Music Tech Focus - Logic Pro X

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LOGIC PRO X 2014 THE IN-DEPTH GUIDE FOR THE CREATIVE MUSICIAN

LOGIC PRO X

THE IN-DEPTH GUIDE FOR THE CREATIVE MUSICIAN

UNLEASH THE 2014 POWER OF 132 LOGIC PRO X LOGIC PAGES OF PRO X TIPS & TRICKS

£8.99

ISBN 978-1-909590-25-0

9 781909 590250

MusicTech Focus: Logic Pro X 2014

www.musictech.net

11 detailed step-by-step workshops 3+ hours of tutorial videos, 1.4GB of samples The best gear for your studio reviewed Flex Time, Drummer & Retro Synth in-depth Guides to making money and mobile music

Compiled by the Logic Pro Xperts from MusicTech

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Welcome MTF

Welcome

Since its release last August, Apple’s Logic Pro X has already made a huge impact within the music-creating world. The software is attracting a lot more attention thanks to great new additional features like Drummer, Flex Pitch and the Retro Synth, and at just £140 still represents incredible value for money. We’ve decided, therefore, to produce this special MusicTech Focus just for Logic Pro X and have designed it to help you make the most of many of these additions plus some of its more general features. Our Logic experts Mark Cousins and Alex Holmes have both been busy producing tutorials and workshops so there’s everything from an introductory workshop to Pro X’s new features on p16, to setting up the perfect project (p20), right through to producing dance effects in the software (p74). (I’ve even given many of them a go myself, so can confirm that Drummer goes a lot deeper than you might realise but is still incredibly easy to use – see p32 for more!) Elsewhere we’ve got features on getting the best setup to become a power user (p7), make mobile music (p90), and we even explore some of the next generation of third-party effects that you might want to try in Pro X (see p79). We think Pro X is a great update to what was already a great DAW and hope that by following the tutorials in this issue you’ll explore some of the more hidden depths of the software and, ultimately, get to know how to use the software to make your music-making more enjoyable and fruitful. As always, let me know how you get on and enjoy the issue.

Explore its hidden depths to ultimately make your music making more enjoyable

Andy Jones Senior Editor [email protected]

Business Dev’ Manager Di Marsh [email protected] MUSICTECH FOCUS MAGAZINE www.musictech.net Anthem Publishing Ltd Suite 6, Piccadilly House London Road, Bath BA1 6PL Tel +44 (0) 1225 489984 Fax +44 (0) 1225 489980 [email protected]

Editorial Director Paul Pettengale [email protected] Senior Editor Andy Jones [email protected] Art Editor Kai Wood [email protected] Production Editor Lewis Brangwyn [email protected] Multimedia Editor Alex Holmes [email protected]

Contributors Grant Bridgeman, Mark Cousins, Keith Gemmell, Alex Holmes, Hollin Jones, John Pickford, Huw Price Art Director Jenny Cook [email protected] Advertising Director Simon Lewis [email protected] Managing Director Jon Bickley [email protected] Licensing enquiries Jon Bickley +44 (0) 1225 489984 www.anthem-publishing.com Printed by Polestar UK Print Ltd Tel +44 (0) 1582 678900

Subscriptions to MusicTech Magazine Tel +44 (0) 870 444 8468 Price (12 issues) £59.99 UK basic annual rate All content copyright Anthem Publishing Ltd 2013 and 2014, all rights reserved. While we make every effort to ensure that the factual content of MusicTech Focus is correct we cannot take any responsibility nor be held accountable for any factual errors printed. Please make every effort to check quoted prices and product specifications with manufacturers prior to purchase. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or resold without the prior consent of Anthem Publishing Ltd. MusicTech Focus recognises all copyrights contained within this issue. Where possible we acknowledge the copyright holder.

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MTF Contents

Issue 33

Logic Pro X 2014

BECOME A LOGIC PRO X POWER USER

40 pages of the best Logic Pro X tutorials that will help you get to know all the exciting new features within Apple’s new version of Logic. We’ve also got interviews, features on making money, mobile music and the future of effects, plus the best gear reviewed.

Feature

Feature

Make money now!

p36

MTF Interview

Future Effects The next generation of plug-in effects that could change the way you make music… p79 4 | Logic Pro X 2014

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Richard Devine

The sound design guru with a Logic-based mega studio p66

Contents MTF

Reviews

p106

MTF Issue 33 Full listings…

Create the ultimate Logic Pro X studio

007 | Feature Become a DAW Power User

p119

016 | Tutorial Logic Pro X: introduction to the new features 020 | Tutorial Become A Power User – setting up projects

p110

p114

024 | Tutorial Making the most of Comp Recording 028 | Tutorial Getting the best from your audio editing 032 | Tutorial Drummer in-depth 036 | Feature Make Money Now! 046 | Tutorial MIDI programming 050 | Tutorial Exploring the benefits of Flex Time

p113

054 | Tutorial Making the most of Retro Synth 058 | Tutorial Retro synth – advanced use

MTF Tutorials

Explore the latest version of Logic Pro with these workshops

062 | Tutorial Perfecting vocals with Flex Pitch

p46

066 | Interview Richard Devine

p58

074 | Tutorial Producing dance effects in Logic Pro X 079 | Feature Future effects – the next generation of plug-in effects 088 | Feature Mobile music – the best apps for iPad production

p50

p24

098 | 10 Minute Master Studio Connectivity 102 | Feature Best Soft Synths – the top 10 soft synths revealed

p54

REVIEWS 106 | Review Logic Pro X – the original MusicTech review 110 | Review Heavyocity AEON

p74

111 | Review Zynaptiq Unfilter

p16

112 | Review Spitfire Audio BML Horns Volume 1 113 | Review Audulus for iPad 114 | Review Vengeance Sound Phalanx

p28

Feature

116 | Review Universal Audio Ocean Way Studios 119 | Review Slate Digital VBC

Mobile music making

120 | Review Modartt Pianoteq piano emulator 122 | Review Project SAM Lumina 125 | Mini Reviews 129 | Next Issue 130 | What’s on your MTF DVD

p88

FOCUS Logic Pro X 2014

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STUDY LOGIC X AT POINT BLANK, THE HOME OF ELECTRONIC MUSIC ENROL NOW FOR JAN 2014. FREE IPAD WITH ALL DIPLOMAS W W W. P O I N T B L A N K LO N D O N . C O M For course enquiries call +44(0)20 7729 4884 or email [email protected]

Become a power user: studio set-up Feature MTF

MTF Masterclass Studio Technique

BECOME A P WER USER If you feel your approach to music-making or the kit you use to do it needs reassessing, it’s time to look at your entire studio with fresh eyes. Hollin Jones goes back to basics.

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he process of making music is a multi-layered one – and there is an awful lot to learn. Most people spend years getting to grips with the various different skills involved and, in truth, few (if any) ever stop learning – there’s always something to improve or a new trick to pick up. To the uninitiated it can seem daunting – a world full of jargon and technology that threatens to overwhelm newcomers. Even for people who are familiar with one aspect of music-making, a different area might seem baffling if they have not ventured there before. Getting your studio environment right can also be a continuous learning process. There is so much gear, so many options, and it’s tough to get the right guidance on what you should be buying. This is compounded by the fact that such advice depends heavily on what kind of music you’re making. If you plan to record rock bands in a garage studio, for example, you’re going to need a fairly different setup from someone looking to make dubstep on a laptop. Other aspects, however, are common to any producer or musician: you’re going to need a computer, some software, some hardware and, above all, the right approach to recording, mixing and monitoring. Even factors such as your physical surroundings make a difference in terms of how smoothly things tend to go. What we’re going to do here is discuss every aspect of studio creation and upgrading – from first steps, through choosing kit to avoiding common mistakes, false economies and the many pitfalls we have overcome. This isn’t just for people starting out, because even if you have already built your studio there should be plenty to learn. After all, we all know that studios are never really complete – we can always upgrade! So you will be able to dip into the various sections to find out more about things such as the best way to spec-up your studio computer or how to improve the ergonomics of your working space. Read on and turn your studio into a power setup!

Even if you have a studio set up there are always ways to improve it and your workflow


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MTF Feature Become a power user: studio set-up

First things first: space & kit issues

Kitting out a studio is a compromise between your ambitions, budget and neighbour relations...

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our approach to setting up your studio will depend largely on how you are planning to work, your aims and the amount of space available to you. It’s impractical to try to cover every eventuality but, broadly speaking, most people will work in one of only a few kinds of spaces. Each one has its advantages and challenges, though when kitted out correctly they are all perfectly good environments in which to make music. There’s a good chance you are going to be setting up a studio at home, either in a spare room or an outbuilding of some kind. This is great because it tends to be cheap – there’s no extra rent to pay – but such a setup can limit the

Tech Terms ● STUDIO SPACE The space in which you make and record music. This could be a desk in the corner of a spare bedroom or a dedicated room in any building – anything in between. ● GEAR-LUST The understandable desire to acquire lots of equipment. Perfectly fine, but not necessarily essential to making good music.

A home studio can sound great even if it has only the bare minimum of equipment amount of noise you’re able to make. And don’t be tempted to try to turn the house PC into a music studio unless it happens to be of a decent spec – a dedicated machine will work much better. A home studio, as we will see, can sound great even if it has only the bare minimum of equipment (as long as it’s carefully chosen and properly used). So don’t imagine that you need to start buying racks of outboard, especially if you’re making electronic music. For many people, a decent computer, some select plug-ins and a suitable audio/MIDI interface plus good monitors and headphones will do the job perfectly adequately. There’s nothing to say you can’t get all the kit you want, of course – and in some cases it can be great to have more stuff – but it’s no

Having a dedicated recording and performing space means you can use more equipment, such as drum kits or amps.

8 | Logic Pro X 2014

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Having a space dedicated to music making is a bonus, and having everything within reach is even better for your workflow…

longer the case that more equipment necessarily equals a better studio. DAWs now usually come with a great set of instruments and effects and MIDI controllers are versatile and relatively inexpensive, so generating and processing sound can be done inside the computer. We’ll look at the merits of working ‘in-the-box’ a little later, as well as the advantages of using a more hardware-based system if you have that option. A commercial space is perhaps more desirable than a spare room, even if it means paying for it. You’ll probably end up with more space and the psychological benefits of ‘going out’ to work can be significant. Separating yourself from the home environment lets you think of music more as work than entertainment, which can be useful for getting things done. You will also have more freedom to set up your space as you want it, though you will still

MTF Pro Advice Choosing & buying gear Knowing where to start can seem daunting, and the people who sell you stuff aren’t always quite the impartial arbiters of opinion you might hope them to be. That’s not to say people will lie, just that there can be a commercial imperative to pushing one product over another, regardless of whether it’s right for you. So although it’s dull, doing your research is essential. Seek out as much opinion as you can and, where possible, get demo versions of software before you choose to buy. Many DAWs, for example, are quite evenly matched in terms of features but work in different ways, so you may find you prefer one over the other simply because of its look or feel. Hardware is tricker to demo, but a visit to your local music store is definitely recommended for any instruments, amps or other products that you’ll figure out only by getting hands-on. Buying online makes this difficult, of course, and wherever possible you should find out if a retailer has a returns policy should you change your mind after buying. At the risk of self-promotion, an email to a expert Q&A panel like ours at MusicTech can be a good way to cut straight to the best advice when it comes to choosing kit. Getting hands-on with gear can help so go and visit your local music store. (Thanks to Lisa at Absolute Music for the pic!)


A home or project studio can produce results just as good as those achieved in a bigger studio.

MTF Pro Advice Working from home Working from home has lots of advantages, not least of which is that you can do half an hour here and there without trekking to another location, work late and it doesn’t cost anything. There are, however, some restrictions, specifically that of noise. If you do intend to work from home, make sure you get some decent headphones as you may find yourself monitoring through them much more frequently than if you worked in a dedicated studio space. Closed-back headphones leak much less sound than open-backed models. A decent pair of studio headphones is invaluable when working at home.

need much of the same kit as you would in a home studio, such as isolation devices for recording, well-placed monitors and so on. It will probably be easier to introduce amps and perhaps even drum kits into a dedicated space, and if you’re really lucky you may even have the option to use part of the space as a live room and another as a separate control room.

Regardless of the space you’re in, if you’re starting from scratch your budget is likely to be finite

Regardless of the space you’re in, if you’re starting from scratch your budget is likely to be finite, and as such there are certain things that it’s better to spend money on and others you can hold back on. Your recording device is likely to be a computer, and as the brain of the system it’s important not to skimp on it. Similarly, your software should be decent, though here it’s possible to go for a ‘lite’ or more entry-level version of a popular DAW since they usually include the core features from the flagship versions. There’s usually always an upgrade path if you want to get the extra features later on. Your audio interface doesn’t need to be huge, but it does need sufficient I/O for your requirements and decent preamps and converters. MIDI controllers and keyboards are pretty hard to get wrong and there are many different types, all relatively inexpensive. Monitors needn’t cost the earth but should suit your needs – auditioning some and picking the ones that work best for your kind of music and sound best to your ears is vital. Similarly with mics: you don’t need to spend a fortune but you do need to get a couple that work for what you are doing. We talk about this later, as well as vital studio components such as acoustic material, leads, DI boxes and more.

MTF Pro Advice Choose wisely

A commercial space outside of the home for making music is ideal – but obviously the most costly option. But if you are in a band and practicing, it could be one of the best solutions…

The key point to take away from this feature is that while gear-lust is fine and perfectly acceptable if you have the money, it’s more important to choose your kit carefully and appropriately than it is to necessarily get the biggest or flashiest equipment. A surprising amount can be achieved with smaller setups, provided they are decked-out properly. Similarly, there’s no point in skimping on certain things – for example, spending loads on a computer but buying poor quality monitors. We’ll be looking at such issues throughout this guide.


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Choosing a computer

As the centrepiece of your studio, your choice of computer is critical...

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computer isn’t the only machine you can use to make music with but these days it is the default choice for the majority of people. Hardware recording systems are still available but are something of a separate phenomenon now, more attractive to those who prefer old-style audio tracking or people after a vintage sound. The rise of the computer from MIDI sequencer to do-everything audio-production tool has been driven by the exponential increase in computing power over the last couple of decades. In this time computers have also become far more stable, making having one at the heart of your studio much less of a lottery than it used to be.

Solid-state drives are becoming more affordable and offer significant speed advantages for resource-intensive applications.

The rise of the computer has been driven by the exponential increase in computing power As a Logic user, a Mac is the only choice you have for sequencing, but PCs are now so cheap you might consider one for other audio tasks. But, many off-the-shelf PCs really aren’t cut out for serious audio work. Audio processing and low-latency recording require significant RAM and CPU resources, and a PC that’s designed for a bit of office work and web surfing just isn’t going to make the grade. You can upgrade the bits, but consider getting a dedicated machine if you’re serious about music. Macs fare better in this respect since the specs of even the entry-level models are pretty good. The trade-off is that you’ll not get much change out of £1,000 for even a basic new Mac.

I/O is important, and you can add PCI cards to tower systems to accommodate protocols such as FireWire or Thunderbolt.


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For any computer, age is also an issue, and a machine that was cutting-edge five or six years ago might struggle to run the latest software. You may have the option to upgrade the components depending on your model (and this can be a new lease of life) but it very much depends on the machine. Putting loads more RAM in a machine with a slow CPU, for example, isn’t going to add much in terms of real-world performance. While software states a minimum system requirement, it’s the recommended system requirement that you should really look at when considering power needs. An app or instrument will run on the basic system, but not always very well. In the case of computers and software, more is almost always better. Modern operating systems and DAWs are adept at using multiple processing cores and larger amounts of RAM, though there are caveats, as we will see.

Platform wars The Mac-versus-PC debate is as old as computers themselves. With Logic, you’ll obviously be using a Mac as your main computer, but if you want to run certain other musical applications you might consider a PC so let’s look at both platforms in a bit more detail… Let’s start with PCs, which can be put together yourself if you so choose. Windows is better than it used to be in terms of stability and userfriendliness, with the platform enjoying a generally

MTF Pro Advice Mobile music Mobile music-making used to mean using a laptop, but now it can just as easily mean using a hand-held device, typically an iPad or even an iPhone. And yes, there are other mobile devices available, but we’re dealing here with the ones for which there are lots of well-designed audio apps. Making music on iOS started off as a simple enough affair, with beatboxes and basic synths, but has now turned into something much more advanced. Apps like GarageBand, NanoStudio, FL Studio, Traktor and ReBirth all have iOS-native versions, and there are tools that are unique to the platform, such as Tabletop and AudioBus, that really enhance its utility. You can connect audio and MIDI devices using the Camera Connection Kit, and specialised interfaces like the Alesis IO Dock and IO Mix as well as various devices by IK Multimedia can turn an iPad into a viable, high-quality recording solution. We’re not at a point where an iPad is going to fully replace a desktop recording setup, but for working on the move, sketching ideas and then transferring them back to the desktop to use the extra capacity it affords, mobile devices are excellent and will only keep improving. iPads are becoming increasingly powerful music-making tools, though they haven’t displaced computers just yet.


good reputation. We’d recommend buying from a specialist audio PC company which, as well as putting together a machine based exactly on your requirements, can also set up and test all the drivers and provide after-sales support. Desktop PCs are still highly configurable, so if you want to build a behemoth of a machine you can. Laptops are a bit more hit-and-miss and tend to be powered up for gaming rather than music, but a well-specified one will still serve you well. Macs are less user-serviceable and tend to have to be configured at the time of purchase. They also cost more, although, in reality, if you spec-up Mac and PC systems of comparable power, the price difference isn’t that huge. Just because cheap PCs are available doesn’t mean they are good for music. More or less any new Mac (with the possible exception of the lower-end MacBook Air) is going to be great for music production. The fact that Apple designs the OS and the hardware means that driver conflicts are nonexistent and you get a system that’s smooth and extremely stable. Obviously, bigger is better here, so a MacBook Pro or higher-end iMac is going to be more capable of running heavier projects.

MTF Pro Advice Number crunching Tech Terms ● SYSTEM SPECS The totality of the components of your computer’s hardware and software. Includes CPU speed, RAM fitted, hard drive size, port types and numbers, and operating system version. ● MULTI-TASKING Vitally important in modern computing is the ability of a machine to do more than one thing at once, to prioritise certain tasks and remain responsive while under load.

The gigahertz race is well and truly over since chip manufacturers found that speeds of 4GHz and above were achievable but generated too much heat and sucked too much power to be very useful in modern computers. The solution was to focus efforts on cramming more cores onto a die so that more tasks could be carried out in parallel. This has taken a while for software developers to fully embrace, since it requires much more complex coding than single-processor technology. But we’re now at a stage where even basic machines have two or four cores and double that number of threads, so today’s computers are amazing multi-taskers. The Intel i7 and Xeon families of processors are hugely powerful and great at multi-tasking.

Tech specs When specifying a computer of whatever platform, think about the following factors. The processor is the system’s brain, so a faster CPU with more cores will be able to do things more quickly and in parallel. Intel’s i7 family is recommended for performance, or even the server-class Xeons if you

Apple’s laptops are less configurable but do offer a great deal of power and an almost uniquely stable and smooth user experience.

have a tower system. Laptop CPUs are excellent these days, and at the higher end are more than a match for desktop systems. Try to go for a quad-core processor, which with Hyperthreading will give you eight usable processing threads. RAM is vital too. Running lots of soft-synths will need a lot of CPU muscle, but large sample-based instruments eat memory really quickly, so at least 4GB of RAM is essential (preferably 8 or even 16GB if possible). This will also benefit the system more generally and result in fewer slowdowns and better multi-tasking. Laptops have fewer RAM slots, so fill these with the biggest capacity sticks you can. Storage is important – go for fast solid-state (SSD) drives internally for running the system and apps, and large-capacity external or secondary internal drives for storage and backup. In terms of ports, many interfaces now run on USB 2.0 or USB 3.0, which all new computers should have. FireWire is still around but you may need to add a PCI card to a tower for it (or a Thunderbolt adaptor for new Macs). The sensible advice is to get the fastest computer you can afford to, as this should provide good performance for as long as possible. Buying a cheap machine is a false economy, since the next OS update or the new version of your DAW could cause it to struggle, meaning you have to update anyway. Treat you computer purchase as a serious investment, because that’s what it is.

MTF Pro Advice Future-proof

Buying from a specialist PC builder is a good idea, and you can specify every component at the time of building.

64 bit technology is now commonplace, with Mac OSX and Windows having been fully 64-bit compatible for some time and the vast majority of leading music software having followed suit. This is important because 64-bit applications are able to access far more RAM than 32-bit ones, resulting in better performance. And now that you can fit 32GB or more of RAM inside tower workstations, loading up huge projects, sample libraries and other projects is quicker than ever. 64-bit systems can address far more RAM than it’s currently possible to fit into a computer so we’re not likely to exhaust this technology any time soon.


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Your approach to production

With everything in place, it’s time to concentrate your efforts on the most important thing – music.

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nce you have chosen all your equipment and made sure that everything is installed and running correctly, you’re ready to start actually making music. There are quite a few things that people get wrong when starting out, so we’re here to help you avoid these common pitfalls, some of which we’ve encountered ourselves. There will always be something you come up against of course, but hopefully we can help you to avoid the big ones. Let’s start with recording audio.

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Using a popshield when recording vocals is essential. They’re inexpensive and readily available.

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Splendid isolation The first thing you should figure out is mic placement and isolation. Try to use a directional mic for sources like vocals and guitars, which reject sound from the rear and sides at least to an extent. An omnidirectional mic will pick up way too much ambient sound. Use a popshield for vocals and an isolation system for vocals and amp recording. Mics should be placed around six inches away from the sound source and many studio mics will need phantom power to make them work. Turn off all speakers and monitor on headphones to avoid feedback and close windows and turn off phones. This sounds obvious, but any unexpected noise can ruin an otherwise good take. Setting recording levels is crucial. Your interface will have preamps, and if you’re recording guitars, the guitar and amp will have level controls too. A good rule of thumb is to play as loud as you’re planning to play and make sure there’s no peaking when you watch the input gain meters. Also, try not to drive the inputs so hard as to introduce hiss into the signal. Some interfaces have built-in DSP-powered effects like compression that can be used in small amounts during recording to help to eliminate the possibility of clipping. Remember that there are gain controls everywhere, from instruments through interfaces to the DAW mixer and your speakers and headphone outputs, so keep an eye on them to keep a check on your levels.

SUCOF

Tighten up the bass end of any system by placing speaker isolators underneath monitors.

MTF Pro Advice Create the right environment It’s a more intangible concept than choosing equipment, but creating the right physical environment can be incredibly important to having a good workflow and a positive mindset. For some people, this can mean having a tidy and uncluttered space to work in and focus on the task at hand. For others it can mean having all their equipment around them, with lots of knobs to twiddle. The main thing to figure out is what makes you inspired. If you are lucky enough to have lots of old hardware instruments, having them around and hooked up can be inspiring because you can just sit down and start playing. Alternatively, perhaps you like to have one area of a studio for writing and another for recording. What you leave out of a space can be as important as what you put into it. Many people find, for example, that leaving TVs and other distractions out is a good thing. The internet is a tricky one since most computers tend to be online anyway, so it can be up to your own willpower not to be on YouTube or Facebook all day. Having music around you is rarely a bad thing as it can both inspire you and be used as reference, so listen to other records and get ideas from either their melodies or style of production.

Mind the gap Latency is another big issue. When you record, your computer has to take sound in, record and potentially process it and pass it back out to your headphones all at the same time as running the other audio tracks and plug-ins in your project. This is no mean feat, so it uses an audio buffer to cope with it. The heavier a project, the larger the


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buffer needed to reduce overall processor load but also the higher the latency – the time between playing a note and hearing it back through the ylpm is nahtgoes erom toboth l a sevlovfor ni kcaMIDI rt lacov tand aerg a gaudio nicudorP monitors. This .gnidrocer ruoy ot srosserpmoc dna sQE tseb eht gniylppa input, and can make impossible. .ssecorp eperforming ht hguorht uoy sedalmost iug enalluM’O maiL To get around it, some interfaces use Direct Monitoring, which feeds your signal back to you before it has been passed to the computer, eliminating latency altogether. If this is not available you have to set your audio buffer as low as you can without creating pops and clicks in the 1recording. A setting of 256 samples can often be 3 | 3102 gnidroceR a good balance, and this can be switched back up to 1,000 samples or more when you finish recording. When you’re mixing you need processing power more than low latency, so this is OK.

Be inspired, not hindered, by your working environment.


MTF Pro Advice Stay cool

Another trick for minimising CPU hit at low latency is to freeze tracks (where available). This feature, available in many DAWs, renders down tracks to simple audio so although temporarily not very editable, they also use virtually no power to play back. Freezing can also be your best friend when you are working in-the-box a lot. Software synths and sample-based instruments can use lots of resources, but once a part has been laid down and

Setting up project and track templates is a great way to save time when starting new projects.

Don’t be tempted to keep adding and adding until everything becomes incomprehensible you are happy with it you can freeze the track to free up RAM and CPU power. Using this trick will maximise the capabilities of your hardware.

Other tricks Using templates can be an excellent way of getting up and running quickly in your studio. Your hardware setup will probably not change very often, so the same things are likely to be plugged in to the same inputs and the same monitors connected. Spend a little time setting up preset templates containing pre-routed audio tracks and

Tech Terms ● ISOLATION Creating an environment that is as near to silent as possible with as few reflections from interior walls in order to capture clean recordings. ● ERGONOMICS Arranging your studio and its contents in a way that maximises the efficiency of the space and your workflow. This must be balanced with positioning equipment for optimum recording/playback.

Understanding the way that buffer sizes affect the latency of your recording system is key to eliminating latency.

This is an odd one, but really important in practice. When you’re in the studio, always stay hydrated by drinking water or other non-alcoholic drinks. Studios can be very dry environments and can get hot when all the electrical equipment is switched on, plus there’s rarely any flow of air due to the need for acoustic isolation. Staying hydrated makes you feel better and helps your judgement, especially during long studio days. Drinking beer is great, but after several hours you might start to feel pretty groggy. Use your judgement as to how you react to these kind of factors.

maybe some virtual instruments or MIDI tracks firing out to your hardware and you can go from inspiration to recording in moments. Most DAWs now also support track presets, so you can dial up a specific vocal or guitar sound with just a couple of clicks. Try to place your speakers at head height when sitting as you will probably be sitting a lot and this offers the most realistic sound. They should be placed a few feet apart if possible and angled slightly inwards towards you, converging towards the rear of the room. If possible, avoid placing them in the corners of rooms or too close to walls as this can result in boomy bass. If this is impossible to avoid, use isolation platforms and EQ switches (if available) to better tailor the speakers to the space they are in. When you get up and running, your computer will allow you to tweak endlessly, and while experimentation is great, don’t be tempted to keep adding and adding until everything becomes incomprehensible. A Hollywood soundtrack might need 50 layers of percussion but a blues song probably doesn’t. Use your judgement as to what needs adding or removing. Many DAWs also now have ‘arranger’ modes that let you try different arrangements without physically copying and pasting stuff around, so these can be well worth trying out. It might sound obvious, but take regular breaks while working as staring at a screen and listening to the same three minutes of music for hours can send you a bit mad. Seek the opinion of others if you feel your judgement is getting flawed through tiredness, and remember that a project will still be there in a couple of days for you to come back to. Follow these basic rules and you should find that your music-making is happy and fruitful. MTF

MTF Pro Advice Mix as you go Experienced producers tend to do a lot of mixing and editing as they go. Production isn’t generally broken into steps that are taken one by one. You might edit something just after recording something else, then add an effect to a few things, cut something into a loop, do a bit of arranging then record another track. So by the time a project is nearing completion you could well have done a lot of the work, and the mixing stage is actually less arduous than you might have imagined.


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MTF Technique New features in Logic Pro X

Logic Pro X Become a Logic Power User

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Logic Pro X: the new features

Logic Pro X’s extensive range of new features and tools expands yet further its creative potential. Mark Cousins gets you up and running with some of the new tools.

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he latest incarnation of Logic Pro is the product of one of the most comprehensive overhauls of any DAW in recent years. Alongside the completely refreshed interface, Logic Pro X users have a host of exciting new features to play with, covering everything from virtual bass guitar amplifiers to a whole new form of pitch ‘elasticity’. With so many new elements and features to explore, though, it can take some time to fully understand what you can now achieve with Logic Pro X, so we’ve rounded up what we consider to be among the most exciting

On the disc Accompanying project file included on the DVD

The combination of Retro Synth and the new Arpeggiator is well worth closer exploration additions – Drummer, Retro Synth, the Arpeggiator and Flex Pitch – to give you the all-important lowdown on how these elements work. Although it would be easy to dismiss Drummer as a GarageBand-like loop engine, it’s actually a surprisingly powerful and complex addition to the Logic Pro universe. Initial encounters with Drummer give the impression of a tool that’s almost foolishly simple –

FOCUS ON… RETRO SYNTH One of Retro Synth’s most intriguing features is its ability to switch between four different modes of vintage synthesis: Analog, Sync, Table and FM. In truth, the first two types are actually variants of subtractive synthesis (the Sync mode adding a hard oscillator sync between the two oscillators), but Table and FM are both unique, covering PPG-like wavetable synthesis and primitive re-creation of the FM synthesis used in the Yamaha DX7. What’s interesting about the three modes is that the majority of the parameters – filter settings, envelope generators and so on – are carried across whenever you move from one mode to another. This approach can lead to some interesting moments of serendipity – a patch might start off in a subtractive mode, only to be moved into FM, thereby creating a completely different timbre. This is a great trick to try with the presets, often creating radically different sounds with just a push of a button. As you get more experienced, you’ll start to note the subtle sonic and technical differences between the modes, allowing you to exploit the unique sonic qualities the different models offer.


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pick a genre, choose a drummer, then tweak a few controls on a X/Y pad to get an instant rhythm track! However, when you start swapping components of the kit and changing some of the finer points of the performance, you realise just how complex and interactive the Drummer engine really is. Once you’ve assembled your basic rhythm track, it’s well worth swapping the default stereo kit for one of the Producer Kits. The Producer Kits are made from Track Stacks (another new feature), which enables you to expand the basic kit and gain access to each and every channel used to record and mix the real kit, even down to the room mics. For producers of electronic music, the combination of Retro Synth and the new Arpeggiator is well worth closer exploration. In particular, the Arpeggiator is part of a suite of new MIDI plug-ins that can be instantiated directly into the signal path of your mixer. The plug-ins work as ‘live’ transformers of MIDI data, so that performances you play on a MIDI keyboard (or MIDI data recorded into a region) are transformed as it’s routed to your chosen virtual instrument. With its immediate control set, Retro Synth is an ideal pairing with the Arpeggiator – especially once you start to unlock the modulation routings and the Arpeggiator’s intriguing Grid mode. Since its introduction in Logic Pro 9, Flex Time has proved to be a real life-saver in the studio. Flex Pitch is the logical extension of the Flex Time functionality; this time allowing you to adjust qualities of a performance in respect to pitch, intonation and formants. Once analysed, an audio region can be seen with a unique Piano Roll Editor overlaid on the waveform. Using Flex Pitch, intonation can be rectified at the push of a button, or you can explore more creative applications, such as completely re-pitching a melody. This article is only an introduction to the new features of Logic Pro, although there’s enough information to get you up and running. Be sure to check out all the other tutorials in this magazine, which explore other new elements in detail. MTF These tutorials are endorsed by Point Blank Music School, which specialises in courses on production, sound engineering, the music business, singing, radio production, DJ skills and film production, all run by top British music producers and media professionals, with regular visits from legends in music and media.

New features in Logic Pro X Technique MTF

MTF Step-by-Step Working with Drummer

Given its complex interactive control set, Drummer works outside the usual virtual instruments system, instead using its own form of track. To start working with Drummer, therefore, use the New Track command (Track>New Tracks) and click on the Drummer option. Logic will instantiate the Drum Kit Designer instrument and create some default regions for you to work with.

The key musical properties of your drum track are defined by your choice of Genre, and from within that, the particular drummer you choose. Genre can be selected from the Genre popup menu, where you can choose between Rock, Alternative, Songwriter and R&B. The choice of Drummer then selects a kit and overarching style to the playing, which you can adapt as appropriate.

Using the Drummer Editor you can start to fine-tune the performance that the Drummer is delivering. The X/Y pad, for example, lets you define the complexity and loudness of the pattern – in many cases, changing the actual sounds used as well as the respective velocity. Clicking on the kit elements brings them in and out of the performance.

Once you start working with the Drummer Editor you really start to appreciate the interactive nature of Drummer and the vast amount of variation that can be created. Click on the details, for example, to go one step deeper, adjusting parameters such as the relative loudness of ghost notes, as well as forcing the hi-hat towards a more open or closed position.

Each region of Drummer offers you a blank set of variables to explore. So, for example, you could start with a soft and simple pattern for the first verse, then move to a loud and more complicated pattern featuring toms in the chorus. To structure the performance to your song, therefore, create new regions and adapt them using the Drummer Editor.

Changing the current stereo kit for one of the Producer Kits will give you complete fader-by-fader access to the sound of your drums. You can change to a Producer Kit version (indicated with a + sign as a suffix) via the Library. Look for the Producer Kits folder and, once loaded, expand the Track Stack to see the full channel list.

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MTF Technique New features in Logic Pro X

MTF Step-by-Step Retro Synth and the Arpeggiator

The Arpeggiator and Retro Synth are a great combination of new features worth exploring together. The new channel strip makes the signal path easy to understand. First, insert the Arpeggiator as a MIDI plug-in using the plug-in slot just below the EQ. Follow this with an instance of Retro Synth in the Instrument slot that follows on.

The Arpeggiator works as a live modifier, so whatever you play will be arpeggiated accordingly. Start by experimenting with the Note Order section to define the key properties of the arpeggiation effect. The graphical buttons define the movement of the notes (Up, Down, Up/Down, Random and so on), while the Oct Range control defines the span of the arpeggiation in octaves.

Try changing the Pattern mode from Live to Grid to appreciate the real power behind the Arpeggiator. In Grid mode you can specify a unique Velocity level for each step, remove steps altogether (this is useful to create rhythm), as well as change from single notes to chords. In Chord mode, the current held notes are played together rather than being stepped through.

Tweaking some key parameters on the Retro Synth can really help bring your Arpeggiator sequence to life. Start in the Filter section, changing the Filter mode to LP 24dB Fat and adding a touch of resonance in the Filter display. The resonance gives the sound more nasal bite, as well as adding excitement when the filter starts to move.

To make the filter movement more dynamic, take a closer look at Filter Env. Create a more percussive sound by lowering the Sustain level and increasing the Speed of the initial decay. The result is a spikier envelope, which sounds best when the Env (or Envelope Depth) parameter is backed-off in the Filter section.

final piece of the puzzle is using Velocity to directly control 06 The Filter Cutoff rather than via the Envelope. Reduce the Vel slider in

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the Filter Env, therefore, and open the Settings screen. In the Settings screen you can map Velocity to Filter Cutoff, raising the fader (assuming you’ve turned down the main filter cutoff) to make it more dramatic.

New features in Logic Pro X Technique MTF

MTF Step-by-Step Editing with Flex Pitch

Flex Pitch is a Melodyne-like pitch-correction tool that works as an extension of the existing Flex Time system. First, enable the Flex View using the menu command Edit>Show Flex Pitch/Time. Assign the track a Flex mode, in this case selecting the Flex Pitch from the top of the dropdown list.

Open the Editor’s window and select one of the vocal regions to see the current Flex Pitch information. As well as the main waveform you’ll see a form of Piano Roll Editor to indicate the relative note pitches. Within each block is also a pitch-tracking display, indicating pitch drift at the end or the start of note, as well as vibrato.

One quick fix for vocal is a simple pitch quantize across the entire part. You can identify intonation issues from the misalignment of the notes. This can either be corrected manually or by [Ctrl]-clicking on the display. Pick Set all to Perfect Pitch from the two available options and the part should be corrected accordingly.

Once you’ve corrected the general intonation issues you can also start to look at making a few creative tweaks to your original vocal performance. An interesting option is to explore a completely re-pitched vocal part (by dragging each note to a new position), which can be useful for adapting a melody or creating backing vocals.

The small nodes at the borders of each note can be used to change a variety of note properties. The middle node on the bottom, for example, can be used to change the amount of vibrato applied – either exaggerating an existing vibrato pattern or smoothing out the pitch drift to make a more uniform sound.

nodes in Flex Pitch cover formants and pitch drift at either 06 Other end of the note. Another useful control for vocal parts is the Gain

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parameter, which enables you to modify the dynamic properties of the performance on a note-by-note basis. Rather than overly compressing a vocal to make all of the words audible, consider lifting their amplitude using Flex Pitch.


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MTF Technique Advanced recording in Logic Pro X


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Advanced recording in Logic Pro X Establishing an efficient recording workflow is vital to the success of your Logic projects. Mark Cousins puts the studio back into Logic.

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nless you decide to stay firmly rooted in the virtual universe, it’s highly likely that the majority of your Logic projects will begin with some form of recording, whether you’re laying down drums and bass, for example, some guide guitars or a string quartet. Most of us should be familiar with the basics of recording into Logic, but what happens if your plans are slightly more ambitious than recording just a single musician? Once you move beyond single-track recording, a new set of challenges presents themselves, whether you’re having to deal with multiple takes, for example, or complicated monitor mixes between you and your performers. In this tutorial we’re going to take a look at Logic Pro X’s application as a true ‘multitrack’ recording studio – laying down performances with multiple instruments, as well as creating a completely customisable monitoring environment that ensures both you and the musicians are hearing the correct parts. As you’ll see, the skills explored here cover a wide range of features within Logic Pro X – aspects that you might not be so familiar with, but when combined in a dynamic way, enable you to create an efficient and productive workflow. Our initial exercise looks a typical production for which you need to record multiple paths at the same time – whether it’s a drum kit, for example, or a complete band line-up. The challenge here is in learning how to negotiate the best way of working with multiple tracks, takes and audio files. To achieve this, we’ll need to look at some new techniques in the Mixer area, Arrange area and Audio Bin.

FOCUS ON… LATENCY Latency is a key issue with any computer-based recording and needs to be taken into consideration when you’re working with musicians. One option is to use any DSP-assisted software that comes with your audio interface, but this two-layered approach can get confusing when you’re moving between Logic’s mixer and the control software supplied with your interface. Another option, therefore, is to reduce your latency setting (find this by going to Logic Pro X>Preferences>Audio) when you’re recording, running your buffer size as small as it will go without noticeable clicks and pops in the output. When it comes to mixing – when you need to run lots of processor-hungry plug-ins – increase the latency to around 256–512 samples.


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As well as recording, we’ll also see how a more refined monitoring setup can be of benefit to you and your musicians. All too often, musicians are simply fed a duplicate of the control room mix, which ultimately means a compromise both in what you can listen to and what your musicians use as a guide to construct their performance. By creating separate monitor and cue mixes, you can mirror the practices adopted in a professional studio – techniques that guarantee the optimal sound and performance, long before you go anywhere near your plug-ins folder. MTF

A more refined monitoring setup can be of benefit to you and your musicians

Advanced recording in Logic Pro X Technique MTF

MTF Step-by-Step Recording multiple sources

Create the required number of audio tracks using the Track>New Tracks menu option. Check that the Ascending option is enabled under the Input dropdown menu so that you create an autoincrementing input assignment. You can even highlight the Input Monitoring option if you want to immediately listen to the signals present at your interface’s inputs.

