10GB+ EXCLUSIVE ACCESSl

Ren LaVice on the

IN-DEPTH TUTORIALSl

SEND EFFECTS
samples, VIDeO, making of Richter Scale SCulpT killeR TRaCkS wiTh
auDIO & moRe! PLUS Throwing Snow // Rival Consoles Send/ReTuRn pRoCeSSing

Issue 315
Making the future since 1992

New
GeaR
2017
HaNDS-oN wITH THe LaTeST
HaRDwaRe & SofTwaRe
Pioneer DJ aS-1, elektron digitakt, Dave
Smith ReV2, Bitwig Studio 2 & MORE!

CUSTomISe
YoUR SoUND
how to make your
tracks stand out
from the crowd
Future Publishing Ltd.
Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BA1 1UA
Tel: 01225 442244 Fax: 01225 822793
FM | WELCOME
Email: futuremusic@futurenet.com
Editor
Si Truss, simon.truss@futurenet.com
Reviews Editor/Online Content Manager
Simon Arblaster, simon.arblaster@futurenet.com
Art Editor
Phil Cheesbrough, philip.cheesbrough@futurenet.com

BIG THANKS TO
Catherine Hood, Joe Rossitter, James Russell, Danny Turner,
Tim Cant, Roy Spencer, Ben Wilson, Dan JD73 Goldman,
Stuart Bruce, Jon Musgrave, Bruce Aisher, Will Ireland, Adam
Gasson, Joseph Branston, Joby Sessions, Mark Gyver, Tom
Jones, Robbie Stamp, Adam Lee
ADVERTISING
For Ad enquiries please contact:
Leon Stephens, leon.stephens@futurenet.com
MARKETING
Group Marketing Manager: Laura Driffield
Marketing Manager: Kristianne Stanton
PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION
Production Controller: Fran Twentyman
Production Manager: Mark Constance
Printed in the UK by: William Gibbons & Sons Ltd on behalf of Future
Distributed in the UK by: Marketforce (UK), 2nd Floor, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf,
London, E14 5HU

Bring the synth lust

CIRCULATION
Trade Marketing Manager: Michelle Brock Tel: + 44 (0)207 429 3683
SUBSCRIPTIONS
UK reader order line & enquiries: 0844 848 2852
Overseas reader order line & enquiries: +44 (0)1604 251045
Online enquiries: www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk
Email: futuremusic@myfavouritemagazines.co.uk
Traditionally, January in the music technology world is
LICENSING
Senior Licensing & Syndication Manager: Matt Ellis
centred around the NAMM show in Anaheim, California.
matt.ellis@futurenet.com
Tel: +44 (0)1225 442244
Its here, every year, that the worlds hardware and software
MANAGEMENT companies descend to unveil their latest developments
Managing Director, Magazines Division: Aaron Asadi
Editorial Director, Film, Music & Technology: Paul Newman and forthcoming products.
Group Editor-In-Chief: Daniel Griffiths
Group Art Director: Graham Dalzell In reality, the role of NAMM in the electronic music
world has changed and, arguably, diminished in recent
years. This years show was notable for the absence of
headline unveilings from the likes of Korg, Moog and
Roland. Yet in place of these bigger players, its morphed
into our annual opportunity to discover innovations from
smaller companies, check out the latest in US Eurorack
and get hands-on with exciting new cutting-edge gear.
FMs trip to NAMM 2017, as youll see in this issues
extended news section, gave us the chance to get our
hands on a truly bumper crop of exciting, innovative and
unexpected instruments and effects. We warn you now,
All contents copyright 2017 Future Publishing Limited or published under licence. All rights reserved. prepare yourself for some serious gear lust
No part of this magazine may be reproduced, stored, transmitted or used in any way without the prior written
permission of the publisher.

Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered
office: Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BA1 1UA. All information contained in this
publication is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future
cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised to contact
manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price and other details of products or services referred
to in this publication. Apps and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our control. We are not
responsible for their contents or any changes or updates to them.

If you submit unsolicited material to us, you automatically grant Future a licence to publish your submission
in whole or in part in all editions of the magazine, including licensed editions worldwide and in any physical
or digital format throughout the world. Any material you submit is sent at your risk and, although every care is
taken, neither Future nor its employees, agents or subcontractors shall be liable for loss or damage.
Si Truss, Editor
We are committed to only
using magazine paper
simon.truss@futurenet.com
which is derived from
well-managed, certified
forestry and chlorine-free
manufacture. Future
Publishing and its paper
suppliers have been
independently certified
in accordance with the
rules of the FSC (Forest
Stewardship Council).

5
FM | CONTENTS

46
IN THE STUDIO WITH: Throwing Snow
Experimental producer Ross Tones
continues to push the sonic boundaries
with his second Throwing Snow album,
Embers. We visit him in his temporary
studio for a chat that ranges from gear
and canal boat studios to turkey noises

6
 This Issue | Contents

98 104
90 82
70
IN THE STUDIO WITH: Rival Consoles
We meet Ryan Lee West and get the
lowdown on new album, Night Melody

rEvIEWS 56
In-depth tests of all
the latest gear
INCLUDES AUDIOl
78 Arturia MatrixBrute
INCLUDES AUDIOl
82 Roland TB-03 Bass
Line
86 Steinberg Cubase
Pro 9
TECHNIQUE
Essential production
90 Round-Up: UAD 9.0 advice and ideas
Goodies
92 Erica Synths Pico 34
78
INCLUDES VIDEOl
96 Group Test: Stomp Customise Your Sound
Box Distortion
Our guide to help you
98 Slate Digital VMS1 find your unique style
rEvIEW: Arturia MatrixBrute
102 Nektar Impact
LX88+ Arturias long-awaited beast of a synth has
arrived on our test bench. We enter the Matrix 56
INCLUDES VIDEOl
104 Zoom ARQ Aero Modular Monthly
RhythmTrak AR-96 92 86 We explore Sputnik
108 Sounds & Samples Modulars range

65
INCLUDES VIDEOl

Producers Guide
Make better sounds
using Send FX

7
FM | ONliNE VaulT
On the
FM Vault
vault.futuremusic.co.uk
Future Music has outgrown its covermount DVD!
We wanted to bring you more samples, sounds
and high-quality video than ever before, so were
putting it up online for you to download. Simply
head to the FM Vault at the link above, login/
register, then hit add a magazine to register this
issue and get all the video, audio and samples.

Sample packS VIDeO & aUDIO

Exclusive new sounds with every issue Hear the gear first with our demos
CyClICK SAmPlES PrESENT ON vIDEO AUDIO DEmOS
> Customise Your Sound > Arturia MatrixBrute
Claps & Snares > Modular Monthly:
West Coast synthesis
> Roland TB-03 Bass Line

637 claps and snares of all > The Track: Ren LaVice
> Producers Guide:
varieties, processed in a Send Effects
whole host of ways. Basically, weve
got all your needs covered!
CyClICK SAmPlES PrESENT

Kraftwerk to Krautrock
431 hits, loops and
instruments that explore
the synth and drum sounds of
Kosmische Musik, aka Krautrock.

PLUS
ACCESS THE FM SaMPlE aRCHiVE! 58
INCLUDES VIDEOl
Download the Sample Archive packs and get over 8GB of loops, hits and
instruments from our back catalogue of high-quality and royalty-free samples.
THE TrACK: Ren LaVice, Richter Scale.
From vintage synths and beats to esoteric sounds and FX think of it as our best The Canadian Drum n Bass producer
of. All the samples you need to create great music! breaks down his main room banger

8
 This Issue | Contents

34
FEATUrE: Customise Your Sound
Make your tracks stand out from the
crowd with our guide to creating your
own sonic signature

24
ClASSIC AlBUm: Cut Chemist, The
Audiences Listening The legendary
Cut Chemist brings us the story behind
the making of his first solo album

17 19
14 16 20 Find us online at
www.futuremusic.co.uk

Watch our videos

www.youtube.com/
futuremusicmagazine
FEATUrES
46 FIlTEr
In The
Studio With:
Expert tips, techniques Throwing Snow All the latest gear from
and tutorials around the world
56 Modular Monthly
24 Classic Album: 12 Pioneer DJ AS-1 Follow us on Twitter
Cut Chemist, The 65 Producers Guide @futuremusicmag
Audiences Listening 14 Elektron Digitakt
70 In The Studio With:
31 Album Reviews Rival Consoles 16 Bitwig Studio 2.0
34 Feature: Customise 110 Advice 19 Gadget comes to Mac
Your Sound Join us on Facebook
113 Gear Guide 28 Subscribe to FM
www.facebook.com/
futuremusicmagazine

9
Contents | This Issue

BONUS SAmPlES
See this months selection of free demos at vault.futuremusic.co.uk

01

01 02
03 04

05 06
www.loopmasters.com
01 Loopmasters Urban Stories Hip Hop & Rap Acapellas
02 Loopmasters Jazz Series 02 Ashley John Long Upright Bass
03 Loopmasters Presents Dimensions Experimental Soundscapes
04 Frontline Producer Funk & Disco Guitars
05 Micropressure Hy2rogen Presents House Chords
06 Capsun Presents Zilla Pure Bass Shots Vol.1
07 Loopmasters Pres Future Bass Generation
08 Organic Loops Traditional Brazilian Percussion

07 08
02

https://splice.com
01 Splice Sounds Liquid Trap Massive Presets
02 Splice Sounds Varien Cybernetic Visions

10
FM | FILTER

highlights
14 Elektron Digitakt 16 Bitwig Studio 2 19 Korg Gadget comes 20 Meet the Relic-6
to Mac

12
 | Filter

Dave Smith ushers

Pioneer DJ into the
analogue synth game
The Toraiz collaboration continues
Rather than a traditional keybed,
control comes via a touchpad-style
keyboard and slider, accompanied by

with the AS-1 monosynth a scale mode and an arpeggiator.

Grooves can be sequenced over 64

P
steps, though if you want to create
ioneer DJ joining forces The two brands appear to have more complex patterns you can hook
with Dave Smith worked in closer collaboration this the AS-1 up to the aforementioned
Instruments for last years time around; whereas the SP-16 felt SP-16. There are dual effects engines
SP-16 sampler was one of like a Pioneer DJ instrument with a offering a range of seven effects. Six
the more unexpected hardware DSI filter attached, the AS-1 looks to of these come directly from the
collaborations weve seen in recent have Dave Smith DNA running right Prophet-6, and theres also a
times. It makes a lot of sense though; through it. In essence, this analogue brand-new digital distortion.
Pioneer DJ have long been known for monosynth is built around a single
innovative effects and performance voice lifted from the Prophet-6. This Hands-on
features but lack studio heritage offers a pair of voltage-controlled Our first impression, having got our
where better to outsource that than oscillators, two voltage-controlled hands on the AS-1, is that it is an
DSI? That meeting of minds has now filters and two envelope generators. instrument more geared towards
spawned its second instrument in the Theres also a voltage-controlled sequencing and on-the-fly tweaking
shape of the Toraiz AS-1 monosynth. amplifier and an LFO. than playing or deep sound design.
Theres no real feel to the touchpad
keyboard, and the OLED display that
Prophet '08 gets better and cheaper with the REV2! handles most parameter feedback is
small, meaning lots of menu scrolling.
Believe it or not, the Dave Smith Prophet '08 is now ten years old. So, Mr Smith decided
that this years NAMM was time to unveil a new and most excitingly more affordable
Fortunately theres a generous bank of
version, which hes calling the REV2. The biggest change is that there are now two 495 presets (with an additional 495
polyphony options available, one with eight voices like its predecessor and one which users slots). While its monosynth
doubles the polyphony count to 16. Whats more, because the REV2 is bi-timbral, design might make it look like a
independent voices can be stacked or split into different zones on the keyboard. mostly bass-focused synth, the preset
The synth engine is much the same, offering two DCOs (plus a sub-octave generator on sounds show off an impressive sonic
oscillator 1) per voice, with four waveshapes (sawtooth, triangle, sawtooth + triangle, and
range, with plenty of leads and
pulse) and a 2/4 pole low-pass, resonant Curtis filter per voice. New to REV2 is waveshape
general purpose synth sounds. That
modulation; you can vary the pulse width of any of the four waveforms by manually dialling
in a desired waveshape width or by using an LFO or other modulation source. said, theres plenty of low-end to the
The effects section comprises reverb, delays (standard and BBD), chorus, phase shifter, sounds, and the analogue filter is
ring modulation and distortion. You can actually apply a different effect to each layer, and capable of convincingly squelchy 303
effect parameters can be modulated using the expanded modulation matrix. and 101 style bass sounds.
The polyphonic step sequencer is also new (up to 64 steps and up to six notes per step) The AS-1 is priced at 549 euros,
and, again, different sequences can be created for each layer. Theres also a gate
which puts it at the top end of the
sequencer and an arpeggiator. The 5-octave keyboard, meanwhile, is semi-weighted and
compact synth market. Bearing in
supports velocity and channel aftertouch. Theres also USB support and an OLED display.
The REV2 is expected to arrive in April priced at $1,499 for the eight voice model a mind Korgs Monologue and Arturias
solid $200 less than version one and $1,999 for the 16-voice version. MiniBrute both retail around the 350
euro mark, the AS-1 is going to need
to live or die on the strength of its
performance-friendly workflow and
the combined appeal of the DSI and
Pioneer names. Well investigate all of
this in a full review later in the year.
From our first hands-on, theres no
doubt the AS-1 sounds great, and its
good to see the DSI and PioneerDJ
relationship bear more fruit.

13
Filter |

Teenage Engineerings PO-32

might be the best Pocket
Operator yet
teenage engIneerIngs new
Po-32 tonIc drum synth might
be the most serious addition yet to
their Pocket Operator range of micro
synths and grooveboxes. Alongside a
range of drum synth sounds and
sequenceable effects, it boasts tight
integration with Sonic Charges
MicroTonic drum machine plug-in. TE
asked Magnus Lindstrm of Sonic
Charge to work on this project a while
ago and finally he relented. In just six
months he recoded MicroTonic to talk
to the Pocket Operator hardware.
Transfer of sounds between the
two is handled via a built-in mic and
old-fashioned modem technology (ie
holding the PO up to a speaker while
your computer makes that horrible
noise you used to hear every time you
connected to the internet in the
90s). This seems strange at first, but
youve got to hand it to them for
finding such a novel way to make use
of a microphone something were
assured will be making its way onto
upcoming Pocket Operators. It also
features a great (if still baffling)
hand-drawn onscreen interface.
The PO-32 is out now and can be
purchased bundled with the full VST
version of MicroTonic for 135.

Elektron unveil their

digital beatmaking
powerhouse Digitakt
Its no secret that were bIg
fans of elektron gear here
at FM. Their Analog RYTM remains
arguably our favourite drum machine
on the market and just last issue their
Analog Heat effects processor picked
up a Platinum Award in our reviews
section. Naturally, the news of an
incoming drum machine has got us
all a flutter.
Digitakt is something of a change
for the Swedish brand, who have
spent the past few years focusing on
their Analog range. Its an all digital
drum machine-come-sampler
featuring eight internal audio tracks
and eight dedicated MIDI tracks.
Each track has its own multimode
filter and an assignable LFO for
shaping sounds. Theres built-in delay
and reverb effects too, along with
64MB sample memory with an
additional 1GB +Drive storage.
As with all of Elektrons recent
efforts, the Digitakt will be compatible
with the companys Overbridge
software, which allows the hardware
to integrate tightly with a DAW and
function as a VST/AU plug-in.
Hardware-wise, the Digitakt is housed
in a chassis very similar to the Analog
Heat, complete with the same
sturdy-feeling controls and parameter
screen. Around the back theres a pair
of balanced jack outputs and a pair of
jack ins the latter of which we
assume will facilitate sampling and
processing external sounds.
Thats all we know for now; the
Digitakt is currently only in prototype
form, so we dont have a full picture
of how it will sound, and there are
still a ton of sequencing features
yet to be revealed. As for a price,
theres no official word there yet
either, but since it relies on digital
rather than analogue innards, were
hoping Elektron can bring it in
for considerably less than its
Analog counterparts.

14

Percussa
debut the
System 8
We first encountered Percussa in
2008 via their AudioCubes, a
range of esoteric little boxes that
were pretty forward-thinking in
terms of interface design and
human interaction. Fast forward
eight years and Percussa head
honcho Bert Schiettecatte brings
us the brands next instruments,
the Synthor System 8.
Sticking with a wireless
ecosystem, the System 8 is a
powerful hardware digital
modular synthesis system.
The synth is made up of two
parts: the base station, also
known as Remote, takes care of
the control aspect to the synth,
whereas the Engine unit runs the
Synthor synthesizer software. The
Synthor System 8 also utilises the
latest version of the AudioCubes
as controllers for proximity-
based modulation.
Having had our hands on a
System 8, we love the idea of the
wireless and modular synth
ecosystem, but feel like the
AudioCubes slightly let the
experience down. They feel too
clunky for our taste and dont
really lend themselves to
parameter adjustment. Its a fun
and tactile approach but, as the
Synthor feels like its aimed at
powerful synthesis, the blocks
slightly detract from the task at
hand. That said, theres certainly a
lot of potential here and itll be
interesting to see how the
platform develops and what
comes next in the evolution of
the product.
Denon set their sights
on the Pioneer DJ crown
PIoneer dJ mIght be makIng
Inroads Into the analogue
synth game, but they have Denon
snapping at their DJ heels with the
launch of their new range of
pro-targeted DJ gear.
The SC5000 players and X1800
mixer are both based around the
brands new Engine Prime software,
which is a rekordbox-like application
for track management and analysis.
The SC5000 features built-in Engine
Prime analysis for both beatgrid and
musical key info. The unit itself
features a high definition, multi-touch
display and an eight-inch jog wheel
with a central display that shows
the current playing track or even
custom artwork.
The X1800 mixer, meanwhile,
features Sweep and bpm-based FX
controls and 24-bit/96kHz audio
output and, of course, is designed to
integrate with the SC5000 via the
Engine Connect protocol. This shares
the beatgrid and time information
with the mixer, from the player, to
align the FX LFOs.
Weve had our hands on both,
and the hardware certainly seems
Still, weve had the opportunity to try
| Filter
solid and feels great to use. Wed
need to spend some proper time with
the Engine software to assess its
merits, and its here that the range
will live or die as Denon are counting
on DJs and clubs to buy into the
Engine ecosystem.
Both the SC5000 and X1800 are
due to arrive in the next couple of
months for 1,499 each. Denon also
have the VL12 DJ turntable on its way
which again feels impressively solid
priced at 649.
now you mPc me
As we reported last issue, Denons
sister brand Akai have a pair of
standalone MPCs on the way in the
near future: the portable MPC Live
and mammoth multi-I/O MPC X. We
were hoping NAMM would give us a
chance to see how both were going
down with the general public, but
unfortunately both remained tucked
away in an invite-only demo room.
both and were impressed with what
weve seen. The hardware feels
ruggedly built and nice to use. The
Live is surprisingly heavy for its size,
but the controls and screens on both
feel responsive and fluid to use. We
look forward to spending some proper
time with both very soon.
15
Filter |
Bitwig Studio grows up
The DAW newcomer hits version two with some
impressive tweaks and additions
T
hree years on from its initial
launch, Bitwig Studio gets
its first full version update,
with version two set to arrive
in late February. Rightly or wrongly, at
launch, Bitwig struggled to escape
the shadow of Ableton Live, thanks to
the two DAWs shared developer
lineage and similar interface design.
Through subsequent updates,
however, Bitwig Studio has slowly
carved out its own identity within the
crowded DAW market, thanks largely
to its open controller compatibility
and unique modulation system.
Doubling down on that already
very flexible modulation set-up, is
the key theme for Bitwig Studio 2.0.
According to Bitwig, the system has
been extensively reworked from
version one to create a more modular
set-up in which an unlimited number
of modulators can be added to any
instrument or effect and be assigned
16
to a near-limitless selection of
parameters with ease. To fully take
advantage of this new system, 24
new modulator devices have been
added to the DAW including a variety
of envelope generators and LFOs,
alongside a few more esoteric
modulation tools that appear to take
inspiration from the Eurorack world.
Speaking of Eurorack, another key
feature for version two is the addition
of several devices designed to help
the DAW interface with hardware
synths, CV-equipped sequencers and
modular gear. These include MIDI CV
and MIDI program change utilities,
along with CV clock and control
devices that will transmit CV control
via a compatible audio interface.
New devices
Alongside these headline additions,
Bitwig 2.0 also features a raft of new
and reworked devices. Highlights
include a flexible new selection of
MIDI note effects offering a variety of
harmony, chord and velocity
automation options. Theres also a
new phaser device, a pitchshifter and
an interesting looking effect called
Treemonster, which Bitwig describe
as an organic zero-crossing
amplitude controlled ring modulator
with a life of its own.
The DAWs flagship instrument,
Polysynth, is getting an upgrade too,
with the addition of new oscillator
modes and waveshaping tools. Plus a
sweepable high-pass filter has been
added, along with a feedback loop
around the filter and amp section.
Finally, version 2.0 also see the
welcome addition of a spectrum
analyser. This arrives not only as a
standalone device, but also as an
interface addition for an assortment
of existing tools included in the EQ-5
and multi-band FX container.
Bitwig 2 also adds VST3
compatibility, adjustable audio fades
and crossfades, a new context-aware
menu and a host of interface
refinements/customisation options.
Pricing structure
Bitwig 2.0 also sees the introduction
of a new pricing structure that allows
users to subscribe to updates on a
yearly basis. While the DAW still
requires an outright purchase, priced
at 379 euros for new users and 159
euros as an upgrade from version one,
the purchase now includes a years
free upgrades, from minor tweaks
right through to full version upgrades.
Users can then extend this update
subscription for 159 euros a year.
Those who choose not to subscribe
wont lose access to their software,
meaning that users are able to
continue using the DAW and simply
opt back in once they spot an update
they want. Right now its difficult to
guess whether this subscription
model will offer value for money; well
have to wait and see the frequency
and size of Bitwigs updates.
Bitwig Studio 2 is due to arrive on
28th February. Users who purchased
version one on/after 10th December
will get the upgrade free.
 | Filter

Universal Audio update

the Apollo Twin
Universal Audio have unveiled a new version of their combined desktop interface and DSP unit, the
Apollo Twin. While UA describe the new interface as a ground-up redesign, the MkII appears to be
more of a refinement of the originals winning formula, rather than a reinvention.
Housed in a similar desktop-friendly chassis to its predecessor and offering the same combination
of 2-ins and 6-outs, the MkII boasts completely reworked A/D and D/A conversion, which UA claim
offers increased dynamic range and ultra-low THD. As with other UA interfaces, the MkIIs
preamps can emulate the circuitry of classic Manley, Neve, API and UA gear via the companys
Unison technology. It also adds improved monitor functionality with monitor remote functions and
Mono, Mute, DIM, and ALT monitor controls. On the DSP front, the MkII packs the same UAD-2 card
as its predecessor and is available in Solo, Duo and now also Quad configurations. It comes with the
Analog Classics plug-in bundle, giving users a good selection of EQs, compressors and amp sims.
The Apollo Twin MkII features a Thunderbolt connection and is compatible with both Mac and PC.
The MkIIs are available now, priced at $699 (Solo), $899 (Duo), and $1,299 (Quad).

The classic Stylophone gets souped up

(again) with the GX-1
F
irst released in 1968, the
original Stylophone was a
simple, toy-like synthesizer
best known for its stylus-
controlled keyboard. It proved hugely
popular and remains an iconic piece of
design, appearing on records from
artists including Bowie and Orbital.
Dubreq, the company behind the
original, was relaunched in 2007 and in
2013 we saw the Stylophone S2. This
failed to generate much excitement,
perhaps because, despite its beefed-up
functionality, its near-300 price proved
rather high for a stylus-controlled synth.
This latest evolution avoids that
pitfall with a 60 price tag that puts it
firmly into the same fun noisemaker
territory as Korgs Monotron range and
Teenage Engineerings Pocket
Operators. Despite this budget price
point, the GX-1 considerably expands
the simple sound engine of the original,
adding an LFO with square and triangle
waves, two sub octaves and PWM, a
filter and delay. The classic stylus-
operated keyboard is here too, of
course, as are a built-in speaker and
battery operation. Theres also a 3.5mm
audio output.

17
Filter |
Take Kontrol with Touch
Innovations controller
Touch InnovaTIons KonTrol
MasTer Is a fully customisable
controller for your DAW. It can control
any dial or fader with the big touch-
capacitive knob and program any of
the ten arcade-style buttons to any
shortcut or function of your choosing.
Its flexibility is key you can set
up the buttons to control all manner
of functions from a list of pre-mapped
destinations and its easy to assign
those buttons to key commands and
keyboard shortcuts. The central knob
can tweak anything hover the
UAD comes to Softube
Console 1
In unexpected but definitely welcome news Softube have announced
a MkII upgrade for their impressive Console 1 hybrid mixing platform,
which not only makes the system more affordable but also adds
compatibility for a selection of Universal Audio plug-ins.
Like a purely mixing focused take on the hybrid production concept
used by NIs Maschine, Console 1 comprises a hardware controller
alongside a suite of mixing plug-ins that are natively mapped to its
interface. MkII will be available this spring, adding the UAD
compatibility along with full mapping for the plug-ins and the good
news is that this will also be available to version 1 owners as a software
update. Were told that, with the addition of the UAD offerings, more
than 60 plug-ins will now be on offer, including ones that emulate
classic gear from the
likes of Chandler
Limited, Fairchild,
Teletronix, Tube-Tech,
Abbey Road Studios
and more.
The new hardware
is pretty similar to the
original, but has some
minor layout changes
and more visible LED
markers. What has
changed significantly
is the price, which
drops from $849
to $499.
18
mouse over the control of your
choosing. Youre also able to control
the sensitivity; from super slow
movement to fast sweeps. Users can
recall control sets too, so youll be
able to switch between controlling
your DAW and any soft synth easily.
The Kontrol Master is available
now at $299. We could see it
becoming a centrepiece controller for
producers who want to rely less on
the mouse. It bridges the divide
between DAW controller and
performance tool.
The Big Knob
is back
MacKIes BIG KnoB GeTs an
uPDaTe anD noW there are three of
them. First, Big Knob Passive offers
analogue path switching between two
sources and two monitor pairs, with
volume control via the eponymous
large dial, and features Mono, Mute
and Dim buttons. It doesnt need a
power supply.
Big Knob Studio and Studio+
combine source and monitor
switching with USB 2.0 audio
interfacing. Big Knob Studio supports
three sources and two monitor pairs,
while Big Knob Studio+ can handle
four sources and three monitors. Both
feature a pair of Onyx mic preamps
with phantom power and two (Studio)
or four (Studio+) outputs, dual
headphone outs, trim controls, direct
input cue mixing, input metering, an
integrated talkback mic, a choice of
recording paths, a mini-jack input for
smartphones and tablets, and the
bundling of Tracktion DAW. Big Knob
Studio+ also throws in 192kHz
recording and playback (the Studio
maxes out at 96kHz), external mic
and footpedal input for talkback, and
amp-driven studio output for
headphone distribution.
All three Big Knobs are available
now at $89.99 (Passive), $259.99
(Studio) and $389.99 (Studio+).

