Ins & outs

welcome

If you’re a regular reader of Computer Music,

Journey to the centre of the piano….

Heavyocity threw everything they had at this new instrument. Literally

Dusty crinkles

Forward into the past with JMG Sounds Retronaut

App watch

We report on the latest developments in phone and tablet music making

10 years back

Our monthly shake-of-thehead at our earlier selves’ news choices…

The art of delay maintenance

A few years back, Erica Synths’ Zen Delay

Chace

As the first Chinese DJ to play Tomorrowland, Chace has already broken ground in the world of EDM. He has also been compared to The Weeknd and Disclosure. Oh and Justin Bieber, but let’s not go there. However, his producer destiny might not have been fulfilled had he not started ‘messing around with a computer’ when he was younger…

SECRETS OF SOUNDTRACKS

Making music for picture is now one of the most rewarding roads that a music-maker can travel. So, sit back as we arm you with the knowledge and tools to start your own soundtracking journey...

Writing to picture

Shifting to ‘writing to picture’ mode requires you to respond musically in conjunction with the visual events on-screen. In this first section, we’ll explore some of the best practices that will serve you well during this process

Sound design approaches in modern scores

The boundary between sound design and score has blurred in recent years, as melody and abstract sonics fuse to create today’s modern soundtracking norm

The composer’s core toolkit

With such a massive array of soundtrack-aimed products out there, it can be tricky to know how to start. From expansive orchestral libraries, malleable atmosphere-carvers and thunderous impact engines, let us guide you through some of the best big-screen tailored tools around…

Sync and placement

Sync licensing and production music creation can be a stable route for jobbing soundtrack composers, but it can be a tricky world to navigate for those not familiar with the related rights and licensing factors...

The future of soundtracking

With a constant stream of visual content competing for our eyes and ears, we wonder what the future will look like for soundtrack composers. And wonder whether AI is friend or foe?

6 of the best sound design plugins

An integral facet of modern soundtracking, sound design is a practice well catered for by any of the following…

6 of the best writing to picture DAWs

Not all DAWs can handle the processing required to run video, but these are all more than capable...

6 of the best orchestral libraries

The power of an orchestra lay behind many of the best scores ever…

The CM Plugin Suite’s soundtracking toolkit

01 In the CM Plugin Suite, you’ll find

cm/experts

Become a better producer now with pro advice, expert videos and audio examples from our gurus

Create classic Depeche Mode sounds

This month, to celebrate the new Depeche Mode album, Memento Mori, we take a look back at some of the band’s classic sounds and sequences: from See You to, yes, The Last Of Us!

Metering tools

Mixing might be mostly about using our ears, but there are other senses we can bring in too, specifically our eyes

Twin 3 €129 PC MAC

Twin is one of the few softsynths to have reached ‘legendary’ status. After 14 years, it now reaches version 3, but was it worth the wait?

MiniFreak V €199 PC MAC

Having emulated practically every significant synth ever made, Arturia turns its attention to one of its own creations

Albion Colossus £399.00 PC MAC

Should the world ever entertain an Apocalypse, it’s great to know that we have the correct scoring tools to hand. Spitfire’s latest epic goes colossal!

Kult $129 PC MAC

With ‘Strange Attractor’ oscillators – 30 of them – plus easy FM and AM synthesis, Kult might well be the synth of the year. And it’s only March

Pianoteq 8 €139 to €799 PC MAC

The highly-regarded piano – and so much more – instrument reaches version 8, but is Pianoteq still one of the best you can buy?

iD24 £299 PC MAC

If input audio fidelity is important to you, Audient’s latest analogueinspired desktop interface could be exactly what you need...

Salu €399 +VAT PC MAC

If you’ve ever wondered how an eclectic selection of close-up acoustic samples might sound, you’re in luck!

Image 2 £1,799 PC MAC

Fluid Audio might well be known for less costly speakers, but Image 2 will certainly change that… and possibly the world of studio monitoring

Soundware round-up

Audiotent Opus $56 Big ol’ bunch of beefy

Best reverb plugins

We reveal the best plugins for adding atmosphere and pro polish to your mixes! It’s time to make ‘space’ for these on your hard drive

Crystalline $99

PLUGIN FORMATS: VST/AU/AAX/RTAS | PLATFORM: MAC, PC

Reverb Foundry Tai Chi $199

PLUGIN FORMATS: VST/AU/AAX | PLATFORM: MAC, PC

Pro-R £125

PLUGIN FORMATS: VST/AU/AAX | PLATFORM: MAC, PC

Valhalla Plate £50

PLUGIN FORMATS: VST/AU/AAX | PLATFORM: MAC, PC

Spacerek €79

PLUGIN FORMATS: VST/AU/AAX | PLATFORM: MAC, PC

Hyperspace €129

PLUGIN FORMATS: VST/AU/AAX | PLATFORM: MAC, PC

RP-Verb 2 $99

PLUGIN FORMATS: VST/AU/AAX | PLATFORM: MAC, PC

Adaptiverb $249

PLUGIN FORMATS: VST/AU/AAX | PLATFORM: MAC, PC

FAST Verb $99

PLUGIN FORMATS: VST/AU/AAX | PLATFORM: MAC, PC

Blackhole $199

PLUGIN FORMATS: VST/AU/AAX | PLATFORM: MAC, PC 

Aether £50

PLUGIN FORMATS: VST/AU/AAX | PLATFORM: MAC, PC

Paragon £419

PLUGIN FORMATS: VST/AU/AAX/RTAS | PLATFORM: MAC, PC

Altiverb 7 €499

PLUGIN FORMATS: VST/AU/AAX | PLATFORM: MAC, PC

W.A. PRODUCTION VOCAL LIMITER

Get to know this month’s free software gift

Movie time!

As it’s a cinematic theme this issue, what better than two new sample packs to build your own soundtracks? Download them from bit.ly/cm320downloads

Cinematic Drama

We’ve grabbed a vintage cinematic sample collection from the vault so you can get your tunes and soundtracks onto the A-list…