Beat English -julkaisun 06/2025 -irtonumeron sisällysluettelo

AudioThing Things Texture Deluxe Drones for Ambient Are you looking for an easy way to transform your sounds into fascinating ambient landscapes? Then our software highlight of the month is just what you need: AudioThing Things Texture combines a granular reverb effect, pitch-shifting, and mid/side processing. The result is a versatile sound design tool, ideal for dense textures and drones and much more. Download: see page 9 | Info: audiothing.net win | mac All serial numbers safely accessible: The Beat Serial Center To ensure that none of your serial numbers are lost in future (e.g. in the event of a reinstallation, Outlook crash or disk crash), you can now manage them conveniently online. The advantages are obvious: the editorial team can send you specific software updates, you can access all…

Almost every corner of this world, it sometimes seems, has been explored and commercially exploited. In this respect, Antarctica remains one of the last remaining oases of magic and mystery. When the opportunity arose to complete a residency at the South Pole for the Scott Polar Research Institute, Michael Begg didn‘t have to think twice before accepting: „Who wouldn’t jump at the chance to experience something so far out of the ordinary, so far from common experience, so extreme?“ The residency led him along the coast to various locations where he made field recordings, spoke to scientists and already arranged his recordings into musical form on location. From a recording perspective, there were a number of challenges: Time pressure, the cold and, above all, the constant wind. 6.000 listeners are…

Have you ever dreamed of composing an epic soundtrack? Thanks to virtual orchestras, you can now achieve this with astonishing realism – if you know what to consider when it comes to composition, orchestration, and arrangement. We‘ll show you how to develop a piano idea into an epic piece of music. 1 Loading the piano Before you can begin composing, it‘s a good idea to select suitable libraries and virtual instruments so you can get started right away. We‘ll start with a piano sketch to compose a piece of music based on. We‘ll use the freely available Heavyocity Foundations Piano [1] for Kontakt Player. 2 Piano sketch For the orchestral instruments, we‘ll use the free library Sonuscore The Orchestra Elements [2], which also uses the free NI Kontakt Player [3]. Load a…

Expressive E Osmose Osmose is a synthesizer that can also be used as a MIDI controller. The instrument serves as a „traditional“ controller and can even communicate with other hardware thanks to MIDI DIN connections. What‘s particularly exciting, however, is the integration of MPE, which turns each of the 49 semi-weighted keys into a three-dimensional controller. Information about pressure force, release, and horizontal and vertical movement is recorded for each key. These, in turn, allow you to control tap, press, pitch bend, vibrato, aftertouch, pressure glide, note off, and strum. In practice, this means you can create a pitch bend by wiggling your finger horizontally, for example. Or you can play a virtual guitar and control the plucking by the force of your pressure. Osmose offers connections for MIDI DIN…

When When Taylor Swift left Spotify in 2014 to protest against low compensation payments, many regarded the moment as a turning point. If the most successful musician on the planet stood up for the rights of creatives, they hoped, the industry would finally feel compelled to create better conditions for everyone. Later, at rocker Neil Young followed suite, albeit for more overtly political reasons, and had his entire catalogue removed from the platform. As high as hopes were, they died down quickly. Both Swift and Young have since returned to the fold, Young without making a sound, Swift in all probability with significantly better contractual conditions. For the majority of their colleagues, however, little to nothing has changed since then. Almost 25 years ago, Napster and The Pirate Bay seemed…

Beat / Hi Jason, since you took over the intro this month, let us know why you built and set up your studio the way you did? Jason / We‘ve been based in the old Westwood Studios in Paderborn with three control rooms for a good ten years now, and for many years we sat in our control room first on the short side, with a direct view of the two windows to the recording room and the vocal booth, which was a requirement of the previous owner. However, since we were always looking for improvements, this year we changed the setup so that we use the full length of the room, have a better view of both connected rooms, and simply use the space more efficiently, and it overall…

1 Back in 2021 Back in 2021, the feature Record Here to MIDI Track was introduced in Logic 10.7, which simplified at least one thing: It allowed recording what MIDI-FX like the Arpeggiator or Chord Trigger generated as MIDI notes directly into the track without complicated routing. Previously, you had to duplicate tracks and painstakingly set up the internal IAC driver. 2 Not quite Cubase MIDI Merge in Cubase creates the resulting MIDI clip from all MIDI tools loaded before the instrument, such as the Arpeggiator, at the touch of a button. It‘s not quite as easy in Logic. “Record to MIDI Track Here” only works with live notes. If there are previously recorded notes in the MIDI clip that trigger the Arp, recording will not work. 3 Why MIDI routing? The aforementioned…

