SOUND ON SOUND
Paul White and Dave Lockwood strum up a few tried-and trusted methods of improving your studio guitar sound.
Confusing, isn't it? Where once the only recording option was tape, you can now put a whole studio inside a desktop PC or opt for an all-in-one recording and mixing hardware solution. Then again, you could stick to tape, or buy a separate hard disk recorder. In the first of this short series, Paul White examines the choices.
Physical Modelling and Virtual Synthesis have been buzzwords for several years now, especially when it comes to imitating analogue synthesis. But what are their advantages and disadvantages, and how do they work? Paul Wiffen explains.
Some people view GM modules as the chartered accountants of their racks, but believe it or not, there are ways to make them interesting. Paul White and Martin Walker club together to make your GM synth roar.
Unexpected crashes happen to all of us — even SOS PC gurus! Martin Walker tells a tale of troubleshooting, and falls for Steinberg's new Freefilter.
Sony's proposal for a next-generation CD format — the Super Audio CD — promises a great deal in terms of sound quality and compatibility. But will it be enough to succeed in a confused and fragmented market place? Hugh Robjohns examines the new format.
Derek Johnson ventures once more into the bizarre world of Atari software...
Martin Russ realises the worth of Metadata, and brings glad tidings of profitable Apples...
Paul White examines the basic principles of acoustic treatment in order to help you improve your recording and monitoring environment.
Paul Wiffen continues to examine transitional synthesis, covering the Wave Sequencing facility, first introduced on the innovative Korg Wavestation, and concluding with Emu's Z-plane technique, which may be regarded as bridging the gap between S&S and today's physical modelling.
Setting up MIDI gear for the best audio quality is a very similar process to setting up your mixer, and you can often reduce noise levels significantly. Martin Walker provides some quick and easy ways to minimise hiss and hum from MIDI gear.
Having whetted his appetite for MacOS-based software synthsis last issue, this month Martin Russ takes a closer look...
Updating software ought to be a simpler matter, but often things don't go according to plan. Martin Walker catalogues a selection of problem areas.
A dedicated American music professor currently provides one of the very few serious scoring programs for the ST as $20 shareware. Derek Johnson checks it out, and also discovers a neat utility that could make life easier for Akai sampler users...
Many PC owners still seem to have trouble trying MIDI and audio together, and timing remains the main problem area. Martin Walker attempts to pull all the strands together.
Mastering is the final link in your sonic chain. David Mellor helps you make sure it's not the weak one...
Martin Russ checks out some worthwhile shareware, explains the benefits of registration, and nudges his mouse.
If you have the space, the time and the money, the best sound isolation can be achieved by building a room within a room. Paul White explains what's involved.
Derek Johnson homes in on dedicated Atari software developers Electronic Cow, who, fortunately, haven't been affected by the EU ban on British beef...
Mike Collins offers a step-by-step practical guide to using several software packages designed to help you work more effectively with CD writers.