Indholdsfortegnelse for March 2016 i Future Music

Synth Surprises The first few weeks of the year are always an exciting time in the music production world. As ever, the annual NAMM show in California acts as a focal point for a huge raft of new instrument, effect and studio gear announcements. This year’s show was full of pleasant surprises – from the amazingly affordable polysynth adorning this issue’s cover, to an unexpected collab from Dave Smith and Tom Oberheim, a surprise new addition to Korg’s Volca range, a sneak peak at a seriously cool new tool from Teenage Engineering, and loads more. You’ll find our coverage of all the hottest new announcements in this issue’s news section, starting on page 14. Head there now for all the highlights from the show floor, along with our first impressions…

BONUS SAMPLES See this month’s selection of free demos at vault.futuremusic.co.uk http://sounds.beatport.com 01 Audentity EDM By Jimmy Clash 02 Mainstream Sounds Future Wobble House 03 True Samples Synthetica 04 Catalyst Samples Sylenth: Deep/Future Melodic House Presets 05 EDM Tools Presents Festival Kits 06 Natura Viva Crespo Secret Sounds 07 Cognition Strings Raw Techno 08 BPM Recordings Detroit Percussion www.loopmasters.com 01 Frontline Producer Blues Keys 02 Loopmasters Kid Massive Presents Deeper House 03 Loopmasters Sample Pack Dubmatix Presents Dub Invaders 04 Organic Loops Presents Jazz & Lounge Guitar 05 Loopmasters Presents Maximum EDM 06 Niche Audio Dub & Reggae 07 Raw Sounds Smokers Unite 08 Loopmasters Teeel Presents Retro Wave…

Waldorf expand their modular range German brand Waldorf have a cluster of new modular units on the way, following on from the nw1 Wavetable module they debuted this time last year. These are the dvca1, an analogue amplifier module, the cmp1, a sidechain-equipped analogue compressor, and mod1, a modulator and envelope shaper. That’s not all though, as Waldorf were also showing off the kb37 – a 37-note, velocity and aftertouch equipped controller keyboard, with space for 100hp of Eurorack modules. The keyboard itself is a high-quality Fatar TP9 model, and also features pitch and mod wheels, along with controls for Glide, Note Priority and Gate Retrigger. There’s no word on prices or release dates just yet.…

Track by track with Tony Colman “The studio in Barons Court we were using has had quite a history. In the ’60s the Rolling Stones lived in the flat above it and they used to have jam sessions on the roof. It was then bought in the ’70s by Stiff Records, and they used to record people like Ian Dury there. Then it became Rooster, and was a very popular Indie studio in the ’80s. Then it was bought by a guy doing film soundtracks, who I knew, and we took it over from him as he was looking for a bigger studio. The place really has heard it all.” Song In The Key Of Knife “The album came out on Hospital Records in 1999. We didn’t even know we…

ALBUM REVIEWS © Shawn Brackbill ALBUM OF THE MONTH Wild Nothing Life of Pause Bella Union Jack Tatum’s dreamy, Indie-Pop project Wild Nothing returns for his most mature and honest record to date with Life of Pause. Tatum scored a surprise hit with his well-received shoegazing debut in 2010 and then cemented his place with an equally impressive follow-up in 2012. Three years on from Nocturne, the Brooklyn-based artist is back with a typically dreamy and atmospheric record that is driven by shimmering guitars and low-slung bass that taps into the bliss of warm and fuzzy memories. Laidback and flowing with a natural ease, the entire record has a breezy aesthetic, but it also finds the multi-instrumentalist experimenting with more electronics and, at times, a tougher, meatier Kraut Rock influence.…

Setting Up Buss Compression The buss compressor could be considered the heart of the mastering chain, so getting this stage right is critical A buss compressor is really no different to a compressor you would use in the mix but the way you apply it probably should be. During the tracking or mixing phase you can get away with fairly heavy doses of compression with some creative effects being far from transparent. When it comes to applying compression in a mastering chain, however, much broader, wider strokes are called for. What we are trying to achieve here is a reduced dynamic range but with near transparency. This can be achieved by using small amounts of gain reduction, forgiving attack and release times, and possibly some sidechain filtering to allow key…

