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47 Articles

Few realms of music technology can eat into your hard earned savings quite as rapidly as modular synthesis. Modular synths can be powerful things and are nearly endless in scope, but those possibilities come with serious cost. Pick up an some oscillators or voices, a filter, amp, a few utilities, maybe a sequencer to control it all – before you know it the price tag can run into the thousands of dollars, and that's without even considering a case to power and house it all. I might sound like I'm trying to talk you out of the concept of modular synthesis completely; I'm not, few approaches can be as fun and endlessly creative. The point, however, is that to avoid wasting your hard-earned cash, it's a good idea to approach…

SSL's UF1 DAW controller promises to “set a new standard”

em NEW GEAR |NEWS The idea that you can take “comprehensive” charge of your DAW using a single fader controller might seem illogical, but that's the claim that SSL is making on behalf of the UF1. This new controller might be the UF8's (much) smaller sibling, but it's still said to pack in the features. As well as the 100mm motorized fader you also get dual high-resolution displays, soft-feel rubber keys and a weighted jog wheel, all wrapped up in a metal chassis. You're also able to control your DAW's pan settings, sends and plugins, and customize the 46 soft keys to suit your workflow. Plus, the UF1 integrates tightly with the new SSL Meter plugin and existing 360° software. The device can actually control up to three DAWs simultaneously, and…

SSL's UF1 DAW controller promises to “set a new standard”

The RX1200 plugin could be the closest you'll get to having an E-MU SP-1200 in your DAW

Released in 1987 and famed for its crunchy, lo-fi sound, E-MU's SP-1200 is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influential samplers in history. In fact, it's still highly sought-after, but if you can't afford a second-hand original or creator Dave Rossum's $4k 2021 reissue, Inphonik is offering a ‘next best thing’ alternative in the shape of the RX1200 plugin. As you'd expect, the RX1200 is all about that sound, promising to put the SP-1200's unique sonic signature into the hands of today's producers. The 12-bit resolution, 26.041kHz sample rate and SSM2044 low-pass filter have all been carefully emulated, as has the aliased pitch tuning. At the front end of the signal chain, you get an input amp emulation, too. Although the RX1200 has the same look…

The RX1200 plugin could be the closest you'll get to having an E-MU SP-1200 in your DAW

Akai launches the MPC One+

Akai is continuing to celebrate the MPC's 35th anniversary with the launch of the MPC One+, an enhanced version of the standard MPC One music production center. This follows the release of the MPC X Special Edition, a retro-looking but more powerful version of the MPC X. Instead of coming in vintage MPC grey, like the MPC X SE, the MPC One+ is an altogether brighter beast thanks to its red case. Under this dazzling hood, the storage space has been increased from 4GB to 16GB, which is a useful upgrade, though unlike on the MPC X Special Edition, there's no increase in RAM, which remains at just 2GB. It's also worth noting that there's still no built-in rechargeable battery, either, so the MPC One+ isn't as portable as its…

Akai launches the MPC One+

Arturia releases FX Collection

Arturia's FX Collection has evolved into one of the best plugin effect bundles you can get hold of, containing – to use the company's own words – a whole lot of processors that you'll actually use. With the release of version 4, the FX Collection's roster now runs to 30 plugins, with four new entries. That said, only one of these hasn't been available before: the Rotary CLS-222 Leslie rotary speaker emulation. Famed for its use with Hammond organs, the Leslie enables you to create some serious stereo swirl. Arturia's version also offers new features that include a valve preamp, separate bass and treble speeds and an interactive visualizer. The other new kids on the FX Collection 4 block are Dist Coldfire, a dual engine distortion, and Filter MS-20, which…

Arturia releases FX Collection

Klevgrand's Richter is a ‘tectonic’, super-heavy compressor

Yes, it's another compressor plugin, but Klevgrand believes that, with Richter, it's managed to do something a bit different. This “tectonic” device is designed to achieve earth-shaking levels of compression without creating too many audio artefacts, and all via a very simple interface. There are just two main controls: Transients and Amount. The first controls “how the internal envelope follower will react to transients vs continuous/lasting sounds,” while the second dictates how much compression is applied. The idea is that you use these two knobs in tandem to get the style and amount of compression that you want, whether that be on vocals, drums or anything else. A three-step boost switch can be engaged to push things even harder, and you can also adjust the makeup gain, dry/wet mix, input…

