SOUND ON SOUND
On the menu: Tiger tussles with Reload, Propellerhead's Akai sample-management software, the excellent free Electromechanical Refill gets an update, and quick tips.
Networking computers is now more straightforward than it used to be, there's a good choice of connection protocols, and Macs can get in on the act alongside PCs. The benefits for musicians can be considerable, as we discover...
News of a new hardware DSP system from Waves; a mini-review of a keyboard sticker set for Pro Tools from Editor's Keys; the latest information on compatibility with Mac OS 10.4, and plug-in news.
When is an EQ not just an EQ? When it's the Sonar v4 Producer Edition Sonitus EQ and you use it for some of the amazing processing tricks we're about to explain!
We take a look at some of the stability problems still lurking in v7.1 under Tiger, and also reveal a couple of extra plug-ins tucked away in the new OS upgrade.
Apple users are used to transitions, having moved from 68k-based Macs to Power PC processors, and the classic Mac OS 9 to Mac OS X. Now it's time for the third and most shocking transition of all: the move to Macs with Intel processors.
The Pentium M processor has various desirable qualities, not least its very low power requirement, which leads to a reduced need for cooling and a quieter life for musicians. However, it has always been confined to use in laptops, with corresponding limitations — until recently.
You've recorded a real drummer, but the drum sound just doesn't cut it. Is there anything you can do to rescue things?
This month's Digital Performer workshop aims to help you get into the groove more effectively, through the use of the program's sophisticated quantisation facilities.
Find out how to record a great electric guitar sound into Logic, and which of the plug-ins have the most impact at the mixdown stage...
Disco was an American phenomenon, but its greatest hits were recorded in France by an English band who were trying to play R&B...
Recording acoustic keyboard instruments in a home environment can be pretty demanding, but with a little care you can still get professional results.
Most modern musicians use samples, even if only in Sample & Synthesis-based keyboards or virtual instruments. But sampling itself has become something of a lost art. In the first part of a short series on rediscovering this skill, we look back at how the technique and the technology developed.
We investigate the major and minor new features on offer in Cubase SX/SL 3.1.
More news and ideas from the DP scene — as well as some good old-fashioned rumour-mongering...
When you come over all creative or are facing a tight deadline, a lean, mean music-recording machine is a definite advantage. The tools for customising the Cubase SX work environment may not sound very sexy, but they can certainly help your workflow.
Tiger, Apple's latest version of OS X, has some implications for Digital Performer users. Happily, they're nearly all good...
Reason's Combinator device isn't all about creating new sound sources and storing live setups — it also provides the means to build new and imaginative effects units.
The SOS team return to Cambridge, turning another home studio upside down in search of improved vocal and guitar sounds.
The new Combinator device can solve Reason problems you didn't even realise you had. We elaborate, as well as offering news and tips...