Music Tech Magazine - Issue 73

Expert advice on tightening up your mixes, how to make your productions sound that little bit wider, and Ten Minute Masters on expansion and transients. Plus: Logic Pro 8, Pro Tools 8, Cubase 4.1 and Reason 4 Workshops.

Publish date: 18 March 2009

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Issue 73 of Music Tech Magazine is out now in newsagents throughout the UK.

In the issue…

Features
Fix Your Mix
In an ideal world,every sound or performance captured during a recording session would be flawless – rhythmically tight, in tune and with good intonation throughout. However, these kinds of ideals are hard to uphold no matter how hard you strive… Mark Cousins explains what you can do to put things right..

Stereo Enhancement
Nothing leaps out of the mix and grabs you quite like a super-wide guitar part or well separated double-tracked vocal. Stereo effects can even have a place in mastering, bringing a sheen to tracks and creating a more involving experience for the listener. Mo Volans shows you how it’s done.

Ten Minute Masters
Transients
Transient is one of those ‘buzzwords’ that’s often used to describe the quality of a recording or a piece of equipment, but what exactly are they and why does transient energy have such a fundamental impact on the quality of a recording?
Expansion
Controlling the dynamic range of a mix is one of the engineer’s most fundamental tasks, but what are the tools and techniques required to do it? Grant Bridgeman stretches out.

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This Month’s Workshops
Pro Tools 8
It’s a technique you will no doubt have heard of, but one that perhaps you have not yet exploited in your own studio. Mike Hillier shows you why you should.
Logic Pro 8
Fades and crossfades are key audio-editing techniques, and with Logic Pro 8 you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to creating them. Mark Cousins fades out.
Cubase 4.1
Quick Controls are a simple but powerful way to improve your workflow and gain more effective control over your projects. Hollin Jones explains.
Reason 4
MIDI is at the heart of Reason, and knowing how to work effectively with it is crucial to making better music. Hollin Jones lifts the lid.

Reviews
Another selection of hardware and software is put through their paces in this issue, including Native Instruments' much-anticipated Maschine, Kurzweil’s new PC3x, iZotope’s Ozone 4, Sontronics' Sonora, the new SA-i7 PowerDAW+ from Scan, Harper Diabate’s HDV-1, MOTU’s BPM and more.

ON THE DVD

Sci-fi Synth FX
A delicate sprinkling of sound effects or noise beds can do wonders for the perceived depth of a track, bringing an evocative edge to an intro or sparse C-section. This month, the good folks at PinkNoise Studio have supplied us with 1.38GB of space-age synth FX for adding a hint of the cosmos to otherwise uninspiring productions. www.pinknoisestudio.com

Electronic Rhythm Construction Kit
Build your own electronic rhythms with this collection of individual drum parts featuring kicks, snares, hi-hats and percussion loops.
www.equinoxsounds.com

Over 90 minutes of video tutorials
We’ve got a great selection of expert DAW tutorials on Cubase, Ableton and Sonar, plus some bonus Logic tips in PDF format courtesy of PrimeLoops.
Ableton: www.primeloops.com
Cubase 5: www.steinberg.net
Sonar 8: www.streamworksaudio.com

Music Tech Focus

On sale now - Music Tech Focus: Mastering

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