Computer Music June 2021

“…selling booze for synths, crack for Eurorack” In what is fast becoming my magazine equivalent of a confessional booth (I’ve never used a real one, by the way; I grew up in the 70s and they were always full), it is time to admit that I have dabbled in modular or Eurorack synthesis before. OK, I was much younger and, it has to be said, easily led. All my friends were into it and they said it was cool. And it didn’t seem too much of a problem at first: buy one module, maybe two, or even three… link them together, play a sequence. What harm could it do? But no-one really explained to me what modular synthesis really was, and where it could take my life. Soon I was living…

“…selling booze for synths, crack for Eurorack” In what is fast becoming my magazine equivalent of a confessional booth (I’ve never used a real one, by the way; I grew up in the 70s and they were always full), it is time to admit that I have dabbled in modular or Eurorack synthesis before. OK, I was much younger and, it has to be said, easily led. All my friends were into it and they said it was cool. And it didn’t seem too much of a problem at first: buy one module, maybe two, or even three… link them together, play a sequence. What harm could it do? But no-one really explained to me what modular synthesis really was, and where it could take my life. Soon I was…

Software bundle makers really do understand what needs to be highlighted about their particular piles of titles: value! You know, then, that when you buy a piece of hardware by certain manufacturers and it has a ‘software bundle thrown in’ that it will probably be worth a fortune. Similarly, with a ‘best of’ bundle a la Arturia’s V-Collection or NI’s Komplete, you simply understand that you’ll save thousands over buying the titles individually. Well, we’ve mentioned the major ones that are available, but this month we have news of two updated titles that might well have slipped under your radar. The first, Presonus’ Studio Magic 2021, is a Mac and PC bundle that goes straight for the cash jugular, delivering over a thousand bucks’ (Presonus are American, don’t you know)…

Software bundle makers really do understand what needs to be highlighted about their particular piles of titles: value! You know, then, that when you buy a piece of hardware by certain manufacturers and it has a ‘software bundle thrown in’ that it will probably be worth a fortune. Similarly, with a ‘best of’ bundle a la Arturia’s V-Collection or NI’s Komplete, you simply understand that you’ll save thousands over buying the titles individually. Well, we’ve mentioned the major ones that are available, but this month we have news of two updated titles that might well have slipped under your radar. The first, Presonus’ Studio Magic 2021, is a Mac and PC bundle that goes straight for the cash jugular, delivering over a thousand bucks’ (Presonus are American, don’t you know) worth…

Elastic FX 1.3 First it was an update for Elastic Drums, and now Oliver Greschke has given Elastic FX – his deliciously playable multi-FX app – a tweak. This isn’t a major revision, but you do now have Ableton Link support in iOS 14 and MIDI sync for the likes of automations and delay times. Some bugs have been fixed, too, including a Bluetooth crash in iOS 14 and a buzzing sound on the iPad 8. Elastic FX 1.3 is a free update for existing users. The full app costs $9.99. mominstruments.com Spire Studio  iZotope’s Spire Studio – the iOS-focused ‘smart’ recording device – was a hit in lockdown, selling out all over the place. We now have a relaunched gen 2 version, though, with improved preamps and more storage.…

Elastic FX 1.3 First it was an update for Elastic Drums, and now Oliver Greschke has given Elastic FX – his deliciously playable multi-FX app – a tweak. This isn’t a major revision, but you do now have Ableton Link support in iOS 14 and MIDI sync for the likes of automations and delay times. Some bugs have been fixed, too, including a Bluetooth crash in iOS 14 and a buzzing sound on the iPad 8. Elastic FX 1.3 is a free update for existing users. The full app costs $9.99. mominstruments.com Spire Studio iZotope’s Spire Studio – the iOS-focused ‘smart’ recording device – was a hit in lockdown, selling out all over the place. We now have a relaunched gen 2 version, though, with improved preamps and more storage. Spire Studio also comes…