Korg Gadget
comes to Mac
coMPareD To lasT years
naMM WhIch saW The arrival
of the excellent FM Volca and our
favourite synth of 2016, the
Minilogue Korgs hi-tech offering at
this years show felt decidedly low
key, focused primarily on new
versions of existing products. Of
these announcements, the reveal of
a forthcoming Mac version of the
companys virtual instruments suite
Gadget is the most intriguing.
First released for iOS in early
2014, Gadget is a collection of
virtual instruments housed within a
DAW-like environment with basic
sequencing and mixing capabilities.
While the app, and the instruments
within it, are largely built for
accessibility rather than depth, the
range and quality of the sounds on
offer is undeniably impressive.
The Mac version looks like it will
run as a standalone application,
ARP Odyssey gets bigger
& MS-20 gets a new look
synTh heaDs In 2017 can
larGely Be DIvIDeD InTo two
categories: those that dont have a
problem with slim keyboards and
those who hate them with a passion.
If you fall into the latter category, and
so have avoided Korgs ARP Odyssey
reissue, youll be pleased to hear that
a bigger version is on its way with
full-size keys and a more spacious
control panel. Like its forebear, the
ARP Odyssey FS is assembled in the
USA, and will be available in limited
numbers in Rev1, Rev2 and Rev3
editions. Were told that once each
instrument has been assembled, itll
be aged, before testing and release.
Weve had our hands on the ARP
Odyssey FS and can confirm the
| Filter
largely mimicking the capabilities
of the iOS version, albeit with a
larger, redesigned interface.
However, it will also come with a
collection of 30 instrument plug-ins,
allowing users to run individual
gadgets as instruments within their
chosen DAW.
Naturally for an iOS port, these
Gadgets are unlikely to match the
depth of dedicated desktop plug-in
instrument collections, but its the
cross-platform compatibility thats
really exciting here. Korg promise
seamless integration between the
iOS and Mac versions of Gadget.
Add to that Ableton Link and Native
Instruments NKS support and it
begins to shape up as one of the
most flexible and creative cross-
platform tools weve seen to date.
Heres hoping Windows users can
get in on the action at some point in
the future too! At the time of writing,
pricing and a release date are yet to
be confirmed.
keyboard feels good to play. In its
full-sized form the Odyssey feels
particularly chunky and plastic-y
(which, to be fair, is true to the 70s
original). It costs 1,299 and offers
no additional features compared to its
predecessor, other than increased
size, so unless the upscaled keyboard
and controls are a major concern, the
three-quarter size or module
variations still offer better value.
Korgs MS-20 mini is getting a
facelift too, in the form of the smart
new limited edition MS-20 WM
(white monochrome). Theres a
limited gold edition of the Kronos and
a range of platinum Krome
workstations on the way too. All are
due to arrive in February.
19
Filter |

Meet the Relic-6
an OB-X clone built
by an 18-year-old
Its always nIce to dIscover
somethIng unexpected at
NAMM. Arriving under the radar,
show debutant Shear Electronics have
just launch their first product, the
Relic-6 an instrument based on the
Oberheim OB-X. FM arrived at their
tucked-away NAMM booth to find a
young man giving a demo to a keen
punter (a certain Andrew Ostler of
Expert Sleepers no less), creating a
truly monstrous froth of brassy bass
tones that tickled the internal organs.
Our demo guy is Jacob Brashears,
who looks to be fresh out of school,
but knows the synth inside out and
has a confidence that belies his
youthful appearance. Our chat with
Cheryl, the CEO of Shear Electronics,
reveals that Jacob is 18 and the
inventor of this OB-X remake. CEO
Cheryl, it turns out, is Jacobs mother.
The Relic-6 has been three years
in the making and, while that may
seem like a long time, its worth
considering that Jacob was 15 when
he decided to take on the schematic
of the OB-X: several spring breaks
and holidays later and the Relic-6
was born. The result is a 6-voice
all-analogue synth with two VCOs and
an Oberheim-style 12dB 2-pole
low-pass filter. The knobs are touch-
sensitive and youll note the wooden
end cheeks and aluminium case.
There were two prototypes at the
Shear Electronics booth, and early
production models should be
available in the summer. Keep an eye
on www.shearelectronics.com.
Antelope unleash
the Orion32 HD
High-end interface outfit Antelope
Audio have unveiled the latest addition
to their Orion range and their first Pro
Tools compatible interface the
Orion32 HD. The HD is a 64-channel
audio interface featuring HDX and
USB3 connectivity, along with MADI,
ADAT, and S/PDIF ports, plus a
32-in/32-out analogue DB25 port.
The Orion32 HD also boasts
hardware-based FPGA effects, offering a
growing library of modelled vintage
effects that run with extremely low
latency, all of which come free with the
interface. Also included is Antelopes
mixing software console for Mac and
Windows, featuring its colour-coded
routing matrix and movable and
resizable panels to help make the best
use of your desktop real estate. There is
currently no word on price or availability.

Aston launch the first laser targeted pencil mic

BrItIsh manufacturer aston
have revealed the worlds
first laser targeting pencil mic. The
Aston Starlight features a 20mm
cardioid capsule and a high-spec
discrete mic amp circuit, which
Aston say enables the connected
mic preamp to work at lower gain for
less distortion. Voice Switching,
meanwhile, lets you choose
between Vintage, Modern and
Hybrid filter settings.
The mic is equipped with a Class
2 laser (much like those found in
laser pens), designed to help users
precisely target the source
instrument for optimum response.
The Aston Starlight will be
available to buy in February at a
price yet to be confirmed, as a single
mic with clip and wind gag, or a
matched stereo pair with Aston
shockmounts, wind gags and stereo
mounting bar.

20

GarageBand for iOS gets
serious, Logic gets Touch
Bar support, and more
after apple acquIred uK
software developer Camel
Audio, it wasnt long before the
companys acclaimed Alchemy synth
resurfaced in Logic Pro X 10.2, and
now its landing on your iPhone and
iPad as part of the GarageBand for
iOS 2.2 update.
This isnt the first time weve seen
Alchemy on an iOS device, of course
before Apple came calling, Camel
Audio had Alchemy Mobile on its
roster but now its available within
GarageBand and has the look and feel
of the apps other Touch Instruments.
It comes with more than 150
Apple-designed presets, which
promise to cover a wide range of
stylistic bases.
With the number of Touch
Instruments in GarageBand growing,
Apple has also introduced a
redesigned sound browser in version
2.2, with the aim of making it easier
to explore whats on offer and find the
sound youre looking for.
There are new recording options,
too: Multi-Take Recording enables
you to capture multiple passes,
audition them and choose the best
one (a feature that will be familiar to
users of Apples desktop DAWs) while
the redesigned Audio Recorder
includes both fun 'one-tap' vocal
effects and more serious tools that
provide pitch correction, distortion
and delay. Speaking of serious,
theres an expanded range of mixing
effects, including a visual EQ. You
can also bring third-party Audio Unit
effect processors to the party.
logic pro x 10.3
Logic has been shown some love too,
with version 10.3 launched
concurrently to the GarageBand iOS
update. This comes with a tweaked
GUI thats designed to look more
contemporary and be more legible,
while the Touch Bar can be used to
navigate your project in a timeline
overview. As in GarageBand, it gives
you access to volume and Smart
Controls, and you have the option to
turn it into a musical keyboard
(complete with various custom scale
options) or a set of drum pads, too.
The Touch Bar can also be
| Filter
customised to allow access to your
favourite keyboard shortcuts.
Logic Pro X 10.3 also adds
Track Alternatives you can now
create and switch between different
playlists of regions and edits on any
track. Theres also Selection-based
Processing, which can be used to
apply plug-in effects processing to
any selected audio region, or to
multiple regions.
On a more technical level, theres
now a 64-bit summing engine and
the number of available busses has
risen by 192. True stereo panning,
meanwhile, gives you discrete control
of stereo signals.
Finally, you can now save a
bounced-down version of projects
compatible with GarageBand for iOS
to iCloud, and then add additional
tracks on your iPhone or iPad. Once
the resulting project is saved back to
the iCloud, these parts will appear in
the main Logic project on the Mac, so
that they can be worked on further.
The Logic Pro X 10.3 update
is free for existing users and should
be available from the Mac App Store
by the time you read this.
21
Filter |

Bastl bring
the Klik
This year Bastl
Instruments hooked
up with Bitwig
and Irrupt Audio to
create a set-up for the
Pittsburgh Modular show to demonstrate
launch more Lifeforms Bitwig Studio 2, a
Pittsburgh debuted their Lifeforms range bespoke Irrupt Audio
at NAMM last year and it has grown rather
a lot in just 12 months. This year they
sample pack and their
have launched six new modules ranging own new module
from oscillators, to filters, envelopes, called Klik.
modulation and routing.
The main attraction was the Double
It is a dual line level
analogue clock to
Soulsby introduce
Helix Oscillator, which is a modular
waveform generator with analogue modular converter.
oscillators paired with voltage controlled
shape contouring and a performance ready Hooking up with the

the Atmultitron new Reset and Clock

voltage-controlled modulation matrix.
Also at the show was a chance to see
the Lifeforms Percussion Controller for the
devices in Bitwig, Klik
first time, which was launched late last will amplify the signal
year. The four-channel Percussion
Paul Soulsby first hit us with the from your audio
Controller features your classic drum
interface to acceptable
machine layout, allowing for very quick
and easy beat-making.
Atmegatron a few years back, and after levels for Eurorack. It
a slew of special edition boxes and does this by converting
Eurorack adaptations, hes back, this audio line level (or
headphone) output
time to introduce us to the Atmultitron. signals from any sound
We caught up with Paul and, as bad card and makes
luck would have it, his prototype was perfect synchronisation
not working on the day we popped over pulses in the modular
level. Klik is a simple,
to the Soulsby Synthesizers booth. effective and cheap
What we can tell you is that the solution to a problem
Atmultitron is a 6-voice polyphonic and retails at just $49.
WMD Geiger Counter
Pro and Advanced 8-bit synthesizer with a three-octave
Trigger Sequencer keyboard. The final version will feature
For a place that is dripping in big money
and big business, the DIY ethic is palpable Eurorack connectivity and the same
on the Alex 4/WMD booth, which holds
over ten manufacturers all demonstrating wavetable sampling as the Oscitron
their wares in an audible fashion, not too
dissimilar to the Sirens in Greek mythology
the companys first module, which was
luring sailors to the rocks.
In this case, the biggest rocks seem to
also on display at the show. Therell
be WMD themselves. On a small table in also be sequencing and versatile
modulation routing.
front of a couple of modular set-ups is a
familiar sight the Geiger Counter pedal.
The Geiger Counter is a distortion stomp
box that deals in heavy lashings of Well bring you more news on the
bitcrushing. Were pretty sure its the same
high-gain modern preamp driving an 8-bit
development of this very cool 8-bit poly
computer, but this time theyve added CV
modulation with a choice of eight source/
as they become available. In the
destinations, more wavetables and two meantime, check out the Soulsby
extra stomp buttons for preset selection.
Were excited to get our hands on one! Synthesizers website for more details.
22
 | Filter

Make Noise get sampling

with the Morphagene
Make Noise lived up to their reputation for
brilliantly creative Eurorack gear at this years
NAMM, unveiling the Morphagene, their latest
collaboration with SoundHack/Tom Erbe. The
module is a sampling module designed to
capture sounds from inside and outside your
modular rig and play them back in creative
ways (Make Noise boss Tony calls it a
microsound and tape music module).
It features a stereo input and SD card slot for
capturing sounds. Once captured, sounds can
be played back and mangled via controls
labelled Splice, Reel, Gene-Size, Vari-Speed,
Organise and SOS. In all honesty, were not
100% sure what all of these do, but weve
heard it in action, and it sounds great!

Dare to push
yourself.

Focus on where you

want to be with Allianz
Musical Insurance by
your side.
Unlimited professional use
500 accessories cover included
Accidental damage & theft
Premiums from 3 a month

Get a quote:
allianzmusic.co.uk
0330 100 9626

Terms and conditions apply. Allianz Musical Insurance is a trading name of Allianz Insurance plc.
 FM | CLASSIC ALBUM

Cut Chemist
The Audiences
Listening
Warner Bros. Records, 2006

W
hen it came time for Cut Chemists first
full-length solo album he knew he wanted
to push himself, and the boundaries of his
craft of sample-based music. Quite the
task, considering the height hed already
set the bar at with tracks like the cut n
paste masterpiece Lesson 6, and the catalogue of funky beats hed
gifted his Rap crew, Jurassic 5.
To clear his mind before the big push, he assembled every loose
loop, nagging sample, and chopped-up beat hed been toying with
up to that point and created the epic mixtape, The Litmus Test, as a
way of purging old ideas. It helped me clear my desktop of
half-finished things and older projects, and it let me know where Id
been and where I wanted to go from here, says Cut. I spent a year
making that, but it gave me a fresh start for my album.
That album was The Audiences Listening, and over its 12 track
running time it takes you further than Cut Chemist ever has before
on wax. Armed with an MPC, Pro Tools, and a stack of plundered
vinyl, he whipped up a creative riot of samples, funky rhythms,
playful scratches, and surprising twists and turns around a world of
musical influences.
Tracks like The Garden grow from the seeds of some luscious
Bossa and Samba samples, while (My 1st) Big Break channels the
start of Pulp Fiction with its dialogue set-up and epic Surf Rock
attitude. Spat, on the other hand, transforms the scribbles of
scratching into the escalating sounds of an argument between two
very odd characters. And A Peak In Time uses the ingenious move of
pitching up variations of the same female vocal sample on top
of one another in different octaves to create the illusion of a
multi-voice choir.
Its a joy from start to finish, and a peek into a time where man
Words by Roy Spencer

and sampling machine are in perfect harmony.

This was my first solo album so I put a lot of pressure on myself
and build on what Id done before, Cut says. I just wanted to
elevate my craft. Job done.

24

Track by track
with Cut
Chemist
Motivational Speaker
I wanted to start off with something
familiar, so people wouldnt think Id
abandoned my old ways. I wanted to
add all the elements that people
know me for: cuts, a weird sample
that no one else would ever use, and
a concept. The concept was What is
the DJ of today?. Thats the time in
the mid-2000s when the Hip-Hop DJ
was becoming extinct. I felt a void of
turntablism for the first half of that
decade. I didnt know where it was
going so I made this song about the
DJ of the future.
(My 1st) Big Break
It started off as a song about digging
for records. It was gonna feature
interviews with DJs I respected about
the first big break that theyd found.
It was an idea Id had for a few years.
Id already gotten a coupla interviews
with Shadow and people like that.
But then I found the break that
we know as the break on this record. I
think its off an English record. Then I
found an old sermon record that said,
The robots are coming I just
happened to play it with that new
beat and a light went on.
I scrapped the whole digging
thing and said, Lets make (My 1st)
Big Break a completely different trip.
Lets make it a Science Fiction Surf
Rockabilly song. Fuck it.
The Lift
I needed a comedown after the first
two tracks as there was so much
information, so much movement, so
much energy. Id found this record
called Thoughts In Time. It was a US
Library record. I liked the samples,
they were very New Age. Then I
added some samples Id taken with a
portable recorder of the announcer in
an elevator when I was on tour with
Jurassic 5. The woman who says
things like, Going up. Thats where
the name The Lift comes from. The
concept was this track would lift you
to somewhere else.
The Garden
Tracks like Runnin by The Pharcyde
inspired me to dig out Brazilian
To celebrate the ten year anniversary of the
album, Cut Chemist released The Audiences
Following, a bizarro world alternate take on
the album with bonus material, B-sides, new
and older versions of tracks, and material
that never made the final cut.
Meanwhile, material this year includes an
all Rap mix inspired by the Jazz-Funk classic
jam Nautilus, which dropped on composer
Bob James birthday. And fans of Garage and
Psych can rejoice as Cut teams up again with
fellow crate digger Keb Darge to bring us a
new BBE compilation, as well.
samples. I was taking a Music of
Brazil class at UCLA as well. I wanted
to further this journey into Brazil so I
started to mess with Berimbau by
Astrud Gilberto over some beats and
it worked. I begged Warner Bros to
clear the original sample. They did,
then I took the final composition
down to Brazil and found a Samba
band and recorded them in a studio
in Sao Paulo. Then I brought it to my
engineer, Kent Hitchcock, who mixed
it to perfection.
Spat
Its a phone argument between two
scratched-up voices. Kid Koalas
Fender Bender was a huge influence,
which has almost the same idea of
people arguing through scratches.
I spent a lot of time trying to chord progression to it. The rap was
figure out how to EQ this to
differentiate one guy from the next. I
ended up having one sound like he
was coming through the receiver,
versus one in the room, over an
unassuming loop from a Jazz record. I
wanted it to convey emotion. You can
Classic Album | Filter
Everything I do is lo-fi. I cant seem to
get out of it. Its just my lot in life. I cant
EQ my samples to save my life [laughs].
But they do live in this world where there
are other things going on. I may not be
able to get the fidelity out of it, like other
people could, because I never really
studied. My focus on music art was never
frequencies. It was always melodies.
hear when the characters are reached out to me to do a remix for
remorseful, when they are her song They. I did, and later we
apologising, when they are bickering. were chatting and I played her what I
The last part has them in harmony, had for a track I was working on
like they are friends again. called Metrorail Thru Space. It
needed something and she suggested
Whats The Altitude using the drum track from the remix
This song features the rapper to They. I went home and tried it and
Hymnal who is my best friend. Ive was like, Holy fuck! Shes right. She
known him since I was 12. I knew I totally told me what to do like, You
wanted this album to feature my need to put that shit on that shit!
friends. I didnt want it to feature [laughs]. Anybody that wants to
people I didnt know, just to sell train-spot this track down can go
records, or look cool. listen to the They remix. Right down
I gave him this beat. It was to all the changes and everything.
unlike anything Id ever done before. I
didnt know if I liked it, which made Storm
me like it. He did his verses over that. This features Edan and Mr. Lif. This
It became even weirder. It was sexy, was a totally different track to start
kinda Indie Rock. It had an Ethiopian with, but once they got on it I ended
up flipping it. The original version of
sexy, about a girl. Storm can be found on my ten year
I did background vocals. It was anniversary Audiences Following
the first time Id ever grabbed a mic. album, which I put out this year. Its
called Siesta. Basically its the
Metrorail Thru Space original beats I gave them to rap over,
In 2005 I befriended the singer, which was a real chunky, tough as
Jem. She moved out to California and nails drum break.
25
Filter | Classic Album

The same time I was making this
beat I was making my Torture
Chamber remix for Edan. By that
point Id had my fill of chunky drum
break sample stuff.
Id found a record in Italy that time on a Sunday.
was a French compilation of
Post-Punk that featured a track called
Megamix by a group called Vox
Populi! It blew my mind. It was the
LIKE IT?
I sampled stuff all around there know what hes saying. Its in Polish. I TRY THESE
and it made a cool little vibe, and was couldnt get out of it so just made it
a nice comedown track. Its like a part of the song.
nice slice of LA life. No drive-bys, no The live stuff comes from Miles
drama. Just people having a good Tackett from Breakestra who plays
guitar. Then David Stromberg is
playing an
Cut Chemist
The Audiences
I wanted to add all instrument
called the tres,
which is a Cuban
Following
Ten-year anniversary follow-up LP

the elements that

made up of stuff that never made
sound I wanted. It sounded like a three-string Cuts original cut.
Psychedelic version of whats guitar. And add these to your playlist:

people know me for:

happening today, so I used that
as inspiration.
2266 Cambridge
Warner Bros wanted me to change
the name because its an actual
address, but the title had everything
to do with the song. I had this record
that was recorded in this house. It
was in the mid city district of LA,
and was two houses down from
Thes One from [Rap group] People
Under The Stairs.
I hooked up with him and we
jumped in his ride and rode around
that block, recording stuff along the
way of people chilling and having
BBQs. Then I said, Lets see whats
going on at that actual house.
cuts, weird samples
and a concept
Spoon
The big sample is from a Polish crew
called Breakout. It was just one of
those records. You couldnt deny its
grooves. I had to be very cunning
about sampling around the vocals to
get a seamless loop, as there were no
clean, open parts of it. There was this
one bit of singing that I couldnt get
out of the sample where he sounds
like hes singing Spoon, but I dont all different patterns but he caught
my engineer, siesta (the Quiet storm), sea of time,|
Big Brother|
Kent Hitchcock,
plays bass.
A Peak
In Time
This was a song
originally done
Kid Koala
Carpal Tunnel
Syndrome
for the Keepintime album, as Peek In More turntables as an instrument
vibes here from fellow DJ/producer.
Time. Keepintime was a meeting of
Check Fender Bender against Spat
old-school drummers and new-school
for similarities.
producers. I wanted to update it. add these to your playlist:
The main loop is a Gilberto Gil Fender Bender, Naptime, strut hear|
sample, but one that I sampled off
[fellow Jurassic 5 member] Nu-Mark,
who had it loaded into an MPC and
was noodling around with it at a
DJ Woody
Keepintime live show. He was playing
The Point Of Contact
The UKs finest turntablist artist
one that ended up being my main dropped his first full-length at the end
loop. To finish it off I added an of last year. Bold, creative, and
Australian break, and did my Samba exciting. Check it!
Scratch, where I take voices and do add these to your playlist:
ready For War, odd Job, let Go|
harmony cuts, layering scratched-up
patterns of singers on top of each
other in different pitches.

The Audience Is Cut Chemist

Listening Theme Song Lesson 6: The
It has a sample from [Old School Lecture EP
Rap pioneers] The Boogie Boys going, This cut n paste opus was the
Listen, listen to the music After previous high point for Cut. Peep
the genius.
the album dropped Apple got in touch
add these to your playlist:
about using it for a global iPod advert. the instrumental (diy Version), the lecture|
But The Boogie Boys was the only (remastered), the sketch|
sample I hadnt cleared, as I thought
it was such a small part. I had to tell
Warner Bros and try to clear it. It was
a huge campaign and we needed to Cut Chemist
In The Studio With Cut Chemist clear this thing in a coupla hours. My
manager in New York had to go to the
The Litmus Test
Heres everything Cut had to get out
The set-up was pretty simple in the studio. It was mainly Pro Tools and
guys house and they wouldnt open his system before starting on his solo
lots and lots of vinyl records that I would sample. Some of the album was
the door for less than $30,000, album. Wow!
made using reel-to-reel, though. Songs like The Garden started out like
which was my whole fee. I said, Just add these to your playlist:
that, which was my old way of working. Then the next thing I used would swing set, Break, day at the races|
be the Akai MPC-2000, which made up quite a bit of the production. If fucking do it. Make the deal. He slid
there were any synths or synth patches in there that would have been the contract under the door, and they
brought in by my engineer, Kent Hitchcock, who was the second engineer signed and slid it back. The ad aired
from the Jurassic 5 album, Power In Numbers, so I had a good relationship the next day [laughs].
with him. I would ask him about a certain sound or effect, or anything
that went beyond purely samples and live musicians, and he always
knew what to use. I was demoing engineers and I gave him The Garden. WANT To KNoW MoRE?
I knew if he could mix that then he could have the job. I didnt even have
For a whole crazy batch of new and
to try anybody else. He could just open up something in these songs previously unreleased digital material head
that I couldnt. to https://cutchemist.bandcamp.com

26
 SUBSCRIBE TO

choose your package

print digital

Get the print edition delivered to your Instant access on your iPad, iPhone, and
door every month, plus access to Future Android device, plus access to Future
Musics online Vault to download videos, Musics online Vault to download videos,
samples, tutorial files, and more. samples, tutorial files, and more.

Only 18 EVERY THREE MONTHS

Only 6.75 EVERY THREE MONTHS
geT The compleTe package
print + digital

> Access to Future

Musics online Vault
to download videos,
> Get the print edition
delivered direct to your
door and instant access
> PLUS You get huge
savings, the best value
for money, and a money-
samples, tutorial files, on your iPad, iPhone and back guarantee
and more Android device

BEST
VALUE

Only 20 EVERY THREE MONTHS

TwO EaSy wayS TO SUBSCRIBE

Online: www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/FMUsubs
Call: 0344 848 2852
Terms and Conditions. Prices and savings quoted are compared to buying full-priced UK print and digital issues. You will receive 13 issues in a year. You can write to us or call us to cancel your subscription within 14 days of purchase. Your subscription is for the minimum term
specied and will expire at the end of the current term. Payment is non-refundable after the 14 day cancellation period unless exceptional circumstances apply. Your statutory rights are not affected. Prices correct at time of print and subject to change. UK calls will cost the same
as other standard xed line numbers (starting 01 or 02) and are included as part of any inclusive or free minutes allowances (if offered by your phone tariff). For full terms and conditions please visit http://myfavm.ag/magterms. Offer ends 09/03/2017
 FM | ALBUM REVIEWS

album of the month

Clap! Clap!
A Thousand Skies
Black Acre

F
ast-rising Italian producer Cristiano Crisci, better
known as Clap! Clap!, returns with his outstanding
second album A Thousand Skies. Following on from
2014s highly impressive debut Tayi Bebba, the new
record is an even more ambitious exploration of the
fusion of African rhythms and electronic music.
Merging elements of House, Hip-Hop, UK Bass and Footwork with
traditional African music, tribal singing and natural field recordings,
A Thousand Skies has a wide-ranging and far-flung sound that is at
once highly inventive and idiosyncratic. Rich in colour and bursting
with life, this vibrant LP unveils a dynamic and potent soundscape
that brings live instrumentation, World music samples, drum
machines and synths together with a frenetic, but natural sounding
energy. The skill and ease with which Crisci manages to fuse such a
disparate set of influences and cultural references into such a
coherent and engaging album highlights his immense talent as a
producer something that Paul Simon must have noticed, leading
to him enlisting the Italian for production work on his last LP.
A Thousand Skies is daring, taking on a huge challenge, but
Crisci executes it with both adept skill and an assured confidence.
Incredibly distinctive, exciting and full of passion, this is a
stunning album from a masterful producer who has a unique
vision. Tom Jones
ADD THESE TO YOUR PLAYLIST:
Oriens Oriri, Ode To The Pleiades, Flowing Like a Snake in Ophiuchus Arms|

10/10
31
Reviews | Albums

Recommended
Lusine
Sensorimotor
Ghostly International
Jeff McIlwain has been with soul and emotion. touches as much on
making beautiful The atmosphere is Downtempo and Pop as
Pop-tinged Electronica, laidback and kissed it does Techno and
Techno and with a blissful Electronica. Beautifully
experimental music as sincerity, but with an constructed and
Lusine for the best part undercurrent of gliding infused with an
of 15 years. Now bass and robust beats. effortless and natural
returning for his fourth The LP is densely flow, Sensorimotor is
album with Ghostly, the layered and rich in a beguiling record from
Seattle-based producer texture, its diverse set a producer with a
delivers a record awash of songs unfolding with natural instinct for
in subtle melodies, a patient and delicate blurring the lines
fluttering synths, lush touch that allows each between human and
pads and warm, fluid sound within his machine. Tom Jones
bass. Introspective compositions the space ADD THESE TO YOUR PLAYLIST:

Hayes McMullan
leaning with a personal to breathe. At times Just A Cloud, The Level|
and intimate aesthetic melancholic but often Wont Forget|

7/10
running throughout, carefree and upbeat,

Everyday Seem
Sensorimotor is laden this is an album that

Like Murder Here

Light In The Attic

L
ight In The Attic delve deep into the archives of history
to unveil the almost completely unknown but masterful
Sleaford Mods recordings of Delta Blues singer, songwriter and
musician, Hayes McMullan. This fascinating set of
English Tapas recordings that capture the raw, authentic talent of a
charged Blues guitarist performing a dynamic set of
Rough Trade tracks was made in 1967 by renowned American roots collector,
English Tapas is the and nuts and bolts way they twist and fuse documentarian and scholar, Gayle Dean Wardlow, the man who first
latest record from drum machines. The them into their discovered Robert Johnsons death certificate.
idiosyncratic Post Punk simplicity of the idiosyncratic sound. Interspersed with interviews that reveal more of McMullans
duo, The Sleaford music allows the They pull this off with backstory, Everyday Seem Like Murder Here brings to light the
Mods. Following on confrontational, unabashed confidence brilliant craftsmanship and ability of a powerful musician with a
from 2015s Key anti-establishment and personality. humble virtuosity. His southern drawl and impassioned vocals ignite
Markets, the record vocals to incite the English Tapas the record with the story of a rich and varied life. Born in 1902 on a
finds the Nottingham abrasive, rough-edged cements The Sleaford plantation in Tallahatchie County, Mississippi, McMullan travelled
pair in their typically aesthetic that propels Mods reputation as the depression-era South and even played with Charlie Patton. He
unflinching attitude, the entire record. one of the most was a civil rights activist, a sharecropper and a church deacon and
challenging the cultural Mixing elements of individual and you can hear all that passion spilling out in this remarkable record.
values of post-Brexit Grime, Hip-Hop and charismatic acts But now he will finally be remembered as a Bluesman, and a hell of
Britain with their electronic music with lighting up the UK a one at that. An important and utterly charming record, Everyday
subversive, singular Punk and Rock, scene today. Tom Jones Seem Like Murder Here gives a man the recognition he deserves
approach. Stripped English Tapas ADD THESE TO YOUR PLAYLIST: and preserves his music for generations to come. Tom Jones
back and minimal, the represents the duos Moptop, Drayton Manored,| ADD THESE TO YOUR PLAYLIST:
records sound is driven varied influences while Carlton Touts| Look-A Here Woman Blues, Every Day In The Week, Bo Weevil Blues|
by crude, running
basslines, rusty guitars
displaying their
inventiveness in the 8/10 9/10
32
Feature | Customise Your Sound
Proficiency can only take an artist so
far; to really make an impact you need
to stand out from the crowd. Its time
to create your own sonic signature...
A
couple of decades
ago producing music
was a lot tougher.
You either had to
stump up the cash
for studio time or
buy lots of expensive outboard gear.
In contrast, todays wannabe
producer only needs access to a
computer and some software, which
has blown the doors for creativity and
expression wide open. Talented
musicians of all ages can now create
entire records from their bedrooms.
Although this is a fantastic thing
for music makers, this non-exclusive
access has also become something of
a curse, resulting in a complete loss
of quality control. For every standout
record, there are hundreds of
formulaic tracks added to iTunes and
34
Beatport every week. With every man
and his dog laying down beats on
their laptops, DJs and labels are now
flooded with cookie-cutter efforts that
are merely poor pastiches of the best
5% of artists.
So with an ever-increasing
number of people dabbling in music
production, and with more and more
generic tracks flooding the download
stores every week, its more important
than ever to forge your own unique,
inimitable style, so your music stands
apart from the crowd. Your favourite
artists probably have a distinctive
sound thats uniquely theirs so why
should you be any different? Over the
next few pages well help you break
away from the formulaic, and inspire
your own tastes and workflow habits
to forge a unique artistic style.