1 Four wins Transient Split divides the signal into two channels, Loud Split into three, and Freq Split into four. You might be tempted to consider these four channels as frequency ranges, but it‘s not that simple in Freq Split. The effect divides the signal into between 1 and 1024 (!) ranges using the Splits parameter – and distributes them across the four channels. 2 Crossfade and direction This is where Freq Split offers many detailed settings for distributing the ranges. You can use the Crossfade parameter in the middle to determine precisely how the separation between the four channels occurs or whether signal components overlap. The three arrow symbols next to it allow you to set the direction from which Freq Split adds new frequency ranges. 3 Channel work Below the display…

Pigments was released in 2019 and caused a stir. Functionally, it was on par with Serum, set standards in workflow, and, although it was somewhat weak in the analog sector, what was conjured from the Wavetable engine was the very best for EDM, DnB, and Dubstep. Since then, six updates have been released. Each version brought new sounds, further improvements to the workflow, and caught up with other software synthesizers where it was still lacking. Modal Synthesis With Pigments 6, its so-called Modal Synthesis makes its way into the plugin. Closely related to Physical Modelling, this type of synthesis is familiar from synthesizers by AAS, the legendary Sculpture from Logic Pro, Sakura from FL Studio, and Collision from Ableton Live. The principle: Primarily percussive instruments such as marimbas or xylophones,…

1 Beatport No. 1 At the time I wrote this episode (early March 2025), „Contigo“ by the Ukrainian DJ and producer, Shadu, had already been Number 1 on Beatport in the Afro House genre for some time. Kseniia Shadurska has only been releasing tracks since February 2024, and with this summery track, she hit the nerve of the times – Afro House is in trend. 2 From Moldova Shadu produced the track together with Meyer, real name Vadym Porotkov, another producer from Ukraine. Due to recent developments, Shadu lives and works in the neighboring country of Moldova – and from there she has reached over 300,000 followers on Instagram in a very short time. We will likely hear more from her. 3 Summer vibes From a music theory perspective, the gentle pluck…

With the plain, black box (W220 x D105 x H43 mm), FreqPort indeed fills a market gap. Never before has it been so easy to integrate external compressors, reverbs, delays, or even synthesizers and drum machines into a DAW. Essentially, the FreqInOut F01 simply expands the audio interface by additional channels and a patch bay. The device is connected and powered via USB-C; alternatively, an optional power supply can be used. Four inputs and outputs are available - as four mono paths, two stereo paths, or a combination of mono and stereo. Two units can be cascaded, creating a total of eight paths. High flexibility Hardware-wise, you connect your devices classically via 6.3mm jack; the same as you would to any effect loop. On the software level, the appropriate plugin…

The Studio Bridge is designed as a desktop recorder for analog setups but can also act as a studio bridge between sequencers and mixers. SDXC cards up to 512 GB serve as storage media, allowing some sessions to be recorded. The device is, therefore, a sort of 24-track sound card and DAW controller in one. The Studio Bridge is particularly interesting for multitrack recording of live mixers, especially for digital consoles without their own USB recording function. DB-25 Connection for Breakout Cables This compact device with wood side panels has a charming 1980s look. Optional rack ears are available for installation. The analog connection is made by way of three DB-25 connectors (but beware: in TASCAM format!) for eight inputs and outputs each. Beware because there also exists an incompatible…

Spitfire Audio BBC Radiophonic Workshop With BBC Radiophonic Workshop, Spitfire Audio has digitally preserved the archive of the British broadcaster‘s former sound studio. There‘s plenty to discover among the nearly 1,100 samples: tape loops, percussion, synthesizers, warps, and more. Sounds from well-known BBC productions, such as “Doctor Who”, can also be found among them. The developer has made this collection of historical sounds playable and manipulable as a virtual instrument. Countless presets for drums, distorted sounds, pulses, and the like demonstrate the impressive variety of sounds. The two available decks are sufficiently equipped with filters, ADSR envelopes, pitch/tune, and offset, among other features, to allow you to immerse yourself in sound design. At the touch of a button, you can even generate a clone of the audio in the deck.…

Engine Audio Quetzal The Aztecs and Maya left behind not only impressive pyramids and myths, but also a world of sound that is almost forgotten today. Quetzal, the latest library from Eduardo Tarilonte, brings these acoustic treasures back to the here and now. With over 50 instruments, 80 soundscapes, and more than 7,000 samples, Quetzal transports you to the mysterious soundscapes of Central America. The focus is on richly sampled flutes, percussion instruments, and vocal effects, which convey a lively playing experience thanks to various articulations and dynamic levels. Particularly noteworthy are the expressive flutes, which range from gentle melodies to wild trills, as well as the powerful drums and delicate rattles, which can be used to create thrilling rhythms. The soundscapes, consisting of up to six layers, create dense…

