Music Tech November 2014

Issue 140 November 2014

OVER 1GB OF ROYALTY-FREE SAMPLES • KATE BUSH HOUNDS OF LOVE www.musictech.net

4GB+

Issue 140

November 2014

The magazine for producers, engineers and recording musicians

MUSIC TO PICTURE

The techniques and technology behind Hollywood scoring plus hands-on workshops

ELVES, MONKS, WITCHES AND DEMONS Meet the man putting the magic into music making

KATE BUSH

OVER

The recording of HOUNDS OF LOVE

ALL NEW WORKSHOPS

The Best Reviews

OF ROYALTY-FREE SAMPLES!

iZotope RX 4, Mystica, Boomstar and over 20 other products tested

www.musictech.net

HOW TO RECORD GUITARS BUILDING BEATS FROM SCRATCH USING KEYS IN SONGWRITING 20 AUDIO RECORDING TIPS

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Issue 140 November 2014

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The Ultimate Ableton Setup Integrate seamlessly with Ableton Live. Get immediate hands-on control of session view, mixer, effects and instruments. Create your own custom layouts. Focus on Your Music.

Also available:

www.novationmusic.com/launch

Welcome MT

Expert Panel Studio Hardware John Pickford

John is a studio engineer with over 25 years of experience. He is a keen sound recording historian and has a passion for valve-driven analogue equipment and classic recording techniques.

Mixing/Mastering/Logic Mark Cousins Mark specialises in sound design and cinematic productions. He has recorded with orchestras across Europe and is heavily involved in soundtrack composition.

Careers Editor Rob Boffard

Rob Boffard is a sound designer with a background in TV and radio work. He is a Reason evangelist, and when not writing for MusicTech he releases hip-hop music under the name Rob One.

Digital/Composition Andy Price

With a masters in songwriting and a vast interest in music history and recording techniques, Andy works daily on MusicTech.net as well as regularly contributing to the magazine.

Recording & Guitar Tech Huw Price

A recording engineer since 1987, Huw has worked with David Bowie, My Bloody Valentine, Primal Scream, Depeche Mode, Nick Cave, Heidi Berry, Fad Gadget and countless others.

Scoring/Orchestral Keith Gemmell

Keith specialises in areas where traditional music-making meets music technology, including orchestral and jazz sample libraries, acoustic virtual instruments and notation software.

Ableton Live & DJ’ing Liam O’Mullane

Liam has worked as a D&B scratch DJ as well as releasing dubstep, D&B and hardcore tracks. His passion is to master the production styles of the latest genres using Live.

Reason & Mobile Hollin Jones

As well as teaching music technology, producing and writing soundtracks, Hollin is an expert on everything Apple, mobile or computer-related, as well as being an accomplished keyboard player.

Electronic Music Alex Holmes

Alex has been a computer musician for 15 years, having a keen passion for beats, bass and all forms of electronic music. He’s currently involved in three different dance music projects.

Cubase Tim Hallas

And there’s me thinking that after last month, where we pulled out the stops to bring you the world exclusive review of NI’s Komplete Kontrol, this issue would be a serene and relaxing one, all about music composition to picture. But then Reason 8 barged its way through the door right at the last minute demanding to be reviewed like some stroppy, attention-seeking teenager, so this issue has turned into a bit of a double-header. Twice the excitement, if you like… Reason has always been that brash, loud DAW, eschewing any kind of grace and elegance, just getting you straight to the instruments and the music, as soon as it possibly can. No messing, straight in and out. And that’s won it plenty of fans. Version 8 was touted as a game changer – aren’t new versions of anything touted as such, though? – but you can find out what we think on p6. And you can still learn how Hollywood sound-tracking works on pages 12 and 40. (He says matter of factly about one of the biggest concept articles we’ve written…) What that leaves for next issue is anyone’s guess. It does feel like we’ve had a few issues where the big guns have been wheeled out and fired, so is there anything left? Oh yes. You won’t believe it, so until then… Andy Jones Senior Editor Email [email protected] Send your tweets @AndyJonesMT (although don’t expect much tweeting from me) Read my blogs at www.musictech.net

Tim’s a music technology consultant and education expert. As Cubase Editor he will be bringing you a range of technique features for the popular DAW over the coming months.

Pro Tools Mike Hillier

Mike spent five years at Metropolis Studios, working alongside some of the best-known mix and mastering engineers in the world. He is now building his own studio in south London.

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MT Contents

MT Contents Issue 140 November 2014

12 MUSIC TO FILM: THE HOLLYWOOD SOUND Mark Cousins looks at the history of sound to picture, examining how film audio has enhanced some of the greatest Hollywood movies of all time and how you too can compose successfully for film…

6 Reason 8 The latest version of the legendary DAW is here – read our exclusive review now!

Technique

Interview

24 CLOAKS, ELVES MONKS & WITCHES

Eduardo Tarilonte talks about recording the most fantastical libraries out there…

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59 How to record… acoustic guitar

The first part of our guide to recording the most popular instrument of all

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…

Contents MT

MT Issue 140 Full listings…

p79 p71

The Latest Reviews

p66

PROPELLERHEAD REASON 8, IZOTOPE RX 4 Plus reviews from RME, Best Service and

024 | Eduardo Tarilonte Recording witches, monks and elves for award-winning libraries LANDMARK PRODUCTIONS 034 | Kate Bush: Hounds of Love The recording of the comeback queen’s finest album…

DAW Tutorials

AMAZING NEW SERIES!

012 | Music To Picture The complete guide to the Hollywood sound… INDUSTRY GURU

p75

TC Electronic

COVER FEATURES 006 | Reason 8 Full review of Propellerhead’s latest release

p40

TECHNIQUE 040 | Music to picture Working with hit points 044 | Composition techniques Understanding how keys work

p59

048 | Beats and sound design Build beats from scratch 052 | 20 Pro Tips… … for audio editing 059 | How to record… …acoustic guitar, part 1 064 | Subscribe and get free digital editions, plus save 35% REVIEWS 066 | iZotope RX 4 audio restorer 069 | AMT The Riser dance effect

p48

Bluffer’s Guide

071 | Best Service Mystica vocal sound library 073 | DIY RE Colour 500-series 075 | RME Fireface all-in-one interface and mixer 079 | TC Alter Ego X4 delay stomp 081 | Boomstar SEM synth 083 | Warm Audio WA76 compressor 087 | sE SE5 condenser mic 089 | RND Shelford 5050 & 5051 (rather excellent) preamps

106 A BLUFFER’S GUIDE TO EQ

093 | Plugin Boutique VirtualCZ 095 | Mini Reviews NEW REGULAR FEATURES 103 | 6 of the best… The greatest software libraries 106 | A bluffer’s guide to music technology, part 2: EQ 110 | Show off your studio Another chance for readers to show off 113 | Next month in MusicTech 114 | On your MT DVD MAGAZINE November 2014

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MT Reviews Propellerhead Reason 8

MT Lead Review In-depth review

Hands-on guide

New features tested

Details Price Reason 8: £349/€405/$449 Reason Essentials 8: £99/€120/$129 Reason 8 Upgrade (from any previous Reason version): £89/€129/$129 Contact Sound Technology, 01462 480000 Web www.soundtech. co.uk System requirements Dual-core CPU Mac OS X 10.7 or later Windows 7 or later 4GB RAM 3GB disk

Key Features

PROPELLERHEAD

Reason 8

Choice

Propellerhead has been making one of the world’s best-loved DAWs for a while now, so what does the new Reason 8 bring to the party? Hollin Jones finds out…

W

hen Reason was first released it really shook up the music technology landscape. Here was a selfcontained MIDI sequencer that didn’t support plug-ins (and still doesn’t, technically), but that was so much easier and more fun to use than almost anything else around at the time that it

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quickly became a huge hit worldwide. Although it has come a long way since those early days, a version one user could look at version eight and still recognise it as a direct descendant. Propellerhead has always practiced evolution rather than revolution, save for throwing us the odd surprise such as combining Record and Reason into one app and in the process making

● Audio and MIDI recording and editing ● Multiple bundled effect and instrument modules ● Sample into modules ● Unlimited Rack ● Comprehensive mixer ● Free routing of audio and CV cables ● Integrated browser ● Block-based composition ● Full automation support ● Easy MIDI control via Remote ● ReGroove quantizing ● Automatic audio slicing ● Mastering FX ● MIDI-out support ● Batch export

Reason capable of audio tracking. And so it is that Reason 8 doesn’t throw out the rule book, but it does build on what is by now a very mature and stable foundation to bring the application up to date with modern workflow methods and also the increasingly popular ‘flat’ look that is gradually replacing the hyper-real metallic textures and gradients of recent years.

So what is it? Let’s start with a quick recap for those new to Reason. It’s a dual-platform MIDI and audio production environment with a focus on the ‘Rack’, a central area where you can load a near-infinite number of instrument and effect modules in order to generate and process sound. You can keep going until your computer runs out of power, but Reason is so well optimised for modern hardware that any decent system should rarely come close to suffering actual performance problems. The sequencer enables you to record, edit and arrange audio and MIDI parts, and the mixer contains pretty advanced channel strips and a master processing section for shaping your mixes. There’s a lot of other stuff too, much of which has been in Reason for a little while. Automation of devices is straightforward, and an integrated system of internal controller assignments means you can quickly map controls to almost any parameter. Reason uses virtual patch cables to enable you to manually route sound anywhere, with a similar system for Control Voltage – just like you’d get in a

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Propellerhead Reason 8 Reviews MT

Method spot Reason 8 has a redesigned, flatter look and a new integrated Browser that enables you to preview audio samples and also drag and drop any module or patch straight into the Rack. The sections are all linked too, so for example if you click an insert effect patch button in the mixer or a Kong sample load button, the Browser will update itself to show that folder or that section of the sound bank. This quickly becomes second nature to work with, and really speeds up workflow.

real vintage synth. A MIDI learn system called Remote lets you hook up one or more MIDI hardware controllers and have several people performing and recording from a single project. Audio parts are automatically analysed for tempo information and made elastic, and there’s an advanced groove quantization system for MIDI called ReGroove. Direct sampling is available into many of the instrument modules and a pop-up wave editor lets you edit your samples easily. Rack Extensions are available from third-party developers to expand your toolset.

relocation of the Browser. As Reason has grown, and especially since the introduction of Rack Extensions, managing modules, presets and samples has got harder. Dealing with song samples had become fiddly and you had to do it from the Tool window. In Reason 8 there’s an omnipresent

In with the new

browser (though it can be minimised) that provides a unified way to access all your instruments, effects, Rack Extensions and samples. Modules are grouped by category and there’s easy drag and drop of any module straight into the rack. You can also drag and drop patches from the Browser into the Rack to create a device, and clicking patch- or sample-load buttons anywhere in the Rack or mixer will correspondingly open the relevant folder or section automatically in the Browser. There’s easy file system navigation, favourites lists and text-based search that show all patches that match a query regardless of module type. One thing that’s no longer possible is live previewing of instrument patches from the Browser. You used to be able to ‘pre-load’ a patch and play it via MIDI before loading it into the Rack, but a consequence of the new workflow is that you now have to load the module. It’s not a huge problem, but worth

I’ve mentioned that Reason 8 doesn’t break massively with tradition, but there is of course some new stuff. The most obvious change is the new flat look, with bumpy buttons and gradients out, and flat, minimal toolbars and menus in. When you have been using version 8 for a while and then see screenshots of version 7, it feels a bit like the transition from iOS 6 to iOS 7. It didn’t feel like there was anything wrong with the old version at the time, but looking back, the new version is much cleaner and more modern. The new look doesn’t particularly affect usability, it just feels more up to date. Some stuff has been moved around, though, most notably a shortcut to quantize settings in the Transport panel, which is handy.

Find my stuff Related to the new interface design is the second major new feature: the

mentioning. On the other hand you can now drag and drop a patch straight from the Browser onto a module in the Rack to load it, which is nice. The new Browser also has a Song Samples section, relocated from the Tool window, that makes dealing with samples you have recorded or those

The most obvious change is the new flat look, with bumpy buttons and gradients out, and flat, minimal toolbars and menus in used in instrument patches a bit easier. Now you can edit, delete, duplicate or export samples from here and there’s live previewing of audio samples so you can hear them and view their information prior to dropping them in. Audio recordings that you make in the sequencer are treated differently to samples, and if you want to bounce or export those you’ll have to do it using the

The redesigned sequencer window is just one of the many welcome refinements to the familiar Reason layout.

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Propellerhead Reason 8 Reviews MT

Alternatives Reason’s appeal has always been its self-contained nature, so unlike most DAWs it doesn’t support plug-ins, except in a roundabout way by using ReWire. As noted, Rack Extensions also provide a way to expand your system. Apple’s Logic Pro X is effectively subsidised by Apple at £139.99 and is a very powerful DAW with some great bundled content. It’s Mac-only, though, and arguably not as easy to get to grips with as Reason. The standard edition of Ableton Live costs around the same as Reason and has 11GB of sounds but only comes with three instruments and 37 effects. Ultimately Reason users tend to value its accessibility and unique Rack system.

File>Export command or the sequencer’s Bounce menu.

Rack ’em up In terms of the modules that come with Reason itself these are largely unchanged, though it’s still a great selection. Old staples such as Subtractor and ReDrum sit alongside the NN-XT multisampler, Kong Drum Designer, Thor synth and others. There’s cool retro delay from The Echo, tempo-based trance effects from the Alligator, pitch correction, voice synthesis, dirt from the Pulverizer and excellent dynamics processing from the MClass effects, plus a fair few other units. With Rack Extensions you are free to try or buy from an evergrowing range by third-party developers who make utilities, instruments and effects of all kinds. Rack Extensions kind of frees the Props up from having to make so many of their own modules, though they do continue to be active in this area. The only two new modules in Reason 8 are called Softube Amp and Softube Bass Amp, two amp/speaker emulators developed in collaboration with Softube (as the name suggests). These will eventually supplant the Line 6 modules (still available) and are really nice emulators that do a great job of warming up stringed instruments but also anything else you put through them such as beats or vocals. Beyond these are many smaller changes and tweaks, some rearrangement of the furniture, and nice touches such as double-clicking to add or remove notes in the MIDI editor.

version 8 feels like laying the groundwork for bigger structural changes in the future. There are probably no really attention-grabbing new features here, though if you look at the package as a whole it is still remarkably well-rounded. The new Browser and Softube modules are welcome additions, and the whole

For anyone on version 6 or below the upgrade is a no-brainer as you’ll get a bunch of new stuff in one fell swoop thing feels slicker and more modern with its new look. For anyone on version 6 or below the upgrade is a no-brainer, as you’ll get a bunch of new stuff in one fell swoop. For new users Reason 8 is an excellent package, offering a great selection of instruments and effects, and a recording, composition and production environment that’s easy to use but offers a depth of features should you choose to use them. Certainly the workflow is made smoother by the new Browser, and Propellerhead continues to do a fantastic job of getting the tech-y

MT Verdict + New Browser really helps improve workflow + New look is more modern + Still an excellent set of modules supplied + Sequencer is powerful but friendly + Mixer is advanced and professional + Stable and well optimised for modern hardware + Expandable with ReWire and Rack Extensions + Send MIDI out to real hardware + New guitar processors sound good + Flexible window management - Probably not a huge upgrade if you’re on version 7.1 - Still most effective on a twoscreen setup - Function to play patches from the Browser has gone - Waveform editing could integrate more cleanly into the workflow Reason is still one of the best DAWs out there, with a unique approach to music production that offers flexibility, power and a workflow that prioritises creativity over digging around in menus.

Reason to be cheerful? Some clever stuff has doubtlessly gone on behind the scenes with Reason 8 in addition to the obvious changes. It’s always been among the very best optimised and most stable DAWs around, and in some ways

details out of the way of your musicmaking. Whether the upgrade from 7 to 8 is for you will depend on whether you like the idea of an integrated browser, new look and the new guitar modules. What does seem likely is that more stuff will be added in the next minor updates, and for that you will need Reason 8. MT

9/10

New modules such as the Softube Amp sit alongside Reason mainstays Malström and NN-XT in the trademark Reason Rack.

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MT Feature The Hollywood sound

MT Feature

THE HOLLYWOOD SOUND Big-screen scores have evolved over decades of filmmaking, but what really makes a piece of music truly cinematic? Mark Cousins unlocks the secrets of soundtracks…

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The Hollywood sound Feature MT

combined with the sonic possibilities of new technology. Not surprisingly, therefore, film music has been one of the most exciting and progressive avenues for musical development over the last 60 years, arguably eclipsing the work of many concert hall composers. In this feature we’re going to explore the evolution of film music, and in particular the key ingredients that have come to define the Hollywood sound. With so many cinematic sound libraries appearing to offer the elusive ‘Sound of Hollywood’, as well as increasing the desire to compose and produce music for film and TV, it’s a timely exploration of the key practices and approaches taken with screen music. Whether you’re scoring a large-scale action movie or composing for the small screen, understanding the way screen music has developed over time and the conventions it has adopted will ultimately inform and enhance your working process.

From the top

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Although few could deny the power of music, its early relationship with cinema was a complicated one, fraught by both the logistical

Music can illuminate the emotion and feeling behind a scene far better than an image

ome of the greatest moments in cinema aren’t just defined by moving images, but by the dynamic combination of music and picture. Films such as Stars Wars, Psycho, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Inception have used music as a pivotal component in the storytelling – more than just aural wallpaper, they are a device that a director and composer can actively exploit to enhance the audience experience. Ultimately, it’s testament to the power of music when allied with the right picture, and, in particular, the visceral way music can illuminate the emotion and feeling behind a scene far better than any moving image. The journey that music has taken throughout the history of cinema is both a fascinating insight into the changing role of technology and the creative opportunities any screen-based composer can exploit. In many ways, cinematic music has been defined by both its ability to absorb great musical ideas and conventions of the past (such as a symphony orchestra, for example, or some of the great classical composers of the 19th century),

and technical difficulties of aligning music to picture. For early silent films the only option was live music, either performed by a pianist, a small ensemble or organist. In most situations the music was simply improvised, although some of the more ambitious studios and directors would create a suggested cue list of pre-existing music especially selected for the film in question. With the introduction of talkies in the 1920s, music could finally be synchronised to picture; although early systems, such as Vitaphone, were fraught with technical problems, either in their ability to maintain synchronisation or the shockingly poor sound quality of printing a soundtrack ‘optically’ to film. Although systems improved throughout the late 20s it took a while for MAGAZINE November 2014


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performing or recording with the stuffiness that had come to be associated with the concert hall. Rather than exclusively playing classical music, many of Hollywood’s musicians were used to moving between musicals, big bands and the film music orchestra – something that had a significant effect on the vibrancy of the playing. Equally, the sound engineers at the time weren’t afraid to push the technology they had at their disposal, often using creative microphone positioning and a variety of other studio techniques to enhance (rather than just capture) the music they were recording.

Alfred Hitchcock knew the power of marrying the right music to his images, and his collaborations with the legendary Bernard Herrmann are classics.

The sound engineers of the time weren’t afraid to push the technology at their disposal directors to see the artistic and cinematic potential of synchronised, original music scores. Indeed, it wasn’t until Max Steiner’s music for King Kong in 1933 that the symphonic score finally made its first real impact on the cinematic experience.

Bursting onto the scene The golden age of Hollywood, and the point at which music imprinted itself with a film audience, started with the aforementioned King Kong and continued through to the early 50s. One of the best composers of the era, and somebody who illustrates the ‘melting pot’ of ideas that happened in Hollywood during the 1930s, was Erich Wolfgang Korngold (who eventually won an Oscar for The Adventures Of Robin Hood). Born into a Jewish home in Brno, Korngold was lured to Hollywood as a means of escaping the rise of the Nazi party. As such, he brought a direct lineage with European romantic classical music, which is why the sound of Hollywood owes much to the likes of Mahler, Strauss and Wagner. One key composition technique that Erich Korngold brought to Hollywood was the idea of leitmotif, popularised by Wagner. In many ways, Korngold saw film music as a kind of ‘wordless’ opera, composing the music using the same rich, symphonic colours and drama that inhabited a Wagner opera. Key to this was the leitmotif concept, where characters were given distinct themes that could be re-used and adapted to help shape the narrative journey of the piece. Even to this day, leitmotif is a key component in how film music works and how the director and composer lead you through the narrative of the film. Despite inheriting some of the ideas of European classical music, Hollywood wasn’t intent on

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A sound revolution Like popular music, it’s interesting to note how developments in technology changed the way composers and directors thought about the role of music. Throughout the 50s, 60s and 70s, therefore, film music witnessed some major innovations, partly in response to developments in recording technology (particularly the advent of stereo recording), but also in response to composers and directors seeing music in a different way. One of the key players in Hollywood’s ‘modernist’ phase was Bernard Herrmann, who’s pairing with Alfred Hitchcock arguably produced some of the some of the most imaginative (and daring) combinations of music and picture ever created. Through a series of iconic scores for films including Psycho, Vertigo and North by Northwest, Bernard Herrmann demonstrated that sound itself, or more specifically the colour of sound, was just as important as melody and harmony. In many ways, Bernard Herrmann seemed to actively avoid the romantic trappings of a full-sized symphonic orchestra, often assembling a unique combination of instruments

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that, for example, favoured woodwind rather than luscious strings. Bernard Herrmann’s most famous score has to be the music for Psycho, which, as a demonstration of his philosophy – and against some of what Hitchcock’s wanted – was scored exclusively for strings. Rather than scoring melodic lines full of romantic vibrato, though, the strings were used in a shockingly violent and atonal way. The infamous shower scene, for example, was originally intended to be devoid of music, but at Herrmann’s insistence, the addition of his infamous Murder cue complete with its distinctive ‘stabbing strings’ transformed the intensity and impact of the scene.

The sound design trap While much of this move towards sound-based scores can be explained by artistically bold decisions and parallels in contemporary music (which also rejected all forms of traditional melody and harmony), it’s interesting to note how the quality of sound – as noted by Bernard Herrmann himself – may have had a significant part to play. Whereas composers of old could only really ensure the melody translated over poor quality recording and production, ‘modernist’ film composers had far more opportunities for their listeners to hear subtleties in the music. Indeed, Bernard Herrmann even went so far as to indicate pan positions on some of his scores, demonstrating that studio recording had become an important field of opportunity for the contemporary film composer. Of course the trap that all ‘sound-based’ composers face is the relation and crossover between music and sound design. Pointedly, The Birds saw Alfred Hitchcock and Bernard Herrmann rejecting music altogether in favour of abstract, electronically generated sound effects (although Bernard Herrmann was still credited as sound consultant). Today’s film world constantly struggles with this phenomenon, both in respect to the complexity of sound design now evident in major blockbusters but also (and more pointedly) its volume, which often drowns out any subtlety in the music!


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The birth of the blockbuster One of the biggest ironies in the development of film music is that at a time when recording technology was advancing exponentially, Hollywood decided to take its biggest step backwards into the sound of its past. The film that ushered this change was Star Wars, which despite being ahead of its time in respect to special effects actually had some surprisingly ‘old school’ music references. Shot much like an old serialised B-movie from the 40s or 50s and populated by spaceships that looked decidedly rusty, Star Wars wasn’t in the same ‘shiny’ universe populated by other science fiction films. With a story borrowing much from westerns, combined with a medieval tale of a princess locked in dark castle, it made sense that the music paid a similar reference to the golden days of Hollywood, and in particular the work of Korngold in the 30s and 40s. Whereas previous science fiction films had alienating soundtracks, Star Wars felt immediately familiar, carefully referencing the aforementioned Korngold along with Gustav Holst’s The Planets, Edward Elgar and Igor Stravinsky.

Leitmotif mastery One of the key techniques John Williams returned to with Star Wars was the Korngold/Wagner concept of leitmotif. Indeed it’s hard to separate John Williams’

MT Spotlight Technique

Recording a Hollywood Soundtrack

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he way that an orchestra is recorded for a Hollywood soundtrack hasn’t changed greatly since the late 50s, although the technology surrounding the recording, editing and mixing has evolved radically. Even if you don’t intend to record an orchestra it’s highly likely you’ll encounter the principles behind it, especially in relation to modern-day orchestral libraries that use multiple microphone sets. The key to recording an orchestra is to capture the life and energy of the ensemble as a whole, which is why stereo microphones tend to form the body of the sound. The main stereo setup is a three-mic array (left/centre/right) called a Decca Tree, first developed by engineers at Decca records for recording classical music. The left and right channels of the Decca Tree are positioned around 2m apart, almost directly above the conductor’s head, and capture a large part of the width of the orchestra. The centre mic, though, is positioned approximately 1.5m ahead of the L/R mics, and thanks to the ‘Law of the First Wavefront’ (also known as the Precedence Effect) it ensures that the centre of the soundstage gains a small psychoacoustic advantage over the L/R mics. Although the Decca Tree captures a good image of the orchestra it can sometimes miss some of the ‘symphonic width’ of the soundstage, especially in relation to some of the double basses or the back desk of the first violins that are placed at the extreme

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edges of the orchestra. The outriggers therefore, are an ultra-wide stereo pair, positioned halfway between the centre of the soundstage and the extreme left- or right-hand side. On their own these outriggers sound too wide, but couple them with the Decca Tree and the soundstage gains an important extra width and dimensionality. The final piece of the recording puzzle is the spot mics, which are used to provide extra focus and detail to the instrument groups, partially as a result of their relative proximity to the instrument/s in questions. In the case of the strings a spot mic will be used for each desk, whereas members of the woodwind section may well get a different spot mic for each instrument: such as flute one, flute two, oboe and so on. The key to using these three microphone positions – Decca Tree, outriggers and spots – is how they’re blended together. In the case of the spot microphones they’re best used to reinforce the main sound from the Decca Tree, especially with instruments such as the woodwinds that are often placed at some distance from the conductor. This is particularly important if an instrument is used in a solo context, where the addition of the spot microphone can really help the instrument articulate itself over the rest of the mix.

