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38 nlhyGyl}pl~z ORGAN 50 WORKSHOP KORG Limb Volca Mix Independence 18 W^UX_ G {olGt|zpjphu˅zG 52 40 RUISMAKER BILL IRWIN n|pklG{vGkqG Kosmonaut and Modulation AUDIO DAMAGE jvu{yvsslyz Discord4 This month, we examine a select list of recent and noteworthy 10 hardware releases for DJs, in a range of price points—from COMMUNITY 42 SOUND DESIGN products designed for specific software to hybrid models that support a variety of applications and double as mixers, 54 Beyond Arpeggios, turntables, or standalone players. SUGAR BYTES 12 Part 1 Aparillo IN THE pu{ly}pl~G STUDIO The Monks yvnlyGqvzlwoGG30 56 of Doom with SONICCOUTURE Bruce Kaphan thuupunGqyU Haunted Spaces
jvu{lu{z The release of Glamping marks Manning’s first solo project in a decade. This month, we learn about his songwriting and production process,
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{ 16 58 62 ELECTRONIC MASTER CLASS TECH GUITAR Arturia Unifying I/O Names in Digital 66 Rick Cox MiniBrute 2 Performer and Pro Audio Control
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QUESTIONS Electronic Musician (ISSN 0884-4720) is published monthly by Future PLC, 28 East 28th Street, 12th floor, New York, NY 10016. Periodicals Postage Paid at New York, NY, and Terri Winston, at additional mailing oices. Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608. Canada Returns to be sent to Bleuchip International, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Electronic Musician, P.O. Box 232, Lowell, MA 01853. founder of Electronic Musician is a trademark of Future PLC. All material published in Electronic Musician is copyrighted (©) 2018 by Future PlC All rights reserved. lw Women’s Reproduction of material appearing in Electronic Musician is prohibited without written permission. Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited Audio Mission manuscripts, photos, or artwork. All product information is subject to change; publisher assumes no responsibility for such changes. All listed model numbers and product names are manufacturers’ registered trademarks. k
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Have you ever been in a critical musi- come up with a plan of action. plete set of back-up audio files (mixes cal situation—either onstage or while Under the term “electronic music” or stems, depending on the kind of recording—and suddenly discovered are innumerable approaches, and in music they make) on a USB drive and that part of your setup doesn’t work? nearly every case, electronic equip- their mobile device. It also makes Were you ready for it? If so, what was ment failure is far more unforgiving sense to keep a set of backups in the your strategy? than is the malfunction of a tradi- cloud. Although it won’t help you if GINO ROBAIR In the high-stakes world of profes- tional musical instrument. Replacing you’re in a venue without access to EDITOR IN CHIEF sional audio, redundancies are built a broken guitar string or drum head stable Internet connectivity, it’s worth [email protected] into a production to avoid show-stop- is trivial compared to dealing with a having it there in other situations. ping failures. But while major acts with complete drive failure on your laptop What is your backup plan when millions of dollars riding on a tour can where you’ve carefully organized sev- your system goes down? If you al-
jvtt|up{ aford to have fully duplicated systems eral GB of data. And because most of ready have a system in place, we’d at the ready, the rest of us must find us have a complex, customized setup, love to hear about it: Send us an email clever ways to be prepared for disaster. there is no one-size-fits-all solution detailing the setup. We will gather If you are planning to do any kind of (other than having a fully redundant the best ones together in a future ar- work in front of others and you haven’t system at the gig with you, of course). ticle on the topic to share with the given this some thought, it is time to I’ve met artists who carry a com- rest of our readers.
t|zpjG{olvyGihzpjzGmvyG The Really Useful t|zpjGwyvk|jlyzG|umhtpsphyG Piano Poster } ~p{oG{olGrlivhyk
rom my own experience as a teacher, I know that visual aids are very useful, especially with something as initially confusing as music theory. But while it would be perfectly appropriate to hang The Really Useful Piano Poster on the wall in a piano-teaching studio, its mdesigner, Domenico Arenare, conceived of it for a dierent audience: It is designed for musicians and music producers who don’t have a full understanding of music theory or a background in keyboard playing, but who occasionally need a reference. “When producing music, I used to use a number of online resources, apps, and good old-fashioned pieces of paper to look up dierent scales, chords and diagrams,” Arenare explains about the genesis of The Really Useful Piano Poster. “But I wanted a much easier, more immediate way to access all of this information, so I brought it all together onto one poster.” The graphical density of the poster looks intimidating at first, but the information is logically organized and simple to follow. The main section shows 48 scales and 60 chords: Each row is based on a note name, start- ing from C at the top and moving chromatically to B. The columns (from left to right) include the major scale and the three minor scales with left- and right-hand fingerings, followed by the root positions of basic chord shapes (major, minor, augmented, diminished, dominant seventh). Also shown are where the notes reside on the grand sta, diatonic chord names, and the circle of fifths. Its large format, colorful design, and quality printing make it easy to read at a distance. Arenare’s Kickstarter campaign to fund the poster brought in nearly four times the stated goal when it ended in late April. By the time you read this, The Really Useful Piano Poster will be available for direct order in several formats from thereallyusefulpianoposter.com: as a digital download in PDF format for £10; printed on an A1 size (23.4" x 33.1") pa- per in a Standard (folded) version for £15 including shipping; A1 size but rolled in a paper tube for £15 plus shipping; and in a Deluxe version (higher-quality paper and silver-foil debossing on the logo) for £25 plus shipping. —Gino Robair
XW JULY 2018 £Glt|zpjphuUjvt ADVENTURES IN DIY BY DAVID BATTINO
Last night, I printed my own MIDI controller. The secret ingredient was Overlay De- Welcome to signer, a new software feature for the Sensel Morph (sensel.com; $299). Morph, as the My Pad name implies, is a highly customizable touchpad and a terrific platform for DIY proj- ects. It’s beautifully designed from brushed aluminum, about 6.75 inches tall, 9.5 inches Build the Perfect wide, and a quarter-inch thick. The top surface holds some 20,000 pressure sensors MIDI Controller with that Sensel says can detect 32,000 levels of force. That’s responsive enough to handle everything from paintbrushes to drumsticks. Sensel Morph To keep you oriented, the Morph ofers silicone rubber overlays ($35 each) with con- trol layouts ranging from computer keys to drum pads (see Figure 1). Each overlay has a unique arrangement of embedded magnets that snap it into place and reconfigure the base to send new types of data. (You can also use Morph without an overlay.) Like an iPad, the Morph detects multiple fingers at once. LEDs glow gently to show where you’re touching. The Morph transmits over USB or Bluetooth and includes a rechargeable battery. It can’t play iOS softsynths over USB unless you use a pow- Fig. 1. Silicone overlays transform Fig. 2. Magnets in the Innovator’s ered Lightning adapter or USB hub, so the wire- the Sensel Morph from a MIDI Overlay hold my printed control lay- controller to a drawing tablet, or out against the sensor base. Each less option is handy. An optional Developer’s (using the transparent Innovator’s overlay has a unique arrangement Cable ($19) breaks out the USB port to four pins overlay) anything you design. I of magnets that loads a control map you can connect to an Arduino or Raspberry Pi. made a cartoon drum pad. from memory. Drawing Inspiration I’ve been messing with Morph since Roger Linn lent me his system last summer, but it really clicked for me when Sensel released Overlay Designer and a transparent skin called the Innovator’s Overlay. To create my custom MIDI controller, I drew buttons and sliders in a graphics program, printed the page, and slid the paper under the overlay (see Figure 2). I then exported the page as an image file, loaded the image into the SenselApp editor as a background, drew control zones on top, and downloaded the control map to Fig. 3. The editor app supports the Morph (see Figure 3). Interestingly, Roger built a prototype of the LinnStrument us- numerous protocols, including ing a similar approach, as you can see in his 2010 video: youtu.be/AoAOx97G8ew. QWERTY, MPE, MIDI Machine Con- trol, and touchpad data. You can Developing controllers on paper makes it easy to refine them. Some of the buttons on even mix types on a single layout. my initial layout were too close to the edge, causing double triggering. So I nudged the graphics inward, printed another page, and raised the trigger threshold in the editor. Next, I made a vari- ation with drum pads instead of keys. (The Morph memory holds only one map per overlay, but down- loading a new map from the editor takes seconds.) The editor also generates STL files so you can cre- ate tactile controls on a 3D printer. (The Innovator’s Overlay has a recessed area on top to hold them.) Sensel has tips on materials and printing services on its site. For my paper layouts, I set my artboard to 238mm x 140mm, with 5mm inner margins on the sides, 12mm on top, and 10mm on the bottom. I’ve only scratched the rubbery surface here. Check out Tim Thompson’s amazing audiovisual instrument built from four Morphs at youtu.be/3_ s2P7gMRm0.
JULY 2018 £Glt|zpjphuUjvt XX IN THE STUDIO
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BY BARBARA SCHULTZ
During the time it took to make the Monks of Today, the Monks of Doom are three current question: How does a jam/prog/jazz/rock quar- Doom’s latest album, The Bronte Pin, bass player/ members of CVB: Krummenacher, guitarist Greg tet who rarely see each other and don’t have fully vocalist Victor Krummenacher cut five other al- Lisher, and drummer Chris Pedersen; and Count- formed compositions nail down basic tracks in bums: two solo records, one with roots band Mc- ing Crows guitarist and occasional CVB member just a couple days? The short answer is, they don’t. Cabe & Mrs. Miller, and two more with his long- David Immerglück. But in truth, they got a surprising amount done. time bandmates in Camper Van Beethoven. Immerglück’s busy touring schedule was one “After working together for 30 years, one thing It’s not that all of the other projects work at of the factors that extended the process of creat- that this group of people understands is eicien- lightning speed; the Monks’ album actually took ing The Bronte Pin—that and the fact that all of the cy,” says Kaphan. “And another lovely attribute of seven years to complete. other members play in multiple bands and some experience is that you come to count on your intu- Formed in the mid 1980s as a jam/prog/jazz/ work day jobs, plus Pedersen lives in Australia. ition. You trust that ideas will flow. Their attitude rock side project to Camper, the Monks of Doom There you have a recipe for a scheduling night- was, ‘Let’s make an album where we demand this released their early records a lot closer together mare. But the band did manage to carve out two from ourselves, where we are put on the spot and between ’86 and ’92, but then the members mainly days for basic tracking in Fantasy Studios’ Studio forced to create right now.’” put the Monks aside until a covers record, What’s A to get the songs rolling back in 2009. With only a couple days to create a foundation for Left for Kicks, appeared in 2006. The status of the To begin, the players shared what engineer the album, Kaphan knew he needed to capture parts Monks is inseparable from Camper’s story; mem- Bruce Kaphan calls “kernels of ideas” for songs, from all possible angles. So he put up what he calls a bers of both groups have changed over the years, and then expanded those into longer jams from “safety net” of multiple amps, mics and DI’s. While while a core of founding members has remained which they could choose a direction, or pieces, the bandmembers may have used their own efects constant. Each group stopped for a lengthy period that would end up on a final track. as they worked to define what they could as far as ar- and re-formed in the 2000s. Knowing a little about their process begs the rangements and approach, Kaphan left a lot of sonic doors open to select or process sounds later. “For example, on drums, I set up close miking—a beater side and a front side of the kick drum, snare top and bottom, hi-hat, tom-toms, cymbals—as well as a Glyn Johns trio of mics, and a farther placed AKG C24 stereo microphone,” Kaphan says. “We kept all that diversity, and then on some of the tunes, we later stripped things down to one presentation or another, so I might have been down to three microphones or even fewer at one point in a mix. I never had to insert myself dur- ing the sessions to change anything out because I knew they would have variables to work with.” “And then Bruce gave me the drive and said, ‘Good luck!’” jokes Krummenacher. Actually, what followed were numerous ses- sions in Kaphan’s personal studio, and Krumme- nacher’s and other bandmembers’, to refine the work they’d done in Fantasy and build pieces into whole songs. Copious overdubs, cut-and-paste ed- iting, re-amping instruments, and plenty of sonic invention came into play. Zeroing in on the development of the song “Up
Bass player and vocalist Victor Krummenach- er leans over the console in Fantasy Studio A.
XY JULY 2018 £Glt|zpjphuUjvt from the Cane,” Krummenacher ofers a micro- cosm of the overall album creation. “‘Up from the Cane’ was a song where I had a concept in mind,” Krummenacher explains. “I have a gold coin that belonged to my grandfather that was always supposed to be a gift to the first-born son. It was given to my Uncle Vic and then, because he didn’t have any male children, he gave it to me. It also comes with a rabbit’s foot—a really old, dry rabbit’s foot. My uncle was born in 1925, so you can imagine the state that rabbit’s foot is in now! It also Drum miking in Fantasy Studios Guitarist Greg Lisher in engineer Bruce came with this crazy letter that my grandfather Kaphan’s personal studio. Designed by typed up that basically tells the story that’s in the thought, let’s try to get a flavor of Sun Ra or Albert Michael Blackmer, Kaphan’s facility is song. The moral is that if you have the gold coin, Ayler or something unexpected: those great single- equipped with a Pro Tools system, Dynaudio BM6a monitors, a front end comprising six you’re protected from the perils of the world. note sounds that you get when you play something channels of Neve preamps, four channels of “For this song, I wanted a really aggressive tribal backwards—you turn it around to where the sound API 312s, Summit TPA 200Bs, and more. punk sound. I had paraphrased the story of the coin of the piano is sucking in. It added a lot of tension. in the lyrics, and I had a kind of stupid three-chord “And then on top of that, at another session with would be more fluid and palpable. bass rif that went with the lyrics. When we went Chris, the percussion genius in him comes out. “Then, suddenly it was like, ‘Wait, it’s losing into [Fantasy Studios], I started playing the rif, and There are these interstitial breaks in the song where something, let’s go back,’” Krummenacher recalls. Chris played along, and we did that for about 15 it’s just the bass rif but the drums have dropped out. “So, we went back three or four versions and we minutes with Greg and Immy [Immerglück] mak- So Chris started going through this series, this evolu- knew we had the one. That happened on several ing guitar noise in the background. It was not en- tion of percussion: drum sticks on the floor, pieces of songs: We’d push and push until we’d gone too far, tirely congealing, but in the midst of doing it, Chris metal, just a lot of crazy sonic palette work. and then go back and find the sweet spot. That’s just really caught the pocket and we ended up with “So, we’d done a lot of embellishment, but maybe one of the key lessons of this: Bruce says a snippet that was not quite long enough to support we still needed a really intense lead vocal, and that if he gets a mix to the point where moving the lyrics of the song, but was pretty well-executed. that fell on me. Basically I shouted for so long— something half a dB is too much, he knows it’s “So, I took that snippet home and edited it and I couldn’t speak for about two days after I was done. I feel like there’s another side of that on ar- elongated it enough through some cloning to what done. And even after the labyrinth that it took to rangements. If the music seems to be losing en- needed to be the body length of the song,” Krum- get there, the song went through maybe 10 mixes. ergy, go back.” Q menacher continues. “But the guitar stuf wasn’t Bruce was throwing in explosive sound efects— working, so I figured out a basic rhythm guitar like, literally, sounds of explosions. And one of the Barbara Schultz is the managing editor of Electronic part and a lead line that I thought could work. very last moves was: we had re-amped the bass, Musician magazine and the senior editor of Mix Then I presented that to the band.” but we also decided to double the bass because it magazine. At first the guitarists didn’t warm to Krummen- acher’s guitar parts, so they were reluctant to take his idea and run with it. “Then I thought, Greg plays cra- zy good slide guitar, and I said, ‘What if you play these parts but on the slide and we bring it up to a really intense level,’” Krummenacher says. “And Greg was good with that. Immy’s really great at creating color- ations and stuf, but he still didn’t want to play guitar on it, and that’s where backwards piano came in. “At one point we were in Phantom Vox Studio in L.A. Immy and I listen to a lot of free jazz, and we
Kaphan drew up this setup for the band’s Bronte Pin tracking sessions in Fantasy Studios
Guitarist Dave Immerglück in Kaphan’s studio
