SOUND ON SOUND
Joining the growing market for one-box devices that combine audio and MIDI interfacing with control-surface functionality, Tascam's latest Firewire unit might be all you need for multitrack recording and mixing.
Yamaha's original Motif Rack was a fine-sounding, well-specified synth module, but it suffered from MIDI timing problems when reviewed in SOS. Two years on, we put the follow-up Motif Rack ES to the test...
Mindprint cram mic and line channel strips, monitor control, and talkback into a single desktop unit.
If you are attracted by the idea of Linux and open-source music software, but put off by the thought of installing it on your PC, there is another way: a bootable CD-ROM containing both the OS and all the software you need, ready to go.
This slimline rack processor makes CEDAR's latest class-leading audio-restoration algorithms remarkably quick and easy to use.
Korg's Microkontrol was a highly versatile, yet compact MIDI controller — but perhaps, with its three octaves of miniature keys, it was too compact. The Kontrol 49 looks set to put that right with its four-octave, full-size keyboard.
Edirol have pioneered USB 2.0 as a format for connecting audio interfaces, and their latest unit offers 10 inputs and 10 outputs, plus high resolution, at a price that compares well with Firewire alternatives.
Roland's innovative V-Synth can now be reprogrammed with a RAM card, effectively turning it into another instrument. The VC1 card turns the clock back to 1987, perfectly recreating the S&S tones of the Roland D50.
Astonishingly, Reason is now over four years old! Version 3 adds performance-enhancing features and mastering facilities, losing only Mac OS 9 support on the way. We bring you the first UK review of the full release version.
The original 3U monster that was the SST282 Space Station has been reissued by Seven Woods Audio as this small desktop unit. Not content merely to offer all the classic sounds, though, the new incarnation has a number of fresh tricks up its sleeve...
JBL's new monitors incorporate Room Mode Correction technology which claims to be able to reduce the bass problems caused by standing waves at the listening position. But does it really work in practice?
Four new sample collections under review: Apple Jam Pack 4: Symphony Orchestra **** • Sonic Boom Box **** • Downbeat & Leftfield **** • Platinum Essentials *****
Apple have long been criticised for charging a premium for their products, making the Mac platform a more costly choice than the alternatives. With the newly released Mac Mini, Apple hope to change this perception, but is there enough Mac in the Mac Mini to make it useful for musicians?
Large-diaphragm mics don't have to be bulky and unwieldy, as this compact new contender from Audix demonstrates.
You probably know Allen & Heath as a studio mixer manufacturer, but they also specialise in high-end DJ mixing and processing. Now they have combined their studio and DJ expertise into a multi-mode analogue filter with sophisticated MIDI control.
So how is your plug-in band coming on, then? With a combination of Steinberg's Groove Agent and Virtual Guitarist plus Yamaha's Vocaloid, all that is required is a bass player. Enter, stage left, Bornemark's Broomstick Bass...
A new plug-in bundle from Dutch developer Audio Ease brings together three unique sound-shaping tools.
Absynth has always dared to be somewhat different to other software synths, and version 3 continues the grand tradition, with new effects, built-in frequency-shifting, and surround processing options.
Version 5 of Acid Pro is the first major upgrade under the Sony Media Software badge, and has taken two years to arrive. Does it keep pace with other manufacturers' loop-sequencing packages?