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The Hollywood sound Feature MT

distinctive leitmotifs from the films they were created for: whether it’s Darth Vader’s imposing Imperial March, The Force Theme, or The Raiders March association with Indiana Jones. His skill wasn’t just an ability to write a strong melody, though – and remember how important such a melody was as part of the plot of the John Williams’ scored Close Encounters Of A Third Kind – as his real genius was how he strategically deployed the leitmotif. The key to strong leitmotif writing isn’t just the tune itself (although a memorable hook certainly helps here) but how it’s embedded and quoted in the soundtrack. In E.T., for example, we never hear the

John Williams’ real genius lay in how he strategically deployed the leitmotif theme started fully throughout the first half of the film, instead hearing just short snippets, often played on solo flutes. When E.T. finally takes to the sky on Elliott’s bike we finally have the pay-off and hear the theme in full, played in all its symphonic glory. Deployed in this way, the leitmotif lent an emotional gravity and completeness to the scene that wouldn’t have happened had the theme already been played countless times before. Following the success of Star Wars, the orchestral Korngold-esque score became a ubiquitous part of the blockbuster experience. What might have been a passing phase of the development of music in film quickly reestablished itself as the de facto sound of Hollywood. Indeed, without Star Wars the use of an orchestra on soundtrack recordings could have easily faded out, replaced by smaller ‘eclectic’ ensembles, like those used by Ennio Morricone, or even pop music, as became the standard throughout the 60s and early 70s. The orchestra’s reinstatement, therefore, brought about a second golden age of Hollywood, with a string of Spielberg/Williams epics that cemented the idea of a symphony orchestra being at the heart of the Hollywood sound.

Vangelis’ soundtracks for Chariots of Fire and Blade Runner are landmark works, and remain hugely popular to this day.

milestone in what we now accept as the contemporary Hollywood sound. Significantly, Blade Runner illustrates that the symphonic orchestra and synthesizer can be equals – that an electronic score needn’t be restricted to conveying a limited number of emotions or feelings. Arguably, Vangelis was ahead of his time, as even he struggled to really capitalise on the success of these first two films, possibly restricted by the limitations of technology available in the early 80s. Moving into the 90s we saw a resurgence in scores dictated by the director’s record collections (think: any Tarantino film) and the emotive and sparse piano-driven themes laid out by Thomas Newman (Shawshank Redemption, American Beauty) are still being played (and imitated) across films and TV documentaries to this day, but the new century has brought new themes.

Contemporary Hollywood If there’s one composer who’s wholeheartedly embraced and capitalised on the possibilities of new technology, though, it has to be Hans Zimmer. From relatively humble beginnings (writing the theme tune for the BBC’s Going For Gold back in the 80s), Hans Zimmer has revolutionised the sound of Hollywood and the role of music in film in much the same way as Erich Korngold, Bernard Herrmann and John Williams did before him. Like a growing number of technology-based media composers, Hans Zimmer is notable for his lack of formal music training. In interviews, he has suggested he spent as little as two weeks learning piano, instead preferring to spend his time ‘modifying’ his instrument to create new sounds. Clearly these early experiences have shaped his

Electric dreams Despite the apparent success of Star Wars and the flood of other orchestral soundtracks that followed it, the more electronically-driven score was still making slow and steady progress. One key shift came with Vangelis’ scores for Chariots of Fire and, more notably, Blade Runner. Up until these two films, the assumption was that an electronic score could offer little in the way of humanity, thanks to its ‘other world-y’ sound, so perfectly optimised in Forbidden Planet in 1956. Vangelis’ sound world was different, using instruments such as the Yamaha CS80 in an almost symphonic way, all drenched in sumptuous Lexicon 224 reverb that imbued the Blade Runner soundtrack with a tangible sense of atmosphere. The sound of Blade Runner marks a significant



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Buyer’s Guide: Hollywood Sample Libraries Although there are plenty of orchestral libraries to be found on the market, some are more successful than others at capturing the Hollywood sound. Here’s our pick of the best:

From early efforts such as Rain Man to his later collaborations with Christopher Nolan on the Batman trilogy and Inception, Hans Zimmer has continued to innovate and produce exceptional soundtracks.

approach to music, following a more intuitive approach that blurs the lines between the studio, electronic instruments and the orchestra. For someone who has grown to have such a large impact on film music, Hans Zimmer’s rise through the ranks has been a great demonstration of dogged determination. His early scores, for example, weren’t the powerful blockbusters action films he’s known for now, but relatively light and breezy numbers such as Driving Miss Daisy, Rain Man and The Lion King. Although these scores all featured real instruments, Zimmer’s key selling point, which distinguished him from many other composers working at the time, was the extensive use of sampling technology, notably a Fairlight CMI and other early samplers such as the Roland S-760. With films such as Crimson Tide, The Thin Red Line and Gladiator, Hans Zimmer started to shape a sound that would come to define contemporary Hollywood. One of the most significant developments from a musical perspective was one of scale and impact, understanding that the only way to beat an increasingly powerful use of sound design was to be louder and bigger than the competition! Rather than just working with a live orchestra, therefore, Hans Zimmer’s soundtracks fused samples and real instruments to create a sound of truly ‘larger than Wagner’ proportions.

Sound and vision Another interesting distinction of Hans Zimmer’s music is the way it merges the two leading approaches to film music – leitmotif and sounddriven score. Like John Williams, Hans Zimmer’s scores use plenty of leitmotif concepts, but rather than these being melodically or harmonically source they’re often driven by sound. As such it’s often hard to whistle a tune from a Hans Zimmer soundtrack, but when you hear its sonic fingerprint – the ‘braam’ from Inception, the Joker’s distorted cello ostinato in The Dark Knight, or the thunderous cacophony of drums from Man of Steel – you’ll be instantly transported to the film in question. In many ways, Hans Zimmer’s sound-driven

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● Spitfire Audio Albion 1 (£349) Spitfire Audio seems to release a new library on a month-by-month basis, but their first offering – Albion 1 – is still one of the finest and most affordable ways of capturing the widescreen Hollywood sound. Albion 1 covers the full orchestra, but divides the library into distinct sections: high strings, for example, or low brass. As a result you get the sound of multiple players performing as one, creating a more epic sound than libraries that split things down on an instrument-byinstrument basis. ● ProjectSAM Symphobia 2 (£695) ProjectSAM’s Symphobia series covers three volumes, but it’s arguably Symphobia 2 that’s the most versatile of the three options. Like Albion, Symphobia 2 is often recorded in instrument groups, which gives the library plenty of width and punch where it needs it. There’s also a good range of true legato instruments, which capture the transitions between notes, as well as a wealth of FX patches for more experimental writing. ● Sonokinetic Da Capo ($299) Sonokinetic’s Da Capo is a unique Kontakt-based instrument, designed to present a complete multisampled orchestra at your fingertips. The highly visual interface enables you to assemble custom groupings of instruments and articulations – maybe pizzicato strings and staccato woodwind on your left hand, for example, with legato high brass on your right – that create a surprisingly big cinematic sound all from the one Kontakt instrument.

approach is one that matches the look and feel of contemporary cinema. Visually, the use of colour grading has become an essential part of how a director influences your response to an image on screen, changing the relative hues, saturation or colour balance of each frame. It follows that music – or, specifically, the sound of the music – should also reference these tonal shifts. As an example, note how Hans Zimmer’s soundtracks tonally match the dark blues and blacks used in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, blurring sound and vision in one entity. What’s

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Essential Listening

yet it isn’t heard in isolation, instead forming part of a wide timbral palette that reflects the scale and proportion of what’s seen on screen. Crucially, the orchestra often forms the humanity of the music while the rest of the sound palette – whether it’s thundering taikos, deep subsonic synths or aggressive drums – creates the energy and driving impact of the cue. Of course, where film music will go next is anyone’s guess, but there’s little doubt that it will change and evolve in response to changes in filmmaking. Today’s film scores are being driven by a lot of new talent that takes elements of all that we have discussed in this feature. Composers include the likes of Clint Mansell (Requiem for a Dream, and Black Swan), Cliff Martinez (Drive, and all his work with Steven Soderbergh) and Johnny Greenwood (There Will Be Blood). Yet maybe John Williams returning to score the new series of CGI-light Star Wars films will see a return to the older, more tuneful days of film music, or will the lines between sound design and music become even more blurred? Excitingly, though, technology has evolved to the extent that anyone can now start producing cinematic music with little more than a laptop and a well-stocked collection of Kontakt libraries. Who knows, maybe the real future of Hollywood lies with one of these musicians and the radical new ideas they might bring… MT

Star Wars John Williams Star Wars reignited the traditional Hollywood score, ushering in a series of colorful orchestral soundtracks (many by John Williams himself) that still dominate cinematic music to this day. Star Wars is a masterpiece in leitmotif writing where the themes have become as famous as the characters themselves, as well as defining the narrative journey across all six films. ●

● Vertigo Bernard Herrmann The pairing of Bernard Herrmann and Alfred Hitchcock undoubtedly produced some of the finest combinations of music and images ever created. Just listening to the first few opening bars of Prelude and Rooftop from the Vertigo soundtrack perfectly illustrates Bernard Herrmann’s genius, with its undulating arpeggios on strings, harp and vibraphone punctuated by strident low brass. ● Inception Hans Zimmer Inception is Hans Zimmer’s finest work and a perfect pairing of sound and picture, even to a point where the music embeds itself into the narrative of the film. The sound of the ‘kick’, a song by Édith Piaf, is re-orchestrated and slowed-down multiple times so that we hear it just like the characters in the film do.

Modern sample libraries put the power of the orchestra at your fingertips.

interesting is how linked the music and the pictures become. Whereas Williams’ soundtracks stand up to listening away from their filmic settings, Zimmer’s work doesn’t translate so well. Embedded into a film like Inception, though, and it’s clear that the movie and the film are transformed – both are greater than the sum of their parts.

A new hope Rather than throwing away the orchestra, as happened in the 50s and 60s, the sound of contemporary Hollywood seems to embrace both the cinematic sound that we all know and love, as well as pushing new sonic boundaries that challenge and alert our ear’s attention. The sound of a 400-year-old musical phenomenon – the symphony orchestra – is still a crucial part of our cinematic experience,

20 | November 2014


MAGAZINE

25/09/2014 13:56

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MT Feature Eduardo Tarilonte

MT Feature Interview

INDUSTRY GURU Eduardo Tarilonte is producing some of the best sample libraries around, taking us on mystical journeys to places and times both real and fantastical. Andy Jones meets the man at the forefront of sound design…

I

f you are of a certain age you might remember the pop/dance phenomenon that was Enigma. It was an act formed by Michael Cretu that very much tapped into the chilled Ibizan vibes that were doing the rounds during the first sunset of dance music around the early-to-mid 90s. Cretu’s Enigma embraced the post-rave feel with laid-back grooves, sensual female vocals… and monks. Gregorian chants would be his key ingredient and helped him shift

I started off playing accordion but I got hooked on synths the first time I heard them millions of his debut album MCMXC a.D. in 1990, and between that and a half-dozen follow-ups he racked up 100 Platinum sales awards across the world. Not bad for some beats and chants. Fast forward to 2014 and monks, fantasy and mystery are very much back in vogue, certainly in the world of sample libraries. This is, in part of course, down to the success of the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies but it’s also down to

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Eduardo Tarilonte Feature MT

one Eduardo Tarilonte and his Best Service libraries. MusicTech was one of the first to pile plaudits on Tarilonte’s early Forest Kingdom series, but it’s been his vocal fantasy series that has put him on the sound designing map. Precision vocal recordings have made these essential packages for anyone wanting original soundscapes, whispering, chanting, spoken word and phrases within a wide variety of genres. He’s covered everything from elves (Shevannai) to the Renaissance (Altus) while Mystica (reviewed on p71) offers bewitching female vocals that act as a counterpoint to the Gregorian chanting from Cantus. And that Gregorian chanting brings us full circle back to Enigma, because so good is Cantus that Mr. Michael Cretu himself has endorsed it. And so good are the rest of Tarilonte’s collections that we are endorsing him with this coveted MusicTech Industry Guru interview… MusicTech: How did you get into recording in the first place? Eduardo Tarilonte: I started my career as a musician, although my dream was being a soundtrack composer. When I was a child I started playing accordion but I got hooked on synthesizers the first time I listened to them. I remember during my childhood playing lots of soundtracks, TV themes and Jean Michel Jarre music on a Technics organ. I still remember the day that I could afford my first Korg synth – it took me almost two years to pay for it! But I was then composing every single day, so when I turned 18 I decided to dedicate my life to music and fight for my dream of being a composer. Over the next 14 years I struggled to make a living from music, playing in many bands, mainly folk and Celtic and rock, while I composed music for some TV companies. Despite all the troubles, which were a lot, I never gave up. Besides synths there was something I loved even more: virtual instruments. I am 41, so when I started, the idea of making a great mock-up just with a computer was almost a dream, but I had the chance to see how that world evolved. Of course, I never thought I could end up being a sample library developer! In 2004 I composed a track using a library from Bela D Media. I was surprised when they contacted me asking if they could use it as an official demo. Of course I said yes! Some months later, Frank Belardino, the owner of the company, asked me if I would like to be a sample library developer. I was shocked, but didn’t think twice, since virtual instruments were fascinating to me. I started to think what I could do to create a great sample library. Since I was playing in Celtic groups for a long time, I decided to make a Celtic sample library dedicated to winds: Celtic Wind. It was released in 2006 and was one of the first ones to use the advantages of the new

Eduardo Tarilonte



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Kontakt 2 scripting. The success of it took me by surprise. I think one of the secrets was that I carefully recorded all of the noises of the instruments to add them later in a controllable way. I also focused on the playability: one instrument with all the articulations in a single patch. That’s how I started, and of course I got addicted to developing since the very first second. After that more libraries were released with great reviews. In 2009 I contacted Best Service and, since then, we have had a great business relationship and an even better friendship.

(Above) As you can see, it’s a dead serious business making sample libraries…

MT: Do you have a recording philosophy, something that you personally bring to the studio?

I think that using the right sound is important to get the right feeling and get inspired ET: It’s clear that music is about emotions, and the same is applied to recording and producing. For me it is not so important having great gear but more about what you record or produce in terms of transmitting emotions or the inner essence. MT: Tell us a little about your studio – main components, how it came together… ET: I have a room at home where I do all of the post-production for my sample libraries. For recording sessions I always hire a professional recording studio. I am very picky when it come to the sound and not every place is good to record.

Since I record many different musicians I tend to hire a recording studio close to where the players live if they cannot come to the city where I am. My favourite gear for recording is simple: Neumann mics and Avalon preamps. For editing, I use WaveLab to cut and edit samples and Cubase for my demos. I also use Melodyne for extra tuning. MT: How would a track typically start structurewise and then progress? ET: It depends. I usually start with some string pads to create the general harmonic idea. After that I start to elaborate a melody or some arrangements. If I like the idea then I start to see which instruments fit better to the arrangements. I think that using the right sound is important to get the right feeling and get inspired. That’s why sample libraries are so great to compose with. Listening to the exact instrument sound while composing is magic. That was just a dream 15 years ago. MT: What are your favourite sound-generating studio tools? ET: I play accordion, Celtic harp and keyboards. No guitars. I am not a huge fan of real synths as I prefer virtual instruments for that. Everything in my studio is virtual. I just record real things to sample them. My favourite software tools for sound are Kontakt, Absynth, Zebra, Alchemy and Omnisphere. And as I said before, I couldn’t live without Cubase and WaveLab. MT: And what plug-ins or outboard do you find most creative? ET: For plug-ins I love iZotope. I use RX 4 Advanced, Ozone 5, Alloy 2 and Iris. All these are very



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THE BEST SERVICE CONNECTION

versatile, easy to use and completely reliable in terms of performance. MT: What advice have you picked up from working in the industry? ET: I know it sounds like a cliché, but ‘keeping on’ is the best advice ever. In my case, struggling for 15 years is a pretty good example of that. It’s not easy, but this is not a short-term business – you need many years to improve, get contacts, etc. Another important point is to be yourself. I have never been interested in doing the same things others do. It’s okay – we all have our likes – but if you want to be good at something you must be yourself. No-one will do what you do better than you. If you emulate others then you will never be able to express what you have inside, and music is all about that. Over the business or any other thing, making music, producing, developing sample libraries is about expressing your inner world for others to enjoy. MT: And advice from all your years working in the studio? ET: I’ve learned that if you want to do something exactly as you want, you have to do it by yourself. You cannot request others to do it because they will do it their way, not your way, even if you tell them exactly how to do it. I am very picky about how I want things to be recorded, not only in terms of sound but also in terms of how everything is played – that’s probably the most important point. Also,

(Below) Eduardo Tarilonte’s success is a product of years of hard graft coupled with a deep understanding of what makes a piece of music sing.

Be yourself – I have never been interested in doing the same things that others do

MT: How did you get involved with the Best Service vocal collections? ET: As I explained I started my career as a composer, but soon I realised that virtual instruments were even more appealing. In 2009 I started to work with Best Service. That was my best decision so far as not only did I get perfect business partners but also best friends. A big part of my success is thanks to Best Service. Regarding the vocal libraries they have always been in my mind since the beginning, but there is no doubt that vocals are the hardest thing to sample. You can tweak any sample from any instrument and it still sounds good, but if you tweak a vocal sample even slightly it will sound fake… One of the first things I wanted to do when I started developing vocal libraries was a playable library: something easy to use in a single patch like the other instruments I did before. So, a mix between true legato and words and syllables was a must. That’s how the ‘auto vowel’ idea came up. I wanted to be able to play words and syllables and blend them with the true legato articulation automatically. So I recorded true legato in five vowels – there is no playable vocal library without a good true legato. The ‘auto vowel’ feature looks like something simple and logical once you play it, but no one had done it before. Another decision I had to make was choosing to be able to write and sing almost everything or not. In my opinion a library with a full word builder will never sound good even with the technological tools and advancements we have nowadays, so I decided to record quite a few words that could be split later to create a lot of sonic possibilities. I prefer to create a real feeling of a spoken language without any meaning rather than being able to write everything and having it sound fake. Speaking about Cantus and Mystica, one of my main goals was recording the choirs without filtering the samples. I wanted the real sound. Many choir libraries sound great, but you can notice that some have been heavily filtered to avoid resonance issues. That removes the soul from them and doesn’t allow you to use them in an out-of-the-box context. It has been a huge challenge, but since I love challenges I will still release more vocal libraries. I have learned a lot since Shevannai was released. MT: Where did the idea and inspiration come from to produce the range in the first place? ET: Shevannai was my first vocal library and its inspiration came from The Lord of the Rings. When I listened to the track Twilight and Shadow featuring Renée Fleming I was so impressed that I said to myself: ‘I must sample a vocal library able to transmit such deep feelings.’ That was in 2009 and Shevannai was released in 2013. That shows that I take a lot of care to record exactly what I want. It took me a long time to find the right singer. After Shevannai, the dream of recording a Gregorian choir came true. My main inspiration has always been to create emotional yet cinematic sample libraries.



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The player has to perform every single sample as if he were playing a beautiful melody (Above) Eduardo’s latest collection, Mystica, is based around recordings of eight female vocalists – read our in-depth verdict on p71. (Left) We suspected as much already, but we think it’s now fair to say that Eduardo is a big fan of monks.

get a robotic sample library. If I had a secret, it would definitely be capturing the soul. MT: What is on your studio gear wish list? ET: Well, I am the kind of person that doesn’t need everything in order to be happy, but I would love a big Avid mixer/controller.

once you get in the studio you must really concentrate to get the best out of the recording session. If something fails, you will have to come back to the studio and hire the musicians again.

MT: What would you like to see developed in terms of studio technology and why? ET: I would love to see some kind of advancement in terms of WAV manipulation to create even better virtual instruments. In my opinion, Kontakt scripting and Melodyne have been the most innovative tools in the past years for such a task.

MT: Talk us through at least one of your production tricks or processes that you tend to use most often and that perhaps defines your sound over others… ET: There are no real tricks besides recording exactly what you want. The most important thing I have learned is that the recordings are the most crucial thing in developing a sample library. Another vital element is keeping in mind that recording samples, although it is sometimes boring, must be like playing music. You must always remind the player that he has to play every single sample as if he were playing a beautiful melody. Capturing the soul of the player is extremely important when you put all the pieces of the puzzle together in the final stage. If you record something without soul you will

MT: Tell us about your latest release, Mystica… ET: I’ve always been a Gregorian choir lover. When I started developing sample libraries in 2005, one of my first dreams was to record a true Gregorian monk choir, but at that time I didn’t have enough resources to do it, nor the experience I have now. After releasing Cantus: Gregorian Chants I thought about doing the same but with a female choir. The most important point about Mystica is that it is incredibly versatile. It has a unique and absolutely evocative tone. There are too many libraries with epic choirs, but none with that emotional yet epic feeling. Besides the beautiful sound and possibilities it offers to a composer, I am especially proud of how the true legato sounds.



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MT Feature Eduardo Tarilonte

Mystica is amazing working standalone, but when blended with Cantus you have an unbelievable choir sound. A dream come true.

THE RECORDING PROCESS Eduardo has experienced all sorts of recording situations. Here he details some of the specific methods he uses when recording vocalists… MT: You must have used a variety of vocal recording techniques along the way. Tell us about your most commonly used method, and about some other techniques that you’ve learned… ET: For solo voices I like just one close mic to capture every nuance. For choirs, I use different mic positions that are mixed at the end. There is no general rule, you have to go there and test which one is better for the sound you want to capture. One of the things I have learned is that close mic’ing, while great for capturing the real sound, is not always the best method since you can get more unwanted noises from the instrument than you would expect. Recording samples is not the same as recording for an album. It must sound good out of the box, must be clean, and must be perfect. So my advice is to take all the time you need trying some different mic positions before recording in order to make sure you get the right sound. MT: What is the biggest challenge you face when recording the collections and why? ET: Recording vocals is always challenging. The singers don’t always have perfect voices, and their voices don’t sound the same after long recording sessions, and that’s a real problem – I am always paying special attention to that. No matter if you record two different notes on a Monday and Wednesday, they have to sound the same when you play them on your keyboard. I am always concerned about that fact and I am extremely careful about it. Every hour I go back and check if the sound is still exactly the same. That also happens with some ancient instruments because of reed humidity and other factors. MT: We’re huge fans of not just the vocal parts but also the soundscapes. Tell us how these were put together and the inspiration behind them… ET: I have always been a fan of new-age music and was fascinated with how inspiring the sound textures could be. When I make a soundscape I have two things in mind: it must sound natural, and you must travel to an imaginary place when you play it. I started making soundscapes because I had the feeling that most of the synth pads were too electronic. My soundscapes always have to be at least 70% natural sound. The synth part is just to add power and magic to it.

Selected kit list ● Accordion ● Celtic harp ● Celemony Melodyne ● iZotope Alloy 2 ● iZotope Iris ● iZotope Ozone 5 ● RX 4 Advanced ● Native Instruments Absynth ● Native Instruments Kontakt ● Spectrasonics Omnisphere ● Steinberg Cubase ● Steinberg WaveLab ● u-he Zebra ● Various Neumann microphones ● Various Avalon preamps ● Waves Alchemy

(Below) Eduardo always uses a top-notch studio for recording, but, for him, the most important part of the process is to capture the soul of the performer.

MT: Tell us a little about your process… ET: The first part is having an idea. I like to think of sample libraries as a book of adventures or a movie. It must tell something, express an idea and a feeling, from the cover design to how you will be touched when you play the first notes on your keyboard. I don’t like releasing just a bunch of samples and instruments. Once I have the idea and a title for it, I start looking for the players carefully. I need to record a player that really understands what he or she is doing and who is able to transmit their deepest feelings to every single sample. Finding the right musician is probably the most time-consuming task. The recording sessions are always thrilling and scary at the same time. If you fail, there is nothing you can do later. I am always nervous. I don’t like tweaking samples, so the recordings must be clean and perfect. Once the recording sessions are finished and okay that’s when I am sure the sample library will be finally released. After that comes the most tedious and boring part: editing samples. It’s endless. You can do it fast if you’re skilled from years of experience, but you also must listen to every sample again to make sure everything is fine. Once the edits are done, mapping and programming is next. That’s my favourite part: you can start to listen to how the instruments sound and get an idea of the final result. While all these parts of the process are happening I also take care of the cover design and the interface, so they are ready when the instruments begin to be programmed. It’s a huge effort in terms of work and money and also a risk, since you won’t know the final result until almost the end of the whole process. But you know, no risk, no glory! MT: Which of your collections are you most proud of and why? ET: That’s a tough question! I would say Forest Kingdom because it is full of amazing and inspiring sounds; Era because you can find unbelievable ancient instruments; Desert Winds because of its duduk with six different true legatos; Cantus because it’s absolutely inspiring; and Mystica for the same reason and because of its beautiful true legato. But there is no collection I am not proud of, otherwise it wouldn’t have been released. MT: Finally, what have you got planned for the near future? ET: Although I still want to release more vocal libraries, what’s next is Era 2 [sequel to Era: Medieval Legends]. It’s gonna be a huge upgrade not only in terms of new instruments and sounds, but also the new Engine player version which, among other things, will improve the user interface. MT

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MAGAZINE

25/09/2014 09:47

THE KOMPLETE INSTRUMENT.

