Innehållsförteckning för June 2021 från Future Music

WELCOME Out and about As I write this, it’s the week that UK lockdown restrictions are beginning to ease. It’s no coincidence that we’ve chosen now to turn our attention away from the studio with a cover feature focused on the creative potential of recording the world around you. After all, who wants to be indoors hunched over a DAW when the pubs have reopened and spring is finally bringing us some sun? Our focus on field recording and found sounds is more than just a shoehorned excuse to get outside though. Electronic music has a long history of creatively manipulating real world sounds to create unique textures and effects, from the early pioneers of the Radiophonic Workshop right up to some of the forward-thinking artists we’ve spoken to this…

FILTER Arturia Pigments gets souped-up with additive synthesis and extra analogue emulations The power synth plugin also gains new wavetables, utilities and more for version 3 > Arturia’s debut ‘original’ synth plugin Pigments impressed us immediately when it was released back in 2019, and it’s only continued to get better since then. Built on the shoulders of decades of V Collection development, Pigments combines elements of the French brand’s impressive virtual analogue technology with modern tools including wavetable, sample and granular synthesis, a sleek modulation system and a flexible multi-lane sequencer. Pigments’ real highlight though is its ability to house all these features in a neatly designed and user-friendly interface, all of which makes it a strong contender for our favourite synth plugin on the market right now. Now version…

iZotope introduce a new version of Spire Studio, the cloud-connected recording device for singers and instrumentalists > iZotope have released a new version of Spire Studio, their wireless ‘smart’ recording device that syncs to a cloud-based suite of production tools. Made for vocalists and instrumentalists, this is designed to enable even the most technophobic musicians to capture performances at decent quality. Spire features an onboard mic, two phantom-powered combo inputs for mics and instruments, and two headphone outputs. There are effects, too, as well as an auto-mastering tool that’s powered by iZotope’s Ozone software. The second generation Spire Studio ups the stakes by offering ultra low-noise preamps that are said to offer smoother, quieter recording, and increased storage capacity (enough for more than eight hours of music, we’re told). Enhanced…

Talking Shop Sheep, Dog & Wolf “I bought some truly awful off-brand mics and started recording” Sheep, Dog & Wolf| Auckland-based multi-instrumentalist Daniel McBride broke through with his debut album Egospect in 2013 at the age of just 17. Combining influences from pop, rock, R&B and electronics, it won him acclaim in his native New Zealand and beyond. He now returns with his long-awaited second album, Two Minds, a reflection on a period of mental illness and physical pain that temporarily halted his creative output. We caught up with McBride to find out more about his creative process. When did you start making music? “I first started writing my own music when I was 16. The band I’d been drumming in, an extremely fun, bratty punk thing called Bandicoot, had just…

Creating Eighty Four’s effects in Ableton Live Joal processes and resamples his existing synth parts to create risers and atmospheric effects 01 “I usually make risers and those kinds of sounds using delays, for example, here I have picked one of the main melodies of the song,” begins Joal. The melody he’s describing is a bright, euphoric lead from his Nord Rack 2X. 02 “I add a delay with a lot of feedback, and use an automation or several automations that will make the sound repeat itself several times,” he adds. Joal automates the delay effect to activate at the end of the melody’s audio clip. 03 “I’m using the Valhalla Delay, but sometimes I use the Echo from Ableton Live. It creates this super high-feedback…

Producer’s Guide To Novation Circuit Tracks Exploring the synth engines There’s not much detail on the engines behind the two polysynths. Connecting to Components lets us edit them in full though… Oscillators Circuit Tracks’ synths each have two oscs, offering a selection of virtual analogue waves and wavetables. Index controls the pulse width of the VA waves or the position of the wavetables. Interpolate affects the transition through a wavetable as you adjust or modulate Index – at minimum setting, sweeps sound stepped and abrupt, but at max sound far smoother. Each osc has its own level control in the mixer section, where they’re joined by a separate noise source. Sync and detune VSync creates a classic hard sync sound, but instead of syncing one oscillator to the other…

