2020-08-01 Computer Music

>  make music now  /  producer masterclass

also not afraid to ask for help. There’s only so Here in my C.A.R. graphic designer, but had this incredible studio
much you can do as an individual and even with all these vintage synths. Despite my love of
when you’re producing on your own, getting a By now we’re getting the sense that Raunet is a dance music, I didn’t know much about them.
fresh set of ears involved can be a good thing. fan of more left-field thinking, so you won’t be He gave me a crash course and sent me back to
For me, this happens at the mix. surprised to learn that her introduction into the the UK with a copy of Reason, and that’s how I
world of computer music production was got started.”
“I also know what interests me (the writing/ anything but conventional.
production side of things) and I know my That’s probably the coolest introduction to
limitations. If I wanted to hone the studio skills, I “Back before Mole and I recorded our first computer music production that we’ve heard,
would’ve educated myself years ago. In fact the demo,” she recalls, “I’d been in Detroit filming a and since that Reason debut, Chloé has
opposite is true. You could almost say I’m documentary on techno music. My then remained in the hi-tech studio world… with
scared to lose the naivety of being DIY. If I know boyfriend and I had spent a few weeks occasional dalliances into the very low-tech.
too much, maybe those happy accidents won’t interviewing all these legends – like Mad Mike,
happen. The same goes for singing. I’ve lost Octave One, Juan Atkins, Robert Hood and Ron “For years I relied heavily on softsynths,
count of the amount of people who’ve Murphy – when we met [DJ and producer] caning the Arturia and Native Instrument
suggested I take lessons over the years. It used Magda playing at a Minus party in the basement packs,” she says. “I also owned a Korg Poly 800
to knock my confidence, but now I think of my of our hotel. We wanted to interview her too, and a MicroKorg, an electric guitar and this
voice as an instrument in itself, one I’m happy to and ended up going out to Windsor [just over wonderful, red, homemade bass with a distinct
employ. It’s unique and it sounds like me. Sure from Detroit, in Canada] where she was living non-bassy sound (super prominent in the
it’s not for everyone, but I’m cool with that. I’d with [Canadian DJ] Marc Houle. When he heard second Battant album and the first C.A.R. LP). I
rather appeal to fewer people than sound run of we were staying at the hotel, he insisted we also had an electric piano and a load of cheap
the mill.” pack our things and head out to his for the rest percussive bits, including a jar of rice and a
of our trip. Back then, he was still working as a squeaky chair, both of which made it into a lot

Remixing Glok’s Weaver – first steps

On video, Chloé talks through how she starts a remix from scratch, on this
occasion with the track Weaver, by Glok, aka Andy Bell

> Step by step Remixing first steps

1 Chloé initially adds all the audio stems 2 She’ll then identify which of the audio 3 She also chose some of Andy’s original
she is given – in this case quite a few – stems she’d like to work with. In this atmospheric guitar parts which she
into an Ableton session. She finds the BPM case she was spoilt for choice but took sections of to either loop or, in this
using rekordbox DJ software. identified a great modular bassline. case, pitch upwards.

4 Chloé then took out a slide guitar 5 Next up it’s time to lay the foundation 6 With chosen samples from the
stem to be her main component, of the track with a kick drum. Chloé original, including a couple of guitar
lessening its Ry Cooder character with has quite a few different sample libraries and bass parts, it’s then a case of getting a
Soundtoys effects. which she utilises for kick samples. simple arrangement together to build on.

50  /  COMPUTER MUSIC  /  August 2020

producer masterclass  /  make music now  <

“I had a load of Maracas to melody

cheap percussive The second part of the Glok remix sees a
simple maraca sound transformed as Chloé
bits including both a gets immersed in this more melodic remix

jar of rice and a > Step by step Getting melodic with maracas

squeaky chair” 1 It’s as easy to go down rabbit holes 2 Chloé starts with some atmospheric
when remixing as it is when reverb by way of Valhalla’s
of my tracks, heavily drenched in FX.” producing and what Chloé thought VintageVerb: a ‘post modern reverb
“Recently my flatmate’s moved his studio into might be the simple addition of some inspired by the hardware of the 1970s
maracas ended up being a lot more… and 80s’, or so they say.
the house so there’s a lot more to play with. His
Korg Polysix and Yamaha CS01 are featured on 3 Chloé then adds some modulation 4 Another SoundToys favourite, Little
my new album, as well as the Teenage by way of Soundtoys’ Filter Freak Primal Tap is used here to give the
Engineering OP-1 and my Korg Minilogue, which which she describes as “a quick and sound a boing-like melody.
I also use live. easy way to really change a sound”.

“Since setting up the studio properly, I’ve 5 Soundtoys score a hat-trick here 6 Starting and finishing a signal chain
been getting a lot of use out of a Moog Minitaur, with a third plugin in the form of with a reverb might not be wise but
Arturia MicroFreak, Roland Boutique JU-06A Little Plate, a great reverb. as Chloé says, “if I manage to get a
and Analogue Solutions’ Impulse Command, sound that I like through a happy
although I’m still trying to get my head around accident I’m not going to mess with it”.
the latter. There’s a Prophet-5 – it needs a clean
but that hasn’t stopped me from trying to get August 2020  /  COMPUTER MUSIC  /  51
some strange sounds out of it. I also have an
Eventide H9 pedal which I go through phases of
using loads, before packing it back into the bag.
It hasn’t featured as much recently, but I know
it’s one of those super handy bits of kit I’ll come
back to soon enough. And of course there’s my
Beta 58 mic! I’ve been recording with it almost
exclusively since Battant.”

Anything on her studio wish list?
“Yikes, there’s a lot of things I’d love to have,
including a Roland CR-78 [vintage drum
machine], EMS VCS3 [vintage synth], and
Eventide H3000 [legendary effects box]. I think I
need to win the lottery for most of that though,
so for now I’m pretty happy with what I’ve got. I
would really want that EMS VCS3 though; it’s
unattainable, but it would be great if someone
could make an affordable clone (there are some
out there but they’re still in the thousands). From
what I understand, getting the price down is
easier said than done. There’s also the fact a lot
of replicants start sounding like softsynths. I
don’t really see the point in that.”

pThhieloCs.oAp.Rh.yproduction

“I don’t think I stick to a typical structure,”
Raunet perhaps unsurprisingly tells us when
asked about her song-making ethos.
“Sometimes I start with the drums, sometimes
I’ll get a little bassline in my head, sometimes I’ll
just open up a plugin synth and start messing
about with sounds or melodies, and sometimes
I’ll start with the lyrics. I think this goes with my
intuitive ethos. It also helps keep things fresh.
When I’m struggling to find inspiration, that
flexibility really comes in handy. I also have
loads of starts to tracks I can delve into – little
loops or sketches I mighta shelved ages ago
which can trigger an idea.”

“You should never throw anything away,” she
continues. “You might hate something at the
time, but that doesn’t mean it won’t come in
handy in the future. I can’t count the number of
times I’ve been stuck and opened up some
random session I’d completely forgotten about.

>  make music now  /  producer masterclass

90% of it might be rubbish, but with fresh ears, a Vocals to hardware and back
single part might be all you need to set you
down a new, exciting path. Don’t be scared to As Chloé mentions in the main text, she very
experiment and don’t be frightened of failure. much uses her voice as an instrument, and then,
It’s a cliché, but you learn a lot from messing up.” of course, there’s all that bespoke and vintage
studio hardware to use…
One standard that Raunet does employ more
often than not is, well, not that standard: “I use > Step by step From vocals to hardware
my voice as an instrument as much as I do for
lead vocals. It can be chopped up or looped into 1 Here Raunet records her vocal, 2 Chloé claims not to have a great voice
sequences, repitched or treated with harmonics. following the melody line of the but it certainly sounds the part with
Also, anything can be percussion. I mentioned guitar and creating a kind of pad sound in what she describes as a little wizardry, the
before that I had a squeaky studio chair which the process. first element being a gentle chorus.
made it into a lot of my tracks. I’ve even used my
cat’s meow!”

With her booming career as a remixer and
third solo album Crossing Prior Street just
released, Raunet is clearly as busy as ever, and if
you add the DJ-ing and band experience into the
mix, she’s in a great position to dish out some
bits of advice…

“Just do your thing and try not get to caught
up in the whole game,” she states. “The music
industry is one of the toughest and if I’ve
learned one lesson, it’s that it’s easier to bob
along in the under-current than ride the waves.
I’m not a household name, but I’ve managed to
carve out a little niche for myself and survive in
one of the most expensive cities in the world,
doing what I love. I try to work on good things
with good people, regardless of money and I get
by through keeping my fingers in many pies -
producing, songwriting, radio, DJing…”

“Never throw

anything away. You

might hate it but it

might come in

handy one day”

“Crossing Prior Street is a really personal one 3 Now to get some of that studio 4 As well as triggering the MicroFreak
and probably the body of work I’m most proud hardware in on the action! Chloé uses with Ableton arpeggiations, she also
of,” Raunet says of her latest release. “Normally MIDI arpeggiations to trigger the Arturia plays another MF part and records it
on an album release, I’m plagued with anxiety MicroFreak and records the audio back in. directly in onto another track.
and sick of the songs, but this time round I’m still
genuinely into it. I’ll hopefully be doing a fair bit 5 The final main part in the remix comes 6 In fact, Chloé really was spoilt for
of touring and I also have quite a few by way of another lush guitar track to choice, as she admits, by having so
collaborations in the pipelines. I’m currently which Raunet added another Soundtoys many melodic parts to play with in the
working on an EP with the French artists Get A plugin, the Crystallizer. remix of Weaver. It’s a different story with
Room, and I’m doing vocals for a whole slew of the next remix – see opposite.
others including Patrice Baumel, Roe Deers and
Il Est Vilaine. Anna Lann and I have an ongoing
project too. We’ve done enough tracks for an EP.
Hopefully we’ll get it together, now we’re finally
living in the same city.”

Check out the accompanying video (at
284 at filesilo.co.uk or on YouTube), where
Raunet reveals some of her remixing skills,
working on two very different tracks. First up
she takes on the more melodic and slow-paced
track Weaver by Ride guitarist Andy Bell (as
Glok), and then the more in-your-face track
Medicine, by US punks The Imbeciles. Two very
different tracks but both get a unique C.A.R.
remix treatment.

Crossing Prior Street is out now on Ransom Note
Records. For more info, visit c-a-r-music.com

52  /  COMPUTER MUSIC  /  August 2020

producer masterclass / make music now <

Remixing Medicine by The Imbeciles

For the second remix Chloé had a brief to use as many of the audio stems
as possible, so she took the original punk ethos and warped it, C.A.R.-style!

> Step by step Remixing an unfamiliar genre

1 As The Imbeciles’ punk style is not 2 Using that drum segment to create a 3 Initially Raunet took snippets of the
usually part of Raunet’s universe she new loop with a different feel, Chloé lead vocal, pitch shifted them and then
started off by choosing a simple and then added a small part of the original recombined them to create a completely
familiar drum part and looping it. bassline and looped that too. new chorus-like piece.

4 As good as that sounded, the label 5 The warped synth sounds came by 6 It is then transformed by more
didn’t approve, so Chloé removed the way of Arturia’s SEM, part of the Soundtoys effects. Chloé ended up
pitch effects and went back to a standard V-Collection that Raunet uses a lot in her with what she describes as a far more ‘out
vocal snippet, still forming something productions and remixes. there’ track, inspired by the punk ethos of
striking and new. the original.

Live advice HEAR MORE

“Keep things simple. I’ve experimented with live Incognito
drum machines and lots of live synths, but there’s bit.ly/carincog
nothing more terrifying than loads of bits going Sore Loser
wrong or falling out of sync during a performance. I bit.ly/carsrlsr
run most of my live stuff through Ableton, as it’s so
much more stable. And make sure everything’s WWW
gaffered, especially if you’re playing on a stage
stuffed with bass bins. I send MIDI to the MicroKorg c-a-r-music.com
and Minilogue, alternating which I play live. I have a https://soundcloud.com/c_a_r
Roland SPD-S to bash for visual effect but the core twitter.com/c_a_r_music
of my music is imported into the session. That’s not facebook.com/pg/C.A.R.official
to say I’m just running playback. I still have a lot of
structural flexibility and rely heavily on my old
APC40. It looks arcane but I know it by heart and
have it mapped with my FX. Also be as self-
sufficient as possible. I always bring all my leads, so
you’re not relying on venues to provide things. You
never know what smaller places will have.”

