CATEGORIES

Toontrack EZKeys Synthwave & EZX Expansion

Want your track to sound like it was birthed in the technicolor 80s? Toontrack are on hand, transporting us to when synths ruled the waves

Image-Line FL Studio 21

FL Studio 21 is not celebrating a birthday, as the previous version did, but is introducing some significant additions to this most popular of DAWS

Digit Music Cmpsr

A hardware controller that merges accessibility, music, and gaming practices into something everybody can use.... with a very large joystick!

JMG Sound Retronaut

Promising to infuse the crackle of yesteryear into your tracks, Retronaut goes beyond its lo-fi headline to deliver thrilling sound-shaping abilities

Cherry Audio Mercury-6

Cherry Audio's latest softsynth arrives from the orbit of Mercury, with vintage stimulus from one of the biggest gas giants of them all

15 questions with...Suki Sou

Musician, sound designer and radio presenter Suki Sou may have a studio full of bespoke hardware and software that denotes a precision-based mindset, but she’s also big on adaptability. And her music – influenced by everyone from Raymond Scott to Joanna Brouk, Aphex Twin to Teresa Teng – puts that multifaceted approach on show

MANON GRANDJEAN

From working to bring Stormzy's decade-defining debut to life to switching tracks from studio engineer to mixing specialist, Manon Grandjean's expertise has been widely acclaimed by the industry. Following a trio of MPG Award wins, Manon is now keen to expand her career into new areas. We caught up with Manon to learn more about her studio work, and glean some insight on how to make it as a mix engineer...

Gain staging

Being in control of your levels is a vital aspect of mixing, but how should we approach this when mixing in the box?

Make a Gorillaz-style synth string patch

This month, we use a retro sound in an über-contemporary setting, as our synth strings get the Gorillaz treatment

15 questions with...Tom Salta

Not content with being one of the video game industry's most acclaimed composers, Tom Salta has turned his attention to plugin development, with the wonderful Auto-Bounce taking the sting out of finalising Logic productions. We spoke to Tom about this life-saving new tool and what motivates his creativity....

ARRANGE TRACKS LIKE A PRO

Taking the time to work up your sketches into fully-fledged tracks can be a tricky process. That's why it's important to understand how an effective arrangement works to take listeners on a journey...

GForce Software Minimonsta2

What's that coming over the hill? It's the latest incarnation of the Moog Model D from soft-synth pioneers GForce Software...

Rhodes V8

The Rhodes is back! The new Mk8 electric piano is now joined by the V8 software, with plenty of surprises under the virtual Rhodes lid

Audient EVO SP8

Audient call SP8 the world’s ‘smartest mic preamp’, which might not set your heart racing, but it could also be the desktop expander you need

Steinberg HALion 7

Steinberg's do-everything sample-based instrument now does a lot more, is easier on the eye and, importantly, is a lot easier to grapple with

MAKING IMMERSIVE LONDON WITH ARK360⁰

Are you ready for a post-stereo world? For the Immersive London project, spatial experts ARK360° took a host of emerging Londonbased artists on a quest to expand their understanding of immersive sound. The results, as heard on a new compilation, may serve as an example to the rest of us...

Modulating gates on synth pads

Gating a pad has long been considered a classic effect. Adding real-time control takes pad-gating to the next level!

The future of (free) software

More software has become free or so cheap that you might wonder how long people will be willing to pay for it. While we’re pondering, just what do those new subscription models mean for us all? Time to look ahead…

Bundles of free fun

Last time we looked at freeware, we suggested a bunch of different bundles for different uses, so here's a recap, plus some you can download in one go

BUILD YOUR ALL-NEW FREE STUDIO

No, it's not just another freeware roundup of titles you've seen in countless 'best of' lists before. This time we're ditching the old guard, going for quality rather than quantity, and looking at some of the newest and most exciting freeware releases around and how to use them in your music productions. And all for free, of course!

15 questions with...Gryffin

With millions of YouTube and Spotify streams, and successful collaborations with Maroon 5, Carly Rae Jepsen and One Republic under his belt, there’s no stopping the meteoric rise of US producer and songwriter Gryffin. Here he describes how going from AC/DC to deadmau5 and classical piano to Ableton Live helped him launch his bid for Spotify superstardom

Fluid Audio Image 2

Fluid Audio might well be known for less costly speakers, but Image 2 will certainly change that… and possibly the world of studio monitoring

Best reverb plugins

We reveal the best plugins for adding atmosphere and pro polish to your mixes! It's time to make 'space' for these on your hard drive

Audient iD24

If input audio fidelity is important to you, Audient's latest analogue-inspired desktop interface could be exactly what you need...

Arturia MiniFreak V

Having emulated practically every significant synth ever made, Arturia turns its attention to one of its own creations

Modartt Pianoteq 8

The highly-regarded piano - and so much more - instrument reaches version 8, but is Pianoteq still one of the best you can buy?

Metering tools

Mixing might be mostly about using our ears, but there are other senses we can bring in too, specifically our eyes

Create classic Depeche Mode sounds

This month, to celebrate the new Depeche Mode album, Memento Mori, we take a look back at some of the band's classic sounds and sequences: from See You to, yes, The Last Of Us!

The composer's core toolkit

With such a massive array of soundtrack-aimed products out there, it can be tricky to know how to start. From expansive orchestral libraries, malleable atmosphere-carvers and thunderous impact engines, let us guide you through some of the best big-screen tailored tools around...

SECRETS OF SOUNDTRACKS

Making music for picture is now one of the most rewarding roads that a music-maker can travel. So, sit back as we arm you with the knowledge and tools to start your own soundtracking journey...