Professional Documents
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Future Music - April 2024 UK
Future Music - April 2024 UK
CONTRIBUTORS Bruce Aisher, Phil Barker, Oli Bell, Olly Curtis, Simon Fellows,
Adam Lee, Jon Musgrave, Rob Redman, James Russell, Roy Spencer, Robbie Stamp,
Charlotte Sterland, Danny Turner
ADVERTISING
For Ad enquiries: Kyle Phillips, kyle.phillips@futurenet.com
MARKETING
Direct Marketing Executive: Will Hardy
PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION
Production Controller: Fran Twentyman Production Manager: Mark Constance
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Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HU Tel: +44 (0) 203 787 9001
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forestry and chlorine-free manufacture. The paper in this magazine was sourced and produced from
sustainable managed forests, conforming to strict environmental and socioeconomic standards. The
manufacturing paper mill holds full FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification and accreditation Si Truss, Editor-In-Chief
All contents © 2024 Future Publishing Limited or published under licence. All rights reserved. No part of
this magazine may be used, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any way without the prior written
simon.truss@futurenet.com
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5
FM | CONTENTS
Contents | This Issue
INTERVIEW
Carl Craig
One of techno’s most consistently
innovative artists sounds off on the
genre’s visibility and heritage
6
This Issue | Contents
ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS
54
Feature
Better collaboration
70
REVIEWED
Ableton Live 12
Is version 12 Live’s most significant
update in a generation? We find out...
48
Masterclass
AI sample organisers
90 58 20 66
Review Interview Classic Album Interview
Baby Audio Atoms Ben Frost Bible of Dreams Julia Holter
7
FM | DIGITAL
ACCESSING YOUR BONUS
DIGITAL CONTENT
musicradar.
com/how-to/
future-music-
407-downloads
Head to the link above to
grab the latest samples
and downloads!
44
IN THE STUDIO
Paranoid London
INCLUDES VIDEO
Quinn Whalley of the UK acid house duo
invites us into the band’s London studio
for a hardware jam and Q&A session
8
This Issue | Contents
28
CREATIVE SAMPLING UNIQUE FX
> Casio SK-1 > Artificial Metal
> Tape Loops > Horror FX
Bass synthesis
> Piezo FX
EXPERIMENTAL SOUNDS > Synth FX
> Liquid Sound
ARCHIVE
> Micro-Tonal
> Out-the Transitions Create better bass using any synth
GENRE PACKS 2024 CLASSICS with our guide to the core
> EBM
> Liquid DnB Pads and Melodies
’70S SYNTHS concepts, tools and techniques
> Neon Pop Synths > ’70s Synths Pt 1
> Psych Rock Synths > ’70s Synths Pt 2
Bass Synthesis
> ’90s Synths Pt 1
HIP-HOP, FUNK & SOUL 2024 > ’90s Synths Pt 2
> Classic Boom-Bap
> Hip-Hop Crunch
’00S SYNTHS
CYCLICK SAMPLES PRESENT…
> Soulful Keys > ’00s Synths Pt 1
Lo-fi Bass
> Ambient Piano
> Balearic
ESSENTIAL DRUMS
> Dream Pop > 808 and 909
> Old School Euphoria > Ultimate Cymbals
> Ultimate Kick Bundle GROOVE CRIMINALS PRESENT…
MELODIC IDEAS
> Minimal Melodies
> Ultimate Snares & Claps
> Vintage Drum Machine Hits
Kick drums, bass loops and sub
> Yacht Rock Licks
PERCUSSION hits, imparted with added crunch
PERCUSSIVE INSPIRATION > Modular Percussion and character through lo-fi effects
and creative processing
> 808 and 909 Reimagined > Shakers, Tambs & Toplines
> Percussive Noise > Sticks, Knocks & Rims
9
Contents | This Issue
01 02
03 04
loopmasters.com
01 Loopmasters Vibe Series 60’s Psychedelia 2
02 Singomakers Tech House X Female Vocals
03 21STRXXT Samples Blueberry Phonk Vol 1
04 Munchies Jukebox Afro House
05 Hy2rogen Future Techno Universe
06 Tonekitchn Cali Future Pop 2
05 06
10
Get Creative With | Ableton Live
W
hether you’re a seasoned songwriter, or keyboard. We’ll leave it up to you to choose a sound, but THIS MONTH”S EXPERT
just getting started, having a little help this technique works well with sounds that have short
coming up with melodies is always envelopes; things like plucks and stabs. Tom Glendinning is a
valuable. Using Live’s MIDI Effects in Once you’ve followed the steps, play a note to hear session musician,
creative ways has always been a useful tool for generating your generated melody. We’ll set up some defaults in the sound engineer, sound
interesting melodic patterns, but it’s been supercharged MIDI devices, but experiment with different values for the designer, music
by new features in Live 12, like Scale Awareness. controls to see where you end up. producer, composer,
Let’s explore how to chain several MIDI effects As with any random process, record your results to and VJ. As an Ableton-certified trainer
together to create a 1-note riff generator that will create another track using Live’s Resampling feature to fix things he helps musicians be creative with
infinite melodies by playing a single note on your in place. Ableton Live. More at elphnt.io/about/
01
Set your project’s key
03
Configure MIDI devices
The first step is to set your Project’s scale so that all of Next, set the following controls on the MIDI devices;
the notes we generate are in key. In Live 12, we now Arpeggiator Rate to 1/16, first Velocity’s Random to 64,
have Global Key and Scale. This is found in the Control second Velocity’s Mode to Gate and Lowest to 85 and
Bar at the top. Make sure it’s enabled and set to a key Random’s Chance to 100%. If you’re unsure, make
that you like. sure your devices match the image.
02
Load MIDI Devices
Next, load the MIDI Devices we’ll use. Head
04
Enable Scale
Awareness
to the MIDI Effects label in Live’s Browser
Right now, played notes sound a little wonky.
and load Arpeggiator, two Velocity devices and
The last step is to enable Scale Awareness to
a Random device, all in their default state.
lock everything in key. You generally only need
The order of MIDI devices can change your
to enable Scale Awareness in the last device
results dramatically, so make sure they’re in
in a chain. Enable it by clicking the b/# icon
that exact order.
on the Random device.
11
FM | FILTER
Filter | The Future Of Music
12
The Future Of Music | Filter
>
When Akai Pro added the number ‘61’ to the a voucher for one additional plugin from the available
name of its first MPC Key standalone music range. This includes classic synth and other keyboard
production keyboard, it always seemed to imply emulations and the Flex Beat plugin, and you can also
that smaller and/or larger versions of it could be in bolster your content selection via MPC Expansion packs.
the offing. And it now turns out that it’s the former; There’s a direct link to Splice over Wi-Fi, too, and support
following multiple leaks, the MPC Key 37 has been for the MPC Stems music separation feature is apparently
officially announced. still to come.
It won’t surprise you to learn that this drops the key Effects are also included, and MPC Key 37 ships with
count from 61 to 37, instantly making this MPC Key the MPC2 desktop software so that you can continue to
much lighter and more portable than its predecessor/ work on projects on your computer, adding more tracks
sibling. The keys support aftertouch, and there are and using VST/AU plugins.
dedicated pitchbend and modulation wheels. Further In terms of hardware specs, MPC Key 37 offers a
control comes via the four assignable Q-Link knobs. quad-core ARM processor, 2GB RAM and 32GB of
This being an MPC, you get a bank of velocity- storage, 16GB of which is available as user storage.
sensitive pads, too. These sit alongside a 7-inch There’s audio and MIDI I/O, CV/Gate connectivity and an
touchscreen that enables you to navigate the now SD card slot. Sadly, it looks like there’s no battery power
well-established MPC standalone workflow, which option, so portability is limited in that you’ll need to have
includes both sampling and sequencing. access to a socket for the supplied mains adapter.
MPC Keys 37 comes equipped with more than 8GB of MPC Key 37 has a street price of £770 and it’s
sounds and sample content, and new owners will also get available now.
13
Filter | The Future Of Music
>
Cherry Audio has released As you’d probably expect, Cherry Rather than use samples for the awesome job… I'm very proud to be
its first drum machine, a Audio’s emulation promises to sounds, Cherry Audio has used a facilitator."
plugin emulation of the recreate the sound and look of the “modelled synthesis”, and if you The CR-78 runs on PC and Mac
much-loved Roland original, but potential buyers will be open up the voice edit panel you'll in VST/AU/AAX and standalone
CompuRhythm CR-78 from 1978. pleased to see it also adds 16- or find extensive parameter tweaking formats and it's available now,
The CR-78 used analogue 24-step X0X-style programming for options that take things way beyond priced at $49.
synthesis to make sounds that are a smoother sequencing workflow. the original. There’s also a 30-day demo, and
more delicate than you’ll find in There’s a song mode for pattern The effects and mixer panel, if you want to go beyond the
later boxes like the 808 and 909. It chaining and looping, swing and offers level and mute/solo controls, extensive preset library, which
can be heard on records by the velocity features, and an extensive and the option to adjust overdrive, promises to take the machine “from
likes of Blondie (Heart Of Glass), preset library that gives you more flanger, delay, and gated reverb. wild to mild”, you can also get a
Phil Collins (In The Air Tonight) and than 250 additional sounds and There are effect send buttons for Compu-Rhythms for CR-78 Preset
Hall & Oates (I Can’t Go For That beats in multiple musical genres each voice, a master compressor Pack, which is available for
(No Can Do)). and styles. and a six-band graphic EQ. purchase separately.
14
The Future Of Music | Filter
15
Filter | The Future Of Music
>
The Dirtywave M8 Tracker built-in synthesis engines or to trigger
Model:02 doesn’t particularly external MIDI hardware.
look much like a music- The Model:02 takes this concept
making device, but the and adds a new machined aluminium
software trackers that inspired it case, a larger 3.5" IPS TFT display
didn’t look like traditional sequencers (up from 2.8") and improved battery
either, so maybe that’s appropriate. life of up to 12 hours. There’s also a
This is the successor to the original built-in mic for onboard sampling and
M8, and promises the “same brains a USB-C connection that can be used
with improved physical features”. in device mode.
To recap, the original M8 was a If you own the original M8 then
handheld tracker that was powered there’s no need to panic: your model
by the Teensy microcontroller and will continue to be supported with the
took its inspiration from Game Boy same features as the 02 in
tracker Little Sound DJ. It offered concurrent firmware updates.
users eight monophonic tracks/ Available for pre-order now, priced
voices, each of which could at £525, with shipping set to start
potentially be used for one of the from May 2024.
16
The Future Of Music | Filter
17
Talking Shop | Who??
Folly Group
– either together or remotely, with
people sending parts over to me.”
M
effects for processing these and nailing
arrying the snarling the Folly Group guitar sounds?
savagery of post-punk “There’s a few stages to the guitar
with an array of wider sound, but the main part of the sound
influences that spans The rising UK group discuss is the Z-Vex Lo-Fi junky pedal which
and how did you first get started? as a teenager before later coming to project, using whatever equipment “On record, often it will be
“It varies for all of us, but I started off the world of band stuff.” had been passing through at the time. something that came from the demo
18
Folly Group | Talking Shop
that Sean or Tom have programmed an Eventide pitch pedal and recording range better, and even doing some around a drum kit or percussion you
in Logic which I’ll always print to the whole thing, then I cut it up to crazy distorted prints of my have to be quite creative with how
tape, or something to bring it into the make the loop. I put the loop in our programmed drums through his you’re using room mics. On the
real world. If it came from me it will band WhatsApp group and within a plugins on Logic. Tom then totally drums it was generally a pair of Soyuz
be sampled drums via a Teenage few days Sean came back with the changed the second verse by adding 013 FET pointed down at the floor to
Engineering KO-33 [as heard on whole of Nest written – it was pretty this harmonic bass part, and then Kai accentuate the reflections coming
Freeze] or a drum machine loop I’ve crazy, and we were all blown away by brought his signature brand of chaos from there.”
made from the OP-Z [Big Ground]. how cool his programmed drums in the breakdown which just adds so
“The key then for keeping this sounded on the track. much energy, which was really fun to What one piece of gear in your studio
feeling live is to have a great drummer “I then put them through the do. He was playing some chair legs could you not do without, and why?
who doesn’t need too much editing, Pope Audio Dirty-C chorus twice and with drumsticks and I had that mic’d “I’m lucky enough to work with
and we’ve got two! Then you go into hard-panned at different speeds to up and going through a delay pedal, Adam Pope who runs Pope Audio.
the edit, which is the hardest part – go make them super wide, and recorded which I was modulating in real-time.” Most of the record – apart from
too far and you kill the vibe, don’t the acoustic drum kit in mono to guitars – was tracked with his mic pre,
go far enough and it sounds really make it punch through the middle. Did you face any challenges or learn the Pre-BX, as he was designing these
sloppy. Thankfully, Kai is always I’m super happy with the effect that any new techniques when recording at the time and was kind enough to
on-hand to tell me when I’ve got was created between the two.” and producing the new project? lend me some of the prototypes. They
it completely wrong.” “The challenge for the album was impart a lot of colour on what you’re
Are there any standout moments in the really representing ourselves and doing and make it sound like a record
There are some interesting synth tones production of the new record that finding a way of recording that was a lot quicker. His Dirty-C chorus was
on the new record. We love that drone you’re particularly proud of? authentic to us. The first EP had been also on nearly all of Tom’s bass
that can be heard in the intro to East “I think Strange Neighbour is probably recorded at home, which we loved, recordings of the record, sometimes
Flat Crows – how did you make that? from an engineering standpoint my but was maybe a little lo-fi. The a lot and sometimes just a tiny bit.”
“That was something Tom brought favourite full-band recording I’ve second EP was recorded in a studio
FOLLY
to the table with his original demo done, but Nest has the coolest mix of which sounded maybe a bit too
of that song. This tune has changed electronic and acoustic production. normal, and like a classic band record
GROUP’S
about five times but that sound stayed Big Ground is the one I’m most proud to me. So it was about upping our
as it was key to the gloomy aesthetic of as it feels like we each really have game and sonics while still keeping
TOP TIPS
of the song and really was a bit of a bit of ourselves in it. our character.
a reference point for sounds “I wrote the basis for the song as “A technique I certainly got more
throughout the album. a programming only number and into during this record was room
“Tom made the synth in Logic then Sean came up with the miking. The rooms where we Move quickly
1
either using one of the stock plugins doubled-up drum kit rhythms, as well recorded the drums are quite dry, and “Nobody wants to wait around while
or something from Arturia. To make as taking on vocals as it suited his so to get a bit of space and energy you get the phase just right on
it weirder, I then ran it to cassette, a drum kit or flick through a million
layered it with a patch from a UDO synth patches. Keep things simple where
Super 6 and then played this all out possible and don’t doubt yourself.
my guitar amp in the warehouse at Sometimes the first thing you land on
my work when we were closed, and sounded right at the time because it
put a pair of mics down the other was right!”
end of the warehouse to capture the
reverb. I did this with a bunch of Use drones
2
sounds throughout the record but the “In Folly Group we strongly believe
effect is quite subtle when mixed in.” in the use of a drone in the
background of a song. Vocal not
We were also drawn to the lo-fi sitting right? Try a nice, quiet synth pad
keyboard sound and the distorted behind it. Drums sounding odd? Use
drums in the intro of Nest... an ambient recording of a tube hurtling
“The flute-y sounding patch is a loop past underneath it. If you see us live
© Nicole Osrin
cut from a jam me and Tom did at my you’ll notice just how much we lean
flat. He was playing my Behringer on that crutch!”
Pro-1 while I was messing about with
Compress your delays
3
“To make a delay sound really
extreme, try putting a compressor
after it so it jumps up and is the
same volume as your dry sound. This also
works great for reverbs.”
19
FM | CLASSIC ALBUM
Juno Reactor
Robert actually first started making desks for Deep Purple,
and what he built rattled the whole building.
“That desk was amazing. It had this really beautiful EQ. And
Bible Of Dreams when you pushed the bass end, it just purred at you. That made a
massive impact on the music we could make, because suddenly
we had a three-dimensional sound in the studio.”
