Indholdsfortegnelse for 07/2023 i Beat English

Fully modular DAW with SSL console Reason 12 + Rack* That doesn‘t happen every day: an entire DAW for three months for free! The app has long since advanced to a full-fledged DAW with a fat SSL console ahead of top dogs like Cubase and Pro Tools. And if you don‘t want to switch your sequencer, you can use Reason as a VST3 plug-in with over 15 synths, 29 rack effects, arpeggiator, sequencer, LFOs and many other tools, all of which can be combined in any way you like. Awesome! Download: see page 9 | Info: www.reasonstudios.com win | mac Modular Mix Giant Excite Audio Lifeline Console Lite Analog warmth for vocals? Easy practice! LoFi sound for synth sounds? Child‘s play! More punch for the drum bus? Easy logic! High-end…

Ableton Push 3 – as controller and standalone Akai and Native Instruments have shown the way: the long-dreamed-of production of entire tracks, how and where you want - on the beach, in the train, on the couch or wherever - independent of the computer has become a reality thanks to Maschine+ and current MPCs. And now Ableton is going one better: Push 3 comes with a complete Live version under the hood - so finally the ultimate DAW for on the go? Look forward to an in-depth review in the next issue, but here are the most important features that the new version brings with it… Finally standalone Push 3 will be available in two variants: as a pure controller - as known from the predecessors - or with a…

1 No trouble with the neighbors Not all of us have a studio where you can turn up the speakers properly at night. And at 3 o‘clock at night, I‘m sure your neighbors don‘t really care if your snare is banging properly either. Luckily for the neighbors, there are headphones so you can always play music when the muse is kissing you. 2 No background noise Another benefit of headphones is that they minimize distracting background noise. This is a great advantage if your studio isn‘t in the quietest environment or the neighbor is mowing the lawn while you work on your next hit. 3 Magnifying glass for audio signals High-quality headphones show their strengths especially when looking for background noise, recognizing clicks or clipping in vocal or instrument recordings…

Beat / The TMA-2 Modular is one of these ideas that seems entirely obvious but no one ever goes ahead and actually implements it. For AIAIAI, in which way is it embedded into a larger, longterm strategy? Frederik / On the one hand headphones are becoming lifestyle products, which means we are finding ourselves in an industry that at times can be comparable to “fast fashion‘‘, where people buy products that fit with their short term needs or the flavour of the month. About 15 billion tons of headphones contribute to e-waste every year - we need to have people buy less products but longer lasting ones. The other perspective is the fact that headphones live a tough life where they often take a beating in backpacks and such. This…

»All social media constantly aspire towards the condition of TikTok. « In 2000, Markus Popp, also known as Oval, surprised the music world with a highly unconventional comeback. Inspired by then-popular ringtones, Popp reduced his compositions to a concentrate of their emotions. This resulted in O, al album containing 70 tracks, some of them only a few seconds short. In retrospect, this approach seems almost prophetic, as the trend towards radical brevity is likely to intensify for the foreseeable future. Responsible for this is video portal Tik-Tok. After all, no other provider can measure up to its understanding of how to exploit the monetary potential of songs. A few recent examples illustrate how successful TikTok is at monetizing music at a time when it seemed to have lost its financial…

1 Movement! As mentioned above, you can make a lot out of even an averagely exciting loop. The code words here are: dynamics and movement. This is because, as soon as a sound begins to move and is no longer static, it becomes interesting for the listener. And, depending on the type of movement, there may even be a groove on top. 2 Roll mode A great tool for this is The Echo. In every default Reason song, this is already implemented on Aux Channel 4. If it isn‘t, load an instance of it into a free Aux Channel. Immediately change the MODE to ROLL and turn the corresponding knob below it to full. In this mysterious mode, the plug-in intensifies the delay effect. 3 Trade secret What exactly happens is uncertain,…

