Computer Music guides & articles

Universal Audio just released a new version of its software for Apollo and other UAD-2 devices. The release is highlighted by three new plug-ins, including spot-on emulations of the Neve 88RS Channel…

In this episode, we'll concentrate on dynamics processing during mixdown, and we'll see how to use compression to give consistency to your tracks. This usage, in my opinion, is the most important one…

SONiVOX's Tony Coleman Drums (Mac/Win), is a virtual drum plug-in featuring sampled kit sounds from Coleman, who’s played with a who’s who of blues and R&B artists including B.B. King, Bobby Blue Bl…

In this installment, we'll look at the consequences of the loudness war on music, sound and human ears.

The debate about real amps versus modeling amps is over. Numerous blind tests among players and engineers have revealed that it’s often impossible to distinguish modeled amps from the real thing, esp…

Today we'll continue our series on the volume wars. This time, we'll focus on mainly on compression.

Finding an acceptable level of latency is something everyone making music with computers must deal with at times. For some of us it's child's play, but for some others it can get complicated very qui…

The folks at Synchro Arts, renowned for their VocAlign software, recently came out with Revoice Pro 3, the latest version of their application that incorporates vocal alignment, pitch correction, dou…

This week we'll proceed with the final steps of the method to learn about the sonic impact of the main parameters of a compressor. After having seen the attack and release times, now it's the turn of…

In the tradition of its Jack Joseph Puig, Chris Lord Alge, Eddie Kramer, and Manny Marroquin signature plug-ins, Waves has released Butch Vig Vocals (Mac/PC), a processor plug-in designed to let you …

In this installment, I'll show you a way to set a compressor that helps you understand what each parameter does. This method is by no means the ultimate solution, however it ought to help you grasp t…

Now that we've discussed the possible uses for compression, let's take a look at the way a compressor works. To do that, I'll explain to you, in a theoretical way, the different parameters commonly f…

Although top-of-the-line processor and effects plug-ins can be expensive, there are alternatives available that offer quality performance at budget-friendly prices. In this article, I’ll look at 12 s…

The supply of virtual orchestras has become more and more abundant. There's a seemingly never-ending rise in the number of samples, instruments and content available, in general. But what about how t…

I’ve been writing about synthesizers since the 1970s and reviewing virtual instruments since the 1990s. Still, when Audiofanzine asked me to pick my "top 5" software synths, it was no easy feat, as t…

In this second installment dedicated to dynamics processing during mixdown, we'll take some time to discuss the whys before moving on to the hows.

The release of a channel strip plug-in doesn’t typically generate a lot of excitement, but it sure has in the case of Slate Digital’s Virtual Mix Rack (VMR). Slate’s hardware emulations are considere…

This week we'll tackle dynamics processing during mixdown, a very thorny subject if there ever was one...To approach the topic in the best way possible, it's useful to begin with a quick rundown of t…

When Universal Audio announced Sound Machine Wood Works at NAMM this year, I was intrigued by what was promised: A plug-in that can change a DI recorded acoustic so that it sounds like it was miked. …

Before we tackle the next major section of this series ─ dynamics ─ let's diverge briefly to take stock of where we are in the process, and cover an important issue involving effect-chain order.

All DAWS are definitely not created equal. Yes they can all record and edit audio and MIDI, host effects and software instruments, and provide facilities for mixing. But beyond those bread-and-butter…

Eight years after the original, Eiosis presents a "Premium" edition of the AirEQ plug-in.

Now that we have analyzed EQing during mixdown, let's talk a bit about the tools capable of carrying out the task.

In this week's installment, we'll continue our focus on EQing during mixdown, with some additional tips and advice.

Whether you're a Logic or GarageBand user, you can spice up your recordings with a huge range of instrument loops and sound effects via the Apple Loops that were included with your DAW. Here's a vid…