SOUND ON SOUND
This ADAT-equipped preamp offers one-knob compression on every channel.
With its ability to deliver anything from super-subtle saturation to downright despicable distortion, could this be the only valve preamp you'll ever need?
Rebranded Waveform by Tracktion, is this long-established alternative ready to become a mainstream DAW option?
Swiss speaker gurus PSI have never failed to impress us with their technical innovations, and their latest model is no exception!
Rating: ***** 4/5 Stars. To create Randy's Prepared Piano, various objects and materials were used to alter the sound of the source instrument before it was recorded.
The Crucible is described as a ‘curved metal and cymbal synthesizer’ and although it is entirely digital, the sound may have you believing otherwise.
Emerging from the mists of time comes the rejuvenated Fantom, Roland's new flagship workstation synthesizer. Available in three models: Fantom 6 (61 keys), Fantom 7 (76 keys) and the 88-key Fantom 8.
Rating: ***** 5/5 Stars. It's perhaps not surprising that electronic keyboard sounds are a big part of the underlying sound set. However, these also include synths, ambient noises, attack sounds and various drones.
NI's Massive X isn't just an update, it's a whole new synth!
Rating: ***** 5/5 Stars. Ostinato Woodwinds delivers a much more focused vocabulary of less than a dozen motifs, ideal for minimalist rhythmic beds and pads.
X-PAN is a voltage-controlled mixer with crossfading, monophonic inputs and a stereo output.
Rating: ***** 4/5 Stars. Nearly 10,000 samples of a modern 10-string E9 pedal steel were taken for this appealing virtual instrument...
Now boasting Mackie's highly regarded Onyx preamps, the newest mixers in the ProFX range offer much to tempt musicians on a budget.
Origin Effects have distilled the essential features of their wonderfully versatile RevivalDrive into this single-channel Compact version.
Riffer is a randomising MIDI melody generator plug-in from AudioModern and is available as a VST/VST3/AU & AAX plug-in for Mac OS, Windows and as an iOS app.
Front DAW is a very affordable analogue console emulation plug-in for Mac and Windows, compatible with VST, VST3, AAX and AU hosts.
EastWest's Hollywood Pop Brass does exactly what it says on the tin.
If your music-making workflow is centred on an iOS device, you can now pick up FabFilter's plug-in suite in app form for a fraction of the price of their desktop counterparts.
Fresh from recreating the CS80, Black Corporation set their sights on another classic polysynth...
Max 8 sees Cycling '74 enhance both multi-channel audio and JavaScript support, among many other improvements.