1 Program arpeggio Load a MIDI controller with a short, defined sound. Create a new MIDI clip. Arpeggio figures usually consist of a quick sequence of notes based on a chord. For example, take A minor, that would be a, c, and e. From this, or your chord, program a repetitive 1/16th note sequence over one measure. 2 Playing with scales It is very inspiring to create an arpeggio based on an unusual scale. To do this, create a MIDI clip. Activate Scale in the Clip menu. Select a scale from the drop-down menu, such as Pelog Tembung, and set a root. Program a repeating figure of 4 to 8 1/16th notes and fill a bar with it. 3 Rhythmic variation Next, make the arpeggio even more interesting by adding rhythmic variations…

1 Single synthesizer tones Create a new Cubase project at a tempo of 90 BPM and import the two enclosed audio files onto separate tracks. On the Synth Loop track, a synthesizer plays a simple rhythmic tone that slowly lowers. Cut out each sound with the Scissors tool and delete the silent passages. Fade each audio event in and out slightly. 2 Spread audio events Create three empty audio tracks below the Synth Loop track. On these tracks, we now want to modulate the individual synthesizer sounds differently using various audio effects. Randomly distribute the sounds on these tracks. Then, create a group that combines all the tracks with synthesizer sounds so that they can be controlled as a whole. 3 Vibrato Then, load the Vibrato modulation effect on one of the…

1 The power of 5 layers The Orchestra Essentials (TOE) integrates expressive instruments from the libraries The Orchestra, Strings of Winter and Horns of Hell. The highlight is the possibility of combining up to five sounds in the instrument for Native Instruments Kontakt. To create your own sound, start with any preset, such as STRINGS Full Staccato. 2 Arpeggiators On the Main page, you can fill five slots with instrument sounds. With the current settings, all layers are played simultaneously with a MIDI keyboard. It gets really cool when you bring the arpeggiators into play. To do this, solo Slot 1 (S) and select Arpeggiator 1 as the Engine. Click on Engine and then on Arpeggiator 1. 3 Spread chord notes Adjust the Arpeggiator and Rhythm as desired. The Note Selection value…

Softube advertises the Model 80 as „The industry-defining five-voice polyphonic synth from 1980“. When thinking of a legendary five-voice synthesizer, most people will probably think of the Prophet-5, which was launched in 1978. Softube has recreated the Prophet‘s revision 3 with Model 80, which was actually released in 1980. The Prophet-5 is one of the great synthesizer classics and, as long-time Prophet fans, we have both the hardware successors Prophet-08 and Prophet-5 Rev4, as well as the plug-ins from u-he and Arturia here in the studio. Sound generation The sound generation of the Prophet-5 is clear and easy to understand: Two oscillators and a noise generator wander through the Curtis lowpass filter with its characteristic sound; two ADSR envelopes and an LFO are available for modulation. However, the Prophet-5 is…

Acon Digital Extract: Dialogue Be it podcasts, dialog for film and video, voice messages or speech samples: background noise such as wind, hiss, hum, clicks and pops can really spoil the fun. If you try to reduce these with equalizers, the signals quickly sound dull and less understandable. The results of processing with a noise gate, on the other hand, depend heavily on the signal, and removing dynamic noises, in particular, is difficult. Extract: Dialogue from Acon Digital promises to remedy the situation: For this purpose, thousands of high-quality speech recordings, as well as recordings with background noise, were analyzed. This deep learning enables the Artificial Intelligence to distinguish between speech and noise. The plug-in‘s algorithm works in real time, and you can listen to the sound soloed. In addition…

www.fabfilter.com Kickstart Your Song! As the preset name suggests, this multi-layered sequence is best suited for starting a song. In this patch, each oscillator has its own filter. Oscillator 1 and 3 create a simple bassline with emphasis on the offbeat, while Oscillator 2 combined with Filter 2 provides a sample & hold sequence. The fourth oscillator is tuned a fifth higher and, therefore, contributes a simple lead voice. By modulating the filter frequencies with the XLFOs, the sound sounds very rhythmically interesting. Aggressive Acid Lines Twin 3 also masters aggressive Acid sequences effortlessly, as the „Acid Rain Dance“ preset shows. The filter provides the desired biting sound when set to the Extreme Mode. The Filter Frequency and the Osc-1 Sync value are influenced by an XLFO, resulting in the…