JULY 2018 £Glt|zpjphuUjvt XZ ul~G 100 additionalpresets enhanced wavetable oscillator, and quency shifter, event modules, FM- also available andincludesnewfre- free toregistered Falcon users)is giator • Falcon 1.5update ($349; grated efects•customizablearpeg- instrument orasaplug-in • 40inte- and patches•works asstandalone vorites taggingoptionforpresets enhancements includenewFa- scalable toscreen size•workflow lot better. software instrumentjust gotawhole uvi.net All pricesareMSRP except as noted HIGHLIGHTS Free soundbank player Multitimbral sampleand ~vyrz{h{pvuGZ UVI TARGET MARKET ANALYSIS designers, producers X[ 1 nlhy JULY 2018 This powerful (andfree) Redesigned GUIis Musicians, sound 34 £Glt|zpjphuUjvt it’s free! DAWs forWindows, isback.And TARGET MARKET HIGHLIGHTS Free Sonar Windows-based DAW ihukshi jhrl~hsrGiGG BANDLAB TECHNOLOGIES cakewalk.bandlab.com ANALYSIS ers, producers BandLab forWindows client Sonar installations•download using for BandLab doesnotafectprevious support •installationofCakewalk loop andauxtracks •touch-device nel modules•unlimitedaudio, MIDI, Skylight userinterfaceandProChan- content) •includes64-bitmixengine, some ofthe3rd party products and version ofSonarPlatinum(without BandLab users, thisisastreamlined 2 Sonar, oneofthepremiere 1 A free download for Musicians, compos- Reason ecosystem. ingly well-featured, entryintothe TARGET MARKET propellerheads.se HIGHLIGHTS $99 DAW software ylhzvuGXWGpu{yv PROPELLERHEAD ANALYSIS sicians, students full-featured version ofReason plug-ins •$299 upgrade priceintothe support forRackExtensions andVST modeled mixer withbuscompressor • and Bass Amp, andothers)• analog- 4 Distortion,SoftubeGuitarAmp efects (RV7000 mkIIreverb, Scream sampler, Kong DrumDesigner)• 11 sizer, Subtractor Synthesizer, NN-XT Synthesizer, ThorPolysonic Synthe- (including Europa Shapeshifting MIDI recording •10instruments 3 A low-cost, yet surpris- 16 tracks of audio and 16 tracks ofaudioand Producers, DJs, mu- free updateforallusers upcoming VST3 supportavailable in everything here, plusfree updates• Pro 365for$7.99/month includes ments •Vintage Efects suite•Acid Vita 2sampleplayer with11instru- virtualanalogsynth• loops • DN-e1 editing features •9GBofAcidized architecture •newaudioandMIDI bit, 192multitrack recording •64-bit of instruments, efects, andloops. decade, version 8includesawealth magix.net HIGHLIGHTS $149 (or$7.99/month) Loop-based DAW forWindows hjpkGwyvG_ MAGIX TARGET MARKET ANALYSIS cians, DJs 4 2 The firstmajorupdateina Redesigned GUI•24- Producers, musi- 6
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7
5 6 7 8 DAVE SMITH IK MULTIMEDIA DREADBOX ROLAND INSTRUMENTS |uvGzu{o sps˅Glyli|zGkpGrp{ zzT\XWGzu{o wyvwol{G Mono analog synthesizer Analog paraphonic Eurorack module Keyboard synthesizer $199 synthesizer $399 $3,999 $190-$240 HIGHLIGHTS Designed with Sound- HIGHLIGHTS Made in collaboration HIGHLIGHTS 5-octave, semi-weighted machines and Erik Norlander • 27- HIGHLIGHTS Build it in 42HP Euro- with Malekko in Portland, OR, the keyboard • 8 stereo voices (16 mono note touch-pad keyboard • two rack format ($190) or as a desktop Sys-510 is a synth voice in one mod- voices) that combine samples and VCOs (saw/triangle/pulse on each) module ($240; includes power-bus ule • VCO with three waveforms • synthesis • bi-timbral, with two • 2-pole, resonant multimode fil- board and power supply) • 2 VCOs lowpass filter with dual-highpass 16-bit/48kHz sample-based engines ter • VCA • noise generator • LFO (osc 1 saw; osc 2 pulse) • 2-pole low- switch • external inputs • VCA with • 2 high-resolution digital oscilla- with 7 waveforms modulates pitch, pass filter • voltage-controlled LFO several outputs • normalled connec- tors with waveshape modulation • filter, amp, and VCO waves • 100 • voltage-controlled echo • 3-stage tions • other new 500-series mod- analog filters • polyphonic step se- presets (80 rewriteable) • 10 arpeg- envelope generator • onboard ules include the Sys-555 Lag/S&H quencer • 4 LFOs • dual DSP efects gio modes with 4-octave range • MIDI-to-CV • controls for filter with ring mod, pink and white noise, including reverb, chorus, standard 100-pattern step-sequencer • 13 cutof and resonance, delay time, lowpass filter, envelope and VCA; and BBD delays, rotating speaker scales available for keyboard • on- and tuning • 16 patch points with Sys-505 multimode filter with band- • 150 GB of sample content from board efects • line-in mixer • USB CV/gate I/O pass filter with VCAs; and Sys-531 8Dio • 50 GB storage for importing • MIDI I/O on minijacks • runs on mixer samples • USB connectivity battery or USB power TARGET MARKET Musicians and sound designers who build their TARGET MARKET Musicians, sound TARGET MARKET Keyboardists, sound TARGET MARKET Musicians, DJs, own gear designers designers producers ANALYSIS A relatively low-cost way ANALYSIS Welcome set of modules ANALYSIS A unique interface to con- ANALYSIS An Italian-made instru- to get a surprisingly powerful analog for any Eurorack user. trol a thoroughly unique sounding ment with fully analog signal path. synth voice. hybrid synth. roland.com ikmultimedia.com dreadbox-fx.com davesmithinstruments.com
JULY 2018 £Glt|zpjphuUjvt X\ lslj{yvupjG X] n|p{hy JULY 2018 £Glt|zpjphuUjvt a fewfilms, including fects such as New New fects suchas and granular ef- ment”); it isalmostlike an instru- colors thesoundsomuch verb areverb becauseit tate toeven call Adapti- and Wormhole (“Ihesi- aptiq reverbs Adaptiverb ing comesin,more sothanstrummingtheguitar.” in andoutwiththeknobs. That’s where theplay- hear theoriginalsignal;Ihave efectsthatIbring fects returns. “It’s really fast,” hesays. “You don’t for two more tracks andtheremaining sixforef- first eightaudioorMIDItracks, two oftheknobs kontrol. He usestheeightsliderstoregulate the trolling hissoundsistheinexpensive Korg Nano- and thenprocess itwithplug-ins. Crucialtocon- Engine. It isthebestoneIfoundsofar.” really cheapMooer version withonedial,theSlow am alsointoslow-attack pedals,” hesays“Iusea Red Panda Particle pedal,andavolume pedal.“I Fuse interface, anElectro-Harmonix Superego, a a rigsetup.” flight ofstairs, there isa ‘live’ room where Ihave tor andallthegearheneedstocompose. Down a explains. “He hasastudioroom withabigmoni- in ahousenext totheonewhere helives,” Cox successful ThomasNewman. soundtracks created by others, includingthehighly he haslargely addedhisdistinctive textures to dealing withcontracts anddeadlines. Sincethen, Whoopie Goldberg, butsoonrealized hehated yGj tGGGGG effects atatime. Turnado canruneight Fig. 1.SugarBytes Revolutionary Road tor, tobesliced,diced,andreverbed beyond allrecognition. cause, moreoftenthannot,Cox employs theinstrumentsolelyasasoundgenera- his guitarmightbeprominentlyfeaturedyou mightnotrecognize itassuchbe- any ofadozen othermovies,you have heardtheworkof guitaristRickCox. Though BY MICHAELROSS I Early on,Cox hadthesolecomposercredit on These efectsare largely plug-ins suchas theZyn- Often, Cox willholdachord withtheSuperego This rigincludesalaptopwithanArturiaAudio “These days, we work atThomas’homestudio, f you have seen Sonic Corrina, Corrina Finding Dory , The SaltonSea , , starring , starring Bridge of Spies , The Legend of theMummy phen Kingstories. “Thomas iscomposingmusic series forHulu called you runitthrough somereverb anddelay.” or foam.It produces abeautifulwash, especiallyif you rubthestringswithareally fine-grained sponge, finger standard chords butinstead ofusingapick, months. Iplayed alotof‘sponge’guitar, where you be atOceanWay studiossixdaysaweek forthree something andthedirector notlikingit.We would That eliminatedtheissueofacomposerwriting that director Walter Hillwas there thewholetime. and improvise tothefilm.Whatmadeiteasierwas Cox recalls. “Ry would stripeanentire 2”reel oftape had acompletelydiferent approach from Thom,” ette’ forthatparticularfilm. them. For eachmovie we discussthe‘soundpal- open thefileofrecorded samplesandaudition ideas, thengotooneoftheseAbletonsessionsand ton asascratch padtorecord dozensofunrelated favor ofmakinghisown samples. “IwilluseAble- board,” Cox says. He eschewssamplelibraries in Ableton orMelodyne, thenplaythemwithakey- my voicings, convert themtoMIDIusingeither neously (seeFig. 1). in whicheightdiferent efectscanberunsimulta- other current fave plug-in isSugarBytes Turnado, Arts’ Granite andSampleSumo’s SaltyGrain. An- Cox’s latestproject withNewman’s isanew “I worked with Ry Cooderinthelate’90s. He “Sometimes, I willrecord guitarchords using , The Help , The Adjustment Bureau Castle Rock money from it.” expected tomake any mental music, I never and performerofexperi- gether. Asacomposer evocative soundsto- I amjusttryingtoput ing through oldsamples. says. “Ihave startedgo- couple ofepisodes,” he for themaintitleanda (1998 version) or (1998 version)or basedonSte- Q ,
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~G GGGGkqGSG Electronic music production and DJing go GGG GGSG hand in hand. DJs rarely ascend beyond a GGGTGSG certain level without producing their own ˅GGGGGG tracks, and electronic producers who don’t GGGUGG DJ, frankly, may be leaving money on the table from gigs that they otherwise would get. It behooves many of us to do both. BY MARKKUS ROVITO
X_ JULY 2018 £Glt|zpjphuUjvt JULY 2018 £Glt|zpjphuUjvt X` Reloop Mixtour Reloop Beatpad 2
Reloop Mixon4 Reloop Touch
Trends in digital DJ gear have been reflecting for specific software at a variety of price points, fol- (Algoriddim software sold separately) and begin this parallel to music production. For example, lowed by the hybrid controllers that also double as with the Mixtour ($199), a slim-format, highly the major software programs tend to coalesce mixers, turntables, or standalone players. All of the portable 2-deck controller for Djay Pro. It may be into their own ecosystem with exclusive hard- controllers include audio interfaces unless other- the most highly functional and best designed DJ ware dedicated to the specific software functions, wise noted, and all the prices are street prices. controller in its size that still includes a USB audio as is the case with Native Instruments Traktor Keep in mind that while many of these pieces interface. Mode and Shift buttons help maximize Pro software’s 4-track Remix and Stems Decks. have been designed for specific software with the available controls. You have hands-on brows- Algoriddim Djay sits on the opposite end of that which they will wield the most immediate and ing, EQ, filter, cue point, looping, and channel con- spectrum with very little exclusive hardware and complete results, these are all MIDI controllers trol over both decks, as well as Master and Head- an interoperability ethos of natively supporting as that are mappable for any MIDI software. Some phone outputs. many hardware controllers as possible. kind DJs may have already posted mappings to Reloop’s larger units for Djay Pro both have Electronic musicians have fully re-embraced Internet forums to match the hardware to your 4-deck functionality: the Beatpad 2 ($599) and analog synthesizers and other hardware units, but preferred software. the flagship Mixon4 ($799), which was jointly also have unprecedented ability to interconnect designed for and includes Serato DJ Pro software. them and integrate them into DAW software. In ALGORIDDIM DJAY The Beatpad 2’s 2-channel-strip mixer uses mode a similar manner, DJs who returned to (or never Popular for its low price ($49.99; Mac/Win), user- buttons to control four channels, while the larger left) vinyl records have more options for hybrid friendly interface, and pro-level features, Algorid- Mixon4 has four distinct channel strips, as well as mixers that blend software control with tradition- dim Djay Pro, is also the only DJ software at the more robust efects sections and dedicated control al DJ gear. moment that integrates with Spotify for mixing buttons. The Mixon4 also has its 16 performance And the improving price/performance ratio of tracks streaming over the Internet. You can get a pads below, rather than above, the jog wheels, hardware electronics over time, has treated the DJ version of it for Android or iOS (supporting the which many DJs prefer. world to more hardware that can operate either as iPad, iPhone, and even the Apple Watch). Algorid- (Reloop also provides mappings to Traktor and standalone gear or connected to a computer, in the dim has baked in native support in Djay Pro for VirtualDJ software for the above three controllers.) same way that the Akai MPC X that we reviewed in 100 DJ controllers and counting, but there’s not the last issue operates as a standalone workstation a ton of software built expressly for the program ATOMIX VIRTUALDJ 8 PRO or as a controller for the desktop MPC 2 software. besides few models from Reloop. Reloop also makes the most remarkable control- This round-up focuses on all those trends with The German manufacturer Reloop generally ler dedicated to VirtualDJ, Touch ($799), which a selective, rather than comprehensive, collection makes excellent DJ hardware that still flies a bit includes a full version of VirtualDJ 8 Pro software. of the most recent and noteworthy DJ controllers. under the radar in the States. Its Djay Pro-focused Touch stands out for its built-in, 7" multitouch The first groupings showcase controllers designed models all work with Mac/Win/iOS/Android screen, which displays the software’s interface
YW JULY 2018 £Glt|zpjphuUjvt Detail
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SterlingAudio.net Traktor Kontrol D2 Traktor Kontrol S8
Traktor Kontrol S5
Pioneer DDJ-1000
Pioneer DDJ-XP1 Pioneer DDJ-RZX almost comprehensively, so you don’t have to the dedicated faders, knobs, and buttons for Re- synth or sampler. A pad editor also lets you cus- depend much at all on the connected computer. mix/Stem Decks on each side from the S8. tomize pad arrangement and assign pads to cer- Touch also supports full-screen video mixing and To supplement other gear that takes care of the tain modes and features. has a 4-fader efect unit on each side. Its perfor- channel mixing and audio interface, the Traktor Pioneer makes many low- and mid-priced all- mance pads give you eight loop, cue, slice, and oth- Kontrol D2 ($399) essentially represents a single in-one controller options for Rekordbox DJ, but er modes, with the option to split them into two deck sliced of of the Kontrol S8. It has the full jumping to the DDJ-1000 ($1,199) lands us at the modes on four pads each. Remix/Stem Deck control system, performance latest option for taking advantage of the software’s pads, transport controls, color display, and ef- most advanced new features, such as the Related NATIVE INSTRUMENTS TRAKTOR fects section. A single D2 can control two software Tracks option that suggests mixable songs. The Although you can get Traktor maps for other OEMs’ decks and has an extra 2-port USB hub for chain- DDJ-1000’s full-size mixer includes a Sampler controllers, only Native Instruments makes Traktor- ing other devices. section and 14 tempo-synced Beat FX. It also inte- dedicated hardware. And while NI makes some oth- grates color displays in the middle of its full-size, er stripped-down and more traditional controllers, PIONEER REKORDBOX DJ CDJ-style jog wheels. its most exciting options remove the jog wheels in Along the same lines as Native Instruments, the For video DJs with tons of space for an uncom- favor of touch strips, use color displays that update dedicated controllers for Pioneer Rekordbox DJ promising surface, the DDJ-RZX ($2,999) inte- their views according to what you’re doing, and have come from Pioneer itself. Again, it’s not such as grates three 7" touch displays, as well as everything dedicated controls for Traktor’s Remix Decks and bad thing to have the overall global leader in DJ you need to mix audio and video on the hardware. Stem Decks, which are for the Stem file format that hardware designing for its own software, and us- It has touchscreen control over both audio and splits a full mix into four component tracks. ing some of these controllers can help familiarize video efects. It includes the full Rekordbox Video Starting with the big daddy, the Traktor Kon- you with Pioneer’s interface scheme used on its software, which is an upgrade from Rekordbox DJ, trol S8 ($1,199) has a full 4-channel mixer, as well club-standard CDJ players and DJM mixers. as well as USB camera support for the video decks. as four Volume faders on each side for Remix and For DJs using turntables, CDJs or other devic- Stem Decks. Its interface accepts four stereo line es, the beautiful Pioneer DDJ-XP1 ($249) add-on SERATO DJ or phone inputs for mixing and has four stereo controller supplies a world of looping, efects, and While you can use Serato DJ with any MIDI de- outputs, including Booth out and both XLR and performance pad options for up to four decks of vice, certain important functions are only acces- RCA Main outs. Rekordbox DJ software. (It has no audio inter- sible from Serato-certified controllers. Luckily With the Traktor Kontrol S5 ($799), you have face.) A whopping 32 performance pads give you there is a large and varied selection of those. a very capable option that’s more portable and fits all the usual options, as well as some rare abilities. Fortunately, Pioneer has not abandoned Serato into tighter spaces, but still has the color displays, For instance, their Keyboard mode triggers a Hot software, because it recently updated one of the four stereo outputs, and 4-channel mixer. It loses Cue or other sound in semitones, like playing a best-selling and greatest options for afordable Se-
