SOUND ON SOUND
**** 4/5 stars. Pretty much every form of mainstream percussion is represented here in this velocity-switched sample-plus-ambience collection.
The Voice One offers the second generation of TC-Helicon's pioneering modelling technology, along with powerful tools for manipulating and correcting pitch.
The Mellotron has had a chequered history, from '60s 'must-have' to '80s has-been, but it's survived bankruptcy and technological progress, and now it's back, in a brand-new, reworked form. We relate the story of this classic instrument, and see how the new version compares to the old.
4/5 stars **** Hollywood Edge market one of the largest sound effects libraries in the world on audio CDs; we check out two of their massive collection...
Edirol are best known for their desktop music products, but they're heading into the professional arena with the DA2496, a high-quality eight-channel audio interface with a PCI card and breakout box.
Do you prefer doing stereo recordings with two separate mics or with one dual-capsule mic? With their NT4 and NT5 models, Rode cater for both techniques.
***** 5/5 stars. Copious use of live performances and real percussion in these loops give them much more groove than you'd associate with a dance market library...
Access have managed to add some excellent features to their Virus synth in the past simply by upgrading its OS, but the march of progress means that a hardware revision is eventually necessary. Does the new Virus C do enough to keep up with the virtual-analogue crowd?
Does this preset-based dual-channel multi-effects processor produce a performance that belies its entry-level price?
5/5 stars ***** Based on samples taken from Ludwig and Sonor kits, Drumkit From Hell offers both the individual elements of a drum kit plus ready-made jazz and rock kits recorded to the highest audio quality.
Roland have enhanced the VGA monitor graphical interface of their flagship 24-track recording workstation to make it easier to use, and have also thrown in a few extra features for good measure.
Keyfax have been creating all kinds of musical phrases, loops and flourishes in MIDI file format for their Twiddly Bits range for as long as we can remember, but this new set represents a departure from previous trends...
Analogue sequencers may seem simple devices, especially when compared to their computer-based counterparts, but they can be put to fantastically complex uses in the right hands. We plumb the hidden depths of the new Oberkorn...
**** 4 stars. Although he's served time with vintage US rockers Aerosmith, there's more to Joey Kramer's playing than a 10-ton backbeat...
Mutronics bring a blast from the past to a rack near you.
Virtual analogue plug‑in synths are now common, and as DX‑style FM was the next great leap forward for real synths, a virtual FM synth was only a matter of time. So how does FM7 measure up to the original DX?
Many people consider software samplers to have consigned the hardware equivalent to history. Not Akai, who have responded by releasing their best-value hardware samplers ever, offering unprecedented levels of computer integration, and packing them with user-friendly features.
The Edirol SD90 combines Roland's Sound Canvas sound set with a USB audio and MIDI interface.
A versatile, entry-level large-diaphragm condenser mic with a particularly well balanced performance.