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MT Landmark Productions Kate Bush: Hounds of Love

Landmark Productions No. 32

The tracks

1. Running up That Hill (A Deal With God) 2. Hounds of Love 3. The Big Sky 4. Mother Stands for Comfort 5. Cloudbusting 6. And Dream of Sheep 7. Under Ice 8. Waking the Witch 9. Watching You Without Me 10. Jig of Life 11. Hello Earth 12. The Morning Fog

KATE BUSH: HOUNDS OF LOVE

Engineers Del Palmer, Haydn Bendall, Brian Tench, Paul Hardiman, Nigel Walker, James Guthrie Producer Kate Bush Produced at Wickham Farm Home Studio In light of her glorious return to the stage we’ve decided to revisit Kate Bush’s finest hour. The textured, melodic Hounds of Love found the artist firing on all cylinders. Andy Price throws his shoes into the lake…

W

hen Kate Bush first materialised out of the ether in the latter half of the 70s the popular music world was more than a little perplexed. Plucked from relative obscurity by Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, Bush released her suitably proggy breakthrough smash Wuthering Heights and resulting LP The Kick Inside in 1978. Over the next few years she gained a sizeable following with a series of increasingly experimental and musically

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MT140.LandmarksKateBush.indd 34

diverse records, reaching glorious heights with her 1985 masterwork Hounds of Love. Perhaps taking inspiration from David Bowie’s Berlin trilogy, Bush conceptually divided the record into two distinct halves. The first, more mainstream-friendly side being subtitled ‘Hounds of Love’ while the second side consisted of more impressionistic music and was subtitled ‘The Ninth Wave’ – the title of a poem by one of her towering literary

MAGAZINE

25/09/2014 09:49

Kate Bush: Hounds of Love Landmark Productions MT

The Fairlight CMI (which stands for Computer Music Instrument) was a key tool in the realisation of Hounds of Love.

growl the word ‘throw’ on this, the album’s title track. Hounds of Love kicks off with the sampled phrase “It’s in the trees, it’s coming!” (taken from horror movie Night of the Demon) before exploding into a gorgeous synth-underbed, pulsing with a big drum sound. Very soon Bush once again demonstrates her powerful vocal range, and even though a fascinating musical tapestry is created here it is this vocal that is impossible to ignore. The song’s synth-pad base is countered by a folk-y, repetitive string section that serves to fuel the paper-thin tension evoked by Bush’s singing. The Big Sky is dominated by a funky, bouncy bass guitar, multi-tracked vocals and what is essentially a singular hook that is repeated throughout the song. The simplistic guitar riff that kicks in towards the song’s conclusion serves as a secondary hook before Bush’s gospel chorus of multi-tracked vocals rounds off the song in an unexpected way.

And now for something completely different…

influences: Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Enlisting the help of her long-term boyfriend and musical collaborator, Del Palmer, and a team of engineers, including James Guthrie who worked on (amongst other records) Pink Floyd’s audacious The Wall, recording began at Bush’s recently constructed 48-track studio, which she had built in an old barn situated next to her family home. Bush would describe building her own studio as “the best decision I ever made”, and she kitted it out with the most up-to-date music technology of the time: LinnDrum

A rich variety of expressive composition, and thoughtful yet experimental production

Mother Stands for Comfort distinctly shifts the tone. The opening three tracks’ joyous mania makes way for a more contemplative air as Bush lyrically reflects on the protective relationship between a mother and son – despite the son’s wrongdoings (murder?) he knows that his mother will always protect him. The track features the kinetic, fretless bass of Eberhard Weber, who collaborated with Bush on preceding album The Dreaming. His flowing, moving bass is the key element of this track, which also features a lovely matching piano/vocal melody, unusual distant whistling and a curious backward phasing effect. Cloudbusting is a sample-heavy composition that Bush wrote and arranged on the Fairlight CMI. “Discovering the Fairlight gave me a whole new writing tool, as well as an arranging tool,” Bush told Option magazine in 1990, “…like the difference between writing a song on a piano or on a guitar. With a Fairlight you’ve got everything: a tremendous range of things. It completely opened me up to sounds and textures, and I could experiment with these in a way I could never have done without it.” The heart-wrenchingly beautiful and cinematic And Dream of Sheep begins the ‘Ninth Wave’ section of the record.

machines, a vast array of synths and, most importantly, her Fairlight CMI sampler, which she had utilised heavily on preceding album The Dreaming and would incorporate in a very forward-thinking way on Hounds of Love and future productions. She composed the bulk of the album’s material with the Fairlight after using a Yamaha CS-80 as her primary composition tool on previous albums. Talking to Electronic Music Maker in 1982 Bush said that what attracted her to the Fairlight was “its ability to create very human, animal, emotional sounds that don’t actually sound like a machine. I think in a way that’s what I’ve been waiting for.”

Opening track Running up That Hill was one of a handful of tracks written by Bush on piano, and is a song sweeping with majesty, yearning and power. The musical landscape is defined by the instantly familiar skittish synth riff and insistent drum machine beat. Electric guitar plays its part too, peppering itself through the latter half of the track in little mini-furious fuzzy freak-outs. All the while Bush’s dramatic and emotive vocals take centre stage. Multi-tracked vocals compete and bolster the lush melody. “Take your shoes off, and throoow them in a lake!’’ Bush then impetuously commands, elongating with a compelling

Building her own studio gave Kate the time and space to fully explore and realise her unique musical visions.

Photo © Getty Images

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Bush’s vocals are touchingly soft, layered over glacial piano chords and sampled sound effects that include unsettling disconnected voices and distant seagulls, evoking Dark Side of the Moon-era Pink Floyd. Under Ice is a dramatic and scene-setting piece that features multi-layered vocals, building to a climax that never comes. Bush used her home studio as an instrument when creating this side’s seven-song suite. Shortly after building her studio, Bush told MTV that “when you work experimentally it actually becomes prohibitive because it costs money to work in a commercial studio. Plus the distractions. So you have to find your own place, and you’ve got to get the best equipment in there that you can afford!” The eighth track Waking the Witch is a chilling piece of textured sound. A freaky, whispered voice states “wake up” with an ominous swelling piano chord kicking off the composition (which is actually recorded backwards) resolving into a sampled voice saying “this is your early morning call” before exploding into a sea of chopped-up myriad voices insisting that the listener (or Bush herself) wakes up. Crazed piano and guitar arpeggios then form an uneasy, uncomfortable musical landscape as the track conjures an image of a witch trial. Watching You Without Me is the perfect comedown from the insanity of the previous aural onslaught. The next piece of music Jig of Life is undeniably Celtic in influence, complete with violins, pipes and, yes… a jig-able rhythm. However, as this is Kate Bush nothing is quite as it seems: the melody takes a dark and spooky turn as her vocals get more demented. Halfway through, the song breaks down into a violin solo before poetic, Irish vocals (provided by Kate’s brother Paddy) kick in. Jig of Life was (appropriately) arranged by Riverdance composer Bill Whelan. Hello Earth commences with more sampled voices, this time, incongruously, of astronauts, before settling into a more traditional piece of music – a melodically gorgeous piano ballad that grows in power as the track continues. The track then seemingly stops, as a male vocal chorus kicks in. The effect is unnerving; shortly after, the musical elements of the song then re-assert themselves. The album’s final song The Morning Fog satisfactorily resolves the album both musically and thematically with an uplifting and sprightly melody. Bush’s lyrics are positive, referring to being ‘born again’ and how much she loves her various family members, as Del Palmer’s sterling bass work keeps the various musical elements together. Though the song is short it works as a piece of musical punctuation, bringing Bush’s most aurally stimulating work to a close.

Photo © Getty Images

MT Landmark Productions Kate Bush: Hounds of Love

Her residency at the Hammersmith Apollo may be at an end, but we’ve got a feeling that’s far from the last we’ll hear from Kate Bush…

Don’t give up As we’re sure you’re aware, the music world has been all-a-fluster of late due to Bush returning to live performance. She has just finished a 22-night residency at the Hammersmith Apollo, and the Before the Dawn show focuses

on most of the music from Hounds of Love, with ‘The Ninth Wave’ side being dramatically brought to life around Bush in a conceptual extravaganza. It’s thrilling that after all these years this work is gaining widespread exposure and Bush has the resources to fully realise her vision live, utilising not only music but theatre, dance and film. It’s no surprise that Hounds of Love is regarded as the Bush magnum opus, with a rich variety of progressive composition, thoughtful yet experimental production, and a clarity of vision that puts her head and shoulders above many of her 80s pop contemporaries. Hounds of Love rewards each listen and arguably catches the spirit of Kate Bush more distinctly than any of her other albums . MT

The players: Kate Bush

Conceptual singer/ songwriter and producer, Bush created her own studio at Wickham Farm, giving her the freedom and time to craft her musical landscapes.

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Del Palmer

Longtime Bush band member, studio bassist and boyfriend, Del Palmer worked with Kate on track composition and also led the studio engineering team.

Paddy Bush

Kate’s multiinstrumentalist brother Paddy contributed guitar, mandolin and a variety of other unusual instruments, including the didgeridoo!

James Guthrie

Best known for his work with Pink Floyd on The Wall, Guthrie worked with Bush engineering the record, and conducted the orchestral sessions for Cloudbusting.

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MT Technique Working with hit points

Technique Producing Music To Picture, Part 2

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Working with hit points

Requirements Our Producing Music To Picture feature is illustrated using Logic but you can apply the principals to whatever DAW you use.

Getting your soundtrack to follow the action on screen is an essential part of composing music to picture. Mark Cousins shows you how to hit your marks.

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ne of the most important skills of any film and TV soundtrack composer is the ability to ‘lock’ their music to the action that’s happening on screen. Although it would be foolish to spot every action with some form of musical gesture (unless you’re scoring a Tom and Jerry animation, that is), it is important that your music follows the broad pace of the cut as well as marking key points in the narrative. To do this, a composer will often resort to a variety of techniques such as varying the time signature, tempo and

On the disc Accompanying project file included on the DVD

It’s important that your music follows the pace and marks key points in the narrative pulse of a cue, so that the music discretely aligns itself with the action on screen. As we saw in last month’s workshop the key initial stage of the compositional process is the establishment of a series of SMPTE-locked markers, which can be used as a visual guide to ensure your timeline and musical structure matches the action on screen. What should become apparent in this workshop is that the amount and relative density of the markers is often critical to the success of the final score. Put simply, placing too many markers will make your music unnecessarily complicated, whereas a few well-chosen markers will mean that the task of aligning the music becomes simpler.

overall pace and energy of the scene. So, although a tempo of 158bpm might mean that you can hit each and every marker, it could be too fast for the action happening on screen. The beauty of working with a DAW, of course, is that you can quickly audition a variety of options and immediately hear and see the relative merits of each solution. In situations where your current tempo doesn’t result in the music aligning itself with the hit points you can adopt a variety of different solutions. Arguably the simplest solution is a time signature change, so that the marker hits the downbeat of a new bar. A bar might be cut short, for example, so that a 4/4 bar becomes 3/4; to facilitate the hit point arriving earlier, or a beat added (making a 5/4 measure); or if the music needs to be extended to the next hit point. Musically speaking, the addition or subtraction of a beat can be a relatively transparent modification that most casual listeners will miss. Where marker points fall off the beat, you’ll need to consider the

Just in time Before diving in at the deep end it’s worth considering the broad overarching tempo of your cue, balancing the need to precisely hit all the markers as well as matching the

THE WONDERS OF TIMECODE Before the invention of the DAW, composers used a variety of mathematical techniques to ensure their music aligned to picture. Even with a DAW, though, these techniques can still be a good way of finding a best-fit tempo, especially when you have a variety of hit points to match. Luckily a number of online calculation tools (like the one found at www. fransabsil.nl/htm/eventhit.htm) can help you in the task. Frans Absil’s calculator lets you input a series of hit points in m:ss:dd format, which it then uses to calculate a number of recommended tempo suggestions, alongside an Error amount for each point. Remember that the music needn’t be 100% sample accurate, so you’ll be able to get away with more errors than you might first think!

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Working with hit points Technique MT

MT Step-by-Step Aligning your markers

Following on from the last workshop, you should have imported a video file and placed a series of SMPTE-locked markers. We’ve also allotted for a two-pop at the start, as well as marking the beginning of the picture.

We’re using the first bar to cover the two-pop, so we’ll leave this at 120bpm unless you want more silence before the music starts. On bar two, therefore, insert a new tempo event that will form the basic tempo of our cue.

Adjust the tempo event on bar two to find a ‘best fit’ for the given hit points. Ideally the markers should align themselves with a downbeat or a subdivision of the bar. 98bpm works well, but we’re going to choose 128bpm for a faster cue.

In situations where the marker falls mid bar, you always have the option to spot the action with a music feature– say, a chord stab or percussive effect – on the accompanying beat. If the hit point needs more impact, though, this isn’t a good strategy.

Where you want to align the marker to a downbeat, consider inserting a time signature change, such as taking a 4/4 bar to 3/4, or stretching it to 5/4. Executed correctly, the addition or removal of a beat shouldn’t be too conspicuous.

For trickier alignments you can always use a small bar of silence before a given marker point, something that can also work to your musical advantage. To start with, place two tempo events at the beginning and end of your chosen bar.

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use of tempo changes as means of stretching or compressing the music ahead of a hit point. The issue with tempo changes is that they can start to become noticeable to the listener, unless you can keep them within one or two beats-per-minute of change. One interesting work-around is to align your tempo change with a bar of silence, or at the very least, a bar that’s devoid of any noticeable rhythmic movement or pulse. When applied to an empty bar, the tempo change becomes like a form of elastic padding,

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enabling you to slip in the subsequent musical material in a precise and relatively subtle way. Used in a considered way (rather than just as a necessity), tempo can serve as both a musical tool and help you meet the next hit point. Raising the tempo of an action cue is a great way of adding tension, whereas gradual rises and falls of tempo can be a useful way of changing the shape of a cue, so that the music comes down from a ‘high’, for example, or that there’s a subtle lift at the end. Don’t forget MAGAZINE November 2014 |


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MT Technique Working with hit points

that even the slightest change of tempo can have a big effect on the feel of the music, even though the listener might not be completely aware of what you’ve done. Whatever solution you adopt it’s important to remember the role and function of the music and the need to make your transformations and tweaks in a transparent way. Ultimately, as soon as the listener hears the music being deliberately ‘modified’ in some way, you’ve shattered the illusion – the music is now subservient to the picture, rather

than the two forms working in conjunction. Establishing the correct ‘grid’ has a transformative effect on the rest of the process, enabling you to concentrate on the notes, harmony and arrangement, rather than being constantly distracted by the mechanics of aligning your music to picture. MT This tutorial is endorsed by Point Blank. With courses in London, online and now LA, Point Blank is The Global Music School. You can study sound to picture on their Music Production Diploma courses, with pro industry tutors. More info here: www.pointblanklondon.com

MT Step-by-Step Aligning your markers… cont’d

Adjusting the tempo of your silent bar will enable you to precisely align the next marker. Raise the tempo to pull the marker closer, lower it to move it away. Consider using a reverse sound to fill the gap, or just leave it empty for dramatic effect!

Used carefully, tempo changes can be a useful tool to help pull your music into shape. A gradual rallentando or accelerando can discreetly pull your music into line, as well as changing the feel of the cue, arguably increasing or decreasing its pace.

While it won’t necessarily help align your music to a hit point, it’s also interesting to contrast simple time signatures (like 4/4) and compound time signatures with a triplet feel (12/8). To maintain the 4/4 pulse, though, you’ll need to raise the tempo.

Starting off in your original 4/4 tempo, insert a new region and then ensure that it is time-locked to SMPTE. Now, when you change to 12/8 notice how the region effectively becomes shorter than a bar, as the DAW is counting triplets as quavers.

Increase the tempo at the same point as you inserted a time signature event, raising it so that the length of the region is equal to the bar length. In this case, 150bpm in 4/4 becomes 225bpm in 12/8, maintaining the same 4/4 pulse but in 12/8.

Another interesting work-around is to use you DAW’s score writing abilities. Inserting a metronome marking (on a dotted crochet setting) will enable you to see the equivalent 4/4 pulse. If your new tempo is correct it should match the old 4/4 tempo.

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MT Technique Understanding how keys work

Requirements

New Series Composition Techniques, Part 2

Understanding how keys work

Our Composition Techniques features are illustrated using Cubase but you can apply the principals to whatever DAW you use.

Before we begin composing we need to understand the importance of keys and how a working knowledge of them can help us devise creative ideas. Andy Price explains…

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n this instalment of our new songwriting series we’re going to be taking a closer look at the foundations on which our songs are built musically by analysing diatonic keys. If you started songwriting without any theoretical music education (as I did) then you might have, subconsciously, picked up the principles of keys and scales by ear, perhaps without even realising. That’s not to say this tutorial is therefore unimportant for the ‘by ear’ songwriter, as understanding exactly what you’re doing technically when you write a song, even after the fact, can be hugely illuminating and improve your abilities. So without further ado, let’s delve into the theory…

A key is the major or minor scale that a piece of music revolves around I’ve got the key…


There are 12 major keys, which generally have a more upbeat and positive sound, and 12 corresponding minor keys, which evoke a more emotive and sad response in the listener. Combined there are 24 keys that can be used to create your songs. It can be confusing, however, as some people refer to the flat and sharp keys differently. For example, some people may refer to the key of Db as C#, but nothing has changed, it’s the same key (the individual note names will have changed to sharps or flats too). It’s best to establish early on how you’re going to refer to these notes to eliminate any confusion when writing.

Notes of note Harmonically, the notes in each key all lead back to the tonic, as a sense of resolution is achieved when we end up back there. Music is considered ‘tonal’ when it adheres to this structure, and the human ear (and brain) experiences pleasure when resolution is achieved through the use of keys and tonics. When the whole piece doesn’t adhere to this you might call the music

A key is the major or minor scale that a piece of music revolves around. In each key there are seven major diatonic chords – each of these correlates with the seven notes in each key’s scale. However, the more musically savvy among you may realise that some chords can be used in more than one key: A major, for example, can be used in the key of A, D and E. If a song is played in the key of C, then all the ingredients that make up that song, such as the chords and melody, conform to those same seven notes. The root note of each key is referred to as the tonic. In the same way that the root note of a chord acts as the musical foundation, the tonic of a key is the centre of the seven notes in the key. For example, the root note of the C major scale is the note C.

FOCUS ON… THE CIRCLE OF FIFTHS The circle of fifths illustration was first devised by German composer Johann David Heinichen in 1728, and helps to understand the relationships between notes, both in a chordal sense and in terms of key. The reason it is best to demonstrate this in a circular wheel is because as you go clockwise around the circle the notes increase by a perfect fifth. For example, the fifth note in the key of D is A, and the fifth note in the key of A is E. The circle of fifths is an easy way of finding out what key your song is in, or useful as a resource to plan your composition. It will also aid you in understanding just what a chord is theoretically. It will also help you in determining the relative minors of each key.

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Understanding how keys work Technique MT

MT Step-by-Step Transposing with the circle of fifths

Key of F Major F, G, A, B , C, D, E Every key has three major chords contained within: the first, fourth and fifth chords are the majors. The fourth chord is a perfect fourth from the first (the tonic) and the fifth chord is a perfect fifth away.

As you can see on the circle of fifths, the root notes of the fourth and fifth chords are arranged to the left and the right of the tonic note, therefore you can easily work out the notes that make up your chords.

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Useable chords for your songs can all be found in the same quadrant as the chord you’ve started on – using chords from opposite areas of the circle usually results in dissonance.

The circle makes it simple to transpose your compositions into other keys. For example, once you’ve written a song in the key of C you can easily find the corresponding chords in a different key by simply looking at the circle.

Use the circle to write a four-chord loop in a major key, then, by referring to the circle, shift the composition up by a perfect fifth (the next note/chord on the circle from your starting point).

This can be a great way to alter the atmosphere and mood of your compositions – practice upping your keys by a fifth often and soon the process will stick. Your DAW makes this process even simpler.

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‘atonal’ – this can be interesting, although for the most part it’s unpleasant to listen to. The next time you listen to a piece of music try and isolate the tonic (usually a song will end with the tonic as it serves as the perfect resolution). However many songs, such as prog or jazz compositions, have multiple parts (in effect, multiple mini-songs joined together) and so may have different tonics throughout as the song evolves. This may all seem dreary and overly technical but having a working knowledge of the reason why certain

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chords work and sound the way they do can really help you on your artistic journey. Writing music may come from the heart and you may have already written great music before reading this feature. Indeed, don’t limit yourself – if you stumble upon a chordal combination that strangely works, despite not being part of the same key, then by all means use it to build a piece of music. I hope this has given you a solid overview of how keys work – if you grasp the theory it will make the songwriting process far easier the next time you sit down to write a future classic! MT MAGAZINE


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MT Technique Understanding how keys work

MT Step-by-Step Relative minors

An important aspect of fully understanding your keys is grasping the relative minors. When a minor key shares the same sharps or flats as a major key it is referred to as the relative minor. In composition it’s always handy to know what minor routes you can take.

Look at the circle of fifths. As you can see, the major keys and corresponding minors are handily arranged, with the minors laying within the circle. Memorising these relationships subconsciously is crucial.

The tonic of a relative minor is the sixth note of a major key. For example, the sixth note in the C major scale is A. Am is therefore the relative minor of the C Major scale.

Using the same composition you’ve upped by a fifth in the previous step-by-step, add a second four-chord section that uses your new key’s relative minor. Cubase’s Chord Assistant (covered in MT139) can help you here.

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Now it’s quite possible that this new section sounds completely unlike the initial four-chord major loop you began with, and may be totally dissimilar to anything you’d write otherwise, so use this as a starting point for an entirely new composition.

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As you can hear, using the circle of fifths to tweak your chords is undeniably useful and can quite often lead you into musical areas you’d perhaps not naturally go for. Over time you’ll detect a key’s relative minors by ear!

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MT Technique Build beats from scratch

NEW SERIES Beat Programming And Sound Design pt.2

Build beats from scratch

Requirements Our Beat Programming And Sound Design feature is illustrated using Reason but you can apply the principals to whatever DAW you use.

In the second part of his beat programming and sound design series Hollin Jones build his own beats from scratch. And it’s easy…!

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rum synthesis isn’t new, in fact it was way back at the turn of the 1980s when Roland released the TR-808 as a cheaper alternative to the rudimentary sample-based drum machines of the day, such as the LinnDrum. At the time, people didn’t know what to make of these ‘artificial’ drum sounds but they quickly caught on, and as electronic music came of age in the 80s, synth drums were clearly here to stay. The fact that they didn’t sound like real acoustic drums became their main selling point. With software, everything got easier and virtual instruments brought drum synthesis to the world of computers. Reason always had the ReDrum, but later also gained the Kong Drum Designer, a much more synthfocused beat platform with an emphasis on creating sounds from scratch rather than just tweaking samples to make drum parts. Drum and percussion sounds are particularly well suited to being generated by synthesis because they tend to be short, percussive and attack-heavy – all things that suit waveforms and filters. The technology to make synth drums is far easier to use than the science behind synthesizing horns or pianos, for example. Reason’s self-contained design and popularity with the dance crowd meant that Kong was very well-received and could be seamlessly integrated into the rack with features such as full CV support, separate channel output routing and so on. It’s also incredibly friendly to use for sound design, unlike some other drum synthesizers, with sixteen pads, each one able to hold a drum generator module. In reality some of these can be sample-based so it’s not purely synthesized, though you can make synth-only drum patches or mix and match the two.


all freely swappable and their controls are straightforward. At worst, you can just tweak things until you get a sound you like. For more control, concentrate on pitch, tuning, damping and other parameters and then use the onboard effects slots to process each drum sound individually and the buss effects to shape the overall output of the module. There’s more to Kong than just designing drum hits. The pad grid has a system of quick controls that enable you to control mute and solo, and assign different drums to specific pads to ‘break’ the conventional layout of pads. Certain pads also have multiple Hit Types, meaning you can control the way a pad is struck by setting, for example, a centre snare hit or an edge or off-centre strike. It’s possible to make other settings per-pad, including level for submixing a kit before its signals are sent out to the mixer, pan, tone and pitch, buss and aux send effect levels. As previously mentioned you can also split any channel off manually for separate audio processing.

Going further If you’re looking to get even further into drum synthesis it’s not just Kong that can do it, even though it’s Reason’s dedicated drum synth. Many other synths from many

King of Kong The genius of Kong is that you really don’t have to be a synth expert to build your own custom drum kits. The modules are

OTHER SYNTH SOURCES Although Kong is both accessible and hugely powerful, you can use any of Reason’s synths or more or less any programmable software synth to generate rhythmic or synthesized drum sounds. In the Factory sound library you will find presets inside the folders for the other synths, such as Subtractor, that are labelled as drums or percussion. Often these only make a single sound, mapped across the whole keyboard, and since it’s not sampled its pitch will not change depending on the note you play. Although it’s a slightly more long-winded way to put together a kit you could do so inside a Combinator fairly easily – and it also opens up all the sound generation capabilities of the other modules to further increase your sonic palette.

