March 2005 Magazine Contents

Arturia caught our attention with Storm, the virtual studio suite, but of late they have diversified into emulating classic hardware instruments. So how do they fare in their attempt to capture the mighty Minimoog in software?

Even the best weighted keyboards and sample libraries offer only an approximation to the feel and sound of an old-fashioned piano. So what if you just can't do without the real thing, but need to have your notes output as MIDI? Enter the Piano Bar from synth pioneers Bob Moog and Don Buchla...

Buzz Audio have combined their top-flight preamplification and compression circuitry with a new equaliser design to create a versatile front-end for recording.

The AMD Athlon 64-based music computers from UK retailer Dawsons Music offer performance comparable to the very fastest Pentium 4 CPUs, and are ready to take advantage of 64-bit music software once it becomes available.

These studio headphones provide excellent monitoring resolution at a surprisingly affordable price.

FL Studio has always been popular with those seeking a cost-effective, easy-to-use alternative to the 'big name' sequencers. The latest version adds a new drum sequencing tool, high-quality time-stretching and video support.

Long before its debut this Spring, the new keyboard workstation from Korg was already the subject of much speculation. We find out what's really going on inside the OASYS's sleek metal case.

KRK's well-known V Series has been overhauled, making these active monitors even more tempting for the home studio owner.

The simple idea of providing high-quality stereo I/O with well-written drivers helped M-Audio sell bucketloads of their original Audiophile soundcard. Its successor ups the ante in every respect, providing better sound quality, balanced I/O, dedicated monitor outputs and 192kHz support.

Three new Sample CD collections get the aural inspection from the SOS reviewers: The Operating Table **** • Cut'n It Up 3 **** • Drums On Demand Vol 3: Upbeat & Aggressive *****

If you want to get your hands on the latest VST Instruments and Plug-in effects, but don't fancy having a PC in your studio, Muse Research's Receptor could be the answer.

This new infinite-baffle 2.1 monitoring system incorporates some unusual technology, including cabinets cast from aluminium-zinc alloy. But do these innovations translate into a cutting-edge sound?

Although Numark's new CD deck is squarely aimed at live DJs, its intriguing feature set gives it the potential for serious studio use, and at a comparatively affordable price.

We check out another batch of plug-ins destined to find a place in your virtual rack.

Until now, MADI interfacing has been restricted to high-end digital desks, but RME's affordable hardware brings it to the project studio market. If you need a lot of inputs or outputs within an ASIO environment, their soundcard and 64-channel MADI-to-ADAT converter could be the perfect choice.

Rode redesign their well-known NT2, and achieve a class-leading noise floor in the process.

Giving a modern instrument the same name as a line of vintage analogues that have an assured place in the synth hall of fame invites comparisons. So is the Juno-D the rightful heir to the Juno throne or more of a young pretender?

This small mixer provides six phantom-powered mic preamps, two aux sends, and up to 16 inputs at mixdown.

If you're looking for a high-quality reverb with plenty of user control, Sony's Oxford Reverb might be just what you're after.

Synthogy's Ivory goes where no virtual piano has gone before, sampling three full-size grand pianos to form a detailed library more than 30GB in size — and all-in-one £189 plug-in!

Despite its modern-looking packaging, this new unit offers a classic sound.

Hot on the heels of FXpansion's colossal BFD comes another 30 Gigabyte sampled drum library with a software front-end. DFH Superior offers complete control over the spill between all the drums and mics in your virtual kit, as well as obsessive levels of multisampling!

Two of Zoom's budget studio effects processors have been re-released with a few modernisations. Are they still relevant in today's market?

Producer Stephen Hague took New Order into the studio with an ambitious brief: to write and record a single that would break the band in America.

Device Panels were introduced in Cubase SX 3 to enable the creation of on-screen interfaces for controlling MIDI devices. Here we look at how you can create one to control plug-ins.

Smooth your audio edits, create soundbites from beats, find out about tempo analysis and get the run-down on why you need the DP 4.52 update...

With affordable capacitor mics now flooding the market, more musicians than ever before have access to the means to make high-quality recordings. But if you are new to this type of mic, there are some important things you need to know to get good results without damaging your investment.

Learn how you can quickly program Transformer objects to mimic Ableton Live's useful 'user scales' feature, thus keeping transposed MIDI parts in key.

Apple kicked off a potentially exciting year for their customers at the 2005 Macworld show in San Francisco with a host of new and updated products, including the most affordable Macintosh computer the company has ever brought to market.

Is PC processing power finally matching the aspirations of PC musicians? PC Notes debates the issue, as well as bringing you another crop of news, tips and ideas.

We take a closer look at one of the more understated improvements introduced in the version 6.7 upgrade. What are tick-based audio tracks, how do they work, and what can you do with them?

This month we present a closer look at the RV7000 Advanced Reverb, plus a handful of effect-related hints and tips.

Celebrities from around the world were keen to contribute to a fund-raising single for victims of the Asian tsunami, and converting all of this goodwill into a finished record required innovative use of broadband Internet to collect together their performances.

Most hardware devices you use with your PC require drivers — but what happens to them and their associated files when you change the hardware or update to new drivers? Unfortunately, they hang about in various locations, cluttering your hard drive and storing up problems for the future. We explain how to make a clean sweep and get rid of them once and for all.

Sonar offers lots of useful metering options you may not even be aware of, so this month we run through them and why you might want to use them, as well as getting clever with colours and explaining how to make your screen setup a hint more transparent...

The SOS crew travel to an attic in Birmingham (UK) to help a drummer improve his recordings.

I've recently bought a couple of bits of recording gear from the US via eBay (I'm in the UK) and wondered if I have to run them off a transformer (240V to 110V) or whether they can run off 240V?

Is it possible to use a video patchbay, such as the one Studiospares sell, as an S/PDIF patchbay?

I have some sampled drum patterns that I am trying to loop. I find that they are losing sync over the course of the track. What's going wrong and how do I fix it?

I'll be recording a viola player to provide the string section for a track I'm working on. The plan is to track each part multiple times and thus create a string ensemble...

I am trying to recreate the famous gated reverb effect on Phil Collins's records. Can you tell me how the original effect was created?

I'd like to get my most excellent Mediatrix Audiotrix 3D-3G soundcard going with Windows XP Professional. Is there a possibility of locating drivers for it?

Listen online to the tracks whilst reading what some Music Producers Guild members think of the latest collection of SOS reader recordings.

Replies from the editorial team to more of your valued feedback.

Think your own music is good? Listen to these tracks from SOS readers and see whether you agree with the good Doctor's prognosis...

Myles MacInnes (aka Mylo) has given the dance world a wake-up call with his Destroy Rock & Roll album, blending house music and '80s soft rock to surprising effect.

What if Macs and PCs had been around in Elvis's day?

Producer, singer/songwriter Trevor Horn has been at the forefront of technological innovation since his earliest work with The Buggles, in a career that has yielded countless classic singles and albums.

Our esteemed leader speculates on the recently completed purchase of Steinberg by Yamaha, and what this might mean for musicians.

As Roland founder Ikutaro Kakehashi celebrates his 75th birthday, we conclude our history of this innovative company by coming right up to the end of 2004...