Computer Music April 2023

Whenever you see this icon, you can grab the files on your PC or Mac by going to bit.ly/cm319downloads Tutorials featuring this icon make use of our own Plugins – find out more at bit.ly/cm319downloads This icon means there are extra files to help you follow a tutorial feature: project files, audio examples, etc There’s extra video content wherever you see this icon computermusic.co.uk computermusic@futurenet.com facebook.com/computer.music.mag twitter.com/computermusicuk youtube.com/computermusicmag instagram.com/computermusicmag…

Self indulgence alert! It’s nearly 25 years since this magazine began and – yes, you can see it in the lines on my face – I was there. They say you should never return to your first love, but I came back to Computer Music some 40 issues ago, with the same ideas, naivety and imposter syndrome I had a quarter of a century before. Little did I know what Covid had in store: the most tumultuous time in our history. In magazine history. In human history, even! Of course it was difficult for everyone, but we lost our DVD, we lost our budget and I lost my sanity on at least one occasion. To say it’s been a Cakewalk – get me with my clever software references – would…

We love an inflated press release here at Computer Music and tend to get sent some crackers every month, many of which feature hardware or software that promises the world. None more so than this release from newcomers and Kickstarter developers 203 Electronics. Their new Matrix, they say, “is the only grid controller you need”. Matrix actually doubles as both a MIDI controller and light display performer. It’s been designed to be a highly portable device, and also one that is totally customisable thanks to its open-source architecture. As such it ships with its own Matrix OS, in which you can create your own apps to suit your needs. However, 203 also claim that Matrix is easier to use than that sounds, saying this “enables a straightforward box experience for…

Ever worried that you haven’t got the talent to make it big in the music business? Well, take a leaf or two out of Lewis Thompson’s book. He might not have the self belief either, but he certainly has the sheer determination, hard work ethic and, well, isn’t afraid to exaggerate when it comes to the truth on occasion. And now he’s had a smash hit with David Guetta, and produced and co-written some of the UK’s biggest hits. These include Joel Corry’s Sorry, Lonely and Out Out, the number 1 single with MNEK Head & Heart, plus Anne-Marie and Little Mix’s collaboration Uh Oh, not to mention the international smash Crazy What Love Can Do with David Guetta, Ella Henderson and Becky Hill. Who needs talent then? He’s also…

At Computer Music we love to bring you the best in free production tools, and this month, not only are we taking a look at Tracktion’s Waveform Free 12, we’re also offering you a free copy of its RetroMod LoFreq Classic soft synth (normally $79). That’s right, double free! Waveform Free 12 is Tracktion’s impressively equipped and upgradeable free DAW. It has an awesome feature set that includes excellent onboard effects, instruments, utility plugins and content, plus its flexible new browser makes finding stuff a cinch. It’s cross-platform friendly (OS X, Windows and Linux) and also supports VST, VST 3 and AU plugin formats, so you can integrate your favourite third-party plugins. Unlike some free DAWs it has no track count, saving or exporting limitations, and the included content is…

A combination of Waveform Free’s Micro Drum Sampler and this month’s free plugin will get you well on your way to dancefloor domination > Step by step 7. Make a house-style track 1 House comes in many forms but pretty much standard throughout is a driving four-to-the-floor beat coupled with a rhythmic bassline, harmonic content from keyboards and guitars and some kind of vocal topline. Although there are plenty of sub genres, here we’re keeping it mainstream, building an instrumental beat from scratch. 2 Start with a fresh Default project. This should have eight ready made tracks. In the transport section set a suitable tempo (we’re going for 126bpm). Let’s start with the beat. From the plugin menu, load up an instance of Micro Drum Sampler then head to the…