Table of contents for 06-2021 in Beat English

Killer groovebox Akai MPC Beats & Expansions A full DAW, Drum Sampler, Looper and Groovebox all in one? MPC Beats is all that and delivers 13 GB of high-quality drums, loops and instruments that enhance every style of music. This software can be used stand-alone or as a VST/AU plug-in in any DAW. This month‘s software highlight is the ideal partner for inspiration and groove. Download: www.bit.ly/BeatDL185 | Info: www.akaipro.com win | mac Essential synth pack AIR TubeSynth, Bassline & Electric TubeSynth was developed by AIR Music Tech and is based on the same analog modeling technology previously found in the tube monster Vacuum Pro. The result is the full range from snotty rumbling basses to smooth round pads. Bassline emulates the sound of classic vintage mono synthesizers, while Electric…

Which hardware plug-ins do others like to use, what do they pay attention to when producing their music, how is their studio set up? When working with labels, producing remixes or at live events, one thing quickly became clear to our host Rüdiger Keller: everyone has their own style, not only musically, but also when it comes to creators. This led to the idea … hey… let‘s make a podcast on this! Talking to musicians face-to-face The concept is simple: each show features a producer and three of his tracks. We talk about his approach to producing, tools and techniques and, most importantly, the fun of it all. It doesn‘t matter how successful the guests are. What counts is what they have to say. We talk about technology, production methods,…

1 Let‘s go! Like many trailer compositions, our track with 95 BPM begins quite reduced. A good way to start the composition is to use the piano to sketch out harmonic, as well as melodic and rhythmic ideas. We have chosen a piano patch from the library Orchestral Tools Berlin Inspire 2, which is limited to the dynamic levels pianissimo to mezzopiano. 2 Piano chords The result is a soft, intimate sound. The Eventide Blackhole reverb effect also provides the desired atmospheric sound. Composers like Hans Zimmer [1] have already proven that you don‘t need complex chord progressions for epic music. For our example track we have chosen the chords D minor, C major, G major as well as D minor, C major, A minor, G major in the key…

Beat / How does composing music for games differ from composing film music or production music? Armin and Matthias / Film music is primarily about supporting the images and the story behind them. You try to intensify and guide the emotions with the help of music. You also work directly on the image and have to adapt the pace and dynamics of the score to dialog and image change, etc. Most parts of the music only have a subconscious and supportive effect. The plot, image and dialogue often have the focus, but without music it doesn‘t seem coherent and empty. This is where film music has its strength. Modern production music for games is designed to be much more interactive and functional. It reacts to what the player is doing.…

1 Control of Mysteria With Mysteria, the choir and vocal textures are not primarily imported via the keyboard. Only some sounds can be played tonally. The sound sources are controlled by a well thoughtout X/Y control. On the X-axis you can cross-fade between the vocal layers, on the Y-axis you control the voltage curve. 1 2 Select sounds First, load a movie into your DAW. Now it‘s time to choose a sound that suits your clip. In our case, the “A Dream” preset was suitable. This consists of four sound sources and can be morphed from a pleasant vocal sample into a dissonate choir using the X/Y controls. Record a chord or note sequence that suits your film. 3 Play it Place both the X and the Y axis on…

Beat / How did you get involved with film? Thomas / Volker Heise invited me in 2009 to do the music for his mammoth project „ 24h Berlin – Ein Tag im Leben“. It was a 24-hour documentary that ran on the third program. From this, the album „Gute Luft“ was created at the time. Beat / In 2018 there was another soundtrack album to a Heise documentary called „1929 - The year Babylon“ … Thomas / Yes. That was to a documentary, which ran to „Babylon Berlin“ in the ARD in the German television. From this, „Böser Herbst“ developed without any major musical changes. Unfortunately Volker was indisposed and left Matthias Luthardt to direct it. „1929“ was put together quite straight from the pieces I had given Volker. With…