Building a modular system is expensive fun, and that usually starts with buying the right case. But not everyone necessarily wants to build a complex large system. Often, a few special modules are enough as a freely configurable synthesizer or effect unit that fits on the desktop and does not devour vast sums of money. Then a compact, affordable solution is needed, and this is where the NiftyCASE comes into play. This Eurorack case is not only inexpensive, but also offers all important additional functions in a small space, for which you would have to install additional modules in other cases. It has a built-in powerful power supply with flying bus for powering up to 10 modules of a maximum of 84 HP. In addition, a dual MIDI to CV/Gate…

Again and again, we receive your reader e-mails with the wish for introductory reading for prospective musicians and producers with a home studio. With our free Studio Starter, this wish has finally come true and this is a permanent solution, because you will find the guide as a download with every Beat issue in the future. The e-book starts gently with an explanation of plug-ins and their components, illustrates basic information about microphones, audio interfaces and mixers and answers questions such as „What is a DAW?“ or „Where are plug-ins installed?“, before continuing at a decent pace, for example with a double page on the topic of synthesizers and their sound generation methods, explaining how a sound is created. Helpful tips for beginners and advanced users But even advanced users…

Steinberg Immerse Virtual Studio Signature Edition How about mixing and mastering your music in two legendary studios? The Immerse Virtual Studio Signature Edition [1] plug-in promises to do just that. Using advanced AI technology, it measures the shape of your head and ears via smartphone to create an HRTF - a digital fingerprint customized to your individual listening habits. In addition, the plugin can even correct the frequency response of 50 different headphone models. The result is an impressively realistic spatial perception with precise spatial localization. www.steinberg.net | 179 euros Waves Nx Virtual Mix Room High-quality headphones can eliminate the influence of room problems on your mix. But mixes made on headphones don‘t always sound good on speakers. Waves Nx Virtual Mix Room takes profiles from 270 headphone models and…

When a pair of true-wireless headphones falls off the assembly line in China, a company is quickly formed around it - at least that‘s what it seems. Is there a need for more? Yes, says the Seattle-based US company Mackie, which has made a good name for itself primarily in the professional recording market, and introduces the MP-20TWS, a pair of headphones that does (almost) everything right from the start: If the fit in the ear canal is correctly selected thanks to the included three silicone inserts, the dual drivers unfold an almost exemplary balanced sound spectrum. The basses are precise, but not boomy. Mids and trebles shimmer in the successful spatial resolution. The active suppression of ambient and wind noise with the help of three built-in microphones is effective,…

1 Beat Map The solution is called Beat Map. However, we do not use the tool in tandem with Kong or a drum sampler, but with a percussion synth. In our case, this is the Chromaphone from Applied Acoustics. Alternatively, Waldorf‘s Attack or MPC Beats can be used as a plug-in with the internal drum synth, as well as any other drum synthesizer. 2 Synths versus samplers We deliberately choose a drum or percussion synth instead of a sampler because they sound less static, as the sounds vary slightly each time they are played. The end result benefits massively from this. So, off we go to the rack: We load four instances of the Chromaphone with the SHIFT key held down, plus a LINE MIXER to which we connect the…

1 Load loops To get started, we need some material - loops. You‘ll find a small collection in the magazine downloads, but any loop from your hard drive will do. It doesn‘t matter if it‘s percussion, a beat, or a guitar melody. Download a bunch of loops to your Digitakt via the Transfer app, then go to settings and select samples. 2 Use Slice Machine Navigate to the folder with the loops, press the cursor right key, choose SELECT ALL and then LOAD TO PROJ. Then, exit the settings, select a fresh pattern and activate the metronome with FUNC+PTN. Now comes the exciting part: load one of the loops into a track, press FUNC+SRC and activate the SLICE mode for the MACHINE. 3 Record patterns Back in the SRC window, we set GRID…

