welcome

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WIN! Modartt Pianoteq 8

Enter our competition to grab a full licence of this popular piano suite

AXXESS granted

Before Christmas, GForce debuted a new softsynth, AXXESS,

10 years back

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

cm/sound off

What are your low-end mix tips?

Ins & outs

Mixing Night Audio: pro results with LOLs

Born out of their popular series of YouTube-based producer masterclasses, Mixing Night Audio’s quirky and innovative first releases have turned quite a few heads with both their gamified design and pro-level results. We catch up with the company’s respected founders to discuss LOLCOMP, the underpinning idea, and how their technology serves to arm their audience

Aaron Horn

Stepping out of the shadow of his legendary father, Aaron Horn has charted a unique journey across the music industry. From collaborating with Doja Cat on the Grammy-nominated Woman, to being part of colourful pop trio Sam and the Womp, Aaron is also a keen explorer of the effects of music in a healing context…

PERFECT PIANO PRODUCTION

When it comes to musical furniture, it doesn’t get much bigger than the piano, but how might this extraordinary instrument fit into your productions, in a DAW-inspired age? We delve deep, with our definitive guide to all things piano-shaped

Choosing your instrument

All pianos are the same, right? Wrong. There’s a ton of variety in brands and models, and knowing your pianistic onions starts with the right instrument

The electro-mechanicals

Why should acoustic pianos have all the fun? Add some electrics, and pianos take on a very different proposition… and much of it is exceptionally funky

Playing and production

Now you’ve decided on a piano type, it’s time to get some tracks down in the DAW. From chords to production tips, we’ve got all notes covered

Plugin roundup

Take your newfound pianoplaying know-how to the next level with this selection of in-the-box favourites

14 piano production tips

01 KEEP IT REAL Wonderful as DAW-based plugins

SIGN LIBRA

Fashioning a hypnotic sonic universe, which melds expressive vocalisations with lush use of software synthesisers, Latvian artist Sign Libra makes music quite unlike much we’ve heard before. We caught up with her to find out more about her journey in expressive music-making, and how she shapes her boundless galaxy of sound…

Loop like Ed Sheeran in your DAW

Fancy a little Ed Sheeran looping action? Look no further than this first episode in a new series of masterclasses exploring popular, modern production processes

Phase distortion synthesis with BazilleCM

In the first of a new series exploring our CM Plugin Suite, we prove that phase distortion synthesis doesn’t have to be perplexing, using the mighty BazilleCM

Create an effective buildup and breakdown

Following last month’s masterclass on the ‘drop’, we focus on how to build the tension leading to that magic moment

How to EQ the mix bus

The mix bus provides the final stage to tweak your mix, and this month we look at how to EQ it effectively

Native Instruments Guitar Rig Pro 7 £179

Native Instruments’ guitar rack modelling standard is updated with newly modelled amps and effects. Is it seventh heaven asks Andy Jones?

GForce Software OB-X £59.99 (ex VAT)

First they brought you Vintage Synth Trumps, now GForce add this bona fide classic to the fold – and Roland Schmidt, for one, has no OB-jections

PSP Audioware BinAmp $99

We are taught to not judge a book by its cover… keep this in mind when first looking at BinAmp, says the ever-erudite Stuart Adams

LANDR Mastering Plugin £299

News of a plugin this smart may rightly shake the mastering community; but LANDR’s latest is nothing to be feared, says Stuart Adams

BLEASS Fusion €19.99

Distortion is a very broad church, spanning a huge range of effects and sounds. BLEASS’ innovative tool lets Stuart Adams delve into them all

Serato Sample $149

Slicing and dicing samples is easy with Serato’s intuitive sampler. Rex Johnson is drawn to its new stem separation ability…

PS -3300 $49

Cherry Audio’s latest software adaptation recreates a mythical beast, Korg’s PS-3300. Roland Schmidt goes hands-on with a legend reborn

Synth Anthology 4 $149

From the very old to the über new, UVI’s latest library has been collated with care. Roland Schmidt blows off the dust on some classics

Soundware round-up

W. A. Production Electro Pop Elevation $24.90 Take

KILOHEARTS SNAP HEAP

Fancy a bunch of great-sounding effects with their own host plugin? Then this month’s giveaway will be right up your street

Germanic Monos + Bass

We’re taking the autobahn back in time to tap the sound of those 1970s German pioneers. We’ll throw in some deep bass for good measure. Kühl!

Drum Machines

While laying down some beats recently, we recalled that we had some truly stellar drum machine packs to mine in our archive…

Raül Refree and Pedro Vian

With its enrapturing mesh of prepared piano, positive organ and dense synth textures, Font de la Vera Pau is the blissful collaborative debut from celebrated producer Raül Refree and electronic musician and sound designer Pedro Vian. We spoke to the Barcelona-based pair to learn more about their process