MINIMAL TECHNO PLAYBACK 1 One kit, lots of ideas You‘ll find endless material for your own tracks in the included Akai Expansions, but even with just one kit alone you can do an amazing amount in MPC Beats. So we build two different playbacks from the same sounds. We‘ll start with official Techno. Load the EDM kit VF Bottle Service from the Vegas Festival Expansion. 2 Note assignment With Kick and Bass (Pads 1 & 5), we first play in a standard pattern. It is important to note that the note assignment of the pads differs from other drum machines. For example, Pad 1 is triggered by C#1, Pad 2 by C1 and Pad 5 by E1. Under Edit -> Program -> Note Mapping you can view and adjust the…

1Change velocity manually Load a Drum Rack and program a simple beat. Below the MIDI note editors you will find the Velocity Editor. In Live 11, the velocity value is no longer represented by a bar, but by a dot connected to a horizontal line. By dragging on the dot or line, you can change the velocity manually. 2 Generate random values An easier way to do this automatically is to select the notes where you want to change the velocity and then click Randomize in the Notes Editor. Select all the hi-hats and click (repeatedly) on Randomize until you like the result. If no note is selected, the velocity is changed for all notes in the clip. 3 Define limit values In the field to the right of the…

1 Set four-band EQ As a first step, we use the 4 Tone Control to shape the tonality of our bass. We use the first band to pull some low end out of the signal. The Gain control is lowered to -1.5 dB and the low-mid band is raised to 1 dB to balance the low, mid and high frequencies. 2 Find Algorithm We click on the Drive knob and turn it up to 50% so that we hear clear distortion and saturation. After that, we select the Warm Tube algorithm type because it produces a very distinct and pleasant coloration on the low end. In addition, this algorithm type produces a very nice warmth and width in the lower part of the frequency spectrum. 3 Adjust Drive We now…

Steinberg Wavelab Cast Behind the name Wavelab Cast is an audio editor specifically tailored to the needs of podcasters, vloggers and social media activists. The central work area is the audio montage window, which is used for direct recording and editing with a high resolution of up to 96 kHz and 32 bits. Conveniently, existing audio and video files can also be imported to the tracks via drag and drop. The audio track of a video is extracted for this purpose. While only one track is available for videos, up to five audio tracks can be used for sound effects, background music, and so on, with an unlimited number of clips. In the Track Inspector window, you can remove background noise and hum. In addition, the signal can be enhanced…

Love at second sight. Since Version 2, Arturia‘s Pigments has been one of the busiest software synthesizers in my DAW. Surely most users are already happy with it in its current state. But Arturia is still following up and presents their shining light for Spring 2021: Pigments 3. Unlike the numerous emulations of classic synthesizers that Arturia groups together in the successful V-Collection, Pigments 3 is a standalone and quite musical sound provider. It combines several synthesis forms with a nifty sequencer and a good effects section. If you are familiar with Pigments 2, you will not notice many changes in the user interface. For our first contact with this new version of Pigments, we will, therefore, take a closer look at the new presets. It is precisely these that…

Back in 1988, HOFA was founded as a professional recording studio. Since then, the company has developed steadily and is now one of the largest service providers in the field of audio and media production in German-speaking countries. In addition to classic studio services and further training, the manufacturer also offers self-developed acoustic modules, CD duplication and plug-ins. In 2005, the HOFA College was founded on the idea of imparting the professional audio engineering knowledge of the HOFA studios to home recording and audio engineering enthusiasts. The HOFA Audio Engineering DIPLOMA distance learning course includes all currently available content. This article is all about the full-featured HOFA distance learning course. An Overview The HOFA Audio Engineering DIPLOMA consists of the HOFA BASIC beginner course, the HOFA PRO Advanced Course and…

In addition to the two polyphonic synthesizer tracks and the four drum tracks previously seen in the Circuit, the Circuit Tracks has two additional MIDI tracks for controlling external instruments. The internal rechargeable battery is also new, as are the expanded connections with DIN MIDI, two audio inputs and an analog sync output. Presets, samples and projects can be stored and exchanged on the Tracks MicroSD; sequencer and effects have been sensibly expanded. Creatively limited With Novation‘s Circuit series, you should be able to produce electronic music in just a few minutes. The Novation Circuit, which was released in 2015, was able to fulfill this claim in the long-term test, whereby the restriction to the essentials proved to be quite creative. So there was no reason for Novation to fundamentally…