Blue Room Released, 1997 Watkins began to create bass-heavy, 360° soundscapes,
T
pulling live African percussion, Middle Eastern influences,
rance and techno pioneers Juno Reactor began life as live vocalists, rock guitars, and analogue drums into the mix.
a loose and lively art collective. Head honcho, Ben Developing themes across the album’s tracks were inspired
Watkins, fondly remembers the time he and his wife by the concepts of dreams, death, religion and sharks, all
drove a surface-to-air missile past Big Ben as an anti while finding space for sampling actual Formula 1 racing cars,
Gulf War protest. alongside dialogue snippets from movies including Ed Wood
As the ’90s soldiered on, he and his ever-evolving lineup (1994) and The Ten Commandments (1956).
focused more on the music, turning out three albums that pushed It would be deep-dive dance music, out on the fringes of the
the envelope for the electronic music genre, before work began underground, with a shattering sense of tribal rhythm and an
on their masterpiece – Bible Of Dreams. emotional depth unlike anything else on the scene at the time.
The album was pieced together in Watkins’ Dickensian “It was around that time everyone started saying things like
warehouse over by Shoreditch, a studio space made sonically ‘Goa trance’,” says Watkins. “But, we didn’t really like those sort
Words by Roy Spencer
perfect thanks to a recently installed system that was hand-crafted of pigeonholes. And we didn’t like the idea of being labelled.
by sound expert (and now Watkins’ label boss) Robert Trunz. “Me, [and band members] Mike [Maguire] and Stephen
“That changed it all,” Watkins says. “He put in a really big [Holweck] just didn’t want to have a blueprint. We just tried
Raindirk Symphony desk, which is really quite specialised. to make the music that we wanted to hear.”
20
Classic Album | Filter
Track by track
with Ben
Watkins
Jardin De Cecile
“I’ve got this sort of imaginary
musical cooker where I put ideas
in when they’re just sounding a bit
dodgy. I just chuck them in there
and leave them until they’re ready
for pulling out again and working on.
This was one of those. “I did the video for God Is God. I used
“I originally started the track with [Russian director Sergei] Parajanov’s
a guy called Xavier [Morel], who’s
a DJ. And it was a pretty… well, it
film, The Color of Pomegranates. We
wasn’t that good. did a deal for five grand for the original
“I think Xavier got taken to prison telecine reels, which we digitised
for six months, which sort of allowed
and edited.
him a bit of respite. And, in that
time, I came across the story of this “It became a big hit on MTV. Then
18-year old French girl who was Tommy Mottola called saying, ‘Mariah
murdered by an English truck driver. Trance pioneers Juno Reactor have
announced that that’ll release a 5CD box set,
Carey wants you for her next video’.
And, when they found her body, the
father wrote on a tree, ‘Jardin De
through Edsel Records, containing their first
five landmark albums. Entitled Imagination,
“My manager rang back saying, ‘Ben’s
Cecile’. Which means, ‘The Garden Use It as A Weapon, and retailing £35, each
one comes with an exclusive art print, signed
not into it. He just edited Parajanov’s
of Cecile’. by Ben Watkins himself. film’. He said, ‘Well, we still want you
Meanwhile, the seminal Bible Of
“I had just had my daughter
around this time – in ’96 my
Dreams gets a standalone limited edition to do it’.
daughter was born. And it really
heavyweight double vinyl pressing release
via Demon Records. “I turned it down, because we were
affects you, when you’ve just had
Both will be available from March 15th,
with more Juno Reactor releases and live quite busy, and I wasn’t really into
a kid. Your emotional well is like, shows planned for the rest of 2024.
doing a Mariah Carey video.”
times 100. So it really affected me.
“After that, I thought, ‘Okay, let’s
take this track out of the cooker, a good time’. And Conga Fury pretty said, ‘Let’s get Natacha Atlas down’. had installed this amazing gear.
and manipulate it into like a sonic much came out of that. We said, And so she came down. And she Stuff like a huge Raindirk Symphony
garden of Cecile. And that was the ‘Let’s do a song about the dreams really looked like Elizabeth Taylor. desk, and monitors with all these
story behind it. And there are other of the Bushman or Sand People’. She looked beautiful. And she had bass drivers.
writers on there as well [Mike “He was an amazing a little wheelie bag, because she “He was CEO of M.E.L.T. 2000,
Maguire and Paul Jackson].” percussionist. And before that, hadn’t got anywhere to live at the which was the umbrella company
percussion was like, things that time. She was always going to which ran the Blue Room record
Conga Fury white guys did, badly. Like T-Rex, different houses to stay in. So, label that put the album out, as well.
“This features [South African conga and you know, people just sort of she brought in her wheelie bag of “We also had 24-track tape
king] Mabi Thobejane. He had ‘seal-flapping’ on congas.” everything she had. And then she machines, so everything was going
a really big life story, and he was an came into the vocal booth, and it down to tape with the Cyclosonic
amazing person to be around. When God Is God/106 just sounded amazing. 3D panner, which we used to have
he was 17, he was out doing live “I was working far more with real “God Is God has been quite to hire in every day for like £100
shows with Duke Ellington, Miles acoustic drums, at the time. We had a transitional track for Juno Reactor, or something.
Davis, and those sorts of artists. Nick Burton on percussion and drum because of the much slower BPM “And then, when all of these
“We met through Robert Trunz, kit. He was great on this [track]. difference as well. It was never a hit. sorts of panners became useless,
who recorded him for his jazz label, “He’s a great drummer and had But it, you know, like a lot of Juno’s I rang up FX Rentals and got one
M.E.L.T. 2000. He took me on a trip a rockabilly band called Westworld. stuff, spread through, in a sort of for like £120, and now they’re
to Namibia, where we filmed and But, he had great rhythmic sense. below-the-radar type of way.” worth thousands!
recorded the bush people, and And he had really good electronic “Like a lot of the tracks, this is
spent another two weeks down sense, as well. So, on things like Komit like eight minutes long. I mean,
in the desert. God Is God, we’re very much “I just remember working with Paul I don’t know why writing tracks
“Mabia started telling me about working with him. Jackson, who was one of the writers, for that amount of time was so
how he wrote tracks. And it seemed “This also features Natacha Atlas and him being so precise on this important to us. But, with the sort of
very similar to the way I do, which is on vocals. She was a friend of Nick’s, track. It ended up taking a great deal longer tracks you got a better story.
very much about images, or stories, because I think Nick was working of long nights to get this one done. “So, a lot of the thinking, in
and there’s always a fixed element to with someone else from her band, “It was OK, though. I mean, we those days, was to have a longer
it. It’s not just about, ‘Oh, let’s have Transglobal Underground. And he had my studio in which Robert Trunz intro. Then you’d get into it.
21
Filter | Classic Album
you just get so much more onto tape. a Zoom or tape recorders. I once a big advantage over other bands.
You get an emotional content.” recorded an Indian singer in a taxi.” And I think that’s why the album
still sounds okay now.
“We had great engineers as well. Juno Reactor
Greg Hunter was there. And there Imagination, Use It
was Richard Edwards. They took as A Weapon
tracks to a new level, you know? This new 5CD retrospective boxset
“I could not have mixed them rounds up the band’s first five seminal
as well as they did. I’ve got proof, albums, and gives them a modern
because I’ve got some of the mixes mastering polish.
ADD THESE TO YOUR PLAYLIST:
I did for demos. They taught me ‘High Energy Protons’, ‘Luciana’,
a lot about mixing. And there was ‘Guardian Angel’
mastering by Kevin Metcalfe. I’ve
In the studio with Ben Watkins been working with him since the
“My studio was like a huge warehouse over by Shoreditch. Robert Trunz ’80s. The first record he mastered
came in and added a massive Raindirk Symphony desk and massive
was David Bowie’s Hunky Dory, so
monitors with nine 12” bass drivers each side. Juno Reactor
we were in good hands.”
“We’d got rid of the Atari ST, and were on an early Macintosh tower, The Mutant Theatre
running everything through some sort of MIDI device. It was all Cubase. Juno’s 12th album from 2018,
Like, 2.0. I’ve always used Cubase since the very beginning. containing the band’s most recent
“A lot was arranged in the computer, but we used to jam a lot on the WANT TO KNOW MORE? take on the pulsating psy-trance
desk. We had certain amounts of automation, but were always hands on dance they helped bring into
deck, come the mix. For all the latest news the world.
“I had a Korg MS-20, but my favourite was the Mono/Poly. Then on their mesmerising ADD THESE TO YOUR PLAYLIST:
‘Return Of The Pistolero’, ‘Our World’, ‘Alien’
a Roland MC-202, 303. The Korg DW-8000 and EX-8000. And we’d hire
an Oberheim keyboard. But, generally, it was those things and samplers. live shows and any
“I had a couple of Akai 1000s. Or, maybe a newer one? And some new and forthcoming
Oberheim Matrix 1000s. And we also had the Cyclosonic 3D panner,
for spatial effects, and then 24-track tape machines.” releases, head to:
junoreactor.com
22
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ALBUM OF THE MONTH
Jlin, Akoma
percussion wind around propulsive
waves of synthesised sub bass.
Sodalite, meanwhile, pairs tense
strings from the Kronos Quartet with
Planet Mu Jlin’s frenetic drum sampling, the two
elements initially sounding as if in
competition, before later resolving
U
into something more unified.
S producer Jerrilynn collaborations with some of the restless production that remains the The album’s most distinctive
Patton – aka Jlin – first leading lights of electronic music, star of the show on Akoma. moments come with Summon, on
emerged from the 2010s ambient, contemporary classical and Perhaps more than ever before in which Jlin swaps the drums and bass
footwork scene, starting visual arts – and scored her a Pulitzer her career, here Jlin blurs the for orchestral samples, yet still
out under the mentorship of artists nomination along the way. distinction between club music, jazz arranges everything in the style of a
including DJ Rashad and RP Boo. It’s testament to the level of and classical. Throughout the album, stuttering footwork banger, and the
While the frantic rhythms and respect that Jlin commands as a stuttering drum machine grooves and final majestic payoff of Philip Glass
staccato sample chops of footwork are producer that this latest album comes grimy bass hits sit alongside rhythmic collaboration The Precision of Infinity.
still an important element of her complete with starry guest and melodic influences pulled from Si Truss
sound, Jlin’s ambitions and musical appearances from Bjork, Philip Glass diverse corners of 20th century ADD THESE TO YOUR PLAYLIST
Summon, Sodalite, The Precision of Infinity
output have stretched far beyond the and the Kronos Quartet. As experimental music and African
edges of the genre in the years since eye-catching as those names are, it’s traditions. On Eye Am, for example,
her debut release, leading to Jlin’s distinctive style of intricate and complex layers of traditional VERDICT 9.0
26
Releases | Reviews
ON OUR
PLAYLIST RECOMMENDED
REISSUE
Sandwell District,
Where Next? Elkka, SINGLE
R
The Point of Departure
Make Me
eleased ahead of her
debut album Prism of
REISSUE
Pleasure this May, Make
The Monitors, Redux Me is the latest single
Palette Recordings Ninja Tune from Cardiff-born, London-based
Highly respected techno producer and artist Elkka. It’s an excellent
DJ Juan Mendez, best known as Silent example of how to craft an emotive
© Alexandra Lambert
Servant, sadly died in late January. As a and driving club track. Built
result of the unexpected nature of his primarily around an insistent vocal
passing, the weeks following his death sample and rising, euphoric piano
have seen the release of two reissue
chords, in lesser-hands Make Me is
packages, both of which were scheduled
the sort of track that could easily
well before Mendez’s death, but now act
as sadly fitting testaments to his skills feel saccharine or overblown. Elkka
and influence. pulls it off though, by keeping the
Firstly, Where Next? is a newly- track structurally restrained –
compiled collection of tracks from looping the main idea but switching
Sandwell District, the atmospheric up the beat with bursts of drum
techno outfit that Mendez belonged to
break and filtered breakdowns. Half
alongside fellow producers Regis,
way through the record, strummed
Female and Function. Following last
year’s reissue of their influential album
acoustic guitar chords push the
Feed Forward – and in anticipation of track in the direction of vintage
scheduled live dates this summer – ’90s pop, without ultimately
Where Next? compiles tracks from the diluting the power of the driving
group’s members that previously only bass hits. Si Truss
saw limited releases, combined here to
create what Regis describes as “the
purest hit of the SD sound”. Among
VERDICT 8.0
those tracks are several examples of
Mendez’s best production work,
including the pulsing, ominous synths
Squarepusher,
of Mad Youth and hard-hitting, insistent
percussion of Discipline. ALBUM
Aside from showcasing Mendez’s
D
personal talents, Where Next? highlights
Dostrotime
ostrotime is
just how pivotal Sandwell District have
been on modern techno in the
Squarepusher’s ‘lockdown
decade-and-a-bit since the collective album’, inspired by the
originally disbanded. In tracks like “novel, eerie, sublime
Function’s Ember and Regis’s Man Is Warp records silence” of that time. It opens in
The Superior Animal, as well as the unusually sedate form with the
group’s general sound and aesthetic, it’s sparse, finger-picked acoustic guitar
© Caspar Stevens
VERDICT 7.0
27
Feature | Bass Synthesis
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28
Bass Synthesis | Feature
29
Feature | Bass Synthesis
Bass basics
then you’ll find it harder to get the
sound to gel together as there will be
a large frequency gap. Sometimes
this is a useful effect, but often the
closer together the pitches, the more
solid your sound. Using subtle
sound, so always start off with richness and growl. Though this may amounts of detune – kept to just
Whether you’re using a single oscillator and try getting the be what you’re after it’s no good if you a few cents – between oscillators
an analogue, virtual sound you’re after, then add more as want a clean-sounding bass, so keep can also add chorus, movement
analogue, digital or you need (a basic form of additive your levels in check. and thickness.
synthesis). To a large extent, the Combining triangle and pulse
sample-based synth, success of a single oscillator sound waves is a great method for achieving
PHASE CANCELLATION
all approaches share depends on the power and richness a bassy but cutting tone. However, Using two or more oscillators together
a few general of the oscillators in the synth you are if you set the volume of the pulse can cause phase cancellation. This
using and how you process them. wave too high on your mixer and happens when two oscillators are set
principles that Every synth has its own character, the triangle wave too low, you’ll find to the same wave and one is slightly
can help you craft but try to use one that has powerful you’ll get a harsh sound that cuts detuned, with the net result being
solid, characterful oscillators, filters and snappy through the mix, but with little or that they cancel each other out at
bass patches envelopes like the Korg MS-20,
Novation Bass Station II or plugins
no bass presence certain points in their cycles, taking
power away from your bass sound. If
like Arturia Pigments or Kilohearts
OSCILLATOR DETUNING you hold down a note and the power
KEEP THINGS SIMPLE Phase Plant. When choosing the pitch of your of the sound appears to be fading in
Always try to approach bass design oscillators, generally start off with and out at certain points, then it’s
with some method or plan for making
OSCILLATOR LEVELS them both set to the same octave and likely you have phase cancellation.
sounds, so that you aren’t just trying It’s easy to overlook the levels of your work from there. Set both at 32’ – ie Adjust the detuning, wave shapes and
stuff randomly. First off, decide what oscillators and just set them all to full a lower octave – then listen to the relative oscillator volumes until the
type of sound you are going for. Does when making multi-oscillator bass result. Then set one at 32’ and one phasing stops.
it need to be punchy? Resonant? sounds but you can soon hit on an octave above at 16’ and listen, Sometimes phasing is good,
Thin? Fat? All of these? Once this undesirable results. The frequencies then one at 32’ and one at 8’ and though, creating sounds similar to the
has been established, you can then and waves of each oscillator interact listen, and so on. It often helps to classic Reese bass used heavily in
start to think about your sound, the differently depending on how their have an oscillator set at a higher techno and drum & bass. Using
number of oscillators required and levels are set against each other and octave in the mix, as this will help oscillator hard sync is great for
types of waveforms you’ll need how hard they are driving your synth’s the bass cut through on smaller pitch-locked phasing or vocal-like
(more on this over the page). mixer stage. Many synths, particularly speakers as well. sounds, too. Try syncing osc 1 to osc
Often, you’ll find you only need analogue ones, allow you to overdrive Bear in mind that if you space the 2, then using your mod wheel to
one or two oscillators to make your the mixer stage for added harmonic pitches of two oscillators too far apart, adjust osc 2’s frequency.
