November 2006 Magazine Contents

Ableton's Live revolutionised user interface design in music software, and with every update, the company have striven to retain its ergonomic appeal whilst adding some very sophisticated new features.

ADAM have shaved the price but not the quality for these active nearfields. Do they offer enough to help them stand out from the crowd?

Capella is a highly evolved and intuitive scoring package that helps you get the job done more quickly by cutting down on distractions.

Chandler revive a vintage technology in their unique new preamp. We put it to the test...

The new M Box 2 Pro is the first portable Pro Tools interface that connects via Firewire rather than USB. As a result, users get more I/O, a phono preamp and word clock support among other bonuses.

We test Exploraudio's Liveguitar H-clamp for fixing a conventional mic to an acoustic guitar, and explain ways to track down the source of guitar tuning problems, plus GT news...

Most guitar amp modellers can be pressed into service on bass guitar, but now IK Multimedia have teamed up with Ampeg to create a plug-in dedicated to recreating bass amp sounds.

Korg's Triton LE series has evolved into the TR range, but does it deliver any more than a new paint-job?

Lexicon's MX200 offered the innovative ability to integrate with a sequencer host just like an effects plug-in. The updated MX400 goes one better - it does all that, but with dual effects-processing engines too.

Bob Moog's final project carries his visionary synthesizer design into the future.

M-Audio's new wireless controller keyboard aims to free you from the restraints of MIDI cables.

M-Audio's latest foray into the mic market combines a striking retro look with the warmth of a valve and the versatility of switchable polar patterns.

Novation have cut the keyboard and the cost with the latest addition to their Remote SL line of 'intelligent' hardware controllers.

• WWYAM NWEQ Pro• Universal Audio Neve 1073 Equaliser

As Roland revisit the Juno name once again, we look at whether their latest offering is a serious contender, or merely a bantamweight Fantom.

• VSL Woodwinds II, Brass I & Brass II • Ilio Skippy's Big Bad Beats, Skippy's Noizbox, Stark Raving Beats & Ethno Techno • Ueberschall Urban Jointz

The democratisation of the ribbon mic continues with the release of an attractive model from SE. We find out whether it sounds as good as it looks.

Old synths never die, they get reproduced as virtual instruments. So it is with Waldorf's Micro Q, which forms the heart of Terratec's impressive wavetable-based soft synth.

It lacked most of the features we'd expect from even a basic synth, but this rare Italian keyboard had a charm all of its own.

With their Vocal Bundle, Waves look to take voice processing and automatic pitch correction to a new level of sophistication.

The Altiverb convolving reverb plug-in arrived on the PC platform earlier this year. We find out how it stands up to the convolution competition, as well as bringing you the usual crop of PC news and tips.

In this month's Pro Tools workshop, we concentrate on the top and bottom of the frequency spectrum, looking at plug-ins that claim to enhance treble and bass. How do they work, how should you use them, and most importantly, which ones are the best?

In 1991 The Future Sound of London brought their unique brand of experimentalism to the dancefloor with the seminal track, 'Papua New Guinea' — and launched their career in the process.

Sonar seems to get more customisable with every version, and the newly released Sonar 6 is no exception, allowing you to tweak various aspects of appearance and operation until the program looks and feels just the way you want it.

We test Exploraudio's Liveguitar H-clamp for fixing a conventional mic to an acoustic guitar, and explain ways to track down the source of guitar tuning problems, plus GT news...

The new high-end and mid-range iMacs look interesting for musicians, offering Core 2 Duo processors and rather attractive prices. Apple Notes takes a look at the spec.

This month we help reader Simon Fitzpatrick to bind his synthesized, programmed, and acoustic sounds together into a cohesive mix.

This month we help reader Simon Fitzpatrick to bind his synthesized, programmed, and acoustic sounds together into a cohesive mix.

The subject of studio acoustics can seem like black magic — but don't let it scare you off. You can make easy changes, that could vastly improve your recording and mixing environment, with the help of free or cheap PC software utilities, as we discover this month.

You can now update Logic's creaky old pitch and tempo manipulation routines with third-party algorithms from names such as Serato, Izotope, and Celemony. We compare the options to find out whether these upgrades are worth it.

The Scissor Sisters' first album, recorded in a Manhattan apartment, sold 3.5 million copies worldwide. The follow-up, Ta-Dah, sees them expanding their horizons, while keeping their DIY ethos very much intact.

With the powerful automation available in modern DAWs, it is easy to overlook their side-chaining features. But what value does this technique have in the modern project studio?

This month, the SOS team help out with the acoustics at Ultravox and Band Aid star Midge Ure's personal studio.

Cubase's Tempo Editor offers some powerful ways to manipulate tempo and time signatures in your Projects. This month we take a detailed look at these features.

The subject of clicks might not seem terribly interesting — but it's surprising how much difference a well-chosen timing reference can make to the recording of your musical performances.

In the first part of a mini-series on using Reason live, we look at how the Combinator and MIDI remote control can replace a live keyboard rig.

Some of the more interesting feedback we recently received, along with our official responses...

I recently tried to purchase a Marantz CDR500 but I was told that, due to a new EU directive that bans the use of hazardous...

Q. What mics should I use for a bigger drum sound?

Q. What recording/mixing tools do you recommend?

I have just purchased a Macbook Pro and will be buying Ableton Live 6 soon. I have also bought a Korg Electribe...

Q. When I mix in Cubase, my mixed-down songs do not sound as good in playback as they did before I saved them. Why?

This month Big George wonders: has music lost its identity?

As you'd expect, one of the main reasons why musicians and engineers read Sound On Sound is to help them get...

The Scissor Sisters' first album, recorded in a Manhattan apartment, sold 3.5 million copies worldwide. The follow-up, Ta-Dah, sees them expanding their horizons, while keeping their DIY ethos very much intact.

Need inspiration? It may be closer than you think...

After 17 years mixing almost everything that came out of Jam & Lewis's Flyte Tyme Studios, there's very little Steve Hodge doesn't know about making R&B records work.

Want to spend more time in the studio and less on the phone to accountants and record company executives? A producer manager could take care of the business and develop your career into the bargain. Find out how...