Computer_Music_-_April_2015.pdf

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DYNAMIC EQ

SPECTRUM MATCHING

SIDECHAIN EQ

LINEAR PHASE

PARALLEL EQ

April 2015 / CM215

40+TUTORIAL

VIDEOS

EXPERT TUTORIALS+28 ESSENTIAL REVIEWS

PRO SAMPLES

9002GB+ of heavenly

choirs, serene loops,chants and more

FREE PLUGIN!

STEREOISER PLUGINSIDEWIDENER

STEREOISEYOUR SOUNDS

HOW TO USEOHMICIDE

State-of-the-artEQ technique for

next-level mixesMODERN


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welcomeIf theres one thing thats remained constant over the last

half a decade or so of music technology advances, its

this: nothingcan improve the quality of the average mix

as much as equalisation, or EQ. What has changed,

though, are the EQ tools themselves. Old-school

analogue equalisers often had just a few easy-to-

understand knobs with carefully tuned parameter

ranges, making it straightforward to dial in a good

sound. Want more bass? Just crank up the low shelf

until it sounds right done! It was hard to go wrong.

By contrast, the current crop of ultramodern EQs giveyou ultimate control without restrictions, with such

advanced and technical-sounding features that they can

feel more like a piece of scientiic equipment than a

musical tool. The potential for transforming

your mixes has never been greater, then,

but to ensure apositivetransformation,

youll need a solid grounding in state-of-

the-art EQ functions. And thats what

you get in Modern EQ, starting on p34!

On another note, were very proud to

announce Ultimate Production Tips, an

incredible compendium of the very best

Computer Musictutorials. See our news

story on p24 for more info, and then

Lee du-CaineEditor

ENJOY THE ISSUE

Where to get

intro / computer music Exclusive full software

The latest addition to our ever-

expanding Plugins suite is

the result of a collaborationbetween two talented US-based

software developers: Joey Sturgis

Tones and Boz Digital Labs. Its a

pseudo-widening plugin that

generates stereo information from

a mono sound source, but unlike

some other wideners, any signal

widened by SideWidener maintains

its mono compatibility, so your mix

wont fall apart when played back

in mono. Whats more, you wont

ind this plugin anywhere else!

Boz Millar of Boz Digital Labs

has kindly explained the rationalebehind the plugin, and exactly

whats going on behind the scenes:

There are a couple of ways to

add pseudo stereo to a mono

sound source. All give you extra

side information, but the problem

is that when you sum to mono, you

get nasty comb iltering or tonal

changes so while it sounds good

in stereo, it may not in mono.

One method is to delay your

signal, lip the polarity on one

channel and blend it with the

original. Then, when you sum backto mono, the side channels

completely cancel each other out

you end up with the same mono

signal from before. The biggest

problem with this is a repetitive

comb iltering in the frequency

domain, making it sound too

mechanical. It can cause low

frequencies to get panned to the

same side, making it lopsided.

This plugin builds on the

second method by delaying and

inverting the polarity to create the

side channel, but it also adds someother ilters into the side channel

to break up the predictability of the

comb ilter. We put some all-pass

ilters in the side channel to

prevent certain notes and their

harmonics from being panned

completely to one side.

Check out Joey and Bozs other

excellent plugins at:

joeysturgistones.bigcartel.com

www.bozdigitallabs.com

MANUALHit ? to open the

plugins PDF manual

TONESet the widened signalsfrequency content - from allfrequencies (fully right) to onlymidrange frequencies (fully left)

MODESChoose betweenthe plugins three

widening modes

BYPASSPunch this button toturn the plugin off

GONIOMETERDisplays the signalsstereo width

JST & Boz Digital LabsSideWidener

LINKSClick to visit the Joey Sturgis

Tones, Boz Digital Labs orComputer Music websites

WIDTHIncrease the amount of widthby turning this clockwise

Get the plugin, the video and

the tutorial iles on PC/Mac atvault.computermusic.co.uk

DOWNLOAD

OUTPUTSet the plugins outputlevel with this knob

10 / COMPUTER MUSIC / April 2015

> download / jst & boz digital labs sidewidener
http://joeysturgistones.bigcartel.com/http://www.bozdigitallabs.com/http://www.bozdigitallabs.com/http://joeysturgistones.bigcartel.com/