Mastering DOs AND DON’Ts > DO keep your eye firmly on your gain structure. Ensuring that every processor in your chain is being fed with the right level means that you’ll avoid introducing any distortion to your master. > DO run your project at the highest resolution possible. If your mix was recorded at 24-bit, stay there until the master is completed. This gives your plug-ins more space and gives you greater clarity throughout the process. > DON’T over-process your mix. Compressing the hell out of a drum group or vocal chain may sound good moving towards the end of your mix but, unless it is intrinsic to the final sound, try to go easy. > DON’T use too many plug-ins and over-process your master. You should be able to…

M/S Processing With The Brainworx bx_digital M/S processing can be the perfect way to attack specific sounds, add surgical EQ to specific instruments and manipulate the stereo image of your mix… > At this stage you can decide on whether you need to widen your mix, EQ specific instruments or close down the stereo field in a specific area. M/S processing can allow you to treat the mono and stereo info separately so you have a decent amount of freedom here. > One of the beauties of the brainworx bx_digital is the ‘mono maker’. This feature gives you the ability to make your audio completely mono below a certain frequency. This adds focus and power; add to this a high-pass filter in the stereo section and you have the ultimate…

So many artists are starting to use modular now that it’s almost beginning to seem fashionable to do so… “I really hope it’s not a fashion thing that people are starting to use modular stuff more. It’s not set in stone, you know? It’s an instrument you are putting together yourself and always evolving. When you buy a synthesizer or a drum machine, you are limited to the parameters of that equipment, but when you have a modular synth you can constantly add parameters and route anything in any order. So if more and more people are getting into modular stuff, I’d hope it’s because they’re excited by the possibilities. If it’s a fashion thing, that’s gonna kill it.”…

The Minilogue – Studio And Live Applications Thanks to the Minilogue’s versatile architecture and wide range of VCOs/ filters, you can put it to great use in many different scenarios. In the studio it can be used for all bread-and-butter analogue sound design duties, and that’s really something for a board that costs just £435. For starters, the Minilogue is a very capable mono/unison bass machine with plenty of bite and sub information. Using mono mode with just a saw, plus a triangle or square wave, you can make fat sounding basses with plenty of balls/low-end power. Add in a little detuning, some subtle LFO movement to filter or pitch (with note sync on for clean initial attack), blend in some of the sub osc (only available in Mono mode),…

Moog Mother the community Special recognition has to go to Moog for their unbelievable ‘Island of Electronicus’ concept booth, which encouraged all and sundry to sit on cushions in a strange electronic desert wilderness, and experiment with hybrid Mother-32 and Eurorack systems at leisure. We tried an as yet unreleased Moog 104HP case system alongside many 60HP Moog/Non-Moog Eurorack hybrids (nice to see other brands mixed in), and experienced four Mothers stacked into one single voice, which nearly made our headphones fly away. While there, we noted something that shouldn’t be an exception: we haven’t seen a more inclusive synth stand, with significantly more female artists, guests and dealers both performing and experimenting with Eurorack systems, than we saw on the Moog stand this NAMM. Damn straight. www.moogmusic.com…

New In Ableton Live 9.5 The latest free update to Live arrived alongside Push 2, bringing a redesigned device, new filters and more. We put its notable new features to the test… Revamped Simpler The headline addition to Live 9.5 is an overhaul to Live’s basic sampler, Simpler. Along with a refreshed UI, Simpler gains two new modes – One Shot and Slice. One Shot mode, as its name suggests, will play a single sample from beginning to end, at a variety of pitches across the keyboard. Slice, meanwhile, divides up an audio file into chunks which can be triggered by playing different notes. A third mode, Classic, retains pretty much all the functionality of the original Simpler device. The whole thing is a great addition to Live – offering…

One Giant Step The bulk of the manual is given over to the step sequencer and, if you’re fortunate enough to be able to put together a trio of units, multiple pattern generation and tweaking is really where the instrument takes flight. The sequencer is monophonic, and each pattern can contain up to 32 notes or steps. With each of eight banks holding eight patterns, you get to store 64 patterns per synth. As you might imagine, gate length per step, accent per step and the very fun ratcheting per step (where a cluster of notes can be repeated) are all easily done. You can use MIDI program changes to switch between patterns (handy for DAW integration), but the one feature not to be overlooked is the musical aspect of…