30
Bass Synthesis | Feature
What’s in
a waveform?
Pick any synth and
INCLUDES
AUDIO
PULSE
A pulse wave’s character is biting, yet quite nasal, and is suitable for thinner-type basses and leads. It contains both odd
and even harmonics. Evolving bass sounds can be made by varying the width of the wave (using an LFO to modulate) or
by manually changing the pulse width.
31
Feature | Bass Synthesis
Wavetables and
the frequency of ‘carrier’ operators.
NI’s FM8 and Ableton Operator are
stalwart FM plugins, while Tracktion’s
F.’em is probably the most powerful
digital bass
FM synth going. FM has made
a resurgence in hardware, too, with
the likes of Elektron’s Digitone and
Korg’s Opsix both being powerful
machines for bass design.
All sounds are made up of
multiple sine waves, or harmonics,
If you own NI’s and additive synthesis combines large
original Massive, load numbers of these ‘partials’ to create
harmonically rich and interesting
up its Brutal Electro synth tones. NI’s Razor is a staple
preset, play a few low additive synth plugin with subtractive-
notes and tweak the like parameters, integrating features
synth’s macros. This like filtering and reverb at a deeper
harmonic level. Logic’s Alchemy and
wavetable patch was Arturia Pigments also have capable
infamously overused additive engines.
in dubstep circles in These modern takes on bass
aren’t entirely confined to the
the 2010s, and you’ll analogue realm, though. Novation’s
recognise its thick, Korg’s Minilogue XD offers the winning
combination of analogue grit and
Bass Station II, Korg’s Monologue
modulating character digital complexity and Arturia’s Brute range are all
hardware synths capable of
A wavetable synth’s oscillator is textures. Massive isn’t the only them, have attributed part of their cross-modulation with enough grunt
a collection of single-cycle wavetable synth – its follow-up, bass sound to FM synthesis, a digital to spew out nasty bass patches for
waveforms, scanning through which Massive X, updates the concept, type of synthesis famous for days, with the bonus of hands-on
can create harmonically-complex while the likes of Kilohearts Phase complexity and dissonance. Made control and tweakability. Hybrid
tones. Older hardware wavetable Plant, Arturia Pigments or Ableton’s popular in the early ’80s by the analogue/digital synths, meanwhile,
synths had a ‘stepped’ feel when Wavetable all offer a more realistic bell and piano-like tones of such as UDO’s Super 6, Arturia’s
sweeped, but modern plugins now contemporary take. the Yamaha DX7, FM synthesis uses Mini/MicroFreak and Korg’s Minilogue
provide smooth scanning between Many modern ‘bass music’ artists, the frequency of ‘modulator’ XD, all offer the combination of
wave types for unique harmonic the likes of Skrillex and Noisia among oscillators (or operators) to modulate analogue grit and digital complexity.
32
Bass Synthesis | Feature
INCLUDES
USING FM AND OSCILLATOR
SYNC TO BRING ANALOGUE
AUDIO
BASS TO LIFE
Audio-rate modulation is the main technique behind synths like
Yamaha’s DX7, but a more basic version can be used in many
analogue or analogue-style synths. Let’s use a touch of FM as well
as oscillator sync to add harmonic interest to a simple bass sound
1 2 3
We’re starting with a simple Pigments’ analogue engine Altering the shape and
analogue-style bass patch lets us apply frequency tuning of Oscillator 3 lets
from Arturia Pigments. It modulation to oscillators us get creative with this
uses a square wave with a sine 1 and 2 using Osc 3 as a source. effect. Tuning Osc 3 up by seven
sub-oscillator provided by the For now, let’s keep the volume of semitones, adding a little detune
Utility Engine. A low-pass filter Oscillators 2 and 3 down to zero, and switching to a triangle wave
with a short modulation envelope but we increase FM to osc 1 gives us a more interesting,
is adding a punchy attack. It’s a a little to 0.020. Our square slightly dissonant tone.
decent sound, but hardly original. wave starts to sound ‘hollow’.
4 5 6
Oscillator sync gives us This effect becomes We now reintroduce
another way to introduce most interesting with the FM effect too,
interesting timbres. To try modulation. We set up experimenting with
this, we turn off the FM and raise LFO 1 to modulate to coarse different wave shapes as well as
the level of Osc 2. This is set to tuning of Osc 2. Oscillator sync modulation levels/speeds lets us
a pulse wave with a width of keeps this from sounding too create all sorts of unusual effects.
0.800. Now we disengage key harsh, but it still creates an
tracking for Oscillator 2 but interesting timbral effect.
engage oscillator sync instead.
33
Feature | Bass Synthesis
mixing tips
Call up a compressor or
gate and put it on your
bass track and set its sidechain
input to trigger from any piece of
audio in your DAW (such as a kick,
hats, beat or chords). You can get
some great pumping and cutting
Now that we’ve gone effects using sidechaining in this
way, and it can help avoid clashes
through the basics in low end elements such as bass
of building solid bass and kick. To achieve this, add a
sounds using several compressor to a synth bassline, and
set the compressor’s sidechain to
oscillators and wave trigger from a kick drum, so that
types (plus tips for when a kick drum sounds, the
detuning, pitching compressor pulls and pushes the
and optimising bassline in time with the track.
up and some bassline portion from an acoustic guitar/ this MIDI information to form
mixing tips string, or another analogue single a monster bass stack. You can then
or multi-oscillator sound – is tweak the MIDI info as you like,
STACKING AND LAYERING
1
often a good way to obtain drawing in volume and MIDI
Stacking analogue, VA or something unique. parameter automation (such as
sampled oscillators to If you’re a competent player, try filter and modulation changes) to
make a sound is a great tracking a three-osc sound into your add movement to your basslines.
USING PORTAMENTO
3
way to thicken up and DAW as audio, then double track it Then bounce it all down to separate
obtain multiple characters from just with a completely different sound. audio tracks and treat each part Often, you don’t want
one sound. Don’t forget layering Another option would be to track with EQ, compression and effects every note to sound
with more unusual samples a MIDI part into your DAW, then as you like and/or send all the parts separated in a bassline,
– whether it be a piano bass note, trigger as many sounds from as to a bus and compress, EQ and so use glide and legato
cowbell, white noise, the attack many keyboards as you like using effect the stack as a whole. mode to smooth note transitions
34
Bass Synthesis | Feature
(much like sliding between notes Thus, it’s best to keep top in stereo. If you do want to go monitors, mic the room with two
on a bass guitar). Try recording in mid-range and high-end sounds ahead and use stereo bass, then omni-pattern mics set in X/Y
a line while manipulating the glide stereo but keep bass and kicks in make use of tools such as Ableton’s configuration, then blend the
time, or write glide information into mono to avoid any problems. You Utility, which allows frequencies resulting recording back in with
your DAW using automation. can successfully create the illusion to be narrowed below a certain your direct synth sound.
Many monosynths and plugins of stereo bass by keeping your sub user-defined threshold – but always
REVERB AND OTHER EFFECTS
5
also have a legato option, which information in mono and the check your mixes in mono just to
enables short notes to sound mid-range information layered on be sure. Finally, if you want to have Short mono reverbs and
stereo bass that’s delays can work well in
IT’S BEST TO KEEP MID-RANGE AND HIGH-END mono compatible/
phase coherent, try
the right context. Just
remember to use a long
SOUNDS STEREO BUT KEEP BASS AND KICKS sending your synth enough pre-delay time, so that the
bass out through attack portion of the sound remains
IN MONO TO AVOID ANY PROBLEMS your studio dry. Chorus, flange, phaser and wah
can work too, but try these in mono
cleanly, while at the same time to avoid any phase issues and mono
allowing you to smudge one note compatibility problems.
into the next by playing the next
EQ AND DISTORTION
6
note while still holding down the
previous. It takes a bit of practice When using particularly
to get the technique right but it’s subby sounds you’ll
a powerful tool. Use short glide likely find that while
times for faster basslines and longer they sound great on big
glide sweeps for breakdowns and systems, they can hardly be heard
builds, to release and build tension. on smaller speakers. This is
because the speakers or amps on
STEREO/MONO BASS
4
systems such as headphones have
If you are cutting your narrow frequency responses. While
track to vinyl or likely to you are never going to feel the
have your tracks played subby lows on these kind of
out, then ideally you systems, you can trick your ear into
should keep your bass in mono. thinking the sub bass is there by
Many club systems are mono and either adding subtle distortion or
won’t reproduce stereo signals overdrive to the sound using
accurately (plus the human ear a plugin, or by duplicating the
can’t accurately detect directional bassline in your DAW and EQing
sounds at low frequencies) and each track, so that one track’s
stereo bass will usually have to be bassline contains all the sub info
summed to mono if cutting to vinyl, and the other track is high-pass
to avoid cutting head damage and filtered, rolling out the lows from
unusable masters. when the sub track’s highs roll off.
Generally, vinyl mastering For example, the subby track
engineers will sum bass to mono can cover the low end from 40Hz to
below 150Hz, so most of the stereo 250Hz and the high-end track can
information would be lost anyway. cover 250Hz to 10kHz. This way
Also, if your bass is wide stereo and you can mix and blend the highs
Ableton Live’s Utility tool features a
your kick is mono, the bass is likely very useful Bass Mono function for
and lows separately, which is a very
to eclipse the kick and get lost. mono compatibility flexible way to work within a mix.
35
Interview | Carl Craig
36
Carl Craig | Interview
ne of the leading visionaries behind thought they could become a millionaire from making
Detroit techno’s second generation techno and there are no techno millionaires, but J Dilla
throughout the late ’80s and early knew who we all were – if you listen to Big Booty Express,
’90s, Carl Craig picked up the torch it’s like a slow version of a Cybotron record.”
from the genre’s forefathers, The
Belleville Three, releasing classic How does techno culture permeate the city today? Are
tracks under his own name and aliases there fliers everywhere for techno-related events?
such as Innerzone Orchestra. Widely “Nah, there’s no flags to say techno after-party at 6am. The
considered one of the go-to authorities on the genre, Craig is only signage that ever comes up about techno in Detroit is
still pushing the boundaries with his innovative live sets and during the Movement Music Festival. Even though we have
futuristic ethos behind his long-running techno label, Planet a song called Techno City, it was never as big as Detroit Rock
E Communications. City by KISS. By the time the music had made its way to
Alongside his encyclopaedic knowledge of electronic being quite popular in Europe, we were going over there to
music past and present, Craig has been keen to promote promo Techno 2: The Next Generation compilation. That was
awareness of Detroit techno culture through various during the early days of the travelling DJ and I remember
multidisciplinary activities, from educational discussions being in the UK in 1990 and seeing David Morales play
at college campuses to being artistic director of the Detroit Pump Up the Jam at Heaven in Charing Cross. That was
Electronic Music Festival. Meanwhile, his booming, the hot record when I came over.”
club-oriented Party/After-Party sound and light installations
are a recent example of his foray into the world of ‘living art’. How do you feel techno as a genre has morphed over
the years?
Take us back to your involvement in techno’s second “Even though techno had a street sound, it had a fantasy
wave. How indebted are you to those who came before message about technology and things that are probably a bit
you and defined techno as we know it? nerdy. Early electro acts like Nucleus and Egyptian Lover had
“Of course I wanted to display my influences from the a similar vein, although Egyptian Lover was locked in with
techno, jazz and classical worlds, as well as being a Prince Uncle Jamm’s Army, which is where Ice T and Dr. Dre came
fanatic. I put all that stuff into whatever I did, whether it was from. Detroit didn’t have that same cultural shift; it was just
making techno or rap music, which I could have done just appreciated by the nerds and English journalists, who had
as easily as techno because that was another sound that was a habit of always looking for the next big thing. In many
emerging at the time, even though it wasn’t as big as we cases, a new name was put onto something that was already
now know it.” there. You put a little twist on something and it isn’t techno
anymore; it’s progressive techno – just like jungle and drum
As a primarily electronic artist, how important was it for & bass are the dark and light versions of each other.”
you to have been schooled on conventional instruments?
“You know, techno guys like Kevin Saunderson and Derrick You were second generation techno and people speak
May weren’t trained musicians, and Juan Atkins learned to about a third or fourth wave. Is there room for techno
play bass early on and that was his instrument. I was playing to reinvent itself again or have something come along
guitar, upright bass and drums, and had the experience of that has a new classification?
playing in bands and school orchestra ensembles, so it did “As a people we have to have some way of identifying what
play an important role for me. I usually do everything in we’re interested in – if we go outside of classification we’ll
a minor key, and learned how to translate sounds to no longer be able to call a sneaker a sneaker. I don’t have
synthesisers at my aunt’s house in Georgia with my guitar a problem with people saying that what they do is ‘future’ or
by learning guitar voicings on the piano. It’s funny because ‘21st century’ techno as long as the respect goes back to the
when I’m in front of a synthesiser I never start at E, I always founders. We use paper money every day but don’t know
start at C or F, because they’re the easiest keys outside of the who the hell invented it, but we should have an idea of why
black keys to play, but I think it was Martyn Ware who said we stopped weighing gold and silver and started using coins.
that where they fucked up with synthesisers was by putting I want people to have that knowledge and understanding
a keyboard on them [laughs]. If the Minimoog or Pro One of the roots of techno visionaries like Derrick, Kevin, Juan,
had MPC pads instead of keys we’d have played the music Cybotron or Jeff Mills. With anything that’s created, there’s
totally differently.” always controversy because people are left out, so of course
people get butt-hurt when some guy says he spearheaded
For people who have never visited Detroit and got the whole thing, but as long as you talk about techno and
a first-person feel for the city, how important do you its founders then people will get curious and want to find
feel techno has been to the region, culturally? out about that history.”
“It’s not the new Motown. People travelled from all over
America in order to visit Motown and become a star, but Do you still have discussions with your techno peers
Detroit techno is where people travel from Europe in order on these topics?
to meet the stars, such as Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson “Derrick never really talks about it that much because he’s
and Juan Atkins. So Motown was a much bigger deal than always so busy, but I always say to him that techno and jazz
techno was and even though we knew techno in Detroit, it have many parallels in terms of how the fans relate to them.
was still very underground – our own quiet little secret. New In the ’90s, people who were into techno had this idea that it
York kind of knew about it, but they were always into doing was always supposed to be about the 808, the 909 and the
© Tim Saccenti
their own thing. It was something we were proud of and 303. When Miles Davis started putting a wah pedal on his
we followed the legends, but it didn’t have a huge impact trumpet, people started losing their minds and saying that’s
because it wasn’t commercial music. Unlike rap, nobody not jazz and I have that same parallel when I go on stage with
37
Interview | Carl Craig
Francisco Mora who uses a live drum set. They say it’s not 15-year-old kid listens to tracks on Spotify for 30 seconds, so
techno because there’s no 808 or 909 on stage.” they’ve got to get your attention in 30 seconds. Being esoteric
or creative within those 30 seconds, especially with electronic
In the past, genres were formed by the gear that artists music, is really difficult, so they just lean on whatever’s going
used as much as the people using it. Is that as to make it. Going one step further, they’re also looking at
achievable now that technology has become so what the algorithm is going to accept. Popular demand has
sophisticated and democratised? made the algorithm function in the way that it does, so if
“About 10 years ago, one of the fourth wave techno guys, it says it’s got to sound like Drake or Taylor Swift, then it’s
Seth Troxler, said that Apple Loops is going to lead all music. out of our hands. Swift is putting out music so fast that the
Before, there were factory sounds that you could tweak and quality level or likelihood of every track hitting the target
now you can chop up factory loops. As long as you think means that help is definitely there to make it easier for that
of using them in the same way as how J Dilla or DJ Premier to happen, whether using Apple Loops or AI. They’re now
took records and cut them up, you can change the flavour living the same serious techno dream that we were back in
of things, but I also saw an article a couple of years ago about the ’90s when we adapted to the sound of whatever synths
the emergence of AI and the future for music, and now we could afford to make our music sound as futuristic as
everything sounds like everything else I hear on the radio. possible. What they’re doing now is just using the technology
All they want to do is make sure they get a hit, and that’s that spits it out to make it easier for them to keep generating
what’s screwing things up because it’s so lazy. There might be hits. On a Detroit level, if Motown was still around today as
a different producer’s name on a track, but it just sounds like it was in the ’70s, they’d be doing exactly the same thing.”
the same beatmaker made a thousand tracks and changed
the triplets on the hi-hats. So AI is here and what Seth said As the label owner of Planet E Communications,
at the time was really valid.” how have you had to adapt to some of the current
industry challenges?
