Home//Future Music/April 2017/In This Issue
Future Music|April 2017Atmospheric pressureWhen working creatively in the studio, our natural impulse is to focus on the biggest, most prominent sounds. But while hooks, leads and beats are obviously important, a huge amount of any production’s character comes from those elements you don’t instantly notice – the ghost notes, the evolving textures, the sense of space. That’s what we’re focusing on in this issue’s two-part cover feature. First up, on page 24, we’ll show you how to add space and texture to your tracks with our massive backdrops and atmospheres masterclass. Then, in this issue’s Producer’s Guide on page 45, we’re breaking down some classic ambient, evolving synth sounds which are guaranteed to add texture to even the most static track.Whether you want to go ‘full Eno’ and create your own Ambient masterpiece,…1 min
Future Music|April 2017On the FM Vault vault.futuremusic.co.ukONLINE VAULT On the FM Vault vault.futuremusic.co.uk Future Music has outgrown its covermount DVD! We wanted to bring you more samples, sounds and high-quality video than ever before, so we’re putting it up online for you to download. Simply head to the FM ‘Vault’ at the link above, login/ register, then hit ‘add a magazine’ to register this issue and get all the video, audio and samples. SAMPLE PACKS Exclusive new sounds with every issue GROOVE CRIMINALS PRESENT… Destroyed Synths 512 classic synth hits and loops, each crushed, overdriven and distorted out of all recognition for quality grittiness! CYCLICK SAMPLES PRESENT… Funk Keys 279 Funk-stuffed loops and lines that capture the synth, organ and key sounds of classic ’70s hits. PLUS ACCESS THE FM SAMPLE ARCHIVE! Download the ‘Sample Archive’…1 min
Future Music|April 2017Elektron Rytm gets all synthyELEKTRON HAVE UNVEILED a new soundpack for the Analog Rytm drum machine, called Synthetics, which is made up entirely of sounds from the synth engine, with not a sample in sight.The aim of the soundpack, according to Elektron, is to push the boundaries of what Rytm can do. As such, alongside the expected collection of synthesized drum sounds, Synthetics also comes with a host of melodic synth sounds.All in all you get 128 patches featuring drums, synths and sfx for £8.00. The pack is available to download directly now from the Elektron website.…1 min
Future Music|April 2017Get Radiohead and Frank Ocean’s string sound with SpitfireGet Radiohead and Frank Ocean’s string sound with Spitfire SPITFIRE AUDIO’S LATEST sample library brings the sound of the much-lauded London Contemporary Orchestra into your DAW. Formed in 2008, the LCO are known for their modern cinematic approach to orchestral composition, which has seen them featured on recent albums by Radiohead, Justice and Frank Ocean, as well as a number of high-profile film scores. According to Spitfire, the London Contemporary Orchestra Strings offers an “exciting and experimental modern string library, allowing composers and producers the chance to take their work to the edge”. The pack contains multi-sampled violin, viola, cello and bass sections, each of which is dynamically controllable and, according to Spitfire, features “never-before-sampled articulations”. London Contemporary Orchestra Strings is available now for £299.…1 min
Future Music|April 2017Elektron Rytm gets all synthyElektron Rytm gets all synthy ELEKTRON HAVE UNVEILED a new soundpack for the Analog Rytm drum machine, called Synthetics, which is made up entirely of sounds from the synth engine, with not a sample in sight. The aim of the soundpack, according to Elektron, is to push the boundaries of what Rytm can do. As such, alongside the expected collection of synthesized drum sounds, Synthetics also comes with a host of melodic synth sounds. All in all you get 128 patches featuring drums, synths and sfx for £8.00. The pack is available to download directly now from the Elektron website.…1 min
Future Music|April 2017Synthesis Technology launch “most advanced Eurorack oscillator”Synthesis Technology launch “most advanced Eurorack oscillator” US-MODULAR BRAND SYNTHESIS TECHNOLOGY have launched a new Eurorack oscillator module via Kickstarter. The E370 Quad Morphing VCO promises to be, Synth Tech say, the most advanced Eurorack oscillator on the market. This DSPbased module combines improved versions of the algorithms from the E350 Morphing Terrarium, E340 Cloud Generator and E330 Multi-Mode VCO. The E370 features four identical digital VCOs running 96KHz sample rate audio at 16 bits alongside a full-colour TFT display for sound editing. There’s also a SD card slot allowing users to import custom wavetables plus save/load presets. The Kickstarter campaign has already reached its target, so the E370 will be going into production. Head over to the Kickstarter page before the 19th March end date to snap up an…1 min
Future Music|April 2017LIKE IT? TRY THESE…Push Button ObjectsUnauthorized EP1998 four-tracker from Edgar Farinas. Cool in itself, but more notable for the Gescom remix’s tempo flipping, which was a huge influence on Machinedrum tracks like Are I.ADD THESE TO YOUR PLAYLIST: Non-Existant, Downtown, Non-Existant (Keyed In By Gescom), BabushkaBoards Of CanadaMusic Has The Right To ChildrenEpic LP, and a Machinedrum personal favourite. The Scottish electronic duo’s rich textures influence heavily on Now You Know’s sonic landscape.ADD THESE TO YOUR PLAYLIST: An Eagle In Your Mind, Pete Standing Alone, Rue The Whirl, Turquoise Hexagon SunPrefuse 73Vocal Studies + Uprock NarrativesThe Warp singing’s futuristic reimagining of Hip-Hop, and vocal chopping, evolved in tandem with Machinedrum’s.ADD THESE TO YOUR PLAYLIST: Radio Attack, Eve Of Dextruction, Point To B, Afternoon Love InDepth ChargeNine Deadly VenomsIf you’re a fan of the…1 min
Future Music|April 2017Track by track with MachinedrumClassic Album Track by track with Machinedrum “We didn’t get the album professionally mastered at the time. Eventually we did a repress with Shawn [Hatfield] from AudibleOddities mastering. He’s still my mastering engineer to this day. My sound has changed over time, but the thing that I’ve always liked about him is our history. He can go back and forth with me with revisions more than a stranger would. Also he has a great attention to dynamics. I’ve always loved his approach. He can make tracks sit next to other mastered tracks, and still have that loudness, without it becoming a wall of sound.” Machinedrum is currently touring his last epic album, Human Energy (with its mesmerising live A/V show). Further content and B-sides from the…8 min
Future Music|April 2017DIY (And More Flexible) Tape Hiss EffectsNot all backgrounds and atmospheres have to be dramatic! Sometimes even the smallest sounds can make a difference, as we’re going to see through the following steps. We’re going to create an artificial ‘tape hiss’ sound using a white-noise generator and then blend this in with a collection of programmed beats, to give them a slightly ‘retro’ quality. As we’ll see, only a tiny amount of volume is required for this trick to make its presence felt, so it’s definitely one of those where if you can hear it clearly, you’re probably using too much of it. In the final clip below, compare the first half, where the sound is running, and the second, where it’s muted. In truth, it could be even quieter…We’ve got a basic track to which…1 min
Future Music|April 2017ALBUM REVIEWSALBUM REVIEWS ALBUM OF THE MONTH Orchestra Baobab Tribute To Ndiouga Dieng World Circuit Almost half a century after the band’s formation, Senegalese Afro-Pop stalwarts Orchestra Baobab make a long-awaited return with their masterful new album, Tribute To Ndiouga Dieng. Ten years on from their last record, Made in Dakar, and their third LP since the band’s 2001 reformation, Tribute To Ndiouga Dieng is dedicated to their long-serving vocalist and composer who passed away last November. Full of life, colour and passion, the record combines energetic Afro-Cuban rhythms and African tradition in the band’s trademark yet inimitable style. The whole record is sewn together with a warm-hearted and open spirit, creating a joyous concoction of vibrant percussion, lush melodies, velvet harmonies, shimmering guitars, passionate sax, soaring vocals and enchanting congas…4 min
Future Music|April 2017Making Textures From PadsPads are an essential part of many genres of electronic music but they can fall flat. For all that they’re great at reinforcing the harmony and chords of a track, they can also suck the life out of a mix if they’re too static. Through the following steps, we’ll see how to convert a basic pad part into something more interesting and textural using just a single other mix element to turn a stock sound into something much more engaging. The benefits are obvious. Not only do we gain valuable mix space, but we’re also building more of a background layer which is unique and to which further atmospheric layers could be added. There are lots of ways of making pad sounds less dull and the following steps should provide…1 min
