Indholdsfortegnelse for May 2023 i Computer Music

As the first Chinese DJ to play Tomorrowland, Chace has already broken ground in the world of EDM. He has also been compared to The Weeknd and Disclosure. Oh and Justin Bieber, but let’s not go there. However, his producer destiny might not have been fulfilled had he not started ‘messing around with a computer’ when he was younger… 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,…

soundtracking Once a strict division, now the musical score and the sound design of a film’s world has moved much closer together over the last few decades. Directors and lead creatives increasingly generally seek a more holistic approach when considering the overall aural approach. Writing soundtrack cues which aren’t strictly musical, but tension-stoking or attention-grabbing events has now become standard practice for composers. One of the most notable watershed moments in this stylistic trend was the infamous “BRAAAM” sound which first accompanied 2010’s Inception trailer (and appeared throughout its soundtrack). Now something of a byword for a style of hyper-cinematic trailer, Hans Zimmer’s deployment of ultra-sub bass and horn-like seismic events resonated deep within our senses. It promised size, it promised spectacle and more importantly, it psychologically re-sold the notion…

Every day, the decisions that shape the future are being made. From the most groundbreaking innovations to the most basic, time-saving ideas. It’s a truth that is extremely apparent in the music production world, where multiple new impossible-achieving products are released on a seemingly weekly basis. But it’s true also of the world that soundtrack composers inhabit, with new tech increasingly replacing a traditional human role. The threat of a machine-based workforce is something that we might have once smugly thought was something that concerned other industries, but we – the creatives – would never have to worry about. Yet, with recent rapid developments in AI, services like AIVA, Amber and Ecrett Music are able to generate immaculate-sounding, royalty free music, crafted on the spot by super intelligent algorithms, trained…

Audio Imperia Jaeger Mac/PC £490 Aimed at those pulse-pounding Zimmer/ Holkenborg-adjacent creatives, Jaeger’s video game-recalling UI hints at the type of epic-scope that it expects you to be writing towards. It’s easy to concoct speaker-decimating horns, booms and intense orchestral tension. Bridging the musicality of the orchestral world with the coloration of sci-fi flavoured effects, Jaeger is the aspiring blockbuster soundtrack-maker’s dream. www.audioimperia.com EastWest Hollywood Orchestra Opus Mac/PC £799 EastWest’s Hollywood Orchestra Opus Edition is a one-stop shop for orchestral punch. Spanning the industry-leading sample library company’s peerless roster of existing libraries, as well as a new violin section and redesigned interface, this immaculately crafted suite has little competition when it comes to attention-grabbing brilliance. www.soundsonline.com Spitfire Audio Symphonic Strings Mac/PC £489 Spitfire’s ‘definitive string orchestra’, Symphonic Strings is all…

Alongside Serum and Massive, Twin is one of the most common ‘favourite’ synths of the producers we talk to in Computer Music. Our first experience of it goes right back to its launch in 2005 – can it really be? – when we were instantly struck by its huge, often dance-friendly presets, easy workflow and high quality sound. All things that its makers Fabfilter have since become famous for. Twin 2 arrived in 2009 with extras aplenty, and now we have a completely refreshed version 3 (available as VST, VST3, AU, AAX and AudioSuite), a mere 14 years later. All new… but familiar Twin 3 has had a complete overhaul. There’s a totally redesigned GUI, improved workflow, more oscillators and filters, an all-new drag and drop modulation system, plus an…

Where to start with Kult? For a start, it’s produced by Dawesome (aka Peter V and in conjunction with Tracktion). He produced the exceptionally well regarded Abyss and Novum instruments, and also appeared in the exceptionally well regarded Computer Music magazine last month. Kult takes the brilliantly colourful UI philosophy, applies it to Strange Attractor (or Strangely Attractive) oscillators, makes AM and FM synthesis easy, modulates madly, and adds effects and more aplenty. Pretty much before it gets out of bed… It is Strangely Attractive Peter is a bassoon and contrabassoon player, orchestral oddities in themselves. Kult is similarly, and maybe relatedly, an oddity for synths. And all the better for it. Spawned somehow from the mathematical theory of chaos (that’s what it says in the manual which, for once,…