Soul-searching
As a producer, youre competing with
everyone else doing exactly the same
thing. But while you have access to
the same tools and techniques as
everyone else, theres one vital aspect
that sets you apart from the rest of
the pack: your own lifetime of
musical inspiration! Taste is highly
subjective, and its likely that your
music folders and playlists are filled
with singles and albums spanning
many different genres. Producing
your own music is a chance to collate
all of the best bits from your wealth
of musical experience and throw
them together into one big melting
pot of inspiration. This is where a
diverse taste is essential: listen to
generic EDM on repeat and your own
musical output will likely sound the
same as every other big-room artist
out there.
To truly carve out your own niche
in todays saturated landscape, you
must first pick apart what makes a
unique sound. Listen through your
favourite artists tracks and pick out
their influences; note how they
combine elements from different
genres to form something new. For
example, House producer Shadow
Child has found success with his own
brand of raw, stripped-down House
a cocktail of rugged drum machine
beats, sampled breakbeats and
old-school Rave-inspired melodic
elements. Canadian artist Kaytranada
fuses four-to-the-floor House
rhythms, Hip-Hop-esque samples,
Soul chord progressions and
Trap-style 808 basses in his own raw,
Customise Your Sound | Feature
skittish style. On a more mainstream
scale, Major Lazer frontman Diplos
phenomenal success can be
attributed to his unashamed merging
of disparate genre cliches from
Reggaeton and Trap to EDM and Pop.
With this in mind, take a good
look at your favourite records. Which
elements from your favourite artists
and genres can be extracted and
combined to form something new? If
you want to take this mix-and-match
concept literally, its easy to harvest
chunks of chords, vocals, beats and
FX from your record collection and
playlists for reuse in a myriad of
different ways the process of
sampling has been at the core of
electronic music production since the
80s, after all! If youre more into
creating your own sounds from
scratch, and the notion of sampling
other records is a little too plagiaristic
for your tastes, you can still take
inspiration from your love of music
and take pride in generating your own
sonic identity from a combination of
different artists and genres. Why not
merge your love of James Brown
and frenetic breakbeat grooves into
your own entity of Funk-fuelled
polyrhythmic madness? How about
supercharging your Techno rhythms
with a sprinkle of Hans Zimmer-style
cinematic epicness?
Define your tastes and goals, and
youll already be well on your way to
carving out a bespoke gameplan
come DAW-time. You can then focus
on building banks of your own
custom sounds that fit the aesthetic
youre trying to achieve.
35
Feature | Customise Your Sound

Signature Sound deSign

artists dont understand theory, but

Daniel DeSlover/ZUMAPRESS.com/Alamy Live News

TodayS elecTronic muSician
iS in a unique predicamenT
when iT comeS To creaTing a
defined sonic palette. Right within
our DAWs, we can access thousands
upon thousands of sounds spanning
every conceivable type. Virtual
synthesizers are only a couple of
mouse clicks away, each filled with
oodles of ready-rolled presets.
Sample packs offer countless loops,
one-shots and even full-blown
construction kits that can be mixed
and matched with ease, while
sizeable sample libraries load your
sampler of choice with uber-realistic
snapshots of orchestras, choirs,
classic synths and more. Drum
ROMplers place any number of
studio-quality drum kits and
percussion sets right at your
fingertips and virtual drum machines
spit out the classic beats of Dance
music. And thats without mentioning
the overwhelming number of effects
processors that can be called upon to
shape these source sounds! When
you consider that members of a Rock
band need only reach for an
instrument and jam away, its clear
that electronic artists are completely
overwhelmed with choice. At worst,
too much choice can stifle creativity
and breed procrastination; at best,
those who do finish tracks often draw
upon generic, pre-prepared samples
and synth presets, which results in
generic, bland music that quickly
fades into obscurity.
like him or loathe him, Skrillex made his name by developing a truly distinctive sound palette
So how do you sonically stand out
from the crowd as a producer?
Although it might sound obvious,
musical content is the most
important part of a piece of music, so
a rudimentary knowledge of music
theory is a logical place to start. Want
to incorporate Jazz influences into
your tunes? Brush up on your Jazz
chords! Yes, plenty of big-name
get to grips with how the language of
music works and youll find it much
easier to piece together notes into
something musically satisfying. You
neednt be Mozart, either you can
get pretty far by simply drawing in
chords using basic theory knowledge
combined with trial and error.
Knowing which notes to lay down
is important, but electronic music is
just as much about sonics. Think of
your favourite artists, and how they
incorporate unique sounds and
textures into their tracks. In the world
of Dance music, the producers who
create truly individual, signature
elements are the ones who impress
and stand out from the crowd.
Remember the popularity of the
Dubstep growl bass? As squealy and
annoying as they were, these
signature basslines jettisoned Skrillex
to the top of the Dance music tree.
Likewise, Burials name conjures up
visions of lo-fi, dusty soundscapes
and off-kilter beats that will forever
be cemented in Dance music history.
Think about it: if youre lazily piecing
together ready-made construction
kits and generic presets, youll never
devise a sound thats unique to you.
Of course, we all want to come up
with that killer, never-before-heard
sound thats completely our own, but
thats easier said than done. Theres
no one-size-fits-all method to unique,

Stack For Success innovative sound design its up to

you to find ways to create your own
sounds that fit within the genre and
Create your own new and unique twist by layering sounds aesthetic youre working in. However,
despite the various synthesis types, and your expertise at generating sounds with them, its extremely difficult to make even one single
we can guide you down the right path
sound thats never been heard before. however, modern daws and samplers now give us the ability to position different sounds on top of with a few useful pointers. One
one another, which can help your sonic palette grow exponentially. For example, layer a churning midrange synth snarl with an analogue widely discussed (but important)
sub layer and distorted field recording of a tap running, and youve got a completely unique bass composite. merge classic drum machine approach is to limit your sound-
grooves with acoustic hits from a drum rompler and youve created your own live twist on the drum loops of yesteryear. add processing generating palette to a few key pieces
such as saturation, compression and reverb, and youve created something new and unique. here, well walk you through the creation of a of gear (hardware and software) that
bespoke snare sound comprised of three layers. as ever, you can download the composite layers and the final snare sound from the Vault.
you know inside out. If youre using a
different bundle of tools every week,
youll never get further than preset-
tweaking; but learn a small selection
of synths and effects like the back of
your hand, and youll uncover their
idiosyncrasies and under-the-hood
power features that casual users
wont. Plus, youll commit your
decision-making to muscle memory,
helping you create a sound from
scratch or mangle an existing sound
with effects without having to reach
for the manual or look up a YouTube

> > >

heres a basic kick and clap sequenced at
100bpm. The clap lacks character, so to
give the hit extra midrange punch, we blend
in a synthesized knock layer, created using Xfer
Serum. This is simply the default saw wave with
an overdriven, resonant low-pass filter applied.
For extra vibe, we mix a rough-sounding
snippet of vinyl noise over the clap and
knock layers. although were using an eq to
roll off treble and bass from the noise, were
leaving the signals loud 10khz resonant peak,
which gives our snare a pointed, rough edge.
we group the three layers to a single group
buss and apply processing to the entire tutorial during a creative spurt.
signal: transient shaping adds attack; a Over the next couple of tutorials,
short reverb gives subtle ambience; eq cuts
extraneous bass and treble; and saturation melds
well explore some surefire recipes for
the signals together into one cohesive whole. sound design success.

36
 Customise Your Sound | Feature

Pro tips for building

your own unique
sample packs
Cultivate your own unique-
04 >
Compile entire track packs for your sampler of choice.
Imagine youre designing an off-the-shelf preset bank, that
sounding productions by compiling you can load up and build a track with at a moments notice
complete with effects, performance macro controls and
bespoke sample collections buss processing. Weve built this 13-part pack in Lives Drum
Rack, containing all the parts required for a simple track.

01 >
Set aside dedicated sound design sessions
away from creative writing sessions. This will
keep you focused on the task at hand, and
youll stock up your arsenal with plenty of
ammo to fuel your compositions. To begin,
create a bespoke sound design template
project in your daw, complete with send/
return effects, your favourite instruments/
effects, ready-to-go routing and more.

02 >
Stay focused by setting yourself strict sound
design targets. allocate an hour or two in the
studio and aim to create an arbitrary number
05 >
Youll also need to pile on choice processing effects to really
customise sounds to your taste. Dialling in processors from
of sounds 10 pad patches, 15 layered kick
drums, or 20 analogue bass loops. To
the ground up can take time, so it helps to have your own
demonstrate, weve automated Serums first stacks of effects chains ready to go. Here, were calling up
macro to sweep up over eight bars, so we can our own bespoke groups of treatments via Soundtoys
easily craft FX sweeps one after the other
watch our accompanying tutorial video. EffectRack, which weve saved from previous sessions.

03 >
When designing synth sounds from scratch, the last thing
you want to have to do is refer to a manual every five
minutes. So it helps to be a master of one synthesizer, rather
than spreading your skills too thinly over several. This way,
youll discover all of your chosen instruments features,
greatly broadening your scope for sonic exploration.

06
do you have stacks of unfinished 8-bar loops
and unfinished daw projects on your hard
drive? aside from dedicated sound design
missions, sift through those abandoned
follies in the hunt for fresh source sounds:
recycle parts from old projects, bounce out
individual sounds to a new folder, store away
synth patches and save chord progressions
and riffs as midi files for later use.

37
Feature | Customise Your Sound

Finding your own workFlow

When starting out, we all listen to our favourite artists and wonder how
those incredible sounds come together. Take Dutch supergroup Noisia,
well-known for their innovative sound design. As discussed in our In the
Studio sessions, they have a very specific method for designing and
compiling sounds: they spend entire sessions synthesizing and sculpting all
types of sounds, with no aim of using them in a track. As they go along,
theyll compile the various permutations of their custom creations into
organised folders labelled by date. Theyre essentially designing a steady
stream of bespoke sample packs that they can draw upon. In contrast,
amateur producers fire up their DAW wanting to lay down an entire track
from a blank page, but then get distracted when it comes to designing
beats and synth sounds that sonically compete with artists like Noisia.
Our point? Well, firstly, remember that the listener only hears the end
product, not the processes that went into a songs creation. Therefore, if
you spend your time hunting down sound-a-like tutorials on YouTube with
Sonic masters noisia
spend entire sessions the aim to recreate your favourite artists sounds, then youre only going to
sculpting sounds,
creating their own
make tracks that sound like them not you. Theres nothing wrong with
library to draw from
when making tracks
seeing how others work, but its more important to try and create your own
unique sounds (or
combination of sounds)
that sound different to
anything else out there.
Secondly, like Noisia,
its essential you develop
your own studio workflow.
Not all of us want to write
technical D n B, so the
strict sound design/writing
compartmentalisation
approach wont be suitable
for everyone, but you still
need to be aware of your
music making habits and
then adjust your time
management accordingly.
Also: practise! Although
this feature will hopefully
inspire your musical
creativity only you can
ultimately take charge of
your own musical output.
Just like learning any skill,
improvement in
production takes years of
determination and effort
so get to it!

38
Feature | Customise Your Sound

diStinctive arrangementS QUICK

haVing a unique library oF
SampleS, preSeTS, eFFecTS
chainS and midi FileS iS The
first step to finding your own sound
as a producer, just as a painter or
that adhere to this layout. While this
is slightly limiting if you want to
compose a ten-minute-long beatless
ambient masterpiece, these rules are
there for a reason crowds respond
comfortable with these rules, you can
TIPS
For unique arrangements
subvert them for creative gains using
tricks such as unexpected silences,
repeating drum edits, tempo switches
and more.
ride the faders

>
graphic designer might have a to them! Therefore, if youre making If youre producing music for your
custom palette of colours and shades club bangers, stick to the usual own listening pleasure, then feel free In a world where we
prepared ready to create a visual structure for maximum impact: keep to experiment with weird time can all delete and
masterpiece. To continue the artist intros rhythmic and DJ-friendly; signatures, four-minute floaty intros, copy blocks on a
analogy, its the way those colours throw in obvious peaks, troughs and odd segues and structural screen, make yourself
manifest on a blank canvas that drops; and keep the tension ebbing randomness. If the track is that
unique by introducing
really makes a unique piece of art. and flowing with automation and good, then a DJ will find a way to
track elements via volume
Yep, were referring to the tonal motion. Once youre spin it in the club!
arrangement process, ie, a tracks
movements. Fade key
structure over time. The choice of sounds in and out of a
sounds you put together and, more track by riding the fader
importantly, the order you arrange ie, live volume
them over the course of four to eight automation to give your
minutes will define your tracks projects that human touch.
artistic content and emotional
response for the listener.
Within the confines of club-
Step to it

>
destined electronic music, your Step sequencers have
arrangements are pretty much stuck been key in electronic
within a rigid 4/4 framework of music production for
eight- and 16-bar sections. Stray too decades, as they inspire
far from this turntable-friendly
unique patterns, grooves
formula, and DJs will struggle to mix
your music alongside other records Step sequencers are a sure fire way to inspire grooves and arrangements
and arrangements. Instead
of drawing monotonous
blocks in a piano roll, hook
up a MIDI step sequencer
Devil In The Details (hardware or software) and
program your beats and
Often, its the subtler things in life that have the biggest impact So synths the old-school way.
heres how to make better tracks using tiny details
in electronic music, the dominant parts such as the kick drum, bassline, lead synth and main vocal take centre stage, and work together go all out zen

>
as one cohesive unit. however, look past the obvious and youll notice that its the subtle details that subliminally reach out to the listener
and add that special something to proceedings. were talking about those small sprinklings of organic magic that are hardly noticeable Having a specific idea
upon first listen, but would undoubtedly be missed if muted. for a tracks structure
in the following steps, well outline three examples of production subtlety that you can use to add instant life, depth, groove and spice to can be great, but other
any track.
times this might block
other creative avenues for
arrangements. Instead,
have a fiddle around with
your 16-bar loop and try to
let the combination of
elements tell you how they
should be arranged. If a
slow-burning synth arp is
bubbling away nicely, let
the track plod along and
support it. Alternatively, if

> > > your hands-in-the-air hook

First up, well add extra impact to the drum
hits (taken from our previous three-step
tutorial) by adding in subtle noise click and
flicks off the grid. These are positioned manually
on the timeline, so they strike just before the
main hits transients.
weve also layered an audio sample of some
quiet analogue noise hiss under the beats,
to give them an almost imperceptible layer
of realism and vibe. This noise is still noticeable
in our example, but will be buried under melodic
elements once the track takes shape.
To finish, hear how weve blended a subtle,
eqd reverb layer into the mix. by placing a
Frequency Shifter device before the reverb is dying to blast out to a
plug-in on the return track, we can pitch down the
parallel signal before it hits the verb, creating a
crowd, drop it into the
subtle yet distinctive layer of weirdness. track quickly!

40
 Customise Your Sound | Feature

dJ your way to unique trackS

When it comes to gathering musical inspiration,
it helps if you DJ on a regular basis, as continued
experience on the decks will trigger ideas for
fresh tracks. Did a particular combo of records
ignite a dancefloor during your weekend gig?
That could be a sign that merging those shared
elements into a unique record would work. Do
you like to mix with quick cuts and chops, or
long, smooth blends? Or, you might wish to use
the struggle of mixing multiple genres together
on the decks to your advantage in the studio so
make yourself the perfect record for segueing
between hard-to-blend styles by combining those
dont worry if youre no good on the 1s and 2s you can still make good use of this advice if youre not
styles into one monster DJ-friendly track! proficient on the decks. after all, with the ubiquity of iTunes and Spotify playlists, were all dJs now!

> >
First popularised by Hip-Hop You should be familiar with the
How to producers, the process of How to art of the mash-up, which is

Sample Like Create

sampling snippets of other essentially a new Frankenstein
records is still as common as ever. record created by combining and

A Proper
Learn to hunt down fresh and unique
samples, and youre guaranteed to fill
Something mixing elements of two or more
existing tracks a popular new

Artist your tunes with unique source New From instrumental track laid down

Two Records
sounds that can be twisted up and underneath a classic vocal hook, for
processed further. If youre serious example. Often these will be created
about crate digging, you need to go on the fly during a DJ set, although
the extra mile. Seek out second-hand many artists also prepare their own
record stores, fill your basket at the mash-ups within a DAW. Although
discount CD store, and rifle through these types of records arent unique
your charity shops dustiest offerings. in themselves, theyre fantastic
And dont forget about the modern weapons for a DJ to use to capture a
age of sampling, either fire up a crowds attention, and can quite
desktop recording app and scour easily generate a creative idea for
through YouTube for killer samples! your next studio session.

> >
The average listener latches With access to commercial
How to onto the vocal in a record, so How to sample packs and sounds

Get Unique Customise

your use of the voice will be a created by others, its easy to
key factor in determining your own forget that an entire universe of

Vocals production style. If full-blown vocals

are your thing, try to avoid commonly-
Your Sound individuality is only a recording
session away. A stupidly easy way to
available acapellas downloaded from
the internet and instead collaborate
With Basic cultivate your own sonic identity is by

Recording
hooking up a microphone and
with talented vocalists and rappers. If recording your own percussion and
you want a more sampled vibe, FX simply hit record and thwack
youll need to think outside the box random objects around your studio,
when working with freely-available or get creative with your vocal chords
vocal stems everyone else has access and blurt weird noises into the mic!
to. How can you take a common Your recordings might sound odd in
vocal sample and give it a bespoke their unprocessed state, but youll
sonic stamp? Get busy with creative have lots of creative raw material to
processing and find your own way of treat with pitchshifting, distortion,
customising overused samples! widening and other processes.

41
Feature | Customise Your Sound

creative mixing
alThough Sound deSign,
Sample SelecTion,
compoSiTion and arrangemenT
all form the artistic content and
structure of your music, its the way
these parts come together and
interact that will ultimately define
your own unique production
aesthetic. The all-important final
stage of mixing multiple tracks
together into one cohesive whole is
your chance to impart a distinctive
sonic stamp over the end product; a
way to not only maximise the
potential of your disparate elements,
or help the core musical ideas
engage the listener as they should,
but also to inject your unique
personality and spirit into
proceedings. Of course, a great mix
cant save a terrible track, but a
creative mix can certainly elevate a
track with potential into another
league of sonic individuality.
In the fledgling years of your
journey as an artist, the first goal is to
simply mix tracks to a competent
standard. A record mixed by an
amateur will sound thin, unbalanced
and just plain wrong in comparison
to the best commercial releases. With
time though, by equally dividing your
focus between targeted learning and
practical application, you pick up the
necessary mixing chops required to
balance a mix to an acceptable level.
It becomes second nature to filter out
undesirable bass and treble, level out
spiky parts with tactical compression,
The final mix is another chance for you to put your creative stamp on a track
and use flavoursome processors such
as saturators and modulation effects
to help gel and smooth.
get creative
As with any new skill, once youve
committed the basics to muscle
memory, its time to get creative and
play around with the defined
parameters within the style youre
working in. This is a good time to
really deconstruct your favourite
commercial mixes import them into
your DAW, then take a good look at
their frequency content on a spectral
analyser. Use mid/side decoding to
audition the references mono and
stereo components in isolation; pick
apart panned and widened elements,
and the frequencies contained
within. Are the drums heavily
compressed or saturated? How loud
is the vocal in comparison to the lead
guitars? How are the different
elements interacting dynamically?
Answering questions like this will
help you realise exactly what goes
into a professional mix, and help you
understand the level you need to
reach. Plus, once youre comfortable
with the rules that other mixing
professionals abide by, you can start
breaking them in your own way
have a gameplan
Once youre comfortable at basic
mixing, and you understand the lofty
levels your mixes need to reach, its
time to decide exactly what your
chosen sonic aesthetic will be. Much
of this will have already been
determined at a much earlier stage,
of course after all, mixing is really
all about making the most of a tracks
musical potential and using the tools
available to highlight the most
important track elements at any given

Manual Mix Tricks time. For example, if youre an all-out

bass junkie, it can be assumed that
youll want to pack as much bass into
Three hands-on mix techniques to help you customise your sound a track as is humanly possible, which
as producers, were bombarded with shiny new toys on a daily basis from hot new freeware plug-ins through to the latest do-it-all piece
is a stylistic decision that will heavily
of outboard gear. This can often complicate your decision-making when mixing after all, why shouldnt you fire up all eight bands on your dictate your mixing approach as a
new automatic mixing contraption? yet in the majority of mix sessions, the simplest route to a solution is often the best and that often knock-on effect, youll have to
means getting hands-on in the search for a lively, interesting mix. if that carefully-crafted network of compressors isnt levelling out a vocal sacrifice some level and brightness
transparently enough, then consider automating a bog-standard gain plug-in instead. or, if your auto-pan plug-ins sweeps sound a little and treat other elements accordingly.
too predictable, then simply automate the channels pan amount. On the other hand, a desire to create
check out the following trio of techniques to get to grips with the most simple manual methods for mixing.
a sparkling stereo experience for the
headphone listener will place upper
frequency control and stereo
placement at the top of your mixing
agenda. Were heavily generalising
here, but you get the idea overall,
have a sonic gameplan in mind, and
your mixes will come together much
easier from the start, instead of you
having to shoehorn elements together
that simply wont fit.
The final rung on the ladder to
mix individuality is experimentation.
In the adjacent six-step tutorial, we

> > >

eqs, compressors, saturators etc are useful,
but you can make a great mix using only
simple level adjustments. automate volume
on the fly, using live midi fader or mouse
movements as the track plays through, and youll
impart a sense of life and realism.
manual volume movements can also be
employed in a more abrupt way. For
instance, when perfecting a riff or
sequences entrance into a track, use the
instruments master volume fader to cut the part
in for a rough n ready, chopped-up vibe.
a great way to add unique movement to
pads and background sounds is by employ some unorthodox approaches
automating their pan amounts manually. by in the search for a unique mix. Check
sneakily changing pan values throughout a track
via automation, youll keep your listener engaged
out our techniques and give them
without them noticing. your own spin!

42
 Customise Your Sound | Feature

Advanced mixing
tricks for a unique
sonic identity
Follow along as we give a basic
04 >
Now for the bass and chords group. Experimentation is key
for a distinctive-sounding result. Eventides Omnipressor is
mix a unique twist in several used in expansion mode to heavily pull up the quieter
sections and induce distortion over certain bass notes. We
inventive ways then use Lives Audio Effect Rack feature to blend the
processed signal in parallel alongside the dry signal.

01 >
Heres a head-nodding 124bpm Tech-House groove
comprised of basic beats (a 4/4 kick, clap, shakers, and a
hat loop) alongside a repetitive chord hook and grooving bass
loop. The rough mix sounds pretty good, but lets alter the
tracks overall tone using a few basic mixing techniques. We
group a few of the parts to group busses: namely the kick
and clap; shakers and hats; and the bass and chords.

05 >
The chord line could do with more character
and thickness in the mix. we use Soundtoys
crystallizer to mix in a subtle delay layer
thats pitched an octave above the chords
root pitch. This addition is kept subtle in the
mix, but we automate crystallizers dry/wet
mix knob slightly up at the end of each four-
bar section to give the effect motion and life,
in line with the original parts movement.

02 >
First, well address the shaker and hat group.
listen to the track from the previous step;
the hi-hat parts are somewhat of a relentless
06
To add a unique touch of thickness and width across the
entire mix, we send our three main subgroups to a return
wash, and therefore lack groove and
movement. To remedy this, were using Xfers
track loaded with custom processors saturation, EQ, reverb
lFoTool to slowly fade up the groups volume and characterful compression. Weve exaggerated this return
every bar. To compensate for a slight drop tracks level in the mix so you can hear its effect in a real
in level, we then use lives utility to push the
volume back up by around 1db. mix scenario, keep anything like this at a much lower level.

03 >
The kick and clap are decent, but they could
do with character in the top-end. with this in
mind, FabFilters Saturn multiband distortion
plug-in is loaded on the kick/clap buss. we
distort the upper-mid and treble of this signal
to extremes, then dial back the mix knob to
just 10%, which adds a vibey sense of bite
and presence. a slight low-pass filter after
the distortion then reins in extreme treble.

43
LOOPMASTERS.COM
GREAT SOUNDS.
SERIOUS INSPIRATION.
RAW CUTZ RAW SKILLZ
Raw Cutz are ready with another massive beat instalment
- Raw Skillz - adopting the insight and inspiration from the
previously awarded Smokers Unite, Prospect Haze and The
Raw Cutz Super Pack. A truly seminal force in using and
abusing professional beat maker skills!
LOOPMASTERS DIMENSIONS
A cinematic collection of futuristic atmospheres, space-age
soundscapes and experimental waveforms to deliver cinematic
soul to the heart of your productions. Join us on a 100% royalty
free journey into a new galaxy of sound, with Dimensions
Experimental Soundscapes!

FEATURED LABELS
Earn 10% virtual cash
with every purchase
For producers looking for n
top flight mix ingredients 2Gb+ free sounds &
and perfectly processed samples
Maschine and Ableton n
Live expansion packs in Superfast server and
contemporary styles downloads
and genres. n
Tech articles &
industry knowledge
n
Artist sample
A variety of unique sample collections
packs and synth patches, n
touching different genres Search by label/
and always trying to deliver genre/format
THE SOUND OF NOW. n
DAW Templates/ Midi
Files/ Synth Presets
n
BUNDLES Demo samples for
Discount bundles are every product
available for a limited time
only, and once theyre MAKE SURE YOU CHECK OUT...
gone So bookmark the
BUNDLES tab on our site
TODAY and make sure you
dont miss out! THEPLACEFORMUSICPLUGINS

COURSES & TUTORIALS

From software
intelligence to music
production techniques
and beyond, this is your
one-stop-shop for all
your music production
expertise.

