Future Music

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

Beat of the drum

There are arguments to be made that hardware

Ableton’s 12.1 update brings a new vocal tuner and Drum Sampler to Live

Plus, improved MIDI editing, automatic sample tagging and updated Limiter and Saturator devices

Killer chord progressions in Ableton Live 12

How can I create interesting and expressive chord progressions quickly in Live 12?

D:Ream, On Vol. 1

Magnet, 1993

Seefeel, Everything Squared

Warp

ON OUR PLAYLIST

REMIX Ahadadream, Priya Ragu & Skrillex, TAKA (Caribou

Facta, So is the sun

Wisdom Teeth

GAS, GAS

Kompakt

Reason 13

See and hear what’s new in the latest upgrade to the legendary virtual studio DAW

Sequential Prophet-5

The keyboard to the stars and first portable synth with memories and polyphony, the Prophet-5 was the star of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, but also a messiah that’s made a glorious comeback in the 2020s. Here’s why the Prophet-5 is one of the finest synths – in software and hardware – that money can buy

Get unique sounds from a Prophet-V

Via the Poly Mod section, we’ll show you how to create unique sounds using software, in this case Arturia’s Prophet-5 V

PRINCE

The Purple One is funk and pop royalty – a musical polymath who could play every instrument he needed and was entirely self‐produced

DAWS

Ableton Live from £259 Full review: FM407 Live

LIVE CONTROLLERS

Ableton Push from $999 Full review: FM397 Push

HARDWARE EFFECTS

Elektron Analog Heat +FX £829 This revamp of

SEMI-MODULAR SYNTHS

NEW ENTRY Moog Labyrinth £599 Full review: FM412

GROOVEBOXES

Teenage Engineering EP-133 K.O.II £299 Full review: FM405

HIGH-END POLY SYNTHS

NEW ENTRY Dreadbox Murmux Adept £2,759 Full review:

SYNTH PLUGINS

Baby Audio Atoms $99 Full review: FM407 Atoms

GRYPHON RUE

The unique NY artist tells us what drives him, from Portastudios and Pro Tools to Prince

ACTRESS

An inscrutable force in electronic music, Danny Turner chats to Darren J. Cunningham about his celestial-sounding tenth Actress album, Statik

MAX COOPER

The UK producer invites us into his studio for a tour of his hardware synths and creative stompboxes

KIASMOS

Matt Mullen talks second albums with Ólafur Arnalds and Janus Rasmussen

ELSY WAMEYO

Rap/R&B songwriter Elsy Wameyo chats to Danny Turner about the themes of self-empowerment behind her debut LP, Saint Sinner

ULTIMATE DRUM MACHINES

The beat-making tools in your DAW might be more powerful and flexible, but there’s a case for taking the hands-on route to beat creation. Let’s explore why – and how – to use a drum machine…

Get to know your drum machine’s sequencer

Your machine’s features explained, and how you can make the most of them

Using your drum machine as a controller

Contemporary drum machines are considerably more advanced than

How to process your drum machine: six go-to effects

Whether analogue, digital or sampled, drum machine sounds often benefit from a touch of effects polish…

Deeper editing: further sound shaping tips

CREATIVE TRANSPOSITION All drum hits have a static,

6 of the best: recent drum machines to suit any style or budget

1 Elektron Digitakt II The original version of

Soft options: four must-try drum machine plugins

While our focus in these pages has been

Moog Labyrinth, £599

As Si Truss discovers, the US brand’s second semi-modular of the year has the makings of a West Coast-inspired, IDM powerhouse

Dreadbox Murmux Adept £2,759

The on-again off-again polysynth returns in its most capable form yet. Si Truss asks if it’s worth the price

Knobula Echo Cinematic £379

Rob Redman came for the delay and stayed for the plentiful additional soundsculpting features

Arturia FX Collection 5 €499

As Arturia’s effect bundle gets a clutch of new tools, Si Truss asks if this is now the one to beat

Dynaudio Core 5 £2,758/pair and Core Sub £2,179

Jon Musgrave stokes up the new offering from the monitor kings

Shure MV7+ £269

As Chris Corfield discovers, Shure’s latest is an evolution, if not a revolution, in premium podcasting mics

Reason Studios Reason 13 £499 or £20/month

James Russell discovers new devices in Reason 13’s virtual rack

Korg Opsix MkII £699

There’s little exciting about its MkII update but, says Si Truss, Opsix remains an all-time-great FM synth

Kael Alden – Vibe Rewind, $50

IT IS PROBABLY fair to say that the

Void &VistaFolds, £129

FOLLOWING ON FROM the well-regarded Strands, Void and

Loopmasters – Laura Vane – Smooth Soul &RnB Vocals £29.95

IN HER ONGOING stint as one of the

Frontline Producer – Funk Clav £24.95

THE UNMISTAKABLY BRIGHT and chipper sound of the

Sample Tools by Cr2 – Dark Drill 3 From $12.99/month

MORE ROAD-READY BEATS and gloriously gloomy bottom-end, in

Sample Magic – Neon Indie From $12.99/month

PLENTY OF PEPPY pop to pick through here,

Audiotent – Mirage FX Loops £21

ANOTHER MIGHTY FINE transitional toolkit of swish FX