Future Music

Editor-In-Chief Si Truss , simon.truss@futurenet.com Reviews Editor, Music Technology

One More Time...

Welcome to the latest Future Music, which I

“Re-engineered to look, feel, and play like an instrument” Novation unveils Mk4 LaunchKey range

NOVATION HAS UNVEILED the fourth generation of

“We were blown away by the level of risk-taking”: 2024 Oram Award winners revealed

As this year’s winners of the Oram Awards are unveiled, organisers have raved about the increasingly diverse outlook in the uptake of music technology and experimental sound art

IK releases T-RackS 6 suite

IK MULTIMEDIA HAS unveiled an update to

After “many years of hard work”, KV331 Audio has finally released SynthMaster 3

FANS OF KV331 Audio’s SynthMaster have had

Ken Ishii, Reference to Difference

Sublime Records, 1994

Floating Points, Cascade

Ninja Tune

Forwards Festival, Bristol 3rd-4th Sept 2024

© khali photography SINCE ITS DEBUT in

DJ BORING

The DJ-producer shares the 180° workflow about-turn that saw him shun his once-staple software arsenal

MPE synths

Express yourself with the new generation of software synthesisers and hardware controllers – we’ll show you how to unlock this new style for yourself

UREI/UA 1176

Here’s why the 1176 has made such an impact in the recording world, and how you can rack one up for peanuts and use it on your music

The history, the versions, the software, and hardware

The best modern 1176 emulations and how to get the best from whichever one you use

PHOTAY

Producer Evan Shornstein gives us the lowdown on his unique new album inspired by the wind

PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING

J. Willgoose Esq. navigates PSB’s fifth album The Last Flight – a tribute to pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart. Danny Turner finds out more

How to use the 1176

From some basic vocals and Dr Pepper settings to the infamous All Buttons In trick

BEN BÖHMER

Following a 200-date world tour, Danny Turner chats to melodic house star Ben Böhmer about burn-out and third album, Bloom

TRENT REZNOR

From the blistering intensity of his ’90s masterpiece, The Downward Spiral, to his iconic film scores, Reznor has carved a singular path through the music industry

PURPLE DISCO MACHINE

On his third LP, Paradise, Purple Disco Machine’s Tino Piontek pays homage to ‘70s disco recording techniques. Danny Turner finds out more

THE FINAL MIX: FM’S ULTIMATE

MIXING & MASTERING TIPS

Keep an eye on your headroom

Make sure you get your gain structure right to make the most of the headroom on offer

Avoiding mid-range clutter

Watch out for too many sounds competing for

Mid-range clarity

If you need to weed out frequency content, both EQ and compression can play critical roles as you seek to bring clarity to mixes

Six mixing tactics to try for pro stereo width

Use these widening techniques in combination to create wide yet mono-compatible mixes

Dynamic range: peaks and troughs

Using compressors in series will usually give better

EQ skills: filters, notches and shelves

Use gentle filters to retain a cohesive, musical

Beat the brightness with de-essing

De-essing is traditionally associated with vocal processing, but has a whole world of other uses for any high-frequency material

Don’t forget the verbs!

Put the sound of the reverb you use

Building a complete mastering chain in your DAW

Setting up an entire mastering chain in your DAW needn’t be a daunting task. Here we take a look at one way you can go about it…

RAFAEL ANTON IRISARRI

The in-demand engineer and adventurous musician – formerly known as The Sight Below – on the subtle art of mastering ambient music and his new solo album

10 THINGS PRODUCERS CAN LEARN FROM OUR IN THE STUDIO WITH... SERIES

FM’s long-running In The Studio With... series has visited the creative workspaces of some of electronic music’s best-known artists, giving viewers behind-thescenes access to producers’ studio setups while offering invaluable insight into their creative process

Moog Muse £2,999

Si Truss asks if Moog’s new flagship polysynth is indeed a dream source of musical inspiration

Gamechanger Audio Motor Synth II £2499 +VAT

The world’s first electro-mechanical synth has evolved. Si Arblaster sees how the Mk II compares...

PreSonus Quantum HD 8 £855

Want your audio to take a quantum leap? Jon Musgrave tests out this latest premium interface

Roli Seaboard Block M £299

James Russell boards this reengineered version of the modular-capable, MPE-toting keyboard

NI Traktor Pro 4 £129

The DJ software gets a long overdue refresh, but, Si Truss asks, is it still in the mix?

Arturia KeyLab 61 mk3 €549

Serious productions need serious controllers, and that’s where Arturia’s latest finds Jon Musgrave

Oblivion Sound Lab -Night City for TAL-U-No-LX, $19

OBLIVION SOUND LAB has featured in these

Francis Preve -Serum Models Preset Pack, $29

XFER’S SERUM VIRTUAL synth has proved incredibly

Splice – Oliver – Power Tools Decades: 90s, From $12.99/month

OLIVER IS NOTED for its throwback sci-fi

DAWS

Ableton Live from £259 Full review: FM407 Live

SEMI-MODULAR SYNTHS

Moog Labyrinth £599 Full review: FM412 Despite a