THE SAMPLE BOUTIQUE

 In The Studio With | Throwing Snow

Throwing Snow
Ross Tones continues to push the boundaries
with his second Throwing Snow album,
Embers. Whether working from his hometown
Bristol, an underground cavity in Seven Sisters
or his new canal boat, Danny Turner finds a
man happy to let the machines do the talking
Will Ireland

46
 Throwing Snow | In The Studio With
R
oss Tones debut album Mosaic
(2014) was a fascinating
Techno-Bass hybrid, digesting
and reworking multiple genres
into an expansive instrumental
electronic palette. His latest
release, Embers, sees the
experimental producer delve
yet deeper into the world of generative rhythmic
structures. Most inspiring is how Tones is able to
generate such a complex and multifaceted array of
sounds despite constantly switching between
locations and operating from a primarily hardware-
orientated base. We visit him in his temporary North
London studio set up to demonstrate how Tones is
able to quickly interface his machines yet
continually produce inspiring results.
FM: Since we last spoke, you moved from
Brixton to Bristol. What precipitated that move?
Throwing Snow: It was just a change of scene. I
went to university in Bristol and have many friends
there, so I wanted to go back and an opportunity
came up to live with the guy that I run the label
with, whos got lots of equipment as well. Ive also
got a temporary studio in London until I set up a
more permanent site, and a tiny little canal boat.
How easy is it to set your gear up and run a
studio from a canal boat?
One of my friends has been working on a studio
running off solar panels on his boat, which is a little
bit bigger than mine, for about two years now. It
works perfectly well, but there are considerations.
You can live off it comfortably, but you have to
maintain it and there are certain things regarding
dampness. If youre going to leave equipment in
there, you either have to have dehumidifiers running
or be there all the time to keep it warm, especially
during the winter. Other than that, I think its an
amazing writing space because you have a totally
different back garden every time you stop the boat
and set up.
Do the solar panels give you enough power to
run a studio proficiently?
Obviously there are limitations surrounding how
much sun there is to power your gear, but you can
also charge the batteries from moving the boat. So
you shouldnt have any energy concerns, but it does
limit how much gear you can have on there
although those are all limitations I really enjoy.
Hopefully, the plan is that I should have enough
solar panels set up in a way that I can still have a
quite a lot of hardware set up. Ive already done a
jam on there with My Panda Should Fly, and that
was just powered off the boat.
Its been three years between albums; have you
been working on music all that time?
I tend to have three month cycles where Im able to
write music and then I dont have any inspiration, so
I spend those three months researching and when I
feel like I have to write music again it just comes out.
Ive learned to trust that in myself as opposed to
pushing it. During the period Im not writing for
myself, Ill do more prescribed writing, like
producing for other people or doing advert briefs.
You wrote a trailer for the X-Men movie
Yeah, thats what allowed us to buy the boat as a
writing space, as I wanted somewhere to live on if
everything went terribly wrong, and to run away
from the Trump apocalypse. So we got that money
from doing a trailer for X-Men Apocalypse. I work
with a trailer company in America who exclusively
sign master rights of certain tracks that can be used
for film trailers. Over the years, Ive worked for quite
a few brands and films, so having a big Hollywood
trailer is another one to add to the list.
Youve upgraded your gear, but has your
philosophical approach to making music
changed much over the past three years?
In terms of the philosophy behind me buying gear,
Id say that technology hasnt really done what I
wanted it to do. Only recently, with hardware
becoming more able to work with other things in an
intuitive way, has it allowed me to take a step away
from the computer a little bit instead of using it as
the centre. Ive also go into using circuits of gear that
I think will be useful, learning them inside out and
connecting them together to try and create
something new.
But youll still use the computer to complete a
project, in terms of sequencing and mixing?
It depends on how Im writing the track at the
time. Ive got a self-contained hardware set-up, so Ill
record and link things into the Teenage Engineering
OP-1, but also onto the iPad and then resample
things. Thats a little environment in itself, and once
Ive got some ideas I can then transfer and finish the
track on the computer. Sometimes Ill use software
synths because its the only way I can programme
sounds to do what I want them to do. If I need
something live sounding, Ive got this Allen & Heath
Saber desk that allows me to improve my signal
chain and get something into the DAW that sounds
as good as it can. The fact that its so noisy and you
have to get to know it gives it so much character. Its
not audio clarity that Im trying to get, its the dirt,
which you could emulate with software but it just
doesnt quite sound the same.
Is it easy to relay the information from a big
desk like that into a software sequencer or are
there numerous technical challenges?
It is difficult. Its set up at the moment for
multi-tracking; I have a MOTU soundcard with 24
ins and outs, so I can run each individual channel
off the analogue desk into my DAW. Or, I can take
the stereo output of the desk and use it as a pure
summing thing. Sometimes I have send effects going
through the analogue desk as well. The reason I got
it is because its so manoeuvrable. Ive got drum kits
and guitars too, so if I want to track things live then
having a desk is the only solution for me because I
want to preserve the analogue signal chain not
because I have to, but because its a challenge.
47
In The Studio With | Throwing Snow

Someones sound can come from the equipment
they use just as much as themselves.
Youve cited Steve Reich as an influence
In what way?
His rhythmic structures, how he changes melodies
and how they seem to change over time. On the
new album, there are tracks like Cosms and Helical
where I kind of used his phrasing ideas relating to
two ideas playing off each other. Its basically two
wanted it to allude to that, so the audio building
blocks collapse and die and a new entity or track is
built. The entire thing is meant to be a natural cycle
with organisms living within it, so there are little
melodies that keep on repeating that emulate the
fractal nature of life and how things are self-similar. I
follow a lot of principles and rules, but dont want to
let everyone know exactly what they are because its
meant to allude to something that will sound
natural rather than have people looking out for it.
that people can easily understand. I suppose half the
album is trying to show that you have to use allegory
to get across what youre trying to say.
And the artwork also plays its part?
The art on the album is an interpretive score of the
music, and theres a little insert with the vinyl that
tries to explain that a little bit better. Its really
complicated and the Ableton session was ridiculous.
Its actually split over two sessions and has
something like 128 tracks being

Its an amazing writing space because you bounced. Theres no way I

could have done it with any
other sequencer.
have a totally different back garden every That must have made the

time you stop the boat and set up album hard to mix
It was a nightmare. The
mastering engineer Matt
similar rhythms with the arpeggios on either side In the same way that lyrics might guide you Colton was my saviour as there were certain things
changing slightly according to what the other one is towards the meaning behind a song, youd within the mix we needed to sort out. Because of the
doing. That way I was able to have this self- rather the music be open to interpretation? way its written, its all continuous and some of the
generative synth, which kind of mirrors natural Exactly; its meant to feel natural and organic, but stems that run through half the album disappear
lifecycles; and that came about from listening to you dont know why. Obviously, I cant translate and run in the background before appearing at the
Reich and understanding how to move a certain physical laws into music because a lot of the time it end again. So there was a lot to consider about how
note within a pattern to give a different feeling would sound atrocious. When you look outside and to mix that and knowing what audio I could
or progression. see a tree, your eyes have been attuned by evolution bounce, knowing that in two weeks time those
to understand what it is, but if you try to translate sounds were going to have to be remixed. You never
You mentioned that arpeggios self-evolve and that into music you have to try to identify patterns really understand it unless you do it.
are interconnected, but can you explain that in
more detail?
For Cosms, there are two arpeggiators triggered by
the same MIDI input and they just revolve and do
the same pattern. Within the arpeggio there are two
synths on either side with a mix level between the
two, so I feed randomness into these two arpeggios
and the synths that they are running on from LFOs,
like detune, change of attack and release or
portamento. So you can have one pattern changing
and morphing on the one side and the other one
morphing slightly differently on the other, which
means you get these weird sounds. If you pan left
and right as well, you can get all these strange
cyclical patterns.

What do you use to change the parameters?

I have a controller that allows you to customise
your own MIDI controllers via an iPad, so you can
control the arpeggios by ordering it to change the
pattern timing or adding a random pattern within
the next minute, but let it choose when to change
itself. So Ive managed to set up a synth and software
environment that allows me to have Steve Reich
on demand. It has a mind of its own, but within
certain parameters.

We understand that the music on the Embers

album relates to nature in some way, and
alternate worlds?
All of its based on trying to translate my view of
the world, which is interrelated with natural
patterns, and trying to mirror that in what I do
musically. The entire album is a cycle in itself and
each track within it is built up from the same
building blocks of audio biomass within a system. I

48
In The Studio With | Throwing Snow
You used a lot of field samples too. What
were some of the more unusual samples that
you used?
I tend to target things because I hate going through
hours of audio just to clip out little bits. My family
owns a smallholding, so a lot the sounds are metal
fences being scraped, hitting tractors and rustling
leaves. My brother does nature documentaries and
had to breed these turkeys from chicks, and after the
shooting was finished they got donated to my
My family owns a smallholding, so a lot the
sounds are metal fences being scraped,
hitting tractors and rustling leaves
parents. When the thunder was going, you can hear
the turkeys doing a warning cry, and they make a
horrible gobbling sound. So it was a perfect take,
apart from one gobble from a turkey that I had to
slice and mangle, which is still in there.
We understand you morphed a lot of those
sounds synthetically; what was that process?
I use the iPad app called Samplr, which is fantastic.
It does so many things; you can use it like an
50
Ableton loop launcher but it manipulates audio and
has an amazing granular setting. Ive been using a
lot of analogue delays. Its interesting because I really
appreciate the Strymon reverb and things like that,
but I tend to gravitate towards odder-sounding
things. Thats why I got the Organelle, which is like a
little blue box computer with wooden keys that you
can programme with pure data. Things like that,
and the OP-1, are really fun little tools that give you
something that no other programme would.
Last time we spoke, you were toying with
binaural sound. Have you further developed
that at all?
I did use it a lot for the Snow Ghosts albums, but
not so much now with all the developments with
VR and 3D audio. I love the fact that we can use
binaural just with stereo, but I also think that using
psycho-acoustics is fantastic. For me, binaural
recording is great for atmospheric synths, but I feel
the futures moving more towards adaptive audio.
So although I use binaural, I think immersive sound
is now going into a different environment.
What soft synths are you using?
I wrote the album using Arturia, because the
Oberheim SEM is just beautiful. It adds certain little
things that the original SEM module didnt have,
like the sub oscillator and other things that are just
genius, and you can add 16 of them together. Its
something to do with its SAW-like quality, but it
doesnt seem as if its controlled.
With normal monophonic
synthesizers, you can imagine
how the oscillators work, but
the Oberheim involves me
trying to play with them to
understand whats going on. I
still use the Jupiter 8 quite a bit,
because I now know exactly
what I want it to do and theres one particular patch
that I use. Ive been using the FabFilter Saturn quite
a lot as well and playing around with its multiband
saturation, but essentially a lot of the sounds on
there are internal Ableton stuff.
What are you using for effects processing?
I still use Waves a lot, but the reason why I have a
lot of new gear is because I want to run stuff
through analogue. Digital sounds great, and you can
do so many more interesting things with digital
sounds, but you lose the grit and the randomness, so
Im trying to find effects chains that take it back into
the analogue world and dirty it up again. From now
on, all of my effects processing is going to be done
externally, apart from using the Elektron Analog
Heat, because it can work as a hardware insert effect
within a DAW.
You use an Alesis mixer for hardware effects?
The Alto ZMX122FX is just a run of the mill mixer.
I dont care if it gets smashed up because thats what
its there for. Its meant to be as robust as hell and
not break, and if it does its not going to matter
because its only 90. Its got internal effects, which
arent particularly good, but they do the job and it
has two sends, one of which goes to my OP-1.
You also have a PO-14?
This only cost me 50. Theyre little pocket synths
and you can clock them with the OP-1 and have the
audio running through it. This one does sub
basslines, but theres a drum one and a kitchen
sounds one. I might only get one or two lines out of
them, but then again, that song might go on to do
really well for you. Occasionally its good to buy
something cheap thats fun, like the Korg Volca Beats
and Volca Keys.
What were the key pieces of hardware you used
to create sounds on the album?
I mentioned Samplr, which I use on my iPad Pro.
You can load in six different loops or samples and
manipulate them in a granular way or get them to
play to a tempo, so I can have lots of loops playing
but with master effects. Its amazingly intuitive and
 Throwing Snow | In The Studio With

Tell me more about what the Heat

can offer?
It has eight different analogue circuits modelled
on either overdriving the mixer or standard
saturation, all the way up to some ridiculous
distortion. For any incoming signal, theres an
envelope follower, which means that every time
the kick comes in I can tell it to control
something, so at the end of your analogue signal
chain youve got something that almost acts as a
compressor. All these things that have suddenly
come about, like Overbridge, mean that I can
finally do what Ive always imagined.

51
In The Studio With | Throwing Snow

Critter & Guitari

Organelle
This little computer
can act as an FX box Elektron
or a sound creator, Analog Heat
and can also be
programmed using This can be used as
PD for infinite uses. a hardware insert
effect via my
software DAW. It
does everything from
subtle warming to full
on annihilation.

Caroline Meteore
Lo-fi Reverb
MFB Tanzmaus
Made by the
Its a really guitar company,
great-sounding drum Caroline, this is a
machine with loads weird but fantastic
of possibilities. The distorted reverb,
interface is a little which has its own
difficult to get your weirdness button.
head around, but
after a while its
really quick.

What other hardware do you have?

Ive got a Caroline Meteore Lo-Fi reverb, which
is really weird. Its modelled on a subway tunnel
and has got this strange slappy spring to it, but
can also make sounds appear endless and
feedback on themselves. You can also freeze
whatever youve got going on, so its really useful
to do something, hold freeze and get this
distorted environment going on while you change
other things. The other thing that Ive got feeding
in is this MFB Tanzmaus Analogue Drum
Computer, which is an analogue drum machine
that also has some sample voices and different
performance modes. Its quite difficult to
programme, but once you get it its really
intuitive and sounds ridiculous.

52
 Throwing Snow | In The Studio With

one of the best programmes for the iPad Ive ever

seen. Basically, Ill record a sound, pull it into Samplr
and manipulate it or take a stem of a track that I
already have and manipulate it live or play it in time.
Because its run off the iPad, Ive got an
iConnectMIDI4 audio interface that can route iOS
audio and MIDI just via the cable that goes into the
iPad. It allows me to clock iOS, MIDI and route
audio, which makes this box crucial to everything I
do. Novation have been a huge supporter; I did a
few interviews and features and theyve given me
some speakers and a beautiful ribbon microphone.

What about the Organelle?

I can either produce sounds with it, because its a
programmable computer, or I can effects process
Allen & Heath
Saber things through it. If you attach a computer screen
This studio desk is
via the DVA and a keyboard, you can use it as like a
my baby and, little minicomputer. The little round buttons are
although its a little keys made from sustainable wood, so you can play it
temperamental, it
can add so much as an instrument and use the buttons to programme
character to a mix. notes or create a granular freeze or loop.

The album has uptempo moments, but is also

a world within itself. Is it a headphone album?
Ive always tried to stick between the two. Thats
where I lie between being a musician and a producer
that line between headphone listening, often
Ambient, and having the exhilaration of being able
to be physically involved with the music. Ive often
been criticised for wavering around this line, but for
me theres no distinction because I love weird, dark,
Ambient electronic music and really danceable
House records too.

How do you intend to represent the album

audio-visually?
I created all the visuals myself, including the videos.
Part of me wants to display those because they work
Hurdy Gurdy with the theme of the album, but because Im taking
I was given this something thats been written half software/half
amazing instrument hardware, and because the album is about natural
and the string drones
are amazing when cycles and randomness, I think a lightshow should
you can keep it in reflect that. So Ill be taking recognisable elements
tune (or even if and transferring them back to hardware relating to
its not!).
whatever setting Im in, and youll recognise bits of it
but they wont really be the same at all.

In terms of audio, do you use the same gear

live as you do in the studio so you can replicate
the album and improvise a bit?
Exactly. Its about having components that I can
put together in different ways and create something
for a record, but then that same box being able to be
used live to reinterpret whatever I do. I wanted to
design a system where it can go off on a tangent, but
then if you need to somehow get back, instead of
having one place where all your loops are coming
from, I have two or three different boxes that are
similar but have different areas of expertise that I
can transition between.

want to know more?

Embers is out now via Houndstooth. Check out http://www.
throwingsnow.co.uk for more info and tour dates.

53
FM | MODULAR MONTHLY
A trip to the
West Coast
We check out Sputnik Modular and
their West Coast inspired modules
F
irst lets go over the idea of
West vs. East Coast
synthesis. East Coast
synthesis is no doubt the
most familiar approach, based
around rich waveforms mixed into a
filter for harmonic shaping before
going into a VCA for amplitude
control. West Coast synthesis,
meanwhile, takes simple waveforms,
often sines and/or triangles, and
modulates those to create richer,
often more abrasive timbres.
Exploring the Sputnik Modular
range well use the Dual Oscillator for
tone generation, Quad Function
Generator for modulation and the
Quad VCF/VCA for frequency and
amplitude modulation. Adding the
CV Processor we can mix, amplify
and offset signals to tweak our
modulation further. With the dual
oscillator we have the modulation
56
buss (from the Buchla 259) that
allows us to switch in modulation of
the principal oscillator from the
modulation oscillator for amplitude
(similar to ring mod), frequency
(clangorous or musical FM) or timbre
(which is the wavefolding and
shaping section). You can modulate
any combination of AM, FM and
timbre at any time providing a mini
nuclear power station of tones at our
fingertips. The Quad Function
Generator gives us all we need for
envelopes, LFOs and a real
modulating voltage spaghetti as you
can patch it back into itself to create
looping feedback systems. The Quad
VCF/VCA module offers us filtering,
amplitude modulation or both with
the combo mode. Striking the combo
mode provides gorgeous plucks as
both the high frequencies and
amplitude reduce into the distance.

Lets lose our East
Coast shackles
and experiment
Were diving head first into a
Buchla-influenced experience with
Sputnik Modulars Eurorack range
01 >
Where better to start than with the sound generation,
the Dual Oscillator. Take the final output into your
speakers or soundcard and play around. Theres a world
of tones to explore so first, fiddle those knobs and listen
to the modulation and waveshaping options.
02 >
The modulation buss allows us to modulate one
oscillator with the other. It also gives amount control
with manual knob turns and/or CV. Try a stepped
random voltage over modulation depth for a moving
tone and clock it in time with a sequence for
musical results.
Tutorial | Modular Monthly
Watch the video
here: http://bit.ly/
fmmod315
03 >
The Dual Oscillator doesnt have to be a
modulator and a carrier you can just use
them as two separate oscillators. Take two
different sequences into the 1V/oct inputs on
each and patch those into VCAs or LPGs to
control their amplitudes independently.
04 >
Its time to explore the Quad VCF/VCA. In combo mode
take a short trigger or envelope and strike the vactrols
in the circuit. This will give a short but natural decay
and fade away both in amplitude and tone, perfect for
percussive sounds.
05 >
The Quad VCF/VCA offers four channels of
low-pass filter, VCA or LPG functionality and
various mixed outputs. Patch in four different
waveforms from the Dual Oscillator and use a
variety of envelopes and LFOs to modulate
between them via the mix output.
06 >
With the Quad Function Generator we can
create a four-way feedback system. Try
patching the output of one envelope into the
CV inputs of another. Repeat this to add
further modulation and feedback by taking
an already modulated envelope into the input
of another.
57
 FM | THE TRACK
INCLUDES VIDEO VaULt.fUtUrEmUSIC.CO.Uk
Ren LaVice
Richter Scale
Ram Records, 2016
O
ver the past 25 years Ram Records have gone from an
underground label pushing the darker side of Hardcore
Rave to one of the biggest forces in D n B, unleashing
artists such as Sub Focus, Wilkinson and Ren LaVice
on an unsuspecting world. We caught up with Rams Canadian
banger-specialist Ren in Saffron Road Studios in his current
home of High Wycombe to find out how he created Richter Scale,
a genre-skipping main room banger that takes the listener on a
journey through EDM, Trap and finally blistering D n B.
Joby Sessions
Hi Ren! Whats the story behind this bonkers multi-genre track?
Theres a festival in Toronto, where Im from, called Digital
Dreams, and the ad agency handling the marketing for Bud Light
58
who sponsor the festival gave me a call out of the blue. They were
like, We want to have this big Bud Light moment at the event, and
wed like to commission you to make the heaviest bass drop ever.
A challenge any D n B producer would find hard to resist!
Yeah! So I was like, Cool man, no problem! When do you need it
by?. They needed it the next day, so I said, No problem guys!
Usually I take a bit longer than that, but its cool, I got it! So the
idea was that wed have a seismologist on site with his equipment
set up and everything; it was a multisensory event with visuals
going along with the whole thing. We were gonna use every piece of
pyrotechnics available at the festival, and its a massive
production; the idea was to throw everything at it and go nuts. They
werent really like, hey we know a lot about music, make it like
this, or whatever, but the consensus seemed to be that they
wanted the main, heaviest part thats going to hit the Richter scale
to be Drum n Bass. I was like, Okay, its an EDM festival and
were going to rock up to the main stage and blast some Drum n
Bass in North America this is going to be great! Why the fuck
not? The other thing they wanted to do was have it progress
through genres. Like, Im a really good sport, I love to challenge
myself creatively, I love it when people are throwing wrenches into
 Ren LaVice | The Track

Watch the video

here: http://bit.ly/
fmtrack315

My favourite D n B artist of all time

is Dillinja; hes been a huge influence
on me. What was so impressive about
a lot of his stuff was that you could
feel it; when I listened to his records it
was the first time I could feel like
three-dimensional objects smashing
through the room, and I was thinking,
this is insane, how is this possible?

my spokes, and you have to figure it out and improvise and come
up with something; thats how creativity works, you need to be
challenged. So then they wanted three drops that build up and
have the Drum n Bass be the heaviest, so I worked backwards.

Surely you didnt manage to do all that in 24 hours?

The bulk of it was done in about 24 hours and I think I managed
to stretch it to about 48. It was ridiculous I didnt really sleep. I
dont sleep a lot anyway because Im so busy, but I have these
spurts where things die down a bit and I can just pass out for 16
hours straight.

That sounds horrific. How did you make the track?

When we had the preliminary talks I was in a studio session with
someone recording a vocal, so I started it out somewhere like a
coffee shop or something on a MacBook Air. Then I brought it back
home and just fleshed it out, mixed it down and everything like
that. So youre trying to do something thats like a technical feat,
its not like, How do I express my feelings?. Drum n Bass is
about a lot of things; if youre listening to a Goldie record its about
raw emotion and things that are important and deep but still
intense. If youre listening to the next jump up banger its gonna be

59
The Track | Ren LaVice

The Gear
Hardware:
Apple MacBook Pro
Live drums

Software:
Apple Logic Pro X
SonicBirth 5 Band EQ
ToneBoosters EZCompressor
FabFilter plug-ins
Xfer Records Serum
Stillwell 1973
Twisted Lemon SideKick5

grimey, lively, feel-good party music; you can have a Lenzman

record thats incredibly soulful But youve got this element in
D n B thats always been there, thats been driven by technology
and trying to completely break the boundaries of whats possible.
And thats where I thought this fit in. My favourite D n B artist of
all time is Dillinja; hes been a huge influence on me. What was so
impressive about a lot of his stuff was that you could feel it; like
when I listened to his records it was the first time I could feel like
three-dimensional objects smashing through the room, and I was
thinking, this is insane, how is this possible?. Thats what I
wanted to capture like, Fuck, how did he do that, and you only
really get there by being completely obsessed by it.

Did your obsession with production pay off?

Technically speaking it worked; we hit the Richter scale it was
scientifically measured and I believe the official measurement was
a .6 or something. I dont know how far the scale goes but clearly
its not enough to like challenge the structural integrity of the stage,
but it was enough to feel it, and Im pretty proud of that. From
what people are saying its the first time anyones had a
seismologist on site to measure a piece of music as a seismic
event, so we made history with that one!

60

Making Richter
Scales smashing
D n B drums
Gigantic drum grooves are one of
Rens trademarks. This is how he
made his earth-shaking beats
01 >
I wanted to do something that had a fairly
straightforward groove to it that sounded nice and
heavy. He takes a composite snare comprising live and
sampled snare sounds that he made in another project,
and uses Logics Channel EQ to boost the fundamental
so that it fits into the mix and sounds heavy.
02 >
The high-end of the snare is EQd with
SonicBirth 5 Band EQ. I dont really
discriminate with what plug-ins I use, Ren
reveals. I really like stuff that actually
doesnt have a graphical interface, because
then you have to listen to what sounds good,
and if you really want to know whats going
on you can put it through an analyser and see
how badly youve fucked it up.
Ren LaVice | The Track
03 >
The kick is a live sound Ren processed
during the recording session. He boosts the
regions just above 100Hz and at around
2.5kHz, and runs it through ToneBoosters
EZCompressor in Modern punchy mode.
Its a compressor but it gives it a bit of tone.
It gives it a bit more attack on the transient
and makes it a bit more slap, but it also gives
it a little bit of bottom-end as well, he notes.
04 >
The hi-hats are from a live hi-hat loop that Ren
recorded. I like to do that as opposed to having an
808 hat because it sounds really robotic; in Drum n
Bass its nice to have a bit of groove. This is hi-passed
with Channel EQ, then Ren adds a reverse clap at the
end of the first, second and fourth two-bar sections.
05
Ive got some mono 909 crashes and stuff like that
just to add a little flavour on the downbeats and stuff.
The first and third crashes are supplemented with
some white noise down sweeps to accentuate them.
So basically a really simple, 4/4 beat that pretty much
everybody can nod their head to.
61
FM | youtuBE
MORE UNMISSablE VIDEO FEaTURES FROM FUTURE MUSIc
Meet our line-up of exclusive YouTube goodness. Head online for all this and more!

tHE trACK
Top producers go in-depth on the The worlds top
|CHANNEL
HIGHLIGHTS
From our famous
producers show you studio sessions to gear
sounds, ideas and techniques the world of Steinberg tours, technique tips
behind their latest releases. in our monthly series. and much more.
DONT MISS: DONT MISS:

We head to Amsterdam to talk New to Eurorack? Discover the best

production with British Electro House modules and essential techniques in
master Matt Nash. our Modular Monthly playlist.

Keeno, Enigma
Bristol-based D n B producer Keeno invites us
into his studio to show how he created the lush,
multi-layered strings and driving beats of his In this episode we head north to Want to get the most out of your gear?
latest track, Enigma. Glasgow to meet up with Raj from Head for our playlist of Producers
Bhangra duo Tigerstyle. Guide videos for some essential tips.
DONT MISS:

Master your music making with our

Disciples, Daylight
The UK trio talk us through the
writing, recording and production
process behind their catchy,
club-ready House track, Daylight.
Jonas Blue, Perfect Strangers
We head to London to watch Jonas
Blue break down the sounds and
ideas behind his massive crossover
Tropical House hit.
We meet up with stone-cold Dance
best of playlist of essential
music icon Ray Keith. Watch how he
production technique tutorials.
creates tracks in Cubase.

See more studios of the stars! Peruse

Swindle, Connecta feat. Ricardo China
We meet up with the UK producer in
his studio to watch him break down
his Brazilian-inspired track.
We meet up with Trewin Howard of
our extensive playlist of classic In The
rising UK band Phoria to watch him
Studio sessions.
break down their majestic track, Loss.
NZCA Lines, Two Hearts
Synth Pop outfit NZCA Lines invite us
into their studio to break down the
gloriously catchy single, Two Hearts.

KEEp it www.yOUTUbE.cOM/FUTUREMUSIcMagazINE for your

rEguLAr ELECtroNiC musiC tECHNiquE ANd tECHNoLogy fiX
62
 Studio Sessions
the monthly video
series from the makers
of
The worlds top producers show you
the world of Steinberg

Just
part of
www.youtube.com/
For the latest episode we return to
magazine Glasgow to reconnect with Raj of Bhangra
outfit Tigerstyle. Watch him break down
the creation of a track in Cubase.
Direct link: http://bit.ly/2iNvd6X
 FM | PRODUCERs GUIDE

INCLUDES VIDEO aND aUDIO VaULt.fUtUrEmUSIC.CO.Uk

Send FX
Effects are the lifeblood of production.
Theyre what makes a good sound great,
and the thing that adds the extra spice to
any track. Humble mixing effects such as
compressors and EQs are generally added
to channels as insert effects, but the real
creativity starts on the return channel,
where complex chains of interactive
processes cook up effects that give your
mix the edge.
Its easy to lose the passion for the
creative side of life, getting stuck in a rut
and giving up before youve even started
Ill just throw a reverb on that, or
chuck a delay on it and call it a day.
But over the next few pages, were going
beyond the basics, aiming to inspire
you to take another look at those return
channels. From the little tweaks that can
make any send sound better, to the
complex and elaborate set-ups that can be
used as performance effects, well help
you relearn whats so good about send/
return effects paths, and well put you in
the mood to make your best sounds yet
with them.