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> Step by step Getting started with SideWidener

SideWidener is installed in a similar

way to most software plugins: locate

the PC or Mac installer (downloadable

from vault.computermusic.co.ukor

found on the DVD with the print edition),

double-click it, and follow the installation

instructions that appear.

1Once SideWidener is installed,

set up a fresh project in any capable

DAW, then import the audio ile

Marimba - Mono.wav a mono sound

source from the Tutorial Filesfolder

onto a stereo audio track, then get it

looping. Open up a fresh instance of

SideWidener on the channel and hit p lay.

2Begin by pulling the Widthknob fully

anticlockwise, turning of the plugins

efect double-click a parameter to enter

a value numerically with your computer

keyboard. On the plugins central display,

youll see the signals stereo image plotted

as a blue line (or blob). A vertical line like

this denotes mono information, andhorizontal presence represents

stereo information.

3

At SideWideners core is a pseudo-

widening efect. Under the hood, the

plugin applies a short delay to the input

signal, lips the polarity of one channel,

applies comb iltering and all-pass

iltering, then blends this delayed efect

with the original dry signal. Phew! Turn

the Widthknob clockwise to hear this

efect, and notice how it widens our

mono sound.

4Some widening plugins or techniques

can cause phasing artifacts or mono

incompatibilities when a mix is summed

to mono, but the extra stereo information

added by SideWidener will simply cancel

out in mono. Here were using Voxengos

free MSED tool to monitor the signal in

mono as you can hear, there are no

artifacts. This means the plugin isnt

messing up the mono compatibility of a

mix when you add it to your tracks or bus.

5Widening bass frequencies or high-

frequency sibilance in a vocal can

cause mix problems, but the Toneknob

can be used to restrict the frequency

content of the efected signal. When it s

fully clockwise, the widened signal

contains all frequencies. Turning it right

down (anticlockwise) reduces bass and

treble in the widened signal, leaving only

midrange stereo information.

6

The three modes, switchable with the

toggle buttons in the centre, each

have diferent ilter settings and comb

ilters try them out to hear their efect .Mode 1 has just a single comb ilter, its all-

pass ilters ofsetting the predictability of

the comb iltering. This is the most subtle

stereo efect, and it has the tightest time

domain response, making it a good choice

for transient-heavy sounds such as drums.

7Mode 2has two comb ilters for more

complex iltering and increased

widening, but can cause some smearing in

the time domain, so should be used moresubtly on percussive elements. Mode 3

uses four comb ilters for maximum

widening (and consistent widening across

the frequency domain), but creates even

more time-domain smearing than Mode 2.

8Because the widening process is

additive, it increases the overall level

of the channel, so the Outputknob can be

used to turn down the output gain tocompensate. The Bypassbutton turns of

the plugin useful for A/B comparison. Hit

the ?icon at the plugins top-left to open

the PDF manual, and access the

developers websites (and the site) via

the logos at the bottom.

9

TUTORIAL

FILES

April 2015 / COMPUTER MUSIC / 11

jst & boz digital labs sidewidener/download


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If youre an avid follower of world events, it

may seem that the planet is on a downward

spiral, with doomsday edging ever closer with

each tick of the clock. But like a stone on a

riverbed, we at are content to let the

troubles of life low around us, sailing through

our latest magazine deadline in a sort of serenestupor. Whats buoyed our spirits and calmed

our nerves so? It could only be one thing: the

divine, soul-soothing sonic salvation that is our

latest sample pack!

