February 2013 Magazine Contents

The legendary MPC brand is reborn in a form that aims to marry its famous hands-on ethos with the unlimited possibilities of the software world. Does the combination work?

Audiobus allows you to pass the audio output from one app to the input of another in real time by creating an inter‑app 'audio cable'.

Most mic bundles economise on their included models, but Audix’s BandPack series features some of their leading designs. John Gatski takes a look.

Electro-Harmonix' Superego effect is a spin-off from their Freeze pedal, which was itself derived from one of their 'infinite...

Could Eve’s DSP-based approach to monitor design tempt users away from the more established brands?

If you want to know how your mixes match up to commercial masters, Harbal will show you!

With its compact dimensions, the Nano certainly lives up to its name, but does it live up to HK’s reputation for quality sound?

Electronic musician Ian Boddy's latest work, Analogue Workshop 1, promises to be the first in a series of libraries, each one focusing on a particular aspect of modular synthesis.

We're told repeatedly that the future of music is in downloads, and a primary source of downloaded music is Apple's iTunes

The iPolysix app faithfully recreates the original synth's architecture, which had six VCOs, one for each of its six voices. Does it do the original justice?

Analogue drum machines are a rare species these days, so it’s a huge relief that a breeding pair have been found in Berlin...

Kontakt

Tubey or not tubey? That is the question you can answer with the help of these affordable preamps!

Real Sound Lab’s innovative speaker correction system provides high-precision equalisation tailored to your monitors and your room.

The Integra 7 might at first glance seem to be a Jupiter in rack form, but it turns out there’s more to it than that — much, much more...

Samplr is a modestly-named app for sample and loop manipulation, notable for making superb use of the iPad's multi-touch surface to stretch, transpose, play and twist up to six samples.

With a pair of digitally controlled analogue filters, the Wahoo promises to provide the full spectrum of wah and filter effects, including something completely new...

One of the giants of the Windows audio world has made it to the Mac at last. Was it worth the wait?

Rising from the mist of old England comes the successor to Spitfire’s flagship orchestral library.

Is there a place for MADI audio interfacing in the project studio? SSL believe there is, and offer a range of interfaces to fill it.

Steinberg's DAW software has received perhaps its biggest shake-up to date, with a redesigned mixer and some clever chord functions.

If you value quality monitoring, it’s worth investing in a good pair of headphones. Here’s a selection of premium models from some of the leading manufacturers, with links to the SOS review where available.

Almost three years since we reviewed the original version of Vic Keary’s impressive summing mixer, it’s time to test-drive Version II — and a special Limited Edition.

Audio files to accompany the article

Expansion kit for EZDrummer

Elastik 2

Warm Audio are a relatively new Texas-based company who have set out to produce a world-class preamp for rather less than a world-class price.

It might look like a simple analogue desk, but beneath the MGP16X’s familiar exterior lies some extensive digital processing.

The Holy Grail of location recording is the ability to isolate the sound of a source from that of the space in which it was recorded. Have Zynaptiq found it?

From the conventional to the chaotic, Live’s Operator synth does it all.

In-ear monitoring is becoming a practical option for musicians and engineers at all levels. Is it time you made the switch?

Can you record and produce entirely on your iPad? Let’s examine the ins and outs...

Take a guided tour of Reason’s automation armoury.

Studio One’s automation model might not seem very straightforward, but it can be extremely flexible...

DP8 for Mac has finally arrived — so here’s an upgrader’s guide to some of its new features.

Their latest album saw Aerosmith return to their roots, with Jack Douglas in the producer’s chair. But it wasn’t all retro...

The Jesusonic collection might not be the prettiest of Reaper’s plug-ins, but there’s more to them than meets the eye.

Pro Tools can integrate external hardware into its mixer, and even compensate for the delay that this introduces.

Parallel compression is a powerful mixing technique, but it’s often misunderstood. Read on to find out what it really does — and how it can help you make better mixes.

Early adopters of the Microsoft Surface could be frustrated by cut-down software and uncertain support from third-party app developers.

Documentary films stand or fall on the strength of their soundtracks — and when you are recording the emotional outpourings of a world leader, there are no second takes.

Audio to accompany the article

This month, our engineer gets roped into the writing and arrangement process as he tracks cello parts in a living room.

Like a bird on the wing, we travel over the sea to Skye to help last year’s SOS Awards prize winner set up his brand-new studio!

Having built our own beat repeater in Logic last time, let’s now see what more we can do with it...

I have to edit eight tracks of drums on six songs. Generally there are four to six takes. I'm using Cubase 5 and would like to...

A recording of mine is suffering from excessive sibilance, so I have tried processing it using a de-esser. The problem is that...

I've been wondering: when was recording to a click first used? And when did it start to become widely used?

I often read recommendations to mix with compressors/limiters in the main bus so we can adjust to the effects of mastering...

Signed to Harvest, Janus made one album — and hated the way it sounded. Four decades later, they finally got the chance to mix it properly...

Recent Q&A seminars with readers have proved enlightening...

Silken Ladders, Rake Wickman, 21st Sentry, Angels In Architecture, Cat & Cage, Al Fleeman, Music To Drive Tanks To, Jon Durant.

Music is not the universal language. You’re thinking of Esperanto.

We examine the production of some recent hit records by Alex Clare, DJ Fresh, Wiley, Cheryl, Loreen and The Saturdays.

TV composers usually work at a safe distance, but you can’t beat the excitement of a big live spectacular.

Traditional and home studios haven’t always seen eye to eye, but there may still be room for both types in this ever-changing industry.

We take a look at the renamed Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) studio.