July 2011 Magazine Contents

If there's one thing the world isn't short of, it's drum sample libraries, and with huge and expandable instruments from the...

Your bargain DSLR may be able to shoot wonderful cinematic video, but its audio quality and connectivity are unlikely to meet a Sound On Sound reader’s high standards. Beachtek suggest a compact solution...

Produced by Funk/Soul productions for Big Fish Audio, Ambient Skyline provides a hefty collection of loops and one‑shot...

Detroit and Motown: two names that both evoke a rich musical heritage and still continue to provide a major...

What can you do with a mixer plug‑in that operates on a single track? With Blue Cat Audio’s innovative MIDI side‑chaining system, the sky’s the limit.

This novel preamp design features a variable impedance and slew rate — which opens up a whole new world of possibilities from your mic locker...

Test plots to accompany the article.

Paul White checks out three VST plug-ins for this month's folder.

Some synths sound great, but lack hands‑on control. That’s where the Patch Editor comes in...

Korg’s analogue renaissance continues with the Monotribe groovebox. If last year’s Monotron knocked your socks off, this should leave you completely trouserless...

Lexicon are synonymous with high‑end reverb, but also make versatile multi‑effects units. Now they’ve spun off the delays, pitch‑shift algorithms and special effects from their PCM boxes into a new plug‑in bundle.

Paul White plugs his guitar in and strums away, all in the name of reviewing this effects pedal!

In our new App column, Jules Harding looks at three iOS-compatible Apps: • Harmonicdog Multitrack DAW • IK AmpliTube and iRig Adaptor • IK AmpliTube Fender

These compact monitors from Swiss company PSI incorporate some very clever technology, including ‘Class‑G’ amplification, that helps put them in a class of their own!

Can a 30‑year old algorithm in a tiny blue box really be at the cutting edge of room simulation? The answer to that question would appear to be “yes”.

Rycote's resilient plastic lyre suspension system quickly established itself as a 'better mousetrap' microphone...

R2D2 meets podcasting! Matt Houghton investigates...

The Ondes Martenot is as rare as it is hard to sample, leaving its distinctive sounds beyond the reach of most of us — until Soniccouture decided to step in, that is...

This hybrid mic preamp can go from solid‑state clean to valve warmth — and for a surprisingly low price, too. Is there a catch?

This hands‑free take on the long‑established E-bow concept offers a promising new palette of sounds for the recording guitarist.

Violet bid for a place at the higher end of the mic market with this vintage-styled valve model. Will it turn out to be a real gem?

These audio files accompany the Violet Designs Garnet review that featured in SOS July 2011.

Sharpen your pointers for a crash course on drawing automation in Logic.

As the ’60s came to a close, Marvin Gaye was forced to ask some serious questions about the world as he found it; the result was the sublimely soulful piece of social commentary, ‘What’s Going On’.

For Pro Tools users who are tired of conventional effects, convolution plug‑ins open up a huge range of new possibilities.

Sound design isn’t just for special effects in the movies: it’s perfect for giving your music a unique twist.

Audio files to accompany the article.

Discover how to make the most of Live’s Effect Racks.

Why settle for harsh amp-simulator tones? Find out how to produce a more organic sound using Sonar X1’s Guitar Rig 4 LE plug-in.

Is the latest iMac ‘Ultimate’ the one to unseat the Mac Pro as the obvious choice for the studio?

Computing’s big names continue to offer more power in less space, as Intel pioneer new microprocessor technology and Seagate put even more data storage on your platter...

This month's DP Notes shows you how you can achieve MIDI mastery using the Graphic Editor.

Alison Krauss persuaded mix specialist Mike Shipley to return to engineering after a 10‑year gap — in a genre he’d never tackled. The result was a creative and commercial triumph.

Once again, Mix Rescue finds that the arrangement and harmonic structure of the song makes it difficult to mix. But we get by... with a little help from our online friends!

Audio files to accompany the article.

In part two of our short series, we dive deeper into Neptune, the pitch correction device that keeps on giving.• Read Part 1.

We discuss the sort of studio setup you need for voice-over work, and how you can start promoting and selling your services. • Read Part 1

Reaper’s ability to run multiple instances of plug-ins is impressive, but how do you keep track of them all and maintain optimum performance?

Cubase’s send effects aren’t just for reverb and delay!

Bass trapping can go a long way towards solving low-frequency problems in small rooms — but so, too, can monitor placement, as we find out in this month’s Studio SOS...

Vintage synths are perfect for sampling, and modern multisampling software makes the process easy and creatively rewarding. We show you how it’s done in our in‑depth guide.

I use a set of Roland DS50 monitors. According to the graph in the manual, the frequency response isn't what one would call...

I've come across the term 'submix' a few times recently. I can guess at what it means, but would like to know for sure. Can...

I'm buying my first pair of microphones, and my budget is limited. I want the microphones to perform well in church choir...

I often hear people saying that you have to have tracks mastered professionally, and that it's not something you can do...

I currently have a Yamaha P300 piano, which has built-in speakers and amplification and is ideal for me. However, I'm thinking...

I recently purchased a Thermionic Culture Little Bustard based on the review that appeared in Sound On Sound. All the inputs...

These audio files accompany the Sampling Vintage Synths article that featured in SOS July 2011.

Arctic Monkeys’ fourth album, Suck It And See, is a dazzling return to form — and to producer, long‑time collaborator and ‘fifth Monkey’ James Ford.

Are modern orchestral sample libraries really good enough to power an entire 90‑minute film score? Mark Russell found out the hard way...

Transforming Peter Gabriel’s Scratch My Back into an impressive live experience required an orchestra, a team of top engineers and just the right selection of gear.

Jiggo * New Town Triptych * Peyton Place * Herd of Instinct * AdamSK * The Apple Gies * Sticky Wickit * Royal Gala * Nick Stephenson

Jules Harding, SOS Video Media Editor, considers the effects of gear-lust.

A good friend of mine who once had the enviable job of recording Bono's vocal using a Yamaha AW16 in a hotel bedroom...

• Ke$ha 'We R Who We R' • Tinie Tempah 'Wonderman' • Alexis Jordan 'Good Girl' • Chris Brown 'Beautiful People'

Musicians and video makers alike could learn plenty from a new generation of online artists like Robin Schmidt, who expand and fund their work through social media and ‘crowd funding’.

To reach the top as a composer for the media, what you really need is ‘people skills’ — and the patience of saints.

Remasters and remixes are proven means of exploiting old records — but as the recent success of music-based video games has shown, there might be more mileage in un-mixing them...