Future Music|April 2017Build Evocative Textures From One Sound SourceWe’re starting with the main Muted Piano from Spitfire Audio’s Olafur Arnalds Toolkit sample library, with no additional processing added. While beautiful in its own right, it also sets the imagination racing in terms of how much further the sound could go to become reframed in a new context.We bounce the piano part as an audio file and import this onto a new audio track. Then, we chop the file into two-bar chunks and reverse each. We can’t reverse the whole file as the harmony would get messed up. By chopping each phrase, we keep the reverses and the MIDI part aligned.We want the echoes to feel more blunted and blurred than the lead piano line, so we start by dropping the volume of these reversed slices. Then we limit…1 min
Future Music|April 2017QUICK TIPSQUICK TIPS Handy atmospheric considerations > DO: Use any ‘randomising’ feature in synths or effects plug-ins to help you seek out new, unpredictable sounds to be used as textural and atmospheric layers. You’ll still need to shape these as required, but using randomly generated sound as a springboard can be inspiring. > DON’T: Rely on factory presets for your textural sounds. There are so many ways to create your own, either by processing, recording or editing, that this is one sonic area you should be using to be as original as possible. > DO: Layer several sounds and explore their stereo width. Create three textural layers and leave one in the middle and either autopan the other two to switch sides, or set their pan positions so that they work…1 min
Future Music|April 2017The Reversed Reverb TrickThe Reversed Reverb Trick One of the most effective textural elements you can add is also a classic: the reversed reverb. Here’s how to make it… Reversed reverbs are created by making a copy of a dry audio file and reversing it. Then, if you send this sound to an auxiliary, it stands to reason that the reverb generated will sound ‘backwards’ too. If you then isolate the reverb – so that it’s solo’d – and capture it as a new audio file, you’ll have a ‘reverb only’ file which is the wrong way around. Reverse this next and you’ll hear that the ghostly source sound is now preceded by reverb, rather than the traditional way around of the reverb being generated by a ‘forwards playing’ file. You can even…1 min
Future Music|April 2017So you’ll record the entire jamming sessions and bring the material back to DC for mixing?So you’ll record the entire jamming sessions and bring the material back to DC for mixing? “That is exactly how we did it. We just took all of the core material back to DC and added horns, percussion and vocals, then we mixed everything. It’s kind of like sketching out a painting on paper with pencil and then coming back and creating the painting. We had a lot of material when we got back from Jamaica. We had 28 rhythms that we did in about eight days, and I think we used about 20 of them. There are 15 songs on this record, but we also have a B-sides compendium record that’s going to come out, and that has 12 songs.”…1 min
Future Music|April 2017Making Wait Up’s funky bass and guitar grooves01 > Marius played Wait Up’s bassline on a Höfner short scale bass guitar. The audio is processed with Logic’s built-in effects: it’s warmed up with Bass Amp Designer, lightly compressed with Compressor, tonally tweaked with Channel EQ and distorted with Clip Distortion.02 > Soloed, the bass sounds surprisingly distorted. “I always put more drive on the bass, just to make sure that it’s noticeable in the mix,” Marius explains. Another technique that helps the bass stand out in the mix is that it’s doubled with guitar parts panned hard left and right.03 > These parts are run through Logic’s Pedalboard and different Amp Designer settings are used on the left and right channels to create a wide stereo sound. Small sections where the guitar parts are delayed are overdubbed…1 min
Future Music|April 2017So, you’re not an analogue purist with your synth sounds then?“For me, digital is every bit as important and amazing as analogue. Obviously, it depends what machine it comes from, but the best thing about the Hamburg studio is the combination of digital and analogue they have. It’s about the way that the individual synths are – with something like the PPG, if you send a sequence to it, it does its own thing that goes beyond what you send it! That’s what I love about the old synths: they were so uneven and unpredictable. Of course they go out of tune but I think that’s excellent too. You could leave something running all night, and when you came back in the morning it would be different. That’s the beauty of voltages and the analogue side of things, but if…1 min
Future Music|April 2017How to make an Ambient pad from scratchProducer’s Guide To Ambient Synths How to make an Ambient pad from scratch Pads are a staple of Ambient music – it would be criminal not to make one from scratch! Here’s how… 01 > Start from an initialised patch. Choose a triangle on osc1 and a square on osc2. Add a little detune and filter down using a low-pass filter for a darker sound. Tweak the amp and filter envelopes for a soft attack and long release. 02 > Balance the filter cutoff, resonance and envelope settings together. Add in an airy-sounding digital/PCM wave and add some long release on the amp/filter envelopes to flatter the analogue layer. Tweak the volume between the analogue/digital layers to taste. Add white noise for some gritty texture. 03 > Add another…1 min
Future Music|April 2017Digital vs analogue for AmbientProducer’s Guide To Ambient Synths Digital vs analogue for Ambient When it comes to Funk and Soul, generally you’d use analogue synths for pads and bass but Ambient music has a much wider and more open sound that straddles many different styles – thus, digital FM synths or ROMpler sampled waves are perfect fodder. One of our favourite synths for Ambient music is the humble 4-operator Yamaha DX100 FM synth. It’s noisy and dirty and has aliasing on sounds but this all adds to the overall character. Add outboard reverb, delay (or even better, some Eventide Harmonizer) and you’ll find yourself in Ambient heaven! Moving onto current synths, Behringer’s DeepMind 12 is a killer Ambient synth (with its 12-voice analogue engine, control sequencer and modulatable digital effects), as is…3 min
Future Music|April 2017DEEP EFFECTSGiven that Behringer’s holding company own a smorgasbord of music tech companies, including Klark Teknik and TC Electronic, it’s no surprise that they’ve taken advantage of this for the effects. The manual names the ‘device inspiration’ for each of the 34 DSPderived effects and many are based on classic units from Lexicon, Roland and others.There are four effect slots that can be placed together in an insert or FX send configuration. Used as a send, the effects do not interfere with the audio path of the analogue synth engine. Ten different routings, including some with feedback, allow for some very creative effect configurations that go much further than most onboard effects. The quality of effects, and the scope for editing, is also high. For example, you can add a chorus…1 min
Future Music|April 2017Making Wait Up’s funky bass and guitar groovesThe Track Roosevelt Making Wait Up’s funky bass and guitar grooves Roosevelt’s sound is chock-full of real instruments that give it an authentic, organic feel… 01 > Marius played Wait Up’s bassline on a Höfner short scale bass guitar. The audio is processed with Logic’s built-in effects: it’s warmed up with Bass Amp Designer, lightly compressed with Compressor, tonally tweaked with Channel EQ and distorted with Clip Distortion. 02 > Soloed, the bass sounds surprisingly distorted. “I always put more drive on the bass, just to make sure that it’s noticeable in the mix,” Marius explains. Another technique that helps the bass stand out in the mix is that it’s doubled with guitar parts panned hard left and right. 03 > These parts are run…1 min
Future Music|April 2017NEW DEVICESBitwig 2 gains a total of 17 new devices. Along with the hardware routing tools, there’s also a suite of fresh MIDI effects. These include tools to control MIDI note length and velocity, a note latch tool, MIDI harmoniser and MIDI echo. There’s also a Multi-Note device, for generating chords from a single incoming MIDI note.Beyond this, there are five new effect devices, including the previously mentioned Spectrum Analyser. There’s a Phaser, which offers a solid level of frequency and stereo image control. This is joined by a Pitch Shifter, with a range of +/- one octave, plus fine-tune and grain rate controls. Next up is Dual Pan, which offers detailed control of a sound’s placement in the stereo field.Finally, these are joined by Treemonster, an effect which Bitwig describe…1 min
Future Music|April 2017SETTING UP AND INCLUDED CONTENTTo set up the MiniLab Mk2 for Mac/Windows, go to the Arturia website, set up a user account, enter your serial number and unlock the content. The only thing I found tricky was installing UVI Grand Piano Model D as the link to the software itself and sound banks were initially hard to find, plus it requires iLok authorisation.The quality of the included content is high. There’s Ableton Live Lite; then Arturia’s own Analog Lab Lite includes slimmed-down (but upgradable) versions of Arturia’s SEM, Wurli, Rhodes, B3, Modular, MiniMoog, Jupiter, Prophet and acoustic piano software instruments. The UVI piano sounds good (£79 on its own), though there are no drum instruments included.…1 min