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Build beats from scratch Technique MT

MT Step-by-Step Creating your own drum sounds

Load an instance of Kong and you’ll find it has a preset patch already loaded. With the module selected, go to Edit > Reset Device and all settings will be cleared out so you are free to start designing your own drum kit.

Click the Drum 1 pad, then click the Show Drum and FX button to open the module area. From the Drum Module area, click on the Selector menu and choose a generator type. Here we have chosen a Synth Bass Drum.

Hit the pad or press a key to trigger the sound. Use the knobs on the generator to control pitch, tone, click parameters and attack and decay times. You can easily design a cool-sounding kick drum sound.

Move on to Pad 2 and this time select a snare module. Here it’s a Physical Snare Drum, and you can alter the pitch, tuning, snare tension and how much signal from underneath the snare is included in the signal.

Move to the FX1 slot for the snare module and use the menu to add an effect. We’ve chosen an Overdrive / Resonator unit and dialed in some drive and resonance to give the snare sound more bite and power.

Repeat for the second FX slot if you like to add more processing. We’ve chosen a Tape Echo unit and modified the feedback and dry / wet level to create a pleasing dub-style echo on the snare, which remains tempo-synced.

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DAWs can make percussive noises, with Thor, Subtractor and Malström all capable of using their oscillator and filter banks to do the job. This is true of almost any synth: as noted earlier, rhythmic sounds are particularly good to synthesize, and playing with attack and decay times, oscillators, filters and LFOs can yield some great electronic beat components. The Rack Extensions store is an excellent source of more specialised third-party modules for achieving this kind of stuff too.

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Synth drums are great because they are much easier to shape and control at a fundamental level than sampled drum noises. When you control the waveforms that are generating the sound and the filters that are shaping them your mastery over them is total. You can also make sounds that are pretty extreme: kick drums deeper and longer than anything a real bass drum could ever manage, snares that are sharper and crunchier than a real snare drum, plus, of course, the classic electronic tom sound that’s not much MAGAZINE November 2014


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MT Technique Build beats from scratch

MT Step-by-Step Creating your own drum sounds… cont’d

Do the same for as many of the remaining drum pads as you like to continue creating the kit. You can have as many snares, hi-hats, kicks and toms as you like, so maybe consider using two or three different snares within a kit for variety.

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In the Pad Group section, hit the Q button to open Quick Control view and you will be able to control link, mute or alt settings for any pad. For example you can use this to make one pad, when struck, also trigger another pad.

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the Buss and Master FX slots you can assign effects to process 10 In the whole signal. Buss effect send levels can be controlled per

Some drum types have multiple hit types available such as centre or edge snare hits. Open the Quick Controls for this section and you can assign hit types quickly for any pad at a glance across the whole grid.

pad in the main LCD area of Kong at the top left. Aux levels relate to any connected aux effects you may have added.

Hit Tab to spin the rack around and you will see individual channel outputs for all 16 modules in Kong. Pick any of these up to route it manually or right-click to see a list of available destinations anywhere inside the project.

Kong can even process external audio signals. From the rear panel, right-click on the Audio Input jacks to direct sound from anywhere else inside the Rack into Kong’s effects. Reason will only let you patch together compatible ports so it’s safe.

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like a real tom but is a staple of 1980s drum production. Hi-hats can be spitty and sharp, and overall the drum sounds are consistent and uniform. Programming them is also a slightly different affair to working with real drums. They tend to respond better to a more mechanical, sequenced approach, as was always the case with early drum machines. Reason has pattern sequencers, drum and pattern lanes and can accept MIDI input from an external MIDI sequencer, either in hardware

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form or as a VST or AU plug-in running in a ReWire host such as Logic or Cubase. Or via USB from a hardware pad or other input device. Ultimately, using synth drums can be a great way to go beyond more conventional drum parts, to build and shape completely unique kits and sounds and make something that is completely your own. With dedicated synth plug-ins, most DAWs should make that way easier than you might have imagined. MT

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25/09/2014 10:05

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MT 20 Pro Tips Audio editing

Audio

Editing Tips You’ve finished your recording sessions, and now it’s time to process your audio. Get on the fast track to sonic success with Hollin Jones’s essential advice…

02

ZOOM IN Software enables you to zoom in on any waveform to sample level, and this gives you a great deal of power. Glitches or other events that last for only a fraction of a second can be identified and processed or corrected by zooming right down. The finer the zoom level the quicker the playhead will disappear offscreen, so it can be a good idea to set up a loop and disable autoscrolling as this will probably drive you mad otherwise.

02

01 The accuracy of your edits will be heavily affected by your snap settings (above).

BE MINDFUL OF SNAP SETTINGS With audio, as when editing anything in a DAW or a wave editor, keep an eye on whether snapping is switched on and what it is set to. If it’s set to a high value such as bar or ½ you will find precise edits almost impossible to make. On the other hand, if you are trying to cut a whole bar of audio you will want snap-to-bar switched on. As long as your audio is in time, using a snap value will help you make precise edits. A snap value of 1/16 or finer is usually helpful for working with transients inside an audio event. If you turn snapping off you get complete free rein to move events, but it’s also easy to accidentally de-sync your sound by doing this.

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MT140.Tips.3aj.indd 52

Dig right down to the lowest level of your audio with the zoom tool (above right).

USE SPECTROGRAPHIC EDITING Regular waveforms are fine for seeing the amplitude and duration of audio files, but that’s about it. Spectrographic analysis, on the other hand, can show you multiple visual representations of the frequencies and amplitudes inside a sound based on the type of view that you select. Even better, they provide you with a way to edit sounds in whole new ways. Imagine you have a recording of the perfect vocal take but in the background there’s a car horn that’s crept into the recording – this would be tricky to remove using EQ because the frequencies of both sounds cross over to an extent. A spectrographic editor such as iZotope’s RX or Sony’s

03

MAGAZINE

29/09/2014 08:46

Audio editing 20 Pro Tips MT

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03

SpectraLayers Pro can show you this sound separately and you can then ‘paint’ it out, take a noise print or perform a number of other processes to ‘reach inside’ the sound file. PROCESS IN PLACE All serious software will let you apply audio processing to files, such as normalization, fades, reverse and usually also plug-ins as well. One interesting trick in some software is to process effects and other tools ‘in place’ on a file. This means opening the audio file in the sample editor, isolating a section of the waveform where you want to apply the processing and then ‘gluing’ it into the file. This doesn’t require you to cut the clip up first, and, for example, is a great way to insert some silence, to perform an EQ cut on one word or sound inside an existing clip, or to reverse a couple of notes from the middle of a guitar take. By processing inside the clip you can avoid cutting it up, though that approach is available to you too, of course.

04

Spetrographic analysis will give you a whole new view of your audio (above left). Can’t get a perfect take in one go? Simply paste together the best bits of multiple passes (above right). (Below left) Process isolated parts of your audio without having to cut it up first. (Below right) Learn how to batch process to save huuuge amounts of time.

software will have a name for it) and audition each one. Maybe you’ll find the first line of take one sounded great, then the next line of take three, then the last bit of take one again. By cutting or marking each take appropriately you can build a perfect take from the constituent clips. Mini crossfaders are often available to smooth the transitions between takes. BATCH PROCESS AUDIO FILES This is more applicable to situations where you have already made edits or set up plug-in chains and you want to apply the same settings to a number of files. Loading lots of audio tracks into a DAW, applying a track preset to each one and then exporting them as stems is possible but it’s a long-winded approach. Ideally what you want to do is batch process all your sounds at once. Software such as Sound Forge or WaveLab has built-in batch processing options. With these tools you can make all your settings for a single audio file, say, for example, a plug-in and EQ chain to clean up some voiceover recordings, and then apply it to a bunch of files at once. Hit ‘go’ and leave it to work. It’s a massive timesaver and you can even sometimes specify things such as auto fades at the start and end of each file, further saving you time.

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TAKE ADVANTAGE OF COMPOSITING Many DAWs support comping, which is the selection of multiple passes or versions of an audio clip and their combination into one, finished, perfect take. The usual way to achieve this is to record in a loop between the left and right locators, making sure your software is set to keep each take, mute it and record a new version with each pass. Then once you have stopped recording, go into the takes editor (your

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MT 20 Pro Tips Audio editing

USE TIME- AND PITCH-STRETCHING Any mid-level or better DAW will support time- and pitch-stretching of audio. They have different names: Flex Time and Pitch in Logic, Hitpoints in Cubase, and so on. Time-stretching is useful to make a clip fit the tempo of your project regardless of its original speed. Spend a little time properly editing its start and end points (since your DAW will work on clip length rather than waveform) and you should be able to snap it to a bar marker to fit it to the project. Alternatively, stretch audio without worrying about snapping to create some special effects, such as extreme slowdowns. Tempo-stretching can be done without affecting pitch, and the reverse is also true. Change the pitch of audio and you can conform it to your project key, duplicate a part to create harmonies and process a clip differently through your mixer.

source audio and quickly turn it into something much more exciting, cut up and dynamic. Since it’s an effect, everything remains virtual until you choose to bounce down, so the sky is the limit when it comes to creativity.

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RENDER DOWN AND DUPLICATE PARTS When you work on digital audio, edits that you make are generally nondestructive, and that means you can usually go back to any step and undo it. Sometimes, though, certain kinds of edit are only possible on a real audio clip and not on one that’s being effected. Effects are generated in real time and therefore you couldn’t, for example, slice up a delayed clip because the software would analyse the source clip, not the sound of the delays since they were still virtual. The way around this is to simply bounce (not freeze) a copy of an audio part down either by exporting and re-importing it or by printing it to a new track internally. Then, any slice analysis is performed on the effected file, which will look very different to the original. Since you have copies of both you can keep the original too and decide which one to use for what purpose.

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USE SPECIAL FX PLUG-INS You’ll probably be aware of regular plug-ins such as EQ, compressors and reverbs, but there are quite a few effects out there that are capable of much more extreme sound processing. There was a time when to get cut-up effects you basically had to physically cut up all your audio parts and process them through tons of effects. Now it’s much simpler with effects such as Turnado, BreakTweaker or Stutter Edit. These multi-effects simulate complex edits and processing, but instead of taking hours to work on they can be performed with a couple of clicks. You can take fairly ordinary-sounding

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This means you shouldn’t get any nasty clipping caused by clashing waveforms

Quickly create presets with groove extraction tool (above).

Make sure you fully explore your plug-in folder and take advantage of the more ‘out there’ effects (below).

EXTRACT GROOVE Many DAWs will enable you to extract the groove from either a MIDI or an audio part, store this as a quantization preset and then apply this to another part. So you can impose your own groove maps onto recorded or sampled audio parts using this technique to change their feel. Software such as Melodyne and Cubase also lets you extract pitch data to MIDI; so, for example, you can analyse a vocal take and create a MIDI-triggered duplicate.

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CHEAT USING COPY AND PASTE Sometimes you will find that your recordings have some performance errors in them and there’s no opportunity to do any retakes to fix them, perhaps because the performer is no longer available. A good way to patch over such errors is to identify similar or identical passages in a take that were performed correctly and then isolate, cut out and copy and paste these into the location of the incorrect part. This takes more skill than you might think, since there may be small variations in timing or feel between the part you’re pasting in and the time segment you’re pasting it into. But with some careful nudging and perhaps even a little slicing and groove quantization of the audio, you can usually make it fit in, and if you do the job seamlessly nobody will ever know the difference.

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SNAP-TO-ZERO CROSSINGS Many DAWs have a ‘snap to zero crossings’ option that you can turn on when editing audio waveforms. This works independently of your main application snap settings and ensures that a cut is not made at a point in the waveform where signal exists, but rather where the level is zero. This means that when you edit two parts together you shouldn’t get any nasty clipping caused by clashing waveforms.

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54 | November 2014


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LEARN A FEW SHORTCUTS Sometimes you might find yourself having to make lots of cuts to a long audio take, perhaps to remove periods of low-level noise between voiceover or guitar riffs. Rather than manually zooming and clicking over and over, use a shortcut or set up a macro to use a key command to split a clip. Over the course of many edits on a clip this will save you lots of time. Logic has a ‘strip silence’ tool to achieve this.

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USE REGIONS Instead of making physical cuts to audio files you can often define regions within a clip and then use markers or similar commands to jump back and forth between regions. If you decide you want to make edits permanent there is usually the option to divide clips to new clips based on the regions you have set up.

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14 Get more out of your audio by creating your own REX loops (above).

USE VOLUME AND FADE HANDLES You can automate a mixer easily enough but sometimes it’s quicker and more suitable to use the volume and fade handles found on audio clips in many DAWs. These work independently of the channel fader so you don’t affect any other clips in the track. Simply pull any chosen clip’s volume up or down, or create fades to create a sort of submix within the track.

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USE REX LOOPS Using software such as Propellerheads’ ReCycle or Reason you can slice up any audio file and quantize it as you like, even adding some effects before you bounce it out to a REX loop that can be opened in various different instruments and applications. These loops will alter their timing to fit any project and are also playable slice-by-slice from any MIDI input device. Audio is made super-flexible using this technique.

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FIX GLITCHES WITH THE PEN TOOL In a sample editor you can zoom down to sample level, showing the very building blocks of the digital sound. A digital click or pop will usually manifest as a clear spike or peak in the sample display, sometimes flattening out against the very top. You can often fix these by using the pen tool to literally draw them out, flattening the waveform to erase the spike.

Keyboard shortcuts will make your workflow markedly quicker (right). Never used the Pen tool? Learn now – it’s more useful than you might first think… (below left).

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Set up regions to quickly navigate your way around your tracks (below right).

15

REMOVE THE ROOM One of the problems some people encounter when recording in less-than-perfect acoustic spaces is room ambience on recordings. Always use an isolator such as the Reflexion Filter, but you can also use EQ to try to identify and then dial down the frequencies that are clouding your sound. This takes time and patience but it can significantly improve the end result.

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ALWAYS BE CROSSFADING When you edit audio clips and arrange them on the timeline, there can be occasions where two clips glitch as they cross over because one or both waveforms are not perfectly cut. To avoid this, apply short crossfades to remove any glitching. Some DAWs such as Cubase are able to automatically add these for you.

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56 | November 2014


WHAT TOOLS YOU HAVE 20 KNOW Each DAW will have a different (if overlapping) set of

tools to make working with audio easier. These can save you lots of time, with tools for trimming, cropping, deleting overlaps and moving data to preset locations all available in many applications. These tools typically cut out tens of mouse clicks on your part, so if you’re spending hours on the donkey work of editing, look to see if you’re missing a trick. MT

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How to record… acoustic guitar Technique MT

Technique How to record… acoustic guitar, part 1

How to record… Guitar – part 1 Capturing the true essence of the humble acoustic guitar can be a tricky task, but with some basic know-how and just one (yes, one!) microphone you can record a truly electrifying tone. John Pickford tunes up, turns on, and rocks out…

L

ife would be a lot simpler if there was one perfect method of recording acoustic guitar that everybody agreed with. However, if you ask ten engineers to name their favourite technique you’ll likely get ten completely different answers. Some engineers only

The best engineers understand the benefits and pitfalls of a number of techniques

On the disc Accompanying example audio files included on the DVD

ever use a single microphone to capture the sound while others prefer to blend the sound of two or more mics. The best engineers understand the benefits and pitfalls of a number of techniques and adapt their mic’ing approach to suit the job in hand. This month we’ll look at how to get set up along with tips on how to produce great results from using one microphone to capture the whole sound.

Tools for the job Acoustic guitars come in a wide range of flavours, ranging from the warm, mellow tones of nylon-strung classical and Spanish guitars to the bright, metallic sound of resonator types such as Dobros; the full-bodied folk-sy vibe of a dreadnought to the distinctive sprightly tone of a gypsy jazz guitar. And then of course there are 12-strings…


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MT Technique How to record… acoustic guitar

Thankfully, no matter what style of acoustic guitar is used the methods employed to record it remain the same. Of course, you won’t be able to make a classical guitar sound like a resonator with recording techniques, so it’s very important to make sure that you choose the right instrument for the job in the first place. Prior to the session it’s worth checking that the guitar is in the best possible condition. The age of the strings will affect the tone, and be aware that the gauge used will make quite a big contribution the sound: light-gauge strings will produce a thinner tone than heavy ones. Also, the type of plectrum (if used) will influence the final result: a thinner one providing more percussive energy from the strumming, and a thicker one generating more volume thanks to its heavier attack. Once the guitar is in optimum condition, listen to how it sounds in the room, as it’s the way the instrument interacts with the recording environment that has one of the most profound effects on the sound. Unlike vocals, that are best captured with as little room ambience as possible, acoustic guitars positively benefit from the natural reverb of a good recording room. Generally, a reasonably lively room with wooden floors will give the best results. Also try different rooms, as you may find that the guitar actually sounds best in the kitchen!

MT Step-by-Step Setting up and selecting mics

Different shapes and makes of acoustic guitars can sound dramatically different, so make sure you have one that suits the track. Sort out any rattles and buzzes, and ensure that the player’s jewellery or clothing – shirt buttons, for example – are not causing unwanted noise by knocking against the instrument. Discard tired, dull-sounding strings but be aware that brand-new strings may emphasise ‘finger screech’. Coated strings and lubricants can help tame this.

01

Tone on the range With the guitar sounding great in the recording environment, it’s time to think about the best way of capturing the sound. Most engineers choose condenser

Acoustic guitars benefit from the natural reverb of a good recording room microphones to record acoustic guitars, as they are often more flattering than dynamic types. Opinions differ as to whether a large or small diaphragm condenser is preferred; however, the sound of the instrument and the role it will play in the final mix should influence the choice to a greater degree. Even with the best EQ and compression a midrange-y parlour guitar will just not cut it if your track requires a bass-y jumbo-style sound. Large diaphragms tend to have a fatter, full-bodied sound, which is often desirable if the guitar is a featured instrument, as you would hear in, say, a solo singer/ songwriter performance. Small diaphragm mics are usually favoured for their exceptionally detailed top-end response, which is useful to help the guitar cut through a busy mix. That’s not to say that dynamic mics are completely unsuitable, though, as a well-positioned dynamic mic will sound better than an expensive but poorly placed condenser. Ribbon mics (which are a type of dynamic microphone) can sound gorgeous on acoustic guitar, as they often sound big and warm but still capture the

60 | November 2014


Start by making sure the guitar sound good in the room. If your recording room is small, boxy and dry-sounding, try another room. Alternatively, increase ambience by removing soft furnishings and adding some reflective surfaces. A handy trick in heavily carpeted rooms is to place a sheet of hardboard or something similar beneath the player in order to pick up some reflections from the floor. When all else fails, add some artificial room ambience during processing.

02

Use a condenser mic, if possible, to capture the high-frequency detail and harmonics. Mics with switchable polar patterns are ideal, as omnidirectional or figure of eight (bi-directional) settings offer more natural ambience and avoid the low-end boom often caused by the proximity effect when using a cardioid setting. If you only have cardioid mics, choose the brightest-sounding one and position it at a distance that avoids excessive bass and captures some room ambience.

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MT Technique How to record… acoustic guitar

delicacy and detail of the sound. Also the bi-directional response of ribbons picks up a decent amount of natural room ambience. Now, not all of us have the luxury of choosing any mic that takes our fancy but as indicated above, an inexpensive and carefully positioned mic should produce satisfying results.

MT Step-by-Step Positioning your microphone

Sound decisions The most common mistake made by novice engineers is to point the mic straight at the sound-hole. Sure, it looks like the right thing to do, but this position often exaggerates any low-end boom that could potentially clutter up your mix. It’s far better to find a position that picks up a more even balance of the instrument’s sound. Remember, an acoustic guitar’s sound is made up of several elements: resonances from the sound-hole, wooden panels and internal bracing, as well as the sound of the strings, so finding a spot that captures a larger slice of the complete sound is best. Aim to find a position that offers a decent overview of the guitar’s sound without too much unwanted low-end information, especially when using a directional mic with a fixed cardioid polar pattern. If you have a mic with an omnidirectional pick-up pattern you can afford to move in a little closer if desired, as the low-end boost caused by the proximity effect of directional mics isn’t an issue. Also, an omni mic will capture a nice, even amount of room sound. One problem with this mic position is that with some instruments the sound can lack body, which can be an issue if the guitar is a main part of the recording. If, however, the guitar forms part of a busy mix, the thinner sound can be positively advantageous, particularly if you want the rhythmic strumming of the strings to cut through without too much midrange frequency information cluttering-up the production. Another problem can arise from unwanted noises, either from the player’s fingers sliding along the strings, or annoying fret buzzes. A good solution to this problem is to position the mic away from the neck and further along the body towards the bridge. For a more full-bodied tone, experiment with positions that have the microphone placed above the sound-hole, angled downwards – this position is excellent for capturing a well-rounded sound while avoiding the blast of air emanating from the sound-hole. If the guitar you’re recording is an electro-acoustic then you can DI it onto a separate channel (preferably through a preamp first to add warmth) and then blend it in later (if required) to thicken the sound. (Granted, we’re meant to be talking about recording with just one mic but as this is a pickup we can get away with it!)

Listen to the sound the guitar produces by moving your head around in front of the instrument (whilst someone else is playing it, obviously!). You will hear the sound change quite significantly from one position to another. The sound should become lighter as you move away from the body and towards the neck of the guitar. Try to find a spot that captures a full, resonant tone without excessive boom, while also picking up the detail of the strings being plucked and strummed.

01

Once you have set up a microphone, put on some headphones with a feed of the signal and sweep the mic around, moving along the guitar at various distances and heights to find the best sound. Make sure the headphone level is sufficient to block-out the ambient sound of the instrument without being deafeningly loud. Better still, if you have someone to assist you, get them to sweep the mic around while you audition the sound on your monitors.

02

Guitar hero With these tips and techniques you should be able to produce a recorded tone that gets the best out of the natural sound of the instrument. Next month we’ll look at some multi-mic’ing set-ups as well as recording acoustic guitar in stereo, double-tracking and how best to record someone singing and playing acoustic guitar simultaneously. Finally, we’ll see how subtle EQ, dynamics control and reverb can help bring out the very best in your acoustic guitar recording. MT

62 | November 2014


As a starting point that is favoured by many engineers, position the microphone at the point where the guitar’s neck joins the body. Experiment with distance to achieve a good balance of direct sound and room ambience, and also try some less obvious positions such as placing the mic at the player’s shoulder level.

03

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MT Reviews iZotope RX 4 Advanced

MT Reviews Hardware

Software

Mobile Technology

Samples

iZOTOPE

RX 4 Advanced Adding a host of new modules, can iZotope really improve on the prowess of RX 3? Mark Cousins finds out what version 4 has to offer…

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ver its last three generations iZotope’s RX has developed an enviable reputation among many sound engineers, especially those working in the field of post-production. Over the years, there’s been a variety of audio restoration solutions – some in plug-in form, others based on an off-line audio editor – but like Native Instruments’ Kontakt dominance of sampling, RX seems to have become the go-to solution for many audio professionals. Its success can be explained in a number of ways, but the fact that it so effortlessly straddles both plug-in and standalone operation has meant RX could fit into a variety of different workflows with relative ease. In truth, it doesn’t seem that long ago since we reviewed RX 3, but with the introduction of RX 4 iZotope is keen

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to retain RX’s position as an essential post-production toolkit. At first glance, therefore, RX 4 isn’t graced with a dramatic facelift or an endless list of new and glamorous features that might grab your attention. Look more closely, though, and you’ll see that iZotope has thoughtfully evolved RX in a way that closely matches the needs of many audio professionals. RX 4 may not be a game changer, therefore, but it certainly contains some new treats that you won’t want to be without.

Restoration home As with previous versions of the application, RX 4 comes in two principle flavours – the standard edition, RX 4, and a feature-rich version called RX 4 Advanced. Before you get too excited, though, it’s worth noting that there’s a big difference in the pricing (around

Choice

9/10 9 9/ 10 Details Price £729 (RX 4 Advanced), £215 (RX 4) Contact Time + Space 01837 55200 Web www.izotope.com

Key Features ● Dialogue Denoiser ● Spectral Repair ● Leveler & Clip Gain ● Loudness ● Ambience Match ● EQ Match

£500, to be precise), putting RX 4 distinctly in the ‘professional tool’ price bracket. While RX 4 lacks some of the tools of RX 4 Advanced, it’s certainly not short on features, so it might be worth a detailed look at the features comparison list before you make your choice. For the purposes of the review, though, we’ll be concentrating on RX 4 Advanced. For newcomers it’s well worth noting the key points of RX 4’s design and workflow. One central philosophy, defined from its earliest version, was the idea of spectral editing. While this isn’t entirely unique, the fact that RX was designed from the ground up as a spectral audio editor lends it a distinct Photoshop-like quality to its operation, where you work with sound both from a visual and aural perspective. Rather than selecting and modifying sound purely based on time, therefore, RX lets you lasso parts of the audio spectrum, whether it’s a small breath noise, or a complete slice of the frequency range. More than just being a gimmick, though, the ability to work in the spectral domain is what makes RX so effective, enabling you to direct the correction to a specific segment of the audio – both in relation to time and frequency. By being selective, RX is proportionately more transparent than other non-spectral alternatives, which in the world of audio restoration makes a big difference to the quality of the end result.