Klevgrand's Richter is a ‘tectonic’, super-heavy compressor

Air Music releases new Juno-60 emulation, Jura

Air Music has turned its attention to Roland's Juno-60, the 1982 synthesizer that the company is now emulating in its new Jura plugin. You'll note from the screenshot that Jura is giving off strong visual Juno vibes, and if you're happy to operate it using an emulation of the original front panel, you have the option to do so. However, there's also an extended, modern GUI. Switch to this when you want to dive a little deeper. As well as all the original features, extras include a VCF with saturation and drive, two DCO noise types (modern and vintage) and a second envelope that adds another string to your sound design bow. And, as well as the classic Juno chorus section, which features three modes and a mix control, there's…

Air Music releases new Juno-60 emulation, Jura

UNDERSTANDING: Monitor placement

em TUTORIALS POSITIONING YOUR MONITORS: 7 EASY STEPS ORIENTATION 1 Decide an orientation within the room. If your shortest dimension is around four metres or more, consider setting up so that the width is the longest dimension. Space to the sides of the monitors helps to support stereo imaging and reduce the effective strength of side wall reflections. Setting up longways allows for a greater depth of bass trapping at the rear of the room and provides more space at the front to keep your listening position out of the middle third of the room. WALL SPACING 2 Decide how close to the front wall (the one you face) the monitors will go. Unless your room depth is over ~9m it's best to keep the distance from the wall to…

UNDERSTANDING: Monitor placement

Quick effects tips: Part 2

ADD PRESENCE TO A SIMPLE BASS Sine wave basses are great for subby low-end reinforcement but sometimes they lack a little weight, creating a frequency gap between the bass and the lower mid-range. You can't open the filter on a sine-wave bass as there's no upper frequency content present in the sound. Instead, send the bass to a distortion effect via an auxiliary and configure settings to hit the bass and ‘disperse’ this to overdriven higher frequencies. Why do this on an auxiliary rather than ‘in-channel’, via an Insert? If you use an auxiliary, it's much easier to balance the dry original sound with the distorted treatment and, using automation, a doddle to vary that relationship from one section of your track to another. GATE EXPECTATIONS Heavy reverb presets with…

Quick effects tips: Part 2

DESIGN YOUR PERFECT SYSTEM

TUTORIALS MODULAR The appeal of modular synthesis is, above all else, its flexibility. By allowing users to mix and match the core building blocks of electronic instruments at will, a modular setup can be pretty much anything. Want to recreate the signal path of a classic analog synth? Create a self-generating ambient patch? Focus just on drums, sequencing or effects processing? Modular does all of this and more. If you're new to the modular world, it's difficult to know where to begin. Sure, some users go for the maximalist approach: buying every module they can lay their hands on, plus a bucketload of extra long patch leads, and creating a behemoth system that can do anything and everything. We wouldn't necessarily recommend this though: the strain on your finances and living…

DESIGN YOUR PERFECT SYSTEM

Although they come in many flavors, types and capabilities, oscillators have one thing in common: they are the core voice of your system. Before any modulation, filtering or mixing, the oscillators provide your patch with the fundamental tone you work with. Almost all of them have the ability to either manually set pitch or take a volts per octave patch for tuned, melodic output, although the more explorative and experimental modularists may choose to use them as simple sound generating devices. From that point on, things can vary wildly, with different modules featuring a variety of working methods, built-in modulation and patch points for connecting to the rest of your rig. There are three common types of oscillators. Analog, which produces the classic tones that many people associate with synthesizers…

For many modularists, the filter is the go-to tool for sound-shaping on the fly, which is why so many filters have an oversized knob for the cutoff. In essence a filter is a module that takes incoming audio and removes a controllable portion of the frequency range. There are various types of filter but the most common are low-pass and high-pass filters. A low-pass filters out progressively more high frequencies as the filter is closed, while high-pass does the opposite. You will see other types such as band pass, which allows a specific frequency range to pass through. You may also see state variable, a filter that encompasses these different filter types in one unit. A big part of the characteristics of the filter comes from the resonance, which accentuates…

