Innehållsförteckning för May 2021 från Computer Music

Tracktion have updated their top draw DAW, Waveform Pro, to v11.5. Despite it being just a point update, they’ve only gone and taken the whole engine out to replace it with something far more souped up, instead. They say 11.5 “introduces a new audio engine, reduces CPU load, improves delay compensation and increases overall stability.” There’s also a host of workflow and other improvements. Prices start at $119, although there’s that great, free version too. tracktion.com…

Blay Vision is a Tottenham-based rapper and producer becoming widely known for both MC-ing and his dark, melodic grime productions. He has now worked with many influential artists in that scene including Jme (with whom he collaborated on the two-million streaming track Gone Mad, as well as producing the Grime MC album) plus Dapz On The Map, Skepta and P Money. And as for his rather unique outlook on production? Well that all started with Sonic and might well end up with tattoos of his favourite synth plugins. That’s dedication to the cause for you… 1 How did you get into music? BV: “I’m just a guy from North London who played Sonic the Hedgehog on the Sega Mega Drive to listen to the music rather than enjoy the game,…

Many library plugins will have their own onboard controls for mixing, such as EQ and reverb, and a huge amount of control can be had over the sound if the developer has included the ability to mix and blend samples recorded using different mic positions and configurations. For example, it’s easy to use the mic position mixer to combine the dry, detailed sound of close mics with outriggers to widen the stereo image, and ambient mics to add room tone. There’s also a position that’s often just called ‘tree’, which refers to a Decca tree – a stereo mic formation made up of three omnidirectional mics laid out in a triangular formation on a T-shaped mount above the players’ heads – a traditional way of positioning mics when recording orchestral…

Pads are great building blocks for intensifying the emotions of your composition. Most pads feature a slow attack and long release amplitude which represents a traditional bowed string instrument. This amplitude setting is ideal for creating drama in cinematic music, but when working on fast-paced club tracks, pads slow the music down too much. If you introduce rhythmic movement, you get a sense of urgency. There are a few ways we can achieve movement within synthesis. Some of the prime components for modulation sources are envelopes, LFOs, sample & hold and sequencers. In this guide we’ll focus on the LFO. To be more precise, ramp LFO is recommended here, as it tends to accentuate the transient portion of the LFO cycle. The ramp LFO can then be assigned to a…

We can’t get away without mentioning Live 11’s new Spectral Time device. This is technically an audio effect device, and you’ll find it located in the Audio Effects/Delay & Loop folder, but it could be thought of more as a sample-based instrument. While it includes delay-based controls such as Time, Feedback, and Shift (pitch of the delay), it also includes a Freezer section, which can be used to freeze and hold a selection of the incoming audio, whether that’s from a software instrument or an audio sample. Enter Manual mode and the Freeze button can be used to capture and hold a slice of the signal, or use Retrigger instead, in order to take fresh slices at regular intervals, either synced to note values, or set manually. If you like…

Perhaps the ultimate pursuit of the sound designer, soundscapes can be anything you want them to be. Whatever genre you’re working in – from soundtrack to ambient, through house and DnB – there’s always a place for an evolving, atmospheric bed of sound to set the mood and fill out the mix. And the best thing about cooking up one of these atmospheric sounds is that you’re never quite sure what you’re going to get. Throw a few ingredients in, and a slight tweak of the recipe can give you radically different results – there’s always something new to try. But this infinite possibility can get too much – sometimes you need ready-made building blocks for when you’re in a hurry, or a few well-designed set-pieces to take you in…

Making music inside the computer gives you a perfect signal path of sample-accurate ones and zeros, promising crystal-clear fidelity. But not everyone believes that this type of ‘perfection’ is always a good thing – when it comes to getting a characterful sound, there are many who think that digital audio counts for sweet 1111 1010. Sometimes, we need our audio to shine with the imperfections of interesting analogue hardware, rather than the sterile perfection of a purely digital signal path; but we still want to use the benefits of modern DAWs and plugins to go about creating our music. It was with this in mind that we sought out the sample moguls at Cyclick and Groove Criminals to put together this huge pack, spiked with the sound of analogue equipment,…