Future Music|April 2017So, you’re not an analogue purist with your synth sounds then?In The Studio With Moiré So, you’re not an analogue purist with your synth sounds then? “For me, digital is every bit as important and amazing as analogue. Obviously, it depends what machine it comes from, but the best thing about the Hamburg studio is the combination of digital and analogue they have. It’s about the way that the individual synths are – with something like the PPG, if you send a sequence to it, it does its own thing that goes beyond what you send it! That’s what I love about the old synths: they were so uneven and unpredictable. Of course they go out of tune but I think that’s excellent too. You could leave something running all night, and when you came back in the morning it…1 min
Future Music|April 2017Expressive drums with SSFMODULAR MONTHLY Expressive drums with SSF We dive into Entity from SSF to explore drum sound design Eurorack has a wide range of drum modules, from clones of classics, to ‘drum voices’ which offer all the necessary components to create a wide range of drum sounds. We’ll be looking at the latter with Entity from SSF (Steady State Fate). Entity calls itself a bass drum synthesizer, but that’s misleading as it can produce a range of drum tones. From Disco toms to thumping Techno basslines through bass drums to higher pitched ‘whoops’ and alien-like synth hits, Entity delivers through and through. The only thing missing is an onboard noise source which would give us snares, claps and cymbals. An interesting control on Entity we haven’t seen on other modules is…1 min
Future Music|April 2017Soulsby Oscitron £260 inc Uni-Five expanderWith the sample rate shifted down the Oscitron becomes a filthy glitching monsterSoulsby Synths have made their name with gritty 8-bit synths, having launched the monophonic desktop Atmegatron unit in 2014. Their latest unit brings the 8-bit flavour to Eurorack.The Oscitron is a wavetable synth with 32 waveforms, PWM, 15 filter types with CV over frequency and resonance, bitcrusher and phaser effects. Its look follows that of the Atmegatron with two prominent glowing encoders on a white panel, with wooden strips that cover the top and bottom mounting holes. I first took these for a sly styling wink at the Atmegatron’s wooden end panels. It turns out that these are in fact for holding panel overlays in place, for the alternate firmwares that will be available soon, starting with the…3 min
Future Music|April 2017Audio-Technica ATH-E70 £329No amount of jumping dislodged them once I had the right eartips size fittedThe constraints of the IEM format have meant that fidelity has lagged behind that of traditional headphones. Audio-Technica have taken this as a challenge and with their flagship E70 model deliver a triple driver (low/mid/ high) earpiece, weighing in at just 9g.The E70s fit snugly in the outer ear, while the flexible ‘memory’ cables mould around the ear to hold them in place. Once acclimatised it’s easy to forget you’re wearing them. No amount of jumping about dislodged them once I’d gotten the right eartips size fitted. The silicone tips were preferable for comfort and sound, though the Comply foam eartips were more effective at isolating noise. The cable detaches from the housings with A2DC connectors, aiding…3 min
Future Music|April 2017Bitwig Studio 2 €379Reviews Bitwig Studio 2 Bitwig Studio 2 €379 The fledgling DAW hits version 2, bringing with it a cutting-edge modulation system. Si Truss gets modulating… First released in 2014, Bitwig Studio initially found it difficult to escape the shadow of Ableton Live. Much of Bitwig’s pre-release hype was built on the fact that it was created by a team largely formed of ex-Ableton developers, and when the newcomer DAW arrived there were a number of interface elements clearly inspired by Live. Still, the persistent comparisons were a little unfair, overshadowing the fact that, from day one, Bitwig was an impressive DAW with a lot to offer in its own right. Several ‘point’ updates over the years have seen it carve out more of a niche for itself, largely by focusing…8 min
Future Music|April 2017NI’s Maschine becomes more hardware friendlyNative Instruments’ Maschine ecosystem got a significant expansion late last year in the shape of Maschine Jam, the range’s new sequence and performance-focused controller. Now the Berlin brand are following that with a free software update that brings a sprinkling of new features across the board.For many users, the standout addition to Maschine 2.6 will be the introduction of MIDI CC control for external hardware. This makes it possible to control and automate the sound parameters of compatible MIDI-equipped hardware directly from inside the Maschine software, in the same manner as is currently possible for VST plug-ins. Not only that, but NI have created mapping presets for an assortment of popular hardware instruments and effects, including Korg’s Minilogue, Monologue and Volca range, Roland’s TR-8 and TR-09, and several Moog and…2 min
Future Music|April 2017Meet ‘audio sharpening’ tool ReSampleNew audio editing applications don’t come along all that often, so it’ll be interesting to see what 2nd Sense Audio’s new ReSample application – described by the developer as “a sharpened tool” – can bring to the party.Designed for editing, processing and analysing audio, it promises a distinctive and modern UI, a powerful set of built-in processors and support for the MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar.The waveform browsing and editing is said to be fast and responsive, and ReSample can be used for the likes of vocal removal, time-stretching and pitchshifting.ReSample is available for PC and Mac and costs $89, though you can download a 25-day demo before you buy.…1 min
Future Music|April 2017Synthesis Technology launch “most advanced Eurorack oscillator”US-MODULAR BRAND SYNTHESIS TECHNOLOGY have launched a new Eurorack oscillator module via Kickstarter. The E370 Quad Morphing VCO promises to be, Synth Tech say, the most advanced Eurorack oscillator on the market. This DSPbased module combines improved versions of the algorithms from the E350 Morphing Terrarium, E340 Cloud Generator and E330 Multi-Mode VCO. The E370 features four identical digital VCOs running 96KHz sample rate audio at 16 bits alongside a full-colour TFT display for sound editing. There’s also a SD card slot allowing users to import custom wavetables plus save/load presets.The Kickstarter campaign has already reached its target, so the E370 will be going into production. Head over to the Kickstarter page before the 19th March end date to snap up an E370 starting at $699 for a DIY version…1 min
Future Music|April 2017Machinedrum Now You KnowTravis Stewart conceived of the Machinedrum project while still in high school. He was experimenting with complex rhythms, underground Hip-Hop editing, and the Junglistic tempos and noise palettes favoured by the UK’s own Drill ’n’ Bass pioneers. The resulting hybrid caused a stir in the Electronic music scene, and swung a spotlight on the young virtuosic producer, in which he’s remained to this day. His debut album, Now You Know, is a riot of sound splicing and energising beat evolutions, anchored by a gift for soothing textures and melody. It’s the blueprint of what would become the Machinedrum sound – original, daring, cannibalistic, fresh, yet rich in a humour the early material liked to play with.“That was an important component in the early Machinedrum work,” says Stewart. “I was having…2 min
Future Music|April 2017Track by track with Machinedrum“We didn’t get the album professionally mastered at the time. Eventually we did a repress with Shawn [Hatfield] from AudibleOddities mastering. He’s still my mastering engineer to this day. My sound has changed over time, but the thing that I’ve always liked about him is our history. He can go back and forth with me with revisions more than a stranger would. Also he has a great attention to dynamics. I’ve always loved his approach. He can make tracks sit next to other mastered tracks, and still have that loudness, without it becoming a wall of sound.”Machinedrum is currently touring his last epic album, Human Energy (with its mesmerising live A/V show). Further content and B-sides from the project are also promised. As for new material, the LA-based producer says…9 min
Future Music|April 2017Machinedrum Now You KnowCLASSIC ALBUM Machinedrum Now You Know Merck, 2001 Words by Roy Spencer Travis Stewart conceived of the Machinedrum project while still in high school. He was experimenting with complex rhythms, underground Hip-Hop editing, and the Junglistic tempos and noise palettes favoured by the UK’s own Drill ’n’ Bass pioneers. The resulting hybrid caused a stir in the Electronic music scene, and swung a spotlight on the young virtuosic producer, in which he’s remained to this day. His debut album, Now You Know, is a riot of sound splicing and energising beat evolutions, anchored by a gift for soothing textures and melody. It’s the blueprint of what would become the Machinedrum sound – original, daring, cannibalistic, fresh, yet rich in a humour the early material liked to play with. “That was…2 min