Sequencers can be the heart of a modular system and come in an array of flavors, from classic analog eight-step modules, with fewer options – perfect for looping simple melodies – through to the massively complex digital sequencers that, while harder to grasp, can be programmed for a full live set. Fundamentally a sequencer is used to send pitch and trigger info to the rest of your system, but increasing numbers of features have been added to many, so that modern sequencers can output multiple channels of pitch information, send gates and triggers, as well as modulation, so they really can act as the brain for a rig. Some sequencers add even more, with options to add controlled randomization to a sequence, allowing patches to evolve over time, while remaining…

Out of all the modules available, effects units are possibly the most widely varied. These come in many styles and types, so let's deal with a few of the most common here. Perhaps the most widely used is reverb. Spring reverbs, whether digital emulations or a real tank, give a classic retro sound admired by many. There are modules that bring this into Eurorack format, although an authentic tank will need housing somewhere. Then you have a vast array of digital reverbs. Some replicate plate reverbs or older, classic digital reverbs, while others take things into new territories. Recently modules have appeared that take reverb further than ever, offering effects like shimmer and glimmer that accentuate harmonics and produce beautiful soundscapes, often with built-in modulation. Delays, again, come in various…

The biggest roadblock to success with modular is being able to make adjustments on the fly. With all those knobs and buttons how do you go about making changes to more than a couple of things at once? Well, modulation is the key. LFOs and other types of modulation act, essentially, as extra hands, taking on the tasks of changing (modulating) settings so you don't have to. Pretty much everything in modular is controlled by voltage, so a modulator will create changes in voltage over time, which can then be patched into a parameter of another module. An LFO is the most basic and common method of doing this. You set the rate, patch into, say, the cutoff of a filter and the filter will open and close repeatedly at…

TUTORIALS | MODULAR While other categories we've talked about fall into neat groupings, utilities cover a wider range of uses. The clock divider is a common one. This does what the name suggests – breaking an incoming clock into subdivisions, so a single bpm can output a number of others, all in sync. Mults split a signal, often into three, creating copies of the original. Buffered mults are best for splitting volts-per-octave – to counter voltage dropoff and retain accuracy. Mixers do as you'd expect, although not all are made equal. Some only give you an amount control, while others add stereo panning, mute buttons and headphone amplifiers. There are also unity mixers that combine incoming signals with no controls. VCAs, or voltage controlled amplifiers, are seen by many as…

After debuting on Derrick May's epic Transmat compilation Techno 2: The Next Generation with the lush-sounding single I Believe (1988), Lenny and Lawrence Burden grasped the nettle and started their own 430 West label. Frequently assisted by brothers Lorne, Lynell and Lance, the duo's commercial success peaked a decade later with the techno/house banger Black Water, and the Burden brothers have rarely been out of the spotlight since. Recognized for their high-energy live sets employing an armory of hardware synths and sequencers, their authentic approach to performing has continually enthused crowds on a global scale. Meanwhile, Lenny and Lawrence continue to break their own musical boundaries with their latest album Never On Sunday – an intriguing blend of ambient, atmospheric and vocal-based electronica, accompanied by remixes from Orbital and Skream.…

Crafting a bassline

#4 Bass is not only the foundation of a piece of music pitch-wise, but also incredibly important from a rhythmic perspective. A solid bassline locked to an infectious drum groove is the holy grail of dance music, so this month I'll be looking at some of the ingredients that can help transform a basic bassline into a stone cold killer groove. There are, of course, many different styles of bass depending on the genre. Also, the type of instrument you're using will have an effect on things – a great synth bassline will have similar elements to an equivalent line played on a bass guitar in terms of rhythm and syncopation, but as it's played on a keyboard rather than a fretboard, the approach to the way it's played and…

Crafting a bassline

Ableton Push from $999

REVIEWS ABLETON PUSH KEY FEATURES I/O: 2x input jacks, 2x main output jacks, headphones out, ADAT in and out (up-to 10-in/10-out), USB-C, USB, MIDI in and out (via adapter), 2x pedal/CV ports. PRICING: Push controller $999, Push standalone $1,999. Upgrade kit (available in late 2023) $1,049 Ever since version 1 arrived in 2013, Ableton has been calling its Push hardware an ‘instrument’. In the past this has always felt rather hyperbolic – Push 1 and 2 were both great in their own way, but beyond Ableton's own marketing department nobody seriously considered either to be anything other than a MIDI interface for Live. The latest version, however, might actually warrant that categorization. This third generation – known simply as Push, as Ableton is ditching the numbered naming – boasts numerous design…