ZX spectrum With the spectral editing concept in place, RX then lets you tweak your audio using a number of processing modules, including: Declip, Denoise, Dereverb, Time & Pitch, and Spectral Repair. As an off-line audio editor, transformations are rendered to the audio clip, but thanks to a stepped undo history (that can even be recalled after you’ve saved the file), there’s no need to fear that you’ll permanently damage the file in any way. For those that prefer working solely in their DAW, RX has always provided a number of plug-ins that replicate many of the key modules used in the application. One distinct shift that’s come with the introduction of RX 4 is

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iZotope RX 4 Advanced Reviews MT

the new RX Connect plug-in, which attempts to provide a direct bridge between your DAW and RX 4 as a standalone application. Exact integration varies between DAWs, with the system seemingly at its best in Pro Tools. With the Connect system active, audio regions can be transferred directly to RX 4 (via Pro Tools’ AudioSuite menu), either for analysis purposes or as a ‘round trip’ for audio restoration tasks. Ultimately, it makes the process of moving between the two applications more seamless, rather than having to choose the plug-in route.

New modules As you’d expect, there’s a variety of new modules and audio enhancement features introduced in RX 4, including non-destructive Clip Gain, Leveler, Loudness, EQ Match and Ambience Match. One interesting development from a workflow perspective is the non-destructive Clip Gain, which enables you to create a series of nodes to control the amplitude of your audio clip. It’s a simple feature, but one that makes a big difference to the workflow in RX 4, especially when you’re working with problematic dialogue.

Alternatives

balancing out the dynamic range of tracks, especially in relation to increasing the levels of quieter parts of the mix. Other new modules seem largely directed at the post-production fraternity, including a Loudness module (which uses a limiter rather than the gain adjustment approach of Leveler), EQ Match and Ambience Match. In the case of Ambience Match it’s worth noting that the ‘Ambience’ isn’t reverb but the residual noise floor between different audio clips. Ultimately, you can see how many of the new features specifically relate to dialogue restoration and editing, although given the inherent versatility of RX 4 their application can extend across a wide variety of sonic surgery tasks.

If you’re principally interested in audio restoration using your DAW, then Sonnox’s Restore (£1,195) is well worth closer investigation. The suite is comprised of three plug-ins - DeClicker, DeBuzzer and DeNoiser – so it doesn’t cover the breadth of RX 4, especially in relation to the newer dynamics modules such as Leveler and Loudness. An alternative for Spectral editing is Steinberg’s WaveLab 8.5 (£448), which is a good all-round audio editor, including some spectral analysis and editing features.

Clean sweep RX 4 may not be a gigantic leap on from the features included in RX 3, but it does demonstrate iZotope’s intention to provide the ultimate fix-it tool for a range of audio dilemmas. New features such as the Clip Gain really transform RX 4’s usefulness, making RX 3 seem surprisingly limited when we stepped back to compare the older version. The

Like Kontakt’s dominance of sampling, RX seems to have become the go-to solution for many audio professionals Working in conjunction with Clip Gain is the Leveler module that lets you apply a form of automated gain control, much like a compressor or expander. The unique slant here, though, is that the output is in the form of a re-drawn Clip Gain curve, letting you tweak and refine the gain changes as you see fit. Beyond the obvious dialogue applications, it was also interesting to hear the Leveler applied in a music production context, used as a means of

The Dialogue Denoiser is great for cleaning up vocal takes.

Leveler also proved to be a real winner and a viable additional means of controlling dynamics that contrasts well with traditional tools such as a compressor and upwards expander. The hard decision for potential customers, though, is reconciling the price difference between the two versions. Given the wealth of what’s included in the standard RX 4, it’s clear that iZotope has priced the application competitively, making it a justifiable purchase for those who want to dabble in RX’s spectral-based audio

RX 4 can be used in plug-in or standalone mode, so will fit in well with your workflow.

Method Spot Differing levels of background noise can cause problems between dialogue takes. Usually a small amount of ‘wild track’ is recorded to cover these issues, but in situations where this isn’t available you can use RX 4’s Match Ambience to synthesize new background noise. Match Ambience works in a similar way to Noise Removal, where the software ‘learns’ a fingerprint from a source recording. The Noise Fingerprint is then used to generate the required wild track.

editing. Even though the standard RX 4 misses out on many of the new modules there’s still a wealth of creative and technical possibilities that RX 4 has to offer. Compared to the standard edition, RX 4 Advanced is a more significant investment, although the addition of Insight, iZotope’s comprehensive metering suite plug-in (itself worth £295), certainly makes it all the more tempting. Knowing just how many professionals have come to use RX’s powers on an almost daily basis it’s clear to see that the new improvements in RX 4 will be a welcome addition to their workflow. Ultimately, few other tools can rescue irrevocably damaged audio like RX 4 does, and for that fact alone it’s a tool few professional users will want to be without. MT

MT Verdict + Leveler and Clip Gain really aid workflow + Connect system improves DAW integration + Perfect for a range of postproduction tasks + Spectral-level precision and transparency - New modules biased towards RX 4 Advanced - Connect integration varies between DAWs iZotope’s RX 4 continues to lead the way as the most versatile audio restoration tool around, saving countless damaged audio files from a one-way trip to the bin!

9/10


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AIR Music Technology The Riser Reviews MT

Alternatives If you’re willing to spend the time you can program these kinds of effects using various different software synths and your DAW, though they do take time to create. You can also use samples for transitions but these will limit how flexibly you can alter them. The beauty of The Riser is that it’s a dedicated and fully tweakable transition instrument, so you can quickly change or automate the level of modulation, the blend of oscillators and the depth of the effects with just a few clicks.

Innovation

AIR MUSIC TECHNOLOGY

The Riser

Tired of programming endless sweeps, rises and falls in your electronic tracks? Hollin Jones finds out if AIR Music Technology has the answer… Details

Price £47.99 Contact Via website Web www.airmusictech. com Needs Windows 7 or higher OS X 10.7.5 or higher 2GB RAM

Key Features ● Transition designer ● Three editable oscillators ● Three LFOs ● 23 filter types ● 300 presets ● Randomizer ● MIDI learn ● Onboard delay and reverb ● AU, VST and AAX formats

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ne of the key compositional tricks in many kinds of dance and other electronic music is the use of sweeps, rises and falls to build up to a change in the dynamics of a song. For the producer, these are essential to create dynamics within the track and let listeners know when the drop is coming. And although they can be programmed by hand, it’s quite fiddly to do over and over again. Enter The Riser, from German developer AIR Music Technology. This software instrument is similar to a few we’ve seen recently in that it aims to give you a shortcut to a type of sound that gets used a lot in certain kinds of music, but is based on synthesis and not sampling. In this case, it’s described as a transition designer optimised for electronic music production, scoring, and remix work. Although it has a complement of fully tweakable controls it also comes with 300 professionally designed presets grouped by category and style such as rises and falls, pitch, mod or atonal character as well as swells and fades. The patches are designed to provide various different kinds of transition, from filtered swells to whooping sirens

Choice

9/10 9 9/ 10

and everything in between. It does this by generating sound from its three oscillators: sweep, noise and chord, each with multiple editable characteristics. The sweep controls the direction of the transition, the noise oscillator adds texture and grit, and finally the chord oscillator can be used to match the synth’s structure to your song’s key, or indeed any key you specify. Each also has a configurable filter so you can control the shape of the signal as soon as it leaves the oscillator. Three LFOs are available: free running, tempo synced, and ‘Pumper’, with configurable depth and, where applicable, rate controls.

Pump it up There’s a second filter stage with 23 filter types available and control sections for cutoff and resonance, plus a distortion stage with variable distortion modes to add crunch and bite to the sound. The effects you tend to use most on these kinds of sounds are delay and reverb, and there are appropriate effects built in, with extensive tempo-sync options available for the delay section and four reverb types with controls. You can also vary the effect blend, and these effects help the synth sounds to sit comfortably in your tracks. Panning and width controls also let you position the sound more accurately in the stereo field. You could well find that the bundled presets contain everything you need,

but you may also want to tweak the settings to better suit the particular track you’re working on. This is really easy to do, and although there are a fair few sections, you interact with them all in much the same fashion, so the learning curve is quite gentle. There’s some clever stuff to help you out too, such as a randomizer to generate whole new patches at the touch of a button and an Invert mode that instantly changes the direction of the current transition to provide you with a ‘down’ to your ‘up’, or vice versa. MIDI learn is supported too, so you can map hardware controllers to sections in order to change pulse settings or effect levels in real time, for example. Although targeted at the many people making uptempo electronic music, The Riser is an interesting instrument in its own right. So although it is perfect for electronic transitions, you can get even more creative by slowing things down and getting a more ethereal, pulsing sound out of it. Some people will no doubt ask why they would buy a synth that ‘just did transitions’, so the affordability definitely helps here, and I’d also suggest that it will save producers a lot of time automating LFOs and pitchbend CCs. MT

MT Verdict + Excellent for all kinds of electronic transitions + Easy to learn, fun to use + Saves a load of time + Could also be used for sound design + Very affordable + Beefs up your electronic tracks - It’s best at transitions, so for a more generalist synth, look elsewhere Even if you’re doing experimental stuff it’s well worth a look for the creative possibilities it offers.

9/10


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Best Service Mystica Reviews MT

Alternatives I’m getting tired of recommending Best Service’s own Shevannai, but in this case it really does stand next to Mystica as a true option. Cantus will offer the male equivalent but Shevannai is female so closer (even though it’s in Elvish. Or Elven). Check out the big sample CD companies for other Gregorian vocal collections too.

BEST SERVICE

Mystica

For PC & Mac

Eduardo Tarilonte records eight female vocalists to serve up yet another fantastical treat. Andy Jones is in heaven…

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duardo Tarilonte is interviewed on p24 of this issue, because we have been so impressed with the three previous libraries in this, what some may call, the Best Service Fantasy series. The vocal story so far is elves (Shevannai, brilliant); monks (Cantus, also great); and the dark ages/Renaissance (Altus, another cracker). The rather mystical theme is continued here with Mystica, and this time Eduardo has recorded eight female vocalists; the results lie very much in the same period as Cantus, but obviously male rather than female. Indeed, from the Best Service website Mystica has been designed very much as the partner to Cantus as it says of the recording: “the library forms a perfectly matched mixed choir when being combined with Cantus. Therefore, Mystica has been recorded under identical conditions in Spanish KBYO Recording Studios, located in Granada, using eight selected Neumann microphones and Avalon preamps.”

ET at home Eduardo is clearly at home recording vocalists and, as with all of his previous libraries, the vocals here are sublime. The library includes the now usual word builder where you can combine syllables into words and phrases to make Gregorian-style passages. And, as we’ve said before, whether these words or sentences

make any sense is neither here nor there, as they sound so good. The library is set out in three folders: The Voice, FX and Soundscapes. Load The Voice folder and you have two presets: Phrases and Chamber Choir. The first is four banks (selectable by red keys in the now famous Kontakt style) of either 24 or 26 phrases played over two octaves or more. Here you could make complete passages and chants – again the recording is spot on, and the reverb just right (though adjustable up and down to dry) with other controls including expression, envelope and speed. The Chamber Choir preset breaks it down to words (24 on the green notes) and vowels (on red) all played at different pitches (on blue). Here you also get Word Builder, which contains 120 syllables for you to place in any order to make complex words or complete phrases.

Evil FX The second folder is FX, not present in all of Eduardo’s other collections, and you can soon see why as it’s used very well with the female voice, covering some eerie vocal effects, (rising and falling) emotional laments, cackling laughter, spell casting and so on. This is where the library takes a darker turn and it’s a good counterpoint to the ‘nicey nicey’ Gregorian stuff. So now it’s a case of ‘Good 1 versus

Key Features ● Eight vocalist ‘Numen Ensemble’ ● 5GB ● Five Gregorian legatos (a,e,i o,u) ● 24 words, three articulations ● Words split into 120 syllables ● 100 Gregorian vocal phrases ● 12 soundscapes

Details Price £159 Contact Best Service +49 (0) 89 45228920 Web www.bestservice.de Minimum system requirements PC: Windows 7 Mac: OS X 10.7

Evil 1’, leaving the third and final included folder: Soundscapes. There is more emphasis on the eerie and dark with these atmospheres – more so than in the other vocal collections – but you can really build atmosphere and especially tension with what’s on offer, even though, as usual, I’m going to criticise them! I’m in danger of repeating myself as it’s the only negative I ever have to say about Eduardo’s libraries, and that is that the soundscapes always take second place. I know he specialises in vocal recordings, and I know these are superb, but so are the soundscapes (many made up of stacked vocal effects), so you feel slightly teased and taunted with just the dozen on offer here. From memory there were more with Shevannai, and the soundscapes are why I turn to that collection again and again. They simply add another dimension to titles that could be considered too focussed on specific vocal styles. But that is only a minor quibble. What’s here is great and I am, let’s face it, just being greedy. So again, we bow down before Eduardo. It’s another mystical delight. Specific, yes, but mesmerising, hugely atmospheric and like the hat-trick before it, could and should find its way into a variety of fantastical genres. MT Read the MusicTech interview with Eduardo Tarilonte on p24 of this issue

MT Verdict + Excellent recording quality + Word Generator is great + Has a darker edge on the Soundscapes + FX also offer an edgy side - Narrow focus (again) Mystica is a female vocal dream world, full of phrases, chants, atmosphere, fear and beauty. It’s four out of four for Eduardo and the Best Service team.

Octo/Decem MAGAZINE November 2014

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DIY Recording Equipment Colour Reviews MT

Excellence

10/10 DIY RECORDING EQUIPMENT

COLOUR

DIY Recording Equipment has developed a new 500-series module to introduce some colour into your work. Mike Hillier brightens up… Details Price Colour Palette Kit, £75; JFT, £19; CTX, £36; 15IPS, £19 Contact Via website Web www.diyrecording equipment.com

Key Features ● Space for three modules ● Expanding range of third-party modules ● Requires 500-series chassis

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he DIY Recording Equipment blog is an invaluable source of information for anyone with even the slightest interest in DIY audio equipment. Peterson Goodwyn’s blog houses information on nearly every kit we’ve come across. So when Peterson announced he was developing a new 500-series module to capture just the fun bits of some of his favourite circuits we were instantly intrigued. In the spirit of the DIY community, Peterson detailed every stage on the blog, taking on board various community recommendations as it worked its way from inception to the eventual release. The finished product is a DIY kit made of the Colour Palette – the 500-series module itself – which in turn houses three Colour Modules. We set to work building two Colour Palettes simultaneously, and were finished

within a couple of hours. The Palette itself is incredibly simple to build, with detailed instructions, and only gets a little fiddly when it comes to fitting the LEDs to the front panel – something we advise you take a little extra time on. Moving on to the modules we managed to build all six without any hiccup. We were given two each of the JFT, CTX and 15IPS modules, and the building couldn’t have been easier. This is basically Lego with a soldering iron. The JFT uses a new old-stock 2SK170 JFET in a discreet Class A circuit to add a little low-order even harmonics to the signal, producing a similar distortion characteristic to a triode valve. The CTX uses a customwound Cinemag transformer to produce a softer, less marked saturation than the JFT, while the 15IPS uses a resonant high-pass filter and new old-stock germanium diodes to emulate the head-bump and soft-clipping of a tape machine running at 15ips.

Hitting the tape Our first foray into using the Colours was as a stereo pair in a mastering scenario. The track we had been sent was too brittle – we’d usually employ a tape emulator in this scenario to try and tame the transients a little, while also

Alternatives In addition to the three Colour Modules from DIY|RE, third-party modules have already started to appear. We tested the TB Audio CMOS Steezer, which uses a CMOS fuzz circuit to produce a distortion that quickly became a favourite of ours on bass guitar and synth. The Eisen Audio TM79 manages to cram two transformers and a selection of MOSFET stages onto a module to emulate the 3M M79 tape machine, as used in the Rolling Stones mobile truck. Finally, we were able to get our hands on early prototypes of Louder Than Liftoff’s Pentode and Pulse modules. The Pentode uses a Raytheon 6418 subminiature pentode valve to generate 2nd- and 3rd-order harmonics. The Pulse meanwhile takes things in a very different direction by emulating a tape echodeck. Louder Than Liftoff has also released Implode, which somehow squeezes a 1176 compressor into a single Colour Module.

module a variety of signals and set the bias to a distortion level you’re happy with, while the output is easily set using the meters. However, to work in stereo we had to break out the FFT meters in order to bias the second JFT to produce a similar distortion characteristic to the first. Dialling this in also means either repeatedly taking the Colour out of your 500-series chassis – or as we did, using a third-party 500-series extension ribbon cable to place the Colour outside of the rack. Once set, the JFT modules can be used for anything from very subtle colouration to quite an in-yourface sonic destruction. We got fantastic

The Colour System is a fascinating example of what can be done with analogue electronics removing a little top-end – so we engaged the CTX and 15IPS modules. The trick here is not to overdo it. We ended up dialling the saturation knob almost all the way down (we weren’t looking for an obvious distorted sound), just to smooth off an otherwise good mix. The results were fantastic, and although it took a little time to set the levels evenly on each module – using tones and some very fine metering – the end result delivered everything we’d hoped. A switched input and output gain mod is available as a separate purchase, which swaps the two potentiometers on the front panel for switches, making it much easier to work with the Colours in stereo. While the CTX and 15IPS modules are ready to go once built, the JFT module has a couple of variable resistors that need setting to bias the JFET and to set the output level. The biasing can be done by ear – send the

results on drums, bass and vocals using this module, and it’s sure to become a staple of our mix setup. The Colour system is a fascinating example of what can be done with analogue electronics, and produces some great textures. If you have a 500-series with space for another module or two, this is a no-brainer. MT

MT Verdict + Great fun + Expandable with a variety of modules + Build your own modules - Requires 500-series chassis The Colour is one of the most fun tools we’ve played with in a long time. You’re doing yourself a disservice by not adding one to your rack!

10/10


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B U N D L E

AUTO ALIGN / SURFER EQ / PI

EQ Phase Interactions Mixer Dynamically optimizes your tracks for best phase correlation to achieve deeper, tighter sounding mix.

The pitch tracking equalizer Radically musical, creative timbre shaper. Possibly the best bass, lead and vocals eq plug-in on the planet.

Get all three now for only $499 $597

The automatic multi-mic phase & time aligner - Takes the guesswork out of phase alignment. "The difference in low-end definition & punch is amazing" Peter Moshay

SOUNDRADIX.COM

RME Fireface 802 Reviews MT

RME

Fireface 802 The RME Fireface 802 is described as a full-blown studio within a 1U enclosure, with up to 60 channels of audio, FireWire and USB connectivity, powerful monitoring software and four well-regarded microphone/instrument inputs. Huw Price sparks up. Details Price £1,169 Contact Synthaxe 01727 821 870 Web www.rme-audio.de

Key Features ● 30 inputs and 30 outputs at 44.1kHz (22/22 at 88.2/96kHz and 18/18 at 176.4/192kHz) ● 12 x analogue I/O at all sample rates ● 4 x mic/ instrument preamp ● 1 x AES/EBU I/O ● 2 x ADAT I/O (or 1 x ADAT I/O plus 1 x SPDIF I/O optical) ● 1 x Wordclock I/O ● 1 x MIDI I/O ● FireWire and USB operation ● TotalMix FX ● Advanced Remote Control (optional)

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he Fireface 802 represents an upgrade on the Fireface 800 in several respects. Besides the updated appearance, extra channels and USB 2 connectivity, most of the latest features revolve around the TotalMix software. Although this is ostensibly a review of the Fireface 802 all owners will be obliged to use the TotalMix package to a greater or lesser extent, so we’ll be covering that too. First let’s look at the basic specs of the hardware before we tackle the intricacies of TotalMix. The Fireface 802 provides up to 30 input and 30 output channels (depending on the sample rate) with a maximum of 12 analogue and 18 digital channels able to be recorded onto 30 tracks.

Alternatives The Universal Audio Apollo Duo (£1569) is a FireWire audio interface (an extra £369 buys you Thunderbolt) with four mic inputs, eight line inputs, eight line outputs, two headphone sockets, two ADAT I/O, S/PDIF, Wordclock, FireWire 800, Thunderbolt card, and UAD Duo Core real-time processing. The package also includes UA’s Analog Classics Plus Bundle. The Metric Halo Mobile I/O 2882 Expanded 2d (£1070) is a 24-bit/96kHz FireWire audio interface with DSP processor, eight analogue mic/line/instrument inputs (4 x XLR + 4 x balanced jack), eight balanced analogue outputs, front panel LED I/O meters, headphone out, ADAT I/O, Wordclock I/O, coaxial S/PDIF I/O and AES/EBU I/O.

those in RME’s high-end OctaMic II. With XLR/TS combo sockets, up to 60dB gain is available for microphone and Hi-Z inputs. The TotalMix software provides individual phantom power and phase switching. 16 additional analogue inputs can be connected via dual eightchannel ADAT optical I/Os and an AES/ EBU I/O operating at up to 192kHz provides an additional two channels. The second ADAT I/O can be used as optical SPDIF I/O. BNC Wordclock input and output and MIDI I/O complete the list of connections. Essentially the dual DSP-driven TotalMix software is designed to route

side) processing. Effects can be applied to signals on the way in or out, and you can even process the input signal for monitoring purposes while recording the un-processed signal.

Crossing channels Each input channel has a single effects send for reverb and delay, and every output channel has an effects return fader. So you can add reverb to one or both headphone mixes while maintaining a dry sound in the main monitor mix. The send feeds both effects equally and they can be activated individually or together. The balance between them can be

Essentially, TotalMix is designed to route anything you want to anywhere you’d like

The ins and outs Analogue connections include eight balanced TRS sockets at the rear for line level and four microphone inputs on the front panel. 12 analogue outputs are split between eight TRS jacks on the back and two stereo headphone outputs on the front. Level options include -10dBV, +4dBu, HiGain (equivalent to +2dBV, +13dBu and +19dBu). All outputs can be used for ASIO Direct Monitoring (ADM) purposes. The 802’s microphone and instrument preamps are based on

anything you want to anywhere you’d like. Up to 15 fully independent stereo submixes are possible, along with a Control Room section that provides many of the features found on desktop controllers, such as monitor, mono/ stereo, dim and talkback switching. This section also controls the two headphone outputs. Every input and output channel has a three-band parametric EQ, adjustable low cut, auto level overload protection, compressor, expander and MS (mid and

altered using their individual volume controls, but since there’s only one ‘auxiliary send’ some degree of compromise is inevitable. Even so, it’s an effective way of providing a singer with some ‘confidence’ reverb or delay while sending a dry signal to the DAW. DSP inside the Fireface takes care of all the signal processing and effects duties, leaving your computer to take care of recording and playback. Four groups are provided for solo, mute and faders, and trim mode MAGAZINE November 2014

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MT Reviews RME Fireface 802

adjusts the volume for all routed signals of a channel simultaneously. Most functions of TotalMix can be controlled remotely via MIDI with a compatible Mackie Control controller. TotalMix FX also supports OSC and the use of multiple remotes. TotalMix provides three banks of faders controlling hardware input, software output and hardware output. Any signal can be routed anywhere within the system and in any combination. For instance, a hardware input signal can be routed direct to any number of hardware outputs for zero-latency monitoring. Levels and panning for every output can be set independently, so it’s easy to configure various different monitor mixes. Sonic differences between digital converters are occasionally exaggerated or over-emphasised when products competing at similar price points are compared. Having said that, differences between the RME and our somewhat cheaper interface were clearly apparent. Installation with a MacBook Pro was problem free and we set up an aggregate device with the RME and our industry-standard mid-price interface, which enabled us to swap between them instantaneously. This revealed that the bass end of the RME was tighter, faster and cleaner and the treble region had a crisper and airier quality that was most apparent on hi-hats and picked acoustic guitar. The RME also had a more ‘up front’ quality, despite the soundstage having greater depth. Next we split a microphone signal to compare the different mic preamps. Signal splitting ensures that the preamp is the only variable and we found that the RME recordings had a far clearer midrange and a more ‘realistic’ tonal quality. In comparison, our mid-price interface sounded mushy and a bit muffled. The effects are best described as decent and functional rather than ground breaking. RME provides plenty of factory presets that should get you up and running quickly, plus you can store settings that you have dialed in yourself. They’re certainly good enough for basic mixing duties and they do

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It certainly qualifies as an upgrade from entry-level and semi-pro interfaces enhance input signals without forcing you to commit to processing that you may regret later.

On fire So it’s a thumbs up on the sonic side, and the RME Fireface 802 certainly qualifies as an upgrade from entry-level and semi-pro interfaces. Having said that, TotalMix adds a degree of complexity that will require some commitment if the user is to make full use of its processing power. The range of features on offer impresses, however many will be surplus to requirements for those mixing in Pro Tools or Logic, and some may find the dark and cluttered appearance of the user interface a bit off-putting. The manual is hefty and difficult to navigate. The UK distributor assured us Method spot The TotalMix faders only effect the routing within the Fireface and do not change the signal level sent to your DAW. Each line and microphone channel has its own input gain control, so recording the level can be set remotely without having to touch the Fireface unit itself. Click the Stereo button on a microphone input and it joins forces with the adjacent mic input to form a stereo microphone channel. TotalMix enables you to control stereo width, and there’s even mid and side decoding. For matched pairs of microphones there’s a ganged gain control, but you can still set the gain of each microphone individually. The Auto Level feature may also come to your rescue during frantic sessions because it senses overload and reduces microphone gain automatically.

that all the necessary information is in there and they have also produced a couple of in-depth tutorials that can be found on YouTube. They’re effective and show you everything you need to know. Once you get your head around TotalMix it’s a very powerful and practical tool that can be used for monitoring while recording, mixing off a DAW or even as a virtual mixer for live shows. It complements the hardware making the 802 an attractive package overall. MT

MT Verdict + Impressive sound quality + Versatile connectivity + Hassle-free installation + Remote access/control + Powerful, fully featured monitoring package + Includes Wordclock - TotalMix is complex - No Thunderbolt - No front panel level metering A hassle-free 1U audio interface offering an impressive number of analogue and digital channels, FireWire 400 and USB 2 connectivity and sophisticated monitoring software for PC and Mac.