There are synths and modules with a very purist approach, and controls that all serve only one purpose each. And there are their counterparts, where each knob takes over various tasks. CVilization belongs to the second group and takes this principle to the extreme. Manufacturer u-he describes the module as a „Polymorphic CV & Audio Utility“, but it‘s hard to comprehensively explain in a nutshell what it can ultimately do. So we bring light into the darkness … At its simplest function, CVilization serves as a 24 bit/96 kHz and +/-10 volt mixer with four inputs and outputs each for audio and CV signals. The inputs can be routed, mixed and multed to any output. Two additional inputs serve as gate, trigger or additional CV signals, depending on the application.…

Music is omnipresent: in films, series, documentaries, games and trailers, in advertising and on the radio as well as on video portals such as YouTube. Accordingly, there is a great need for fresh tracks in a wide variety of styles, from epic orchestral music to modern electronic productions, which can create lucrative revenue opportunities for composers. So it is no wonder that there is a great variety of labels and libraries that offer music for moving pictures. Some examples are Universal Publishing, Warner/Chapell, Roba Production Music, and Music Sculptor. The spectrum ranges from small libraries specializing in certain genres or uses to exclusive libraries with a focus on trailer music. While some providers specialize in GEMA-free compositions, others require membership in a collecting society. In this case, when you use…

1 Act 1: intro + intensification Our trailer track is based on the classic trailer structure with three acts and a steady increase up to the climax. It starts in a completely reduced way with atmospheric piano chords. Slowly rising chords of a string ensemble and staccato strings increase the tension before the first break. This crescendo is supported by a pad sound and an atmospheric reverse piano sound. 2 First break This is followed by a short break that has several functions: On the one hand, it lets the listener breathe deeply, so that the following second act appears even more powerful. On the other hand, the break as a so-called “edit point” or “syncing point” gives the cutter the opportunity to better align the music with the dramaturgy…

INTRO 1 Basics One thing is clear: Game music follows different rules than dance sound. Where a theme is set up in the club in order to finally make the dancers freak out after the breakdown, soundtracks work more subtle and serve as support for the imagery that captivates viewers and players. And unlike in films, where the music is linked to scenes, game music must be able to run almost indefinitely. 2 Atmosphere It is never known how long a player stays in a level or a scene. Even more: If the final boss comes into play, the music changes with it in the best case and announces impending doom to the player. But let‘s start from the beginning: A soundtrack puts an environment and its atmosphere in music…

1 Atmosphere Especially drones and spherical pads contribute a lot to the density and mood of the tracks. And that is easier said than done, because with pad sounds you get the label „oldschool“ faster than you would like. So we‘d rather create a “future-proof” drone sound“. 2 Basic sound As a basis we use the freeware Synth Tyrell N6 [1] and create a full basic sound with both oscillators with sawtooth shape. We turn Osc2 FINE (tune) slightly to the right and mix both oscillators in the mixer with almost the same volume (100% and 80%). In addition NOISE to about 70%, RING to 40% and FEEDB(ack) turned up full. 1 3 Filter We bring movement into the sound with a filter: Set CUT(off) to about 60% and MOD…

» Music needs soul. That‘s something you can‘t program. « Beat / You‘ve mentioned that there was a special creative chemistry between the two of you right from the start. Tell me about that, please. Tine / That‘s right. Already on our first meeting, we immediately started writing and finishing a few songs. With us, ongwriting is a deeply intuitive process which doesn‘t take a lot of words. A lot of these early songs are not all that far from what we‘d write today. Maybe we‘re even more open to experimentation these days, but at the core, we‘ve always been about depth and emotions. Moritz / Yes, we‘ve always enjoyed exploration and trying things out. Songwriting is still at the very heart of what we do and we do most…

1 Where to Start? There it is now, the new expansion. But how do we turn it into a new track? Our procedure is relatively simple: We listen through the keygroups of the expansion in the MPC browser and load all sounds that spontaneously appeal to us. In our case, that‘s the pushing BS Bruzzler, BS Controlled Bursts and BS Aunt 303, because it squawks so nicely. 2 Bassline The BS Bruzzler sound comes with a lot of groove and power on its own, so we use it directly as a bassline for which we just hold a C2 (pad D1) for the duration of a bar. In PROGRAM EDIT we first select „All Keygroups“ and then switch to FILTER/ENV. There we set FILTER ENV and VEL>FLT to 0 and…