Ableton Push from $999

Adam Audio A8H $1,499 each

KEY FEATURES ONBOARD DSP: AD converter 24-bit, 96kHz, Horizontal/vertical positioning FREQ. RESPONSE: 34Hz–42kHz (-3dB) MAX. PEAK SPL PER SPEAKER AT 1M: 105dB SPL CROSSOVERS: 400Hz, 3kHz WOOFER: 8” Multi Layer Mineral (MLM) fibre AMPLIFICATION: LF 250W peak (Class D), MF 70W peak and HF 20W peak (Class A/B) Adam Audio's recently revamped A series monitors couple its classic X-ART (Extended Accelerated Rhythm Technology) tweeters with a new glass fiber HPS tweeter waveguide, newly developed MLM woofers, onboard DSP and Sonarworks integration in order to deliver a highly flexible monitoring solution that retains Adam's classic mojo. Up for review is the flagship three-way front-ported A8H. By default it's a horizontal configuration monitor and the cabinet design and layout means it comes in specific left and right versions. However, much like other…

Adam Audio A8H $1,499 each

Røde NT1 5th Generation $327

KEY FEATURES CAPSULE: 1” true condenser PICKUP PATTERN: Cardioid FREQ. RANGE: 20Hz– 20kHz OUTPUT IMPEDANCE: 100Ω MAX. SPL: 142dB SPL EQUIVALENT NOISE (A-WEIGHTED): 4dBA SENSITIVITY: 25mV @ 94dB SPL (+/- 2dB @1kHz) POWER: 48V phantom or 5V USB CONNECTION: XLR or USB-C FINISH: Black or Grey INTERFACE: 48, 96, 192kHz, 24-bit / 32-bit float ONBOARD PROCESSING: HPF, compressor, gate, Aphex exciter and Big Bottom Røde's NT1 is one the most popular affordable large capsule cardioid condensers available and this 5th Generation model is its most innovative yet. The bundle provides everything you need to get started. In addition to the mic, you get a suspension cradle with integrated pop shield holder, a pop shield, storage bag, 7m XLR cable and a three-metre USB-C to USB-C cable. That last aspect is…

Røde NT1 5th Generation $327

Roland FP-E50 $999

REVIEWS | ROLAND FP E-50 KEY FEATURES Roland digital piano with ZEN-Core sounds, interactive accompaniments, vocal effects, Bluetooth audio/MIDI support, onboard recording, computer connectivity, and expansion options via Roland Cloud THE PROS & CONS Very playable …With the added bonus of a wide selection of ZENCore synth sounds The autoaccompaniment features are great fun You can add more sounds and styles, but not the Model Expansion synth emulations Should we really need to be using a flash drive to install content in 2023? Increasingly, manufacturers are blurring the boundaries between home keyboards, synths, digital pianos, stage pianos, arrangers and workstations, resulting in some interesting hybrids. Roland's FP-E50 is a case in point. On first inspection, it looks like a home digital piano but then you spot the pitch and mod…

Roland FP-E50 $999

Noise Engineering Wuantus Trajecta $333

CONTACT WEB: noiseengineering.us KEY FEATURES Four channels of envelope, three envelope modes, rig-friendly 10hp Noise Engineering have quite the array of modules these days, but always seem to find new ways of working and performing. Quantus Trajecta is no different and, although many envelope generators exist, they have found a wonderfully fun and playable way to produce and control envelopes. The 10hp, 23mm-deep module is small enough to fit most rigs but capable enough to suit the largest, as it's polyphonic in nature, with four channels of output. Build quality is excellent, as is to be expected. Noise Engineering don't mess around and all their modules feel built for a touring musician. What makes Quantus Trajecta special is not simply its polyphonic output but its playability. You could use it to…