August 2020 / COMPUTER MUSIC / 53

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June 2020 / COMPUTER MUSIC / 55

Photo: © Simon Parfrement >  interview  /  sleaford mods

56  /  COMPUTER MUSIC  /  August 2020

sleaford mods  /  interview  <

SLEAFORD
MODS

Nottingham duo Jason
Williamson and Andrew

Fearn share the tech
secrets that have given
them three Top 20 albums

The East Midlands has a very specific poignancy when you see them live. His arms
accent. To anyone south of Watford and legs jerking his body into odd, angular
Junction, it probably sounds shapes. Feet engaged in some sort of silent
stereotypically ‘Northern’, but to the tap dance as he headbutts the air in time with
trained ear there’s a big difference. It’s the lyrics of another song about life down at
sharper… clipped and rhythmic. And it’s the arse-end of society’s guest list.
great for swearing. There’s a certain
poetic beauty to someone from “There’s nothing worse than someone
Nottingham effin’ ‘n’ jeffin’. If you don’t from England trying to rap with an American
believe me, listen to Urine Mate (Welcome accent,” says Williamson. “It can work – think
To The Club), the opening track to Sleaford about Rob from the Stereo MCs – but, most of
Mods’ 2013 album, Austerity Dogs. “Do the time, it makes you sound like a f***in’ t**t.
you think riding around on a BMX is going East Midlands speech might not be
to make me feel intimidated? Smash yer glamorous, but it definitely has a groove. It
face, c***, back into next week.” can deliver passion. And, more to the point, it
feels genuine. It’s my accent. It’s how I sound.
Frontman Jason Williamson’s urgent
“If you listen to any album by, say, the
ranting/rapping takes on even more furious Wu-Tang Clan, the lyrics often have that

August 2020  /  COMPUTER MUSIC  /  57

>  interview  /  sleaford mods

shouted, unattractive quality. What I do is my “Does it matter if we Infant, Marks Brother – Fearn had been banging
version of that. And if people don’t like the idea record on a 10-year-old out a wildly eclectic collection of albums for
of a sexed-up East Midlands accent? F*** ’em!” XP, not even connected several years. Everything from crooner pop to
to the internet?” Autechre-like experimental IDM, all of it put
It’s a surprise to hear Williamson’s speaking together in his tiny flat on an old laptop and a
voice on the phone from his home near Originally, the Sleaford Mods was couple of synthesisers.
Nottingham. Even though the conversation is Williamson’s solo project, but, in 2012, he was
peppered with expletives, the delivery is calm joined by another struggling Nottingham Fearn is the bloke you see standing opposite
and measured. Joyful, even. Especially when musician, Andrew Fearn. Under various guises – Williamson on stage. Dancing awkwardly behind
he’s talking about the music that shaped the the laptop, while swigging a can of beer. Again,
Sleafords’ sound. Punk rock, the aforementioned and for obvious reasons, this interview is
Wu-Tang Clan, Andrew Weatherall’s Two Lone conducted by phone. Fearn is in lockdown at his
Swordsmen, the first wave of UK grime. It’s an dad’s house in rural Lincolnshire.
odd mix, but it’s given them three Top 20 albums
and led on to collaborations with the Prodigy “It’s nice to have a chat with a magazine like
and Gorillaz. Computer Music because some people think
that I don’t actually do anything in the band,”

Photo: © Simon Parfrement Fearn lets his simple live setup and
choice T-shirt messaging do the
talking onstage

58  /  COMPUTER MUSIC  /  August 2020

sleaford mods  /  interview  < Photo: © Simon Parfrement

August 2020  /  COMPUTER MUSIC  /  59

>  interview  /  sleaford mods

laughs Fearn. “They assume I’m just Jason’s
mate and I’ve jumped on stage for a laugh. I do
have a job in the Sleaford Mods. I’m the
composer… honest!”

: Does it bother you that some people
aren’t aware of your contribution to the
Sleaford Mods’ sound?
Andrew Fearn: “Not really. I’m just pretending

that I’m annoyed.”

: You don’t do yourself any favours, Photo: © Simon Parfrement
shuffling about, swigging beer. You could at
least stand near the laptop and pretend to
press a few keys.
AF: “You mean like all them A-list DJs who play
their sets from the laptop? What a load of
bollocks! It’s all fake… smoke ‘n’ mirrors. I
suppose I’m trying to expose that. I’m admitting
that the music is coming off the laptop. We’ve
made some music, here it is. I hope people
appreciate that I’m not trying to fake it. I’m just
up on stage enjoying myself. It’s me that starts
and stops the music. I use an open-source audio
player called Foobar. Technically, I suppose I am
doing some work.

“There is one thing that f***s me off, though.
It’s when people call the music ‘Casio beats’, as if
we don’t put any thought into the music. OK, our
productions don’t have 200 different elements
and 50 different remixes, but we’re still writing
songs. And those songs have to be good or
people aren’t going to buy ’em. Does it matter if
we don’t have really complex drum patterns?
Does it matter if we record the songs on a
10-year-old XP laptop that isn’t even connected
to the internet? Of course it doesn’t! I’m sure
everyone who reads Computer Music has got a
mate who’s a brilliant musician and producer. He
can play every instrument and he knows
everything about EQ and compression and all
that stuff. But he never does anything with his
music because he’s too focussed on a weird
frequency he can hear on the snare drum.

“Personally, I think that’s why people like us.
The sound is underproduced… it’s raw and basic.
But it’s also real. If we went for the big, shiny
production like David Guetta, we’d sound just
the same as everybody else.”

: Is there a Sleaford Mods studio? “The only thing that’s : Acid is the main platform?
AF: “Not really. I’ve got a setup at home and we AF: “I’ve got an old Mac with an old copy of
sometimes use a professional studio in really changed is that I Ableton on there, but most of the work gets
Nottingham to record the vocals. We used to do done on Acid. It’s literally used as multi-track
everything at my flat. It was so small that Jason can now buy a legitimate recording device. When I was a kid, I started out
had to stand next to one of the speakers when with a four-track cassette, so it makes complete
he was doing vocals. There was all sorts of spill copy of Windows XP” sense to me. Yeah, the sound can be a bit dry,
going on, but it seemed to add something that but it gets the job done.
we liked… it made the vocal sound alive.” even exist. One of my recurring nightmares is
that we’re about to do a big gig and the “I’ve got mates who keep telling me to get
: You mentioned that the computers operating system decides that it’s time for an Logic. Why? For a start, there’s a lot of arse-ing
weren’t connected to the internet. upgrade. We’re safe. Ha ha! about with Logic when you’re first setting things
AF: “Well, I’ve just bought a Microsoft Surface up. Jason likes to work fast, and I think Logic
Book. That’s connected. I wonder if I should “The only thing that’s really changed is that I would hold us up. For me, Logic is so
have gone for something a bit more powerful… can now buy a legitimate copy of Windows XP comprehensive that it’s overwhelming. You’re
maybe a gaming computer. But you’re talking 10 for the Lenovo laptops. Making a bit of money bombarded with information and different
grand. This one was three grand. Do we need a means that I don’t have to skulk around in the shortcuts for this, that and the other, when all
10 grand computer? Probably not. shadows. Some producers look at our setup and you want to do is bang down a bassline and
think we’re mad. We do gigs with an out-of-date some vocals.
“But the live computer is an old Lenovo T61 – XP laptop running Acid. We’ve done massive
for ages, that was also the studio computer – gigs with that setup. We’ve done Glastonbury.” “But I also think that I’ve avoided Logic as an
and I’ve got a back-up T400. Neither of those anti-corporate stand. Everything’s done on
are connected to the internet. It’s brilliant! The iCloud now, so it’s almost like you don’t even
world doesn’t know that those two computers own it. They own it. You always need their
permission. With Acid, I don’t get any of that. It’s

60  /  COMPUTER MUSIC  /  August 2020



>  interview  /  sleaford mods

on my computer and it’s mine. I don’t need a thinking a song, though. You can end up Kit list
DAW that’s going to do loads of fancy tricks… it squeezing all the energy and life out of it. When
just needs to record our music and let me mess we first took an album to be mastered, the HARDWARE
about with it a bit.” engineer was really happy with us because we Roland Boutique SH-01A
hadn’t over-engineered everything. This was Doepfer Dark Energy
: Any third-party plugins? during the age when everybody was pushing Teenage Engineering OP-1
AF: “There are a few Waves plugins, including everything to the max and it didn’t leave Vermona Retroverb Lancet
the Scheps Omni Channel. I’ve used the Roger mastering engineers with much to do at all. The Boss compressor/sustain
Nichols Digital Detailer for a few years – treat it way that I look at it, a mastering studio has got pedal
gently and it works as a nice volume booster/ top of the range compressors that cost five or Ampeg Scrambler pedal
limiter. I’ve got Korg Gadgets for the iPad. Can 10 grand. Whereas I’ve got a plugin that cost 50 Microsoft Surface Book
you remember that early Moog app for the quid. If I let them do the work, it’s going to Arturia Audiofuse
iPad? I have used that for basslines. I also play sound better.” audio interface
some of them live with a Squire Jazz Bass. The AKG P220
drums come from stuff I’ve got sitting on my : How does your songwriting work? Do Squire Jazz Bass
hard drive… recordings that I made when I was you give Jason more or less finished versions Cort X electric guitar
in an experimental noise band some years ago. of songs?
I’ve got stacks of samples and loops. Cassettes, AF: “Sometimes. And sometimes a song will just SOFTWARE
CDs, Minidiscs…” come together in 10 minutes while we’re Sony Acid
working on something else. Like I said, Jason Ableton Live
: Apart from the Roger Nichols Detailer, do prefers to work quickly, so, if I get an idea, I like Various Waves plugins –
you do much tweaking with the music once to bang it down there and then. Not too much including Scheps
it’s in the computer? fuss there. Omni Channel
AF: “I have a quick look at the EQs, just to make Roger Nichols Digital Detailer
sure there’s nothing silly going on. Bit of reverb “In the early days, Jason would come over to iPad apps – Korg Gadget 1 and
if it’s needed. You have to be careful about over- the flat and just sing the melodies at me. I’d start 2, AUM, DM1, DM2, SeekBeats,
playing a few basslines or synth parts and Jason djay Pro and Animoog

62  /  COMPUTER MUSIC  /  August 2020



>  interview  /  sleaford mods

would say, ‘That’s the one’. Once I started to “I hope that I’m not giving you the do? Put the songs on the computer and try to
understand what he was after, it was like a impression that we’re anti-technology ’cos we’re make the synths sound like real analogue
green light. I was making tune after tune after not. I’ve recently invested in a Roland Boutique synths? Who would you be trying to fool if you
tune. I love the immediacy of it.” SH-01A and a load of Modular gear – mainly do that?
second-hand Mutable Instruments stuff. And I’m
: What’s on Jason’s vocal chain? Is it really digging into the theory of synth “There’s a track on the English Tapas album,
difficult trying to keep a lid on the energy he programming. If I need to get techy, I can. But Just Like We Do. After we recorded the bassline,
throws into a vocal? what’s the point of adding stuff to a song when we realised it was a bit… hummy. But it really
AF: “Mainly Nectar. There’s a setting on it called it doesn’t need it. Or getting too deep into the didn’t seem worth worrying about. Who cares if
Motown. I tend to start with that and tweak production side of things when a simple it’s not perfect? Life isn’t perfect. Life is hummy.
things till it sounds OK. It seems to keep it all in approach sounds better. And, sometimes, your imperfections can
check without ruining the feel of the vocal. become perfections. They can make the
Again, people have had a go at me for using “There’s a lot written about the art of difference between somebody listening to your
presets. What’s the problem? If a preset gets production. True sound and all that kind of music and somebody ignoring it.”
you in the ballpark, start there and adjust it until rubbish. What is true sound? Take a song like
it’s your preset. Cuddly or BHS. Both of them were made on the The Sleaford Mods’ career-spanning compilation
iPad using Korg Gadget. What am I supposed to album, All That Glue, is out now on Rough Trade

No filters… apart from
when it comes to coffee.
Left to right: a Squire Jazz

Bass and a Cort X
electric guitar

64  /  COMPUTER MUSIC  /  August 2020

Photo: © Simon Parfrement Jason Williamson on sleaford mods / interview <

the Sleaford Mods’ HEAR MORE

musical influences Urine Mate (Welcome To The Club)
bit.ly/slfdmds_urnmt
“Even at five or six, I started taking music Jobseeker
seriously. That could have been the theme tune bit.ly/slfdmds_jbskrs
to my favourite cartoon or the music that was in
the charts… Abba, Dr Hook or the Osmonds. My WWW sleafordmods.com
stepbrother had a few punk albums and, when I soundcloud.com/sleafordmods
got a bit older, I became obsessed with the Sex twitter.com/sleafordmods
Pistols and the Jam. I loved the anger and the facebook.com/SleafordModsOfficial
energy. When I joined my first band at 11, I tried to
recreate that same emotion. Unfortunately, the August 2020 / COMPUTER MUSIC / 65
drummer thought I was being too aggressive, so
he left. I just wanted the music to mean
something. I wasn’t prepared to put up with the
light-hearted nonsense like the ones you saw on
Top of the Pops.

