Innehållsförteckning för 03/2024 från Beat English

Fully modular DAW for real creators Bitwig 5.1 Studio 8-Track This month you not only get the fully modular DAW Bitwig 5.1 Studio 8-Track, which is guaranteed to awaken the creative tinkerer in you, but also the Colossal Choirs & Voices Bundle for the Bitwig Sampler, with a whopping 5.9 gigabytes of patches! Immerse yourself in the world of desert tribes, experience epic Templar choirs, feel the magic of witchy mantras, sink into the meditation of monks and Mongolian throat singing, listen to ethereal whispers and feel the sublime splendour of Gregorian choirs. Download: see page 9 | Info: bitwig.com win| mac Ilinux Synth beast on steroids! GForce impOSCar2 The OSCar from 1983 is one of the most outstanding vintage synths from Great Britain. With its unique sound, digitally controlled…

Akai MPK Mini MK3 Small, compact and suitable for almost all DAW workflows - the MPK Mini MK3 from Akai is the perfect introduction to the world of MIDI controllers, whether outdoors, in the studio or on your desk at home. Not only is an arpeggiator integrated and there are eight drum pads in MPC style. The eight endless encoders make controlling your plugins very easy. On the one hand, the controls are handy enough to make cutoff sweeps on your favorite VST. On the other hand, the encoders are also sensitive enough for finer automation for volume or effect parameters, for example. Price: 85 Euro | www.akaipro.com | www.inmusicbrands.com Arturia KeyLab Essential 49 MK3 White Our verdict in Beat 08/23 was already clear the Keylab Essential 49 MK3 from…

Asparion present the D700, the successor to the D400. It is a flexibly configurable complete controller solution that enables a lot from minimal setups to XXL controllers. The eight-channel D700 FT is, so to speak, the heart of the setup, which can be expanded with the D700 F with eight channel strips – and that sevenfold. A maximum of 64 channels are theoretically possible, with a total width of just under two meters. This allows for a real mixing desk feeling and saves you having to switch back and forth between the banks. The components are arranged to save space - the controllers are each 26.5 cm deep and only 3.6 cm high. Also nice: two actions can be assigned to each key the second function can be accessed with…

Beat / What memories do you have of the Silencio recordings? Moritz von Oswald / I had just come back from a DJ gig, I think from Norway. I was completely exhausted. But when I arrived there, I was wide awake from one second to the next. I had only played with a choir in an orchestra once before. And I realised from conducting that how extremely difficult it is to get the music together. Especially when it comes to opera. I‘m a big fan of opera, I have to emphasise that. Especially when it comes to the choir: once you‘ve been exposed to a choir piece that means something to you, it‘s simply irretrievable. These voices have such depth! Beat / Why is it difficult? Moritz von Oswald /…

LISTEN IN! WHERE AND HOW YOU WANT! The BEHIND THE BEAT Podcast is home on all popular platforms: www.beat.de/podcast Can it still be done? To make music just for the sheer joy of playing and composing? To invest next to nothing into PR and only a minimum amount of time on social media? To skip worrying about streaming numbers and refuse flooding the market with expensive vinyl editions or hip cassette tapes? Iain Cook and Scott Paterson firmly believe so. To be exact, this is no longer a question of faith – as Protection, they are already living by this ideal. Their respective career paths prove that music always comes first for them and that success is almost a side effect. For almost a decade, for example, Iain Cook was…

1 Pick a Beat We‘ve loaded a beat that sounds a little too boring. First, we open the Beat Breaker under Audio FX, Multi Effects. To present our beat to the plugin in all its glory, we set the Length parameter to 8 beats. Depending on the beat, you can increase this to up to 16 beats. Once the plugin is loaded, it starts listening. 2 Listen first It is important that we let the plugin listen first. After loading Beat Breaker and then playing our beat in the loop, we see a line that follows the time progression. The respective audio material is now recorded and displayed in the plugin interface. We let the beat run in the loop and start processing. 3 Here we go Sections are automatically created for…

