CATEGORIES

MAX FOR LIVE

Like Reaktor, Max by Cycling ’74 is a visual programming tool but, unlike Reaktor, it is not in-and-of-itself dedicated to creating audio processors, and has capabilities that extend into many different fields: image and video processing, hardware control, and more. So, in reality, Max is more like a combination of an IDE (Interactive Development Environment – a software suite that assists with code development) and a runtime environment in which programs created with Max – referred to as “patchers” – can run.

15 questions with… LORAINE JAMES

Electronic producer Loraine James had just produced what many critics cited as the ‘album of the year’ when a certain pandemic hit… and all with a 50-quid keyboard and freeware. What to do? Produce your way out of a pandemic with another album of the year, that’s what…

JMG Sound Orbitron €129/£110

Providing an original method of effecting your sonics, Orbitron’s fresh concept conjures living, breathing modulation. Is it a hit?

BUILD YOUR OWN PLUGINS

Creating your own instruments and effects is surely the best way to get a completely custom sound. In this feature we detail three of the best ways to build DIY synths and effects

15 questions with… RURAL TAPES

Arne Kjelsrud Mathisen’s Rural Tapes project has attracted collaborators like ex R.E.M. stars Peter Buck and Scott McCaughey plus Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor. But in this studio the computer is used for just one thing: recording…

Ochestral Tools Tom Holkenborg Percussion

Orchestral Tools Tom Holkenborg Percussion is the latest fruit of a team-up that previously brought us the remarkable Junkie XL Brass. We speak with Tom Holkenborg about what we can expect from this innovative new library

Chris Bergstrom: live ‘n' Dandy

Chris Bergstrom is front of house manager for The Dandy Warhols. Here he shares some lockdown experiences and knowledge for any live musicians and engineers…

MELDA MSOUNDFACTORY

Melda’s MSoundFactory is the latest plugin-creation platform and is also behind your free plugin in this issue. Here’s how to get up and running with this ‘one plugin to rule them all’ and also some more detail on how the free plugin was created…

Toontrack Gospel EZX & EBX Expansion packs €75

In the search for new bass and drum grooves that will move the spirit, we go to Church and get Gospel with Toontrack

Logitech Ergo K860

Great keys meet great posture

MagicBridge Extended

Bring order to control surface chaos

SanDisk iXpand 15W

Chunky wireless charging

JLab Talk GO

A great upgrade on your Mac’s mic

CARROT Weather

And the outlook is: totally essential

PhotoDirector 365

Manage images, fix photo problems and get creative

Sonos Roam

The best portable speaker of 2021

WWDC 2021: What To Expect From Apple's Great (Remote) Gathering

We take a look at what developers and consumers can expect from Apple’s much-anticipated Glow and Behold event

New iPad Pro

Now equipped with the same Apple silicon M1 chip as the iMac – and it gets Thunderbolt too

Apple AirTag: Find Lost Things – With Some Caveats

Apple’s tech means you can find just about anything you have attached the AirTag to

Phrozen Sonic Mini 4K

Print with more pixels per inch than an iPhone 12 Pro, says Andrew Sink.

Intel Core i5 11600K

It’s a chip that tickles Dave James’ price/performance sensibilities.

Ro-ro-ro your synth…

Roland get their software act together but there’s plenty more in 106 land

Waves Vocal Bender £110

This appealing vocal mangler lets you give music’s most essential instrument the colour and dexterity modern pop production demands

Solid State Logic UF8 - £1199

DAW controllers let us take direct control over our projects – can SSL’s new UF8 bridge the gap between software and hardware?

LAU.RA

Laura Bettinson’s multifaceted career has found the Midlands-hailing artist leaping seamlessly from the technicolor avant-garde pop of FEMME and the cerebral intensity of Ultraísta to the fresh, wonky electronica of lau.ra. On the heels of a slew of new singles, we ask what initiated her new direction, and discover how lockdown has fuelled a new studio approach

Leapwing Audio Al Schmitt - £139

Bottling the sonic signature of the sadly departed producer, Leapwing Audio’s latest plugin promises the sound of a legend…

Cableguys DriveShaper - €39

Analogue-style distortion and creative wavefolding make this a pulsating box of gritty filth… which is far more pleasant than it sounds

SHE'S GOT CLAWS

With a sound that melds ominous synth textures with effect-driven bass guitar, yet simultaneously leaves space for sparkling, transcendent pop hooks, She’s Got Claws haven’t let a pandemic stand in the way of a fierce new record, co-produced by OMD legend Andy McCluskey

Arturia Pigments 3 - €99

The Pigments powerhouse gets upgraded to v3, adding more engines, more waveforms and more effects. Have we reached saturation point?

15 questions with…MORCHEEBA

As producers of lush, downtempo tunes, Morcheeba have had more than a quarter of a century of success. It’s been quite a ride, and we’re not just talking about the transition from Atari to Mac…