65
Producers Guide To | Send FX

Send Basics
Where you place an effects processor
has a huge bearing on the sound you
get and, with that in mind, there are
obvious, you could achieve a different
way of blending several channels at a
buss using a modulation plug-in such
When youre setting a processor
up on a return channel, that Dry/Wet
Mix control has a specific setting
QUICK
TIPS
its there as a remnant of the
choice to use the processor as an
insert effect. When you load
something onto a return track, it
should be set to 100% wet (ie, the
full effect signal and none of the dry

1
two main categories of effects as a phaser or chorus effect. Because signal), as the blend between the
placement: insert and send. Insert it will take its roots in several return and the original is now
EQ your send against
effects are the standard-formula channels, this single effect will still determined by the two channels the original in order to
way to process a channels audio, add the same sound to all, helping faders. Those faders themselves even mix the two together.
and are placed near the very start of have different If youve introduced extra
frequencies in the return
Using send effects
a channels flow through the mixer, settings when
altering the signal fully. Send effects send effects are channel (using distortion
are different: by tapping off some of involved, with for example), you may wish
a channels signal, and sending that
to its own channel in the mixing
is far more flexible pre- and
post-fade options
to cut out the higher parts
of the mix channel and the
desk, you get an entire channel to
sculpt your effect level it, pan it, and so its worth to help you
customise
lower parts of the send.

add an extended chain of processors,
and get other mix channels in on the
same action. Its a far more flexible
way to handle effects, and so its
worth mastering as fully as possible.
The most commonly used
example is reverb: using a reverb as
an insert effect will sound great,
sure, but itll only sound great on one
part. By giving the reverb its
dedicated channel in the mixer, we
can send several tracks to it by
varying amounts, putting them all in
the same space. To go beyond the
2
how the mixer
mastering as fully is used.
If youre not
Add a short delay
(set 100% wet) at
as possible as familiar with
the basics of
the start of the
return channels signal
send effects, chain to slightly mistime it
them to gel together as one. Parallel check out the walkthrough below. in relation to the original.
processing is another technique Afterwards, well go beyond and start
This works especially well
achieved using sends and returns, looking at some ways to take creative
with parallel compression being a command of your effects chains that
with percussive material,
prime example. Well leave that to you might never have thought about,
since the effects will land
another Producers Guide, though, as and, in addition, there are video just after the original
were all about creative processing versions of our two big tutorials so sound, standing out more.
ideas here. you can see and hear it all in action.

3
With a longer delay
at the start of your
return chain, the
Basic Send Formulation effect becomes a rhythmic
tool. Even longer delays
Here we show you how to get started with send/return effects, and find out can run into glitch/stutter
why theyre far more flexible territory, as we cover on the
The easiest way to load an effect in any DAW is by dragging it directly onto a mix channel its so simple because its the default way to
final page of this article.

4
bring up a processor for instant gratification. Send effects are a different animal: theyre slightly harder to set up, but theyre far more
versatile for getting the mix you want. Add a compressor to
Below well show you how to set up a send to an FX channel in Studio One 3, and the advantages it has over common or garden insert the effect channel,
effects. Your DAW may do it differently Reason uses the Send and FX Return portions of the mixer, for example but this method is
fairly generic.
sidechained from
the original mix channel.
With effects like reverb,
this helps the return
channel pop out from
behind the mix channel
when it quietens down.

5
As well as allowing
for mix channels to
be sent to returns,
many DAWs also allow
return channels to be sent

> > > to one another. Try tapping

In Studio One 3, to create a new send, we
open a mix channels effects slots and click
the + in the Sends section, choosing Add
FX Channel. Put a reverb on the new channel as
in insert effect, and set the Mix to 100%.
We can create sends from other channels
too, routing multiple tracks to the same
return channel to get the same reverb
applied. This is the first major advantage of using
send effect channels instead of individual inserts.
The second major advantage of using sends
is that we can add more processors to the
channel to change the original effect. Here off some of your effect for
weve added a filter before the reverb, and a
modulator after, to make the reverb smoother. further processing!

66
 Send FX | Producers Guide To

Essential tools to Watch the video

here: http://bit.ly/

improve any send/ fmpg3151

return path
Make sure youre equipped with
03 >
Pitchshifting can be a secret weapon for
sends, pushing the new signal away from the
original. Use in large amounts to make a very

these four tools to sculpt your distinct signal; use in small amounts to
create a subtle, defining effect that you cant
quite put your finger on.

effects chains

01 >
High-pass filters will cut lows, preventing your
mix from clouding over and focusing the effect
on a specific range. Low-pass filters can tidy
up a signal before you add distortion,
preventing it from getting messy.

04
Compression might not seem an obvious choice on a
send, but it can help smooth levels after processing.
Even better, sidechain the compressor from the original
channel, and you can duck a reverb or delay signal out
of the way of the main mix channel.

02 >
A delay effect can work wonders on a send when set to
100% wet. This re-times the entire send, giving
breathing space between the original signal. Delay
before reverb gives you predelay, while delay on a
percussive signal helps make a send dance around
the beat.

67
Producers Guide To | Send FX
> >
The subtleties of your hand-
Have you tried crafted effects chains could be
lost if your sends blended in
Upward too quietly with the mix. The obvious
Compression way to improve on this is by adding a
compressor over the end of the send.
But by adding an upward-compatible
compressor to the end of the chain,
you can carry out the opposite
process to similar effect. An upward
compressor will turn up low-level
audio instead of turning down high-
level audio, and doesnt require you
to smash the whole lot up again after
with makeup gain. So you can mess
with the send all you want, and you
wont have to tweak it too much to
get the levels right again afterwards.
> >
Our tutorials explore delaying a
Have you tried send and adding a frequency-
shifter, but there are a lot more
Delay With options. With long delays, you can
Pitchshifting create obvious repitching echoes that
butt up against the original signal,
especially when pitched in musical
intervals such as octaves and fifths,
or done on drum hits to create
multilayered, interactive sounds.
With short delays, try smaller shifts in
pitch, making the effect act almost
like a chorus or flanger, thickening
the original sound and adding some
stereo width. Introducing modulation
to the delay or pitchshifters
parameters will take you even deeper
into unexplored sonic territory.
Pre-fade vs post-fade: how it works
Lives Pre and Post send options help you control your mix
68
You can use a send with a
Have you tried delay processor to almost
create your own buffer
Buffer Plug-Ins plug-ins, as seen on the next page.
But, try throwing an actual buffer or
stutter plug-in onto your send, using
it to tap off and stutter whatever
parts of your signal you want to throw
at it. Use with some distortion or
filtering before or after to spice things
up a bit. With buffer plug-ins on
sends, dont be afraid to get other
mix channels involved too, sending
multiple sources to be chewed up,
mangled and spat back out again for
some wild effects. As with everything,
this gets even more interesting when
used with automation.
Although it can depend on the
Have you tried types of filters youre using,
and the coding/build of your
Parallel EQ processor, parallel EQ especially
one you build yourself is generally a
myth. The idea that you can insert a
generic EQ on a send and mix it in
with your original track to create an
effect you otherwise wouldnt have
come up with from an insert EQ is, a
lot of the time, nonsense. However,
using a distinctive (eg analogue-
sounding) EQ on a send can be an
interesting way of achieving a
different workflow, which can inspire
different results; and using an EQ
device as part of a larger signal chain
is a completely valid idea.
Somewhere in your DAW often inconveniently out of
sight will be a control for switching individual or all
sends to either pre- or post-fader. A pre-fader setting
means that the mix channels signal will be sent to the
return channel before the signal hits the fader and
often its mute/solo and pan settings, depending on your
set-up. A post-fader setting, which is usually the default,
means that your fader position will determine the level
of the send, along with the send amount control itself.
So with a pre-fade send, you can hear exactly what
effect your return channel is having, as you can bring
the mix fader down and still have a signal sent through
the return. Setting levels is also more practical with a
pre-fade send, as tweaks you make to the mix channel
wont be reflected in the return. Whether this is the right
thing for your mix or not, and how it will affect the rest
of your work, is up to you.
 Send FX | Producers Guide To

How to create Watch the video

here: http://bit.ly/

DJ-style delay fmpg3152

feedback chains
Send a send back through itself
03 >
Add Lives Simple Delay into the chain and set
its timing so the echo is audible. With just a
to create unique and intense delay loaded on the chain, the result isnt so
effects build-ups impressive, but once you start adding more
effects, it comes to life.

01 >
When using a delay plug-in, you get a
Feedback control to push the output back into
the input. In Ableton Live, you can send a
Return channel back into itself using the
Send knob on the channel. Right-click it and
Enable Send.

04 >
A pitchshifter will alter the pitch of each
delay over and over again, creating a
building, cascading pitch rise. We only need
a shift of 171Hz, and cranking up the
feedback starts a rising tone. Whack the
feedback down again to kill it.

02 >
If your DAW doesnt allow sending a send back
05 >
A distortion processor will degrade the signal
a little more each time it passes through,

in on itself, you might be able to make it work resulting in a build-up of rough tones after a
signal has been fed back a few times.

using a pair of sends, each routed to the other

(as in step 6). Throw a limiter on your master
buss to prevent huge sonic build-ups.

06
We can get even more complicated by using
two sends with different settings. Make sure
theres a Delay on each, and send them to
each other for some really unique and
interesting effects.

69
 In The Studio With | Rival Consoles

Rival Consoles
With its spiky, propulsive rhythms and grainy
atmospheres, Ryan Lee Wests latest Rival
Consoles album Night Melody treads a darker
path than hes been to before. Danny Turner
probes the producer on production techniques
and awakening the ghost in the machines
Will Ireland

70

O
riginally from Leicester, where
he studied sound engineering
at De Montfort University,
London-based electronic
producer Ryan Lee West first
came to attention ten years
ago as Aparatec with the EP
Vemeer. The release was the
first on the renowned Erased Tapes label, now home
to respected neo-classical musicians such as Nils
Frahm and lafur Arnalds. The same year saw
Wests first Rival Consoles EP release, The
Decadent, a brooding collection of acid-tinged IDM.
Defined by its gritty, distorted Techno minimalism,
his debut album IO surfaced two years later, while
further albums Kid Velo, Howl and Night Melody
have seen West mutate his sound and mature his
craft to create some inspiring sonic sculptures.
FM: Who did you grow up listening to as a
youngster in Leicester?
Rival Consoles: My parents played classic British
Pop music by The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Bowie,
and stuff like that, but never went beyond obvious
Pop music. I started learning guitar when I was 12,
so my introduction to music would have been bands
in the late 90s like Radiohead, whose compositions
were interesting but also quite popular. When I was
younger I was obsessed with how they would
structure music. Ive always liked those parameters
and people that are willing to explore things, but not
just for the sake of it.
So you were more into guitar-based bands
back then?
My tastes were definitely more band-driven than
electronic, but when I was 15 or 16 I started to hear
stuff like Aphex Twin and Squarepusher when they
were really getting towards their height. But even
though I was excited by electronic music, I didnt
think I could make it. For years I was still playing
guitar, and then I started working with Cubase just
to record and sketch out guitar ideas. It was only
after working for five years with computers and
synths that I became more interested in what Im
doing now.
You studied sound production at university
Yeah, I studied Music Technology at De Montfort
University in Leicester. Before that, Id studied sound
engineering at college and done a few other music
courses. What I didnt know about the course was
that it was really experimental and avant-garde, and
I had no real background in that at all because no
one in my family had ever been to university. It was
so crazy because there was no practical; it was all
about how to think about music and learning about
the last 200 years of experimental music people
like John Cage and Philip Glass. The first thing
we did was to bring in a guitar pedal of some kind
and connect them in a loop in a way that we
shouldnt, because the sound runs away from itself
and creates this unpredictable, chaotic loop. The
point was that everyones changing the sound, but
no ones in control.
Rival Consoles | In The Studio With
Do you think taking that course inspired you to
move beyond the ordinary and led you in a
certain direction with your music?
I think it took quite a long time before it made an
impact on my music. Ive never been the kind of
person who likes to force something for the sake of
it. I graduated in 2009, so I reckon it took five years
for a lot of these ideas to slowly creep into my music.
Ive realised that in the last few years a lot of tones in
my music are noisy feedback tones that, on their
own, sound unusable, but I layer them in a collaged
way to create something quite beautiful.
When did you feel confident enough or decide
that this could become a career path?
I never thought that, and dont even think that
now. Ive been making music as Rival Consoles for
ten years, and its only in the last two years that Ive
got to the point where Im lucky enough to be
making a living from it. Obviously, Im not turning
money down, but Im not going out of my way to
make money and I think thats the best way to live
your life as an artist. I make a lot of my income
from playing live, but when Im playing live it is
just my music.
What was your first entry into the world of gear?
The microKorg was the first synth that I bought.
Its been out for quite a while now I probably
bought it in 2002. I saw it in a music shop in
Leicester that sold a few synths and was excited by
the simplicity of it. This was pre everyone going
mad on the internet and buying stuff secondhand.
Its got arpeggiation but I mainly use it for pads and
recording simple basslines. I didnt get anything else
for a long time after as I was doing most things
inside the computer and recording the microKorg
into Cubase as audio.
You were recording on Cubase initially
I was using lots of plug-ins inside Cubase, and
Steinbergs Nuendo. I remember using the A1 synth
and I absolutely loved that, and I know a lot of
producers that love it as well. I saw a Nathan Fake
video and he was using it. Its very musical, you only
have to do a few things to get something quite
exciting and interesting. You can mess around with a
simple melody for a few minutes but go through so
many interesting variations.
As certain systems stop supporting various
bits of software, its interesting how they are
starting to become as rare and unique as
old hardware
Exactly. It just goes to show how everything is in
transition and nothings really permanent. You
could be using the most popular plug-in around
right now, but in five years time it might become
very niche.
You use Max/MSP, which has stood the test of
time and has a reputation for being quite
complex to work with
Initially, I probably would have seen that
programme as being too removed from the music
71
In The Studio With | Rival Consoles
making process, and it did take me quite a while to
get into it despite having being taught. I think it
took two or three months before it clicked and I felt
confident with Max/MSP. I remember being stressed
out and thinking it was beyond me, but now Id say
that its actually not a hard programme language at
all; you just have to allow yourself to not understand
it straightaway. Its not like coding; its actually much
more intuitive.
Your early sound was quite different to recent
albums like Howl and now Night Melody. Did
you have a clear idea of where you wanted to
position yourself back then?
A lot of Warp artists would have been influencing
my sound, but I tend to think that my music is
defined by all the things I dont do. Im against
lots of things in music. Even at the beginning, my
music sounded quite together because I was
exploring lots of things but also saying no to lots of
things in terms of production, melody and
structure. My musics a little bit different to a lot of
other Dance producers because I have a songwriters
approach in terms of the structure. In the past I was
more impatient and trying to do too much in a
small space of time, whereas I could have made
an amazing piece of Techno music that would
patiently unfold over ten minutes. Im interested in
both, but it took me a long time to absorb
that approach.
72
Is it true that you sometimes write music on
acoustic instruments and then transcribe them
into electronics?
Not in a precise way, but Im always playing on the
piano so Ive got a database of chord progressions in
my head. Sometimes, without even thinking, Ill play
those on my Prophet 08. So theres always a
crossover between the two; sometimes Ill jam along
to electronic stuff on the piano and vice versa. I
think its much easier to understand harmony and
melody on a piano because synths can so easily
sound clumsy, which might restrict what youre
going to explore, whereas a piano sounds much
better, quicker, so youre freed of the baggage of
trying to make something sound good and can just
concentrate on what you can explore in terms of
melody and harmony.
How do you think your music has evolved in
recent years?
I think its a combination of a few things. One, its
becoming more attentive to detail over time not
trying to do too much with a thousand things and
seeing what two things can do. But that comes with
confidence, which means you explore things in a
better way. I didnt have minimal passages in my
music I guess I was thinking that something
always needed to be happening; but now I hear
things differently, like depth and atmosphere and
the way the sounds play off each other.
Your music is slower too, which presumably
means you have to focus more on space, time
and sound placement?
Yes, Id agree with that. I do go from one extreme to
the other. I have music thats 74bpm and 155bpm,
so its a huge spectrum, but its definitely become
slower. I find it a little bit stressful to make music at a
higher tempo because, for me, it restricts what I can
achieve melodically and harmonically.
Your music is quite reminiscent of Jon
Hopkins; dark and club-tinged with a sense
of continual forward momentum Are you
a fan of his?
Yes, of course, Im especially a fan of his last few
releases. I do like the balance he gets between home
listening and club-oriented music, and I think Im in
a similar vein to that, where the music can work in
both territories. I think what he did well with
Immunity was to create very simple and hypnotic
patterns that extend over time in a classic Techno
way, but it was still personal. Thats probably what
influenced me about it the most.
Whats the origin of your ideas and what do you
turn to first as a compositional tool?
I dont have a specific way of approaching music,
but there are certain things that Im interested in.
For example, Im always looking to find interesting
chord progressions. Even if theyre just simple, I try
to find ones that are subtly interesting. For example,
Odyssey is constantly tied down to A, because its
exploring the ground between major and minor.
That interests me because you can carry a
five-minute piece of music, but all youre doing is
exploring the difference between two notes that are
in conflict and never resolved. Im also interested in
driving rhythmic textures that dont sound like
sample packs; I like to mix rough low-fi sounds with
heavy kick drums. I think my approach is all about
sonics and creating tones that are haunting I like
synths that sound sad, even if theyre played in a
major chord [laughs]. If you can do that, then youre
onto something good. There are some tracks where
Ive had really specific ideas. With Recovery, I spent
months exploring the idea of creating the sensation
of expanding and contracting time. For example,
like Aphex Twin when he did Bucephalus Bouncing
Ball. What I did was similar, but through harmony
instead of rhythm I spent a year on that track.
So you tend to work more with hardware than
software these days, with the software mostly
acting as a sequencer?
Well I do use lots of effects; reverbs and delays, EQ
and compression. 99% of my synth sounds are
hardware, not because Im against plug-ins, but once
I got the Prophet 08 it really clicked with me in
terms of its sounds and features, so I naturally ended
up using hardware after that and running it through
guitar pedals just agrees with me more. I guess for
me, you have to do a lot more in the box to create
something that sounds as earthy. I can create really
muffled, real-sounding drone textures really quickly
going through these pedals. If I had a plug-in going
In The Studio With | Rival Consoles

Moog Mother-32
I really love the
tone out of these! Its
easy to create rich
timbres and so much
fun for building ideas
with the sequencer.

Doepfer Spring
Reverb
I love the sound of
real spring reverbs
and this can create
great chaos and dark
tones. I think dark
reverbs make synths
feel more real. Korg Minilogue
Ive only just got
this, but already love
it especially for its
noisy delay and
musical nature. Id
recommend this
synth to everyone.

Guitar Pedals

What tips and techniques

I run synths through
a simple chain of
pedals. I especially
love the XL Junky for
its sad, detuned
effects and the MIDI
MuRF for adding
movement and EQ.
do you use for moulding and
shaping sound?
If I have lots of dull sounds, Ill always add a
bright sound as an impulse so that they
complement each other. For example, if you
have a very muffled low-pass sound, like a
droney chord progression, you can maybe
experiment with a thin, bright sound that just
fades in and out. This is really obvious and
people should be doing it all the time, but if you
constantly have something thats loud in the mix,
other things should be coming in and out to
make it less precise and add movement. I really
like to explore velocity, so if I have anything in
MIDI Ill always draw in curves because Im
interested in pulsating sounds that fade in
and out.

74
 Rival Consoles | In The Studio With

through a whole bunch of equivalent pedals, theyre

Focal CMS50
doing the same thing but this sounds a little bit
I recently switched more lo-fi to me. I play all the keys in a lot of the
back from my Mackie
H824s to these small, time, with no MIDI, and its a little bit wonky
but very accurate, because of that. But Im not a digital snob; Id say its
monitors. They are
very flat and make 50/50. If you were to look at 1,000 MIDI screenshots
you work hard! that have been drawn in, I would say that playing by
hand explores so many different things. I just think
youre much more varied with your hands, because
youd get bored otherwise.

Youre still using Cubase?

I use both Cubase and Ableton. I definitely
understand the argument about Ableton because, if
Ableton Live youve got a lot of things going on, it seems to be a
and Cubase
bit of a visual mess when youre mixing. Cubase or
I love both of these Pro Tools are a lot cleaner and a lot easier to see and
DAWs. I mainly make
music in Cubase finish things in. I finish in both, so Im not against
and perform in them, but I prefer Cubase because its cleaner to look
Ableton Live. at. Obviously, in Ableton theres much more
flexibility in terms of getting things to affect other
things, whereas with Cubase I dont think you can
route loads of different LFOs in the same way that
you can in Ableton with Max for Live. But I think
some people like the simplicity of mixing on a
clean canvas.

What effects plug-ins are you using?

All the ones that I presume are mentioned time and
time again. Some of the Soundtoys things like
DSI Prophet 08 Decapitator and its delay plug-ins. I like Waves 1176
This is my main compressor. When I do really noisy, clicky drum
synth in my music sounds that Ive recorded myself, I always max out
and I love it for its
warm and thin on 1176, and I also think Max Bass and R Bass
ambient pads, plug-ins are great for intensifying drums and
especially when the
VCA pot is fully up! percussion and adding ridiculous low-end.
Obviously you have to be careful if youre making a
Dance track thats going to be played in a club, but
Im not so precious about those things. I use
FabFilter all the time for EQing and theres a really
good plug-in called SaltyGrain its a granular
plug-in that I use to break up the drone sounds.
With my music, if you hear a static tone, its actually
never static, its always got a bit of movement to it. I
do use real spring reverbs, but for effects,
compression and EQ, I move inside the DAW.

Your music has a destructive element to it

I think its really essential to explore tone the tone
of synths and drums and how bright or dark they
are and to listen carefully to how they behave
alongside other sounds, exploring tiny amounts of
distortion, delay, filtering and compression. But
also, dont be scared to destroy sounds. Sometimes,
chaos is needed in electronic music more than
acoustic music because, by its very nature, its
quite rigid rhythmically and clean-sounding. I
would also add that to generate more interesting
melodies and chord progressions, you should
regularly approach this without a beat or grid.
Simply record long passages of improvisation with a
synth sound that you enjoy, and then later youll be
more inspired to make it work with rhythmic
samples, because grids often restrict some amazing
yet simple possibilities.

75
In The Studio With | Rival Consoles

So youre obviously a massive fan of the
Prophet 08?
I got it in 2011/12 and it really allows me to mess
around, explore chords and find passages of music
quickly. What I love about it is that it has a VCA
path that means if you play a chord it will run
forever and you can override the amplitude of the
note, so you can create beautiful drones with this
machine. It sounds great dry, but I put it through
creates a very complex, wonky vibrato. I also use a
Boss OD-3 Overdrive electric guitar pedal and a Red
Panda Particle, which is like a granular pedal that
can do delays and reverses. The good thing about it
is that if you leave it, it will just get noisier and
noisier. Sometimes Ill leave it cooking for about ten
minutes and when I come back there will be
something crazy going on. The Boss DD-3 is a
cheap, quite nasty sounding delay thats quite good
that sound amazing, but you probably wont
create an original synth tone on it because its a little
bit restricted.
Do you have any other hardware synths?
I have a Korg Minilogue. This is so good; its got
everything crammed into such a small, compact
space. Its even got a little delay built into it, which
sounds amazing. Its restrictive, but really powerful
and you have just enough

Improvising over stuff is how I make parameters to create something

thats personal to you. It sounds
super rich and is a really nice
music anyway, so playing live is just an little synth for creating
warm sounds.

extension of how I work in the studio What can you tell us

my guitar pedals to make it sound more out of
tune and broken.
You have quite a collection of guitar pedals
Because I played guitar Ive always had a lot of
guitar pedals, but I didnt use them in my music
until much later. There was no logic to that [laughs];
I should have been more imaginative. Now, all my
music goes through a pedal chain.
What guitar pedals do you favour?
I have ZVEX effects Lo-Fi Junky, which is a very
Boards Of Canada-sounding pedal it basically
for feedback and really good for playing live, and
the Moogerfooger MIDI MuRF, which has a graphic
EQ on it, allows you to modulate sounds in a really
cool way.
You have a Moog Voyager synth too
This is so good but one of its problems is that it
always sounds like a Voyager and you can never
really find anything that sounds original or builds
much complication into the sound. With the new
Moogs theyve made, which are much cheaper,
you can make dirty sounds that you wouldnt
expect. The Voyager has iconic, big heavy tones
about your Mother-32
semi-modular analogue synth?
It normally comes in strips of one or two, or in this
case three. Its the same principle as a Eurorack
module but also functions as a standalone synth, so
it has a little keyboard. I only got this about six
months ago and it sounds amazing. I use it to
complement other sounds because it has such a rich
tone and allows me to explore more varied tones.
Im always looking for different tones and textures
and this, along with the Prophet, gives an image
thats more colourful. I was actually going to make
an EP just using this, because I like the idea of
constraints and doing things that I wouldnt end up
doing inside the box.

You have a Eurorack module too

Yes, it contains three Doepfer units, including a
Wasp filter, and also an Endorphin Furthrrrr
Generator modular system. This is a complex
oscillator that produces tones, like triangles, sines
and square waves, and you can add harmonics to
make richer tones. The entire module is very simple;
its just got the tone, a filter, reverb and four LFOs
that can modulate the Batumi 1974 Quadruple
Low Frequency Oscillator. These four things are
always connected and all divisions of the first one, so
you can get quarter notes, eighth notes, 16s and 32s
all coming out of the same unit to get stuttery
rhythms that are all in time.

When it comes to playing live, it seems as

though youre able to easily replicate your
studio set-up and transfer it to the stage?
Its a very simple set-up. Ill use Ableton Live, the
Prophet 08 and Ill take all the guitar pedals out with
me. I use an RME Fireface, which is a great-quality
soundcard. There will be lots of things playing back,
but Ill also leave stuff out so I can play the
arrangements live or maybe sometimes Ill play
something completely new over the top.
Improvising over stuff is how I make music anyway,
so playing live is just an extension of how I work in
the studio.

want to know more?

Night Melody is out now via Erased Tapes. Check out http://
www.rivalconsoles.net for more info and tour dates.

76
FM | REVIEWS

INCLUDES
AUDIO

Arturia MatrixBrute
1,879
After several intriguing teaser videos, Arturias beastly-looking
MatrixBrute is shipping! Dan JD73 Goldman enters the Matrix
CONTACT WHO: Arturia (Source Distribution) TEL: 020 8962 5080 WEB: www.arturia.com / www.sourcedistribution.co.uk KEY FEATURES
Analogue engine featuring 3 VCOs, 2 LFOs, (VCO 3 with LFO option) mixable waveshapes, 5 input mixer, 4-octave keyboard, velocity and aftertouch, 16 x 16
matrix for preset selection, modulation routing and sequence/arp, 5 effects, 12 CV ins/outs, gate/sync, audio in/envelope follower, ladder and Steiner filters

78
 Arturia MatrixBrute | Reviews

THE PROS & CONS

+
Built like a tank, no
menu diving, has
extensive MIDI and
CV/gate features, and
a great external
analogue processor

Sounds like nothing

else out there
currently; can deliver
smooth, warm, edgy
nasty you name it!

