May 2013 Magazine Contents

When it comes to recording a live show, most recording rigs are either bulky or expensive — or both. The ICE 16, on the other hand, is neither...

It was surely only a matter of time before an iOS Minimoog appeared, and it's no surprise that Arturia are the company who've made it...

These compact speakers from venerable UK manufacturers ATC aren’t cheap — but does the quality on offer justify the asking price?

To say that the guitar pedal market is saturated would be a grand understatement: it's hard to fathom how a newcomer could...

500 Series rack format.

This hefty collection of ambient and chilled loops, hits and samples weighs in at just under 6GB, with all the usual formats covered over three DVDs.

Offering built-in mixing facilities and DSP functionality, there’s more to these self-powered speakers than meets the eye.

Clavia’s updated Electro range prove that if you need top-quality staple keyboard sounds, playability and simplicity, Nords still lead.

Available as an iPad, iPhone or iPad Touch app, Drum Loops HD is essentially a library of very nicely recorded,...

It’s not the cheapest mixer in its class, but with its built-in effects, graphic EQ and quality engineering, the PowerMate offers real value.

Not a company to do things by half, Elektron have combined their first analogue synth with an incredibly versatile sequencer.

Expansion Library For BFD2 & BFD Eco

IK’s flagship suite of plug-in processors continues to grow, with the addition of a channel strip and several handy multi-band modules.

Adding a mixer to an eight-channel preamp may not sound revolutionary, but if it all fits in a 1U rack case it could be very useful indeed!

For the best part of 20 years, musicians have been asking certain Japanese manufacturers for recreations of their classic synths, and finally one of them has been brave enough to do it. How does Korg’s reborn MS20 compare to its illustrious ancestor?

With the ability to blend between valve and solid-state circuitry, Lewitt’s LCT940 is a genuinely innovative and versatile microphone.

Radial’s latest pair of problem-solvers let you compare multiple mics using a single preamp, or switch a single mic between several preamps.

How close have this boutique company come to recreating the sound of a vintage AKG C12?

Audio files to accompany this month's article.

To make the best use of the iPhone's 24-bit, 96kHz recording capability, you need a good microphone — which is where the Rode iXY comes in...

The ‘Ricky’ bass sound graces many a classic track. Have Scarbee nailed its distinctive qualities?

Few product launches have attracted as much attention as Slate’s touchscreen controller. Is the Raven the future of DAW control — or an oversized iPad?

With user-configurable valve stages, the option of transformer-coupling and more besides, Sonic Farm’s preamp provides a broad palette of tonal options.

The makers of VocAlign have built on its capabilities, creating software that can not only match the timing of vocal parts, but their pitch and level too.

Retro-style amp cabinet

Three-way monitors have traditionally lived at the top end of the market, but there’s now a good choice of models on offer in the sub-£2000 $3000 category. Here’s a selection of recent options, with links to the SOS reviews where available.

Designed to work with the Roland GK-series pickup.

Apple's iPad seems to have wormed its way into both live and recorded music in a big way, so having some way to hold the thing securely in the right position is a must...

A massive string ensembles library with individual player control is the latest development in VSL’s product line.

There are plenty of libraries that are emblazoned with the label 'Cinematic', and they often concentrate on larger-than-life...

Discover the advanced features of Mission Control and get your desktop in order.

Try out some ’80s-style high-frequency enhancement by recreating the famous ‘Dolby A’ trick with Cubase’s bundled plug-ins.

Audio files to accompany the article.

The harmonica, or blues harp, appears on tracks in many genres. Despite its apparently simple construction, it’s an amazingly expressive instrument — and there are almost as many ways to record it as there are to play it.

Audio files to accompany the article.

Pulp’s infectiously catchy commentary on the joys of class tourism helped propel the group to fame after nearly two decades of obscurity. Engineer David Nicholas tells us how ‘Common People’ was recorded.

Live offers all the tools you need for quick and convenient comping: you just need to know where to look.

Get to grips with the marquee tool’s endless possibilities, and you could soon be a Logic power user.

When Pro Tools loses track of the media files used in a session, you need to turn detective...

Audio files to accompany the Cristina Vane article.

Putting in the effort at the front end of the production process can save countless hours when it comes to mixdown — as this month’s remix demonstrates.

Windows 8 sales are still disappointing, but at least third-party developers are continuing to improve our user experience.

DP still has its full share of virtual guitar amps and pedals, reverb and chorus plug-ins — but version 8 also introduced some quality problem-solvers.

Optimise your vocal tracks in Sonar X2 before you start mixing.

DI boxes are essential pieces of stage equipment, but to get the most out of them, it helps to know what they do — and how they do it...

The landmark Reason v7 is about to arrive. What will it do for you?

Among Samplitude Pro X’s unique features is spectral editing in the main project window. Here’s how it works.

Video tutorial to accompany this month's article.

Explore and learn to use Studio One 2’s Audioloop and Musicloop formats.

Not only did the Les Misérables crew have to capture live singing on a film set: they then had to figure out how to overdub orchestral arrangements to it!

I have a question about recording percussion — in particular, tuned percussion. Why is it that some sound engineers can record without a massive impact when a mallet strikes a bar, and others can't?

The line inputs on my computer interface are all balanced on TRS sockets, but the outputs of my hardware synths are all unbalanced on mono TS sockets...

I've had a home studio for a few years now that I use mainly for my own projects and some commissioned work. I'm occasionally...

When I look at the waveform of a vocal recording, it looks lop-sided, with the waveform going further above the zero-crossing...

This month we feature: Vadim Mikhailov, Mr Smith, Jeff Lowe, Rough Twist, Kristy Gallacher, Wilderspin and SuperCool-Guy.

How can you build something from nothing when no one tells you anything?

Many bands record their own albums these days, but few achieve as much with as little gear as Stornoway.

This month's productions: Angel, Simple Plan featuring Sean Paul, Lawson and classic mix AC/DC's Back In Black from 1980.

Paul White considers his annual studio clean-up!

When RCA abandoned ribbon mics, Wes Dooley of AEA believed they still had a place in the modern studio — so he set about making his own.

The people who are paying us don’t always notice when we drop the ball — but it’s a matter of pride.

Home studios make it easier for musicians and engineers to work on their own — but is that always a good thing?

We step inside one of the longest established residential studios in the UK.