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Pioneer DDJ-SB3 Roland DJ-202 Numark NVII rato control to the DDJ-SB3 ($249), which includes the somewhat limited Serato DJ Lite software that is upgradable to Serato DJ Pro for $99. The DDJ-SB3 fixes the layout problems of its predecessor by im- proving the transport controls and providing eight performance pads per deck, up from four. Those pads also have two cool new modes: Pad Scratch for beginner-friendly scratching and Fade FX, which lower volume while applying efects for transitions. Another afordable product, the Roland DJ-202 ($299), is the best low-cost option for getting Serato DJ Pro software, which adds mix recording, more cue points (8) and sample slots (32), more efects, and additional performance modes. Besides being a great option for a compact and portable 4-deck Sera- to controller, the DJ-202 streamlines the most distin- guishing characteristics of the larger DJ-505 ($699) and DJ-808 (see below): an onboard sequencer, four TR drum kits, and vocal FX on the mic input. You can use the DJ-202’s performance pads to sequence either the Serato sampler’s sounds or to make beats with the included 909, 808, 707, and 606 drum kits. Mid-priced Serato controllers abound, but Nu- mark has two distinct 4-deck options with Serato DJ Pro that stretch the price/performance ratio admirably. The NS6II ($799) includes two USB ports for simultaneous use, dual Mic and Line/ $_; or bѴ|;uĺ$_; Phono stereo inputs, Booth and XLR/RCA out- puts, hi-res jog wheel displays, and capacitive !;bl-]bm;7ĺ!;bl touch knobs for instant efects and EQ band-kills. "|uom]ķY;b0Ѵ;ķ-7-r|-0Ѵ;"|uom] The Numark NVII ($699) ofers the lowest- -m7m1olruolbvbm]ĺ-m7m price entry for a dual-display Serato controller, providing advanced browsing, track view, and oth- er view modes from the color screens. It also has touch-activated functions like the filter knobs and www.popaudio.co.uk jog wheels. It has nine performance pad modes, USA — Distribution by www.audioplusservices.com // CANADA — Distribution by www.plurison.com Booth output, and XLR/RCA Main outs. Y[ JULY 2018 £Glt|zpjphuUjvt Roland DJ-808 Denon DJ MCX8000 Pioneer CDJ-2000NXS2 Denon DJ SC5000 Prime Pioneer XDJ-RX2 Traktor Kontrol Z2 Pioneer DJM-S9 When looking at high-end Serato DJ Pro op- STANDALONE PLAYERS/ style set of Pioneer CDJs with a mixer. You can use tions, the large-format Roland DJ-808 ($1,299) SOFTWARE CONTROLLERS it completely on its own with USB flash drives and fully realizes the drum machine and Voice Trans- Like the MCX8000 above, there are more and more the 7" touchscreen. It has onboard Beat FX and former (VT) efects features mentioned with the DJ players that will work either on their own or as Sound Color FX, as well as three stereo RCA inputs DJ-202, along with being a full-featured, 4-chan- a software controller. The apex of the DJ hardware and three stereo outputs (Booth and XLR/RCA nel controller. It has a complete TR-S drum ma- world, the club and festival standard Pioneer CDJ- Main). It also integrates perfectly with the included chine module at the top of the unit and 16 step- 2000NXS2 ($2,199) CD and media player, exemplifies Rekordbox DJ software connected to a computer. sequencing buttons with Accent control, buttons this trend perfectly. This latest model of the legendary for easily selecting the Serato Sampler or TR- CDJ has a 7" color touchscreen with QWERTY key- MIXER CONTROLLERS 909/808/707/606 drum sound to sequence, drum board, a high-res USB audio interface, hot-cue keys, Most relevant to DJs using DVS—turntables with tone controls (Trim, Attack, Tune, Decay), and and both a USB drive port and an SD memory card control vinyl to manipulate software decks—a class level faders, among other features. The VT section slot. The CDJ-2000NXS2 also works with Rekord- of controller mixers combines software control has dedicated controls for Pitch, Formant, Reverb, box, Serato, and Algoriddim Djay software. with high-end DJ mixers. The Native Instruments and more for the mic input, including a handy For the first time in a long while, the vaunted CDJ Traktor Kontrol Z2 ($599), for example, includes Duck switch for lowering the music while speak- has some honest competition in the marketplace Traktor Scratch Pro 2 and timecode vinyl and CDs. ing. The 8-in/8-out audio interface also includes now that the Denon DJ SC5000 Prime ($1,899) It comprises a 2-channel standalone mixer with two USB audio inputs for other Roland Aira gear media player ofers some extra features above and two extra channels for Traktor’s Remix Decks. It and 5-pin MIDI Out. beyond the latest CDJ at a lower price. For exam- integrates just as well with turntables or media Not only is the Denon DJ MCX8000 ($1,299) a ple, the SC5000 Prime has eight multimode per- players connected to its audio inputs as it does with do-everything, 4-deck Serato DJ Pro controller, but formance pads along the bottom, a multi-touch 7" add-on controllers like the aforementioned Kontrol it also has internal Denon Engine software for op- screen, as well as an HD display for track info or art D2 connected to one of the Z2’s two USB hub ports. erating as a standalone unit for playing music of of in the center of the jog wheel, three USB flash drive The remainder of these mixer controllers work two USB storage ports or from the four stereo line ports along with an SD card slot. The SC5000 Prime with Serato DJ Pro and Serato DJ DVS. The Pio- or phone inputs. The Engine track database also also integrates with Rekordbox and Serato software. neer DJM-S9 ($1,699) is designed to be a 2-chan- will import your Serato DJ cue points, so you can In a category pretty much of its own, the Pioneer nel battle mixer for scratch DJs, so it keeps the ar- perform with your tracks the same whether you’re XDJ-RX2 ($1,699) standalone digital DJ system eas surrounding the high-end Magvel Pro adjust- hooked up to Serato on a computer or using the feels like a hybrid between a DJ software control- able crossfader clean and puts the software con- MCX8000 as a standalone machine. ler with multimode performance pads and a club- trols above the faders. These include performance Y] JULY 2018 £Glt|zpjphuUjvt Wherever songs are made. It doesn’t matter if you’re setting up your first remote live stream session, DJing your hundredth party, or Studio 1810 Studio 26 mastering your twelfth studio album—the Studio-series & Studio 68 has got you covered. All of these interfaces boast as much I/O as we could squeeze into their sturdy chassis. Studio 1824 But robust hardware is only half the package. The ALL STUDIO-SERIES USB INTERFACES INCLUDE included Studio One® Artist DAW lets you record and mix with unlimited tracks and efects in an intuitive UI that stays out of your way. And the Studio Magic OVER $400 VALUE INCLUDED FREE Plug-in Suite expands your sonic palette with powerful VSTs from the best developers in the business. Regardless of what your musical passion is or STUDIO-SERIES where you make it happen—we’ve got the right interface for both your workflow and workspace. RECORDING SYSTEMS Learn more at www.presonus.com. 192 kHz, USB 2.0 Recording Systems ©2018 All Rights Reserved, PreSonus Audio Electronics. PreSonus is a registered trademark of PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc. 6WXGLR}2QHLVDUHJLVWHUHGWUDGHPDUNRI3UH6RQXV6RIWZDUH/WG$OORWKHUWUDGHPDUNVDUHSURSHUW\RIWKHLUUHVSHFWLYHRZQHUV Reloop RP-8000 Rane Rane pads with eight modes, FX selectors, and Style Seventy- Twelve Levers for quickly triggering or locking on efects. Two Mixars Quattro ($1,499) is the only 4-channel Mixars Quattro mixer controller of this bunch, and it provides soft- ware control for all four decks, as well. That includes transport controls, track browsing and loading, loop- ing, and cue point and sampler triggering. The Quattro also has two onboard efects modules: a 14-program beat synced efects units with display, and four filter/ tone efects selectable for the channel Filter knobs. The 2-channel Rane Seventy-Two ($1,899) raises the bar for mixer controllers with its color 4.3" touchscreen display that shows vertically scroll- Alpha 50, the most compact ing track waveforms with their cue points. Laid out of the line, like a scratch mixer with a clean fader section, the is perfectly adapted for 5”driver Seventy-Two still has tons of Serato control, includ- confined spaces. ALPHA ing 16 total performance pads with 10 modes, efects control, and an efects section with level and filter 50 knobs. The mixer has two USB ports for computer connections, as well as two USB ports meant for the companion Rane Twelve turntable controllers. ALPHA TURNTABLE CONTROLLERS STUDIO MONITORS For DJs who love the vinyl turntable feel, without The Alpha 65 performs just 6.5”driver the feel of a tweaked lower back from hauling full FOCAL PROFESSIONAL as well with record crates, the Rane Twelve ($799) delivers a ACCESSIBLE instrumental ALPHA music as with powerful motorized platter with adjustable torque TO ALL MUSICIANS! electronic and a real 12" vinyl that spins at 33.3 or 45 rpm and The Alpha studio monitors series music, and is redefines the level of performance you characterised by 65 has a Motor Of switch for traditional wind-down its great versatility. can expect from an efects. The extremely precise platter controls Se- affordable monitoring system. rato tracks with 3,600 ticks of resolution, and you Equipped with 100% Focal drivers can switch it to control all four Serato decks. It and robust class A/B amplifiers, the Alpha series will reveal also has a touch strip for track searching, as well your music like never before. as triggering cue points. Since it was made to work in conjunction with a mixer, it does not pass audio. 8”driver The Reloop RP-8000 ($699) is a fully func- ALPHA tional professional DJ turntable with a variable- Flagship of the torque, quartz-driven, direct-drive motor. It also line, Alpha 80 is particularly ideal happens to have a complement of MIDI controls for producing 80 and is Serato certified, although it does not in- music which is rich in bass or clude Serato software. The Trax encoder scrolls which requires through playlists and loads tracks from Serato’s high power reserves. library, while the column of eight drum pads con- trol Cue, Loop, Sample, and Slicer modes or two of those modes at once split into four pads each. The RP-8000 is available with an S-shaped tone-arm or a straight tone-arm, and you can daisy WWW.FOCAL.COM // USA — Distribution by AUDIO PLUS SERVICES www.audioplusservices.com chain up to four of them together into a single USB computer port. Q Y_ JULY 2018 £Glt|zpjphuUjvt yGqG tGqU mGq ͌GGGtGjG GiGGGGSG{G GGGGG GGGGGz BY BARBARA SCHULTZ | PHOTOS BY JAY GILBERT Roger Joseph Manning Jr. has toured with his own bands—including Jellyfish, Imperial Drag and the synth-geek favorite the Moog Cook- book—but for now he says he’s happy to be playing with Beck. For one thing, legs of Beck’s tour are relatively short, so Manning is able to spend more frequent time at home recording, which is his first musical love. Another plus: Beck appreciates the sounds that Manning brings. “I’ve got a Jupiter-8 and Prophet-10 out with me,” Manning says. “I warned him from the beginning, ‘These sound fantastic, but they’re old and I don’t have a backup if we run into any trouble on the road.’ He thought about it for a minute ZW JULY 2018 £Glt|zpjphuUjvt and said, ‘Well, I can hear the diference. I want my audience to hear the diference. So let’s bring ’em.’ I thought, Okay. I’m with the right employer.” Before heading back out on tour, Manning updated us on his stage gear as well as his lat- est EP, Glamping, a quartet of original songs that bridge many of the ’60s and ’70s vocal harmo- nies and keyboard sounds that Manning favors. hG G GGGGf Yes, I prefer to be in town recording. I love the construction aspect. But Beck is such family, and I’m such a fan, and he tours so smartly that I gladly create the time for it. JULY 2018 £Glt|zpjphuUjvt ZX yGt˅GjGr GGt˅G GGGG}GsT GGGGGGGGGGGGOG t SGGGGGG{ GsUG{G SGGT mGYPUG G G G G G SG G tG G sG GGGGGGUG oGjGj\ ˈpGG GGpGGGGGGGG {G G G G G SG G G ˅G G G G G˅`WSˉGtG UGˈt GGiGrSGGGGG UG{GGSGGjGk]SGG GGG tGjGGSGGpGGGGGGG UG{GGGGGGUGpGGSGGGGG G UG GTG͌UGvGGGGG G ˈ{GGGGGGYWWWGGGGGi G GGXWTTGSGGGGGUGhGzT GUGp˅G G GGpGGGGGGGG G~GGSG GGSGG GGSGoG GGGUG~GGGGGTGUˉ GGk]GGGGGGUG jG }GjGi {GGGGG G˅^WG GGpGGG }GGGG GSGGGGGGGG G UG {G pG G G G G G UGpGGGGGGUG{ GGGGGGG SGSGGSGGGGGGT G G G G G G G UG G G G G GGUGp˅G GGGGTG TG SGGp˅GGGG SGGGG GSGG˅G GGGGGGGUGpG GGGGG GG˅]WGTGG GG GGGGG GGG GGG GGGGGTGGOGmGXPUG nGw {GSGSGGGGGGGpGUG{GG iGk nG wG G G G SG G G G G p˅GGGGGGGGG GGG GGGGYWGGGGwGGGwT G G G G G G G G G G G G G GUGpG˅GGG GG GpGUGpGGG ͌GGGGGUG~G G͌GGSG GG G TG G SG SG zG jG GSGGGGGG SG GG G GGGGGGGGwT\GG G GGG G UGpGGtGjSGGGG G SGGG GGGGGGG GGG GGSG UG~GGGGGG GG G G G GGG UGp˅G GGGiG UG{GkGGG GGTGG GG GGUGhGGGGGGU Fig. 1. Here, Roger is flanked by his dual-manual Cordovox and Fig. 2. Roger with his rare, clear Gleeman Pentaphonic his Hohner Clavinet C5 sitting atop a Fender Rhodes Seventy- synthesizer. His prized Baldwin Discoverer is behind him sitting Three. atop the dual-manual Vox Continental Baroque organ. ZY JULY 2018 £Glt|zpjphuUjvt ~GGG G GG f ~˅G GGG Gf Interestingly enough, we’re in the process of rede- I don’t actually own an acoustic piano. I’ve got signing the keyboard rig, but for the past four years, every sample library everybody else has: the Ivory promoting the last record, Morning Phase, and the piano libraries and Nord, and Cinesamples has new album, Colors, it consisted of an incredible mar- some nice upright pianos. Keyscape had just came riage of old and new. I’ve got a Yamaha upright acous- out when I was making this EP, and I love that. tic piano, a Clavinet D6 right next to my Nord Stage But there is an acoustic piano on this record. 88, which I use both as a controller and to get some The piano for “I’m Not Your Cowboy” is the baby good Wurly and electric piano and synth sounds. And grand at my parents’ house in northern California. then I’ve got the Jupiter-8 and Prophet-10. My brother Chris Manning is a talented engineer, and he captured the acoustic piano and vocals on ~˅GGGGGGGf two of the Glamping songs. Beck is working on a new visual concept for his In the past several years, I just haven’t been in a stage show, and he wants to minimize the clutter home that has space for an acoustic piano. It would of gear. We’re still figuring out what that’s going be nice to have a big, broad Elton John grand piano to look like. I’m working with [computer tech] sound, but that requires quality miking through a Ian Longwall, who oversees our Ableton soft- quality board in a quality room, and I’m making ware samples. We have several people, including a solo record out of my back pocket. Fortunately, me, triggering samples and Ian masterminds that. technology is such that I have options. We’re still figuring it out, but I think we’ll be sam- pling a lot of my custom sounds, which might be ~GGG GGGGˈvT time-consuming, but it will sound good and the ˉfG{GGGGT GU tech crew won’t be shaking their fists at me for That song is built on top of an eighth-note having to haul that Yamaha into every venue.” Wurlitzer electric piano pattern. All of the electric piano coming from the left is my vintage Wurlitzer {G G G G G G G 200a. The Electric piano that’s right-heavy is from nUG Keyscape; that’s one of their electric pianos that The evolution of those songs is similar to my pre- I mutated because I wanted to have a super-rich, vious two solo records (Land of Pure Imagination and chorusy vintage-sounding, Wurlitzer electric-pia- Catnip Dynamite) 10 years ago. After Jellyfish and no sound. So you’ve got old meets new there. Imperial Drag broke up, I was sitting on pounds of unfinished material that I was hoping to finish with pGGGGGG hGGGG GGGf my collaborators some day, but that didn’t happen. GSGGlGqG I put a scratch vocal on almost immediately be- Even as I continued to freelance and go about my cause I’ve learned that I have to arrange around business, these songs just wouldn’t leave me alone. GGSG the lead vocal. Everything else is going to be sub- I couldn’t stand not to finish them and share them. GGG G servient to that. In the past, I sometimes got so So, I just started working on them in Pro Tools. It excited about all these wonderful parts, I realized was a labor of love and I took my time. For example, I GGG G by the time I put the lead vocal on, there were too could hear a bass part the way I wanted it in my head, GGG GSG many things distracting from it. Now I make sure but that didn’t mean I could pick up a bass and play the bass part, a drum fill—everything is paying at- it. So, I would sit patiently and try, even though I’m Gp˅GGGG tention to the lead vocal and helping to build dy- not trained as a bass player. And with the help of the GGG GG namics against what the lead vocal is doing. computer, I would nudge the audio around till I got to And then I go decorating-crazy and at some what the bass part should sound like. Something that UGm SG point—I’d say when a song is about 50 percent might take a properly trained bass player 20 minutes GGGGpG fleshed out—I’ll put the background vocals on be- to get to might take me three days to arrive at the same cause they’re usually very thick and are going to destination, but I just sculpted everything that way, GUG demand a lot of space in the arrangement. I don’t making adjustments until it had the right groove. have a system, but I do try to make sure everything The songs on the EP are newer but like the serves the lead vocal out of the gate. other solo records, there may be a verse that I wrote in college, or a snippet of a melody from I just jumped in and started programming drums, ~G G G G G G G G three years ago, and I fleshed it out. All that said, creating a skeleton for the songs. I’ve found that GGfG music is something I just get up in the morning once I complete the drum architecture, I have a I really enjoy the art of background vocal arrang- and create, but lyrics are more work. So this time tone that the rest of the song can evolve from. It ing. If you listen to the kind of pop arrangements around, I reached out to a friend, Chris Price, and starts to dictate what the guitar sound should be, they had with Jef Lynne and ELO or The Carpen- he helped me write three of the songs. what the keyboard sound should be. ters or Fleetwood Mac or Queen, it all evolved from Then, if the song is keyboard-driven, there will the folk trends from the early ’60s. I grew up really vG G G G G SG G be a piano bed or a synth bed next, or it might be a appreciating that and trying to develop that skill, GG G GG͌f guitar part—just trying to get a rhythm bed together. and I continue to do that because I love it so much. JULY 2018 £Glt|zpjphuUjvt ZZ Every song on this EP provided a diferent vo- gineer, though, so I work with a great mixer named By his own admission, he was very much a one-man cal jigsaw puzzle both in terms of how you voice John Paterno. If we got into complex chorusing or show at that point. He had a hit song [“Hello It’s the chords and write them out compositionally, delays on vocals, I let John take care of that. Frankly, Me”] and enough money to buy some gear, and he and how you record them sonically: how many when I’m constructing a keyboard sound or a vocal shoved everything into his apartment and he didn’t people you put on each note and how you multi- arrangement, if I go down the engineering rabbit have any rules, just songs that he loved. track it. Some things I really wanted the sound to hole, the idea can get lost very quickly. Musically, I’ve When I listen to those recordings, I completely be thick and juicy, and other times I wanted things got to be impulsive with my idea or I might lose it. get lost in the environment that he created, not more intimate, with fewer voices, and each poses just of the tunes but of him saying, “This is me, its own challenges. jG G˅GGGG just raw, stumbling around the equipment.” Soni- SGGGGGGGGG cally his songs were breaking every recording rule oGG GGGf G GSGGGGU in the book. Stuf is distorting. Parts are panned all For the most part, all the singing was into my Au- There’s an era of Todd Rundgren solo albums crazy; there’s so much nuttiness going on, but it dio-Technica 4050 microphone, into an Avalon mic that absolutely inspires me to do what I do: that pe- ends up enhancing his songs because it adds that pre, into Pro Tools. I have no real training as an en- riod when he made A Wizard, a True Star and Todd. much more charm and character. m SGGpNG GG G GGGG Studio furniture SGGpGG GGG GSGGG 3 x 4U Rack Bays GGG G UGt SGpNG GGGG G GGGpGG GU Extra-large Rolling Tray for 88-key Keyboard {G G G G G G G G GGSGGG GGGG Miza 88XL GGf STUDIO DESK FOR MASTER KEYBOARD, CONTROLLERS, RACKS, SCREENS AND SPEAKERS To choose one, obviously, is challenging, but it pretty much always come back to the Clavinet for me. It’s such a joy to play because it’s highly 2 x 4U Rack Bays percussive, and I grew up playing drums so I en- joy that. It allows me to be much more rock and heavy if I choose. You can put a Clavinet through a Marshall stack and guitar amps and pedals. That’s what I did in Imperial Drag; I had my Clavinet and Wurlitzer going through guitar amps and pedals, and I was basically the second guitar player. The Clavinet has what is basically a giant guitar pick-up underneath it, so if you put some delay on it—particularly an analog delay—you can bend the Rolling Tray for Keyboard delay time, I’ve gotten some crazy almost pedal steel-like sounds out of it. It’s a highly expressive Miza 88 instrument that many people only know from Ste- STUDIO DESK TO PLACE KEYBOARD, CONTROLLERS, vie Wonder on “Superstition.” I’ve really enjoyed 8 RACK UNITS, SCREEN AND SPEAKERS presenting what it can do to an audience. So if I had to be on