Native Instruments’ Kore 2 is billed as a “super-instrument” - integrating the powerful software engines of their most popular products under a new interface that can be controlled via a dedicated hardware unit. But does it deliver on this lofty moniker?
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Digital musicians deal with envelopes and filters on a daily basis, but the terminology can seem a bit daunting for newcomers. So, here’s a brief answer to the question - what is a sound envelope anyway?
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As computers become ever more like instruments in their own right (beyond simulating traditional instruments), it is important to devise appropriate interfaces for coaxing a truly musical performance from them. The use of touchscreen technology is one direction being explored in relation to improving this experience…
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Modern computing technology has revolutionised the production of music; a laptop running a software DAW can now achieve things that even a multi-million dollar studio couldn’t do twenty years ago. The range of features on a sequencer can be truly daunting, and sometimes this is actually a disadvantage when all you want to do is sit down and write a song…
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Vocals are often the most evocative element of a song, but for a producer the vocal track is also the most problematic. Although professional vocal performances may be tracked through a signal chain featuring equipment worth millions, it’s quite possible to produce a decent vocal track without spending anything at all…
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Last week I developed a somewhat strained audio production metaphor, which likened the stereo soundfield to a stage, with the individual sounds/instruments being the actors thereon. The first thing a director/producer needs to do is decide which actors to use, then to place them on stage. However, if an actor isn’t imposing enough, there are ways to make him stand taller…
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Although high-quality audio production gear is now within reach of pocket-money producers, most bands (and solo electronic artists) still make the same basic mistakes when laying down their tracks…
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We live in an analog world, but much of what we experience is in the process of being digitised - our music, our films, our social networks. Fortunately, there are still plenty of analog fans out there, and we can still go backwards…
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The ways in which we interact with computers are continually (albeit slowly, at least in mainstream terms) evolving. Touch screens are gaining widespread traction, and it seems that the boundaries between display and interface are converging. Devices such as JazzMutant’s Dexter brought a new level of interaction to DAW controllers, but now Girton Labs have devised a way of sticking physical knobs onto a computer screen…
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There are many plugins freely available that add useful functionality to your home recording studio. Sonicfinger have produced none of these, but instead focus on alternative studio tools such as the ‘Virtual Studio Visitor’ plugin, which digitally emulates the effect of a visitor’s presence on the performance of the musicians…
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