SOUND ON SOUND
Toontrack's DFH Superior received excellent reviews but perhaps didn't really make the impact that it deserved. Will the drums and cymbals of their new Superior Drummer 2.0 make a greater splash?
If you like the convenience of software bass but want a highly realistic sound, Chris Hein's lovingly sampled bass instrument could be just the ticket...
Antares have updated their Avox vocal processing bundle and, alongside further tools for character manipulation, automated harmony generation is now included.
For maximum loudness with a minimum of fuss, IL's Maximus may be just the ticket — and it does subtlety as well.
• Chandler EMI TG Mastering Pack Formats: Mac & PC TDM & RTAS • SIR2 Formats: PC VST • Tritone Digital ColorTone-Pro Formats: Mac AU, RTAS, VST; PC RTAS, VST • Leslie Sanford Cobalt Formats: PC VST SSL X-EQ Formats: Mac/PC Duende
For some, the jury is still out on Steinberg's ambitious SoundFrame and MediaBay concepts, but for certain tasks they can definitely be useful — getting your loop library organised, for example...
• IK Multimedia X-Gear & Amplitube Metal • Studio Devil Virtual Guitar Amp
Vocal harmonies can add gloss to a musical production, but if you don't have access to a group of first-rate session singers, does software really provide a viable alternative?
Our recent explorations of the new software synthesizers introduced in Cubase 4 conclude with a tour around Spector...
If you need a compact Firewire audio interface, the paperback-sized Duafire from ESI might be just the thing to slip into your laptop bag.