Beat /How would you describe the creative environment from which „Colours“ originated? Adam F / I was born in Liverpool and moved to London by the time the album „Colours“ was created. I left home at 15 years old, rented a room in a flat in Liverpool Road, Islington London, and made money by selling cans of Coke from two ice buckets balanced on my shoulders in Camden market, as well as from busking in the London Underground tunnels. I saved up to buy a guitar and a large African Djembe drum. Eventually, I set up a market stall, which cost £5 a day to rent where I sold coffee, orange juice. Beat / You were looking to build a personal studio? Adam F / Exactly, and over time, I had…

FULL IM SOFTWARE FOKUS More info: Info at: www.audiothing.net License & password: www.serialcenter.de Intuitive and Clear Things Texture offers a tidy interface with all the key functions readily accessible – ideal for quick sound design and creative experiments. The operation is intuitive and invites experimentation. Perfect Balance The most important control element of the plugin is the Balance Control, which adjusts the ratio between Grains and Reverb. Set it to the middle to combine the granular and reverb effects. Effect share With the Mix control, you determine the effect share. Tip: Even if you like to turn effects all the way up – with Things Texture, it often sounds best to mix the dry and processed signals. Diffusion for more depth With the Diffusion parameter, you can specifically influence the…

1 Groove for Your beats For our funky groove base, we use loops from the Hip Hop Vault Content Set, which comes with Cubase. To do this, open the Loop Browser and select the Content Set Hip Hop Vault. Drag the desired beats and instrument phrases directly into your arrangement. Alternatively, you can use your own loops. 2 Envelope follower We‘ll use the beat Hip Hop - Drum Loop 06_89bpm. Load the AutoFilter as an insert on the respective audio track. The Envelope Follower is already activated and ensures that the filter movements react dynamically to the volume. Experiment with the different Filter Modes, Resonance, and Range parameter. 3 Set filters This Range slider specifies the frequency range of the filter modulation. Attack and Release ultimately determine the response time of the effect;…

1 Choose a drum loop We need a cool groove. Your creativity has no limits here. Choose one of the countless Dr. Rex loops that you like or convert your own recording into an individual rhythm. However, so that everyone can replicate the example, we use a patch internal to Reason. Namely, Elec Drums | Tech House Set 19 128bpm. 2 Load BV512 The newer BV-X could also be used for this trick, but the good old BV512 Vocoder is perfectly sufficient for us. In addition, the BV512 contributes to a better understanding of other vocoders like the BV-X. It is important to draw this effects device into the rack completely unconnected at first. So, hold the shift key while dragging it in. 3 Choose instrument The vocoding process always depends on the…

When Serum 1 was released in September 2014 and dethroned Massive from Native Instruments (NI), it was a medium-sized earthquake in Electronic Music Production. At that time, NI was untouchable as the industry leader. And who was this Steve Duda, this lone wolf who came around the corner as a single developer with a plugin that did almost EVERYTHING better than Massive? Serum 2 – More of everything, better everything The rumors of a successor have been around for at least three years. But as is usually the case (see Zebra 3), they create an expectation among the fans that is hardly possible to meet. Then, suddenly, in March 2025, things moved quickly. At the beginning of the month, Duda announced a short-term Beta Test on the Xfer Records Discord…

106 ORIENTAL DRUMS & SOUNDSCAPES Ethnic percussion sounds are among the most popular means of getting a track rolling. The percussion provides – partly hypnotic – groove and bring a lot of flair with them, as their origin is often associated with Asian monk temples, South American rainforests, or Far Eastern deserts and oases. Here you will find 106 types of wood and metal percussion, mallet sounds, booming cymbals, and even oriental flutes, enriched with endless soundscapes that we have conjured from the percussive sounds with effects, loops, and timestretches. Perfect mood makers for your tracks! www.zamplersounds.com 1 The Kick First A powerful groove begins with a solid base – the Kick. So first, let‘s find the preset 043: DR Rubber Kick and place it on the first and third beat.…