Orchestral Tools have always strived for perfection, notably through their fine collection of orchestral libraries, recorded at the Teldex scoring stage in Berlin. With a change of location, their latest project is described as ‘Close-up soundscapes’, and what better way to deliver this than from a location that really gets away from it all... Salu-tations! Salu is a beautifully eclectic library, exclusively recorded at the Arvo Pärt centre, which is set in the heart of a pine forest, 40 minutes away from Tallinn, in Estonia. Described as a cultural space and creative environment, this exceptional venue offers performance spaces, perfect for creating a contemporary sample library, employing a diverse collection of exemplary musicians. Installed within OT’s Sine Player, there are five distinct instrument groupings; String Quartet, Voices, Plucked & Keys,…

reverbs roundup Using a great reverb plugin is the best way to transform dull and lifeless tracks into more atmospheric and ‘human’ mixes. Reverbs create the sound of a room or space, emulating the reflective atmosphere such a space would impart to a sound recorded within it. They therefore add realism and character, helping to make cold and clinical digital recordings warmer and more emotional. Here, we round up the best reverb plugins to see which ones bring the best character and sound for your money. In this buyer’s guide, we have reverbs of all budgets and types that deliver the sounds of spaces of all shapes and sizes – everything from real recording studios and concert halls to unreal worlds straight out of your imagination. We’ve included some classics…

There are a lot of issues for musicians to worry about in 2023. Whether it’s anguish about the algorithmic nature of our listening habits, or those who point at the financial unsustainability of music streaming for the economic survival of artists. With all this pervading negativity, some might even be thinking of stepping away from their core passion. But, a more positive, somewhat under-shared truth is that in the modern world, music has really never been more omnipresent. The boom in streaming television over the last ten years has been inextricably bound to the services of a growing list of distinctive composers and sound designers. Expressive composers are personally hired to infuse their own creative sensibilities into our favourite shows, films and video games. Merely a decade or so ago,…

soundtracking With the utmost respect for those god-tier composers that scored the films of our childhoods, most of us will never get the opportunity to stand before an orchestra and, baton in hand, conduct an auditorium full of distinguished musicians. Yet, with the increasing realism and expressivity of orchestral sample libraries, we can in essence do just that, albeit from behind a screen. Consider them as routes to carve your own final product, and not ‘soundtrack generators’ to rely on exclusively While initial forays into sampling orchestras for commercial release stem as far back as the 1980s, it wasn’t really until the boom in computer-based production around the mid-2000s, when companies such as Garritan, East West and VSL brought out the earliest foundational touchstones, and paved the way for today’s…

UVI Meteor Mac/PC £132 UVI’s swell and impact designer is a joyously dramatic tool that can inject much needed punch to your soundtracks and sound design cues. In addition to its banks of layered swells, crescendos and hits, Meteor sports a colourful effects section that allows greater modulation, it’s also got a very intuitive UI that encourages experimentation and randomisation. www.uvi.net Native Instruments Straylight Mac/PC £179 Native’s granular synth is angled at those immersive, enveloping sound design mixes that have so defined modern epic cinema’s best aural experiences. With a series of lush sound sources as its bedrock, Straylight enables you to build ambient atmospherics via its granular sample modules. Crafting unnerving, otherworldly textures has rarely been so much fun. www.native-instruments.com Output Portal Mac/PC £131 Presenting the means to re-configure…

With Depeche Mode’s 15th studio album, Memento Mori, out now, we’ve decided to look back at the band’s synth history and have a go at recreating some Mode-like beats, riffs and sequences. We’ll not only wrestle some sounds from our trusty Zebra CM free synth, which you can download right now, but also use an emulation of Depeche Mode’s most widely used synth. When the band first got together back in 1980, they used cheap analogue synths of the time, including a Kawai 100F, Yamaha CS5 and Moog Prodigy. However, the one synth that has been used more than any other, and across most Depeche albums, is the ARP 2600. This was Mute Records owner Daniel Miller’s (and once owned by Elton John, synth fact fans). It was not only…