Future Music|April 2017THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO ATMOSPHERE & AMBIENCESome elements of a mix are easily described. Melodies and vocals are ‘leads’. Basslines are basslines and drums are drums. You get the idea… But what word do we use to describe the sounds in our mixes which play a supporting role? These textures, washes and colours rarely get a chance to step to the front to claim our listeners’ attention and yet, without them, our mixes often lack depth and richness.So, for this feature, we’re going to turn the tables on the mix elements which usually command the biggest parts of our imaginations to focus on the backgrounds and atmospheres to which most tracks owe an unspoken debt. And better still, we’re going to concentrate on how to make these a better fit for the personalities of our productions;…13 min
Future Music|April 2017Sending Effects To EffectsWe’ve got a down-tempo groove playing, made up from a number of sampled sources. It’s the rim-shot sound on beat 2 we’re looking to process, taking the opportunity provided by it only playing a single hit per bar to fill in the space between hits. Here’s the groove without any processing.Next we set up a first reverb solution for the rim sample using FabFilter’s Pro-R Reverb. We choose a long decay time alongside a dark overall character. The Pro-R lets you clock pre-delay time to tempo, so we select an 1/8th note here.This reverb sounds a little predictable after a while, so we set up an auxiliary send from the Pro-R’s auxiliary channel, so that the reverb can be further processed by another effect. We set up Waves’ H-Delay, with…2 min
Future Music|April 2017QUICK TIPS> DO: Use any ‘randomising’ feature in synths or effects plug-ins to help you seek out new, unpredictable sounds to be used as textural and atmospheric layers. You’ll still need to shape these as required, but using randomly generated sound as a springboard can be inspiring.> DON’T: Rely on factory presets for your textural sounds. There are so many ways to create your own, either by processing, recording or editing, that this is one sonic area you should be using to be as original as possible.> DO: Layer several sounds and explore their stereo width. Create three textural layers and leave one in the middle and either autopan the other two to switch sides, or set their pan positions so that they work as a complementary pair. Not every sound…1 min
Future Music|April 2017The Reversed Reverb TrickReversed reverbs are created by making a copy of a dry audio file and reversing it. Then, if you send this sound to an auxiliary, it stands to reason that the reverb generated will sound ‘backwards’ too. If you then isolate the reverb – so that it’s solo’d – and capture it as a new audio file, you’ll have a ‘reverb only’ file which is the wrong way around. Reverse this next and you’ll hear that the ghostly source sound is now preceded by reverb, rather than the traditional way around of the reverb being generated by a ‘forwards playing’ file. You can even be creative with how you place it – gluing it to the original vocal (in terms of its position) or artfully offsetting it to start late…1 min
Future Music|April 2017Sending Effects To EffectsSending Effects To Effects How often do you ‘link’ your effects treatments so one effect is triggered by another? Doing this can add unpredictability and depth to your mixes We’ve got a down-tempo groove playing, made up from a number of sampled sources. It’s the rim-shot sound on beat 2 we’re looking to process, taking the opportunity provided by it only playing a single hit per bar to fill in the space between hits. Here’s the groove without any processing. Next we set up a first reverb solution for the rim sample using FabFilter’s Pro-R Reverb. We choose a long decay time alongside a dark overall character. The Pro-R lets you clock pre-delay time to tempo, so we select an 1/8th note here. This reverb sounds a little predictable after…1 min
Future Music|April 2017So you’ll record the entire jamming sessions and bring the material back to DC for mixing?“That is exactly how we did it. We just took all of the core material back to DC and added horns, percussion and vocals, then we mixed everything. It’s kind of like sketching out a painting on paper with pencil and then coming back and creating the painting. We had a lot of material when we got back from Jamaica. We had 28 rhythms that we did in about eight days, and I think we used about 20 of them. There are 15 songs on this record, but we also have a B-sides compendium record that’s going to come out, and that has 12 songs.”…1 min
Future Music|April 2017Making Textures From PadsMaking Textures From Pads Pads are useful but frequently they can dominate tracks. Turning them into textural layers or atmospheres can be a powerful antidote to this problem Pads are an essential part of many genres of electronic music but they can fall flat. For all that they’re great at reinforcing the harmony and chords of a track, they can also suck the life out of a mix if they’re too static. Through the following steps, we’ll see how to convert a basic pad part into something more interesting and textural using just a single other mix element to turn a stock sound into something much more engaging. The benefits are obvious. Not only do we gain valuable mix space, but we’re also building more of a background layer which…1 min
Future Music|April 2017The Main IngredientsCooking up Ambient/atmospheric sounds takes a little more thought than standard synth fodder, requiring some deeper digging under the hood of your synth. Ideally you’re looking to create something that sounds very organic, often with slow attacks and long releases (which give more of an airy, spacious feel). Creating Ambient music generally requires a good understanding of the mechanics of synthesis, so make sure you are as well-acquainted as possible with your synth’s wave characteristics and modulation options (including LFOs, envelopes, hold function, noise, ring-mod, cross-mod and FX).In terms of the best synths to use, ideally use a polyphonic synth (six voices minimum) with comprehensive hands-on control, comprehensive modulation options (ie two LFOs for movement, full filter/amp ADSRs for tone sculpting, plus velocity and aftertouch, an arpeggiator and ideally a…2 min
Future Music|April 2017QUICK TIPS1 Hold function: Allows your sound/arpeggiator to infinitely sustain and gives you two free hands to tweak away. Or use a sustain pedal.2 Distortion/feedback/ Audio-Mod: These effects enhance your sounds adding grit, grain and breakup. Analogue distortion, running your synth back through its input (feedback) and FM/fast audio-rate LFOs are indispensable.3 Using Shape-Mod and PWM: A single wave on its own can be boring but introduce some LFO or envelope-driven PWM/Shape-Mod and it will extend any wave’s mileage massively.4 Try digital/hybrid synths for sonic versatility: Wavetable synths’ more complex waves are great for Ambient music (ie the Waldorf Blofeld), while Vector synths allow joystick-driven patch-morphing (Wavestation/ SY22). DSI’s Pro-2/ Prophet-12 feature wave-morphing.5 Use high-quality hardware reverb: Examples are the Boss RV-3, Eventide Time Factor, EHX Cathedral, Strymon BlueSky, TC Electronics…1 min
Future Music|April 2017Digital vs analogue for AmbientWhen it comes to Funk and Soul, generally you’d use analogue synths for pads and bass but Ambient music has a much wider and more open sound that straddles many different styles – thus, digital FM synths or ROMpler sampled waves are perfect fodder. One of our favourite synths for Ambient music is the humble 4-operator Yamaha DX100 FM synth. It’s noisy and dirty and has aliasing on sounds but this all adds to the overall character. Add outboard reverb, delay (or even better, some Eventide Harmonizer) and you’ll find yourself in Ambient heaven!Moving onto current synths, Behringer’s DeepMind 12 is a killer Ambient synth (with its 12-voice analogue engine, control sequencer and modulatable digital effects), as is Arturia’s analogue MatrixBrute with its modulatable analogue FX. Sampler-wise, E-mu’s E6400, Akai’s…3 min
Future Music|April 2017Roosevelt Wait UpINCLUDES VIDEO VAULT.FUTUREMUSIC.CO.UKSince his debut on the ultra-trendy Greco-Roman in 2012 Roosevelt (aka Marius Lauber) has released a swathe of groovy, Funk-infused Synthpop singles and EPs, culminating in the launch of his eponymous debut album in the summer of last year. He’s also remixed a variety of acts including Glass Animals and Coma. FM caught up with Marius at his studio in Germany’s cultural hotbed Cologne to find out he created the ’70s-influenced sounds of album opener Wait Up.What’s the idea behind Wait Up?“The track is the intro for my album; what I wanted to achieve with it was a broader sound. It was really suited to being the first track on the album with that kind of statement – I moved away from loops and cutting up drum samples…4 min
