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September 2018 Magazine Contents

SOS (US Edition) September 2018

Reviews: Universal Audio OX, Moog Grandmother, MOTU 828es, Lewitt LCT 441 Flex, Zoom F8n, Elektron Digitone, Focal Shape Twin, Output Arcade, Zynaptiq Intensity.

Techniques: KSHMR: Producing EDM, Inside Track: Beyoncé and Jay-Z 'Apeshit', Production Techniques Using Gates & Expanders, Artificial Intelligence & Music?

Reviews

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    Arturia Three Filters

    Formats: Mac & PC VST & AAX, Mac AU

    Billed as “three filters you’ll actually use”, Arturia’s plug‑in trilogy is modelled on the filter sections found in three...

    Reviews
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    Audio Sprockets ToneDexter

    Piezo Pickup Preamp & Microphone Emulator

    This ‘trainable’ convolution-based device promises to make your piezo-pickup signal sound like your own miked-up instrument.

    Reviews
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    Bereich03 Audio Delay

    500-series Analogue Delay

    This little module combines quiet, clean electronics with a characterful bucket-brigade delay line.

    Reviews
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    Best Service Celtic Era

    Kontakt Instrument

    Eduardo Tarilonte’s libraries always guarantee something special and unusual. Focusing heavily on instruments of ethnic origins and the past, they’re a goldmine for anyone scoring for movies, games or any music that needs a touch of magic.

    Reviews
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    Electro-Harmonix Oceans 11

    Digital Reverb Pedal

    Electro-Harmonix’s Oceans 11 reverb pedal offer you the classic Hall, Plate and Spring options, plus modulated reverbs, pitch-shifted reverb, reverb/delay, reverse reverb, a Shimmer patch, and an infinite reverb mode...

    Reviews
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    Elektron Digitone

    FM Synthesizer & Sequencer

    Elektron’s latest compact groove station takes a welcome new look at FM.

    Reviews
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    Focal Shape Twin

    Active Monitors

    Focal’s newest Shape-series speaker boasts a host of unusual design features — which combine to make an unusually good monitor!

    Reviews
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    Gothic Instruments Dronar Metal & Glass Module

    Kontakt Instrument

    Gothic Instruments have been wasting no time in adding to their list of sound modules for Dronar. At the time of writing, the release of Metal & Glass represents the eighth module within the series.

    Reviews
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    HH TNX-1581 & TNS-1800

    Active PA System

    We paired up HH’s premium Tessen-X speakers with two active 18-inch subwoofers — and tried them out at an outdoor festival.

    Reviews
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    IK Amplitube Leslie & T‑Racks Leslie

    Formats: Mac & PC VST & AAX, Mac AU

    IK Multimedia have launched a collection of Leslie cabinet emulations, designed in collaboration with Hammond USA and Suzuki...

    Reviews
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    Isla Instruments Kordbot

    MIDI Controller

    Is the Kordbot a chord generator? An arpeggiator? A MIDI controller? It’s all three...

    Reviews
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    Lewitt LCT 441 Flex

    Multi-pattern Capacitor Microphone

    Lewitt’s new mid-priced mic is a classy and versatile affair that acquits itself well on a wide range of sources.

    Reviews
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    Moog Grandmother

    Semi-modular Analogue Synthesizer

    Don’t be misled by the colourful panel and eccentric name — the Moog Grandmother is a serious and capable synthesizer.

    Reviews
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    MOTU 828es

    USB & Thunderbolt Audio Interface

    MOTU’s 828 series has been a valuable studio workhorse for nearly two decades, and the latest is the best one yet.

    Reviews
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    Output Arcade

    Loop Manipulation Instrument

    Output’s new subscription-only instrument offers creative loop manipulation and an ever-expanding library of sounds.

    Reviews
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    Spitfire Audio Grand Cimbalom

    Kontakt Instrument

    This large hammered dulcimer library runs on the full version of Kontakt 4.2.4 and higher (though not on the free Kontakt player), occupies 2.6GB of disk space and costs less than 50 quid.

    Reviews
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    Strymon Magneto

    Eurorack Module

    Strymon’s effect pedals are revered and rumours of Eurorack versions generated a degree of anticipation. The first module released is Magneto, an echo machine based on tape simulation, with four playback heads, phrase sampling, looping and a lush spring reverb.

