Computer Music Autumn 2021

“If I’m still here at issue 600, then shoot me” I can’t say I ever thought Computer Music would make it to issue 300 when I helped launch the magazine all those years ago. Not that we even thought about ‘space year 2021’ in 1998; back then dragging the magazine into the 21st century was probably our only goal, not contemplating another two decades on top of that. But any magazine reaching the milestone of 300 issues must be doing something right, especially in the era of COVID and the internet. Really, magazines have no damned right to be here in this day and age, when you can get so much (mis) information from the internet. But make it to issue 300 we have, and it’s an especially poignant one…

cm/free daw TRACKTION FREE CM300 We’ve got a complete DAW with extras worth $80 for you! Here’s how to claim your goods See p16 Instructions at File Silo (p81) cm/free samples CM300 SAMPLE SPECIAL A huge collection of over 10,000 samples from our 300 issue history On the DVD or download from File Silo (see p81) cm/free videos SYNTH GUIDE & TRACKTION Download our Synth Masterclass video plus a tutorial on using Tracktion Free Download via File Silo (see p81) cm/plugin suite THE CM PLUGIN SUITE An all-new PDF detailing our complete Plugin Suite of instruments and effects Download from File Silo (see p81)…

It’s the n-n-n-n 1980s! Even more of a nostalgia-fest is coming your way next issue… With the release of Korg Collection 3 – see below – plus UVI and Softube’s Roland Juno-106 synth emulations, as reported in these very news pages over the last couple of issues, there really is a whiff of the 80s in the air. Good job there’s an even stronger whiff of a hair-gel laden 80s special issue of Computer Music in the air too! We really can feel it, coming in the air tonight (or in four weeks actually). Yes, if you think we’re getting all nostalgic with this special issue 300 of Computer Music, where we dive back and look at making music in 1998 (see p50), then just you wait until our next…

Remix Packs One of the big advantages that Apple has over other developers is their access to high-profile artists, and they’ve now used that clout to bring a collection of signature Remix Packs and Sound Packs to GarageBand for iOS and iPadOS. You can remix hits from Lady Gaga and Dua Lipa and access sounds from Boys Noize, Mark Lettieri, Oak Felder, Soulection, Take A Daytrip, Tom Misch and TRAKGIRL. apple.com Dorico Already a hit among desktop notators, Steinberg’s Dorico is now available for the iPad, too. This version promises the same look and feel, but tweaked to suit the touch interface. There’s an on-screen piano for entering notes, or you can record in via a MIDI keyboard. Editing can be done on a piano roll interface and there are…

cm How did you get into music software? RL “I’ve been composing music and programming since I was 10. I had a passion for both, the common denominator being the design of structures. I made music for a couple of movies and video games but the software side took over with SpectraLayers.” cm What is your philosophy? RL “Take the time to find the right frameworks and technologies, and then everything that can be factorised or automated. That’s what allows me to develop multiplatform software despite being a single developer. Also, don’t be afraid to throw away and redesign half of your software, or all of it. If something’s not going to work in the long term, or is going to be difficult to maintain or won’t meet expectations, go…

Compression is a timeless music production technique, so it should come as no surprise that, despite 170 (Autumn 2011) offering you “all the advice, techniques and audio examples you need to take your tracks to the next level,” these were to be far from our final words on the subject. “We explored (and perhaps oversold) the ‘revolution’ of trackpad MIDI control” Howard Jones, meanwhile, told us about his mission to track down his old multitrack recordings (they’ll be in the last place you look, etc), while our tip to anyone thinking of upgrading to the then-new Mac OS X Lion was the same as for any other operating system update: wait. Moving on, we explored (and perhaps oversold) the “revolution” of trackpad MIDI control (we’ll stick with hands-on knobs and…