Beat / With Berlin Strings you already have an extensive string library in your portfolio. How does Berlin Symphonic Strings differ from that? Hendrik / Berlin Strings is our most extensive and versatile string collection. In order to make them as flexible as possible, we decided on a somewhat smaller instrumentation (8, 6, 5, 5, 4), which still sounds like a string orchestra, but can convey enough details in the sound to work in as many applications as possible. After we and our users had used the Berlin Strings for many years, we realized that, when it comes to the really big sound, it‘s not quite enough with its instrumentation. So we came up with the idea to produce the Berlin Symphonic Strings. The idea here was to fill this…

The original dates from 1977 and, as with the Two Voice and Four Voice, several SEM modules serve as the basis. Each Synthesizer Expander Module contains a complete analog voice including two oscillators, multimode filter, amplifier, two envelopes and an LFO. The creamy sounding 12dB filter, in particular, makes the SEM so popular. Combining several of these modules into a polyphonic synthesizer has the advantage that, unlike classic polyphonic synthesizers like the Jupiter-8, a different sound can be set for each of the 8 voices. With slight variations this provides a more lively sound and, with completely different sounds for each SEM, even unusual sequences and chords are possible. The disadvantage of this solution in the hardware world is that for a uniform sound each SEM has to be set…

With the SonEQ Free, manufacturer Sonimus was able to collect many fans a long time ago. No wonder, the free effect offers an emulation of the legendary EQP-1A complete with the Pultec trick and extra drive function. Soundwise, it‘s first class. The SonEQ 2 now combines its features with a modular concept. The five components Low, Low Mid, Hi Mid, High and Preamp are offered, of which up to 16 can be combined in any order. So, if a single bass boost isn‘t enough, you can simply add a second low module to boost it again. Or boost first, then distort via preamp and tame again afterwards? Or connect 16 preamps in series … The plug-in makes no specifications here and merely sets a limit with the 16 maximum possible…

Behringer Flow 8 is a compact digital mixer with 8 analog inputs and 2 analog outputs. Bluetooth Audio allows wireless integration of an additional stereo channel from a tablet or smartphone; accordingly, the built-in USB audio interface offers a total of 10 inputs and 2 outputs. With dimensions of 229 x 172 x 48 mm, this mixer is very compact. Its weight of 1.4 kg, which is quite high considering the format, is due to its robust workmanship - it’s made of solid metal. The big difference to Behringer‘s technically and channel-wise similarly equipped X-Air series is the numerous physical controls for „analog“ mixing without an app. In particular, the six 60mm faders allow direct intervention in the mix. 8 analog inputs All of the mixer‘s connections are located slightly…

The Subsequent 25 is a scaled-down version of the popular Subsequent 37 duophonic analog synthesizer and also the successor to the Moog Sub Phatty. Fittingly, the Subsequent 37 presents itself as a mixture of the two synthesizers. Format, controls and their arrangement correspond to the Sub Phatty, but with the black metal housing with wooden sides and the slanted control surface with knobs in the classic Moog design, the Subsequent 25 also looks like a Subsequent 37 shrunk in width. 25 keys without aftertouch The most obvious difference is the keyboard, which only has 25 keys on the smaller model instead of 37. Unfortunately, the aftertouch, which is so important for a lead synthesizer, has been omitted; the keyboard on the Subsequent 25 only processes velocity. Compared to the Subsequent…

The infamous Rhythm Wolf made its debut back then. While the concept and feature set were quite convincing, it was primarily the sound of the analog drum and bass synth that found little appeal among the target audience. While there was, and still is, a great demand for robust and versatile instruments of this type, the individual voices lack versatility, punch and precision. The freedom of design is additionally limited by the lack of individual outputs. Editing the individual drum sounds with hardware effects or plug-ins is, therefore, made more difficult, especially in live situations. Modifications to the Rhythm Wolf and its sister model, the Tom Cat, are not easy because of the SMD technology that was used: space is at a premium and any small soldering error can result…