An inspired design
making sequencing,
mod-routing, patch
selection a breeze

-
The E-Ink screen is
basic and only
displays the four
assignable matrix
mod routes

Theres no click for

the sequencer

Only a handful of the

controls display their
values onscreen

K
nown first for their
software recreations
of vintage classics,
Arturia went on to
launch the compact
MiniBrute in 2012
and the MicroBrute
in 2014, which featured all-analogue
signal paths, a Steiner-Parker filter
and the Brute Factor control which
feeds the synth back into itself,
creating anything from subtle to
insane distortion/thickening and
harmonic driving/feedback. Of course,
us synth heads are hard to satisfy and
we always want bigger and better.
Low and behold, Arturia have now
seemingly answered our prayers,
delivering the beastly-looking
MatrixBrute. Funnily enough, the
MicroBrute (with its basic semi-
modular patch panel) was a clue to
the future and consequently, the
MatrixBrute features a flexible and
futuristic 16 x 16 matrix.
The hardware design/quality is
really impressive and the MB (as Ill
call it from now on) is an imposing
and unique looking machine,
designed by industrial design guru
Axel Hartmann (hes responsible for
the Andromeda, Voyager XL, Little
Phatty, Waldorf Wave, Pulse 2 and
many more). You can really see the
Minimoog/Voyager heritage with its
similar profile in solid walnut, lovely
70s-styled Tolex sides and a huge
flip-up steel control panel with
aluminium sides and sturdy metal
chassis with zero flex. Theres a
Voyager-style flip-up panel support
with a huge Arturia logo for holding
up the weighty panel but the MB can
also be used flat and a metal clip
holds everything in place when
transporting (it weighs 19kg/44lbs so
its just about portable!).
Everything oozes class, from the
inset front panel Arturia logo to the
tactile MIDI controllable knobs (which
feel particularly solid) and switches
with slick horizontal white lights to
denote status. Unlike the plastic-
wheeled prototypes, the production
model features two aluminium wheels
on the left-hand controller panel (and
rejoice a front mounted headphone
socket!). Finally, I have to sing the
praises of 4-octave velocity and
aftertouch enabled semi-weighted

79
Reviews | Arturia MatrixBrute

THE ALTERNATiVES keybed. It has a high-quality feel with
a positive action that beds out softly,
yet can be played fast the
aftertouch response is also spot on.
Perhaps the most mysterious
feature is the E-Ink screen which
DSi Pro 2 remains on even when the MB is
1,399 powered down. It resembles paper
The MatrixBrutes with typewriter lettering but its used
closest competitor only as a reference for the four user-
uses digital waves assignable slots in the matrix. The
caveat is, while it looks great under
routed through dual
optimum lighting conditions, it cant
analogue filters with
be viewed in the dark (theres no
digital character backlight). A backlit LCD (with a
effects, a powerful utility menu) would have been
sequencer, mod viewable in the dark and likely
matrix with 50 negated the need for any external
sources and 140 MIDI configuring software, (though
destinations,
4-voice paraphonic
the included MIDI Control/librarian
software is very slick). Regardless, the
capability and more! basic screen choice fits with the zero
menu-diving-ethos and works fine for
www.davesmith
occasional reference. Hands-on and
instruments.com zero menu diving are essentials for
creativity and inspiration two things
the MB has in bucketloads!
Now onto the sound engine. This
is not just a MiniBrute on steroids but
rather an inspired by re-design from
the ground up to facilitate digitising
of the analogue control CVs so that
the panel settings can be saved into
the 256 preset slots and be MIDI
controlled. The core sound production
is achieved via three super-versatile
(and stable) VCOs which echo the
MiniBrutes but with further additions
and improvements these take a
short time to warm up from cold and
theres a very quick autotune routine
if needed (Panel + Keytrack). VCO1
and 2 both feature a variable shape
sine sub oscillator plus sawtooth,
Its so versatile you could
spend years with it and not
exhaust the possibilities
square and triangle waves. VCO3 is a
linear multi-function oscillator with
four waveshapes but can be used as a
mod source too (LFO). Theres also a
versatile noise oscillator featuring four
types of noise (including white, pink,
red and blue). All waves on all VCOs
sound very solid, organic and earthy,
yet well-defined and edgy, and can be
added into the mix individually or
simultaneously (with osc sync) for a
very wide range of tones and textures;
these are then fed into the five-input
mixer (alongside noise and external
input levels) where you can push the
levels further for more grit and dirt
this is before we even add any

Roland JD-xA
1,499
The JD-XA features a
four-part analogue ENTER THE MATRix
synth and four-part
SuperNatural The Matrix features three modes. Preset lets you use the 256 buttons as patch select
digital synth with buttons for the 256 writable preset slots (and 256 writable sequencer slots/patterns which
powerful sequencer/ can be linked/unlinked to/from patches) and Mod mode lets you set modulation routings
arpeggiator, effects, simply pick from the 16 sources on the left and select a destination at the top (set up to
lots of hands-on 16 destinations per source!). Its all very easy to use and you can work methodically
control and a thinking out your modulations carefully, or drag your hand across the buttons/turn the dial
great vocoder. and see what happens! There are also four user modulation slots that can be set by
www.roland.com holding any user mod-slot button and moving a front panel control to assign.
Seq mode turns the
Matrix into a 64-step
sequencer (add steps
manually or record on the
Moog Sub 37 fly). You can then add
Tribute Edition accents, glides and
1,264 modulation per-step. Its
Sounds great and an absolute ball using key
has plenty of trigger to start and
features onboard transpose sequences (and
including two VCOs, a great compositional tool
a sub oscillator, too), plus the sequencer
2-note paraphony, an sends/receives CV/Gate
arpeggiator and a and MIDI. Sequencer
64-step sequencer. modes include swing,
www.moogmusic. variable gate, forwards,
com backwards, forwards/
backwards and random.

80
 Arturia MatrixBrute | Reviews

onboard drive or Brute factor. I love

the fact you can add character/drive
at so many points in the signal path!
The MB has also retained the
other Brutes versatile waveshaping
for each of the waves, so Ultrasaw for
the sawtooth, PWM for the square
and Metalizer for the triangle, all of
which can of course be modulated via
the matrix. Theres a lot of power
available when combining the waves/
waveshaping together and then
modulating things and its an
absolute pleasure to get lost in the
possibilities. Some folks have been
worried that the MB can only do more
edgy sounds but rest assured it can
do smooth, warm and woody too; just
be sure not to add any drive or Brute
Factor (though driving the mixer
levels adds some lovely thickening/
saturation without getting too gritty).
Getting back to the mixer, the
design is very flexible and you can
add more character by pushing the
oscillator levels. You can level
volumes then route all three VCOs
(plus noise and external sources)
through the Steiner or ladder filter (or
both together) in series or parallel (for
wildly different sonics) by simply
ARpEggIATOR No modern day synth ExTERNAL INpUT Plug in any INTERFACINg There are 12 CV ANALOgUE EFFECTS The effects are
hitting each oscillators Filter button. is complete without an arpeggiator! external sound source and process it inputs and outputs for interfacing all analogue and beautifully enhance
Filter 1 is a diode-base Steiner filter The MatrixBrutes has four modes: up, through the signal path/FX. Theres with other CV equipped gear which (or destroy) the MatrixBrutes sounds.
down, up/down and random and you also an envelope/gate follower that is nicely comprehensive. Theres also The effects can be matrix-modulated,
which has LP/HP/BP and notch can add as many steps as you like via triggers the envelopes/filters in time Gate in/out and Sync in/out, MIDI In/ syncd to the sequencer/int/ext clock
the keyboard. It sends/receives MIDI with your playing. Try plugging in a Out/Thru, two expression pedal inputs and you can control parameters in real
modes and 2/4-pole slopes; it has a and CV/Gate too. guitar/drum machine for endless fun! and a sustain pedal input. time or over MIDI.
more edgy/less linear/wilder sound
compared to Filter 2 and has a more
vocal-like/human quality. In 24dB
Steiner mode, the MB reminds me a
lot of my Korg MS-20 (but fatter!) surprisingly intuitive, (though it would noise can modulate VCO1 or VCF1 mind-blowing array of sounds and its
and has a similar throaty distortion/ be nice if the display showed the (all bi-polar too); there are also three so versatile you could spend years
overdrive when pushed. value of every pot when turned and envelopes (theyre snappy enough, with it and not exhaust the
Filter 2 is a modified Moog-style displayed a dot to show the stored although not as punchy as a possibilities. At an RRP of 1,879
ladder filter that retains low-end at value like the Prophet-6). Minimoog/Voyager). Env1 goes to the (1,659 street currently) its a
high resonance settings. It also has Theres also a lot on offer filter(s), 2 to the VCA and 3 is freely significant outlay but still seems like
LP/HP/BP modes and 2/4-pole slopes performance control-wise besides the assignable via the matrix. The a bargain considering the features
but to my ears (and when comparing matrix. Legato, Glide, Legato-Glide, aforementioned three LFOs go nicely and its competition. Arturia have
to my Moog Source and Voyager) its Mono, Duo/Split and 3-note fast into audio range/overdrive and are really made something special here.
definitely rawer and more textured. It Paraphonic modes are also available. all MIDI-syncable too. Once youve Future classic? Absolutely!
has some Moogy character but its its Yes you can play standard leads but designed your sound and basic
own thing (an asset, not a downside). also 3-note chords with envelope modulation, hop over to the brilliantly
I also love the big bi-polar global filter articulation (and the MB sounds great designed matrix (see left) to go in
cutoff dial so you can sweep both in this mode). Plus in Duo/Split mode deep with mod routings, then design FM VERDICT

filters simultaneously relative to their
individual cutoff settings, plus each
filter has a drive control for thickening
or gently saturating the sound and the
infamous Brute control for bolstering
or destroying. As you can see, theres
a lot of versatility here and what
seems like an almost infinite palette
of combinations/colours/sweet-spots
(and thats without using any
modulation)! Despite all this
awesome power, the MB remains
you can run the arpeggiator to the left
of the user-definable split-point and a
lead to the right. Add in the four
Macro knobs that can be assigned to
multiple destinations simultaneously
in the matrix and you get the picture
uber flexible!
Talking of modulation, the MB is a
powerhouse! For more out there
sounds, VCO1 can be modulated by
VCO2, VCO3 can modulate 1 or 2,
VCO3 can modulate VCF1 or 2 and
9.6
a simple or complex sequence and/or
arpeggiation and send the info out
over MIDI or CV/Gate. To top things
off, you have five unique modulatable
bucket-brigade delay-based analogue
effects which sound wonderful
blended with the VCOs (mono/stereo
delays, chorus, flanger and reverb).
It oozes personality and
If theres any synth that deserves can go from a warm/twisted
the title of most well-featured monosynth to dirty/ambient
analogue monosynth then this is it! chord machine and powerful
Its rock-solid, capable of a genuinely sequencer mind blown!

81
Reviews | Roland TB-03 Bass Line

Roland TB-03 Bass Line

349
The latest Roland classic to get the Boutique treatment is the
TB-303. Bruce Aisher gets his Acid on with the all-digital TB-03
CONTACT WHO: Roland TEL: 01792 702701 WEB: www.roland.co.uk KEY FEATURES Digital recreation of the TB-303 Bass Line. Adds a
four-digit LED display, overdrive and delay effects, fine tempo control, swing and additional step recording mode, CV/Gate outputs for controlling analogue gear,
Dedicated trigger input to drive the internal sequencer, USB audio and MIDI input and output, Battery-operated or USB-powered, Built-in powered mini-speaker

82
 Roland TB-03 Bass Line | Reviews

THE PROS & CONS

+
Recreates the sonics,
parameter editing
and programming
system of the original

Swing. It escapes
the confines of
1/16ths and triplets
with a fully variable
swing parameter

All synth parameters

and sequencer data
is sent and received
over MIDI and USB

-
No real-time
recording mode

No way of
automating synth
parameters from the
internal sequencer It offers the quirkiness of the
Too many (hidden)
multiple key-presses.
303s sequencer as well as a
A good reason to
have added a larger
Step Recording Mode
menu-driven display?
resonance. The filter does not extend However, this isnt the full story.
into the realms of self-oscillation, but The 303 also plays host to a pattern-
does offer a very pronounced peak. based sequencer that controls the
This comes into its own when pitch of the internal synth. But, as
combined with the simple two-stage well as automating note sequences, it
attack/decay envelope generator. In also allows you to specify accents and
reality the attack is fixed, so only the pitch slides. The addition of these are

R
olands latest Boutique
box is a silver unit
laden with the small
knobs and miniature
button keyboard
recognisable to any
Acid House aficionado
those of the TB-303 Bass Line. The
new TB-03 is Rolands second shot at
a 303-style box. The TB-3 Touch
Bassline (part of the Aira range)
revived the single oscillator synth plus
sequencer combo idea, but with a
very different approach to design and
functionality. It drew criticism for
being too much of a departure,
especially as the marketing hyped it
as being a faithful recreation of the
original at least in sonic terms.
But what requirements does a
true inheritor of the 303 crown have
to fulfil? In terms of synthesis the
original TB-303 is incredibly simple.
It offers a single oscillator switchable
between sawtooth and square waves.
This is then routed through a 24dB/
octave four-stage diode ladder filter
not an 18dB/octave filter as
sometimes gets mentioned. The filter
has controls for filter cutoff and
decay gets its own knob. Pushing up
the envelope mod and adjusting the
decay time facilitates the classic 303
filter squelches. This isnt quite the
full story, as the signal also passes
through a VCA stage linked to the
Accent control that raises the sound
level when required. Theres little else
in terms of amplitude refinement
notes are generally on or off, so it is
the filter that provides the main
contouring here. Thats not much for
something that fetches over 2k
secondhand this could be one of
the most expensive secondhand
synths on a cost per knob basis.
where the recognisable sound of the
303 in full flow comes together.
The TB-03 takes the original 303
as its starting point and makes a few
functional and sonic additions. One
of the features of the TB-303 was its
quirky sequencers programming
system. This facilitated entering note
pitches separately to note lengths and
rests a big contributor to the press
some buttons and see what happens
approach to pattern creation. The new
box offers this as well as a Step
Recording Mode that allows you to
enter notes, rests, accents and slides
(tied notes) while stepping through

83
Reviews | Roland TB-03 Bass Line

THE ALTERNATIVES

Roland TB-303
(used) 2,000+
When a real 303 is
the only option. Very
expensive, and often
hard to find one
without plenty of
battle scars.
www.ebay.co.uk
SYNTH The sound of the internal SEQUENCER The 303s sequencer AROUND BACK The original only ANALOGUE TRICKS Trigger In allows
synth engine is adjusted via only was fabled for its quirkiness. This is had a DIN Sync input. The TB-03 analogue clock pulses to control
four controls. Despite being so recreated in the TB-03, though a new loses this, though gains MIDI and sequencer stepping and CV/Gate lets
minimal, this is where most of the Step Recording Mode makes things a USB comms to carry timing, note and the internal sequencer engine play
action happens. little more straightforward. control changes in and out. notes on external analogue gear.

AudioRealism
Bass Line 3
each note in the sequence. The Value combined with an alphanumeric sound of their own specific nasty
ABL3 91 guitar pedal. The CV/Gate outputs
knob (linked to a stepped continuous display wouldnt have broken the
A plug-in recreation encoder) allows you to move back and bank. Digital devices are easily from before are joined by a Trigger In
of the TB-303 for forwards in the sequence. However, updated to add new features but with that facilitates external analogue
those happy with the despite maintaining the Tap Writing a fixed interface they have to resort to control over the sequencer (making it
convenience of mode of the original (for entering adding unlabelled key combinations. a nice pairing with TR-09s Trigger
software and who real-time note timings) there is no In its latest iteration the Bass Line Output). Full size MIDI in/out as well
dont need direct real-time recording mode. Given that also adds built-in Overdrive and USB MIDI and audio in/out are also
hardware control. the TB-03 can be mounted in the Delay/Reverb effects. While both are included. So if you find the internal
www.audiorealism. Roland K-25m Keyboard Unit, or useful, it is the distortion element sequencer frustrating you can control
receive notes via MIDI, this seems a here (with three different selectable it directly from your DAW (or capture
se
missed opportunity. Also, although its flavours) that is perhaps the most sequences for further arrangement). A
understandable that the TB-03 stays immediately alluring. There are further benefit of the external DAW
close to the TB-303 interface, this countless classic 303 tracks where approach is parameter automation,
means many of its convoluted key what you hear is a heavily driven which is not supported by TB-03s
presses remain. Roland could have version of the Bass Line sound, so internal pattern/track sequencer.
Cyclone Analogic gone further with the display. Adding having this directly to hand is a nice Taking this into account begs the
TT-303 Bass Bot a menu button and a few others addition even if some will prefer the question as to why studio-bound
MkII 389 musicians wouldnt just use a plug-in
Moving to a less such as AudioRealisms Bass Line 3?
There are currently a number of
copyright infringing
alternatives to the TB-03, many of
design for the MkII,
which employ real analogue
the TT-303 remains circuitry. If you must have analogue,
a great-sounding THE SOuNd Of A 303
then the TB-03 isnt for you. But for
analogue alternative everyone else looking for that classic
to the original. The TB-303s tone has been the subject of many forum tone it is well worth checking out.
www.cyclone- rants and YouTube videos, and the belief that nothing
analogic.fr matches the real thing has a bearing on the secondhand
price. It could be the simplicity of design and limited
range of tones that makes it so easy to focus on the FM VERDICT

7.8
subtleties, unlike, for instance, a vintage polysynth. In
both these cases though, the difference between
apparently identical units should not be underestimated
and dont expect comparative tests of clones and
digital models at similar parameter positions to deliver
definitive results either. That is the nature of analogue.
The TB-03 sounds very good. There are times when it Captures the essence of the
lacks the originals magic but others where that bubbling original 303 and adds a
liquid squelch or hollow tone gets exceptionally close. twist. But Roland could have
gone further in updating the
sequencer and interface.

84
Reviews | Steinberg Cubase Pro 9

Steinberg Cubase Pro 9

468
Cubase is the latest of the big DAWs to get a major update.
Bruce Aisher gets creative
CONTACT WHO: Steinberg TEL: +49 (0)4042 236115 WEB: www.steinberg.net KEY FEATURES Advanced Music Production System, Mac
OS X (OS X 10.11/macOS Sierra) or Windows (64-bit Windows 7 and above), 64-bit Intel or AMD multi-core processor (Intel i5 or faster recommended), 4GB
RAM (8GB or more recommended), 18GB free HD space, Graphics card with DirectX 10 and WDDM 1.1 support (Windows only), USB port for USB-eLicenser

86
 Steinberg Cubase Pro 9 | Reviews

THE PROS & CONS

VERSiON ExCuRSiON

+
MixConsole History
As always there are different flavours of Cubase, with
Cubase Pro 9 the subject of this review sitting at the
top of the heap.
it was some time
However, given that going Pro costs nearly 500 it is
coming but well
worth considering the other options. Cubase Artist
worth the wait
doesnt skimp on that much and is nearly half the price.
The important additions in the latest update, such as
Sampler Track
MixConsole History and the Sampler Track, remain.
simple but
However the supplied plug-in pool is slightly smaller and
well-conceived
VariAudio (the graphical pitch-editing engine) as well as
some more advance mixer options are not included.
Lower Zone may
A full comparison can be found at www.steinberg.net/
not rock everyones
en/products/cubase/comparison.html
boat, but it is useful
Dont forget that students (and teachers) can get
for making quick
educational pricing (which knocks off about 40% of the
edits. Laptop users
price below).
may rejoice
FULL VERSiONS Pro 9 468, Artist 9 266,
Elements 9 80, Ai 9 free with some Steinberg and
VST Transit
Yamaha hardware
now supports
UPdATES from Pro 8.5 80, from Pro 8 161, from
third-party plug-ins
7/7.5 201, from 4/5/6/6.5 242

-
UPgRAdES from Artist 9 201, from Artist 6 onwards
266, from Elements, LE, Ai, Essential, Studio, SX,
SL or Sequel 363
CROSSgRAdE Pro 9 Crossgrade 363
MixConsole still has
usability issues in
relation to its (albeit
very flexible) take on
interface scaling

Logic X is a lot an admirable job, and has even
cheaper (unless you undergone a speedy update to
include the price of address certain C9 issues.
In broad terms, Cubase 9 does
an Apple Mac)
not look substantially different from
its predecessor. The dark look and
feel of the project and editor windows
remains, alongside the now
well-established and reconfigurable
MixConsole. The key new aesthetic
sampling functionality it could be
fiddly to use and was not integrated
into the overall project workflow.
I have always been a big fan of the
way Logic ties its EXS-24 sampler
into the broader features of the
DAW. Hopefully this is the start
of an equally beautiful friendship
in Cubase.
The third of the big new features

D
ecember, the month
of Christmas cheer
and Cubase
updates. Steinberg
have hit an annual
rhythmic stride with
their major (and
half-step) updates to this long-
running DAW. So it was, with a
buzzing crescendo on the forums,
that Cubase Pro 9 hit the streets on
7th December last year.
Being one of the big increments
there is always some trepidation as to
what might be in store software
updates inevitably being a mixture of
brand-new features, tweaks to the
existing look, feel and functionality,
and sometimes the retirement of
features. The modern DAW now,
necessarily, has to cater for a wide
range of users, and it is very hard to
please all the people all of the time.
One important omission, for some at
least, may be the fact that Cubase is
now 64-bit only as far as plug-ins are
concerned. In reality, this should
cause no major headaches if you use
jBridge to provide 32-bit support.
This third-party application still does
feature, from a Steinberg perspective
at least, is the Lower Zone. Taking
its queue from something very similar
in Apples Logic Pro X, this utilises
the lower portion of the project
window as a function-dependent mix
and edit environment. This sits
alongside the multi-window approach
of old so is an optional extra but
does make quick tweaks easier. More
on this in a bit.
In version 9 Cubase finally has a
dedicated, and easy to use, sampler
in the form of Sampler Track.
Although Groove Agent SE did
provide some quite comprehensive
is MixConsole History, which adds
full undo/redo functionality to all
mixer tweaks, including changes to
third-party plug-ins. Not only that,
but a fully time-stamped history list
keeps track of all changes. This will
finally banish the oops, I didnt
mean to move that moments that
required re-loading an old project to
return to the previous (and hopefully
correct) settings. It also allows for a
more comparative approach when
applying processing and adjusting
the mix. Even being able to see what
you did, and when, is incredibly
useful. MixConsole History isnt

87
Reviews | Steinberg Cubase Pro 9

THE ALTERNATiVES glamorous, but it is certainly an offset when tempo-syncd. Press the for example, pressing the sidechain
important addition. link button, and it turns into a button adds an input level control in
Besides cosmetic updates to chopper that can readily create the Oscillator Mix section. This
Brickwall Limiter and a few others, decent sidechain style pumping. external audio can then be processed
the main plug-in news is that Cubase Maximizer now features Modern through the synths filter and effects
9 brings with it a new EQ plug-in and mode, in addition to the original (now as if it was an additional oscillator
feature-boosted Maximizer and labelled Classic). This delivers a source (so youll need to trigger the
Apple Logic x Autopan effects. In a world swamped potentially more finessed approach to amp envelope to hear anything).
150 with EQ plug-ins you may question bringing up the average level in a
A lot of bang-for-the- the relevance of another EQ in mix, as well as extra control over the How low can you go?
buck, and very much Cubase, especially when it sits recovery time and shape. Lets return to the new Lower Zone.
alongside rather than replaces the Incidentally, audio can now be This is perhaps a natural extension of
a pro DAW, but youll
regular channel EQ. However, routed into VST 3 instruments that Steinbergs earlier efforts to draw
need to factor in the
Frequency, as it is called, brings a support sidechaining. In Retrologue more key features into the Project
purchase price of an Linear Phase mode and Mid/Side
Apple Mac as well. processing to the party. These are
www.apple.com both worthwhile additions, especially
when you can turn each on or off
individually for each of its eight
MixConsole History will
bands. Metering is clear, and
the keyboard overlay showing MIDI finally banish the oops
moments that required
notes against frequency is
surprisingly helpful.
Ableton Live 9 The original Autopan was always
Suite 599
Always happy to
take its own route.
rather basic. The new improved
version allows you to create custom re-loading an old project
curves with an adjustable phase
Live is especially
good if you want take
your tracks on the
road. Happy on Mac
or PC.
www.ableton.com SAMPLE CREATiON, TRACKS AND CONTROL

One interesting aspect of the new sampler in Cubase 9 is the fact that it gets its own track
type the Sampler Track. This in turn is linked to the Sampler Control section in the
Lower Zone. While you would expect that audio can be dragged into the Sampler Control
window, there are numerous other ways of creating sampler tracks dotted throughout
Avid Pro Tools Cubase from selected audio events in the Project window, right-clicking in MediaBay,
12.5 480 after highlighting an audio range in the Sample Editor, or just using Add Sampler Track as
Another cross- you would any other track. Once in the Sampler Control you can edit your sample in most
platform contender of the usual ways, with control over trimming, looping, pitch, amplitude and filter settings.
which has managed Envelopes provide
to remain somewhat dynamic control over the
of an industry latter three, with more
standard even since extreme treatments
embracing native- possible via the
only versions. Theres AudioWarp tab. Samples
also a monthly and settings can be
pay-as-you-go option. transferred to another
www.avid.com Sampler Track or Groove
Agent SE (plus Groove
Agent and HALion if you
have them). This is an
easy to use and
immensely useful addition
to Cubase, but is intended
for simple, immediate
sampling, so theres no
multi-sample mapping.

88
 Steinberg Cubase Pro 9 | Reviews

window, including a fixed Transport

Bar at the bottom of the main
window. Three new buttons open and
close the left, right and lower zones
though you may want to edit their
current three-button keyboard
shortcuts. With the Lower Zone open
you can then use tabs to switch
between viewing small (but resizable)
versions of the MixConsole, Editor,
Chord Pads and Sampler Control.
The MixConsole has buttons for
quickly viewing faders, inserts or
sends. The Editor window is track
specific, meaning that for MIDI it will
be the Key or Drum Editor (no List
Editor) and audio tracks will use the
Audio Part or Audio Sample editor.
Double-click on an event and the
relevant editor will appear in the
Lower Zone. You can also switch the
Left Zone to show the relevant
editors Inspector. Its useful too to be
able to synchronise the editors
cursor with that of the project. The
Lower Zone, I suspect, will be used
more for MIDI and audio editing
than for mixing, though laptop users
will welcome most aspects of this
new feature.
Another useful new feature is the
ability to create multiple Marker
Tracks. This is of interest when using
Cubase for sound design or music to
picture, but also facilitates easier
song mapping and correction tagging.
Markers can now be used to set
multiple audio ranges for exporting
mixes or stems in one hit.
Collaborative tools get a polish,
with the frustrating VST Connect SE
login process nicely simplified and
VST Transit now supporting
third-party plug-ins. LOWER ZONE This new area of the SAMPLER TRACK A simple drag and MiXCONSOLE HiSTORY A hallelujah AUTOPAN Not the most glamorous
With the move to a solely 64-bit Project window is linked to whatever drop sampler has been missing from moment. Every tweak in MixConsole is of new additions, but one that does
you are editing. Click on audio, Cubase, and with version 9 we get one now tracked (including non-Steinberg its job very well. A cleaner interface,
third-party integration, the new youll get an Audio Editor. Click on linked to many areas of the Cubase plug-ins) and time-stamped. Great more parameters and with a neat
MIDI and it will be the Key or Drum environment. Each Sampler Track can for comparing mixes, road-testing sideline in chop/gate effects and
Plug-in Sentinel blacklists Editor. It will also squeeze in a only host one sample at a time, but it different settings and recovering from sidechain style compression.
problematic plug-ins before they MixConsole window. is both fun and useful. accidental knob tweaks and cock-ups.

can cause problems. Taking plug-ins

off this blacklist is now done from
the comfort of Cubase rather than not when some settings end up with In terms of the way I work, the
the XML file editing fun of old. blank grey boxes (where buttons such Sampler Track is the most interesting
For those who lust after more as Solo and Mute are supposed to creative feature on offer here. Is it FM VERDICT

media content, C9 also comes with
Production Grooves for Groove Agent
and Caleidoscope for Sampler Track.
Cloud 9?
I would like Steinberg to have
addressed the long-standing
shortcomings of MixConsoles full
scalability (still there in both full and
Lower Zone modes). Being able to
zoom vertically and horizontally as
well as resizing faders is useful, but
be). In many respects it would be
better if there was less flexibility
here, or at least a series of default
zoom settings that reset what can, at
times, be a visual mess. Global
presets for saving mix layouts would
also be very welcome, especially
when using all three MixConsole
windows. However, the new
MixConsole History is excellent. Its
not particularly sexy, but is most
definitely useful.
8.9
worth the 80 upgrade fee? Yes
given the degree of integration it has
with the overall DAW workflow. The
Lower Zone is also useful and for
some will be their default way of
mixing and editing but for me, as a
multi-monitor devotee, it has yet to
prove its full worth.
There should be enough new
All told, this update is broadly elements in Cubase 9 to
solid, if not ground-breaking and in keep upgraders happy. New
many respects that could be argued users should add Cubase to
as a good thing. their must-try list.