In The Studio With Soul Clap Soul Clap’s third album is founded on a passion for environmental and social activism. Danny Turner reveals the deep house duo’s motivation and dualistic approach to production © Bill Kennedy Photo LLC Soul Clap’s Charlie Levine and Eli Goldstein originally hailed from Boston’s local DJ party circuit, gathering quick acclaim for their bootlegs and house remixes. Fusing multiple generic elements with futuristic production techniques, their debut album EFUNK demonstrated a bold electro-funk sound, followed four years later by the self-titled Soul Clap – described as a skyscraper of jazz-infused influences. Disturbed by political and environmental issues, the self-taught duo’s third album, WTF (World Transformation Force) exhibits their activist leanings. A diverse body of work – and undoubtedly their most sophisticated album to date, the…

ATTENURANDOMIZERS We all know that one of the keys to a successful modular setup is modulation. Yes, VCAs are the things we know we need most of but only because we use them to dictate the where and when of our modulations. Well, in Beads, Mutable Instruments have taken this to a new height, with attenuators that, turned clockwise, act as you’d expect, attenuating the incoming modulation source. However on Beads they’re called attenurandomizers, as a turn counter-clockwise internally randomises the attribute they’re attached to. Plug in an external mod source and this counter clockwise turn instead increases the external modulation. This is a fantastic addition to modular that I hope gains traction, as that one small pot can control three different styles of modulation. The only downside is that…

FM| GEAR GUIDE SOFTSYNTHS Arturia Pigments 3 €199 Full Review: Next issue Version 3 adds additive synthesis, extra elements of analogue emulation and a handy utility engine, all of which further round out Pigments’ already impressive feature set. Kilohearts Phase Plant €169 Review: FM350 Phase Plant’s modular architecture is an incredible resource for conjuring real and otherworldly sounds. A powerful, flexible synth in every way! Spectrasonics Omnisphere $499 Review: FM294 Version 2 of Omnisphere is a must-try. Audio import is the standout new feature, but dig a little deeper and there are improvements in all areas. Xfer Records Serum $189 This flexible, powerful wavetable synth has quickly risen through the ranks to knock Massive and Sylenth off the top of the ‘synth every producer must own’ list. KV331 SynthMaster One…

Filter There’s more to Polyend’s Tracker Artist Editions than meets the eye > Polyend have introduced some rather lovely looking artist editions of their excellent Tracker sampler/groovebox. Each one does away with the standard black casing and comes with a custom livery, but there’s more to these limited edition models than that. Bogdan Raczynski, Legowelt and Pete Cannon are the three artists who’ve created their own visuals for the hardware. Each model also comes with a vinyl album release from the artist in question, along with original composition project files and a sample pack. As such, not only do you get to listen to an artist’s finished product, but you can also break down their work and see how it was put together. These are very much limited edition releases…

Analogue Solutions unveils the “raw, ballsy and rich” Leipzig V3 all-analogue synth > Analogue Solutions have unveiled Leipzig V3, the latest addition to their acclaimed line of analogue synths. If you’re looking for the elevator pitch, you need to know that this combines the convenient footprint of AS’s Impulse Command with the “raw, ballsy, complexly rich sound” of Leipzig’s gone by. Specifically, there are features lifted from both the Leipzig-SK and Leipzig V2, including patch points that enable expanded sound design potential and connectivity. Designed for huge bass sounds in particular, Leipzig V3 promises to be simple enough for beginners yet deep enough for more advanced synthesists to get their sonic teeth into. General specs include two analogue VCOs with additional sub osc, oscillator sync and cross mod functions, a…