Between the entry-level DDJ-400 DJ controller and the larger DDJ-1000, the 4-channel DDJ-FLX6 model from Pioneer DJ is aimed at the target group of entry-level DJs, as well as amateur DJs with some prior DJ knowledge. Connections and features The connections of the sturdily built, but not non-slip standing controller are quite manageable with the master and boot output (RCA) and the jack microphone input. But the USB-B interface and the integrated audio interface ensure the computer connection. Thanks to plug-and-play, the otherwise paid DJ software rekordbox and Serato DJ Pro are not only unlocked for free, but complex installation routines are unnecessary. On the front, there are still two headphone jacks and parameters for controlling the monitor and headphone signal. Connections for external line signals are, however, are not…

BEST SERVICE THE ORCHESTRA COMPLETE 2 A Swiss army among the orchestral Kontakt libraries. The focus is not on individual instruments, but on a sophisticated ensemble engine with a quintuple arpeggiator. This allows you to quickly create orchestral figures and patterns. The provided chord progressions can be transferred directly to the arrangement window of the DAW via MIDI drag and draw, separately for each of the five arpeggio slots. When a chord progression is played with one of the presets in the Animated Orchestra section, a self-playing orchestra begins. It is nice that the intensity can be influenced via the mod wheel and the velocity. The Orchestra Complete 2 is the perfect package for users who want to achieve a presentable result quickly. Especially users who don‘t count music theory…

1 Synth base A good starting point for textures are deep, musty rather than high, crystalline sounds, because the latter, in combination with tape delay, create quite nasty ear killers. A certain movement in the sound, such as slow filter or wavetable modulations, is just as relevant. We‘ll take both, right? We use our Thorn BE. 2 Wide sound We only use OSC 1 with the Electric 03 wavetable from the oscillators. UNI(sono) we turn up to 7, DTN (Detune) to 29 and SPR(ead) to full, for a broad basic sound. The sound is thin and harsh, which we amplify for the moment using HARMONIC FILTER with Preset Amp 01, but then reduce it again to 10 o‘clock using the lowpass filter with CUTOFF. 3 Slow movement We connect the…

1 Interface or Maschine The Maschine+ offers several ways to record instruments. First, you can connect class-compliant interfaces via USB and use their inputs. These interfaces do not need any drivers to work. Secondly, you can use the connections on the back of the Maschine. Two line inputs and a mic input are available here. 2 Choose input Using the line inputs on Maschine you can, for example, connect a synthesizer. The mic input has a preamp and is suitable for dynamic microphones and instruments such as an electric guitar. If you need 48-volt phantom power, you should use an external interface or separate devices like a preamp. 3 Recording preparation Once the guitar is connected to the Maschine‘s mic input, you need to open Sampling Mode and define a…

1 Idea source For starters, we‘re looking for a melodic template for our new song. This template can theoretically be anything: a whole track, a sample or maybe even a vocal recording. The important thing is that the melodic mood appeals to you. In our case, we liked the loop DC2_100_Am_Intimate Piano_05.wav (see mag data). 2 The chord track We are not so much interested in the piano sound, but in the harmonies. In order to use them in our own song, we load the sample onto a new track and fade in the chord track (see picture). Then we drag the sample onto the chord track. Studio One analyzes the sound and automatically enters the found chords. 3 Different choices We can now mute the sample. From here on,…

Inphonic PCM2612 Inphonic have dedicated themselves to emulating older sound chips and AD/DA converters. The results are paid plug-ins like an FM synthesizer based on the Yamaha sound chip from Sega game consoles and a replica of the converter from the Akai S950 sampler. More or less as a by-product of these developments, two freeware products have also appeared. The PCM2612 Retro Decimator Unit is intended to recreate the sound of old digital converters from vintage game consoles and the first generations of digital synthesizers and samplers. From a technical point of view, these have (by far) nowhere near the high resolution of current converters, but it is precisely this imperfect behavior that can provide that certain something in the sound, similar to old analog synthesizers. Impressive not only for…