EXPERT CONTRIBUTORS THIS MONTH… Mo Volans musician, producer For this issue’s headline tutorial feature, our resident mastering expert Mo is running us through the essential gear, techniques and processes needed to get your tracks finished and ready for release. Get the lowdown on page 32 . JoE Silva musician, producer Being based in Asheville, FM’s regular stateside contributor is perfectly placed to get the inside scoop on the latest Moog gear. For this issue, he’s been plugging in and patching up the synth brand’s new modular gateway drug: the Mother-32. Dan ‘JD73’ Goldman musician, producer For several weeks, we’ve forced Dan to keep tight-lipped about the secret polysynth he’s had his hands on for review duties. Now the news is out there, and we’re finally letting him tell you…

Numark Serato Dashboard One of the most interesting digital DJ announcements of the show came in the form of Numark’s Serato Dashboard. The device is a triple screen unit, essentially identical to the existing NS7 display (pictured above), with a slightly adapted stand and the ability to work with any Serato controller. The trio of hi-res screens can flip between waveform and track browsing duties, as well as displaying song BPM and key info, helping to keep the DJ’s attention away from the laptop screen. A pair of convenient display selector buttons make changing views easy and convenient. The unit also offers two powered USB connections on its rear, allowing DJs to chain their controllers and save on power lead clutter. The display is due to arrive during the second…

MFB Tanzbär Lite and Tanzmaus drum machines The MFB stand at NAMM 2016 was pumping with not one, but two new analogue drum controllers, the Tanzbär Lite and Tanzmaus. Both machines take the sequencer from their older brother, the Tanzbär, and feature five accents per instrument and four LFOs; but despite this and their near identical looks, both machines have entirely different sonic characteristics. Tanzbär Lite features nine analogue instruments with an 808 sound to it, while the Tanzmaus includes five analogue instruments and two sample slots and is more akin to a 909. Both drum machines are likely to be available from February 2016.…

LIKE IT? TRY THESE… Webster Lewis Live At Club7 The Hammond organ master and his orchestra wig out in Norway on this mid-’60s live Jazz/Funk classic. London Elektricity covered Do You Believe on Pull The Plug . ADD THESE TO YOUR PLAYLIST: Do You Believe, Up On The Roof, It’s| Your Thing| Izit The Capsule Double CD Best Of for Tony Colman’s pre LE Acid Jazz crew. Some players remain, as does the groove, to this day. ADD THESE TO YOUR PLAYLIST: Stories, Bird Of Paradise (London Elektricity| Remix), Make Way Tor The Originals| Liane Carroll Up And Down Award-winning Jazz album from Pull The Plug’s main vocal talent. Up And Down goes some way…

How To Set Up Parallel Compression Parallel compression can be the perfect tool for getting extreme compression sounds into your master without killing dynamic range. Get it right and you can dial in attitude on the fly… > In this walkthrough we’ll look at one way you can set up parallel compression. Using a traditional send/return routing can be the fastest way to get multiple streams to your master buss. This also gives you maximum flexibility in the mix. > Set up a send/return in your DAW in the same way as you would if you were going to create a reverb effect. Once this return channel has been created, you can add your favourite compressor as an insert. At this point it may just sound a little louder. >…

Ed Rush & Optical With their classic album Wormhole, production duo Ed Rush & Optical splintered from the late-’90s Drum ‘n’ Bass scene to become key creators of the nascent Neurofunk genre. As Danny Turner discovers, nearly 20 years later the chemistry still works © George Fairbairn Fascinated by London’s Rave scene, Ben Settle (aka Ed Rush) entered the world of production alongside infamous No U Turn label owner Nico Sykes to produce the 1993 Drum ‘n’ Bass classic Bludclot Artattack. Bidding to become part of the Drum ‘n’ Bass elite, Settle then teamed up with DJ Trace to help formulate the shifting, sci-fi moods of the genre known as Techstep. In close proximity, Matt Quinn (aka Optical) was recording alongside his brother Jamie (Matrix & Futurebound) while engineering tracks…

THE TRACK Catz ‘N Dogz Killing With Kindness Pets Recordings, 2015 © James Cumpsty INCLUDES VIDEO VAULT.FUTUREMUSIC.CO.UK Wojciech: “We work a lot from presets. It’s kind of wrong, but whatever. We use presets for vocals and we like the Korg [R3] because everything you play just sounds right in the mix. Maybe it’s because for years we couldn’t afford solid software, so we’d use a lot of samples and Magix Music Maker, so we’re used to everything having effects already.” Wojciech: “When we produce club tracks we definitely strip back and we don’t use that many synths, because usually the club sound system is made in a way that, if you have very mid range-heavy records, it’s just not going to do much in the club. You just…

