April 2017 Magazine Contents

The return of the stand-alone MPC exceeds expectations.

Apogee’s latest audio interfaces eschew physical controls to keep the price as attractive as the audio quality. Can the convenience of software really replace the allure of flashing lights and knobs?

Blue’s classy — and enormous! — valve mic kit lets you swap between four different capsules for a range of modern and vintage sounds.

The CP-1X is no typical guitar compressor pedal. It employs Boss’s proprietary Multi-Dimensional Processing (MDP) technology, which analyses various aspects of the incoming signal in real time and then responds by optimising the digital processing for the source.

With Apple’s AU plug-in format for iOS finally beginning to gain some traction, we check out Bram Bos's 

latest ‘this is not a 303’ offering...

The Nord Drum 3P combines the brain and pads of previous models into a powerful percussive package.

Innovation in music technology doesn’t have to be digital, or even electronic. This partial guitar capo lets you choose whether to capo each string. Its makers claim that this provides near-instant access to over 900 alternate tunings...

This third modular outing, DSM03, introduces tuned feedback — an important component in DSI synths ranging from the little desktop Evolver of 2003 up to the recent Pro 2.

Most cable testers are designed to test loose cables, like guitar or mic leads, where both ends can be brought to the test box. The CT3  allows for this, but it’s designed also to test installed cables.

The Red 8Pre is the new flagship of Focusrite’s audio interface range. Is it their best yet?

Could this transformer- and valve-laden preamp bring some analogue magic to your recordings?

The iRig HD 2 compliments IK’s series of compact audio interfaces designed to record guitar, bass guitar and line-level devices with minimum fuss on an iOS device or computer.

I recently wanted to rig a three-mic stereo array, comprising a SoundField ST-450 mic in the centre with omni outriggers...

Manger’s unique approach to driver design yields a monitor with exceptional time-domain performance — but it comes at a cost.

When Microsoft announced the all-in-one Surface Studio last October, the company also unveiled a new input device called the Surface Dial...

Designed especially for guitar amps, MXL’s new dynamic mic lets you blend between two capsules to get the sound you want.

Ribbon tweeters are usually associated with studio monitoring, but Peavey’s classy new speaker proves they have a place in PA too.

The latest iteration of Peavey’s modelling software not only allows you to build your own virtual guitar amps, but to ‘profile’ real ones.

Explore the ups and downs of Phoenix’s transformer-laden tone control...

So feature-laden is QSC’s newest TouchMix digital mixer that the question is no longer “Who would want one?” but “Who wouldn’t?”

This modest-looking box is among the best-performing two-way converters available, and boasts a huge array of thoughtful features.

Roland’s EC-10M turns any cajon into an electronic percussion generator.

Described as a Programmable Universal CV Generator, the Control Forge can serve as a multi-stage envelope, a complex LFO or a sequencer...

This compact powered foldback speaker puts your vocal sound right where you need it!

Tucked away behind the unassuming title is a sample-based drum instrument that manages to deliver something rather special...

It has to be said that musicians are not short of choice when it come to vowel-based choir sounds. Vir2’s latest addition to this broad and well-stocked selection box is Aeris Hybrid Choir Designer, a Kontakt-based sample library.

As its name implies, the Montage combines multiple technologies within a single, powerful instrument. But does it have what it takes to be the market leader Yamaha want it to be?

Ethera is meant to sound ethereal, and it can’t be denied that Clara Sorace, whose vocal performances were sampled to create this 3.4GB Kontakt library, definitely leans more towards Enya than Aretha...

Neneh Cherry’s breakthrough 1988 single melded hip-hop and cut-and-paste sampling into a perfect pop record.

We show you how to get creative with the crossfader in Ableton Live.

Amongst Cubase 9’s new features is a whole new track type dedicated to quick and easy sampling.

Achieving a naturalistic sound on a Hollywood film set isn’t easy — but was central to director Damien Chazelle’s vision for La La Land.

A list of all articles that hold the associated media files for April 2017 audio examples and video tutorials.

Is it possible to transfer everything from your existing Windows music computer to a new machine, or should you start afresh?

Thoughtfully prepared DAW templates can leave you with more time for the creative and musical side of mixing.

We look at the most popular Pro Tools feature requests, and explain how you can adapt where they haven’t yet been implemented.

It sometimes makes economic sense to use a commercial studio, and you’ll often learn a thing or two while you’re there as well.

We look at different ways to slice audio in Reason.

Add artificial stereo width to guitars in your Studio One mixes.

The Studio SOS team put their DIY skills to the test, constructing a new studio desk and optimising a home studio’s acoustics.

Creating alien worlds, bringing droids to life and giving Star Wars more realism. We talk sound design and foley with the team behind the critically-acclaimed Rogue One.

We explore the new Track Alternatives feature added to the recent Logic Pro 10.3 update.

Reaper’s Stretch Markers feature intelligent linking, which can ease the burden of manual vocal alignment.

I recently bought a Zoom H6 recorder, and am confused how its Mid-Sides recording works. Could you explain?

I’ve recently bought an iMac and would be grateful for any advice on how to set up the hard drives for music...

Most of my connectors and cables were bought second-hand, but some are blemished and I wonder if you could give a little advice as to what would be the best way to clean the connectors?

As I suspected might be the case, this year’s NAMM show turned out to be mainly evolutionary rather than revolutionary...

Dieter Doepfer is known as the founding father of Eurorack, the modular format that now dominates all others — but how did it all come about?

Speak like an idiot or sound intelligent: take your pick. You can’t do both...

This month: Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) • Ed Sheeran • Sean Paul featuring Dua Lipa • Jax Jones featuring Raye • Clean Bandit featuring Sean Paul & Anne-Marie • Classic Mix: Mungo Jerry ‘In The Summertime’ (1970)

With a floor space of over 500 square metres, spread across three rooms, Grande Armée is among the largest recording studios in the world, and certainly is one of the most spacious in France.

Being precious about your artistic sensibilities is all very well — as long as you don’t mind no-one ever hearing your music.

As expectations for live performances increase, the line between stage and studio engineering blurs.