Computer Music

NEW RELEASES • COMMENT • INDUSTRY HAPPENINGS Resisting the temptation to succumb to numerical superstition, Reason Studios has released Reason 13, the latest version of its legendary DAW and plugin. From a redesigned sequencer and interface to five n

cm: Firstly, let’s talk about ShaperBox 3.5. The latest iteration of your suite of powerful rhythmic and mixing tools is such a robust package, and is absolutely chock full of incredible effects. Can you talk us through the new features that were add

Logic’s long-awaited leap to 11 feels like a big statement, but many of the updates on offer feel very familiar. Open an existing project and other than the wording on the splash page, you could be mistaken for wondering if you have installed this ne

The new Bass and Keyboard Players join Drummer, for a full rhythm section Logic’s new saturation plugin is perfect for adding warmth and impurity 1 You can select a Session Player from the initial Logic Pro loading page, or add a session player as pa

You might not realise it, but when you fire up this ultra-modern, AI-leaning Logic upgrade, the fundamental technology you’re using owes a debt of gratitude to sequencing technology from the late 19th century! Within any modern DAW, you’ll probably h

Distortion comes in many shapes, sizes and colours, and while it immediately conjures images of rock guitarists, subtle degrees of distortion can enhance everything we hear, from the sound of a cool synth to an entire mix. Many of the more desirable

The lead synth is one of the most memorable elements that producers use to create the melody or main idea for a track. The power of the lead melody line is created by starting with a good preset or custom-designed synth patch, and using a particular

Every now and then, a brand name enters the vernacular. How many times have you reached for a Hoover, instead of a vacuum cleaner? Well, the same could be said for pitch correction software, except now it’s become more of an adjective than a branding

When it comes to producing music at home, what is the most important thing to get right? What one piece of kit, software or treatment is going to make your tracks sing? Is it your monitor speakers? Is it that classic outboard gear? Or, is it the fact

It’s hard to believe that Logic Pro X, the tenth major revision of the now Mac-only DAW, was released over a decade ago in July 2013, featuring the then all-new Flex Pitch and beat-creating Drummer. Before that release, the updates to the software we

If there’s one company that’s been on a crusade to advance the capability of hardware control of software synthesisers, it’s Expressive E. But controllers can sound a little quiet without a decent sound source, and thankfully help is at hand. The Pha

Mixing is a combination of technical and creative decisions, and some of these decisions such as creative filtering can have a big impact on both the clarity and impact of your mix. Filters are one of the most powerful mixing tools we have, and none

The MPG Awards have always excelled at celebrating both those legendary studio icons and the rising crop of new production talent in equal measure. This year’s awards, held at London’s The Troxy, continued this tradition with the likes of Alan Moulde

While there’s much to be said for artists who inhabit their own sonic universe, Seamus Malliagh (aka Iglooghost) not only belligerently defies genres, but – on new album Tidal Memory Exo – bases his music within a land-and-seascape populated by odd h

There’s nothing quite like the sound of a full symphony orchestra. The sound of 100 musicians playing as an ensemble has long been the preserve of classical composers, with the modern symphony orchestra continuing to play an enormous part in producti

If you were the lead singer and founder member of the platinum-selling band Bleachers, you’d probably be content with your lot, but not so Jack Antonoff. The multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and studio guru doesn’t exactly rest on any laurel

It wasn’t that long ago that creating real-time effects, such as stutters, tape stops and even the humble pumping compressor, could be quite a chore to engineer in a track. Thanks to the progression of computing power, ever more ingenious plugins hav

WaveLab has appeared to be a bit of a laggard of late, stuck at version 11 whilst its Steinberg stablemates, Cubase and Nuendo, stormed ahead to version 13. It’s therefore little surprise that WaveLab’s long awaited version 12 update packs in a dizzy

Download all assets for this issue at bit.ly/cm337downloads Fresh from the cauldron comes this bewitching set of fantastical effects. Our very own Gandalf (Robbie) explains “To adorn fantastical tales of the imaginary past, this sample pack provides

Next time, we’ll discard those presets as we show you our go-to tricks and techniques for creating sounds, effects, samples and overall mix colours that sound unlike anything else – from the impactful and abrasive to the ambient and emotive The exper

A quality two-plugin pack from Excite Audio that is anything but lightweight! Read the full article from p14 Our resident music production gurus walk you through their specialist field every month Read the full article on p44 Read the full article