Future Music|April 2017Ambient SynthsPRODUCER’S GUIDE Ambient Synths Ambient sounds, synths and loop creation INCLUDES VIDEO AND AUDIO VAULT.FUTUREMUSIC.CO.UK Ambient music can be linked back to the launch of the first modular synths and synth experimentation/electro-acoustic music by composers and artists such as Brian Eno, Wendy Carlos and Jean-Michel Jarre and bands/collectives such as The BBC Radiophonic Workshop, Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk. In the ’90s/’00s artists including The Orb, Enigma, Enya, Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada, Omni Trio, Autechre, Burial, Moby, Photek and the KLF fused minimalistic synths, lush FX, samples and textures with beat-driven styles such as House, Techno, Broken Beat, Downtempo and D ’n’ B but, rather than focusing on Pop chord progressions and short 3:30 forms, the resulting tracks were often more abstract/experimental, varied in length and focused on…1 min
Future Music|April 2017The Main IngredientsProducer’s Guide To Ambient Synths The Main Ingredients Cooking up Ambient/atmospheric sounds takes a little more thought than standard synth fodder, requiring some deeper digging under the hood of your synth. Ideally you’re looking to create something that sounds very organic, often with slow attacks and long releases (which give more of an airy, spacious feel). Creating Ambient music generally requires a good understanding of the mechanics of synthesis, so make sure you are as well-acquainted as possible with your synth’s wave characteristics and modulation options (including LFOs, envelopes, hold function, noise, ring-mod, cross-mod and FX). In terms of the best synths to use, ideally use a polyphonic synth (six voices minimum) with comprehensive hands-on control, comprehensive modulation options (ie two LFOs for movement, full filter/amp ADSRs for tone…2 min
Future Music|April 2017QUICK TIPSQUICK TIPS 1 Hold function: Allows your sound/arpeggiator to infinitely sustain and gives you two free hands to tweak away. Or use a sustain pedal. 2 Distortion/feedback/ Audio-Mod: These effects enhance your sounds adding grit, grain and breakup. Analogue distortion, running your synth back through its input (feedback) and FM/fast audio-rate LFOs are indispensable. 3 Using Shape-Mod and PWM: A single wave on its own can be boring but introduce some LFO or envelope-driven PWM/Shape-Mod and it will extend any wave’s mileage massively. 4 Try digital/hybrid synths for sonic versatility: Wavetable synths’ more complex waves are great for Ambient music (ie the Waldorf Blofeld), while Vector synths allow joystick-driven patch-morphing (Wavestation/ SY22). DSI’s Pro-2/ Prophet-12 feature wave-morphing. 5 Use high-quality hardware reverb: Examples are the Boss RV-3, Eventide Time Factor,…1 min
Future Music|April 2017Building beats with Entity and Gatestorm01 > We’ll start by exploring the wide range of sounds on offer. Patch in a trigger and take the output straight to your mixer or soundcard. Manually move through the controls and switch between linear, logarithmic and exponential envelope shapes to start building your own tones.02 > Let’s add some expression by creating an accented sound. Patch modulation (try a gate or an LFO) into the Fall, FM and Sat CV to create slightly longer, more pitch-modulated and more saturated notes which will jump out as accents against your static hits.03 > Patch your favourite noise source (white, pink, or metallic 808 cymbal style noise) into the A-Mix to add noise into the audio path. The A-Mix input will add it to the output VCA section, which is good…1 min
Future Music|April 2017Building an Ambient loop from scratch…Producer’s Guide To Ambient Synths Building an Ambient loop from scratch… Let’s put into practice a few of the ideas we’ve talked about and build an Ambient loop in Roland’s JD-XA 01 > Initialise a patch. Remove the oscillators from the mix and build a clicky sounding analogue hat using just filter resonance, sculpting the shape of the hats using the filter/amp envelopes. Record the hats across a 4-bar sequence at 75bpm, then hit play. 02 > Move to an airy sounding digital wave and record in a slow-paced chord sequence with open sounding chords so as not to lock down the tonality too much. Add some long release on the amp/filter envelopes and bring down the filter cutoff to taste. 03 > Copy across your hi-hat track from…1 min
Future Music|April 2017Roosevelt Wait UpTHE TRACK Roosevelt Wait Up Greco-Roman, 2016 © Joby Sessions INCLUDES VIDEO VAULT.FUTUREMUSIC.CO.UK Since his debut on the ultra-trendy Greco-Roman in 2012 Roosevelt (aka Marius Lauber) has released a swathe of groovy, Funk-infused Synthpop singles and EPs, culminating in the launch of his eponymous debut album in the summer of last year. He’s also remixed a variety of acts including Glass Animals and Coma. FM caught up with Marius at his studio in Germany’s cultural hotbed Cologne to find out he created the ’70s-influenced sounds of album opener Wait Up. What’s the idea behind Wait Up ? “The track is the intro for my album; what I wanted to achieve with it was a broader sound. It was really suited to being the first track…4 min
Future Music|April 2017POLYSYNTHBitwig’s main synth has undergone a few changes. Firstly, it’s had several of its modulation tools removed, which makes sense as the DAW’s overall modulation system effectively rendered these pointless. The oscillator mix section has been expanded too, now offering six modes dictating how the two oscillators interact. This makes it possible to achieve a variety of modulation synthesis effects. There are also controls for creating various audible filter modulation effects. Polysynth has gained a high-pass filter, feedback loop and improved unison capabilities too – in all a far more interesting synth than the vanilla subtractive instrument we saw with version 1!…1 min
Future Music|April 2017Arturia MiniLab MkII £89Today’s market is flooded with compact MIDI controllers for producers on the go and you may wonder if we really need another one, but Arturia clearly think we do as they’ve released a Mk2 version of their MiniLab controller, originally launched in 2013.First let’s examine the hardware. It’s typically Arturia in style with their familiar white casing, a new less flowery logo and subtle labelling. The unit feels solid and built to last and it’s made entirely from textured plastic which seems pretty tough. In order to make the unit even more compact and portable (and unlike MiniLab Mk1), Arturia have moved the touchstrips for pitchbend and modulation and the octave switches/ pad bank selectors away from the left side of the unit to just above the keyboard and these…6 min
Future Music|April 2017Korg Volca Kick £125At first glance, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the latest addition to Korg’s Volca range is a touch limited. Given that previous iterations have condensed polysynths, a drum machine and a multi-channel sampler into the familiar Volca format, an instrument that deals in just a single channel of synthesized kick drums might seem like a downgrade. Yet the Kick’s beefy analogue synth engine is capable of a broader range of sonic results than its name would suggest.The Kick is a derivative of the MS-20 filter section. Its sound engine is based around the original low-pass filter with resonance pushed up into self-oscillation, effectively creating a tunable sine wave oscillator. The filter itself has three controls. Firstly, Pitch/Octave, which tunes the sound by adjusting the filter cutoff point. With this…5 min
Future Music|April 2017Delay Plug-InsUnfiltered Audio Sandman Pro $99Having recently reviewed the Sandman we already knew it was good, but the Pro version hits another level. Delays can be stereo linked, offset or totally independent. There are separate controls for straight feedback, cross-feed and diffusion and high and low-pass filters, but it is the multiple modes which really set it apart. You get Classic Tape, which will slur like tape, Modern Instant which allows for slur and glitch-free delay changes, Pitch Shifter and Glitch Shifter which can give some wild pitch and time effects, a comprehensive Multi-Tap and a Reverse. There is a freeze function that allows you to trap a sound and edit the front and end while messing with its sample rate and to top it all you have multiple modulators (each…4 min
Future Music|April 2017Building beats with Entity and GatestormTutorial Modular Monthly Building beats with Entity and Gatestorm With all that Entity offers for drum synthesis and audio processing let’s create some custom sounds 01 > We’ll start by exploring the wide range of sounds on offer. Patch in a trigger and take the output straight to your mixer or soundcard. Manually move through the controls and switch between linear, logarithmic and exponential envelope shapes to start building your own tones. 02 > Let’s add some expression by creating an accented sound. Patch modulation (try a gate or an LFO) into the Fall, FM and Sat CV to create slightly longer, more pitch-modulated and more saturated notes which will jump out as accents against your static hits. 03 > Patch your favourite noise source (white, pink, or metallic…1 min