Modulation Tricks The Minilogue has some useful tricks up its sleeve for modulation duties. Let’s take a closer look… On first glance you might think the Minilogue is quite simple in terms of modulation facilities and, while it’s not as fully-featured as some more expensive synths, the fact that you can use several mod features simultaneously makes it nicely versatile. Firstly, combining cross mod (Osc FM), sync and ring mod together can yield all manner of subtle or twisted results. Then you can use envelope 2 not only to affect the filter and pitch but also as a way to tap into the LFO rate and intensity for achieving LFO fade ins/delayed modulation effects and more. Finally, don’t forget that all the flick switches for filter modes, wave types/pitches (etc)…

INCLUDES VIDEO Going beyond the basics! Let’s explore new territory and break out of traditional pre-wired signal paths With the background covered, let’s get into pushing our sonic palette with some new ideas. Audio rate modulation is a common and key technique for many modular users and we can apply that to what is otherwise a standard subtractive patch. As the MiniMod system offers multiple patch points, we can route an audio waveform from one oscillator to the FM input on another oscillator for linear or exponential FM; the PWM (pulse width modulation) inputs will also take audio rate modulation, as will the filter’s cutoff and resonance, and the VCA’s CV inputs. You can’t break a modular as long as you don’t plug inputs into inputs or outputs into outputs.…

Poles Apart The two-pole filters found in Phenol (low-pass and band-pass) are armed with a resonance limiter circuit designed by Andrew Kilpatrick. The idea is to maintain control of the resonance so that as it increases it doesn’t spiral out of control at the top-end. “If you go too high with the resonance on pretty much any filter, it will self-oscillate,” Kilpatrick says. “So when you crank up the resonance it starts to sound really good, but then all of a sudden the filter becomes unstable and it doesn’t sound good at all. “We wanted to be able to really crank the resonance so we could have that effect like it’s a steeper type of filter but also be able to make sure it didn’t go crazy. We did a…

Screen Test The enlarged and enhanced screen is one of the most instantly obvious improvements over version one, and it has significant impact on the overall workflow. Whereas Push 1 featured a dot matrix screen that provided parameter feedback in a pleasingly retro, albeit somewhat functional manner, the new display proves to be substantially more useful and flexible. It’s full colour and hi-res, making it a lot easier on the eyes, and the visual content adapts well to provide differing visual information depending on the section of Live being controlled. In Simpler’s new slice mode, for example, we see the current sample’s waveform complete with movable ‘slice’ divisions. EQ Eight, meanwhile, gives users a visual representation of currently selected curve type, along with virtual rotaries showing cutoff and resonance. It…

Teenage Dreams Teenage Engineering gave a very early look at their forthcoming ‘little monster’, the OP-Z 16-track multi-timbral synth. This is very different to the OP-1, offering fully sequenceable parameter locks, video synthesis and what TE are calling step components – “per step modifiers that can change the timing, pitch of notes and the flow of the sequencer”. TE also say the OP-Z will put equal focus on video and audio creation and, having seen it in action, we can confirm that its visual element is just as beautifully weird as its sounds. As with the OP-1, this is a portable instrument, and thanks to the inclusion of Bluetooth MIDI, it’ll have wireless capabilities. TE claim they’re aiming for a more affordable price point than that of their previous synth.…

London Elektricity Pull The Plug Hospital Records, 1999 Words by Roy Spencer When Tony Colman and Chris Goss first heeded the Drum ‘n’ Bass call in the mid-’90s, they never imagined they’d create the mighty London Elektricity, let alone one of the scene’s most vital ever labels, Hospital Records. These two ex-Acid Jazz heads actually started out producing Disco but, after seeing what progressions labels like Moving Shadow and Good Looking could make, they jumped ship and stayed on this new path for the next two decades. Their debut album, Pull The Plug, set everything in motion. It fused almost Eno-esque experimentation (the title track was made of other records’ final seconds) with powerful Jazz vocalists (the now legendary Liane Carroll). It dipped into rolling Jungle on the album closer,…

Which EQ Is Right For You? Although there are almost limitless software EQs up for grabs, when it comes to mastering they really fall into two main camps: those that are attempting to model a piece of hardware and those that aren’t. Okay so this may be a bit of a generalisation but, on the whole, you’ll find that the major developers are going for one or the other with any one specific product. The EQ plug-ins that attempt to model much-coveted mastering hardware tend to use a good dose of character and harmonic distortion. The alternative are cleaner, more surgical EQs that don’t claim to mimic any device and stand up as original products. Both are useful but which is right for you? An EQ modelled on hardware will…

