August 2019 Magazine Contents

Audio Modeling's SWAM range delivers a complete suite of virtual solo woodwinds and strings.

Struggling to make amp modelling work on stage? Something just 'not quite right' in the feel? Maybe Celestion's new speaker will make all the difference.

Clearly believing that more is more, Cherry Audio's Voltage Modular combines a user-friendly interface with a very generous selection of modules.

Technology has moved on in the 10 years since the original D Box was released — but the concept seems stronger than ever.

Oh dear. Towards the end of my article on working with Ambisonic audio in Logic Pro X (SOS June 2019:...

EastWest set themselves a technical challenge and a half with this solo operatic vocal instrument.

Little Mikey is a classic preamp in a sturdy 8HP module, designed to get your instrument and live microphone signals into the modular as cleanly as possible.

The latest generation of Focusrite's extensive Scarlett range offers something for every budget.

Intellijel's Steppy is a four-track programmable gate sequencer that combines an impressive feature set with a tiny footprint.

At one time every studio had a 'grot box' speaker to reveal how their material would sound on TV sets and portable transistor...

ACID Pro is the original loop-based remixing program, and the Next version opens up new possibilities thanks to the intriguing Stem Maker.

The Moog One is the most ambitious instrument the company have ever built. We put it through its paces in our world exclusive review.

The S88 MkII offers a high-quality weighted keyboard and even tighter computer integration.

Rating: ***** 5/5 Stars. Noire is the result of composer and pianist Nils Frahm's quest to recreate his signature piano sound as a virtual instrument.

The aim of most reverb plug-ins is to emulate something else, whether that be the sound of a real acoustic space, a vintage...

This column PA system from RCF incorporates a digital mixer plus Softube guitar-amp modelling. Could it be all you need to take with you for small gigs?

Audinate's Dante AoIP (audio over IP) format is fast becoming the de facto standard for large-scale multichannel...

Rating: ***** 5/5 Stars. Modern Animated Percussion represents a collaboration between two well-established sample library/virtual instrument developers: Sample Logic and Soundiron.

The Filterbank's status as an analogue sound mangler is legendary. Can this smaller variant keep it relevant in the modern world?

FM synthesis, virtual analogue synthesis, 8-bit wavetable synthesis, noise synthesis, granular synthesis... The Sonicware ELZ‑1 has got it all!

Spitfire's Ambient Guitars takes the humble six-string into new and uncharted sonic territory.

Rating: **** 4/5 Stars. British Drama Toolkit consists of eight solo string and woodwind instruments separately recorded from two mic positions in a purpose-built dry stage at Spitfire's HQ.

The TC 2290-DT is part plug-in, part hardware: the bus-powered USB 2 device acts as both dongle and control surface...

Tiptop are back again with one of those unglamorous modules you're going to end up using in every patch, a 10HP utility...

By changing their manufacturing approach, Trident aim to offer their big-console sound and facilities at a much lower price.

The result of a collaboration between bassist Wayne Jones and sound engineer Steve Scanlon, these Australian-made midfield monitors may look retro, but inside there's some serious DSP going on!

Ableton Live 10.1, the first incremental upgrade to Live 10, has something for everyone and multiple improvements for most users.

Cubase Pro 10's Audio Alignment Panel can do more than just deliver tight backing vocals!

Cubase Pro 10's Audio Alignment Panel can do more than just deliver tight backing vocals!

What does it take to transform a composer's sample-based demo into a form that real musicians can read and play?

We show you how to get Reason and your hardware or software modular synths speaking the same language.

Lil Nas X's novel mash-up of trap and country provided an unexpected showcase for the talents of a leading vocal producer and mixer.

Logic's MIDI plug-ins are great, but getting access to the data they output can be tricky. Here's how it's done...

The iLok system is here to stay, but there are now more alternatives to a physical dongle.

Some creative thinking and a little DIY pay real sonic dividends when recording four vocalists.

Listen to these audio examples which accompany this month's Session Notes workshop.

The new MIDI Note Actions introduced in Studio One 4.5 offer intriguing creative possibilities.

Hal Ritson of mashup electronica act The Young Punx teams up with drummer Alex Reeves at SNAP! Studios. Their aim? To recreate the unique sound of Police drummer Stewart Copeland.

I want to run two balanced microphone signals down one four-core screened cable, using five-pin XLRs at both ends, with short dual-XLR3-to-XLR5 splitter leads at each end. Are there any inherent disadvantages of doing this?

For years I've noticed crossfades between two audio files don't behave predictably. I always thought the logarithmic shape was fool-proof, but is it programme-dependent?

How do you differentiate between the following terms: saturation, harmonics, distortion, overdrive? Are all of these just similar terms with different names?

Louis Bell's unique perspective on songwriting and production has brought massive success with acts such as Post Malone, Jess Glynne and Selena Gomez.

Industry veteran Phil Dudderidge, now 70, may have plenty to look back on, but he’s still looking forward as Focusrite enters its 30th year.

Brush up on your listening skills with our analysis of recent hits from Lauren Daigle, Stormzy, Meduza (featuring Goodboys), Tom Walker and a 1966 classic from The Beach Boys.

Fretless bass: the instrument that dare not speak its name. It had its 15 minutes of fame in the '80s, when almost every bass player who'd caught a glorious moment of Jaco Pastorius in Weather Report or in Joni Mitchell's band had a go at fretless...

As the 'smart home' revolution takes off, will we ever see the 'smart studio'?

If you want to build a studio in England's capital, you're faced with what Giles Barrett from the Soup Studio team calls the...

One of the best-selling albums of all time was mixed on a long-forgotten experimental hi-fi speaker. Forty years later, are Philips' innovations finally catching on?