Music Tech Magazine - Issue 63

Expert advice on mic'ing, tracking and mixing acoustic drums, how to get creative with glitch sequencing, and an insight into a studio stalwart - reverb. Five software workshops, industry news and more...

Publish date: 15 May 2008

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Issue 63 of Music Tech Magazine is out now in newsagents throughout the UK.

In the issue…

FREE! 2 IK Multimedia plug-ins
Find out why IK’s AmpliTube and Ampeg guitar/bass amp-modelling plug-ins have become such a hit with the Duo LE versions included free on this month’s DVD.

Recording Real Drums
Recording and mixing the sound of a complete acoustic kit can be one of the toughest challenges an engineer faces.You’ll need to know what mics to use, where to place them, and how the positioning you decide on will affect the sound you record. Mark Cousins explores the most effective solutions.
Remixer’s Guide to Glitch
Glitch programming is becoming increasingly popular in modern production. Mo Volans explores its origins and the techniques you’ll need to use it effectively in your music, showing you the best ways to cut up material and repurpose it for your own compositions.
Reverb Revisited
Reverb is one of the most powerful and ubiquitous of all audio effects. Merrick Angle explores ways of getting the most out of it…

Ten Minute Masters
Multi-channel digital audio: The approaches to interconnecting modern studios are changing rapidly, with a surge of new technologies offering efficient multi-channel solutions. Mark Cousins plugs in.
Ribbon microphones: String theory may be new, but ribbon microphones have a lasting appeal. Grant Bridgeman unties the issues.

This Month’s Workshops
Ableton Live 7
Knowing how Live handles its Defaults presets can both speed up your workflow and fire your creativity. Jon Margulies shows you around.
Celemony Melodyne
Melodyne’s audio-to-MIDI capabilities can be used creatively to replace or double acoustic sounds with synths and samplers. Keith Gemmell builds a horn section.
Pro Tools 7
Pro Tools offers a number of ways of working with MIDI, each of which has its own unique advantage. Mike Hillier is your tour guide.
Cubase 4.1
When you’ve finished tracking and tweaking, the next job is to mix it all together. Fortunately, Cubase packs all the tools you’ll need.
Reason 4
Reason is equipped to communicate with your other software and take advantage of your plug-ins collection at the same time. Hollin Jones explains how it’s done…

Reviews

New products coming under the MTM spotlight include the Access Virus TI Snow, FL Studio 8, M-Audio’s ProFire 2626, ESI’s DuaFire, the Sonnox Oxford SuprEsser, Bricasti’s new M7, the Tascam DP-02, Yamaha’s Pocketrack G2 and more.

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ON THE DVD

Funky House Loops

From horns and vocals to percussion and basses, this collection of uptempo loops and phrases offers solid inroads into the house and dance genres.

Drum Elements
AKAI MPC1000 patches to accompany eight taster chapters from MPC-Samples' ebook Beatmaking On The MPC1000.

Dance Music Production Using Cubase
Sonic Academy is a new company aiming to smooth the progress of anyone using software DAWs for music production – in this case, Steinberg’s Cubase 4.
Comprising two modules from the company’s introduction to creating dance music, you’re taken on a slick and polished tour of Cubase’s capabilities in this arena.

Beatmaking on the MPC1000
Accompanying the tutorial on using the AKAI MPC1000 for producing beats is this eight-chapter tutorial taster from the same company. The chapters cover audio connections, understanding MIDI, memory and storage, loading and sampling sounds. Music Tech readers who buy the full ebook Beatmaking on the MPC1000 by clicking here will get 192 hip hop drum samples absolutely free.

All the latest demos…
Antares AVOX 2, Acoustica Mixcraft 4, Blue Cat Audio TripleEQ, Image Line FL Studio 8, PSP Audioware MixPack 2, Stillwell Audio Oligarch M and more…

Recent issues...

	Issue 66 This month’s cover feature explores the black art of recording electric guitar, focusing on the key areas of mic’ing, tracking and mixing. We also go deep inside Logic Pro in the first instalment of Logic Pro Tips & Tricks.			Issue 65 The art of remixing explored and how you might benefit from recording your band live. Reason 4, Pro Tools 7, Guitar Rig 3 and Cubase 4.1 workshops. Plus: the latest reviews and industry news.
	Issue 64 Get the most from your plug-ins folder, improve your workflow by optimising your Windows PC, and find out how spatial awareness affects our perception of sound. Plus: Cubase 4, Reason 4, Logic Pro 8 and Sonar 7 workshops.			Issue 62 Find out how to go beyond your synth’s presets and program your own unique sounds, explore the sometimes wacky world of sound design for film, and learn how to create authentic acid dub. Plus: five software Workshops and the latest reviews.
	Issue 61 The lowdown on achieving better, more clearly defined mixes, up-to-the-minute advice on promoting your music, and how to bring a retro vibe to your productions. Kontakt 3, Ableton Live 7, Reason 4, Cubase 4 Workshops. Plus: all the latest reviews.			Issue 60 Creative uses for distortion, spicing up your live laptop sets, making your own hip hop samples and Ten Minute Masters on contact mics and middle-and-side recording. Logic Pro 8, Cubase 4.1, Ableton Live 7 and Pro Tools 7 Workshops.
	Issue 59 Professional mastering tricks and tips, how to re-create classic guitar tones, and what to look for if you’re planning to study for a music technology qualification. Reason 4, Logic Pro 8, Cubase 4.1 and Ableton Live 7 Workshops.			Issue 58 Find out how you can spice up your mix with the creative application of effects such as ring modulation and vocoding. How to successfully record a singer-songwriter, and a remixer’s guide to vocal production. Plus: Ableton Live 7 - FULL REVIEW!