“Growing up on a working class estate in the
70s and 80s gave music added importance. So
many of life’s references came from music. I
didn’t know about stuff like pasta and
courgettes. We had no access to these things. I
learned about the world through music. That
meant music needed to say something. It had to
be relevant.

“Would I call the Sleaford Mods an electronic
band? Yeah, because we make our music on a
computer. There are some real instruments on
certain tracks, but Andrew does most of the work
inside the computer. Even after all these years,
people still say that music made with software
isn’t real music. Where’s the craft? How come you
didn’t spend years learning the guitar? That’s
bollocks. The first time I started making music
with a computer, I felt liberated.

“I made four albums before I met Andrew, but I
was still trying to work out what kind of sound I
wanted. Once we started working together, it
began to gel. I liked hip-hop… the simple Wu-Tang
beats. But I wanted the punk influence, too. John
Lydon, Mark E. Smith. The heavy bass came from
the Two Lone Swordsmen album, From The
Double Gone Chapel. A huge, dubby bottom end.
And then there was grime. I’m talking about the
first wave. I was digging out YouTube videos of
tracks being made by local gangs in Nottingham.
They sounded so rough and tinny, but there was
so much character. Put that lot in a melting pot
and you’ll end up with Sleaford Mods.

“Before things started happening for us, I’d
been making music and trying to get somewhere
for a long time. That makes you quite jaded and
cynical. You get to a point where the music is very
rough and ready, and you don’t really care about
the consequences. By that, I mean you don’t
worry about pissing people off. That all fed into
the music, too.

“We’ve never been precious about what we
do, which came in very useful when we started
getting a bit more successful. Yeah, it was
fantastic to be on telly and know that people
were buying your records, but we were always
careful to check our egos. It was like we were
constantly auditing ourselves and the music. Are
we still pushing forward? Is the music still valid?
Have we turned into music business wankers? As
long as we can stay on the right side of honesty,
we should be alright.”

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reviews <

The latest computer music gear tested and rated!

68 APPLE LOGIC 10.5 Our promise

The new point update has an incredible number of additional We bring you honest, unbiased
appraisals of the latest computer
features and instruments, and some might be familiar… music products. Our experts apply
the same stringent testing methods
to all gear, no matter how much
hype or expectation surrounds it.

What the
ratings mean

1-4 A seriously flawed product

that should be avoided

5 This product’s problems

outweigh its merits

6 A decent product that’s only

held back by a few flaws

7 Solid. Well worth considering

8 Very good. A well-conceived

and executed product

9 Excellent. First-rate and

among the best you can buy

10 Exceptional. It just doesn’t get

any better than this!

72 74
Tracktion Oeksound
Waveform Pro Soothe 2

76 78 79
Mastering The Mix Mini reviews Soundware roundup
Mixroom

Awarded to products A product has to really If the product In the opinion of the
that challenge existing impress us with its exceeds expectations Editor, the best product
ideas and do something functionality and for its price, it will reviewed in the
entirely new features to win this one receive this gong magazine this month

August 2020 / COMPUTER MUSIC / 67

> reviews / apple logic 10.5

Apple

Logic 10.5 FREE

Apple’s venerable DAW takes the fight to Ableton Live, with a couple of
familiar additions, but can it compete?

The arrival of Logic Pro X 10.5 – which Apple picture, ideal for compositional and module of the same self-explanatory name; the
calls the “biggest update to Logic since the experimental use in the studio, and live redesigned Drum Machine Designer; and a
launch of Logic Pro X” – has no doubt come as a performance shenanigans onstage. complete rebuilding of the venerable EXS24
welcome distraction for Mac-based musicians. sampler as two new sample playback devices –
And there’s certainly plenty of enticing new Then there’s the new Step Sequencer, which Sampler and Simpl… er, sorry, Quick Sampler.
stuff in Logic Pro X 10.5 (free for existing users) facilitates programming of beats and melodic
to get excited about, as the fruity tech leviathan lines in an interface “inspired by classic drum A potentially huge deal for those dance and
makes obvious but positive moves towards machine workflows”; Drum Synth, which is electronic producers who have long found
bringing its blockbuster DAW in line with more, a very similar proposition to the Maschine 2 themselves torn between the supremely deep
shall we say, progressive contemporaries such but resolutely linear workflow of Logic and the
as Ableton Live, Bitwig Studio, FL Studio and “The most seismic new arguably less high-spec but inspiringly freeform
even Native Instruments’ Maschine. feature is the tech-jazzery of Ableton Live, Live Loops brings
To that end, the most architecturally seismic introduction of the Live the majority of the latter’s Session View
new feature is the not wholly unexpected Loops system” functionality to the former.
introduction of the Live Loops system, as
already established in the iOS version of Logic’s The Live Loops Grid is an alternative – but
junior sibling, GarageBand. interlinked and, yes, simultaneously visible –
This brings Live/Bitwig-style non-linear ’cell- interface to the regular Tracks View, hosting
based’ loop recording and playback into the multiple tempo-synced audio or MIDI loops in
’cells’ on each track, one of which can be played
back at a time.

68 / COMPUTER MUSIC / August 2020

apple logic 10.5 / reviews <

“Live Loops is brilliantly
designed… and the
ability to partner it
with Logic Remote
is awesome”

The idea is to jam around with drum loop Sampler (left) and Quick
variations on one track, bass loops on another, Sampler utterly transform the
etc, to create an on-the-fly arrangement, Logic sampling experience
optionally recording your ‘performance’ directly
into the Tracks View, where it can be edited and The update we’ve been waiting for
finessed as usual. The relationship is
bi-directional, so you can also drag clips out of As enduring as it’s proven, the EXS24 LFOs and five Envelopes, a second filter
the Tracks View into the Grid. sampler was overdue a major update – and a ton of new filter types. Everything
and with Logic Pro X 10.5, we’ve finally a pro sampler should be in 2020.
Playback is quantised, so triggered cells wait got it, in the shape of Sampler.
for the next specified beat or bar division before That’s not the end of 10.5’s sampling
taking over from the currently playing loop; The main issue with EXS24 has betterment story, however, as
individual cells can be set to retrigger when always been its mad, fiddly interface, Sampler’s baby brother, Quick Sampler,
clicked, or trigger only when ‘held’ with the and Sampler utterly transforms it into provides a leaner interface (two LFOs,
mouse; and various ‘start behaviour’ options an intuitive new format based on five three envelopes, one filter, full sample
allow for launch timing variation. concealable panels (Synth, Mod Matrix, editing and audio recording, but only
Modulators, Mapping and Zone), with four mod matrix slots) for effortlessly
Vertical ‘scenes’ are also supported – click the big, clear controls and good visual mapping a single sample, or slices
arrow at the bottom of a column to trigger all modulation feedback. extracted therefrom, across the
cells in that column – and a single cell on each keyboard. A great alternative to the full
track, or a scene, can be queued for launching It’s a pleasure to use, no matter how multisampling enchilada, even if the
via a key command. In fact, key commands are complex your sampled instruments similarity to Live’s Simpler is glaring.
as well supported by Live Loops as they are might get, and the transition from old
throughout the rest of the DAW. to new is seamless, with existing EXS24 Finally, we’ll mention the Auto
patches and projects loading into Sampler plugin, which automatically
Remote working Sampler flawlessly. generates mapped Sampler patches
from software and hardware MIDI
Alongside Live Loops, GarageBand’s And there are plenty of all new instruments (every DAW needs one!);
XY-controlled Remix FX feature has also made it features too, including auto drag-and- and the sorcerous automatic
over to Logic Pro X 10.5, as a plugin offering a drop sample mapping (with pitch conversion of sets of samples dragged
range of XY- and slider-controlled effects analysis), properly integrated sample into the Track list to Sampler or Drum
(Repeater, Filter, Wobble, Downsampler, etc) for and mapping editors, Flex Time Machine Designer patches.
‘DJ-style’ performance processing. They sound implementation, an increase to four
great and are a lot of fun, if not something the
serious producer is likely to get much mileage can get your fingers round at once, and Remix Remote is awesome, opening up a degree of
out of. FX manipulation by touch or even tilt. control that the archaic combo of mouse and
keyboard just can’t match.
Live Loops have been made to work with the Live Loops is brilliantly designed, and
Logic Remote iOS app, too. This impressive perfectly fluid in its implementation and Although an equivalent to Live’s Follow
adjunct to Logic Pro turns your iPhone or iPad workflow; and the ability to partner it with Logic Actions is notable by its absence, this really is a
into a comprehensive wireless multitouch MIDI dream come true for the Ableton-envying or
controller and key command launcher, and now dual-DAWing Logic user – and that’s a very large
it also presents your Live Loops Grid just as it audience indeed.
appears on your Mac, enabling perfectly
responsive triggering of as many clips as you Get in Step

Live Loops’ The Step Sequencer is a new editor for the
integration with programming of note, automation and MIDI CC
iOS apps gives new pattern sequences, invoked by creating a
levels of control Pattern Region (a new clip type) in the Tracks or
Live Loops View. Each Pattern Region is
effectively a self-contained sequencer with its
own configuration of lane assignments (MIDI
notes, Drum Machine Designer kit pieces or
automation/MIDI target parameters/CCs), time
base, individual lane lengths and playback
directions, swing amount, etc – a novel
paradigm that yields remarkable versatility.