In the studio with Ben Westbeech “I’d just moved into a studio in the Truman Brewery in Brick Lane. I used a really beautiful old gun metal Neumann U 47 FET that I bought for £1250 about 17 years ago from someone in America on eBay [laughs]. That mic was pretty much used on every song. “I was mostly going through a 1073, in my studio. And then, depending on who I was working with, other stuff. Henrik Schwarz had a little API 512 box. Then various others would put an 1176 on it. Pretty standard recording chains for the vocals. But, a pretty consistent one, so there was nothing particularly colorant on the recordings, you know? I knew that would cause problems, down the line. “Sebastian Döring had an…

Initial recording stripe editing Streamlining raw recordings to remove the messy excess, maximise editing ease, aid archiving and minimise data storage Field recordings and found sound sessions can produce lengthy files that eat precious data storage, lose their references and, when opened, look like a daunting edit prospect, the death knell for the creative spark. As well as good file management practice (covered elsewhere here), prepare those initial raw recordings for editing at the earliest opportunity. As shown below, removing unwanted noise can be a good place to start, leaving the material you want at its most accessible as well as reducing file size for archiving. When working with wave editors, use the markers to identify sections and add explanatory info that can be forgotten; your future self will thank…

Natural Soundscapes Ambience filtering: listening for new worlds Mundane background sounds can become evocative ambiences with simple edits and processes 01 > Ambiences are identifiable when experienced at close to their full audio frequency range. Isolating a frequency range, or even ranges, can radically alter our perception and open a world of creative possibilities. This example uses a recording from a bathroom with a running extractor fan. 02 > Whether you’re working in a wave editor, such as RX used here, or a DAW, select and mark up your initial audio with any reference that will help later identification. Always select more than you need so a tighter edit can be made within a processed range. 03 > The bathroom and fan components of the recording are completely banished by…

Natural Soundscapes 6 GREAT FIELD RECORDERS Whether you want something ultra-portable you can whip out of your pocket to record samples on the daily commute (remember that?) or a pro piece of equipment for complex multi-mic recording of ambient sounds, these six tools should have you covered Tascam DR-40X, £140 An extremely musician-friendly portable recorder, equipped with balanced XLR inputs that can be used alongside the built-in mics. It can act as a class compliant interface too. The DR-40X also feature basic mixing tools for balancing and panning the four tracks, plus a range of six reverb effects and overdub tools. Roland R-07, £180 Compact and super-portable, with a simple workflow that’s great for on-the-go recording. Preset ‘scenes’ offer instant configuration for a host of day-to-day uses, and Bluetooth compatibility…

Get creative with Generate new musical ideas in Ableton Live PROBLEM: How can I create drum patterns with interesting variations throughout an arrangement? Keeping drum patterns interesting over an arrangement can be a long process, however, using Live 11’s Take Lanes and Comping in a creative way can help make this easier. Additionally, spicing it up with Spectral Resonator can result in some extra movement and interesting textures throughout the arrangement. In this example, Take Lanes allow us to have multiple top loops loaded as takes, and using creative comping we can quickly combine these loops into one main take. Start with a basic drum pattern programmed and another audio track with additional inserted Take Lanes for your various top loops. The top loops should have different sound characteristics and…

Probability and mutations Per-step probability and the semi-random Mutate function are great for auto-generating variations on a theme. Let’s take a look… By incorporating sequencer probability and the Mutate function found on the Launchpad Pro, Novation have brought an element of controlled randomisation to Circuit Tracks’ workflow that rivals similar tools in gear by Elektron, Arturia and others. Probability lets users assign a likelihood that each sequencer step will trigger each time the sequencer cycles. In the Probability view, each step can be assigned one of eight probability levels, ranging from 100% probability (all eight pads lit), to 12.5% probability (only one pad lit). As probability is calculated each time the sequencer cycles, these levels are an average rather than a guarantee – ie a probability of 25% doesn’t necessarily…