1 Reduced beat For our track, we take our cue from the mid-tempo pieces by Nine Inch Nails or How To Destroy Angels. Create a project at a tempo of 95 BPM. Our beat consists of three sounds from Mai Tai [1]. The kick plays on the eighth notes 1, 3, 6, 8 and the snare on 2 (Bar 1) or 2 and 5 (Bar 2). The hi-hat sound consists of filtered noise. 2 Hi-Hat Load the arpeggiator on the hi-hat track under Note FX (Rate: 1/16). With this sound, the Autofilter plug-in modulates the filter frequency rhythmically. With a subtle reverb, it sounds more spacious. We’ll use another Mai Tai instance for the bassline. Define the Mono Playback mode and select the sawtooth waveform for the oscillators. 3 Trademark bass Activate the…

Baby Audio Beat Slammer Baby Audio has earned a place at the top of our plug-in folder with impressive effect plug-ins such as Comeback Kid, Crystalline, Spaced Out and, most recently, Transit. In addition to these paid plug-ins, the developers also offer some freeware effects. These are slimmed-down versions of the commercial plug-ins, for example, a preset version of the reverb/delay effect Spaced Out, called Magic Dice. Their latest freebie, Beat Slammer, is also an offshoot, in this case, of the parallel compressor IHNY-2, and the name says it all: Beat Slammer was not developed for subtle and transparent dynamic limiting, but specializes in aggressive and pumping compression. To achieve this, the effect uses New York parallel compression, in which the incoming audio signal is extremely processed and squeezed and…

There‘s probably not much more left to say about the legendary TR-808 from Roland. Even 44 years after its market launch, the legendary drum machine has lost none of its popularity. In particular, the deep bass drum and the punchy hihats have become an integral part of contemporary music styles such as Trap, Drill, Electro, RnB and Hip Hop. Advanced post-processing Nepheton impresses with a very accurate reproduction of the sounds, but also offers many additional features that the competition sometimes lacks. These include, above all, the extensive options for post-processing with effects. The TR-808 is similar to its successor, the TR-909: If you only know these drum machines from legendary tracks, you will probably be disappointed when you play the original directly. The TR-808 only unfolds its full potential…

HYPER VOX FOR ZAMPLER & MPCS When it comes to vocals, there are polished audio recordings, adlibs, glitch vox and all the usual stuff you find everywhere else. But how about a sample pack that‘s different - as unique as it is inspiring? Then, you should be able to look forward to HYPER VOX! This 2.1 GB pack contains 55 intoxicating basses, (literally) screaming synths and enchanting pads - all including vocal loops, never before heard phrases and Asian vocal elements. We hope you enjoy it! www.zamplersounds.com 1 Triplet groove The most important musical elements of a Psytrance track are the bassline and the drums. Armed with loops and sounds from Loopcloud [1], we create a driving groove at 145 BPM. The special feature is the triplet rhythm of the bassline…

Beat / Hi Matt, great to have you on board! For some, reverb is just a tool, for others it’s an instrument at its own. I bet you belong to the latter. Why? What makes you create and re-create reverb so ambitiously in so many facettes? Matt / Coming from an EDM and remixing background means that to me reverb was always a part of the essence of a sound effect, a synth patch or a riff/hook itself. Reverb and effects are baked into synth factory patches of course so I learnt about reverb while I learnt about synthesis. What drove me into reverb design itself was a simple over-investment in synth hardware. The Access, Waldorf and Novation late 90s VA classics proving irresistible to a twenty-something with a student…

With dimensions of approximately 10 x 25 x 23 cm, Revolution 6x6 is not one of the most compact interfaces, but should still find a place on most desktops. The workmanship and feel are impeccable, the robust and stylish matte black casing is made entirely of metal and is correspondingly heavier. At almost 2 kilograms, it is stable on the desktop. The controls are easy to grip, nothing wobbles or has unnecessary space or play, we like that! Two analog combi-inputs The two analog inputs are located on the front. They are designed as XLR/jack combo sockets for maximum flexibility. Here, you can either feed in microphones (with switchable 48V phantom power), instruments such as electric guitar or electric bass (HiZ option is directly accessible via a switch) or line…

