September 2013 Magazine Contents

Mira is the first incursion into the iPad app world from Cycling '74, makers of the popular Max graphical software toolkit for audio and media applications on Mac and PC. iTrigger is a grid-oriented MIDI controller app from POJ Studios.

Apple have made Logic easier to use. But have they compromised the powerful features that professional users depend on?

If Pro Tools 10 was a watershed release in the product's history, Pro Tools 11 marks the beginning of a new era for Avid's audio production platform.

Behringer's Ultragain ADA 8000 — a simple ADAT interface with mic and line inputs and analogue line outputs

Eduardo Tarilonte's sample libraries from Best Service now feature regularly in Hollywood film soundtracks, documentaries,...

To create this sample library, Drumdrops went into The Pool studio in London and recorded Ben Hillier's eight-piece 1963...

The latest series of consoles in Dynacord's CMS (Compact Mixing System) family is the CMS3 range, which consists of three models

EB Acoustics is probably not a name that many in the music-technology world will be familiar with.

Focusrite started out as a high-end audio company building no-compromise mic preamps for the likes of Sir George Martin's Air Studios

I've always been impressed by the performance of Fostex's PM-series monitors, especially given their entry-level pricing, but the majority of the ones I've looked at have been two-way systems.

Gyraf Audio's gloriously titled Gyratec XXI Magneto Dynamic Infundibulum (G21 for short!) was one of the most unusual products announced at this year's Musikmesse show...

Audio files to accompany the article

HK have turbo-charged their compact line-array system with new dual-driver subs and double-height tops. Have the improvements been worthwhile?

Following the success of their Tubemeister 18, Hughes and Kettner have spun off a low-power variant, the Tubemeister 5....

The 'traditional' way to mount a vocal mic is to suspend it from a tall 'overhead' mic stand, and there are several advantages...

The clever chaps at Kiwi Technics have rebuilt a lesser-known Roland classic from the inside out.

It's not often that I take a look at drum microphone kits, so I was interested to have the opportunity to try out this LD Systems set from Adam Hall.

Tobias Lindell set himself the difficult task of recreating the sound of his own high-end compressor in a much more affordable box. Did he succeed?

Competition for the accolade of best software sampler is fierce, despite some contenders having fallen away in recent years. Has MOTU's MachFive 3 got what it takes to come out on top?

Like some classic broadcast mics, these new MXL models are designed for spoken word, but turn in a good performance on instruments, too.

Even Neve themselves make several variations on the classic 1073 theme. What makes this one different?

In the 20 years since its launch, the Bass Station has become something of a classic — and with analogue monosynths enjoying their biggest revival since the early '80s, what better time for a sequel?

Wouldn't it be great if somebody built a compact, automatic valve tester that could check all the common 'muso' valves without the operator needing a degree in electronics?

With systems getting ever cheaper, there's never been a better time to explore personal monitor mixing. Here's our selection of current options!

Do you like a slice of glitch with your hop? Prime Loops certainly do, having launched this download pack.

Prophet, Prodigy, Jupiter, Andromeda, Trinity... You just can't beat the grandiose overtones of a good synth name....

You wait ages for a Virtual Buss Compressor, and then three come along at once.

There's more to loudness than meets the ear — and after years of research, TC know more about that than most.

Some of London's top session players were present at the recording of The London Sessions, which took place at Soho's Dean Street Studio.

The recent release of Logic Pro X brought into focus once again Apple's bold approach to backwards compatibility and legacy support — which is to say that there often isn't very much of it!

Reason has plenty of tricks up its sleeve for adding character and warmth to a mix.

Melding Beatlesque pop melodies with symphonic strings, multi-layered vocals and leader Jeff Lynne's generally overblown production of his own compositions

Sonar's R-Mix VST plug-in is a DAW-optimised version of Roland's R-Mix software, which isolates audio based on frequency range and stereo positioning

Audio files to accompany the article.

Let's assume you've recorded and edited your next hit single in Cubase, and now you'd like to construct a mix whose instruments go hand in hand...

Despite the immense power and flexibility available in modern DAW software, many people still find that the mixes they craft entirely 'in the box' sound unsatisfying. Why is that?

Jamie Cullum's sixth studio album, Momentum, sees the British pianist and singer further expanding his stylistic palette.

How do you make a mix gel when some of the tracks arrive already drenched in effects? That's just one of the challenges our mix engineer takes on this month.

Audio files to accompany the article.

Forthcoming Intel CPUs offer a quieter life and more power to PC musicians.

Discover Reaper's powerful Screensets feature for faster editing.

Simple and sophisticated sampling are both on offer with Live's Simpler and Sampler instruments.

Spruce up your soundstage with DP8's new Ensemble Chorus and Spatial Maximizer plug-ins.

Audio files to accompany the article.

I'm a bit behind on my reading; I just finished Mike Senior's article on recording the band 'Impossible Colours' in the April...

I recently bought a digital piano. It was mainly to learn piano, but also as a controller to use with Omnisphere. I really did...

I have a question about setting up a channel strip in a home recording environment. I have an SSL XLogic Superanalogue channel...

I play acoustic guitar and sing. It's mainly covers that I do, and this has started getting me regular gigs. They're fairly...

Hey man, nobody ever asks me about this stuff. I love talking about it, so thank you,” exclaims J. Cole.

I'm writing this just two days after mixing Malvern's West Fest outdoor festival on what must have been one of the hottest...

Years before the Minimoog appeared, a Finnish visionary was already building digital polyphonic synthesizers — and they were controlled by light, skin conductivity and even brainwaves.

This months we comment on albums from Teenage China, 87PM, Christopher Libertino, The Emergency, Fingers & Thumbs, The Gluespots, Yoshiko Ohara and Marvin B Naylor.

Why are there so few women in record production and sound engineering? An audio technology graduate offers her view.

This month we discuss Rudimental, Calvin Harris, Taylor Swift and our Classic mix track is 'If I Don't Care' by The Inkspots. 

Not many companies can claim responsibility for creating an entirely new market sector, but that is certainly an accolade that is due to Argosy Consoles.

Mark Knopfler's British Grove studio complex is one of very few large studios in the world to have been constructed in recent years.

Anyone who plays or records music on a professional level will have a lot of money invested in instruments, studio equipment, premises and so on, while even a humble home studio can contain many thousands of pounds' worth of gear.

Recent NSA wiretap transcripts have uncovered a transatlantic telephone conversation which could have disastrous consequences.

Life in the studio can be very rewarding — but it might also be seriously damaging your health...