The power of Arturia’s Freak range of synths comes from the algorithmic oscillator that was developed for the series. These oscillators can load different synthesis engines – ie algorithms – allowing them to completely change their sound and character. Cleverly, Arturia has arranged things so that each algorithm has just three editable parameters, and these always have a certain similarity of function, no matter what the algorithm is. Two of these oscillators sit at the heart of this new software iteration of the MiniFreak, and Arturia has included a whopping 21 different algorithms for you to load into them. These offer users a veritable showcase of all of the different synthesis systems that exist out there, from the more common approaches like subtractive and FM, right the way through to…

We have, we admit it, been huge fans of Pianoteq for many years. It’s a light-on-your-processor-and-hard-drive piano instrument that has matured to be a lot more than that actually sounds. As well as encompassing just about every piano type you can imagine, it now stretches its remit across chromatic percussion, harps and a lot more. With all of these additions, Pianoteq should really be called ‘Instrumentoteq’. Only that sounds rubbish. Just about the only complicated thing about buying Pianoteq is the level you buy in at. We’ll detail more on this in the box opposite but there are four entry points. Each one gains you access to a free pack of 14 varied instruments plus access to more packs depending on your purchase level. Add more instrument packs from the…

With studio speakers like the FX80 and C5 costing no more than $249 a pop, Fluid Audio are one of many speaker manufacturers battling for the cash of a home or project studio user. Good speakers, at sensible prices. With their Image 2s, they are turning their backs on low prices and welcoming a new future. And at the best part of £2,000, they ruddy well should be. It’s fair to say that it’s rare that we include gear of this price, but we do like cutting edge technology and not only do the new Image 2’s offer a novel twist on studio monitoring, they also come with a big software option: Fluid have teamed up with Sonarworks, so you can use their SoundID Reference room calibration software which is…

Free software W. A. Production have built up an impressive array of audio plugins and sample packs perfect for music production and sound design and this month we have a new giveaway for one of their plugins… We’re very lucky that W. A. Production have already created some special versions of their plugins for our CM Suite, including most recently the multiband tempo-synced delay, Multibender CM. This month we have a slightly different deal from the team as we’re giving away a full version of their dynamics plugin, Vocal Limiter. This would normally set you back somewhere around $20 and it’s yours absolutely free. Vocal Limiter (VST, VST3, AU, AAX), as the name suggests, is a limiter that focuses on the vocal frequencies. It’s designed to be the last stage…

The all-new guide to the freeware world Next month we’re on a mission to round-up the very best new free software you can download for zero cost. We’ve also got hands-on tutorials to get the best out of this free software ecosystem. From synths to drum machines, DAWs to effects. Don’t miss it! PLUS! 360° Audio We speak to artists exploring immersive audio creatively Free samples Get deep subby synth basses and wiry leads via our new packs On test SSL 12, Heavyocity Uncharted 88, Steinberg HALion 7…

Journey to the centre of the piano…. Heavyocity threw everything they had at this new instrument. Literally Heavyocity, the masters of brutal percussion, twisted piano and destructive orchestral libraries, have just launched the latest addition to their Damage instrument series. Uncharted 88 reimagines the piano as a raw percussive generator. It harnesses the Damage 2 engine and brings over 18,600 new samples, 235 playable percussion sources and 11GB of thundering loops, hits and impacts, coupled with a deep array of sound design features to the table. In making Damage Uncharted 88, the Heavyocity team dismantled the Damage piano and reduced it to its fundamental components. The end result isn’t your typical, Moonlight Sonata-ready piano instrument; it’s an all-new way to build hard-hitting texture, anguished cinematic fury and subtle throbbing intensity.…

soundtracking In the hyper-fast world of film, television and video game development, composers rarely have the chance to live with a project for long periods of time. More often than not, soundtracks are recorded during the final stages of production, and composers are enlisted to turn around their cues within the tightest deadline. A more music-centric project might involve a composer from the very early stages, allowing them to gradually develop themes and musical ideas that grow over time. While that approach would be attractive for many, it’s not unwise for jobbing composers to already have banks of mood-aligned themes, melodies and cues ready-to-go. We’re going to assume you’ve accepted a more conventional film soundtracking brief for this first section. Every element of your approach – what instruments are used,…