a desert island with a piece of gear, I www.zaorstudiofurniture.com guess that would probably be it, even though I’ve USA — Distribution by www.audioplusservices.com || CANADA — Distribution by www.plurison.com got a lot of cool synthesizers. Q Z[ JULY 2018 £Glt|zpjphuUjvt ©2017 Bose Corporation. be your go-anywhere anddo-it-allmusicsystem. the ultimate PA, fl and any useof suchmarks by Bose Corporation isunder license. The Introducing theBose time. Anywhere. Any Ready to perform. unparalleled portability, and Sound great anywhere withtheS1Pro system. With bigsound, Get fullproduct detailsatBOSE.COM/S1 Bluetooth ® word markandlogosare registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG,Inc. oor monitor, andpractice ampthat’s ready to ® S1 Pro Multi-PositionPA System Bluetooth ® connectivity, theS1Pro is thnhpul Z] ov~T{v JULY 2018 w GOz PGGGi iGt {olGhy{GvmGzu{oGzvsvpun BY JERRYKOVARSKY £Glt|zpjphuUjvt added minorthird. fifth, andsixth scaletones.You canalsothink ofitasthemajorpentatonic scalewithan Ex. 1.The solo we are covering this month. solo wearecoveringthismonth. tional columnonsynthsoloing.Buthereweare,andit’s arare, butverytastylittle ally isonlyknown tohave taken onetruesynthsolo, ules, includingaRoland MKS-20. However, here- to control anever-expanding arsenalofMIDImod- went whole-hog-in usingaKurzweil MIDIBoard Prophet 5(andlatera10),Yamaha GS-1, andthen but hestartedtodiversify andusedaMinimoog, a actually), Rhodes, andsomeferocious B3playing, he covered acousticpiano(mostly Yamaha CP-70, during histenure from 1979to1990. Ofcourse, land brought alotofsonicdiversity tothegroup The Grateful Dead’s fourthkeyboardist, Brent Myd- N EXPANDING THEDEAD’SSONICPALETTE & o doubtyou aresurprisedtoseemecoveringtheGrateful Deadinaninstruc- # # # A œ majorbluesscale, whichconsistsoftheroot, second,minorthird,major third, œ nœ œ # œ œ œ j ‰ tarist mightplay. He mostlyusesthe gui- melodic, andsoundsakintowhatapedal-steel of ChuckBerry. Mydland’s soloisvery simpleand ten by Jerry Garcia andRobert Hunter inthestyle “Alabama Getaway” isabasicI-IV-V rocker, writ- the and thatwas onthetune“Alabama Getaway” from with theaddedminorthird—the scale, whichislike the 1). Thefullsoloof16barsisshownPay inEx.par- 2. TASTY MOOGTREAT Go toHeaven album,released in1980. A major pentatonic scale majorpentatonicscale C natural (see Ex. A major blues majorblues C5 A5 C5 A5 A D7 # fi fijù . fi # 4 V V V j ù ™ œ û j ù fi j & # 4 ‰ ‰ œn û œ œ˙‰ œn œ œ œ œ œn û œ œ˙‰ jù û 1:46 J J J œ 12J œ œ 3œ œ œ œ D7 E7 D7 œ # # fij ù œ. œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œœœ œ œœ œ # ‰ œû œ œ ‰œ J ‰ 45& ˙ J J 67 C5 A5 C5 A5 A7 fijù û fijù û fijù û œœ œœ œ œ œn œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœ œn œ ### œ œ œ œ œ 89& 10 D7 fiù E7 fijù œj û ™fi œ œn û œ œ œn jû ù œœ fij œœ fi # œ œ œ œ œ œœœ œû ù jû ù ## œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 11& 12J 13 D7 ù û C5 A5 C5 A5 œ œn œ œ fijù û # œn œ œœ œ œn œ nœœ œ ## œ œ œ œ œ œn œ 14 & 15 16 Ex. 2. Brent Mydland’s only synth solo with the Grateful Dead, as captured on the studio recording of “Alabama Getaway” in 1980. Note the tasteful pitch bending, which seems to emulate a pedal steel guitar approach. A # ## fij jù jù & Ó‰œn û œ œ œ Ó‰œ œn œ Ex. 3. Two approaches to playing the opening phrase of the solo. The first uses the technique of pre-bending a note down, which allows for a smoother release of the wheel post-bend. The second uses an easier bend approach, but it can be dicult to release the wheel quickly before the last note. E7 fi jû ù œœ fij ù œœ ù œœ ù œœ # # œ œ œ œû œ œ œ œ œ œ & # Ex. 4. Here’s another example showing the pre-bent note technique vs. the more traditional bending approach. You should strive to master both methods. ticular attention to the various bends throughout play the G. To play this whole solo you should set bend range we are using. Be sure to listen to the the solo. Brent utilizes a number of techniques and your bend range to a whole-step above and below, recorded solo to hear how smoothly Mydland ex- speeds of bending, which shows how well he had so you need to get familiar with what the half-step ecutes these bends, and the whole solo in general. assimilated the Minimoog, even though it showed feels like (and sounds like). up rarely in his performances with the band after To hear why this technique is helpful, look at LIVE VERSIONS 1981-82. The bluesy half-step bends from B to C Example 3 and try both of the bend approaches There are so many live recordings of the band, and natural in bars 1 and 9 through 11 are quick, but shown. In the second approach, where you play you can hear that Brent often stuck closely to this listen to the slow whole-step bend he does in bar the F♯ and then bend up the half-step into the G, solo in concert. Of note is their appearance on Sat- 4. Very expressive. it is hard to keep the notes legato and then play urday Night Live on April 5, 1980, when they were His opening line utilizes a cool bend technique the A cleanly, without hearing the “release” of the first promoting the new record. Mydland plays the that I’d like to analyze. Looking at my notation you bend mechanism. The pre-bend technique of the solo exactly like the record. On Dick’s Picks, Vol. 13, see that the first note is bent: he plays a G key but first example avoids this. the version performed at Nassau Coliseum, N.Y., sounds an F♯. Here, I don’t mean for you to play In Example 4, I show the application of this on March 6, 1981, has a markedly diferent Mini- the G and then bend down to the F♯ audibly. You technique again later in the solo, which occurs in moog sound, with a softer attack. And you can need to pre-bend the note, so your wheel/joy- bars 12 and 13. Here the pre-bends are a whole- watch him play the solo on YouTube at a March stick/lever is bent down a half-step before you step, which is easier to execute since it is the full 28, 1981, concert at the Rockpalast in Germany. Q JULY 2018 £Glt|zpjphuUjvt Z^ thnhpul Z_ ov~T{v JULY 2018 two limbs? Why should drummers have all the fun when we can use our feet, too? two limbs?Why shoulddrummershave allthefunwhenwecanuseourfeet,too? gaining independencebetweenourleftandrighthand.Butwhataboutother the feet.For example, ing quarternotes with same time, alternat- clave while, atthe as you tapoutthe3-2 ternating thehands quarter notes. both feettoalternate fortable withthat,use 2). Onceyou are com- with your lefthand(Ex. foot andthe3-2 clave notes withyour right and hand:Tap quarter able trytheotherfoot once you feel comfort- copation. exercises duetoitssyn- and itisusefulinour gether intheensemble, the otherrhythms to- thatlocksall the ‘key’ music. Thismeansitis rhythm inAfro-Cuban known asa‘keystone’ rhythm inEx. 1.The3-2 clave rhythm iswhat left foot.With your righthand,tapthe3-2 clave nome (althoughametronome willalways help). sitting intraic, etc.)withorwithoutametro- ticed anywhere (while watching TV, intheoice, The beautyisthattheseexercises canbeprac- rhythm ofeachlimbandnotworry aboutnotes. So forthree oftheseexercises, we’ll focusonthe dence by tappingonwhatever isaround them. Drummers constantlypractice limbindepen- ple exercises, utilizingthe limbs takes dedicatedpractice, andthesesim- you beginthejourney. mGGGGGGG GGGG sGpG vynhuG~vyrzovwG A CLAVE INTHEHAND BY JIMALFREDSON Next, practice al- Practice slowly and, Start by tappingquarternoteswithyour Developing independencebetween allfour s keyboardists, most of us have spent a fair amount of time working toward s keyboardists, mostofushave spentafair amountoftimeworkingtoward £Glt|zpjphuUjvt Ex. 4 Ex. 3 Ex. 2 Ex. 1 ½# ¼ ½ ¼ ½# ¼ ¼ son clave # # # # # # # # NNN N N N N NNN N NN N NNNN NNN N N N N NNNNNN N N N NNNN # # # # , willhelp NNN in thehands, dividetheclave rhythm between with eachfootonitsown against quarternotes tention towhere theofbeatsland. first, butthat’s okay. Practice slowly andpayat- copation oftheclave rhythm maytripyou upat play the3-2 clave withthefeet(Ex. 3).Thesyn- may have beenabiteasy. Let’s changeitupand feet whileplaying, already, theabove exercises Because many ofustapquarter noteswithour starting thenext patternwiththerighthand. ginning thepatternwithlefthandagain,or repeat, you have two optionstopractice: Be- would be starting withyour lefthand,theclave pattern CLAVE INTHEFOOT Once you are comfortableplayingtheclave left , N N right N , left N N N , right-left . Whenyou NNN N N N N NNN N N N NNN hold a with therighthand(Ex. 4).Thelefthandcan foot andthenbothfeet.Next, addthemelody als untilitbecomessecondnature, usingone ever, isinimprovising over thetop. ple andnever changeskey. Thediiculty, how- Let ’em Roll such asinhissong“Latona”from thealbum the clave rhythm formany ofhisbasslines, Jazz organist John Patton usedavariation of with your rightfoot. able withthat,practice thepatternstarting with theleft,andsoon.Onceyou’re comfort- left foot,thesecondwithyour right,thethird both feetby playingthefirstnotewithyour use ametronome whenever possible. hand over thetop. Remember, startslowly and dence, playvarious subdivisionswitheither clave rhythm. To gaingreater limbindepen- CLAVE INTHEBASS Begin by practicing thebasslineonped- G minorchord orplaythechord ina3-2 . Thebasslineisdeceptively sim- N N N N N N Q WWW.NEUMANN.COM 90 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE IN SOUND U 67 Return of the Legend Back in production, reproduced to the original specifations. thnhpul [W ov~T{v JULY 2018 F7 ting there should be half the fun. ting thereshouldbehalfthefun. process ofmovingortraveling fromonekey toanother. Asinalltraveling, get- each root— circle offourths, playingasimple7thchord on conventional movement ofchords around the will limityour thinking. Let’s startwiththe be locked intoany specificsetofrulesthat lodic movement thatiseasytofollow? instrumentalist whoneedsharmonicandme- creativity? Are you modulatingfor a singeror to usefree form,playingrubatotoshow ofyour of measures suchastwo orfour?Would you like a steadyrhythm? Doyou want aneven number during thekey change. Doyou want tomaintain mind astoexactly whatyou want toaccomplish to another, you shouldhave somethoughtin use achord progression tomove from onekey again) inadiferent key. Whenyou decideto and startthenext tune(orthesameoneover at all.Simplyfinishthetuneinoriginalkey G fourth), suchasfrom thekey of in whichyou playthediferent tunes. ment upordown willbedictatedby the order music writtenintheoriginalkeys, your move- medley, especiallywhenyou’re usingsheet from ahalf on,willpleasetheear.-step necessary tomove upafourth;any movement, the conventional direction forreading.) It isn’t than down afifth isbecauseleft- is to-right from dominanttotonicasupafourth rather One ofthereasons Ispeak ofthemovement move upward tocreate abrightersound.(Note: rus.) Generally, whenchangingkey, you should C7 t wGvG~ higher. (Example: Endingon and thischord willactasaV7inthekey afourth jor chord toa7thchord builtonthesameroot, tune alift,you cansimplychangethefinalma- making acompletecircle. O , istochangethe finalmajorchord toaminor, andmove upto to Once you have theabilitytomodulate, don’t The simplestmodulationisno A simple rule for moving up a fifth (down a A simplerulefor moving upafifth (down a When you’re moving between tunesina If you are arbitrarily changingkeys togive a ne of the subjects I’ve received many questions about is modulation, the ne ofthesubjectsI’vereceivedmany questionsaboutismodulation,the B 7 to £Glt|zpjphuUjvt B7 E 7 to to E7 A F 7 majorforthesecondcho- to to A7 D 7 to to C D7 major, changeto G C 7 to to the key of tothekey of (= G7 F ♯ to 7 ) to C7 B7 to , this inotherkeys around thecircle offourths. Ex. 3 Ex. 2 Ex. 1 key. Example: Endingon abovea whole-step andfrom there intothenew then move uptothe7thchord builtontheroot sion IIm7, V7, I( be IIm7inthenewkey. Thenusetheprogres- sion oftherelated Vlm7(Am7),whichwould think oftheI6(C6)inoldkey asaninver- we’ll sticktochord progressions fornow. subject istooinvolved togointothismonth,so the tuneyou’re abouttoplayinthenewkey. This complex linesby creating melodiesthatrelate to ody linesusingarpeggios, orcome upwithmore tice thismodulationaround thecircle offourths. chord progression IVm, V7, Iinthenewkey. Prac- minor, thento making itIIm7, IVm6, V7, I.Endingin You canalsoaddaIVm6 tothisprogression, becomes modulating toG, theentire progression then Another way togettheV7(orV9, V11,V13, Another way tomodulateupafifthis When modulating, you cancreate simplemel- G7 , C6 D7 followed by = Am7 Am7 , D7 , Cm6 C , major, changeto G G ) inthenewkey. , major. That’s the D7 , G . Practice C and C ed touse step above orbelow it.For example, ifwe want- etc.) ofthenewkey isthrough theroot ahalf- either issue of This articleoriginally as this(seeEx. 2). nal chords inEx. 3are substitutions fortheorigi- material we’ve justcovered (the fers anumberofpossibilitiesthatrelate tothe key of (see Ex.1).M a whole-step froma whole-step thekey of Here are someofthepossibilitiesformoving up erally acceptthiskindofchromatic movement. fifth below thatofanoriginalminor6thchord. nities tosubstitutethe9thchord whoseroot isa IVm6 intheinitialkey. Lookformore opportu- gressions above isheard asasubstitutionfor nique forabeginner. good, andit’s easyenoughtobeahandytech- or oneofthenotesahalf-step away. It sounds either oneofthenotesindiminishedchord rectly tothenewV7, whichwillhave asitsroot ished chord onthesameroot andproceed di- inal endingmajorchord, thenplayadimin- BY BILLIRWIN Here’s atipfrom Val St. Regis: Playtheorig- The Moving from thekey of B majorchord). E E Contemporary Keyboard D tothekey of 7 D7 or 9 chord inthesecondandthird pro- tomove into D odulating upamajorthird from the 7 before the appeared in the October 1977 appeared intheOctober1977 G Q could be done as simply couldbedoneassimply G D7 major, we couldplay B tothekey of . Theearwillgen- F magazine. tothekey of B m7 and G B of- 13 G Over $300,000 in cash awards & prizes! ENTRY FEES HELP SUPPORT THE NON-PROFIT JOHN LENNON EDUCATIONAL TOUR BUS thnhpul [Y ov~T{v JULY 2018 Fig. 2 Fig. 1 wGXaG~Gk i Gh zv|ukGklzpnuG~vyrzovw BY FRANCISPREVE £Glt|zpjphuUjvt 400 BPMifyou’re using64thnotes. Then, setyour mastertempotoatleast200BPM; favorite samplerforuseasatimbral resource. like, itcanberecorded andimporteditintoyour new waveforms. Onceyou’ve created asoundyou begin by exploring theirpotentialasasource for tors, beyond how theyare normallyused.Let’s demonstrate thesonicpossibilitiesofarpeggia- are usefulforcrafting melodicrh position stepstoincrediblysmallnotevalues. Althoughtheseadvanced features usually packed withfeaturesranging from customizable patternstounusualtrans- in vintageanalogsynths.Nowadays, nearlyeveryDAW includesanarpeggiator, in Ableton’s Operator. wave; Figure 2shows thestandard default preset an instrumentthatcangenerate asimplesine with thistechnique, Irecommend beginning with Although any softsynthor samplerwillwork well Select aninstrumentfrom your DAW’s toolkit. terms ofsounddesign. A STEP 2 In thenext two SoundDesigncolumns, Iwill Starting with asingle-frequency sinewave will rpeggiators have will alsowork (seeFigure 1). notes are ideal,but64thnotes giator toitsfastestsetting;128th extremely fasttempos. generator inconjunctionwith an arpeggiatorintoawaveform features are thekeys toturning small notevalues. Thesetwo options andtheabilitytosetvery clude abroad array ofpattern Most modernarpeggiatorsin- STEP1 Begin by settingyour arpeg- comealongway sincethey appeared asaccompanimenttools ythms, they are equally loaded with possibilities in ythms, they areequallyloadedwithpossibilitiesin Fig. 3 your newlydeveloped waveform to chain andusethemastertempoofyour DAW totune beyond that,you’ll have lesscontrol over thesound. your arpeggiatortooneoctave. If your patterngoes ternate patternandyou’ll getadiferent timbre. play achord andthetonewillchange. Selectanal- a singlepitchedtone. Onceyou’re hearingthetone, stead ofarhythmic cascade, you’ll begreeted with and sinewave generator inplace, playanote. In- With your arpeggiatornotevalue, mastertempo, will importcleanlyintoyour samplerofchoice. That way, when you render orrecord your results, it will setyour sounds apartfrom thepack. can beatreasur tings. With abitofexperimentation, thisapproach between synthesizerparameters andarpeggioset- niques, you canexplore thenumerous interactions deeply forwiderspectral variety. can theninvestigate thesynthparameters more tings. Onceyou getthehangofthisprocess, you that are theresult ofthesynthorsampler’s set- are created by thearpeggiator, itself, andthose help you diferentiate between thetimbres that STEP 3 Finally, applyatunerplug-in attheendofyour If you are looking forconsistentresults, restrict Once you’ve gotahandleontheabove tech- e trove ofuniquewaveforms that C (see Figure 3). (seeFigure 3). Q [[ ky|tGthjopulG since 2000. Checkout his w soundware company at Francis Preve hasbeen yl}pl~ designing synthesizer designing synthesizer presets professionally symplesound.com. JULY 2018 quite afewpowerfulsurprises,too). user’s wishlistofupgrades (with The TR-8Sfeature-set readslike a Artists spoke, andRoland listened. y G svunG{ptl {yT_zG puGhG {olGilz{G Motion sequencing £Glt|zpjphuUjvt assignable colors Faders have roland.com $699 design. greatly enhancekit Software editingwould No CR-78 ACBmodels. sptp{h{pvuz voltage-based gear. double astriggersfor Assignable audioouts oriented sequencing. fects. Performance- drums. Extensiveef- cessing ofindividual card. Real-time pro- sampled datafromSD Import andprocess Over 400instruments. z{ylun{oz BY FRANCISPREVE ROLAND }ly G percussion elements in every dance music genre. percussion elementsineverydancemusicgenre. classicanalog the 808kick,909snare,andRoland’s machines? Inthattime,it’s becomeimpossibletoavoid mostinfluentialdrum to theiconicsoundofRoland’s the dancemusicsceneby reintroducing ageneration ble ofsendingmultichannel audiofortheindivid- covered by bothDINandUSB, withthe latter capa- tasksandprocessing audio.side-chaining MIDIis which canbeusedinavariety ofways, including trigger outputisalsopresent (seeFigure 1). to othergearorhave amodularrig. Adedicated tional outscanserve astriggersifyou’re syncing puts, inadditiontothestereo pair. Theseaddi- as you explore thewiderange ofenhancements. straightforward, asyou canleanonmusclememory text. Upgrading your workflow from theTR-8 is first unit,withnewfeatures logicallyplacedincon- is usefulwhenperformingindarkclubsettings. colors forthefaderLEDsonaper-kit basis, which tomizable. For example, you canassignyour own and nearlyevery aspectismore refined andcus- TR-8S’s buildqualityissubstantiallymore robust, plastic housingandbold,almosttoy-like design,the Whereas thefirstTR-8 combinedalightweight The TR-8S. and 909, whatdoes“more” looklike? Spoileralert: But withsomethingastime-honored asthe808 will masterthefeatures andthendemandmore. H MORE WHEREYOU NEEDIT There isalsoa pair ofexternal audioinputs, The backpanelincludessixassignable1/4"out- The parameter layout islargely identicaltothe But aswithany hitproduct over time, users as it really been four years since the TR-8 upended as itreallybeenfouryears sincetheTR-8upended in thesynthesis and efectsamenitiesforeach. ifyouceiling ofthisinstrument—especially factor it’s doubtfulyou’ll ever hityour headonthesonic than 30years ofdrumlibraries available online, (300, ifyou’re