December 2002 Magazine Contents

If you're happy with the facilities of your Yamaha console or recorder, but you just want to upgrade the quality of the A-D/D-A conversion, these two cards from Apogee might be just what you're after.

Score = **** 4/5 stars. Cool Vibes consists of a single GIG file containing 80 patches organised into 16 instruments, each with five stereo placements.

A low-cost multi-effects unit with a huge repertoire of effects.

Another product from New Zealand's Buzz Audio gives you two channels of Class-A preamplification with switchable input impedance.

FireWire audio and MIDI interfaces are gaining in popularity, as are fader surfaces designed for hands-on control of computer recording packages. Now Digidesign have combined the two.

Dominion is a 'signal modelling device' similar in concept to SPL's highly regarded Transient Designer dynamics processor, embodying characteristics of both compressors and expanders, yet without being either a compressor or an expander in the normal sense.

Host-based programs allowing you to build your own synthesizers from virtual modules have been around for a while. Thanks to DUY, Pro Tools TDM and HD owners can now join in the fun.

Much more than just an audio and MIDI interface, Edirol's UA700 also incorporates a preamp with DSP effects, microphone and guitar amp modelling.

**** Score = 4/5 stars. A combination of melody lines and chordal riffs which evoke the golden age of soul.

Kenton's latest take on their affordable hardware control surface concept eschews the faders of previous Control Freaks in favour of 16 knobs. And it manages to be cheaper than the fader versions...

Mackie's new entry-level hard disk multitrack gives you all the convenience of hardware, but also allows you to transfer tracks to your computer via USB for more detailed editing and mixing.

Looking to experiment with surround sound but on a tight budget? This new system could provide the opportunity you've been looking for.

R3 comprises a five-band, fully parametric EQ design plus switchable-slope, variable-frequency high and low-pass filters.

This innovative VST Instrument from Steinberg and Wizoo aims to take the donkey work out of producing realistic sequenced guitar parts.

A choice of two stylish and affordable microphones, each complete with hard case, shockmount and wind shield.

TL Audio have updated their popular Ivory-series processors in response to feedback from their user base. We try out two of the updated units to see what's new.

**** Score = 4/5 stars. These 350 rhythmic stereo loops, at tempos between 40 and 180bpm, are designed to be layered behind your own drum programming to add greater depth and ambient interest.

Finding an affordable keyboard with a good weighted action and a healthy selection of sounds suitable for studio and live use isn't as easy as you might think. Could Yamaha's S08 be the Holy Grail?

Your computer's most fundamental system settings are stored in its BIOS. Modifying them can help increase performance and eliminate glitches, but it's not something to approach lightly...

Film tie-in Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets will be one of the most sophisticated video games ever created, and the soundtrack alone has taken the designers from Surrey to Seattle — by way of a school toilet...

There are now many different ways to record electric guitars, from miked-up valve amps to physical modelling preamps. So how do you decide which to use?

Hums, buzzes and noise were stopping Noor Ali recording his guitar parts, so SOS headed over to Worcestershire to set things straight.

How did they make that sound on a subtractive synth? We continue to dissect the analogue 'Acoustic Piano' Performance from Roland's 1986-vintage JX10.

In the second half of this two-part series, we pass on tips that make sequencer use easier, explain device layering, and add some hints for the new devices added to Reason in the v2 update.

We take a look at the EQ response of the Yamaha SW1000XG soundcard, the possibility of disabling the SMBus to gain an extra IRQ, and more advice on managing your updates.

Can you advise on the powering and positioning of Behringer's Truth monitors? How can I control proximity effect? Why do speaker stands have spikes? Will Steinberg's Virtual Guitarist run on my PC? Will replacing my carpet with laminate affect the acoustics? Can you recommend a second-hand sampler with a floppy drive? How can I get broadcast masters to sound louder?

Isn't it time that the convergence of user interface design amongst the virtual instrument market began to happen on hardware recorders?

Like many other musicians, the impact of modern computer-recording technology brought a huge step forward in the quality Ron could achieve with his home studio setup...

Pioneering electro-pop duo Soft Cell are back with a new album, seeking to combine the best of old and new production techniques.

Like authenticity, inspiration can't be bought and sold. Instead, it hides in all sorts of strange places and the only way to find it is to look...

Tim Ryan, founder of Midiman (now better known as M-Audio) has successfully changed his company from a manufacturer of affordable sync boxes for MIDI sequencers into the fastest-growing American music-technology outfit. We find out where he's taking them next.

We've discussed how to set up your label and integrate it with the UK music business. But how you run it from day to day, and who you employ to help, is up to you. We look at how two own-label bosses manage...

Cutting-edge innovation is by no means a guarantee of commercial success, but Korg have had a flair for both - although not always simultaneously. We look at how this continued to be true throughout the '90s to the present, when the company pushed the boundaries of physical modelling while refining their world-beating workstations.