Would you say the problem is not so much the “I recently finished a book from the vice president of a big
technology that artists use but that the industry disco label from the ’70s called Casablanca Records, and
model is not conducive to popularising people if I implemented everything they were doing at the time
who are genuinely unique? I wouldn’t even be able to call Planet E a record label. They
“Yes to the last part. The industry execs know that my were talking about million dollar budgets for releases that
© Ollies Journal
38
Carl Craig | Interview
I wanted to post music on my Instagram account that people What other electronic artists were influential to you
didn’t know anything about, so I played one piece of vinyl at the time?
each day for a month and got a really good response. That “We loved Gary Numan. He had a novelty record in Cars,
39
Interview | Carl Craig
40
Carl Craig | Interview
41
––––+ IN THE STUDIO WITH +––––
Paranoid
London
Quinn Whalley of the UK acid duo
on studio sessions and capturing
© Sam Neill
Quinn in the
band’s studio (top);
new album Arseholes,
Liars and Electronic
Pioneers (below)
Paranoid London – the The band have also become engineering. There were a bunch of
duo consisting of Quinn known for their diverse and exciting people like me that knew how to
Whalley and Gerado pool of collaborators. New album connect MIDI cables and set up
INCLUDES Delgado – are an – the excellently titled Arseholes, scuzzy effect chains and stuff. We
VIDEO example of how success Liars and Electronic Pioneers – would charge DJs, like, £200 to come
can come from sticking to your sees the pair working with the likes to our studios, and they would bring a
guns and doing what you do well. of rising house star Josh Caffe, bunch of records, which we’d sample
Their sound is defiantly old school, Berlin musician Jennifer Touch, up for them and make them a track.
a raw and unpolished take on acid Chicago’s DJ Genesis, and Primal There were loads of us that used to
house and techno, created by the Scream frontman Bobby Gillespie. do that, basically just supporting our
interplay of hardware synths and We met up with Quinn Whalley hobby of being in this studio.
drum machines with oddball in the band’s envy-inducing gear “Del had tried working with a few
sequencers and effects units. With cave of a studio. other people, but it hadn’t worked.
little in the way of industry support, Then we got put in touch through
the pair have become cult heroes Can you tell us how Paranoid a friend of mine, Justin Drake, who
in the UK underground on the London started out? I used to do music with. At this point,
strength of their vibrant electronic “About 20 years ago I used to do me and my mate had just opened a
jams and energetic live shows. this thing, what we used to call studio and we had nobody coming in.
45
In the studio with… | Paranoid London
We were completely broke, and I had keep coming down here and paying it. I think the first record we put out sitting there trying to think of a name
loads of time. Del lived in Tenerife at me to do this, but you’re not really was the heaviest vinyl you could for something. It just never happens.
the time. He would come over about happy with any of the stuff that we possibly make. It was a really Again, I think we were maybe getting
four times a year and we’d get in the do’. We went back to his house one expensive record and there was only drunk or something and Del just
studio. He’d bring a bunch of records, night and were getting drunk and one side of it. All the distribution popped out with it as a joke: ‘Why
and each time it would be different. talking rubbish, and I said to him, companies were like, ‘No, we’re not don’t we call it Arseholes, Liars and
It would be whatever he was into at ‘What is it that you’re actually into?’ going to give you a P&D deal because, Electronic Pioneers?’ But it actually
the time. He used to work in FatCat He said, ‘I’m just into banging acid a. nobody wants this music and b. trips off the tongue quite nicely. And
records, and he was a brilliant DJ, so house’. I said, ‘Yeah, me too. Why there’s only one side of it and it’s really also there’s just loads of fucking
he had a really good record collection. don’t we just do that?’ So we did. expensive’. So Del just said he’d pay arseholes and liars around at the
One time he might come over and say “This was exactly the time that for it himself.” moment, aren’t there? We’re
he wanted to make something like the arse had dropped out of selling bombarded with them from
a Danny Tenaglia tribal record, or records. Suddenly, nobody was buying Your new album is called Arseholes, every angle. Everything you see on
it might be a Derrick Carter, any records. But the great thing about Liars and Electronic Pioneers – how television, our whole media is full
bumpity‑bump thing. Del was that he didn’t care if nobody does the sound of the record tie of arseholes and liars. Our politicians
“We were doing this for ages and bought the record at all. He just into that title? are all arseholes and liars. But then
he never put anything out. I started wanted to do stuff that he liked, and “We did the album but didn’t have there’s loads of these, like, really
feeling bad about it. I’d say, ‘Mate, you couldn’t care less if nobody else liked a title. It’s the worst thing in the world, cool electronic pioneers. You know,
women, black people, Latino people,
blind people… They’re just way
more fun and more cool.”
46
Paranoid London | In the studio with…
DO WHATEVER YOU
years. Just last year it started playing samples and stuff that come down and we’ll get really drunk
up. We’d do a soundcheck and come through there. and I just literally record everything
everything would be great, then We sort of just mute they say. Then we’ll make something
a couple of times when we came to CAN WITH WHAT and unmute stuff on out of that.
do the show it just wouldn’t turn on. the desk and muck “Jennifer Touch – we sent two
We used to take the 909 with us as YOU’VE GOT, REALLY” about with it all, tracks, and both times we didn’t even
well, but it was all too big to take in and off we go.” do anything to her vocal. What she
hand luggage on flights. In the end ridiculously long. So using other ones sent us was brilliant. We just left it as
we had to do a couple of shows where is not quite the same. We’ve started How do you find the vocalists who it was. Jennifer lives in Berlin, so it
we just had the Boutique 909 that taking that out again now, though, feature on your tracks, and what’s would have been more difficult to
Roland did, because our main 808 as Margo’s sorted it for us. the writing process with them like? write with her. Luckily, it turns out
had broken, but since we only used it “Really, though, it’s just about “We’ve always been really lucky with she’s amazing at writing songs and
on one track we only had one pattern using whatever you can make a noise vocalists. Josh Caffe and Clams Baker did it all on her own anyway!”
programmed into it. Luckily it was a with. Because we couldn’t rely on that – who does Mutado Pintado, or
really busy one. That’s the great stuff same 808, we just did different things whatever name he’s going by this
about having stuff with knobs on it; on the Behringer. And that worked week – are ridiculous, you know what WANT TO
KNOW MORE?
even with just one loop you can make alright. You’ve just got to do whatever I mean? We’re really lucky. I’ve known
it work for a whole show. you can with what you’ve got, really.” Clams for 20 years or so. I used to play
“We eventually decided we had to for him in his club in New York. And
retire the 808 and get the Behringer Tell us more about how the live then we were in a band together, Arseholes, Liars… is
ones. Because everything goes though shows work… actually with the two guys that I now available at: paranoid-
the Korg Monotrons, which kind of “We have the drum machines, as do Decuis with as well, but that’s london.bandcamp.com/
47
FM | MASTERCLASS
Masterclass | AI sample organisers
AI sample
organisers
tools like Riffusion that will generate accurately sort samples into
whole songs – or at least snippets – advanced categories based on the
that sound pretty legit. audio’s characteristics. Applications
Perhaps one of the least expected like Atlas 2 go further, letting you
areas of musical workflow to be build kits and sequences from your
impacted by AI is that of sample samples that can be imported
Discover the latest time-saving library management: a seemingly directly into your DAW as MIDI data
that samplists should know might not seem like it needs much
attention. However, applications like
of the leading AI sample
management software/plugins and
A
Atlas 2, Cosmos, XO and Sononym attempt to demonstrate the pros and
rtificial intelligence is well viable use case, and some have proven that this is an area of cons of each, to better inform you of
and truly here, and even compelling uses in mixing and everyday work that can not only be their potential applications. We also
past naysayers must be mastering technology too. enhanced but made fun and creative hope to show you just how effective
finding it harder to deny its More recently, as AI booms across with the implementation of AI. these new AI-driven technologies are
inevitable further symbiosis with disciplines, we’ve seen more powerful These sample management tools at enhancing our workflow as
human life across the board. AI has uses of AI in music tech, from the are built to change how we interact musicians. After all, if something
been with us for a while in music generating professional singers of with and navigate our sample simple like sample management can
technology, with noise removal and Voice-Swap and the sample- libraries, breathing life into a fairly benefit so deeply from artificial
restoration software being the most interpolating powers of Synplant 2 to tedious task. Using AI, they can intelligence, imagine the potential
48
AI sample organisers | Masterclass
1 2 3
Let’s create our very own AI-generated sample We went for a ’90s hip-hop style pack and even And, just like that, you have an entirely original
pack. First, head over to the Co-Producer web gave the AI three producers to reference. The sample pack tailored to you personally. You can
page, sign into your account, and hit the ‘Start more info you give, the better. Once you’ve repeat this process as many times as you like,
Creating’ button. Then fill out the text prompt to generated four new packs, you can play through, and ask the AI to generate another four sample
your choosing, and click Generate 4 New Packs. and hit ‘Download’ on the one that resonates the most. packs based on the same prompt if you wish.
4 5 6
You can generate numerous packs and create Let’s create a quick loop using our AI-generated Lastly, let’s see what happens when we ask
one big custom pack. We’ve generated a few samples. We’ve chucked together a bunch of Co-Producer to give us a random text prompt.
different packs, added them together, and 91bpm, eight-bar loops in the key of F minor. Head back online and click ‘Try Random
imported the samples into FL Studio ready to Co-Producer can also provide more loops of a Prompt’. You can then generate four packs, or
start producing something. specified tempo and key, for any missing elements. add to the newly generated prompt beforehand.
49
Masterclass | AI sample organisers
YOUR SAMPLES:
Building an AI sample map ON THE MAP
in Atlas 2
>
Atlas 2, Cosmos and
even XO, all follow a
very similar model of
displaying samples. But
naturally, they all have
distinct differences.
Cosmos is the most basic
of the three, with the
cheapest price point.
However, it still serves as a
handy addition to any toolkit
and brings AI categorisation
with Cosmos View.
Atlas 2 and XO include
numerous additional features
1
to help you compile kits of
2
In Atlas 2, you can import samples or use the After Atlas has finished building your map, you’ll
packs that come with the software. To build a map be able to navigate your samples in the Browser. samples together in a
from your own library, head over to the Maps tab, You can change from Earth, Galaxy, and List
and hit ‘Create New Map’. Then, select your view to your preference. The first two options let
never-before-seen speedy
library’s file directory and wait as the magic happens. you view samples across a visual spectrum or ‘map’. fashion. These two, in
particular, also include
controls to help you shape
your samples before importing
them into your DAW, going
above and beyond expected
roles of traditional sample
management software.
When paired against
Sononym (the next entry in
our list), Atlas 2 and XO have
more features and a larger
potential for widespread use;
however, Sononym stands in
its own lane, with highly
3 4
To create a custom kit, hit ‘New Kit’. The AI will It also has many internal controls, letting you advanced AI categorisation
manipulate samples in the application. To
randomly assign samples. To lock samples to
keep, toggle their padlock icon. You can also playback/audition audio, click any of the
and similarity readings.
generate a sequence using the Sequencer and samples on the map, or in the kit panel. In the
save kits and sequence presets for future needs. kit, you also have access to macro controls per sample.
1 2 3
Let’s dive into Cosmos, Waves’ take on AI sample Once Cosmos has successfully scanned your file When a sample is selected, click the … button
management, and explore some of its functions. directory, you’ll be able to see all your samples to see its details (sample rate, file size and file
First, activate Cosmos via the Waves Central app, in List view. You can switch between two list type). You can change its tags and attributes
open it up, and use the left-hand column to set a views and the Cosmos view using three icons from here. You can use the filter buttons in the
file directory for your sample library. just to the right of the Key and BPM dropdown menu. top bar of the interface to filter between sample types.
50
AI sample organisers | Masterclass
Sononym: A slightly
applications in this article, that rely
more on general similarities like
sample type, genre, tempo etc.
Sononym’s interface might not
different approach
have the same visual flare or bonus
features as other entries in this
article, but it proves to be a highly
effective sample manager that excels
at what it’s designed to do. Its AI also
>
Sononym is unique in the AI This is perhaps Sononym’s groups samples into relatively ‘niche’
sample manager field, as it strongest feature, as it doesn’t have a categories when compared to its
measures similarities visual spectrum to categorise competitors, dividing audio into
between samples based on samples. Compared to XO, Atlas 2, ‘Whooshes & Whips’, ‘Cracks &
more informative and practical and Cosmos, however, you can see Rustle’, ‘Zaps & Blips’, and many
metrics than some others. why attributing similarity statistics other fruity sound types.
It will analyse a chosen sample would be highly beneficial. Let’s say There’s only one way to find out if
and then list a bunch of similar ones, you like the sound of a certain kick Sononym is the right AI sample
Want to compare your samples with giving readings based on a few drum and want to build a library manager for you: by jumping straight
greater precision? Sononym’s AI provides similarity stats. The readings of based on that. Sononym can identify into the action. Sononym comes with
similarity metrics to compare and
categorise samples in ways other sample
similarity are: Overall, Spectrum, similar kick drums with extreme a free 30-day evaluation period for
managers can’t Timbre, Pitch, and Amplitude. precision, unlike the other you to test it out.
1 2 3
Let’s explore how effective Sononym is. Open the With your library now imported, you can navigate Open the ‘Categories’ filter tab in the bottom
software, and click the + next to the top-left samples from the list. The top panel displays a panel, and select ‘Snares’ so that only snare
Libraries tab to index a chosen sample library. We selected sample’s waveform. The left-hand panel samples are displayed in our list. Then, we pick
recommend importing a library of a relatively large lets you switch sub-folders in your library, and a snare, right-click it and select ‘Search by
size so that the AI has more samples to go off. the bottom panel lets you select filter types. Similarity’ to prioritise our list by similarity.
4 5 6
The list has changed. Now, the right column Adjust your similarity filtering by interacting Finally, Sononym has many advanced
shows colour-coded readings of each similarity with the Similarity Aspects panel, top-right. We categorisation features that you can customise
metric (Overall, Spectrum, Timbre, Pitch, and can set our list to, say, prioritise similarity based by right-clicking on any given sample. For
Amplitude) according to the base sample. A on the Amplitude stat alone by disabling the example, if the AI has wrongly recognised a
blue bar shows results from your similarity filtering. other metrics, and setting Amplitude to 100%. kick as a snare, you can manually reassign its category.
51
Masterclass | AI sample organisers
1 2 3
Jamahook’s AI allows us to scan existing audio and Let’s open Jamahook Sound Assistant on the We’d like some more harmonious loops to spice
discover similar sounds that would complement it Master output, click ‘Match’, and playback the up our composition, so we’ll search samples in
– giving us the ability to overhaul a current loop project to let the AI analyse the current loop. the ‘Harmony’ tab. You’ll notice the AI
completely or find finishing touches. Let’s test it by Once finished, you’ll see a list of samples from automatically picks loops of similar tempos,
loading a half-finished eight-bar project. We’ve opened an the Jamahook cloud, similar in sonic characteristics. You keys, instruments, and genre types. Check out the neat
old project and looped the chorus section. can switch between ‘Harmony’, ‘Rhythm’, and ‘Drums’. synth loop we found and added to our project.