Noise Engineering Wuantus Trajecta $333

Eve Audio SC2070 $1,309 each

KEY FEATURES FREE FIELD FREQ RANGE (-3dB): 38Hz to 25kHz DRIVERS: LF 165mm, HF AMT RS7 ribbon INPUTS: XLR and RCA AMPLIFICATION: Class D 150W (LF) 100W (HF) EQ Controls: high shelf, low shelf, mid peak, desk filter EQ FREQ: 3kHz, 300Hz, 1kHz, 170Hz and 80Hz Max SPL: 116dB (per pair) CROSSOVER: 1.8kHz Size: 230(w) x 345(h) x 304(d)mm WEIGHT: 9.4kg E ve Audio produce a range of mid-priced and pro-level studio monitors that retail from about $600 per pair upwards. The SC2070 is a new two-way addition to their flagship range, which also includes the three-way SC3070 and four-way SC4070. It's a rear-ported design that combines a 6.5” woofer with a new version of their AMT (Air Motion Transformer) ribbon tweeter. At 345mm high, it's compact enough to be…

Eve Audio SC2070 $1,309 each

Image-Line FL Studio 21 $99 to $500 PC MAC

REVIEWS | IMAGE-LINE FL STUDIO 21 Image-Line's FL Studio DAW had a naming upgrade with last version 20 that might have confused some users. v20 was actually v13, but changed to 20 to celebrate the DAW's 20th birthday back in 2018. Five years on and the latest version 21 should therefore be called FL Studio 25? But, whatever, the main headline is that the DAW remains a free update, no matter what version you bought into (yes, even for those lucky v1 risk takers back in 1998 when it was called FruityLoops v1.0!). v21 has significant updates to workflow, plus some lovely extra plugins, but let's have an overview first. The original FruityLoops was all about loop creation and then putting together songs from those, and that more modular way…

Image-Line FL Studio 21 $99 to $500 PC MAC

Comparing FL Studio editions

Like most DAWs, there are different levels that you can buy into when it comes to FL Studio. The headlines are that the cheapest Fruity edition delivers a lot of instruments and effects – some 84 of the total of 111 – but has no audio recording. It's a significant omission but, at just $100, it's a decently-priced intro. The Producer version adds this audio recording, a couple of editors and seven plugins. We can see why it's said to be the ‘most popular’ version, as it delivers a great balance of everything for the cash. The Signature edition adds a video player, extra Newtone audio editor and eight plugins for a not insignificant $315. Finally, top of the pile is the All Plugins edition which has all 111 plugins.…

Comparing FL Studio editions

Cherry Audio Mercury-6 $69 PC MAC

REVIEWS | CHERRY AUDIO MERCURY 6 Barely a month passes without the resurrection of another classic synthesizer in plugin form, but as we know very well, some provide more accurate sonic interpretations than others. Although, surprisingly enough, there are still some vintage classics which remain relatively untouched. The 6-voice classic The Roland Jupiter-6 is one such synth, reconstructed here in the guise of the Mercury-6. As with all of Cherry Audio's classic recreations, the attention to detail and styling is exemplary, with an inviting interface which is incredibly exacting, but with a few added extras, bringing the ol’ Jupe into the computer age. One benefit of modern technology is that this Mercury is capable of 16-note polyphony. You can set your voice count from 2 to 16, with the ability…

Cherry Audio Mercury-6 $69 PC MAC

Drops of Jupiter

The Jupiter-6 is one of the classic synths of its age, and has often been overlooked. Perhaps because it came some years after its bigger brother, the Jupiter-8, adopting a build quality which wasn't quite as bullet-proof as its older sibling. But the 6 also benefited from a number of developments ahead of the 8, the biggest at the time being the inclusion of MIDI. This led to Roland getting a name for its products’ ease of use and this classic workflow has been ported over in this new release. Hence, its representation in software makes it a perfect synth to use. It's simple to follow, but no less of a powerhouse and no less effective. Yes, it's capable of classic (if perhaps dated) ‘80s sounds, but it's also accomplished…

Drops of Jupiter

BLEASS SampleWiz 2 $73

PC MAC IOS Last year, BLEASS released the SampleWiz 2 sampler app and AUv3 plugin for iOS. The app and plugin were developed in partnership with world-renowned keyboardist Jordan Rudess, the brains behind the first incarnation of SampleWiz. Now, BLEASS has released this same creativity-focused sampler as a plugin for desktop-based hosts. Unlike big sampling beasts such as Kontakt and HALion, with their multiple layers and articulations, a SampleWiz 2 patch is built from just a single sample. Because of this, creating sounds with the plugin is more of an enjoyable creative process than the painstaking technical process of creating a detailed multi-sampled instrument would be. In no time at all you can go from grabbing a sound to having an original and fully playable instrument. Sample engines The sample…