8/10

MAGAZINE

25/09/2014 09:58

distributed by Audio-Technica

TC Electronic Alter Ego X4 Reviews MT

TC ELECTRONIC

Alter Ego X4 Guitarists – they just love a stompbox, don’t they? Marcus Leadley pokes around a delay emulator that even hardcore vintage enthusiasts may like…

T

C Electronic is very good at reinventing hardware for the tech-savvy musician. Take the pedal format that remains a practical option for the performer: ensure the sound quality and connectivity are good enough for studio applications and add the capacity to interface with computers and mobile devices for editing and updating. The Alter Ego X4 takes the basic format of the Flashback X4 and reinvents it as a dedicated vintage simulator. However, why would anyone want to obsess over the foibles of some old analogue echo units? Musicians and producers have been using delay for over 60 years and each of the different eras of technology has its own unique sound. It’s the tone and character of the repeat that counts: warm and fat or grainy and lo-fi. Whatever the case, there is always a certain degradation of the signal over time, and the progressive loss of top end creates a beautiful moving filter effect that can add a tangible sense of distance. If you want to emulate classic-era guitar and keyboard sounds then analogue delay is often an essential part of the vibe. So, either you can start collecting bulky vintage units that need regular maintenance or you buy a device such as the Alter Ego X4. The unit features 12 vintage delay models. Tape-based systems are

Details Price £199 Contact 0800 917 8926 Web www.tcelectronic. com

Key Features ● 12 vintage echo models ● Three delay presets for each model ● Dedicated rotary controllers for Time, Feedback and Delay Level ● Four TonePrint Slots ● Subdivision selector: quarter note, dotted eighth note repeats or both ● MIDI Control ● Stereo In/Out ● Expression pedal socket ● Computer (via USB) and smartphone interfaces (wireless) for editing and updating ● Looper function ● 9V power supply (included)

represented by Roland, Watkins, Binson and Maestro; ElectroHarmonix and Boss cover the solid-state territory. The Tel Ray Organ Tone, an eccentric device that relies upon a spinning canister of conductive oil, is also modelled. Different models are selected using the left-hand rotary control and there are four additional locations for TonePrints of your choice – more on this later. There are four switches: three presets for each model and a dedicated Tap Temp button. There are Time, Feedback and Delay Level knobs – these are the default settings and you can reassign them to a wide variety of other parameters using the TonePrint Editor software. In a similar way you can assign different parameters to the control of an external expression pedal. A mini-toggle switch lets you select either quarter note or dotted eighth note repeats, or both at the same time. The unit is MIDI enabled so program change messages can be used to switch between delay models, and a MIDI clock signal can control the delay time. The pedal also features a Looper function. You can layer sound using delays and there’s an undo option. However, you’re limited to 40 seconds of recording time and you can’t save loops, so it has a limited range of performance-oriented applications.

Vintage up-cycling The Alter Ego sounds very good. The differences between the hi-fi quality of the Space Echo model and the faster tone roll-off of the Copycat really nails the different characters of the two units. The softer, vintage tone of the Echoplex works extremely well for rockabilly, and the Binson models warble to great effect. The more contemporary Memory Man patches deliver authentic vibrato and chorus as well as longer echoes. Some aspects of peripheral functionality are missing, though: while the DM-2 patch sounds like the classic Boss pedal, the controls interact differently and you can’t ‘play’ the feedback to the same extent. And you can’t use the Alter Ego Copycat as a preamp. The flip-side is that the Alter Ego’s models can deliver longer delay times than the originals and multiple delays can work in stereo. Connecting the Alter Ego X4 to a computer increases its power

Alternatives There are a number of digital hardware devices designed to recreate vintage echoes. The Line 6 DL4 Delay Modeller has 15 presets including tape, solid-state and valve emulations. The Danelectro Reel Echo is a basic tape echo simulator with control over tape warble and solid-state/valve character. Echoplex fans will appreciate the Carl Martin DeLayla XL, and Boss has a twin pedal dedicated purely to recreating the sounds of the vintage Roland Space Echo.

exponentially. The TonePrint Editor’s Library function is great fun. This links you directly to the TC Electronic website where you can browse TonePrints – mostly famous player signature settings – and load the patches direct to the pedal’s TonePrint slots. Guitarists can also do this with any smartphone and the TonePrint app: patches are ‘beamed’ to the pedal by holding the phone over the guitar’s pickups. Returning to the software editor, this lets you fine-tune parameters, change knob assignments and then download changes to the pedal. However, you have to start with a template because the software doesn’t read directly from the unit. Unfortunately the templates do not seem to have been updated yet to account for the Alter Ego’s models, so they currently relate to the Flashback X4. All is not lost, however, as you can still manipulate and add them to the TonePrint slots to extend the overall sonic potential. The TC Electronic Alter Ego X4 is an excellent sounding contemporary solution for aficionados of classic delay sounds. As a flexible stereo unit it enables you to manipulate retro tones in new ways. MT

MT Verdict + Accurate vintage delay simulations + Wide range of analogue technologies represented + Stereo input and output + Edit and update effects using a computer or mobile phone - Not essential if you already have a collection of vintage echo units - Avoid if you prefer contemporary digital delay tones The ability to update sounds and edit on computer is very useful, and the straightforward design makes it a very practical live tool that’s ideal for guitarists or keyboard players. It’s a very quiet unit and the general sound quality will be much appreciated in the studio environment.

8/10


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16/10/2012 10:01

Studio Electronics Boomstar SEM Reviews MT

Alternatives Studio Electronics was one of the few companies to stick by analogue during the dark days of digital, but now everyone is on the case: from Novation (Bass Station II) to Korg (Volcas). Doepfer is a company that has also waved the analogue flag for years – we’ll look at some of its modules soon. Then there are other Boomstars in the range including the 4075 we looked at in MT136 (above).

STUDIO ELECTRONICS

Boomstar SEM

The Boomstar range is fast becoming an analogue synth dream for many. Andy Jones wakes from an encounter with the SEM…

M

y first dalliance with a Boomstar synth, the 4075 back in MT136, was a very enjoyable experience. I explained the concept in detail, but I’ll run over it quickly now. Californian company Studio Electronics has made a name for itself over the last 30 years making quality analogue synths, very much bucking the trend of the synth world at large (which for much of that time concentrated on digital). Studio Electronics’ Boomstar range comprises six models, each with a filter based on a classic analogue: the 4075 is based on the ARP 2600; the SE80 on the Yamaha CS-80; the 700 on a MiniKorg; the 5089 has a 24dB ladder based on a Moog; the 3003 is based on the Roland TB-303; and finally the SEM on test here with its Oberheim filter. I tested the 4075 last time around and remarked on its extraordinary sound quality, but warned today’s desktop musicians to expect something very different from what they may be used to. This is a no compromise analogue with no presets, no multitimbrality nor polyphony. It’s all about the sound and this range very much gives you the authentic tone of the original, adds stability, and costs a lot less. But today’s producers, may be used to having everything set out for them on a plate for less than the price of a bus fare, might baulk at the price

and perceived lack of functionality compared to a software plug-in.

Ober what? And so to the SEM. I must admit that the ARP and Oberheim were the models I wanted to get my hands on, being a big fan of the sounds of the originals for many years (the SE80 might have to be next). Layout-wise it’s very much similar to every other model in the range – Studio Electronics clearly keeps costs down by designing each model to a template with only the colour and filter changing, plus the odd knob or rotary. In this case controls specific to the SEM are a notch filter with bandpass option (to enable frequencies only within a certain sweepable range through). Again there’s more detail in the 4075 review, but you get two stackable waveform oscillators: osc.1 mixes triangle or saw, or sine or square waveforms with a Wave Mix knob, and has a Sub Level switch to take the square wave a full or half octave down. A Pulse Width dial also controls the square wave. Osc.2 can be synced to 1 or tracked, and its waveform can be switched between sawtooth or square/ triangle. Its frequency can be modulated by filter and amp envelopes. The SEM filter is controlled by the frequency and resonance knobs while envelope and mod depth are below, switchable between the LFO and VCO2.

Details Price £799 Contact +44 (0)207 118 0133 or email contact@mslpro. co.uk Web www.mslpro.co.uk

Key Features ● Analogue synthesizer ● Architecture: 2 stackable waveform oscillators, 2 envelopes, LFO, Xmod, Ring Mod, feedback ● Controls: 34 rotaries, 19 switches ● Connectors: Audio out, MIDI in/out, CV in, Gate in, VCF FM, VCA AM, Osc out, Ext in

The LFO gets its own set of controls, while there are Global and Mixer dials for the main sections. The best way to move around the synth is initially oscillator by oscillator. Fade one down using the mixer at the bottom and hear how, for example, the envelopes affect oscillator 2 and how the X-Mod affects 1. You then begin to understand the structure in which pretty much anything seems to be modulated by something! Using this method you appreciate the breadth of the sound. Get used to a single oscillator this way but then bring in the other and a touch of LFO and X-Mod and you suddenly have a huge sound on your hands that doesn’t sound as monophonic as it should – if anything there seem to be at least three elements going on at one time. Again this comes down to the quality of the circuitry. I’d say, out of the two, the SEM seems to lean towards dirt and grime a little more than the 4075. It’s also a little more unpredictable in nature with octaves dropping for seemingly no reason and stuff not always happening when you think it will, but to me that equals a synth with character. And in a sea of synth plug-ins with oodles of by-the-numbers presets maybe that’s what we need. The bottom line as that Boomstar SEM is a masterclass in analogue synthesis: unpredictable, rarely off the money, and when it’s good it’s incredible. MT

MT Verdict + Big, fat, and nasty when wanted + Flexible analogue architecture + Fantastic to experiment with + Compact and sturdy + You can lose control quite easily! - You can lose control quite easily! - You will want to store sounds More true analogue classic sounds and an uncompromising nod to the past, and all the better for it.

8/10


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Warm Audio WA76 Discrete Compressor Reviews MT

Value

WARM AUDIO

€£$

WA76 DISCRETE COMPRESSOR Modern recreations of classic units are more than just nostalgic strolls down memory lane. Mike Hillier fires up the latest blast from the past… Details Price £499 Contact Nova Distribution 020 3589 2530 Web www.novadistribution.co.uk

Key Features ● Completely discrete signal path ● Class A output amplifier ● 55dB of gain ● Ultra-fast attack time ● ‘All-buttons-in’ setting ● XLR and TRS inputs/outputs

E

very month there seems to be a new product based upon a classic design. Some of these merely take inspiration from pro audio’s illustrious past – a Neve-styled mic preamp here or a Pultec-inspired equaliser there – while others go the whole hog and appear as replicas of the original units. Warm Audio’s WA76 sits firmly in the latter camp, being a copy of the legendary Urei 1176 limiting amplifier, possibly the most often-used lead vocal dynamics processor in pop history. Bryce Young, owner of Texas-based Warm Audio, obviously believes in offering classically-styled analogue hardware at affordable prices, as his take on the highly regarded API 312 preamps have found their way into the company’s WA12 and Tone Beast mic preamps, both of which received glowing reviews within these pages. The WA76 is a single-channel, 19in rackmount 2U compressor/limiter. Like the original 1176 units upon which it’s based, the WA76 is a solid-state design

Choice

9/10 9 9/ 10

utilising a Class A line-level output amplifier. Vintage-gear junkies will recognise the familiar features of the WA76: two large rotary pots for input and output, two smaller pots for attack and release, and a large VU meter flanked by two rows of push-buttons. It’s a solid, elegant design that’s much-loved for its functionality as well as its familiarity, both in terms of usability and sound quality.

Once upon a time… Let’s take a little look at the history first. Bill Putnam, founder of UREI, began work on the FET-based 1176 in 1966 when solid-state technology was in its infancy. Putnam was already a pro-audio innovator having built the first mixing consoles that could be used in conjunction with multi-track tape recorders. When the original 1176 appeared in 1967 it quickly found favour in studios across the USA, usurping Universal Audio’s LA-2A levelling amplifier, often thought of as the 1176’s thermionic forefather. Over the years the 1176 went through several revisions, the most important of which was revision C, dating from 1970. This revision employed new low-noise circuitry that reduced the noise floor by 6dB, and thereafter the units were renamed 1176LN (low-noise). Warm

Audio has modelled the WA76 after revision D, arguably the best-sounding 1176 of all. The input pot, which is a true 600ohm t-pad, controls the signal level entering the unit and it also controls the compression threshold – as the dial is turned up, more compression or limiting takes place. Incidentally, on the rear panel is an Input Pad button, which reduces the incoming signal by 23dB. This can be useful when using the WA76 in conjunction with a high-gain preamp that doesn’t have a useradjustable output control, such as Warm Audio’s excellent WA12. The output pot, like the input knob, is indented for precise recall of settings, and controls the final output of the unit, making-up gain lost from the gain reduction. This control also enables the user to determine the signal level entering any unit that appears after the WA76 in the signal chain. The attack and release controls (both of which are continuously variable) feel just right, being neither too stiff nor too loose. Like all authentic 1176 variants, the WA76 is capable of extremely fast response times. At its fastest setting, the unit is capable of an attack time of 20 microseconds and even at its slowest setting compression kicks in at 800 microseconds, which is still quite fast. Release times are Method Spot For that classic 1176 vocal sound start with the input and output controls at their central setting and select the 4:1 ratio. Set the attack time to the 12 o’clock position and release at 3 o’clock. Aim for around 5dB of gain reduction on the loudest peaks to begin with and increase the input for a more squashed sound. To achieve a more obviously processed ‘in-yourface’ sound, try the 8:1 ratio setting. Adjust the response times to suit the feel of the track.


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MT Reviews Warm Audio WA76 Discrete Compressor

available from 50 milliseconds to 1.1 seconds. Four push-buttons to the left of the VU meter determine how firmly the unit reduces signal peaks, with four individual ratios available at 4:1, 8:1, 12:1 and 20:1. Even the lowest ratio setting is fairly high compared to those offered by many compressors (1.1:1 is not uncommon), and the higher settings take the unit into limiting territory. One of the best-loved features of 1176-styled compressors is the ‘All-buttons-in’ setting, where all four ratio settings are selected simultaneously. This is sometimes referred to as the ‘Four Button Trick’ or ‘British Mode’ and in effect delivers a ratio somewhere between 12:1 and 20:1. This setting affects the bias of the unit resulting in a change in the behaviour of the attack and release controls. Many engineers use this setting to process drum tracks, particularly on overheads or complete drum kit mixes. The unique compression curve created by this method adds a subtle musical distortion, particularly in the lower frequencies, that produces a huge punchy sound ideal for rock music.

Push it real good

MT140.Rev.WA76.indd 84

Sound design So, the WA76 certainly looks and feels like a traditional 1176, but does it possess that classic Urei sound? In a word, yes; the magical bright, explicit sound is present and correct. Of course, there will always be golden-eared aficionados who will detect minute differences in character, even between vintage machines with an identical revision status. However, the unmistakable sonic qualities of the design will be familiar to anyone who has used any good quality, on-spec 1176 variant. Strapped across a lead vocal the WA76 added that

By experimenting with response times we were able to craft some fabulous sounds

The four push-buttons that are situated to the right of the VU meter enable the user to select what the meter displays as well as powering the unit on, or, in the case of the bottom button, off. When the top GR button is engaged the meter shows the amount of gain reduction taking place, while the following two buttons select output level metering. The first of these is marked +8, meaning that with a VU meter reading of 0, the unit’s output level at the rear panel outputs is +8dBm. The next (+4) button is similar but with an output level of +4dBm. The final button is simply an off switch. There are two sets of outputs on the rear panel enabling both balanced XLR or balanced TRS connectors (these may be used simultaneously). The rear panel also houses a connector for the supplied 24V AC power transformer. Although this type of power transformer is not the last word in fidelity, it does help to keep down costs so that what you pay for is the quality internal components, ie, the bits that really matter. The input and output transformers are high-quality USA-made Cinemag devices – direct

84 | November 2014

descendents of the Reichenbach transformers used in the original 60s and 70s models. A quick look inside the unit reveals a very neat and well laid-out design with the distinctive Cinemag components clearly identifiable, and the absence of an internal power supply makes the unit surprisingly light.

classic forward, spot-lit sound that is a large part of the unit’s appeal. In fact this brightness, which is like a broad-but-gentle presence boost, is often employed without any gain reduction purely for its flattering tonality. When compression is applied, the unit produces a slight edge that helps vocals cut through a mix, especially when driven hard. Although 1176s are primarily renowned for vocal processing (engineer Bruce Swedien always used one on Michael Jackson’s vocal tracks), the unit is equally at home processing instruments such as electric guitar and bass. During the review process we used the WA76 to great effect on bass using the 12:1 ratio to tame the loudest peaks while retaining some dynamic movement during the rest of the performance. We also tried some heavy processing on an electric guitar track, using very fast response times to blunt the transients and give a nice thick, meaty sound. We couldn’t resist trying the all-buttons-in trick on drums, and so pulled-out our simple three-mic, mono drum mix of an old 60s

Alternatives Lindell’s 17XS (£779) is an 1176-influenced design that features a number of extra features such as a wet/dry mix control and several filters. Similar features can be found on Lindell’s 7X-500 (£229), which comes in 500 series lunchbox format. Universal Audio’s 1176 (£1,599) is an authentic re-issue based around the original D and E revisions.

Slingerland kit that we often use when testing single-channel units. Experimenting with response times we were able to craft some fabulous sounds, ranging from solid and fat (or should that be phat?) to the sort of surging, pumping sounds heard on many late-60s and early-70s classic rock recordings. Although we didn’t have an original 1176 with which to compare the WA76 side by side, the signature sound was unmistakable. A visiting engineer to our studios brought along his (considerably more expensive) boutique version of the design and the difference in sound was negligible. This new take on the 1176 is a wonderful addition to Warm Audio’s expanding catalogue of excellent, affordable analogue hardware. While we here at MusicTech applaud the ever-increasing quality of digital simulations of classic gear (in the form of plug-ins), we are delighted that true top-drawer analogue sound quality is now becoming available at almost giveaway prices. Warm Audio’s WA76 must rank as one of the greatest analogue bargains in living memory. MT

MT Verdict + Authentic 1176 sound + Fully discrete signal path + Compression and limiting capability + Solid metal work with brushed faceplate + Easy to use + Reasonable price - Wall wart external power transformer - One orange logo too many The WA76 sounds as good as any 1176 we’ve heard and probably better than well-worn originals that change hands at collector’s prices. Construction is solid, and it looks and feels far more expensive than its price would suggest. Anyone wishing to enrich their recordings with the ear-catching sounds that grace so many hit records should audition this unit. A convincing replica at a remarkably low price.

9/10

MAGAZINE

25/09/2014 10:03

Monster from the Deep

Bazille, work in progress This is the synth we‘ve been keeping back for a good while now – our FM and PD-based modular monster. An alpha version has been available for free download, and dedicated users have taken the opportunity to explore Bazille‘s potential and send us ideas. Now everything is coming together: By the time you read this, Bazille will include some mind-boggling new features, it will have a fresh user interface, a user guide and even a bunch of presets to get started. It might take a couple of weeks, but our hordes are already demanding: Release The Bazille! Check our forum for a preview in AU/VST formats on Mac and PC here*:

www.u-he.com Urs Heckmann - Audio Software *while you‘re at it, check out the award winning Zebra, Diva, Uhbik, Filterscape and More Feedback Machine too. Same developer, same website, same fun factor.

sE Electronics sE5 Stereo Pair Reviews MT

Alternatives

the most natural sounding, with no bass proximity effect – unlike the cardioid pattern. The sE5 body is fairly large for a small diaphragm condenser and is finished in a matte black – apparently to help the mic blend into the background when used on stage. The body houses switches for a 100Hz high-pass filter and a pad that can be set to -10 or -20dB.

Playing the blues

sE ELECTRONICS

sE5 Stereo Pair sE has a new small diaphragm condenser to replace the sE4. Mike Hillier finds its strengths. Details Price £399 Contact Sonic Distribution Web www.seelectronics. com

Key Features ● Fixed cardioid polar pattern ● Three-year replacement warranty ● 100Hz high-pass filter ● -10 and -20dB pad

T

he sE5 microphone is the latest small diaphragm microphone to come from sE, replacing the sE4, which in turn replaced the sE3. The sE5 is available individually or as a matched pair, which is what we received for review. The sE5 pair comes with a sturdy-looking flight case, stereo bar and custom shock mounts, which while a little larger than standard clips will also do a better job of restricting resonances from the stand. Unlike the sE4, the sE5 does not come with interchangeable capsules, and is instead presented with a single cardioid capsule. For most project studios, which have less-than-ideal rooms and will want to keep room noise down to a minimum, this is the best option, but it’s a shame not to have the option of at least an omni capsule. Small diaphragm mics are often used when fast, natural-sounding signals are wanted, and the omni pickup pattern is

Small diaphragm condenser mics are frequently used on acoustic guitars and other stringed instruments, as well as acoustic pianos, percussion, drum overheads and other instruments where capturing a detailed high end is required. With this in mind we put the sE5s up as a coincident pair (X/Y) on our acoustic guitar and recorded a variety of takes, from big open chords to fast picking patterns and even a little slide blues. The sE5s captured plenty of detail, presenting a natural-sounding guitar with plenty of body and detail. The open chord strums sounded huge – the attack of the pick hitting the strings was fast and clean, while the resonance from the body gave a strong low-mid presence. On the faster finger-picked material the sE5s captured plenty of detail from the strings, as well as a fair amount of finger slides and fret noise from the mic pointed towards the neck. On the bottleneck slide takes the sE5s again captured a clean, natural tone with a bold midrange. We were recording an acoustic guitar with a naturally bright tone, which was exaggerated by the sE5s resulting in a sound that had a little too much high end for our tastes. On a less bright guitar this might make the perfect match, putting a little sparkle back into the signal, but on our guitar we ended up using a high-shelving filter to take a little off above 8kHz. The stereo balance of the two mics presented a strong central image, with only a little width, making it easier to place in the mix. Less well-matched microphones would present a wider stereo image, but this could also be created with different stereo techniques using the sE5.

As well as the sE5, sE also manufactures the RN17 small-diaphragm condensers, which are equipped with a Rupert Neve-designed custom transformer. The RN17s are incredible microphones, but come with a price tag to match. Super-cardioid, omni, hypercardioid and figure-of-8 capsules are also available for the RN17. Closer to the sE5s in price are the Røde NT5-MP and Sontronics STC-1S. Both feature exchangeable capsules, so you can purchase different polar patterns to extend the versatility of the microphones. Røde makes an omni capsule for the NT5, and Sontronics makes omni and hypercardioid capsules for the STC-1. The NT5 does not feature a pad or high-pass filter, while the STC-1 has a filter that can be set to 75 or 150Hz and a pad at -10 or -20dB.

We’re not fans of small diaphragm condensers as overheads on drumkits. While a popular technique, we find it tends to lead to the hats and cymbals sounding overly bright and harsh, and popping out of the mix. The sE5s were no different, pushing the hats up in the overhead image. However, switching the sE5s to close mic’ing the hat and ride played to the mic’s strengths, leaving us to choose more appropriate overheads. On hi-hat, the cardioid pickup pattern of the sE5s let us isolate the hat from the snare a little and captured all the sizzle of the hat, while the stick attack on both the hat and ride had plenty of transient detail. The high-pass filter came in useful here, cutting out some of the low end from the kick and snare, tidying up the hat and ride signals, and keeping control of the proximity effect. The new sE5s may not have the flexibility of the older sE4s due to the lack of exchangeable capsules, but sE has worked hard to make the newer mic as great as possible. The sE5 captures transients effortlessly, and has a slight lift in the top end, which will brighten up any source. A matched pair of SDCs is an essential purchase for every studio at some point, and the sE5s are an inexpensive option, making them an essential inclusion on your shortlist. MT

MT Verdict + Matched pair + Open, enhanced top end + Bundled shock mount - Large body may be difficult to place - Fixed cardioid pickup pattern The sE5s make a great stereo pair for acoustic instruments, with fast transient tracking and a tight cardioid pattern.

8/10


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RND Shelford 5051 & 5052 Reviews MT

the inspiration for the high end, borrowing the inductor design from the 1073 EQ with a more modern capacitorbased topology for more control. Again inspired by earlier designs, the mic preamp in the 5052 is a discrete Class-A circuit with 72dB of available gain coupled with custom-wound square-core transformers and the Red/ Blue Silk modes from the Portico II series to add additional harmonic content. Although inspired by older designs this isn’t by any means a clone, and the design team at RND has worked hard to make this the best ‘Neve’ preamp yet. The mic preamp has a polarity invert switch, 48V phantom power and a sweepable high-pass filter, continuously variable from 20-250Hz. The 5051 compressor section is similar to the VCA compressor design used in the Portico series. This design combines the feed-back nature of early Rupert Neve compressor designs, but also includes a modern, feed-forward option for faster attack times and more aggressive compression.