1 Load drum kit To get started with beat programming right away, drag the Studio One instrument Impact XT from the browser into the Arrange window. Load the Dope Kit here, which is great for beats in styles like Hip Hop and R&B, and set the project tempo to 100 BPM. Press [Ctrl]/[Cmd]+ [Shift]+[P] to create a new pattern. 2 Make a beat Now you can program the desired beat. Try a Swing value around 30% for a more relaxed feel. After you have created a four-bar beat, it‘s time to diversify it. And this is where the advantages of Patterns become apparent: On the one hand, the step sequencer view is very clear for beat programming. 3 Automatic variation On the other hand, you can set other parameters per step in addition…

Already 25 years ago, just two years after the introduction of the VST standard by Steinberg in 1996, the company Prosoniq presented the Orange Vocoder and set new standards in terms of quality. The effect quickly became a standard in the ever-growing world of virtual studios. Orange Vocoder IV is more moderate in terms of GUI, but the rather simple and functional design with a slightly retro-futuristic touch will probably not please everyone. It reminds us of Elevate Audio‘s effects and synthesizers like Generate, and from experience we can say that it‘s more effective to work with in the long run than fancy hardware replicas that are true to the original. We liked the many graphics in the selection menus, which directly visualize the selected waveform or algorithm and, therefore,…

Cinematique Colors Free With the Colors series, Cinematique has five high-quality sample-based instruments in its program, which currently run in NI Kontakt and to some extent also in Steinberg Halion. Colors Free is the free version and contains sounds from all five commercial instruments. Kontakt users need the full version; unfortunately, Colors Free does not run in the Kontakt player. The alternative is the Steinberg variant, which also works in the free Halion Sonic 7. At first glance, Colors Free looks like a simple preset player, with only a few colored squares on the home page for selecting different presets. But when you listen to them, you can immediately sense the potential of the Colors series; the sounds are consistently of excellent quality. Characterful LoFi sounds alternate with atmospheric sounds…

1 Straight beat First, we create a new DAW project with a typical tempo of 127 BPM. We construct the beat foundation from samples from LoopCloud [1] and UJAM Beatmaker Hype [2]. Now we add a bass to the beat. Load Zampler//RX and click on Load Bank. Then select the file „Zampler Analog Future.fxb“. 2 Offbeat bass Then, load the preset 007: BS Bassive. With this preset, the velocity influences the volume. In the sequence shown here, every second eighth note is emphasized. We amplify this effect with the Nicky Romero Kickstart 2 plug-in [3], which we load as an insert effect. Typical for Deadmau5 are his hypnotic sequences. 3 Pluck sound To create such a sequence, we load another Zampler instance with preset 006: BS Atlantis, which we now turn into…

Thanks to the storable patch matrix, you can use SYNTRX II to create lots of experimental sounds in addition to classic analogue sounds. The high-quality instrument also looks really classy with its anthracite-colored housing and dark wooden side panels, and an illuminated analog VU meter for output levels or control voltages provides the final touch. That makes us want to do a detailed test! Inspired by the EMS Synthi AKS The EMS VCS 3 and its portable brother Synthi AKS were already released in the late 1960s and now have legend status. The unusual concept and interface with the „battleships“ style patch matrix and the resulting unusual and novel sounds made the synthesizer especially interesting for experimental musicians like Pink Floyd, Tangerine Dream, Brian Eno or Jean-Michel Jarre. SYNTRX II…

1 Cell phone off! Certainly one of the most important points: eliminate all disruptive factors! Nothing is more annoying than flashing push messages on the computer, ringing cell phones or unannounced studio visits during the recording session. So mute your cell phone, deactivate the push feature, and - it doesn‘t have to be a red light-hang a sign on the door. 2 Leveling In the workshop downloads, you will find three templates for an „On Air” sign; maybe there is a suitable one for you? The point is clarified, so the next step is leveling: all participants and each musical source should have their fixed level, so that the stream runs homogeneously. In the first step, place your microphone. 3 Microphone placement It needs to be arranged so that you…

