Inhoudsopgave van April 2022 - Computer Music

Another one of those future predictions has always been a robot replacing the human voice (and we’re not getting drawn into the argument that Auto-Tune has effectively already done this). One company a step ahead in this is Emvoice, whose One app uses a cloud-based system to create a vocal of any words using a granular system. “What you’re hearing is a real singer’s voice interpreting your own words,” they say. They’ve just added another ‘vocalist’, Thomas, whose EDM vocoder style voice joins Jay and Lucy in the One lineup. We blame Daft Punk for everything. emvoiceapp.com…

The popularity of electronic dance music seems to build as each generation comes of age, continually evolving to the point where the lines between conventional dance music and DJ-ing are now blurred: although, the ‘dance’ aspect is often questionable, particularly as the computer has become the de-facto music production hub. The genre encompasses many sub-genres, but commonalities include a reliance on synthesis elements, and a fundamentally strong rhythm – be that drum loops, kicks or organic pulses. Here are some free software options to get you producing, or enhance your existing rig. DAW Ableton Ableton Live 11 Lite Ableton Live is certainly among the most essential software packages for electronic musicians, but did you know you can get started without any outlay whatsoever? Ableton’s Lite version provides eight input tracks…

Step by step Building a track with Tracktion Waveform Free 1 First, download the free version of Tracktion Waveform from tracktion. com. For the exchange of your email address and the logging of an account, this superb, fully featured DAW is yours. 2 Once the software has bedded itself in and scanned your system, you’ll be presented with the main menu. Though you can choose a project template, we’re going to create a New Project. 3 You’ll then be thrust into the main Edit workspace. In here you can compose, record and mix, though many elements are differently arranged to other DAWs. 4 Let’s start with some beats. Waveform Free has a readily available array of loops, accessible by clicking on the left-hand Search tab, and navigating the appropriate tags.…

Step by step Diving into modular with VCV Rack 1 There’s no better route to getting your head around the world of modular synthesis, than by downloading and experimenting with the free VCV Rack – grab it from vcvrack.com. 2 VCV Rack runs as a self-contained piece of software. You’ll notice that a basic arrangement of virtual modules has already been predetermined. 3 In the ‘Audio’ Module, select your audio interface. Once done, you’ll see that your inputs/outputs correspond to that of your interface. Generate MIDI notes by using the QWERTY keyboard. 4 But we want to use our actual keyboard, right? Find it by scrolling through the Core MIDI > Device List within the MIDI > CV module. Boom, we can now operate VCV Rack with our keyboard. 5…

Once considered a stage of music production that only the sage ears of a paid-up mastering engineer could be trusted to handle, mastering is now very much a commonplace process for home producers. As with mixing, there are numerous distinct considerations to take during the mastering stage – namely how much compression and master equalisation your track needs – to prepare it for public consumption. If you’re a novice to this world, then why not have a free dabble with some of these cost-free tools. Even if you’re a seasoned track-polisher, you might just find a favourite new track shaper by sampling this box of delights. SPECTRUM ANALYSER Voxengo Voxengo Span Free Any mastering engineer will tell you that it’s crucial to have a handle on your audio spectrum, and…

Step by step The original tracks and multitracks 1 Tip number 1. “Make a backup.” Yes, Mousse T. says this in the main text and on video, but you really can’t dish this piece of advice out too many times! 2 There are some great vocals on the track for Mousse T. to work with but then he stumbled across a small vocal part which set him on course for his remix. 3 Mousse decided to then do a remix in the vein of Robin S’ Show Me Love which meant “kick ass beats and bassline”, so he went about creating just that. 4 The bassline was created first, using Reveal Sound’s excellent Spire softsynth, a favourite around these parts. 5 Mousse programmed a simple but effective bass riff using…

If you listen to a musical instrument played in a space, then you’ll be hearing a combination of the direct instrument sound and the sound bouncing off the walls. This second component is called reverberation and contributes immensely to what the instrument sounds like to us. In computer-based production we can, of course, record instruments in spaces, and by using the correct microphone techniques capture this effect at source. However, often we’re working with samples and synths. In this case we can add a sense of space using artificial reverbs, which either use algorithms and delays to create a room effect, or use a convolution process, creating the effect by using impulse responses captured from real spaces. All of this sounds simple enough, but use of reverb can be confusing…