4 5 6
Note that you can also direct Jamahook Sound Also note that Loopcloud Sounds (Loopmasters’ This is also especially useful if you want to
Assistant to search for similar sounds only internal DAW sample library plugin) also collate a library of matching samples. You can
located on your HDD by clicking the cloud icon features Jamahook’s AI to help search for select a base sample, like the drum loop in our
on the left-hand menu. This is useful if you’ve similar samples. Just open Loopcloud Sounds, previous step, and then add a bunch of similar
already got a cohesive sample library but you’re not sure find a sample you like, click ‘…’, and Find Similar. Useful sounds from the list to your Favourites by hitting the
what’s missing from your project. if you like a sample, but it’s not quite perfect. heart-shaped icon in the right-hand column.
POWER
TIP
It’s crucial to choose the right
property to match samples by. In
something like Jamahook or
Loopcloud, matching by harmony
(ie, by key) can work great, but
won’t suit rhythmic material. For
that, many AI tools let you find
7 8
You can then easily locate sounds in future by Repeat the process from step five: identify a
heading to your Favourites collection. Or, create base sample and click Find Similar. Instead of things with a similar groove,
your own specific collection using the Loopcloud adding to your Favourites, click ‘...’ and Add to helping you know that they should
desktop app. Head over to the Loopcloud collection. Repeat the process to find samples
desktop app, open the ‘Collections’ panel, and click of different types. Then you can access them all from your
fit with your music’s feel; an often
‘Create new collection’. Rename it if you wish. ‘Collections’ panel. Voilà! A library of similar sounds. overlooked aspect of production.
52
AI sample organisers | Masterclass
THREE OF
THE BEST Ableton Live 12’s browser
>
We’re deep behind enemy 12 browser lets things down a
lines, reporting from the little is the lack of automatic
Ableton Live 12 Beta. tagging for your existing,
Here, the new browser has non-Ableton sample content.
been given some new sample- While this may seem like a big
XLN Audio XO friendly features, giving you ask, programs like Loopmasters’
categorisation and tagging over the Loopcloud, XO, Atlas and Mixed In
€129 sounds that come with the DAW; Key have been offering analysis for
1
XO is up for the crown of something that’s also available for third-party samples for several
top AI sample plugins, instruments and effects. years, and recent tools like
management tools. This means that you can filter Sononym, have only made this
Combining some key features down to the sort of sound you’re trend more obvious. Hopefully
we see in other AI-driven looking for quite easily, and automatic tagging can be added to
Live 12’s browser makes swift work of
sample managers, XO comes audition the resulting matches Live in future, making the browser searching through in-built instruments,
with a well-sculpted GUI and within your project. Where the Live even better for sample users. effects and samples
an easy-to-navigate design.
Import your samples and go!
xlnaudio.com
2
The best thing about
this: it’s completely free!
This tool automatically
labels samples on their
sample type using its AI
Smart tagging feature.
Simpler than other entries in
this article, but still a worthy,
reliable tool.
2
adsrsounds.com
1
Here’s a fresh instance of the Live 12 browser, We can search for, in this instance, a One-Shot
pointing at Samples. We can filter by Type (Loop/ Guitar/Plucked sound that’s a Chord rather than
One-Shot), Sound (Bass, Pad, Mallets etc), Drums, a note. We get four results from this particular
Character, Genre, Key etc. You can add your own search. Hitting the Edit pane lets you tag a
Samples via places, but they’re not automatically tagged. sample with the properties for being found in the browser.
Mixed In Key 10
$58
3
Boasts the most
accurate key-reading
algorithm currently
available, stating that other
sample-analysing algorithms
often label samples with the
wrong musical scale. With a
long history in the field,
MixedInKey still keeps with
3 4
the times, competing with the To search across another dimension, we can ask
Live to search for Similar Sounds to the one we
Similar Sounds really shines in the Drum Rack,
letting you ‘hot swap’ a currently placed sample
other software on this list. have selected. In this case, we get a lot more with more options that are close enough to keep
mixedinkey.com options, and it’s not just limited to samples; we things together, but different enough to change
get offered a patch for the Ableton Collision synth too. up what you’re building.
53
Feature | Make Music Together
Make music
makes it easier than ever to
collaborate remotely. Doing so can
be a great way to break through
creative roadblocks and broaden
your musical horizons, but it’s also a
way for artists to open up new
together
revenue streams. By opening
yourself up to working with others,
you’re able to provide your services
to other musicians and producers
who might lack your skills. This
could mean creating synth sounds
or playing an instrument as a
session musician, or offering up your
54
Make Music Together | Feature
Fresh ears
Workflow is incredibly important
when working on mixes in a digital
environment. Keep a list of tasks at
hand, preferably on a paper pad, so
…approach mixing
in a long session. Send over the mix
to the client in the morning as
opposed to firing off something in
the wee hours. Fresh ears can reveal
55
Feature | Make Music Together
DROPBOX
5
Speaking of file transfers,
they are inevitably a
necessary evil when
working remotely, and one
of the best services for such a thing
is Dropbox, the long-running
cloud-based storage solution with
several tiers of membership. One
huge advantage of Dropbox is the
ability to sync folders to several
places at once, so if you’re
SOUNDBETTER is a kind of 21st
AUDIOMOVERS was a gamechanging century Yellow Pages for finding
collaborating with someone across
tool in high quality audio streaming musical collaborators the globe, any change they make to
a shared folder will automatically be
A U D IO M O V E R S exactly how far behind you are, SP LIC E shown in your folder as well.
1 4
Audiomovers launched in timing-wise, from your collaborators. Splice started all the way
2017 as a way to stream high It was famously used by Amsterdam- back in 2013 and has A BLE TON LIN K
6
quality audio from a studio to based Speedy J for a host of grown exponentially in the Launched in 2016,
any other location in the collaborative jams during the decade that’s passed Ableton’s Link feature
world. The company, which is pandemic, the results of which since. Offering a cloud-based allows users who are
backed by the famed Abbey Road came out on a compilation entitled approach to samples, it offers users connected to the same
Studios, picked up traction when the Stay Home Soundsystem. Videos the ability to subscribe to their site WiFi network to automatically work
the pandemic hit and now has more from these sessions can also be and not need to store massive to the same clock. Link works with
users than ever. The software works seen on the STOOR Youtube page, sample libraries on hard drives in Ableton sessions, iOS apps and a
with a bespoke plugin called the studio where Speedy J operates. their studio. Working from a handful of other hardware as well
ListenTo, and sends 32-bit audio to cloud-based sample pool means and eliminates the need for
stream directly from your DAW to up SOUNDBET T ER collaborators can all pull the same connecting MIDI cables to get on
3
to 150 devices. Soundbetter is a way to samples into their DAWs and work the same clock. Incredibly handy for
find mixing, mastering and on ideas simultaneously without the just getting down to the art of
N IN J A M recording engineers (as need for tedious file transfers. making music.
2
The idea of collaborating well as singers and
with someone remotely and instrumentalists) to work with, all
hearing their contribution remotely. The company, which was
in real time without bought by Spotify a few years ago
noticeable latency seems but has since become independent
impossible, and given the physics of again, prides itself on the quality of
information transfer, it is. However, its members, as there’s a vetting
the concept behind open-sourced process prior to approval.
software tool Ninjam solves this
problem with a unique idea, notably
by making the amount of latency
longer. Ninjam records and
synchronises audio from several
sources and plays back each audio
ABLETON LINK presents a MIDI-cable
source with a latency amount of two NINJAM offers an ingenious solution to free method for people on the same
measures. In this way, you know the problem of latency WiFi network to sync their clocks
56
Make Music Together | Feature
collaborative writing or
Space for ideas
It’s also incredibly important to
create an environment where the
artist feels safe and is willing to take
production session
risks. Find a way to make
suggestions without criticising. Your
body language is just as important
as what you say. Artists are often
sensitive souls and can shut down
Sometimes even the most organic musical collaborations can with even the hint of negative
benefit from a methodical approach language. This is the last thing you
want as a producer. Get to know the
artist a bit before you even start
IT ’ S E A S I E R T HA N it’s ever in mind, let’s look at some ways to in advance. Decide what you’re working, don’t just jump right into it:
been to make music on your own get the most out of a collaboration, trying to accomplish, even if that you’re creating art together, not
from the comforts of your home whether you’re working with another simply means you’re deciding to running a business.
studio without any input from producer, writing with another improvise together. Lastly, it’s helpful to decide in
outside sources. More affordable songwriter, or simply building advance if you want
gear, a huge array of video learning
resources and online mastering have
something with another
instrumentalist from the ground up.
MAKE IT A POINT TO BE to bring in other
instrumentalists or
all made it possible to create full
albums without ever stepping Go in with a plan
READY AND HAVE YOUR vocalists, and have a
list of people ready
outside of your bedroom. While this The first thing to keep in mind is STUDIO READY BEFORE if you do decide to.
is great for many music-makers, it that communication is key. Even if Again, this is going
also robs us of the joy that making music can inherently be something THE ARTIST SHOWS UP to speed up the
music with others brings. Music has that doesn’t need discussion – process as you start
been a collaborative art form and simply pick up your instruments and If you’re working with an artist in working. Similarly, decide in
activity since the beginning of go – it helps to be on the same page the role of a producer or a songwriter advance if you’re going to be the
© Marie Staggat
humankind and there’s a certain joy with your collaborator from the for hire, you’re going to want to one mixing the track as well, or just
that comes with it that is not as easy get-go. Decide what the goals are decide in advance if there is a fee producing it and handing it off to
to replicate on your own. With that and what each person’s role will be involved. There’s nothing worse than someone else to mix.
57
Interview | Ben Frost
© Topper Komm
58
Ben Frost | Interview
59
Interview | Ben Frost
“In recent years, some of the more adventurous moves in thinking about what I want to do next or what will be the
music production have come from pop music and there’s hardest thing to do.”
definitely something to be said for the Trojan horse that is a
great pop song. I’ve got three kids and my eldest daughter So in those terms, what was the starting point for your
brings a lot of that into my daily life, so I’m often surprised latest album, Scope Neglect?
and fascinated by what’s going on there. Is it for children and “I remember having a conversation with Daniel Miller from
idiots? I think it’s more complicated than that. Within my Mute in Berlin and the subject came around to metal and I
film work, there’s zero compromise in some of the music’s was saying that I wished the genre could work in another
sonic extremes, yet people seem to like those records way. Every genre has baggage and metal has an excess of
irrespective of the shows themselves.” tropes, specifically the screamed vocal thing, which is
something I could never connect with even though the
You’ve mentioned that making music is a process of mechanics of the music still fascinates me. Then I listen to a
absorption via osmosis. Does that infer you need to band like Car Bomb, which is at the bleeding edge of what is
take periodic breaks to allow something to take shape? possible from a metal band in 2024, and I wanted to play
“It always frustrated me as a teenager when bands that I around with that.”
loved, like Portishead, for example, would take four or five
years to make a record. I used to think, what are you doing in How did you meet Car Bomb guitarist Greg Kubacki?
all that time? When you’re in your early 20s, the ideas come “I sent some fan mail to see if he’d be interested in working
thick and fast, but as the discography tails out, the whole with me for a few days. As it turns out, he’s a big fan of what I
system plateaus and rather than go back down the mountain do and within an hour of meeting it was clear that the DNA
you’re looking for the next peak, which seems to take longer of what he does is very much connected to electronic music,
and longer. A big part of what I do is about pushing the specifically stuff like Autechre and Aphex Twin. Greg is truly
envelope, which does require recalibration when it comes to a master of his instrument; he has a notation method that he
invented, which is wild – it’s
almost like Morse code with all
“METAL HAS AN EXCESS OF TROPES, these weird dashes and dots. I’d
explain to him how I wanted
SPECIFICALLY THE SCREAMED VOCAL something played and he’d write
it all out, because that’s how he
THING, WHICH IS SOMETHING I COULD constructs Car Bomb songs.”
60
Ben Frost | Interview
61
Interview | Ben Frost
music there’s not always a lot to grab onto, so I constructed “For this record, there was a pretty specific palette in terms of
certain rhythmic elements that really only existed for the the sound source, for example, the Oberheim OB-Xa was a
purpose of fuelling a certain way of performing, knowing full big source because it has a texture, width and depth that
well that I would delete them afterwards.” really spoke to me and could form a relationship with the
guitars. I also used Mutable Instruments Braids and Plaits
What amplification techniques did you create to quite a lot – anything that had a certain metallic resonance
achieve some of the effects you were seeking? and purity to it. The hub of my studio is a 10-channel Neve
“I asked Ingo to give me more spaces to feed these elements Kelso console, which I’ve had for nearly 20 years and is
into, so we put additional speakers in the hallway with mics amazing to work with, but I hardly used it for Scope Neglect. I
at varying distances to create makeshift reverb effects that was really leaning into the surgical grit, compression and
would echo the proximity of Greg’s playing. Then we’d play gating of SSL G-Series channel strip EQs, because the severity
around with different ribbon and dynamic mics for the sole of that circuitry made more sense to me than the roundness
purpose of grabbing the tail ends of things. Where it got of using an A Class Neve preamp. I wanted sounds that were
interesting for me was taking those parallel recordings and muscular and lean in shape and Ingo records through a lot of
applying really complicated side chain relationships whereby beautiful old bespoke gear and definitely chose a lot of things
the ambience of a particular sound isn’t audible in the that had a vintage quality to them as opposed to something
transient moment but opens up as the sound fades away. In clean and digital. That allowed me to lean more into
that particular way, the negative spaces between the guitars squeezing out the high end and carving out any low-mid
will start to take on a life of their own, creating a different fluff from the mix.”
kind of silence.”
What other tools were you reliant on in the studio to
Those guitar trails are complemented by electronic record and modify sounds?
sounds. What was the source for those? “All of the bass guitar parts were recorded by Liam, also from
62
Ben Frost | Interview
63
––––––––+ PIONEERS +––––––––
Autechre
© Independent / Alamy Stock Photo
64
Autechre | Pioneers
AUTECHRE IN
acid house, techno and breakbeat
and rearranged the pieces into
adventurous new shapes.
FOUR RELEASES
But Booth has since gone on to
label the term as “silly”, asking
one interviewer, “is our music
abstract and weird? To us or our
Remix) (2010)
rather than spend my money on
equipment, I spend my money –
as I spend my time – in learning
how to build stuff.” Autechre are prolific remixers, having taken on
From the acid-tinged material by everyone from Squarepusher and
electronics of Incunabula and the Stereolab to Giorgio Moroder and Sophie. Our
crackpot glitch-hop of Chiastic favourite is their rework of The Bug’s iconic, Flowdan-
Slide through to the mind- featuring Skeng, which trades the ominous gloom of
imprint’s highly influential 1992 expanding abstraction of their NTS the original for glitchy textures and industrial
compilation Artificial Intelligence. Sessions and the luminous percussion, creating a leaner and more spacious arrangement that
Since signing with Warp, textures of 2020’s SIGN, the only does equal amounts of damage on a massive soundsystem.
Autechre has released 15 studio consistent feature in Autechre’s
65
© Wayne Fox/Shutterstock
JULIA HOLTER
The composer-producer’s latest album
continues her quest to distil feelings we never
knew had a name. Kate Putttick learns more
Julia Holter | Interview
67
Interview | Julia Holter
troubadour love. The love that’s real that has difficulties and album Never Forever] is a track which was something I was
changes you. So poetically that is a theme but also the curious about the production for. That era of bass and
importance of change and transformation.” synthesisers. And the topic of a foetus breathing air after a
nuclear fallout. I think the thing with breathing so much
Many of your albums take literature or media forms as a with COVID is a good example of something going on
startpoint. Were there any particular focus-points for recently that had an effect on the record.”
this new one?
“I was mostly trying to capture feelings around the above. The fretless bass really does stand out on the album.
That sounds general but that’s different to other approaches.” Were there other particular instruments to note?