Future Music|April 2017Clap! Clap!Interview Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Inventive producer Cristiano Crisci combines African rhythms with electronic music for his unique musical style. Tom Jones digs into his infectious love of music of all kinds to find out where the Clap! Clap! sound was forged Charismatic Italian producer Clap! Clap! has fast garnered a reputation as a distinctive and innovative force on the electronic music scene. Fusing disparate influences that focus on traditional African rhythms with a modern, dancefloor aesthetic, the highly inventive producer has found an energetic sound that bristles with a bright array of colours and cultures that form a fun and hedonistic melting pot. His debut album Tayi Bebba and his new follow-up A Thousand Skies have consistently challenged the current discourse on electronic music, even leading to him producing…9 min
Future Music|April 2017ADVICEAre Windows tablets now better for music making than the iPad?> Given iOS’s dominance in the mobile music making sphere, it might seem strange to suggest that you should buy anything other than an iPad. However, although they don’t have their own dedicated ecosystem of apps in the way that Apple’s tablets do, the best Windows models are fast becoming a genuine alternative.‘Alternative’ really is the operative word here; while Apple still see fit to keep their Mac and mobile operating systems separate, Microsoft have been working to make Windows more unified across devices, and the results are starting to pay off. Buy one of the company’s top-end Surface tablets and you can run a proper DAW and plug-ins on it, something that can’t be said of the iPad –…5 min
Future Music|April 2017POLYSYNTHPOLYSYNTH Bitwig’s main synth has undergone a few changes. Firstly, it’s had several of its modulation tools removed, which makes sense as the DAW’s overall modulation system effectively rendered these pointless. The oscillator mix section has been expanded too, now offering six modes dictating how the two oscillators interact. This makes it possible to achieve a variety of modulation synthesis effects. There are also controls for creating various audible filter modulation effects. Polysynth has gained a high-pass filter, feedback loop and improved unison capabilities too – in all a far more interesting synth than the vanilla subtractive instrument we saw with version 1!…1 min
Future Music|April 2017GEAR GUIDEHIGH-END SYNTHSBehringer DeepMind 12 £999Full Review: FM316The DeepMind won’t undermine the market for characterful vintage analogue polysynths but it is flexible and interesting. It isn’t cheap, but it has plenty going on inside and a sound of its own.Arturia MatrixBrute £1,619Full Review: FM315There’s very little not to love about the MatrixBrute. It oozes personality and can wear a lot of hats, from a warm, sweet monosynth to dirty ambient chord machine. Mind blown!Dave Smith Instruments Pro 2 | $1,999Review FM284 A ridiculously versatile mono/ paraphonic synth that anyone can happily get lost in. Without doubt a great investment.Sequential Prophet-6 | £2,199Review FM297 The Sequential name returns, and the Prophet-6 more than lives up to its heritage. Another future classic from Dave Smith.Elektron Analog Keys | £1,449Review FM278 A system capable…11 min
Future Music|April 2017Atmospheric pressureWELCOME Atmospheric pressure When working creatively in the studio, our natural impulse is to focus on the biggest, most prominent sounds. But while hooks, leads and beats are obviously important, a huge amount of any production’s character comes from those elements you don’t instantly notice – the ghost notes, the evolving textures, the sense of space. That’s what we’re focusing on in this issue’s two-part cover feature. First up, on page 24, we’ll show you how to add space and texture to your tracks with our massive backdrops and atmospheres masterclass. Then, in this issue’s Producer’s Guide on page 45, we’re breaking down some classic ambient, evolving synth sounds which are guaranteed to add texture to even the most static track. Whether you want to go ‘full Eno’ and create…1 min
Future Music|April 2017Get Radiohead and Frank Ocean’s string sound with SpitfireSPITFIRE AUDIO’S LATEST sample library brings the sound of the much-lauded London Contemporary Orchestra into your DAW. Formed in 2008, the LCO are known for their modern cinematic approach to orchestral composition, which has seen them featured on recent albums by Radiohead, Justice and Frank Ocean, as well as a number of high-profile film scores.According to Spitfire, the London Contemporary Orchestra Strings offers an “exciting and experimental modern string library, allowing composers and producers the chance to take their work to the edge”. The pack contains multi-sampled violin, viola, cello and bass sections, each of which is dynamically controllable and, according to Spitfire, features “never-before-sampled articulations”.London Contemporary Orchestra Strings is available now for £299.…1 min
Future Music|April 2017NI’s Maschine becomes more hardware friendlyThe Future Of Music NI’s Maschine becomes more hardware friendly Maschine’s 2.6 update adds external hardware CC control and extra features across the board Native Instruments’ Maschine ecosystem got a significant expansion late last year in the shape of Maschine Jam, the range’s new sequence and performance-focused controller. Now the Berlin brand are following that with a free software update that brings a sprinkling of new features across the board. For many users, the standout addition to Maschine 2.6 will be the introduction of MIDI CC control for external hardware. This makes it possible to control and automate the sound parameters of compatible MIDI-equipped hardware directly from inside the Maschine software, in the same manner as is currently possible for VST plug-ins. Not only that, but NI have created mapping…1 min
Future Music|April 2017TALKING SHOP London Modular AllianceFormed around the London Modular synth boutique, LMA are a trio of Eurorack-loving musicians whose improvisational hardware jams have garnered considerable praise on the capital’s club circuit. The outfit’s latest release, Home Grown, is a four track EP of propulsive, synth-heavy Techno from LMA member Phil Ventre, due out on Hypercolour this month. FM caught up with Ventre to talk modular love.FM: Tell us about your studio…PV: “Simon, Gavin and myself all have our own studios set up at home. The vast majority of what we use is hardware-based. There’s no getting away from the stuff we sell – modular obviously plays a big role in our sound. It’s great for unexpected stuff, sequences and general madness. With polyphony you’d struggle on a modular system so we have a selection…2 min
Future Music|April 2017Meet ‘audio sharpening’ tool ReSampleMeet ‘audio sharpening’ tool ReSample New audio editing applications don’t come along all that often, so it’ll be interesting to see what 2nd Sense Audio’s new ReSample application – described by the developer as “a sharpened tool” – can bring to the party. Designed for editing, processing and analysing audio, it promises a distinctive and modern UI, a powerful set of built-in processors and support for the MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar. The waveform browsing and editing is said to be fast and responsive, and ReSample can be used for the likes of vocal removal, time-stretching and pitchshifting. ReSample is available for PC and Mac and costs $89, though you can download a 25-day demo before you buy.…1 min
Future Music|April 2017TALKING SHOP London Modular AllianceTALKING SHOP London Modular Alliance The Eurorack-lovers on their hardware jams Formed around the London Modular synth boutique, LMA are a trio of Eurorack-loving musicians whose improvisational hardware jams have garnered considerable praise on the capital’s club circuit. The outfit’s latest release, Home Grown, is a four track EP of propulsive, synth-heavy Techno from LMA member Phil Ventre, due out on Hypercolour this month. FM caught up with Ventre to talk modular love. FM: Tell us about your studio… PV: “Simon, Gavin and myself all have our own studios set up at home. The vast majority of what we use is hardware-based. There’s no getting away from the stuff we sell – modular obviously plays a big role in our sound. It’s great for unexpected stuff, sequences and general madness.…2 min
Future Music|April 2017ALBUM REVIEWSALBUM OF THE MONTHOrchestra Baobab Tribute To Ndiouga DiengWorld CircuitAlmost half a century after the band’s formation, Senegalese Afro-Pop stalwarts Orchestra Baobab make a long-awaited return with their masterful new album, Tribute To Ndiouga Dieng. Ten years on from their last record, Made in Dakar, and their third LP since the band’s 2001 reformation, Tribute To Ndiouga Dieng is dedicated to their long-serving vocalist and composer who passed away last November.Full of life, colour and passion, the record combines energetic Afro-Cuban rhythms and African tradition in the band’s trademark yet inimitable style. The whole record is sewn together with a warm-hearted and open spirit, creating a joyous concoction of vibrant percussion, lush melodies, velvet harmonies, shimmering guitars, passionate sax, soaring vocals and enchanting congas and kora. A blissful mix of…4 min
