SOUND ON SOUND
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Combining the famous Lexicon reverb sound with the latest hard disk recording technology, the Lexicon Studio system should win many admirers. Martin Walker falls in love.
The New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME) conference has been running for five years, and is a great place to see and discuss new ideas that may provide the musical controllers of the future. SOS was in Vancouver to learn more...
There are some questions of recording technique which seem to come up again and again. Paul White sets out to answer some of the most common queries on how to choose and use microphones...
David Mellor explains why he abandoned his hardware sampler in favour of Digidesign's computer based sample playback card, and takes a look at what you need to make it into a fully fledged sampling setup.
Being a MIDI-based musician doesn't mean that you can't get out and play live gigs; you just need to plan more carefully than the average pub band. Grizzled live MIDI veteran David Harman explains the pitfalls and outlines some of the preparation you need to take your show on the road.
If you are the kind of person who likes to accentuate the transients in their pitch-shifted recordings, before vocoding them and auto-doubling the results, Waves have the perfect plug-in bundle for you...
Which synth should I buy? How do you create a reverb algorithm? Am I better off with a soundcard designed specifically for musicians? Is hit dance track's tempo variation deliberate? Is all RAM the same? What's the best thing to do when my old gear begins to wear out? Can I ensure that my CDs will play on all hi-fi systems? How can I stop my music annoying my neighbour? What is a stereo signal?
Does defragmenting your hard drives, including the ones you use for recording audio, really result in better PC performance? Opinion is divided, so we take a considered look at the subject, as well as testing some of the most suitable 'defragger' utilities.
Paul White puts Mackie's new 1202 VLZ next to his original 1202 and discovers more changes than you might expect.
Harry Gregson-Williams's drive to explore original ideas and sounds has made him one of Hollywood's leading composers, scoring everything from romantic comedies to spy thrillers and historical dramas.
Martin Walker dons his white lab coat and explains the advantages of knowing a little more about DOS and the Command Line Interface.
INTA Audio's music workstation boasts some of the latest PC technology, including hyperthreading, dual-channel DDR400 memory and Serial ATA, making it one of the fastest systems around.
Downloadable music is on the move in more ways than one, with new developments in portable players and online delivery streaming onto the scene. But what do all these changes mean for musicians? Simon Trask assesses the situation.
SPL claim to have come up with a completely new type of compressor. Paul White puts their assertions to the test.
The Alesis QS line gets a flagship, with a weighted keyboard, controller features, and an extended sound set. Helmsman Martin Russ finds out whether she's seaworthy...
Multi-port MIDI interface and patchbays can seem an expensive indulgence for the average studio. But, as Martin Russ explains in the concluding part of this two-part feature, they can really help you to get the best use from the MIDI gear you already own.
If you want to artificially extend your instrument samples, or make entire backing tracks from one rhythmic snippet, you'll need to know about looping and time-stretching. And then there's keygrouping... We explain these fundamental sampling processes, and more.
The SOS team visit reader Dave Stevens' home studio to sort out a chesty vocal sound, investigate a mystery digital buzz, and hand out some mastering tips.
TL Audio's latest additions to their popular Fat Man range are more versatile than their names suggest.
Derek Johnson & Debbie Poyser find out how you can use the Internet for promoting, distributing and selling your music, and for getting it heard by the right people.