Rejoice at the concentration-focussing tones

of bells and cymbals, lift up your spirits with

organ and choir samples, and send listeners into

a contemplative trance with multisampled

throat singing, all gathered together in pristine

quality by devout audio monks Oliver and

Robert of Groove Criminal.

Groove CriminalsIn an efort to ensure good vibrations of both

the spiritual and acoustic variety throughouteach and every studio session, Oli Bell had his

studio constructed where two ley lines cross.

While the atmosphere is great, hes constantly

interrupted by New Age pilgrims whove

mistaken his setup for a neolithic shed.

The pedal harmonium we used is roughly a

hundred years old and was originally used in a

Subject your ears to a divine experience with

over 900 exclusive samples in WAV format

Samples

Spiritual SoundsGet this exclusive sample

pack on your PC/Mac atvault.computermusic.co.uk

DOWNLOAD

HAVING PROBLEMS?

If you experience any problems using your DVD,irst visitwww.futureplc.com/disc-support , where most

common problems and solutions are listed. Alternatively,you can email [email protected] , making sure

to include the magazine name and issue number, along with

a description of the fault, or else telephone our disc support

team on (+44) (0) 1225 822 743.

small chapel in East Anglia. A few of the keys

dont work properly, but as ever, all the faults

just add to its overall character.

The prayer bowls were a mixture of samples

and me whacking a few diferent steel mixing

bowls they get a surprising amount of use in

the studio. All the organ sounds were made witheither a hardware/software mixture or were

based around our 1968 Hammond valve

drawbar spinnet organ. The synths, choirs and

atmospheres were again a mixture of both

hardware (some older rack modules like the

EMU Classic Keys have some great Mellotron

patches) and software, all heavily processed.

Become one with Oli: @GrooveCriminals.

CyclickRobbie Stamp found his inner peace at a

remarkably young age. After discovering it,

he spent many hours of his life locked up alone

in his room.

This sample collection has taken a spiritual

turn with a collection of church organs and

choirs, Eastern percussion and a chunk of throat

singing or at least an approximation thereof.

There are three organs: two church pipetypes and one drawbar which smacks of the

Bible Belt (can I get a Hallelujah?). Along with

two choir sounds (Oh and Ah), these

instruments are used to create a set of eight

chords across ive keys that should stir up some

inspirational/congregational feelings. The three

organs are also included as multisampled

instruments with SFZ patches for Alchemy

Player CM or any other compatible sampler.

The temple cymbals, temple bell and ankle

bells are all from India, though recorded here in

the cooler climes of Bristol. These are presented

in raw form as well as treated with diferent

ambiences and pitchings.

Last but by no means least, we have the

throat singing a la Tibetan monks. After failingto ind any monks roaming the streets, I spent

some time humming and gurgling into a mic,

then, with the magic of digital signal processing,

produced six diferent tonal one-octave

instruments as well as a simple set of massed

voice one-shots (24 channels stacked up and

processed with reverb, EQ, compression, etc).

All the multisamples have their sustain loops

embedded in the WAV ile so theyll sustain until

release in Alchemy and other samplers.

Providing he hasnt disappeared into the

ether, ind Robbie on Twitter: @CyclickBob.

Ommmmmmm Get

all these royalty-free

samples on your DVD

or in our online Vault

There are three

organs: two church

pipe types and

one drawbar


> download / samples

Including:

59 bell and cymbal sounds

14 throat-sung notes200 organ and choir chords

9 spiritual atmospheres

64 miscellaneous percussion

16 pedal harmonium rifs and chords

25prayer bowls

900 EXCLUSIVE SAMPLES
http://twitter.com/groovecriminalshttp://twitter.com/cyclickbobhttp://twitter.com/cyclickbobhttp://twitter.com/cyclickbobhttp://twitter.com/groovecriminals


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Our exclusive collectionof instruments andeffects is included withevery issue of ComputerMusic its all you need tomake great music now!