“Flute and piccolo is something that I hadn’t worked with
You’ve said that you like to “draw emotions”, eg how you before [played by Maia (aka Sonjia Denise Hubert Harper)
were trying to capture the feeling of “oxytocin”? What is on the album]. There’s no real answer why I wanted flute but
your process for sound design? I really wanted it. I think because I wanted to sing breathily
“I wanted the record to have lots of continuous pitch and high pitched. One thing I haven’t mentioned before is
instruments, like fretless bass. Dev Hoff’s bass played a big other than the bass, there are no strings on the record.
role in this record. And I used the Yamaha CS-60, Blade Unusual for me. So that’s of note. Lots of wind. Maia and
Runner synth, one of my favourites – it wasn’t mine but in Chris Speed [saxophone, clarinet] are both really
the studio. And we did a lot of drum programming. I was accomplished in jazz and improvisation, very abstractly
working with the drummer Beth Goodfellow but then I doing their own things. Those two were amazing. My partner
would filter her work very heavily with GRM plugins – using Tashi Wada played the Prophet and OB-X. He recently got
the resonance plugin. Super-filtered sound, bringing up the the Oberheim. So that sounds really nice. He plays bagpipe
resonance and making it metallic sounding. That’s in Talking on one track. It’s subtle [on Sun Girl].”
in a Whisper and Evening Mood. So lots of filtering and
atmosphere. Creating a fluid world or something. And it’s What’s your favourite instrument to work with?
kind of a warm sound in general in this record, whatever that “The obvious one is keyboards as it’s my main one. I love
means. Also the CS-60 has this ribbon controller that has this strings but I thought it was interesting not to do it this time.”
ability to do lots of glissandi and portamento that’s just so
good. You hear that on tracks like Ocean where I play a lot You’ve spoken about how you made the move from
with it. There’s something where it can go all the way down composition to production headspaces. Can you expand
[impersonates a whale]. I love that. Kate Bush’s productions on that?
in particular influenced me. She was really involved in every “There was an obvious connection between composition
aspect of the music. Breathing [released 1980, from the and what you do in production. In composition you’re
Lorne Thomson/Redferns
68
Julia Holter | Interview
69
FM | REVIEWS
70
Ableton Live 12 Suite | Reviews
+
UI changes add in
How does Push 3 fare with Live 12? As a controller, the
new devices seem tailor-made for use with Push’s MPE
interface. Meld and Granulator 3 make great use of the
real flexibility to
expressive pads and are easy to control with Push’s
Live’s workflow
rotaries. Roar’s animated distortion looks great on Push’s
screen too. At the time of writing, none of the new
Meld and Roar are
features or devices have rolled out for Push’s standalone
both deep and
OS. Ableton tells us this will be rectified though. Sadly,
powerful, but also
there’s also no way to interact with the MIDI generator/
fun and
transformation tools using Push – in controller or
approachable
standalone configuration – which is something we’d love
to see implemented.
Generative MIDI
tools offer a deep
well of creative
experimentation
-
The revamped
launcher and arrangement living in
their own individual UI views. Version
12 is arguably Live’s most significant
update in over a decade because it’s
between these elements may take a
little getting used to, but once it
becomes familiar, there’s no going
back. Out of curiosity, I returned to
browser requires a the first time that Ableton has risked Live 11 after using 12 for several
bit of time and effort messing with this familiarity. weeks, and the old UI already feels
to get the most from This is most evident in the layout remarkably restrictive.
of the UI. Previous versions of Live
Implementation of have maintained fairly rigorous Où est le bibliothéque?
constraints on how its workspace can The UI element that took me a little
some MIDI tools
be arranged. While it’s been possible longer to get to grips with is Live’s
feels a little messy to resize certain elements to an revamped Library browser. This
extent, and hide/show others, there modernises the way users find
No way to use MIDI have always been hard-and-fast rules devices, clips, samples and other
generation or about how Live is laid out. The clip content, doing away with the previous
transformation launcher and timeline live in separate system of sub-folders in favour of
from Push windows; the Mixer is only available dynamic tags and filters. On the one
in Session view; clip and device hand, this new system is objectively
parameters can’t be viewed better – there’s more flexibility,
side-by-side. particularly when it comes to saving
Version 12 does away with a lot of custom search parameters, and it
these constraints and makes the UI means there’s less of a divide
far more flexible. While the divide between content types. A top-level
between the clip-launching Session search for ‘bass’, for example, will
view and Arrangement timeline bring up a long list of device presets,
remains, it’s now possible to call up clips, loops and samples, which can
the mixer, clip and device panels be filtered down by content type,
ost DAW updates incremental enhancements to an from anywhere. This means you can source or sound characteristics. If the
are sold on the application’s workflow that make use the Mixer alongside the resulting combination of search terms
back of flashy new them stick around for the long term. Arrangement view, but also display and filters is something you’re likely
features, but Traditionally, this is something MIDI or audio clips alongside device to use again, hitting the ‘+’ symbol
really what a DAW Ableton has been good at. For all of interfaces simultaneously, mostly next to the results will add it to the
lives-or-dies on is the devices added in the 22 years within a single window. library sidebar, creating a shortcut
consistency. Whether used in a since it launched, Live’s overall Admittedly, this can feel a little on that will be updated as new content is
professional or hobby capacity, these design has remained remarkably the cluttered side with everything imported or tagged.
are foundational platforms for modern consistent. So much so that it would displayed at once – particularly on a The system does, however, create
music makers. A transition from one be possible to skip several versions laptop screen – but the flexibility it something of a divide between
version to another needs to be as when updating and still encounter adds to Live’s workflow is a real Ableton’s own content – which comes
seamless as possible. While the few unexpected roadblocks, since benefit. For those used to quickly conveniently pre-tagged with
promise of exciting new features most elements will be where you’d tabbing between views and using information on its characteristics –
might be what sells a user on paying expect them: the browser to the left, familiar keyboard shortcuts to show/ and your own library of samples and
for the latest updates, it’s the small, devices down the bottom, clip hide elements, the new interaction third-party plugins, which by default
71
Reviews | Ableton Live 12 Suite
THE ALTERNATIVES can only be filtered by the bare UI changes aside, one of Live 12’s implementation lacks refinement in
minimum aspects of what it is (eg most eye-catching additions is its places. Creating progressions with the
instrument, MIDI, sample), who made suite of generative MIDI tools. These Stacks chord generator, for example,
it and the file name. To get the most are an assortment of features within involves manually altering the shape
out of the new system, it’s really MIDI clips that are divided into two and root note of each chord, and it
worth taking the time to apply as categories: Generators, which will fill feels like it’s crying out for a function
many relevant tags as possible to your an empty clip with MIDI data, and to auto-generate common
Bitwig Studio $399 most used plugins and samples, Transformations, which will alter progressions. It’s also a shame that
Live’s closest which is a simple process but can be existing MIDI patterns. Within each of the chord shapes aren’t labelled with
competitor, also annoyingly time consuming. these categories are a variety of tools their names, which could provide a
recently updated. aimed at different use-cases. handy learning tool. Elsewhere, the
Bitwig arguably New tools Generators, for example, include tools general setup also makes it a little too
A highlight of the new browser tools is designed to build percussive patterns easy to get lost and accidentally
offers more depth
the Similarity Search. This can be (Rhythm), melodies (Seed), chords overwrite or transform notes you
and flexibility, but accessed from the library or within a (Stacks) or arpeggiated riffs (Shape). didn’t mean to alter. This can be
loses some of Live’s drum rack, and uses neural networks For Suite owners, these are expanded easily undone, but has the effect of
slick immediacy to suggest similar sounds based on a with the ability to use Max MIDI making the workflow feel fiddly and a
bitwig.com source sample. While results can be a generators within clips too. little messy.
little hit and miss – it works best with Transformations can do things like Live 12 also introduces a new
percussion – it can be a hugely arpeggiate chords, adjust the master scale setting, whereby users
inspiring way to mix up the sound quantisation or humanisation of can set a scale for the whole project,
palette of an idea, particularly when notes, alter the position and timing of which is then automatically applied to
used in the context of a drum rack MIDI events, or embellish patterns new clips. This is handy, but it’s also
kit, where it’s possible to swap out with flams and ghost notes. easy to override by setting scales
Apple Logic Pro £199 single elements or roll the dice on the These MIDI tools are a fantastic, within individual MIDI or audio clips,
For Mac owners, full kit. The one disappointment is inspiring addition to the DAW, that allowing users to change key/scale
Logic would be the that, right now, you can’t access the practically beg you to lose hours down mid-project or track, which is useful
best value DAW on feature within Live’s Simpler device, creative rabbit holes exploring their for live performance. These scale
the market, and where it seems a natural fit. full potential. That being said, the settings take on added importance as
recent years have
seen it adopt more
and more Live-
inspired ideas
apple.com
PACK IT UP
Naturally, Live 12 Suite adds additional content downloadable in the form of Packs from
Ableton’s site. There are two new Packs for users to download. The first, Lost and Found,
is a percussive-leaning sample pack that draws heavily on recordings of household objects
Image-Line FL Studio and material textures. These come organised into some nicely curated, fun drum kits and
£515 (all plugins esoteric instruments.
edition) The second, and more interesting, is the Max-powered Performance Pack: a bundle of
Often wrongly four customisable devices that
derided as an ‘entry are essentially aimed at patching
level’ DAW, like Live, up some of the more advanced
FL Studio has a and niche gaps in Live’s
unique workflow performance workflow. For
that’s well suited to controller users – and Push in
electronic music particular – Performer offers a
image-line.com handy tool that lets you configure
banks of top-level macro controls.
It can also be used to set up
complex, multi-destination
modulation that goes beyond the
slightly basic modulators in Live’s
stock library. Beyond this, there
are also tools aimed at facilitating
live looping in the arrangement
view, plus creating on-the-fly
arrangements and variations.
72
Ableton Live 12 Suite | Reviews
New toys
There’s a lot going on with this update
then, and that’s before we even get to
the headline devices. Live 12 adds a
new synth, Meld, a new effect, Roar,
and an update to the popular Max
ROAR: This multi-stage distortion is MELD: Live’s new synth features dual MIDI GENERATORS: Live’s MIDI GRANULATOR III: The latest version
instrument Granulator. capable of everything from gelling engines, complex modulation and clips can now auto-generate rhythms, of this Max-based instrument is an
mixes to creating lo-fi delay effects filters that can double up as pitch- chords, riffs and patches approachable, expressive take on
Meld is a dual-engine synth with a based effects granular synthesis
variety of interesting oscillator modes
that lean into digital sounds and
textures. These range from simple
virtual analogue waves through to
creatively filtered noise, generators whereby distortion can be applied to to access every element of Live Over the years, Ableton has
that produce interesting harmonic the input and feedback loop without using a mouse. I’m not become known for releasing updates
overtones, and animated rain and individually. Like Meld, copious, somebody who requires either of that are incremental and often subtle,
water textures. It also boasts filters flexible modulation capabilities do a these functions to use Live, so can’t rather than revolutionary, meaning it
that can double-up as resonators, lot to bring Roar to life, allowing it to really comment on how effectively can be difficult to decide how much
distortions and comb filter effects, work for broad applications such as they’ve been implemented, but it’s it’s worth paying for the latest version.
plus a powerful modulation setup that refining the character of drum loops, pleasing to see Ableton aim for If you’re a user who’s been holding off
lets users apply transformations to the adding resonant glitches to pads and advances in this area. on upgrading, Live 12 is the one
LFOs and route elements from one creating lo-fi dub echoes. you’ve been waiting for.
engine to the other. Both in terms of The latest version of Granulator – To update or not to
structure and sound, Meld reminds more of a new instrument than a update?
me a lot of Arturia’s MiniFreak synth, straight update – both refines and In all, Live 12 has a lot to shout
which is no bad thing; both simplifies the granular concept, about. Compared to some previous FM VERDICT
9.4
instruments combine complex digital making it more approachable without iterations, there is a lot here that feels
synthesis ideas into a surprisingly sacrificing its depth. The biggest fresh and like it could have a
approachable and fun package. enhancements are the addition of significant impact on how users
Roar is a multi-stage distortion, MPE and improved capture interact with the DAW. Some of these
which allows up-to three stages of capabilities that allow users to record advancements feel like they’re due a
distortion to be arranged in a variety directly into the effect. little refinement in future updates – I
of ways. These can run in serial or Last but not least, it’s worth wouldn’t be surprised to see subtle
parallel, be applied individually to mentioning the work Ableton has put tweaks to how the MIDI tools or
While some new features
different frequency bands, or to the into adding to Live’s accessibility for browser behave, which would be are better implemented than
mid and side of a signal. It also has version 12. This includes screen welcome. However you use Live others, Live 12 is a generous
an internal feedback routing, allowing reader support, along with improved though, there are new features here update stuffed with ideas
Roar to act like a simple delay, shortcuts, which make it all the easier likely to appeal. and real potential
73
Reviews | beetlecrab.audio Tempera
beetlecrab.audio Tempera
€670 (excl VAT)
This granular instrument is unique and slightly baffling, but as
Si Truss discovers, it’s also hugely rewarding
CONTACT WHO: beetlecrab.audio. WEB: playtempera.com KEY FEATURES Multi-part granular synthesiser. 4096 grains, 16 voice polyphony,
per-voice filter, five per-voice routable modulators, 64 total emitters per-voice, four concurrent emitter configurations, 8GB internal storage, 16-bit stereo samples,
32-bit processing
74
beetlecrab.audio Tempera | Reviews
+
Unique design belies
a smart and easy-to-
use workflow
Capable of
fantastic, complex
ambient sounds
Multitude of sample
recording and
import options
-
Better configuration
of the overlay
keyboard would
be nice
Emitter placement
can lag occasionally HANDS-ON CONTROL
Beyond the touch grid (used for Emitters and the overlay
keyboard) Tempera doesn’t have masses of hands-on
control, but it’s smart with what it has. Buttons down the
side of the grid are for navigation between menus, while
the four chunky rotaries are for parameter control.
Performance-wise, these have two main uses: in the
main sample view, they’re used to adjust the playback
volume of each of the eight tracks. But most useful is an
easily-assignable Macros mode whereby the rotaries can
control a custom selection of sound engine or effect
parameters for quick access during a performance.
empera is the second The majority of Tempera’s interface is create layered, evolving synth tones. Each settings. These settings control the
instrument from taken up by a touchpad housing an 8x8 column on the instrument’s touch grid playback behaviour of the grains, allowing
beetlecrab.audio, the grid of individual cells. Switching it on, represents an individual sample track. for adjustment of the duration, density,
Czech company who you’ll find some of these cells lit up in The four colours that delineate the rotary quantisation, pitch spread and pan
made the Vector different colours, matching the ring knobs along the top of the unit each position of grains. There are also fade and
synth. Vector, which lighting around the four rotaries that sit represent one type of ‘emitter’. These spray controls, altering the abruptness
arrived a few years across the top of the interface. Play a emitters are essentially granular and randomisation of the created grains.
ago, was a highly unique, experimental note through the MIDI input and you’ll playheads. The eight rows of the Emitters can also be configured to adjust
digital synth that combined multiple see these cells, and those around them, touchpad divide each sample column into how they behave on the touch grid. There
synthesis approaches around an animated start to flash in jittery patterns as the eight equal chunks. Place an emitter at are three placement modes: Instant,
‘vector’ interface. As unusual as it was, instrument creates sound. It’s reminiscent any point on one of these columns and it where an Emitter disappears as soon as
Vector still resembled a standard synth; of Yamaha’s cult classic Tenori-on. Pretty grabs granular samples from that track at your finger leaves the corresponding cell,
labelled controls for filter, envelopes, to look at… but what exactly is going on? the corresponding position. Toggle, where Emitters are placed and
oscillators; Tempera’s appearance is, Tempera is a granular synth that lets Each of the four available emitter removed with each touch, and Latch,
instead, at least initially, a little baffling. users combine up to eight samples to types can be configured with its own where all Emitters remain in place while
75
Reviews | beetlecrab.audio Tempera
1010 Music touchpad keyboard which sits as an overlay keyboard performance of sampling potential
1010music.com for the synth to play multitimbral as is the process of sampling or loading FM VERDICT
9.1
variations on the one global patch. sounds. Renaming and trimming samples
While the overlay keyboard isn’t the can be sluggish, but it’s no huge problem.
best way to use the synth, it’s still handy Crucially, Tempera also sounds
for auditioning sounds and playing with fantastic. Layering tonal and textural
the synth away from a larger studio setup. samples can result in wonderfully
It’s a shame, however, that there’s no complex soundscapes that evolve – either
option to configure the keyboard to sit smoothly or in an erratic, glitchy manner,
horizontally across the bottom rows, or both – and create rich, engaging
A granular synth like nothing
instead of blocking off full columns. timbres without the need for additional else around. It’s niche, but
I have few other gripes with Tempera’s instruments or external effects. The for creating ambient textures
design. Toggling Emitters can be a bit overall remit is fairly niche – you won’t be and drones, there’s endless
laggy on occasion, with a notable gap using this for basslines or synth hooks fun to be had
76
Erica Synths Hexinverter Mindphaser | Reviews
Mindphaser £460 +
Intuitive interface
Rob Redman toasts the new incarnation of a Hexinverter staple Huge tonal
possibilities
some thought would never again see the light
Buckets of
CONTACT WHO: Erica Synths & Hexinverter WEB: ericasynths.lv KEY FEATURES Dual complex oscillator, Waveshaping, Through zero phase modulation
modulation, Comprehensive modbus
M
any modularists were sad
to see the end of
Hexinverter Electronique
and were relieved when
triangle and sine. The carrier (with
white labels) has no sine output.
