Computer / Software

We undertake the most comprehensive look at Apple’s M1‑based Macs from a musician and audio engineer’s perspective.

Recreating a studio monitoring experience on headphones just got simpler, courtesy of dSONIQ’s improved Realphones.

Let Neuratron take the misery out of copying musical notation.

Rating: ***** 5/5 Stars. Electric Vintage has been created around samples and performances from a vintage ’50s Fender Telecaster.

Hyperion is a hugely capable synthesizer with a complex modular heart.

Arturia’s soft synth gets bigger and better.

So far, monitor and headphone calibration systems have targeted music makers exclusively. Sonarworks’ SoundID aims to solve the problem of mix translation from the consumer end too.

The JD‑800 is the latest instrument to join the Roland Cloud.

Can GForce capture the character of the legendary Oberheim 8‑Voice in software?

Pipa is a wavetable and granular synth with a voice of its own.

The world’s not short of LA‑2A plug‑ins, but some are more convincing than others...

Newfangled Audio’s Generate soft synth embraces chaos...

Does Roland’s software Juno 60 capture the magic of the original?

Rating ***** 5/5 Stars. DEEP’s drum sample content and collections of drum pattern style sets give it a distinct musical flavour within the UJAM drum line‑up.

Pianoteq 7 introduces new morphing features and an even more realistic modelling engine.

UJAM and Hans Zimmer attempt to make creating professional string parts possible for everyone with Striiiings.

Is Apple’s new iPad Air the pick of the bunch?

V Collection 8 introduces new instruments and completely reworks some old favourites.

ZoneMatrix transforms a single instance of Kontakt into a multi‑instrument performance environment.

Sample Logic have teamed up with Red Room Audio to deliver a highly animated orchestral instrument.

Rating: **** 4/5 Stars.  This Kontakt‑based library comes with the subtitle Boutique Cinematic Guitars, and that captures the essence of what’s provided in the 6GB of sample content.