Using A Mastering EQ When using any EQ in your mastering chain, the ‘less is more’ rule applies. You should only need to add small amounts of EQ for noticeable effects Any high-quality EQ can be used for mastering; as long as the output is of a high resolution and there is no distortion, you should be onto a winner. That said, some equalisers are created more equal than others! Models of famous mastering hardware such as the Manley Massive Passive and the Bax Dangerous are just a cut above most vanilla plug-ins and simply demand respect. If you have access to models like these then you might want to use them over your DAW’s stock option. If you prefer not to impart any flavour at all then a linear…

Setting Up Your Limiter Whether you are just catching peaks or increasing perceived level, the limiter is where it all happens… A brickwall limiter is the last processor of the mastering chain and can take your mix from quiet to loud in about two moves. With this power comes some responsibility, however – you can induce ear bleeding volume with this simple tech. We all know the pitfalls of masters that are too loud. Push things too hard and you lose definition, dynamic range and even frequency response. At the extreme end, distortion and clipping can be introduced and this isn’t going to sound good anywhere. If you think about the process logically, approach the limiter with caution and use decent metering, everything will work out just fine! The limiter…

You have what looks like a very old mixing desk in front of you… Matt: “This desk cost a fortune, about 20 grand I think. It’s an Otari Status 18R Mixing Console. We wanted a fully recallable analogue desk and there wasn’t such a thing in those days, so we had this custom built. It does actually recall mixes just for the purposes of being able to do more work on them.” Ben: “Personally I always thought it was a bit clean-sounding. We had to add so much grit to the music we were making back then to make it pleasing to the ear. Now we use a Mackie 32-channel mixing desk.” Matt: “We come back to it quite a lot. It’s pretty rubbish really, but in a way that’s…

Venetian Snares Canadian producer Aaron Funk (aka Venetian Snares) is widely known for his adventurous use of both technology and time signatures. Danny Turner talks modular technology and new LP Traditional Synthesizer Music © Tyler Funk Like many electronic artists of his era, Canadian Aaron Funk’s initial mastery of gear derived from the use of rudimentary equipment. With a colossal 29 albums under his belt, the Breakcore innovator forged a reputation for self-depreciation, with releases such as My So-Called Life and Winnipeg is a Frozen Shithole. Yet Funk’s tongue-in-cheek designations belie his aptitude for innovation. Paying scant regard to genre templates, his intricate music pulverises the listener with meticulous, complex programming and deep, generative structures. Despite Funk’s notorious dislike of interviews, we discover an artist never more at home than…

Korg Minilogue Going Deep With The Minilogue INCLUDES VIDEO AND AUDIO VAULT.FUTUREMUSIC.CO.UK We’re writing this Producer’s Guide just three days after the release of the Minilogue and already the internet chatter and initial user reports are talking about the Minilogue as a new ‘Minimoog for the present day’ – high praise indeed! In our review on page 84 we call it a game-changer for the synth market and it really is. Korg have certainly hit the sub £500 market running, with the Minilogue giving more expensive analogues a serious run for their money – the features, sound, and build for the price ratio are currently unbeatable! The fact that Korg have managed to keep the Minilogue secret and released and shipped it to shops undetected (without the often…

QUICK TIPS 1 Route the audio output into the input for a different character (you need a gain pedal to boost returning/ incoming audio to really hear the effect). You’ll hear compressed lows and more dirt and piercing resonance. 2 You can record the arp into sequencer steps! Engage the arp, set step resolution to 1/2, hit record on the sequencer and play a chord. Flip between modes while the sequencer is playing to add variation. 3 The delay is great for tapey/ bbd-style effects but also works as a reverb when using shorter amounts of time/feedback. Use the high-pass for filtering delay tails/the main output. 4 For chorus-type effects use Cross Mod, while for phaser-like effects, increase filter resonance and send the LFO to target oscillator shape.…

