Continuing the recent tradition for wedding software-instrument front ends to vast sample libraries, Ra is a 14Gigabyte collection of exotic and 'world' instruments with an NI Kompakt wrapper...
Echo are the latest soundcard manufacturer to move into the market for Firewire interfaces, and the flagship of their range promises 12-channel analogue I/O with pristine sound quality.
Hollow Sun's vintage keyboard sounds go against all the current sample-library trends, being supplied on CD-ROM rather than on dedicated hard drives, and weighing in at Megabytes in size, not Gigabytes. But how do they sound...?
The price of MIDI keyboard controllers has tumbled over the past few years, and Ion clearly feel it's time the same thing happened to MIDI drum kits. Their IED01 costs £299 and includes five pads, two pedals, and the stand!
This new master clock generator from Mutec can transmit a bewildering array of clock signals at many different rates simultaneously. Does your studio need one?
Part 2: We conclude our review of Roland's fabulous new rackmount synth, and look at the built-in VC1 and VC2 cards, which respectively convert the V-Synth XT into a fully functioning D50 and a powerful vocal-processing synth.
Viewed by many musicians as the modern standard in computer-based score-writing software, Sibelius has an impressive pedigree and reputation. Following the success of three releases on the Mac and Windows platform, can it maintain its simple user interface as the powerful feature-set continues to expand?
Hardware control surfaces promise to make working with a software DAW more intuitive and 'hands on'. Tascam's new offering has more knobs and faders than most, but also keeps things deliberately simple. Is it an essential accessory, or an expensive gadget?
Propellerheads have always had a rather unusual approach to beta-testing, routinely involving thousands of registered users. We talk to the Props about how it's done.
Producer: Ron Richards, The Hollies • Engineer: Alan Parsons
The Hollies were the third artist in as many years to cut Albert Hammond and Mike Hazelwood's pop ballad, yet it was their version that became a worldwide top 10 hit. In 1974, Alan Parsons was behind the mixing desk at Abbey Road for the recording.
Click with a new metronome, tune up a pitch correction problem and stop that annoying whistling. In short, catch up with the latest from MOTU's wonderful world of Digital Performer...
We explore a powerful Audio Units plug-in host application you might not realise you already own, called AU Lab. Plus news of the multi-button Apple mouse and Intel architecture changes...
The new PC interfacing standards of USB and Firewire brought with them the promise of 'hot-plugging' and easy interconnection. But some musicians have discovered, to their cost, that the reality doesn't always live up to the promise. We investigate...
More news of what's cooking in the world of Windows — but first, why it might be time to ditch Internet Explorer in favour of Mozilla's Firefox browser...
Last month we discussed how to prepare mixes so that they are ready for the mastering engineer. This month, we look inside the mastering room during the processing of an album, to see what kind of equipment is used, and the sort of processes that are applied to finish the tracks to the required standard.
Reason mixes can sound superbly fat and punchy, thanks to the array of tools the software puts at your disposal. We adapt some traditional mixing know-how to the Reason platform and offer device-specific tips to help you improve your mixes.
Sonar technology takes over Cakewalk's entire product line, from low to high end, while the Studio and Producer editions get an audio engine tune-up. Read all about it...
Having introduced the concept of looping, velocity switching, and multisampling, it's time to actually make some samples. We give you a few hard-won tips that can make your life easier on the way.
Move over Auto-Tune: Digital Performer v4.6's new Pitch Automation features are fully integrated into the program and provide considerable power over all aspects of pitch. We explain how they work and take you through some practical examples.
I've spent years dabbling with studio technology, but when get a few spare minutes to actually sit down and create music, I seem to be devoid of inspiration. Can you offer advice?
Production pioneers Massive Attack are going through exciting times — they've built an awesome recording studio, moved into surround soundtrack work, and they have a new album on the way. We take a spin around their new workspace.
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