If you are something of a Macintosh type, the chances are you may well have an iOS device that partners with your computer. It’s long been one of the mainstays and strengths of the Apple ecosphere, that their products talk and operate seamlessly with each other, to create a beautiful user experience. The decision to release Animoog Z for both macOS and iOS devices is something of a coup. Arguably, the presence of the Mac plugin will make this appealing to serious users working in the production domain; however the one thing that the plugin does not have, is the ability to interface through a touchscreen. That is, of course, assuming that you haven’t invested heavily in some form of touchscreen technology to go with your Mac! The bottom line…

Despite its unassuming looks, Solid State Logic’s Fusion processor is a brilliant piece of kit. Designed specifically for digital studios, this box of analogue tricks can sit across your main mix buss, or a stem buss, from where it treats your audio to some extra-special SSL pampering. The results can be spectacular, giving your mix the body, space and sparkle that you’d expect from a high-end analogue console, not a mid-range processor. The Fusion hardware is reasonably affordable, but this hasn’t stopped SSL from converting the analogue processors of the hardware into plugins that are affordable for all. We looked recently at the first two of these, Fusion Vintage Drive and Fusion Stereo Image, in 302, but now it’s the turn of the next two releases in the series: Fusion…

925 Compressor MkII includes a fold-down parameter panel accessed via the blue Plus icon. Here you’ll find various sidechain related features, the Dry/Wet mix and the stereo link. There’s also a Damping control. This limits how quickly gain reduction varies, and is designed to smooth out the sometimes over-eager envelope response. As advised in the manual, we found this particularly helpful for bass sounds with long sustains. With regards to the sidechain options on offer, both internal and external side chains are subject to 12dB/octave high and low-pass filters, and the filters have pretty wide frequency ranges (10Hz to 6.3KHz for high pass and 63Hz to 20kHz for low pass). The sidechain feature has two modes – regular sidechain filter and band-specific compression. This is extremely handy and even more…

You’d be forgiven for believing that every conceivable vintage synth had now been resurrected from the ashes as new hardware or software. That’s what we thought, until we discovered that Martinic have revisited a left behind model in the classic stakes. Sampled? Not! Mention the brand Akai in production circles and it conjures up a reverence to hardware samplers that were once the envy of the industry. OK, there were heavy doses of small-screen key-hole surgery involved, but the Akai ’S’ series samplers were known for their filters, RAM capacity and industry-standard status. With this in mind, it’s ever so easy to overlook the humble Akai AX73; an analogue synthesiser which offered a programming style not dissimilar to a Moog Source, or if you want to think digital, Yamaha DX7.…

W. A. Production have an enviable product line of audio plugins and sample packs, aimed at music producers and sound designers. Their products are good value and easy to use and their plugins in particular feature simple, no-nonsense interfaces and often have task-specific functions. We’ve been lucky enough to have already featured two examples of their range in our Plugin Suite: Outlaw CM, which is an automatic gain rider, and Puncher CM, which is a transient shaper and compressor. This month we’re excited to add a third W. A. plugin to the CM Suite… Multibender CM is a special version of their multiband tempo-synced delay. The design uses two adjustable crossover points and adjustable high and low cutoffs to achieve three processing bands. Each of these bands then gets its…

Recreate the sound of six decades The synth has been with us for (roughly) 60 years and in celebration – and as we’re giving away one of the best synths ever – we’re looking back over six decades and showing you how to recreate some of the greatest vintage sounds in history! PLUS! Free IK synth! Amazing free synth offer! IK’s J-60 classic for free! Reviews On test! Wave Alchemy TRIAZ, OT Andea and many more! All of this… The entire history of electronic music and synths. Oh yes!…

The old adage ‘you get what you pay for’ has long held water, particularly in a music production context. But, casting our eyes upon the vast expanse of mixing tools, instruments, synths, drum machines, DAWs and the like that we’re now able to take without shedding a coin, reveals that today our industry is bursting with generous folk, less motivated by premium prices, and driven instead by passion and inventiveness. The fruits of these creators’ altruistic free-wares have evolved beyond the simple and disposable. One only has to look at such expansive free synths as the DX7-inspired, open-source Dexed, the sumptuous analogue-like warmth of u-he’s Tyrell N6, or the subtractive hybrid engines that lay in the mighty Surge, to realise that not only are you getting bang for no bucks…