Using the Sequencer The Minilogue’s sequencer is an indispensable ideas generator and modulation nerve centre. Here’s how to sequence a sound and motion tweaks…. 01  Select your sound (try starting from a polyphonic initialised patch). Hit Edit Mode then choose Seq Edit. Set your tempo using the tempo dial or by hitting the poly button. Then hit Duo once to set your step length, and twice to set step resolution. 02  Hit record to enter step edit mode and enter some steps by hitting any notes in the order you want. To insert a rest, hit the rest button; or to insert a tie, hold a note and turn the program/value dial until it says ‘tie’. 03  Press play to hear your sequence back. You can now overdub further notes…

Pittsburgh’s Lifeforms Pittsburgh unwrapped Lifeforms, two ‘gateway’ modules for those who want to avoid a “two year shopping trip” in order to get established in the format. These consist of the sv-1 ($699), a fully-featured two oscillator voice (with MIDI and arpeggiator, full patchability and with internal normalling – patching not actually required to get sound), and the kb-1 ($399) touch sequencer. Although these are being pitched as ‘entry level’, it was hard not to be deeply impressed by the sheer responsiveness and feature-packed nature of the modules, and of course the sound. The sv-1 was woofer shaking, a fully dual VCO design (plus Subs), with LFO, ADSR, mixer (which can split into two mixers), wrapped around a truly gorgeous sounding 12dB filter with a lovely ‘wowly’ growl to it.…

Big Data Abstract Data showed the ADE-51 analogue Envelope Generator featuring voltage control of all stages and awesomely a ‘timestretch’ control to expand or contract the overall time, keeping your settings intact! This was joined by new ADE-50 dual VCA (both due Q1), which is linear, clean and accurate, while also discrete and analogue. Lastly, we had a sneaky peek at their ADE-33 Logic Boss 2 – simpler, smaller, yet with clever gate integration tricks, good for beatmaking with the Octocontroller (which just got tasty new firmware!) http://abstractdata.biz…

Jesse Rose London-born DJ/producer Jesse Rose is one of House music’s unsung heroes, defying convention through his own productions and dozens of remixes. Danny Turner meets Rose at the dawn of his debut release for Fabriclive “I prefer clubs underground trying to push things forward and not getting stuck in a rut, which is what Pop music is for…” Having studied production under the mentorship of Jamie Anderson and Switch, Jesse Rose moved back to London in the late ’90s to hone his particular blend of Chicago House and Detroit Techno. 20 years later, he is one of House music’s most prolific producers, with over 100 self-penned productions and equally as many remixes. Rose’s idealistic lifestyle usually finds him balanced somewhere between Barcelona and LA – his busy schedule demanding…

Sequencer, Mod And Delay Each program has its own 16-step (with real-time overdub) sequence which sends MIDI out and can record polyphonically. The sequencer is a handy ideas scratchpad and an addictive evolving looper, particularly when you record dial (motion) tweaks. Sequence/note length and gate-time can all be customised and there’s adjustable swing too (great!) There’s no sequence transposition via the keyboard (like the Sequential Prophet-6/ Moog Sub 37) but I’m hopeful Korg can add this via an OS update. When MIDI-clocked from my DSI Tempest/Logic, the Minilogue’s timing was rock-solid. Modulation-wise, there’s loads to mess up or subtly massage sounds, including the audio-rate-capable LFO with three waveshapes, cross-mod, ring-mod, shape-mod, PWM, sync, pitch-mod, the assignable EG and white noise – all of which can be…

To Upgrade Or Not To Upgrade? Until May, Ableton are offering a trade-in scheme allowing owners of Push 1 to part exchange their existing controllers to get 30% off version two (with the added bonus that traded-in units will be donated to musical education projects). Does the offer make it worth current owners rushing out and buying the new version? That’s still up for debate. Undoubtedly, Push 2 is better in almost every way, but its new features are refinements more than revolutionary new tools. Much of the new functionality from Live 9.5 comes to the original version of Push too, and Ableton have stated their intention to continue to support and add features for version one. In short, Push 1 remains an excellent Live controller. If you feel like…

Making Pads More Interesting I love pads but I often get stuck finding ways to make them evolve or appear more interesting… There are no hard and fast rules but do experiment – try anything you have at your disposal and you may surprise yourself! First off, pick a plug-in (or hardware synth) that has plenty in the way of modulation. Build a solid, strong-sounding pad (or use a decent preset), then duplicate that sound to another DAW track and effect and modulate this copy, then blend it back in with your original pad to taste, adding filtering, LFOs and mod FX to add movement. Here are some examples using Logic… > Load up ES2 (or any complex synth plug-in with plenty of mod facilities). Here we’ve loaded the Strings…