Computer / Software

Paul Sellars offers some advice on what musicians should look for when choosing Internet audio software, and introduces the best of the current slew of Windows applications.

Industrious Swedish company Propellerhead are well known for their virtual instruments, but now they've made an entire software studio. Derek Johnson & Debbie Poyser bolt a few virtual devices into the virtual rack...

When your studio just won't co-operate and there's no-one to turn to, the pool of knowledge and expertise offered by fellow web users can be a life saver. Chris Carter investigates troubleshooting on the open-all-hours Internet.

Many problems encountered when using PCs to record music are caused by MIDI or audio data not being delivered on time, or by its flow being interrupted. Martin Walker outlines some of the most common causes and symptoms, and tells you how to go about eliminating them.

Derek Johnson plugs a new, free online magazine for Atari users, and explores a composition tool with an interesting angle on film music production.

Paul Wiffen makes the world a safer place for Mac users, by recounting a cautionary tale from his first brush with the OS X Beta, and joins the faithful on their annual pilgrimage to San Francisco MacWorld show.

This month Martin Walker takes software samplers as his theme, offering advice about avoiding glitches when using them with other applications, and bringing news of a forthcoming sampling VST Instrument.

Hardly a week seems to go by without the announcement of another VST instrument, and virtual analogue software synths have been particularly common of late. But when a company like TC Works get involved, it's worth taking notice. Paul Ward plugs in...

Paul White's fast and furious with the new Wave Mechanics Speed.

An ADSL telephone line can improve the speed and convenience of Internet access enormously; and it needn't cost the earth. Dave Shapton passes on his experiences of the new technology.

Derek Johnson explores a way of creating exotic tunings with your Atari, and recommends a fresh source of shareware and freeware.

Martin Walker buys a new quiet hard drive for audio and looks into ways to eradicate any remaining noise, for a silent PC.

Paul Wiffen concludes his investigation into reliable means of audio interfacing on new-style Macintoshes when the traditional PCI card route is not available to you. This month, he tests two more USB audio-only interfaces, and reaches some definitive conclusins about Tascam's US428 MIDI and audio interface.

This month Paul Wiffen takes up residence as SOS's Apple expert. After relating his own Mac history, he turns Agony Uncle and addresses a few readers' problems...

Microsoft's latest operating system, although primarily designed for business and network systems, seems to offer many features that are attractive to musicians, including greater stability and support for dual-processor machines. But is there enough software support to make upgrading worthwhile? Martin Walker investigates.

Reflecting the growth in the number of VST Instrument plug-ins, as opposed to those designed purely for processing of effects treatments, established plug-in developers FXpansion have now produced DR005, a 'soft drum machine'. Paul Ward snares a copy...

Many of you were caught out by our 1995 April Fool preview of a fictitious piece of software that could modify the musical style of a MIDI file to create specific emotions in the listener. Now, however, it seems that fact may have caught up with fiction. Martin Walker tries out Ntonyx's innovative Style Morpher.

Martin Walker explains how to clear out all the drivers, utilities and Registry entries associated with an old, discussed soundcard, leaving you with a clean machine in which to install your new, upgraded hardware.

The idea of a virtually silent, compact and portable PC recording workstation has obvious attractions, and it is possible to build such a system around a laptop PC. Martin Walker explains the options available and how to avoid some of the many potential pitfalls.

Dave Shapton explores part of the MPTEG4 specification: Structured Audio, which allows music to be streamed with absolotely no loss of quality at extremely low data-rates. Is this the way that all media will be encoded in the future?

A Swedish soft synth is on the way, a New Zealand developer plans to introduce the Atari to the wonders of Ethernet, and US company Dr T's finest hour becomes shareware. Derek Johnson goes global.