Future Music|April 2017LIKE IT? TRY THESE…LIKE IT? TRY THESE… Push Button Objects Unauthorized EP 1998 four-tracker from Edgar Farinas. Cool in itself, but more notable for the Gescom remix’s tempo flipping, which was a huge influence on Machinedrum tracks like Are I . ADD THESE TO YOUR PLAYLIST: Non-Existant, Downtown, Non-Existant (Keyed In By Gescom), Babushka Boards Of Canada Music Has The Right To Children Epic LP, and a Machinedrum personal favourite. The Scottish electronic duo’s rich textures influence heavily on Now You Know’s sonic landscape. ADD THESE TO YOUR PLAYLIST: An Eagle In Your Mind, Pete Standing Alone, Rue The Whirl, Turquoise Hexagon Sun Prefuse 73 Vocal Studies + Uprock Narratives The Warp singing’s futuristic reimagining of Hip-Hop, and vocal chopping, evolved in tandem with Machinedrum’s. ADD…1 min
Future Music|April 2017Don’t read the manual!There are some truly bonkers plug-ins out there. We’ve all encountered certain effects whose sounds have baffled and amazed us and, even though we know we should read the manual to work out what exactly lies behind the utter sonic chaos, we’ve kind of dipped in and tried but it’s still not making any sense. These are often the instruments and collections we overlook but that’s partly because they make us feel baffled and guilty; neither of which are positive feelings when you’re in the process of trying to exert some control over your mixes. But try reframing your relationship with those dust-collecting instruments and sample packs by accepting that you might never get to the bottom of what they do. Instead, enjoy the randomness and mine it for hidden…2 min
Future Music|April 2017DIY (And More Flexible) Tape Hiss EffectsDIY (And More Flexible) Tape Hiss Effects Gentle hiss is evocative of tape’s warmth and depth and, like vinyl crackle, it’s a popular textural layer to add in some musical genres… Not all backgrounds and atmospheres have to be dramatic! Sometimes even the smallest sounds can make a difference, as we’re going to see through the following steps. We’re going to create an artificial ‘tape hiss’ sound using a white-noise generator and then blend this in with a collection of programmed beats, to give them a slightly ‘retro’ quality. As we’ll see, only a tiny amount of volume is required for this trick to make its presence felt, so it’s definitely one of those where if you can hear it clearly, you’re probably using too much of it. In the…1 min
Future Music|April 2017Don’t read the manual!Technique Atmosphere & Ambience Don’t read the manual! There are some truly bonkers plug-ins out there. We’ve all encountered certain effects whose sounds have baffled and amazed us and, even though we know we should read the manual to work out what exactly lies behind the utter sonic chaos, we’ve kind of dipped in and tried but it’s still not making any sense. These are often the instruments and collections we overlook but that’s partly because they make us feel baffled and guilty; neither of which are positive feelings when you’re in the process of trying to exert some control over your mixes. But try reframing your relationship with those dust-collecting instruments and sample packs by accepting that you might never get to the bottom of what they do. Instead,…2 min
Future Music|April 2017What’s the central focus of your studio and recording methods right now?“The centre point is actually one big open room because we have the luxury of space. I found this collection of abandoned buildings a while back in a really good part of town. It’s actually right across from the 9:30 Club, which would be like having a studio across the road from the Camden Roundhouse. It’s a loft space where we can have parties of 200 people or work on a computer inside. To the side of it we have a modest-sized sound room and a small 10 x 10 isolation room for recording vocals or drums and stuff. It’s not the most elaborate studio; I think the space itself is more impressive.”…1 min
Future Music|April 2017Ambient SynthsINCLUDES VIDEO AND AUDIO VAULT.FUTUREMUSIC.CO.UKAmbient music can be linked back to the launch of the first modular synths and synth experimentation/electro-acoustic music by composers and artists such as Brian Eno, Wendy Carlos and Jean-Michel Jarre and bands/collectives such as The BBC Radiophonic Workshop, Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk. In the ’90s/’00s artists including The Orb, Enigma, Enya, Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada, Omni Trio, Autechre, Burial, Moby, Photek and the KLF fused minimalistic synths, lush FX, samples and textures with beat-driven styles such as House, Techno, Broken Beat, Downtempo and D ’n’ B but, rather than focusing on Pop chord progressions and short 3:30 forms, the resulting tracks were often more abstract/experimental, varied in length and focused on deeper atmospherics, darker moods and space for thought, with quirky, processed samples, ‘found…1 min
Future Music|April 2017Drone Creation TipsA good drone helps set and underpin the mood of your track, while allowing harmony to move freely above it. Drones are generally characterised by a long sustaining single note or chord (often on the root note of the track) and technically speaking (in musical terms) a drone is a ‘pedal note’. Of course, if your drone is just a single oscillator with no movement/modulation it’ll soon get boring, so in these next steps let’s use a few tools to inject some movement into our drone. Note: 12dB (2-pole) filters are usually good for drones as they have a solid low-end but still let some high-frequency harmonics/energy through even at lower cutoff settings. Here are a few ideas…Start with two oscillators; slightly detune one to add movement. Add a sub-oscillator…1 min
Future Music|April 2017Building an Ambient loop from scratch…01 > Initialise a patch. Remove the oscillators from the mix and build a clicky sounding analogue hat using just filter resonance, sculpting the shape of the hats using the filter/amp envelopes. Record the hats across a 4-bar sequence at 75bpm, then hit play.02 > Move to an airy sounding digital wave and record in a slow-paced chord sequence with open sounding chords so as not to lock down the tonality too much. Add some long release on the amp/filter envelopes and bring down the filter cutoff to taste.03 > Copy across your hi-hat track from track 1 to track 4. Bring down the LPF cutoff on the original hat track until the hat morphs into a kick drum. Record your hats in on 16ths. Balance levels across the parts.…1 min
Future Music|April 2017What’s the central focus of your studio and recording methods right now?What’s the central focus of your studio and recording methods right now? “The centre point is actually one big open room because we have the luxury of space. I found this collection of abandoned buildings a while back in a really good part of town. It’s actually right across from the 9:30 Club, which would be like having a studio across the road from the Camden Roundhouse. It’s a loft space where we can have parties of 200 people or work on a computer inside. To the side of it we have a modest-sized sound room and a small 10 x 10 isolation room for recording vocals or drums and stuff. It’s not the most elaborate studio; I think the space itself is more impressive.”…1 min
Future Music|April 2017MORE UNMISSABLE VIDEO FEATURES FROM FUTURE MUSICTop producers go in-depth on the sounds, ideas and techniques behind their latest releases.René LaVice, Richter ScaleThe Canadian Drum ’n’ Bass producer invites us into his studio to watch him break down his genre-bending and (literally) earth-shaking club banger, Richter Scale.DON’T MISS:Keeno, EnigmaBristol-based D ’n’ B producer Keeno invites us into his studio to see him break down his latest track, Enigma.Swindle, Connecta feat. Ricardo ChinaWe meet up with the UK producer in his studio to watch him break down his Brazilian-inspired track.Disciples, DaylightThe UK trio talk us through the writing, recording and production process behind their catchy, club-ready House track, Daylight.Jonas Blue, Perfect StrangersWe head to London to watch Jonas Blue break down the sounds and ideas behind his massive crossover Tropical House hit.The world’s top producers show you…2 min
Future Music|April 2017Drone Creation TipsDrone Creation Tips Drones underpin and set the tone of your track but how do you make them interesting and keep them evolving? A good drone helps set and underpin the mood of your track, while allowing harmony to move freely above it. Drones are generally characterised by a long sustaining single note or chord (often on the root note of the track) and technically speaking (in musical terms) a drone is a ‘pedal note’. Of course, if your drone is just a single oscillator with no movement/modulation it’ll soon get boring, so in these next steps let’s use a few tools to inject some movement into our drone. Note: 12dB (2-pole) filters are usually good for drones as they have a solid low-end but still let some high-frequency harmonics/energy…1 min
Future Music|April 2017Expressive drums with SSFEurorack has a wide range of drum modules, from clones of classics, to ‘drum voices’ which offer all the necessary components to create a wide range of drum sounds. We’ll be looking at the latter with Entity from SSF (Steady State Fate).Entity calls itself a bass drum synthesizer, but that’s misleading as it can produce a range of drum tones. From Disco toms to thumping Techno basslines through bass drums to higher pitched ‘whoops’ and alien-like synth hits, Entity delivers through and through. The only thing missing is an onboard noise source which would give us snares, claps and cymbals.An interesting control on Entity we haven’t seen on other modules is the body control, which emulates a resonating drum head. To the left it’s tight and less resonant, in the…1 min