Each step is programmable in terms of
Velocity, Gate time, Note Repeat (up to 16
repeats), triggering Chance, Start Offset, Step

August 2020 / COMPUTER MUSIC / 69

>  reviews  /  apple logic 10.5

“This is the
modernising step up
that many Logic users
have been waiting for”

Rate (overriding the global or lane-specific Rate) The new Step Sequencer with its ‘Pattern Region’ format Alternatively
and Tie, and the sizeable in-built library of preset
patterns can be added to with some of your own least) creative avenue for electronic producers, Ableton Live 10
personal creations. Step Sequencer is flexible and powerful, Drum 255 » 9/10 » £69-£539
Synth sounds wicked, Drum Machine Designer is
Easy to use and beautifully integrated, Step slicker and more useful than before, and The original Live DAW – that
Sequencer is a triumph. The only thing missing Sampler at last pulls EXS24 kicking and changed the way we think about
is Logic Remote support, which we’ll be keeping screaming into the 21st century. composition – is still the one to beat
our fingers crossed for.
On the downside, we’ve experienced crashes Image Line FL Studio
Designer drums with a few plugins that definitely didn’t crash 260 » 9/10 » £76-£734
before, which is a bit troubling. We’d imagine
Drum Synth is a simple plugin instrument that fixes for those will be rapidly forthcoming With a huge set of features and a
dedicated to generating fully synthesised from all those developers affected, but you lifetime of free upgrades, FL Studio
percussive sounds in four modes: Kicks, Snares might want to hold off on upgrading until you’re rightly has a huge fan base
and Claps, Percussion, and Hats and Cymbals. sure your essential instruments and effects are
Every mode divides into various subtypes all compatible. Verdict
(Heavy Kick, Punch Kick, Electronic Snare,
Mechanical Clap, Crash Cymbal, Ride Cymbal, Ultimately, even though Apple is largely For Live Loops nails the non-linear
Shaker, etc), each with its own appropriate set of following trends here rather than setting them, workflow concept
up to eight editable parameters, and they’re all this is the modernising step up that many Logic Step Sequencer is fabulous
on the money sonically, and make building vibey users have been waiting for. We’re genuinely Sampler is a superb EXS replacement
electronic kits a quick and focused process. amazed we’re not being charged for it as a full …although you might actually use Quick
version update. Sampler more!
Drum Machine Designer has been Drum Synth and Drum Machine
disconnected from the ancient Ultrabeat and Web apple.com Designer are excellent
retooled, Ableton Drum Rack-style, for the
integration of Drum Synth and Quick Sampler Against Only four mod matrix slots in
(see below) into its 48-pad kits, with the controls Quick Sampler
for either appearing right within the DMD Issues with some third-party plugins
interface. That alone makes it a vast
improvement on the previous version, but the In its unstated aim of achieving functional
addition of input and output MIDI note mapping parity with rival DAWs, Logic Pro X 10.5
doesn’t hurt either. adds a wealth of empowering features and
systems, including grid-based clip
Classy and contemporary launching and an embarrassment of
sampling riches
Logic Pro X 10.5 is indeed the DAW’s most
profound update under Apple’s ownership yet. 9/10
Live Loops opens up a radical new (for Logic, at

Drum Machine Designer has been reimagined along Ableton-esque lines

70  /  COMPUTER MUSIC  /  August 2020



>  reviews  /  tracktion software waveform pro 11

ACTIONS PANEL UNDOCKABLE PANELS EDIT OVERVIEW ARRANGER TRACK VIEW
A deeply customisable Now you can even undock Move and resize the box Move and copy chunks MANAGER
‘inspector’ and control the Arrangement panel! to zoom and pan the of your arrangement Now you can
system, introduced with Arrangement panel around at will hide and reveal
Waveform 10 even more
GUI elements

CHORD TRACK LAYOUT
Audio clips now MANAGER
follow your chords, Save and
just like MIDI recall window
layouts

CONTROL ARPEGGIATOR
PANEL One of five
Click to reveal excellent new
an array of clip/ MIDI effects
track-contextual
menus and QUICK ACTIONS BAR
parameters Switch between sets of custom
shortcuts and Macro triggers
QUICK ACTIONS WINDOW
Pop out a touchscreen-orientated panel
for mixing and Quick Actions triggering

Tracktion Software PILINUX RASPBERRY
Waveform Pro 11 $119
Does 2020’s update to this resolutely ‘different’ DAW add enough to
keep things moving without compromising its unique proposition?

Metronomic in its regularity, this year’s option to replace or swap them; and if you select whole arrangement, with an overlaid interactive
Waveform Pro update introduces another one or more tracks prior to dragging the box marking out the horizontal range currently
round of new features to Tracktion Software’s Arranger clip, only the contents of those tracks visible in the Arrangement panel. Clicking in the
innovative DAW, as well as general under-the- will be moved or copied. It’s a straightforward Overview repositions the playhead (and view
hood optimisation and stability improvements. take on an idea that’s been around for a while in ‘port’) to that point on the timeline, and
We’ve been here many times before, so we’ll not other DAWs, making laying out song structure dragging within the box first moves the
waste valuable space going over the frameworks quick and easy. playhead left or right, then pushes the box along
fundamentals of the software again – see the in the same direction when the playhead
Waveform 9 review in 257 for a synopsis, and/ Above the timeline sits the Edit Overview – reaches an edge. You can also click directly on
or head to the Tracktion website and download again, not an original invention by any means, the top and bottom of the box to drag it left and
Waveform Free to get a feel for its gleefully but one that we’re glad to see implemented in right, and on the left and right edges to resize it,
idiosyncratic perspective and workflow. Instead, Waveform Pro. This is a thumbnail view of the zooming the view in and out. Strangely, both of
let’s get straight into the new stuff… these functions are made harder than they need
“It’s a straightforward to be by the box lighting up when the mouse
Making arrangements pointer nears the edge, but not actually being
take on an idea that’s ‘picked up’ until the edge is clicked precisely (it’s
The new Arranger Track enables sections within more annoying than it sounds). Happily, though,
the arrangement to be defined as ‘blocks’ for been around for a the issue is rendered largely moot by the ability
moving around. Simply create an Arranger clip, to effortlessly draw the whole box by dragging
then drag it left or right to move or copy all while in other DAWs” in the Overview with just about any modifier key
audio and MIDI clips that fall within its bounds. held – Shift, Command, Option or Ctrl.
Dragging one clip on top of another offers the

72  /  COMPUTER MUSIC  /  August 2020

tracktion software waveform pro 11  /  reviews  <

“The creative rewards
to be reaped here are
well worth the time
investment required”

The Quick Actions Bar is a nifty expansion on New MIDI effects Easily play
the Actions Panel introduced in Waveform 10. elaborate
Sitting below the Arrangement panel, it houses a Apart from the somewhat oversold harmonic
row of buttons, each triggering any one of a new Artisan effects (see main text), sequences with
huge list of editing, navigation, recording, Waveform Pro 11 doesn’t add any audio Chord Companion
automation and other shortcuts, or a User plugins to its internal roster. Instead,
Macro. The bar switches between as many this time round, Tracktion Software randomisation of position, length and
button sets as you want to make (five prefab have thrown in five new MIDI velocity, and a long menu of preset
sets are included), and buttons can be named, processors – and very nice they are too. patterns to get started with.
coloured and repositioned by dragging and
dropping. It’s endlessly useful, although we’d First up, Arpeggiator delivers all MIDI Filter is a very basic utility for
like a quicker way to switch up and down your standard arpeggiation options, filtering and routing notes to separate
through button sets than the current menu – plus chord modes, swing and instruments in a Rack, while MIDI
‘next’/‘previous’ key commands at least. randomisation, input shaping and a Monitor lists all incoming MIDI events,
full-on polyphonic step sequencer. on individual tracks or (inserted into
Designed specifically for touchscreen usage, the Master output) the whole project.
the associated Quick Actions Window presents The puzzlingly named Note
multiple stacked Quick Action Bars and the Repeater is in fact a trancegate-style Finally, Chord Companion brings a
Mixer for use with touchscreen displays. This is processor, generating rhythmic powerful new weapon to Waveform’s
an elegant, effective solution that’s crying out patterns out of held notes. There’s already formidable compositional
for a partner iOS/Android app. It also makes us velocity adjustment, variable arsenal. Chords and modes of all kinds
wish the Quick Actions Bar supported the are assigned to single MIDI notes by
MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar – surely a no-brainer. of the tax in CPU cycles that it introduces. dragging them onto key slots, and
Last and, actually, least, 122 new ‘Artisan tarted up with Arpeggiator, Repeat and
Get me the Manager Random modules.
Collection’ plugins take the total to 186. With
Waveform’s View Manager is a pop-out panel in descriptive names such as Bit Glitter, Dust Alternatively
which various sections of the interface can be Bunny, Soft Gate, Purest Echo and Dither Me
hidden and revealed, and as of v11, those Timbers, they’re cool to play around with, but as Cockos Reaper
sections include the Arrangement panel, Edit reskinned versions of plugins that are readily 224 » 8/10 » $60
Overview, Arranger Track and Quick Actions Bar. available to all for free from Airwindows
The Arrangement panel has also been added to (airwindows.com), they’re of no particular Another ‘indie’ DAW that’s found its
the list of undockable windows. Window layouts worth beyond convenience. own committed fan base
across one or multiple displays can be saved
and recalled now, too, and a specific display can Riding the Wave’ Bitwig Studio 3
be dedicated to housing plugins. 275 » 10/10 » €379
Waveform Pro 11 offers more than enough new
Users of the Chord track will be delighted to goodies to warrant the $69 upgrade price. Similarly individualistic, despite its
learn that audio clips, as well as MIDI, can now However, as is the case every year, the manual clear Ableton Live influence
be made to follow its melodic dictates. As the has yet to be updated at the time of writing, so
transposition is linear, they need to be you’re on your own when it comes to figuring Verdict
monophonic, but there’s plenty of retro chord out how to use them, although those already
sampling-style mileage to be had with accustomed to the DAW’s unique operational For A solid showing of improvements
polyphonic material. vibe shouldn’t have too much trouble. and new features
Useful new MIDI effects
Plugin sandboxing designates plugins to For newcomers, v11 doesn’t try to simplify the Quick Actions Bar and Window are great
their own processing thread, separate to that of challenging learning curve for which Tracktion/ Plugin sandboxing
the DAW itself, so that they don’t bring the whole Waveform has always been known, but the
DAW down when they crash. It seems to work creative rewards to be reaped here are well Against Manual out of date. Again
fine, and individual plugins can be taken out of worth the time investment required. There’s still Artisan Collection still leaves a sour taste
the sandbox if you trust them, alleviating some nothing else quite like Waveform, and if it clicks
with you, your music-making life may never be Don’t misinterpret Waveform Pro 11’s
The Quick Actions Window puts mixer control and the same again. offbeat workflow and approach – this one-
shortcuts at your touchscreen-empowered fingertips of-a-kind DAW is a production powerhouse
Web tracktion.com
9/10

August 2020 /  COMPUTER MUSIC  /  73

>  reviews  /  oeksound soothe2

SOFT/HARD ATTACK/RELEASE SIDECHAIN
MODE Tweak the response Route in an external keying
The new Soft mode timing of the dynamic signal for interdependent
makes using soothe2 resonance reduction dynamic EQ processing
supremely easy

DEPTH EQ BANDS
Increase or An extra EQ
decrease the band brings
amount of the total up
processing to six
applied

SHARPNESS
Sharpen and
‘blunt’ the
resonance cuts

SELECTIVIT Y STEREO MODE DELTA BAND LISTEN EQ/FILTER TYPES
Tells soothe2 how Balance the processing Listen to the removed Monitor the Delta for Choose from six
prominent a between left/right or resonance for monitoring individual bands parametric modes
resonance has to mid/side or creative purposes and four filter slopes
be to be detected

oeksound

soothe2 €199
After the runaway success of version 1, the second iteration of this
already-excellent plugin takes the dynamic EQ concept to new heights

Released in 2016, the original soothe was that employs spectral processing voodoo to notch out the resonances within that band more
billed as an “automatic dynamic frequency detect unpleasant and intrusive resonances, profoundly as the volume increases. The
notcher” designed to effortlessly eliminate then dynamically attenuates them through the process is beautifully visualised in the
harshness and overly bright top end in any application of numerous level-sensitive notch spectrogram display, and the precision of the
instrumental or vocal signal. It scored 8/10 in filters. Rather than directly cutting and boosting individual notches can be tightened or widened
our review ( 239), where we praised its like a regular EQ, the band nodes in the main with the Sharpness knob, while the ‘rigour’ of
uncanny ability to transparently suppress display control the reduction sensitivity within the overall response – how choosy the detection
uncomfortable mid-high resonances – as long as their covered frequency ranges – raise a node to algorithm is, loosely speaking – is governed by
its application was driven by judgement and the Selectivity control. The big Depth knob,
mixing experience. “soothe2 marks a meanwhile, increases and decreases the size of
We would surmise, based on how often we complete rewrite of the the notches globally, and the Delta button
see it in the plugins folders of producers at all plugin, claiming less switches to monitoring of the difference
levels, that soothe has been something of a hit. system overhead and between the wet and dry signals – ie, the
For the sequel, then, have Finnish developers faster UI rendering” resonances being attenuated – with the
oeksound added enough to tempt upgrades spectrogram inverting to visualise them.
and increase the appeal to potential new users?
New in 2
soothe sayer
soothe2 marks a complete rewrite of the plugin
Before we look at what’s new in soothe2 (VST/ from the ground up, so as well as the new
AU/AAX), let’s get a quick overview of the plugin features and improvements, which we’ll get to
in general. In a nutshell, it’s a dynamic EQ plugin momentarily, it now also claims less system