One problem with recording multiple inputs is the task of moving several tracks in and out of record-ready mode. An easy way around this is to use Logic’s Grouping functionality. Start by placing the faders into the same group, using the Group Assignment box just above the output assignment. Make sure that the Record option is ticked in the Group settings, as this isn’t applied by default.

Once we’ve completed the first pass, we need to perform some organisational tasks to ensure that we can keep track of all the files. In the Project Audio Browser, for example, we can highlight the newly created audio files in the current pass, then select View>Create Group. You can name the group accordingly, permanently assigning the audio files to a given take.

As well as tidying our Project Audio Browser, we also need to look at some techniques to prevent an overcrowded tracks area. An excellent option is to use the Folder functionality, selecting the last pass in the tracks area and then selecting Folder>Pack Folder from the contextual menu. The Folder can be named and muted from playback, and you’ll also clear the current tracks ready for the next pass.

Carry on with your recording, creating a folder for each new take and accompanying Groups in the Project Audio Browser. Using the mute on each folder track is a good way of switching between the different takes to audition them without having to run multiple track lanes in the tracks area. Also consider using colour assignments to differentiate between takes more clearly.

You can view the contents of a folder at any point by doubleclicking on it. Return back up a level by clicking on the small arrow in the top left-hand corner of the tracks area. If you decide on a preferred take, you can also choose to unpack the folder using the contextual menu item Folder>Unpack Folder To Existing Tracks.

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MTF Technique Advanced recording in Logic Pro X

MTF Step-by-Step Monitoring and click

Create new buss sends for each of the channel strips you want present in the cue mix – this could include playback tracks and the artists themselves. Change the assignment of the buss faders so that they’re all set to Pre Fader status – this will ensure that your fader levels won’t affect the monitoring level in the headphones.

The combination of the buss sends will now be sent to a newly created aux master fader. Change the name of this fader to Cue Mix and set its output assignment to the output on your interface that the headphones are connected to. This should be different from your main monitor outputs, which are usually set to outputs 1–2.

Thinking of your mix in two layers – your monitor mix and the cue mix fed to the headphones – will help to create a comfortable working environment for everyone. One aspect that can help singers is the provision of a small amount of reverb in their headphones. Use a Pre Fader send for the reverb, sending the reverb output to the cue mix buss.

Another interesting option is a customisable click, independent of Logic’s internal metronome. To create your own click, create a new instrument track and instantiate Logic’s Klopfgeist instrument. The default setting is the same as Logic’s metronome, assuming you feed it the correct MIDI data, which we’ll explore in the next step.

Create your metronome sequence with a G5 note on the first beat and a C5 note on the second, third and fourth, all with a velocity of 127. The principal advantage of the click system is that you define when and where the click appears, giving musicians a precise two-bar count-in, for example, as well as dropping the click out at the end of the track.

As with the other elements of our cue mix, you’ll need to route the new click to the output that your headphones reside on. For reference, it’s well worth having your own pair of cans in the control room so that you can monitor what the musicians are hearing, and set up the cue mix in a way that mirrors their listening experience.

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MTF Technique Quick Swipe Comping


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Quick Swipe Comping explained Harnessing the full power of Quick Swipe Comping allows your sessions to run smoother and more efficiently. Mark Cousins polishes his performance.

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nless you’re lucky enough to work with a musician who consistently delivers ‘one-take wonders’, it’s highly likely that your finished recording will be compiled from a jigsawpuzzle of different takes. Using Logic Pro X’s Quick Swipe Comping, though, can make the task of recording and assembling a finished ‘comp’ considerably easier, enabling you to record multiple takes and switch between them with relative ease. However, although a basic


Your finished recording will likely be compiled from a jigsawpuzzle of different takes comp is easy enough to achieve, it’s well worth looking at some of the deeper functional complexities of Quick Swipe Comping to get the most from this essential feature. In essence, the Quick Swipe Comping feature is a handy way of recording multiple passes of the same musical part, whether it’s a vocal passage or an instrument line. At the top level, the region might intially seem like any other audio recording, but expand the Take folder and you’ll see the complete series of takes,

FOCUS ON… CONTEXTUAL MENU OPTIONS Whatever level you’re working at in Logic, it’s always worth exploring what’s lurking in the Contextual menu. You can activate the Contextual menu at any time by holding down the [Ctrl] key and clicking with your mouse. A different menu will pop up based on the current window you’re residing in, as well as the object type you click on. In the case of Quick Swipe Comping, for example, you gain access to a couple of useful features. My favourite is arguably Slice at Comp Section Borders, which is usually applied once you’ve created the basic comp. The Slicing option then makes it easy to time-slip any of the edit points (remembering first to disable Quick Swipe Comping) without having to edit the regions first.


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alongside the precise edit points used to create the final comp. This functionality not only makes multiple takes easier to work with, but also enables you to experiment with the various edit points with ease, even down to the ability to create several differently named ‘comps’ from the same material. As we’ll see, though, recording and creating your comp is just the start of the comping process. Once you’ve made your edits, you need to consider the options in respect to how the audio resides in your session. One option might be to ‘flatten’ the comp – a process that renders it as a series of regions, which can then be polished and refined using Logic Pro X’s conventional audio-editing tools. If you want to retain the option to return to the original comp later, options such as Export Active Comp to New Track are worth exploring. With a little practice, you’ll soon be recording, editing and flattening your own comps, keeping your tracks area clean and creating near-perfect performances. MTF

Quick Swipe Comping Technique MTF

MTF Step-by-Step Working with comps

Whenever you record over an existing performance, Logic will create what is known as a Take folder. The Take folder system is useful both as a means of handling multiple different takes of the same musical part and creating comps, whereby edits are placed to switch between different phrases or words in a performance.

A Take folder looks different from a conventional audio region – notice the addition of some important icons to its top left-hand corner. The arrow, for example, allows you to collapse or expand the folder, displaying the various original takes as well as the edits point (indicated by the coloured shading) used to switch between the different performances.

Clicking on the second icon opens the Quick Swipe Comping menu, which has a series of features and functions that let you audition and edit the takes. On the uppermost level, for example, you can see each take. This is a great way of auditioning each performance, irrespective of how far into the editing process you’ve gone.

To create your comp, pick the Create New Comp option from the dropdown menu. The first comp, with the A prefix, is created as a result of your recording. Your new comp, prefixed with the letter B, can be made by dragging the edit points or clicking and dragging on the respective take. The final take can be seen at the top level.

In theory, once you’ve created your comp you can leave the Take folder as is. There are, however, a number of situations in which you might want to flatten, export or unpack the comp. Flattening the comp (via the Quick Swipe Comping menu) is particularly useful when you want to refine the crossfades between takes.

Flattening the comp will render the edits as a series of regions on the same track, with a predefined crossfade between each take. In most cases, the default crossfade should be fine, but if you’ve flattened the comp you can use the Crossfade tool (or region resizing in X-Fade Edit mode) to manually adjust each edit point.

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MTF Technique Quick Swipe Comping

MTF Step-by-Step Working with comps... cont’d

The only downside to the flattening process is that you lose the ability to return to the Quick Swipe Comp later on in the production process. An alternative is to use the menu option Export Active Comp to New Track, which creates a flattened comp on an adjacent new track. Simply mute the original track so that you don’t hear the two playing simultaneously.

If you want full access to the contents of the Take folder you’ll need to use the Unpack option. Using Unpack will render all the current comps, as well as place each and every take on a separate track. This is useful if you want to explore a completely different creative direction with the source material you’ve recorded.

As we’ve seen in all the unpacking and flattening options, the final comp is rendered with a series of default crossfades. The setting for the default crossfade time is part of Logic’s Preferences, found under the General tab of Audio Preferences. The default setting is 10ms, which is usually fine for most editing activities.

Comping between takes is easy enough, but what if you need to slip a take, or part of a take, in time? The trick here is being able to disable Quick Swipe Comping editing as part of the Take folder. You can do this by clicking on the third icon in the top left-hand corner, switching it to Scissors mode.

With Quick Swipe Comping disabled, you should be able to use Logic’s conventional editing tools – particularly the Scissors and Pointer tools – as a means of cutting and repositioning any of the takes. Notice how the comp remains in place – you’re simply editing the Take folder through a different portal, as such.

If you want to move the comp to another DAW, it’s worth knowing how to render it as a single, contiguous file. One option is to use the Flatten and Merge feature, which will flatten and bounce the finished comp as a new audio file. If you’ve flattened already, consider using the Join function to achieve the same objective.

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MTF Technique Creative audio manipulation


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Creative audio manipulation Dicing-and-slicing audio can be creative and rewarding experience thanks to a range of features found in Logic Pro X. Mark Cousins picks up his scissors.

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anipulating audio in creative and often extreme ways has become a cornerstone of modern music production, whether it’s radically re-slicing a drum loop, cutting up a vocal or glitching a synth line. Using features and processes that were originally designed to subtly fix a performance, we can now ‘dice-and-slice’ an audio recording into a radically new form, often with a completely different musical purpose. And while it is possible to use third-party plug-ins to create some of these effects, it’s also worth noting how adept Logic Pro X is in this particular application, boasting a range of features that speed up the process while still giving you plenty of creative input. In this tutorial we’re going to explore a number of different ways in which we can manipulate an audio region in Logic Pro X. We’ll start with the process of rendering a file from a virtual instrument, which is essential if you want the part to have a ‘cut-up’ aesthetic. Of course, your starting point could be an existing audio recording, but I find that

FOCUS ON… ALTERNATIVE SLICING TRICKS As well as the slicing techniques we’ve explored here, there are other techniques that you can employ, each of which has its own merits. One interesting alternative to slicing on Transient Markers is the Divide Multiple shortcut, which you can achieve by holding down [Alt] just as you make an incision. The Divide Multiple feature cuts the region depending on the size of your first slice, so if you cut 1/16th into the start of the region, for example, the result of the region is sliced into 1/16th divisions. Another variation is the Strip Silence feature, which you can find by [Ctrl]-clicking on an audio region in the Project Audio Browser.


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some of the most interesting and unusual effects come from virtual instruments being moved into the audio domain. Once we’ve rendered the file, we’ll look at a number of different slicing techniques using audio regions, Transient Markers and the EXS24, producing cut-up and glitch effects that are down to sample-level accuracy. Looked at from another perspective, this tutorial also highlights Logic Pro X’s ability to move musical information between the domains of MIDI and audio. For example, a part

An audio recording could end up being sliced and triggered via MIDI from the EXS24 that might begin life as a bog-standard audio recording could end up being sliced and triggered via MIDI from the EXS24, while a virtual instrument could end up being printed as an audio file so that it can receive some dramatic slicing treatments. Being able to work dynamically between these two domains – MIDI and audio, in other words – is one of the most important skills any contemporary music producer can have, so it’s great to know you have the flexibility of a DAW like Logic Pro X at your fingertips. MTF

Creative audio manipulation Technique MTF

MTF Step-by-Step Cutting up audio

In this example we’re starting off using a basic rhythm track created in Drummer, although, of course, you can use any source as your starting point, whether it’s an acoustic guitar part, a vocal line or a sequence created with a virtual instrument. The key point is that we’re intending to ‘slice-and-dice’ the audio in some shape or form.

If you’re intending to cut up the audio, it’s often interesting to apply some additional effects that are printed into the audio file. Arguably the best effects to use are compression and reverb, as their body-enhancing qualities tend to make the edits stand out (we want the part to sound cut-up rather than discretely edited).

To render the file, try [Ctrl]-clicking on the region and then selecting the Bounce in Place option from the contextual menu. The accompanying dialog will present a number of options that relate to how the region is bounced. Ensure that the Bypass Effects Plug-ins isn’t checked so that the additional plug-in effects are written into the resulting audio region.

Now that we’ve rendered the file we need to think about slicing it up. Of course, you could do this by hand using the Scissors tool, but you can also use the Transient Markers feature to do this automatically. To see the current Transient Marker assignment, open the Audio File Editor and select View>Transient Editing Mode.

You can adjust the number of Transient Markers using the + and - icons in the Audio File Editor. Once you’re happy with the number of transients, try [Ctrl]-clicking on the region and selecting Slice and Transient Markers from the contextual menu. The region will now be edited in accordance with the Transient Markers, with each Marker setting a new region.

Once the region has been edited you can start getting creative with the slices. Of course, the regions can be rearranged, duplicated and resized as you see fit. Another interesting technique involves copying selected regions onto a new track and applying a unique effect to the slice, such as delay, compression or bitcrushing.

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MTF Technique Creative audio manipulation

MTF Step-by-Step Cutting up audio... cont’d

Turning almost full circle, we can also use the contextual menu item Convert>Convert To New Sample Track to turn the region into a time-sliced EXS24 instrument. The advantage with this is that you can explore a range of dramatic treatments that go beyond what you can achieve using audio editing alone, including reversed slices and glitch-type loop effects.

In the dialog for the Convert to New Sample Track feature, make sure that you select the Regions option in response to what Logic should create zones from. The result will be a new EXS24 instrument, as well as a new MIDI region with the slices triggered by MIDI. Try playing the loop by hand or experiment with retriggering effects with the sequence data.

To start manipulating the data you could choose to exploit some of the front-panel controls on the EXS24, including shortening Envelope 2 (which is used to control the amplifier), re-pitching the loop, and using the filter. Some of the most interesting results, though, come from delving further into the EXS24 Instrument Editor, which can be accessed via the Edit button.

Inside the EXS24 Instrument Editor you’ll see the zones displayed as a list of sequential sound files. Each zone has its own set of parameter values, including tuning, volume and pan position for each slice. A useful feature is the ability to reverse the zone – this is a great effect when triggered on one or more zones within the loop.

For glitch-type sounds, it’s also interesting to experiment with sample looping. The loop sounds similar to the effect of the slice being retriggered to a 1/32nd division, although this time you can use even smaller divisions. By default, though, the loop parameters aren’t visible, so you’ll need to use the menu item View>Zone:Loop to see the current looping assignments.

With the loop parameters active, you can start to explore some glitch-like effects. Once active, you can set the duration of the loop using the start and end parameters. Short loops take on an almost tuned quality, while longer loops (achieved by increasing the end point) sound almost as if the slice is tripping over itself.

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MTF Technique Making the most of Drummer


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Making the most of Drummer Beyond the immediacy of Logic Pro X’s Drummer, there’s plenty of hidden depth and flexibility to explore. Mark Cousins slaves to the rhythm.

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rummer is undoubtedly one of Logic Pro X’s best new features, especially given its ability to produce lifelike rhythm tracks in literally a matter of seconds. However, for those of us who are used to programming in drum tracks the hard way, it might appear that the system is relatively ‘locked-in’. That’s fine, providing you want to use Apple’s algorithmic rhythm-generation wholesale, but somewhat less useful if you want to do something that involves more of your own creative input. Delve a little deeper, though, and you soon find that what appears to be a closed solution can actually be expanded to yield an almost infinite amount of creative freedom. In this tutorial, therefore, we’re going to look at how to use Drummer to get a ‘best-of-both-worlds’ solution – one that takes on the pleasure of quickly assembled rhythm tracks, but also one that enables you to refine and develop the initial output from Drummer in a far more personal way.


The sound that Drummer initially presents is only the start of your creative journey We’ll start with kit deconstruction and remixing – using the Drummer Kit Designer plug-in and the Tracks Stacks feature to examine and refine every last detail of our drum kit. From swapping-out individual elements of the kit through to using and abusing the room mic channels, we’ll see how the sound that Drummer initially presents is only the start of your creative journey. Moving beyond Drummer and Drum Kit Designer, we’ll also take a look at how you can use additional virtual instruments to inject punch and power into the basic kit sound you’ve created. Using features such as Region Demixing, we’ll see how the basic pattern created by

FOCUS ON… PRODUCER KIT MIC SETTINGS Only the Producer Kits provide access to the microphone settings as part of the Drum Kit Designer plug-in. The microphone settings appear in the bottom right-hand corner of the interface and allow you to specify what additional channels are triggered in addition to the sound coming from the close-mic channel. For example, parts of the drum kit can be dropped in and out of the overheads, switched between two different room mics, as well as being set to ‘leak’ over the other close mics. Ultimately, the microphone settings provide extra control – perhaps keeping overhead channels clear for just the cymbals, for example, or differentiating ambience (between a kick and a snare, for example) by using alternating room channels.


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Drummer can be easily transferred to other instruments. Of course, if you already have a preferred piece of virtual drumming software, this is also relevant as a means of using Drummer’s unique algorithm pattern-creation with the sound palette that you’re already familiar with. Ultimately, though, this tutorial is a perfect demonstration of how the immediacy and straightforward approach of many aspects of Logic Pro X belie an inner complexity that isn’t fully apparent until you really begin to dig in to the program. Understanding and utilising the full list of features, therefore, will really enable you to extract the maximum creative potential from Logic Pro X, as well as making your music significantly more distinctive, which is something that’s always worth striving for. MTF

Making the most of Drummer Technique MTF

MTF Step-by-Step Working with Drummer

Assembling a basic rhythm track in Drummer is straightforward enough, but things get a little tricky when you need more control over the pattern – such as changing the velocity of a specific drum hit, for example – or you need to shape the sound of the kit in more radical ways. Thankfully, though, there are ways of increasing your involvement in the process.

Once you’ve assembled your basic groove, create a new instrument and move the Drummer region to the newly created track. Notice how the style of the region changes, effectively creating a MIDI region of the original Drummer groove. In theory, this MIDI trigger can be used with any virtual instrument you see fit.

To recall the original drum sound, try loading the accompanying Producer Kits from the Library. The Producer Kits (indicated by the + suffix) are actually in the form of Track Stacks, facilitating access to each and every part of the kit. In theory, you can also experiment using a different kit selection, as the mapping remains consistent with the GM standard.

Press the small arrow on the Drum Kit Designer track to expand the Track Stack. With the mixer open, you should see all of the individual channels for the drum kit, as well as the aux masters for reverb sends and so on, depending on the kit you select. Even at this stage, you can achieve a lot simply by rebalancing the kit.

More detailed control can be achieved on an instrument-byinstrument basis. Open the Drum Kit Designer plug-in if you want to experiment with different drum selections or see the tuning of the drums. Compression and EQ, accessible from each channel strip, are also important for changing the presentation of each element.

One of the best features of the Track Stacked Producer Kits is the access to the room mic channels (usually labelled Room A and Room B). If you want to add body to the sound of your kit, try experimenting with compression across these channels – in this case using a Vintage FET Circuit Type and a 4.2:1 ratio.

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MTF Technique Making the most of Drummer

MTF Step-by-Step Working with Drummer... cont’d

Once you’re happy with the sound you can start to take a more detailed look at the sequence data. Viewed as note data, of course, you can edit and refine the drums in a more directed way – muting unwanted notes from the sequence, holding off fills, adding extra ghost notes, editing velocity levels and so on.

A really important benefit of the region being held as MIDI data is the ability to finesse the quantizing of the drums. This could involve changing to a completely different setting (from a 1/16th quantize to a 1/12th, for example) or using a groove extracted from another part. Keep the Strength control low, though, to prevent the part from sounding too mechanical.

There’s no reason for your newly created drum sequence data to stay attached exclusively to the Drum Kit Designer plug-in. Try creating a new virtual instrument and selecting one of the Drum Machine settings from the Library. The pattern should play back exactly, especially given the use of GM mapping on the drum sounds.

Some of the most powerful results are achieved when an electronic kit strategically doubles the acoustic drums. On an empty instrument track, copy the sequence data over, [Ctrl]-click on the region and select MIDI>Separate by Note Pitch from the contextual menu. The Demix option will then separate the sequence data on an instrument-by-instrument basis.

Try expanding the Drum Machine channel’s Track Stack and then moving over the corresponding MIDI sequence data for the parts you want to double. The positions of the ‘blobs’ should make it clear what the part is, and they can be placed on the corresponding track to make things clear. When you’re done, collapse the Stack accordingly.

To refine the doubling effect, it’s worth solo’ing the two parts in isolation. Using tools like EQ, you can help define the relationship between the two sounds – adding more weight to the electronic kick drum, for example, the emphasis filling in the extreme low end. Some compression will also help add body to the electronic kick.

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MTF Feature Make money from your music

MTF Masterclass Career paths

MAKE MONEY FROM YOUR MUSIC

No matter how much you love composing, performing or working in the studio, love alone won’t put dinner on the table. Liam O’Mullane explores your money-making opportunities.


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Make money from your music Feature MTF

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any of you may already be mid-career, reading MTF for supplementary information to enhance your existing skill set. Another percentage of you will be in the romantic ‘first years’ of making music and may not have even thought about trying to generate any serious income from your wares yet. In this feature, therefore, we’ve decided to answer the question that many of you put to us via email and in person at the various trade shows we attend throughout the year. And that question is: how do I make money? If I told you my own story it would describe moving between the roles of electronic musician, DJ, tutor and my current position at MTF over the years – and I’m not alone: here we’ve gathered a diverse range of professionals from our extensive contacts list who are ‘in the game’ and asked them how they

The ability to diversify is one of the most important factors in maintaining a steady career established an income flow and subsequently maintained it. And reflecting my own experiences, the ability to diversify pops up time and again as one of the most important factors for maintaining a steady career and, thus, steady income. We’re talking to well-known producers, engineers, sound designers, composers, DJs, label owners and performers as well as other professionals who work out of the limelight, maximising their revenue streams from the shadows. Our aim is to stimulate ideas so you can make the most of your area of expertise, while also suggesting areas in the industry where your skills might be required and, in general, putting things into perspective so you can take positive action for the future. Each story is quite humbling when you hear about the free gigs, the years of seizing every opportunity and the determination to survive while on the breadline. But as they prove, it was all worth it in the end...


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Programmer/Producer Damian Taylor

Commercial music & music for picture

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any have and still do want to be a big-name engineer or producer. To get an insight into a career in these fields we talk to Damian Taylor, who has worked with Björk and Arcade Fire to name just two, and Mark Rankin, who works with award-winning producer Paul Epworth on a regular basis (Mark has also received a few awards himself). Although Mark’s journey might seem like a story of pure luck, seemingly fast-tracking him to the top, don’t forget that it’s the ability to deliver that gets you called back for the next job. On the subject of music for picture, you’ll find some great advice on employability from Hollywood composer Deborah Lurie and Mark Cousins, whose work has been used for ‘bigbrand’ advertising and TV shows. And Ant TC1 – label manager of the legendary Metalheadz – gives his tips for surviving in the modern world.

The Mix Engineer Mark Rankin

What was your first studio job – and did you actually get paid for it? My first studio experience was unpaid but a huge opportunity: I got a rare chance to sit in with a good freelance engineer and observe, quietly! After that I found a couple of minimally paying runner positions, but it can take many years until you earn more. That time is invaluable though for improving your skills, experience and relationships. Ensuring he could offer something different as a PT programmer helped Damian boost his career.

Any advice to share for a solid career in the industry? The network that you build up over time is just as important as your technical or creative skill. There are so many self-proclaimed producers and engineers out there but in reality it’s incredibly hard to find people you can truly depend on in the crunch of a busy session. If you’re one of those people word will spread. Patience is important: take the approach that you’re there to help people as much as they’re comfortable with; serve their agenda, not yours. Take every opportunity and don’t sleep for years! The credits and money will arrive in time. Web www.damiantaylor.com

Mark Rankin: living proof that a calculated risk can pay off, even when the stakes are high.

What was your first paid gig? It’s a bit strange, really – I went straight in and worked for Bassment Jaxx. I started at The Exchange mastering studios as I was learning to cut records for two years previously and I also wanted to do recording. The owner quite fancied building a recording studio so we did that and he put me in to run it straight away. Because we already had high-end clients for mastering they’d come into the studio too, so I was thrown in at the deep end. How did things progress from there? That’s when I met Paul Epworth and worked with him on the Futureheads and Bloc Party sessions he’d brought in. The studio was shut down after a few years, though, but as I’d just sold my flat, I took a punt and used the money to buy the kit. Ben Hillier was just starting Miloco at the time so I moved the gear in with his at The Pool Recording Studios and I went freelance. I met Paul again when there and we’ve worked together since, from Kate Nash to Adele and Florence and the Machine. How did you find going freelance in terms of income? It’s a scary thing, but you just have to time it right. Ideally, when you’re doing your work experience you’ll click with someone you’re assisting. Whether you’re getting paid or not, working on their sessions can open up work for things like B-sides, which they wouldn’t necessarily have a budget for to be done by the main


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producer. Miloco runs an internship scheme for a few weeks at a time, and you never know what can come of it. Just make sure you’re doing a good job, whether it’s technical or just making a good brew, because making bad ones can also mean you don’t get called back. Use your initiative: you’re there to make the session run smoothly. What’s been hardest about ensuring a stable career? Being prepared to live off very little – or zero – money. You can go to university but the chances are that you’ll still have to start in a studio by making everyone cups of tea. It may look more favourable on paper, but what it really boils down to is being someone people would want to spend 12 hours a day with in a room. It’s about personalities, really; as long as you have a basic grasp of things, are willing to do your homework and are, of course, keen to go the extra mile, you should get on just fine. Web www.markrankin.co.uk


nning a label Alternative Incomes Ru

Music for Picture Mark Cousins

is just one of Ant Running a record label alongside rk, wo of s line TC1’s many n and writing DJ’ing, event promotio ch Recordings, pat music. The label, Dis find great to ire des ma was formed in 2001 fro en on tak now s He’ re. music and put it out the quite different n bee s “It’ us: s tell Metalheadz, and g up work in terms of buildin as it involves a lot more . ists art our t por sup to press relationships with the h oug en to customers thr We’re also careful to list els don’t happen any lab ite wh s; social platform ma uld rather pre-order fro more and customers wo work. art the get to it wa track on SoundCloud and a come from bundles like Other added value can this e don ’ve artwork on; we T-shirt with the release .” ase rele e mis Empty Pro on our recent Lenzman .uk .co adz lhe eta w.m ww Web

It’s the ability to deliver that gets you called back for the next job

Mark Cousins: take the rough with the smooth and learn to cope with rejection...

What have you learned about making effective pitches? The best pitches are always the ones with a clear and direct message, so avoid being too clever or overly complex. There’s always a temptation to demonstrate your virtuosity – to create a deeply layered piece that’s full of musical ideas – but what most of the people commissioning music like is a good tune or a simple, unobtrusive cue that supports what’s going on in the picture. How do you take a rejected pitch and use the experience to improve the next one? You’ll realise that the odds are stacked against you when seeing how many people are pitching for the same job. Unless you’re phenomenally talented – or lucky – you’re statistically more likely to lose the pitch than win it. While it’s hard not to take the rejection personally, it’s important to remember that you’re in a free and open market, and that the ability to compose a half-decent piece of music isn’t that unique. Web www.cousins-saunders.co.uk

Scoring for Film Deborah Lurie How’s your career been in terms of income? I’m so happy to be out of the woods now when it comes to money. I’ve wanted to write, arrange and produce music for movies since I was 17 and have pursued it ever since. I took on any musical opportunity I could, including scoring student films at USC, low-budget indie films, producing live rock and theatre shows, and all while also assisting on bigger-budget Hollywood movies. This eventually gained trust with certain movie studios and directors, leading onto the work I do now. It’s been a long road of working like crazy and surviving being broke. How did you manage all that work on a low budget? I think I lived on a cheaper budget than a lot of my peers; I didn’t update my gear as much as some and I lived in some pretty run-down places. I did particularly ambitious things like recording live ensembles, even if my budget would dictate that less than pristine recording techniques were used. I think most start as assistants to established composers, which is often a full-time paid job; the positive side of my not being in that role was that I had the freedom to do my own thing. I’d say you shouldn’t expect good money in the beginning and the gigs that got me the furthest in my career were the free ones, so take a non-music job if you need to. I’d also say hold off getting an agent until you need one; I got one too soon and I’d be losing a cut on the gigs I’d get myself, which made me cranky. Just live cheaply and handle your own business at the start.

Is there anything that you’ve seen other people doing which prevents them from getting or keeping work? Sometimes the mistakes I see young composers making are pretty mind-blowing, especially if they are really musically talented. It’s all personality and behaviour stuff, not so much the music itself. Without doubt, the worst mistake I see a lot of is young composers who often have an unhealthy sense of entitlement, right out of the gate. The result is an unwillingness to adapt to unpredictable circumstances and the inability to be enthusiastic about situations that don’t meet the expectations they imagined. I find myself being one of those ‘back in my day we had to walk to school in the snow, uphill both ways’ types all the time, but I definitely find that many talented people get weeded out quickly due to their rather naïve sense that they’re above doing the dirty work and ready to score the next ET. Web www.deborahlurie.com

Deborah Lurie: never think you’re above doing the dirty work.


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Studio Owner Dan Flitcroft, Stage 2 Studios

Running a studio

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any of you might have been discouraged by the idea of starting up a recording studio in today’s climate – and you’re right to think that way. Times are hard, and as studio owner Dan Flitcroft points out, like everyone else, musicians are also very poor these days. However, it seems that a solid commitment to provide something over a bedroom production experience is keeping his studio in business. On the other side of the spectrum, the iconic Rockfield Studios has managed to remain in business when many of the greatest studios of all time are closing down. So what conclusions can be drawn from these two vastly contrasting scenarios? Rockfield Studio Manager Lisa Ward highlights the ability to reassess the assets a studio has to offer, while Dan’s focus is on integrity, but whether you’re running a commercial venture or a bedroom setup, both are very vital considerations.

Studio Manager Lisa Ward, Rockfield Studios As a commercial studio from the golden era, how have you managed to survive, unlike many others? There are several reasons, but the first is a passion for what we do. It’s a family run business so I’ve grown up in this environment; it’s in my blood. The fact that we’ve been around for 50 years and have a proven track record definitely helps too. We also have a loyal following of producers and bands, so if they need studio space, they book it with us. We’ve also had plenty of ups and downs in the past so the current climate is nothing new to us. How do you manage to maintain a steady income? There are many ways to reassess and adapt what your studio has to offer. The biggest change for us was to start renting out the Coach House for non-recording clients and establishing a separate multi-bedroom property as well that is perfect for large groups to come and stay. The other big change has been to gauge each recording project on its own merit and charge accordingly. We offer three different packages, from self-catering to full bed and board. We also now open our doors for educational establishments, which can book masterclasses for a varied number of days as required. Any advice for someone wanting to start a studio? I personally believe that there should always be a place for studios of all sizes. Admittedly, technological advances have changed the industry dramatically, but ultimately, music is all about sound


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Stage 2 Studios offers both recording and rehearsal space.

What’s kept your business going so far? Respecting and giving value to my customers while continually improving the level of service and quality of output we provide. Everyone in their bedroom thinks they can be a professional producer so there is an onus on us to provide good value for money and create productions we’ll happily put our name to. What did you learn the hard way when setting up? Since being in business I’ve seen at least three other studios in the area come and go purely because they didn’t take the issue of soundproofing seriously enough enough, whereas I went a little overboard with it and maybe spent some of my money needlessly for little benefit – you can’t mess around with noise issues in a densely residential city like Bath! I’m fortunate that I’ve managed to weather the recession so far, but musicians are very poor right now so I wouldn’t particularly recommend starting a studio at the moment. Web www.stage2studios.co.uk

Rockfield’s Lisa Ward: music is all about sound and working in a creative environment.

and working in a creative environment. As long as you have young bands picking up guitars or drumsticks, recording spaces will always be needed. The fact that so much is done via computers nowadays is pretty much doing away with much of the backline equipment and the need for large, expensive consoles and outboard gear; this means that more people are able to set up studios themselves. All of the existing studios are definitely in a period of transition, though, and it is difficult to see where this is going to lead and how long the traditional recording studio as we know it will be able to keep going. However, here at Rockfield we have confirmed sessions in both studios well into the summer and more time put on hold right up until the end of the year, so I’m positive that we will be here for some time to come. Web www.rockfieldmusicgroup.com


Sound Editor & Dubbing Mixer Will Norie

Working in sound design

Tell us about your career path to date. I did a film degree, then worked as a runner immediately afterwards; this was a paid gig from the start. I worked through a lot of different roles for a while, then, as I wanted to move into something more creative, I actually took a step backwards and took a trainee role with Aardman, working on feature films. I’ve since worked up to my current position.

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esigning sounds for all manner of products, films, TV programmes and more is another rich seam of dollar – if you can break into it. LA-based sound designer Sascha Dikiciyan, for example, has created sounds for numerous A-list computer games, including Quake II, Mass Effect 2/3, Splinter Cell 4 and more. He offers an insight into his area of expertise Meanwhile, Will Norie is Supervising Sound Editor at the UK’s mighty Aardman film company. His most famous works are Shaun The Sheep and the recent The Pirates movie. Here he highlights the pitfalls that can diminish your potential employability over time.

You ultimately want people to hire you for you and your personal sound Games Sound Design Sascha Dikiciyan What makes the type of work you do unique to other audio-based industries? While we do indeed write music to moving images like movies, there’s a stark difference at the more technical end. Usually for games there are two categories we need to score for: the cinematics, which are scored much like a movie, and then there’s the game play. This is why I would say our job is more difficult, simply because we need to score something that will always play out differently. It’s not linear like a movie; the player might roam an area for ten minutes before something else happens. Thus, composing a two-minute cue for that area is a challenge. A lot of times these cues have to loop, and the trick is to make the music flow and

Sascha Dikiciyan: it’s important to find your own voice as soon as possible.

Any tips for gaining solid employment credentials? Don’t be someone who exaggerates their abilities and knowledge; it’s very easy to try to fast-track yourself by embellishing your CV, a little of which can be good to push you slightly above your comfort zone. I’d rather hire someone who is honest about their abilities and has a thirst for learning. It may sound ‘cliquey’ but who you know makes a big difference as well, so try Will Norie: develop as many to develop as many friendships as friendships as you can by you can. being personable. Web www.aardman.com

sound like it’s not looping every two minutes. This is possible but it takes years to perfect. You also have different layers of intensities and that’s a whole other challenge. With Mass Effect 3, for example, I wrote at times up to five different layers of the same tune for a particular area in the game. While the layers may not be immediately obvious, a lot of work goes into making them. Make no mistake: these layers are not just copies of the same track with muted elements, they are Alternative Incomes Tu ition basically new arrangements based on the same main idea. Tutor for sound engine ering and the art of mixing at Point Blank, Anthony Any advice for newcomers? Chapman has over 20 years of industry While it’s good training to experience under his bel t. Although he copy other well-known was originally a perfor mer, most of that time has composers, in the end people been spent engineerin g and producing in stu dio s for will not hire you for being himself and others. Sta rting in education in an another Hollywood copycat. informal youth work env ironment, he got into for mal There are so many people teaching when a positio n opened up while he wa s now who compose that it’s providing tech suppor t at a university studio . He important to find your own enjoys teaching but goi ng full-time didn’t app eal to voice as soon as possible possible. him as he’d struggle to keep his hand in the ind ustry. There will be frustrating There are various levels of wage you can earn, but times at the start, of course, Anthony sees his part-t ime wage as a baselin e and people will no doubt tell income that also gives him the freedom to rem ain you that you should do this working in the industry. and that, but I say screw it: Web www.pointblanklon don.com stick to your own voice, and while we’ve all had to pay our dues by writing stuff that we maybe haven’t liked, in the end you ultimately want people to hire you for you and your personal sound. Web www.sonicmayhem.com FOCUS Logic Pro X 2014

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Can you tell us how you’ve adapted your career aims to survive over the years? There’s the option of trying to become the very, very best at a specific skill to earn money, such as being the best at recording an orchestra, but there are so few positions, the limitations of even getting access to the equipment and luck involved in making it to the top, that this is an incredibly hard career to succeed in. I’ve always had a specific aim throughout my career – being ‘unique’ is my selling point. After I focused on winning beatbox battles and went on to win the UK championships twice, I’d not only honed my skills through the process but I’d also created a platform for myself to work from. Then I combined two things for my unique angle: the fact I’m a decent beatboxer and also that I am quite good at entertaining people with impressions and comedy. This worked well but I soon saw its limitations as I was becoming classified Alternative Incomes De monstrator as a warm-up act, sideshow or host. I Most hardware and plu g-in was succeeding in a manufacturers need som eone to certain respect, demonstrate their pro ducts. Being a hosting big festivals demonstrator can be eith er a freelance like Finsbury Park, job or – as in Pioneer’s Rob Anderson’s case – but it was frustrating a full-time one. He landed the job thanks to his as I’d be on when the experience as a pro DJ and now travels all ove sound system was r the UK giving demos to kit -lovers at various retaile lower, so I rs as well as providing shop staff with training. reassessed what I He tells us what else thi s entails: “It’s a 9-to-5 was doing and job, but because it cov ers over 60 retailers acr oss the UK it can involve unusua l hours. When a new pro duct is announced I have fro m then until its onsale date to learn every feature and trick you can do with it to show retailers and pot ential users. I do the odd bit of gigging but I spend mo re time in the studio now , developing that side of my skills.”

looked for something that no one was doing. This was to go as deep as possible into the path of loop-based performances using only the voice. I wanted to take it as far as I could; now I’ve started to strip away the comedy though it’s still there when appropriate, but there’s also a serious musical element as well. What advice would you give to those starting out? The competition move is useful; even if you don’t win it gets you involved in the scene. I’d say be aware of the pyramid of earnings: there’s limited space for each specific skill, which then relates to the income available and then less for others lower down. You need to know your value as the promoter will always want to pay as little for you as they can. You’d be surprised how many big-name artists have also done work under a different name to supplement income – myself included, but I try as much as possible not to compromise my principles. Web www.beardyman.com

Beardyman: be aware of the pyramid of earnings.

Many big-name artists have worked under a different name to supplement income

Live Band Hope and Social Keyboardist Ed Waring reflects on the journey, hardships and success of the band so far, kicking off with a brief potted history... With the majority of band members and the previous band name Four Day Hombre, we’ve been around since 1999. A very deep desire to make music has kept us going! As FDH we barely made a penny, so since starting Hope and Social we decided our manifesto would be to have fun. This turned out to be the best financial decision we made and now I’m earning a third of my income from the band each year and it’s growing. What constitutes ‘fun’? Fun includes things like working hard, overcoming problems, writing serious music and pulling 36-hour sessions in the studio. It’s not all about dressing like Smurfs and dancing like your dad.


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You have a pay-what-you-want scheme whether selling your music at gigs or online. How does that work for you? It works really well for us. It’s part of our mission to build a fanbase over just trying to sell CDs; we’re building a tribe. What happens is that roughly half our downloads are for nothing but on average they’re about £6–£7 for the latest album and about £4 for the oldest. Web www.hopeandsocial.com

H & S have one of the highest free-to-paid conversion rates on Bandcamp.

Image: Aaron Engler and Soundcheck411.com

Technical Performer Beardyman


Scratch DJ Matman

Gigging & DJ work

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he live performance is the staple source of income for most musicians. And although traditional band performances, live tech shows and DJ’ing are vastly different in terms of how they are constructed and the skills they entail, they all require the ability to entertain people and adapt if you want to get regular bookings. For his purely tech shows (asides from the voice), for example, Beardyman married music and comedy, while Hope and Social are a great example of a gigging band who also explore other revenue streams. Scratch DJ Matman has played all over the globe, exploiting his battle-winning vinyl skills and ability to rock a party. Our last example, superstar DJ James Zabiela, saw his career prospects blossom thanks to the competition scene, but he now uses live tech to further shape his unique brand of DJ creativity.