The right DAW or synth controller can be a real game-changer when recording, mixing or in music production. As haptic interfaces, controllers enable music producers to intuitively control DAW or synth and effects plug-ins. From precisely editing sound settings to creating complex sequences, controllers offer a tactile experience that goes beyond simply using a mouse and keyboard. So why should you have them? Well, the answer lies in efficiency and creative freedom. Physically interacting with the knobs, buttons and pads adds a tangible dimension to music production that can often make a difference in terms of work speed and inspiration. A model for every purpose There are different types of controllers, adapted to different needs: DAW controllers specialize in controlling digital audio workstations. They make it easy to navigate tracks,…

AKAI Professional MPD 226 16 MPC-like pads for building beats on a controller from THE manufacturer who basically invented the whole thing: Akai. The pads on the MPD 226 come pretty close to the feeling of the time-honored MPC pads. Perfect for boom bappers! There are also four faders, four encoders and transport buttons for controlling the DAW on the controller - so you really have everything (except piano keys) to make grooving and producing music more exciting. And with MPC Note Repeat and MPC Swing, great groove tools are built in that make a lot of the creative process easier and make your beats more exciting. Price: 199 Euro | www.akaipro.com | www.inmusicbrands.com Novation Launchpad Pro MK3 What used to be MPCs are now launchpads. Novation recognized early on…

The two models basically have the same functions, but differ in one key point: With the P1-M you have access to 8 individual tracks (or 7 tracks and the master track) via 8 motor faders, with the P1-X you can add another 8 tracks. With the P1-Nano, on the other hand, you have to make do with a single fader that controls the currently selected channel. However, the Nano model is significantly more compact and the standard version already has a small display for showing track names, parameters and LED chain as well as a separate time and cycle display. P1-M offers LED chains for each track, but no other indicators. In addition, the P1-Nano has enough power via USB, while the P1-M requires the included power supply. Optional OLED…

Beat / Almost five years have passed since your last album „Trips & Ticks”. How have things been for you since then? Jen / Yes, we just imaginatively delete the two Corona years, then it‘s just three years again - and we always need them for our albums. We felt the same way - especially at the beginning - as most cultural workers in this country. We would have gone on tour with the last album just in time for the first lockdown. We made up for that last year. But we never canceled anything, just postponed it. This shows that we remained optimistic. Raphael / We actually had it better than many others in our industry because after 20 years we wanted to get out of this hamster wheel…

Clip view In clip view, which can, alternatively, be displayed vertically like in the session view in Live, you record loops and assemble them into Scenes. Arrangement view In the arrangement view, you build your track in a time-line, just like in classic DAWs. Clip view and arrangement view can be used in parallel, and loops can be exchanged between the two views. The Grid The Grid is a modular sound-design environment that powers a family of devices in Bitwig Studio: Poly Grid, FX Grid and Note Grid. With a vast library of modules and a supersonic workflow, you’ll be creating your own unique sounds immediately, and in high-fidelity. Simply add a Grid device to your project and start patching. Editing in detail Instruments and effects, as well as MIDI…

1 Piano First create a new Cubase project at 96 BPM. Let‘s start with the piano chords. To do this, load HALion Sonic SE as a VST instrument and select the Piano Concert preset. Deactivate the Texture layer and set Distance to 50% and Color to 77%. Also, increase Compression to 68%. Then, turn the Balance Piano-Texture Macro slider all the way to the left. 2 Chords The piano plays the chords shown. Now we add a bass to it with Retrologue. Activate Mono Mode and Glide, increase Glide Time to 145 ms and select the Legato Trigger Mode. Oscillators 1 and 2 and the sub oscillator with the sawtooth waveform provide the tonal foundation. Multi-Mode produces a fuller sound. 3 Bass Adjust the oscillator level and filter para-meters as…