74  /  COMPUTER MUSIC  /  August 2020

oeksound soothe2  /  reviews  <

“soothe2 works its
magic down to 20Hz,
doing away with
rumble as brilliantly as
excessive brightness”

overhead and faster UI rendering. We can’t say Soft mode is almost invariably the best place to start with soothe2
we see any great difference in the former (the
CPU hit is still reassuringly low), but the graphics Harder, faster, stronger transparency and preservation of
do indeed seem noticeably smoother and more transients. The ‘down side’, if you want
responsive. More importantly, latency has also soothe has always been a processor to call it that, is less detailed control for
been reduced by 50% – good news. It’s also that requires a delicate touch, and with narrowing in on specific problem
worth noting that it installs as a separate plugin, soothe2’s new Soft mode (the other resonances, and the ruling out of
so projects using the original soothe won’t be mode, Hard, is more like the previous extreme dynamic cuts thanks to the
affected by the upgrade, for better or worse. behaviour), the ‘intensity’ of the lower depth of resonance reduction.
processing and operational sweep of
For many users, the headlines with soothe2 many of the controls can be reined in, The addition of Soft mode is a canny
will be its extended processing range, and the tightening the tolerance of the effect move on oeksound’s part, giving less
improvements made to the EQ controls. and making it harder to overcook. experienced engineers a relatively
Whereas, previously, processing was focused on oeksound describe Soft mode as “more foolproof option for safety’s sake, and
the mids and highs, soothe2 works its magic all autonomous, easier to use and faster to experts a quick and thoroughly
the way down to 20Hz, doing away with rumble set up [than Hard mode]”, and that effective alternative to the twitchier
and sub bass overload as brilliantly as it does perfectly sums it up – the shortened setup of old for ‘workhorse’ usage. In
sibilance and excessive brightness at the other parameter ranges greatly reduce the fact, Soft mode is so well suited to the
end of the spectrum. It’s a welcome retraction of potential for damage and speed up majority of expected use cases, that it’s
what now feels like a needlessly arbitrary workflow, and the lowered sensitivity the default when loading the plugin.
limitation of the previous version. to input signal level results in greater

soothe2 also quietly embarrasses its Link parameter, too, with the introduction of the Alternatively
predecessor in the EQ department. Not only has Balance knob, which balances the depth of
an extra band been added, for a total of two processing between the left and right or mid Soundtheory Gullfoss
filters (low- and high-pass) and four parametric and side channels, as determined by the stereo 257 » 9/10 » £150
bands, but the filters now come with 6, 12, 24 Mode toggle. Every EQ band also gets its own
and 48dB roll-off options, and all parametric Balance control (although the Mode is global), A fully automatic EQ that literally
bands offer a selection of modes beyond the for tilting the stereo emphasis within specific does all the hard work for you – but
lonely Bell shape of old – High and Low Shelf, frequency ranges. could be more intuitive
Tilt, Band Shelf and Band Reject. The three
shelves prove the most useful of these, but all The addition of a sidechain input means Sound Radix SurferEQ2
are appreciated. Oh, and the Delta for individual soothe2 can base its dynamic response on a 237 » 9/10 » $199
EQ bands can now be monitored solo. different track to the one being processed –
ideal for sorting out spill between drum kit mics, This pitch-tracking dynamic EQ is
The EQ band controls have been moved to and clearing space for vocals, guitars and other similarly miraculous but has a
the bottom of the spectrogram display from the lead elements in the mix. And finally, you can different remit to soothe2
left side panel, which is now home to soothe2’s now specify separate oversampling and time
new Attack and Release controls. These adjust resolution settings for real-time processing and Verdict
the onset and decay times of the resonance offline rendering.
attenuation notches, enabling their dynamic For Soft mode is a ‘magic wand’
response to be tailored to the envelope of the Mix salvation Now covers the full frequency range
source material. The Attack stage is particularly Six much more versatile EQ bands
useful when you want to let percussive For the reasonable €50 fee, soothe2’s M/S processing and envelope controls
transients pass through unaffected. transformative new features – most notably Soft Sidechain input
mode, the wider frequency range, new EQ types,
soothe2’s stereo manipulation capabilities and mid-side processing – make it an absolutely Against If we were to nitpick, per-band
have been extended beyond the original Stereo essential upgrade for any existing user. And for Attack and Release would be nice
those yet to see the light, this remarkable plugin
soothe2 includes a sizeable library of task-specific – surely up there with the most powerful yet Improving on v1 in ease of use, adaptability
presets, presented in a cute pop-out browser accessible mix-fixing tools money can buy – and transparency, soothe2 is a dynamic EQ
simply demands to be test-driven. Stunning. that no producer should be without

Web oeksound.com 10/10

August 2020 /  COMPUTER MUSIC  /  75

>  reviews  /  mastering the mix mixroom

BYPASS & SOLO MENU MAIN BYPASS &
Bands can be individually bypassed Use the options to select filter type, OUTPUT
and soloed from the band graphic add bands and to reset targets Bypass the whole
plugin, hover over this
STEREO to reveal slider
Bands include mid suggested gain
sides balancing, and compensation level
the value is reflected FREQUENCY,
here by the gap in BANDWIDTH AND GAIN
the band graphic Frequency, bandwidth and
gain are set in place by
GREEN TARGET dragging and resizing each
This displays the band graphic
target curve based VERTICAL LAYOUT
on the selected The EQ is laid out
preset and the audio vertically with high
from your track frequencies at the top
and low at the bottom

GREY EQ CURVE TARGET EQ GAIN DISPLAY RANGE
This displays the Click to use another audio file Adjust the gain range
applied EQ curve to define the target EQ curve that is displayed
which can be set on screen
manually or
intelligently PRESETS
Access more than 100 instrument
and mastering presets

Mastering The Mix

Mixroom £49
Intelligent plugins make mixing a quicker and more reliable process. Let’s
see how this latest EQ can help with your mixing and mastering.

Mastering The Mix first got our attention bottom. Each band is represented by a coloured Each band includes solo, bypass and the
with their easy-to-use Levels metering box which you can move and adjust. The height option to rebalance the mid and sides
plugin. Since then the team have delivered some of the box is the bandwidth and the vertical components. You can also process just the mid
excellent plugins aimed at making your mixing position defines its frequency. The graphic sits in or just the sides component alone, though not
and mastering tasks quicker and the outcomes a 3D space and gain adjustments change the both independently using the same band. Bands
better. Last year’s Bassroom EQ is a perfect box size to give the impression it’s nearer for can overlap completely, so you could use two
example, delivering bass-focused EQ via their gain boost and further away for cut. bands to achieve this outcome or simply as a
innovative 3D style vertical layout. Their latest way to achieve more gain at a specific
plugin, Mixroom (VST, VST3, AU, AAX) employs “Mixroom’s true frequency. Bands up to 1.6kHz are peak shape
the same layout, but this time the EQ handles power lies in its and above this can be set to either peak or
frequencies from 320Hz to 20kHz. The plugin intelligent EQing shelving. However, there’s no low shelf option or
combines manual and intelligent operation, capability, done by high and low pass filters.
incorporating both presets and the option to target and analysis”
analyse your own audio files. Let’s take a look at The overall EQ mode can be set to either
what’s on offer. linear or minimum phase, and there’s an
additional global option to set the EQ to either
Layout mixing or mastering mode. This influences the
overall gain and Q bandwidth available, with the
Mixroom is an 8-band configurable EQ that uses mastering setting offering a maximum of +/-4dB
a vertical layout with high frequencies at the top and mixing +/-12dB. Note that neither setting
of the window and low frequencies at the offers massive cut and boost or super narrow

76  /  COMPUTER MUSIC  /  August 2020

mastering the mix mixroom  /  reviews  <

“As a mix tweaking
processor it’s great: a
quick way for a novice
to get a handle on their
overall mix EQ”

bandwidths. Rounding things off is global Create a target Mixroom
bypass and output level, and this incorporates a makes it
suggested trim to help you match pre and post In addition to the included presets, easy to
EQ levels. Mixroom can create a target curve create
from an audio file, allowing you to target EQ
Intelligent match your current audio to an existing curves
track or mix. To access this feature you from any
If you’re confident enough at EQing then click on the target icon next to the audio file
Mixroom makes for a pretty decent experience. preset browser. This opens an
The plugin opens as a blank canvas to which additional panel from which you can sections of the source audio can be
you can add bands individually or collectively. load and manage up to 20 source files. highlighted, and once you’ve done this
That being said, the vertical layout makes more By setting the respective DAW track to you simply hit the Create Targets tab
sense – although it does take a bit of getting input monitor, source files can be below. Closing out the panel gets you
used to, as does the fact that the EQ doesn’t auditioned within the plugin and this back into the main window and from
handle the bass frequencies. helps you choose which sections to use here you proceed just as if you’d loaded
to create the target EQ curve. Multiple a regular target preset. Should you
However, Mixroom’s true power lies in its want to go back to the source audio or
intelligent EQing capability and this has two Similarly, for the more experienced engineers select a different source file simply
aspects. The first part is a target curve, sourced out there, the presets provide insight into the reopen the window, and if you want to
from more than 100 instrument and mastering overall tonality of different genres, and we choose a different section from an
presets or by loading up a reference audio file particularly liked using the handful of Star existing source audio file, simply
(see boxout). The second part is the analysis of Engineer presets. highlight that section and rerun the
your audio, which takes a few seconds when you Create Targets option.
start playback. This generates a green target EQ On individual instruments the results were
curve visible down the sides. You can then try to more varied and although we had great results Alternatively
match the EQ curve, which is grey, either with piano, strings and individual drums sounds,
manually or intelligently by selecting the Add the overall drum kit settings were less iZotope Neutron 3
Smart Bands option, which creates the required successful. Furthermore, on sounds that needed 275 » 9/10 » from $129
bands with suitable frequency, bandwidth and very heavy EQ, Mixroom didn’t always prove
gain settings. itself able to deliver enough boost to match the Includes an excellent analysis and
target curve. On balance we felt that having a EQ curve generation feature
So, does it work? We tried Mixroom on a bigger choice of instrument presets would
number of individual tracks, submixes and certainly help. Soundtheory Gullfoss
mixes and for the most part the results were 257 » 9/10 » £150
very good. Understandably, you need to select a Value
representative section of audio to analyse, and Audio analysis and simple controls
this is particularly true if you’re processing a full Overall, Mixroom provides a fresh approach to for wonderfully intelligent EQing
mix, as the frequency content may change EQing that is both informative and can save you
considerably from section to section. In use the time. The interface makes sense conceptually Verdict
analysed target is easy to reset if you need to try and after the initial learning curve it’s easy to
a different section. So, as a mix tweaking use. What’s more, the analysis and For Both manual and intelligent EQ
processor it’s great, providing a quick way for a accompanying presets can be very educational. curves with a fresh interface
novice to get a handle on how their overall mix It’s important to note that the plugin isn’t really Excellent choice of mastering presets
EQ stacks up. suitable for surgical EQing and by design Analyse your own audio files
doesn’t handle bass frequencies. That said, with Mid-side processing
The triangle on the output slider provides a target such an attractive price you could justify buying Band specific solo
output level to help compensate for the EQ applied Bassroom as well.
Against No frequencies below 320Hz
Web masteringthemix.com Needs more instrument presets

If you’re looking to streamline your mixing
and mastering tasks, Mixroom combines a
fresh interface with intelligent curve
generation and analysis of user audio files

9/10

August 2020  /  COMPUTER MUSIC  /  77

> reviews / mini reviews

mini reviews

A rapid-fire round-up of ROMplers, music gear and more…

Presonus

Atom Producer Lab

£175

Web presonus.com
Gear Hardware/software bundle

This bundle from Presonus looks, on the face of other software with Atom – it will easily trigger which is a good all-rounder and will do a decent
it, to be aimed primarily at beat makers, but Live’s clips, scenes and Drum Rack, for example job of capturing your vocals. OK, it’s no
actually contains just about everything you – its pairing with One is so deep that you can Neumann, but when you add it to the other
need for music production, and is especially even use it for playing melodies (it has a Push- hardware, it gives the Producer Pack another
geared towards those new to this most glorious style keyboard option) as well as the more level of flexibility, making it a great bundle for
of pastimes. obvious beat-making options. using both in the studio and on the road. But
that’s not the best bit. The bundled price for all
Starting with Atom, this compact and sturdy, Next up we have the AudioBox USB 96 bus- three is just £175, which is impressive given that
16-pad grid controller has been around for a powered audio interface, which again impresses Atom alone sells for well into three figures on its
while, and has deep integration with Presonus’s with build quality, and will easily handle your own. If you’re starting out, then, this will do
own Studio One DAW; you get a cut down basic audio (and MIDI) connectivity with a everything you need, and some, for very little
version of that (Artist) bundled with it. (Artist is couple of combo mic/instrument inputs. outlay. Just add monitors or headphones.
one of the most filled ‘lite’ versions of a DAW that
we have come across, giving you a very good And talking of mics, the last bundled piece is n8/10n
flavour of the full Studio One, a DAW that really an M7 large-diaphragm condenser microphone,
does deserve more praise and profile than it
gets). We should also mention the other
software thrown in at this point – Ableton Live
Lite and a library of samples – but really Atom’s
deeper integration understandably lies with
Presonus’s own DAW. And while you can control