DJ Superstar James Zabiela How did you get your first break and was it a paid gig? I wouldn’t consider my first paying gig my ‘break’. That actually came much later when I won a mixtape competition. I got £20 for my first gig, though, which I was more than happy about. What have you learned about getting work and deciding how much you should be paid? Without an agent, getting paid was always an issue for me. Some promoters are quite sketchy and would do anything to get out of paying me. I’d be in the office of the club or waiting around after the gig to pick up the promised £100, which either resulted in being paid £50 or an IOU never to be paid. That’s a problem with DJ’ing, especially at the start. I just loved playing so much – and still do – and this was obvious to the people booking me. So they took the piss when it came to paying as they knew I’d go through the whole process again just to have another chance to play beyond the confines of my bedroom. That all changed when I went with an agency, which at the time commanded a big roster so they had acts that the promoters wanted to look after because they’d be booking with them frequently. It’s also a seal of approval at the start of your career – it proves that someone official believes in what you do if they’re willing to represent you. Tell us about the various points in your career that helped you step up the ladder and how you ensured it was you who got the breaks. Winning a mixtape competition in a well-known dance music magazine and having Sasha and Lee Burridge also listen to my mixes, which resulted in me being signed to their DJ agency. Warming up for Sasha and some of the acts

Matman has battled his way to the top of the DJ scene, becoming UK DMC Supremacy Champion 2005.

How often do you DJ and is it your only source of income? I do two or three gigs a week; I also run a small promotions business for club nights, provide DJ tuition, get commissioned to record mixes on occasion and do session scratch work on other people’s tracks. My production work heavily contributed to the award-winning soundtrack for iOS app Skillz: The DJ Game. I’m also in the process of setting up a record label. What mistakes would you warn people about? Thankfully, I don’t think I’ve made any major mistakes; I have no regrets! Just be aware that talent can only take you so far: strong self-promotion, marketing, networking skills and presentation are equally important to survive. I have seen some people make the mistake of putting all their eggs in one basket, focusing too much on one aspect of the DJ game. This is something to be aware of. Web www.djmatman.com

on the roster while I was still relatively unknown were also high points. It was one of these support sets at Space, in Ibiza, for We Love Sundays when I became a resident off the back of my set; also, making an Essential Mix for Radio 1 – I’ve now done three. James Zabiela: DJ’ing requires a lot of As I was booked to play, consistent hard work. more and more things started to avalanche as more people heard about me; it’s then that the ‘wheels are in motion’, so to speak. It’s keeping them spinning that’s the tricky part! More recently I’ve been lucky enough to partake in things that have helped do just that: making a mix for Resident Advisor, Mixmag and playing on Boiler Room (www. boilerroom.tv) have all aided my career substantially over the last couple of years – all without there being a conscious decision to do those things for that specific purpose. They were just all fun things I wanted to do, but in retrospect I see how doing these fun things were actually great business decisions. For instance, Boiler Room has had nearly 200,000 views so far. I’ve been incredibly lucky, and make no mistake, you can be the best DJ in the world but you still need the universe to help you out. If someone wants to DJ for a living, what advice would you give them? Dedication and perseverance – you need to look like you’re enjoying it but at the same time it requires a lot of consistent hard work. Web www.jameszabiela.com FOCUS Logic Pro X 2014

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Publishing Michael Hatjoullis, Paul Rodriguez Music General and copyright manager Michael Hatjoullis from Paul Rodriguez Music talks about a career in publishing. A publisher’s job is to manage the copyright for anything you’ve written, whether you perform it yourself or someone else does. We are there to make sure that when a composer’s music is used – be it on commercial release, radio, film/TV, concerts or whatever – the royalties due will flow back to the composer. If the music gets chosen for a film or TV programme, the publisher will negotiate a licence on the composer’s behalf. In short, we’re there to make sure that the writer gets paid. Publishing percentages can seem quite high. Why would a writer give up that stake of their income over trying to do what you do themselves? Some people do indeed do this and s ck pa le mp Alternative Incomes Sa many of our ering off t rke ma composers have a is n tio Sample produc is Chr . done this ties uni ort opp various job ps, is the PR themselves early Loo me Pri m fro s, ren Beh rketing on in their careers. Manager and Digital Ma el But the larger their lab ord rec ma Executive who came fro the by d catalogue che roa app ng background before bei l with blogs, becomes the more dea I and job me l-ti ful company. “It’s a work they have to giveaways, online and ns tio mo pro s, iew getting rev I’m – ds ban do to deal with e nag ma also marketing and so on. I -based don Lon and manage it. ng azi am an h currently working wit South African Plus, they my h wit ng alo E LIF act called NIGHT Jax Panik.” Chris also and o isc anD rTh ade clients De pany successful sample com tells us that running a e to hav respect that you is similar to a label in the nds, tre n tio sic and produc listen out for current mu o als can ks pac ly least like but that sometimes the .com ops elo rim w.p ww b . We unexpectedly take off

Michael Hatjoullis: ensuring the pay cheques come in...

are trying to do it while not being experts at it, which means their copyright might not be properly managed – eg, there can be uncollected royalties stuck all around the world that we’d be more likely to be aware of. Most importantly, trying to do all of this will start to impose on the time you have to actually be a musician – that’s when having a publisher can be a life-saver. What’s more, in most cases publishers provide advances, which means you don’t have to worry about that first chunk of money to pay the bills; the publisher recoups the money later as it starts to come in. What do you expect from an artist looking for a deal? For a basic publishing deal they’d need music that’s being released and getting played. If that’s not happening it’s perhaps too early for the writer to be thinking about publishing deals, but when things start to take off, that’s when they’ll possibly need it. In some circumstances we’ll take on people at the early stages of their career, often because they have been strongly recommended to us and we believe there’s a market for their music. With so much competing music out there nowadays, a go-get attitude is a must! Web www.paulrodriguezmusic.co.uk

With so much competing music out there nowadays, a go-get attitude is a must

Communications Official Keith Ames, Musicians’ Union Keith tells us about how the Union can help a musician’s career and avoid costly mistakes. What is the MU there for? For 120 years we’ve been here to protect the working musician who has the right to work in the UK. We represent all ages and all fields of the industry; we’re here to help if you want to make a living as a musician. For people who work in studios but don’t play instruments and are purely technical, the Music Producers Guild might be more appropriate. What are the areas you typically help with? Throughout your career you’ll find different challenges – it could be making sure you get paid at a gig, finding management, contract advice, band name issues and so on. The latter can become problematic along with the music you may have created with other people should you split up


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for whatever reason. Many don’t realise that by starting a song together, they’re possibly at the start of a long-term business relationship. We can help resolve these sorts of issues should there be any complications along the way. Membership to the Musicians’ Union works out at £15.25 (Direct Debit) per month. For full-time students in education it’s £20 for the year. Web www.musiciansunion.org.uk


CEO Lynn Cosgrave, Safehouse Management

Making the most of your efforts Lynn Cosgrave with Carl Cox, one of Safehouse’s clients.

Image: Dan Reid

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hen your music is ready to be put out to the world, there are a few ways in which you can do it. You might get it signed to a label for a fee, have it licensed for other uses, or try to get it out there yourself. However you do it, though, there are some crucial financial aspects for consideration that go beyond initially agreeing a fee. This is when a thorough understanding of royalties is essential, a subject that legendary British producer Steve Levine guides you through. Similarly, if you want to keep yourself in a creative headspace once your career begins to gain momentum, publishers and management should be considered. Finally, we check out the long-established Musicians’ Union to see what it may be able to offer in terms of support in the event of bleak times, and advice on avoiding the kinds of pitfalls that might see you there in the first place.

Behind the scenes at a management company... We do everything, really; we mainly deal with DJs, so it involves organising tours, making record deals, managing PR, finances, radio, TV/ film, sponsorship... the list goes on. The main thing is managing our artists’ safety in terms of career, even if it sometimes means saying no; it also often means taking calculated risks. For an artist’s career we’ll discuss where they want to be in the next five to ten years and aim for that. We strive for longevity along with integrity while keeping an open mind for adapting to whatever the world may chuck our way. Each artist is at a different level in their career with us and will be focused on a different part of their path; we use our extensive experience to help guide them. We have no set rules for who we take on, but we look for DJs who are talented, keen and love what they do. Web www.safehousemanagement.com

Steve Levine: Every songwriter or producer should register with the correct society.

Royalty Advice Steve Levine Record producer, MPG Chairman, PRS for Music board director, PPL board attendee and, of course, music producer, Steve Levine tells us what extra revenue streams might be available to you. Can you explain the different royalty groups? Every songwriter or producer should register with the correct society; depending on your role(s), that could be all of them. PPL (Phonographic Performance Limited) licences and collects sound recording broadcast income on behalf of labels and performers (broadcast radio, TV, shops and so on). PRS for Music (the Performing Rights Society) licences and collects songwriters’ and publishers’ performance income (broadcasts or live festivals, pub gigs... wherever a song is performed). MCPS (the Mechanical Copyright Protection Society) licences and collects income from record companies (or others) who sell, stream or distribute published works on behalf of music publishers (publishing Mechanical Royalties are from physical forms such as CDs, vinyl, downloads and so on). So who might be due what? The owner of a sound recording (usually a record company) registers with PPL as the owner of that recording. Featured artists and non-featured artists – for example, recording artists, studio session musicians and studio music producers – should register as performers. Some studio producers who do not play on a recording may in fact qualify for a non-featured income share if they meet the criteria of ‘performing producer’ (check the PPL website to see if this applies to you). Songwriters and publishers register with PRS and MCPS, and self-published artists should also consider registering with MCPS. A publisher will register works with PRS and MCPS for you.

How does the process work? PRS/publishers give songs a unique tune code for the published work and PPL/record companies will assign tracks an ISRC code (International Standard Recording Code). As long as you’re registered and the people playing your tracks submit a record of what they play, there should be everything you’re due coming through from PRS. The technology is heading towards a form of fingerprinting that will track all music played in clubs, gigs and festivals. But for big events like Glastonbury, for instance, they send people around to track what’s being played by DJs and performers. What about promo tracks you’ve sent out yourself getting airplay? If it’s not a commercially released recording you won’t get anything from PPL; however, if you’ve written the song and registered it with PRS, you can get some income from it being broadcast. The window for back-claiming is quite small, at least for PRS, so make sure that you do it correctly at the start. You’ll get a CAE number to identify you as an artist. You could also have one as a publisher then one as a performer if you performed on the tracks. If you don’t register it, you won’t get anything – and if it’s not getting played, you’re not owed anything, either! Web www.prsformusic.com www.ppluk.com www.ukmusic.org


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MTF Technique Mastering MIDI plug-ins


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Mastering MIDI plug-ins As well as the Arpeggiator, Logic Pro X’s MIDI plug-ins system has host of powerful features up its sleeve. Mark Cousins gets plugged in.

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lthough most users will spend their time playing with the Arpeggiator, Logic Pro X’s MIDI plug-ins system offers some intriguing new ways of looking at MIDI data within your Logic projects. As you’ll see in this tutorial, the application of MIDI plug-ins floats part-way between live, on-the-fly MIDI editing and a more creative role that almost touches on a generative approach to music-making. Certainly, it’s an exciting new way of looking at your


All styles of music can actively exploit MIDI plug-ins in one way or another composition process, and a great way of extracting real musical potential from newer plug-ins such as Drum Kit Design and Retro Synth. To explore the full potential of the MIDI plug-ins system, this tutorial examines three practical applications. The first application looks at an important part of the MIDI plug-ins concept – that of real-time ‘performance tweaking’. Although it’s possible to edit MIDI data using the Piano Roll, MIDI plug-ins offer an intriguing new way of tweaking your MIDI data, especially when it comes to plug-ins like the Velocity Processor. As we’ll see, the results can be transformative, and certainly demonstrate that you shouldn’t think of MIDI as being merely a sequence of note data. From a creative standpoint, MIDI plug-ins are a dream come true for musicians working in the field of dance music. Rather than programming or performing

FOCUS ON… THE SCRIPTER PLUG-IN If you’re feeling really brave, it’s worth taking a closer look at the Scripter plug-in. In essence, the Scripter provides a means for Logic users to create their own MIDI plug-ins using a simple JavaScript editing system. To get a better idea of what you can achieve, take a look at some of the presets included with the Scripter plug-in, some of which replicate features found in the main MIDI plug-ins list, while others hint at unexplored possibilities, like the Harpeggiator. Interestingly, the open-source approach might be used in conjunction with sample libraries, where third-party developers could create Scripter presets to facilitate complex triggering tasks.


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note data from scratch, you can use features such as the Arpeggiator, Chord Trigger and Note Repeater as a means of actually creating your musical parts. For example, what might start as just a single note could end up as complex patterns of rhythmic chords, or swatches of notes flying around a given chord sequence. As with the extremes of audio processing, you soon start to realise that what you do with an input is as important as the source itself! Although this tutorial covers all the defining techniques of using MIDI plug-ins, it’s worth remembering that this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what you can achieve, especially when it comes to the Scripter plug-in. Ultimately, MIDI plug-ins are an exciting part of the Logic universe, and something that all styles of music can actively exploit in one way or another. MTF

Mastering MIDI plug-ins Technique MTF

MTF Step-by-Step Using MIDI plug-ins

In this first example we’re going to explore how a single MIDI plug-in can have a significant affect on the musicality of a performance. The starting point is a basic drum sequence routed to Drum Kit Designer. Instantiate the Velocity Processor into the MIDI FX Slot found towards the top of the channel strip. Note the green colouring to indicate that it’s a MIDI plug-in.

All MIDI plug-ins work by changing the MIDI data stream in real time – just like an audio plug-in modifies an audio signal. In this case, the Velocity Processor is working with velocity data, applying a form of MIDI compression to the data stream. As a result, notice how the dynamics of the drum performance have immediately changed.

Now let’s start adapting some of the parameters to see what happens when we use the Velocity Processor. Increasing the Ratio, for example, increases the strength of velocity reduction over and above the threshold. Notice how the performance becomes immediately quieter, as well as having the dynamic range of velocities reduced slightly.

Try adapting the Threshold next and listen to what it achieves. At lower settings, the performance becomes quieter and orientated towards a single dynamic. Raising the Threshold makes a louder performance, with the reduction directed more towards the louder hits. Finally, try increasing the Make Up to restore any lost level.

As an example of something radically different, try using an expander-like setting with the Velocity Processor. Use a low Ratio (0.125), a negative Make Up (-110) and then experiment with the Threshold. Tune the Threshold correctly and it’s almost like parts of the performance are removed in their entirety, lending the drum track a simpler, more direct feel.

The Comp/Exp mode always delivers great results, but it’s also interesting to note the other modes available with the Velocity Processor. Add/Scale is an interesting alternative for simple modifications. Use Scale at around 69%, for example, to bring in the extremes of the performance, so that both loud and quiet velocities are brought more in-line with an average setting.

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MTF Technique Mastering MIDI plug-ins

MTF Step-by-Step Multiple plug-ins

Just as with audio plug-ins, we can use multiple MIDI plug-ins in a cumulative fashion, each plug-in adding to the results of the last. Using multiple plug-ins, you soon start to see the real potential of the MIDI plug-ins system. In this case, start by instantiating the Chord Trigger plug-in across the Retro Synth instance on track two.

The Chord Trigger plug-in is similar to the old Chord Memorizer object found in the Environment. By pressing the Learn key you can map a given chord shape, either using the mouse (clicking on the notes in the lower orange keyboard) or simply playing a chord on the keyboard. The chord will now track the keyboard chromatically.

Following on from the Chord Trigger, try instantiating the Note Repeater plug-in. The Note Repeater is a form of MIDI delay line, playing a repeat of the original input several beat divisions later. In this case, set the Repeat count to 3 and the delay time to 1/8d. Now, from just a single note, we hear three perfectly formed chords!

The two most intriguing controls of the Note Repeater have to be the Transpose and Velocity Ramp parameters. Transpose shifts the chord position for each repeat, so that a +12 setting, for example, shifts each repeat up an octave. The best is the Velocity Ramp control, which we’ve set to 85% so that each repeat is slightly quieter.

To add another element into the equation, try instantiating the Modulator as the next device in the chain. Rather than modifying existing data, the Modulator creates new MIDI CC information, using a free-running LFO, for example, or an envelope triggered from note events. In this case, the default setting produces a simple temposync’ed LFO movement.

As with all of the MIDI plug-ins, it’s well worth being clear on how your eventual virtual instrument responds to the data you create – whether it’s velocity data or MIDI CC commands. Retro Synth, for example, has velocity sensitivity pre-wired to its amplifier and filter, but you can also add other modulators – such as the modulation wheel – via the Settings page.

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Mastering MIDI plug-ins Technique MTF

MTF Step-by-Step Randomizer & Arpeggiator

The last example pushed the MIDI plug-ins concept to an extreme, to the point at which the music is almost completely formed by the MIDI plug-ins. Working again with the Retro Synth track, remove all the existing MIDI plug-ins and place an instance of the Arpeggiator on the first insert. Use the default 1/16 rate for now.

The key component in this exercise is the Randomizer plug-in, which we’re going to use twice in the MIDI signal path. Placed after the Arpeggiator, the Randomizer’s default setting is achieving what we need at this stage, taking the existing ‘flat’ velocity messages from the Arpeggiator’s output and randomising over the full MIDI range of 0–127.

Follow the Velocity Randomizer with and another Randomizer instance, but this time change the Event Type from Velocity to Note Number. Notice how the pitch wildly varies for each step. Try tailoring this by setting the Random parameter to around 30 (this is almost three octaves) with a slight weighting towards High values. This is a good example of ‘tailored’ randomness!

Random notes are fine, but they’re not very musical! To solve this problem, try placing an instance of the Transposer plug-in after the two Ramdomizers. As well as transposing MIDI data, the Transposer is also useful in that it can provide scale-correction. Try the Can’t Go Wrong setting or program your own preferred scale type.

Now try going back to the Arpeggiator and experimenting with the Input Type. Move over to Grid and create a pseudo-random rhythm so that we’re not just dealing with swathes of 16th-notes. Also try some steps with the Chord mode active and try holding down more than one note to kick-start the sequence.

Setting the final result in the right context is an important part of the task. As with the second exercise, make sure that Retro Synth is responding to your controller information – adding a touch of filter movement with velocity, for example, as well as some resonance. Delay and reverb are also important, creating space and even more movement in the sequence.

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MTF Technique Get to grips with Flex Time


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Get to grips with Flex Time

Flex Time is one of Logic’s most significant and powerful tools – and often the key to a track’s rhythmic precision. Mark Cousins flexes his muscles.

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lthough some degree of tempo-elasticity has become a standard feature in most DAWs, it would be fair to say that there’s a great deal of variation between them in terms of the ease and effectiveness of the results. Logic’s Flex Time technology, though, is arguably one of the best of the bunch, whether you’re time-stretching loops to fit your session’s tempo, quantizing audio regions to match an existing MIDI sequence, or tightening a drum kit recording. Indeed,


Flex Time is a powerful ally when it comes to creating a performance that best conveys your artistic vision irrespective of the type of music you produce, Flex Time is a powerful ally when it comes to creating a perfect performance that best conveys your artistic vision. Given the breadth of what can be achieved with Flex Time, it’s worth taking some time to fully understand how it works. In essence, Flex Time works by analysing the material in your project, building a unique series of Transient Markers for each audio region placed on a given track. Using the Transient Markers, a region can then be manipulated in a number of ways – either stretching it in a ‘telescopic’ fashion so that a region is slightly quicker or slower, or moving and stretching individual notes and events within the sequence. To carry out ‘flexing’ as efficiently as possible it’s important that you make a distinction between the different Flex modes a track can be assigned. The different modes

FOCUS ON… TRANSIENT MARKERS Transient Markers aren’t just for Flex Time processing – they impact on a number of other key activities in Logic. Beyond Flex Time, one of the most important functions of Transient Markers is in the ‘Slice at Transient Markers’ feature. Initiate the Slice feature by [Ctrl]-clicking on the region and selecting Slice at Transient Markers from the contextual menu. The region will be cleanly edited based on the Transient Marker points. Another option is the creation of EXS24 instruments from an audio region using the contextual menu item Convert>Convert to New Sampler Track. In this case, the sample zones assigned to each key can be created from the Transient Markers.


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are largely self-explanatory: use Monophonic for single-note lines such as a vocal or bass line; Polyphonic for material that has a collection of notes at different pitches, like a piano or a guitar playing chords; and Rhythmic for percussive sources such as a drum kit. The other modes – namely, Speed (FX) and Tempophone (FX) – delve into more experimental realms, but are also worth exploring. The most important point to remember, though, is that Flex Time edits are nondestructive. Any edits that you created will be marked with Flex Markers – simply delete a single Flex Marker – or reset an entire region’s Flex Markers – and the audio will be returned to its original form. Given this inherent flexibility (and undo-ability) Flex Time is a superb creative tool, enabling you to quickly manipulate timing properties with the same inherent ease as you would a MIDI performance. MTF

Get to grips with Flex Time Technique MTF

MTF Step-by-Step Flexing time

Open the project file included on the DVD. Our starting point is a session that was originally recorded at 128BPM; it was then augmented with additional material – perc, bass and a Rhodes line – recorded at a different tempo. Currently, the newly imported material lands short of bar 9, indicating it was recorded at a faster tempo.

To adjust the timing of the new material we’re going to use Flex Time. To carry out any Flex Time editing we need to enable the Flex View, which will change various aspects of the tracks area to allow us to visualise and edit the timing properties of a region. Enable the Flex View via the menu command Edit>Show Flex Pitch/Time.

Each track within your project can be assigned a unique Flex mode. In theory, the different Flex modes let you tailor the time-stretching algorithm to the material you’re trying to process. In our case, we might choose either Slicing or Rhythmic for the percussion track, Monophonic for the bass, and Polyphonic for the Rhodes track.

Once you’ve assigned a track a Flex mode, Logic will spend a short amount of time analysing the regions placed on it. The result of the analysis will be a series of so-called Transient Markers. You can view and edit Transient Markers using the Audio File Editor, although, in most cases, the Transient Markers that Logic places are usually 100% correct.

At this stage we could choose to simply expand the length of the region by hand and perform a ‘Telescopic’ Flex Time edit. A more refined solution, though, is to use some of Logic’s own editing tools that will stretch the region at sample-level accuracy. First, set a cycle length for the eventual length of the region; in this case running to the end of bar 9.

To perform the Flex Time stretch, use the menu item Edit>Time Stretch>Time Stretch Region Length to Locators. Once you’ve activated the command, Logic will move the end point of the region to match the current cycle length. As Flex Time is active, this edit is carried out nondestructively using the current Flex mode.

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MTF Technique Get to grips with Flex Time

MTF Step-by-Step Flexing time... cont’d

Another interesting application of a so-called Telescopic stretch is a double- or half-time stretch using the Speed mode. Try copying the percussion region to a new track, this time setting its Flex mode to Speed (FX). Stretch the region to twice its original length. The result sounds much the same as tape running at half-speed, with the percussion dropping an octave in pitch.

One of the best applications of Flex Time is the ability to apply an audio quantize. Rather than just applying a rigid 1/16th quantize, though, it’s often beneficial to transfer the groove of one part to another. In this example, highlight the percussion region and select Make Groove Template from Inspector’s Quantize menu.

To apply the newly created groove template quantize to the bass, highlight the region and from the dropdown Quantize menu and select the groove you’ve just created, called Perc. Note how the bass notes have now been repositioned: either compressing a note, indicated by the darker shading, or expanding it, indicated by the lighter shading.

As you can see, Flex Time offers a completely elastic approach to the timing of an audio file. If you don’t like the edits, you can always click on the small X at the top of the region to delete one of the Flex Markers; [Ctrl]-clicking on the region and selecting Reset All Flex Edits will affect all those within a region.

In our final example we’re going to explore how Flex Time can be used to discreetly time-correct a performance. Unmute the drums and take a listen to the integrity of their timing. Listen closely and you’ll identify two errors in bar 2, with both a snare hit and a kick being slightly out-of-time.

If you want to edit across a number of tracks at the same time, you’ll need to create a phase-locked Edit Group. Enable the Group via the mixer, using the Group box just beneath the output assignment. In the Inspector, make sure you’ve checked Editing (selection) and Phase-Locked Audio as part of the Group Settings.

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Get to grips with Flex Time Technique MTF

MTF Step-by-Step Flexing time... cont’d

With the drums now placed into an Edit Group, all Flex Time edits will be applied across all three tracks simultaneously. Before we can start editing, though, we need to assign each of the tracks their own Flex mode. As the source is percussive, pick either the Slicing or Rhythm Flex Time modes.

To make the edit, we want to move just a single drum hit. We can do this using the ‘three Flex Markers’ icon, which you’ll find as you move towards the bottom of the region. Note how the points to either side of the snare are fixed, allowing you to reposition the offending note without affecting the rest of the region’s timing.

Repeat the process on the kick that plays out-of-time towards the end of bar 2. Note how you can either reposition it to the nearest grid point or, by dragging down onto an adjacent track lane, in respect to the Transient Marker on another track. In this case, we can lock the kick to our percussion track.

Carrying out a lot of Flex Time editing can tax your CPU. Track freezing can be applied at ‘source’ level, though, effectively creating an offline render of your Flex Time edits. Enable the Freeze icon by [Ctrl]-clicking on the track list and selecting Track Header Components>Show Flex from the contextual menu.

As part of the track’s Properties (found in the Inspector), you can move between two different Freeze modes – Source Only and Pre Fader. The Source Only option is intended for Flex Time editing, in that only the Flex Edits are rendered, leaving the remaining plug-in CPU usage in real time. Pre Fader, of course, would render both Flex Time edits and plug-ins.

With the Freeze mode selected, click on the Freeze icon in the track list to enact the offline render. Once frozen, the track looks much the same, although you won’t be able to carry out any further audio editing unless the track is temporarily unfrozen. Freezing is best done just before you start mixing, clawing back valuable CPU resources for additional plug-ins.

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MTF Technique Exploit the power of Retro Synth


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Exploit the power of Retro Synth Beneath the appealing immediacy of Retro Synth’s interface lies a surprisingly powerful and versatile machine. Mark Cousins gets twiddling.

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lthough the mighty ES2 remains Logic Pro X’s most powerful and complex subtractive synthesizer, there’s no denying that the Retro Synth is a considerably more immediate and enjoyable tool to use on a daily basis. You need only look to the success of synthesizers such as the Mini Moog to realise that a few simple controls is all you actually need to produce great sounds. It might look impressive to have an endlessly complex modulation matrix or multiple filter-routing options, but when you want a powerful bass

When you want a powerful bass or searing lead, it’s often Retro Synth that yields the best results line or searing lead, it’s often the simplicity and directness of Retro Synth that yields the best results. Technically speaking, Retro Synth works as ‘three synths in one’, combining elements of subtractive, wavetable and FM synthesis. For the purposes of this tutorial, though, we’re going to focus on Retro Synth’s subtractive qualities – also referred to

FOCUS ON… GLOBAL CONTROLS It’s interesting that some of the most important parameters in Retro Synth are hidden behind the Settings screen as part of the Global Controls. In truth, though, the Double feature – which stacks up multiple virtual instances of Retro to create a fatter sound – is a big part of the synth’s allure. Once the Double mode is active, pay close attention to the Voice Detune and Stereo Spread parameters, as both of these controls has a big effect on the size of the doubling. While these fattening controls have a place, the Stereo Spread can have an impact on the definition of your soundstage, with keyboard sounds effectively spread across the complete width of the mix.


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as its Analog mode – although you’ll find that a large number of the techniques outlined are equally applicable to its other modes. Thanks to its chunky GUI, Retro Synth is easy enough for even a novice to understand. Along the top you’ll find the principal signal path of the synth running from left to right, making it easy to visualise the ‘flow’ of a sound. We start with the oscillators – the lifeblood of the sound – where we can shape the sound’s basic harmonic properties. Next is the Filter section, used to gouge-out large parts of the sound spectrum before it hits the amplifier and, finally, a Chorus/Flanger used to fatten Retro Synth’s output. Towards the bottom of the interface you’ll find a collection of modulation sources – comprising vibrato, an LFO and two envelopes – that are used to shape the sound over time. The modulators contribute an important part of a sound’s identity: adding a small amount of dubstep wobble using the LFO patched across the filter, or softening the attack on an amplifier envelope to make a synth pad. Best of all, though, everything you need is accessible and easy to work with. MTF

Exploit the power of Retro Synth Technique MTF

MTF Step-by-Step Synth bass

A synth bass is an excellent demonstration of the key features and workflow of Retro Synth, and makes good use of the Analog mode. Start by defining the waveshape, using a combination of a square wave on oscillator 1 and sawtooth on oscillator 2. Add some detune via the Cents control to lend the sound some warmth.

The key to a large number of bass sounds is the filter, often with the envelope to create a defined attack to the sound. Move over to the Filter Envelope, therefore, and set up an envelope using a fast attack, 550ms decay, no sustain and a release of around 450ms. The resulting envelope should have a distinct ‘spike’ to it.

For the envelope to have an effect, we need to establish some key settings in the Filter section. For Filter mode, select the Moog-like LP 24dB Fat mode. Reduce Cutoff to 0.04 and add a small amount of Resonance (0.12). The Env control adds modulation – set it around 0.79 so that the envelope modulates over almost the full range.

Use the Amp Envelope to shape the dynamic of the sound. Although the broad shape is similar to the Filter Env, there’s a slower decay (around 3,400ms) and a small amount of sustain so that the sound has a degree of body (0.05). Release is also kept relatively quick (170ms) so that the sound retains a percussive edge to it.

Finishing touches to our bass sound include the addition of some vibrato and some further forms of modulation. Vibrato can be applied directly from the oscillator – in this case, setting the Vibrato parameter to around 0.10. The speed and waveshape can be established in the dedicated Vibrato section beneath the oscillator controls. Use the triangle waveshape at a Rate of 4.10Hz.

The original sequence data for the bass part includes some modulation wheel movements, originally intended as a means of tweaking the filter cutoff. Click on the Settings button to see the modulation routing for Retro Synth. Map the mod wheel through to Filter Cutoff using its associated dropdown menu. An Amount of 0.37 should provide enough movement.

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MTF Technique Exploit the power of Retro Synth

MTF Step-by-Step PWM pads

Pad sounds can be created in a number of ways, but in this example we’re going to use Shape Modulation to create a typical PWM pad, much like an old string machine synthesizer from the 70s or 80s. Create the basic timbre using two oscillators positioned somewhere midway between square and pulse waveshapes.

The tuning of the oscillators forms a big part of the warmth and symphonic width of the pad. Start by creating an octave-shift between the oscillators, setting a -12s shift using the Semitones control. Adding plenty of detune – positioning the Cents controls around 17c – helps thicken the output and adds body to the sound.

Shape Modulation enables us to modulate the pulse width using either the LFO or envelope, with the resulting sound appearing similar to a chorusing effect. Move the Shape Modulation control towards 0.124, therefore, which should bring the LFO into action. In this case, we’re using a tempo-sync’ed LFO running at 1/16d, which creates a fast-moving PWM effect.

As well as the PWM, it’s also worth adding some Vibrato to provide another layer of movement. Set the Vibrato control in the oscillator section to around 0.09 semitones and its Rate to be slightly different from that of the LFO – in this case, 3.30Hz. The chaotic movement between the LFO and Vibrato adds interest to the sound.

The filter settings are relatively straightforward for our pad sound. Reducing Cutoff to around 0.78 darkens the timbre, using a small amount of Keytrack (Key) so that the filter follows the keyboard. No envelope is being used, but a subtle movement is being added by the LFO (around 0.08) to heighten the PWM effect.

In keeping with the classic string machine sound, the last step is the addition of a Flanger using Retro Synth’s Effects section. Set the Rate of the Flanger to either a slow setting, so that it ‘swoops’ over the duration of a bar, or the fast movement that we’ve selected here so as to mimic the speed and movement of the PWM effect.

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Exploit the power of Retro Synth Technique MTF

MTF Step-by-Step Esoteric applications

Our last example is a sound that takes a more imaginative approach to Retro Synth’s features, combining unusual tunings and unconventional waveshapes. The starting point is a combination of a sawtooth waveshape in oscillator 2 and a Noise waveshape in oscillator 1. Noise is a great way of adding ‘dirt’ to a sound, although we still need to tame the effect.

Change the mix between the two oscillators so that you favour the sawtooth waveshape (around 0.82). The interesting shift comes when you increase the pitch of the oscillator by +7 semitones, and add the additional sine wave oscillator that’s available in the Amplifier. The effect is like a chord, with the sawtooth sitting a fifth above the sine wave.

Now move over to the Amplifier Envelope to shape the sound’s dynamic. The envelope is relatively straightforward: a fast attack of 0.94ms, fast decay of 140ms, medium sustain at 0.19 and release around 210ms. Ensure that you bring up the Velocity (Vel) slider, though, as the output of the arpeggiator being used to drive Retro Synth has embedded velocity data.

The Filter Envelope follows a similar approach to that of the Amplifier Envelope, with the Vel slider set to its maximum. Add a small amount of resonance to an LP 24dB Fat filter and ensure that the Envelope is modulating to the tune of around 0.47 – enough to add some timbral movement, but not dominate the sound.

Although the sound is beginning to work at this stage, it’s interesting to explore the Glide option, especially given the note movement generated by the arpeggiator. Use a fast Glide time (around 1.80ms) and try experimenting with the different modes. The All Osc option glides all the components, but you can also get some interesting results from Osc1+Sine and Opposed.

Although you want to avoid ladening the sound with effects, it’s worth exploring some additional signal processing. In this example we’ve added some chorus (from the Retro Synth itself), followed by compression, stereo delay and reverb. The added effects help the notes to bounce around, as well as adding extra space and dimension to the sound.

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MTF Technique Advanced Retro Synth techniques


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Advanced Retro Synth techniques Retro Synth’s additional synthesis modes unlock the full creative potential of this intriguing virtual instrument. Mark Cousins goes Retro.

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etro Synth is a surprisingly immediate synthesizer, especially if you stay within the realms of its easy-to-understand Analog mode. However, a significant part of the instrument’s charm is its ability to seamlessly move between a total of four different synthesis modes – Analog, Sync, Table and FM – effectively making it four instruments in one. Understanding the intricacies of the other three modes, though, can be tricky, especially if you have a


Part of Retro Synth’s charm is its ability to move between four different synthesis modes somewhat limited experience of ‘vintage digital’ techniques such as PPG’s wavetable synthesis and Yamaha’s much-loved FM synthesis. In this tutorial we’re going to explore three key sounds, each focusing on one of Retro Synth’s three additional synthesis modes. In truth, the Sync mode is just another variation on the Analog mode, with the subtle variation coming from the addition of oscillator sync. The sound of Sync could be described as a form of ‘distortion synthesis’, with the shape of oscillator 2 being affected by that of oscillator 1. It’s a unique effect, and something we’ll explain in detail in the walkthrough. Wavetable synthesis, referred to here as the Table mode, works by having a series of waveshapes all stitched together to form a wavetable. Rather than just having three or four waveshapes, therefore, the Wave mode has a whole string of digital waves, all of which can be seamlessly morphed between using the Shape

FOCUS ON… FILTER FLAVOURS Retro Synth comes with a total of eight different filter modes, covering four classes of low-pass filter, a high-pass filter, band-pass and band-reject, as well as a Peak mode. The low-pass filters are the most useful for a range of subtractive synthesizer sounds. Higher-rating filters, like 24dB, have stronger attenuation, producing a darker overall timbre. Use a lighter filter – 12dB, for example – in situations when you want more subtle attenuation, much like the sounds of Korg and Roland synths from the 80s. The high-pass filter is good on lead sounds, reducing the low-end weight and helping the sound to cut through the mix, while the various flavours of band-pass and band-reject filter work well for colouring pad sounds.


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control. Rather than having to use filters to shape the timbre over time, therefore, a wavetable synthesist can actively modulate the wavetable, creating subtle or extreme shifts in timbre. Even in the glory days of FM synthesis, most keyboard players had little idea how to program their beloved DX7. As you’d expect, Retro Synth’s FM mode isn’t the easiest to understand, but once you comprehend the relationship between the carrier and the modulator, you’ll soon start to realise the sound-shaping potential this mode of synthesis offers. Like the Sync mode, FM is another form of ‘distortion synthesis’, whereby the interaction between the two oscillators (this time referred to as the aforementioned carrier and modulator) forms a large part of the timbre of the final sound. MTF

Advanced Retro Synth techniques Technique MTF

MTF Step-by-Step Sync sweep

Before we explain the technicalities of Sync mode, let’s take a listen to the fundamental sound it produces. Starting from the initialised patch, move between oscillators 1 and 2. At the moment, both oscillators sound identical, as they’re both set to the same waveshape. Now increase Sync and listen again, especially to the changes in sound of oscillator 2.

What we’re hearing now is oscillator 2 having its ‘wavecycle’ retriggered by oscillator 1. The Sync control is effectively the ‘pitch’ of oscillator 2, but as we raise this control we don’t hear a shift in pitch, just increasing amounts of waveform distortion. In effect, oscillator 2 is hard-sync’ed to oscillator 1, which now defines the ‘pitch’.

Sync is a good effect in itself, but things get really interesting when we add some Sync Modulation. The classic routing is an envelope, used to create a ‘sync-sweep’ sound much like a distorted filter sweep. Move the Sync Modulation control to the Filter Env setting, therefore, and hear the envelope take control of the sync.

The Sync Sweep sound seems to work best in a ‘raw’ form, so we’ve kept the filter in its bypassed state. Of course, you can adjust the speed of the sweep using the filter envelope’s Decay control. We’ve also added a small amount of Glide, which creates an interesting pitch-sliding effect between notes.

Given that the Sync sound is a form of waveform distortion, it’s interesting to pair Retro Synth with another layer of saturation. In this case, we’ve used Pedalboard and the Rawk distortion pedal to add some more grit to Retro Synth’s output. Any distortion will work, though, as long as it has enough high-frequency saturation.

The final piece of the puzzle is some Tru-Tape delay, which adds some additional ambience to the results. Press the Sync button so that the delays are in-time with your track. An 8th dotted note (1/8d) is a good Time setting to use, especially if you combine this with a degree of Hi Cut, Dirt and Flutter.

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MTF Technique Advanced Retro Synth techniques

MTF Step-by-Step Wavetable pad

We’re going to use Table mode to create a subtly shifting pad sound. Start with a relatively simple organ-like sound made by tuning oscillator 2 up +24 semitones, as well as adding some of the sine wave oscillator from the Amp section. Ensure the balance is biased towards oscillator 1 so that oscillator 2 just adds colour.

Now you have set up the basic sound, start experimenting with the Shape controls for the two oscillators. Unlike the Analog or Sync modes, you have a plethora of digital waveshapes that can be morphed between using the Shape controls. Try picking two contrasting Shapes as starting points for your pad sound, in addition to the sine wave coming from the Amp section.

The vital part of any wavetable sound is the addition of modulation, used to vary the position in the wavetable. For pad sounds, the best approach is to use a gently undulating LFO, added via the Shape Modulation control. Set the LFO rate to a slow setting (3 bars is a good start) and keep the amount of modulation light (-0.056).

The use of the filter adds some subtle additional movement to the sound, as well as rolling off some of the high end. Using the 24dB Fat filter, reduce the Cutoff to around 0.35 and add a small amount of Resonance. Create a gentle, graduated envelope using a 4,000ms attack, 520ms decay, 0.76 sustain and 5,200ms release.

Turning our attention to the Amplifier, create a similar movement, with a soft attack of 4,700ms, 520ms decay, 0.76 sustain and 2,800ms release. The aim is that the notes should have some shape to them, especially with the soft attack. We’ve also added chorus for the final injection of warmth, setting the mix at 0.56 and the rate at 19Hz.