1 Normalize We‘ll use a jam session recorded some time ago as a template (see Issue Downloads), but you can also build a fresh beat with your 909. Since we‘ll be working with saturation and distortion, it‘s important that the recording is normalized. If not, you may need to turn up the drive controls further than indicated here. 2 From chunky to crisp  This in turn has an effect on the result and, depending on the source material, can sound quite good, but can also go down the  drain and turn out too coarse. If in doubt, test both variants. But here we go: The first sound to freshen up is, of course, the kick. It just sounds too thin and chunky by nature, it needs to be rounder and crisper.…

Denise Audio Bass XXL A defined low frequency range gives a track pressure and energy. No wonder that a whole armada of effect processors is often used for this. The Bass XXL plug-in is designed to ensure that the all-important low-end is also transferred to smaller listening devices, such as smartphone speakers, in the best possible way. Sound like a sub-synth? No, the revised new version of Bass XL generates additional harmonic tones above the bass frequency. This tool makes use of the fact that our brain interprets low basses primarily on the basis of their overtones. You can set the basic tone in Hertz or as a note value or determine it through MIDI so that the plug-in also follows the tone changes in your track. Use the Harmonics…

Mode Audio Futurism The Futurism sample pack from Mode Audio feels like a journey back in time to the 80s. The sonic focus of the 149 music loops is clearly on Synthwave. The retro vibe, in the style of Miami Vice, is noticeable throughout, but the sounds are high quality and not 8-bit Style. There are 18 arpeggios and pads, 23 basses, 16 drums, 15 sound effects and 41 synthesizers included, as well as 59 individual samples featuring Drums from vintage machines with rich filter processing. Included are 101 MIDI sequences. The synth melodies are very pleasant, but could be catchier. Long reverb effects are typical of the sound of the time. This is particularly noticeable in the Drums, which could have been a little punchier. Verdict For the production…

We live in exciting times when it comes to music and AI. Where does Artificial Intelligence help in the everyday work of musicians and producers? Which tools will fundamentally change the way we work and the way we produce? The AI Assistant in WavTool creates MIDI notes, automation and more in this online DAW. What is WavTool? Like BandLab and SoundTrap, WavTool is an online DAW. It allows you to produce beats in your browser. You can also make audio recordings, play melodies and beats with the MIDI controller or the computer keyboard or draw notes in the piano roll - just like in Ableton Live, FL Studio and any other DAW. There are also around 70 ready-made instruments, some set up as samplers, some as presets in the included…

1 Reverb without mud Particularly when it comes to EDM, gigantic reverbs count. But how does the sound always remain clear and transparent despite long reverb tails? It‘s simple: use automation to switch your plug-in off briefly with each new note of your lead sound. In contrast to sidechain, no reverb tail of the previous note remains and there is room for the new note in the mix. 2 Double reverse Everyone should know the backwards reverb trick: Equip any sound with a medium-long reverb, bounce it and play it backwards - the ideal riser or announcer. But why not go one step further and load a reverb onto it again, bounce it and play this result backwards too. This usually creates great soundscapes. 3 Sound becomes a pad Do you need a…

After the crises of the last few years, production at Behringer is back in full swing, with a new synthesizer coming onto the market every month. In addition to legendary classics, Uli also occasionally throws in exotic items like the EDP Wasp or the Octave Cat. Now there is a monophonic analog synthesizer inspired by the RSF Kobol Expander I in a Eurorack-compatible desktop case on our desktop. RSF Kobol Expander I Like the French original from 1978, Kobol has a fairly simple structure with two VCOs and a low-pass filter, but is semi-modular and therefore offers more sonic possibilities than one would expect at first glance. And the basic sound is also good. It‘s no wonder that British synth-poppers Depeche Mode, among others, used the Kobol in their early…