JBL AKG

104-BT £169 Lyra £139

Web soundtech.co.uk Web soundtech.co.uk
Gear Wireless monitors Gear USB microphone

The original JBL 104 monitors With everyone and their dogs –
are, to our ears, one of the literally in some cases – thinking they
best compact – and cheap – have something of value to podcast
studio monitoring solutions these days, we’re catching up on
you can buy; hidden gems some of the best mic solutions out
that you can pick up for a there. And this AKG certainly boasts
song and an ideal set of the specs and the famous AKG name,
secondary monitors for any which should bring quality to your
recording setup. The 104 BTs ‘casts and, we suspect, your music
then, should be even better, as recordings too.
they are simply the original
sans wires. Yes the BTs are – First up this is a multi-mode
you guessed it – Bluetooth versions of the original 104s, so you microphone so has four polar pattern
get the same lovely compact, oval design and largely the same options to catch Wide Stereo, Narrow
impressive sound. This is pretty accurate and vibey given the Stereo, Front and Front/Back
size, and we’ve had the luxury of lining them up against many a recordings. Tight Stereo is best for instrument recordings while
more expensive pair of studio monitors, only for them to Front will be best for vocal capture and Front/Back for the more
surprise us not just with that big sound, but one that is pretty intended podcast interview.
deep and accurate too.
It’s flexible then but, yes, that AKG name really does bring a
There are negatives with the Bluetooth format, in that you’ll great tone, especially and perhaps obviously for the voice. There
get some latency between hitting a note while recording and are cheaper mic options out there, for sure, and not a lot more
then hearing it back through your speaker system. So for real- will get you the mic, interface and controller bundle above, but
time recording, you’ll want the wired versions – and these still this mic is in another league and will stretch to many more
come very highly recommended. If you simply need wireless musical duties, as well as giving your podcasts a professional
though, these are some of the best-sounding of that format. sound. *Patronising comment alert*: just make sure you have
something worth talking about, OK?
n8/10n
n8/10n
78 / COMPUTER MUSIC August 2020

soundware roundup  /  reviews  <

Soundware round-up

W.A. Production Zenhiser

Blazed Dubstep £16 Rewind £33

W.A. Production’s hyperkinetic 148bpm pack is 50 synthtastic 80s-syle construction kits of eight and
bursting with stadium-ready half-time beats and one- 16 bars in length, deconstructed into 4GB of
shots, epic synth leads and modulated low-end component loops and culled one-shots. The drums
noises. It’s a shame there’s not more variety to the are provided in full, kick-less and hat-less versions,
basslines, and some of the drum sounds are over- which is good, but we’re not so convinced of the need
reused, but it’s all good stuff nonetheless. And the 83 for full-length versions of every synth part with and
presets for Xfer Records’ Serum synth (most of them without very, very long FX tails. Given that the former
in the bass category, and drawing on 11 new are just curtailed copies of the latter, that’s about 1GB
wavetables) make for a very tasty inclusion – indeed, of needless material, as far as we can tell. Still, loads
some might find them worth the price of admission of cool sounds at a very fair price.
on their own.
zenhiser.com
waproduction.com n8/10n

n8/10n Sample Magic

UNDRGRND Sounds Trap & Pop £30

Detroit Techno £35 No prizes for guessing the theme of this one: fusing
trap attitude with pop gloss and melodiousness,
With sample library prices generally falling, £35 is Sample Magic’s genre-blending library actually ends
now the ‘premium’ tier, and Detroit Techno more than up finding its own stylistic ground. Clocked at
lives up to that billing, its 648 loops and 262 one- 140bpm but with a half-time feel, Trap & Pop’s beats,
shots representing great value for money. But this basslines, and melodic and vocal loops are full of
collection doesn’t just score high on quantity – the intriguing ideas and expertly engineered; and there’s
savvy production can’t be faulted either, from the something of a future bass air to some of the 15
piercing 303 explorations, elemental basslines and ‘music’ mini construction kits that meshes well with
funky synths, to the forward-thrusting drums, the rest of the material. 33 Serum presets and plenty
syncopated perc and brain-twisting FX. And while the of very exploitable one-shots bring it home.
main theme is, as suggested, that classic Detroit
sound, the contemporary applications are endless. samplemagic.com
n9/10n
undrgrndsounds.com
Dirty Rituals
n9/10n
Dirty House $45 or subscription
Sample Magic
We’re always up for a bit of ghetto tech, and Dirty
Classic Jungle £15 Rituals’ first outing on Noiiz is a fine soundware
resource that epitomises the genre at its sleazy best,
The purist might balk at using anything other than but brings its own flavour to the party, too. The 41
the actual Amen, Think break, etc, in their junglist bass loops are a highlight, exuding all the cheeky
production endeavours, but this pack of original quirkiness that defines the genre, and although the
loops and hits succeeds in maintaining authenticity drums only come in at half that number, every one is
throughout, particularly in the sampling techniques, a goer. A decent helping of keys and pads adds a
rhythm programming and characterful modulation musical angle, and the de rigueur ‘booty call’ vocals
used for the all-important drums and basses. And are present and correct.
though the 41 melodic loops aren’t quite as directed
in their retro tack, the diversity and quality of their noiiz.com
smooth shimmerings, tinklings and atmospherics are n8/10n
impressive in their own right. Steppin’.
Niche Audio
samplemagic.com
Kore £150
n8/10n
A 2.7GB library of 200 house-, tech house- and
Loopmasters techno-orientated Groups (kits) for NI’s Maschine,
100 of them reprised from Niche’s catalogue of the
Industrial Dub £20 last five years, the other 100 new and exclusive. Every
Group includes a demonstrative MIDI pattern (in ‘full’,
Industrial Dub immediately wins us over by citing the ‘break’ and ‘main’ or ‘drums’ variations), and makes
hugely underrated Scorn as an influence, and despite full use of Maschine’s effects. With more than 5500
being one of the smallest of this month’s soundware samples involved, there’s an incredible amount of
offerings, it’s also one of the best. 25 half-time (140 material to be plundered here, even if you already
and 160bpm) drum loops start the engine, crackling own some of the repeated kits; and standards are, as
with distortion and bags of reverb on the snare; 20 we expect from Niche, sky high.
synth basslines reach down low; 18 music loops do
terrifying things with the dub staples – horns, loopmasters.com
melodica, organs and keys; and 12 cavernous n10/10n
atmosphere loops thicken the air. Bold, beautiful but
all too brief. August 2020  /  COMPUTER MUSIC  /  79

loopmasters.com

n9/10n

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82 BABY AUDIO BABY Free access for every
COMEBACK CM reader – print and digital
How to install and make the Download only the files
you want, when you want
most of your incredible new delay plugin! All the downloads from all
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>  free plugin / baby audio baby comeback cm

>Free plugin

BABY COMEBACK CM DOWNLOAD

We’ve got a cracking d-d-d-delay which has been d-d-d- Get the plugin and the video
developed just for readers. That’s you (you, you)! tutorial on your PC/Mac at
filesilo.co.uk/computermusic

We have a cracking Computer Music free crafted to offer a wide variety of sonic options, For the main Flavour buttons, the first, Wide,
plugin this month, in the form of Baby and you’ll quickly use them to get some great- offers extra girth by way of the Wider algorithm
Audio’s Baby Comeback CM! sounding, warm and lush delays. from Comeback Kid, and leaves the signal clean.
It’s a cut-down version of the developer’s Analog gives you an idea of what Comeback
Comeback Kid delay plugin, and includes the The main delay engine in Baby Comeback Kid’s Filters, Tape, Swirl and Destiny functions
same delay engine and some of the different CM has three BPM-synced modes called can do by adding a warm and dark sound.
flavouring algorithms that can be found on Straight, Dotted and Triplet which are pretty self Similarly, Saucey uses Kid’s Filters, Transient
its big brother. explanatory and offer different timed delays, Designers, Richer and Sauce algorithms for a
While it might lack some of the sculpting while the main Time dial allows you to select lush delay, while Cheap explores Kid’s Filters
intervals down to 1/64th note. and Destiny parameters for a vibey lo-fi delay.
tools found on Comeback Kid, some of these
A Free mode can also be used to select If these four flavours tempt you to go for the
effects are built into four ‘style’ presets called delays between 0.01 and 2500ms (and specific extra flexibility of Comeback Kid, head to
times can be input directly by double-clicking babyaud.io to pick it up for just $49.
Wide, Saucey, Analog and Cheap (which sound on the screen).

anything but!). These have been specially

SCREEN FREE MODE DUCKER
Double-click here to set Select a delay time between Lowers delays when the
values of the delay time 0.01ms and 2500ms dry signal plays for a
in Free Mode modern ducking sound

THE BPM-SYNCED MODES WET/DRY
‘FLAVORS’ Three modes – Straight, MIX
Four presets Dotted,Triplet – are tempo Set Wet and
give you a sync’d with a Ping Pong option Dry levels to
great flavour mark how
of the wide much effect
sound the delay has
Comeback on the input
can deliver signal
FEEDBACK
TIME DIAL Adjusts how much the delayed
Allows you to set the Delay Time signal is fed back, for some ultra-
intervals from 1/1 to 1/64th values big sounds and results

82  /  COMPUTER MUSIC  /  August 2020

baby audio baby comeback cm / free plugin  <

> Step by step 1. Getting up and running with Baby Audio’s Baby Comeback CM

1 You’ll find the installers for Baby 2 Double-clicking on it should install it 3 Ours installed perfectly on a Mac and
Audio’s Baby Comeback CM on this without any issues into the correct within seconds we had it up and
month’s DVD, or at the following address: location (ie your plugins folder). As ever, running in the shiny, all-new version of
https://babyaud.io/baby-comeback-cm there’s a caveat that it might not, but you’ll Logic 10.5! (Download the latest version
(where the latest Logic 10.5 update can be soon find out when your DAW either does, from babyaud.io for a more stable Logic
found). It runs as a normal plugin in most or doesn’t pick it up. If not, do a search for 10.5 experience.) Load yourself up a
DAWs, so drag either version onto your the plugin and put it in the correct folder. simple sound, like a bass note or piano,
computer and unpack it. strap yourself in as we’re going to take a
tour of Baby Comeback CM.

4 We’ve switched over to Live to delve 5 Now set the time to 1/16 as shown, and 6 Now we’ve selected Free Mode where
deeper with Baby Comeback CM. First take the Feedback down to the level you can input any value as a delay
play your simple sound through the plugin shown. This will allow you to hear the raw time. Double-click on the main screen, as
on the straight setting. As you adjust the delays better. Select between the Straight, we have done here, to an input and value
Time dial from 1/64 to 1/1, the delays Dotted and Triplet options. On 1/16 you you like. You can input any value between
become more noticeable and obvious, can clearly hear how the rhythm of the 0.01 and 2500ms.
going from an almost slapback delay to a delay is affected by changing the mode.
defined echo effect.

7 Now revert back to one of the BPM- 8 Now we’re going to quickly show the POWER TIP
synced modes of Straight, Triplet or Feedback dial-in operation. This
Dotted. The Time value should be as was. controls the amount of delayed signal fed > New to delays?
Now hit the Ping Pong option to hear the back to the signal path, and at maximum
delay bounce around more in the stereo will quickly overpower the sound – or at If you are new to using delays then
field. Nice eh? least it will stay delaying long after you Baby Comeback CM is an ideal
press stop! In order to stop what might plugin to get you going and to then
sound like an eternal delay, simply reduce take you on some fantastically
the Feedback back to zero. varied journeys, once you get the
swing of how it works. We’ve kept
this tutorial reasonably low tech in
case you are new to using delays,
but if that is the case, then the best
advice is to keep things simple so
you can hear what is going on. Keep
the Feedback control at a minimum,
the Time dial at half, and the Ducker
dial down low. As soon as you have
the basics nailed, bring some of
these back in so you can see exactly
where this Baby will take you.