There’s also an output jack at the end
of the signal chain. There are
and movement. The phase is driven
by a sine wave which can be patched
to override, for some extra interesting
results. The Mindphaser encourages
-
Large footprint
Erica Synths declared it would bring patchpoints for both linear and experimentation, ensuring plenty of
back some much-loved modules, exponential FM, next to volts-per- scope for fun and sound design.
including the Mindphaser, a complex octave inputs and a sync port. The The modbus itself is kind of the
oscillator featuring lots of modulation, modulator can be hard-synced to the brains of the module, allowing for
that blends East or West Coast. carrier with a switch too. internal modulation routing (for
While larger than other options, at Patchpoints are plentiful and offer controls with the previously
30hp, it’s packed full of features, yet CV control for a lot of features. That mentioned triangle icon) as well as
remains readable and usable. The said there’s a lot of internal patched. Similarly to the T0-PM the
layout and labeling are clear, with modulation, with a handy triangle modbus has switchable square,
pathways from patchpoints to icon next to controls that can be triangle and sine waves but can be
controls, so you know where you are. modulated by the modbus, without patched and overridden. On top of
Complex oscillators, as opposed to needing a single patch cable. this, the modulation CV inputs can be
a dual VCO, work interactively, where Which brings us neatly to the inverted with the touch of a button.
the output of each VCO combines, modulation options. These range from There’s more fine control to be
with one being the carrier and the simple pulse width through to some explored with numerous buttons.
other the modulator. Nothing new lovely waveshaping. There are five But how does it sound? Though
there. But the Mindphaser takes octaves of waveshaping, with a level there are soft, delicate sounds on
things a lot further than some other control to tame, plus an amplitude offer, the Mindphaser excels at the
complex oscillators, with options for control which can function as a VCA. gritty end. It’s easy to create grungy,
modulation and sound design. Further sound-shaping can be twisted drones, aggressive basslines,
The two VCOs are similar but do done using the onboard thru-zero or lead tones with attitude. Layering
vary, with the modulator ranging from phase modulation, which gives the using the various outputs is
LFO rate up to very fast. Separate module part of its name. This effect rewarding, enabling split personality
outputs are offered for square, saw, sounds rich and adds lovely depth patches that build to more than the
sum of their parts but it’s the motion
that really sells this module. If you
like evolving tones that can be finely
controlled or left to their own devices,
Mindphaser is for you. It’s fun and
sounds glorious.
FM VERDICT
9.0
An exceptional module,
offering a vast range of
tones, some class-leading
modulation and an easy-to-
learn workflow
77
Reviews | PreSonus Eris Studio 8
PreSonus Eris
Studio 8 £219 each
PreSonus Eris monitors offer incredible
value. Jon Musgrave powers up the newly
updated Studio 8
KEY FEATURES AMPLIFICATION: Class AB, LF 75W, HF 65W CROSSOVER FREQUENCY: 3.5kHz
FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 35Hz - 20kHz INPUT IMPEDANCE: 10 kΩ ROOM SETTINGS: Acoustic space
(0, -2dB, -4dB), low cut 12dB/octave 80Hz/100Hz EQ: +/-6dB at 10kHz, +/-6dB at 1kHz PEAK SPL:
106 dB @ 1m INPUTS: balanced ¼” TRS and XLR, unbalanced phono
78
PreSonus Eris Studio 8 | Reviews
+
Offers great low-
frequency delivery
Plenty of power
Onboard EQ and
room correction
Good choice
of inputs
Great value
-
No digital
connectivity
reSonus has recently The monitors use quality drivers, and 10kHz. I found the high
revamped its popular with a silk dome 1.25” tweeter, and a frequencies were ideal in the flat
Eris line of monitors, woven composite 8” woofer. Back position, but the 10kHz band offers
and the latest one I panel input connections include two plenty of shaping if you need it. In
have for review is the balanced (XLR and TRS) and one contrast I found the Studio 8
Eris Studio 8. This unbalanced (phono). These are joined mid-range a little too reserved, and
large 2-way nearfield by input gain and a good selection of pushing the 1kHz band by a couple
is an update of the Eris E8 XT, and acoustic tuning controls. You’ll note of dB was ideal. I think an additional
priced at just over £400, a pair offers there’s no digital connectivity or low frequency EQ band would be a
excellent value. remote room correction, but I useful inclusion.
At 419mm high and just over wouldn’t expect these features at this Overall, the Eris Studio 8 is a
10kg, the Eris Studio 8 is a big price point. very good-sounding monitor that
monitor, even for an 8” design. That The Studio 8 uses individual class combines a traditional 2-way design
said, with a front bass port and the AB amps for woofer (75W) and with quality components. If you have
incorporated bass tweaking options, tweeter (65W). At full tilt the space for this big, bold monitor, and
you should be able to mount them speakers move plenty of air, delivering are happy with traditional rather than
reasonably near to a wall, and that not only punch but also noticeable digitally controlled room correction,
certainly makes them viable in low-end extension. The spec quotes a you won’t be disappointed.
smaller rooms. frequency range down to 35Hz and
Visually, the front panel is very using an oscilloscope I could hear a
similar to its predecessor, although gradual tail-off from about 50Hz. This
the power indicator is now a central is pretty good going, and on kicks for FM VERDICT
9.0
strip rather than an illuminated example, the fundamental pitch is
badge. The LED doubles as a standby clearly audible and it makes EQing
indicator (white) if you have the with confidence a lot easier.
optional power save standby selected Acoustic tuning controls include a
on the back panel. The front baffle low-cut filter (12dB/octave at 80Hz or
includes a wide slotted bass port, and 100Hz) and also Acoustic Space
the top section is dominated by a adjustment, with 2dB or 4dB cut
The Eris Studio 8 is an
large Elliptical Boundary Modelled below 800Hz. This is quite impactful
(EBM) tweeter waveguide. I have to and certainly helps if you need to
excellent update with great
say, this delivers a very wide sweet back the speakers into a corner or up low frequency delivery, and
spot and makes working with these to a wall. You also have two EQ bands despite its size should work
monitors incredibly easy. offering 6dB of boost or cut at 1kHz in rooms of all dimensions
79
Reviews | NI Traktor X1 MK3
Native Instruments
X1 MK3 £259
Charlotte Sterland gets to grips with
this portable controller for DJs who want
looping and effects at their fingertips
CONTACT WHO: Native Instruments WEB: native-instruments.com KEY FEATURES A good
device for those wanting a compact DJ mixing controller with a host of effects and looping options on
board. The OLED screens and colour coded lights are a bonus, with integrability with Traktor Pro software
really useful
80
NI Traktor X1 MK3 | Reviews
+
Native Instruments’
compact Traktor
controller, adding
several new features
over the MK1 and 2 High quality OLED
versions. Importantly, for club use: display screens
it’s small and colourful (the indicator
lights that is, not the black box), Portable and light
robust and relatively straightforward
to get to grips with. software (requiring an additional who prefer to be able to ‘slide’ deck Multiple USB inputs
The MK3 has a slightly updated subscription) and can be customised functions, rather than just have keys. for use in tandem
layout compared to earlier models, to play sequenced patterns and This was available on previous
with other hardware
including a pair of high quality OLED rhythms from the controller. versions, and it was especially handy
displays instead of one. Moving The X1 MK3 adds stylish lighting for functions like pitch adjustment.
between mixer and effects modes is that can be used to indicate the The MK3 also comes with a soft
Mountable and
done using the central button at the status of a deck in the Traktor 3 protector case and weighs only security lockable
top of the device. A shift press of software. Green lights indicate when 0.75kg, so could not be easier to
-
this also takes us between MIDI a loop is active and a red light pop in a backpack.
mode and controller mode. In mixer indicates a track is 30 seconds from This is Native Instruments’ first
mode, the top three dials control finishing, although these lights can new Traktor controller in some time,
three bands of EQ, while the fourth also be deactivated or customised in and we hope its arrival spells a Audio interface
down controls the volume of that the software. The additional screens renewed focus on the DJ software
mixer channel. are handy for displaying information and its associated hardware tools.
Some features from
The X1 can control effects across such as volume and loop lengths.
two decks simultaneously. When in Other devices can be connected
previous models
effects mode, the four dials on each to the controller via the three USB have gone
side of the controller can be used to inputs on the rear. This is useful for FM VERDICT
8.0
control a variety of effect parameters, chaining other controllers to the No LED/colour coded
either set to control a single effect MK3, but doing so requires the use volume monitoring
with access to multiple parameters, of the included power supply.
or for broader control over a full The difference between the
effect group, with the top dial used rectangular and dome-shaped
as a global dry/wet. buttons is great for more tactile
The next set of dials half way mixing, in dark rooms, and the cue
A great portable effects and
down the device control loop length and play buttons feel different; a
and ‘beat jumps’. The lower keys variation on previous models.
mixing controller for DJs
control the samplers as well as One dissappointment is that building modular setups and
cueing and syncing. A Pattern Player there’s no touch-sensitive strip in the those who want something
is also available in Traktor Pro Plus MK3, which is a drawback for those they can use in any club
81
Reviews | Allen & Heath CQ-18T
CONTACT WHO: Allen & Heath WEB: allen-heath.com KEY FEATURES 18-inputs, 8-outputs,
7” touchscreen, USB audio, 96kHz processing, WiFi, Bluetooth, Direct recording to SD card, Feedback
assistant, App control
82
Allen & Heath CQ-18T | Reviews
-
switches functionality automatically ‘automagically’ combat feedback and
depending which screen is displayed, offered preset gain and EQ controls
and then three customisable rotaries tailored to a variety of different
for instant control over whatever situations. If you don’t need or want FM VERDICT An audio pro may
9.0
settings you’ve mapped to it. your hand holding, however, you can
not find the various
For live performance, the six jack easily get in there and tweak just
outputs meant supplying on-stage about everything.
wizards and
monitor wedges was simple, with The CQ-18T’s usefulness is automatic settings to
controllable EQ and effects on each. rounded out via the ability to record be of use
Where the CQ-18T really shone, high quality 96kHz audio directly to
though, was through its remote SD card, so live performances can be
The perfect single device for
control functionality. Essentially, captured quickly and easily. There’s
using the built-in wireless router, also a smattering of reverbs, delays
routing, mixing, performing
each performer can quickly alter and modulation effects to help colour and producing in small
levels using their smartphones, your sound which, while they won’t to medium-sized setups.
ensuring everyone is happy and have the Strymons and Eventides of Expensive but worthy
83
Reviews | t.bone HD 515
84
t.bone HD 515 | Reviews
homann’s t.bone
brand is aimed
squarely at the
budget end of the
market. But the
vast majority of its
products I’ve tested
have been pretty decent, and
recently I was particularly impressed
by the performance of its RM 700
ribbon mic. Up for review now I have
the new HD 515 headphones. At
£25 a pair, you probably wouldn’t
have big expectations of these
headphones, but it’s fair to say other
brands such as Superlux have
certainly shown that it is possible for
budget headphones to challenge
more expensive designs, so I am
optimistic these can do the same.
As you might expect for a budget
offering, the design is simple and
the accessories limited to one 3m
lead. That said, the use of a regular
minijack connection on the
underside of the left earcup means
you can use any minijack-type lead if
you want to. There’s no locking
system for the plug, but the socket
produced a reassuring click when I
plugged them up.
Construction uses a combination
of plastic and metal, including metal
earcup enclosures, and this no doubt
imparts a quality feel. That said, the
earcup adjusters which slide into the THE PROS & CONS
+
smooth. Both the headband and
earpads use regular foam, which is
quite soft but feels good in use. I
found the overall fit tight but comfy.
certainly challenge more
Great value
The HD 515 has quite a classic look
that’s somewhat reminiscent of the
popular Sony MDR-7506, and
expensive designs Good construction
although they may not offer the
same finesse or foldability of the the high frequencies are quite you and you’re simply after an Detachable standard
Sony headphones, the finish and subdued. This means the overall affordable studio headphone for minijack lead
new t.bone logo look stylish. impression is that the mid-range is recording, they’re solidly made, look
Thomann describes the HD 515 prominent. I think this is preferable good and offer excellent value.
Good passive
as a monitoring headphone and I for a recording headphone, where a
noise cancellation
found the closed back over-ear more hyped hi-fi sound can be a bit
design delivered reasonable passive of a hindrance. That said, it means
noise cancellation. In a recording the HD 515 is probably not best FM VERDICT Tailored sound
for recording
7.8
environment this means there’s not suited to other studio tasks such as
going to be bleed into any close mixing and mastering.
-
mics, and from a performer Finally, although the HD 515 is
perspective much of the room sound listed at £24.90, it’s only available
is successfully kept at bay. This is all from Thomann, so with the
good news as my interface accompanying £10 delivery charge,
Not suitable for
headphone output was easily able to the real cost to the user is just under
Although not suited to mixing and
get them pretty loud. £35 per pair.
The monitor remit continues with Overall, I think the HD 515 is a
mixing, if you’re simply mastering
the sound. This is chunky in the lows decent product. As mentioned, I after a well-made budget
and low-mids, although thankfully don’t think they’re suitable for headphone for recording this
doesn’t sound too flabby. Meanwhile mixing, but if that’s not important to could be ideal
85
Reviews | Kali Audio WS-6.2 studio sub
CONTACT WHO: Kali Audio WEB: kaliaudio.com KEY FEATURES Powered subwoofer with
two 6.5 inch drivers AMP CLASS: D CONTINUOUS POWER: 400W, PEAK POWER: 1000W, DRIVER
COMPLEMENT: 2 x 6.5-Inch High Excursion Woofers, FREQ RESPONSE (-10 DB): 27-200Hz, FREQ
RANGE (+/-3 DB): 31.5-180Hz
86
Kali Audio WS-6.2 studio sub | Reviews
+
Smooth bass that
hits all the low spots
without the high
price tag
Compact footprint
makes it ideal for
smaller studios
looking for a sub that
still sounds huge
9.5
Yamaha HS8s that usually sits three times as much amplifier power
beneath my desk. It also has ample or more.”
oomph on tap, with continuous power Nate goes on to tell me that his
rated at 400W and peak power colleague and co-founder Charles
1000W. It takes up a little less space Sprinkle, who designed this sub, is
too at just 12.2” x 11”, welcome very proud that he has optimised
news for those of us who work in every square centimetre of space in
Packs a mighty punch for
studios where room is tight. the cabinet, which explains its
To find out how the engineers at diminutive size. Apparently, had I
such a compact sub. There’s
Kali Audio have managed to generate taken it apart – believe me, I was a lot of smooth, low-end
such a full-sounding tone from tempted – I would have found the tone on tap for a relatively
relatively small drivers in such a bijou drivers stacked right against each modest wedge of cash.
