Computer / Software

TC Works' neat Mac utility allows you to turn VST plug-ins into sophisticated multi-effects combinations.

Released last year as a web-only download from Rhizomatic, the ground-breaking Absynth is now part of Native Instruments' product line, and can be used as a VST instrument plug-in.

The useful range of Atari software from Cadenza includes the Web Wizard web site creation tool, and is now free.

Shareware can be just as innovative and feature-packed as its fully commercial equivalent — take FXpansion's ambitious DR-008 sampled/synthesized drum machine, for example...

The audio side of OS X receives a big boost with the release of the first major update, as does Islington's MacExpo, as Apple themselves decide to attend their first UK show for several years.

Even when you've installed the fastest processor you can afford and masses of RAM, your PC can still end up being slow and unresponsive. Here's what you can do about it.

Upgrading your ageing Mac's processor to extend its useful working life is an appealing concept, and there are plenty of processor upgrades on the market. But what effect do they really have on musical and recording applications? We tested eight of them to find out...

EXS24 and EVP88, two of Emagic's dedicated plug-ins for Logic, are now available in scaled-down form for VST-compatible sequencers. But what has been lost in order to make the instruments work as VST plug-ins?

An exclusive first look at Emagic's new Logic Control hardware control surface, and the eagerly awaited Version 5 of Logic - a powerful combination that takes the system to a new level of functionality

Sound Forge is a very popular PC audio editor, but users have waited a long time for 24-bit support. Now it's here in version 5, along with a bundle of new features and plug-ins.

Akai introduced AKsys some months ago, providing a USB-driven, computer-based control interface for recent S-series samplers. Now at v1.7, it is becoming indispensible for anyone fed up with managing their samplers via an LCD...

Find out just how long it takes to set up a musical environment on a Powerbook, and welcome the Melodyne pitch and time software to the world of OS X, as well as discovering how Microsoft broke QuickTime and Apple fixed it...

Few recent software products have stirred as much interest as Melodyne - a program offering unique pitch, time and formant-processing features, which was created not by one of the major music developers but by a maverick Bavarian musician and his software-designer friend.

With software from an independent German writer, your Atari could make music like Mozart, or just play back MIDI files for you...

There are lots of things to consider when building your own PC, especially when transferring the contents of your hard drives to the new machine.

There's nothing more disruptive to music-making than an unstable PC. Fortunately, there are many utilities and diagnostic tests available to help you resolve your problems.

The latest and greatest incarnation of MOTU's flagship Mac sequencer adds full surround mixing support among many other new features.

Can Steinberg's professional recording package make an impact in the Pro Tools-dominated Macintosh market? Sam Inglis finds out.

If you constantly find yourself playing the same old chord shapes, then the rather nifty Australian Chordwizard...

Software instruments are now becoming commonplace, but it's still an ambitious software developer who attempts to model an entire studio.

A little money spent on a hardware control surface for your PC can yield a dramatic improvement in ergonomics and ease of use. Martin Walker explores the options.