As Internet and telecom companies flood the market with attractive-looking offers of 'free unlimited Internet access', many people have been left wondering whether there's any catch, and if not, then which one to choose. Dave Shapton sheds some light on these new services and puts the economics of free Internet access under the microscope.
Steinberg's VST Instrument technology allows software synths to be fully integrated into any VST 2.0-compatible host software, such as Cubase VST. The first major releases to arrive are both recreations of established analogue classics. Martin Walker tries them out.
How many radio stations can you pick up at home? Ten? Twenty? If you've got an Internet connerction, the answer is more like 3,000. Simon Trask explains.
The array of choices which confronts anyone trying to buy a new PC can be bewildering. Fortunately, as Martin Walker explains, there are retailers out there who can eliminate the hassle and uncertainty.
Antares' latest plug-in can, it is claimed, alter a recording made with one model of mic so that it sounds as if it was done with another. But can you really make any budget mic sound like a high-end classic? Paul White investigates.
Paul White checks out TC Works' Spark, a Swiss Army knife of a Mac editor that takes an entirely new approach to the use of VST plug-ins. It also offers sampler support and MP3 file creation, and its effects section can even run within other VST- and MAS-compatible software.
Fitting hardware upgrades to your PC should be comparatively easy, but sometimes not everything goes according to plan. Martin Walker guides you through the pitfalls.
Though the Mac platform is often ahead of the PC for musical applications, it used to lag behind in the race to provide professional MP3 software. Simon Trask tries out a new program which aims to restore the balance.