Computer / Software

If you fancy making music on the move, a laptop PC looks ideal. Martin Walker looks at some of the options. Norton Utilities Integrator; USB Tips.

Derek Johnson & Debbie Poyser find out how you can use the Internet for promoting, distributing and selling your music, and for getting it heard by the right people.

Is BIAS Peak the natural successor to the ageing Sound Designer II, or can the old dog still show it some tricks? Paul White finds out.

Digidesign's Pro Tools is undoubtedly a powerful system, and a hardware control surface such as the Gallery Production Palette can really help to unlock that power. Mike Collins just loves being in control...

Most MIDI sequencers now include some notation facilities, however, these fall some way short of the needs of the scorewriting professional. Arranger and conductor Mike Crofts checks out one of the few dedicated scorewriting programs.

This month sees Martin Walker meeting the men from Microsoft, burning CDs faster, listening to new SoundFonts and testing out utility software. Does he ever sleep?

Multiple inputs and software-based mixers allow both audio and MIDI signals to travel some convoluted routes inside the PC. Martin Walker untangles his virtual cables to how best to get them out at the other end.

Martin Russ brings you more information about Mac plug-ins, and downloads two Software Development Kits.

Studio management software, Cubase mixer maps, sounds and editor/librarian programs for a range of older synths are all up for grabs as an Atari developer posts his previously commercial work for free on the Internet. Derek Johnson tells you what's available and keeps an eye on the Atari news scene.

Tracking down the information you need on the Internet can be a joy or a nightmare, depending on whether you're idly browsing or desperately searching for a small specific piece of information. In this month's Net Notes, Martin Walker passes on a selection of basic tips to make browsing easier.

Pro Tools owners can now reap the benefits of a stack of vintage guitar amps thanks to a new plug-in from the masters of physical modelling. Paul White tunes up, plugs in and starts cranking up the virtual knobs.

The small and not-so-small time delays between a signal entering and then emerging from a computer soundcard can turn hard disk recording into a frustrating experience. Martin Walker leads us through the twists and turns of latency.

Newsgroups are one of the most valuable, yet one of the most neglected features of the internet — indeed, many people don't even know of their existence. Kevin Perry explains how to access them and what benefits they offer for musicians.

Collaboration between hardware and software developers isn't common in the world of PC music — but this month Martin Walker reports on several attempts to bridge the divide.

If you're still under the impression that the Celeron is a type of vegetable, now's the time to find out more. Martin Walker plugs in some new processors.

Less than £60 buys an Atari sample editor that's up there with new Mac and PC audio tools in terms of sound-manipulation potential. Derek Johnson puts his samples through the Squash It! mangle.

Just as the Universal Serial Buss arrives, the FireWire juggernaut sounds its horn and releases the air-brakes. Martin Russ boldly attempts to fight off the worst of the bad puns.

The complete virtual studio comes a step closer with sophisticated software sampling. Derek Johnson & Debbie Poyser look at a cross-platform program that aims to take sampling out of the rack and onto the desktop.

Yamaha's fine tradition of free product-support software continues with a Mac editor for their unique FS1R synth.

Audio software and PC soundcards are offering 20- or 24-bit recording capabilitiy at even more affordable prices — but whether the extra data on your hard disk will actually correspond to better sound quality depends on a host of other factors. Martin Walker tells you what you need to know when deciding if you should make the change.

The times are colourful for Apple Macs. Martin Russ looks at the new Bondi Blue G3 PowerMac, and then does some serious Thonking.