BLEASS SampleWiz 2 $73

Polyverse Supermodal $99

PC MAC Filters have come a long way. We recall interviewing some of the early drum & bass producers (so early it was then called jungle) and they used hushed tones when talking about their use of these filters, sometimes not even admitting that they were behind those liquid beats and basslines. Now filters are used for just about everything: from precision EQing to tension-building risers, bassline mangling to crazy vocal effects. There are straight filters that do one job well, and multi-effect filters that do everything in as crazy a way as possible. Or there's Polyverse's Supermodal which mostly stands alone and could be the most inspiring filter you've ever used. Super models Things start off in a fairly straightforward manner with the left-hand dial of the two main…

Polyverse Supermodal $99

Spectrasonics Twisted Trees Sonic Extension $149

PC MAC Spectrasonics holds one of the loftiest reputations within the realm of samples, sound design and virtual instruments. It's behind some of the most radical sampling projects ever captured, from trips to the Amazon, to burning pianos. Its relatively new creative line, Sonic Extensions, provides amazing sounds with vast amounts of realtime control, all categorized by expansion pack. Following the initial release of four Sonic Extensions, the latest extension arrives completely out of the blue, as a sole release. All of the Sonic Extensions operate from within the Omnisphere realm, so you'll need that meaty synth to access your new sounds. That could make an initial purchase more involved, but then again Omnisphere is one of the most sonically impressive packages on the market, so this might just be…

Spectrasonics Twisted Trees Sonic Extension $149

Toontrack EZKeys Synthwave & EZX Expansion $79 PC MAC

REVIEWS | TOONTRACK EZKEYS SYNTHWAVE & EZX EXPANSION Many things in life are assured; night following day, and paying your taxes to name but two, but we could also mention Toontrack, who reliably create useful products and expansions, for their ever-popular band-in-aplugin software. Riding the new Synthwave This time, it's Synthwave that gets the Toontrack treatment, with the release of two expansion packs designed to fulfil your every whim, at least in terms of ‘80s synth and drum sounds. The branding ‘EZKeys Synthwave’ pretty much tells you everything that you need to know, but what's less clear is how far you can go with this expansion. You'll need a copy of EZKeys, to act as host for this pack. If you don't own EZKeys, there is an option to buy…

Toontrack EZKeys Synthwave & EZX Expansion $79 PC MAC

The EZKeys and EZDrummer lineups have developed immeasurably since initial releases. EZKeys is an exceptionally useful aid, for anyone that requires better keyboard parts, whose fingers just cannot muster the required notes. In much the same way, EZDrummer provides great sonic content, coupled with groove templates which may be generated by machines or humans, with the latter bringing groove to the DAW-shaped table. Where Toontrack have made great strides is with the ability to build entire tracks, within their plugins, allowing editing of notes onboard. This can be especially useful for analyzing parts, and muting or removing elements which might be surplus to your requirements. Either way, their onboard content runs happily in their standalone versions, or will sync perfectly to your DAW, should you wish to merely operate in sync.…

Soundiron – Voice of Rage 2.0 $119

REVIEWS We get to test a very wide range of soundware here at Electronic Musician, with some perhaps having a little less broad appeal than others. However, it is also fair to say that it's often those that at first sight appear useable in only in rather niche contexts that end up being more inspiring and universally applicable than first impressions might suggest. It's with this in mind that I came to Soundiron's Voices Of Rage 2.0. Its name and packaging clearly give away the intent of this Kontaktbased instrument library, but to be clear, this is not simply a bank of recordings of angry choristers! VOR is based around recordings from a range of vocalists that fit firmly in the death metal and hardcore universe. There are five vocalists…

Soundiron – Voice of Rage 2.0 $119

Sampleson Sandstorm $59

Sampleson are not new to these pages, but unlike their last outing here (MetaPiano), their latest product fits more squarely within the conventional sample-based approach of Kontakt and similar audio engines. Sandstorm is an ‘evolving soundscape builder’. The core principle behind this is its ability to layer up to 17 elements, each dedicated to a particular instruments, sound or synthesis technique. Sound levels are assignable to a mouse macro control, whereupon horizontal mouse movements alter the balance of multiple audio elements simultaneously. Each layer gets its own set of different editing controls, which help you finesse everything before the mix process, and there are a decent range of presets included. Whilst this looks good and is an interesting concept – capable of some quite engaging and useful results – Sandstorm…

