December 2011 Magazine Contents

It’s cheap, but is it cheerful? We examine the latest controller keyboard from Alesis.

Alto’s modestly priced all-rounder can serve as either a main PA speaker or a monitor. How does it fare on stage?

JG Harding checks out the Fostex AR4i portable audio interface for iPhone 4 & 4S, and the Blip Interactive Nanostudio sequencer for iOS.

Big Fish Audio use the words "storm”, "explosive”, "raw”, ”roaring”, "power” and "fire” to help describe the guitar sounds of...

These retro-styled ribbon mics have a lineage going back to legendary models from RCA, and are completely hand-built in the USA.

Audio files to accompany the article.

Chris Korff reviews this pedal-format spring reverb derived from the Demeter rackmount units, which uses real springs rather than an emulation circuit.

The SR40V has an impressive pedigree and high-end sound — but do they justify the price tag?

Focal’s CMS range of active monitors has been expanded with the compact CMS40s and the sizeable CMS Sub. Do they work well as a team?

***** 5/5 Stars. Lost Tapes Vol 1 is the first release from UK-based Freshtone Samples. The library's title derives from the efforts to catch the authentic sound and vibe of the 1960s and 1970s era...

Graph Tech show us that MIDI pickups and guitar synthesis needn’t be solely the preserve of the electric guitarist.

The original VOGAD compressors may not have been developed with music in mind, but listening to this one you wouldn’t know that!

There have been plenty of Leslie emulators over the years, but is the Ventilator the one that finally nails ‘that’ sound?

Neve’s venerable 1073 preamp and equaliser are both now available in API’s popular ‘Lunchbox’ format. Were they worth waiting for?

Mouse-free, wallet-friendly groove production is the order of the day as Native Instruments miniaturise their Maschine.

Huge, elaborate orchestral sample libraries are all the rage right now, but for more modest requirements and lower budgets, Session Strings Pro could be just the ticket.

Here's the problem: you're working on a project and you decide you need some kind of shaker or tambourine part, but you'...

When it comes to recording, this might just be the most versatile valve guitar amp we’ve seen...

Alan Tubbs reviews the Cakewalk Z3TA+ 2.1 plug-in for PC VST, Sam Inglis takes a look at the Dada Life Sausage Fattener plug-in for Mac AU & VST and Windows VST as well as the Waves The King's Microphones plug-in for Mac AU, Mac & PC VST & RTAS.

Version 2 of Studio One offers unprecedented levels of integration with third-party software — or, in other words, built-in Melodyne!

When the call comes from the BBC asking if you can supply two hours of music for their upcoming 16th-century historical drama...

Sonokinetic's Tutti eschews the approach taken by most orchestral sample libraries, offering, instead, a selection of effects designed to bring your pieces to life...

Sontronics’ DM-series mics are specially designed for close-miking of drum kits. How do they perform in a real-world session?

Sony's latest entry-level NLE has plenty of editing power to help you cut your music videos quickly, and for very little cash.

After much hard work, Yamaha and Steinberg persuaded Rupert Neve that they could faithfully model his latest hardware in plug-in form. We pit the virtual Porticos against the real things...

Audio files to accompany the article.

TC Helicon’s latest live vocal processor squeezes plenty of powerful processing into a 2U rackmount space, and comes with a free microphone too.

Waves’ latest equaliser can be five different virtual analogue designs at once — and it has some other neat tricks up its sleeve too.

The Buggles' JG Ballard-inspired 'Video Killed The Radio Star' hit the number one spot in no fewer than 16 different countries, and confirmed Trevor Horn in his career as a producer in the process.

Explore some creative uses for Live’s Device Racks.

Fabian Marasciullo’s mixes for the latest Lil Wayne album were so valuable he had to guard them at gunpoint.

Create virtual multi-effects with Sonar X1e's FX Chains 2.0

Sampling a record may be child’s play, but using such samples effectively in your own compositions requires plenty of skill and finesse.

These audio files accompany the How To Build Tracks Around Sampled Tunes feature that featured in SOS December 2011.

Keeping your music PC hooked up to the Internet, with security software active, has a surprisingly small impact on performance...

This month, we figure out how to pack some much-needed punch into an interesting instrumental track.

Audio files to accompany the article.

Reason’s new mixer has useful features you may not have noticed...

Pitch-correction plug-ins are the key to the current trend for weird vocal effects. Here’s how to achieve them in Pro Tools.

In the first of a two-part series on using impulse responses in Reaper’s ReaVerb, we look at the basics: selecting, loading and editing. • Read Part 1

Audio files to accompany the article.

Following the death of Steve Jobs, we reflect on the life of one of the most influential technology pioneers of our generation.

The SOS team head out to singer/songwriter and media composer Olivia Broadfield’s studio, to solve her monitoring issues.

Ultrabeat isn't just a drum machine: it's great for tempo-synced effects.

Recording and mixing with outboard gear in Cubase 6.

This month I'm planning a week's worth of recording for a commercial release of my own viola-led instrumental music, and I'd...

I'm currently involved in composing music tracks for a self-help medical audio program and I would like to be able to create...

I have recently invested in the range of UAD2 plug-ins, but am afraid I am not sure how to read the VU meters correctly. I am...

I recently spent €4000 on professionally designed and installed acoustic design and treatment. I then spent a further €4000 on...

I'd like to know what the advantages and disadvantages are of using stand-alone word clock units, like Apogee, Lynx, Antelope...

Ambition and talent can take you a long way, as Alex Da Kid has discovered on his journey from the football pitch to the recording studio.

The modern producer has a vast array of sounds at his command, but does that make for musical misery?

The Chemical Brothers bring more gear on stage than most of us have in our studios. Matt Cox is the man who has to make sure it all works come showtime!

The Unknown Stuntman * Steve Nicholls * Permanent Déjà Vu * Stus Rollins

A little over three years ago, I wrote a leader column pointing out the pitfalls of relying on plug-in presets,...

• Calvin Harris 'Bounce' • Arctic Monkeys 'Spangled Shalalala' • DJ Fresh 'Louder' • Bon Iver 'Calgary' • Pitbull 'Give Me Everything'

Unless you’ve worked in today’s television business, you can’t hope to understand the true meaning of job satisfaction.

Franchises like the X Factor, and Dr Dre's new range of headphones, show that consumer tactics may have a role to play in the world of pro audio.