89
FM | ROUND-UP
UAD 9.0 Update A/DA STD-1 Stereo Tapped
Delay 149
Developed by Brainworx for UAD,
this unusual Delay features an array

Version 9 of UADs software brings great news if you of six bucket-brigade delays
alongside modulation and LFO
want new compressors thanks to two (very different) options, making it a ready choice for
doubling effects like phasing and
processors, while a unique doubling and mix widening flanging, as well as stereo widening
treatments. The main Tap Assign
plug-in has been developed by Brainworx. Theres also area is where delays are assigned to
either Left or Right-hand busses,
good news for Thunderbolt-enabled PC users with central positions effectively
switching Delay taps off. The
shortest delay on the left is set at
1.3mS, while the longest on the
right is at 55.5mS with intervening
FM | MUST HAVE!
times set via the four taps in
between. To the right, you can
introduce variations to the Delays,
by varying the Fixed (ie non-
modulated) Delay time, or introduce
a modulated Sweep which begins to
vary the Delay length, creating
Phaser and Flanger style effects.
You can go further, assigning one of
Taps 1, 3 or 6 as a Regeneration
trigger, which feeds this specific
Delay back into the input. Think less
of the STD-1 as a regular Delay
effect and more as a sound design

API 2500 Bus

tool for width-enhancement and
doubling effects and youll be along
the right lines. In these capacities,

Compressor 229
the STD-1 is capable of everything
from increased presence in source
sounds to wild, evolving treatments.
www.uaudio.com

The API 2500 is a versatile stereo compressor offering several unique VERDICT 8.8
features. The main compressor parameters are in the bottom left-hand
corner and, above these, theres a Mix dial to easily configure parallel
treatments. Further to the right youll find variable Knee control with
Hard, Medium and Soft options, while a Thrust setting with Loud,
Medium and Normal switches adds variable boost to dial in extra
punch to low frequency content. There are also two compression types,
labelled Old and New, which emulate the character of the API 525 and
527 compressors respectively. Also, unusually, theres a variable Left/
Right link option to determine whether the signal will be treated evenly, Townsend Labs Sphere
Microphone System Free
or whether a variable amount of channel separation will be applied If youre interested in the Townsend
across the stereo field. This all adds up to an incredibly flexible Labs Sphere microphone, UAD 9.0
compressor capable of depth, punch and a pleasing amount of detail brings its Precision Microphone
System software to the UAD
assignable to the frequency bands of your choice. Great on individual platform. The Sphere microphone is
and grouped sounds, as well as across the output mix buss. a modelling system which captures
www.uaudio.com the nuances of rare vintage
microphones to bring their
VERDICT 9.2 characteristics to your recordings.
These include classic designs from

90
 Round-Up | Reviews

Neumann, Telefunken and AKG,

allowing you to track and audition FM | STUDIO ESSENTIAL!
multiple virtual vintage microphones
in real time. It should go without
saying that the Sphere microphone
needs to be purchased separately!
Just as UAD has established its
name emulating the sound of classic
hardware, its no surprise that
microphone modelling systems are
among its next targets and, up
against similar technology from
Slate Digital, its going to be
interesting to see how this area of
the market develops through 2017

Chandler Limited Zener

and beyond.
www.uaudio.com

VERDICT n/a
PC Thunderbolt Limiter 229
compatibility Developed for UAD by Softube, this emulation
There is good news for PC users, in
that Version 9 of the UAD software of an EMI TG Limiter design, synonymous
with late 60s Rock records made at Abbey
brings Thunderbolt compatibility to
the Windows 10 platform. PC
manufacturers had been slower to
adopt Thunderbolt but its well Road, seeks to bring the characteristic snap
established now, so this news should
come as music to the ears of PC
and power of the original hardware. In fact, the
users who might have been looking
enviously at the potential of UAD
development of the sound of this plug-in has a
hardware running over Thunderbolt
on the Mac platform.
richer history still as Chandler Limited produced
the hardware on which this emulation is built
in 2006, in homage to the original EMI designs
from 50 years ago. The famous warmth of this
unit is widely attributed to its zener diodes,
which have been faithfully captured here. The
THD input stage lets you increase not only gain
but variable harmonic distortion too, bringing
More platform huge musicality. The Side Chain control lets
developments you rein in high frequencies without suffering
In further platform news, UAD V9
brings compatibility with Macs a weakening of low-end character, while the
Sierra Operating System, as well as
the provision of using the Console 2
plug-in offers features not seen in hardware,
software with Apollo Firewire
hardware systems. Lastly, the
including a Mid-Side mode and easy channel
SVT-VR and SVT3-PRO Bass Amps
are now compatible with Unison
linking options. This is a hugely flexible plug-in
technology, meaning that you can
now track through them directly at
with myriad potential usages across your mixes.
www.uaudio.com
the recording stage.
www.uaudio.com VERDICT 9.1
91
Reviews | Erica Synths Pico

Erica Synths Pico

System 1 1,000
Its the worlds smallest modular system, but does it retain
modular flexibility? Philip Wise investigates
CONTACT WHO: Erica Synths WEB: www.ericasynths.lv KEY FEATURES Full system comprised of Ericas compact Pico modules. INClUdEd
mOdUlES: SEQ, 2xVCO, VCF1, TRIGG, 2xDRUMS, MULTI, EG, VCA, RND, DSP, MIX, OUTPUT

92

L
atvian company Erica
Synths started out in
2014 with a DIY
Eurorack version of the
classic Soviet Polivoks
synth and they now
boast an impressive
line-up of products that seem to be
constantly revised and updated.
This year they shocked the
Eurorack world by releasing the
whole Pico range at one go 20
modules in all! With this new Pico
System, Erica Synths have brought
together 14 of these modules in a
THE PROS & CONS
+
A very compact
starter system for the
space conscious user
to build upon
most of the
individual modules
are well-thought-out,
nicely implemented
and sound fantastic
-
There arent enough
modulation sources
or CV inputs so it
misses a lot of what
is fun about modular
being able to patch
and modulate all
kinds of parameters
in weird ways to
create crazy sounds
42HP sturdy metal case about the
size of a lunch box.
Although tiny, the Pico system is
well laid-out with the majority of the
jacks at the bottom, leaving the
knobs and switches accessible even
when fully patched. The pots are not
bolted to the panels but taking out a
few of the modules shows that the
circuit boards are firmly attached
with stand-offs making the pots feel
sturdy and solid no wobbles.
Both the Sequencers and the
Drum modules feature glowing
encoders which change colour or
Erica Synths Pico | Reviews
flash to show which parameter you
are currently editing. This works well
in practice and enables lots of
options in a small format
For my first play with the system
I didnt consult the manual and got
stuck in straightaway. Its intuitive
with only the CV Sequencers options
posing a problem; fortunately the
sequencer has a random button
which generates some useful
patterns immediately.
A quick read of the SEQ CV
Sequencers online manual reveals
its depth sequences can be any
length up to 16 steps. You can
program slides, rests and legato
notes, and the sequencer modes are
the standard: forwards/backwards,
pendulum or random.
The output is quantised and
there are nine scales available;
you can switch the octave range
between 1-8V.
The VCO modules are identical,
each featuring two banks of
waveforms selectable by a knob at
the top or by a CV input. The first
bank are sampled classic synth
waveforms, and the second bank
features more complex digital waves
ending in digital noise.
One knob is used to tune the
oscillator by semitones on the
system I had the two oscillators
seemed to be very slightly detuned
which goes some way to thickening
up the sound, but the lack of a
fine-tune control is a little limiting.
They sound good for digital
oscillators with a nice variety to the
waveforms and decent bottom-end,
but unfortunately the lack of FM or
Sync inputs limits where you can
take them.
The filter is apparently modelled
on the Polivoks but to me it lacks the
character and growl of that classic.
There is just one CV input with an
attenuator to control the cutoff.
Next up is the TRIGG sequencer
with four outputs this would
generally be used to trigger the drum
modules; it can clock itself or be
syncd to an external clock.
Patterns are loaded into memory
from a simple web-app. I used my
phone to quickly knock up some
beats; upload takes only a second.
Again this is very well-implemented.
The pattern length for each channel
can be different, making euclidean
patterns possible for more variety
than the standard 16 step 4/4.
The two DRUMS modules are
also identical. Each features two
trigger inputs and a single output,
and 64 samples are available. These
93
Reviews | Erica Synths Pico

THE ALTERNATIVES

Make Noise O
Coast 455
Even more portable
than the Pico
system, the
patchable O Coast
from Make Noise
offers a real depth of
sound sculpting
features, for half the
price. Pair this with a
sequencer and a
small drum machine
and youre away.
www.makenoise SIZE mATTERS Each module is only SPECIAl FX The reverbs and delays RHYTHm mAKER The DRUM GETTING STARTEd The unit
3HP and this is the smallest full offered in the DSP module really modules sound fantastic, while the comes with a set of Erica patch
music.com system you can buy at present. round out the sound. ability to upload your own samples cables and the manual features four
takes them even further. demo patch layouts.

are selected with the top encoder
and you can also alter the sample
pitch, decay time and volume. A CV
Doepfer A100 input allows control of one of these
Basic System parameters for the first drum output.
1 1,299 The drums sound great,
featuring a wide variety of punchy
Doepfer take a more
usable sounds, and the system also
traditional modular comes with a special board that
route with the Basic allows you to upload your own
System 1. Its a samples. In a future update this will
no-frills utilitarian also allow you to upload your own
system but there is waveforms to the oscillators and
plenty of scope here install firmware updates.
to get lost in sound. The RND module takes a clock
and produces syncd sine and pulse
www.doepfer.de
LFOs. Along with a random pulse
DSP EffECTS
and Sample & Hold, a noise output
is also available. The dual VCA is
basic and performs well.
When we reach A MIX, the audio
mixer, we begin to encounter
problems. The mixer has only three
inputs, so you cant mix the two
oscillators and play all four drums at
the same time. Two audio mixer
modules would have provided
greater flexibility as one could be
used to mix the two VCOs and noise,
with the second as an output mixer
to combine the drums and the
synth voice.
Another issue is that the EG
module has only one envelope
generator. To my mind a minimum of
two is essential for even a basic
synth and with a bit of redesign I
think two could certainly fit into a
3HP module.
With only one envelope you can
control the VCA but you have to use
the RND sine or square to open the
filter which is limiting. I found
myself using an external ADSR to get
satisfactory results.
If I owned this system, the first
thing I would do would be to remove
the MULTI and put another EG in its
place. A passive signal splitter would
work just as well without taking up
any case space.
As a portable modular starter
system Pico definitely fits the bill.
However with limited control and CV
inputs it wont be long before youre
heading out for more modules.

The DSP (Digital Signal Processing) module is a

reduction of Ericas Blackhole DSP module and offers FM VERDICT

7.5
several great-sounding Reverb and Delay modes, a very
usable distortion/bitcrusher, along with a Leslie rotating
speaker emulation (although a chorus would have been
more useful). It also features stereo outputs which is
great for a module of this size.
The effects really make the system shine electronic A fantastic-sounding starter
sounds on their own can sound dry due to their lack of system that is begging to be
natural reverberation, but the delays and reverb on offer expanded. The Pico modules
here make the oscillators come alive. by themselves may be a
little limited.

94
 Make great music
on your PC or Mac!

8GB
DVD

FREE SOFTWARE

AUTOTONIC CM
Always play in key, lock MIDI to scales and
grasp music theory with this real-time app
VOL. 41
FREE SOUNDWARE FREE PLUGIN COLLECTION

2.8GB
SAMPLES 69
INSTRUMENTS
TRANSITION 500 rises, uplifters and FX to AND EFFECTS
TOOLS power up your arrangements FOR PC & MAC ON THIS DVD

TOOLS power up your arrangements

69
FOR PC & MAC ON THIS DVD
TRANSITION 500 rises, uplifters and FX to AND EFFECTS
SAMPLES INSTRUMENTS
2.8GB
FREE SOUNDWARE FREE PLUGIN COLLECTION

Computer Music is thetheory

magazine
with this for musicians with a PC or Mac. Its packed with tutorials,
VOL. 41

grasp music real-time app

Always play in key, lock MIDI to scales and
AUTOTONIC CM
videos, samples and exclusive software to help you make great music now!

www.computermusic.co.uk
FREE SOFTWARE

Available digitally on these devices

DVD
8GB
FM | group test

1 Elektron Analog
Drive 349

Stomp Box
Distortion
Elektron enter the stomp box game with
their multimode Analog Drive distortion.
We put it up against three different 2 Bogner Burnley
169
flavours of more traditional stomp boxes
to see how it compares

96

Elektrons new Analog Drive
1 stomp box follows in the
wake of their recent Analog
Heat signal processor. As with the
Heat, Drive offers eight individual
distortion circuits, capable of
everything from relatively clean
signal boosting to full-on sonic
destruction. This pedal version does
away with many of the more
studio-focused touches of the Heat,
such as the modulation tools, filter
and CV control. It extends the EQ
3 Friedman
BE-OD
capabilities, however, offering a
three-band EQ with sweepable mid
199 band, as opposed to the two-band
version on the Heat. It still features a
powerful preset system too, allowing
a healthy number of user presets
including EQ, gain and level
settings to be stored within the
device and then switched either via
the footswitches or a MIDI input.
The distortion circuits themselves
are slightly different to those of the
Heat. Here theyre tailored slightly
more towards classic guitar tones
and famous distortions, with more
emphasis on high-gain sounds and
mid-range drive, at the expense of
some of the studio friendly saturation
modes of the Heat. That said, with a
little playing around with the EQ and
gain level, the Drive is capable of
covering much of the same
impressively broad territory as its
bigger sibling. As a result, although
its obviously aimed at guitarists, the
Drive still sounds great on synths
and drum machines.
As far as distortion stomp boxes
go, the Analog Drive is expensive,
sitting firmly at the top end of the
market, but its exceptionally flexible
and packs a genuinely warm and
beefy sound. For guitarists looking
for something flexible for live
performances, or as a multi-purpose
studio tool, this is a real winner.
www.elektron.se
VerDICt 9.1
FM VerDICt
Diezel VH4
Pedal
4 THE HIGH PERFORMER Elektron Analog Drive:
279 The Swedish outfits first stomp box is a real winner,
with lots of flexibility and a stunning sound.
THE BEST VALUE Bogner Burnley: In terms of a
trade off between cost and quality, its hard to beat
the great-sounding Burnley.
Group Test | Reviews
LA-based outfit Bogner
2 Amplification are highly
regarded for their quality
pedals and boutique amps. One of
the main selling points of their pedal
range is the inclusion of custom
transformers designed by none other
than Rupert Neve, and this likely
plays a key role in why the Burnley
distortion pedal sounds absolutely
gorgeous. It has a really warm, fuzzy
character that has a lovely mid-range
punch to it. With just level, gain and
tone controls it has the least shaping
options of any pedal in our round-up,
but its surprising how broad a range
of distortion tones can be created
just by tweaking these three knobs.
Its sister stomp boxes, the Harlow
boost and Wessex gain pedals, are
worth checking out too!
www.bogneramplification.com
VerDICt 8.9
Based on the much-loved
3 sound of Friedman BE
amps, the BE-OD is great
for a classy take on high-gain
distortion with plenty of mid-range
body. The Tight control is a nice
addition, helping to control the
low-end of sounds and preserve
definition across all frequencies.
friedmanamplification.com
VerDICt 8.2
Based on Diezels VH4
4 amp, which is beloved by
certain quarters of the Rock
guitarist community, this pedal is
preamp and gritty overdrive in one.
Its great for shaping nasty, signal
mangling high-gain that will cut
through a mix. Naturally its primarily
one for guitarists, but those who like
a bit of gritty experimentation will
enjoy it too. We fed some drum
machines through the VH4 and had
a great time doing so!
www.diezel.co.uk
VerDICt 7.8
97
Reviews | Slate Digital VMS1

Slate Digital VMS 1,099

In a characteristically bold move Slate Digital release a
microphone with multiple personalities. Stuart Bruce dons
his white coat

CONTACT WHO: Slate Digital TEL: +44 (0)1447 765765 WEB: www.slatedigital.com KEY FEATURES A high-quality, large capsule
condenser mic with vintage mic modelling software and purpose built pre amp

98
 Slate Digital VMS1 | Reviews

THE PROS & CONS

+
Accurate sounding
models of classic
microphones which
add colour and
depth to recordings

Excellent design and

build quality. It
meets all the
requirements of a
professional system,
is simple to use and
provides you with
another high-quality
recording path
even without
the microphone

A great alternative
to just having
one expensive
microphone
Both the mic and the pre are
constructed to a very high
-
No high-pass standard, and metalwork
filter in the
analogue chain and finish are excellent
Cardioid only.
No alternative condenser mic, a dedicated ultra via a standard 3-pin XLR cable. The
polar patterns linear mic pre and a plug-in which Pre is a compact unit which has a
contains the modelled mics. The dual XLR/1/4-inch jack input and
only variable is that you have to use can be switched between instrument
your own A/D converter to get it into and mic. There are switches for
your DAW. So, given that you have an phantom power, phase and a pad
A/D of reasonable quality, you should and a single large level control. The
be able to get the results that Slate external power supply connects via
intend. For the purposes of this an XLR and there are XLR and TRS

C
lassic large capsule
condenser
microphones are
without a doubt
amongst the most
sought-after and
expensive items on
anyones wish list. With an original
Neumann U47 commanding up to
$10,000, most of these mics are out
of reach for the average studio
owner, and certainly only possible for
a tiny minority of home studios. So
in theory, if you can emulate them
with software then you should be on
to a winner. There have been a few
plugs over the years which have
claimed to give one mic the
character of another but, given the
limitations of the original mic,
coupled with any number of mic
pres that could have been used, plus
the quality of the interface that
recorded it, most of them have been
pretty disappointing.
Slate Digital have taken that idea
and built a complete system which
removes as many of those variables
as possible. What you get with the
VMS is a high-quality, large capsule
review I have used a Prism Atlas, so
quality of conversion is not an issue.
On the mic
Starting with the microphone itself
this all black affair is, in shape and
size, somewhere between an AKG
C12 and a Brauner VM1. It comes
with a very well made suspension
mount which it screws into (that
always feels better to me than
mounts with clips) but I think it
could be a tiny bit slacker as there is
still a higher degree of transmission
noise than I would expect. The
microphone connects to the preamp
Audio outputs.
As far as metering is concerned
there is a level LED but I cant help
thinking it might have been better to
have something a little more
sophisticated as it is always good to
know how hard you are hitting a pre.
For many applications the pre could
be kept close to the mic keeping the
longer cable runs at line level and
thus less subject to noise, and in
that instance a bit more level
indication would be handy. On the
subject of build quality both the mic
and the pre are constructed to a very
high standard, metalwork and finish

99
Reviews | Slate Digital VMS1

THE alTERNaTiVES are excellent and, unlike on some modelled pres, these being the on a thinner voice or low-end
expensive modern mics, the FG-73 (Neve 1073), and the FG-76 instruments like bass and bass
suspension mount is smooth to (based on a valve Telefunken). In drum. You can push both the pres
adjust and holds firm without having order to get the sound that Slate right up to distortion and there is a
to have a grip like a vice. intend, you then need to go through broad range of usable tones just from
The software comes as part of the one of these. They are both very good them. Of course, if you have other
Slate Virtual Mix Rack and is very and sonically most certainly do what Slate licences you can pull in
Townsend Sphere straightforward. It displays which I would expect of the hardware units, different EQs and compressors to
l22 $1,799 mic it is on until you press the MICS but I particularly loved the 76. It has build up a chain very useful if you
The only other button at which point you get the list a warmth and clarity that I have regularly record the same
microphone which of eight current models (there will be always loved. The 73 has that instruments and voices as you can
more) to choose from. These are the fatness I always associate with the have a library of recording chains
competes in the
FG-47 (the infamous U47), FG-800 Neve, making it perfect when you and go straight to them when you
same area. Its
and 800G (after the big Sony), want to add more depth, especially want to keep the creative flow going.
stereo, offers FG-251 (Telefunken), FG-67
the same kind (Neumann), FG-12 (AKG), FG-M7
of modelling (Shure, beloved of Michael Jackson),
possibilities but its
currently at the
and the FG-269 (Neumann). The
only other control on this module is
If you want a sparkly Pop
pre-order stage. Well
have to wait and see.
the Character slider. This goes from
100% to 150% and gives you the high-end on a female voice
the 800 models and FG-12
www.townsendlabs. option of dialling in a bit more of the
inherent character of each mic and
com
even with extreme settings it doesnt
sound like too much, just more.
Of the software that comes with will certainly get you there
the microphone you also get two

antares Mic Mod

EFX $129
This has been
around for years but
was recently
upgraded. While it
will never have the
accuracy of the Slate
system, it does
impart something of
the character of the
intended mic, and
sounds very good.
www.antarestech.
com
The Kings
Microphones $99
These are emulations
of the royal familys
microphones from
the 20s/30s. Highly
individual and very
coloured, they are an
interesting effect.
www.waves.com
THE ORigiNalS
As I looked down the list of models provided I realised that these are vintage mics all of
which I have used many times over the years. While every U47, U67, C12 and so on,
has a distinctive character, they are all different some quite radically (youd be
surprised at how many I have come across that were simply broken and still being used!)
and some very close. Obviously, Slate know their mics so they have modelled great
sounding ones but its really the overall characters I am commenting on in this review as
those variations do make a difference. I, like most professional engineers, have
particular favourites that I will go to when I open the mic cupboard door, and even have
a list of serial numbers so
that when I book a studio I
ask for a specific mic for a
specific purpose. While it
will never be possible to
get that nuanced with a
system like this I can
imagine Slate being able
to extrapolate this idea
into picking multiple
examples of the same mic
and making those
available. When a system
is as capable of fine detail
as the VMS it would seem
like a natural progression,
and one that I would
certainly welcome.

100
 Slate Digital VMS1 | Reviews

The single issue I have with the

system so far is that there is no
high-pass filter in sight. Personally I
prefer to see one of these in the
preamp stage as its always good to
deal with ultra low-end issues before
you go through too many electronics,
even virtual ones.

Classic characters
So, its simple and straightforward to
set up making the big question what
does it sound like? I tried it on
vocals, guitars, double bass and
percussion. The mic and pre are
quiet and super clean. As an
experiment I did try the mic through
some different pres, a valve EQ and
compression without using any
modelling and the results were very
good. Its a high-quality mic and,
although without some help it
sounds a bit sterile, you may well
find that for certain moments that is
exactly what you want. The sterility
is exactly what I expected as you are
supposed to add the character later,
but it is certainly another positive
aspect to the system as a whole, and
it hasnt harmed companies like DPA
who have built an excellent product
range based on the neutrality of
their microphones.
Going straight into the software
and flicking between the mic models
opens up a whole new world.
Starting with vocals, as I switched
between them the characters were
very distinct and entirely in keeping
with what I expected. Particularly CHOICE There are currently eight CLASSICS Theres also a choice of BUILD With its excellent build quality FLEXIBLE The mic pre can also
microphones to choose from and two classic mic pres and simple design it looks great. function as a DI and works with any
fine on male voice are the 67, the more to come. other microphone.
47 and the 269, although its really
program dependant. If you are
looking for a sparkly Pop high-end on
a female voice the 800 models and already did. Its very often the case If you are looking to make your the price the microphone, a
the FG-12 will certainly get you that recording gets done during the first serious mic purchase this has to mic pre that can be used on any mic
there. On acoustic guitar the FG-12 writing process these days and so it be a major contender. Aside from the and as a DI, plus those great
and the FG-251 really shone. Sweet is harder to judge the exact sound M7, the Slate is probably one third sounding models it has to seen as
highs with real depth. Double bass you want as the track around it may of the price of the cheapest of these a bargain.
sounds great with the classic 47 or change quite radically as you go vintage beauties, will certainly
67 and pretty much everything for through the process. require far less maintenance, and
percussion as there are so many The VMS is fixed cardioid so, you currently get eight distinct
differing high-end colours. while you may not have the flexibility characters with more to come. For FM VERDICT

And that is the beauty of it.
Those subtle differences are perhaps
less obvious out of the track but
once you start to add EQ and
compression and blend the sound
into the mix they make all the
difference. And of course as you are
recording the original signal flat and
doing all the work on the back end,
if you should find you want to
change things later you can, without
having to try and undo work you
of an omni or figure of eight, it is a
very useful microphone to try on
ambient sources too. In fact distant
micing of a source often shows up
the inherent qualities of
microphones in a more obvious way
than close micing. Those character
changes again followed my
expectations with no obvious
surprises and a pair of them would
be a very interesting proposition for
drum ambience, choir or quartet.
9.1
many educational establishments
this could be a wonderful teaching
tool too, as its one thing to discuss
the relative merits of all these
microphones, but another to actually
hear what the differences are.
This is a very well thought
through system; from design to
This is a great system which
delivery Slate Digital have considered really does give you the
every aspect of how to make this character of classic vintage
work and they have succeeded. microphones at a price that
When you look at what you get for wont make you faint.

101
Reviews | Nektar Impact LX+

Nektar Impact
LX88+ 249
If space isnt an issue a piano scale
keyboard controller is a satisfying option.
Jon Musgrave investigates Nektars latest
CONTACT WHO: Nektar Technologies TEL: +44 (0) 1908904199 WEB: www.nektartech.com
KEY FEATURES 88-note semi-weighted USB-powered controller keyboard, 9 sliders, 9 buttons,
8 knobs, 8 pads, Pre-mapped DAW integration for instruments, basic mixer controls and transport, MIDI
out, Assignable Pedal Jack DIMENSIONS: 1,276 x 279 x 89mm WEIGHT: 18.2kg

102

T
odays buyers of
keyboard controllers
are spoilt for choice,
but if youre looking
for a full piano size
88-note keyboard,
said choices are more
limited. One option is Nektars Impact
LX88, which has just had an upgrade.
Like its predecessor, the LX88+
combines an 88-key semi-weighted
USB-powered keyboard with extensive
DAW control via nine sliders, nine
buttons, eight knobs, eight pads and
transport controls. These include
dedicated Mixer and Instrument
buttons for pre-mapped control of
mixer settings (level, pan, mute and
solo) and virtual instrument
parameters (envelopes, filter and so
on). Knobs and faders have soft
takeover, updating values only once
the current software value is reached,
and many common DAWs are
supported (Logic/GarageBand, Bitwig
Studio, Digital Performer, FL Studio,
Sonar, Studio One, Reaper, Reason
and Cubase/Nuendo). Nevertheless,
be aware the pre-mapped editing
doesnt extend to mixer plug ins.
Other features include 5-pin MIDI
output, assignable footpedal jack, 9V
DC input for situations where USB
power is unavailable, separate pitch
and modulation wheels, and keyboard
zoning (up to two zones) and layering
(up to two layers) via the Layer and
Split buttons. Rounding things off is
a three-digit red LED display that
shows outgoing MIDI controller
values, and in rather old-fashioned
MIDI keyboard style is also used
The pads and some buttons
are backlit and colour-coded
to show their function
alongside the keyboard keys to edit
various keyboard settings.
So what does the update bring to
the table? First up, the pads have
been overhauled and are now more
sensitive, plus the pads and a number
of buttons are now backlit and
colour-coded to indicate their current
function. Next up, three new buttons
have been added. Default/User next
to the rotary encoders doubles up this
bank of eight knobs, providing 16
assignments in total. Meanwhile Clips
and Scenes next to the pad bank
provide additional operational modes
for the pads that are incorporated into
the DAW integration. Examples
include setting up of markers (Logic
Pro X) and activating scenes and clips
(Bitwig). However, its the underlying
DAW integration where things have
improved most. Here, assignments
have been standardised across over
100 common VST instruments, so
typical functions such as amplitude
and filter envelopes, filter cutoff and
resonance, oscillator pitch and level
appear on the same physical controls.
This has allowed them to confidently
provide proper labelling of the sliders
and knobs, which bearing in mind the
number of supported DAWs and
Nektar Impact LX+ | Reviews
THE PROS & CONS
+
Light but solid with
slim build, making it
pretty portable
Good DAW
integration via
bespoke pre-
mappings takes
the hassle out of
getting set up
Backlit pads and
buttons useful in
poorly lit and stage
environments
Great value for a
semi-weighted
88-note keyboard
-
Editing settings via
LED display and key
instruments is no mean feat.
Nevertheless, as a user its the sheer
entry straightforward
predictability of it all that counts. but somewhat
Despite the number of features, old-school
the LX88+ is reasonably compact and
at 18 kilos light enough to be No pre-mappings
portable. Whats more the keys feel for Pro Tools or
good and the mechanical noise is Ableton Live
quite low (both factors that are often
lacking in more affordable keyboards).
The LX88+ wont suit everyone
(and some 88-key users will be after
a full weighted hammer action). But
at 300 (and with a free copy of
Bitwig 8-Track bundled) its a bargain
and well worth testing.
FM VERDICT
8.6
The LX88+ combines a
pretty good keyboard with
extensive DAW integration,
and is about as good as
youll get at this price point.
103
Reviews | Zoom ARQ Aero RhythmTrak AR-96

Zoom ARQ Aero

RhythmTrak AR-96 499
Zooms ARQ offers a light show to illuminate any performance.
Jono Buchanan discovers if it has musical features to match
CONTACT WHO: Zoom TEL: 08432 080999 WEB: www.zoom-uk.com KEY FEATURES 96 velocity and pressure-sensitive pads, 160
multicoloured LEDs, Accelerometer, Base Station/Ring controller, MIDI over USB, 16-note polyphonic, 33 instruments, Up to 5 parts in a loop, Filter, Delay,
Reverb and Master Effects suites, Step, Instrument, Song and Looper Modes, 468 sampled waveforms, 384 patterns, 32-step Sequencer, 256 Motion Sequences

104
 Zoom ARQ Aero RhythmTrak AR-96 | Reviews

THE PROS & CONS

+
Unique design,
with a light display
which allies form
and function

Fun and productive

pattern sequencer
and looper, with
real-time effects
manipulation

Import or record your

own samples

-
Its not cheap

Menu-based system
for editing isnt
as intuitive as it
might be
drum and instrument samples stored
Grip Detection
in memory, as well as 70 synth
Mode isnt samples, which you can add to,
always a fail-safe either capturing audio directly via
against triggering the stereo input on the side of the
unwanted notes base unit, or by plugging in an SD
card, from which samples can be
read and imported. You can save and
export sequences and loops via this
card port too. Output is provided via
a pair of 1/4-inch jack sockets, while
theres also a headphone output on
the other side of the base unit.
Connectivity extends to a mini-USB
socket, which provides both buss
power and MIDI interfacing, while
the power port does exactly what
pressure-sensitive interface of its
own. The Ring Controller can be
used to program and trigger samples,
patterns and more on the fly, with a
correspondingly-coloured light
illuminating to reflect the action
youre taking. When youre playing
back or recording a sequence a
separate light runs round the ring to
show you the current position of the
pattern. If youre working with a
pitched instrument, the Ring
Controller effectively becomes a
tunable, chromatic keyboard with
pitches triggered sequentially as you
move around, while drums can be
mapped in whole kits, or on a

Z
ooms name isnt
necessarily one
youd immediately
associate with
production tools
aimed equally at
the stage and the
studio but, in the unusual and
brightly-coloured ARQ, the target
market is an even split between
musicians working in both arenas.
The ARQ Aero RhythmTrak AR-96 is
a combination of a step sequencer,
sample-laden drum programmer,
sampler, looper, song sequencer and
youd expect. The detachable ring
performance instrument. However, communicates with the base station
its standout feature and USP is its over Bluetooth (hence Zoom referring
design. ARQ comes in two parts, to it as their wireless Bluetooth
with a base unit providing access to Ring Controller) and while it can be
modes and key parameters, while a laid on top of the base unit at any
detachable, multicoloured white ring angle, there is a magnetic pin
sits on top, ready to be uncoupled connector at the top (where the
from the base unit (or cradled on top Zoom logo is) to provide a firmer
of it), providing the interface by connection when you want to dock it.
which notes can be triggered and And so to the Wireless Ring
programmed, or real-time effects Controller itself. As youll see from
manipulated. Its bold, its bright the photos, the design of this divides
but is it beautiful? the white sections up into a grid of
Firstly, lets find out whats 96 pads, each of which represents
onboard the ARQ. There are 468 an individual, velocity and
per-sample basis. Neatly, the battery
in the Ring Controller charges
whenever its placed on the
Base unit.
To work with ARQ, first you need
to select a Mode. Four are available:
Step, Instrument, Song and Looper.
In Step Mode, the best place to start
is to load one of the preset patterns,
which you can audition in real time
as a sequence plays back. You then
swap out individual kit pieces,
replacing any sound you dont like
for another, though this isnt quite as
intuitive as it might be. Zoom have
done a good job of providing multiple

105
Reviews | Zoom ARQ Aero RhythmTrak AR-96

THE AlTERNATivES tutorials on their website to show

this in action but as youll see from
watching the Kits and Editing
Sounds video, getting at and
swapping kit pieces requires a pretty
comprehensive collection of
Akai MPC functions, dial-tweaks and button
Touch 479 presses, which is more confusing
Akais legendary than it might be. In practice, it takes
MPC range offers a while before this process is second
many choices nature. In fairness, though, thats
because there are so many options
but with pattern
and functions onboard that a degree
sequencing,
of menu surfing was always likely to
sampling, real-time be necessary on a compact
effects manipulation instrument like ARQ. And theres no
and more, this is a doubt that building patterns is fun
good alternative to once you add individual hits via the
the ARQ. Ring Controller, while the Capture
www.akaipro.com mode is great, providing one-button
access to sampling. The Looper is
powerful too, capturing your
sequence as one before you can
manipulate its pitch (among other
parameters) on the fly.
Arturia Another word of caution: Zoom
TRIGGERS The Effects triggers
on the Ring Controller combine
MODES Program or edit Step
Sequences, Instrument sounds,
MAKING SAMPLES A stereo
audio input lets you capture
BeatStep Pro have built a grip detection mode, so
with its Accelerometer to let you Song arrangements and Looper samples from any source.