    Reviews
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    The Cargo Cult Envy

    Format: Mac AudioSuite

    Envy is a pitch and modulation plug‑in designed to apply the characteristics of one sound to another.

    Reviews
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    The Sounds Of Star Wars

    Book Review

    Along with classic sci-fi films like War Of The Worlds (1953) and Forbidden Planet (1956), the Star Wars film franchise (1977...

    Reviews
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    Tiptop Audio Z-DSP (NS)

    Eurorack Module

    This stereo effects processor uses a cartridge system to provide a growing number of new effect algorithms and is Tiptop Audio’s 2018 update to a very successful digital Eurorack module first released back in 2009.

    Reviews
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    Toontrack EZKeys Dream Machine

    Multi-format

    To create Dream Machine, EZKeys engineers Mikael Stenberg and Viktor Hansson combined samples of a Fender Rhodes Mark 7 with those of a Schiedmayer Celeste, having discovered that the two instruments complimented each other extremely well.

    Reviews
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    Universal Audio OX

    Guitar Speaker Emulation System

    Don’t have a great-sounding room? Can’t turn your amp up to get the sounds you want? Want to turn down your speaker without sacrificing your tube amp’s tonality? Maybe this changes everything...

    Reviews
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    Wavesfactory Spectre

    Formats: Mac & PC VST & AAX, Mac AU

    This enhancer plug‑in can target specific parts of the audio spectrum, presenting a user interface that operates much like a five‑band, boost‑only parametric equaliser...

    Reviews
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    Wazinator Drop Kick

    Acoustic Stompbox

    Drop Kick uses a small pickup/mic underneath that amplifies the acoustic sound when you tap your foot on the ‘pedal’...

    Reviews
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    ZenAudio ALK2

    Live Looping Software

    By allowing for complex arrangements and the use of audio, MIDI hardware and software plug-ins and instruments, ZenAudio’s unique software platform breaks the boundaries of loop performance.

    Reviews
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    Zoom F8n

    Portable Multitrack Recorder

    Zoom’s original F8 impressed us enormously — and now they’ve made it even better!

    Reviews
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    Zynaptiq Intensity

    Detail Enhancement Plug-in

    A new ‘magic mastering’ plug-in from Zynaptiq promises to improve almost any mix, with minimal user input.

    Reviews

Techniques

Sound Advice

People

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    KSHMR: Producing EDM

    Niles Hollowell-Dhar

    Success as a songwriter didn’t fulfil Niles Hollowell-Dhar, so he reinvented himself as KSHMR to conquer the world of EDM.

    People
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    Paul White in his studio, 2017.

    SOS: Save Our Studios

    Leader

    Do you have studio issues that we might be able to help with and that could be realistically tackled in a day? Please get in touch...

    People
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    The Mix Review 0918

    Commercial Productions Analysed

    Brush up on your listening skills, as we dissect some hits from a recording and production perspective. This month: Portugal The Man, Lost Frequencies & Zonderling, Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa, Jay-Z and Run-DMC.

    People
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    Why I Love... Bandcamp

    Martin Walker

    Over the last few years, while so many musicians are bemoaning the death of their own CD sales and the singular lack of income...

    People

Music Business

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    AI & Music

    What Does Artificial Intelligence Mean For Musicians & Producers?

    Does AI threaten to put us all out of our jobs — or will it simply make us better at doing them? We talked to the developers leading the AI revolution in music.

    Music Business
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    Hyde Street Studios, San Francisco, USA.

    Off The Record

    Music & Recording Industry News

    Hyde Street Studios are under near-constant threat, but their owner’s enthusiasm and tenacity are prevailing.

    Music Business
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    Studio Tour: MØXE, Nashville

    Video Feature

    Multi-instrumentalist and producer Jordan Hamlin leads us on a tour of MØXE, taking in some ingenious and hand-made acoustic treatment, and she explains the design and ethos behind this unique, residential recording facility outside of Nashville, TN.

    Music Business
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    Trixx Studios, Berlin

    Studio File

    This central Berlin studio was founded in 1985 by musician, engineer and producer Klaus Knapp, who also worked at the famous Hansa Studios at the time...

    Music Business
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