Setting up external gear Broadly, the two new MIDI tracks function identically to the existing synth sequencers, so any techniques used with the synths – such as micro steps or per-note velocity – also apply to these too. There are a few setup matters worth noting though. By default, the MIDI tracks output on MIDI channels 3 and 4, the two synths output to channels 1 and 2, and the four drum tracks output on MIDI channel 10. These can be reassigned in the Setup menu though. Over in the Advanced Setup menu – accessed by holding shift when you turn Tracks on – you can configure the MIDI Thru port to duplicate the MIDI Out. This is handy for simultaneously sequencing two instruments that don’t have Thru ports of…

RETROSPECTIVE Chillwave Hipster irony meets dreamy psychedelia this month as we investigate peak blog relevance in the form of chillwave © Mike Windle/Getty Images for FYF In last month’s genre retrospective we explored the retro world of synthwave, a visual aesthetic and lifestyle wrapped in an ’80s-inspired musical genre. In a very millennial, internet-driven process that embodies the formation of music trends in today’s always-online world, synthwave spawned a craze for further ‘wave’ genres. This month we investigate one of the most popular. Regular readers know we like genres whose genesis can be pinned down to an exact moment. The term chillwave was coined by a writer known simply as ‘Carles’, aka Texas native Carlos Perez, founder of music blog Hipster Runoff. Launched in 2007, it was part of a…

SHAOS THEORY Pulsar’s Shaos tool is a pseudo-random generator designed to generate spontaneous rhythmic patterns. Its name is a portmanteau of shift register and chaos, the two primary elements that make up its design. It can be used to make looping sequences of pulses of either 16, 63 or 217 pulses in length, which can be synced to the internal clock or an external one. There are multiple outputs, offering 1bit and 2bit modes – which alter the amount of states the output signal has – and 1bit and 3bit sample and hold outputs. This kind of sequence generator has many uses, but one of the simplest is as a way to generate interesting hat or shaker patterns. The Shaos clock can run into audible rates too, and can be…

Nord Piano 5: dual piano and synth engines, more storage Clavia have announced the Nord Piano 5, a new version of the pianist-centric stage keyboard. No surprises in terms of looks – it’s red, as you’d expect – but some notable tweaks have been made. These include dual independent piano and synth layers, which can be used in a variety of split and layer configurations, and twice the sample memory for both the piano and synth sections. There’s also a new 73-note model with triple sensor keyboard and grand weighted action. This joins the 88-note version, which includes a keyboard of the same spec. A couple of tweaks have been made to the effects section, too, and the synth gets a Unison mode for ensemble-style sounds. The Nord Piano 5…

Pioneer DJ launch new VM monitor range > Pioneer DJ have unveiled their new VM Series active studio monitor line, promising smart design and flexible DSP settings that make these speakers suitable for use in any near-field setting. Designed to be as easy on the eye as they are on the ear, there are three speakers in the VM series: the VM-50, VM-70 and VM-80. While varying in size and power, each model features a 4-mm-thick aluminium front baffle, flat voicing, Class D amplifier, Aramid fibre cones and Vortex Bass Accelerator. The result, we’re told, is a speaker range that can deliver deep, low-end frequencies without unwanted vibrations. There’s also the impressive-sounding ‘constant directivity horn’, which is designed to create a broad, uniform listening space while transmitting powerful mid- and…

Feature FIELD RECORDING EXCELLENCE Listening through the mic(s) 1 It’s not just a cliché that sound recordists are pictured in films and documentaries with their cans on; it’s an essential. Whenever possible, record with headphones on or earbuds in so that you can hear what the recorder is capturing. This will alert you to the most troublesome of sounds: wind. Even light breezes can kill the low end of a recording, and though de-wind algorithms can work wonders, they can’t be relied upon. The only time it’s best not to is if you are in a populated indoor space and don’t want to draw attention to your crowd-scene capture work, as people can, understandably, react badly to being recorded. Getting the right level 2 The dynamic range of the world…