87
Reviews | Denise Audio Bass XXL
CONTACT WHO: Denise Audio WEB: deniseaudio.com KEY FEATURES Bass enhancement
plugin. FORMATS: PC/Mac, VST/AU/AAX
88
Denise Audio Bass XXL | Reviews
+
Smartly designed
and easy to use
Well-priced
-
Results can be
subtle at times
ecently acquired by be set to a fixed frequency or pitch, content to a weak bassline, Bass XXL
fellow US-based or follow an incoming MIDI signal, in works by enhancing what’s already
developer Baby order to match the frequency of a there, so it can’t, say, add missing
Audio, Denise Audio bassline. Next, Harmonics alters the bass frequencies below a badly
designs plugins intensity of the new harmonics recorded kick sound.
around a ‘single use’ created, while Boost blends these in Bass XXL specialises in helping to
mantra – essentially, with the dry signal, acting like a dry/ subtly accentuate existing bass so
every plugin in the company’s range wet control. that it stands out in a mix and works
is designed to do one specific thing, Down the bottom of the plugin’s on any speaker setup. We found
simply and effectively. In the case of UI are a set of controls to help further excellent results in boosting the
Bass XXL, that intended function is refine the effect. A pre-delay control presence in subby, 808-like kicks. It
enhancing bass sounds to add creates a gap between the dry sound also has the capacity to nicely tighten
presence that works across any and the harmonics, which is handy if drum loops and breakbeats, providing
speaker system. you want to preserve the ‘pure’ a subtle but noticeable increase in
Bass enhancement is, of course, harmonics of the source sound. The the low foundations.
nothing particularly new. In hardware, Mono control is useful for There are more powerful, versatile
dbx’s 120 Subharmonic Synth was a maintaining mono compatibility. plugin tools in this space, although
go-to tool for many dance producers Finally the Range and Slope controls some are far more expensive. Bass
back in the ’90s, and in the plugin will adjust how abrupt and noticeable XXL is well priced and user-friendly
realm, the likes of Waves’ MaxxBass the effect is. enough that it could become a go-to
and Submarine, Brainworx’s bx_ Like other Denise plugins, Bass for many producers.
subsynth and Leapwing’s RootOne all XXL’s biggest selling point is how
aim to add power to your bass sounds easy it is to use. There’s a suite of
– each of them using a slightly presets included here, but we’d argue
different approach. they’re almost redundant due to the FM VERDICT
7.8
Bass XXL is an overhaul of plugin’s simplicity. Since it’s so quick
Denise’s previous Bass XL plugin. It to dial in an effect to suit your track,
uses what the developer calls a and the parameters will need
“proprietary algorithm designed to fine-tuning to suit your bass as it is,
supersize the low end”. In practice, turning to a preset patch doesn’t
this involves creating harmonic really feel like a timesaver here.
overtones above the root note of the It’s worth noting that, unlike some
A well-designed, hugely
bass, which create the effect of more other bass enhancement plugins,
perceived low-end weight. Bass XXL doesn’t synthesise low
convenient plugin. There are
The plugin has three main frequencies below your existing bass. more versatile bass tools on
controls. Root sets the pitch used to While plugins like Submarine or bx_ the market, but the ease-of-
create the new harmonics. This can subsynth can add sub frequency use here is a big USP
89
Reviews | Baby Audio Atoms
CONTACT WHO: Baby Audio WEB: babyaud.io KEY FEATURES Physical Modelling synth
plugin. MPE capable. FORMATS: PC/Mac, VST/AU/AAX
90
Baby Audio Atoms | Reviews
hysical modelling is
a synthesis process
that works by
simulating the
resonant properties
of a real-world
object. Ableton Live
users will likely be familiar with the
concept through the DAW’s Collision
synth and Corpus effect, and it
provides the core of sound generation
in plugins such as AAS Chromaphone
and Reason’s Objekt. Physical
modelling is especially useful on two
fronts: firstly, it can be the best way to
synthesise mallets and bowed
instruments, thanks to its ability to
accurately emulate their natural
vibrations. Pushed beyond the realms
of what’s realistic, however, and
physical modelling synths take on a
second use thanks to their ability to
conjure thoroughly modern and
otherworld synth timbres.
It’s on this latter front that Atoms,
Baby Audio’s new physical modelling
synth, excels. Atoms generates sound
using a simulation of what Baby
Audio refers to as ‘interconnected
masses and springs’, which are
initially triggered by a bow-style
exciter. Broadly speaking, think of it
like a violin or cello with a morphing,
shape-shifting acoustic body.
The effect of this is controlled
using six parameters that surround
the plugin’s central display. The first THE PROS & CONS
+
aggressive that bow-like exciter is, a
little like a velocity control, albeit one
that introduces friction-like noise at
higher levels. Above this is Chaos, shape-shifting body Vibrant and ‘natural’
used to introduce non-linear
behaviour to the modelled resonance, sound – even at its
resulting in slight drifts in pitch and there’s something pleasingly natural and otherworldly textures. What most synthetic
volume. Overtones, meanwhile, and organic about Atoms’ tones. surprised me, however, was how
adjusts the simulated position of the Along the bottom sit controls to handy it is for bass sounds – with an Easy-to-use interface
bowing action, altering the amount of further refine the sound. Here, users excellent array of modern, rich tones
higher frequency overtones. can select between four different on offer. Great for otherworldly
The Order control acts as a character profiles for the central
pads and rich,
high-frequency dampener, while Filter mass-spring network, offering more or
modern bass
control rolls off higher frequencies less inharmonic and lo-fi sounds. The
further with a low-pass applied to the differences between these can be FM VERDICT
-
9.0
output. Finally, Drive applies subtle, but still add to the depth. The
waveshaping and harmonic clipping. remaining controls adjust the amp
Key to Atoms’ character is the fact envelope, global modulation and
that each of these controls has its apply a master reverb. Some rival physical
own modulation tool. These can apply As physical modelling synths go, modellers have
a variety of LFO types, randomised Atoms lacks the breadth of some more breadth
drift or route MPE inputs to each rivals, which offer more variety on
Atoms is characterful and
parameter, in order to bring patches exciter and resonator styles, but it
natural-sounding. Come for Difference between
to life with movement. This is benefits from focusing on a specific
something that most of the synth’s palette. The synth is capable of the otherworldly pads, stay character profiles
generous stock of presets show realistic strings, but comes to life for the surprisingly hard- can be subtle
brilliantly. Even at its most synthetic, once you dig into the atmospheres hitting bass
91
FM | SOUNDS & SAMPLES
Spitfire Audio – Aska >
Whether or not you believe in
the healing powers of sound,
there is no doubting the
appealing audio qualities of
Matsumiya Crystal
so-called singing bowls.
The tone any given object is
capable of making is broadly defined
by its shape and the manner in which
Bowls £79
it is struck. Circular objects tend to
give off a relatively unchanging sound
spectra, and one often heavily
dominated by a single fundamental
frequency. Singing bowls are no
exception, giving out a pure tone
almost like a sine wave.
It is with this spirit in mind that
Spitfire have embraced the recording
of seven quartz crystal bowls. These
were played by composer Aska
Matsumiya in the spacious
surroundings of Hackney Round
Chapel in London and recorded using
six different beaters with three
variously distanced mic positions.
The resulting presets are broadly
categorised into Longs, Swell, Rolls
and Normal Short and Damped Shorts.
There are also some tuning fork
recordings and Warps (processed)
versions thrown into the mix. These are
selectable via Spitfire’s custom Kontakt
GUI, which also offers some simple
editing capabilities.
The price may prove to be a barrier
of entry for some, but overall there are
some nicely playable tones for creating
ambient beds and ethereal backdrops.
Bruce Aisher
spitfireaudio.com
VERDICT 8.0
VERDICT 9.0
>
troubling fantasies with this single-minded drum kit collection Time to rinse out with this fierce and bloops, for all you chiptune
delightful collection of radio-ready that does exactly what it says on collection of fast and furious enthusiasts out there to get your
pop samples. Amongst the the tin. True to form, this breakbeats. This serious set of sticky mitts on.
treasure trove of WAV, MIDI, Serum no-nonsense set of trap beats delivers expertly recorded drums groans Picking apart the kits on offer in this
presets, drum hits and one-shots, you’ll nothing but killer kicks, slapping snares under the weight of ‘in-the-pocket’ funk batch, you’ll also find a gang of hazy
find a bevy of brooding beats and and speaker-shuddering bass booms that’ll flavours, live playing, and a range of other basslines and earworm 8-bit melodies
basslines to make your own. Plus, moody weaponise your workflow and armour-plate top-drawer sticksmanship. to add to your arsenal, as well as
pads and haunting synths, spiked with your drum tracks. Like the beatmakers of yore, it’s real some crunchy drums, lo-fi pads and
enough production shine to glisten Rifle through the samples on offer and drummers they’ve chopped up and atmospherics – and plenty of other retro
amongst the darkness. you’ll be pulling out club-level hits and reprogrammed here, giving you rhythms and arcade machine sonics to
All the dreamy loops and licks in this loops that’ll take your tracks up a whole pulse-quickening rhythms that are full power up your head-nod hip-hop beats.
little lot are from the mind and studio of other level. of lively kicks, stuttering snares and Throw in some sultry synths, throwback
Bika, collaborating here with Canadian Everything is processed to punch, and wild percussive toplines. FX noises, and a few deep chord lines and
singer/songwriter Ashly Mikhow, under all the sounds occupy a wide range of It’s the perfect track-starting fodder hits, and you’ve got more than enough to
her Milk moniker, and this pack oozes space across the sonic spectrum. So, for anyone who agrees with that one take your tracks to that ‘end of level’ boss.
with their combined ethereal synth-pop finding just the right subby 808 to link University Challenge host when he rightly It might be a bitesize bundle, but it’s got
balladeering and velvety dance music up with a mid-range loop should be said: “We need jungle, I’m afraid.” Mario-sized character, so it’s well worth
dramatics. Roy Spencer a doddle. Roy Spencer Roy Spencer your fistful of quarters. Roy Spencer
splice.com splice.com loopmasters.com loopmasters.com
FM | GEAR GUIDE
DAWs
Steinberg Cubase 12 £497 Tracktion Waveform Pro Apple Logic Pro $199 Reason Studios Reason 12 £499
Review: FM382 Version 12 is a solid and from $119 Review: FM361 Still no Logic 11, but seeing as Review: FM375 It’s debateable whether the
dependable update to Cubase, and offers some Review: FM345 Waveform is now friendlier, Pro has had so many updates (it’s now officially upgrade is worth it for existing Reason 11 users,
excellent new features and small, but important, contains more creative tools and brings workflow dropped the ‘X’ too), it’s hard to complain. In the but taken as a whole, Reason is looking the best
updates to others. ideas you’ll have missed from other DAWs. latest, spatial audio tools join the party. it has in years.
Universal Audio LUNA free PreSonus Studio One Avid Pro Tools from Bitwig Studio 5 $399
UA might not want to call LUNA a DAW, but let’s Pro £345 $199/$9.99p/m Review: FM399 At v5, Bitwig Studio is hugely
be honest... this is a slick and stylish recording Now up to version 6, Studio One now has a lot to With its latest update, Avid is bringing creative, experimental and deep. That won’t suit
environment and a great freebie. It’s no longer offer those working with traditional notation and Live-inspired nonlinear sequencing to the DAW everyone, but in its niche it’s unrivalled.
just for Apollo owners either. scoring for screen. in the form of Pro Tools Sketch.
94
Essential Tools For Music Making | Gear Guide
MIDI KEYBOARDS
Akai MPK mini mk3 £90 Novation FLkey | £89 Donner DMK-25 Pro £125 Novation Launchkey Mini Mk3 £110
Review FM363 A very decent upgrade with Review FM383 Novation’s FLkey range has Review: FM395 The DMK-25 Pro stuffs loads Review: FM349 Small but well spec’d, this is a
genuinely pro features, fixing its position in the provided FL Studio users with the pro-level into a lightweight, compact, and visually convenient and well-made controller that’s great
top rung of mini keyboard controllers available. controller range they’ve always deserved. appealing package. Ideal for on-the-go use. with or without Ableton Live.
Novation SL MkIII £540 Arturia MiniLab 3 £90 Novation Launchkey 88 Mk3 Arturia KeyStep Pro £339
Review: FM338 Well-designed and versatile. For Review: FM392 A great value keyboard with an £200 Review: FM359 For melodic sequencing duties
those who work with both hardware and software, updated feature set that makes this one of the Review: FM386 Launchkey 88 is a great and flexible hardware control, this is one of the
this may be the best studio centrepiece that’s on best mini controllers around. standalone controller but is best coupled with best keyboard devices around.
the market. one of the script-supported DAWs.
95
Gear Guide | Essential Tools For Music Making
SYNTH PLUGINS
u-he Diva €179 Kilohearts Phase Plant $199 Cherry Audio GX-80 $59 Tracktion F.’em $179
Diva is a little long in the tooth these days, but Review: FM350 Phase Plant’s modular design Cherry Audio’s CS-80-inspired virtual analogue Review: FM373 F.’em is a hugely powerful
it’s still one of the most powerful and popular comes with a slightly high learning curve, but it synth is rich and powerful, capable of huge, digital synthesiser – likely too powerful for some.
virtual analogue synths going. also brings masses of power and flexibility. analogue-sounding chords and pads. But for those that brave its depth there’s a mass
of potential here.
Cherry Audio Sines $49 FabFilter Twin 3 £109 Spectrasonics Omnisphere $499 Sonic Charge Synplant 2 $149
Sines is a unique and original synth based An update to a modern classic. Fabfilter Twin 3 Omnisphere is huge, both in the sense of its Review: FM403 Already an esoteric classic, this
around the complex interaction of sinewave is the perfect balance between vintage influence included sound content and its actual sound. long awaited update adds the revolutionary
oscillators. It’s a bargain at under £/$50. and contemporary design. The blend of samples and synthesis results in Genopatch mode, which uses neural networks to
gorgeous, complex patches. mimic any sound.
96
Essential Tools For Music Making | Gear Guide
Ableton Push
From $999 Novation Launch Control XL £150
Review: FM285 Slightly long in the tooth and
Novation Launchkey Mini £100
Review: FM349 The Mk3 is a small but perfectly
Review: FM397 | Push finally lives up to Ableton’s vision less slick than the current gen ‘launch’ range, formed MIDI controller that works great with or
of controller-as-instrument, and standalone mode is a but still the best mixer-focused device for Live. without Ableton Live.
great new way to use Live.
HARDWARE EFFECTS
97
Gear Guide | Essential Tools For Music Making
AUDIO INTERFACES
Audient iD4 MkII £138 SSL 2+ £226 Focusrite Scarlett 4i4/8i6 Audient Evo 16 £400
Review: FM373 A simple 2-in/2-out design Review: FM356 The 2+ more than lives up to from £200 Review: FM385 Audient’s goal with EVO is to
coupled with smart, user-friendly features and the promise of offering the Solid State Logic Review: FM347 Slicker than ever, the 4i4 and make recording easy. EVO 16 achieves this and
impressive build quality. Possible the best name and sound from a piece of budget-friendly 8i6 make good use of the excellent Control makes it flexible and affordable too. A really
budget interface out there. audio gear. software to deliver an upgraded user experience. great product.
Universal Audio Volt 76 Arturia MiniFuse 2 £115 Focusrite Clarett+ 2Pre £400 Presonus Studio 24c £99
from £215 Review: FM377 MiniFuse 2 is a compact USB Review: FM377 The latest generation of these Presonus’s compact interface is a handy
Review: FM379 UA’s first affordable interface interface with plenty of features, but it’s also excellent interfaces delivers handy software all-rounder but particularly useful for streamers
are great, with a spritz of hard-to-resist recording incredibly intuitive to use and both looks and control alongside rock-solid audio performance. with a tight budget.
history magic on top. sounds great.
98
9000 9021