2+2=5

RUPERT NEVE DESIGNS

Shelford 5051 and Shelford 5052 The Shelford Series takes the best elements of several of Rupert Neve’s designs and brings them up to date. Mike Hillier plays with the best. Details Price Shelford 5051, £2280; Shelford 5052, £2280; five-way PSU £690 Contact Sonic Distribution 0845 500 2500 Web www.rupertneve. com

Key Features ● Discrete, Class A circuitry ● +/- 24V power supply ● Custom-wound transformers and inductors

T

he Shelford Series is named after the small town of Little Shelford where Rupert Neve designed his early preamps and EQs, such as the 80-series, that went on to revolutionise the recording industry. Looking to these designs for inspiration, the Shelford Series hopes to bring together the best of Neve’s designs with modern components and techniques to generate what could be the ultimate Rupert Neve channel strip.

Blast from the past There are two modules in the Shelford Series: the 5051 EQ/Compressor and the 5052 Mic Pre/EQ. Both modules share the same three-band inductor-

Excellence

10/10

based EQ, which has been designed as a ‘best-of’ of Rupert Neve’s EQs. The low-frequency band is based on the 1064, which the company claims is best known for its creamy, resonant bass. The 1064 design is improved with the addition of a switch enabling it to be used as both a shelf and a peak filter. The midrange is based on the 1073 EQ, one of the most revered units in the audio world. The 1073 was also part of Alternatives AMS Neve still manufactures many of the original models that inspired the Shelford Series, such as the 1073, 1081 and 1084. These units stay far more faithful to the originals, but all will get you in the ballpark of that classic ‘British Neve’ sound.

Both units can be mounted in the 5088 or 5285 consoles, which will also provide power for the modules. Alternatively they can be mounted in a separate enclosure – RND makes a two-slot standalone wooden enclosure or a nine-slot metal 6U rack. They will then need to be powered from an external power supply, and RND provide either a 2U 25-way unit, or a nonrackable five-way version designed to sit at the side or back of a rack. Why RND chose these numbers is a little less obvious. Running five modules would require half of a nine-slot enclosure to be empty, while getting a second power supply would then leave one port unused. Getting them to match up is tricky, and would prove very costly. Although of course there is no harm in not running everything at capacity. A further look around the back of the modules reveals some extra interesting features. The 5052 mic preamp/EQ has both mic and line-level inputs as well as a dedicated EQ input to bypass the input stage entirely. Furthermore, as well as the main output the 5052 has an output immediately after the mic preamp stage. This means it is possible to run the mic preamp and the EQ simultaneously on different signals, or alternatively place a compressor before the EQ. The 5051 EQ/Compressor has two line-level inputs, which you can switch MAGAZINE November 2014

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RND Shelford 5051 & 5052 Reviews MT

Method Spot

between from the front panel, making it easy to hardwire the 5052 into the 5051 while also keeping the other input wired to the patch bay should you wish to use just this module. There are also ¼in TS sidechain send and return points, and ¼in TS Link ports for linking two 5051 modules together for stereo operation.

Using both the 5052 and 5051 you get an EQ both before and after the compression. As a general rule, we cut before compression and boost afterwards. However, it can sometimes be useful to boost the top end before compression, as this is unlikely to trigger the compressor, and by boosting before compression you are keeping the noise floor as low as possible in your signal chain.

Studio success We were provided with the two-slot wooden enclosure and the five-way power supply, and sat next to each other in the enclosure the two modules make a formidable channel strip, with the 5052 and 5051 providing a mic preamp running into a three-band EQ, into a compressor, and back into another EQ. Before hitting any of the additional options we ran the mic preamp clean to gauge its qualities. It was pretty obvious very quickly that this was something a little special. The acoustic guitar we were recording instantly sounded larger than life, the low-end was forthright without being woolly, while the top end sparkled without feeling artificially boosted. We engaged the HPF and dialled it up to around 60Hz, which further tightened the low end and left us with a signal that on its own sounded superb. In a sparse mix this may be all that you need, but in a more dense mix this guitar would probably sound a little big. So we engaged the EQ and within seconds we were able to pull out a little of the low end to thin out the

The Shelford Series modules easily stand up as two of the best yet created by Rupert Neve guitar and leave more room in our arrangement, while a slight cut in the top end, shelving down from 8kHz, helped to place the guitar in a fixed space in the spectrum. On vocals, the larger than life quality of the Shelford 5052 preamp is ideal, and we were able to add a little more

life to the vocal by lifting the top end and then running it into the 5051 compressor. This enabled us to sit the vocal really easily into the mix, with very little post-processing. For our final test we set our sE RNR1 ribbon mic about 4ft in front of and at 90º to a drum kit, and used the Shelford

Series preamp and compressor to achieve a sort of pumped room sound. Because the mic is a figure-of-eight pattern, with the null pointed at the kit, it should only pick up the room reflections and not the direct signal. We decided to let the compressor do a fair amount of work and dialled in quite a slow attack to let most of the punch through but fast enough to catch the body of each beat, and a fast attack so it’s released before the next hit. We then dialled the threshold down to produce around 6-10dB of gain reduction on the meter. The result was a huge sound. The kick and snare sounded enormous, while the hats dropped back a little. Unlike similar tricks using FET compressors such as the 1176 there wasn’t an obvious sense that the picture was being saturated, just that it was being pushed forward. The Shelford Series modules pay homage to the past works of Rupert Neve without exactly recreating any of them. It’s encouraging to see the company continuing to develop and design when it would be so easy to rest on the laurels of past successes. The two Shelford Series modules easily stand up as two of the best works yet created by Rupert Neve and would be welcomed into any studio around the world. While we would love to have a 5088 console packed full of these the expense may be too much, but we can see plenty of studios buying one of each module and using them as a deluxe channel strip, especially smaller project studios that may only need one preamp, but want one of the highest quality. MT

MT Verdict + Incredible sound + Huge dynamic range + Stunning EQ - Not standard rack sizes - Requires custom external power supply Improving on a classic design isn’t an easy task, but it’s one the Shelford Series has been more than a match for.

10/10


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Plugin Boutique VirtualCZ Reviews MT

PLUGIN BOUTIQUE

VirtualCZ

For PC & Mac

Value

Excellence

€£$ 10/10

All classic synths deserve a software emulation: ARP, Moog, Prophet and now… er… Casio. Andy Jones sees (or Cz) why…

I

’ve interviewed many hundreds of musicians over the last two or three decades and each one of them has a favourite classic synth or three. The most common names are, of course, Moog, Roland (Jupiter, Juno, TB, TR…), Prophet, Korg, Yamaha… all the old favourites. But one name that comes up more than it should – especially given that its mother company is now perhaps unfairly known more for ‘home’ keyboards than anything else – is the ‘CZ range’. Or, more specifically, the ‘Casio CZ range’. Yes, you might know Casio for the ‘Da Da Da’ VL-Tone (or the VL-1 – the mini keyboard used by the huge German novelty hit-makers Trio). You might know Casio for the keyboards with lit keys that we discussed in last month’s MusicTech. Or you might know Casio for hundreds of keyboards with on-board speakers and accompaniment rhythms. Those properly ‘in the know’, though, will know Casio for the aforementioned CZ range. And Plugin Boutique, therefore, is clearly in the know…

See? It’s easy… The original hardware range employed phase distortion digital synthesis to fatten things up. It had up to 16 oscillators (eight on earlier models), and therefore 16 notes of polyphony

depending on the sound used. Analogue fans probably embraced the architecture because of the resonant waveforms that gave it an analogue edge and also the familiar modulators. Digital fans liked it because it was simple compared to, say, FM, which was the backbone of the engine in Yamaha’s DX series. With VirtualCZ, Plugin Boutique has stuck with many of these features including the same phase distortion oscillator and (up to) 8-stage envelope. The software even acts as a SysEx editor/librarian if you are lucky enough to have the original hardware (CZ-1, CZ-101, CZ-1000, CZ-3000 and CZ-5000) and, of course, this being software, you get bonus features too. These include full graphical displays for envelopes and velocity settings, 32 notes of polyphony, added effects and a couple of hundred (great) presets.

See me The front panel has been designed to be purely retro, and in that sense you wonder how much more welcoming it could have been at the expense of some of the realism. You get the impression that should you give VirtualCZ a hug you’ll come away with dust up your nose and feel a need to wash, such is the original, grey look of its GUI. But many, of course, will welcome this authenticity

Details Price £59.95 Contact Plugin Boutique +44 (0) 1273 692 313 Web www.pluginboutique. com Minimum system requirements PC: Windows XP+, Intel i5, 4GB RAM Mac: OS X 10.6+, Intel i5, 4GB RAM

Key Features ● Emulates original CZ range synth engine ● VST2, VST3, AU and AAX plug-in formats ● SysEx editor for original hardware ● Two phase distortion oscillators ● Six envelope generators ● 32-voice polyphony ● 200 presets included, ‘1000s available online’

and secretly I prefer it marginally to some kind of souped-up C21 version. Sound-wise it’s bang on the money. Rasping, ravey, phasey, and surprisingly beefy – all the elements that have made so many people admire the CZ range over the years. There are some great squelchy, almost analogue basses, a fantastically deep jungle sub bass or two, plenty of up-front lead sounds and many elements that are finding favour (again) in today’s brasher and bassier dance music. Just stepping through the five banks on offer greets you with everything from heavenly sonic pads to dirty in-your-face bass. This variety is thanks largely to the synth’s architecture, which is well worth getting your head around. Lowering the polyphony by switching to one of the monophonic modes enables you to fatten sounds up with unison, and the 8-stage envelopes add enormous flexibility. It will take a slight shift in understanding – we’re talking ‘lines’ of oscillators and Digitally Controlled Waveshaping rather than a filter – but you will start to understand how the engine can produce such varied results and therefore quickly realise why so many people hold the originals in such high esteem. (And it’s nowhere near as hard as other digital synthesis methods such as FM, so be happy to spend the time learning!) And talking of the originals, the presets from all of the CZ range do not ship directly with the plug-in, but are widely available online along with many other downloadable sounds (and on the developer’s website). If you’re sick of real analogue, virtual analogue and a sea of classic analogue emulations, this is a must-buy, if only to realise that digital wasn’t as bad as we all made out. This is an accessible, flexible and, most importantly, a hugely inspirational synth. And at just £59.95 it is the steal of the year. Get it now. MT

MT Verdict + Stunning and surprisingly varied sounds + You’ll realise why the originals are so well regarded + As easy as digital synthesis gets + Just like the originals - Just like the originals! (the interface might be off-putting) VirtualCZ is a real gem of a synth in a world that has become obsessed with analogue. A must-buy to increase your sonic palette.

10/10


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Mini Reviews MT

Celesta - Keyboard Operated Idiophone Manufacturer Sonokinetic Ltd. Price €60 Contact via website Web www.sonokinetic.net

T

he celesta is a keyboard instrument that looks similar to an upright piano but, instead of strings, the keys connect to hammers that strike metal plates over wooden resonators. Which explains the rather unusual title of Sonokinetic’s new sampled celesta, the Keyboard Operated Idiophone, which is a musical instrument that creates sound by vibrating, without the use of strings. Originally a three-octave instrument, a five-octave model is now the norm, and that’s what we have here. Celesta runs in the open Kontakt format (4.2.4 or 5) for complete user customisation. It is not, however, compatible with the free Kontakt player – a full version is obligatory. Recorded in a medium sized, high ceiling studio, three microphone

Key Features ● 3.1GB sample pool, 4000+ samples ● Three velocity levels ● Separate samples for sustain pedal on and off ● Multiple round robin samples ● Celesta reverb ● Three mic positions

positions were used – close, overhead and balcony – and you can use them separately or mix them together. The close microphone is clear and detailed, the overhead more ambient and the balcony positioned one is more ambient still with a noticeably more percussive sound. For a larger room sound there’s a reverb control. Separate samples for pedal up and pedal down are provided along with multiple velocity release samples and multiple round robins, key ingredients for what is, after all, a percussive instrument.

The interface is simplicity itself with reverb controls on the left and microphone mixing controls on the right. The impulse responses can be further customised or replaced within Kontakt’s instrument editor. Sonokinetic have made a splendid job of capturing the magical sound typically associated with these instruments (think Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy). Minor flaws and extraneous sounds all add to its unique character, which is similar to that of the glockenspiel with a more subtle tone. It’s probably not an instrument that’s going to be used on a daily basis, especially in pop music, although it has been featured on many a hit record by artists such as the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Pink Floyd and many others. It really comes into its own when an incomplete track is crying out for that little bit of extra musical magic, usually in the higher register. MT

MT Verdict Celesta captures all the magic and beauty associated with one of the most delicate instruments.

9/10

Xplorer Bluetooth

Richard Barbieri Sound Bank

Manufacturer StudioSeries

Manufacturer Nord

Price £110

Price £free

Contact via website

Web www.nordkeyboards.com, www.soundtech.co.uk

Web www.editorskeys.com

B

luetooth’s wireless wonders still amaze. Here we have a small, retro designed mobile speaker that will play your tunes for up to nine hours on a full charge (which takes two to three hours via USB). Sync any device up with ease – you simply hit the power button for three seconds and it welcomes any Bluetooth action. Play music via your mobile (iOS, Android etc) and it will even pause it if you get a call. Quality wise it goes loud enough at a good enough quality for most outdoor BBQs and small gatherings. The quality suffers if you crank it too loudly, but you might not need to if you are just playing for family and friends. It’s easy to use and a great mobile music playing solution wherever you are. MT

Key Features

T

● 10W o/p (2x5W speakers) ● 8 to 9 hours playback ● 10m range ● Bluetooth 4.0+ ● Built in StudioSeries hands free kit

MT Verdict Small, compact, good sound quality, a great mobile music solution and very easy to use.

8/10

he A1 is the synth hit of the year being programmable and inspirational. This set of 50 performances and programs from ex Japan/Rain Tree Crow keyboardist, solo artist and Porcupine Tree synth guru Richard Barbieri, slots nicely into the empty bank of each in the A1 (tested on an A1R). It’s a small download but you may have to update both system and Sound Manager software. You are then treated to some of the most atmospheric presets going. Barbieri has stretched the A1 to its limits with ambience, ethnic sonics and sheer drama. There’s rhythmic action and lots of dark broodiness as followers of Richard might expect. It’ll make you want an A1 and best of all it’s free! MT

Key Features ● 50 A1/A1R performances ● 50 A1/A1R programs ● Ethnic, rhythmic, atmospheric and percussive presets

Excellence

10/10 MT Verdict If you own an A1 this is a must have. If not get an A1!

10/10


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ABLETON LIVE 9

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Mini Reviews MT

iKlip Xpand Stand

Music Marketing for the DIY Musician

Manufacturer IK Multimedia Price €54.99/£39 Contact +44 (0)1223 234414 Web www.ikmultimedia.com

I

K Multimedia has released several iPad and iPhone stands for musicians. The desktop muso now gets this which can be a standalone iPad stand or clip to the side of your desk. Construction is easy – you’ll need a firm hand to lock the base to the main support – and half way through you’ll need to choose which stand type. But the result is sturdy, especially when locked to the side of your desk (although the grip gap could be wider for ‘thicker’ desks). The standalone version might fall forward but only if knocked from behind, but both variations allow easy movement of the iPad from horizontal to vertical without the need to remove it from the stand. Solid and does the job well. MT

Manufacturer Hal Leonard Price $29.99

Key Features

Contact via website

● Two way iPad stand ● Locks to desk or standalone ● Expandable to allow iPad case ● Construct in < 5 mins

● Step by step plan of attack ● Uses many similar tactics you can find in industry ● 18 chapters; 330+ pages

W

MT Verdict If your iPad is crammed full of music apps but always seems to get lost within your studio gear, then this is what you need to keep it in a prominent position.

8/10

hat to do next with your music is the Holy Grail of success. Gone are the days – if ever they existed – of sending a demo out and becoming famous. This takes a very ‘pro’ marketing angle, treating your music like a brand, a commodity worth selling. And if you treat your music that way, you can certainly do a very pro job yourself, but it does serve as a warning to those who might think this next step can be fun. Such an approach can be quite soul-destroying, especially when applied to something as personal as your own music. MT

Autotheory Manufacturer Mozaic Beats. Price $59.99 Contact via website Web www.autotheorybymozaic.com

O

riginally developed as a Rack Extension for Reason, Autotheory has made the jump to standalone app for Mac and PC. A MIDI generator that responds to your input, it’s designed to help you create chords and melodies more complex than you may be able to play naturally, and to suggest new melodies based on your chord selections. The iLok authorization is a little heavy handed but setup is straightforward enough and you can configure MIDI channels and use computer keys for MIDI input. With minimal setup it fired MIDI through to Logic more or less automatically. To the left is the Chord Generator section and this can be set to play multiple types of chords based on one-finger input using the root note and

Key Features

Web www.halleonardbooks.com

Key Features ● Eight virtual MIDI outputs ● Chord and melody generators ● Extensive chord type and customisation options ● Generate musical parts

chord type controls at the top. The Chord Editor can be used to perform further tweaks like adding or removing notes from the generated chord and adding accidentals and octave notes. It can send up to eight virtual channels into your DAW from a single MIDI input so it can be connected to multiple instruments at once. To the right is the Melody section where notes are assigned based on your chosen chord, and you aren’t

MT Verdict We agree with the methods but more artistic musicians might baulk. You’d have to separate yourself completely from your music to market it in many of the ways suggested which is certainly something not all of us could do.

7/10

‘allowed’ to play a wrong-sounding note. So it’s great for novice players, though you have to wrap your head around the fact that the note you press might not sound the note you thought it would. Nonetheless it should still fit with the scale and chord you have selected. All of this can be recorded into a MIDI track in your DAW of course and the whole thing acts like a more advanced version of the MIDI generator plug-ins you get with some DAWs. It’s probably best suited to the less confident keyboard player as it will indeed help you play complex chords and generate melodies with fairly minimal musical knowledge. The results tend towards the hip hop or dance side of things and for skilled players it’s more a more intriguing than vital tool, but Autotheory can certainly help you generate new musical ideas. MT

MT Verdict A useful tool for the less experienced keyboard player and interesting for those looking to generate new ideas.

7/10


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MT Mini Reviews

Restoration Suite

Complete Guide to Compression

Manufacturer Acon Digital

Manufacturer Producertech

Price $99.90

Price £12.95

Contact [email protected]

Contact via website

Web www.acondigital.com

Web www.live-courses.com

Key Features

T

his has recently been updated to v1.5, and includes four plug-ins for cleaning up digital audio. DeNoise offers adaptive noise reduction for stationary noise such as broadband, hiss, wind and buzz, whilst DeHum deals with mains hum and other tonal noises, and includes up to 96 harmonic bands for reducing complex buzzing. The other two plug-ins are DeClip for restoring audio damaged by clipping, and DeClick, for removing clicks and crackles. We tested each next to the equivalent in iZotope’s recent RX4 and while RX4 offers more precise and scientific control, Acon Digital’s processors were easier and quicker to use with fairly close results. MT

● Four audio restoration and noise reduction plug-ins ● 32-bit/64-bit Windows & OS X ● VST, AAX and AU formats ● DeNoise, DeHum, DeClick & DeClip ● Easy to use, clear GUIs

I Choice

MT Verdict An excellent sounding, well designed suite of plug-ins that’s great for quick and easy restoration work. The Restoration Suite offers an effective and affordable alternative to its more expensive counterparts.

9/10

Vier Price €99

Choice

MT Verdict A clear and concise look at compression techniques that’s well paced with good use of audio and visual examples.

9/10

Manufacturer Loopmasters


Price £19.95

Web www.eisenberg-audio.de


V

ier is a new instrument that emulates the Doepfer MS-404 analogue mono synth, with a clear GUI that gives you access to four units. These can be linked in a variety of ways, from simple unison, to key-splits and a revolver mode, and each of the parameter knobs can easily be joined to each other, or to the eight macro knobs via a patching system. The sound quality is fairly decent, with anti-aliasing oscillators and zero-delay feedback filters, and there are 100 presets showing off a range of modular style sounds. The team should be commended for translating the design into software form, although this does bring with it a whole load of limitations, such as only one filter type, one LFO shape, and a shared envelope for the filter and amp. MT

MT140.reviews minis-p98.indd 98

Key Features ● Guide to compression ● Covers basic and intermediate techniques ● 65 Minutes of streaming video ● Includes course notes in PDF format, plus accompanying Live Projects

Retro Synths for Logic X

Manufacturer Eisenberg Audio

98 | November 2014

t’s the essential but often abused process of compression. This online course lasts a little over an hour and is divided into nine modules that can be streamed from the Live-Courses. com website. Rob Jones begins with an overview of compressor basics, before moving on to cover attack and release, sidechaining, multiband and mix buss compression, de-essing, and working with kicks and vocals. Although everything is taught using the excellent visual feedback of Ableton Live’s built-in compressor and analyser, all skills are fully transferable to any DAW. It’s wonderfully concise and easy to follow, ideal for those looking to learn the fundamentals. MT

Key Features ● Soft synth modeled on the Doepfer MS-404 ● Anti-aliasing oscillators and zero-delay feedback filters ● Four units in one with intelligent voice management ● Eight Macro knobs with flexible modulation ● Windows, OS X, VST, AU, RTAS & AAX formats

Web www.loopmasters.com

T Innovation

MT Verdict A decent sounding analoguemodeled synth with a few nifty tricks up its sleeve, only hindered by the limitations of the unit it emulates.

7/10

he deceptively versatile Retro Synth in Logic X gets a fresh batch of sounds courtesy of producer Colin C, who has previously brought us packs of Ultrabeat presets and Logic mixing channel strips. The presets simply need to be dragged to the relevant folders. There are a range of more standard growling basses, retro pads, searing leads and whooshing FX plus some more avant-garde sounds that make use of the FM and Wavetable aspects. Although there are a few volume discrepancies between presets, and there’s nothing that out of the ordinary here, the extra processing in the bonus channel strips offers an insight into some more interesting and inspiring sound design techniques. MT

Key Features ● 100 Logic X Retro Synth presets ● 50 Bonus Channel Strips ● Pads, basses, leads and FX ● Designed by Colin C

MT Verdict Although there’s nothing massively ground breaking here, it’s a good example of the versatility of Retro Synth, and the bonus channel strips provide some more interesting and in-depth sound design.

8/10

MAGAZINE

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email: [email protected]

MAGAZINE

oom in your pocket.

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MAGAZINE March 2011 | 127

Six of the best Buyer’s Guide MT

Six of the best Hardware

Software

Mobile Technology

Details Price £119/€149 Contact Best Service +49 (0) 89 45228920 Web www. bestservice.de

Samples

Welcome to the new MusicTech Buyer’s Guide where we round up some of the best products recently reviewed in the magazine. This month: six of the best instrument libraries. Next month: percussion instrument libraries…

BEST SYNTH

Zero-G Epica

Z

ero-G’s Epica synth instrument is surely one of the best instrument sample libraries ever, certainly the best synth one. At least, that is what MusicTech editor Andy Jones thinks. In the review back in March 2014 (MT132) he gushed: “So you can see I love Epica. I warn, again, that my musical upbringing almost forces me to dive into this kind of stuff like some happy, hippy, electro dolphin, and if you are not like me you might find it a little too ‘electronic’. But if you’ve ever had your heart plucked by the sound of the synth, then buy it, come and find me, thank me and tell me it’s the best £113 you’ve ever spent.” He finally concluded: “Epica is as epic as epic can be. The best collection for synth-heads currently out there.”

BEST ORCHESTRAL

Sonokinetic Grosso

T

here are more orchestral libraries around than seemingly everything else, so they probably warrant a ‘Six of the Best’ on their own. Until then, Grosso is the best one that we have looked at of late. MusicTech’s resident orchestral expert Keith Gemmell was direct and simple in his verdict… “Grosso is the most comprehensive orchestral phrase-based composition tool around – great sound, well orchestrated, and if you get stuck for ideas, it’s highly inspirational.”