The range of open-source freeware is constantly growing. The collaborative nature of open-source invites anybody (with the necessary know-how) to tinker with the root code of the program, often enhancing it. Some great examples include the inaugural open-source iOS synth, Audiokit Synth One. This 6-voice hybrid synth contains more than 300 extraordinary presets. There’s also the mighty VCV Rack – a modular synth-emulating playground that you can modify endlessly, and it’s actually far easier than pulling apart a real module and re-wiring it. For Linux users, try out the slick open-source DAW Ardour. You’ll be astonished at what you can do with it.…

They’re a stubborn old lot guitarists. Though we live in a world where a salvo of superb software can grant access to some of the greatest amplifiers in history, virtual effects rigs that could utterly transform an old axe and a whole lot more, there are still those stick-in-the-muds who reject software entirely. They don’t know what they’re missing out on, of course. As you’re reading Computer Music (and not ‘Valve Fancier magazine’) we’re going to leap to the assumption that you’re already a smart, software-savvy guitarist. You’ve already got one over the computer-spurners, so don’t overlook this slew of freebies that can add even more colour, power and treatment to your studiously crafted tone. DAW Apple Garageband Apple’s free DAW has established itself as a formative piece of music…

Those who write and produce for picture have an experience quite unlike others in music production. Whether you’re soundtracking sci-fi blockbusters, historical epics, subtle character dramas, or even the immersive music of an interactive video game world, your relationship with the emotion of the visuals is a crucial director that your compositions need to work in synergy with. There’s also been a move away from that type of big, John Williams-esque score, as increasing numbers of soundtracks harness sound-effect-like textures to create more delicate movement and impacts. Some of these free goodies will certainly help you out in that regard. DRUM SYNTH AudioSpillage MiniSpillage As a soundtrack, you’ll often be called upon to inject a gradual build of rhythmic tension, minimal pulses or massive climactic impacts into your score. MiniSpillage…

The freeware story doesn’t start and end in the studio. For the realm of the stage, there’s a similar deluge of free downloads that might just make the difference between a clunky performance and a night that your audience will never forget. While we’re going to take it as read that you’re working around a computer-based setup, this guide offers up a delectable platter of free software (and free platform) gems. From swift, flexible beat making, to instantaneous vocal-tuning and even a feature-packed, show-ready DAW, our list is aimed squarely at those questing to tighten up their live sound. BEAT-MAKING SOFTWARE Akai MPC Beats Free Not just an official, virtual reproduction of Akai’s legendary MPC beat-making gold-standard, but a robust performance DAW in its own right. MPC Beats contains a…

Step by step The original tracks and multitracks 1 Stomp! by The Brothers Johnson is a disco classic from 1980, produced by Quincy Jones. In 1996, Jones reworked it and Mousse T. was asked to remix it. 2 Mousse T. got sent the master tracks of the original track, four 2-inch multitracks featuring an incredible 96 tracks of astonishing material. 3 The original tracks feature a who’s who of recording at the time including Herbie Hancock, Chaka Khan, Charlie Wilson and, Melle Mel. “Crazy stuff!” 4 Back in 1996 Mousse T. had to sample the vocal tracks onto his trusty Akai samplers – an S1000, S1100 and S3000 – one of which he still has today. 5 Now, fortunately, Mousse T. has the original tracks plus several of his remixes…

As we say in the main text, just one other string in Mousse T’s bow is producing samples for CR2 Records. He has done two packs so far: Mousse T Vol.1 and 2. Of the collections he says, “honestly, I think sharing is caring! So many people ask me how I do stuff, what I use etc, so when my old mate Mark Brown approached me [to do the packs] I was totally game. I actually did some sample CDs 25 years ago and I was very hyped to do an actual selection of the sounds that I crafted meticulously and used on a lot of recent tracks. Basically, the concept was that anyone should be able to do tracks immediately with my sounds.” You can get both Mousse T.…

