TECHNEWS words: MICK WILSON 162 TECH TALK — NIKO MARKS We tap up the unsung Detroit hero to talk about the making of 44 studio albums and counting... 165 IN THE STUDIO Emika on her orchestral ‘Melanfonie’ symphonies. 168 THE MAC DADDY We explore Apple’s new Macbook Pro 2017... Paul Oakenfold THE TIDE IS TURNING Denon DJ and its Prime range of DJ gear is making a move to the top ranks... enon DJ made sure it was the talk of the Luke also delivered an exclusive workshop with the town at the beginning of the year with the Denon Prime series at the recent Dancefair Convention announcement and release of the new DJ Prime in Utrecht, Netherlands, for young DJs and producers: a D SC5000 media player, the X1800 mixer, VL12 good opportunity for Denon DJ to spread the message on turntable and Engine Prime music management software. the new range of kit. 171 UNLEASH It took the fight to Pioneer, which has held the top slot as THE BEAST the industry standard deck and mixer found in booths and The press release for this new selection of gear states: Arturia unveil new analogue drum clubs worldwide for over a decade. Not just content with “Recognising a critical need in the professional DJ space machine, the Drumbute. putting out quality gear, Denon is also getting some of the for equipment that delivers unprecedented levels of biggest names on the circuit to ‘Change their Rider’, as its performance, ease of use, musical file organisation and tag line reads. Laidback Luke was so impressed with the complete system synergy, Denon DJ’s Prime Series units Prime series when he first saw it, he has done just that — represent the future of the professional DJ experience”. It changed his rider. In another announcement made late is obvious that inMusic is giving it a massive push and that February, owners of the Denon DJ brand inMusic revealed there is a long list of big hitters who are all ready to jump that Laidback Luke had joined forces with Denon DJ as ship and switch over to the Denon DJ Prime gear. Oliver brand ambassador and product consultant, and switched Heldens will be DJing at our WMC Pool Party in May on the from his usual Pioneer set-up to their all-new, ground- Denon Prime kit, whilst Paul Oakenfold announced earlier breaking SC5000 Prime media player and X1800 Prime in the year that he will be playing with the new Denon DJ 174 TECH club mixer. Prime range on his Generations World Tour. The set-up for PRODUCER the tour will consist of a SC5000 Prime media player, the Killer Sounds, Sample Tank, Widely recognised as an extremely creative, tech-savvy X1800 Prime club mixer and VL12 direct drive professional performer, Luke is hugely influential as an online vlogger DJ turntables. Generations represents and celebrates Plug-In Corner and more... and influencer to upcoming DJs. The natural match of 30 years of Paul and his involvement in the dance music the Denon DJ Prime Series products to this uber-talented scene, acknowledging the past, present and future of DJ’s skillset will be apparent in Luke’s upcoming shows. dance music. It’s an appropriate tie-up with Denon DJ in 158 djmag.com TECH NEWS SOUNDBYTES STUDIO ESSENTIALS Mar-T & Luca Donzelli give DJ Mag Tech the lowdown on their Studio Essentials... BACK TO BLACK Technics has released another new turntable. The SL-1210GR in black joins the SL-1200GR silver edition that was announced earlier this year. The latest unit is Technics’ first 1210 model in almost 15 years. Both the black SL-1210GR and silver SL-1200GR borrow technology from Technics SL-1200GAE turntable. •£1,299, technics.com Ableton Live 9 “The latest upgrades of Live have really made our day in the studio. For us, it’s the ANOTHER REASON best software. You can have endless Propellerhead has released combinations of tweakable parameters and Reason 9.2, the newest effects. It gives us the best way to express update to their popular our emotions. Reason music production software. Reason 9.2 is a free update for Reason 9 Dangerous Music 2 Bus+ owners that supports further “This piece of equipment has changed our development for the Rack lives. It helps us a lot to create our original Extension plug-in platform, sound in the mixdown. In this beautiful and introduces the Software analogue summing mixer, you get a Development Kit (SDK) 2.5 versatile selection of analogue colours while to developers. The new never leaving the lush, open analogue sample-loading feature in mixing environment. It has an outstanding SDK 2.5 allows for an entirely flexibility for a fabulous result — it really new breed of instruments and adds life and warmth to our mixes. effects to be integrated into the Reason platform. •propellerheads.se Dave Smith’s Poly Evolver “We