1 Select the user library If you connect Push 3 to Ableton Live and set Push to Standalone Mode, a Push icon will appear in Live‘s browser under Places. If you select it, you will see in the right-hand browser window that Push has its own user library, which is not identical to the user library created by Ableton Live on your computer. 2 Create a Drum Rack If you haven‘t created your own Drum Rack yet, create a new MIDI track in Ableton Live and load an empty Drum Rack. Load it with a selection of drum hits, for example, your favorite kicks or a selection of drum sounds for your next Live Set. Click on the floppy disk icon in the title bar of the rack to save it. 3 Save…

3-track synthesizer Elastic Melody as an app MomInstruments have released their synthesizer and sequencer Elastic Melody as an app. As a sibling of Elasic Drums, the sound generator has three tracks, each of which can use an analog oscillator. Each synth engine can be tweaked with 14 parameters, such as the waveforms, the filter or the envelopes. The individual synths can be soloed or muted separately. All parameters can be drawn into an automation window. Various patterns can be programmed, flexibly moved or duplicated and put together as an overall arrangement. There are four effects in the master section: EQ, chorus, delay and reverb. Most of the effect controls can also be automated. In addition, there are various random functions that provide more variety and creativity, as well as the…

Novation Launch Control XL MK2 Twenty-four rotary controls with LED lighting, eight 60-millimeter faders, sixteen large and ten small buttons - the “XL” in Launch Control XL ML2 already hints at it: There is a lot in this DAW controller. Even if the manufacturer describes it as specifically tailored to Ableton Live: with this amount of buttons and faders you can also easily remotely control any other DAW. The controller is also super compact and robust. It is also powered directly via USB. And you can use the template buttons to switch between different link templates in a flash - very practical! Price: 159 Euro | www.novationmusic.com Solid State Logic UF1 On the premium DAW controller side, SSL with its UF1 is one of the more interesting representatives. Two LED…

Logic Remote With Logic Remote, Apple was an absolute pioneer in remote apps for DAWs. Not to be confused with the new Logic iPad version, the free app is an easy way to remotely control Logic - and it‘s free! Whether volume automation on the iPhone, triggering loops in Live Loops mode via the iPad or starting the recording from the next room - everything is possible and much more. The connection between the DAW and the device is either via the local WiFi network or via Lightning/USB-C. Recently you can even use more than one iPad or iPhone for remote control. Price: for free (only iOS) www.apps.apple.com/de/app/logic-remote/id638394624 Avid Control for Pro Tools Who would have dreamed that there would be an area of electronic music production where the venerable…

1 Why should I use a DAW controller? Using a DAW controller offers a variety of benefits that can significantly improve your overall music production process. With the right controller, operating your DAW is quicker and more intuitive. This can make it easier to set parameters precisely and speed up the production process compared to pure mouse and keyboard control. 2 What are the important criteria for buying a DAW controller? Decisive criteria when buying a DAW controller are the number of channels, compatibility with the DAW and adaptability to individual needs. It is important to clarify which functions the hardware controller should control and what type of controls are needed for this. The number of controls, including faders, push switches and encoders, plays a key role. It is also…

It sounded like a typical exaggeration when leading online music magazine Pitchfork awarded André 3000‘s album New Blue Sun 8.3 out of 10 points and the coveted „Best New Music“ seal, writing: „Beautiful, demanding, and among the most fascinating artistic left turns in recent memory.“ [1] Then again, they were certainly right about one thing: After selling almost 20 million copies with hip-hop duo Outkast, New Blue Sun is indeed extreme for this artist. As a guest on Kanye West‘s sprawling and rather indifferently received double album Donda, André had only recently returned as an MC after a break of almost ten years. According to his own statement, he also keeps getting requests from young, exciting producers. But none of this felt authentic to him, he claimed. Instead, he…

