Music Tech Magazine - Issue 55

The latest version of Reason exclusively reviewed. How to create convincing brass arrangements using samples, remixing electro bass, and the potential pitfalls of moving your soft studio explained. Plus: five software Workshops.

Publish date: 19 September 2007

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Issue 55 of Music Tech Magazine is out now in newsagents throughout the UK.

In the issue…

Reason 4 - Exclusive Full Review!
The much-anticipated latest version of the Props' flagship sequencer is here – and we’ve had the chance to put it through its paces…

Arranging with Brass Samples
Using brass samples in your music can create expression and power that goes way beyond what can be achieved with strings or woodwind instruments alone.

Remixer’s Guide to Electro Bass
Good bass technique has always been important in dance music, but with the rebirth of electro, extra voltage is essential…

Moving Your Soft Studio
With all the different license-management technologies used by pro audio developers, upgrading, repairing or replacing computers can be a veritable minefield…

Ten Minute Masters
Modulation with Envelopes: Envelopes are a common function in synthesis, yet we often don’t utilise their capabilities to the full. Find out what can be achieved with the most dynamic of modulators.
Audio Interfacing: Getting audio in and out of a computer can be achieved in a multitude of ways. We examine your options.

This Month’s Workshops
Cubase 4
The podcasting revolution has made it easy to broadcast your own shows and music to the world. Hollin Jones shows you how to do it in Cubase.
Reason 3.0
Digital delay is a versatile effect that can be used to achieve anything from subtle mix blending to outrageous dub effects. We show you how.
Live 5
The inspiration for your next hit can sometimes be found in the most unlikely of places, as Jon Margulies explains.
Logic Pro 7
Do your mixes lack the subsonic depth or crystal-clear highs of a commercial recording? Mark Cousins investigates a Special solution…
Sonar 6
Version 6 of Cakewalk’s Sonar has dedicated tools that make working with video easier and more intuitive than ever. Brian Smithers has the big picture…

Reviews

Among the latest hardware and software releases we check out this month are SSL’s Drumstrip, Yamaha’s 16-channel MG166CX USB, the Røde M3, Finale 2008, Novation’s ReMOTE 49SL Compact, Universal Audio’s 88RS & LA-3A and Steinberg’s Groove Agent 3.
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FREE Loopmasters samples CD worth £34.95 when you subscribe online

ON THE DVD

Virology

Recorded and processed exclusively for Music Tech, this pro-quality collection of multi-samples brings you the sounds of the Access Virus C, which replaced the revered Virus B line-up in 2002. As good as the original’s sounds were, these multi-samples enable you to take them a step further by drawing on the power of Reason’s Combinator and NN-XT modules. Patches for Kontakt 2 are also supplied for easy access to the sounds within that application. The sounds themselves cover brass, strings, bass, leads and more, making them suitable for a wide range of musical applications. Each is presented in both 16- and 24-bit resolutions.

Visualizer MTM Edition
To fully appreciate how your mix is working on every level, a spectral analyser is an essential tool. This month, Nugen Audio has compiled a special edition of its Visualizer analysis plug-in, exclusively for MTM readers. Follow the Workshop on pages 8 and 9 to find out how it can dramatically improve your mixes.

Pure Country Nashville
In an arena dominated by electronic and mainstream rock drum samples, country aficionados arguably have the right to feel somewhat left out in the cold. Beta Monkey Music is aiming to change that, though, and this quality collection of brushed acoustic drum loops fits the niche perfectly. Also included are a selection of jazz, blues and funk loops.

All the latest demos…
Image Line Morphine, Crysonic SpectraPhy LE, Musicrow PianoBoy, Finale 2008, The Sound Guy ReSpatializer, Groovebox Music Core Live Concepts and much more…

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