April 2021 Magazine Contents

2Box’s Speedlight kit takes an unconventional but flexible approach to electronic percussion.

The Ritmobox is a no‑nonsense drum machine with a solid analogue sound.

With their debut audio interface, Black Lion Audio say they’re putting quality first.

Rating: ***** 5/5 Stars. Acousmatic Engine explores future retro and Gothic‑influenced sound design to conjure a world of dank cellars, flickering lightbulbs and leering spectral apparitions.

There are many types of distortion that can be pressed into service in the name of musical creativity, ranging from soft...

The bucket‑brigade analogue delay line gives this pedal a classic chorus sound reminiscent of the early Clone Theory pedals...

Never has working with a hybrid analogue/in‑the‑box setup been so easy.

This refreshed range boasts new features and improved specs — but the same great value for money.

Korg’s Nautilus puts much of the functionality of the Kronos into a far more affordable instrument.

Krackle Killers are made of a hard and stiff, but quite absorbent, plastic foam, shaped in the form of a dummy plug...

Luftrum offer some found sounds as a cure for lost inspiration.

Can you really buy a useful audio interface for £39$49?

McDSP’s unique analogue plug‑in platform continues to grow, with three impressive new processors joining the collection.

This USB microphone provides an affordable entry point into the world of Ambisonic recording.

Pianoteq 7 introduces new morphing features and an even more realistic modelling engine.

Orchestral Tools beef up their Berlin orchestra with a full‑size symphonic string instrument.

If you’re looking for a compact, scalable system for outdoor events, this affordable rig may be just the ticket.

Rating: ***** 5/5 Stars. Soniccouture have given this musical treasure the five‑star treatment it deserves...

We put Sony’s classy ‘hi‑res’ instrument mics to the test.

With patch‑morphing and a built‑in step sequencer, the NightSky is no ordinary reverb unit.

Rating: **** 4.5/5 Stars. Sudden Audio describe this package as ‘strings reimagined’, setting this sampled‑suite apart from the more usual orchestral or solo string bundles.

Sugar Bytes bring their powerful drum machine to iPad.

The Tasty Chips GR‑1 makes granular synthesis more approachable than ever.

We try out Telefunken’s affordable take on an Austrian classic.

These audio examples accompany April 2021's review of the Telefunken TF11 FET microphone.

Can you mix a hit record in 45 minutes? Billy Decker can, and in this book he tells you how!

If you’re into analogue processing but worried about your carbon footprint, Tierra have you covered!

Rating: ***** 5/5 Stars. This is a very unusual expansion kit, steering well clear of the more familiar electronic drum sounds in favour of something rather more experimental.

UJAM and Hans Zimmer attempt to make creating professional string parts possible for everyone with Striiiings.

Want to set loop points on YouTube video tutorials and control their playback? This device does just that...

We check out four pedals that emulate classic amplifier types.

Will Waves' plug-in emulation of the Abbey Road RS124, which was based on a much modified Altec 436B valve compressor, find favour with today's engineers and producers?

Ever wished you could pick individual sounds out of a stereo signal in real time? Now you can...

We show you a different approach to arranging in Live.

Binaural recordings are an easy and effective way to capture immersive audio.

Logic’s drum instruments offer powerful ways of laying down percussion and more...

Take control of your mixes with VCAs.

Olivia Rodrigo stormed the charts earlier this year with her breakthrough single ‘Drivers License’. LA’s rising star Mitch McCarthy talks us through the mix.

Bands are still recording music even though they can’t use professional studios or play together — and this means new challenges for mix engineers.

These audio examples accompany April 2021's Lockdown Mixdown article.

Want to try a spot of DIY mastering? You can do so in any version of Cubase 11, including Elements.

These audio examples accompany our Cubase Mastering workshop in SOS April 2021.

Why let guitarists have all the fun? Stompboxes can be inspirational mixing tools.

Pads are the glue that holds entire genres of music together. We look at how you can improve yours.

We explore the new bounce options in 2020.11 and reveal their benefits.

We show you how to structure your music with the Arranger Track.

Eddie Bazil gives us an introduction into the creative use of Phasers, with practical examples using drums, vocals and synth pads.

When I’m recording an old Roland Juno 106 synth and I connect it to a UA Apollo soundcard, it sounds fine. However, I’ve also tried running it into some other preamps and got some strange results...

A good engineer can make bands sound better than they are. In this video, Sound On Sound's Editor In Chief Sam Inglis explains how to turn musical lead into gold...

As one third of the second incarnation of Scritti Politti, David Gamson was the man behind the polished, groove-laden sound of the band’s second album Cupid & Psyche ’85 and their third album, Provision.

The way pop music is made and consumed has changed radically in the last few years. Pete Rycroft, aka Lostboy, has adapted better than most...

Alongside the people who make them, Patrick Gleeson has probably done more than anyone else to introduce synthesizers to popular music.

We owe the famous saying “If it sounds right, it is right” to Joe Meek. It sounds like a truism — but only if you overlook what’s involved in deciding that something sounds right.

Georgia‑born, Nashville‑based Niko Moon gets the 10-question treatment...

Sam Inglis’s leader regarding vintage gear got me thinking about similar myths which surround vintage saxophones...

Tony Agnello and Richard Factor chat about the 50 year history of Eventide, from their groundbreaking use of digital technology in the early ’70s to the modern challenges of adapting their algorithms for plug-ins and stompboxes.

Siamäk Naghian and Andy Bensley of Genelec chat to Sam Inglis about the 43 year history of the company, the development of new technology and future sustainability.