In terms of size, these speakers are not much different from typical computer and gaming speakers. 20 cm high, 11 cm wide, and 15 cm deep, there is still room for them even in a small studio. Conveniently, Adam Audio supplies two small stands with the appropriate angle for your desktop. Alternatively, you can mount them onto a microphone stand with the 3/8“ thread. Due to the design, wall or corner mounting is also possible. Active/Passive combination The speakers are well equipped with a 3.5“ aluminum midwoofer and 1.5“ D-ART ribbon tweeter and an amplifier power of 2x 80 watts or 2x 40 watts. Double-sided passive radiators provide surprisingly powerful bass for enhancing lower frequencies and increasing sound pressure. The D3V are sold in pairs as a combination of an…

In the long history of Moog, there have not been many polyphonic synthesizers, most recently the insanely expensive flagship Moog One. However, the predominantly analog constructed Moog Muse not only stands out with its eight voices but also with features that predestine it as an instrument for stage use. A generously sized and clearly structured panel as well as a variety of controls for direct access make it easy to create sounds and tweak during a performance. And assignable controllers, direct access to layers, splits, and chord triggers, as well as versatile sequencer and arpeggiator features, play right into the hands of the live keyboardist. And at a current street price of €3,499, it is even quite affordable by Moog standards and plays in a similar price range as Trigon-6…

Nightverb und Echolocator teilen sich das selbe Hardware-Layout. Auf dem unverwüstlichen, abgeschrägten Metall-Gehäuse sitzen die gewohnt markant-großen und griffigen Erica-Synths-Regler. Da kommt beim Auspacken gleich Freude auf! Schickes Design! and Echolocator share the same hardware layout. The familiar large and tactile Erica Synths knobs sit on the rugged, beveled metal housing. Unpacking them is pure joy! Stylish design! The form factor is instantly appealing; the clean layout and abundant controls immediately scream „Play me!“ and invite live interaction. Those who appreciate intuitive hardware will feel the same here. 12 knobs are responsible for the respective effect parameters, one controls the input gain, one controls the output volume, and the last one is an encoder with a push function for accessing the menu. The small „Back“ button and the OLED display…

In a musical context, articulations describe the way successive notes are played. While this is a natural phenomenon when playing real instruments, you have to consciously program expressions with electronic instruments. Professional virtual instruments and sample libraries usually have integrated articulation options, which can often be switched via keyswitches. We‘ll look at which articulations are recommended for which emotions in the workshop. Before that, however, let‘s take a look at the most common articulations and get an overview of how they influence the playing style: For the sake of completeness, it should be mentioned that percussion instruments such as drums or percussion can also be articulated. Velocity is primarily used for this. If you want to learn more about this, you can look at MIDI files of professionally recorded drums…

Multi-sample instruments Melodically playable multi-sample instruments offer you maximum creative freedom. You compose note by note and determine exactly how your melodies, harmonies, and dynamics should sound. Thanks to the detailed articulation options, you can tailor the sound exactly to your liking. The high flexibility in tempo, key, and arrangement is a plus, especially for classical or more complex compositions. The downside of this creative freedom: it‘s time-consuming. For lively, authentic results, you need experience in orchestration, articulation, and DAW operation – otherwise, it quickly sounds artificial. Phrase-based libraries Masterfully recorded phrases immediately produce authentic and vibrant results. Phrase-based libraries are therefore ideal for quickly and easily creating musically compelling sketches or trying out new ideas. Playing techniques such as runs, glissandi, or sophisticated orchestral effects, which would otherwise be…

Beat / Could you give us a brief overview of your work to date? Thomas / I‘ve been producing electronic music in the ambient and downtempo subgenre since 2009. My debut album „Chillout Lounge“, which I self-released at the time, was the starting point. Since then, I‘ve released 18 albums, several EPs, and numerous singles, including tracks not featured on albums. There are also numerous remixes of my music by other producers. Initially, my music was released on physical CDs, such as Café del Mar or Le Café Abstrait. Today, it‘s featured on many genre-specific playlists on streaming services. My goal is to offer listeners an oasis of calm and inspiration with my music. I place great emphasis on ensuring my pieces are timeless and meticulously crafted. They should not…

1 Main Sample Let‘s start with the main sample, which gives the beat its recognizable value as the most important melodic element. For the Jazeek sound, use soft plucks, bells or atmospheric keys and pianos. Keep the melody simple and catchy and mix the signal of the main sample to the sides, so that the vocals have more space in the middle later. 2 Harmonies For more volume, we use another instrument or a synthesizer that plays longer notes that harmonize with the melody of the main sample. Technically, sounds with a lot of reverb and delay, such as pads, keys with a longer attack time or even reverberated, soft, real pianos. 3 Kick and Clap For the drum bounce, we use a powerful short kick and a typical drill clap. To…