August 2020  /  COMPUTER MUSIC  /  83

>  free plugin / baby audio baby comeback cm

> Step by step 2. Next steps with Baby Audio’s Baby Comeback CM

1 Now let’s try some of the fantastic 2 Now we’ll try the next Flavor out, 3 The third Flavor option is Saucey,
extras on Baby Comeback CM to hear which is Analog. This features some of which takes its cues from Kid’s
just how varied this plugin can be. Set the Filters and Tape sound you get on Transient Shaper, Richer and Sauce
your Time to 1/16 (if you haven’t already), Baby’s bigger brother, to give you a warm algorithms. The resulting delay can sound
the Feedback to zero and now press the and punchy sound which is slightly lush but on our bass sound at the setting
Wide button in the Flavor section. The overdriven. Proper analogue (with a ‘ue’ shown, was more like a great quality plate
delay is dry but spread in the stereo field. added for us Brits). reverb. We’re already getting very varied
sounds. How’s about going cheap?

4 Yes the last Flavor is called Cheap. 5 Over to the right, the Ducker dial is POWER TIP
Again, switch everything back so you interesting. This is supposed to give
can hear the input signal almost dry, and you a modern ducking effect by lowering > Preset action
then switch it in. It imparts a kind of low the delays when the dry signal is played.
bit-rate noise on the signal which gives it We found it best used with these kinds of As we reveal in the last step, you can
not so much a grainy effect as a layer of settings for an extreme effect at the end of easily save presets (In Ableton click
very usable distortion. the delay! on the file icon, and in DAWs like
Logic you will get Save options). Any
great sound you come up with can
be saved and loaded back; they are
usually saved in the Baby Audio
folder in your plugins folder. If you
come up with any great sounds, by
all means send them in and we’ll put
them in our Suite plugins folders
for everyone to share. (Email any
you come up with to
[email protected].)

6 Ducker actually works best when you 7 Push the Dry Out dial down and the 8 And if you want to push it even further,
start exploring the mix of wet and dry Wet Out dial up and now start try upping the Feedback dial for some
levels. These can be adjusted using the experimenting with the Ducker dial. This is really extreme effects. We think you can
Dry Out and Wet Out controls which take where the sound of Baby Comeback can now see that Baby Comeback can deliver
the place of a single wet/dry mix dial you start getting completely out there. everything from normal delays to extreme
might normally get, although offer a lot of sounds. Best of all you can save any great
tweaking flexibility over your sound. sound you come up with as shown.

84  /  COMPUTER MUSIC  /  August 2020

baby audio baby comeback cm / free plugin <

Q&A with Baby Audio developer Caspar Bock

Baby Audio plugins are meant to fit naturally into that most of what I had as I never really used it. I
workflow. They’re not just utility tools – but have some synths and drum machines left, but
Caspar Bock opinionated sonic ingredients, meant to inspire they rarely get booted up.…”
creative decisions.”
How did you first get into plugins? What would you most like to see
BA “I’ve been making music since my teenage Tell us about your plugins? developed in terms of the software and
years and I soon began obsessing over gear and BA “Super VHS brings you the lo-fi sound of studio technology out there?
software. After failing to cut it as a music the 1980s with six effects in one channel strip. BA “There’s one specific thing that I think is
producer, I got into advertising and worked Comeback Kid is an analogue-sounding delay missing, which we’re working on ourselves —
almost ten years for agencies in Copenhagen, with some flexible sound-sculpting tools. more on that soon! Other than that, I think AI
Berlin, LA and New York. When I finally founded I Heart NY is a parallel compressor; a quick way assisted tools are interesting. I don’t think
Baby Audio, it was like a perfect marriage to beef up your drums and beyond. We design they’re quite at the level yet where they’re as
between my obsession with music production our effects to be a little bit like ‘instruments’. We helpful as they’re often marketed to be — but
and my professional background. want to make tools you can add early on in a once they get there, that’ll be a game changer.”
production, to become inspired and take your
“I was extremely lucky to randomly connect track to a new place.” What advice do you have from working
with some of the most talented people and in the industry?
establish a small team to create our first plugin, “They’re not just utility BA “Do the things that you need to get done as
I Heart NY. That was in 2019. The plugin got a lot soon as they come up. Don’t push it until
of press and word-of-mouth, and our next one, tools but opinionated tomorrow. Also, don’t ever expect a product to
Super VHS, even more. It’s gone really fast and be fully completed. It’s always just a constant
we’re very humbled by the response. It makes sonic ingredients” work in progress.”
us want to do better with every new release!”
What are your five favourite plugins What’s next for Baby Audio?
What is your philosophy or approach made by other companies? BA “We’re working on a major overhaul of our
when it comes to software development? BA “Great question! Korg Gadget: this is more first plugin, I Heart NY. It’s been a fun project as
BA “How much space do you have?! Our of a DAW environment, but I love the simplicity we’ve learned so much since that release — so
founding principle as a company was to simplify and instant fun of it. iZotope Neutron: a forward- to come back and pack all that knowledge and
workflow and make mix tools in the same spirit thinking channel strip that’s not stuck in the clarity into a new plugin feels very ‘healthy’ in a
you’d make an instrument: as something that past. Melodyne: what that thing does is way. We’re taking our weakest product and
inspires instant creativity and experimentation. practically magic. Native Instruments Kontakt: making it our strongest. And after that, we’ll do
And where you don’t need to read a manual to this product almost created a new industry in its the same with another product.”
get started. own right. Dada Life Endless Smile: a really
simple but innovative idea, nicely executed.” Finally, what is the future of music
“Gear used to be made for trained engineers, production in 100 words or less?
which made sense back in the days of real What do you get asked most about BA “Let’s start with the past: a songwriter
studios. But the reality now is that most users music production? wrote a song, a producer recorded it, a mixer
are not engineers but creatives. They write, BA “I think the most common discussion is mixed it etc. Music production nowadays – and
produce and mix all at the same time. Our about software versus hardware and what’s in the future – is turning into a creative melting
better. I’ve actually been on both sides and at pot where all these disciplines come together
one point I swore 100% by hardware. My reply/ into one workflow, mastered by the same
opinion nowadays is that they’re both superior individual. Writing, producing, mixing is all part
in their own right. Kind of a boring answer, I of the same process. And it’s becoming more
know. But it’s the truth!!” about self-expression than about following ‘best
practices’. I think music production will get even
We guess you could answer it better by more creative as the barriers of entry get lower
revealing what’s in your own studio… and the tools get smarter. And I’m very excited
BA “Software-wise I’m well stocked up, which is about it!.”
a part of my job. In terms of hardware, I’ve sold
babyaud.io

Endeared to the winsome charms of our cutdown version? Head right over to babyaud.io to sign up for Comeback Kid, its beefier brother

August 2020 / COMPUTER MUSIC / 85

> free samples / bass samples

All-new bass samples

Go low with our two collections of all-new bass samples to celebrate our bass-
creating features. Get them on the DVD or at filesilo.co.uk…

DIRTY
MODULATING
BASS

Dirty Modulating Bass Bass Synth, FX and Loops

We’re celebrating the low end this issue, with sub and synth bass Our next set of bass sounds was produced by Groove Criminals. Oli from
tutorials, but if you don’t want to make your own, here are two bass Groove says of its creation: “It’s all about that bass this month and so we
sample collections. Robbie from Cyclick Samples says of his set: decided to go old school and rinse the low end on a selection of the
hardware synths that we have knocking about.
Bass Guitars: “These were subjected to
heavy distortion for some nasty and nice “We clocked the Roland SH-101’s, erm, ‘unique’ built-in sequencer using
loops. Two of them were recorded the sync out of an Arturia DrumBrute. We also used that same technique
through a chain of pedals that were then to clock a Korg SQ-1 that was driving a small Erica Synths semi modular
tweaked and switched.” synth voice.

Filter Modulation Bass Loops: “This “The analogue bass loops are a mixture of synths, including the old
contains nine tempo sub-folders. Filters school (and underrated) Novation Super Bass Station and Yamaha CS5,
used were the UAD Moog Multimode XL, among others. We tried to leave them dry but couldn’t resist a touch of
Cableguys FilterShaper3, Soundtoys analogue delay here and there.
FilterFreak and Arturia MiniFilter.”
“The FM basses are also a mixture of a TX81z module and a Volca FM
Fuzz ‘n’ Dirty Bass Loops: “Ready to go, SELECTED GEAR being fed original DX patches via MIDI and Dexed.
but could take a good dose of filtering,
modulation and more distortion.” Epiphone Ripper and “The Moog samples came courtesy of our Mother 32 and we threw in a
Musicman Stingray bass set of loops from the Korg Monologue – a great little synth which we
Misc Noises: “These would suit further suspect may go on to become a little bit of a cult classic as we head into
processing, especially time-stretching, WEM, EHX, Moog, Dr No, the future.”
with or without pitch shifting. Musitronics, Haz Labs, Boss,
Sandpit, Behringer, Proco, GEAR USED
Trem ‘n’ Pumped Bass Loops: “Bass Vox and Korg pedals
sounds modulated with a range of Arturia DrumBrute
tremolo effects like Soundtoys Focusrite ISA828 preamps
Tremolator and Cableguys ShaperBox.” Erica Synths module
Little Labs Redeye
For more, see the PDF in the folder at DI/Reamper Korg SQ-1
filesilo.co.uk (see p81) or on the DVD.
Soundtoys, Cableguys, Korg Monologue
Eventide, UAD plugins
Korg Volca FM
Arturia MiniFilter plugin
Moog Mother 32
Steinberg Nuendo 8.3
Novation Super Bass Station

Roland SH-101

Yamaha TX81z

Yamaha CS5

86 / COMPUTER MUSIC / August 2020





vault / free samples <

FROM THE VAULT

Cinematic Soundscape

We haven’t been able to go to the cinema of late, so here’s a set of classic
samples from the Vault to get you back in the mood…

Missing a good old trip to the flicks? soundscape. As a real, if slightly K2600 (Colonel Kurz as it’s called CINEMATIC
We’ve raided the Vault for some battered, Rhodes Mark One has here), which has a synthesis SOUNDSCAPE
classic cinematic samples that first been used throughout, there are architecture that can take a lifetime
appeared on our DVD way back in some full multisamples provided as to master (I hired a time machine to INCLUDES…
2013, but have really stood the test you just can’t have enough of this get to grips with the Colonel) and
of time. beautiful instrument. never ceases to form the basis of 194 Bass samples
many juicy sounds.” 47 Electric piano
Here’s what Robbie from Cyclick “The 80bpm kit has a full and 28 String machine
said on their production: “Using fruity velocity-layered multisample “All the samples have their kit 77 Drum samples
Bladerunner Blues by Vangelis of clean Rhodes, while the other number, instrument, version, 276 Rhodes
from the Bladerunner soundtrack appearances are effected (verbed, tempo and key/pitch in the 105 Synth
as a sonic template, here are four step-filtered, phased, etc.), and filename, and they are all 60 Guitar
tempo-based kits of lines, loops, they’re all quite editable. 24bit/44.1Khz wavs.
bassline, beats and multisampled
instruments to take you far, but not “Most of the bass instruments/ “Most of the lines are loopable,
too far, into the future. lines are courtesy of the ever but some have a bar or two left on
flexible Jen SX1000 monosynth the end to allow for delay and
“Mellow and spacious sounds that, with some extra effects, has a reverb tails.”
are the dish of the day, with the quality far beyond its appearance.
Rhodes piano dominating the The samples can be found in the
“The other string and lead Free Samples folder on the DVD or
sounds come from the Kurzweil at filesilo.co.uk under issue 284.