working instereo), andwithmore seconds ofmemoryfor44.1kHz monosamples thing substantial.Thatsaid,there isaround 600 nization would bepretty cumbersomeforany- enough forloopsoreven stems, manualsynchro- up to180seconds. Whilethat’s theoretically long adding your own samples, eachofwhich canbe chord, bass, voice, andstaboptions. sampled hits, includingroughly 160efect,synth, 8. Inaddition tothe81ACB drums, there are 342 that are available asexpansion packsfortheTR- modeled 808, 909, 606, 626, 707, and727drums cluding alloftheACB (AnalogCircuit Behavior) 44 oftheseintheunit’s 128kits. empty slotsforusercustomizations, andthere are always pleasedwhenmanufacturers leave afew world percussion—and alotmore inbetween. I’m and mized formoderndancegenres, trap/hip-hop the 808and909, tospecialized kitsthatare opti- land’s existing array ofdrummachines, suchas from ofRo- functionallyidenticalre-creations cation, there are 84preset kitsthatrunthegamut Whether you’re usingfactorysamplesorim- If that’s notenough,there’s anSDcard slotfor The onboard drumsare comprehensive, in- the efectsoutlinedbelow. dio processing through many of can alsouseUSB forunusualau- ual drums, asontheTR-8. You If you justwant instantgratifi- SOUNDS FACTORY ANDCUSTOM Programmable AutoFill absence of tradition- al song construc- tion tools becomes a relatively moot point: With up to 16 8-bar (A-H) patterns instantly available Fig. 1. In addition to MIDI, USB, and a dedicated trigger output, the TR-8S includes six assignable audio outputs that (128 total), certain can double as trigger outputs. The SD Card slot allows you to load your own samples into the unit. dance and pop ar- rangements can be porting your own, there are a number of synthesis ADVENTURES IN SEQUENCING configured with a little advance planning, if that’s tools for further customization, including an amp The TR-8S lets you enter drum parts in three dis- your goal. envelope with attack and several hold parameters tinct ways: By activating steps using the iconic There’s also a user programmable auto-fill fea- for sample duration. The resonant filter operates 808-style editor for each instrument, trigger- ture for each pattern, with options for 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, in both lowpass and highpass modes with a dedi- ing multiple drums within a kit by tapping their and 32-bar intervals—along with a manual insert op- cated envelope for modulating the cutof. Other associated buttons, or—new to this instrument tion—which is ideal if you’re sticking with conven- parameters include stereo spread and a bit-crush- series—by selecting a drum and tapping a single tional arrangement tactics. The auto-fill feature also er for each sample. velocity-sensitive rubberized pad on the right of includes options for the original TR-8 scatter func- For the ACB-modeled instruments, there’s a dif- the control panel. This last approach allows for tion, which is useful for glitch and EDM transitions. ferent set of parameters that correspond to their nuanced articulations of hi-hats and shakers, as Like its predecessors, the surface of the se- sounds. For example, when working with the 808 well as authentic snare and tom fills. quencing tools leans heavily toward 4/4, but hit snare, this knob can be assigned to Snappy for direct Like the TR-8, the TR-8S puts its focus square- the “Last” button and you’ll quickly discover that control over its noise component. On the kick, you ly on performance, so there are no obvious song- every drum/instrument can have its own length. Dig can adjust the attack transient. Toms include a few creation tools here (though there’s a really clever a little deeper and you can create what Roland calls new parameters that relate to their predecessors’ workaround below) but that’s not the point. “sub-steps” for each step, with their own divisions. sound, but allow more in-depth customization. Where the original adhered to a more purist ap- These are huge assets for extremely complex poly- In addition to the instrument-editing tools, proach to re-creating the behavior of the 808 and rhythms in the context of traditional club music. the front panel includes dedicated tune and de- 909, the sequencing tools in the TR-8S function Another major upgrade? Kits can now be cay knobs, as well as an assignable control knob like a wish list of upgrades that address the limita- saved with the patterns, so even in the above sce- that can be used for panning, efects sends, LFO tions of the first unit. nario, you can alter the sonic character dramati- depth, and an array of insert efects including fil- On the earlier unit, each pattern included A/B cally within a performance or composition, doing ters, boosts, compression, drive, and a second bit- variations that could be tied together to create things like using an 808 snare and hats for one sec- crusher, among them. a longer pattern of up to 32 steps. From there, tion and switching a 707 snare for another, while you could select contiguous strings of multiple keeping a 909 kick throughout. KITS AND EFFECTS patterns, up to its 16-pattern maximum. If you In addition to more thorough pattern sequenc- In addition to the extensive drum design tools, thoughtfully used the entire unit’s memory, you ing options, all of the instrument knobs and efects each kit has enhanced versions of the delay and could theoretically sequence a 32-bar pattern. now ofer Motion sequencing, which is easy to reverb, with a surprisingly deep level of custom- When it comes to sequencing, the TR-8S is ex- implement: Just turn on Motion, hold the Record ization for each. Each kit also includes a set of ponentially more sophisticated. For starters, each button, and turn the desired parameter. Once you mastering efects, some of which are identical to pattern includes eight variations that can be relat- have something that works, you can save it with the instrument inserts, with the addition of a few ed to each other (for continuity purposes) or total- your pattern. And yes, you can parameter lock to more distortion efects, flanging, phasing, and a ly diferent grooves. These variations are labeled steps too, if that’s your sound. variation on the sideband filter from the System-8 A through H and can be combined in any permu- and V-Synth. tation, as long as they proceed sequentially. That A BOLD NEW BEAT There’s also a sidechain option that can be de- is, with a single pattern’s set of variations, you can Since its introduction, I’ve been using a TR-8 rived from the TR-8S’s external input or one of the manually configure it to play ABCD for a period (both live and in the studio) and in that time it’s drums in a kit. While this sidechain feature does of time, then press ACGH for a thematic varia- become a real workhorse when I need an authen- all the usual tricks with compression and such, the tion, and BDEG for another section. Discovering tic Roland vibe. The TR-8S is an order of magni- kit-level master LFO (with multiple waveforms) is that the patterns didn’t require contiguity was a tude more advanced, without sacrificing the origi- a bigger standout, as it can be assigned at the instru- huge lightbulb moment as a performer, because it nal’s legit street cred. ment level to almost any drum parameter. It’s great means you can generally use a single pattern (with As a studio instrument, it will quickly become for everything from wobbles to subtle timbre shifts these variations) as the basis for an entire track or a go-to for electronic producers. As a live instru- pervading a groove. This is the first time I’ve seen song. What’s more, any given selection of pattern ment, I have no doubt it will be quickly embraced this feature on a mainstream drum machine and I variations is saved with the pattern, so pattern 1 by the DJ crowd. As a sound designer, I can’t wait expect it to become a hallmark of the TR-8S sound. will remember its last entered configuration. to start creating my own custom kits for this beast. All of the above parameters are saved with each In this way, you can have pattern 1 play ABCD, It can take any sample collection—homespun or kit, and kits can easily be copied, so if you find or pattern 2 play BCDF, and pattern 3 play A-H in se- third-party—and breathe new life into it. create something that has a vibe you like, you can quence, then string those three patterns together Yes, this is a rave review, because the TR-8S is use it as the basis for future projects. to create a custom 16-bar cycle. This is where the an astonishing achievement for $700. Q JULY 2018 £Glt|zpjphuUjvt [\ oG__ ~p{oGljlsslu{G [] zvspkG|ziVtpkpG com, Jon Regen isasinger, editor ofKeyboardmag. In addition to being the In additiontobeingthe songwriter, andpianist yl}pl~ wphuvGhj{pvuG from New York City. JULY 2018 jvu{yvsslyG sv~Tjvz{SG £Glt|zpjphuUjvt m-audio.com $399 street speak of. At thisprice,noneto sptp{h{pvuz fordable. software included.Af- build quality. Pro-level hammer action.Terrific Satisfying piano- z{ylun{oz M-AUDIO BY JONREGEN Minimal controls who requires amultitudeofknobsandports. the beginnerdigital-pianomarket oratthepoweruser note controllersonthemarket, butmost areaimedat ler canbedaunting.Therearenumerousweighted,88- acoustic piano,findinganapproachableMIDIcontrol- wheels, increment/decrement buttons, andavol- sion rarely available onadigitaldevice. piano partswithadegree ofaccuracy andexpres- the player todigin.Ifoundthatwas abletoplay ment, theHammer 88’s actionismeatyandbegs actions Ihave tried.Much like anacousticinstru- vation, theHammer 88hasoneof thebestweighted piano feelare oftenleftunsatisfied.Without reser- electric-piano parts, thoseseekingaheftiergrand keyboard works well withpiano, organ, andsynth/ Hammer 88’s. Whilethisisusuallydonesothe have keyboard actions thatare farlighterthanthe Many of themore expensive 88-key controllers of astudioorlive rig;it’s thatwell-constructed. neuverable 38.5 pounds. It couldbethecenterpiece pears tobeMDF, andtheoverall weight isagig-ma- entire toppanelismadeofmetal,theundersideap- oferings, theHammer 88isasolidpieceofgear. The Unlike many ofthecompany’s lighter, more portable software andvirtualinstruments, allforunder $400. controls andports, andincludesasuiteoffantastic actiontoasetofbasicbutfunctional ed, piano-like be whatthedoctorordered. It marriesafullyweight- Audio’s Hammer 88USB/MIDI controller justmay F FIRST IMPRESSIONS The controls include pitch and modulation The controls includepitch and modulation The keyboard hasafantasticfeeland response. If, like me, you don’t fallintoeithercategory, M- or those who came to electronic music by way of the or thosewhocametoelectronicmusicby way ofthe Music stand included yourself totryone. but thinkslike a modernmusician,you owe itto controller for studioorstagethatplayslike apiano $400. If you’re lookingforanafordable MIDI cluded software, allunder40poundsand with itssolidpianoactionandinviting suiteofin- models whichdrew meinfrom thevery firstnote. larly great are Rhodes thetremolo andtape-delayed variations inthebundledVelvet software. Particu- Eighty-Eight pianoplug-in, aswell astheRhodes to lifewiththeHammer 88. lighter, more expensive 88-key controllers came keybed. PianopartsthatIstruggledtocraft on impressed withtheresilience andresponse ofthe Pro Tools andbeganrecording. Iwas thoroughly and registering theincludedsoftware, Ifired-up Immediately afterunpackingtheHammer 88 Hammer 88Preset Editor. Skoove interactive pianocourse, andtheM-Audio piano plug-in, athree-month subscriptiontothe 33 Tonewheel Organ plug-in, theVelvet electric (Mini Grand andEighty-Eight Ensemble),theDB- Ableton Live Lite, two acousticpianoplug-ins power. M-Audio includesamusicrest asabonus. action forstageorstudio controller witharealistic,piano-like 88 isawell-built,88-noteUSB/MIDI Despite itslowprice,theHammer ROCK IT, 88 Overall, M-Audio’s Hammer 88isawinner, I love theacousticqualityofincluded The software bundleincludesPro Tools First, Weighted piano-like action the Hammer 88canrunonUSB and anAC socket. Alternatively, USB and5-pinMIDIoutput, back are three footswitchjacks, included software editor. Onthe for performanceby meansofthe split intozonesandconfigured ume fader. 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Some restrictions may apply. See website for details. NYC DCA Electronics Store Lic. #0906712; NYC DCA Electronics & Home Appliance Service Dealer Lic. #0907905; NYC DCA Secondhand Dealer – General Lic. #0907906 © 2018 B & H Foto & Electronics Corp. [_ Mike Levineisacomposer, michaelwilliamlevine.com. k~GkG tppunGlhzply Editor—Studio for Mix. Editor—Studio forMix. yl}pl~ l Check out his website: Check outhiswebsite: instrumentalist from instrumentalist from producer, andmulti- and istheTechnical the New York area, klzpnulkG{vG JULY 2018 processing Instrument-based thrlGky|tG hGws|nTpuG £Glt|zpjphuUjvt AUDIFIED audified.com $199 section islimited. through presets.EQ No buttonforstepping eters are adjustable. Not alleectsparam- sptp{h{pvuz ly designedGUI. Invert switch.Eicient- ible Saturation section. and fast touse.Flex- Excellent presets. Easy z{ylun{oz BY MIKELEVINE compression Set upparallel channel strip that is specially designed for drums. channel stripthatisspeciallydesignedfordrums. need—except reverb—to mixdrums.Thinkofitlike a drum-mixing plug-inthathasvirtuallyeverythingyou ufacturer, tocreateDWDrum Enhancer, aone-stop teamed upwithDrumWorkshop, aleadingdrumman- To helpsimplifytheprocess,softwaremaker Audified also oftenrequiresanumberof The tubesgodark whenyou turnoftheplug-in. feature inthecentersectionis bypass button: with logosforAudified andDW. Theonlyfunctional picting tubesthatpeekoutfrom behindholes, along right sections. Dividing themisagraphic displayde- intelligently laidout,andeasytosee andaccess. has numerous knobsandbuttons. Fortunately, they’re The DW DrumEnhancer’s graphical userinterface that allows you tosetitupsuityour needs. there isasignificantamountofadjustabilityavailable processor andapreset-only plug-in. Nevertheless, hybrid thatsitsbetween beingafullyprogrammable rameters are useradjustable. The plug-in isasortof can changethemeterstoVUinMenu section. level, andGainReduction forthecompressor. You meters: InputandOutputlevel, Saturation input nal chain,whichisuseful.You alsogetfourLED the GUIcorresponds towhere theyare inthesig- diferent algorithms. Theprocessors’ positionin lowpass filters, andasaturation sectionwithfive larity switch,acompressor, anEQ, highpassand M UNDER CONTROL On theleft,near theInputLevel knob, isabut- leftand The panelisdividedintoequal-sized However, onlysomeofDW Drum Enhancer’s pa- The setupincludesanoisegate, aphase/po- ixing multitrack drums is not only challenging but ixing multitrack drumsisnotonlychallengingbut dierent processors. dierentprocessors. distortion Modeled tube it ishandytobeable toisolatetheintendedsound. but inothers, especiallywithkick orsnare tracks, of bleed.Insome cases, you willleave thebleedin, you are oftendealing withtracks thatincludealot Noise Gate. Agateisimportant fordrummixing, as A key processor intheDW DrumEnhancer is the how theyare setforeachoftheSelectorsettings. useful forAudified tocreate adocumentshowing not adjusttheinternalparameters, itwould be settings dosoundbrighter. Even thoughyou can- Heavy settingsare subtle, althoughtheModern Pass andLow Pass filterfrequencies amongthem. Release, Noise GateAttack andRelease, andHigh Type, Compressor Type, Compressor Attack and Selector are notuser-adjustable. TheseincludeEQ processing room, overhead (OH),andbustracks. drum types. SelecttheOthercategorywhenyou’re you choosebetween Modern, Heavy, andVintage Kick, Toms, andOther—the firstthree ofwhichlet selection. Thecontrol hasfourcategories—Snare, so adjustssomeinternalparameters tomatchyour lect thetypeofinstrumentyou are processing. Doing Drum Type Selector, thelarge wheelwhere you se- AT THEGATE The diferences between Vintage, Modern, and The internalparameters setby theDrumType for drummixing. tools thatare speciallydesigned plug-in offersasuiteofprocessing The AudifiedDWDrumEnhancer between thevarious tracks. as combfiltering, thatcanoccur mic toreduce phaseissues, such the polarityofaparticulardrum you oftenwant tobeableflip dealing withmultitrack drums, features onthisplug-in. When track, oneofthemany useful ton toinvert thepolarityofa Also on the left side is the Also ontheleftsideis The DW Drum Enhancer’s Gate gives you three Ditto for the filters: These are intelligently set POWERFUL PRESETS controls: an On/Of switch, a Threshold knob, and and can be quite useful. Among the most impressive aspects of DW Drum a switch that toggles between Soft and Hard knee Enhancer are the banks of presets. According to operation. To the left is an LED that lights when TRUE GRIT Audified, DW artists had input on the presets, and the Gate closes. The attack and release settings are The Saturation section lets you add up to five dif- it shows. They’re separated into categories ac- not user-adjustable, but instead are part of the in- ferent flavors of modeled tube distortion. The cording to drum type (the drum types correspond ternal parameters. choices are Presence, Vintage, Brown, White and to those ofered by the Drum Selector knob) and I’ve found noise gates, overall, to vary widely in Lo-Fi. With the Saturation set low, the tonal dif- give you a large selection of settings (see Figure 1). regards to how diicult they are to set. However, ferences are very subtle. When you crank it, how- The Presets do a great job of showcasing the ca- the DW Drum Enhancer’s gate is among the easier ever, you can really hear the diference. pabilities of the plug-in, providing you with a lot of ones I have used. It did an excellent job of isolating I found the Saturation efect particularly useful sonic variety. They make excellent starting points drums without causing the decays to sound cut-of for snare drums. It successfully softens their ini- when you begin your mix. and unnatural, and I ended up using it frequently tial transients and adds some character, while still The Presets are available from a pull-down on the kick and snare on multitrack mixes. sounding natural. menu on the lower right. I was a little frustrated Besides turning up the Saturation knob, there to discover that there isn’t a button for stepping GETTING COMPRESSED are a couple of other ways to maximize the Satu- through the presets. To change from one to the The Compressor ofers bypass, Threshold, Mix, ration efect. One is by turning up the Compres- next, you have to reopen the pull-down menu, re- and Make-Up gain controls. It doesn’t have a Ra- sor’s Makeup Gain, which allows you to hit the select the category, and then choose from the list. tio control, nor does it ofer user-adjustable attack Saturation circuit harder. Another is to change the If DW Drum Enhancer gets an update, my big- and release parameters. Diferent compressor al- plug-in’s Calibration setting, which controls the gest request would be the addition of plus and gorithms become active, depending on the setting diference between digital zero (an absolute set- minus buttons that allow you to step forward or of the Drum Type Selector, but the choices are ting) and analog zero, which is zero on the meters. backward through the presets. The way it is now, not detailed in the manual and I could not hear The lower you set it, the more Saturation you get. it