have more than one synth — surely it's going to cost a fortune buy an editor for each? Not necessarily, as Paul Nagle finds out.
Paul Nagle looks at adding MIDI and sounds to your PC setup.