didn’t want to buy a classic synthesiser that everyone has used before, as our approach to making music is to always try something different. This beast has helped us a lot to achieve this. This synth combines both the analogue and digital worlds to bring you some of the warmest sounds. terms of the technology — the past with vinyl, present with media There’s no other synths out there that can players and the future with Denon DJ. PICTURE PERFECT be so creative; except another Evolver, of “We’re super-stoked to kick off early 2017 with two world-class Mixvibes has released course! and hugely influential DJs changing their riders for the new Remixvideo for Mac, an Denon DJ Prime Series gear,” Paul Dakyene from Denon DJ says. intuitive sampler to enhance “Paul Oakenfold commands massive respect and kudos from a DJ/artist’s set with video Waldorf Pulse 2 both the global DJ industry and his peers, and with Denon DJ playback. Remixvideo runs “This is another analogue ‘friend’ of ours in powering his upcoming Generations World Tour we’re all set VST/AU and Ableton Link, the studio. It’s a lovely little module. Super for an incredible journey ahead. Paul will not only be creatively and is the ideal add-on for compact, but at the same time intuitive and exploring the ground-breaking technologies of the SC5000 Prime live performers wishing to very powerful. Its sound is really modern media player, but spinning classic vinyl tunes on the VL12 Prime integrate video into their and has plenty of modulation options. The turntable. The iconic Oakey goes back to his roots, and back to the existing set-up. It can be used poly capabilities make it much more than future at the same time! in two ways: linking audio just another mono synth. “The team at Denon DJ are both honoured and privileged to samples to video pads in be working with and supporting these truly great artists with standalone mode, or playing the Prime Series gear,” he continues. “Plus we look forward to it as a video plug-in (VST/AU) Korg Prophecy welcoming more, soon-to-be-announced, A-list DJ talent as they within your favourite music “Old but gold. The Prophecy.” change their riders!” software. •denondj.com •£99, mixvibes.com djmag.com 159 TECH NEWS KEEPING UP TO DATE… Native Instruments has released an update to its Maschine Software, version 2.6 now brings with it a wealth of new features, with the pièce de résistance being able to control hardware synths and drum machines directly from the software itself. Native has even created templates for a lot of the most popular gear currently being used, DAVID DOUGLAS which effectively means that users can route their hardware like plug-ins directly into CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT Maschine. The templates cover Roland’s ROLAND SPACE ECHO AIRA and Boutique range of synths and hardware, Moog’s Mother–32, Korg’s Volca synths, and Modal’s DIY CRAFTsynth. And Dutch producer and video director David more savvy users can create templates for Douglas’s new album ‘Spectators Of The their own machines and share them with the Universe’ is out now via Atomnation. Here is a larger community. bit of kit he just can’t live without… •native-instruments.com “I just can’t live without the Roland 201 Space Echo. As a synth lover, I’ve got quite a lot of synths APP REVIEW and tape machines. But the Space Echo is the butter in my productions, it’s the sugar in the pie, APP: IMPC it’s the wine with a wonderful meal. If you use it DEVELOPER: AKAI/RETRONYMS right, it can bring everything together. Sometimes FORMAT: ANDROID (SAMSUNG) sounds and melodies suddenly come to life. If I use PRICE: £5.99+ my Arp Odyssey, Roland Juno 106, Solina string ensemble, or work on vocal FX or drum parts, I’ll AKAI IS ON A ROLL edge tools for almost always record it through the Roland Space at the moment, with composing, editing Echo 201 instantly. Because the Roland is an the release of two and mixing music on analogue tape-based delay and echo machine, the new hardware MPC a Samsung device. Galaxy devices. to 1/32T with latch synths become warmer. It’s my way of achieving an products that bolster iMPC for Android at With more than 1,200 control are also built- organic production. the existing range. launch will be an samples, 50 editable in. The app’s sampler “Sometimes I program the machine with as little The company has now exclusive to Samsung programs, 80 editable can record samples in delay as possible — this way the synth signal still turned its attentions phones and tablets, sequences and the three different ways: goes through the tape, and you get this tape-based to the Android format, as an in-app purchase iconic MPC workflow, 1) through the mic on sound.