is harder to compare one preset to the next be- much diference in the sound of cause of the time it takes to the Compressor when switching switch between them. between Selector settings. Nonetheless, the Compressor k~GkGl˅GwGGGGG ENHANCED INDEED sounds good and is vital to the plug- DW Drum Enhancer is a good il- in’s mission of providing all-in-one GGGGGGTSG lustration of a plug-in where the drum processing. It is perhaps a whole is greater than the sum of little heavy-handed in its compres- G GGGGGG UG{ G its parts. Despite having a reduced sion, but the Mix control lets you degree of adjustability, compared back it of enough to make it very GGGGG GG to what you would get by using useful, in addition to giving you the individual plug-ins for each of the opportunity to apply parallel com- GUGG efects here, DW Drum Enhancer pression. succeeds in its mission to be an ef- fective all-in-one drum processor. ALL THINGS BEING It is convenient, easy to use and EQUALIZED ofers a lot of variety. The EQ section includes single- I tried it on every type of knob (boost or cut) controls for drum track I could access, from Hi, Mid, and Low frequencies, multitrack sessions to loops and as well as fixed-frequency high- the stereo output from virtual pass and lowpass filters. You drum instruments, and in all also have the ability to place the cases, I was able to improve the EQ either before or after the sounds quickly and efectively. Compressor in the signal chain. Not only will DW Drum En- Although I would have liked hancer be a boon to drum mix- to have at least a semi-para- ing newbies, but more experi- metric configuration so I could enced mixers will also find it to select the center frequency for be a useful and powerful tool. each band, the EQ is quite useful. It does a great job of quickly al- The frequencies for each band lowing you to hear a variety of were well thought out, and you sonic options for the particular get a decent amount of control. I drum or drums you’re mixing. found it easy to accomplish tasks Overall, DW Drum Enhanc- like adding bottom end to a kick, er is a powerful and efective fattening up a snare, or dialing product that can take the mys- Fig. 1. A nice selection of presets, created in collaboration with some of DW’s down the highs on overheads. artist endorsees, are included for each drum type. tery out of drum mixing. Q JULY 2018 £Glt|zpjphuUjvt [` \W vulG}vsjhG{vG }Gt since 2000. Checkouthis soundware company at Francis Preve hasbeen yl}pl~ designing synthesizer designing synthesizer presets professionally symplesound.com. JULY 2018 |up{lG{oltG width effectsontheoutput. compression andstereo- send andreturnjacks, and inputs, astereoinput, while providing twomono three Volca instruments The Volca Mixcanpower £Glt|zpjphuUjvt Built-in speakers Powers 3Volcas BY FRANCISPREVE korg.com $170 street phonic. channels aremono- input. Firsttwomixer No volumeknobforaux sptp{h{pvuz power. Built-in speakers. for voltageclockandAC ment. Doublesasahub and stereoenhance- Integrated compression Aux sendsandreturns. mixer. High-andlow-cut. Three-channel analog z{ylun{oz KORG hss resemble aEurorack too. rig getsbigenough,theassociatedcablingstartsto that you canbuildacustomized rig.Ofcourse,ifthat oers audio-basedsync,andisaordable enough with themodularworld:Everyunitisspecialized, each. Inaway, theVolca lineuphasalotincommon aordability, withallsixunitssellingforaround $170 gitimacy (realanalog,DX-7 compatibility, etc.)and series hascaptivated producersby combiningle- duced itsVolca lineofsynthsandbeatboxes, the light EQandDaft Punkish sweeps. There isalso cut filterknobsthat work extremely well forboth troller series, alongwithamutebutton andlo/hi- fader, similartothosefoundonKorg’s Nano con- units withasingleknob. button, forcontrolling the tempoofallconnected There isalsoamaster-sync functionandplay/stop to three discrete power outputs, cablesincluded. a singlepower source formultipleVolcas, thanks nels (two mono, onestereo), butalsoitserves as ages ago. Not onlydoesitoferthree faderchan- won’t letyou reconfigure their DJ mixer. into amix,whichcanbeproblematic whentheclub selves. Thenthere istheissueofintegrating them er gigbagthatisalmostlarger thanthe units, them- all ofthepower adapters)meansbringingyet anoth- but pairingthemwithtwo power strips(to support units inalive set.Yes, there are AC adaptersavailable, only, becauseIcan’t riskbatteryissuesformultiple beenrelegated(I own tostudiouse allsix),they’ve I Each ofthechannelsincludes a short-throw That’s why IwishtheVolca Mixhad arrived Although I’ve beenamajorfansincetheyarrived n thefiveyears since Korgfirstintro- Send andReturn handy forbothbedroom rehearsals cas. AsIquicklydiscovered, thesespeakers are that have abitmore oomphthantheearlierVol- other gear. There’s alsoapairofbuilt-in speakers before routing themixintoasecondunittoadd ules intothefirstunitandheavily compress them together. For example, you could mix drummod- input, you caneasilydaisy-chain multipleunits sional clubtracks. that works well, even whenblended withprofes- give thefinaloutputapolishedandpunchy sound In my extensive tests, thesemasteringprocessors able compression andstereo-width enhancement. in real-time asyou DJ. to yourself onesoon. to test-drive your bedroom studio thatneedmixing—you owe it than oneVolca—or have afewdesktopdevicesin far more coherent asaplatform.If you own more into alive rig. Inaway, itmakes thewholeseries piece forintegrating Korg’s portablegrooveboxes Additionally, usingtheoutputandaux-return The stereo RCAoutputsalsoincludeadjust- The Volca Mixismore than justthefinalpuzzle that, thenaddyour otherVolcas Mix, setyour masterlevel from your computingdeviceintothe some planning, you canrun iPad-based performer. With especially ifyou’re alaptopor useful formore thanefects— fer itsown volume knob, itis though thereturn doesnotof- a stereo auxreturn input.Al- nals toamini-jack output, Q that route sig- and send knobs send knobs a set of tiny a setoftiny campfires. with THE #1 RESOURCE FOR MUSICIANS WHO WANT TO RECORD, PRODUCE, AND PERFORM BETTER MUSIC SPECIAL OFFER ALL ACCESS SAVE OVER 50% OFF SINGLE COPY PRICES SUBSCRIBE & SAVE TODAY Single Copy Price Subscription Price 12 issues $71.88 12 issues $29.99 ALL ACCESS INCLUDES PRINT + DIGITAL + iPad SUBSCRIBE NOW AT: WWW.MYEMMAG.COM/EMVIP1 rG synthesizer presets synthesizer presets symplesound.com. \Y out hissoundware since 2000. Check Francis Preve has been designing been designing klshGlmmlj{z professionally professionally company at company at yl}pl~ k[ JULY 2018 IOS APPSFROM AUDIO DAMAGE RUISMAKER & t|z{Toh}lG audiodamage.com $3.99 Only 20presets. sptp{h{pvuz Win versions. Preset compatibilitywithMac/ timode filters.Reverb.2LFOs. Dual pitchshifters,delays, mul- z{ylun{oz kpzjvyk[ ruismaker.com $3.99 Taps strictlyparallel configuration. sptp{h{pvuz Dual-filters fordelayed signals. Reverb. Haaseect.2-bar looper. 4-tap stereo delay. Auto-panner. z{ylun{oz rvztvuh|{G £Glt|zpjphuUjvt BY FRANCISPREVE G G er range ofusesbeyond theirtypicalapplications. their purchaseprices,sinceeachencompassesawid- $3.99 andintheAUv3 format,makingthemwell worth tial delay plug-insforiOS-basedproducers.Bothare reverb, andtheHaas efect. andlooping, plusaspacioushall for auto-panning ume, andpanning),aswell asdedicatedmodules has anarray offourtaps(eachwithfeedback,vol- all butthemostexotic applications (seeFig. 1). It foray intoAUv3 efects andforadelay, itcovers impressive sonicdetail.Kosmonaut ishisfirst producers, thankstotheirelegant interfacesand erated apassionatefollowing amongiPad-based Bram Bos’s synthsanddrummoduleshave gen- in motion. sound, soyou cankeep your production workflow lay andambience toolsthatletsyou quicklynaila not thepoint.Instead,it’s autilityefectwithde- thing catchesyour ear. a Randomizebuttonthatyou cantapuntilsome- andifthosearen’tare enough, there top-notch, is (eight beats)ofrecording. The includedpresets looperofersuptotwoAnd thetape-style bars for each,soit’s hard togetlostintheinterface. are equallystraightforward withbasicparameters LFOforsweepingtriangle-sine theircutofs. applied toallfourdelaysasagroup, withasimple ters (non-resonant lowpass andhighpass)canbe time, volume, panning, and feedback.Apairoffil- lel configuration, eachofersdiscrete control over T RUISMAKER KOSMONAUT Kosmonaut isn’t particularlydeep, butthat’s The auto-panner, Haas processor, andreverb While thefourdelaysare hardwired inaparal- his month,Iwanttotake acloserlookattwoessen- means you don’t really have todecide afterall. less than$10and have allyour delay basescovered pitch-shifting, thefactthatyou can buybothfor lays andHaas toolsand Discord4 specializingin iOS efects, withKosmonaut oferingfourde- While there’s abitofoverlap between thesetwo already afanofthose, thisisano-brainer. AAX plug-in forOSXandWindows. So, if you’re iOS isfullycompatiblewiththeVST/VST3/AU/ the desktopversion. price—afraction ofthecostfor its sub-five-dollar capabilities. Thewholepackage isfairlyvast for that barely scratch thesurfaceofDiscord4’s deep into itsinterface, sincethere are only20presets a powerful chorus/ensemble efect,too. anddelayssimultaneously makespitch-shifters it get digitalartifacts. AssigningthedualLFOsto dependently foreithervintageauthenticityorto samplebufersin- ability tosetthepitch-shifters’ ibility, withanattention todetailthatincludesthe eters, withindependentdepthsforeachdestination. shapes canbeassignedtoawiderange ofparam- fects). ApairofLFOswithcontinuouslyvariable Modern, andGranular (useful forexperimental ef- three modes:Vintage (aclassicEventide emulation), EFFECTIVE DELAYS Speaking ofthedesktopversions, Discord4 for This meansrolling upyour sleeves anddiving Here, thefocusissquarely onpower andflex- Fig. 1. AUDIO DAMAGEDISCORD4 pitch-shifters that can operate in thatcanoperate in pitch-shifters ry emphasishere isonapairof reverb (seeFig. 2).Buttheprima- a pairofmultimodefilters, anda efect thatincludesdualdelays, Discord4 isanotheriOSmulti- Fig. 2. Q Ways to Stay in 3Tune with 1 2 3 }G kGG zGGGr ˅G U r GvzG G mGTGGSGSGGTG GGSGGGGGGGG r USGGGGG UG \[ since 2000. Checkouthis soundware company at Francis Preve hasbeen yl}pl~ designing synthesizer designing synthesizer presets professionally symplesound.com. huGmtGzu{oG JULY 2018 sprlGv|˅}lG ul}lyGzlluG OvyGolhykP SUGAR BYTES h Arpeggiator £Glt|zpjphuUjvt sugar-bytes.de $99 support. curve. Noaftertouch Pronounced learning sptp{h{pvuz Orbit mode. sources. Graphic LFOs. teract withmodulation able unisonmodesin- synthesis. Customiz- Unique approachtoFM z{ylun{oz BY FRANCISPREVE artistry. For somedevelopers, instrumentdesignqualifiesas apps andWideBlueSound’s Kontaktinstruments. cally unfamiliar ways, muchlike Wolfgang Palm’s iOS established synthesisandprocessing toolsinradi- They gamblebigwiththeirproductsby implementing is amongthemostinnovative companiesaround. optimized for exploration andtinkering tounderstandfully. dations are configured inamannerthatrequires sound terrific.However, even thesesynthesisfoun- a pairofLFOs, andasetofefectsthatgenuinely ing waveshaping and brightness),dualenvelopes, each. You’ll alsofindtimbral modifiers(includ- algorithms, withadjustablemodulatorratios for modulator/carrier pairs, configured inoneofthree In termsofitsfamiliarfeatures, there are two finable key. Thus, withtheunison depthat100%, musically relevant options, including auser-de- minor, augmented,diminished, andsixother son types, which includekey modeslike major, it isilluminatingtobeginby examining theuni- fact, ifyou’re startinganewsoundfrom scratch, sound designer. wholly originalresults, even ifyou’re aseasoned elements thatinvite experimentation anddeliver there, Aparillo introduces avariety ofunusual a conventional instrumentstopsbecause, from with efects. Butthat’s where thecomparisonto proach. At itscore, itisafour-operator FMsynth W UNISONS ANDMODULATIONS The firstthingtonoteisthatthe instrumentis Aparillo isadefinitive example ofthisap- hen it comes to designing softsynths, Sugar Bytes hen itcomestodesigningsoftsynths,SugarBytes monophonic useinunisonmode. In relevant synthesisparameter, even thatisanover- demonstrates this. through Aparillo’s amazingpreset bankquickly imparts complexity andrichness. Just skimming unison mode, addingjitterychaostothesignal the interface. Becausethesynth isdesignedfor print, butimmediatelyobvious whenyou lookat voice, independently. It’s trickytodescribe in imparts randomness totheLFO’s efectoneach eters. Adding Jitter toeitherofthoseparameters available forbothrate andphase-related param- with theunisonvoices. is crucialforunderstandinghow theLFOsinteract notes) andsample-and-hold.Thus, thevisualization in clock-sync, oferingalldivisionsfrom 1/2to1/64th each other, like phaserelationship, quantization(as fer aslightlydiferent setoffeatures that complement unison voices (seeFigure 1). TheindividualLFOsof- main interface. Eachdotrepresents oneofAparillo’s sets of16dotsthattraverse avertical planeinthe behavior. BothoftheLFOsare represented by two sis userinterfaceisagraphic thatdisplaystheLFO knowledge forcomprehending Aparillo’s LFOs. voices, orjusttheuppervoices. Thisisessential While theLFOs canbeassignedtonearlyany Another groundbreaking feature, Jitter, is Fortunately, thedominantelementinsynthe- every third voice, just thelower voice templates:all,even, odd, the efecttooneofsixadditional there’s aparameter thatassigns addition totheunisondepth, sical densityforonenote, soin two octaves. notes inthatmode, spanning it isthe Obviously, that’s alotofmu- equivalent ofplaying 16 parameter Jitter is intuitive Orbit view simplification, because each parameter destina- mode at 100% with only odd-numbered voices re- which is demonstrated beautifully in every factory tion includes the same secondary unison menu sulted in a dreamy, ambient progression. preset and a great way to get customizable results (as described above) that lets you configure the Once you’ve set up your preferred tuning, four from the synthesis engine without having a clue LFOs to afect specific voices. For example, you knobs modify the arpeggiation behavior. The Ar- about its features. Here, each synthesis element is can apply LFO 1 to simultaneously modulate the peggiation knob determines how much the ar- a node in a user-designed constellation (see Figure FM amount of only the even numbered voices, peggiator impacts the voices: As you increase the 2). Every node can have its own modifier settings the cutof frequency of every third voice, and the value of this parameter, the voice arpeggiation be- (such as cutof frequency, operator balance, or re- waveshaping of just the upper voices. Add a touch comes pronounced, while sustaining notes gradu- verb mix) and, more importantly, radius. of Jitter and that modulation is no longer moving ally lower in volume until the stepped pattern is Interacting with these nodes is the Orbiter Ob- in lockstep, but quivering slightly as it follows the fully apparent. ject, which can be freely positioned in relationship LFO waveform’s path. And that’s with just LFO 1. The OP Balance parameter blends the arpeg- to the nodes. As the Object approaches a node, its LFO 2 ofers the same array of destinations, but gio between the two FM pairs, so you can apply synthesis modifiers become more pronounced. adds a ring-mod mode that outputs the sum and it to only one timbre in your patch. The Rate knob For example, if you cluster the cutof and reverb diference of the two LFOs. sets the quantized note value, with the addition of mix in one area and the operator balance in a dif- The LFOs aren’t the only modulation option. decimal points for dotted and triplet variations. ferent area, moving the Object around will alter Other sources include an ADSR modulation en- The final parameter, Decay, adds a simple release the sound, based on proximity. This is certainly velope, four types of curve modifiers, mod wheel, to each arpeggiated note and can also be used as a great for live performance, but Aparillo includes pitch bend, velocity, and the arpeggiator envelope. modulation source as mentioned above. a Motion Capture mode that lets you record your The only thing missing is aftertouch, which I hope Last, there are two additional trigger settings mouse gestures and play them back in loops of up will be added in a future release. besides the standard clock. Threshold triggers the to 32 bars. entire unison stack at once every time a selected LFO crosses it, whereas Collision mode triggers A NEW FM EXPERIENCE the stack whenever the dual LFO cycles intersect. Aparillo is so utterly original that even after two The integrated efects include a resonant mul- decades of synthesizer reviews, I found it nearly pGGGSGzG timode filter, an autopanner with multiple wave- impossible to adequately describe its features— forms, a delay, a wonderfully large reverb, and an- you have to see and hear them yourself. Even the i GhGGGG other Sugar Bytes innovation, the Spacializer. This online videos don’t capture the experience of its last efect appears to be another delay and can be parameter set in action. GGGG used like one with high Size settings. At low Size In terms of sound, Aparillo is one of the most settings, it resembles a Dimension D, and with low complex and richly textured synths I’ve ever used. GG G size and high feedback it sounds a bit like a reso- And conceptually, it will blow your mind regard- nator but with more of a physically modeled char- less of your synthesizer experience. Remarkably, p˅GGUGhG acter. Think of it as having a deep level of control its sophistication doesn’t interfere with instant over a reverb’s early reflections. gratification. The presets are uniformly breathtak- SGGGG ing, and switching to Orbit mode is a great way to IN ORBIT reactivate your beginner’s mind. Aparillo is genu- GGGG G Aparillo’s final component is the Orbit section, inely inspirational. Q ¡GU STRANGE ARPEGGIATIONS Once you’ve got a handle on the grandeur of Aparillo’s modulation amenities, it’s time to en- gage the arpeggiator, which also defies conven- tion. Instead of basing the arpeggio pattern on a held chord, Aparillo maps the arpeggio to the tuning parameters of the unison section, then steps through the 16 voices in sequence. If you’re using classic unison detuning with a low percent- age, the results are a series of slightly detuned notes in succession. The entire efect depends on those unison set- tings, so some configurations will be atonal, while others will deliver patterns that are both unusual Fig. 2. Orbit mode lets you instantly modify the sound by positioning its Object, and its and musical. For example, using the major unison motion can be recorded as loops. JULY 2018 £Glt|zpjphuUjvt \\ \] Guitarist Marty Cutler is the author Marty Cutleristheauthor yl}pl~ of The New Electronic SONICCOUTURE JULY 2018 , publishedby Hal uv~SG{opzGpzG oG tucked away. details areneatly icon andprogramming page. Clickonthegear Haunted Spacesfilter Fig. 1.Aviewofthe z Leonard. jpulth{pj £Glt|zpjphuUjvt soniccouture.com $179 Nothing significant. sptp{h{pvuz grammable. sounds. Highlypro- musical, andevocative Extremely playable, z{ylun{oz BY MARTYCUTLER arpeggiator Advanced Vector synthesis and musicalscripting. bined environmental soundswithDSP, synthesis, sample library forSonicCouture,Geosonics,com- you’ve heardtheworkofChrisWatson. Hisprevious ries, orifyou wereafan ofthebandCabaretVoltaire, Element’s synthparameters are atyour disposal, traction (seeFig. 