All pad sounds benefit from some reverb, which adds a front-toback dimension to the sound as well as some important additional stereo information. In this case we’ve instantiated an instance of Space Designer on the output of Retro Synth, using a large six-second reverb called Marble Church. Experiment with the Rev control to vary the amount of depth.

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Advanced Retro Synth techniques Technique MTF

MTF Step-by-Step FM bass

In FM mode, the two oscillators change to being a modulator and carrier. For now, take a listen to the modulator and carrier using the Mix control. The final sound will be predominantly made from the carrier, but it’s worth listening to the modulator from time to time to hear its contribution to the sound we’re creating.

With the Mix over towards the carrier, try increasing the FM knob to inject a degree of ‘Frequency Modulation’. The FM knob uses the modulator to modulate the frequency of the carrier. In effect, the ultra-fast vibrato distorts the waveform, making a sound that is increasingly rich in harmonic information, much like a filter being opened-up on a sawtooth wave.

The quality of harmonic information added is defined by the timbre and tuning of the modulator, found in the Harmonic, Inharmonic and Shape controls that follow afterwards. Notice how the harmonics become more aggressive as you raise the Harmonic control, as well as being denser as you increase the Shape. Listen back to the modulator to hear what’s changing.

The rocker switch and pot posited underneath and besides the FM control allow us to use either the LFO or filter envelope to modulate the amount of frequency modulation applied. By using modulation in this way we can approximate the sound of a low-pass filter, although, of course, the ‘sound’ of FM is completely unique.

As an alternative to modulating the amount of FM you can use the same modulation source to vary the Harmonic level. The result of this routing is slightly more chaotic, but still interesting if you want a hard-edged sound. By positioning the rocker switch in the middle you can modulate both FM and Harmonic at the same time.

Our final sound is a relatively basic FM bass, with tight envelopes and simple routing of the filter envelope through to the FM control. We’ve kept the filter bypassed as we want the sound to be authentic to the original DX synths. The final addition is the Bitcrusher plug-in to simulate the ‘crunchy’ sound of an 80s digital synth!

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MTF Technique Perfecting vocals with Flex Pitch


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Perfecting vocals with Flex Pitch

When it comes to remedying a range of pitch-based problems, few solutions are better than Logic Pro’s Flex Pitch technology. Mark Cousins hits the right notes.

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nder the exacting conditions of the recording studio, even the greatest performer can deliver the occasional dud note. For less experienced musicians, of course, it’s highly likely that an engineer has to struggle with a recording that’s plagued with poor intonation or notes that completely fail to reach their intended pitch. It’s no surprise, therefore, that a range of techniques have been developed to cope with poor pitch and intonation, although it’s arguably Melodyne and Logic Pro’s Flex Pitch that offer the best and most flexible solution to the refinement of tuning. Flex Pitch was introduced in Logic Pro X as an addition to the existing Flex Time functionality. Whereas Flex Time offered Logic users unprecedented tempo- and time-based


It’s important that you’re clear from the start about what you can and can’t achieve with Flex Pitch flexibility over their audio, Flex Pitch offers the same degree of elasticity in relation to the pitch of a performance. As you’d expect, Flex Pitch ‘bolts on’ to the existing Flex Time functionality, with Flex Pitch effectively being an additional Flex mode, in addition to the existing Flex Time modes. Beyond this, though, all comparisons end, given the unique and powerful new set of features Flex Pitch offers. As with all current pitch-correction technologies, it’s important that you’re clear from the start about what you can and can’t achieve with Flex Pitch. The assumed source for Flex Pitch is a monophonic recording – such as a vocal, upright bass or lead guitar – rather than an instrument that

FOCUS ON… LOCAL INSPECTOR Like the Piano Roll Editor, the Audio Track Editor has its own local Inspector, which really comes to the fore when you’re working with Flex Pitch. Activate the Audio Track Editor’s Inspector using the local menu item View>Show Local Inspector. Like the Piano Roll, the system works by selecting one or more notes and then adjusting the parameters in the Inspector. The controls include Time Quantizing, Pitch Correction (as a percentage, of course), Gain and even a Scale Quantize, which forces selected notes to a user-specified scale. Given the inclusion of Scale Correction and variable Pitch Correction, these are essential tools that really help to deliver a perfect performance.


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produces chords. Providing the source material is clean, you’ll enjoy a surprising degree of freedom, from the ability to correct poor intonation through to completely re-pitching a melody; you can even control aspects such as vibrato and formant positioning. Given the importance of Flex Pitch in terms of correcting a vocal performance, therefore, this tutorial looks specifically at the task of editing and refining a vocal track. Beyond basic pitch-correction, we’ll also explore some of the creative possibilities of Flex Pitch – in this case, creating a complete series of multitracked backing vocals from a single vocal performance. As you’ll see, Flex Pitch is both a surprisingly intuitive and powerful musical tool, and well worth closer exploration. MTF

Perfecting vocals with Flex Pitch Technique MTF

MTF Step-by-Step Perfecting pitch

Before we can initiate any Flex Pitch edits, we need to activate the Flex View, using either the icon towards the top of the tracks area or the menu option Edit>Show Flex Pitch/Time from the tracks area’s local menu. You’ll also need to enable a Flex Time/Pitch mode for the vocal track – in this case, select the Flex Pitch option.

With Flex View enabled, the tracks area displays some basic information in regard to the pitch of the vocal. What the display illustrates is the relative intonation – lines above the centre axis are sharp in relation to perfect pitch, while lines below the axis are somewhat flat. It’s also worth noting a unique contextual menu, which is activated by [Ctrl]-clicking on the region.

For a more in-depth view of the vocal (and to access the complete set of Flex Pitch editing tools) you’ll need to open the Audio Track Editor. What we see here is an amalgamation of a Piano Roll Editor (that you’d usually find in a MIDI region) and the traditional waveform view associated with an audio track.

One of the quickest and most effective tasks you can carry out with Flex Pitch is the option to Set all to Perfect Pitch. You can initiate this command by [Ctrl]-clicking anywhere in the note display and selecting Set all to Perfect Pitch from the contextual menu. Observe how the notes jump to quantized pitch positions.

Moving out of the Audio Track Editor for now, note how the recent Flex Pitch changes have been reflected in the track’s area. The flat line indicates all notes are at perfect pitch. If you want to return the vocal to its initial state, it’s worth noting the Set all to Original Pitch contextual menu item.

As we’ll see in a minute, any auto-correction system isn’t flawless, especially if the pitch of the source is ambiguous. As an alternative, consider using the top middle node on each note as a means of manually re-pitching the worst-offending notes. Look carefully and you’ll see the amount of offset required to move it to perfect pitch.

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MTF Technique Perfecting vocals with Flex Pitch

MTF Step-by-Step Perfecting pitch... cont’d

To be completely clear about Flex Pitch’s behaviour, it’s worth exporting its note analysis to a new MIDI track. Where analysis errors have occurred, mistakes will be made in the subsequent correction, so it’s worth keeping an eye on. To do this, go to the local Edit menu and select Create MIDI Track from Flex Pitch Data.

Here we can see the MIDI region created by Flex Pitch being played along with the vocal. Given the expression in a vocal, it’s worth noting some of the minor analysis errors. Firstly, the initial notes, including a G and C, have been identified as one long note. Secondly, there’s some ambiguity in the use of E and Eb in bars 5 and 9.

Taking some of points we’ve learned from the MIDI export, we can start to refine aspects of the performance. One area to look at is the aforementioned Eb in bars 5 and 9. By clicking and holding on a note, we can re-pitch in coarse semitones – in this case, just pushing up to the E rather than the Eb.

Where Flex Pitch has lumped notes together (this is the case for the first two notes before bar 5) we can use the Scissors tool to divide the note accordingly. With the note correctly divided, you can see how the ‘averaged’ assessment of the note’s pitch has changed – the G is sharp and the C is slightly flat.

As you can see, each of the six nodes surrounding a note has a different role to play, and each can be adjusted to create the perfect performance. A surprising feature is the ability to adjust gain using the node in the lower left corner. This is a great tool for smoothing out dynamics, before the vocal hits the compressor.

With the core process of Flex Pitch under our belts, it’s now time to start exploring some of its creative potential. One of the best applications is the task of ‘faking’ backing vocals when you’ve got just a single main vocal line to play with. Start by creating a duplicate of the vocal track and copy the existing region onto the duplicate.

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Perfecting vocals with Flex Pitch Technique MTF

MTF Step-by-Step Building backing vocals

Open the Audio Track Editor on the duplicate vocal and select all of the notes. To make the harmony, shift the vocal up by four semitones, so that notes on a C, for example, rest on an E. Musically speaking, the backing vocal isn’t correct at the moment, as it has shifted key into E major, so there are a few awkward clashes.

Although it’s possible to apply scale correction, I find it’s better to manually work through the vocal and tweak the offending notes; that way you can also move the occasional note away from just being a third up, maybe adding suspensions or sevenths where the music permits. I often keep the main vocal muted, but retain the MIDI guide as a pitch reference.

One of the tricks with backing vocals is to try to make each part distinctive, otherwise the results can just sound like an overdose of pitch-shifting! A good place to start is vibrato, making the backing vocal less expressive so that it sits behind the vibrato-rich main vocal. Select all of the notes and click on the lower middle node to adjust.

Another interesting option to create a discernibly different vocal is that of formant-shifting. Again, select all of the notes, this time using the node in the bottom right-hand corner to move the formants up a little. The formant shift changes the character of the vocal slightly, almost making it younger, or more feminine, as the parameter is raised.

Even with the basic vibrato and formants changing, it’s well worth appraising the performance on a note-by-note basis, trying to bring out the best musicality at its given pitch. Looking at the last note in the sequence, for example, it’s interesting to selectively reduce its vibrato even further, lending it a purity that works really well with a high-pitched note.

Having perfected a harmony that’s a musical third higher, try exploring another version a fifth lower (so that a C would become a G). Again, vary aspects such as vibrato, pitch-drift and formants to create an individual sound for each part. When it comes to the mix, you can also position each of the vocal tracks in a slightly different position on the soundstage.

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MTF Interview Richard Devine


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Richard Devine Interview MTF

MTF Studio Session

Richard Devine

Sound design within music is a rapidly growing and exciting area of production. Liam O’Mullane meets one of the best in the business with Logic at the heart of a (very) big set-up…

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ichard Devine started to gain recognition in the music world way back in 1995 through his debut, self-titled EP on Schematic Records. The Lipswitch LP on Warp Records in 2000 further confirmed Divine’s interest in the exploration and manipulation of sound. Fast-forward to today and that manipulation has completely taken over – in fact, he states that his job description has really been as a sound designer for the past 15 years. Anyone who follows him on Twitter will be aware of his infectious interest in new hardware, software and random sources for new sounds. “I wanted my Twitter feed to be a place where people could find out about new and interesting tools, plug-ins, software and hardware. I also randomly post up cool audio/visual things and experiments. I just wanted it to be an interesting feed of

On the disc Exclusive tour around Richard’s studio

Photography by Amber Devine

“I always try to imagine the sound first in my head. In fact, I can spend days just thinking about what type of sounds I need” elements that would inspire people rather than just posting things about myself, my tracks and so on. I try to keep it interesting by being as varied as possible in what I cover and have many friends who are instrument designers, programmers and artists too, so I try to showcase their new creations.” We ask how he manages to remain so enthused over the years: “I have a natural inclination towards new technologies and how they can be applied to shaping sound and so on. My Twitter feed is also a list for me, so I can constantly go back and reference things.” In his recently built studio, things look a lot less chaotic than his previous space. Sure, the unavoidable spaghetti masses of patch cords are visible where he keeps his analogue synths and modules – lovingly labelled the Frankenstein Corner, incidentally – but the gear-hoarding look of his old layout has been replaced by some serious downscaling and a tidy-looking use of dedicated space for different types of work. FOCUS Logic Pro X 2014

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“My main objective with this new space is to be way more minimal and clean,” he explains. “I was finding it very difficult to get anything done before, in a claustrophobic and cramped space; I’ve found I’m much more creative when I don’t have everything immediately in front of me. This room is double the size of the last which allows me to spread things out a bit. There will be a few more bits added soon, though, as it’s not quite 100% finished yet. There’ll be a new drum machine station and an area for my tabletop synths.”

The daily grind The term ‘sound design’ is a very loose one, and Richard confirms just how diverse his work is: “It can go in all sorts of directions. Last year I did lots of sound content for iOS companies like InMusic Technology, including the iMPC app for AKAI, where I created all the sounds, programs and sequences. I also worked closely with Retronyms last year designing samples and sequences for their Tabletop 2.0 app. Outside of the audio industry I composed music and designed sound for the Audi A6 iPad app, then went on to create UI interface sounds for the entire Barnes & Noble NOOK Tablet line. I designed the start-up mnemonic sound when you power on the device, and all the out-of-box animation sounds and 15 other UI sounds. These included everything from power-on/off, USB connection and disconnection alerts. Just before this I worked with LG doing sounds for the Smart TVs they released last year, which included creating music and interface sounds for the T-Commerce store.”

Approaching a new project

Richard’s iPad app list ● Audiobus ● Audulus ● Tabletop 2.0 ● GrainProc ● Borderlands ● iPolysix ● iPusaret ● csGrain ● Samplr ● Impaktor ● WaveGenerator ● triqtraq ● BitWiz ● MegaCurtis ● Lemur ● Grain Science ● Voco ● TC-11 ● Sunrizer ● DXi FM synthesizer ● Monnix ● PhotoNoise ● Retro Sound Studio ● Jasuto Pro ● nano loop ● SoundYeah ● Grid ● NWave ● Roland SRE-555 ● Ursa Major Space Station

That’s a lot of varied projects, so is there anything that links them? A universal solution for successfully working on one project to the next? Richard reveals that only the start of the majority of new jobs might begin in a similar way: “Each client I’ve worked with has had a completely different approach and goal,” he says. “At the beginning of each project I am usually presented with a problem that we are trying to solve. Most of my clients come to me for some sort of resolution or answer on how sound can help enhance the experience of their product or environment. They will often reference sounds they’ve liked elsewhere, just like they do for television advert work.” Like any process that involves a deadline, there is always the question of how efficient you need to be versus endlessly experimenting with and exploring new sounds and

MTF StudioEye Devine’s studio APPLE LOGIC “I’ve been a Logic user for almost 18 years now, starting back in the day when it was owned by Emagic. It always has and still does get the job done. I also use Nuendo and Ableton Live 9 for arrangements and processing, too.”

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GENELEC 8250A “I love Genelec speakers. I got the smaller 6010As first as travel speakers for working on the road. I ended up liking them so much I upgraded to the 8250As in the main studio. Although you can’t see it, I also have the 7260A sub in the setup.”

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EVENTIDE H8000 “I do quite a bit of patch-design work for Eventide. I worked on the Space pedal as well as designing a lot of patches for their Blackhole H3000 Factory plug-ins. I’ve been an H8000 user for many years – I use it for lots of different things in the studio, but mostly for the creation of sound effects.”

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TEENAGE ENGINEERING OP-1 “This has been a great little device for me lately. I got it last year to use as an experimental workstation/ sampler/synthesizer to accompany my MacBook Pro while I am on the road.”

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Here are the various instruments Richard used for his Barnes & Noble project. This particular template would be assigned and utilised for start-up sounds, but could also be reclassified and used for some of the various user-interface sounds.


FOCUS


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SYMBOLIC SOUND CAPYBARA 320 “I often use this for vocal processing and FFT sound-morphing applications. I love this environment for making new sounds.”

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FRANKENSTEIN SYSTEM “This corner contains nine different modular systems that I have constructed over the past five years – most are in Euro rack format. I really like the Cwejman S1-MKII semi-modular synth and my Make Noise Shared System modular which was a recent addition. I could go on for hours talking about this corner of the room – lots of crazy stuff in here.”

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CLAVIA NORD MODULAR G1 “My desert island synth – so flexible and adaptable in many different situations. It’s used on countless sound design projects as well as my own musical compositions. I love the ability to start out with nothing then build up what you need – building up a patch, assigning knob and page parameters for controlling what you want.”

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techniques. Richard gives us an idea of how he might start, especially when his time frame is limited: “Regardless of time, I do a fair of amount of research before I start,” he explains. “I quite often experiment and try a few different ideas to see which one stands out as the strongest. Sometimes things will accidentally happen and this can turn out to be the version that the client likes, but I always try to imagine the sound first in my head. In fact, I can spend days just thinking about what type of sounds I need before I start any work on the project within the studio. “In terms of time constraints,” Richard continues, “I’ve developed templates as a way of quickly generating lots of new ideas and sounds. A tight deadline is a frequent occurrence so I have to work efficiently, and these templates mean that I don’t have to waste precious time loading up channel strips and plug-ins. Of course, if I have more time I will usually explore as many options as possible, trying various sources in the studio to get the timbres of sound I’m imagining. If I’m lucky, I’ll have a lot of time to explore ideas, just recording sounds from anywhere completely raw into Logic, but it’s rare.”

“I use Samplr for loading in my own WAV files or field recordings, chimes, piano, guitar, bells and so on. I then manipulate them by touching the waveform on my iPad, sweeping around and exploring a melody or texture. I can record these gestures to generate micro gestures out of existing sounds.”

MTF Insight Field recording Richard posted a recording he’d made on SoundCloud a while back of a humming bird. This sound was fantastic, like a flourish of helicopter-like information with a natural, intimate tonality to it. He tells us how this came about: “I immediately ran inside the house to grab my recorder when I heard the sound – I knew I wanted to get a more micro, close-up recording so I used my two DPA 4060 omnidirectional lavalier mics, as they are tiny enough to be mounted to the humming bird feeder, getting closer than any other microphone could. I loved that you could also hear the tiny high-pitched chirps, too. Close-mic’ing things like this is great for getting really intimate details and the 4060s are good when you need to be unobtrusive. I’ve even used them for binaural recordings in public spaces, having two of them arranged in a stereo position – one around each of my ears. I wear these iPod earphone adapters that hold them in place so it looks as if I am just wearing little black earphones; no one notices. I do this when I want to create a 3D stereo sound sensation and have achieved some very realistic ambience recordings using this technique.” Richard gives us another example of getting close to a sound that he’s just uploaded to SoundCloud for anyone to use: “I’m always out recording stuff and will use anything to experiment – it doesn’t have to be musical instruments, drum machines or keyboards. For instance, I just recorded the burning embers of wood from underneath in water using two hydrophones.” https://soundcloud.com/richarddevine/hydrophone-recording-of The various bits of gear Richard uses for capturing sounds on-location.


FOCUS

World of sonic craft Richard has a large range of templates, and he shows us one for synthetic chimes which includes a selection of FM-based instruments and some physical modelling. He shares his approach to using them: “I will usually try out a few different synthesis methods to see which one works best,” he says, “all with a similar sequence but playing through different channels to find out which gesture works best. “There is also another channel holding an instance of Kontakt that has a few programs loaded up and ready to go if I want some acoustic sounds such as bells or chimes, for example, to bring into the mix if needed. Sometimes I just end up using the sampled sounds, but it’s always good to explore all of the possibilities.” Richard shows us the template for his Barnes & Noble Tablet and talks us through the details of it. It contains FM and additive synthesis and physical modelling, which he used for creating his start-up sound: “I’m focusing on simple synthetic tones to be played on smaller speaker systems where you won’t hear much low end,” he explains. “Most of the sounds will probably fall between the 100Hz–5kHz range and need a sharp attack or pluck-like character. I have to decide how loud the sound needs to be and overall how well it will poke through any background or ambient noise. Alongside these technical aspects I do, of course, think about the musical gesture involved as well. The key and note sequence will express what state or command I want the listener to know about from the device. An example of this would be the order of the notes being played – ie, going from low to high notes will dictate a power-up noise or logging-on. Reversing the note order will mean powering-down, logging-off or disconnecting.”

“I quite often experiment and try a few different ideas to see which one stands out as the strongest”


MTF Insight Working on the move In our studio walkthrough video, Richard mentions that he prefers to work on his iPad rather than a laptop these days when outside the studio. He tells us how this works for him: “I’ve been working on my iPad loads lately – there is so much great stuff out now for the iOS platform. I just recently finished doing sound design for Waldorf’s new NWave app, which is simply amazing. I have been doing a fair amount of writing and patch design on the iPad lately. I also released an expansion sound pack with Moog for the Animoog app, which is another favorite app of mine. “The amount of battery life I get from my iPad is pretty decent; long enough to get a good 3–4-hour session. I love the gestural multi-touch interfaces designers are coming out with for some of these apps and how they allow you to control sound. I also still have my original Lemur, which runs with Reaktor and Max/MSP. It’s great how it allows you to control sounds in a non-traditional way.”

“Every project is different – I might be processing vocals for a video game one day then recording for BMW the next” Richard has other template categories that cover regular sound requirements such as dynamics, actions and sequences. He adds: “I also have ones dedicated to swipes and swooshes which are set up to make sounds with a specific movement, or that will be controlled by the user in a way to unlock or change the state of a device.”

Precious luxury Richard has said a generous deadline is a rarity, and this proves only too true as it turns out he actually has one right now! He can’t tell us too much about it but offers: “It’s an Xbox video game and they’ve given me total freedom to record a load of material. This project is a bit different as they’re just looking for lots of cool, textured drones and pulsing sounds made with analogue modular synths. I’m not using templates of any kind for this, just pure experimentation with different analogue modules and patches then processing through other modules and pedals. I’m not really working in the computer at all, just generating tons of sound layers and events. I’m using older synths like the ARP 2600 and Roland Jupiter-6 to get the older vintage sound I’m looking for. I’ve been using Eventide pedals, like the Strymon TimeLine and BlueSky, for reverb and delay treatments, and keeping everything as analogue as possible – no plug-ins!” Richard then goes on to explain the latest sonic experiment that he’s documented on his Vimeo channel – and it sounds like he’s pushing the boundaries even further... “I’ve been experimenting by mixing different playing techniques,” he says. “I tried one a few days ago when generating analogue impact sounds. I used the Percussion Box by Electro Lobotomy, which I was hitting with a

Richard’s mobile setup wired into his studio.

screwdriver to create an expressive trigger for my Make Noise modular system. I patched the send CV/Gate to trigger the modular system and also multiplied it to set off other functions like sequential step sequencing, so every hit on the Percussion Box would create an endless variation of timbre. I’m all about happy accidents.”

Delivery time As Richard plays us through his project work it’s becoming evident that he mixes as he goes, all while crafting his ideas for submission to the client. So any questions on mixing technique are unnecessary at this point. He does, however, highlight a few areas of attention which apply before pitching his sounds to a client. “They pick the one they like best and then I refine that sketch into something more finalised. When it comes to this ‘finishing’ part of the process I try to leave a bit of headroom, as the client may master them at their discretion. But I always run the Universal Audio Precision Limiter on the master buss, then I’ll use a combination of different plug-ins from Waves, Universal Audio and McDSP. It’s hard to explain this process as a simple repeated event, as every project is so different from the next. I might be processing vocals for a video game one day then recording for BMW the next.” Before we leave we ask Richard for a recommended listening list: “I love the work of Swedish electro acoustic composer Ake Parmerud,” he replies. “His String Quartet is one of my favourites. Even though it’s from 1986 it still sounds current. Morton Subotnick has been the most influential. Check out The Wild Bull; I love how organic his compositions are. Trevor Wishart’s Journey Into Space should be heard; I love his work using processing and manipulation from his application Composer’s Desktop Project. So much detail in his work, and he’ll often only use his voice as the source.” Richard also recommends you read the article we wrote with one of his idols, Chris Watson, available online at www. musictech.net/2013/02/recording-the-natural-world MTF Twitter: www.twitter.com/RichardDevine SoundCloud: www.soundcloud.com/richarddevine Facebook: www.facebook.com/RichardDevineMusic Vimeo (modular experiments): www.vimeo.com/richarddevine Vimeo (sound design): www.vimeo.com/channels/ richarddevinesounddesign Web: www.richard-devine.com FOCUS Logic Pro X 2014

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MTF Technique Dance FX in Logic Pro X


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Dance FX using Logic X plug-ins Realising the importance of those final FX flourishes can help make or break a club track on the dance floor. Alex Holmes reaches for the white noise and his glow stick...

S

o you’ve got your killer hook, a slamming beat and heavyweight bass line all laid-out in a convincing arrangement, but it doesn’t quite seem to flow smoothly between sections. What to do? You, my friend, need to add some FX! Effects sounds in electronic music are the special ingredient that binds a track together and helps to indicate the transitions between sections. In some genres, the effects themselves are so prominent that they are a part of the main track, but here we’re going to look at creating a range of more subtle sounds that will support and enhance your arrangement.


Effects sounds in electronic music are the special ingredient that binds a track together At a basic level, there are four different types of FX sounds that you will typically hear: risers, descenders, impacts and atmos beds. Risers and descenders can be long or short and are arguably the most important, as they lead the listener from one section to the next. Although it can be heard on nearly every dance record at the moment, a long, 16-bar section of

FOCUS ON… FLEX ON FX The various Flex algorithms in Logic can be used to add a different flavour to your FX sounds when you are working with audio files. If you have a riser sample that’s been recorded at a different BPM, it probably won’t fit the bars and beats of your track. By switching to Polyphonic mode you can pull the region out to the nearest bar with only minor artifacts. Alternatively, you could opt for the Tempophone mode, which gives samples a metallic, comb-filtered sound and is great for old-school stretched vocals. However, we generally go for the Speed algorithm, which doesn’t lose quality as it also changes the pitch, much like a sampler would. This can be a super-quick way to pitch up/down hits such as cymbals without needing to load them into the EXS24.


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white noise with the filter slowly opening up is an incredibly effective way of building tension and indicating that something is about to happen. Equally, a shorter, 1-bar version can be used more frequently to move from section to section. This often indicates a transition between one state to another through increased or decreased energy. If your next section moves down in energy, you could use a descending sound to indicate this. At the top or bottom ends of risers and descenders you’ll often hear an impact effect to indicate that a new section has been reached. If it’s an important new section these tend to be bigger, but smaller crashes and impacts can be dotted mid-way through at every eight bars or more. Finally, you can use atmospheric beds to fill out a track and give it some personality beyond your main instrumentation. Using an ambient night-time recording in a drop-down can really help to envelop your listener. Once you understand the differences between each of your sections and how each effect can be used to move between them, your tracks will flow much more naturally. MTF

Dance FX in Logic Pro X Technique MTF

MTF Step-by-Step Risers

We’ll start by picking a sustained sound. Synth pads as well as simple string or brass sounds are suitable, but we’ve chosen the Classic Saw Tooth pad on the Retro Synth. You could also experiment by switching sounds once all the automation and effects are in place. We’re going to create a pitched riser, but you could just as easily use white noise for the classic noise riser.

The next thing to do is to draw in a long MIDI note that will normally last 8 or 16 bars. Check your velocity here as it might effect the sound on some instruments. If you want it softer and more subtle, try lower values; for a more bold sound, try higher values. You could also thicken the part by placing an extra MIDI note an octave up.

Click on the MIDI Draw button in the Piano Roll and draw in an ascending pitch bend. This could go from 0 to 62 or, for a more extreme bend, -64 to +63, although the actual amount will depend on your instrument settings. Here we’ll set it to two octaves in the Retro Synth. Choose a note that’s in-pitch with the track, then, as you rise up to the point where it kicks in, there’s a sense of resolution.

Your sound will probably be quite brash and upfront, but we can soften this by adding chorus and a medium delay with a fair amount of feedback. We could also use the Stereo Spread or Direction Mixer plug-ins to widen the sound and help create more space in the centre of the mix. Finally, send some of the signal to a long reverb on a buss to push it even further back, or just make the performance louder!

Another effect than can work well on pitch or noise risers is to use the Tremolo plug-in for sidechain-style pumping. Set the Phase and Smoothing to 0% and the offset in the extended parameters to 180º, then automate the depth to slowly increase as you approach the drop. If you have a fairly long delay you get a pumping pitch or noise sound echoing off when everything kicks in.

Finally, you may wish to fine-tune the volume and EQ to help shape and balance things. We would normally put a low cut to get rid of any rumbles (and perhaps automate it towards the end to get an extra degree of movement). You could also automate a high cut to achieve a filter-opening effect, finally balancing the volume level with a gain plug-in so that the whole sound sits just under the mix.

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MTF Technique Dance FX in Logic Pro X

MTF Step-by-Step Bombs

We like to call them ‘bombs’, but the hits otherwise known as impact sounds can be used to signal new sections of a track. These will normally either be high crashes, low rumbles or a combination of the two. It’s advisable to avoid using low rumbles on sections with heavy beats and bass, but they can work wonders at the beginning of an expansive drop-down section.

Start by selecting a kick drum or low hit. We’ve gone for Logic’s Stereo Drum Kit and a live-sounding kick with both low and high detail. We then tune the hit down to -24 (although your amount may be different depending on the qualities of the kick drum sample). We’ve also applied a low-pass filter with a little drive and engaged the Fat button, which helps to retain low-end weight.

Next we apply a little pitch envelope so that the sound quickly dives further down in pitch. To give it more of a low-end bump, add a fairly healthy dose of low EQ using the Channel EQ, then send a portion of the sound to a long reverb on a buss. The character of the reverb has a considerable impact on how bright the tail is, so you may want to experiment here.

Don’t go much over a feedback amount of around 53%, though, as this is the tipping point for the plug-in, after which it infinitely feeds back on itself. We could, however, automate it to around 55% and let it ring out for a while, before dropping the automation back down before it gets too wild.

We can now add some texture by duplicating the track and adding a cymbal crash on top. You’ll probably want to adjust the Channel EQ and filter to better fit the sound. If you’re looking to add a hit over a busier part of the track, keep the pitch quite high so that it cuts through. However, if it’s to fill a more spacious section, a pitched-down and drawn-out cymbal can sound more atmospheric.

Finally, if you want a more refined bottom end to your kick hit, duplicate the kick channel again, but this time set the EXS24 to No Instrument, so it will simply play a sine tone. You can now tweak the pitch and envelopes to get a short bass dive that will sit under the other sounds. You’ll probably want to keep this quite dry, though, and remove the low EQ bump from the other kick.

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Dance FX in Logic X Technique MTF

MTF Step-by-Step Atmos and beds

Adding an incredibly quiet layer of a real-world ambience or recorded grit such as vinyl crackle can be a good way to warm up your track, fill the silences and make it feel less like it was made in a sterile computer environment. The best way to do this is to record your own sounds, but you could also sample a portion of ambience from film or television footage.

We’re going to use a couple of ambiences from the Logic EXS24 library, which can be found in FACTORY>TEXTURES>AMBIENT ENVIRONMENTS. Load up the Town Ambient patch and draw in a long MIDI note that stretches for around 8–16 bars. As the sound wants to be extremely low in the mix, you may want to drop the velocity right down to save you having to drop your volume fader down too far.

You now want to play around with the pitch to give the sound a more interesting texture. You could either use the Coarse Tune in the EXS24 or simply transpose the MIDI note up/down. Generally, moving the sound down will draw out any noises and give it a more grainy quality. We’ve taken this sound down two octaves by moving the note down to C1.

Our next task is to craft the sound with EQ to take out some low rumble and bring back in a little top-end detail. We’ll also add some subtle delay and send some of the signal to the reverb buss. Finally, as this particular sample is slightly weighted to one side, we have to pan it +7 to the right to get it central.

As we’re writing a track with a 4/4 kick, we can now apply some subtle SC pump to get it to sit better. However, this can sound odd in drop-down sections when the beat isn’t playing, so we would automate it to flatten out a little. The most important thing now is to balance the volume so that you don’t really hear the part, but you notice it when it’s muted.

We could also slightly thicken the sound by duplicating the track and adding in a higher layer back up at C3. We’ve taken a bit more low end out to leave just some top-end sizzle, and slightly increased the delay amount. We can now gently pan this layer to the right and the bottom layer to the left to increase the stereo effect and leave a bit more space in the centre.

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Future Effects Feature MTF

MTF Masterclass Studio Technique

FUTURE EFFECTS

The next generation of software processors is upon us, and with it brings untold power, new production techniques and possibly even new genres of music. Alex Holmes dons his X-ray specs, warms up his hoverboard and checks out the best of the new breed…

W

hen you’re starting out in the world of music production, it’s important to understand the basics. Most DAWs these days come with stacks of instruments and effects that cover all the major bases, and it’s possible to create highly professional tracks and mixes using just the native plug-ins. However, there comes a point when you’ve learned your parametric EQs, your compressor ratios and your reverb pre-delays, you’ve spent hours reading the manuals, and have a decent grasp on how everything works. Now is the time to look at different ways to do things; to search out some more advanced software that does things differently, or just more efficiently. It’s time to go hi-tech! In this feature we’ll be looking at a range of plug-ins by forwardthinking developers that take the techniques we know and love and turn them on their heads in new and useful ways. Some of these plug-ins seem like genuine witchcraft, offering up incredible power, whereas others are just innovative developers coming up with new and original ways to do things better and more easily. You might find that you get only minuscule improvements by using certain tools, which might make their high price tags seem a bit steep. However, when you’re clawing to get those last few percent in the quality of your mix, then every little bit counts, and those small wins all add up to a bigger, more rounded and more effective mix. Of course, it’s easy to get caught up in being sold snake oil, and there’s no guarantee that certain different techniques will yield better results. In the end, it’s all down to how, where and when you use them. Although engineers have been crafting pro mixes for years without these plug-ins, it’s worth exploring these ideas now as they may become the ubiquitous tools of the future.

Now is the time to search out some more advanced software that does things differently


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MTF Feature Future Effects

Where to begin So you understand dynamics, EQ and stereo spread and you know what you want to achieve, but you’re not sure of the best way to do it. There are now so many different software developers and hundreds of different options open that it can be hard to work out exactly what it is you need to improve your mixes and workflow. Rather than go on a mad spending spree and fill up your plug-ins folder with the latest toys, it’s important to take stock of how

It’s satisfying to discover a plug-in that simplifies a task you’ve been struggling with for years you work. As an example, if you write pounding house music with close, analogue-style sounds alongside upfront drum beats, you’re probably not going to get much use out of a cutting-edge new reverb plug-in that features advanced engines and complex modulations. You’re better off focusing on warm EQs, saturation and dynamics processors that are aimed at creating a loud and punchy sound. However, if you’re writing deeper house or minimal techno, then something like 2CAudio’s complex B2 reverb would be ideal. Also, if you see something that

B2 from 2CAudio is a modular dual-engine, non-linear spatial processor with built-in harmonic distortion and flexible dynamics (try saying that fast!). Great for deep, expansive sounds but maybe not an essential purchase if you’re writing up-front house.

looks like it could be useful, be sure to thoroughly explore your plug-ins folder to check that you don’t already have an item that will do something similar. We were recently convinced that we needed to fork out on a new dynamic EQ plug-in to help tame certain parts of the spectrum, but discovered we could get the same results by using a narrow band on a multiband compressor. Is it as elegant a solution? No, not really, but it allowed us to explore the results and gain a better understanding of what we wanted to achieve. It also meant the wallet could stay closed for a few months longer! After scouring the internet and reading the forums, it’s immensely satisfying to discover a plug-in that simplifies or refines a task that you’ve been struggling with for years, such as Xfer’s LFO tool or CableGuys’ VolumeShaper for quick, easy and precise sidechain duties. Alternatively, you might discover a new piece of software that achieves something you didn’t even know was possible, such as removing reverb using Zynaptic’s Unveil – although, as suggested earlier, you need to decide if this is actually something that will realistically fit your workflow and improve your mixes or merely an interesting alternative option.

MT Step-by-Step Cleaning up audio with RX3

RX3 is not just for cleaning up noisy dialogue and can be used on all kinds of material. To tidy up this clicky sub bass loop, we can apply the Declick module. As we still want the thump of the bass to come through, we switch the algorithm to multiband (periodic clicks) and skew the frequencies to focus on the top end of the spectrum. Finally, we adjust the sensitivity so that we’re just cleaning it up, not taking out all of the attack.

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Now our loop has been processed, we can turn our attention to the noisy reverb tail and add the Denoise module. To home in on the element we want to remove we select Output Noise Only and fine-tune the curve to take out the upper frequencies of the reverb tail but leave the weight of the sub intact. We then fine-tune the Reduction slider to pull our unwanted sound out of the mix.

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Our work is nearly complete, but a look at the spectrogram reveals that there is still some content above 6k that we want to clear out for other elements in the mix. By using the Spectral Repair module and one of the selection tools, we can highlight the offending area and attenuate the content. This is a quick and intuitive alternative to EQ, which can even be used to remove specific frequencies or harmonics.

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MT Technology Latency and CPU issues Unfortunately, all this power, processing, slick modern GUIs and different quality or oversampling settings, which means you can get graphical feedback comes at a price – and that’s often either a hefty the sound you want then reduce the quality while you continue to CPU hit, added latency or, in the worst cases, both. Our computers work. The monster, analogue-modelled soft synth Diva, from u-he, these days are capable of running rings around the setups we had will automatically switch to full-quality on bounce-down, no matter just a few years ago, but developers are utilising that power by what setting you’re using, which is useful as you don’t have to creating better, more accurate emulations and ever more remember to change it every time you do a bounce. complicated plug-ins. Added latency is a different kind of problem Even a single instance of Pi will A saturation effect such as Wave Arts’ Tube altogether. Some plug-ins, such as the phase-rotation add significant latency to your Saturator models all aspects of a tube amp down to a projects, leaving a severalplug-in Pi, by Sound Radix, are spread across multiple second gap before playback mathematical degree, and although the results are tracks, need to run in real time, and need to read ahead occurs every time you hit the stunning, the CPU hit is extremely high. This means to do their job. Although the CPU hit is play button. that you have to make a choice: to use these relatively low, this unfortunately plug-ins only on critical tracks means a large amount of latency every like vocals or busses, or to time you hit play, whether you’ve got bounce the effect down. In a way, one instance or 20. With an effect that this almost harks back to the can sometimes be incredibly subtle, days of hardware units, when you you really have to make some hard had to commit to a decision and choices about whether you can live record it off as you had only one with this while you work. The best EQ or compressor to play with. option is probably to leave adding The clever developers have found these kinds of processors until the last ways around this and offer possible minute in the mixing process.

Squeaky clean Let’s start by taking a look at some of the new kids on the block that have been eliciting cries of excitement and shouts of disbelief here in the MT office. The newly released RX3 from iZotope is a forensic audio repair tool that’s capable of some incredible feats. There are more than ten modules that focus on different tasks, plus a large spectrogram view in which small portions of audio can be highlighted with drawing tools and removed with incredible precision. This makes it possible to take out pops, clicks and even pitched noises with ease, plus you can reduce background noise and even

RX3 from iZotope is a forensic audio repair tool that’s capable of some incredible feats rescue a recording that has been digitally clipped. Due to features such as the Dialogue Denoiser, RX3 has been heavily marketed towards the postproduction crowd, but there are many creative possibilities open to musicians. Although we

MT Step-by-Step Phase control using Pi

Pi can work wonders on some tracks but have little to no effect on others. Your best bet is to experiment, and potentially use headphones to home in on the subtle differences. We’ve got two quite thick-sounding dance kicks and we want to use the weight of both, but there’s a bit of phasing in the low end. Instantiate Pi on both channels and switch it on to align the phase and bring back the low-mid punch. You could also set it to low-frequency mode to help focus the plug-in.