189
manipulate effects on the fly. features in the separate Modes.
that if you pick the ring up to build
If you can live patterns away from the base unit,
without the onboard you shouldnt inadvertently trigger
sounds but want a sounds by holding the Ring in your controller for this, rather than carefully about whether this is how
versatile sequencer hand. This wasnt always successful workstation software, theres no you want to spend 500 for the
I found that a note cluster was doubt that ARQ is a capable concept capability offered. Fundamentally,
which is happy
produced until I learned how hard, and any company which looks to ARQ offers two bars of pattern
communicating with
and where exactly, to hold the Ring. develop and design something this sequencing before patterns can be
analogue and digital If youre interested in pattern unique should be respected. That loaded into songs and, while there
sources, theres huge sequencing and want a hardware said, youll have to think very are digital effects and real-time
flexibility here. manipulation capabilities aplenty
www.arturia.com onboard, for the same money you
can more-or-less buy Ableton Live (or
its Push controller) or any one of the
other leading DAW software
packages, many of which are now
EffECTS PROviSiON APlENTy more live-oriented than their
original sequencing roots. Of course,
ARQ offers a dedicated Effects section with Filter, Delay, this comparison is unfair, as ARQs
Ableton live Reverb and Master FX options. Pressing on one of these remit is different, but if you only
and Push allows you to manipulate key parameters from the base have 500 to spend, think
Various unit, with the rotary dials below the interface controlling very carefully.
At around the same these. The Master FX section offers several effects types,
price, an endlessly including Limiter, Distortion, Bitcrushing and Reverse
flexible DAW and Delays. However, its much more fun to manipulate
hardware controller effects by lifting the Ring Controller out of its cradle and FM VERDICT

7.1
option should be a using its built-in Accelerometer to control these instead;
consideration. This as you tilt the Ring Controller, youll hear parameters
combination is being modified, letting you introduce Delays, increase
favoured by studio Reverb Decay length or add Filters to sequences and
producers and live patterns as they play back. The Ring Controller provides
performers alike. access to these four Effects areas via dedicated buttons, ARQ is fun and capable of
www.ableton.com so you can engage one or more here directly, allowing good results. But before you
you to create ongoing, evolving effects treatments, or get dazzled by its lights,
short-term triggers which you easily switch in and out. consider if its the perfect fit
for you, as it isnt cheap.

106
 The No.1 website for musicians

Love this magazine?

Youll love musicradar.com
Thousands of gear Tips and techniques
reviews and killer to help you create
video demos your own sound
FM | SoundS & SampleS
Wave Alchemy
Revolution 149
Following on from Wave Alchemys
well-regarded Transistor and Digital
Revolution libraries comes a new
all-encompassing Kontakt
instrument simply called Revolution.
It combines the sound of 14 classic
analogue and digital drum machines
with a highly effective sequencer.
Kontakt Player (not the full version)
is required to run the instrument,
which employs 8GB of sample files.
There are 14 voices per instance,
which can use any of the relevant
drum machines, allowing hybrid
combination kits to be created. The
mixer offers volume, pan and effects
sends, and each voice can be edited
in a similar way to its original
counterpart. For example the
TR-909 Kick offers Tune, Decay and
Attack. Adjusting these will play
back a different set of samples taken
from the original machines (with
round robin sampling throughout).
The results are certainly authentic. A
further Character control switches
between differently recorded or
processed versions, including tape,
SP1200 and analogue mastering
chain options. It should be noted
that these are real, rather than
emulations. Each voice also has a
wealth of amp, filter and pitch-
related parameters for altering the
samples themselves and the effects
options are strong.
The sequencer section is also
comprehensive, with classic
X0X-style step programming plus a
more elaborate graphical mode
where even the grid spacing can be
tweaked for unusual push/pull groove
programming. Once youre happy,
patterns can be copied into your
DAW as MIDI data.
Purists might quibble over the
differences between TR-909
versions, analogue vs digitally
summed drums, and the way in
which slight differences in sample
editing in the originals had a bearing
on the groove of individual
machines. However, theres no
denying Revolutions attention to
detail and allied to its versatility, this
is a powerful combination.
Bruce Aisher
www.wavealchemy.co.uk
VeRdICT 9.4

8Dio Blendstrument
Strange Pulses v1 $199
The latest in 8Dios Blendstrument
is subtitled Strange Pulses.
Although aimed squarely at film and
TV mood building, this library is one
that should also appeal to non-
media composers, across a range of
genres, looking for some interesting
rhythmic tonal backdrops. At its
core this pulse-generating Kontakt
library is built around a large
collection of audio loops. These are
time-stretched to sync their tempo
to your DAW project, though the
underlying processing is audible
at times.
The audio loops are grouped into
categories catering for high, mid
and low frequency elements as well
as broader ambient elements. In
fact, when you load one of the
108
so-called banks what you get is
five layered loops, each with
individual level and panning. These
banks fit, either individually or
stacked up to five deep, into one
of the two Pods. The resulting
sound then goes to a processing
section for further rhythmic gating,
textural convolution and finally an
effects rack.
Strange Pulses is capable of
some excellent, if CPU-heavy
results. The interface is not as
user-friendly as it might be so the
randomisation features ended up
being the most rewarding option in
many cases. Bruce Aisher
www.sonokinetic.net
VeRdICT 9.3

Splice Sounds Wolfgang
Gartner: Signature Series
Pt. 1 | $7.99/month
https://splice.com/sounds
Its time to welcome
new sample
subscription service,
Splice, to the page
with a strapping artist
pack offering from
Wolfgang Gartner. This release forms part
one of his signature series, and gives us
the keys to the cream of the production
dons very own personal library. Taking in
cutting-edge sound design from the last
eight years, it serves as a style guide to
dancefloor trends he helped shape, as
flashes of Electro House genius sit pretty
with Big Room riffs, Future House
flourishes and Tech House grime. The
drums punch like hell, and the rest of the
loops and licks are as tough as nails. And
everything, on the whole, feels like its
been given a mammoth boost through a
serious processing chain.
Thrown in are a handful of selected
stems from Gartner classics like Piranha,
which is sure to be a selling point to many
a fan. It all makes for a great release from
a new sample service thats already
looking like one to watch for the future.
Recommend. Roy Spencer
VeRdICT 9
Loopmasters Vibes Vol 2: Soul
Allnighter | 23.97
www.loopmasters.com
For volume two of
Loopmasters Vibes
series they transport
us back to the
foot-stomping beats
and heart-tugging
melodies of the vintage Northern Soul era.
Popularised in the North of England in the
70s, Northern Soul helped reappraise the
dancefloor potential of forgotten Soul
gems from the US. Over 20 full song
construction kits can get you a taste of
that time. All the elements are there
driving beats, pumping horns, and silky
organs and strings, captured with bygone
gear to match the memories. The whole
package is quite a haul too, with 1.92GB
of grooves, ranging from 114-155bpm in
the pack, meaning youll have plenty to
pilfer for your own constructions, with the
Rhodes crate being a solid first port of
call. Keep the faith! Roy Spencer
VeRdICT 8
Lack Of Afro Analogue Soul
Vol 2 | 17.97
www.loopmasters.com
Time to open the door
once more for one of
the funkiest producers
in Britain, Adam
Gibbons aka Lack Of
Afro. He had us
shaking our booty with volume one of his
Analogue Soul series, and the latest
Save on
broadband,
instalment builds on that boogie. Those
that know LOF know what to expect here
rare grooves with modern studio sheen.
Thats funky live drums, sharp organ
TV, phone!
workouts, multi-layered horns and other
song-starting samples youd be lucky to
find when out digging in the secondhand
record stores.
The 1GB+ package runs between the
Northern Soul speeds of 74bpm up, and
nearly double-timing that at 135bpm. The
playing is noteworthy too, as theyve
assembled a killer brigade of top LOF
Save
affiliated musicians like Steve Down and up to
George Cooper to lay it all down. Serious
Soul stuff, indeed. Roy Spencer
577 *
per y ear
VeRdICT 8
Atik: Ghost Trap | 17.95
www.primeloops.com
Grecian producer, Atik,
has been getting
stamps of approval
from gigantic names in Just some of our friendly UK based team
the biz like Diplo,
Bassnectar, The
Chainsmokers, Getter, and UZ for a hot Let us do the hard work for you!
All it takes is one quick call.
minute, thanks to his trademark Trap
reworkings and dancefloor edits. The
self-styled Happy Ghost likes to pepper
his remixes and productions with spooky
83%** of our customers save!
sounding synths and basslines he thinks
could wake the dead. Hes no novelty
though just a guy with his own sound. To 1 Call free and speak to a UK based impartial expert.
be fair, its not all that ghostly, so anyone
can get involved here. Basically, if you like 2 We review over 6,000 deals from the top UK
Trap and fancy a new batch of skittering providers to nd the right one for you.
hats and rolls, glitched out vocals and
leads, and some fairly dramatic FX and 3 Our experts do the hard work, answer your
atmospheres, then this 730MB library is
well worth a look in. Roy Spencer
questions and even arrange your installation!
VeRdICT 7
THIS MONTHS TOP DEALS
Sample Magic Indietronica | Best TV, &
19.90 Phone Bu
d
Broadbanndle Call us for best
www.samplemagic.com
2010
value up to 20Mb
Sample Magic team
up an evocative blend
AWARDS
broadband
of lo-fi Indie Pop + TV + calls package
melodies with Linn
drum programming,
Best
and polyphonic synth
Br dban
oa
st
Super-fa d Call us for a great
workouts, on this blissful, sun-kissed pack.
The 600MB of content covers glitchy 2010
value, superfast
loops, 808 basses, and timeless Electro AWARDS
fibre-optic
percussion as well as a wealth of broadband deal
evocative loops from an impressive bank of
iconic vintage keyboards. Think classic
MGMT and the ilk.
As well as drum, synth, hits, chords, Call us free and well do the hard work!
0800 840 1712
vox and FX folders, you also get to play
around with a classy bunch of full-
stemmed construction kits, allowing you to
dismantle some dreamy full song
arrangements for your own ends. Mon-Fri 8am-8pm, Sat 9am-5.30pm, Sun 10am-5.30pm
Everything has been processed nicely to
punch through, as youd expect with SM, www.techradarstores.co.uk/digitalsave
and the 100-128bpm loops (and
associated MIDI files) all beg to be played
around with. Roy Spencer
VeRdICT 8
*20% of Simplifydigital customers received an average saving of 577. Data based on 484 records between
1st January 2010 and 17th May 2010. ** Out of 445 consultations between 01/01/2010 and 03/05/2010, 368
Simplifydigital customers saved money by signing up to our recommended deal.
FM | ADVICE
Should I care about
binaural audio?
>
Binaural audio is recorded as
your ears would actually hear it,
and is often captured using
microphones that are positioned in
an ear-like position on a dummys
head. When its played back directly
into your ears, it can create a 3D
effect and give you a more immersive
sound. Its back in the news again
thanks to VR, with manufacturers
Hohner Pianet T a good
Rhodes alternative?
>
The Pianet T (around 300 used) is compact/
portable and at 50lbs its under half the weight of
a Rhodes Stage 73. Itll get you a fairly Rhodes-
like sound too, though due to the restricted hammer
throw/pads, the dynamics are minimal. However, with
new sticky pads and setting the pickups close to the
reeds, you can obtain more bite/dynamics.
110
looking to give users a 3D listening
experience to match the visuals. In
fact, Sennheiser recently announced
the AMBEO Smart Surround
headphones, which have built-in
mics and enable you to capture
binaural audio on your phone.
Does any of this matter for music
making? Not at this stage, but as the
way we consume audio visual content
changes, it might do in the future.
Are computers now
becoming less important
in music production?
>
Strange as it may seem, you
could argue that the computer
by which we mean the
traditional desktop or laptop machine
isnt quite the dominant force that
it once was. For years, weve been
used to seeing elements of the
production process moving towards
the Mac or PC, but in some
situations, and for certain users, its
not quite as essential as it once was.
First there are the obvious
alternatives: an iPhone or an iPad, for
example. These might not quite have
Guitar with built-in FX?
>
Surprisingly, choices are limited. The first
option that comes to mind is the Moog
Guitar; its no longer in production but
includes the famous Moog LPF. Next there are
Yamahas Transacoustic guitars which include
reverb and chorus (acoustically and via line out).
Finally, theres the Gibson Firebird X (with a
plethora of configurable built-in FX onboard) or
the Line Six Variax range.
the levels of power and flexibility that Elsewhere, were seeing
a proper computer has, but theres standalone music production
no doubt that you can use them to hardware. First came PioneerDJs
make great music, and there are Toraiz SP-16, and now we have
certainly advantages to having a Akais MPC X and Live units to
touchscreen (though, of course, many consider. Yes, they can be used with
Windows laptops now have this too). a computer, but its reasonable to
Whats more, iOSs connectivity suggest that some people will now
options are increasing: Audio Units use them as the hub of a set-up
give you a plug-in-like solution, and (especially when you consider that
Ableton Link opens the door to they can record full audio tracks),
jamming with iOS and desktop users. plugging in synths, drum machines,
mics and external controllers.
Its also worth considering that
electronic music culture is changing
too. While, for some, the goal is
always to create complete
productions, others are happy to sync
instruments together (possibly
throwing in a dedicated hardware
step sequencer as well) and just
jam. In these cases, theres
frequently no need to bring a
computer to the party.
So, while the traditional computer
is still king for serious work, its
certainly not the only game in town,
and we suspect that this is just the
start. A standalone Maschine would
be an obvious next step for Native
Instruments (possibly even one that
could run plug-ins), and we imagine
that thered be plenty of demand for
a version of Abletons Push that had
a touchscreen and also ran Live.
Watch this space.
Are new plug-ins better
than old ones?
>
Given how many great synths,
compressors, reverbs, delays etc
are already on the market, it
seems remarkable that new ones are
released with such frequency. But
still they come, as they say, with
many promising to break new sonic
ground and offer you something that
youve never had before.

Versatile/fat-sounding
phaser pedal?
>
Our all-time favourite fat-
sounding phaser is the Moog
MF-103. It has 12 and 6-stage
modes, mono input/stereo outs,
plenty of heavy sounding gain/drive
on the input and a lot of tonal
variation available. You can also use
an expression pedal to control rate,
amount, sweep and resonance,
enabling you to keep both hands on
your instrument while tweaking.
In some cases, thats precisely
what they do: developers continue to
push the limits of what our
increasingly powerful computers can
do, and features are added that make
it easier to perform specific
production tricks. Interface design
has also moved on, and you could
argue that, in general, plug-ins are
easier to use than they once were.
It isnt really fair to say that
newer automatically equals better,
though. Unless you have a super-fast
computer, a more recent plug-in is
likely to put far more of a strain on it
than an older one would, potentially
limiting the amount that you can use
it. Whats more, many plug-ins have
definitely stood the test of time the
likes of Massive, Sylenth1 and FM8
have all been around for a decade or
more, yet still feature on most best
soft synth lists. Its a similar story
with certain effects many of Waves
classic processors are still being used
by pros today, for example.
Be open to updating your plug-in
collection, then, but dont assume
that doing so will automatically
upgrade your sound. And if youre
new to all of this, dont discount
certain plug-ins just because theyre
a few years old; in the end, its how
you use them that counts.
Your Production Problems Solved | Advice
Nord Stage 2 Live Tips
How can I set up my Nord Stage 2 for a multi-
sound which includes piano, organ and strings?
The Stage 2 is still one of the best options around for bread and butter live duties due to
its hands-on menu-diving-free interface and plethora of available acoustic, electro-
mechanical, organ and sample/synth instruments. Having been a users of the Stage series
live for many years, weve now got ours set up very efficiently for minimal patch changing
on gigs and have just one main patch with around four variations that can cover most
instrument/stylistic requirements. Heres how to set up a basic main patch to build from
> >
Start from an initialised patch and pick a Next, set up an organ patch using the B3
piano sound. We like to use the Yamaha
Bright Grand sample. Set the level to 3/4
model. Use the Preset I/II switch and add a
comping sound on Preset 1 and a sound
full in the Piano section, then EQ to taste. We more suitable for soloing on Preset 2. Set volume
usually add some high-end and a bit of a boost to 3/4 full. Set your expression pedal to control
around 350 to add body/warmth. organ volume (long press pedal morph button).
> >
Switch on the Synth section. Select any Now you can switch your piano, organ and
string sample you dig or make your own strings in and out individually or layer them
using the synth. Set the amp attack and
release controls to taste; set volume to around 1/2
using each sections on/off switch. Save this
patch into a user slot, then save alternative
full. Now you have three separate and layerable/
splittable sounds to work with in your basic patch.
versions with a Rhodes, Wurli or clav. Finally, add
verb/compression to taste.
Noise in analogue recording
>
To minimise any hiss or noise, our advice is
to keep your instruments and desk well
maintained, not over-EQ or over-compress
and closely watch/optimise your gain structure
along your whole tracking/mixing/playback chain
(including internally within instruments).
Got questions that need answering?
Send your queries to us at futuremusic@futurenet.com and
our team of experts will endeavour to solve them
111
Advice | Rockschool
Part 6: Its aLL
IN tHE DEtaIL
Rockschool course tutors Hannah V
and Sam Vasanth take us through
their graded Production Syllabus
P
opular hit songs have
similar character traits,
ranging from arrangement,
instrumentation and chord
structures. Unique and unusual
sounds can also make a modern
composition memorable and
outstanding Justin Biebers Dolphin
Synth (Where Are Now), Bruno
Mars layered synths (24 Karat Magic)
or Rae Sremmunds Nintendo type
pad (Black Beatles) are only a few
examples. These sounds are very
prominent in the songs.
There are numerous subtle ways
to elevate standard sound sources or
patterns. Yes, these programming
techniques take knowledge, creativity,
precision and time, but the pay off is
worth it you can stamp your
individuality on your songs! So lets
dig straight into it and discuss some
techniques of sonic manipulation
through creative use of programming.
A quite straightforward technique
is filtering all instruments at a
www.rslawards.com/music-production
01 >
The first step is to route all instruments to an auxiliary. Next, insert an EQ or
filter of your choice on the buss and add this channel to the arrangement
page, so you can start working with automation.
The first layer is Bypass. This turns the effect on/off at specific points in
the timeline. Next you choose the type of filter (hi or low-pass) and program
the EQ accordingly. Finally, automate the band so that it fades in and out
rather than being abrupt. This makes the transition smooth, even though it
is only milliseconds.
112
specific part of the arrangement. We
have touched on this before, but this
time we will look at the programming
behind it.
The possibilities are limitless and
there really are no rules. So, take
some time and really experiment with
your effects. By using this detailed
approach to the song, you ensure the
listener is captivated from beginning
to end and you really get to stamp
your voice onto the production. So,
get going with the details!
YOUr rOCKsCHOOL tUtOrs
Hannah V is a London-based
music producer, songwriter,
pianist and keyboard player.
She was previously a touring
keyboard player for many
major Pop acts including Rihanna, Jessie
J, Jason Derulo, Lalah Hathaway, Taio Cruz,
Jay Sean, Sugababes and Anastacia.
Sam Vasanth is a music
producer, pianist, educator
and entrepreneur. In addition
to working for artists such as
Jason Derulo, Sam has also
been delivering Rockschool qualifications
for over six years.
02 >
A different use of automation is Vocal Riding. Applications include volume,
de-essing or pitch control. The overpowered application of pitch correction
(the Auto-Tune effect) has become a popular vocal processing tool. Listen
to Bon Ivers Woods or Kanye Wests Heartless. A vocal constantly modulates
in pitch, formant and amplitude and the Auto-Tune Retune Speed needs to
be adjusted to compensate for these fluctuations. Therefore, the threshold
has to be carefully automated to ensure precise and concise pitch
correction, even when the Auto-Tune effect is desired.
03 >
Add a reverb on the vocals. Generally, Rap
vocals use short verbs with a low dry to wet
ratio. This makes the vocal punchier. Singers
usually require a long reverb with a higher dry
to wet ratio. This adds more space/thickness
and emotion. Use your ears and choose the
right plug-in, apply the preset, adjust the
length, use the internal EQ to shape the
signal and get the dry to wet signal right.
04 >
Next, let us have a look at Delay Chains.
Inserting a delay on a sound source adds
depth and interest, however, there is much
more that can be done.
Start with sending a sound to a delay
auxiliary. Then insert the following chain:
delay, reverb, EQ, tremolo and compressor.
Choose the desired delay setting. The reverb
will give another layer of depth to the delayed
signal. The EQ will shape the signal (add a
high-pass filter and boost at around 4kHz to
liven up the sound). The tremolo will give the
signal stereo movement, which adds even
more interest. Finally, the compressor will
clean up the signal. Through sidechaining,
whenever the original sound source is
playing, the compressor ducks the volume of
the delayed signal. As soon as the original
sound stops playing, the delayed signal
volume is allowed to fill up the space.
 FM | GEAR GUIDE
hARDWARE SYNThS

NEW ENtry

Moog Model D Arturia MatrixBrute

3,249 1,879
Full Review: FM311 Full Review: FM315
While bringing back all the characteristic sound Theres very little not to love about the
of the original Minimoog, Moog have added some MatrixBrute. It oozes personality and can wear a
elegant modifications to deliver a modern synth lot of hats, from a warm, sweet monosynth to
thats fully worthy of their storied legacy. dirty ambient chord machine. Mind blown!

Dave Smith Instruments
Pro 2 | $1,999
Review FM284 A ridiculously versatile mono/
paraphonic synth that anyone can happily get
lost in. Without doubt a great investment.
Sequential Prophet-6 | 2,199
Review FM297 The Sequential name
returns, and the Prophet-6 more than lives
up to its heritage. Another future classic from
Dave Smith.
Elektron
Analog Keys | 1,449
Review FM278 A system capable of great
results, though perhaps held back by some
ease-of-use issues. However, its built like a tank.
Dave Smith OB-6 | 2,250
Review FM307 Has the essential Oberheim
character/signature, crossed with DSIs sonic
DNA it sounds tight and modern with a nod to
vintage Oberheims.

Moog Sub 37 | $1,579
Review FM286 With a richer set of features and
fewer operational hurdles than its predecessor,
the Sub 37 is a superb and highly desirable
upgrade to the Phatty family of Moog synths.
Roland JD-XA | 1,549
Review FM295 Greater than the sum of its
parts. It can be a great analogue and a great
digital synth, but combine the two and some
real magic happens.
Oberheim TVS-PRO | 3,199
Review FM308 A classic reinvented!
The sonics are immense and authentic and
theres a lot of power/flexibility, plus the
interfacing is comprehensive.
Korg Minilogue | 435
Review FM302 Four-voice polyphony, killer
sound, flexible features and great build quality.
Were not sure how Korg pulled this off for the
price, but theyve nailed it. A must buy!

113
Gear Guide | Essential Tools For Music Making
DAWS
NEW ENtry
Steinberg Cubase Ableton
9 Pro 468 Live 9 | 315
Full Review: FM315
It may not be game changer, but there should be
enough new elements in Cubase 9 to keep
upgraders happy. New users should definitely
add Cubase to their must-try list.
Logic Pro X | 139
Review FM270 Version ten of the popular DAW
revamps the interface and introduces some
long-awaited MIDI effects plugs. And lets not
overlook that price wow!
Sonar X3 | 419
Review FM275 A well-bundled package that
features an audio-engine that beats some of its
rivals on paper. Most certainly a heavyweight
contender with enough extras to lure new users.
114
Pro Tools 11 | 550
Review FM269 Pro Tools 11 sees much of the
new tech from 10 finally bedding down and
making sense. Its now caught up with other
DAWs for fast workflow to match its power.
FL Studio 12 | from 64
Review FM294 Despite bringing mostly
functional updates, version 12 is great. Like fine
wine, FL Studio improves with age and is a
superb production environment any user.
Full Review: FM265
Version 9.5 has now arrived as a free download
for current users. The overhauled Simpler is
fantastic. Plus Suite owners get a trio of new
Max synths to play with.
Tracktion 6 | $60
Review FM293 More comprehensive and well
implemented than you might think, Tracktion 6
is a well-rounded budget DAW worth trying.
Bitwig Studio | 299
Review FM278 Recent point updates just
continue to make Bitwig stronger and more
refined than ever. 18 months on from its release,
it continues to impress.
PreSonus Studio One 3
Professional | 279
Review FM295 Studio One 3 is stable,
reliable and capable of sating any music
production need.
Propellerhead Reason 9 | 369
Version 9 further refines the interface and
workflow and adds new MIDI tools. Not a
groundbreaking update, but regular users are
likely to appreciate the new features.
9000
9012