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TESTBENCH

Steven Slate Audio VSX

> Monitors and headphones both have their place, but each has its own pros and cons. Monitors are generally far superior when set up correctly, but that individual correct setup generally requires an acoustically great space. Headphones do tend to be more dependable, but they miss the crosstalk, reflections and stereo width perception of monitors.

A few systems have aimed to solve the conundrum over the years. By emulating the acoustic effects of monitors before a signal is sent out to your headphones, systems like Waves Nx and Focusrite’s out-of-commission VRM box have attempted perfection. Now a new headphone/plugin setup from Steven Slate Audio is taking its shot…

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Future Music
June 2021
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Other Articles in this Issue


WELCOME
Out and about
As I write this, it’s the week that
FEATURES
Arturia Pigments gets souped-up with additive synthesis and extra analogue emulations
The power synth plugin also gains new wavetables, utilities and more for version 3
There’s more to Polyend’s Tracker Artist Editions than meets the eye
> Polyend have introduced some rather lovely looking
Nord Piano 5: dual piano and synth engines, more storage
>Clavia have announced the Nord Piano 5, a
iZotope introduce a new version of Spire Studio, the cloud-connected recording device for singers and instrumentalists
>iZotope have released a new version of Spire
Analogue Solutions unveils the “raw, ballsy and rich” Leipzig V3 all-analogue synth
>Analogue Solutions have unveiled Leipzig V3, the latest
Pioneer DJ launch new VM monitor range
>Pioneer DJ have unveiled their new VM Series
Sheep, Dog & Wolf
Auckland-based multiinstrumentalist Daniel McBride broke through with his
SUBVERT YOUR HABITS
“It can add a lot to your songwriting
Ben Westbeech There’s More To Life Than This
Strictly Rhythm, 2011
RAS RAS III
Botnis
Little Snake –A Fragmented Love Story, Written By The Infinite Helix Architect
Brainfeeder
MNDSGN Rare Pleasure
Stones Throw
Matt Robertson Enveleau
Subtempo
NATURAL SOUNDSCAPES
The great outdoors is calling – why not multitask with some found sound or field recording while you’re there?
PREPARING TO BE SURPRISED
With few exceptions field and found sound capture
Initial recording stripe editing
Streamlining raw recordings to remove the messy excess, maximise editing ease, aid archiving and minimise data storage
BEFORE YOU START…
Open ears, open mind 1 Many sounds interact
“I recognised a deeper level of sound we’re not aware of”
KMRU charts his found sound journey  from Nairobi to Berlin
Ambience filtering: listening for new worlds
Mundane background sounds can become evocative ambiences with simple edits and processes
FIELD RECORDING EXCELLENCE
Listening through the mic(s) 1 It’s not just a
“It makes it possible to inhabit a space and also somebody else’s mental state.”
Blanck Mass on processing a decade’s  worth of field recordings
6 GREAT FIELD RECORDERS
Whether you want something ultra-portable you can whip out of your pocket to record samples on the daily commute (remember that?) or a pro piece of equipment for complex multi-mic recording of ambient sounds, these six tools should have you covered
Generate new musical ideas in Ableton Live
PROBLEM: How can I create drum patterns with interesting variations throughout an arrangement?
Novation Circuit Tracks
Praised for its great value and accessibility, Circuit Tracks is a groovebox worth getting to know. Let’s take a tour
Beyond the basics
>For deeper elements, Circuit Tracks is a tale
Probability and mutations
Per-step probability and the semi-random Mutate function are great for auto-generating variations on a theme. Let’s take a look…
QUICK TIPS
1 When creating synth patches, your Macro assignments
Exploring the synth engines
There’s not much detail on the engines behind the two polysynths. Connecting to Components lets us edit them in full though…
Setting up external gear
Broadly, the two new MIDI tracks function identically
Creative drum programming
Let’s combine some of Tracks’ more advanced sequencing tricks to create a short, 16-step drum groove that still has unpredictability
Chillwave
Hipster irony meets dreamy psychedelia this month as we investigate peak blog relevance in the form of chillwave
INTERVIEWS
Hainbach
Motivated by a fascination for high-end research equipment and turning gear from old sheds and nuclear research labs into sound, Danny Turner talks to Hainbach about his latest album
Joal Eighty Four
Constant Circles, 2021
Creating Eighty Four’s effects in Ableton Live
Joal processes and resamples his existing synth parts to create risers and atmospheric effects
Soul Clap
Soul Clap’s third album is founded on a passion for environmental and social activism. Danny Turner reveals the deep house duo’s motivation and dualistic approach to production
REVIEWS
Soma Laboratory Pulsar-23 £1,730
Combining esoteric sequencing, an experimental ethos and tons of patchability, Si Truss discovers a drum machine like no other
Mutable Instruments Beads £260
Is this reimagining of popular texture synth Clouds a case of blue-sky thinking? Rob Redman investigates
Acid Rain Maestro £365
When creating patches with modular I’m always looking
Klevgrand Slammer $40
The prolific Swedish developers drop a crunchtastic drum plugin. Si Truss takes a beating
GForce OB-E £150
Imagine an 8-Voice Oberheim synth faithfully recreated as a plugin. Chris Hughes doths his cap
CHANNEL STRIP PLUGINS
Get your basic effects in one place from these do-it-all processors
M-Audio M-Track Solo and Duo from £40
Want a basic, reliable interface? Jon Musgrave thinks one of these could do
Moog Sound Studio From $1,399
Moog bundle up their semi-modular Mothers but, Si Truss discovers, it’s more than your average 2-in-1 deal
In Session Audio – World Percussion Creator $139.99
> In Session Audio return for the third
Roland Cloud Juno-60 £138 or as part of a Roland Cloud Subscription
> Roland’s Juno range first hit the streets
Audiotent – Decade
Standard: £27 MIDI: £17 Deluxe: £37
Renegade Audio – Retro Funk Vocals £29.95
> Want some super groovy retro vocals that
Splice Originals – Psych Guitar $7.99/mo
> Spin out squares with this mind-bending dose
ZTEKNO – Ethnic Techno £23.95
> Let’s look further afield for inspiration
Sample Magic – UK Garage Nation $7.99/mo
> In a time when people got dressed
GEAR GUIDE
SOFTSYNTHS
Arturia Pigments 3 €199 Full Review: Next issue
MIDI KEYBOARDS
Novation SL MkIII from £540 Full Review: FM338
SEMI-MODULAR SYNTHS
Moog Matriarch £1,979 Full Review: FM355 The
HIGH-END SYNTHS
Sequential Pro 3 from £1,459 Full Review: FM366
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