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Next we’ll add a simple sub with another instance of Pi underneath the heavy kicks. Now that there’s more going on in the low end Pi has to work a little harder to line things up. As such, the sound of the sub is warbling a little as it tries to line up with the kicks. If we turn up the CHNL WEIGHT on the sub Pi it prioritises this instance over the others and is subsequently less affected by the kick.

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Finally, we’ve added some extra drum parts along with a couple of guitar riffs. These can be separated out into different groups within Pi (kick and sub, snares and hats, guitars). As there’s now more highfrequency content we’ve changed the emphasis back to Full Range. If you find that the different groups are affecting each other too much, you can change from Pi balancing the whole mix to just working internally within the groups.

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MTF Feature Future Effects MTF Feature Future Effects

wouldn’t condone illegally sampling someone else’s record, RX3 could be used for cleaning up old samples that were previously unusable or bringing your own old recordings up to scratch. You can also do scientifically precise EQ cuts using the drawing tools (just don’t forget to use your ears, too!) or isolate a unique portion of a recording and turn it into special effects. How about taking a piano recording, isolating just the clunk from the keys, then turning that into a rhythmic percussion part? iZotope saw that many sound designers were using RX to create weird new instruments in this way, and decided to put the technology to use in its Iris sampler/synth. Moving on, we have Pi – arguably the poster boy for inventive design. The Sound Radix development team saw a common problem with many tracks

There are several plug-ins available that help to combat phase problems

www.shure.co.uk www.shure.co.uk 82 | Logic Pro X 2014

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Pi isn’t Sound Radix’s only innovative tool. Its first plug-in, Surfer EQ, allows you to track the pitch of an instrument and lock the movement to the band on an EQ, which is great for notching or boosting resonances as they move up and down the scale.

where multiple instruments are playing at once and certain frequencies overlap to cause phase issues. There are several plug-ins available that help to combat phase problems, such as Waves’ InPhase and Sound Radix’s own Auto Align, but these are focused on lining-up multi-mic recordings. Cue the boffins at Sound Radix developing a new idea: what if the phase alignment of each track could be analysed and compared in real time as the track is playing, then each one could be dynamically rotated to minimise frequency cancellations? With

Future Effects Feature MTF Future Effects Feature MTF

MT Buyer’s Guide Quality hardware emulations It’s not just innovative ideas and hi-tech software that are pushing the envelopes of what’s possible. We’ve seen a real shift in the last couple of years, with developers painstakingly working to replicate classic studio compressors, EQs and tape machines to make them virtually indistinguishable from the real things. Although this is something that has been happening for quite some time, the more recent versions are taking emulation to the next level by looking at every stage in the signal process to closely replicate the characteristics of the kit in question. Maybe we’ll never quite reach a 100% replication of the hardware, but we’ll take 99%, multiple instances and instant recall any day!

PULTEC PASSIVE EQ COLLECTION

Company Universal Audio Price $299 The original Pultec Pro was one of the flagship plug-ins on the UAD platform back when it launched. However, times move on and Universal Audio has re-visited the Pultec, calling on a decade of intensive modelling research to faithfully model the over-built transformers and complex tube amplifiers of the original hardware. Although the results are sublime, you may need to consider whether your UAD card can run enough instances, as the new plug-ins require over twice the DSP. Web www.uaudio.com

VIRTUAL BUSS COMPRESSORS

Company Slate Digital Price $249 Slate Digital is behind a string of high-quality releases, including its Virtual Console Collection and Virtual Tape Machines plug-ins. The latest, however, is Virtual Buss Compressors, which features three unique-sounding, 100% analogue-modelled dynamic processors. The Slate team has looked into re-creating every nuance of the real units, include the exact non-linear characteristics of their transformers, tubes, VCAs, amplifiers, phase distortions, harmonic distortions and timing. Web www.slatedigital.com

SATIN

Company u-he Price $129 Urs Ulkman and his team at u-he are also well known for their incredible attention to detail. The recently released Satin Tape Machine offers not just an emulation of a single machine, but a complex collection of different models that allows you to mix-and-match different characteristics. Controls include continuous tape speed from 7.5 to 30IPS, saturation and realistic bias and hysteresis, head adjustments, tape delay with up to four repro heads for on-the-fly flanging and more. Web www.u-he.com

Available from Shure Centres only

True digital diversity for a rock-solid wireless signal with exceptional digital audio clarity. Automatic frequency management ensures an uninterrupted change of frequencies in case of interference. Shure proprietary lithium-ion rechargeable batteries that provide up to 16 hours of continuous use with multiple charging solutions such as USB-, car- or in-receiver-charging. Find out more at www.shure.co.uk


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Pi, you place an instance at the end of the signal chain on each of the tracks you want to try to improve, then let the plug-in do the rest. Although some may argue that phasecancellation is a natural side effect of combining sounds (and in some cases adds a certain charm to older-sounding records), the ability to increase the punch of a crisp, modern track is an enticing one. Where the real-time nature of Pi really shines is when you get situations like a certain bass note being lost as it clashes with the kick drum, or a snare dips in volume because it’s out-of-phase with the resonance from the toms. We found that Pi works wonders on some instruments but does nothing for others, so you won’t necessarily want to

Experiment with building instruments or effects from the haunting sounds of a reverb tail use it on everything. Our favourite use for it is to get massive, powerful-sounding kick drums when layering different kick sounds for dance music.

Lifting the veil Although it has been around for only a couple of years, German company Zynaptic has made a sizable splash in the plug-in world with its remarkable plug-ins Pitchmap, Unveil and Unfilter. Built on state-of-the-art artificial intelligence and signalprocessing techniques, Unfilter is a real-time plug-in that removes filtering effects such as comb filtering, resonance or excessive EQ, bringing the overall response back to a balanced level. This is definitely one to cry ‘witchcraft’ at, as you’ll see by watching

the incredible demo video on YouTube. A filtereddown and completely muffled track is brought back to a bright and full mix simply by turning a dial. The plug-in uses a clever deconvolution algorithm to identify the original signal and the filtering process that has been applied, then generates an opposite process to reverse the effect. This could be used to improve old recordings, tracks that have been recorded from the radio, or even vocals recorded through a dull-sounding microphone. There’s also the Unveil plug-in, which uses a similar technology to isolate a signal from its reverb tail. Again, this is an immensely powerful plug-in that can process audio in real time, although it’s also fairly CPU-hungry. As you have the reverb as a separate signal, you could experiment with building instruments or effects purely from the haunting sounds of a reverb tail. We’re also looking forward to Zynaptic’s next release, Unchirp, which looks set to be the first plug-in capable of successfully removing the chirping and warbling that occurs from low bit-rate lossy audio encoding.

Pitchcraft Like many pivotal events in world history, we can remember the exact moment that we first saw Melodyne bend audio physics in an online example video. At the time, the ability to manipulate pitch and time with such fluidity was totally mindbending, but it wasn’t long before Celemony did it again with its unfathomable DNA technology. Direct Note Access makes it possible to identify and edit individual notes within polyphonic audio material, meaning you can now tidy up and tune minor mistakes in a guitar performance or string quartet. Aside from using Melodyne in its more traditional capacity to fine-tune vocals and instruments, tweak vibrato and help line up double-tracked vocals, there

MT Step-by-Step Controlling depth using Zynaptic Unveil

Although you can use transient designers to reduce reverb tails, it often ends up sounding artificial. Here we have a vocal stem that’s drenched in a long plate reverb. We can use Unveil to tighten this up and bring it to the foreground. By tweaking the Focus faders for different frequencies we can also clear out some mud and add some brightness. Finally, we’ve adjusted the output gain to compensate for the change in volume.

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Next we have some live drums that have been recorded extremely dry and have sharp transients. Unveil can be used in reverse to put grit and weight back in. We hit the I/O DIFF button to listen to what Unveil is throwing away, then carefully tune the Transient control to purposely select the transients. By turning the Focus control down, these elements are reduced, creating a compressed-sounding beat with further tweaks to the Focus sliders acting like a subtle EQ.

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Unveil can also be used to breath new life into your loop and instrument libraries. We have a large-sounding orchestral string instrument, with epic hits and a long reverb tail. By using Unveil you can reduce the reverb and bring the instrument to the foreground. This works wonders on percussive loops as well. Of course, you could also use this as a haunting special effect and work with just the reverb portion of a signal.

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are also plenty of more creative uses for the technology. In single-track mode, you could take a solo instrument line and either create a new harmony part or go more avant-garde and craft a thickening layer with the pitch set an octave up but the formant set an octave down, which could then be blended back in with the original as a special effect. Alternatively, you could take a drum or percussion section and pull out the hits to last a whole bar, giving them a stretched, granular quality. With DNA, available in Melodyne Editor, you could take a strummed guitar chord from an old recording and pitch the notes to fit the chords of a new track, or re-purpose a piano part from your loop library to play a different progression. In theory, the age-old problem of having a great loop or riff that doesn’t fit

It’s often the transient detail that gets damaged the most by overlimiting on the master the key of your track is a thing of the past. For the most part this works well, although you’ll end up with artifacts if the material is too complex for Melodyne to pull apart. Most DAWs now have the ability to manipulate the pitch and time of monophonic audio, be it Pro Tools’ Elastic algorithm, Cubase’s VariAudio or Logic’s Flex features, but none offers quite the finesse that you get with Melodyne.

Pump up the volume Given the apparent need for seemingly louder and more compressed music, it’s no surprise that many developers put a focus on transparent compression

and limiting. Many brickwall mastering limiters claim to offer the clearest and most natural-sounding results, often through intelligently analysing the input and adjusting the attack and release times accordingly. An example is the Maximizer in Ozone 5 and Ozone 5 Advanced, which features iZotope’s IRC (Intelligent Release Control) system. Now in version 3, IRC III runs several different loudness algorithms in parallel, then intelligently chooses between them in real time to produce the least number of perceivable artifacts. The result is a super-loud master without crushed transients or pumping effects. Another interesting approach comes from FG-X by Slate Digital, for which Steven Slate and expert algorithm engineer Fabrice Gabriel developed a dynamic and intelligent transient saturation system, as it’s often the transient detail that gets damaged the most by over-limiting on the master. FG-X analyses incoming transients and selects an optimum saturation curve to achieve the best results, with an additional control called Dynamic Perception offering the ability to dial back in some perceived dynamic range. Our favourite among the new dynamics plug-ins, however, is the Dynamic Spectrum Mapper V2 from Pro Audio DSP, which takes a frequency snapshot of your track to use for large-scale multiband compression. Once the threshold curve is captured, any signal that passes over it will be attenuated, but as you’re using the shape of the actual track the results are much more natural. Potentially more interesting is the possibility to use this on individual parts such as vocals or on a drum buss, where the curve could come from another pro-sounding recording. In this way, your instrument or part will be massaged into the shape of the original in a much more dynamic way than if you simply used an EQ-matching plug-in. You can

MT Step-by-Step Dynamics control using Melodyne

Melodyne can be used for all sorts of trickery aside from pitch, and the malleable way in which it presents audio makes it particularly good at controlling dynamics and transients. We’ve got a drum beat with some spiky transients and a few hits that are noticeably louder than the others. We can isolate the single drum hits that we want to turn down and use the Amplitude tool to reduce them and line them up visually with the other hits.

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Our beat is now more evenly spread, which means when we feed it through a compressor, it won’t have to work as hard. We can now get a bit more creative and use the Attack Speed tool to pull out certain notes and shorten others. In this way we can start to bring out the character of the snares and emphasise the groove of the kicks by extending the first down-beat hit, shortening the subsequent less important ones.

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We’re quite happy with this loop, but we could take things further to create an extra layer that’s more effected. By pulling the pitch up and the formant way down and muting a few hits, we have a subtly different loop that complements the first. We can now bounce this into our DAW, blend it with the original beat from step 2 and add some compression to gel it together. We now have a thicker, more balanced and textured loop.

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MT Step-by-Step Creating space using Track Spacer 2

Track Spacer can be used in place of more traditional sidechaining techniques to get a more accurate result. Here we have a kick drum pattern and a series of sustained sub bass notes and layered bass synths that are competing for space in the mix. Add an instance of Track Spacer onto the bass buss and set the kick drum as the sidechain input. The blue line shows the kick signal and the white line shows the subtracted frequencies.

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The only problem here is that the high-frequency content of the kick is reducing some of our top synth layers. If we go into the Advanced panel we can choose to hear only the SC signal and can fine-tune the high-pass filter to take out the content above 280Hz on the input. We can now use the central dial to control how much of the low end to take out, while keeping our upper synths intact.

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also use quite extreme ratios and thresholds while retaining a natural sound, although you have to be careful using a very low threshold on an entire mix as the quieter sections will leap up in volume.

The final frontier Dynamics isn’t all about loudness and squashing signals, though: it’s also about space, and there have been some very simple but clever plug-ins that can

There are some very clever plug-ins that can help to carve out more space in your mixes

Another use would be to create space for a vocal. We can feed the entire track bar the vocal to a buss with an instance of Track Spacer, then use the vocal as the sidechain to subtly duck the competing frequencies while the singer is singing. If the mix is still sounding a little too cluttered we can switch the plug-in into M/S mode. This way, the vocal would just duck the centre frequencies where the vocal resides, leaving any panned instruments intact.

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help to carve out more space in your mixes. The recently released Track Spacer 2 from Wavesfactory improves on the task of sidechaining by giving it a little more accuracy. It takes the frequency shape of a sidechain input and uses a 32-band EQ to dynamically reduce the same frequencies from the channel where it’s inserted. A simple use would be to duck a bass part whenever a kick drum occurs, but where traditional sidechaining techniques would duck the entire signal, Track Spacer will remove just the frequencies of the kick. This allows you to be much more precise and retain a more naturalsounding bass, where the higher frequencies aren’t also removed. You could, of course, go very deep with this and apply it on multiple tracks in which different elements are dynamically reducing the

MT Step-by-Step Dynamics/EQ control using Dynamic Spectrum Mapper MT Step-by-Step Xxxxxxx

DSM can be used to balance elements in your mix, such as this slightly uneven vocal part with loud ‘s’ sounds. Insert an instance, set moderate attack and decay times and then hit the Capture button while the track is playing. We can now use a high 100:1 ratio, pull the threshold down to -24dB and bring the gain back up, but because we’ve captured the average shape of track it still sounds natural.

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We can take this further by capturing the shape of another professionally recorded vocal and using it as our template. Unlike a match EQ function, DSM will dynamically squeeze your material into this new shape. If we feel we want to put a little more brightness back in we can make adjustments using the Parametric Threshold EQ at the bottom. Simply skew the frequency towards the top end of the spectrum and lift the threshold.

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DSM can also be used as a highly transparent mastering limiter. If we insert an instance at the end of the chain on our master buss we can capture the shape of the entire track, then do quite heavy-handed compression with a 15:1 ratio and -15dB threshold. This works especially well on bass-heavy material as the low-end bump no longer works the limiter so hard.

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MT Buyer’s Guide Cutting-edge instruments Although subtractive synthesis remains the most popular and easy-to-understand method for creating sounds, there are many developers exploring different techniques and interfaces in an effort to come up with completely new and unheard of timbres. Despite often heralding their inventions as a revolutionary new form of synthesis, many end up simply offering a different take on a familiar theme. Sometimes, however, we see genuine innovation and powerful sounddesign tools that go beyond what was previously thought possible.

RAZOR

FG- X from Slate Digital features an innovative algorithm that analyses the incoming transients and picks from a range of different saturation curves to achieve the most transparent results.

relevant frequencies on corresponding tracks. Ultimately, the goal is to smooth-out those areas where frequencies are stacking up, but without affecting the neighbouring parts of the spectrum. What we love about a plug-in like Track Spacer is that it’s not complex, futuristic or CPU-intensive, but just a really good idea that’s elegantly realised and incredibly easy to use. Maybe this is also what more of our plug-ins of the future will be like.

Music of the future Now that we have these and many more incredible tools, what does it actually mean for our music and our mixes? The fact that we can clean up problems and manipulate recordings in amazingly transparent ways only really gives us the same results as if we’d recorded or performed the material well in the first place. We now have studio-grade processing in the home studio, but you still need a good ear (and ideally a good room) to get equally pro-sounding results. We can, however, capture and extract portions of an audio signal that we previously couldn’t, which has led to some unique opportunities for sound design. The main result is that we have more powerful ways to get cleaner and more scientifically spacious mixes. Of course, this isn’t good for all genres as we still enjoy the vibey sound of old recordings, where character comes from the grit, natural phasing, overlapping frequencies and other non-linearities. Electronic music in particular though, will continue to explore and benefit from these techniques, pushing the boundaries of sonic perfection and breaking the rules in creative new ways. One area in which we expect to see some interesting developments over the next ten years or so is in artificial intelligence. There are already services on offer (such as www.mixgeni.us) that allow you to upload the stems of your mix, then receive back a track mixed by a computer. This wouldn’t take into account the required emotion needed to convey a good track, but it’s feasible that AI can scientifically balance your material and give you a good starting point. We wouldn’t like to give up all control, however, and it’s more likely that we’ll

Company Native Instruments Price $99 Razor works with the latest version of Reaktor and the free Reaktor Player and is the brainchild of German producer Errorsmith in conjunction with Native Instruments. Although the bare bones of the synth resemble a typical subtractive setup, the oscillators, filter section, envelopes, LFO and even the effects are sculpted purely in the additive domain. Razor assembles sounds from 320 partials on a ‘harmonic-by-harmonic’ basis to create edgy, deep and powerful sounds. The well-designed GUI provides unique visual feedback of the synthesis in action, although this is combined with a hefty hit on the CPU. Web www.native-instruments.com

HARMOR

Company Image Line Price €111 Harmor, from Image Line, is a Windows-based VST instrument with a unique additive synthesis engine that’s also capable of emulating classic subtractive synthesis. Harmor can re-synthesise any sample, giving you new levels of flexibility for stretching, mangling, pitching and manipulating audio. You can also import images and turn these into new sounds, opening up endless possibilities such as drawing shapes in Photoshop and importing them or turning a child’s doodles into an FX patch. Web www.image-line.com

IRIS

Company iZotope Price €129 Iris is a sampler with a difference. Using the same technology that you’ll find in iZotope’s RX, Iris allows you to select parts of a sound from a waveform or spectrogram using a comprehensive set of drawing tools. These portions of ‘found sound’ can then be combined with other sounds, with up to three layers per patch plus a sub layer for adding low frequencies. Imagine isolating the high-pitched whine of your fridge, cleaning up the audio, then pitching it down to make a bass, while adding in the closing of the fridge door as the attack portion of the sound... Web www.izotope.com

see individual processors that can still be tweaked but that will analyse your material and make adjustments and decisions that will aid in the mixing process. Ultimately, any tool or additional functionality that enables you to achieve an effective mix more quickly – thus giving you more time to work on the melody, groove, harmony and arrangement of the music itself – has to be a good thing. But be warned: it’s also essential that we don’t lose sight of the end goal and end up choosing precision over emotion, otherwise the music of the future may end up being sterile and unlistenable... MTF


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MTF Feature iPad music-making

MTF Masterclass iPad Special Feature

GUIDE TO MOBILE


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iPad music-making Feature MTF

E MUSIC MAKING As a Mac-owning Logic user you have probably been tempted by the iPad for music-making. Here, Hollin Jones explores all the options when it comes to mobile music production…

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hen Apple opened up the iOS platform to third-party developers in 2008 with iOS 2, no one could have guessed the extent to which it would change the way we used our devices and thought about mobile computing. At the beginning, most apps were fairly simple, but as time went on the hardware and operating system became increasingly sophisticated. It wasn’t until the release of the iPad in 2010, however, that the full potential of touchscreen devices really started to become apparent. Since then, the iPad has become incredibly popular – to date Apple has shifted over 100 million of them. And as music apps have matured from being toy-like to being much more serious, that means a whole lot more potential musicians out there. Everyone, from complete beginners to seasoned professionals, can find apps that suit their needs, and they tend to be much cheaper than their counterpart desktop software or hardware. Apple, for example,

Whatever your device, the exciting and affordable world of mobile music-making is waiting to be explored is selling its very capable GarageBand recording software for a trifling £2.99, which is frankly ludicrously cheap and means there’s no reason for anyone who owns an iOS device not to try their hand at making music! Modern music trade shows such as NAMM and Musikmesse (Frankfurt) are now almost as much about iPad and iOS integration as they are about traditional music technology. And while iPads aren’t about to imminently replace Macs or PCs – which have far more raw processing power – they are becoming increasingly vital tools in their own right for musicians and other creative types. Many accessories are starting to offer pro-level functionality for musicians, and the iPad is being taken seriously as a production platform by the big-hitters, who are developing both hardware and software products specifically for the platform. Many of these also work with recent iPhone and iPod Touch models, too, so whatever your device, the exciting and affordable world of mobile music-making is just waiting to be explored…


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Recording with iPad

Recording multitrack audio and MIDI to iPad opens up new music-making possibilities…

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ou might think of an iPad as something for reading email with, but it’s much more than that. The iOS operating system is far more complex than it looks and under the hood features several frameworks to enable you to work with sound and MIDI without requiring special setup or drivers. CoreAudio and CoreMIDI, as they are known, let you hook up a wide range of audio and MIDI devices and they’ll work straightaway, which means more or less no setup. The hardware even supports CD-quality recording through the iPad’s built-in mic, though the fidelity isn’t nearly as good as you will get from a more specialised

Auria, from WaveMachine Labs, supports third-party plug-ins, allowing you to mix with processors from the likes of FabFilter, PSP and Drumagog to name just a few.

Exciting technologies are starting to appear that will open up iOS recording even further input device. Luckily, a range of semi-pro and pro audio input devices are available that connect either through the Dock or headphone port, or via a Lightning-to-30-pin adapter. Devices requiring a USB connection can often be hooked up using the Apple Camera Connection Kit (£25), which converts a USB socket to 30-pin or Lightning. Recording sound on an iPad can be as simple as field recording to a basic wave

Processing apps such as IK Multimedia’s VocaLive and AmpliTube have built-in recorded sections that can be expanded with in-app purchases.


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recording app, either using the built-in mic or a dedicated mic such as IK’s iRig Mic (€49.99), iRig Mic Cast (€29.99) or another mic with phantom power such as the iRig Pre (€29.99) or Apogee MiC (£145). Tascam’s iM2 (£62) is a very capable iOS field recording mic, and Røde’s SmartLAV (£39) connects via the headphone jack to record omnidirectionally. These are class-compliant – meaning they don’t need drivers – and the pairing of top-quality but affordable mics with digital recording on your iPad makes location recording a breeze.

Migrant worker If you want to get more serious with recording and take things to the next level, the iPad can handle weightier tasks as well. Developers of traditional DAWs are starting to release iPad versions that are both highly capable and able to export raw projects back to your desktop software for further editing. Steinberg, Apple and Image-Line have all done this, as we discuss in the Composition section. But with a single mic or input device like Apogee Jam (£69) you are limited to recording a single sound at a time. For many people that can be enough, as you may simply be laying guitar or vocals over beats or loops. To record in true multitrack, though, you’ll need hardware with more than one input. One of the leading hardware units for multitracking is the Alesis IO Dock (£139), which houses an iPad 1, 2 or 3 and provides a plethora of pro audio connections such as dual XLR/jack combo inputs with phantom power, proper headphone amplification and MIDI I/O, among others. It’s a great solution for adding the kinds of connections a musician needs to an iPad without requiring several devices or trailing cables everywhere. There’s also the IO Mix, which has more Mix physical controls. Increasingly sophisticated devices continue to appear, such as RME’s Fireface UCX (£849), a conventional-looking audio interface that can be used with a computer or an iPad. You can switch its firmware to work in iPad class-compliant mode, meaning that when connected, it offers the same high-quality input at up to 96kHz/24-bit resolution that you get on a


computer. Even more usefully, it will appear to your iPad as eight individual input channels, which can be recorded simultaneously. Suddenly, the idea of recording a whole band with an iPad doesn’t seem so far-fetched. Apogee’s smaller interfaces, like the Duet (£395) and even Quartet (£999), have also recently gained iPad compatibility, bringing more pro-level recording components to your mobile setup.

MTF Buyer’s Guide Ten of the best iPad companions CAMERA CONNECTION KIT

Company Apple Price £25 Apple’s Camera Connection Kit can be bought with either a 30-pin Dock connector or the new Lightning connector and enables you to connect a USB cable to your iPad. Web store.apple.com/uk

IRIG MIC

Company IK Multimedia Price €49.99 The iRig Mic is a high-quality condenser that connects directly to your iPad or iPhone and provides audio in to any app. Thanks to the dual socket you can monitor on headphones, too. Web www.ikmultimedia.com

Touch me iPad apps are great for programming instruments, too, and recording MIDI is, if anything, even easier than recording sound. There’s the touch interface, which lets you play virtual keyboards, guitars and drums (especially well implemented in GarageBand for iPad’s Smart Instruments), as well as countless others. Not so long ago, touch-based musical instruments cost thousands and were considered top-of-the-range. Now, anyone can own one. You can connect a number of MIDI input devices such as keyboards and pads via the Dock or the Connection Kit, provided they are class-compliant. IK Multimedia makes the iRig Keys (€74.99) and Blueboard (€79.99), and models like AKAI’s Synthstation 49 (£164) allow you to connect an iPad straight to the keyboard. Thanks to devices like the Line6 MIDI Mobilizer (£39) and Yamaha IMX1 (£41) you can connect MIDI instruments to your iPad and other iOS devices using traditional, physical MIDI connections, so your older hardware is quite capable of playing nicely with your ultra-modern iPad recording setup. Tech like this bridges the gap between old and new, meaning your classic drum machine and your new iPad can talk to each other. The kinds of techniques associated with studio recording still apply to iPads, of course: you’ll need decent mics, mic technique and monitoring. Other things are less of an issue. Latency, for example, tends to be low to nonexistent, and driver conflicts just don’t happen because there aren’t any. Even better, new and exciting technologies are starting to appear that will open up recording on iOS even further. AudioBus lets you route sound between apps within an iPad, and virtual MIDI allows communication between sequencers and other virtual instruments, so recording on your iPad is if anything easier to set up than on a computer, and things can only get more powerful as time goes on. The future for recording on the iPad looks bright.

TASCAM IM2

Company Tascam Price £62 Tascam’s iM2 is a stereo condenser for iOS devices with high sensitivity and will power from your device or an additional USB port for longer life. Ideal for location recordings. Web www.tascam.com

SMARTLAV

Company Røde Price €49.99 A small, omnidirectional condenser lavalier mic, this model from Røde clips to a lapel and plugs in to a smartphone or tablet through the headphone jack for ultimate portability . Web www.rodemic.com

IO MIX

Company Alesis Price £169 Successor to the I/O Dock, this is a multichannel mixer and interface that houses your iPad and has multiple pro-level IO ports and direct monitoring for studio-quality recording. Web www.alesis.com/iomix

FIREFACE UCX

Company RME Price £849 This unit has multiple pro-level inputs and outputs and can be switched to class-compliant mode to work with an iPad to provide up to eight simultaneous inputs (where your iOS app supports this). Web rme-audio.de

GARAGEBAND FOR IPAD

Company Apple Price £2.99 GarageBand has multitrack audio recording, Smart Instruments, guitar effects and sample recording/editing. It’s a very affordable app and you can even download it to your other iOS devices for free. Web www.apple.com

MIDI MOBILIZER II

Company Line6 Price £45 Connect any MIDI hardware to your iOS device using this adaptor, enabling you to input data from any device and also play MIDI hardware from iOS if your app supports MIDI out. Web www.line6.com

N-TRACK STUDIO

Company ntrack Price £2.49 This is a fairly simple but effective multitrack audio recorder and editor that supports high sample and bit rates and has built-in effects. There’s also a desktop version available for better compatibility. Web ntrack.com

SYNTHSTATION 49

The SoundCloud app enables you to record directly and upload the results straight to your account.

Company AKAI Price £164 This controller takes things a step further by letting you dock your iPad directly into the unit and supporting CoreMIDI, so you can simply plug in and play, all in one compact unit. Web www.akaipro.com


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Composition apps & tools

audio editing and effects, and enables you to record your own sounds and buy add-on sound packs. The projects you work with can be mixed down and shared online or exported to Maschine on your desktop. So you can make beats and loops on the bus using headphones, then turn them into a full song when you get back to your studio. Other apps attempt to re-create more traditional programming environments, such as iElectribe (£13.99) and iPolySix (£10.49) from Korg and ReBirth from Propellerhead (£10.49). These have old-style sequencer sections and arpeggiators reminiscent of the grooveboxes and hardware they model, but with additional tricks and tools afforded by the move to the software domain. Although they are not DAWs, it’s quite possible to make songs with them. Others are more esoteric still, such as Propellerhead’s Figure (£0.69), an arty system for designing music entirely by touch, with no conventional MIDI controls involved at all. Touch to program the available parts and swipe to draw in variations and create songs. They’re great for users of all levels. Perhaps the most far-out but also the most fun is Yamaha’s TNR-I (£13.99), a software version of its Tenori-ON hardware. It takes a little getting used to but this app lets you create music in a completely new way: using your fingers to tap, drag and swipe across a grid of lights to generate sounds while a loop plays back. It’s amazing to play with and the

Making a masterpiece on your iPad is a much more realistic prospect than you might imagine...

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ecording sound and inputting MIDI are fundamental to any kind of composition, but to make sense of what you record you will need to edit and refine it into a finished product. Multitracking, arrangement and composition are just as important when working on an iPad as a desktop DAW. And, amazingly, they are all quite possible, and in some ways easier and more intuitive than on a computer! At a basic level, some instrument apps for iOS are able to capture phrases and sequences and output these as audio files, which is great for

iOS offers developers and users a clever new way to work with sounds and programming note-taking and sketching ideas. Before you move on to full-blown mobile DAWs, there is a middle category of apps that are a curious hybrid of interaction, programming and sequencing and that walk a line from traditional synth-based sequencing to avant-garde music creation. Indeed, you might call them compositional apps rather than sequencers, and they can be a great introduction to composition. iOS and its touch interface offers developers and users a clever new way to work with sounds and programming, blending sample- and synth-based sound creation with a more hands-on approach than a keyboard and mouse allow. Some have embraced this to create clever apps that mix the best of the hardware and software worlds. NI’s iMaschine (£2.99), for example, is a smart little beatbox that mixes sample- and pad-based programming with basic

MTF Buyer’s Guide Ten top music-making apps CUBASIS

Company Steinberg Price £34.99 Steinberg has completely re-engineered Cubase from the ground up for the iPad’s touch interface and the results are impressive. The app supports unlimited tracks, virtual MIDI and AudioBus. Web www.steinberg.net

FL STUDIO HD

Company Image-Line Price £13.99 FL Studio exists both for iPhone and iPad in slightly different versions and offers a variety of great instruments, audio recording and editing, plus extra features such as MIDI out for triggering external kit. Web www.image-line.com

NANOSTUDIO

Company Blip Interactive Price £62 Another app that’s universal to all recent iOS devices, NanoStudio has its own take on programming, sequencing and recording. Expandable with add-on instruments, it’s a capable alternative to the big players. Web blipinteractive.co.uk

TNR-I

Company Yamaha Price £13.99 Yamaha’s innovative Tenori-ON hardware was an ideal candidate for a port to iOS, and the software version is incredible fun to use. As well as being great for beginners it has a real depth of features for advanced users too. Web uk.yamaha.com

iSEQUENCE HD

MIDI editing tools are becoming increasingly sophisticated, as seen here in GarageBand for iPad.


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Company BeepStreet Price £10.49 Made by an independent developer, iSequence HD is a very accomplished mobile sequencing app that is particularly good for MIDI programming, with a brilliantly designed step and grid sequencer system. Web www.beepstreet.com


more adventurous user can dig into the extensive menu system and set up different loops, layers, sounds, effects and even recordings.

Many audio editing and processing functions are becoming available thanks to more powerful technology.

Power to the people Recently, more conventional DAW-style apps have started to appear for the iPad, offering a recognisably computer-like experience for anyone wanting to record, edit, program and mix music. Their development has been helped by the increasing power of the iPad and the release of ever-more professional hardware accessories for getting sound and MIDI in and out, making it possible to produce entire projects on an iPad. This

FIGURE

Company Propellerhead Price £0.69 A new take on making music, Figure provides a few simple sections into which you can draw patterns and make variations in the inimitable Propellerhead style. A recent update brought AudioBus and SoundCloud compatibility. Web www.propellerheads.se

iPOLYSIX

isn’t actually anything new: Gorillaz released an album that was made on the first iPad, a device that now seems fairly outdated. Perhaps the most high-profile mobile DAW is Apple’s own GarageBand (£2.99), which runs on any recent iOS device. A triumph of engineering, it offers multitrack audio recording and features a range of guitar amp models, a sampler and a host of virtual instruments. As well as drums and synths there’s a selection of guitar and bass instruments that can be bent and plucked via the touch interface, plus the ingenious Smart Instruments. You get Smart keys, bass, drums, guitar and strings, and with a few taps these can generate chords, patterns and rhythms for you. More recently released is Steinberg’s Cubasis for iPad (£34.99), based on Cubase. As well as having a range of excellent virtual instruments and effects (plus audio recording, of course) it lets you record as many tracks as your iPad can physically hold or process, in contrast to many others, which impose an eight-track limit. It also has virtual MIDI for triggering instruments and AudioBus support to route sound to/from other apps. Just as GarageBand can export projects to a Mac, Cubasis can export them as raw data to your Mac or PC. Image-Line also makes FL Studio HD (£13.99), a fully featured mobile DAW with virtual instruments and audio recording/editing. Lesser-known developers make great apps too, such as NanoStudio (£10.49) and iSequence HD (£10.49), both fully featured recording and composition environments. Overall, the standard is excellent and the tools available to you are getting increasingly powerful. More avant garde music programmers like TNR-i have advanced tools for loop, pattern and song creation.

Company Korg Price £10.49 Korg is experienced at making iOS versions of some of its classic analogue synths, and iPolysix is a powerful synth complete with onboard sequencer and mixer, drum machine and Kaoss pads. Web www.korg.co.uk

REBIRTH

Company Propellerhead Price £10.49 ReBirth was one of the Props’ first desktop apps and it’s reborn here for iOS, a remarkably faithful analogue beatbox and sequencer with MIDI sync and WIST as well as hundreds of hands-on controls. Web www.rebirthapp.com

CHORDBOT

Company Contrasonic Price £2.99 Chordbot is a songwriting tool/electronic backup band that lets you experiment with chord progressions and arrangements. It has simple built-in instruments for previewing compositions. Web www.chordbot.com

IMASCHINE

Company Native Instruments Price £2.99 iMaschine is for smaller devices only but works in compatibility mode on iPad and is a great sample-based groovebox for programming sequences and even using your own sounds. Projects can be opened in the desktop version, too. Web www.native-instruments.com


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Controller apps Your iPad is the ideal control surface for all manner of musical applications...

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ireless technology is now well and truly established as the default method for communicating between devices of all kinds, opening up a whole new world of possibilities for musicians. For a number of years, manufacturers of hardware have been striving to provide ways for musicians to control their recording/mix sessions and live performances without having to use a keyboard and mouse. The iPad brings a new element to the idea of control by providing a zero-latency connection between you and your computer that works from anywhere on a wireless network. The possibilities are many and exciting. At a basic level, you can stop and start recording, arm tracks and scroll along a timeline – perfect for solo musicians recording their performances. For the more adventurous, dedicated apps now exist for controlling DAW sessions in great detail, generating and tweaking sounds and even programming your own controller maps. This is yet another thing that not so long ago required a lot of cash throwing at it, as well as a fair amount of kit. These days, everything can be streamlined into a single wireless box.

Wireless world Being able to work on a session or performance while walking around a studio or stage is more revolutionary than it might seem. Modern apps aren’t just triggers, they are capable of in-depth control of software. Perhaps inevitably, the apps released by DAW developers to hook into their own software tend to be the most useful if you are running that DAW. Apple obviously makes the rather great and free Logic Remote for Logic, while Steinberg has iC (free) and iC Pro (£11.99), the latter providing the playback and mix control you might expect plus extensive macro and key command customisation for personalising the way you interact with Cubase. There are quite a few Live controller apps, too, such as Griid (£6.99), TouchAble (£17.49) and the upcoming LiveControl that let you work with clips, levels, mixes and more in an incredibly intuitive way. Some hardware integrates iPad controllers, like Mackie’s DL1608 mixer (£975), fully controlled by a docked or remote iPad and perfect for live sound and checking levels around a venue. Other apps are more generic and have templates for all leading DAWs, such as DAW Remote (£6.99) or DAW Control (£2.99), which often use standard control protocols to give you a


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MTF Buyer’s Guide Five top controller apps DL1608

Company Mackie Price £975 Bigger brother to the DL806, this is a clever iPad-controlled mixer with high-quality components and onboard DSP effects. Use it in docked mode or while walking round a venue for ultimate control. Web www.mackie.com

TOUCHABLE

Company AppBC Price £17.49 Designed specifically for working with Ableton Live, TouchAble is a powerful controller app that lets you compose, perform and work with instruments and FX from anywhere on a wireless network. Web www.touch-able.com

DAW REMOTE HD

Company EUMlab Price £10.49 If you run several DAWs or move between studios, DAW Remote is ideal – it has templates for all leading DAWs and it’s simple to flip between them. Control playback, mixing, recording and more from your iPad. Web www.eumlab.com

IC PRO

Company Steinberg Price £11.99 Designed to work with recent versions of Cubase, Steinberg’s latest controller app provides all the playback and navigation you’d expect, plus highly configurable key command and macro functionality for ultimate control. Web www.steinberg.net

LEMUR

Company Liine Price £34.99 Perhaps the ultimate in programmability, Lemur for iPad is a totally flexible and assignable controller environment that can be set up to work with any software that uses MIDI or OSC messages. Web www.liine.net

You can now achieve previously unheard of levels of control over sessions and shows hardware-like interface to work with your software. The most experimental apps include things like Lemur (£34.99) and TouchOSC (£2.99); these are more organic, providing fully customisable tools for building any kind of controller you like. You’ll need a decent understanding of MIDI and control protocols, but they’re very powerful. This technology has matured extremely quickly and you can now achieve previously unheard of levels of control over sessions and shows with the iPad you already own.

Apple’s Logic Remote was one of the main draws when Pro X was announced, allowing you to wirelessly control the software.


More serious DJs might opt for a hardware solution that integrates the iPad, like Numark’s iDJ Pro.

DJ performance and control

Never mind swapping your vinyl crate for a laptop, now all you need is an iPad...

