Indholdsfortegnelse for May 2021 i Electronic Musician

Frequency Modulation (FM) Synthesis is a method of generating sound that allows for a huge amount of control, leading to a diverse array of sounds, lifelike or abstract. At its heart, the concept of frequency modulation is very simple. Just as you may modulate an oscillator’s pitch on a simple synth setup, leading to the slow undulation of pitch in the notes played, FM takes the same concept further. By ratcheting up the frequency of that pitch modulation into the audible range, the ‘Low Frequency’ part of the ‘Low Frequency Oscillator’ is surpassed, leading to a complete tonal change of the original oscillator. As a synthesis method, FM is great for a number of tasks, including creating drums and percussion, inharmonic bell tones, electric pianos and a lot more. FM…

When it comes to programming and playing distorted lead synth sounds there are several approaches you can take. Some of the most revered prog/metal players went all-out shred guitar player in their sounds (I’m talking about Jens Johansson, Derek Sherinian, Jordan Rudess and many others), where they developed deeply saturated overdrive tones for their leads. This comes mostly from the distortion effects and sometimes actual guitar amps that they use, and we’ll discuss that approach more in a future column. This month I want to explore a more middle-ground approach, which can retain more of the timbral quality of your lead sound, but add some dynamic edge to it. There are two ground rules I am establishing for this approach: We’re looking for a subtler addition to our tone. High-gain…

$3,052 udo-audio.com Strengths + Stellar build quality, direct and intuitive interface + Sounds unique, from classic poly-fodder to future soundscapes + Future-proofed with wave import and (as yet unlocked) MPE capability Limitations - Quality like this does cost more - Some will lament lack of screen for patch naming - Travel of the modbender is a bit shallow and stiff I first got to play the Super 6 prototype last October at a synth show and also had the pleasure of talking to UDO’s friendly founder, George Hearn. Back then, even with some features not implemented, I got a great vibe for this machine. Just over a year later it’s good to see the pandemic hasn’t deterred UDO from finishing and refining the Super 6 and getting it out into…

$750 modalelectronics.com Strengths + Sounds on the money. Can be polychained with other Cobalts for up to 16 voices. Plenty of voice modes + Very solid build quality throughout. Largely intuitive + Audio input for running external audio into the effects Limitations - The effects, while complementary, don’t really have any magic - Sometimes it feels like there are a few too many button presses to access some functionality - Filter knob is a fair distance away from the keyboard! Modal’s latest synth features a 37-key compact model (known simply as the Cobalt 8), a 5-octave ‘X’ version for the players out there, and a module/desktop version, the Cobalt M. In our review of the Argon 8, it was mentioned at least once just how nice it would be to…

NOVATION’S CIRCUIT TRACKS COULD BE THE PORTABLE GROOVEBOX THAT ALSO SITS AT THE HEART OF YOUR STUDIO We’d maintain that, even five years after its release, Novation’s Circuit groovebox is still one of the best value standalone musicmaking devices on the market. A second Circuit, the Mono Station, was released in 2017, but it’s Circuit Tracks, which has just been announced, that looks like the spiritual sequel. Novation is also teasing another member of the Circuit family, Circuit Rhythm, that’ll be released in the summer. Offering a new look and feel, Circuit Tracks once again features two polyphonic digital synth tracks and four drum tracks, along with a suite of effects. Back, too, are the velocitysensitive pads, along with eight macro knobs for speedy sound sculpting. One of the great…

$599 arturia.com Strengths + Considerable cost saving over buying individual instruments + Vocoder V is one of the best vocoders we’ve used + Excellent new and updated Roland synths + Very useful and informative In-App tutorials + Extensive software-only enhancements + Great new macro feature and implementation Limitations - Choice can be overwhelming Arturia’s V Collection (VST, VST3, AU, AAX and standalone) is a mainstay of the VSTi world that has grown over the years to incorporate a combination of mainstream and rare synths, pianos, organs and string machines. Of course, you can purchase the instruments individually, but the collection delivers a considerable financial saving and also includes their Analog Lab package, which is a presetpacked workstation that pulls together patches from all of the instruments (see box out). Although…