Sampleson Sandstorm $59

The Brothers Nylon – Funk & Soul Variations 2 $37

New York's twin bro funkateers are back with a badass follow up to their debut deep funk sample pack. Fans of the first and its vintage tape-warmed grooves will be hopping on that good foot over this latest instalment of heavyweight live playing and loops. More old school studio gear has been fired up to capture another round of breakbeat business, cool keys, wigged-out guitars, Rhodes, and bags of boogie bass for the bottom-end boys and girls among us. In total, there's over half a GB of seriously groovy samples to wade through, plus, the usual generous handful of tough song-starting kits to fawn over. So, if you're looking for funk and soul ideas for your next track, let the brothers work it out. loopmasters.com…

The Brothers Nylon – Funk & Soul Variations 2 $37

DABROmusic Midtempo Samples $25

Chunks of rap, rock, and electro get thrown in the blender, mixed with phat drums, weighty basslines, and incessant bleep and bloops, alongside heart-starting FX loops, risers and every other drop-filling sonic you'll need to glue it together. Fans of that old ghetto-funk sound, modern takes on glitch-hop, and other tougher 100-110bpm beats and wobbles will find plenty to fill out their tracks in this cache. It's made for music in that meaty mid, club-rocking tempo that doesn't climb to house heights, but comes in quicker than lower slung post-hip-hop. The only thing “mid” is the speed. loopmasters.com…

DABROmusic Midtempo Samples $25

Audiotent Pure Claps $26

The studio dons at AT have once again delivered a laser-focused collection of single hits as part of their PURE series sample pack concept. It's 100% claps this time. And for the task, they've recruited a who's who of iconic, legendary, prized and sought after drum machines and modular synthesizers. Everything from the crisp ringing tones of the Roland TR-707 to the tweeterfreaking definition of the Elektron Analog Rytm MKII are tracked at the highest degree through a saintly Neve 88RLB preamp for maximum resolution. All the dials have been edged and tweaked with love and affection, leaving you with a library of claps that deserve their own standing ovation. audiotent.com…

Audiotent Pure Claps $26

Splice – MXXWLL Sounds Vol. 1 From $7.99/month

Maxwell Bidstrup, known in his native Sydney as MXXWLL, delights with his G-funk friendly rap compositions. Outside Oz, his beats have turned heads of US OGs like Snoop and Jazzy Jeff, thanks to his slick synth skills. On this, the first of his new artist series, the shaggy-haired beat-tape enthusiast furnishes the kind of grooves normally reserved for Ty Dolla Sign. The drums stagger and slouch, as the keys wander wide-eyed around the belchy bass and tinkly chimes. Perfectly primed and polished, ready to do the do, for you. splice.com…

Splice – MXXWLL Sounds Vol. 1 From $7.99/month

Sample Magic Breaks & Beats 3 From $7.99/month

>Put down your drumsticks and stow away that snare. You've got all the breaks you'll ever need right here. The 350+ delightfully flipped drum samples and punchy, programmed beats on side in volume 3 of this series are all straight dripping in old school soul flavor, boom-bap break science, and dusty-fingered tones. Each loop has been run through a choice chain of gear, too, with bit-crushing and MPC-style grit added expertly, alongside tape-machine sampling, which gets liberally thrown in this classy collection for extra dimensions of charm. splice.com…

Sample Magic Breaks & Beats 3 From $7.99/month

Modulation effects

TUTORIALS | MODULATION EFFECTS Modulation effects are early staples of music production and electric instrument soundcraft. As producers, we almost all know how flange, chorus or phaser effects sound, and we know that the range of sonic possibilities are vast. Take a signal, make a copy and modulate the copy, applying some processes to its fast or slow movement. Modulation effects have been with us for a long time, because their early forms were quite easy to bring about. It was a relatively simple step for an experimental engineer to duplicate a taped audio signal and to rhythmically slow one copy down and back up again. This would be exactly the same mechanism that first produced flanging, which is so called because the pressure was applied to the ‘flange’ of…