1 Go to WA production.com and Fishy Tech House at waproduction.com/sounds/view/fishy-tech-house 2 Click on Buy (the first of the four black-tab options) 3 Click on the Shopping Cart icon at the top of the page. Remove any free collections that might appear. 4 Enter Qtzua8U2 as the ‘Use Coupon’ code, hit the Add Discount icon, checkout and enter your email. 5 Complete Checkout and find the collection under “MY ORDERS” on your profile page. Download it here or wait for an email and click the download link.…

While many of us have been locked down, companies have been trying to unlock the potential of musical collaborations. Mixed In Key are the latest developers to give it a try, and with Satellite Plugins 2.0, they claim to have created a collaborative platform for users of Ableton, Logic Pro X, FL Studio, Cubase, Studio One, Pro Tools, Reason, Reaper, Bitwig, and more. Different DAW users on Macs or PCs can join a session and the audio or MIDI will sync and be easily exported. Real-time collaboration is possible, and the app is even free… for a while. mixedinkey.com/satellite…

The glorious sound of the synth – and by that we mean its circuits, the tone and timbre of the machine itself and not necessarily its attempts to emulate ‘real’ instruments – has now been filtering in and out of music genres for more than five decades. From its inception in the 60s through its progressive and experimental upbringing in the 70s, through 80s synth pop, 90s dance and 21st century anything-and-everything, the synth has provided the tearing leads, insistent melodies, atmospheric pads, searing percussion and rumbling basses behind many of the most iconic tunes ever produced. There have been the classical leanings of Wendy Carlos, the genre-creating antics of Kraftwerk, the Sheffield steelworks of Cabaret Voltaire and the Human League, the chart-topping tracks from everyone from Depeche to Numan,…

01 ON THE DOWNLOW If you find your string arrangement lacks bottom end, why not fill things out in that department by doubling bass parts with a low sine wave? Logic’s Sampler’s default sine wave sample or a sine-based bass preset like Massive’s ‘Apologize This’ preset both work well for this, but blending basically anything sine wave-based in with your bass part can bolster up the low end no end. 02 MIC CHECK If your string library offers multiple virtual mic positions in its mixer page, experimenting with these can be a great way to tailor your sound with ultimate precision, but approach with caution. Bear in mind that with each additional mic position, you’re putting more demands on the drive that your samples are stored on and your computer’s…

While most of us think of modular systems as musical instruments, there are a number of artists who use them solely to process external signals. It’s not actually too big a leap to view them in this way. Many guitarists create elaborate ‘pedal boards’ stuffed with all manner of stompboxes that can be patched together in various combinations to create what amounts to complex multi-effects algorithms. These pedal boards can be seen as modular systems with the guitar itself acting as an oscillator. More recently, studio engineers have adopted API’s ‘500 series’ format, which bears a striking resemblance to the Eurorack systems favoured by modern modular synthesists. The 500 series is primarily built around outboard utilities like preamps, compressors and equalisers. Owners can mix ‘n’ match different components as they…

MODULATING DISTORTION Multiple tone variations can be achieved by assigning modulation to your distortion parameters. For example, on a pad group, you could apply a BPM-synced LFO (ramp down) to the input drive, then set the speed to 1/4. This will make the distortion more prominent on the downbeat and will help to emphasise the groove. Try using this technique with different LFO rates on different sources, such as leads and FX. FabFilter Saturn is an excellent choice of plugin as it has a built-in LFO. TREMOLO PAD Tremolo is a classic volume modulation effect and can be used on vocals, synths or a piano. However, it excels particularly well on pad sounds. Try it on your chord pads to give them some extra movement.…

