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PC Music Shareware Roundup
Shareware might be cheap, but it can also make you very cheerful. We round up some of the best of the current PC music shareware scene.
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Shareware might be cheap, but it can also make you very cheerful. We round up some of the best of the current PC music shareware scene.
We investigate an obscure PC parameter that may be responsible for some otherwise 'incurable' soundcard stuttering problems.
There are now plenty of convolution reverbs around, but Prosoniq's Rayverb offers something a little different. So just what is 'inverse raytracing' anyway?
This high-quality passive monitor controller can cater for five stereo input sources and three pairs of speakers, with built-in cue monitoring and talkback functions.
I use Cubase SX 2 and find the Freeze function for VST Instrument tracks very useful. I was disappointed to note that it can take six or seven minutes to freeze a VST track. Why is this, when it only takes one to two minutes to export an entire composition as a WAV file?
Is it best to use table-top stands, floor stands or wall brackets to mount my speakers? I have Mackie HR624s, which are not ported, so does it matter if they're positioned close to the wall? SOS Forum Post
I am familiar with white noise, but I\'ve also seen mention of pink, red and even blue noise in your pages. What are these other kinds of noise, how are they produced and what are they used for?Derek Amesbury
While Pro Tools is widely known for its dominance in the field of computer-based audio recording, little is made of the fact that it also features fully fledged MIDI sequencing facilities.
I am recording using a spaced-pair miking setup and I want to apply light compression to the signal. Where in the signal chain should I insert the compressor (pre- or post-fade), and will I have to buy a dedicated stereo compressor to do the job properly?
I bought a Boss guitar effects processor the other day and noticed that the guitar sounds a lot better through it than it does just straight into my mixer. Also, could the sound from my mic be similarly improved by getting a stand-alone voice channel for it, rather than just putting it through the mixer?
Nowadays, plenty of hit albums are recorded in bedroom studios — but Liam Howlett of the Prodigy has gone one better, by recording his latest in bed.
If I left my Neumann TLM103 mic out on its stand when not in use for long periods of time, would its performance be affected, by dust in particular?
I've just bought Tascam Gigastudio, and in the manual it says 'Note: Nemesys recommends ISA or PCI-based MIDI interfaces, as they are faster than USB or Parallel Port interfaces'. If software manufacturers think USB is so unsuitable, then why do hardware manufacturers make them? Are there any multiple I/O PCI interfaces around any more?
I am looking at buying a matched pair of SE Electronics SE1 mics for drum miking. Would the SE1s be suitable for 'over and under' miking of the snare? If not, could you offer any alternatives for this kind of configuration?
Mackie's Tracktion sequencer makes an ideal budget Rewire host for adding audio recording and plug-in capabilities to your Reason setup, as we explain...
Reviews/appraisals of the latest sample CDs:Luscious Grooves 5* MULTI-FORMAT; Electro Magnetic Pulse 4* AUDIO+WAV+REX; SAM Solo Sessions 4* MULTI-FORMAT; Saophones 1 5* GIGASTUDIO/EXS24 MKII.
Some of the legendary names in engineering and production didn't just make great records — they also invented equipment and techniques we take for granted today.
Walk inside Philip Taysom's studio and you will find classic synths in abundance, all connected and all ready to play...
We explain how to use the handy Scrub tool, how to customise your track view, and detail the procedure for setting up remote control of Sonar effects parameters.
Paul Bower explains why the CV may be more important than you think — even in the music business...