1). Clickonthe geariconandeach are neatlytucked away andkept from beingadis- preset-only collection.Infact,programming details you’d betemptedtothinkthatHaunted Spaces is a the hundreds ofsamplesandsynthsounds. name ineachcore opensabrowser forloadingany of four Elementsinanx/yvector. Clickingonthesample patch; afloatingcubeinthecenterdriftsbetween the instrument cores (calledElements) thatcomprisea main window’s fourquadrants represent thefour Haunted Spaces (the mainwindow), andEfects. The Haunted Spaces basicoperations: Jammer, Options, create animatedandevocative sonicimages. with amajoraddition:Vector synthesisisusedto similar techniquesasthoseusedinGeosonics, but in Borneo. Here, hisfieldrecordings merge with as natural environments suchasmassive batcaves Norway, andarailway stationinBrussels—aswell of Hades inGreece, theVigeland Mausoleum in tures arange ofman-madespaces—theEntrance I Looking atthesparselypopulated mainwindow, Four tabsatthebottomofwidow access Watson’s latestproject, Haunted Spaces, cap- f you’ve seenany ofDavid Attenborough’s library inthevery bestsense oftheword. easy toforge your sounds theway you want. There’s ahighdegree ofprogrammability, soit’s mysterious, creepy, portentous, loud,andviolent. from quiet,peaceful,romantic, andsoothingto atmospheric andevocative, withsoundsranging exotic and bizarre sources. Theresults are deeply impulses from studiosandconventional spacesto a pairofconvolution reverbs oferingachoiceof animation possibilitiesare impressive. recording MIDIdata.Combinedwiththevector, the filter, by clickingnotesonthevirtual keyboard, orby simply constrain theJammer’s choiceswiththeKey inserts more rests. If randomness isn’t your thing, randomness toyour arpeggio, andGapsrandomly the interval ofyour choosing. TheEvolve slideradds and feels, Jammer canaddrandomly played notes at ative aspectsshort.Apart from notedirection, speed, you getamenuforalteringthevector path. crossfades, and the nearest beat fortempo-synced edits. TheQbuttonquantizesvector playbackto SonicCouture Haunted Spacesisacinematic All ofthisisdressed upinanefectssectionwith Calling theJammer anarpeggiatorsellsitsgener- Life se- see therelevant parameters ofall you changethesetting:You can down theOptionorAltkey while click theLinkbuttonorhold simultaneously inallElements, to adjustaparameter equallyand sages isavailable, andifyou want Learn viaControl Changemes- generators andvelocity. MIDI the filter’s response toenvelope filters, perElement.You canscale envelopes foramplitudeandthe ter, Envelope, FiltEG, andLFO. organized by function:Main, Fil- jump between synthandvector are working on,makingiteasyto constant whatever editpageyou tor’s parameter window remains of theotherElements. of buttonforany quadrant shuts tion/Alt whileclickingontheon/ or solobutton,butholdingOp- four quadrants. There isnomute You’ll finddedicated4-stage You’ll appreciate thatthevec- Load fourElements Q Torque is a specialized ideal when working with live plug-in capable of reach- drum tracks, as it allows you ing into a mix and allow- to tailor the response when WAVES ing you to retune specific working with overhead mics drums without afecting or recordings with a lot of their formant characteris- bleed. When the signal ex- tics. The package includes ceeds the threshold, Torque’s { four plug-in variations— shifting algorithm kicks in, two mono and two ste- with a two-octave range. {|ulG reo—that are optimized Speed and Trim controls for either recorded mate- vary the responsiveness and pukp}pk|hsG rial or live applications. volume of the shifted mate- ky|tzG~p{opuG The standard plug-ins rial, respectively. are phase-coherent, but add a bit of latency (de- I tested Torque on a variety of percussion ma- hGtpH termined by the DAW sample rate): at 44.1 kHz it’s terial, both mixed loops and isolated drums, and 32 samples, and at 192 kHz it’s 128 samples. Over- the results were impressively transparent. Moving BY FRANCIS PREVE all, however, timing is tight. The live versions of- beyond drums, I processed a wider range of audio fer “zero” latency (truly imperceptible in informal sources. Outside of its intended purpose, Torque $69 tests), at the expense of phase coherence. can be used as a radical harmonizer with artifacts waves.com The Focus Section at the top of the plug-in dis- reminiscent of a frequency shifter. Consequently, plays the dynamics of the audio signal across the it has a lot of potential for techno production, as frequency spectrum. From there, you select the fre- well as sound design for film or video. I was even quency range that you want to shift and/or correct. able to create ghostly parallel fifth harmonies on A monitor option is available so you can solo the Fo- flutes and solo cellos. cus frequency range as you make your adjustments. Whether you use it for acoustic-drum re-tun- Torque’s parameters are straightforward. The ing or as an unusual efects processor, Torque hits threshold control sets the volume required before the the mark beautifully. At a list price of $69, it’s defi- formant-corrected tuning algorithm kicks in. This is nitely an impulse buy, regardless of your goals. Q FROM 35 YEARS OF THE BEST OF THE ’80s CLASSIC ROCK SYNTH GODS The Artists, Instruments, It’s all here: the gear, the songs, the This book spotlights artists who changed and Techniques of an Era road stories, and the inspiration behind the course of music history and inspired Features 20 interviews with noted some of the greatest songs of the generations. Features in-depth profiles players, producers, and pioneers like ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. of Jan Hammer, Wendy Carlos, Rick Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Duran Duran’s Wakeman, Brian Eno and many more. Nick Rhodes, Peter Gabriel, The Human ISBN 978-0-87930-952-7 $14.99 ISBN 987-0-87930-930-5 $16.99 League, Chick Corea, and Frank Zappa. ISBN 978-0-87930-999-2 $19.95 Free U.S. shipping on orders LEAST EXPENSIVE METHOD APPLIES. of $25 or more! USE PROMO CODE MDKEY AT CHECKOUT. 800-637-2852 musicdispatch.com JULY 2018 £Glt|zpjphuUjvt \^ jshzz thz{ly hGtiGYG jGGGGG BY FRANCIS PREVE A mong the many useful new features Arturia added to the MiniBrute 2 is a 48-point patchbay, which utilizes 3.5mm minijacks like the ones used in Eurorack modular systems (see Figure 1). The ability to reroute signals easily as well as integrate the MiniBrute 2 into a larger setup, makes this the perfect introductory instrument for musicians who are new to modular synthesis. \_ JULY 2018 £Glt|zpjphuUjvt touch of pitch drift with this approach, but the sound will be quite similar. BRUTE FACTOR PRO TIPS As with the original, the MiniBrute 2’s Brute Fac- tor parameter functions as a feedback loop from the main output back into the filter. However, cranking this parameter to maximum can interfere with the chromatic pitch coherence of a sound. To get the most from your own sound design, you need to understand its overall behavior at varying settings. From 0% to 50% is the sweet spot for adding grunge, while 50% to 75% works well for extremely aggressive sounds. Settings over 75% is where you will often lose tuning coherence; it’s useful for efects and percussion, but not as vi- able melodically. The MiniBrute 2’s inclusion of a second oscil- lator can make the Brute Factor’s behavior more erratic, as even the smallest tuning diferential Fig. 1 Fig. 3 between the two oscillators can yield unpleasant “beating” artifacts. For the most consistent re- This month, we’ll look at some interesting configuration, plug the filter’s ADSR output into sults, stick with oscillator 1 only as the tonal source sounds you can create using the MiniBrute 2’s oscillator 1’s PWM or Metalizer input to achieve when designing with this feature. Lastly, when patchbay. But first, we’ll look at ways to overcome the same efect, then use their associated knobs to working with oscillator 1’s sawtooth and square a few of the instrument’s idiosyncrasies. fine-tune the depth. waves in conjunction with Brute Factor settings For example, the MiniBrute 2 lacks a dedicated Additionally, the MiniBrute ofered both posi- above 70%, you can dramatically improve tuning mult/splitter, making it impossible to route cer- tive and negative modulation from the envelope. If coherence by mixing in some triangle wave (with tain modulation sources to multiple destinations— this is the sound you’re after, plug the ADSR into the Metalizer set to zero) in conjunction with the a requirement that is a staple of many common the MiniBrute 2’s inverter module to change the saw/square elements. sounds—without additional gear. A simple fix is polarity of the modulation (see Figure 3). Finally, to use a stackable 3.5mm cable, such as the Tiptop the original model allowed simultaneous modula- ICONIC PATCHES Audio Stackcable or the Modular Addict Stacking tion of both waveforms at individual depths. To Although the MiniBrute 2’s “cookbook” is a fan- Eurorack Patch Cable (see Figure 2). replicate this, use a stackable cable to split the sig- tastic guide to modular-synth basics, the examples nal. The default modulation knobs will continue don’t delve too deeply into the underlying synthesis to work as independent depth controls, despite principles. Here are four iconic synth sounds with the change in modulation source. deeper explanations of why they work as they do. Keyboard Tracking (MIDI KBD to Mod in- Vintage Hard Sync Leads. Envelope-swept put). It’s surprising that the MiniBrute 2 doesn’t hard sync is the cornerstone of several legendary include a normalled control for adding keyboard analog synth patches, from ’80s new wave to old- tracking to the filter cutof, as this is a crucial school funk. The efect is so important that most component for using resonance to highlight spe- programmable two-oscillator synths include a ded- cific harmonics consistently across the entire key- icated hard-sync button to activate it. The modu- board. You can quickly re-create this routing by lar approach requires considerable forethought, connecting the KBD output in the MIDI section to as everything is configured by hand. Here are the Fig. 2 the filter Cutof (Att 1) input in the patchbay. From essential concepts for quickly setting up envelope there, setting the associated knob to 100% will modulated hard sync on the MiniBrute 2. BACK TO THE BRUTE closely approximate chromatic tracking, allowing 1. Sync oscillator 1 by patching the output of Despite lacking a few features from the first Mini- either harmonic emphasis or an additional tone VCO 2 (set to Fine tuning mode) to the sync input Brute (such as the sub-oscillator), the MiniBrute generator when the resonance is self-oscillating of VCO 1. Now, for every complete wave cycle of 2 has a more advanced set of synthesis tools. Re- (at maximum value). oscillator 2, oscillator 1’s cycle resets, regardless creating familiar patches from the original model, VCO 2 as sub-oscillator. The MiniBrute’s sub- of its phase and tuning. Thus, oscillator 2 will de- however, requires an altered approach. oscillator (with sine and square wave options) termine pitch, while the tuning of oscillator 1 will Envelope modulation: pulse wave and Met- contributed to its impressive low-end. Although determine the spectral component of the efect. alizer. The MiniBrute had dedicated knobs for the MiniBrute 2’s second VCO doesn’t phase-lock 2. Next, for the definitive hard sync sweep of filter-envelope modulation of pulse width and like a sub-oscillator, you can re-create similar sub- those hallmark synths, connect the filter ADSR the triangle-wave-based Metalizer, whereas the sonic efects by setting its tuning to Fine mode, output to the FM input of oscillator 1. If the sync MiniBrute 2 normals these routings from LFO 1 selecting a sine or square wave, and tuning it one cable wasn’t connected, you’d simply hear a dra- and velocity, respectively. For fans of the original or two octaves below oscillator 1. There will be a matic pitch sweep, but in this case, it’s the trade- JULY 2018 £Glt|zpjphuUjvt \` correctly, the result will be an even richer detuning efect to use as a starting point for your designs. Pro Tip: Because LFO 1 is also normalled to PWM, experiment with adding a touch of PWM modulation while adjusting the base pulse-width and blend a bit of that in for even more textural depth. Trap and 808 kick. While the “cookbook” includes several useful kick-drum configura- tions, here is another option that’s tailored to replicating the definitive 808 kick drum. 1. Open the cutof to maximum, lower all of the mixer faders except VCO 2, then set its waveform to sine and tuning mode to All. Next, set the AD amp envelope to immediate attack, medium decay, and Trig (not Gate) mode. This will serve as the basis for the sound. Pro Tip: You can make a similar kick that tracks keyboard pitch by patching the ADSR to VCO 1 FM. But since it ofers only triangle (not sine) the result will require extensive tinkering Fig. 4 with the filter settings. Fig. 5 2. To emulate the 808’s distinctive attack “click,” mark squawk of countless hits (see Figure 4). patch the ADSR output to VCO 2 pitch. Because of To get started, plug a cable into VCO 1’s noise 3. With the patchbay configured, the most the MiniBrute 2’s lack of an integrated mult/split- output, then patch it to the filter cutof (Att 1) or relevant parameters are VCO 1 tuning (the sync ter, this will disable the keyboard tracking of the resonance (RM) inputs, as this will yield the most timbre), FM depth (amount of hard sync sweep), VCO (and the stackable cable doesn’t allow for cus- dramatic efects while allowing you to tailor the and the settings of the ADSR envelope segments, tomizing the voltages appropriately). Thus, tuning depth with their associated knobs. Once you fa- which will govern the behavior of the animation. this kick drum depends on VCO 2’s tuning knob. miliarize yourself with the overall flavor of this For the most conventional sounds, leave the filter Here, the 10 o’clock position is a good starting point. technique, try patching noise as a modulator for cutof at maximum and focus on the sawtooth and 3. With the filter ADSR now modulating VCO 2’s the pulse-width or Metalizer inputs and adding square/pulse waveforms in oscillator 1’s mixer. pitch at maximum depth, setting all envelope seg- just a touch of it, while blending in unmodulated Supersaw Leads. The MiniBrute’s Ultrasaw ments to minimum, then increasing the decay very waveforms like a sawtooth from VCO 1 and/or is one of its most innovative features, producing slightly will impart the trademark 808 “click” tran- VCO 2 (see Figure 5). Used subtly, this can impart an analog version of the ubiquitous supersaw ef- sient. For longer trap and hip-hop booms, increase crispiness to your sounds. fect. With Ultrasaw’s continued availability on the the decay parameter on the AD amp envelope. Audio Rate Modulation. Audio rate modu- MiniBrute 2 and the addition of a second oscilla- Pro Tip: To emulate the sound of a “hot” 808 into lation from VCO 2 is an incredibly powerful re- tor, it’s possible to make even bigger versions of a mixer, accentuate the punchiness of this kick by tai- source for generating sideband-oriented efects. this essential EDM timbre. loring the Brute Factor parameter in the 0% to 50% With so many possible destinations, here are three 1. Start by setting both oscillators to sawtooth range. Go beyond that and the result is less stable. experiments to get you started, using the output of with VCO 2 in Fine tuning mode, and VCO 1’s Ultra- VCO 2 as your modulation source. saw amount should be set to 0. Raise both sawtooth STARTERS FOR EXPERIMENTATION 1. Because ring modulation is closely related waves to equal volumes in the mixer and tune them One of the most common frustrations with mod- to amplitude modulation, and filter resonance very closely, so that there is just a touch of detuned ular synthesis is that it is hard to know where to generates an increase in amplitude near the cut- thickness. Open the filter cutof to maximum and begin. Option fatigue is a very real phenomena, of frequency, try this approach: Set VCO 2 to sine set the AD envelope to Gated for full sustain. and without a specific goal for your experiments, wave and tuning mode to Fine, then patch it to the 2. Keeping Ultrasaw of, patch LFO 1 to VCO it can be diicult to retrace your steps to fully un- RM modulation input on the filter. Set the cutof 1’s FM input and set the LFO waveform to Ran- derstand why you like or dislike the character of a to around 40%, resonance at 0, and the RM depth dom Gliding (the last option in the selector) and given patch configuration. Conscientious explora- knob to maximum. With a bit of tweaking, you’ll increase the FM amount knob on the oscillator. At tion is the key to mastering the immense range of hear a bell-like tone reminiscent of classic ring high modulation values and LFO rates, this will add options that modular synthesis ofers, so below is mod. From there, adjust the frequency of VCO 2 a chaotic pitch variation. For this sound, just a tiny a list of starting points, with brief explanations for and the filter cutof to experiment with timbre. bit of pitch modulation (FM) delivers an animated their design applications. 2. Setting VCO 2’s tuning mode to All and raising detuning efect for the dual sawtooth oscillators. Noise Modulation. Modulating synthesis pa- the pitch to maximum is a great way to add a high- 3. Now, adjust the Ultrasaw modulation from rameters with noise is a fantastic resource for hard, frequency shimmer to VCO 1’s waveform options, LFO 2 for the sawtooth and experiment with LFO 2’s gritty, industrial efects, and experimenting with regardless of VCO 2’s waveform. With this as your rate and waveform type. To keep the Ultrasaw efect various destinations and modulation depths can foundation, patch VCO 2 into PWM or Metalizer, fluid and organic, stick with sine, triangle, and Ran- yield wildly diferent outcomes. It’s also useful for then blend that modulated waveform with one or dom Gliding waveforms while adjusting the amount emulating weather sounds, especially in conjunc- more of VCO 1’s mixer options. With the lowpass and rate to taste. If you’ve followed the above steps tion with noise itself as your original sound source. cutof at maximum, it will impart a slightly gritty ]W JULY 2018 £Glt|zpjphuUjvt worth it if you want to chop and process vocals or other production elements in tandem with your sequences. (Visit emusician.com for my tutorial on “The Integrated Studio” for specifics.) Paraphonic filtering. If you have an old digi- tal synth collecting dust in a closet, connect it to the MiniBrute 2’s MIDI output. Then, plug the digital in- strument’s audio output into the patchbay’s external Fig. 6 input. This will allow you to route the digital wave- character to the highs of your sound, which can be either the AD envelope or VCO 2 to cyclically ani- forms and presets (strings and brass are great as start- fine-tuned using the modulation depth. mate the Metalizer amount for a third harmonic ing points) into the filter and amplifier in a paraphon- 3. Set lowpass cutof to around 40% (10 o’clock) animation efect. ic manner. That is, you can still play chords, but the and resonance to maximum. Then set up VCO 2’s Note that when you use the AD envelope in note articulation will be monophonic, like a vintage tuning to All mode with a square wave and patch it this manner, the segment times dictate the “LFO string synth. It’s a powerful way to breathe new life into the VCA (+5v) attenuator. This will cause the rate.” That is, if you want a fast equilateral triangle into older instruments while adding real-time timbral synth to drone, since the VCA will be continuously shape, set both attack and decay to low values. For control with the MiniBrute 2’s knobs and faders. modulated. Once this is configured, adjusting the a slower rhythm, increase these values accord- (Note that the MiniBrute 2’s external input is a cutof frequency with VCO 2 tuning values above ingly. With extremely fast segment times, it’s even 3.5mm jack located on the patchbay. Consequent- 70% will deliver voice-like, bit-crushed efects due possible to push the AD into audio rate modula- ly, if you want to process instruments that have a to the square-wave-generated sidebands. tion and generate sidebands. 