The subscription has quickly become a major force throughout the audio plugin and soundware ecosystem, with early adopters including many of the key players, such as Slate Digital and Plugin Alliance. Offerings vary considerably and if you have multiple subscriptions the monthly costs stack up. But thankfully many, including Plugin Alliance, have no minimum tie in period so signing up isn’t necessarily a major commitment. Plugin Alliance launched its subscription scheme a couple of years ago and it’s developed over time so that there are now four options aimed at different monthly price points – Mega Bundle ($24.99), Mix & Master ($19.99), Musician ($14.99) and Essential ($10). There’s a discount for paying a year up front, but whichever way you pay, each completed subscription year earns you a use-once voucher,…

ULTIMATE SYNTHS COLLECTION Sinister synths Inspired by the sounds of John Carpenter, Stranger Things and other horror movie soundtracks, this collection of one-shots and loops – created by Cyclick and Groove – is packed full of spooky sequences, bloodcurdling atmospheres, scary stings, discordant drones and more… 503 ‘SYNTHISTER’ SAMPLES including… 89 Atmos 43 Loops 8 Multis 31 Single hits 193 Analogue monosynth 64 Sequences and arps ULTIMATE SYNTHS COLLECTION Bass synth, FX and loops Our next set of synth sounds was produced by Groove Criminals. Oli from Groove says of its creation: “It’s all about that bass so we decided to go old school and rinse the low end on a selection of the hardware synths that we have knocking about. “We clocked the Roland SH-101’s ‘unique’ built-in sequencer using…

ULTIMATE SYNTHS COLLECTION Synthwave Power It’s The Ultimate Synths Collection this issue so we’ve got our expert sample producers surfing the synth waves. Here’s what Robbie Stamp from Cyclick Samples says of Synthwave Power: “This collection splits into three folders: Arpeggiator Loops, Lines and Loops and Chord One Shots. They each contain samples made from 11 synths (see below) which were first programmed for the Line and Loops samples and then tweaked for the Chord One Shots and then again for the Arpeggiator Loops. “The Line/Loop samples are 2- or 4-bar loops with tempo and key included in the filenames. Not every synth appears in every tempo (they appear in four each) and they’re spread across keys to make sure there’s always something in key, or close for minimal re-pitching.…

Since 2013, Marius Lauber has been producing a slick fusion of electronic and guitar-laden dance, songs that have lit up charts on albums including Young Romance and his debut, self-titled Roosevelt. This year he returns with Polydans, his third LP which features the single Sign (which has already notched up 600,000 plus YT plays) the video of which also features Marius as part of a modular synth. Which of course we love… 1 Tell us how you got into music production in the first place? Roosevelt: “I started producing my own tracks as Roosevelt when I was around 21, having just moved to Cologne. Electronic music and the local scene became a bigger part of my influence back then. I did, however, try to mix my productions with vocals, guitars…

THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO MODULAR SYNTHS And how to add them to your computer music studio set-up We discuss the interfaces you need, how to route audio, suggest some modular synth set-ups, and reveal how to make the most of this incredible (and incredibly addictive!) music production phenomenon PLUS! GForce OB-E The brand new (classic) synth plugin on test Masterclass Kideko guides you through a track from start to finish on video Top interviews Junkie XL | Snarl Jimmy Edgar…

Somehow we knew that the eerie Yamaha CS-80 synth theme to Blade Runner would do well in our ‘official’ Top 40 Greatest Synth Sounds (of all time) poll that we ran on MusicRadar a few months’ back, but little did we predict how well, nor how many fellow synth sounds from the decade from which it was initially tweaked, would sit alongside it. But pretty much the entire top 10 – actually top 20 – of the chart was dominated by 80s synth sounds, alongside just a smattering of 70s timbres, with 90s and 21st century tones only scraping in the lower reaches of the chart. So does this mean the 80s was truly the best synth decade? That the best synths were made back then? That analogue is king?…

cm How did you get into music and music production software? JG “I first got into making music from my love of happy hardcore. I was fascinated by how it was made and how they had sampled records. I started using Rave eJay to make music, it progressed from there and didn’t stop! Back in the early days, I had a subscription to Computer Music for a long time and it is responsible for a lot of my progression and knowledge.” cm What makes JMG Sound software stand out from the crowd? JG “My main focus with JMG is the balance between power and speed. I try to create plugins that are innovative and feature-rich but which are also fast to use and intuitive. A great example of this is…