Live looping has taken off in recent years. Whether you chalk it up to economics (what singer-songwriter can afford a band anymore?) or musicians seeking new sounds, there are currently well over a dozen dedicated loopers for sale to service this market, triple that if you add delay and multi-effects pedals that also loop. Should you want to join the crowd but lack a pedal, no worries — if you have an iPad you are already halfway there. Here are three looper apps that should get you going. Loopy HD lets you create six, nine, or 12 “circles,” each representing a track. You can record separate tracks and also overdub on each. The first track sets the length and tempo, subsequent tracks can be recorded in longer multiples. There are…

Monitors and headphones both have their place in the studio, naturally, but seasoned recording artists will tell you that each audio output provides its own distinct advantages and disadvantages. Monitors are generally far superior when set up correctly, but that individual correct setup generally requires you to be in an acoustically great space, complete with all the money that costs. Headphones do tend to be much more dependable, piping their sound directly into your ears, but at the same time, they miss the crosstalk, reflections and stereo width perception of monitors. What’s a producer to do? A few systems have aimed to solve the conundrum over the years. By emulating the acoustic effects of monitors before a signal is sent out to your headphones, systems like Waves Nx and Focusrite’s…

When Adam Wiltzie put the skids on ambient band Stars of the Lid back in 2007, fresh inspiration arrived almost immediately, following a chance backstage meeting with prolific Emmy Award-winning composer Dustin O’Halloran. Combining Wiltzie’s ambient guitar drones and O’Halloran’s sparse piano, the duo recorded their eponymous debut album in a variety of large acoustic spaces in studios across Europe. The duo then took their sound into a more electronic-oriented direction under the guidance of Wiltzie’s long-time sound engineer Francesco Donadello, releasing further ambient albums Atomos (2013) and The Undivided Five (2019). In between, the collective have scored two movies (Iris and God’s Own Country) and more recently worked with video designer Leo Warner for a theatre production at the Manchester International Festival. Titled Invisible Cities, the original score has…

TECH SPECS Year of manufacture 1994 Original sale value $5,556 Number made unknown Looking back at the mid-1990s, it’s obvious that musicians were ready for a change. The vast majority of synthesizers of the day made use of subtractive sample-playback synthesis to create and shape sounds. Once seen as an alternative to the simple waveforms produced by analog synths, sample playback technology very quickly began to wear thin as manufacturers churned out an endless supply of what amounted to little more than preset players for the Holiday Inn set. Yamaha, as it happened, had come late to the sample-playback game, instead clinging to their once-popular take on FM synthesis. Even so, by 1994 the company’s backroom boffins had come up with an entirely new method of synthesis designed to challenge…

$129 uvi.net Strengths + Very extensive set of filter types + Good choice of modulators + Dynamic trigger options + Decent set of presets + External side chain + Intuitive graphic interface Limitations - Not much UVI is best known for the Workstation and Falcon hybrid synth, which collectively deliver an impressive array of sample and synth-based sounds. The company is perhaps less well known for its effects, which include the excellent Relayer delay and Sparkverb algorithmic reverb. Up for review is Shade (VST, AU, AAX), the latest addition to this effects range. UVI describes it as a creative filter and EQ, and a quick look at the spec reveals extensive modulation. So, let’s find out what‘s actually going on here. Shade can be used as a regular EQ, and…

Audiothing Filterjam Not your standard filter, Filterjam is actually a multiband filter setup under the hood. These four bands are then combined by a mixture of summing and multiplying (you select how exactly from a selection of four). There’s a frequency control to select the focal point (not a cutoff per se, but it depends on the mode), and then an emphasis control to add something akin to resonance. The signal chain finished with a gain and a mix control to refine the strength of the effect. What Filterjam does to your signal can vary wildly depending on your material and the settings you go for. There are some characterful and non-conventional filtering effects here, but for the most part, you could think of this one as a distortion and…

As Roosevelt, German producer Marius Lauber makes music that sits across the divide between funk, pop and classic house music, packed with danceable rhythms, hooky basslines and gorgeous synths. Last month he returned with new album Polydans, so we caught up with Marius to chat studios, mic techniques and more. When did you start making music? I played in different bands in my teens and was often the one who produced our demos on GarageBand. I pretty quickly had to learn how to make a full band recording with just one mic. Around 10 years ago I started doing my own productions. Tell us about your studio/set-up I run my own studio called Tambourine Dreams in Cologne. It’s a very well equipped project studio with a lot of vintage synths,…