Natural Soundscapes Splicing to make seamless loops Real world ambiences appear uniform until you try looping them. Subtle sonic shifts make it hard to find related start/end points 01 > This 12.2 second recording of rainfall in a forest has been selected for creating an ambience loop, but the high frequency content changes over time, making the start and end points audibly different. The example audio demonstrates this with an obvious shift at the 12 second mark. 02 > To make this edit, a shorter selection is going to be needed to allow for a transitional few seconds. In this case a 10-second range has been selected and the clip shifted so there is two seconds of audio available ahead of the new start point. 03 > Having trimmed off…

THE TRACK Joal Eighty Four Constant Circles, 2021 © Tania Neves Boasting a sound that combines retro house and techno flavours with contemporary production flair, Berlin-based artist Joal has scored enviable releases with labels including Selador, Knee Deep In Sound and Minus. We caught up with Joal so he could break down his bubbling progressive groover Eighty Four, and discuss his hardware-heavy approach to beatmaking. You seem to mainly generate your sounds using modern synth hardware such as the Behringer DeepMind 12 and the Nord Rack 2X. What is it about these synths that you prefer over software? “Well, firstly, the analogue sounds different to the digital sounds, though nowadays it’s harder to find a difference. It’s hard to differentiate what is analogue and what is digital, but nevertheless there…

Producer’s Guide To Novation Circuit Tracks Creative drum programming Let’s combine some of Tracks’ more advanced sequencing tricks to create a short, 16-step drum groove that still has unpredictability 01 We start by programming a four-to-the-floor kick using Drum 1. To make the most of the limited tracks, we’ll have Drum 1 double up as a percussive bass part. By holding a sequencer step and selecting a new sample, we can insert a ‘sample flip’ to have some low toms sitting amongst our kicks. 02 Next we refine this kick/bass groove by adjusting the velocity levels of our toms. We also use the Micro Step mode to nudge some of the toms off the grid slightly, all of which results in adding more groove and feel to the part.…

Channel Strip Plugins CHANNEL STRIP PLUGINS Get your basic effects in one place from these do-it-all processors Harrison AVA Vocal Flow £161 Offering exceptional vocal processing, this ‘analogue-ina-box’ vocal suite lives up to Harrison’s company legacy. Unlike other signal chains in this article, it doesn’t harshly colour the sound with analogue emulations and characteristics such as signal noise. A vocal can make or break a track. Vocal Flow provides a transparent, polished signal that contains seven of their high-end console elements. Included are two EQs: firstly ‘Vocal Character’, two bands that follow the pitch of the vocal; secondly, a model of Harrison’s console channel EQ. An important De-Esser and Leveler control dynamics, and the vocal effects strip adds the final breath of fresh air. AVA Vocal Flow is like a…

TESTBENCH Steven Slate Audio VSX > Monitors and headphones both have their place, but each has its own pros and cons. Monitors are generally far superior when set up correctly, but that individual correct setup generally requires an acoustically great space. Headphones do tend to be more dependable, but they miss the crosstalk, reflections and stereo width perception of monitors. 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 out-of-commission VRM box have attempted perfection. Now a new headphone/plugin setup from Steven Slate Audio is taking its shot… Setting up With your Steven Slate Audio VSX headphones connected as your output device, you’ll need to…

SOUNDS & SAMPLES In Session Audio – World Percussion Creator $139.99 > In Session Audio return for the third in their ‘Creator’ series of percussion-based instrument libraries. Once again it’s not untrodden territory in sonic terms, but the devil is in the detail – for any given drum there are almost infinite variations in the tone, playing style and means of capture. However, ISA aim to make the creation of convincing percussion tracks as painless as possible, whilst ensuring there is enough flexibility for those who like to tweak. World Percussion Creator uses a similar Kontak-based engine as the previous Taiko and Dramatic libraries, and, again, first impressions are of a great looking, easy-to-navigate interface. Multiple pairs of keys trigger a layer of up to nine single sounds, with further…