Steinberg Cubase Mac/PC From £85 Steinberg not only spearheaded the DAW concept, they’re also the top of the tree when it comes to the hierarchy of music-to-picture workstations. Cubase 12 has incredibly versatile video options, allowing you to sync rigidly to the video’s timecode, automate your tempo changes and even apply basic video edits yourself. It all boils down to one of the most well-featured music and video workflows that money can buy. www.steinberg.net Apple Logic Pro X Mac £174.99 As with many long-established features, Logic’s video integration is now so quick and effortless that if Apple’s flagship is your home production go-to, then you don’t really need to look anywhere else to get started. With easy-to-use video importing, syncing and editing tools, it’s astoundingly simple to build your soundtrack…

DAWs are full of great features to help view and analyse our tracks and this month we’re going to look at how to use some of these during the mix process. Working in audio, and mixing in particular is mostly about using your ears and training yourself to hear things in a number of different ways. This combination of critical listening and more general objectivity can take some time to master. Nevertheless, there are times when we can and should be using our eyes as well. The most obvious example is level meters. But beyond making sure we don’t overload the channel, what information do these convey? And what about spectrum analysers, correlation meters and everyone’s current favourite, the loudness or LUFS meter? In this masterclass I’m going to focus…

With the advent of the orchestral sample package, creators continue to find evermore ingenious ways of packaging up their samples, according to style and genre of music. No strand of packaging personifies this more than the Albion series from Spitfire, which now adds to its epic repository of sounds with latest volume, Albion Colossus. There have been many packages prior to this, catering for extremities of volume and end-of-the-world scenarios, but Colossus adopts a number of facets which set it apart from previous examples. Mirroring previous Albion packages, the sounds are curated across a number of instrumental groups. The largest of this is from the orchestral domain, with representation of strings, woodwind, brass and percussion. Also in common with previous Albion packages, instruments are mostly grouped by section, so you…

Audient’s iD range of interfaces offer a decent blend of audiophile electronics, solid construction and handsome looks. Nevertheless, in recent times it’s been their Evo units grabbing the headlines, with the Evo 16 in particular offering incredible value and flexibility. Thankfully, Audient is also gradually upgrading their original generation iD units, and the latest one is the iD24, which replaces the iD22. The iD24 is a 10in/14out 24bit/96kHz capable USB 3.0 powered audio interface. On the input side it features two of Audient’s highly respected 8024 Class-A mic preamps via combi connectors on the back, and one front-mounted JFET-based instrument input, which when plugged up replaces mic input 1. Both inputs also include balanced inserts on ¼” TRS jacks. For outputs you have two stereo pairs which can be assigned…

Audiotent Opus $56 Big ol’ bunch of beefy presets for the OP-Xa – the growling beast of a synth from them cats at Arturia. Inside the pack, you get low subs and bottomless bass from the bowels of beyond, moody middle ground courtesy of a fine pick of pads, and some terrific tops and lead lines to tickle your higher branches and other hard-to-reach spots in your audio spectrum. With 107 options to wade through, you’re more than sure to find some twisted sounds to warm up your track cockles. And, with bonus preview WAVs and a sneaky batch of melodic MIDI files, you get an extra bow to tie it all up with, too. www.audiotent.com 9/100 Zenhiser Crate £44 These noise ninjas don’t often step into the realm of…

Soundtrack Trailers It’s a soundtrack theme this issue! Robbie at Cyclick gets his popcorn and details his all-new sample pack… “This sample pack pulls together the essential ingredients for a soundtrack trailer: pounding, giant drums, suspenseful prep piano chords and scratchy instruments (a violin and a concert zither). “The chunky drums make use of pitchshifting, reverb, and compression, with a healthy dash of distortion along the way. The beats all feature two rounds of a 1-bar pattern followed by one or two bars of reverb decay. “The prep piano produces two sets of indescribable chords (they’d be something like a diminished major 7th minor 2nd), so they’re just listed as A, B, C, etc. “The Evil Violin is a ¾ size school cheapo I found in the loft. The bow…