Over the first two instalments of the cm Guide to Easy Strings, we’ve been focussing on all things strings. A mass of fiddle-centric terminology and string-related jargon from col legno to spiccato has been unveiled and demystified, we’ve examined the lineups of typical string sections, had a detailed look at some of the better string sample libraries available today and broken down ways in which they can be used to add a touch of class to your own productions. In this, the third and final part of our expansive guide to programming realistic string parts with sample libraries in your DAW, we look at how to create a cinematic string arrangement from scratch using a single plugin, how to use a sample library to replicate convincing-sounding vintage string samples that…

Songwriting can be an arduous process sometimes, and there are occasions where we need all the help we can get. When this situation crops up, nobody will judge you for rummaging around in your songwriter’s toolbox for some tried and tested tricks to help you out. One such technique that can be incredibly useful when it comes to populating your empty page with a few carefully chosen chords, is to use the 2-5-1, also known in its Roman numeral form as the ii-V-I. But what exactly is a 2-5-1? Well, it’s a sequence of three chords, traditionally embraced by the jazz fraternity but equally of use whatever your genre. When strung together as a package, they form a kind of building block that has a special power – namely, the…

In a normal surround sound mix, sound sources are positioned by using a surround panner to feed differing amounts of the source signal to each speaker in the monitoring system. When satisfied with the balance, the engineer will export the results to a set of discrete audio files, one for each channel of the targeted surround configuration. This effectively “burns in” the relative balance between each surround channel, and so, to accurately reproduce the intended surround sound field, a playback system should match exactly the speaker configuration and placement used during mixing. Even the mix studio’s room dimensions and properties would be duplicated for 100% accuracy. In a Dolby Atmos system, however, sound sources are routed to any of up to 128 channels, or “objects”. These objects can be positioned…

Audient EVO Start Recording £199 Web audient.com Format PC/Mac/iOS We do love a good recording bundle here at Computer Music. Not only do you normally get a good smattering of gear, but generally the asking price represents a bit of a saving over buying the component parts separately. Audient’s new Start Recording bundle is clearly aimed at those new to computer music making but, given that its central component is the award-winning EVO 4 (9/10 and Value Award, 282), you could – and they probably will – make the argument that this collection of gear could suit intermediate producers too. A quick EVO 4 recap: it’s a compact USB interface with two combi mic/line inputs at the back and one instrument input at the front for guitar or bass.…

Our Ultimate Synths Collection continues with 900 dusty WAVs to put the vibes up your tracks Despite all the mind-blowing things you can achieve in the virtual world of endless plugins, one-click recall and instant editing, it’s still unbelievably tricky to digitally recreate the warm imperfections and dusty nuances of those first analogue synth sounds spearheaded by 70s synth figureheads such as Kraftwerk, Wendy Carlos, Tangerine Dream and Bob Moog himself. But before you remortgage your house and sell your family members to raise cash for an overpriced analogue synthesiser that should really belong in a museum, go and download this Ancient Analogue sample pack! Whether it’s Moog-like tones, bubbling vintage sequences or drifting oscillators that tantalise your earbuds, you can never have enough analogue samples, so we’ve got two…

This month we have an amazing tech house sample pack from WA Production worth nearly $20 free for every reader. Here’s how to claim it! Fishy Tech House is designed to get back to the roots of what made tech house exciting. It has 3GB of samples, five construction kits – to deconstruct a completed track and piece it together your way – and presets for Serum and Sylenth1. WA Production say, “Fishy Tech House is loaded with top-quality samples created by producers who are immersed in the electronic music scene. Utilising the finest technology alongside the most relevant sound design techniques, we know you are going to love the innovation, direction, style, and crystal clarity of our sounds. “Inspired by such artists as Fisher, CamelPhat, Green Velvet, Eli Brown,…