1 Optimize Buffer Size The buffer size of your audio interface affects latency. The smaller the value, the lower the delay. However, if you use many tracks and plugins, you will probably need more buffer to prevent dropouts or glitches. A buffer of 128 samples offers a good balance between performance and low latency. 2 Check Latency Times If latency suddenly occurs, it is often due to plugins or Ableton devices causing delays. Some effects require a certain amount of processing time and, thus, create latency. In Ableton Live, you can easily check this: Hover the mouse over the title bar of a plugin – the latency will then be displayed at the bottom left. 3 Device Selection While you develop and arrange your track, avoid plugins and devices that cause high latencies…

Muse is, unfortunately, not available at the push of a button – but inspiration is! From now on, in co-op with the EMS – Electronic Music School, we provide you with fresh song ideas, track templates, samples, and MIDI files every month as a creative injection that will bring you new ideas. This way, you can bring a fresh breeze into your routine or even venture onto completely new musical paths. Whether you are a fresh beatmaker or an experienced sound designer, you will find what you are looking for here! Warping in Ableton Live actually works pretty much by itself – load a sample, press play, and the box runs synchronously. Mostly, at least. But to correctly recognize the tempo of longer audio files, unevenly cut loops, samples with…

The fourth generation of Launchkey comes in five variants. The cheaper models offer 25 or 37 keys with synth-action, optionally with normal-sized or mini keys. The larger Launchkeys with 49 or 61 large semi-weighted keys also have 9 faders with associated buttons. Launchkey Mini 25 is slightly larger than its predecessor, but appears more modern in design. The keyboard is also more comfortable and quieter to play. New features include encoders instead of simple rotary knobs and the OLED display. The multi-colored pads are firmer and trigger cleanly and reliably. With the Polyphonic Aftertouch, each pad responds individually to different pressure levels. The encoders also implement every movement correctly, but they are not touch-sensitive. They are pleasantly stiff, but could have been more grippy for our taste. In the studio,…

Right away: Our colleagues at professional audio are testing the xmax in parallel with this issue. You can find the test report for free as a PDF in the magazine downloads and on our sister magazine‘s website [1]. Accordingly, we take a less technical look at the device here and instead focus more on musical scenarios. What can the xmax do? The xmax can be seen as a 3-in-1 device in two ways: On the one hand, it combines a soft-clipper with multiband compressor and mid/side functionalities. On the other hand, it processes the three bands with independent compressors. Mind you, all in stereo, which is not a given in this league. The xmax dissects the input signal into middle and side signals. The middle is further split into low…

In principle, multi/poly is equivalent to a polyphonic modular system in a compact, easily accessible format. It‘s an almost limitless playground for synthesizer fans and sound designers, as you can create hybrids of East-Coast, West-Coast and wavetable oscillators and a wide range of newly modeled filters. Virtual voice cards produce natural timbre variations. In addition, there‘s also KA-OSS Physics, Motion Sequencing 2.0, and extensive modulation options. More Modwave than Mono/Poly To avoid misunderstandings and false expectations from the start: other than borrowing from the name and design/color scheme, multi/poly doesn‘t have much in common with the analog Korg classic Mono/Poly. The sound generation of the multi/poly is purely digital, fully polyphonic, and completely storable. KAOSS Physics, Motion Sequencing, and even identical wavetables are reminiscent of a newer Korg synthesizer, namely…

1 Select sequence Load the Rhythmic Steps Sequencer and combine it with a Drum Rack. Select Rhythmic Steps in the display. Press Octave until Lock Len 4 appears in the display – the kick is now active. Under Pad Note 4 or with the Select button pressed, you can choose other sounds. Each pad row represents 1/16th. Use the Page button to access the second half of the beat. 2 Enter pattern Program a Kick pattern. If you set a step from the bottom pad of the row to Pad 7, the Kick will be played at 100%. The lower the chosen pad, the less likely the note will be played. Use Octave to select Lock Len 3 and program a Snare pattern. Create a Hi-Hat pattern in Lock Len 2. 3 Random…

Masterclass: 99 Hit Formulas Back in 1988, The KLF described how to hit the charts in their book „The Manual“ – even without any musical skills at all. 30 years later, the Royal Society is following in their footsteps and proving scientifically that there really are formulas for chords and melodies, that guarantee the potential for melodies to be successful. Awesome, isn‘t it? It‘s just logical that we show you how to turn these formulas into your own hits and make your life as a producer easier with templates. With and without the help of artificial intelligence, by the way! Test: Sonicware CyDrums CyDrums comes with innovative ideas and has the same compact format as the SmplTrek or Lofi-12 XT samplers. It uses a dual wavetable oscillator to generate sounds,…