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ot so long ago, there came a point where the majority of DJs were using laptops rather than vinyl to perform – or, indeed, a laptop combined with timecoded vinyl controlling digital music files. The rise of the iPad has resulted in a new category of performer – the iPad DJ. Since the iPad represents pretty much the most portable device you can imagine that still has

MTF Buyer’s Guide Five top DJ’ing tools TRAKTOR DJ

Company Native Instruments Price £13.99 NI has years of experience in making top-end DJ software and Traktor DJ distils everything they have learned into an amazing dual-deck playback system with accurate beat-matching. Web www.native-instruments.com

DJ RIG

Company IK Multimedia Price £6.99 The perfect partner for IK’s iOS audio input and output devices, DJ Rig features beat-matching, effects, tempo controls, the recording/exporting of sets and a great deal more besides. Web www.ikmultimedia.com

DJAY

Company Algoriddim Price £13.99 Using a dual-turntable metaphor, djay for iPad has all the analysis and effects tools you would hope for plus iCloud integration, live recording and support for Numark’s iDJ MIDI controller. Web www.algoriddim.com

ample screen space to scratch and work with tracks, it’s just about perfect for the job. Before we look at the apps available, consider a few things. The first is that although you can use the iPad’s audio output, it’s a bit limiting for DJ’ing and won’t let you do any creative cueing. You will need some kind of hardware with at least a couple of audio outs – this could be something simple attached via the Camera Connection Kit or something more specialised like the Alesis IO Dock or IO Mix or IK Multimedia’s iRig Mix (€74.99), which is specifically designed for iPad and iPhone DJ’ing. There’s also Focusrite’s iTrack Solo (£130) and the Apogee One (£170) to consider. With a number of outputs plus a headphone channel with volume control, an audio interface will let you cue and split audio more creatively. You will need to have your music stored on the iPad – there’s no way around this; even if you use iTunes Match to access playlists in the Cloud, you’ll need a copy of a track downloaded to play it, so opt for a large-capacity device if you can. The list of apps for DJ’ing is growing weekly. Among the best are Algoriddim’s djay (£13.99), IK’s DJ Rig (£6.99) and DJ Mixer Pro (free). Most of the better ones support pro DJ features such as auto track analysis and beat-sync, scratching, AirPlay integration and even hardware support (Numark’s iDJ controller (£309), for example). Native Instruments has recently released Traktor for iPad, which as well as being huge fun is one of the best designed and most effective mobile DJ solutions available. The best thing about iPad DJ’ing is that in many cases it can make you look and sound like a pro even if you don’t have a huge amount of experience! Mash-up music live with apps such as IK Multimedia’s GrooveMaker.

IRIG MIX

Company IK Multimedia Price €74.99 As well as allowing DJs to connect two iOS devices and then control their outputs with familiar tools like knobs and faders, this highly portable unit also lets you incorporate IK’s other apps, such as VocaLive or AmpliTube, into a band performance. Web www.ikmultimedia.com

DUET

Company Apogee Price £395 Apogee’s well-regarded audio interfaces for Mac have begun to get iOS compatibility. The Duet 2 has world-class preamps and MIDI connectivity as well as headphone out and balanced line outs – perfect for DJ’ing as well as recording. Web www.apogeedigital.com


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The forecast for mobile devices

Given that technology moves at breakneck speed, what can we expect to see in the future?

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s we noted at the start, iOS apps have gone from being mostly games and beatboxes to far more serious and advanced tools for mobile music-making in just a couple of years. Predicting the future is always difficult – especially when Apple is concerned – but we can make some educated guesses about what might be coming (as well as what we’d like to see). A newer iPad with a few carefully chosen apps and a decent interface is already capable of doing many of the things you’d once have needed a computer for, so the sky is the limit in terms of where we might be in a few years. In terms of hardware, Apple is very unlikely to start fitting USB ports and card slots to its devices, so the market for interfaces, add-ons and accessories will remain healthy and we can expect to see greater Cloud integration as time goes on. Sync’ing data and settings across devices using the Cloud is growing in popularity, and we could even see multi-user live performance systems that sync across iOS devices – Cubasis already has the ability to provide multiple units with control over a headphone mix. The old 30-pin Dock connector will eventually die out and be replaced by the new Lightning connector, though it will be a while before the old port disappears completely. In terms of power, iPads will surely at some point get quad-core processors, up from the current dual-core, and clock speeds will continue to climb, which is good since for audio performance – CPU speed matters much more than graphics processing. More RAM will be welcome too, and upping from the 1GB found in the newest iPad Retina will allow developers to make bigger and better instruments and apps. There’s a 128GB storage option for the Retina iPad and this could conceivably keep climbing, meaning more recording space and bigger

The new Lightning controller is smaller and more flexible and will allow accessories like audio interfaces to be even more portable.


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sample-based instruments in future. iPads aren’t going to reach laptop levels of performance any time soon, but you have to remember that iPad apps are optimised for the platform, so they tend to make maximum use of the resources available, which isn’t always true of desktop software. Hardware will continue to get lighter and thinner, and could gain new features like haptic (pressure-sensitive) screens or more radical stuff like the ability to place iPads next to one another to link them and create a multi-screen setup. One thing we can say for sure is

As iPads get more powerful expect to see the quality of prolevel audio interfaces improve that at some point, Apple will come up with a new feature that completely blindsides everyone and that will change the way we think about iPads yet again. Perhaps the more innovative changes will come with iOS itself and the apps that run on it. Already there has been huge improvement, and the iPad is barely more than three years old. Recent developments for musicians include things like WIST – which allows the sync’ing of compatible

MTF Future Tech Rise of the Android At the moment, iOS has the lion’s share of audio and MIDI apps and accessories, and there are a few reasons for this. It’s largely because Apple’s iTunes Store is comparatively secure for developers, meaning that app piracy is less of a problem than on some competing platforms. Also, the fact that Apple makes a set number of devices with a set number of configurations means that you know what you’re getting and can test for compatibility pretty easily. In reality, though, there are more Android devices out there than iOS ones. You wouldn’t think so given the respective coverage given to the two, and pro audio developers have been slower to get going on Android. This is, frankly, because there’s less money to be made due to the more haphazard way in which apps are distributed and paid for on the platform. Things are changing, however, and this is good for you the musician because it will give you more choice and drive all the players to up their game – to the benefit of the end user. IK Multimedia has recently released a free version of iRig Recorder for Android; it pairs with any of the company’s mobile recording hardware and offers OGG or WAV export, audio editing and processing using your device’s CPU as well as export to the web or computer either wirelessly or via a cable. You can time- and pitch-stretch your recordings, clean up background noise, optimise volumes and more. ChordBot Pro can also be downloaded to your Android Pro-level apps for device for £3.75, and more apps will audio are slowly surely follow as the platform coming to the Android platform, with matures. If you hop over to the developers like IK Google Play Store and run a search for leading the way. ‘music production’ you will find a fair few apps to download, even if at present the big developers are only beginning to come onboard. In time, this will change – and that has to be good for everyone.


MTF Future Tech Head in the Clouds

As processor speeds continue to increase, iPads could eventually reach laptop levels of performance.

music apps over Bluetooth – AudioBus for streaming audio between apps inside an iPad, and virtual MIDI for triggering instruments from other apps, again inside the device. Developers like Steinberg and Image-Line have ported versions of their DAWs to iPad and we will almost certainly see more follow – Logic, Live, Reason, Pro Tools and Sonar could all potentially become iPad versions. Wireless communication between iPads and computers is already very good but will doubtless continue to improve, and VJ’ing will get easier too. We’re already seeing this with clever and fun apps like Algoriddim’s vjay for iPad. As well as userfriendly apps, more advanced apps will continue to develop. We’ve mentioned Lemur and TouchOSC but there’s also stuff emerging to let you run Pd (Pure Data) patches on iOS.

Perfect ’Pads As iPads get more powerful you can expect to see the quality of pro-level audio/MIDI interfaces improve. Alesis, AKAI and Mackie have made excellent inroads with creating devices that have the iPad as the brain, and serious audio I/O and controller kit making up the rest of the package. In many ways this is a great move for developers. Instead of having to build computer components into their kit they can rely on the iPad to do the number-crunching, and apps are much easier to update than firmware. The touch interface is advanced and familiar, and better than having to build your own or use loads of buttons to achieve user interaction. We’ve looked only at iOS, but the competition is starting to have more of a presence in the mobile music world too. Realistically, Android is the only serious competitor and music developers have paid it little attention so far because of the huge fragmentation of the devices and the platform. But the sheer weight of numbers is hard to ignore: globally, more people run Android than run iOS. And as it matures it is becoming a more attractive prospect. IK, Sonoma and Chordbot are all making Android apps, and though many smaller apps lack the polish of iOS versions, the market is certainly starting to warm up. So, at the moment, the iPad is moving from being a great sketch pad to being a platform on which you can really produce music. In most cases you can upload tracks to SoundCloud or Dropbox and in

Improvements in connectivity is the biggest thing to have happened to computers in years, and make no mistake, iOS and other mobile devices are computers, even if they call themselves phones. The big-hitters – Apple, Google, Amazon and Microsoft – are all concentrating their efforts on the Cloud, setting up vast server farms and building features into their software that links your device to the Cloud for more and more tasks as time goes on. At the moment, internet and Cloud connectivity is more or less limited to sharing data, uploading tracks to SoundCloud or Dropbox, or sync’ing settings and smaller files across different devices. This in itself is pretty cool and a huge leap forward from where we were just a few years ago, when we had to post CDs to people and wait for them to arrive. Things are changing quickly. Steinberg’s Cubase 7 has a new system for collaborating online with other users, with real-time video and audio support and the ability to control someone’s mix remotely. So as broadband speeds and online storage get better and bigger, you could foresee a future in which iPads, already equipped with two-way video communication, could be used to collaborate in real time with people on the other side of the world. DJs, who can now use iTunes Match to pull tracks out of the Cloud to play, might be able to also do this with video or uncompressed audio rather than the AAC versions we work with at present. You could even get your audience involved, given the right technology. Imagine a setup in which people can control parts of your performance and you react to it. It’s not as far-fetched as it sounds and the way things are going, this kind of collaboration could be a reality in the not too distant future… Cloud integration is getting better – in future we may be able to collaborate in real time as well as simply upload files.

some export raw project data back to your Mac or PC. It seems like every couple of months brings a new product that pushes the boundaries of what we can do with our mobile devices, and for musicians this is excellent news. The relatively low cost of apps by comparison to desktop software and the extreme portability, increasing power and wireless capabilities of iPads and iPhones means that you now have more options than ever when it comes to making music, and that can only be a good thing. MTF

iPads are set to be integrated with pro audio hardware for studio, live and performance work.


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MTF 10MM Studio connectivity

Minute Master

Studio connectivity Linking up equipment in the studio, whether that be a project room or a larger installation, can be daunting. Russ Hepworth-Sawyer explores the ins and outs.

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espite the dominance of digital audio these days, there will be times when we still need to move analogue audio about using some form of cable or another – a mic signal in need of preamplification, for example, or a mix signal having a buss compressor applied to it. Firming up your knowledge of connectivity will be invaluable as you set up, alter or simply improve signal flow, and there will always be sessions that require some ‘higher thinking’ as you connect legacy real instruments to your setup.

Balancing act

Tech Terms ● SHIELDED Studio cabling should have a foil or webbed shield around each balanced pair, protecting the signal from RF interference. ● IMPEDANCE Every audio signal connection has a ‘resistance’ known as impedance. An understanding of mismatching and how to overcome it can be invaluable during busy sessions.

Between each connection is a cable – and not every cable is the same. Audio signals, especially microphone signals, are extremely low-level and can induct noise such as electromagnetic interference from signals nearby. If you play electric guitar you’ll almost certainly identify with noise that can be inducted by the guitar

Knowledge of connectivity will be invaluable as you set up, alter or simply improve signal flow

Bantam connectors (top) rather than TRS are the choice for professionals due to their relatively slim proportions.

cable. Quality cables have a shielding material that is a bit like aluminium foil, or braided wire wrapped around the cores of the cable. This ‘soaks up’ inducted interference by sending it to ground long before it’s conducted to the positive cable. Shielding alone sometimes isn’t enough to deal with heavy mains spikes. To prevent these becoming a problem an extra positive signal is conveyed, but this one is out-of-phase with the original. The ‘balanced’ theory is that any noise inducted on the positive cables will be in-phase, but the desired audio signal is out-of-phase. The receiving device brings the two positive signals back into phase with each other, leaving the noise inducted on the cable out-of-phase with itself and thus eradicated. XLR connectors have three pins connecting a ground and the two out-of-phase positives. These three connections make up the balanced signal and can be connected to, say, a GPO B-Gauge (aka 316) or a 1/4-inch jack plug (often referred to as TRS – Tip, Ring, Sleeve, describing the contacts on the plug). GPO B-Gauge (316) plugs are commonplace, particularly in broadcasting. The format has its history in UK telephone switchboards at a time when operators would connect calls for you physically using a patch cable. The format can handle higher voltages such as phantom power, making them a good choice for microphone patchbays. TRS jack plugs are a variation on the 316 design. Instead of the rounded head of the 316 the 1/4-inch jack has a diamond-shaped tip. Inserting a TRS into a 316 patchbay can cause upset, as the TRS diamond tip is somewhat wider than the 316’s dome. This can mean that the patchbay’s connectors are bent a little too far to properly connect with a subsequently inserted 316.

Patch perfect Many studios now opt for bantam patchbays. Despite their higher cost, these take up less space as 96 sockets can fit within 1U of rack space (TRS is typically 48 sockets across two rows of 24 per 1U of rack space). The rear of bantam patchbays, just like many consoles/

2

3

1 2

3

1

The ubiquitous three-pin balanced XLR. The pins are known as 1 (ground), 2 and 3 (the two positives). The left-hand plug is a female XLR, the one to the right is male.


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GPO patchbays (also known as B-Gauge and 316) are robust and very common across the professional audio and broadcast industries. These make up many a BBC ‘jackfield’.

Studio connectivity 10MM MTF

The original signal

The original signal with inducted mains spike

The original signal

The original signa signal with inducted mains spike The transferred signal

The out of phase signal

control surfaces such as the C|24, use the D-Sub 25 connection protocol, permitting eight balanced channels of audio per cable. Other multi-pin connection formats are also in use. EDAC is one example, once employed on the original ADATs but still used to connect some bantam patchbays to desks. These and multi-pin connectors are largely found in live audio applications, permitting quick dismantling at the end of a night without requiring you to reconnect every jack to the mixer.

The out of phase signal with inducted mains spike

The original signal with inducted mains spike returned to correct phase in receiving device. Note the mains spike is now out of phase with itself

Balanced cabling is an ingenious solution to overcoming inducted noise by turning the interference out-of-phase with itself.

Tech Terms ● CONNECTION GENDERS Connection protocols such as XLR come in two formats: a socket, known as female, and a plug, known as male.

Making connections At times you’ll need to connect a balanced signal to an unbalanced input or vice versa. Connecting a line-level signal (ie a portable recording device or synth) to a

A selection of converters may be useful to have in the studio for those ‘what if’ sessions balanced input is perfectly OK. The relative level might be a little lower, but they’ll be able to ‘understand’ each other just fine. An example of this kind of setup might be an RCA phono connection you need to connect to balanced inputs for tracking. In this eventuality you’ll need a phono-to-mono (2-pole) jack (with only a sleeve and tip) unless it’s a domestic turntable, which will require specific preamplification. To connect phono-equipped gear to XLR equipment you’ll need to ensure that the phono’s positive and negative are connected correctly to all three pins of the XLR. In essence, the positive continues to go to pin 2; pins 1 and 3 are connected to the negative side of the phono plug. The out-of-phase positive signal is thus sent to ground and discarded.

Tip

Ring

Sleeve

Three-pin jack plugs such as these are known colloquially as TRS, which stands for Tip, Ring and Sleeve. XLR pin 1 equals the Sleeve, pin 2 the Tip and pin 3, the Ring.

The humble DI box is the most common of all impedancematching devices. Every studio should have at least two!

Converters exist that permit all manner of connections, from the simple phono-to-jack to the more complicated gender-changing types that permit two male XLR plugs to be connected together. Obtaining a selection of these is worthwhile as they are useful to have in the studio for those ‘what if’ sessions. Understanding whether a signal is unbalanced or balanced is one thing, but to appreciate its impedance is another. We’re fortunate in audio that impedance is not a daily worry as much of the matching is taken care of for us. We’re concerned with matching the voltage. Typically, gear has high-impedance inputs that permit all manner of low-impedance outputs to be connected to it. However, the Hi-Z inputs on some devices permit for instruments to be connected straight in without impedance-matching. Without these inputs, an impedance-matching device is required – a DI box (Direct Inject). The mic input on a console is a low-impedance input (around 1,200 or 2,400 ohms) whereas an electric guitar could be around 100K ohms. A DI box employs a transformer to allow the mic input to accept the higher impedance of the electric guitar. Failure to match these affects the tonality of the instrument as the signal is altered – distorted, if you will. Many connections noted here are mirrored for digital audio connectivity. For example, AES/EBU employs XLR, whereas S/PDIF uses phono. Developments now mean that networked audio connectivity such as RedNet from Focusrite may become the norm, running on Cat5 cabling. Nevertheless, many of ‘us’ will continue to use traditional, treasured and time-tested analogue microphones, mixers and monitor controllers – for ‘us’, the above will remain of relevance for years to come. MTF FURTHER INFO ● To understand the types of connectors used in audio, go to: www.vdctrading.com ● For a glimpse of potential future studio connectivity, visit: http://uk.focusrite.com/rednet FOCUS Logic Pro X 2014

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MTF Buyer’s Guide Best soft synths

T

Best soft synths

he rise of software synths has been nothing less than meteoric, with thousands of developers large and small offering up their take on synthesis techniques alongside new and innovative designs. Whereas hardware synths are limited in terms of the number of oscillators, filters and other components, in the software world we can combine a huge number of such elements, perhaps excessively stacking oscillators for massive-sounding waveforms. Although an analogue-modelled Minimoog soft-synth might not equal its hardware counterpart, consider the fact that you can layer up multiple instances and also use it in polyphonic mode. However, while many companies look to offer more flexible, software versions of classic synths, others endeavour to create new techniques for sound design using resynthesis, convolution and granular techniques. Instruments such as iZotope’s Iris enable you to select a portion of an audio file from a

spectrogram display using an array of drawing tools, then use this as an oscillator sound source. If you’re looking for an instrument for cutting-edge sound design, these kinds of soft-synths are good starting points as they excel at creating complex and detailed sounds. However, if you’re intending to write warm, analogue-sounding house, you might find these textures a little too complicated and end up cluttering your mix. Ultimately, you’ll probably want to select several synths for different tasks. Just be wary of mixing and matching too many different flavours of synthesis together as you may end up confusing your listener – and yourself! Note: if you want to run these under Logic Pro X, download the latest 64-bit versions otherwise you will need to trigger them outside the Logic environment using software like AU Lab and Soundflower.

Thousands of developers large and small are offering their take on synthesis techniques MTF Technology Types of synthesis There are many types of synthesis beyond traditional subtractive techniques, and there are plenty of synths out there that offer a whole range in a single unit or software instrument. The most common types are additive synthesis, which builds sounds by adding waveforms together, and frequency modulation (FM), which uses one or more oscillators to modulate the tonal and amplitude characteristics of another oscillator. These types excel at brash, digital-sounding bells and metallic sounds, and are also capable of creating more complex waveforms than subtractive techniques alone. Native Instruments’ FM8 is a prime example of a modern FM synth and is capable of some incredibly rich and detailed sounds. Beyond this we have things like phase-distortion synthesis (which is fairly similar to FM), physical modelling, which uses a set of equations and algorithms to simulate a real instrument, and wavetable and sample-based synthesis. Things get more interesting, though, when you get into the realms of granular synthesis, which works on the same principles as sampling, but the audio file is split into tiny pieces called grains and replayed in a different order at varying speeds and volumes. Low-speed playback results in dissonant soundscapes or clouds, and high speeds in a note or unique timbre. There are plenty of granular synths and processors available, from the freeware HourGlass, by Xenakios, to Steinberg’s Padshop Pro, and these are perfect for creating dark soundtrack ambiences. Some companies claim to have come up with new techniques – not least Tone2, whose recent inventions include Harmonic Content Morphing (HCM) Synthesis, Impulse Modelling Synthesis (IMS) and Fractal Synthesis. Although these can seem like buzz terms, in Tone2’s case they are genuine innovations in design. That said, although the results could arguably be called unique, it’s not something that will leap out of the speakers like nothing you’ve heard before. And this is probably the most important point to remember when getting excited about the latest gadget or technique: ultimately, it’s your own skill at designing sounds that will create something interesting and new, not the Steinberg’s Padshop Pro is granular technology that powers it. synthesis in a single, easy-to-use package.


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NI RAZOR

Price €99 Contact 2twenty2 0845 299 4222 Razor has been designed by German producer Errorsmith in conjunction with Native Instruments and works with the latest version of Reaktor and the free Reaktor Player. At first glance, Razor looks much like a traditional subtractive synthesizer, having two oscillators, a filter section, envelopes, LFOs and effects. However, behind the scenes it is creating and sculpting its output purely in the additive domain, using 320 partials to assemble sounds on a ‘harmonic-byharmonic’ basis. Overall, Razor’s sound is edgy and digital – but not at the expense of power, depth or beauty – and it comes with a range of presets catering for everything from heavy dubstep wobbles to eerie pads. On the downside, the well-designed GUI and unique additive-style output comes at the cost of a high CPU hit. Web www.nativeinstruments.com

Best soft synths Buyer’s Guide MTF

MTF Buyer’s Guide Ten of the best FXPANSION TREMOR

Price £99 Contact Sonic8 08701 657456 Tremor is an analogue-modelled drum synth with eight voices and a grid-based pattern sequencer. Each of the voices is based on a specially tuned D:CAM oscillator with eight partials that behave either like a membrane or a harmonic source. A sub-oscillator and stereo noise source can be mixed in with the signal, which is then directed into a multimode filter with both pre- and post-filter drive stages. Any of the parameters can be modulated by a range of sources, and the 32-step pattern sequencer contains some interesting features, such as the ability to add randomness to your groove. Web www.fxpansion.com

IZOTOPE IRIS

Price £129 Contact Time+Space 01837 55200 Iris is a little different from your average synth as it’s a ‘sampling resynthesizer’ that uses sampled digital audio to generate sound. There are three sample layers available per patch as well as a Sub layer that lets you add lower frequencies to a sound, plus a main display that shows either a waveform or a spectrogram view. Iris works by enabling you to select parts of a sound, both from its waveform and also within its spectrum, using the same technology that you find in RX, with a comprehensive set of tools that let you home in on a particular part of a sound. This intuitive synth is an amazing resource for sound designers, and layering up samples makes it easy to create breathtaking sound effects. Web www.timespace.com

U-HE DIVA

Price £138.04 Contact via website Diva is based on a number of modules that closely model components of classic synths from Moog, Roland and Korg. You can mix and match each section, with options for voltage- or digitally controlled oscillators and envelopes, plus a selection of multimode, ladder, cascade and bite filters. This opens up a wide range of combinations and it’s easy to get great-sounding results. Along the bottom is the Global section, from where you can set up and tweak LFOs, tuning, amp, pan, voice stacking and much more, as well as selecting from two FX slots including phasing, chorus, reverb and delay. Diva consumes a fair amount of CPU in high-quality mode, but represents the current pinnacle of analogue-modelled sound. Web www.u-he.com

TONE2 RAYBLASTER

Price $199 Contact via website Rayblaster is based on Impulse Modeling Synthesis and aims to offer more of a synth behaviour to a form of sound manipulation that usually lacks any serious real-time controls. Each of the two oscillators is focused around an eye-catching waveform display and starts from one or two audio files. There are plenty of factory options here as well as the option to import your own waves, which can be anything from instrument waveforms to vocals, sound FX or drum loops. The central area of the synth lets you twist your sounds with formant and tuning controls, and there’s a highly flexible arp/gate section to the right. You might not always know what you’ll get from this synth but you can guarantee that the results will be unique. Web www.tone2.com FOCUS Logic Pro X 2014

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MTF Buyer’s Guide Best soft synths

MTF Buyer’s Guide Ten of the best, cont’d...

SUGARBYTES CYCLOP

SONIC ACADEMY ANA

Price £49.99 Contact [email protected] Sonic Academy tutors Phil Johnston and Bryan Spence have created a synth that aims to balance features, sound quality and ease of use in a single, reasonably priced package. ANA comes with Analog, Advanced Noise and Attack oscillator types, plus 23 filter types including some especially tasty vintage and saturated models. Other features include three envelopes, a graphical envelope, two LFOs, two modulation slots and built-in effects. Web www.sonicacademy.com

Price €119 Contact Sugar Bytes +49 306 092 0395 Fans of Skrillex, Boys Noize and Knife Party should be sure to check out Cyclop as it’s a one-stop shop for creating twisted complextro bass and lead lines. There’s a stack of features and oscillator types including Saw Regiment (for super-saw waves), Analog Sync (for classic wave, sync and pulse sounds), a dual-carrier FM source, Transformer (for granular/wavetable tones), Spectromat (an additive synth) and Phase Stressor (phase distortion). There’s also a large knob on the left for controlling wobbles and another on the right for FX, which can be switched using the automation lanes section for creating instant, complex-sounding patterns. Web www.sugar-bytes.com

XILS-LAB OXIUM

Price €99 Contact via website Oxium is a ‘performance synthesizer’ sporting a fast and intuitive interface while offering creative modulation options such as Le Masque, ported from the company’s Le Masque: Delay plug-in. Many of the functions are based around what XILS-lab refers to as a Flower design, with the two cumulative oscillators allowing you to select up to four waveforms located around a central tuning knob. Simply exploring waveform layering, unison modes, stereo spread and stereo tuning can result in some monstrous, thick lead sounds in just a few mouse clicks. The LFOs also benefit from the stacked waveform design, allowing for some interesting modulation curves. Web www.xils-lab.com

ROB PAPEN BLADE

Price £89 Contact Time+Space 01837 55200 Blade is Rob Papen’s latest synth creation, which aims to combine the complexity of additive synthesis with a more typical synth layout. The main section is the Harmolator oscillator, which has nine parameters for controlling the additive synthesis, plus there are also the usual envelopes, LFOs and filters alongside a superb FX section that can help to shape mix-ready sounds. Another unique feature is the ability to set up modulations on an X/Y pad and record your movements, which is great for complex pad and soundscape design. Web www.timespace.com

NI MASSIVE

Price €199 Contact 2twenty2 0845 299 4222 While we’d like to include only one soft synth from each company, it’s hard to when it comes to Native Instruments as it has such a rich portfolio – FM8 and Reaktor were also in the running. Massive is certainly the analogue to Razor’s edgy digital, the two together offering a great spectrum of sound. Huge basses and leads are what you get; the very elements that can make or break a track – and in this case most definitely the former. With more than 1,300 sounds to choose from you certainly won’t go wanting. Put simply: all the highs and lows you will ever need. Web www.native-instruments.com


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Best soft synths Buyer’s Guide MTF

Freeware synths Y ou might be on a tight budget, but you needn’t miss out on some great synths: the freeware community has been happily programming some excellent plug-in instruments and effects over the last couple of decades and the number of synths that you can now

download for free is quite staggering. Quality varies enormously, so we’ve rounded up our favourites here. Several are emulations of classic hardware, and one or two are becoming classics in their own right, so get clicking and try this lot for free… Again, the 64-bit rule counts if you want these to run in Pro X.

MTF Buyer’s Guide CRYSTAL

DAHORNET

One of the best Mac and PC freeware synths out there (and now available for iOS for $4.99) Crystal has been at the top of the freeware charts for many a year and won its large fan base through great sounds featuring subtractive and FM synthesis, so has a wide and varied palette. Web www.greenoak.com

Based on the Wasp synth from the 70s, one of the first affordable synths (affordable because it was basically a bit rubbish unless you wanted buzzing-bee noises). With stacks of presets that really will rock your productions, forget the original and bask in the glory of this one instead. Web http://nusofting.liqihsynth.com/ freeplugins.html

TAL-BASSLINE

Anyone familiar with classic synths will know exactly which one this is attempting to emulate: the Roland SH-101. The simple signal path will appeal to synth newbies, while the sounds themselves will appeal to both veterans and dance-heads alike – fat basses, searing leads and some real dirt. It’s a shame you can’t add a handle and play it while on the move, just like the original. Web http://kunz.corrupt.ch/products/tal-bassline

FREEALPHA

This is a cut-down version of LinPlug’s Alpha synthesizer and is essentially an advert for it – but so what? It’s a proper, fully functional synth that is very capable and fat-sounding thanks to dual-waveform oscillators, a multimode filter and a great modulation matrix that lets you hook up mod sources to various destinations. You get a wide variety of sounds programmed by the pros – one of the best freebies out there. Web www.linplug.com

SYNTH1

Like Crystal, Synth1 is widely regarded as one of the best freeware synths of all time and it does sound incredible – as long as you explore and play with it. Its presets don’t show it off to its best, but start programming yourself – easy for anyone familiar with analogue synths – and you will achieve wonderful results. Web www.geocities.jp/daichi1969/softsynth FOCUS Logic Pro X 2014

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MTF Reviews Apple Logic Pro X

MT Reviews Hardware

Software

Mobile Technology

Samples

Excellence

Value

10/10 €£$

APPLE

Logic Pro X Is the radically redesigned GUI and a host of new features enough to keep Logic ahead of the game? Mark Cousins opens Apple’s DAW. Details Price £140 Contact Apple Web www.apple.com/uk Minimum system requirements OSX 10.8.4, 4GB RAM, 64-bit Audio Units

Key Features ● New interface ● Drummer and Drum Kit Designer ● Bass Amp Designer ● Flex Pitch ● Retro Synth ● Arpeggiator and MIDI plug-ins ● New Pedalboard stompboxes

F

our-plus years is a long time to wait for anything in the fast-moving world of music production, let alone a new version of your favourite DAW. And during this long wait, speculation ran rife as to the future of Logic – some began to wonder whether Apple had simply forgotten about the application altogether, others dreamed of new and unimagined possibilities in terms of what might be included in what even then was becoming known as Logic Pro X, but, somewhat predictably, Apple kept its cards close to its chest. Despite the radio silence, though, Apple’s programmers were busy behind the scenes, putting together a new version of Logic Pro that retains much of its original charms, but also dares to re-imagine key aspects of its appearance and operation in some radical ways.


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As you’d expect, Logic Pro X is purchased via Apple’s App Store, as has been the case with Logic Pro 9 for some time. A simplified pricing structure means that new users can purchase Logic Pro X for less than the price of

favourite plug-ins are updated to 64-bit versions, as Logic Pro X doesn’t include the 32-bit Audio Unit Bridge.

The X factor Easily the most talked about development in Logic Pro X is the new GUI, which despite some early comparisons with GarageBand (and Final Cut Pro, to be fair) is actually a serious attempt by Apple to improve the

Logic Pro X dares to re-imagine key aspects of its appearance and operation in radical ways most third-party plug-ins, although existing users should note that there’s no upgrade pricing (that being said, £140 is still a very competitive price for a major update like this). You’ll also need to make sure that your Mac is running the latest version of OSX Lion – 10.8.4 – as well as ensuring that your

user experience. Rather than being just eye candy, Logic Pro X’s interface feels surprisingly interactive – no more swathes of light grey, but variations of tone, contrast and colour that adapts in response to your workflow. Undoubtedly, it’s a clearer and more intuitive solution (which is great for new users, of course)

Apple Logic Pro X Reviews MTF

Alternatives Among the professional user base there’s a distinct crossover between Logic and Pro Tools, with Pro Tools still having the edge when it comes to big commercial studios. Pro Tools, though, has had a somewhat difficult transition phase, ditching its old audio engine in favour of the new, 64-bit AAX architecture. Arguably, this now means Pro Tools users finally have access to what Logic Pro has had for years – namely, true 64-bit memory access for RAM-hungry virtual instruments (plus, of course, the freedom to use a variety of different audio interfaces).

Flex Pitch now joins Flex Time, providing a Melodyne-like pitch-correction system embedded into the heart of Logic Pro X. It’s intuitive, smooth and elegant in its operation.

but the key methodology and depth of the application is distinctly Logic Pro. And yes, the Environment is still there! A more subtle but no less important shift is in the move towards a chunkier interface. This is particularly evident on the re-skinned vintage instruments (previously known as the EVP88, EVD6 and EVB3). It’s an approach that mirrors the growth in pixel real-estate coupled with an increasingly ‘small’ pixel – a phenomena that was making older parts of Logic look diminutive and eye-straining! On a 27-inch iMac, therefore, Logic Pro X looks superb, but users working on a 13-inch MacBook might feel slightly constrained.

Got rhythm New additions in Logic Pro X are plentiful, and while nothing is truly ‘paradigm-shifting’, there’s a pleasing

MTF Navigation Logic Pro X INSPECTOR View and edit parameters associated with regions and tracks using the Inspector.

a

Apple-like touch to all that has been done. Drummer, for example, initially appears like one of many alternative virtual drumming solutions (although this time you get to select a drummer by name, complete with personality traits!). Delve beneath the slick front end, though, and you’ll find that it’s closer to an interactive algorithmic composition tool, with the software adapting the rhythm track in highly complex ways. Ultimately, because Drummer is embedded into the workflow of the DAW, it affords a degree of operational elegance and technical complexity few other plug-in solutions can match. Although Logic has always had an arpeggiator as part of the Environment, it’s pleasing to see that Logic Pro X introduces a new MIDI effects plug-ins system that can instantiate a series of MIDI-based modifiers directly into the

signal path of the mixer. The arpeggiator is put to great use in many of the synth-based presets (coupled with the new Retro Synth), where its powerful step sequencer-like approach comes to the fore. Although the sound of the Retro Synth isn’t a great leap up from the ES2, its ability to jump between subtractive, FM and wavetable modes makes it a surprisingly musical tool.

Stax records A logical development of Flex Time is the new Melodyne-like pitch-correction system. Again, Flex Pitch isn’t a

TRACKS AREA MIDI and audio regions can be found in the Tracks area. A new Track Stacks feature makes the workspace much clearer.

c

b

a

The new Logic Remote app finally brings iPad support to Logic Pro X.

MIXER The mixer’s signal path is now much clearer and includes a MIDI plug-ins feature.

d

c

CONTROL BAR The Control Bar has now moved to the top of Logic Pro X’s interface.

b

d


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MTF Reviews Apple Logic Pro X

ground-breaking new feature, but the elegance in its implementation is breathtakingly smooth and intuitive. Arguably our favourite workflow addition, though, is the new Track Stacks feature. As you’d expect, Track Stacks enable you to merge and manage selective groups of channel faders and tracks, which is a real asset when you’re working on large sessions. What makes it exceptional, though, is that the Track Stack can be saved as a Patch (which is Logic’s new term for the old Channel Strip Settings feature), making it an extremely powerful way of building up a project from ‘modular’ collections of channel strips. A long-overdue feature of Logic was support for a dedicated iPad controller, especially given the number of thirdparty solutions on the market. That’s

appreciate. In truth, Apple has seemingly created the Holy Grail of software updates – refreshing the entirety of the user experience and making the whole system more approachable, while at its heart retaining the core functionality and workflow that made Logic Pro such a great DAW to work with in the first place. The fact that the ‘Advanced Features’ can be switched on and off is arguably the greatest indicator of this strategy, helping to create a GarageBand-friendly version of Logic Pro with just a button-press. However, delve beneath the surface and Logic’s configurability and sonic flexibility immediately makes itself apparent. Despite the much-justified praise, though, the release of Logic Pro X isn’t without its caveats, and strategic

What Apple has achieved with Logic Pro X takes time to appreciate and understand now been addressed, and integration is seamless (assuming both the iPad and Logic are on the same network) and you get tactile control over the mixer, virtual instruments, key commands, basic song navigation and a range of GarageBandlike performance tools. While you can’t see the virtual instruments in full, a new Smart Controls feature makes sense once you’ve fired up Logic Remote. The Smart Controls work like Macro knobs, making performance controls and FX settings far more hands-on.

New Logic Understanding the full extent of what Apple has achieved with Logic Pro X is something that takes time to

observations have to be made. Users of older 32-bit plug-ins who haven’t updated them to 64-bit versions might be in for a bit of a shock, although the release of Logic Pro X will undoubtedly focus the minds of those plug-in developers still dragging their heels. We were also surprised to see some of the older parts of the program – notably, the EXS24 – not receiving a facelift or upgrade, which is a shame given that the EXS24 is still an important and powerful component of Logic. And if you haven’t already noticed, WaveBurner has also seemingly been wiped from existence, although given the presence of iTunes you can see why Red Book CDs aren’t high on Apple’s list of priorities.

Strategically, of course, it’s clear that Apple really seems to be sharpening and honing Logic as a musician’s tool, arguably making Logic Pro X an appealing solution to songwriters and guitarists as well as the producers and engineers who originally joined the fold back in the Emagic days. While some would like to see Logic giving Pro Tools more of a run for its money, Apple has (rather wisely, we might add) taken the view that music production doesn’t just revolve around big music studios using all-powerful DAWs. Equally, Logic Pro X isn’t a system that panders to the market of electronic music – a section of the music-making community that certainly kick-started the idea of computer-based music, but is increasingly just one part of the spectrum of people producing music in the virtual domain. After so much speculation and waiting, therefore, it’s pleasing to finally see the care and attention to detail Apple has lavished on Logic Pro X. Arguably it’s the best £140 a Macowning musician can spend, with few others DAWs capable of matching the usability and sheer sonic dexterity that Logic Pro X offers. MTF

MTF Verdict + Clearer, more intuitive interface + New instruments and effects + Track Stacks + MIDI plug-ins - No support for 32-bit plug-ins - Interface can feel cramped on smaller screens - EXS24 long overdue a refresh Logic Pro X brings the usual collection of new instruments and effects, but it’s the redesigned interface that will have the most profound impact on both new and existing users. Drummer is a new interactive rhythm tool in Logic Pro X that proves to be far more complex and malleable than you might first imagine.


FOCUS

10/10

The Logic Remote app certainly makes Logic a lot more playable.

Method Spot Assuming you’re running Mountain Lion, the transition to Logic Pro X is relatively straightforward. The new install keeps the old version of Logic on your hard drive, so you can potentially run a parallel system as you upgrade. Projects created in previous versions of Logic need to be re-saved to the new file format introduced in Logic Pro X. This is performed the first time you open a project.

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MTF Reviews Heavyocity AEON Collection

Alternatives Other cinematic packs out there at around the same price as AEON include Cinematique Instruments 2 (€199) from Best Service – another organic/synthetic hybrid pack – or Q (£204) from Vir2 Instruments, which has a very large range of sounds including drums as well as melodic elements.

HEAVYOCITY

For PC & Mac

Choice

AEON Collection

9/10 9 9/ 10

With moody cinematic libraries in abundance, Liam O’Mullane tests Heavyocity’s latest release, listening for something unique. Details Price $399 Contact info@ heavyocity.com Web www.heavyocity.com

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unning in Kontakt 5 or the free Kontakt 5 Player, this collection combines Heavyocity’s AEON Melodic and AEON Rhythmic libraries at a lower overall price. Aimed at the cinematic and soundscape worlds, both libraries offer a good range of deep, rich and hard-to-describe sonic textures. They are said to stem from organic, unique and analogue sound sources, but are mixed and layered in such a way that you’ll sometimes struggle to identify what they are. But that isn’t the point: it’s more that the best of many worlds is mixed together to create presets that are sonically rich and interesting.

Rhythm king

Key Features ● Various randomising functions ● Loop Mutator for severe mangling ● Large selection of sounds ● 3 levels of loop control

Although the Rhythmic library is loop-based, the loops carry a lot of musical and melodic information, so don’t expect a drum machine here. There’s a huge selection to work with and you can manipulate them after choosing from three types of preset. A Suite preset lays out many loops across the keyboard, one key per loop. The loops’ playback pitch can be globally controlled by keys in the lower octaves, and their running order goes from dark timbres to the left through to brighter tones to the right. The next type of preset is a Three Loop Combo, which spreads three loops across the bulk of the keys, giving each loop just under two octaves of pitch


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control. Finally, Single Loop presets offer the most variety by focusing on one loop with normal playback plus individual slices. These can be reprogrammed or you can use just snippets of the sounds. Across the presets, a few of the highest keys are reserved for punchingin instrument FX, comprising distortion, lo-fi, filter, panner, pitch mod and a gated effect, giving you more options to tailor the sounds to your needs.