Total Studio 3 includes the sample-based instruments Sample Tank 4 MAX, as well as Syntronik Deluxe. SampleTank is a proven beginner-friendly workstation for all imaginable bread-and-butter sounds, but thanks to the included expansions such as Hitmaker: EDM, Reggaeton, Synthwave and Trap, it is also suitable for more modern music styles when it needs to be fast and uncomplicated - for example, for the production of trailers and archive music. For more fancy and independent electronic sounds, NI Komplete with Reaktor & the like, as well as Steinberg Absolute with the powerful Halion platform, including Granular Engine, would be the better option. Syntronik Deluxe offers a collection of analog and digital synthesizer classics. In addition, there is a virtual rock band with Hammond B-3X, MODO Drums and MODO Bass. The two…

Apollo Sound Uplifting Cinem. Piano Themes The piano is not only essential in classical music, but is also used in electronic music such as Chillout, Deep House, RnB and ChillHop. Apollo Sound has produced 17 piano kits for the Uplifting Cinematic Piano Themes collection, recorded by orchestral and jazz keyboardist Valery Korotkov. There are four versions in each of the kits, featuring a piano, electric piano, cinematic processed piano and a hybrid element (piano with another instrument). Dynamics, harmony and touching expressiveness unite the piano pieces, which inspire more than just film music. The electric pianos are occasionally enhanced with rotor and chorus effects, but otherwise the effects are used only discreetly. Verdict If you are looking for suitable sonic emotions with pianos for your (film) music, you are in…

Black Lion Audio have already earned a certain reputation with their faithful replicas of vintage hardware like the 1176 compressor. Less known is that these Americans also offer modifications for audio interfaces. By replacing opamps and capacitors, new current filters and other high-quality components, the sound is supposed to be optimized. So it‘s less surprising that the Revolution 2x2 is their first audio interface on the market. High quality materials The interface is packed in a sturdy metal housing, the pots run very smoothly and offer pleasant resistance; and the Amphenol connectors are also of the best quality. Inside, Black Lion Audio‘s proven technology is installed. This includes, among other things, the Macro MMC Clock and the current generation of PG-i filters. In terms of external features, however, Revolution 2x2…

After Korg could not fully impress us in terms of feel and value with their most recent products like Wavestate and Opsix, the SQ-64 surprises positively, at first. The relatively high weight of one kilogram, in light of its compact dimensions, is already noticeable when unpacking. With dimensions of 368 x 74 x 144 mm, the SQ-64 is a quite a bit smaller than the Beatstep Pro and, above all, considerably flatter. The solid aluminum housing (in timeless black) not only feels good, but also looks very stylish in combination with the flat pads, the 6 chic encoders, OLED display and the dimmed LEDs. However, the fragile micro-USB port is no longer up-to-date; even cheaper controllers already offer the more reliable and durable USB-C variation. A power supply for independent…

1 Preparation Load an instrumental project as playback or create a new one. Connect an external microphone and make sure that External is shown in the display by pressing EDIT and the Mic-ON button. Otherwise, change it by turning the CTRL-3 knob, and confirm the value. Activate VOCAL. 2 Tune The Auto-Tuning effect, popular in rap circles, can be called up by holding down the EDIT key and the ON key in the Vocal Processor. Use the CTRL 1 and CTRL-3 knobs in the menu to determine the stability. If you want the sound of deeply tuned vocals as a trademark, turn the Tone knob to the left, otherwise to the right for upward pitch shifting. 3 Sampling Press and hold the Shift and REC keys to enter Sampling mode.…

1 Load device Load a MIDI controller, such as a piano sound, into a track and place the Max MIDI effect Bouncy Notes into the track. Bouncy Notes produces sounds based on a simulation of balls bouncing up and down. The effect is part of the Inspired by Nature Live Pack, developed with sound artist Dillon Bastan. 2 Create sounds Strike a Push Pad and observe in the Live software how the sounds you hear correspond to the bouncing ball. A new sound is generated with each bounce. If the ball stops bouncing, it will automatically destroy itself. Select the Physics submenu to influence how the ball bounces via Mass and Gravity. 3 Regulating bounce The higher the value you choose for Mass and the lower for Gravity, the greater…