GEAR USED
Rhodes Mark I 88 stage piano
Jen Synthetone
SX-1000 monosynth
Kurzweil K2600
Trident Signature 2 mic pre/ EQ
RME HDSP Multiface
Yamaha MSP-5As
Steinberg Nuendo
Adobe Audition
NI Kontakt

August 2020 / COMPUTER MUSIC / 87

> free samples / loopmasters

Loopmasters 284 samples

01 RV Dynamic Techno 05 Frontline Stoner & Garage Rock
02 Loopmasters Techno Oscillations 06 Loopmasters Bushwacka! Tech Breaks
03 Frontline Mark Fletcher - Fill You In 07 RV Industrial Bass Music
04 Loopmasters Phil Weeks - OG House 08 Loopmasters Junglist Workout 2

88 / COMPUTER MUSIC / August 2020

big edm titan trap / free sample offer <

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We have a special giveaway this month with an

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Titan Trap is a great collection of kits, hits, loops and

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contemporary EDM in its various forms. As WA How to download
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Production say…
The Big EDM Titan Trap collection
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1 Head over to WA production.com and search for
genres like hybrid trap or psychedelic trap are new to the Titan Trap or go direct to
waproduction.com/sounds/view/titan-trap
EDM world.
2 Click on Buy (the first of the four black-tab options)
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3 Click on the Shopping Cart icon at the top of the
pack that is full of innovative page. Remove any free collections that might appear.

and heart-racing samples, 4 Enter WACM9531 as the discount code and hit the
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5 Complete Checkout and find the collection under
“Big EDM’s Titan Trap is a “My Orders” on your profile page. Download it here
or wait for an email and click the download link.
PACK DETAILS mind-blowing and inspiring
August 2020 / COMPUTER MUSIC / 89
5 Construction Kits trap sample pack that will be
30 Bass Shots an essential title in your
sample collection. The EDM

20 Claps sound is constantly changing

10 Drum Loops and we know producers want

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20 Hats staying unique. These samples
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10 Synth Shots
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eeware videos on classic … compressors, EQs, reverbs
eeware synths…
videoanddelays

PRODUCER
MASTERCLASS

Find out how C.A.R., aka Chloé Raunet,
remixed two incredibly different tracks

Read the full article on p44

SYNTH BASS SUB BASS

PERCUSSIVE LAYERING
FM BASS MASSIVE BASS

/ace bass Read the full Read the full
article on p24 article on p37
We’ve gone low-end with our
main tutorials and have two August 2020  /  COMPUTER MUSIC  /  91
bass sub and synth videos

Photo: Julie Davies> interview /  RAC

15 questions with…

RAC

92  /  COMPUTER MUSIC  /  August 2020

RAC / interview  <

Portugal-born, US-raised André Allen Anjos is a
Grammy-winning producer and songwriter, with no
fewer than 250 remixes to his name, from Kings Of
Leon to Lady Gaga, plus TV/film credits. He’s just
released his LP, Boy, through Counter/Ninja Tune

1 That’s quite a CV you have there… Ableton for more than ten years, since version the reverb tank emulation, not so much for the
RAC: “I’ve been working professionally 6, I believe. Computer music-making is the only delay. The delay is amazing but I use it more for
way to make music as far as I’m concerned, and the spring.”
since 2007 and originally got my start doing that’s coming from somebody who has way too 2. “The UAD EP-34 Tape Delay is amazing, super
much hardware! I find it to be super important long tape delays which I love. I’ve used it on
remixes, but I’ve done everything including film and super liberating.” every track.”
3. “The Lexicon 224 emulation, also by Universal
and TV, and I did a ballet recently as well. I think Audio. There’s this one setting that I use for
everything, I think it’s called Vocal Play, and I
I’ve done over 250 remixes at this point. In 2017, just set the mids to 50-second decay. You can
send anything to it and it opens up like it’s this
I won a Grammy Award for Best Remix and I’ve massive stereo thing – an amazing plugin.”
4. “Goodhertz Vulf compressor and Wow
also released original work, which has taken 4 You’ve come to the right magazine – so Control. I think they’re in the same worlds, so I’ll
how has it changed the way you work? lump those together. Goodhertz in general,
over my life for the past five or six years. I’ve put make amazing stuff. It’s just the right amount of
vibe that I’m looking for, and it makes things
out records on Interscope and Ninja Tune. Music RAC: “It’s kind of been the only way I’ve ever sound worse but intentionally. Arguably better,
really, but the fidelity goes down intentionally –
is an emotional outlet for me.” worked, so it’s been super important. I did start it’s meant to make it sound retro.”
5. “Retro Color by XLN, which I’ve used on
in the box, I was doing a lot of VSTs and stuff, I’m literally everything. I use the tube distortion
emulation: I love adding that on vocals and
2 Do you have an overall musical or talking early 2001/2002, with early virtual distorting everything. It’s pretty prevalent on
production philosophy? my new album BOY.”
instruments and samplers and things like that.

RAC: “Generally speaking, I think the key to Maybe around 2005/2006, that’s when I got

longevity in this industry is being yourself and more into analogue synths and vintage synths

doing your own thing and being unique. If you in general. I bought my first Juno-60 for just

can do that and find an audience, then nobody $400 which is insane now. I also happened to

can touch you. It doesn’t matter what’s get it with the MIDI adapter, so I never had to

happening in the rest of the world or the rest of play anything, I just had to program it – it was

the music ecosystem, if you find that core awesome. I think I’ve used that synth on pretty

audience, they will love what you do forever, much every track in my entire career.”

and you’re just being yourself too. I find that to

be super important and that’s my ethos and 5 Tell us a little about the rest of the gear
in your studio
barometer, however you want to put it, that’s

how I judge everything I do. Does this make me RAC: “It’s a bit of a beast – I have a lot of

personally happy? Is this interesting to me? Is equipment. I have a whole Apollo System, so 2 7 How does a track typically start?
RAC: “It’s kind of all over the place. I have
this true to who I am? And usually, everything Apollo 16s, Apollo X8 and then a whole bunch of

else falls into place.” different preamps, anything from API, DVX, my studio completely wired up, everything is

Neve 1073s, to the TG2s from Chandler. I like to always plugged in, already set, already hooked

3 When and how did you discover collect preamps and vintage stuff. I have a up to a preamp. I never have to do anything; all I
computer music production?
Rhodes 54, a Wurlitzer, a Yamaha CP-70, and a have to do is turn it on and it should work.

RAC: “This was all pre-Youtube, pre-internet. I whole collection of guitar amps/amp heads, like Sometimes stuff happens, but for the most part,

was always comfortable with computers, and a Fender Deluxe reverb, Roland JC-120, Vox everything is ready to go so I’m free to jump

I’ve been tinkering with PCs and breaking them AC15, Fender Princeton. For drum machines, I around the studio and play whatever and then

since I was 10 or 11 years old. Naturally, music- have the Roland TR-808, Arturia DrumBrute whatever inspires, whatever gets the idea

making and computer music-making came and then a whole modular rig full of drum stuff going, that’s what I’ll use and I’ll start the song

hand in hand. I grew up in Portugal and they as well, plus a whole bunch of other toys. I have there. I’m using a linear writing method,

had this knock-off cereal that my parents got, a bunch of FM synths, and I also have a whole basically, so I’ll loop a section right apart and

and these cereal boxes would come with CDs. bunch of the new Roland boxes which I really move on to the next area and start to build a

One happened to come with a recording like, especially the Jupiter 8. I’d rather have a structure and then from there start adding

program which I think was called Hip Hop EJay little box than the giant $10,000 beasts, you detail if that makes sense.”

or something like that. It was a piece of software know? It’s a little more affordable and the trade-

I was playing around with; you could create offs in sound aren’t that big. The original Jupiter 8 Do you have any particular production
tricks that you employ?
loops, and it was limited to 120bpm. It would is amazing but I can get it close enough with

give you four beats or four clicks and it wouldn’t this thing.” RAC: “I sidechain everything, I use grouptracks

play the clicks so you had to internalise the and I use a template. It’s a very dialled-in

rhythm of it and so it forced me to create these 6 What are your favourite five plugins? template that I’ve been building for six or seven
RAC: “1. The UAD Galaxy Tape Space Echo
really short loops and really develop a sense of years and I think it’s the basis of my sound.

rhythm early on. It was helpful. Later on, I emulator. I love the Space Echo so having that in Again, it’s in the spirit of keeping things super

moved onto Cubase, and now I’ve been using plugin form is amazing. I actually use it more for quick, as everything’s always plugged in,

August 2020  /  COMPUTER MUSIC  /  93

> interview /  RAC

everything’s always routed. I already have a “The whole quarantine everybody’s files. Like getting Paul Epworth’s
channel ready for it in Ableton so as soon as I thing has brought up kick drum from Bloc Party’s Silent Alarm album,
open up Ableton, I already have a session ready the lack of real-time stuff like that, or getting some of the original
to go. I don’t have to create a new track, it’s collaboration options” Bob Marley stuff or U2 or New Order. I have had
already there, already ready to record. All I have access to some amazing studio sessions and I
to do is record and it’s there, it’s done. With that feel like that has been such a great learning
said, I have things grouped by type. Obviously, experience for me.”
synths are going to be in the same group, but
then I’ll have sub-groups within those, so I’ll 13 What about advice from working in the
have synths that are maybe more padd-y or music industry that you can pass on?
long notes that require more side tuning. I’ll
have a separate group for that. Or sometimes RAC: “This isn’t really advice coming from the
when I’m using more plucky synths, I’ll have a
group for that. And that’s already pre-mixed in a RAC: “The whole quarantine thing has brought industry, but I’d say don’t listen to the music
way, I already have my compression settings, all up the lack of real-time collaboration options.
the ridiculous amounts of plugins on everything You can’t even live stream with anybody industry! Ignore them. Generally speaking, be
all ready to go, with a lot of tape emulation and I without latency. Nobody’s really solved that yet.
just process everything. That’s not to mention That’s a tricky issue, I don’t claim to even know. I cautious about taking advice from industry
the processing coming on the way in, so often don’t mean to say it’s an easy problem solve –
I’ll add some compression, especially if I’m just something I’ve noticed. You can share people because they’re focused on the short
recording through the 1073, I’ll definitely use the session files but you can’t actually play in real
EQ to boost some of the highs. I have Shadow time together. But this is the golden age for term and you should really be focused on long
Hills Dual Vandergraph that I use for drums on analogue synthesis. For subtractive synthesis,
the way in. That thing is just a beautiful drum it’s amazing. Even in the plugin world, there are term. There are obviously people who definitely
compressor. So I’d say it’s just workflow stuff – almost too many options. ”
make it as fast as possible. I don’t want to be look at the long term, but generally speaking
dealing with MIDI routing when I have an idea.”
most people are very near-sighted. ”

14 Tell us about your latest release and
why people should get it...

RAC: “The new album BOY came out last month

and I’m super proud of it. I should say this about

11 You’ve been collaborating with a lot of every album of mine but I think this album is my
people for the album…
best work so far. I’m really excited about it. It

RAC: “There’s a lot – pretty much everything on feels like a bit of a departure – or maybe I mean

BOY is a collaboration, and that’s true for all of a natural progression. It’s about my childhood

9 What’s on your wishlist studio wise? my albums. This album is unique in that sense and I’ve worked with a lot of amazing artists, a
RAC: “I’ve always been on the lookout for
because a lot of the artists, except for one or lot of new people, and I’m really excited to get it

an ARP 2600, but then again I don’t really need two, are younger than me, so it was interesting out in the world. ”

synths, I have so many. In fact I have too many working with younger energy. [Younger] people

synths, which is blasphemy I know! The other are more willing to take risks and try different 15 Finally, what else have you got planned
for the near future?
one I have is the Korg MS10. I love that thing, I things and they aren’t afraid of failing, because

use it in everything. There’s always stuff I want, they’re not so established that they only ever do RAC: “We’re still waiting to see if the tour for the

I’ll go with the ARP 2600 as it’s sort of a classic, one thing.” album will happen. I’m probably going to

very unique synth. I’d also really love to check release an EP or something later this year,

out Deckard’s Dream. It looks amazing.” 12 What advice have you picked up from maybe early next year, I have a lot of material so
working in the studio?
I’m exploring that option.”

10 What would you like to see developed in RAC: “That’s a good question. I guess one of the
terms of studio technology and why?
benefits of doing remixes is that I get access to BOY is out now on Counter Records

94  /  COMPUTER MUSIC  /  August 2020

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