June 2010 Magazine Contents

Apogee enter the software guitar-amp controller fray promising tight integration with all things Apple...

Avantone have added on-board amplification to their contemporary take on the classic Horrortone secondary monitor, and the result is something quite special...

4*

Wouldnt it be nice if there was a pro-quality D-A converter on the market that was truly portable? Centrance aim to give us exactly that...

From sports to computer programming, it seems that theres an extreme version of everything these days. So what is extreme sample conversion, and how is it better than the ordinary kind?

This small but mighty orchestral package continues to square up to the big guys.

If you actually owned every amplifier, stomp box and microphone thats emulated in Amplitube 3, youd need a bigger house. But does more always equal better?

This compressor offers automatic time constants to help to keep things sounding natural, even with plenty of gain reduction. Is it a weapon worth adding to your arsenal of mix tools?

We get hands-on with Korgs touchy-feely new synth.

This latest collection from Loopmasters comes courtesy of noted DJ, producer and remixer Tim Healey and production partner Marc Adamo, and weighs in at a hefty 3.9GB.

Back in 1994, jungle producer Renegade (aka Ray Keith) released a record called 'The Terrorist', and it's probably fair to say that the jungle and drum & bass scenes haven't been the same since.

The Receptor lets you use VST plug-ins without a computer. How does V2 improve on the original?

For the latest addition to the Real range, Music Lab have turned their expert attention to the classic Les Paul Custom.

There are few pieces of soundtrack furniture better guaranteed to get that adrenalin surging than a team of perspiring percussionists giving their instruments a good drubbing. 

Can a ribbon mic really offer professional polish at such a bargain price?

Better known for their high-end modular outboard processors, Tonelux have scaled their EQ up to full rack size. Does more space mean a better feature set?

When it comes to convincing simulation of guitar amps, cabinets, speakers and microphones, a few hardware manufacturers seem to be pushing the boundaries. Will the Torpedo blast the competition out of the water?

Isolating your guitar cabinet allows you to crank up your amp on recording sessions — but without deafening the neighbours!

Yamahas new flagship stage piano is unashamedly specialist and expensive. How does it rank alongside the best sampled and modelled alternatives, or indeed the original instruments it strives to emulate?

Zooms H4N audio recorder has been very well received. Can the new Q3 repeat that success by throwing in video as well?

New to the world of video production and unsure what to buy? Our guide to the five best options in three software and hardware categories will get you started.

In the second part of this short introductory series, we cover the more technical aspects of film-making, demystifying some of the jargon that might trip up the video newbie.

The expanded audio clip slicing introduced in Live 8 is a powerful creative tool. We show you how it works.

You can get the amp and stomp-box collection youve always wanted now that Logic offers Pedalboard and Amp Designer.

Reason doesnt have a dedicated multi-band compressor, but that doesnt mean you cant build your own.

Plug-ins are likely to be integral to how you work, so its worth making sure theyre organised and well behaved.

Upgrading a studio in Clacton.

In 1968, Tommy James made a dramatic stylistic turnaround, swapping bubblegum pop for full-blown psychedelic rock. The result was the superlative single Crimson & Clover.

Waves ground-breaking Vocal Rider plug-in takes the pain out of vocal level-automation, but if your budget cant stretch that far, you can get part of the way there using nothing more than Cubase 5s built-in processors.

Audio files in our SoundCloud player, with downloadable high-res WAVs for your convenience.

Can an external clock signal really improve the performance of your digital audio devices? We put seven of the best master clocks through their paces to sort out the facts from the myths.

If your bedroom studio is more bedroom than studio, you might think that recording bands is beyond your powers. But where theres a primary school, church hall or industrial unit, theres a space you can use...

Listen to streaming MP3 Audio files in our SoundCloud player, with downloadable hi-res WAVs for your convenience.

Know how to use the Pro Tools master fader properly and you need never suffer clipping in your mixes again.

Is Apples latest product simply a great lifestyle device, or is it also the next great tool for musicians?

This month, we breathe life into a track by restructuring it to avoid unnecessary repetition, adding subtle new parts, employing various mix tricks and finally applying a little DIY 'mastering' polish...

This month, we breathe life into a track by restructuring it to avoid unnecessary repetition, adding subtle new parts, employing various mix tricks and finally applying a little DIY 'mastering' polish...

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The Starcraft players of South Korea are the ultimate computer power users, and their skills and strategies have the potential to transform your DAW sessions.

Sometimes the simplest-sounding music takes the most work to get right, and so it was with Johnny Cashs posthumous hit album American VI: Aint No Grave. Engineer and mixer David R Ferguson was on hand at every stage of Rick Rubins production.

SoundCloud is a web-based tool for digital musicians to streamline the process of hosting and distributing audio. It simplifies and optimises the previously laborious process of moving music on the web, allowing users to effortlessly upload tracks and share them anywhere on the web.

Not everyone has yet made the leap to Windows 7, so if youre a musician, what are the benefits of upgrading?

Having just completed a few tracks I'm really pleased with, I'd like to take the plunge and start putting my music on the...

I'm mixing a female pop/rock band and I'm struggling with getting the vocals to sit in the mix. They were recorded with a Rode...

Why are there specific systems like SADiE, CEDAR, Sonic Solutions to master with, as opposed to, say, Logic, Cubase and Pro...

I am attempting to record a violin for the first time. I want a nice deep sound, but am unsure about using stereo mic...

My Macbook Pro has run out of grunt for what I'm doing, so I am considering upgrading to the iMac i7. However, I have a ...

I've just bought a new MIDI controller keyboard that has a selection of velocity curves. How should I go about choosing which...

What is the point of investing hard-won money into quality mics, preamps and so-forth, if your recording room's acoustics are letting the side down and colouring your mixes?

Phil Thornalley learned his trade as a rock engineer and producer in the 80s. Then he co-wrote a little-known song called Torn...

Find out how to use our SoundCloud.com account to submit your review tracks to SOS.

Every new Porcupine Tree album sells over a quarter of a million copies. And with founder Steven Wilson in control of everything from songwriting to shrink-wrapping, theres no middle man to take a cut. Read his valuable advice for SOS readers wishing to do likewise...

Fully-matured adults openly sniggering at the F-word has riled our Columns Editor, Nell. Read on to find out why...

How to get ahead in the business? Honour thy deadlines, have no other gods before work, and dont commit murder unless theres a particularly juicy commission at stake.