1 Sound selection As paradoxical as it may sound, a good mix starts before the actual mixing process, namely with the sound selection. Even a top chef can‘t conjure up a delicious dish from old rotten food. The same applies to music production. So, as a preventative measure, try to find a sound that really suits the sound of the song. 2 Transient tuning Now the Envelope of the 808 is adjusted to match the song. A little more punch is usually desired, which is why we open the Transient Processor as the first plugin in our effect chain. There, we turn Attack Shape to Sharp and the Attack control to a value between 40 and 80 percent until the transient of the 808 is strong enough. 3 Lowcut Even if…

1 Structure the song Transitions are useful for introducing changes in the song and increasing the tension, for example, between build up and drop or verse and chorus. In the following example, the transition takes place on the last one and a half bars of the verse as a transition to the chorus. The pattern can be copied as desired and the length varied to add interest. 2 Create space Locate a suitable place for a transition in your song. Then, mute all tracks one bar before the new part. To make the transition sound organic, use material from the subsequent part if possible: for example, does it start with a sustained chord from an instrument or a long held note from the backing vocals? 3 Connect tonally Copy the note or chord…

Jack Harlow – Lovin on Me: Bass w/u-he Diva 1 1995 RnB Sample The sample for this single, which was produced by Drake producer Oz, his protégé Nik D and Sean Momberger (ProdbySean), comes from the 1995 RnB song „Whatever (Bass Soliloquy)“ by Cadillac Dale. In the original, the bass line is much longer and more complex, and the song is two semitones lower and around 10 bpm slower than the sample. 2 Dual VCO in Diva The basis is provided by the oscillators in the Dual VCO in Diva, an emulation of Roland‘s Jupiter 6 and Jupiter 8. VCO 1 generates the basic sound using a Triangle Wave on 8‘. As it still sounds a little thin at the bottom, VCO 2 provides the right foundation with a Sine Wave on…

1 What are the differences between algorithmic reverb and convolution reverb and their respective strengths? Algorithmic reverb uses complex algorithms to simulate acoustic spaces and offers a high degree of flexibility and creative freedom. Convolution reverb is based on Impulse Responses of real rooms and can sound very realistic. This makes it an excellent choice for acoustic instruments in particular. There are also reverb effects that combine the best of both worlds. 2 What are the most important parameters of a reverb effect? The key parameters are the effect proportion (Mix or Dry/Wet), Decay (Decay Time), Room Size (Room Size), Damping (Damping) and Pre-Delay (Delay until the reverb tail sounds). Together, they influence the characteristics and intensity of the generated reverb. 3 What are the most common types of reverb?…

It‘s a voluminous 300 watt speaker in 12‘‘ format with an active Class D power amplifier, based on the 8“ Thump GO. The frequency response is 52 Hz to 20 Khz and the thing can get really loud. A maximum level of 125 dB can be reached. This means that the Mackie Thrash212 Go can easily hold its own in the rehearsal room, on stage, at trade fairs or as a PA for street music or parties. Under the hood is a 12‘‘ high-performance woofer and a 1‘‘ titanium compression driver for the treble. Visually, the speaker makes a good first impression. The metal grille on the front looks as if it could take a kick and the rest of the design also seems tailor-made for the rough and tumble…

With the MiniFreak, Arturia presented the successful continuation of the Freak series in mid-2022, with numerous advantages over the popular MicroFreak: Real polyphony, second oscillator, built-in effects, additional controls and a „normal“ keyboard were the most important innovations. The flexible oscillator models, in conjunction with the modulation matrix and the sequencer featuring parameter recording, provide an independent sound with plenty of movement; the filter adds an analog touch and the entire operation is intuitive. The icing on the cake is the free MiniFreak V plug-in for direct exchange with your DAW. However, the wavetable and vocoder algorithms were initially omitted from the MiniFreak compared to the MicroFreak. Wavetables With the first major update to 2.0, the MiniFreak now also has the wavetable engine. There are 32 factory wavetables to choose…