On song The Melodic side is covered in a variety of preset formats. Various hits are included for moody blasts that can stand on their own for atmospheres or be used as transition tools to get out of a busy sequence. Across hybrid and organic flavours there’s a huge variety of instruments, which again all have that organic and synthetic cross-breeding that the Rhythmic pack benefits from. Short percussive sounds, distorted brash tones, silky leads, swells and more are present, with plenty of hybrid tones between the extremes of organic and synthetic. For instance, a preset called Padded Piano Reflections starts as a pad sound, and the tailed reverb sounds like the slap-back effect of a piano being delayed.

Common ground When it comes to further editing, both libraries take a similar approach, but there are a few unique differences. Both

feature ADSR amp controls for sound-shaping and the Melodic presets come with up to three layers, so there’s three of these to explore. Alongside the punch-in effects already mentioned, Twist and Punish dials offer further processing opportunities. These are a modulatable tone control and compression/ saturation knob respectively – good for either fine-tuning the sound in the mix or pushing hard for completely new tones. Master effects include reverb, delay, distortion and modulation, which is a mix of chorus and phaser – again, handy for mix work. The last notable feature is the arpeggiator section. For Loop presets this is called the Loop Mutator, and enables you to sequence the duration of playback, choice of loop or slice per step, and velocity values. The arp uses a series of stepped sliders, so it’s very simple to program and can be randomised for happy accidents. For the Melodic instruments, the arp’s functionality is pretty much the same, except that the choice of loop per step is simply a change in melodic pitch to the loaded sound. Overall, the preset selection is vast and varied. Throughout the pack the production value is high and can be adapted as the user needs in a variety of ways for variation and general expression. You’d be hard-pushed to produce the mood, size and quality of these sounds from scratch, and if you’re a working professional, you probably don’t have the time. This makes the AEON collection a wise choice for quality sounds as well as the longevity of your investment. MTF

MTF Verdict + Rich, deep and varied sounds + Easy key-mapping + Useful punch-in effects + Well laid-out interface - AEON Rhythmic’s vast range of sounds can be hard to navigate A large and diverse range of deep sounds that would complement a range of production styles.

9/10

Zynaptiq UNFILTER Reviews MTF

Alternatives As there is nothing currently on the market to directly compare UNFILTER to, here are some other options you may want to consider. Dynamic Spectrum Mapper V2 ($329) from Pro Audio DSP could be an alternative option as it enables you to apply a dynamic frequency curve to an audio source. MAutoEqualizer (€199) from MeldaProduction is also worth checking out for EQ-matching tasks.

ZYNAPTIQ

For PC & Mac

UNFILTER

Excellence

10/10

Innovation

With a proven track record to date, can Zynaptiq work its voodoo magic again with this latest release? Liam O’Mullane tries it out. Details Price €372 Contact via website Web www.zynaptiq.com

Key Features ● VST/AU/RTAS/ AAX and standalone formats ● Static or adaptive behaviour ● Trackball sliders for main functionality ● Built-in limiter ● Internal bias or normal EQ modes

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he advent of digital has been both a positive and negative force in the music industry. On one hand, it offered a new level of clarity and dynamic range when first introduced, but it has also been responsible for the more ‘smashed’ sound that has characterised various genres in modern times. A recent saving grace for the reputation of digital is its ability to challenge the rules of what can and can’t be done – polyphonic pitch manipulation of a pre-mixed audio file being one. Both Celemony’s Melodyne and Zynaptiq’s PITCHMAP can do this, and when first announced everyone thought it was snake oil, but they have both since proved that some rules can indeed be broken. Although Celemony’s efforts are fantastic, Zynaptiq hasn’t stopped there – we’ve already reviewed the company’s UNVEIL plug-in, which enables you to remove or reduce the amount of reverb in a pre-mixed file. This was another task we all thought couldn’t be done until Zynaptiq proved us wrong, and although UNFILTER may not sound as revolutionary as the previous two releases, it does offer new ways to approach audio processing.

Mix and match Many of us will have tried to make a bad recording sound good or match one recorded mic signal with another when necessary through broad or narrow

additive or subtractive EQ work. Of course, it’s always better to get it right at source and when possible re-record the signal, but this isn’t always an option for a variety of reasons: the performance may have been a one-off, or so good that you can’t possibly recapture the vibe. The sound source may also be a sample, meaning you’re definitely stuck with what you’ve got. So whether you’ve got a sub-par piece of dialogue, a poorly mic’ed signal with comb filtering, or audio that’s less than ideal due to being ripped from the internet, UNFILTER could be the tool to help get you a more full-bodied sound.

Filter fun Like UNVEIL, the bread-and-butter controls of UNFILTER are in the Process section, depicted by iconic Zynaptiq trackball-style faders. These remain easy to adjust while taking up less GUI space than traditional sliders. The main graphical display shows a few different pieces of information: input signal, output signal and transfer function, all shown via a spectral shape to indicate what is going on as you work. These really help you understand how the ‘unfiltering’ process works. A Learn section analyses the incoming audio to estimate what filtering has been applied to the original signal. It then creates a Transfer Function shape to undo it. This is also quite easy to grasp thanks to the

graphical display feedback as the Transfer Function changes shape in front of your eyes. A click-and-shape EQ curve sits over this display that can be used in the regular manner to re-balance the frequency content of the original sound. Alternatively, it can be used as a bias control to direct the focus of the Transfer Function. This is key to focusing on where new information needs to be added to restore heavily filtered sounds.

Magic moves Once installed, we jumped in at the deep end and tried the most extreme unfiltering you can think of: a low-passfiltered breakbeat with no higher-mid information, just thuds from the kick, snare and hi-hat. We filtered this ourselves so we knew what the original should sound like. After some experimenting with the Learn function to ensure it dynamically followed the drum parts in real time, we achieved a very close approximation of the full break before filtering. Even the higher-end character of the kick, snare and hi-hat were accurately emulated, which is an incredible feat. We tried it on all manner of sub-par dialogue and instrument recordings and achieved full-bodied tones without noticeable side effects until pushed to extremes. In general, the tonal quality of UNFILTER is its second charm, alongside its ability to fabricate large chunks of missing frequency information. This opens up many new options for repair and creative EQ work across a broad range of disciplines. MTF

MTF Verdict + Achieves subtle to extreme frequency restoration very well + Extreme settings in the wrong direction create unique starting points for sound design + Load/save impulse responses - Very CPU-intensive Another unique processor is born. Useful for less sexy tidy-up jobs and those who want to explore new sonic possibilities.

10/10


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MTF Reviews Spitfire Audio BML Horn Section Vol.1

Although seven microphone positions plus mixed stereo and 5.1 surround versions are included, the initial download contains just the main mics (close, Tree, ambient and outrigger). The others follow about three weeks later. Being large downloads, it’s done this way to avoid server overload.

Best of British In keeping with the Spitfire philosophy, three top-class British players were recorded – two together (a2) and one solo. This allows larger sections to be built without smothering the individual detailed playing. For example, play two notes together using the a2 patch and you have four horns; three notes together and you have six horns and so on. The same principle applies, of course, to the solo player.

Alternatives Sample Modeling’s French Horn & Tuba (€175) includes four different French horns and one tuba. Orchestral Brass Classic (€240) includes a reissue of the highly respected SAM Horns. VSL’s Horn Ensemble (€125) consists of four players, and the Triple Horn (€110), a Yamaha solo instrument, is sold separately.

MIDI. There’s also a brilliant Punch Cog feature for tweaking round-robin notes or simply punching them out.

Breathe in the Air As with the Albion libraries, the musicians were recorded in situ at Air Studios, seated as they would be on a film-scoring stage. It’s a glorioussounding hall that does full justice to these magnificent horns, although some may prefer to use their own

Spitfire’s libraries seem to get 9 10 better with each release – and 9/ 9/10 this is no exception Choice

For PC & Mac

SPITFIRE AUDIO

BML Horn Section Vol.1 Spitfire takes a fine-brush approach with a highly detailed new French horn library. Keith Gemmell checks it out. Details Price £203 Contact via website Web www. spitfireaudio.com Minimum system requirements PC Windows 7 Mac OSX 10.6

Key Features ● Solo and a2 (3 different players) ● Recorded to 2-inch tape ● 7 mic positions ● Detailed articulations

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pitfire Audio is perhaps best known for its excellent orchestral libraries, Albion 1 and 2, both of which are particularly suited to on-the-fly, sketchpad-style cinematic composition. The French horns in Albion 1, for example, are assigned to the high brass and play an octave below the trumpets, a common film-scoring technique. In Albion 2 they are combined with a euphonium. There are no dedicated horn patches in either library. However, as part of a new product range called the British Modular Library, Spitfire’s latest release, BML Horn Section Vol.1, provides composers with the means to compose detailed orchestral horn parts. Available as a download in incremental sections, a full version of Kontakt 4.2.4 or 5 is required to run it.


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Horn Section is a modular library and Vol.1 contains a selection of essential articulations. More are promised for Vol.2. That said, those on offer in the a2 patch are more than adequate for general day-to-day writing, including two types of legato (fingered and detache tongued), longs and shorts. The longs include stopped notes, where the player hand-mutes the bell – a truly beautiful, instantly recognisable sound. Other useful goodies include Multi Tongue, Flutter, Major & Minor Trills, Rips & Falls, Bells Up Long, Quaver and Staccato. A set of special overlays are also included for loading alongside Albion that can be mixed in unison. The solo horn fares less well, having just five essential articulations. More will be included in Vol.2. Thanks to a set of very wellimplemented controls and microphone/ mix positions, Horn Section is a delight to use, and just about any sound or playing style can be tweaked to taste very quickly. We particularly liked the slider for controlling legato transitions, and the new Hall Trigger, which detects sudden dynamic reductions such as forte-piano and prevents the hall from disappearing along with the horns. And there’s plenty for more advanced users, too. Articulation setups can be tailored to individual taste and switched using CC, Note, Velocity or

convolution reverb. This can easily be achieved by using just the close mic. We can’t comment yet on the extra mics because they will not arrive for another couple of weeks, but, to whet your appetite, they include another stereo set positioned closer than the Tree and nearer to the ground, gallery mics and a second set of close mics, this time vintage ribbons. Spitfire’s libraries seem to get better with each release – and this superb horn library is no exception. The attention to detail is striking and the workflow is fast and intuitive, although sometimes impeded by the tiny graphical controls. Generally, though, the great thing about this library is that it allows you to get on with writing and playing with the minimum of fuss using beautifully recorded instruments. MTF

MTF Verdict + Well implemented controls/mics + Many detailed articulations (a2) + Superb sound - Fewer articulations on solo horn - Full version of Kontakt required An impressive French horn library that has a fabulous sound, detailed articulations and efficient workflow. Capable of producing highly musical results.

9/10

Subatomic Software Audulus Reviews MTF

For Mac & iPad

Alternatives The closest competitor in terms of a modular approach to synthesis that can be used at different times on an iOS device and a Mac (also PC in this case) is Jasuto (£2.99) by Chris Wolfe. We really enjoyed this app but we’re not sure if it is still being supported at the time of writing. Alternatively, for a touch-based approach to interact with Max, the new Mira Controller app (£34.99) for the iPad is worth checking out.

two platforms to choose from, we tested this on our Mac before seeing what benefits touch-control brings.

other programs already mentioned, Audulus is not for those who just want new synth sounds or new audioprocessing plug-ins. It’s more about realising theoretical ideas you may have for new ways to process or create sounds. You can be a complete beginner coming to the app for the first time, but be prepared to spend time learning how the theoretical side of things work. The AU version has much the same functionality but omits the template menu and has no immediate presets. This makes it less easy to use, but one thing worth noting in this respect is that both Mac-based versions enable you to load in AU plug-ins as new nodes, and this really opens up the app’s potential.

Point and click

Touch down

Loading the standalone version first, we were greeted with an introduction video that explained the basics of getting around the app. Some templates are provided and we looked through these to get an idea of how things worked and interacted with each other. The templates include a subtractive synth, additive synth, filter and kick drum synth to give you an idea of what Audulus can do. Pinch-in/out gestures on a trackpad zooms you in and out, and you can click to drag things around. This gives everything a very iPad-like feel on your computer, but does, of course, require a trackpad. It didn’t take us long before we felt comfortable with creating and wiring nodes. We’d say this is due to both the app’s great workflow, visual feedback and the fact that we’ve used Max For Live in the past, which has some similar behaviours. As is the case in Max, you can sub-patch certain elements to make them visually tidy to work with or create a simple way to bundle-up a signal path you’d like to bring in to future projects. Alongside ready-made effects such as delay, distortion and pitch-shift are plenty of other mathematical elements you can use to create effects of your own. This is the point at which the depth of knowledge required to build your own patches becomes apparent. Like the

The iPad version is technically similar to the Mac version but somehow feels more engaging – an indication of how this type of graphical editing benefits greatly from the touch-control environment. When zoomed out you can move individual nodes; zooming in enables you to edit them. A unique button strip on the left-hand side gives immediate access to undo functions and the tools for identifying connection types and so on. This really helps with workflow, as does a pop-up keyboard for playing synth sounds. Overall, all versions of Audulus are fun to use, but we especially enjoyed using the iPad version. If this is the same for you, you could always prep patches on the iPad and then export them to your studio computer afterwards for use in your projects. MTF

SUBATOMIC SOFTWARE

Audulus

Choice

9/10 9 9/ 10

Modular signal chains and touch control are a match made in heaven. Liam O’Mullane gets hands-on with his iPad and Mac. Details Price Standalone & AU £20.99. iPad app £10.49 Contact via website Web www.audulus.com

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here aren’t many audio applications out there that span the domains of both desktop computer and portable device – Apple’s GarageBand sequencer possibly being the best known. When it comes to standalone synth apps we’d say NLog’s excellent synthesizer wins the popularity contest, and it’s available as a standalone product and AU/VST plug-in for the Mac as well as an iOS app. Audulus takes a similar approach to NLog in that it’s a synth that will run on the iPad and Mac as well as being an AU plug-in. However, it wasn’t until we started our testing that we discovered the true nature of Audulus and fully appreciated how its modular approach makes it quite unique. And it’s not only for synthesis, either, as it can also process incoming audio…

To the Max

Key Features ● Simple design ● AU and standalone app for Mac; app for iPad ● Includes various templates ● Sub-patching ● AudioBus and JACK support (iPad) ● Acts as sound source and audio processor

Anyone who has used Max, Max For Live or Reaktor will be familiar with the graphical, modular approach Audulus takes to represent a signal path. You can move each object around (referred to as nodes) and wire up each node graphically, making it visually easy to understand. The most obvious and intentional difference is that Audulus’ developers have opted for a much cleaner, simpler interface design. Node parameters and properties can be altered with a single [Ctrl]-click or press-and-hold by touch (Mac and iPad versions respectively). Perform this process over a blank space and you’ll open a node-insert menu instead. With

MTF Verdict + Very easy to learn + Goes quite deep + Affordable + For studio and mobile work + Great learning tool - Mac version feels less fluid in use A well thought-out solution to interacting with complex processes, especially on the iPad version.

9/10


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MTF Reviews Vengeance Sound Phalanx

VENGEANCE SOUND

Phalanx

Does the world need another virtual sampler? Liam O’Mullane spends time with this new offering to find out... Innovation

Details Price Basic £172. Premium £215 (eLicenser dongle required) Contact info@ vengeance-sound. com Web www.vengeancesound.com Minimum system requirements Windows XP Mac OSX 10.6

Key Features ● Updateable waveform displays per pad ● Localised sample storage per project ● Anti-aliasing ● 2 LFOs per pad ● MIDI Learn ● Grid sync for envelopes

To modify the pads’ custom parameter controls, press the Customize button and drag each required parameter to the empty space at the bottom of the pad’s column.

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oftware samplers can be divided into two varieties. Traditional samplers generally alter sounds through pitch, amp and filter manipulation, while velocity-based layering of samples and sounds are other features, but, in general, these samplers imitate the features of the classic hardware sampler. These are the features included in the majority of software samplers and drum machines today, and if your DAW includes a sampler, it will be of this variety. The other variety is of a more contemporary nature. Adding to the core feature list already mentioned, they also offer other creative tools, like real-time time-stretching, built-in effects processing and so on. The big three products in this category are Kontakt, MachFive and HALion. Of them all, Kontakt is the best known due to its great feature set and support from third-party developers that choose to use the format for their products. Phalanx falls somewhere between the two as it isn’t going head-to-head with Kontakt in terms of features. Instead, Vengeance Sound has continued its existing approach to plug-in production and built a product that’s specifically tailored to the needs of the electronic music producer.

In focus Vengeance has already gained a high profile from creating numerous sample libraries that regularly get mentioned

by some of the biggest names in the production game. It’s therefore no surprise that Phalanx comes with an excellent supply of samples and presets. The Premium package includes 6,000 samples; the Basic package, 3,000. The choice of sound categories and so on doesn’t vary, you just get twice the range. The libraries cover drums, bass, synths, vocals and

potential candidates. The Tagged window lets you re-audition your choices before committing.

Phalanx power Once installed, the Phalanx plug-in can be used in two different ways: as a regular multi-sample affair with 16 pad

Vengeance regularly gets mentioned by some of the biggest names in the production game effects, and many of the drums have sub-categories such as dubstep, trance, electro and house, so most popular genres are catered for. Synth sounds, basses, effects and so on are simply categorised by what they are, with vocals being the most diverse (including choirs, words and phrases, screams, effects, chopped sounds and plenty more). Phalanx’s browser has a nice tagging feature that enables you to flag samples of interest as you work, so you could be searching for the best clap for your current song and tag a handful of

slots, or as a single version with only one pad. This allows you to determine how you want to work – for instance, you may prefer to use a single instance for each instrument-like patch and use the multi for single-note triggering of samples (drums, perhaps). A single multi instance can host an instrument across one or more pads, give them a dedicated MIDI channel and still allow you to trigger other pads in single-note fashion as well. The choice is yours. Outputs are also configurable, so you can go from running everything through a stereo output to giving each

On the left of the MIDI/Arp page you can choose whether a drum pad reacts to a single note or has a full key range and unique MIDI channel. The built-in arpeggiator on the right is a useful creative tool.


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Vengeance Sound Phalanx Reviews MTF

pad its own stereo output. Because Phalanx includes a good range of onboard effects, we rarely found the need to run pads out separately, but it’s good to have the option. Each pad can contain two sample layers, referred to as A and B. A crossfader lets you strike the perfect balance between the two and each layer gets its own set of controls as you travel down the pad’s column. The layers have rudimentary controls (pan and gain), but Phase is also included, which lets you flip 180 degrees for the best correlation between the two. Phase is one of our go-to tools when layering sounds, and the inclusion of this feature is another step towards a faster workflow. A random offset for the start position can also be set if you want subtle or drastic variations as you trigger a pad. Pads can also become sawtooth oscillators, and if you own Vengeance Sound’s Metrum drum tool, this can be used as a sound source. We tested various samples at the extremities of higher pitches and found the anti-aliasing option to be very good, though it isn’t enabled by default.

The lower half of Phalanx’s GUI displays envelope tabs for amp, filter and pitch. All of the envelopes have Curve controls for each stage, offering a fine degree of detail, and they can be sync’ed so the grid shows musical measurements. Presets are also available for these envelopes. From basic transient-shaping to sound transformation through extreme shapes, these are both incredibly handy, and an education to play with if you’re into sound design. An eight-slot insert FX path is available per pad, and these also include many handy presets. There are 15 effects in total and this can be expanded with Vengeance Sound plug-ins. Because they are integrated, it’s easy to modulate them creatively, and their running order can be altered, making everything very flexible. Another interesting feature is the Re-trigger function. With millisecond increments, this immediately offers stutter effects, and the trigger time can be changed in real time creatively, allowing you to move from rapid repeats to playable tones.

Shaping up

Loop, mod and scratch

If you follow each sample pad column downwards you see a selection of hard-wired sound tools that are unique for layers A and B. Samples can be tuned, panned and shaped through separate low- and high-pass filters, and crushed with a Lo-Fi control for that down-sampled grit. A Spike control lets you enhance transients on hit-type sounds. These are everyday tools for contemporary electronic music so it’s great that they’re immediately to hand. A Customise option enables you to add additional parameter dials below this section. For instance, you could add the attack time of a pitch envelope for a kick drum, allowing you quick access to a crucial shaping element.

Sample looping is much the same as you’d expect from any decent sampler, with various looping modes and moveable edit points for creative use. The internal modulation is down to a mod envelope (though amp and filter envelopes can be used too) and two LFOs per pad. A simple modulation matrix allows you to assign these to almost everything, as well as external MIDI data and DAW automation. Phalanx also has three dedicated modifier controls that can be used as macro dials for simple control of multiple parameters at once. A scratch effect is also available, which gives you some great movement effects. Either imitated using the pitch dial or a

Alternatives We’ve already mentioned the many samplers out there, and although Phalanx does a great job, Kontakt (€399 from Native Instruments) is still an alternative if you want a more diverse machine (even better, you could use them both if money allows). Kontakt certainly offers a much larger range of samples and a better degree of control, but its workflow is much less immediate for the styles of production Phalanx is aimed at, especially those everyday sampler tasks.

dedicated envelope, you can move forwards or backwards through a sound and mimic a variety of scratches. The only thing that prevents this feature from being complete is crossfader integration, as many scratch effects involve rhythmic muting as well. This can be imitated in a variety of ways by the user, but it would be nice for it to be part of the same section. Throughout our tests, Phalanx proved to be an intuitive and enjoyable sampler to use. Its lack of time-stretch can be worked around by moving a loop point forward or backwards for a classic cyclic-style stretch, but nothing more. It’s certainly a focused sampler and will be perfect for some but not for others, so it’s worthy of a demo to see if it suits. In our case, though, it offered a different approach to sampling and the best workflow we’ve experienced in a while, so it will be staying on our plug-in list for electronic production for a good while to come. MTF

MTF Verdict + Immediate control over various practical and creative parameters + Ample power + Great sounds and presets + Flexible looping functions + Visual waveform feedback and animated envelopes + Scratch and sync envelope functionality + Integrates with other Vengeance Sound plug-ins - No crossfader or muting emulation integrated into scratch function - No presets for scratch feature - Requires eLicenser dongle Vengeance Sound’s Phalanx brings something new to the sampler table and promises to be a serious contender for electronic music production.

If you own other Vengeance Sound plug-ins they can be used in the FX section and Metrum can be used as a sound source. A Freeze function frees up resources if you’re using multiple instances.

As well as using the pitch wheel, scratch gestures can be created using the envelope. Then you can assign a MIDI controller to a point in the envelope for variation over time.

8/10

Method Spot As you have the option of only one equalizer in each FX page, it’s best practice to use the low- and high-pass filters on each layer to top-and-tail the low and high ends of each sound. You can then drag the equalizer to wherever works best in your FX chain. It can be used pre-distortion to push certain frequencies for a howling feedback sound, or placed at the end to balance your sound after any processing.


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MTF Reviews Universal Audio Ocean Way Studios

Innovation

Choice

9/10 9 9/ 10

For PC & Mac

UNIVERSAL AUDIO

Ocean Way Studios

UA’s latest UAD plug-in is a unique take on re-creating the sound and acoustics of a classic studio. Mark Cousins learns more. Details Price $349 Contact Source Distribution 020 8962 5080 Web www.uaudio.com Minimum system requirements PC Windows 7 (SP1), UAD-2 Mac OSX 10.6.8, UAD-2

Key Features ● Acoustic emulations of Ocean Way’s Studio A and Studio B ● Dynamic Room Modeling ● Incorporates sonic profiles of vintage microphones ● Includes mic bleed and proximity effects ● 8 instrument/ vocal source types

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he aspirational nature of many of Universal Audio’s plug-ins hasn’t escaped our attention – an almost endless list of desirable audio devices that we’d love to have permanently wired into our studios (Neve equalizers, Fairchild compressors and Lexicon reverbs, to name just a few). But with the release of the Ocean Way Studios plug-in, this aspirational quality takes on a whole new character. Now, it’s not just the hardware we’d expect to find in a professional recording facility, but the actual sound of music bouncing around its live room. But can this latest UAD plug-in really place you in the heart of Hollywood’s Ocean Way Studios, or is it just a novel twist on the age-old process of reverb?

Making waves On first encounter, the role and technology behind the Ocean Way Studios plug-in isn’t immediately obvious – is it just a convolution reverb, like Altiverb 7, or is it an elaborate mic-modelling tool that enables you to ‘re-colour’ an existing source recording? In truth, Ocean Way Studios is far more than either, being built on Universal


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Audio’s new Dynamic Room Modeling technology. In short, it uses the same process used to capture the nuances of an audio device, but applied in the context of a recording space, alongside the cupboard of classic mics used to capture the source. Principally speaking, the Ocean Way Studios plug-in works in two distinct ways. There’s a Re-Mic mode, offering a

speaker element as such, but it does recognise that even the ‘dry’ source will be tonally modified in some way.

Taking the mic Run in Re-Mic mode, the Ocean Way Studios plug-in should be instantiated as an insert effect, as the output is a wholly modified version of the original source. Start by selecting the Studio and Source, with the Studio option being switchable between the two live rooms at Ocean Way, and the Source defining some initial dispersal patterns in relation to the source sitting within the room. Although the Source list isn’t exhaustive, it offers a good range of starting points, including drums, strings and amplifier cabinets. Once you’ve selected your Source and Studio, you then go about choosing, positioning and levelling a series of virtual microphones. In effect, therefore, the Ocean Way Studios plug-in is modifying both the dry source file, largely through the colouration of the microphones, and mimicking the precise acoustic conditions present at the three mic positions – Near, Mid and Far. If you want a relatively dry sound, therefore, use just the Near mics positioned right up against the source. To add more ambience, either move the Near mics away from the source or add the Mid and Far mics into the equation.

Making room As you’d expect, the operation of the Ocean Way Studios plug-in feels intuitive and tangibly hands-on – in other words, you actually feel like you’re standing in the live room positioning microphones rather than tweaking settings on a reverb plug-in. Although

You feel like you’re standing in the live room rather than tweaking settings on a plug-in completely immersive solution to Ocean Way’s sound, and a Reverb processing mode that is much closer to the use and operation of a traditional reverb plug-in. In essence, the Re-Mic mode could be compared to the concept of re-amping, whereby a source is fed to a guitar amp in the studio and then re-recorded, complete with colourations of the speaker, new mic and, of course, the room itself. However, the Ocean Way plug-in isn’t trying to emulate the

the acoustic of the studio isn’t expansive, it definitely feels and sounds like a room that’s empathetic to a range of instruments, and assuming that your source is relatively dry, a great way of adding dimension and space to your recordings without them sounding noticeably reverberated. If you want to use Ocean Way Studios more like a traditional reverb plug-in, you also have the choice of running it in Reverb mode. Used in this

Universal Audio Ocean Way Studios Reviews MTF

way, the plug-in removes all ‘dry’ signals from the output, which negates some of the cleverer aspects of the modelling but allows you to use the plug-in in a traditional wet/dry capacity, potentially running a number of signals out to the ‘live room’ to inject a dose of ambience. You can still colour the reverb with the choice of mics and change its dimensions by moving them, which makes it far more intuitive and musical than a traditional reverb plug-in.

The Ocean way Having had the input of Allan Sides (an engineer who’s spent plenty of time at Ocean Way) and over three years of

bringing together a number of strands – namely, virtual acoustics and mic modelling – in a dynamic, intuitive way. Of course, it’s hard not to draw some comparisons between Ocean Way Studios and the aforementioned Altiverb 7. Indeed, used ‘statically’ in Reverb mode, it’s conceivable that there’s little difference in the sonic output between the two (it’s worth pointing out that Altiverb doesn’t have an IR file from Ocean Way). However, once you start moving mics around or use it in Re-Mic mode, Ocean Way Studios becomes a far more interesting tool, letting you tailor your acoustic space in powerful and interesting ways.

OWS brings virtual acoustics and mic modelling together in a dynamic, intuitive way technical development, Ocean Way Studios more than meets its aim of re-creating the sound and acoustics of a classic studio. It’s also an ingenious new way of looking at signal processing,

Ultimately, though, Ocean Way Studios is a truly unique tool, something that can shape both the colour and ambience of your recording in ways almost impossible to achieve elsewhere.

Alternatives Looked at solely as a reverb unit, you could achieve comparable results to Ocean Way Studios using Audio Ease’s Altiverb 7. The key advantage of Altiverb, of course, is its range of impulse responses, covering everything from recording studios (including Hansa Studios and Cello Studio in LA) to cavernous cathedral acoustics like Notre Dame. Although Altiverb includes two or three IRs per space, it’s a much more static tool: simply choose the IR and process accordingly. In truth, there’s space for both plug-ins, but if you’re mainly after studio profiles, Ocean Way Studios is arguably the better choice.

Nothing else comes close to this level of tangible acoustic control, and given the musicality of the rooms at Ocean Way Studios, few will want to miss out on what it has to offer. MTF

MTF Verdict + Perfect ‘recording studio’ acoustic + Models both dry and wet components + Detailed controls + A truly unique tool - Slightly limited range of spaces - Relatively DSP-hungry With detailed room modelling and hands-on mic positioning, the Ocean Way Studios plug-in is a perfect tool for adding ‘studio-like’ spatiality to your recordings.

Cinematic Moods Manufacturer Prime Loops Price £21.95 Contact via website Web www.primeloops.com

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ayering up textures for a cinematic score often entails much different techniques from those used when combining instruments for a song or track. For example, you may not be worrying about space and punch in the mix, but more about creating a washed-out ambience or reverb-drenched melody. Cinematic Moods, from Prime Loops, is an expansive-sounding collection of cinematic loops and hits for film composers looking to super-size their media productions. The pack contains 670MB of 24-bit audio in your choice of ACID WAV, Apple Loops, REX2, Reason ReFill and Ableton Live Pack formats, with 150 orchestral loops and 40 one-shot percussion/SFX hits. What you have are essentially several construction kits, although the parts are divided into individual

Key Features ● 670MB of 24-bit audio ● 150+ percussion/ orchestral loops ● 40 one-shot samples ● Dramatic cinematic riffs ● Inspired by the likes of Hans Zimmer and Thomas Newman

instrument folders to help you be more creative. However, if you decide you want to use the parts side-by-side, you can easily combine them as everything is named by tempo, key and kit. Stylistically, the loops fall into either synth-heavy Bladerunner-esque epics, heart-racing Hans Zimmer action scenes, and more delicate Thomas Newman-like pieces. Pastiche aside, the writing throughout is exceptionally good, with haunting strings to effectively tug at the heart strings, intense, pounding drum grooves, and strangely catchy robotic synth riffs.

9/10

The loops are divided into folders of bass lines, brass, percussion, piano, orchestral, strings and synth leads/ pads, and for the most part the sounds are fairly convincing. It’s only in the occasional staccato string part or fast brass passage that the sampled nature of the source becomes apparent, although most parts are drenched in reverb and could easily be buried when layered with other instruments. Although good, we found the percussion section a little bombastic, with large, industrial taiko-style hits and little in the way of subtle rhythmic textures. Also, most of the single percussion hits are cut very short so you may need to add reverb to get smooth tails. These thing aside, this is a wellprogrammed and inspiring treasure trove of cinematic ideas that could prove to be a useful tool for media composers with writer’s block. MTF

MTF Verdict It’s by no means exhaustive, but Cinematic Moods is a great-value treasure trove of emotional and action-packed cinematic ideas.

8/10


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Slate Digital Virtual Buss Compressors Reviews MTF

Alternatives There are plenty of good alternatives to Virtual Buss Compressors from the likes of Waves and Universal Audio, but if you want a good, versatile buss compressor the Vertigo VSC-2 ($299) is well worth a look. Obviously, you miss out on the three-in-one approach taken by Slate Digital, but the VCA design is similar to the sound of the FG-RED.

For PC & Mac

Choice

9/10 9 9/ 10 SLATE DIGITAL

Virtual Buss Compressors Slate’s new plug-in models three of some of the most sought-after buss compressors in the business. Mark Cousins gets squashed. Details Price $249 Contact via website Web www. slatedigital.com Minimum system requirements PC Windows 7 Mac OSX 10.6

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he allure of a good dose of buss compression is easy to understand, adding punch, controlling the overall dynamic and bringing that important injection of ‘mix glue’. Whether you use a compressor across the main stereo buss or across subgroups, you soon realise that its design and sound is everything. It’s no surprise, therefore, that a good buss compressor is a highly revered piece of kit – something that Slate Digital is well aware of, having painstakingly developed what the company thinks is the ultimate plug-in for buss compression tasks. It’s been a while coming, so is Virtual Buss Compressors the last word in softwarebased buss compression?

On the busses

Key Features ● 3 analoguemodelled buss compressors ● Precisely emulated circuit paths ● Tons of classic presets used by top mix engineers

Technically speaking, Virtual Buss Compressors is actually a suite of four plug-ins. The first three cover the principal models – FG-GREY, FG-RED and FG-MU – while the final plug-in is a hybrid Rack of all three units in a single interface. It’s clear that none of the models is officially endorsed or a licensed software replica (unlike many of UAD and Waves’ plug-ins), but they are clearly based on the sound and operation of three classic hardware compressors, alluded to in all but name. Arguably the most exciting plug-in to our minds is the FG-RED compressor, which, reading between the lines, is

clearly reminiscent of the Focusrite Red compressor. The Red’s design is interesting – in essence, a clean and transparent VCA compressor but with some unique and interesting qualities thanks to a transformer on the output section. It’s also a worthy choice in that few other examples of the Red exist in software, with many developers modelling endless remakes of SSL or Urei-like compressors.

Model behaviour The other two plug-ins in Virtual Buss Compressors cover more typical ground. First up is FG-GREY, which appears to share a lot of similarities with the classic SSL-style buss compressor, complete with its musical auto-release and super-wide knee operation at low ratio settings. The final piece of the puzzle is the FG-MU, which seems to copy some of the characteristics of classic variable-mu compressors such as the Fairchild 670 or Manley Vari Mu. As with the other units, it isn’t an exact replica, replacing the six preset time constants of the 670, for example, with fully variable attack and release controls but retaining the unique 670 M/S compression mode. All of the models sound fantastic – a fact largely explained by the detail of the modelling, especially in relation to the compressors’ non-linear behaviours. Whether it’s the valve-like colours of the FG-MU or the ability to add drive to the

output of the FG-RED, these compressors do more than just control gain. More importantly, though, the Virtual Buss Compressors don’t need to be pushed hard to produce results, often delivering the right amount of ‘audio magic’ when they’re applying around 2–3dB of gain reduction.

Rack ’em up The addition of the Rack option, which includes all three plug-ins in a single GUI, certainly adds to the possibilities offered by Virtual Buss Compressors. Whether you’re simply A/B’ing the different styles of compression or chaining together compressors to achieve a unique hybrid buss compression, the Rack certainly comes into good use. As with all of the plug-ins, there’s a great collection of presets that have been intelligently programmed to be useful production tools, but also demonstrate the possibilities offered by the compressors. Evaluated alongside the Virtual Console Collection and Virtual Tape Machines, Slate Digital seems to have assembled the perfect trio of ‘analoguelike’ plug-ins for virtual mixing. Arguably, all of the plug-ins (including VCC and VTM) are the missing link between the precision of in-the-box mixing and the more rock-and-roll approach of mixing through a large console with hardware compressors. Although there are plenty of other dependable software-based buss compressors out there, Virtual Buss Compressors arguably trumps them all by providing three distinctly different models alongside the ability to build hybrids with the Rack. MTF

MTF Verdict + Three distinct buss compressors + Detailed non-linearity + Added mix controls + Great presets - Addictive With some superbly detailed modelling across three classic buss compressors, Slate’s Virtual Buss Compressors is hard to beat.

9/10


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MTF Reviews Modartt Pianoteq Pro 4.5

For PC & Mac

Innovation

Excellence

10/10

support for up to 192kHz operation. Although the presets are excellent, it’s the near-infinite tweakability of any patch that really makes Pianoteq stand out, so if you are serious about shaping your pianos, the Standard or Pro versions would seem like the ones to check out. Demos of Stage and Standard are available.

Tinkle the ivories

MODARTT

Pianoteq Pro 4.5

A great piano is the holy grail of virtual instruments – and Pianoteq seems to do it without using samples. Hollin Jones is impressed... Details Price Stage edition €99 Standard edition €249 Pro edition €399 Contact via website Web www.pianoteq.com Minimum system requirements PC Windows XP Mac OSX 10.5

Key Features ● Physical modelling ● Standalone or plug-in ● D4 and K1 grands ● U4 upright piano ● Free add-on collection ● Multiple adjustable parameters ● EQ and effects ● MIDI file player ● Instrument Condition slider ● Resizeable interface

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onventional wisdom has been that the only way to emulate some instruments in a believable way is to use samples as the basis of the virtual instrument. Guitars, brass and pianos are probably the most obvious examples of instruments that have been successfully re-created in software form using large, multi-GB core libraries to capture the many nuances and intricacies of their character. This wisdom was challenged – arguably even disproven – when French developer Modartt came up with Pianoteq: a very different kind of virtual piano that really did sound like a real piano while having a tiny footprint of just over 20MB.

Core technology The key to Pianoteq’s believability is in its physical-modelling technology and some presumably terrifyingly complex mathematics and algorithms which are hidden from the user. The appeal of an accurately modelled piano that


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consumes barely any space on your hard drive is clear: you don’t have to worry about eating up valuable space on laptops or carrying around additional drives to host libraries.

After a quick download and a simple installation and authorisation procedure you’re up and running. Pianoteq generates its sounds using synthesis, so it’s perhaps a little more processor-intensive than some other virtual pianos but far less RAMintensive because it does not use samples. A multi-core CPU is recommended and the memory footprint is apparently a minuscule 256MB, so it will run happily on any recent computer, including ultraportables such as the MacBook Air. You can manually set the maximum polyphony all the way up to 256 notes, but on a three-year-old MacBook Pro we weren’t able to make it stutter, even with lots of complex, sustained playing. It runs as a standalone app or a plug-in and in standalone mode lets you assign audio output and MIDI inputs as well as buffer sizes and advanced MIDI CC input mapping for sustain and other pedal types. You’re also able to manage your add-ons here and magnify the

Pianoteq’s believability is down to physical-modelling and some terrifying mathematics Version 4.5 sees some under-thehood changes to the audio engine and various other tweaks, including the addition of the new Condition parameter, a really handy slider that lets you ‘age’ a piano on-the-fly. The Pro version also includes the new U4 upright piano module. Pianoteq comes in three versions: Stage, with all the patches but no sound tweaking capabilities; Standard, with many of the patch-editing parameters; and Pro, with the full complement plus

interface to varying degrees, which is useful for dealing with multiple screen resolutions. The very top part of the window contains a MIDI file player – which is handy for auditioning or practicing parts – as well as a metronome and tap tempo option. Below this is the preset chooser, where the different piano models and variations can be selected, as well as file operations, a random piano generator button, and an A/B button for comparing patches.

Modartt Pianoteq Pro 4.5 Reviews MTF

Thanks to the physically modelled nature of the instruments – a range of percussion, electric piano and obscure historical keyboards are available too – it’s possible to take complete control over any sound. The upper section of the app deals with sound-shaping, starting with tuning then moving on to voicing, where you can control hammer-action, position, hardness and more. The third section is for altering the physical characteristics of the sound board, string length, sympathetic

and others, and place up to five virtual mics around your piano using an advanced but approachable system. You can calibrate the dynamics of the keyboard and change velocity curves, and the final section lets you control the action and mallet bounce of the sound you’re generating. You can dial in a master EQ setting and also use the built-in effects, comprising three assignable slots with multiple types, plus a reverb with many available presets on offer.