If there’s one point that we keep coming back to in our monthly Synth Masterclass tutorials, it’s how incredibly versatile our very own Zebra CM synth is. Apart from offering oscillators and filters that go way beyond the basic remit of subtractive synthesis, all while sounding absolutely fantastic, the modulation options are equally versatile, allowing for modulatory control of just about everything you can ask of it, from a multitude of sources. The one thing that the Zebra CM doesn’t offer though, is a capacity for onboard sequencing. Arguably, if you’re working within a DAW, you can easily do without this function, but if there’s one thing that we know about onboard arpeggiators and sequencers, it’s that they can be fun, aid workflow and have the capacity to inspire. So…

Splitting an audio signal into two and then applying a process to one part, before recombining the signals at the output, is a technique that leads to all sorts of interesting effects. From delays to modulations and beyond, we’ve been using these sorts of effects for years. And the army of available plugins including flangers, phasers, choruses, ensembles and stereo wideners show just how important they are. Here we’ll focus on three processes using three plugins from the Suite. First up, we’ll look at delay. This is one of the most common effects we use, and can create anything from quite obvious slap back echo and panning delay effects to more complex evolving textures. Often coupled with onboard pitch modulation and filtering of the delayed signal, and regularly equipped with…

PSP Audioware is a well established developer with a portfolio of industry respected plugins, including classics such as VintageWarmer and SpringBox. One of their long established bundles is MixPack 2, which includes six mix bus processors covering dynamics, transient shaping, EQ, enhancement and saturation. It’s the MixSaturator plugin from this bundle that forms the starting point for PSP’s new saturator plugin. Nevertheless, with 20 years on the clock, they have clearly decided it was time to go for a total overhaul. So, although there’s a lot of familiarity here in terms of controls, the new plugin now runs on completely rewritten or substantially redesigned algorithms. These not only take full advantage of PSP’s current DSP know-how, but have also been tweaked sonically, making PSP Saturator a completely new plugin with…

With the release of Fusion Violet EQ, SSL’s digitising of the Fusion hardware is nearly complete – the only thing not yet digitised is the hardware’s analogue transformer stage. Yet even without that final link in the chain, the combination of all four Fusion plugins is almost as formidable as the original hardware, especially when chained in the same order. First in the chain is Fusion Vintage Drive, which adds analogue-like colour and saturation to the signal. From here, it’s off to Fusion Violet EQ and Fusion HF Compressor. We’ve already seen how good these are together, but when you include that initial injection of analogue character from Vintage Drive, which is then enhanced by the EQ/ compressor combo, the results are exceptional… or seem so until you hook-up Fusion…

Bitwig 4.0 brought with it a raft of new features including comping, event Operators, and improved import and export options. The latest 4.1 update is free for all eligible owners (see below) and comes with a number of new key features. First up, Note FX. There are eight new ones (making 21 in total), and on the face of it there would appear to be nothing particularly novel about these effects. However, dive in and you’ll find creativity and ease of use in abundance. Note FX sit ahead of your instruments and typically work for the duration of the MIDI notes, so a sustained MIDI note is a great way to explore how they work. You can have multiple chained Note FX and their order can influence the outcome. They…

cm/experts Our resident music production gurus walk you through their specialist fields every month PRODUCTION BASS MASTERCLASS SYNTH MASTERCLASS CREATING AN LFO SEQUENCE PRODUCER MASTERCLASS Not one but two Mousse T. videos on how to create the perfect remix HOW TO DO EVERYTHING 7 Three videos exploring the wonders of reverb in a series we started last issue HOW TO DO EVERYTHING 8 We close our HTDE features with three videos on delays and modulation YOUR FREE PLUGIN How to get the best from WA Production’s Multibender CM…

