Computer Music May 2016

“I remained a hardened joystick waggler” My very first computer experiences were not musical but, er, ‘game-ical’. I cut my teeth on the Atari 2600 and ZX Spectrum, and I remained a hardened joystick waggler throughout the 16-bit era and on into the 90s PC days. As I came to realise, though, gaming does have some parallels with music. For example, for me, chaining riffs, runs and rudiments on a musical instrument has always felt a bit like mastering the complex combos of a fighting game. And how about puzzlers? Back in the day, I loved the Incredible Machine series. Those games gave you a bunch of ropes, pulleys, conveyor belts and other gizmos, and by placing them just so, you could build a contraption to achieve that level’s goal.…

Step 1 On your PC or Mac, go to vault.computermusic.co.uk, then either register for a new Vault account, or log in if you already have one. Step 2 Click ‘add a magazine’ in the top bar, select the issue you want to add to your Vault (eg, this issue is 229), and answer a few simple security questions. Step 3 Go to ‘my vault’ to see all your mags – click a cover and use the links to download! You can download as much or as little as you like.…

Audiority TS-1 CM This envelope-shaping transient designer plugin is yours for free with this issue, p10 Samples Bring the tension of the silver screen to your productions with this blockbuster bundle of sounds, p12 Tutorial videos High-quality videos to guide you through our tutorials. Wherever you see the icon on the left, there’s a video version to watch See this issue’s entire video content on the next pages Tutorial files A folder full of audio examples, synth patches and project files to help you follow our tutorials CM Plugins Our exclusive collection of free plugins for Mac and PC. See what’s available on p14 This digital content has been thoroughly scanned and tested at all stages of production, but as with all new software, we still recommend that you run…

ARRANGE THE PERFECT TRACK Learn how to piece together your musical puzzle with these videos from our massive guide Read the full article on p34 1 Extending a progression into an arrangement 2 Changing bass notes under static chords 3 Using inverted chords and dynamics 4 Raising the chorus a whole tone 5 Modulating to a new key from M8 to outro 6 Arranger and Chord tracks in Cubase 7 Studio One’s Scratch Pads and Arranger Track 8 A tour of essential transitional techniques 9 Enhancing arrangements through automation 10 Send/return automation as an arrangement tool 11 Workshop 1: Prepping ideas for arrangement 12 Workshop 2: Arranging a full track TIP4 Adding interest with rhythmic variation TIP9 Instant arpeggios for extending sections Get all these videos on PC/Mac at…

Our fantastic software, samples, videos and tutorial files are now available to download! To get access to this content, go to vault.computermusic.co.uk on your PC or Mac’s web browser. You’ll be asked to register and answer a few simple questions to prove that you’ve got the mag. You’ll then be given access to our content! You can sign in any time to register new issues and download moredent content. For more info, see our Vault FAQ: bit.ly/cmvaultfaq * Please note that the Producer Masterclass video is not available as a download via our Vault, though Apple Newsstand users can watch the video via built-in internet streaming.…

EASY GUIDE CHROMATIC HARMONY Step outside the usual scale and learn to harmonise any melody Read the full article on p80 DESIGNER SOUNDS LUSH ELECTRIC PIANO Bring Rhodes-style keys up to date for a modern mix scenario Read Read the the full full article article on on p pxx 82 GEEK TECHNIQUE TREBLE CONTROL Give your tunes that professional high-end sheen and sparkle Read the full article on p84 DR BEAT SHAKERS Emulate this simple but effective member of the percussion family Read Read the the full full article article on on p88 pxx…