Modulation effects

SUBTLER USES FOR MODULATION EFFECTS

Reaching for a phaser, chorus or flanger effect doesn't have to involve an acid trip every single time. There are some more restrained ways to use these plugins that we'll show you here with some high-end drum flanging and some chorus reverb modulation. Chorus effects can thicken and ‘double’ sounds, so look out for potential subtle uses on any instrument that needs an extra sense of width. Phasers can be great on lead sounds, giving ‘that little extra something’ when applied in small amounts. Keep the depth dial down low to give a metallic edge to the upper frequencies of a bassline or to make a lead sound more interesting. For flangers, try a smattering on a vocal track to keep things subconsciously interesting. A singer or speaker moving their…

Deeper parameters in modulation effects

There's usually a bit more to a modulation plugin than just basic controls. Here's how some of the other parameters that you might find work… ‘Voices’ refers to the number of copies of the original signal that the modulation effect creates. For example, a chorus effect with three voices would create three slightly detuned copies of the original signal. Increasing the number of voices can help create a thicker, richer sound, but it can also make the effect sound more artificial. Feedback refers to the amount of the effect's output that is fed back into the input, creating a looping effect. In a flanger or phaser effect, increasing the feedback can create a more intense and resonant sound. However, too much feedback can cause the effect to become unstable and…

THREE OF THE BEST

D16 Group Fazortan 2 $56 1 A comprehensive analog-style phaser with two LFOs for sweeping, and Center and Phase controls. Choose your number of phasing ‘stages’ to deepen the effect. The use of dual LFOs is one of Fazortan's best features, letting you dial in complex movement. d16.pl Brainworx bx_bluechorus2 $16 2 Want a Boss CE-2 chorus pedal in your DAW? This Brainworx emulation of it is a great option at a very low price. The modeling experts’ finely-tuned version of the pedal gives you access to chorus and even rotary effects for guitars, keyboards and more. brainworx.com Eventide Instant Flanger Mkll $142 3 A classic 1975 flanger device, modeled by the company that actually made it. Eventide have a heritage in modulation and pitchshifting, and Instant Flanger MkII gives…

THREE OF THE BEST

All-in-one plugin solutions

You'll still find phasing, chorusing and flanging available mostly as separate plugins, but there are some options for getting those three effects out of a single one. Waves MetaFlanger, for example, offers flanging into higher rates that cover chorus as well, and the plugin has both phaser and doubler effects to sate your phasing, chorusy desires. You could try Soundtoys Crystallizer for combined phaser, pitch shifting and delay effects – using shorter delay times on a medium Mix level will introduce that flanger or chorus style you're looking for. MeldaProduction's catalog is also on-hand for effects like these. In MPhaserMB, a multiband phaser is joined by a chorus effect too, and there's multiband control over all. For more combinations of these effects, any amp simulator package – Guitar Rig, AmpliTube…

All-in-one plugin solutions

15 questions with… Chace

15 QUESTIONS WITH… | CHACE Shanghai producer, DJ, singer and songwriter Chace (Zhu Yihan) was the first Chinese DJ to play Tomorrowland back in 2016. Dutch record production duo Yellow Claw told Mixmag, “for a 17-year-old to compose, write and even sing on all of his records like he does is just mindblowing. He is heading for flashing lights and stadium status, you'll see!” And they were right. After recording the track Stranger with Yellow Claw, Chace has now played gigs across the globe including Festival X around Australia, Creamfields in the UK and the EDC Japan Music Festival. He released his debut album, Belated Suffocation, to critical acclaim at the end of last year, and looks set to maintain this momentum well into 2023. He also has some cracking…

15 questions with… Chace

BLAST FROM THE PAST

TECH SPECS Year of manufacture 1998 Original sale value $699 Current price $40-$100 Number made Unknown Yamaha SW1000XG This magazine has been guiding its readers through the murky mazes of music production for a very long time now. 25 years ago desktop production was a relatively new, exciting, and – most of all – confusing pursuit. Computers had generally been used in tandem with hardware MIDI or audio devices. The idea of ‘native’ software instruments was relatively new, and generally relegated to offline processes. Full compositions required studios of MIDI synths and samplers, and professional quality audio recording was primarily relegated to, well, professionals. The rest of us had to make do with substandard consumer interfaces to get sound in and out of our machines. That all changed in 1998…

BLAST FROM THE PAST

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