If you believe anyone you talk to, or any news story you care to read, we’re on the cusp of – indeed, standing on a cliff edge staring into the darkness of their terrifying souls – both the Metaverse and Artificial Intelligence taking over our pathetic, war-mongering, organic bags of flesh lives. If you’re young, enthusiastic and less cynical than we are – that’s 99.99% of you, then – you’ll be excitedly embracing these new terms and this new future rather like those whippersnappers in Ready Player One. What could possibly go wrong with a virtual environment replacing reality and the whole shebang run by machines with more intelligence than us, after all? But as musicians, we’re one step ahead. Artificial Intelligence has been with us for a while, and…

cm How did you get into music software? DB “I’ve always been obsessed with music, but after travelling to Ibiza and experiencing house music in some of the best clubs, I started to DJ, then obsessing over the sounds and invested in a studio. There were just a couple of companies making samples. I felt I could do better, so I started doing my own – that’s how Wave Alchemy was born!” cm How did you become successful? DB “Our goal has always been to empower producers with creative tools and the best sounds. When we started (in 2006) we were samples only. We built a loyal following and wanted to find a way of delivering our high-quality content in a more streamlined, creative and artistic way, which led to…

Noise Engineering, might be better known for Eurorack hardware but last year they decided to give plugins a go, free ones at that, with their Freequel Bundle, and they’ve just announced a big update. The bundle has two synths, Sinc Vereor and Virt Vereor, and a multi-distortion called Ruina. Noise have added modulation to each of the plugins plus MIDI features, including MIDI learn functionality, and they are promising big updates in the future-like MPE support. Download the plugins for free by registering an account at the link below and downloading the installer. portal.noiseengineering.us…

Before you begin, your first port of call should be our very own bespoke assemblage of freebies, made in conjunction with some of the industry’s best and brightest. They’re available free every month with your purchase of this very magazine. Head to filesilo.co.uk/ computermusic to register this issue and download the CM Plugin Suite. This includes a massive range of limitation-free instruments and effects made in collaboration with the likes of D16, Ohm Force, KV331, Rob Papen, Cableguys and many more. Of particular note is the remarkable Zebra CM synth, developed by u-he especially for us. This stripped down version of the Zebra2 is, we’d go as far as to say, among the very best free synths you can get your hands on. It sports two wavetable (16) oscillators, a…

Though it’s a term that originated in reference to those juggernaut electronic musicians who took the charts by storm in the mid-90s, electronica is a term now more associated with those creating lush and mesmerising sounds that take the listener somewhere else (see also ‘intelligent dance music’, or IDM). Though the electronica-maker’s toolkit is similar to that of EDM, often elements of sound design and more conventional song-arranging apply in lieu of grooves or rhythms. With these requirements in mind, then, we’ve cherry-picked some more freeware tools that could be put to very good use when forging your next downtempo, cerebral masterpiece. DAW Bandlab Cakewalk by Bandlab We all need a DAW, and Cakewalk’s Sonar was up there with the very best. Unfortunately support ended in 2018. Thankfully, Bandlab resurrected…

Step by step Sampling with TX16Wx 1 TX16Wx is undoubtedly one of the very best free software samplers available to you, if you haven’t already, download it fromtx16wx.com. 2 Once it’s installed, open up your DAW of choice, find TX16Wx by selecting it in your plugins library under CWITEC. 3 To the left of the UI, you’ll see the file browser. Here is where you can select samples and sound files from your computer and map them onto the keyboard (visible by selecting ‘Regions’). 4 We’re going to assume you’ve got a rich library of source sounds to play with (or sounds you’ve recorded from the real world). We can simply drag and drop some raw drum elements into our keyboard to start to build up a multi-sample instrument. 5…

YouTube isn’t the only free way to stream your live music. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter also sport live-streaming facilities, though choosing which to broadcast on might be a bit of a head-scratcher. The solution may lie in signing up to a multistreaming platform such as Restream. For no cost (aside from an email sign-up) your streams will be live-distributed to all selected platforms simultaneously. You can pre-record your shows and schedule them to stream at a certain point, and analyse the data across the platforms after, too. If you want to get more pro and monetise your live performances, StageIt offers a cost-free way to host (and charge!) for your shows, via its bespoke monetisation system. The only downside is that you’ll need to persuade others to sign up to…