Details Price €299 Contact Via website Web www. sonokinetic.net

Details Price £113 Contact Time+Space 01837 55200 Web www.timespace. com

BEST FANTASY

Best Service Shevannai

W

e obviously had great fun writing this review complete with a boxout discussing whether Elvish is a real language (kind of) and what the difference is between Elvish and Elven (the latter is basically Welsh but more drunk), but all joking apart this is a superb collection. Again, Andy Jones was on hand to say… “The soundscapes are excellent and I will be using them and the whispers in projects that need that kind of distant atmosphere. I’m sadly not involved in composition for Elvish projects (but I am open to offers!). As a quality collection for a very specific job, however, Shevannai is excellent.” The final verdict was: “An excellent collection that caters for what could be a small market, but there isn’t much competition out there. ‘Enni e bain’ indeed… Look it up, people!” MAGAZINE November 2014

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MT Buyer’s Guide Six of the best

BEST OFF THE WALL

W

Big Fish Audio Zodiac

e never really thought we’d see an instrument library dedicated to musique concrète but Zodiac takes the best bits of that musical genre – found sounds, natural noises, atmospheric recordings – and turns it into an absolutely stunning collection. Obviously one for ambient fans and anyone wanting to add some

atmosphere. Andy Jones said… “One of the most interesting collections I have come across. I love the atmosphere, vibe and direction of the whole collection and applaud its recording philosophy.” He then concluded: “If you want something organic and inspiring to counter your real or electronic worlds, look no further…”

Details Price £125 Contact Time & Space Tel 01837 55200 Web www. timespace.com

Details Price £125 Contact Time+Space 01837 55200 Web www.timespace.com

I love the atmosphere, vibe and direction and applaud its recording philosophy… BEST PIANO

Modartt Pianoteq 5

P BEST CINEMATIC

Heavyocity AEON

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his comprises two collections: Rhythmic and Melodic. And, while this is one of the older collections here, it’s still a great all-rounder. Reviewer Liam O’ Mullane said… “Overall, the preset selection is

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Details Price $399 Contact info@ heavyocity.com Web www.heavyocity. com

vast and varied. Throughout the pack the production value is high and can be adapted as the user needs in a number of ways for variation and general expression. You’d be hardpushed to produce the mood, size and quality of these sounds from scratch.”

ianoteq has now reached v5 after impressing us in its previous incarnations. It is not strictly a sample library as such – weighing in at just 40MB – but is certainly one of the best instruments out there and with impressive results that match, if not beat, other libraries. Hollin Jones said: “Pianoteq is an excellent way to get playable and configurable piano sounds on your computer without taking up valuable space.” Details Price Pianoteq Stage, €99; Pianoteq Standard, €249; Pianoteq Pro, €399; upgrade from previous version, €29 Contact Via website Web www.pianoteq.com

MAGAZINE

25/09/2014 09:11

Read on any device, anytime!

Download your FREE app today FREE PREVIEW ISSUE SINGLE ISSUES JUST £2.99 SUBSCRIBE FOR JUST £16.99 Search Music Tech magazine and download your FREE app today

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MT Feature A bluffer’s guide to EQ

MT Feature Music Technology

A BLUFFER’S GUIDE TO EQ This is what a boost in the highs looks like. Our node is at about 5kHz, and we’ve got a very high Q. Expect seriously snappy snares here.

The first step in becoming a mix master is getting to grips with the simplest of tools at your disposal: EQ. Rob Boffard shows you how to bring balance to your musical force…

T

he Equaliser, or EQ, is the Tetris of audio effects. You’ll figure out how it works in seconds, but it takes an age to master. No other effect, if used subtly, can make such a dramatic difference to your sound. If you know what you’re doing with an EQ it’ll make your mixes sound as if they’ve popped out of a top-of-the-range studio. Conversely, there is no other effect that, when mishandled, can screw up your mixes so badly. A heavy or badly managed hand with EQ can wreck a good song. Don’t stress, though. EQ may sound intimidating but in practice it’s not difficult to get the hang of. Give us a few minutes with this guide and we’ll show you exactly what you need to know about this powerful effect.

What’s the frequency? Let’s start with the basics. Sounds have frequency, right? It’s the part of sound that is measured in pitch. A high pitch, or high frequency, means that the sound waves are packed closely together and hit your eardrum more frequently than sounds with a lower pitch. A low frequency is the opposite, where sound waves are spaced further apart. That means your eardrum hears those sounds as low-pitched. If that sounds hard to handle, think of it this way: a violin has a high-frequency sound; a bass drum has a low frequency. An EQ enables you to boost or reduce those frequencies. You can make the

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MAGAZINE

25/09/2014 09:42

A bluffer’s guide to EQ Feature MT

bass louder, the highs higher. You can also cut that bass, or remove some of the high frequencies so things don’t get too sharp. In a full song where you have any number of different sounds, all with their own frequencies, this is an exceedingly important technique. You’d be hard-pressed to find a music session that didn’t have some EQ Your basic paragraphic EQ. Note the individual nodes (each of them draggable), the frequencies along the top, and the decibels on the left. in it somewhere. Frequencies are measured in Hertz (Hz), named for Heinrich Rudolf Hertz, who was the first to Tech terms identify electromagnetic waves. Humans can hear only a certain range of ● FREQUENCY: The frequencies, from as low as 20Hz to as high as about 20,000. Dogs, obviously, can vibrations in sound hear much higher, but since they aren’t great music fans the 20-20,000 range is that determine its what you’ll see on most EQ displays. This range is known as the frequency pitch. You can also spectrum. Again, instruments such as bass drums are down low, violins up high, use this as a distinct measurement – as in, it the human voice somewhere in the middle. has a low frequency, or a Instruments can possess more than one frequency. Indeed they have ranges of frequency of 50Hz. their own. Think of a kick drum. Sure, you’ve got the big, bassy boom which will show up at around 500-1000Hz, but you’ve also got the ‘snap’ as the beater hits the surface, which registers much higher in the spectrum at around 15,000Hz. What you’re trying to do is lower or raise the volume of these frequencies to bring out, or reduce, a sound’s desired characteristics. Here’s a pro tip for you: when talking frequencies and EQ, don’t talk about bass or treble. Talk about highs, mids and lows.

Revert to type So what exactly are you going to see when you bring in your EQ? Well, that depends. There are a few types of equalisation, some of which are more useful than others, and it’s worth going through them all. First, you’ve got your fixed EQ, the most basic of all the types. Essentially it gives you a bunch of controls – knobs, usually – each set to a specific frequency. You can’t change that frequency, but you can raise and lower the gain (read: volume) for each one. Then you’ve got your graphic EQs. Instead of the few controls you’d get in the fixed EQ you’ve now got dozens, usually appearing as faders instead of knobs. Each one of them is still locked to a specific frequency and you can still raise and lower the gain as before, but what this EQ does is enable you to create ‘curves’ by setting the faders in increments. You usually see this sort of EQ on an old HiFi, and frankly, they’re a pain to work with. Paragraphic EQs are what you want. Now you don’t have fixed frequencies; instead, your EQ display will have nodes, each of which can be dragged to any frequency you want. You can raise or lower each node to change the gain, and (this is the clever bit) adjust its ‘Q’ to change the shape of the curve. The lower the Q, the more space there will be under your EQ curve, which means more frequencies will be boosted or cut. It’ll look like a hump. Raise the Q, and you’ll get a spike, with far fewer frequencies affected by the boost or cut.

Instruments can have more than one frequency. Indeed they have ranges of their own

● HERTZ: The unit used to measure frequencies. Named for Heinrich Rudolf Hertz. Most EQs go from 20 to 20,000Hz, and it’s not uncommon to see the latter abbreviated as 20kHz, or KiloHertz. ● GAIN: Simplified, gain is volume. It can be raised to boost a frequency or lowered to cut it. It’s measured in decibels, or dB. ● Q: The width of the space under an EQ curve. No, we don’t know why it’s called Q. Doesn’t matter. You’ll want to pay close attention to it.



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MT Feature A bluffer’s guide to EQ

When it comes down to it that’s all the controls you ever need worry about with EQ: frequency, gain, Q. Go try it out now. Load a track into your DAW and start playing. Like Tetris, you’ll figure it out straightaway. We promise. OK, there are one or two more things to bear in mind. Most of the time EQs will include what are known as high- and low-pass filters. A high-pass filter is a specific type of gain cut that removes all frequencies below a certain point. In other words it lets you eliminate the lows. The opposite is true for a low-pass filter, which gets rid of the highs. This is useful when you’re doing things such as EQing vocals – with so few bass frequencies in them there’s often no need to have any lows at all, and so a high-pass filter will get rid of them for you. Handily, this can also help eliminate background hum. You also get shelving filters. Essentially they’re a stripped-down version of the high- and low-pass filters, which cut or boost the frequencies in far less dramatic fashion. Some EQs provide a subtle colour or warmth to the sound when used. It’s pretty cool. If you don’t want that then consider investing in a linear or transparent EQ, which will do nothing but boost and cut your frequencies without colouring your sound.

A high-pass filter. Any and all frequencies under about 700Hz will be cut. This is very useful for elements such as vocals or strings.

have all sorts of other noises to play with. Sounds share frequencies, they don’t exist in a vacuum. Your kick drum and your bassline both have low frequencies, and when they combine one will mask the other. When your sounds start masking each other you’ve got problems. You’ll end up with a muddy, disappointing mix. How do you fix this? You use the EQ to carve out a space for each sound. When your vocals start there shouldn’t be anything else dominating those frequencies, so you can use your nifty paragraphic EQ on instruments that conflict with the vocal and lower the gain in their middle ranges. Now, we can’t teach you how to do this. We can

Make room So you’ve got your EQ. You’ve loaded it up, you understand how Q and gain work, and you’re ready to go. What exactly do you do with it? On an individual level, when applied to a specific, solo’d sound, you’re going to use it to make things sharper. You’re going to use that EQ to take the sound from where it is to where you want it to be. You will boost the frequencies that bring out the sound’s best qualities and cut the ones that muddle it. A big, booming bass drum will not suffer – indeed, will be improved – if you use a shelving filter to remove some frequencies above, say, 15,000Hz. But that’s not difficult. The tricky part is what happens when you un-solo a sound because then you

The only way that you get good at using EQ is by doing lots and lots of mixing

See that greyed-out mountain range? It’s a frequency analyzer. It gives you a visual representation of your sound, showing you the dominant frequencies – useful for EQ.

108 | November 2014


teach you how it works but the only way you get good at Tetris is by playing, and the only way you get good at EQ is by doing lots of mixing. You need to learn how different sounds work together and which cuts and boosts you need to bring out their best qualities. You need to listen to a sound – really listen – and discover where its most important frequencies are, as well as the ones which you can cut. That being said, there are a few principals to abide by. Cut first, boost later – often, things can be improved just by dropping the gain in a few places. And be gentle. You don’t need big Q spikes; and if you’re boosting or cutting over -3dB, then you’re going too far. Most of all, remember that EQ doesn’t exist in isolation. You’re going to be using a whole whack of other tools to help you along, such as compression, which we’ll deal with next time… MT

MAGAZINE

25/09/2014 09:42

The Music Production Expo is the essential event for anyone interested in making and recording music. Full of the latest equipment from the world’s biggest brands, .MPX provides the perfect chance for visitors to get hands-on with new technology.

NOV 14-15 TheEmirates/London

• SEMINARS

• TUTORIALS • DEMOS

AND MORE

www.musicproductionexpo.co.uk

MT Show off your studio

Show off your studio We asked you to post pics of your set-ups and hundreds responded. It’s the second in a new MusicTech series in which you show off your studios…

W

e were astounded by the response when we asked the MusicTech Facebook and Twitter audiences to send us a picture of their studio sets-ups (#showoffyourstudio). We then interviewed some of the respondents and here are the results. If you want your space to be featured in the magazine then add your picture to our regular Facebook Show Off Your Studio posts…

It’s a home studio with a wall of modular synths in Ermont, France…

Philippe Beaubrun’s studio Interviewee: Philippe Beaubrun’s (owner/engineer/producer) Contact: [email protected] What are some of the key components in your studio? Lots of synths: old analogue or brand new digital ones plus a wall of modulars. I could provide a huge list! Aside from that I am very happy with my Neve Prism rack. It gives me very high-quality recordings. This is what everyone really needs to have: a quality recording path and input/ output device for the computer. Which DAW do you use and why? Pro Tools. I have friends who know the software very well, so when I have a problem I call them – there is always someone to help me out. Favourite gear and why? My modulars! You build your own system as you want with anything you want in it, and you do it when and if you have the money. How often are you in your studio each week? As much as I can. If I have a very busy week – music is not my main job today – it might be just a few

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hours a week. But it can go up to 10 hours a day if I’m less busy. How do you use your studio? Mainly for myself. I made money from music for several years but then I had to find another job and now I work as a freelance translator. I don’t have the room to record bands but I still occasionally work on small, low-budget projects, and I’m still working on my own projects. Any studio-based anecdotes? It’s funny when people come in for the first time and see all the gear and ask if I really know what each knob does, or how I never get lost with all the cables. But the truth is I still occasionally don’t understand why no sound is coming from the speakers… until I realise that I simply forgot to push a button or to power up the speakers! What is next on your studio shopping list and why? More modules for my modulars. Just because you never have enough of

this stuff. There are a lot of little manufacturers from all over the world who always come up with new and crazy ideas for modules. What is your dream piece of gear? A Yamaha CS-30, a vintage analogue synth from the late 70s. My very first synth was a CS-10 and I really liked the sound. I sold it when everybody (including myself) thought that analogue synths were dead and that digital technology would take over. By chance I never sold my old Korgs, which I’m very happy about! What is the one piece of advice you would give someone just starting to build their own studio? Don’t try to work on the acoustics of the room. Leave it as it is, natural, unless you’re an acoustician and really know what you’re doing. It is very often better to do nothing than end up with an unbalanced room. Also check the quality of the electricity supply. You really need a good earthing. On older places, this can really be a big problem.

MAGAZINE

26/09/2014 10:15

Show off your studio MT

GoodLuck Music Interviewee: Ben Peters (producer) Web: www.goodlucklive.com

Kinetic Global Media Group Interviewee: Terrany Johnson Contact: [email protected] Web: www.teedouble.com

Nine singles from one album, five of them number one. Not a bad start, then…

Loads of gear, but make it fun!

We got in touch with Ben Peters because he sent an interesting shot of a desert recording. He replied saying: I am a producer in electronic band, GoodLuck. We have a wonderful little studio in Cape Town where we record our band and other artists, but we needed to push the boundaries for our latest record. We were coming off the ninth single from our first album, and after five number one singles (in SA) we were at a loss as to how to top such a ridiculous start. We needed massive inspiration and that meant stepping out of the confines of our studio. So we took the band and a sevencamera crew out into the Namibian desert, the quietest, most desolate place on earth, to record our album. Outside. We packed up a quarterton of studio gear, solar power generators and headed out to find inspiration and crazy sounds.

Electro, Korg R8, Roland TD-12 kit, Korg Kaoss pad, Akai APC40, Waves plug-ins and our family piano.

So interesting is the story that we’ll feature it in MusicTech soon. But for now, it’s studio time! List GoodLuck’s key components… EVE SC407 monitors, EMES Pink monitors, Apogee Ensemble and two Fireface UFX interfaces for touring, AKG C414 mic, matched pair of AKG 451s, Røde K2, ART ribbon mic, Nord

Next on your studio shopping list? I’m improving my skills first, but I am interested in iZotope’s RX 4.

Recording in the Namibian desert

Which DAW do you use and why? Ableton Live 9 – the best workflow and most intuitive. It also allows me to work really quickly and twist and tweak sounds and loops to do what I want. Such a great team behind the brand, too – they listen to feedback and are brilliant with support. Favourite piece of gear and why? I love my new EVE SC407’s – the definition is astonishing. How long do you spend in the studio? Every day from 10am til midnight, occasionally popping out to go surfing when the waves are good. Perfect or room for improvement? We could improve the mic collection and get more outboard gear.

Dream piece of gear? Thermionic Culture’s Culture Vulture. Any advice to people starting out? There isn’t one piece of gear that will ‘make’ your mixes better. Focus on how to get the best out of your gear and room. Invest in an sE Reflexion Filter – a miracle cure for recording vocals, and I swear by it. Finally, remember that you can’t polish a turd. If you’ve recorded a rubbish take there’s no point trying to fix it in the mix. Get the artist to nail the take. I believe in pushing artists to perform beyond their expectations.

What are the main components? Pro Tools 11, Waves plug-ins, numerous high-quality mics, Adam, Yamaha and KRK monitors. Empirical Labs, Chandler , Trident, dbx, TC Electronic, Electro Harmonix outboard gear and a Roland Space Echo. Crumar Roady; Roland Fantom, Juno and HS-60; Moog Slim Phatty, Moog Prodigy, Clavia Nord Modular, Sequential Circuits DrumTraks, Korg microKorg and MS 2000 synths. E-mu modules, Alesis DM5 and loads, loads more! Favourite piece of gear? My Akai MPC 2000 for its ease of use. How often are you in your studio? I’m in here about 10 hours a day – I’m pretty lucky to do this full time. How do you use your studio? I use it to record my solo albums (go to www.teedouble.com), and for licensing projects I handle. Professional, amateur, for fun? It’s all for fun! But if I like a project I am open to seeing how I can help it become what the artist has in mind. Perfect or room for improvement? I’d like to add a vocal booth for voiceover work and cutting tighter vocals. Next on your studio shopping list? I would say more Chandler gear, as I love their Abbey Road-themed stuff. What is your dream piece of gear? A large SSL console – it’s what I started on and I miss that vibe. Any advice? Make it fun! MAGAZINE November 2014

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Issue 141 On sale 20 November

GEAR OF THE YEAR 2014 The nominations are in! Your chance to vote for the best gear of 2014 (and to win some of it!)

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KEYBOARD SYNTHS RATED MUSIC TECH MAGAZINE www.musictech.net Anthem Publishing Ltd Suite 6 Piccadilly House London Road Bath BA1 6PL Tel +44 (0) 1225 489984 Publisher Simon Lewis [email protected] Editorial Director Paul Pettengale [email protected] Senior Editor Andy Jones [email protected] Art Editor Debra Barber [email protected] Digital Editor Andy Price [email protected] Deputy Digital Editor Alex Mobaraki [email protected] Multimedia Editor Alex Holmes [email protected] Sales Manager Di Marsh [email protected] Marketing Manager Alex Godfrey [email protected] Marketing Assistant Kate Doyle [email protected]

Groove Agent, Moog Sub 37 and a bumper mini reviews section just in time for Christmas!

The Experts (see p3) Rob Boffard, Mark Cousins, Keith Gemmell, Andy Price, Mike Hillier, Hollin Jones, Marcus Leadley, John Pickford, Huw Price, Liam O’Mullane Cover Image iStockphoto Managing Director Jon Bickley [email protected] Art Director Jenny Cook [email protected] Subscriptions & Back Issues Tel 0844 844 0398 (UK) Tel +44 (0)1795 592849 (overseas) Price (12 issues) £64.95 UK basic annual rate Printed by Polestar UK Print Limited +44 (0)1582 678900 Distributed by Marketforce (UK) Ltd, The Blue Fin Building 110 Southwark Street London SE1 0SU Tel +44 (0) 20 3148 3300 Licensing enquiries Jon Bickley +44 (0) 1225 489984 [email protected] Music Tech Magazine, ISSN number

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MT Your Disc

DVD140 4GB+ PC&Mac

YourDVD

All you need for crafting a dance smash: quality top loops, EDM synth lines and Loopmasters instrument loops. There are also tutorials, the latest demos, software and promo videos, plus all the relevant files for this month’s workshops...

SAMPLE LOOPS//ROYALTY FREE & EXCLUSIVE

//HOUSE & TECH TOP LOOPS

Size 459MB Format 24-bit/44.1kHz WAV The Top Loop has become an essential element in many modern sample packs, offering up percussive snippets that are ready for further chopping, processing and layering on top of your main drum parts. This month’s main pack contains over 300 lovingly-crafted drum top loops created by sound designer Richard James. You’ll find two folders with loops at 125 and 128bpm with styles ranging from tech house, through to glitchy breakbeat and straight up techno. Each part is presented as a full loop – plus individual parts with variations to give extra flexibility – and most loops can easily be combined to form more complex patterns. All the sounds are presented in 24-bit/44.1kHz WAV format.

SAMPLE LOOPS//ROYALTY FREE & EXCLUSIVE

VIDEO FEATURE //55 MINS

//EDM CONSTRUCTION KITS

//SIDECHAIN COMPRESSION & IN THE LOOP PODCASTS

Size 439MB Format 24-bit/44.1kHz WAV, MIDI Five massive EDM construction kits for creating anthemic dance tracks inspired by the likes of Hardwell, Nicky Romero etc. Each kit is 128bpm and labeled by key, with a WAV showing all elements together plus a folder with breakout parts such as pounding kicks and searing leads. All feature tension-building intros that lead into signature triplet style drops. Each melodic part is also in MIDI for easy editing and substituting your sounds. Web www.equinoxsounds.com

Size 607MB Format MOV Rob Jones delves into the secrets of compression in the latest Live-Courses.com tutorial. We’ve got a trailer plus a taster module taken from the course that looks at setting up sidechain compression in Ableton Live by using the kick drum from a drum rack to feed the compressor. You’ll also find two In The Loop podcasts from Producertech that include a look at Console 1 from Softube and Egoist by Sugar Bytes, interviews with producers Chymera and Hrdvsion, and tutorials on programming filters and a rework of Farrell’s ‘Happy’ using Maschine. Web www.producertech.com

DEMO//SOFTWARE EISENBERG AUDIO VIER (WINDOWS, MAC OSX)

//SOFTWARE OVERLOUD REMATRIX (WINDOWS, MAC OSX)

Create complex, multilayered reverbs with this convolution plug-in from Overloud and MoReVoX. Mix and layer up to five different IRs, then apply modulation, delay, distortion and EQ to add depth and shape the master output. www.overloud.com

DEMO//SOFTWARE ACON DIGITAL RESTORATION SUITE (WINDOWS, MAC OSX)

DEMO//SOFTWARE

IZOTOPE RX4 ADVANCED (WINDOWS, MAC OSX) The latest version of iZotope’s flagship audio restoration software. New modules include Leveler, Loudness, Ambience Match, EQ Match, Dialogue Denoiser, Clip Gain, Adaptive Hum Removal, and RX Connect which brings a streamlined round-trip workflow to your DAW. www.izotope.com

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An emulation of the Doepfer MS-404 analogue mono synth with four stacked instruments and a variety of ways in which to split and link voices. Other features include flexible patching, eight macro knobs, and zerodelay feedback filters. www.eisenbergaudio.de

SOFTWARE DEMO//SOFTWARE

Acon Digital’s highly-effective and easy to use suite of restoration software includes DeNoise for adaptive noise reduction, DeHum for removing mains hum, DeClip for repairing damaged audio and DeClick for removing clicks and crackles. www.acondigital.com

FULL//SOFTWARE

LKJB LUFTIKUS (WINDOWS, MAC OSX) Luftikus is a digital adaptation of an analogue hardware EQ, with fixed half-octave bands, an additional HF boost, gain compensation, Mastering and Analog modes and an excellent GUI designed by Simon Gasser. http://code.google.com/p/lkjb-plugins/

MAGAZINE

29/09/2014 08:56

Your Disc MT

SAMPLE LOOPS//ROYALTY FREE

//DUB & REGGAE, BASS HOUSE, SOULFUL BREAKS AND MORE

Size 278MB Format 24-bit/44.1kHz ACID WAV We’ve rounded up a collection of taster samples from the latest Loopmasters releases. First up is live bass, guitar and drums from Dub And Reggae Soundstation, plus an mp3 demo of the preset sounds you can expect to find in Essential Retro Synths for Logic X to accompany the review this month. There are also dark synths and cinematic breaks from June Miller Complex DnB Vol2, Speak-and Spell style vocals and drums from Robotica, and lush synths and grooves from Tom Middleton Dub Bass House. Finally, you’ll find live drums and percussion from Lack Of Afro Soulful Breaks and warm analogue loops from Synth Explorer Jupiter 6. Web www.loopmasters.com

VIDEO TUTORIALS//35 MINS+

//CARIBOU ‘CAN’T DO WITHOUT YOU’ DECONSTRUCTION

Size 298MB Format MOV Point Blank Music School tutor Ski Oakenfield deconstructs the drums, chord progression, synths and vocals in Caribou’s soulful summer house hit ‘Can’t Do Without You’, using Ableton Live and Push to rebuild each part. There are also two videos taken from the Music for Media module of the Live Diploma course, that take a look at creating a tempo track and creating locators for sound-tracking using music from the Pirates Of The Caribbean film. Be sure to copy the videos to your HD for optimum playback. Web www.pointblanklondon.com

VIDEO FEATURE//20 MINS+

//LOOP+

Size 841MB Format MOV Another helping of studio videos. There’s a useful tutorial from Point Blank’s Danny J Lewis on creating deep spoken word FX using Ableton Live. Next is the Eisenberg EINKLANG morphing synth plug-in, and also the new Geosonics Sound Design Kontakt instrument collection from SonicCouture, with Dodge & Fuski producer Rob Talbott. Finally, Quantize Courses introduce the ‘Loop Expert’ Ableton course and also offer an exclusive Loopmasters discount. Web www.loopmasters.com/loopplus/

MAGAZINE November

MT140.dvd pages.indd 115

2014 | 115

30/09/2014 15:33

The Lead for Speed

NEW!

Finding your dream sound has never been faster! Smart Oscillators - a single knob gives you instant access to anything from Detune, Shape, Submix and Noise, to FM, AM and Sync.

Follow us: facebook.com/nordkeyboards

Magical Mutator - offers an infinite number of new sounds in seconds.

Unique Like-function takes snapshots of promising sounds while tweaking or using the Mutator.

Meaty Unison - the fattest Unison ever in a Nord synth.

Flexible Filters - including Transistor and Diode Ladder-emulations from two legendary analogue synthesizers.

Stunning Effects - with two brand new vintage Ensemble and Chorus effects.

Nord Lead A1R - rackmountable table-top version

Master Clock - for easy syncronizing of the Arpeggiator, LFO and Delay-effects to each other or to a backing track.

Four Slots - for thick layered sounds, keyboard splits or controlled as 4 separate synths by a sequencer.

Read more and listen to sound demos: Listen to the Nord Stage 2 at www.nordkeyboards.com/a1 www.nordkeyboards.com Nord Audio Demo

00:00:19

TECHNOLOGY

Handmade in Sweden by Clavia DMI AB

Distributed in the UK by Sound Technology Ltd | 01462 480000 | www.soundtech.co.uk | [email protected]

Music Tech November 2014

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