Need to find the right headphones for the studio? Nothing could be easier! Or? It‘s not quite as simple as that, because the headphones offered for mixing, mastering, recording, DJing or simply enjoying music are as varied as their intended use. But what are the characteristics of a good pair of studio headphones? One of the most important decision-making features is without question the sound. If you want to use the headphones for mixing and mastering music, a sound that is as neutral as possible, a balanced frequency response and precise detail resolution are essential. Since studio sessions often take a long time, a high level of wearing comfort is essential. Padded ear cups and an adjustable headband can therefore help prevent pressure points and fatigue. To ensure that you…

1 Leads and Melody First, we load several synthesizers. Then, we select different lead sounds in the synthesizers, which are generated by a Saw waveform. The important thing to remember about the different sounds is that they should sound similar, but not exactly the same. All leads then play the same melody, which should be kept relatively simple. 2 Into the mixer All the individual leads come into the mixer, where they are routed to a common bus. We now load the Lifeline Console plug-in onto the bus. There, we select the Init preset, switch off Mod and Wear, compress and saturate the sound a bit and activate a Lowcut Filter. For a little reverb, we load fruity Reeverb 2. 3 Chords For a fuller sound, we now create chords…

1 Velocity as a key The principle is as simple as it is ingenious: We simply use the velocity of the MPC pads to control volume and a second parameter, such as pitch, at the same time. Go to MODULATION in PROGRAM EDIT, select the desired pad and turn VELOCITY SENSITIVITY at PITCH to the desired value. For our tambourine, 80 works well. 2 Note Latch That‘s half the battle for the first idea. But only half. To make a riser out of it, you need a sequence with an increase in velocity. This can be programmed, but it will be more appropriate to the context if the sequence is played live. Activate NOTE LATCH and select 16th notes as the grid. 3 Record If you now press a pad, the pressure…

1 Import tracks For this new workshop, Pia Hamburger provides us with the recordings from her song „Rhythm Of The Rain“. Import the enclosed tracks into a project with a tempo of 66 BPM. Besides the Main Vocals, you will also find a track with backing vocals. These recordings should stand out from the main vocals, so we want to color them sonically. 2 Limit dynamics To prevent the intensity of the distortion from varying too much later, we first want to limit the dynamics of the backing recordings. To do this, load Fabfilter Pro-C 2 as an insert effect and open the Preset Control from the Vocals folder. Reduce Threshold to -23 dB so that the compressor takes effect on loud syllables and limits the signal. 3 Frequency spectrum Load Fabfilter Saturn…

The Jupiter-4 appeared in 1978 and was the prelude to the series of polyphonic analog synthesizers that culminated in the legendary Jupiter-8. However, the Jupiter-4 is a far cry from the Jupiter-8, both externally and sonically: The bulky cabinet is reminiscent of a home organ, so are presets like Trombone and Sax, and with only one oscillator for each of the four voices, the possibilities were rather limited. In the beginning, the Jupiter-4 was, therefore, only interesting for those who could not afford a Prophet-5, CS-80 or OB-X, and with the advent of digital technology, it was traded second-hand for 400 DM or less. Now the price is much higher again and the Jupiter-4 is no longer so easily available. Because word has spread that the Jupiter-4 offers one of…

Pitch Innovations Fluid Chords Sure, pitch bending can make monophonic lead melodies more expressive, and even chords can sound great when you slide the pitch up or down an octave. But what would be really cool is bending from a single note to a chord or from one chord to another, right? This is exactly what Fluid Chords wants to make possible. To do this, you need an MPE-capable sound generator such as Arturias V9 Collection, Xfer Serum, u-he HIVE 2, Synapse Audio Obsession or the free Surge XT. The tool can be used in your DAW or standalone, an MPE capable synth is loaded directly from the plug-in. In Fluid Chords, you can store eight chords via MIDI Learn, between which bends can be created. The chord names are…

