SOUND ON SOUND
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If you're on a budget, there's nothing to beat buying second-hand. Derek johnson and Debbie Poyser trawl the Reader Ads to highlight more of yesterday's forgotten gear that's worth a closer look.
Having come a long way from its humble beginnings in the early n-n-n-n-nineteen eighties, sampling is now an integral part of music making. Paul White explains what samplers do and how they can be used.
From the same team that brought you Virtual Guitarist, Groove Agent has had an impressive upgrade, and is now claimed to work better under non-Steinberg hosts. We put it through a proper multi-platform test.
Do you ever wonder who's responsible for the waveforms and sound patches in your favourite synth? If it's a Korg keyboard, then the answer might be Steve McNally, one of the team of sound developers.
Just when you thought you'd got your cholesterol down, it's nothing but chips again. MARTIN WALKER wades through the new CPU options, and uninstalls some more software.
The Apprentice — a keyboard-less wooden casing designed to house synth modules — is the latest addition to Analogue Systems' fully modular Integrator series of analogue synths. We test one fitted with some of the company's new modules...
In our quest for the ultimate electric guitar sound, SOS tested favourite recording techniques from over 40 top-flight producers and engineers. Hear for yourself the results that amazed us.
An incorrectly set up or unsuitable design of subwoofer can seriously compromise the accuracy of your monitoring environment. We outline the performance characteristics of the different types and show you how to incorporate a sub for optimum effect within your system.
These days, any decent synth or sampler offers plausable orchestral sounds — but there's much more to creating believable arrangements for orchestra than realistic samples. Keyboardist/composer Dave Stewart offers some guidance, passes on some advice from pros, and explains how orchestral samples were used to create an arrangement for the latest Geri Halliwell single.
Industrious Swedish company Propellerhead are well known for their virtual instruments, but now they've made an entire software studio. Derek Johnson & Debbie Poyser bolt a few virtual devices into the virtual rack...
The launch of yet another 8-in/8-out PCI soundcard might seem little cause for raised eyebrows, but Terratec have a few surprises up their sleeves with the EWS88 MT. Martin Walker prepares to be amazed.
Derek Johnson and Debbie Poyser explore a well -specified virtual monosynth from newcomers Koblo.
Fostex enter the card-based multitracker market with a bang, offering eight tracks of uncompressed CD-quality audio from a single Compact Flash card.
In the final instalment of our series on the techniques and technology of digital audio, Hugh Robjohns contemplates plugging it all together.
Modern software allows you to turn a spare PC into a synth of sampler that's perfectly tailored to the needs of your studio. Martin Walker tells you how.
Sonic Foundry were the pioneers of loop-based PC sequencing with the initial release of Acid. More than three years on it's more popular than ever, and the latest version includes MIDI and video support among other new features.
Terratec's EWS64 XL caused a stir in the world of soundcards last your by offering a built-in 64-note polyphonic sampler. The new XXL now adds the internal organs of Waldorf's classic Microwave XT synth. Martin Walker decides whether these impressive parts make a convincing whole.
The sheer power of Emu's three ESI samplers has endeared them to many home musicians on a budget. However, it can be tricky to get the most out of these machines, so here are some power-user tips to help you.
Exciters and enhancers are often mentioned in SOS, but what exactly do they do to your sound, and how do the various types differ? Paul White explains.
A new business model based around the Internet promises to make professional mastering more convenient — and much more affordable. But is on-line mastering a real alternative or a false economy? We put the UK's leading services to the test.