SOUND ON SOUND
Why is it that some perfectly well-recorded songs sound like demos, while others sound like top commercial tracks? Paul White investigates the mystery of the 'produced' sound.
Having explained the factors that come into play in designing the structure, content and appearance of a web site, Mike Simmons turns to the part that will be most important to many SOS readers: putting sound on your site.
Music mythology has it that real drummers are illiterate, beer-swilling louts with about as much musicality as a dead dog. Nevertheless, it can be hard to find an acceptable substitute. Sam Inglis offers a few pointers.
The Free Internet access now being offered by so many companies and the ability of inexpensive net software mean that your Atari computer could be the cheapest way to get on line. Derek Johnson checks out a new German web-access package and also rounds up some drum machine and synth emulators for the ST and Falcon.
Now that software versions of synths, processors and samplers are available for less than their hardware equivalents, many musicians are being tempted to dispense with their studio hardware and run everything inside their PCs. Martin Walker examines the feasibility of putting all your chips in one basket...
As Parts 4 & 5 of Gordon Reid's series showed, even the simplest analogue filters mess with your sound in complicated ways. In this Part, he considers what happens when you make the design more sophisticated...
Martin Russ joins the Blue & Whites and examines the goal of all-software music creation. Steinberg Rewire; MOTU Digtital Performer v2.6.
Recording a choir on location presents a number of unique technical and artistic challenges. Hugh Robjohns describes how he approached a recent project.
This month Martin Walker explores a number of interesting new releases, improves the ergonomics of his desktop, and prepares downloadable demos for the SOS web site.
Explore life's ups and downs with MIDI arpeggiators and step sequencers for your Atari, expanded your horizons with a multi-port MIDI cable, and find out about TOS's French connection. Derek Johnson presents a readers' digest. Electronic Cow MIDI Arpeggiator; Phonic MIDI Arpeggiator; Petri Sinisalo Real Arp
John Walden introduces the email discussion list — one of the most valuable resources for information, advice and opinion.
Many musicians are still debating whether to upgrade to Windows '98. Martin Walker reports back on a year of using Microsoft's latest operating system for consumers.
Gordon Reid continues his series on the theory of subtractive synthesis by delving deeper into the amazingly complex world of the analogue audio filter.
Antares Auto-Tune is a powerful pitch-correction tool which is already an industry standard for tightening up vocal performances. As Paul White explains, however, it has the potential to do much more...
Martin Russ looks at the musical suitability of Apple's latest portable computers, and the possibilities that may be opened up by their rumoured 'Consumer Portable'.
Almost three years after he took over this column, Derek Johnson takes an opportunity to look back at some of the excellent music and audio software covered in over 30 instalments of Atari Notes.
Many pepople seem frustrated with the 'free' software that is bundled with CD-R drives, so this month Martin Walker looks at a new low-cost CD-burning package, as well as reading a few meters.
You don't necessarily need the most powerful and up-to-date PC to create sophisticated MIDI and audio compositions. Martin Walker looks a little more deeply into what can be squeezed out of a complete range of machines, from modest to monster.
Paul White examines how a simple computer-based studio can be hooked up with a mixer to provide zero-latency monitoring during recording.
Is MP3 the ultimate audio file format? No! Martin Russ looks at net resources dealing with what lies beyond...