Future Music|April 2017Clap! Clap!Charismatic Italian producer Clap! Clap! has fast garnered a reputation as a distinctive and innovative force on the electronic music scene. Fusing disparate influences that focus on traditional African rhythms with a modern, dancefloor aesthetic, the highly inventive producer has found an energetic sound that bristles with a bright array of colours and cultures that form a fun and hedonistic melting pot. His debut album Tayi Bebba and his new follow-up A Thousand Skies have consistently challenged the current discourse on electronic music, even leading to him producing three tracks on Paul Simon’s latest studio album.FM caught up with Clap! Clap! to find out where his unique style comes from and hear about some of his unusual music making processes…FM: How were you introduced to music growing up? What sparked…9 min
Future Music|April 2017Behringer DeepMind 12 £999Unison modes stack voices, from simple doubling to a monumental 12 voicesAfter all the teasers, the first Behringer synth is here. The past five years have seen all kinds of musings about it being a Juno-style clone or an ARP monosynth. DeepMind 12 is neither of these, being far more feature-laden than a Juno-106 and polyphonic to the tune of 12 simultaneous voices. Also, with a metal case and wooden side panels, it looks like the real deal. Each voice consists of two oscillators and a noise source. The oscillators are digitally-controlled (DCOs) so, in theory, lack some of the wayward charm of their less pitch-stable VCO brethren. The fully automated calibration process leaves you with a set of matched voices, but the synth does have ways of adding some…8 min
Future Music|April 2017Bitwig Studio 2 €379First released in 2014, Bitwig Studio initially found it difficult to escape the shadow of Ableton Live. Much of Bitwig’s pre-release hype was built on the fact that it was created by a team largely formed of ex-Ableton developers, and when the newcomer DAW arrived there were a number of interface elements clearly inspired by Live. Still, the persistent comparisons were a little unfair, overshadowing the fact that, from day one, Bitwig was an impressive DAW with a lot to offer in its own right. Several ‘point’ updates over the years have seen it carve out more of a niche for itself, largely by focusing on customisation and flexibility, as well as being one of the first DAWs to embrace touchscreen compatibility. Now version two is here, announcing Bitwig as…8 min
Future Music|April 2017MORE UNMISSABLE VIDEO FEATURES FROM FUTURE MUSICYOUTUBE MORE UNMISSABLE VIDEO FEATURES FROM FUTURE MUSIC Meet our line-up of exclusive YouTube goodness. Head online for all this and more! Top producers go in-depth on the sounds, ideas and techniques behind their latest releases. René LaVice, Richter Scale The Canadian Drum ’n’ Bass producer invites us into his studio to watch him break down his genre-bending and (literally) earth-shaking club banger, Richter Scale. DON’T MISS: Keeno, Enigma Bristol-based D ’n’ B producer Keeno invites us into his studio to see him break down his latest track, Enigma. Swindle, Connecta feat. Ricardo China We meet up with the UK producer in his studio to watch him break down his Brazilian-inspired track. Disciples, Daylight The UK trio talk us through the writing, recording and production process…2 min
Future Music|April 2017ROLL AND REVERSEThe Kick’s Beat Roll and Bend Reverse functions provide handy tools for adding variation to patterns. The former is a beat repeat-style effect that can insert on-the-fly trills in beat divisions of 1/4, 1/2, 1/1, 4/3,2/1 and 3/1. The latter, meanwhile, allows the direction of the filter’s pitch sweep to be reversed for selected sequencer steps. This is a handy tool for adding a bit of movement and variation when sequencing basslines. Particularly when coupled with Slide and some Motion Sequenced automation, it makes the Kick capable of some deceptively complex and creative patterns.…1 min
Future Music|April 2017Waldorf DVCA1 Dual VCA Module £260The VCAs themselves are very clean and detailed and sound greatThe DVCA1 joins Waldorf’s Oscillator, Compressor and Modulation modules to complete the company’s Eurorack synth voice: which fits neatly into their KB37 Case & Controller Keyboard.Following recent trends in Eurorack, this is a dual VCA; each VCA circuit can be used separately, together through a separate mixed output or for processing in stereo including panning effects.Each side features separate inputs for AC (usually audio) and DC (usually CV), the AC input features what Waldorf call a ‘Colour control’. What this means in practice is a 2 pole OTA filter. Fully left the filter is completely open; as you turn the knob clockwise the filter cutoff frequency is reduced in parallel to the contour of the VCA adding warmth and colour…3 min
Future Music|April 2017Behringer DeepMind 12 £999REVIEWS Behringer DeepMind 12 £999 The much-anticipated Behringer polysynth is here. Bruce Aisher finds out if the DeepMind 12 is a wannabe or true contender Unison modes stack voices, from simple doubling to a monumental 12 voices After all the teasers, the first Behringer synth is here. The past five years have seen all kinds of musings about it being a Juno-style clone or an ARP monosynth. DeepMind 12 is neither of these, being far more feature-laden than a Juno-106 and polyphonic to the tune of 12 simultaneous voices. Also, with a metal case and wooden side panels, it looks like the real deal. Each voice consists of two oscillators and a noise source. The oscillators are digitally-controlled (DCOs) so, in theory, lack some of the wayward charm of their…7 min
Future Music|April 2017DEEP EFFECTSDEEP EFFECTS Given that Behringer’s holding company own a smorgasbord of music tech companies, including Klark Teknik and TC Electronic, it’s no surprise that they’ve taken advantage of this for the effects. The manual names the ‘device inspiration’ for each of the 34 DSPderived effects and many are based on classic units from Lexicon, Roland and others. There are four effect slots that can be placed together in an insert or FX send configuration. Used as a send, the effects do not interfere with the audio path of the analogue synth engine. Ten different routings, including some with feedback, allow for some very creative effect configurations that go much further than most onboard effects. The quality of effects, and the scope for editing, is also high. For example, you can…1 min
Future Music|April 2017Mixes sound bad in mono!The first likely cause is sounds that have been pushed too wide using stereo-widening plug-ins. Or it could be copying and pasting the identical part onto two DAW arrange channels, panning them wide but not treating them differently. Then there is overuse of super-wide modulation effects (phasers/flangers) which can sound great in stereo but lose focus in mono. If you keep kick, snare, lead vox and bass frequencies centred in mono, any other stereo elements will sound naturally wider. Be careful with any widening process!Instead of copying one part twice onto your arrange and panning left/right to fake stereo, record two distinct passes of the same instrument but EQ/process them differently to achieve a wider sound that still sounds great in mono. Alternatively, use your synth’s stereo out.To widen a…1 min
Future Music|April 2017NEW DEVICESNEW DEVICES Bitwig 2 gains a total of 17 new devices. Along with the hardware routing tools, there’s also a suite of fresh MIDI effects. These include tools to control MIDI note length and velocity, a note latch tool, MIDI harmoniser and MIDI echo. There’s also a Multi-Note device, for generating chords from a single incoming MIDI note. Beyond this, there are five new effect devices, including the previously mentioned Spectrum Analyser. There’s a Phaser, which offers a solid level of frequency and stereo image control. This is joined by a Pitch Shifter, with a range of +/- one octave, plus fine-tune and grain rate controls. Next up is Dual Pan, which offers detailed control of a sound’s placement in the stereo field. Finally, these are joined by Treemonster, an…1 min
Future Music|April 2017Arturia MiniLab MkII £89Reviews Arturia MiniLab MkII Arturia MiniLab MkII £89 Arturia’s original MiniLab packed a big punch in a small form-factor. Dan ‘JD73’ Goldman investigates MiniLab Mk2… Today’s market is flooded with compact MIDI controllers for producers on the go and you may wonder if we really need another one, but Arturia clearly think we do as they’ve released a Mk2 version of their MiniLab controller, originally launched in 2013. First let’s examine the hardware. It’s typically Arturia in style with their familiar white casing, a new less flowery logo and subtle labelling. The unit feels solid and built to last and it’s made entirely from textured plastic which seems pretty tough. In order to make the unit even more compact and portable (and unlike MiniLab Mk1), Arturia have moved the touchstrips…6 min