Juliet Sikora Signature Sounds After more than two decades in the studio and as a DJane, Juliet Sikora has released her first sample pack, Kittballs Signature Sounds. With the quality of her Tech House tracks, she has already made it into the Beatport Top 10 several times. This is also evident in the over 1.3 GB of loops sorted into basses (25), drum stems (66), chopped vocals (9), percussion (10), music (10) and background effects (10). Another component is the four Construction Kits. The drums are powerful, solid, occasionally a bit „dirty” and, alternatively, without kick drums. Fortunately, there is no showmanship. The basses of the Kittball part are a bit too sub-heavy and quiet. Exciting textures and soundscapes are hidden in the background effects. Verdict Signature Sounds defines the…

UAC-232 features 32-bit float dual AD converters with a maximum sample rate of 192kHz, a technology that, until now, has only been found compactly and affordably in field recorders. There, it makes particular sense due to the high dynamics of the incoming audio signals and the unpredictability of level fluctuations. But even in the desktop studio, where in contrast to the professional studio, neither the perfect recording technology nor acoustics or high-quality dynamic processors are placed in front of the audio interface‘s converters, this technique can definitely bring advantages. Last but not least, this makes recording easier, since you can concentrate completely on the musical and creative part and don‘t have to bother with regulating the appropriate level. 32-Bit Float Audio So what is 32-bit float audio all about? Put…

Cordial has made a name for itself with high-quality and durable cables, and now the manufacturer is putting another exclamation mark on sustainability with the new ECOHEMP series, because the cables are completely PVC-free and the jacket is 100% recyclable. The TPE-V used combines elastic components for flexibility, softness and good coilability with harder components for notch strength and stability even at high service temperatures, and it is also a good 25% lighter than the PVC used previously. The whole thing is wrapped with a resistant mesh of hemp fibers in a green-brown mottled hue, which provides an interesting splash of color in the studio. For regular use on stage, the textile jacket is not so well suited, because beer, dirt and other debris are not as easy to wipe…

The small Japanese company Sonicware continues to expand its portfolio with the Smpltrk, staying true to its tradition of packing extensive features into a compact and affordable device. It all started with the ELZ-1, inspired mainly by the now cult object Teenage Engineering OP-1, followed by various other grooveboxes, such as the Liven XFM, which specializes in FM synthesis. And now we have the SmplTrek, which was originally financed via Kickstarter, here for testing. It‘s missing a few vowels in its name, but otherwise really presents an impressive variety of functions in a small space. Mobile sampling groovebox The mobile device combines simple sampling at the touch of a button via the built-in microphone, instrument and line input or USB with a flexible sequencer and direct streaming via smartphone. Resampling,…

1 Install pack Download and install the Max for Live Pack Stray Cats Collection. It contains a total of 8 plug-ins with 111 presets, divided into 6 audio, one midi effect and one instrument. From it, load Max Instrument, MSE, into a MIDI track. To get acquainted with the synth, browse through the presets, which contain many unusual sounds, and load one. 2 Choose synth Modify the sound: In the Push Display under Bank 1, experiment with VCO1 or 2 Freq, VCO1/2 MOD and MODCHO. You can also use any other Ableton or external instrument that allows creative sound design, such as the Chiral synthesizer, the synths in the Inspired by Nature Pack, or the modular synth-inspired JONO synth. 3 Add texture Color any sound with the Color Device. Load it from the Max…

Feature: Perfect Drums Drums are the foundation of almost every song and there are so many tools… synth plugins, groove boxes, e-drums, percussion and pretty much any object you can tap on. But how do they become a punchy kit for fat beats? Which gear goes with which workflow and how does this add to a groove? We provide answers to all questions, plus an overview of the best drummers in comparison, so that you can find your favourite for even better drums. Test: Ableton Push 3 Akai and Native Instruments have shown the way: the long-dreamed-of production of entire tracks, how and where you want, independent of the computer has become a reality thanks to Maschine+ and the latest MPCs. And now Ableton takes another step: Push 3 comes…