Step by step Beats and chords 1 First Mousse shows how the beats are laid out in the Ultimate Stomper remix of Stomp!, with several audio tracks combined as shown. 2 Mousse likes to mix programmed parts with audio loops; it’s a common practice to help bring variation into a house beat. 3 However, rather than use sampled loops, in this case he got a local Hanover percussionist in to record several live loops – up to 14 in this instance, 4 Mousse then often cut each loop up and either rearranged it or replayed it by mapping sounds across the keyboard as he does with vocals and other audio. 5 Mousse T. is a sucker for great chords so uses the Charlie Wilson a cappella vocal as a guide.…

When a lot of people start out in electronic music, it’s very easy for them to see the bass as a means to an end rather than a creative force in a track. Everyone is different in how they approach a song – maybe you’ll have a melody or set of chords in your head first, or maybe you’ll have a drum loop or track down as your foundation. For many, it’s simple just to use bass as chords to accompany the melody. But with the right bass sound and basslines for your electronic track, you can really elevate your music. Bass is firstly there in your music to add depth. Across the frequency spectrum, bass covers the low end along with the kick drum. If you removed the bass…

Within the world of hardware synths, brands don’t come more highly prized and regarded than Moog. This has everything to do with the history of the brand, largely informed by the development of subtractive synthesis as we know it, but they also continue to develop other interesting areas of electronic music. In more recent times, Moog have been busy developing some incredibly fine software incarnations of synthesisers. We only have to look back at their reincarnation of the MiniMoog model D for iPad to see and hear just how successful this can be. In our tests, it gave an original hardware Model D an enormous run for its money, and that’s quite a feat, when you consider the huge difference in price. Getting animated Moog’s latest offering is the Animoog…

Saturator has an advanced parameters panel at the bottom. This Internal Board contains five options alongside some retro-inspired circuitboard graphics. One key feature here is FAT mode. This applies the x4 quad oversampling algorithm and from the block diagram we can see this affects the High and Saturation processing engines, though not the Low saturation engine that precedes them. It’s designed to reduce aliasing, particularly with heavy processing. Next up, you have a sidechain high-pass filter (10Hz to 1kHz). This influences the main saturation engine and we found it great for focusing the processing away from the lower frequencies. This is really handy when combining the Low saturation and main saturation engines as it allows you to prevent too much overlap. Following this is a Smooth control that, when increased,…

MIA Laboratories develop a range of audiophile plugins inspired by classic analogue circuits. These include some pretty obvious designs (opto compressor, tape saturator and various EQs) as well as more esoteric examples (Pi & Phi MkIII spectral processor). 925 Compressor MkII and 358 Enhancer MkII (AAX, AU, VST3) are their latest releases and mark significant updates to the original versions of these plugins. The 925 Compressor is no doubt the more flexible processor, but even so, both now have considerably more features and offer more attractive interfaces. Compress “Its variable knee response/logarithmic gain reduction deliver very natural-sounding compression” 925 Compressor MkII is an analogue-inspired feedback-style dynamics processor designed using physical modelling principles. Built around an analogue-style envelope detector circuit, its variable knee response and logarithmic gain reduction can deliver very…

If there’s one thing we know about the cello, it’s that a large section in an orchestra can sound lyrical, strident and quite menacing. But pick off a single cello, place it in a dry surrounding, and record it with a mixture of conventional and less mainstream articulations, and you have something away from the orchestral norm. Something from nothing The word Poiesis harks back to Greek philosophy, and described the action of bringing something into being which did not previously exist. It’s a perfect term to apply to artistic creation, and is apt for this cello-based suite. The cello in question is relatively young, at least in cello terms: a Moes & Moes instrument, built for international cellist Yo-Yo Ma, back in 1995. Sample capture was undertaken in the…

We spoke with Adam Port, Rampa and &ME of Keinemusik about production tricks, the art of collaboration and the thinking behind their performance-focused hardware brand, TEILE. 1 Tell us about how you first got into music making. Adam: “I was DJing RnB and hip-hop back in the day and at some point it wasn’t enough and I wanted to express myself better. I got a cracked version of Cakewalk from a friend and then I started to play around with sounds. I had no drum computer or synths so I sampled every kick, hi-hat, and snare from my vinyls. I still use this technique sometimes.” Rampa: “I started playing drums super early and my best friend’s older brother was a techno DJ with turntables in the basement, so we’d sneak…