Pianoteq is a remarkable instrument. Its pianos and add-ons are breathtaking resonance and other criteria. These work very well and you don’t have to be a physics graduate to understand the real-world equivalent of what you’re changing, it’s enough to judge the sounds as you work with them. Lower down are a load more options, starting with the ability to change the output from stereo to mono, binaural

Pianoteq is a remarkable instrument and its pianos – and, indeed, the various add-on optional sounds – are breathtakingly realistic. It’s all the more amazing that this is achieved with such a tiny footprint and relatively low CPU hit. The grand pianos and especially the uprights are excellent, and infinitely preferable to mic’ing-up real pianos or

MWobbler

Alternatives NI’s The Giant (€99) is a very good emulation of an upright piano, using several gigabytes of samples plus tweakable synthesis sections inside the Kontakt Player to let you shape your pianos. It’s not in itself expandable and lacks the extreme tweakability of Pianoteq, plus it is sample-based. It does offer an alternative if you’re after an upright, though.

even installing huge library files. The sound-shaping is powerful and accessible, too. For real piano sounds, Pianoteq punches massively above its weight. Highly recommended. MTF

MTF Verdict + Excellent, authentic sound + Minuscule install size + Low system requirements + Huge depth of sound-shaping potential available + Easy to use and well designed + Flexible for live or studio use + Very good selection of pianos + Some great free add-ons - Some might feel the Pro version is a little costly A stunning collection of authenticsounding pianos that proves bigger doesn’t always mean better.

10/10

Value

€£$

Manufacturer MeldaProduction Price €50 Contact via website

Choice

Web www.meldaproduction.com

9/10 9 9/ 10

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Wobbler, from MeldaProduction, is a distorting filter plug-in with two serial filters, 98 filter types and a huge amount of modulation options that can turn a simple sine wave into a growling monster. At the heart of the plug-in are the filters themselves, which range from simple high-pass, low-pass, band-pass and band-reject to more exotic formant, comb, diffusion and polymorph types. Each one sounds slightly different at varying frequencies, with further tweaking available via a Character slider on certain types. The filters also have a Drive at the input stage, followed by tube saturation on the way out, which, when combined with the global Saturation and an optional clipper on the final output, gives a total of six potential stages of distortion.

Key Features ● Dual distorting filer plug-in with 98 filter types ● Multiple distortion and tube-saturation stages ● LFO and follower with sidechain ● Hugely flexible modulation options ● Dual user interface, preset morphing and more

Most of the filter and distortion parameters can be set to follow the main LFO and envelope generator, which are insanely configurable (to the extent that you can even load in a waveform as the shape for modulation). You can also add phase difference to the left and right sides of the LFO, essentially creating a stereo-widening effect, and you also have four highly configurable additional modulators, which include a random generator and even pitch detection and tracking for matching filter movements to a melody or bass line. In fact, there are far too many features to mention them all here, but some of the highlights include 16x oversampling, four configurable

macro controls, automatic gain compensation, extensive MIDI control, smart randomisation and M/S/ surround processing, alongside a large library of presets. Although there is a super-simplified interface for quick tweaking tasks, the main edit windows may take some getting used to if you’re not familiar with the MeldaProduction way of doing things. The windows-within-windows and multiple options can seem a little daunting at first sight, but it’s definitely worth persevering as this is an absolute beast of a filter and sounddesign tool. Selling this as a wobblebass generator is doing an injustice to the endless possibilities on offer. However, if you happen to have a penchant for crafting dirty, complex bass sounds, this could just be the thing you need. MTF

MTF Verdict A superb sound-design tool with complex but hugely flexible modulation options. MWobbler excels at creating dirty, moving bass sounds – and a whole lot more.

9/10


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MTF Reviews Project SAM Lumina

section, which could be loosely compared to the themed Multis that appeared in the original Symphobia libraries. In theory, the Stories are drawn from the various playable instruments and effects recorded for Lumina, which have then been imaginatively mapped across the keyboard. In many ways, the Stories perfectly illustrate both the imaginative approach taken by Project SAM and the incredible mapping dexterity of the Kontakt engine.

For PC & Mac

Orchestral textures

PROJECT SAM

Lumina

Choice

9/10 9 9/ 10

The third of Project’s SAM popular Symphobia series takes a musical journey into fantasy and mystery. Mark Cousins reports. Details Price £859 Contact Time+Space 01837 55200 Web www.projectsam.com Minimum system requirements PC Windows 7 Mac OSX 10.6

Key Features ● 38.8GB library (75GB compressed NCW format) ● 3 stereo mic sets for almost all instruments ● 44.1kHz/24-bit audio pool ● Kontakt Player 5 license included

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long with Vienna Symphonic Library, Project SAM can rightly claim to being one of the pioneering developers of cinematic sampling, long before the veritable gold rush of orchestral and trailer effects libraries that exist in today’s marketplace. Certainly, Project SAM’s core products – like Symphobia 1 and 2 as well as the True Strike percussion series – have become a compulsory addition to many film and TV soundtracks, with their spacious, epic sound becoming instantly recognisable. However, since the release of the ‘best-of’ Orchestral Essentials over a year ago, things seem to have been relatively quiet in the Project SAM camp. But not so… In those intervening months, Project SAM has been busy crafting the third product in the Symphobia Series – Lumina, which we have on test here. As with many of Project SAM’s offerings, the library takes a unique approach that shuns endless lists of articulations in favour of capturing imaginative orchestral sounds, textures and instrument groupings, complete with a sumptuous concert hall acoustic. Whereas Symphobia 1 and 2 concentrated on bombastic trailer-like orchestral sounds, Lumina has a


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distinct focus towards fantasy, mystery and animation, arguably expanding the ‘Symphobia universe’ far beyond its original form.

Lumination Weighing in at over 38GB of sample data, Lumina is one of Project’s SAM’s biggest libraries to date. This space has been put to good use, though, offering you three different microphone positions (Direct, Ambient and Wide)

The Textures and Gestures folder should be immediately familiar to anyone who’s used the other Symphobia libraries. However, rather than simply presenting a series of trailer-like clusters and rises we’re presented with three key genres – Fantasy, Mystery and Cartoon – each with their own collection of musical effects. The Textures and Gestures folder is a veritable musical goldmine, and perfect as a means of setting the scene for a cue, whether it’s an ominous dissonance or some fluttering pentatonic woodwinds. If you’re more interested in the core playable instruments contained within Lumina you’ll be pleased to note that there’s plenty of imaginatively sampled material to play with (for the full list it’s well worth a detailed look at the instruments and articulations list on the website at www.projectsam.com). Some of the key sounds in the collection – to our ears, at least – include some impressively scaled combined orchestra and choir recordings, a collection of full SATB choirs alongside a soprano-only choir and some unique chamber-size small

Key sounds include some impressively scaled orchestra and choir recordings rather than the two included with the earlier Symphobia libraries. There seems to be a pragmatic use of dynamic layers and round-robins, keeping loading times and memory usage to a realistic quota but never sacrificing on the apparent realism of what you can achieve. The library is divided into five key sections: Stories, Textures and Gestures, Playable Instruments, Legato Soloists and Dystopia. Arguably the biggest innovation is the Stories

orchestra combinations, as well as a unique Cartoon Ensemble featuring clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, double bass, piano, harp and percussion.

Solo performer Although there’s a collection of Legato Soloists (covering alto flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, soprano, trumpet and tin whistle) as well as a scattering of other single-instrument samples (including a superb celeste), there’s a clearly bias in the Project SAM

Project SAM Lumina Reviews MTF

approach towards full-size ensemble instruments. If you’re working from a pre-existing score this approach could present a problem. However, if you’re composing scores from scratch it’s a great way of creating both a realistic sound and achieving a full-sounding arrangement with relatively few musical notes. As with many modern sounds libraries, it’s important to make sure you explore and understand the range of ways in which the samples are mapped and programmed to make sure that you work with them in a fully expressive fashion. Many of the instruments and textures, for example, feature different dynamic layers, allowing you to easily and seamlessly morph between completely different performances using the modulation wheel. The articulation controller is also important on many of the legato-tostaccato soloists, using velocity to trigger a specially recorded staccato note at the end of a melodic phrase. Ultimately, it’s a library that rewards close investigation, whether you’re moving between mic sets or discovering new expressive ways by which the samples can be triggered.

Having created such an exciting product with the first Symphobia, the subsequent editions have all had to work hard to live up to the same standards. While Symphobia 2 stuck to familiar sonic territory, it’s pleasing to see Lumina taking a slightly different approach, covering lighter orchestral colours and even comedy, which is something distinctly missing from the first two editions. As always, the quality of sampling and mapping – as well as the imagination applied in creating the product – are exemplary. Put simply, no other sample developers create such an epic sound, and for that reason, Lumina will be an enticing proposition for many working composers. Inevitably, though, it’s hard not to mention the price, which – in keeping with the other Symphobia editions – is around the £800 mark. Lumina is arguably a premier product so comes at a premium price, but given some strong competition from the likes of Spitfire Audio and Sonokinetic (among a fair few others), it’s an increasingly challenging position to take. Only time will tell whether a future edition of Orchestral Essentials might offer access to some of Lumina’s content at

Alternatives Since the release of Albion, Spitfire Audio has done a good job building on the sound palette and approach defined by the first Symphobia. On the whole, the Albion series has been keenly priced, although its scope isn’t as broad as that of Symphobia. Spitfire Audio has also taken some unique moves in the development of the library, with Albion II (£394) focusing on a smaller string sound, while Albion III (£406) really tries to address the low end of orchestral scoring. At the moment, though, there’s space for all of the libraries, as each has something slightly different to offer.

a more affordable price point, but for the time being, if your budget can stretch that far, it’s hard to think of a more inspiring tool for kick-starting an orchestral composition. MTF

MTF Verdict + Expressive and imaginative sound sets + Epic orchestral sound + Detailed mapping + Three mic sets - Expensive - Bias towards ensemble sounds It’s an expensive product but Lumina delivers a timely new strand to the Symphobia series. Perfect for epic fantasy scores, Lumina is an inspiring and expressive instrument.

EZkeys Classic Electrics Manufacturer Toontrack Price £111 (All three EZkeys instruments now available for £179) Contact Time+Space 01837 55200

Choice

9/10 9 9/ 10

Web www.timespace.com

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Zkeys is a songwriting tool from Toontrack that’s bundled with a deeply sampled instrument and runs as a plug-in or standalone software. We reviewed both the original Grand Piano and the more recent Upright Piano versions and found both to be excellent for experimenting with chord progressions and developing song ideas. However, what we’ve really been waiting for are some tasty electric pianos to give the software a broader and more modern palette. Toontrack has obviously heard our prayers, as the latest version includes a Rhodes MK1 and a Wurlitzer 200A, which were recorded in two separate studios using the best in modern and vintage equipment. It’s obvious from the off that a lot of care and attention has

Key Features ● Deeply sampled Rhodes MK1 and Wurlitzer 200A electric pianos ● Works as a plugin standalone ● Built-in song track with dragand-drop MIDI ● Preview potential chords with the chord selector wheel

gone into making these instruments sound lively and instantly playable. When compared to several other sampled keys instruments in our library, the EZkeys versions had much more of a 3D quality and responded more vibrantly to different velocities. You get ten presets for each instrument, ranging from soft ballad sounds with subtle delays and throbbing tremolos to crunchy, distorted funk that makes excellent use of the amp sim and effects, plus a couple of more ambient sounds with slow attacks and atmospheric reverbs. The only problem here, as with the previous versions of EZkeys, is that you get only four pre-defined dials to tweak

9/10

each preset, so sound-design potential is extremely limited. Although we appreciate that the product is aimed at songwriters, we’d love to have an extended editing page from where we could access envelopes properly. At the very least, a few more presets might expand the range of sounds available. Aside from the instruments themselves, all of the same incredibly useful songwriting features are present, including real-time chord display, built-in song track, drag-and-drop MIDI, transpose/humanise functions, and the superb chord selector wheel for previewing potential chords. There’s also a large MIDI library in different styles, although it would have been nice if a few new riffs were included. This is by far our favourite EZkeys instrument to date, and the excellent-sounding instruments can only help to further inspire your songwriting ideas. MTF

MTF Verdict The same excellent songwriting features are present, but this time bundled with some beautifully sampled Rhodes and Wurlitzer instruments that are a joy to play.

9/10


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MTF Reviews

Acoustic Soundscapes

Excellence

10/10

Manufacturer Big Fish Audio Price £83.95 (download) Contact Time+Space 01837 55200 Web www.timespace.com

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lthough the humble acoustic guitar is relatively easy to record and a fairly versatile instrument, you may need to broaden your palette if you want to evoke a wider range of emotions using stringed instruments. Big Fish Audio’s Acoustic Soundscapes does just that, being a giant collection of not just guitar loops but mandolin, banjo, ukulele, upright bass, fiddle, female vocals and more for creating the kinds of sounds heard on TV and films such as True Blood, The Walking Dead and Brokeback Mountain. The library contains around 3.6GB of 24-bit audio in ACID WAV, Apple Loops and REX formats, comprising 945 loops in total. Rather than opt for the construction kit layout, the riffs are split into folders of instruments, with around

Key Features ● 3.6GB of 24-bit audio ● Apple Loops, ACID WAV, REX & Stylus RMX formats ● Huge range of plucked and bowed string instruments ● Also available with 35 Kontakt instruments and a custom GUI

four files for each riff offering variations in chord progression, intensity and playing style. As each is named with the BPM and key, you can fairly easily match up the different parts if you want to build up the construction kit tracks yourself. We find this to be a more creative method of working as you’re more likely to take just the odd riff rather than rely on using pre-written layers. As we’ve come to expect from Big Fish Audio, the quality of the performances and the recording is top-notch, with wide stereo mic’ing techniques offering a big sound and just enough hints of captured ambience to make the instruments feel live. You’ll find a large range of sounds, too, from earthy upright basses and deep

SM White Label East Coast House Manufacturer Sample Magic

Value

Price £16.90 (individual folders available separately)

€£$

Contact via website Web www.samplemagic.com

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ast Coast House is a recent entry in Sample Magic’s White Label series, comprising jackin’ drums, pumping bass lines and classic organ riffs inspired by 90s New York house and New Jersey garage. The pack contains a total of 361 24-bit loops in WAV, Apple Loops and REX 2 formats, plus 213 drum and chord one-shots spread across six folders. You can also choose to purchase each folder separately, although this would prove much more expensive. As we’ve come to expect, the loops and sounds have been mixed and mastered to perfection, nicely balancing lo-fi 90s crunch with modern production sheen. Let’s start with the bass loops. These are big, rounded and with very little top end to allow space in the mix for other


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Choice

9/10 9 9/ 10

Key Features ● 361 24-bit loops ● 213 one-shots ● Includes WAV, Apple Loops and Rex2 formats ● All loops at 122BPM ● Inspired by 90s New York House and New Jersey garage

elements, and while there’s not huge variety in the sounds and vibe, the well programmed grooves are as funky as hell. Next we have the kick-free top loops and the drums, which include a full mix plus component parts for maximum flexibility. You won’t find much out of the ordinary here, but they’re characterised by a solid yet spacious sound. Things get a little more interesting with the music loops, which include a variety of garage-style organ and piano

baritone guitars to twanging banjos and delicately fingerpicked 12-strings. There are also some excellent fiddle and string riffs, around 100 female vocal ad-libs, some percussive sounds where held chords are struck rhythmically, and various SFX including slides, scrapes and hits. We would definitely recommend that those of you with Kontakt opt for the Kontakt version, which helps greatly in organising the mass of instruments, folders and extras with custom GUIs, BPM sync and pre-sliced loops across 35 patches. Acoustic Soundscapes is a superb pack of unassuming, simple and highly usable riffs that could easily be dropped into an arrangement or composed around. It’s also an excellent resource for media composers wanting to evoke feelings of middle America and the Wild West. MTF

MTF Verdict A huge collection of evocative loops played on a wide range of string instruments. We found the simple riffs a pleasure to work with and easy to fit into arrangements.

10/10

stabs alongside deeper synth chord progressions, combining an old-skool vibe with tight, up-front production. As with the drums, many of these appear in several versions, so you can work with the individual layers. Last up on the loops front are some decent chopped-up vocal snippets that could be used to add extra flavour to your grooves. Our favourite part of the pack, however, is the one-shots, where you’ll find a highly usable collection of thuddy basses, a blend of both garage and house-style claps and snares, and some sizzling lo-fi cymbals. There are also some superb, deep-sounding chord one-shots, although you’ll need to build your own sampler patches to get the most out of these. All in all, this is a fantastic pack of on-point house sounds that fans of artists such as Disclosure and Dusky should consider essential. MTF

MTF Verdict A great-value collection of classic house loops and sounds with infectious jackin’ grooves and a modern production punch.

9/10

Reviews MTF

Magic A/B Manufacturer Sample Magic Price £24.90 Contact via website Web www.samplemagic.com

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lthough referencing other material is a great way to improve your mixing skills, it can be incredibly fiddly to manage flicking between audio tracks, especially if you’ve got any processing on the master buss. In steps Magic A/B, the first plug-in from Sample Magic, which enables you to load up to nine reference audio files and switch between them and the track that you’re working on. The plug-in comes in VST, AU, RTAS and AAX formats and is intended to be placed last in the chain on the master buss after any processing, although you may want to put metering plug-ins after it so you can compare frequency spectrums. After loading in your reference tracks (which can be in a variety of formats including MP3 and M4A), you can balance the volumes using the

Key Features ● Quickly reference up to 9 tracks against your own ● Built-in peak and RMS meters ● Individual volume sliders for each file ● Zoom and loop your reference material

individual sliders. Accurate peak and RMS meters ensure you have correctly matched the volumes of the tracks. The nicely laid-out user interface bears a striking resemblance to those from the iZotope stable (which is no bad thing!), and once your reference track is selected you’re presented with a waveform view, which gives you the ability to zoom in and loop any section. It’s then simply a case of clicking on the A and B buttons located on the right-hand side to switch between your original mix and the new reference track.

Nave Manufacturer Waldorf Price £13.99 Contact [email protected] Web www.waldorfmusic.info

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he last couple of years has seen some of the big names in hardware synths step into the iPad app market, and the latest to enter the fray is Waldorf, with its new Nave Advanced Wavetable synthesizer. Long known as kings of the wavetable following classic synths like the Microwave and software versions of the PPG Wave, Waldorf has ported its considerable talents to a tactile yet deep iPad interface. At its heart, Nave features two wave modules and a more traditional oscillator module complete with typical analogue waveforms that can be mixed together. You can choose from 86 waves, create your own using the built-in text-to-speech synthesizer, or import (and export) waves using iTunes File Sharing and the Beatmaker and Sonoma pasteboards.

Choice

9/10 9 9/ 10 Innovation

Key Features ● Wavetable synth for iPad ● Extensive artist-produced factory library ● Internal speech synthesizer ● Create you own wavetables from imported audio ● 4-track recorder

The main page features controls for tuning, selecting and modulating the wave start point, plus adjusting the spectrum and adding noise and brilliance. The most striking part of the GUI, though, is the large 3D wave display, which can be zoomed full-screen, rotated and manipulated, allowing you to shift around or raise and lower different sections of peaks. In practice it can be fiddly to get predictable results, but with patience you could use this tool to edit down harsh frequencies or draw in stuttered grooves. The fact that you can load your own waveforms massively opens up the sound-design possibilities, although a

Another useful feature is the A/B mode, in which you can choose to slowly fade between tracks from 0–2,000ms. However, we would ideally like to see an actual crossfader rather than just a fade-out and fade-in so that you can simulate how the tracks might sound being mixed together in a DJ set. It would also be great to have LP and HP filters to hone in on just the lows and highs, but this can be done with a separate plug-in. Finally, you can save all of your settings – including the reference tracks themselves – into a preset for quick recall in another project. Magic A/B is a plug-in that everyone could benefit from. It’s a simple but incredibly useful idea that’s easy to use and well executed. MTF

MTF Verdict A simple but elegant solution for referencing other tracks when working on your mix.

8/10

live audio-record function would make this even more fun. To thicken sounds you can add in the analogue-style oscillator, which has an Uberwave button to add and detune up to eight further oscillators. However, this only scratches the surface of what Nave has to offer. Across the remaining four pages you have an incredibly well thought-out set of editing tools, including a multimode filter with five distortion curves, three envelopes, two LFOs, mod, delay and reverb FX, an EQ and compressor, an arpeggiator, a mod matrix, X/Y pads and different keyboard layouts, plus a 4-track recorder for laying down ideas. Sound-wise, Nave lacks the fat organic sound of Moog’s Animoog, but for sound design, there’s no contest. Nave is a much more versatile instrument that’s capable of some very complex spectral textures, yet is intuitive and easy to program. MTF

MTF Verdict A powerhouse of a synth with a great GUI that’s well thought-out and packed with features.

9/10


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MTF Reviews

Turnado iPad Edition Manufacturer Sugar Bytes

Excellence

10/10

Price £13.99 Contact [email protected] Web www.sugar-bytes.de

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ugar Bytes has ported its award-winning Turnado software over to iPad, giving it a few new additions and some extra presets from that beatbox champion and famed Turnado user, Beardyman, in the process. First up, a recap of what’s on offer. The main screen of Turnado enables you to drag any of 24 effects onto eight MIDI-assignable knobs – turning the knob clockwise triggers the effect; turning it further adjusts parameters and applies modulations. Click on the Edit button and you’re presented with another screen for editing the effects, with a range of sync’able LFOs, step sequencers and envelope followers. The effects are excellent, ranging from filters, distortions and bit-crushers to rhythmic, glitching buffers, ring mods and talking vowel filters.

Value

€£$ Key Features ● Multi-FX and performance app ● Assign any of 24 effects to 8 knobs ● New X/Y pads and audio player ● Audiobus support, AudioCopy/ Paste and iTunes file sharing ● New presets by Beardyman

So what does the iPad version add to this? You get four X/Y pads that control two effects each, with toggles to select whether they either snap back to the off position (bottom left) or remain in the current position, plus a useful button that instantly switches off all effects. You also get a tap tempo control in the middle for the temposync’ed effects (although we found this a little temperamental) and an audio player that can play and record audio loops and tracks. It’s obvious that Sugar Bytes has thought long and hard about how best to integrate the app into the iPad workflow, and you’ll find Audiobus support, AudioCopy/Paste, the ability to load tracks from iTunes, plus iTunes file sharing for transferring audio to a computer. If you’ve got some sort of audio interface you can also route audio in for mangling live performances and

Alchemy Mobile V2 Manufacturer Camel Audio Price Free app. Pro upgrade £10.49 Contact via website Web www.camelaudio.com

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ynth apps are coming in thick and fast these days. Some offer complete levels of control in terms of patch design and synthesis, whereas others, like Alchemy Mobile, give truly excellent sounds from the outset at the expense of such in-depth parameter tweaking. Even in its most basic form, without the Pro upgrade or any additional library purchases, the onboard sounds really impressed. The app is a four-track-sequencer affair, with simple record and quantize functionality for getting down ideas as short loops. Every track has an instance of the iOS version of Camel Audio’s desktop Alchemy synth plug-in. This can be used for creating bass lines, leads, pads, soundscapes or drums, plus there are all sorts of other sounds on offer for music or sounddesign purposes.


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Key Features ● Remix and X/Y pads ● Many add-on sound libraries available to buy ● Well laid-out GUI ● AudioCopy/ Paste ● Audiobus support ● Can remotely control desktop plug-in version

Drums are controlled via a two-row, 16-pad layout with accompanying controls for volume and tuning. All of the other sounds have more specific controls and parameters geared towards that particular sound, with examples being sliders for oscillator symmetry, filter cutoff, distortion amount and so on. The most real-time tweakability comes from the X/Y pad control and remix morphing section. The latter lets you seamlessly modulate a sound by moving around eight

DJ sets, and you can control everything via a MIDI interface or route MIDI internally in/out. The app is locked to portrait mode, with the original GUI in the top half and the new controls below. This arrangement can be a little fiddly, and it would be nice to have the option to switch to landscape, but the simple double-touch zoom function helps greatly when editing parameters. We’re actually amazed that Sugar Bytes has managed to cram all of this incredible FX plug-in into an app that costs so little, and the new additions only improve on an already winning formula. MTF

MTF Verdict Incredibly, Sugar Bytes has improved on an already excellent product. The most comprehensive and fun sound-mangling app available – and at this price, an absolute no-brainer.

10/10

parameter states. The Pro version allows the remix pad to be controlled via tilt and inertia, which is even more fun. The GUI is nicely laid-out, comfortably straddling the fine line between sufficient features and not being too difficult to control via a mobile screen (we tested this on the iPhone version). Expression can be accessed through velocity by striking the keys at different vertical points – the higher up the key you press, the lower the velocity becomes. Patches feature aftertouch, making it easy to vary the sound simply by sliding up and down a held note. The main benefit of the Pro version is that you get the option to save projects, which makes sense if you’re building up song ideas. However, Audiobus and AudioCopy/Paste are supported by the free app so it’s more than capable for spur-of-the-moment work. MTF

MTF Verdict One of the truly pro-sounding synth apps out there for iOS. The free app has most of the features of the Pro version, so be sure to give it a go. Thoroughly recommended.

9/10

Reviews MTF

iRig HD Manufacturer IK Multimedia Price €79 .99 Contact IK Multimedia 01223 234414 Web www.ikmultimedia.com

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he iconic and pioneering iRig from IK Multimedia finally gets a makeover in HD form. The term HD is quite vague, so to be clear, the main difference in this HD upgrade is that the newer unit uses your iOS device’s 30-pin Dock port or Lightning port rather than the headphone port. The accessories include a lead for either connection as well as a USB connector to run this input-only device with your Mac. The Dock port offers much better sound quality than the headphone port, and since the iRig HD’s converters are 24-bit, this improves on an already respectable noise floor when using this connection type. The unit is larger than the original iRig and all connectivity is via detachable cables, which avoids you having to bin the unit if a built-in cable

Cyberstorm Manufacturer Zero-G Price £60.95

Choice

9/10 9 9/ 10

Key Features ● 30-pin Dock and Lightning leads included ● iOS/OSXcompatible ● Low noise floor ● Input gain control ● Compact design

Excellence

10/10

Contact Time+Space 01837 55200 Web www.timespace.com

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n the heat of watching a high-octane sci-fi action sequence or shooting your way through the levels of a modern game, it’s easy to forget that each and every sound has been hand-crafted and layered to produce something vibrant and believable. Cyberstorm sees sound designer Frédéric Devanlay teaming up with Xfonic and Zero-G for a tour-de-force library of futuristic warfare sounds inspired by the likes of the Terminator and Transformers films. The huge library contains 1,300 samples and over 2.3GB of content in ACID WAV and Apple Loops formats, plus 45 patches for Kontakt, EXS24, NN-XT and HALion. There are plenty of sounds on offer, including sliding doors, snarling drone scouts, massive explosions, futuristic weapons, electronic bleeps and hundreds of different-size servos. A range of synths

Key Features ● Futuristic robot and warfare sounds ● 1,300 samples and 45 sampler patches ● 2.3GB of 24-bit audio ● Inspired by Terminator and Transformers films ● Produced by sound designer Frédéric Devanlay

fails. Asides from a jack input for your guitar and output connection to your hardware device, there’s nothing else in terms of connectivity. This means there’s no power connection, which is a shame as it limits your practice time with an iOS device as you’re running down the battery as you play. The input stage of the iRig HD coped perfectly well with our doublehumbucker output and the input has a gain dial for optimum gain-staging. The unit feels a lot more solid than the original and we immediately started using it plugged-in to our iPad. It is purely an input device, so the headphone out of your iPod/iPhone, iPad or Mac needs to be wired into headphones or your speaker system. This is fine in terms of functionality, but with headphone use, both your Apple

device and the iRig need to be kept quite close together as any of the included iRig cables measures only approximately 70cm. This makes it a little tricky to use for stand-up practice with headphones should you want to let loose. In operation there’s a lot less computer noise and chatter than is evident in other products occupying this price range. The sound quality is quite neutral in terms of spectral balance, with plenty of detail and dynamics but without being excessively bassy or bright. MTF

MTF Verdict Asides from the headphones restrictions if you want to move around, the sound quality is a major upgrade from the original.

9/10

and samplers were used for making the sounds, along with home appliances and car servos morphed with animal sounds for the drones. The level of detail is hugely impressive, from the clatter of falling debris to the sounds of mines activating and bullets ricocheting. Devanlay has clearly put a lot of thought into creating unique-sounding robotic creatures that feel alive and threatening and with plenty of subtle variations, meaning you don’t have to repeat the same piece of audio twice. There’s also a good mix of super-hightech-sounding movements and more raw and mechanical clunks and whirs. We can’t really fault this library: it’s large, competitively priced and exceptionally well produced. MTF

MTF Verdict A meticulously detailed library of superb robotic and futuristic warfare sounds that should be an essential purchase for anyone working on sci-fi action or sci-fi horror projects.

10/10


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Vintage Vibe Manufacturer Big Fish Audio Price £125 (download or DVD) Contact Time+Space 01837 55200 Web www.timespace.com

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intage Vibe is a collection of multi-sampled instruments based on the retro sounds of funk, soul, R&B, jazz, classic rock and country that samples rare and collectable instruments from yesteryear. The 12GB library comes as either a DVD or a download and runs in Kontakt 5 or the Kontakt 5 Player, with a Reason ReFill version also available. Essentially, you get 97 instrument patches that cover Fender and Gibson guitars and basses, Rhodes, Hammond, Clavinet and Wurlitzer keyboards, a handful of studio percussion instruments and a massive list of drums, including a 1958 Rogers, a 1970s Ludwig and many more. To be fair, there are far more instruments than we can list here, including some rarities and even a 1960s electric sitar. Where relevant, most of the instruments have been

Synth Drums Manufacturer Wave Alchemy Price £54.95

Key Features ● 97 multisampled instruments for Kontakt 5 ● 12GB of audio ● Drums, percussion, keyboards, basses and guitars ● Inspired by retro sounds of classic rock, R&B, soul, funk, country and jazz from the 50s, 60s and 70s

multi-sampled with several layers, and many have multiple keyswitches to change between different versions. The guitars and basses, for example, have open and muted versions recorded through a DI box as well as through crunchy old amps for extra character. All of the instruments bar the drums share the same Kontakt interface, with a main page showing the effects plus a page for portamento controls on the guitars and basses. There’s also a Display page that shows you what keyswitch and sample you are currently playing. However, it seems a bit ridiculous having three pages for these items as everything would have easily fitted in one. Many of the patches use the same raw samples but get their personality via Kontakt’s effects, although, if we’re

Choice

9/10 9 9/ 10

Contact via website Web www.wavealchemy.com

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omething that never ceases to amaze us is how sound designers can revisit synths and equipment that have been around for years yet still come up with cutting-edge and interesting sounds. And Wave Alchemy has done just that with its latest pack, Synth Drums. The library contains 5,900 one-shot drum samples, individually crafted on ten vintage synths including a Roland Jupiter 8, Juno 106, SH-09 and System 100, Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 and Pro One, Korg MS-20, Arp Odyssey Mk1, Minimoog Model D and an Oberheim OB8. There’s a huge range of sounds, from booming bass kicks and clacking snares to weird-and-wonderful percussive effects, all divided into folders and sub-folders for easy browsing. However, with so many different hits on offer, we would


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Key Features ● 1GB of 24-bit audio ● 5,900 drum samples taken from ten vintage synths ● Unprocessed, processed and special processed versions ● 105 kits for Battery 3, HALion, Kontakt, NN-XT and SFZ; 51 kits for Kong ● Character and warmth added via vinyl and analogue tape

recommend using the 105 sampler instruments to ease your browsing experience, which includes both groups of instruments as well as ready-made kits to get you started. As you’d expect, everything here is heavily electronic, yet the analogue nature of the equipment makes things sound strangely organic at times. Alongside kicks, claps, snares, toms, cymbals, hats, congas and percussion are all manner of bass hits, dissonant chord stabs, mallet strikes and synth swells, meaning that this pack could be used to flesh out more than just the drum parts of a track.

honest, we’re not huge fans of the distortion in Kontakt. Luckily, they’re all beautifully recorded, with rattles and buzzes left in for character, so you could feed these through an amp sim or FX of your choice. In the drum section you have a much more complex set of windows that allow you to swap/ pitch individual kit pieces, humanise playback and change the mapping, plus there’s a mixer for balancing and effecting each drum mic. Although you might not be able to program a realistic solo guitar riff, this is an astonishing collection for producers or media composers looking to easily combine sounds for an authentic, vintage-sounding track. MTF

MTF Verdict A great-value collection covering a broad range of vintage instrument sounds that will instantly transport you to the 50s, 60s and 70s.

8/10

On top of the standard collection of hits there are two other complete sets: a processed version and a special processed version that has been run through a Neumann VMS 70 vinyl mastering lathe and 1/4-inch tape. In some cases these aren’t hugely different, merely offering a little transient shaping, warmth and fatness, but it becomes more noticeable on instruments such as the kick drums. The only downside is that the sheer number of sounds and the fact that there are three different versions can make it a little overwhelming. How does one choose a single kick drum out of a choice of 444? We also found the claps and snares to be a little too gritty for our tastes. However, it’s clear that this has been a labour of love for the Wave Alchemy team, and the resulting library is packed to the brim with variety and warm, interesting sounds. MTF

MTF Verdict A massive pack of organic-sounding synth drum and percussion sounds with exceptional attention to detail and a surprising degree of variety.

9/10

100% PURE ABLETON LIVE

On sale now £8.99 with free DVD. Digital version £5.99 £5.99. Available at WHSmith (UK), Barnes & Noble (USA) and all good bookstores in Australia, Canada, and throughout Europe. Or order online at www.musictech.net/tag/focus

MTF On Your DVD

In all of Logic’s long history, the move from version 9 to version 10 is arguably the most significant, bringing a raft of refinements and new features. Whether you’re new to Logic or have just upgraded and are looking to learn new tricks, there’s plenty for you to explore on your DVD. Highlights include over three hours of pro tuition, the latest demos, freeware plug-in tools and promotional videos. You’ll also find plenty of royalty-free samples from Prime Loops, Loopmasters and Equinox Sounds to use in your productions, plus all the files you need to follow the tutorials at home. MTF On the disc 3+ hours of pro video tuition

FLEX PITCH The experts at Groove 3 have provided a huge selection of pro tutorials to help guide you through Logic X. Topics include working with Apple Loops, the Inspector, region editing, groove tracks, Smart Controls and using the new Flex Pitch.

RETRO SYNTH Groove 3 takes a look at the flexible new Retro Synth, with chapters exploring the analogue oscillator section and working with noise to create sweeps and percussive sounds. There’s also a section on creating fat-sounding EDM sub-basses.

MIDI PLUG-INS One of the most exciting aspects of Logic X are the new MIDI plug-ins. Here, Groove 3 explores how to use the envelopes and LFOs together to create complex shapes, and how to use the Chord Trigger plug-in to program and play one-finger chords.

PRODUCERTECH Rob Jones, from Producertech and Logic-Courses.com, looks at creating a funk drum beat using the Drummer instrument. You’ll also find dubstep mixing techniques courtesy of producer FracTroniX, and classic house mixing tips from Dale Anderson.

PRIME LOOPS FREE SAMPLES A hand-picked library of beats, riffs and hits in 24-bit WAV format, including pulsing techno basses, cinematic synth lines, head-nodding trap beats, funk guitars and a handful of heavyweight impact sounds, plus vintage drum machine one-shots.

LOOPMASTERS DEMO SAMPLES An eclectic mix of samples taken from six of Loopmasters’ latest releases: Aki Bergen Analogue House Electronica, Atmospheric Pianos, Deep House & Garage 2, DLR Specimen X Drum & Bass, Indian Vocal Sessions and Live Deep Jazz House.

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On Your DVD MTF

MTF Your Disc

For PC & Mac

MTF DVD33 Logic Pro X 2014

MTF DVD 33 Logic Pro X 2014 PROMO VIDEOS

More than 700MB of videos showcasing the latest plug-ins and hardware, including a range of cutting-edge synths and software instruments from Korg, Novation, Heavyocity, Sample Logic, Toontrack, Vengeance Sound and Zero-G. You’ll also find high-end processing and effects from D16, Roland, iZotope, Slate Digital, Waves Factory and UAD, plus top-of-the-range audio interfaces and studio monitors from Apogee and Genelec.

COPYRIGHT ANTHEM PUBLISHING © 2013 FAULTY DISC? Check www.musictechmag.co.uk for known issues Return to: Anthem Publishing (disc returns), Suite 6, Piccadilly House, London Road, Bath BA1 6PL, UK

SOFTWARE DEMOS

Although Logic X comes with a great range of effects and instruments, you may still find the need for more specialist software. From modelled analogue processors to innovative, creative FX, we’ve rounded up a range of demo and freeware software for you to try out. You’ll find EQs, compressors, synths, filters, delays, reverbs and saturation plug-ins to help craft your tracks.

For PC & Mac

USING OUR WORKSHOPS

Whether you’re looking to brush up on your programming skills, delve into Logic’s new features or improve your mixes, we’ve got you covered with a host of Logic workshops. Where appropriate you’ll find hi-res images, project files and audio on the disc so you can follow along at home. Be sure to copy all files to your computer before opening a project.

AUDIO & MIDI LOOPS

We’ve got royalty-free samples from Prime Loops, Loopmasters and Equinox Sounds to help inspire your tracks. There’s a mix of 24-bit WAV, Apple Loops and MIDI formats for everything from twinkling pianos and ethnic vocals to D&B synths and techno beats. You’ll also find bitcrushed beats and FX with accompanying EXS24 instruments.

MTF DVD 33 Logic Pro X 2014 COPYRIGHT ANTHEM PUBLISHING © 2013 FAULTY DISC? Check www.musictechmag.co.uk for known issues Return to: Anthem Publishing (disc returns), Suite 6, Piccadilly House, London Road, Bath BA1 6PL, UK

On the disc

YOUR DVD CONTENT FILES

ZIP FILES To maximise the amount of content we can bring you on each DVD, the video, tutorial and samples files are supplied compressed (‘zipped’). Mac users should be able to decompress ZIP files simply by double-clicking on them; PC users may need to download a utility such as WinZip (www.winzip.com). TUTORIAL FILES The software tutorials that feature in each issue of MTF are almost always accompanied by files and audio so you can work through them on your system. These files are zipped to reduce the space they occupy on the DVD.

Download them to your hard drive and unzip them to access the individual files (remembering to eject the DVD to prevent your computer from slowing down).

WHAT IS ROYALTY-FREE?

Any MTF DVD content marked ‘royalty-free’ can be used in your own original compositions (even commercial ones). You may not, however, resell these samples in any other form.

DEFECTIVE DISCS

endeavour to supply you with a replacement disc immediately. Please note that we’re unable to provide technical support for the software on the MTF DVD – please check our website at www.musictech.net for any known problems.

MISSING YOUR DISC?

If your disc is missing, contact us at [email protected] with your full postal address and the issue number.

In the unlikely event that your disc is defective, please return it to: Disc Returns, Anthem Publishing, Suite 6, Piccadilly House, London, Bath BA1 6PL. We will FOCUS Logic Pro X 2014

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