1/4" output, you’ll need an adapter.) ENVELOPE LOOPING SIGNAL PROCESSING SEQUENCING TRICKS While some users initially groused about the re- With its resonant, multimode Steiner-Parker filter While the MiniBrute 2S swaps the keyboard for a placement of the original MiniBrute’s ADSR amp and VCA, the MiniBrute 2 is a powerful resource set of pads and knobs for advanced step-sequenc- envelope with an AD envelope, Arturia’s imple- for processing external signals. Here are three in- ing functionality, the essential concept for both mentation is actually far more flexible, thanks to a stantly accessible uses for the audio input. instruments lies in understanding that the param- set of switches that allow this envelope to do a few Processing instruments. With tempo-synced eter modulation functionality is based on velocity advanced tricks. LFO options and the ability to trigger the envelopes and pressure. That is, if you want to sequence a The first thing to understand is that the Decay through MIDI or sequencing, the MiniBrute 2 is an synthesis parameter on either unit, your modula- segment is actually a decay-release. That is, the amazingly versatile efect for incorporating electric tion tools will be the same; they’re just accessed segment completes even after you lift your finger guitars into dance music in innovative ways. with a diferent user interface. from a key. In practice, this is largely unnotice- Insert eect. For the above reasons, it’s also Essentially, the MiniBrute 2 lets you articu- able, because with short decays, the sound will possible to integrate the synth as an insert efect late parameters based on your playing style (with generally reach silence before you end the note in a hardware rig or via a multi-channel inter- some associated editing functionality), whereas event. face and compatible DAW like Ableton Live or the MiniBrute 2S adds the ability to dial in the ve- Gate vs. Trigger mode. This AD envelope can Apple Logic. The implementation will vary based locity and pressure with the sequencer knobs, in operate in either Gate or Trigger mode, which cov- on your studio configuration, but the results are addition to pad dynamics. ers all but a few specialized ADSR functions (and While filter and amp routings are the obvious you can always head to the patchbay if you want choices for familiar sounds, here are three alternative to swap or reroute the envelopes). In Gate mode, destinations that deliver radical spectral complexity. the envelope sustains at maximum, which is ideal Pulse-width. Sequencing the pulse width lets for pads and leads. In Trigger mode, the envelope you rhythmically accent some notes, while thin- always decays to minimum, with no sustain. ning others. When the pulse-width narrows, the Once vs. Loop. This is the feature that makes sound will get brighter and thinner, so blending the AD envelope more versatile than standard VCO 2 an octave lower will help retain fullness. ADSR modules. In Once mode, the AD envelope Additionally, this efect is most audible with a high behaves traditionally, performing familiar note ar- filter-cutof value. ticulation duties. In Loop mode, it functions like Hard sync. Refer to the hard sync tutorial a variable-shape LFO. In this case, adjustments to above, but in step 2 connect the pressure output the attack and decay segments allow both saw up to the FM input of oscillator 1 (see Figure 7). Us- and down shapes, as well as a variety of triangular ing pressure will allow you to sequence the timbre forms (see Figure 6). shifts in a manner that evokes ’90s-era “big beat” Of course, the looping feature also provides an dance music (such as Chemical Brothers and extra modulation tool, in addition to the dual LFOs Crystal Method). and VCO 2’s ability to operate in low-frequency Metalizer. While velocity is the default modu- mode. Accordingly, you can combine them to cre- lator for this tool, its behavior is always stepped. ate evolving drones with minimal patching. For Switching to Pressure lets you fluidly shift the example, since Ultrasaw and PWM are normalled Metalizer spectra in a more continuous manner in to LFO 2 and 1, respectively, you can then patch Fig. 7 conjunction with real-time sequence recording. Q JULY 2018 £Glt|zpjphuUjvt ]X ]Y ov~T{v JULY 2018 show you how todojustthat. as initsRouting matrix).Inthisarticle, I’ll ing inPro Audio Control’s mixer (aswell names inDPmatchtheinputshow- tive ifyou couldmake your tracks’ output fader doyou lower intheapp’s mixer? in hisheadphones, whichFrom Computer When thesingerasksyou forlesskickdrum for track outputsinDigitalPerformer. match thedefaultnamesapppublishes er’s corresponding inputchannels—don’t puter 2 input names( out ofthebox, Pro Audio Control’s USB- face tomusicians’headphones. overdub withuptosevendierent huge virtualmixer letyou, amongotherthings,track large ensemblesand bination is.Whenusedwithyour DAW, theWeb app’s versatileroutingand Pro AudioControlWeb app,you know ing my MOTU8Ddigitalinterface, theWeb in theWeb app’s virtual mixer. Whenus- by whichinputchannel theyare routed to names are by defaultdetermined, in part, track outputsinDP, andthesetrack output trol automaticallypublishesnamesfor It’s importanttonotethatPro Audio Con- G zG GGGG~GGGtv{|˅G wGhGj kGwGG | GpVvGuGG DIFFERENT NAMESBYDEFAULT BY MICHAELCOOPER I It would bea lot simplerandmore intui- Unfortunately, there’s awrinkle:Straight f you’ve beenusingany ofMOTU’s latestinterfaces withtheincluded , andsoon)—alsousedforitsmix- £Glt|zpjphuUjvt From Computer 1,From Com- stereo cuemixes outputfromtheinter- in DPandnotvice versa, theway togetthe mixer) panes(seeFigure 1). both theapp’s Routing andMixing (virtual put channel(DPoutput 7 input channel(DPoutputnamed matically routed totheWeb app’s seventh the top)inDP’s Tracks window isauto- go tochannelsafterDP.) channels insequentialorder. (AVB sources (via USB) totheWeb app’s next available channels 1through 6. DProutes itstracks are automatically routed totheapp’s mixer ware inputsenabledintheWeb app, they nel digital(AES/EBU andS/PDIF) hard- only three ofthe8D’s fourpairsof2-chan- in itsvirtualmixer. So, forexample, ifIhave inputs tothefirstavailable inputchannels app automaticallyroutes allitshardware etc. (insteadof named From for thosesameDPtracks are respectively on. Unfortunately, theWeb app’s inputs ), thesecondtrack goestotheeighthin- how powerfulandflexible thecom- Because theWeb apppublishesnames In my example, at thefirsttrack (listed Computer 1,From Computer 2 Mix In 7 , Mix In 8 Mix In 8 ) andso , etc.)in Mix In to matchtheretyped names. in DP’s Tracks window (bottomhalf)update this view),the namesintheOutputcolumn app’s Routingtab(shown inthetophalfof Computer Fig. 2.Asnamesareretyped inthe captures weretaken atdifferent times.) are differentby de Control Web app’s virtual mixer (lower half) view) andinputstotheMOTUProAudio (shown intheupperhalfofthiscomposite Fig. 1.Thenamesoftrack outputsinDP (USB) inputbankintheWeb fault. (Thesetwoscreen From From Fig. 3: In this custom template, the names for each input in the Web app’s From Computer (USB) input bank (top left in this view) have been edited to match those for the cor- responding instrument tracks (sub, kick, snare and so on) in DP. The same names are au- tomatically assigned to input channels in the Web app’s vir- tual mixer (bottom half of this view). The names in the Output column in DP’s Tracks window (top right) match the names in the Web app’s Routing tab, ex- cept that trailing numbers have been arbitrarily added in DP. presets for the Web app (including custom presets you’ve saved), over- writing the previous names they used. If you should suddenly land a post-production project, for in- stance, your dialog tracks’ outputs will automatically be named kick, snare and so on, which makes ab- solutely no sense. For this reason, names of DP’s outputs and the Web app’s inputs to plate in which each fader in the Web app’s mixer is I prefer to name all USB inputs for the Web app match is to edit in the Web app. There are two pos- named after its source (bass, vocals and so on) for From Computer [#] as in the universal solution I sible ways to go here: Create generic I/O names even faster identification. To do this, edit the From proposed above. No matter what kind of project that will always match for any conceivable project, Computer input names in the Web app’s Routing comes your way, you’ll have an intuitive setup that or create a custom template tailored to (and that tab so that, from left to right, they match the track works like a charm. Q will only work for) a consistently used recording names listed in DP’s Tracks window setup. I’ll show you how to do both. from top to bottom (see Figure 3). As you edit each From Computer name in A UNIVERSAL SOLUTION the Web app to respectively read sub, To make the I/O names always match no matter kick, snare, hat, and so on, you’ll see the what type of project (music production, post-pro- corresponding names in the Output duction, etc.) and tracks (vocals, instruments, dia- column in DP’s Tracks window change log, foley) are involved, first open the Routing tab in essentially to match the new names. the Web app. In the I/O routing grid that appears, The only diference will be the Output inputs to the Web app are listed at the head of col- names in DP will also have a trailing umns across the top. The From Computer (USB) number added (1, 2, 3 and so on) that input bank lists all inputs coming from DP (From indicates the tracks’ sequential order Computer 1, From Computer 2, and so on). Click on in the Web app’s USB-input bank. From Computer 1, retype the name, and press Re- You can delete the trailing numbers turn on your keyboard. The input’s “new” name by editing each output’s name in the (exactly the same as the original) becomes high- left-hand column of DP’s Bundles win- lighted to indicate it’s been edited (see Figure 2). dow (under its Outputs tab; see Fig- As you re-type the name for each From Computer ure 4). But it’s probably not worth the input in turn, you’ll notice the names of outputs in trouble, as the trailing numbers will DP’s Tracks window will update to match the re- be automatically restored in other DP typed names in the Web app’s Routing tab precisely. projects you load. What’s important is For example, in Figure 2 the kick drum’s output in that the names for instrument and vo- DP (formerly Mix In 8) becomes From Computer 2, cal tracks’ outputs in DP are easily and which is exactly what the kick’s input in the Web quickly recognized in the Web app’s app’s Routing tab—and the kick’s mixer channel in Routing tab and mixer input chan- the app—are named. All the names match. nels—speeding your workflow. Naming the Web app’s inputs (and CREATE A CUSTOM TEMPLATE therefore DP’s track outputs) after If you consistently record the same type and num- specific instruments and vocals has Fig. 4: Names in the Outputs tab for DP’s Bundles window ber of instruments and vocals in every one of your one major drawback: The names will (bottom half of this view) are edited to remove trailing numbers in the Output column in DP’s Tracks window projects, you may wish to create a custom tem- be applied across all existing Routing (top half). JULY 2018 £Glt|zpjphuUjvt ]Z jshzzpjGhk vGjGzytGGrGOX`^`P This vintage ad from the September 1979 issue of Contemporary Keyboard is a reminder of how exciting—and competitive—the synth market was at the time. When the duophonic Octave Cat was first introduced, players immediately noticed a resemblance to the popular ARP Odyssey. ARP, on the other hand, saw it as a patent infringement but were unable to keep Octave from producing it, or the follow up Cat SRM (pictured here with the single-VCO Kitten), which continued through 1981. —Gino Robair ][ JULY 2018 £Glt|zpjphuUjvt zwv{spno{ o}TZYwGGo}TZ\wGtGw t Available Now The critically acclaimed Millennia sound in their most affordable and portable packages yet. Hear the improvement in quality and clarity these high resolution preamps make with your music. Street: $1079.99 HV-32P, $719.99 HV-35P www.mil-media.com [email protected] (530) 647-0750 thyrl{wshjl Piano Note-for-Note Organ Sheet Music - MIDI Files Synth TRANSCRIPTIONS Learn Your Favorite Keyboard Parts Exactly As They Were Recorded Visit ManyMIDI.com Are You Ready to Ed Boyer Upgrade Your Room? A Cappella Free Sample Money Back Guarantee ê6LQFHLQVWDOOLQJ*,.WUHDWPHQWV -Rupert Neve Studio HQ WKHVRQLFGLIIHUHQFHKDVEHHQ UHDOO\DVWRXQGLQJë FREE ACOUSTIC ADVICE GIK Acoustics products are QUALITY, meaning beyond simple do-it-yourself panels that are found on the market today. YOUR BEST INNOVATION allows GIK to have launched creative, unique products. Dollar for dollar GEAR IS VALUE, GIK Acoustics’ products absorb more sabins (sound) than any other product on the market. We start by our SUPPORT with customers, helping them determine the best products to treat their space with our free, expert Acoustic Advice. We ƚĹplugged. DUH ĆUP EHOLHYHUV LQ HGXFDWLRQ so we are INFORMATIVE and our website is full of Educational Articles and Videos. Greensafe means GIK Acoustics products are ENVIRONMENTAL and friendlier on air quality, the environment, and your budget. ORDER DIRECT (888) 986-2789 gikacoustics.com JULY 2018 £Glt|zpjphuUjvt ]\ {G~ ~˅GhGtGGGG GGG G ˁG GGGG BY SARAH JONES T he Women’s Audio Mission (San Francisco) was created to cultivate diver- toward our booth because they see how many sity in the recording industry. This nonprofit provides hands-on training to students are streaming to us. young women and girls in the Bay Area and beyond through school outreach It’s been really heartwarming to me to see mp}lG x|lz{pvuz programs, studio classes, internships, job-specific training and placement, how many male allies we have. How many young men are walking around with WAM and mentoring activities designed to empower participants and provide a buttons on and WAM t-shirts on. How manu- stronger path to higher education. facturers like Mackie are sending pictures of the guys on the assembly line in WAM shirts. Now in its 15th year, WAM has served G¡GGf That’s people saying, “Hey, we’re with you. We 12,000 women and girls and placed 650 women This is a population where 73 percent don’t want to help do this.” in media jobs, in an industry that is 95 percent have access to a computer or a mobile device. Change is slow, and not necessarily tangible. male. The organization trains nearly 2,000 Seventy-eight percent have never touched a But another way to look at it would be to look people each year in its facilities in San Francis- musical instrument. It’s heartbreaking. We just at the venues here in San Francisco and to see co and Oakland and at Bay Area schools, and decided that until we met all that demand, that’s that almost every single venue has a woman is expanding its geographical reach through what we would focus on. It’s actually more cost- from WAM as a live sound engineer. I was talk- conferences and events nationwide. efective to do this than to wait till that person ing to a male musician who said, “Terri, I don’t At the helm is founder Terri Winston, an starts to get into trouble. We should be making see that it’s a problem here. There are so many award-winning engineer, producer, and for- that investment. The education system is just women.” I said, “That’s because we are in San mer major label recording artist and director failing a huge part of the population. Francisco.” That was great, because he saw it as of the Sound Recording Arts Degree Program normal. There are a lot of little things like that. at City College of San Francisco. nSG k SG hSG jSG G G G G G ~htG UG ~GG GGGG~htGf ~G G G G G G G G ~ GGGGG͌GGGG Last year in Boston, we did the first and only G f Gf women’s recording conference, which iZotope You have to go outside of your circle of It’s resources. It’s not like teachers are fail- hosted on its campus. We had 100 young wom- friends, you have to go outside your family, go ing anyone; employees of the public school sys- en on the East Coast come and learn to record outside your neighborhood, go outside your tem are dancing as fast as they can. But when with Susan Rogers, Leanne Ungar, and a host community, in order to be inclusive. That’s we start only allowing certain people to have of other folks. not always comfortable for people, and I think access to education, that’s not okay. That’s On June 9th we’re holding a conference at people equate comfort with something being where the gap comes from. For us, we’ve ex- Capitol Studios in L.A. We’re capping it at 100 good. I don’t believe in that. I think that some plored corporate partnerships because we and it sold out in three days. We’re just trying of the greatest discoveries come from a place need to diversify where our funding comes to see where’s the biggest demand for the next of unknowing and discomfort. from. There’s only so much money that we can WAM location, because that’s the constant I think all kinds of diversity can be ad- get from the government; if you think about it, question we get: “How do we open this here dressed the same way. We’re providing that if the government had extra money, it should in our city?” environment for someone so that they feel like be dumping it into the education system. The natural growth would be to expand to this is something they can do when they have other cities. We’re looking at holding a confer- the right support. We’re not coddling them; ˅GGGGGX\G UGoG ence in New York this year, and we’ve had a UK they go out in the world, and they do it, and G G G G G G SG UG government entity come over to try to figure out they’re great. G GGf how to bring our Girls on the Mic program there. We see the most change at conferences We’re not changing; if anything, we’re per- u TG G G G G G G like AES or NAMM. We have such heavy traf- fecting our curriculum and looking for ways to GGUG~ GGGGG G fic, and manufacturers are starting to position bring it to more people all over the world. Q ]] JULY 2018 £Glt|zpjphuUjvt A new breed of semi-modular analog synths are arrived. MiniBrute 2 unleashes practically infinite monosynth power with a great feeling 2 octave keyboard. MiniBrute 2S lets you create evolving sequences using responsive performance pads. Choose your weapon!