The Plugins collection

is a suite of complete,

limitation-free instrument and

efects plugins. Its an

incredible resource, boasting40+ pro-quality plugins that

you wont ind anywhere else,

all for PC and Mac, in VST and

AU formats. All of the included

software is created exclusively

for us by respected

commercial developers such

as LinPlug, Ohm Force, KV331

Audio, u-he, Cableguys, Rob

Papen, eaReckon, Vengeance

Sound, and Synapse Audio.

FREQUENTLY

ASKEDQUESTIONS

What is Plugins? Is it

just freeware?

No, and neither are the

plugins limited or crippled.

Its a set of virtual instruments

and efects created by some

of the best developers in the

business just for us you

wont ind this set of plugins

anywhere else!

Where do I get Plugins?

As a download from our Vault

(see p5for instructions on

how to access) or on the DVD

that comes with the print

edition of the magazine.

How do I install Plugins?

Youll ind installation

instructions for each plugin in

the How To Installile in the

CM Pluginsfolder.

What do I need to use them?

A PC or Mac and a music

program (aka DAW) to host

them (ie, plug in to). You need

a DAW that can host VST or

AU plugins, such as Ableton

Live, Reaper, FL Studio (PC),

Cubase, Sonar (PC), Logic

(Mac) or Garageband (Mac).

What happened to!

As of 209, many

Plugins have been upgraded

to include 64-bit compatibility.

The few older Plugins that

remain 32-bit-only such asAmpliikation CM, Rhino CM

and KRDelay/KRReverb are

now included in the 32-bit

onlysubfolders. These

plugins require either a 32-bit

host or a suitable bit bridge

(eg, jBridge) for use within a

64-bit DAW.

Still got questions?

See the full FAQ at

bit.ly/cmpluginsfaq

>download / plugins


HYBRIDSYNTHS(continued)

KV331 Audio SynthMaster CM Dual wavescanning oscillators Multimode ilter and built-in efects Customisable waveshaping distortion FM/AM synthesis modes Extensive modulation capabilities Based on SynthMaster 2.5 AU/VST, 32-/64-bitwww.kv331audio.com

Enzyme CM Scanned synthesis sound generation Straightforward preset-based setup Assign presets parameters to controls Based on the full Enzyme synth AU/VST, 32-/64-bitwww.humanoidsoundsystems.com

HYBRIDSYNTHS

Cableguys Curve 2.5 CM NEW ilter modes + more for v2.5! Design-your-own waveforms synth Phat 16-voice Unison mode Based on Cableguys Curve 2.5 AU/VST/RTAS, 32-/64-bitwww.cableguys.de

Synapse Audio Dune CM VA and wavetable oscillators Powerful per-voice modulation 12-slot modulation matrix Based on the full version of Dune AU/VST, 32-/64-bitwww.synapse-audio.com

u-he Zebra CM Blendable oscillator waveforms Super-programmable step LFOs Slick delay, reverb and chorus/phaser Original synth designed just for CM AU/VST, 32-/64-bitwww.u-he.com

INSTRUMENTS

PLUGINS

NOW

64-BIT

NOW

64-BIT

v2.5UPDATE
http://bit.ly/cmpluginsfaqhttp://www.kv331audio.com/http://www.humanoidsoundsystems.com/http://www.cableguys.de/http://www.synapse-audio.com/http://www.u-he.com/http://www.u-he.com/http://www.synapse-audio.com/http://www.cableguys.de/http://www.humanoidsoundsystems.com/http://www.kv331audio.com/http://bit.ly/cmpluginsfaq


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> download / plugins

EQ/FILTERS (continued)

OverTone DSP Program EQ CM Pultec-style vintage EQ emulation Dual low-frequency boost/attenuatecontrols; high-mid boost; high shelf cut

Tube ampliier circuit-only option AU/VST, 32-/64-bitwww.overtonedsp.co.uk

AudioThing ValveFilter CM Gorgeous iltering and drive Low-pass ilter circuit emulation Vintage valve saturation section Based on Valve Filter VF1

Settings randomiser and metering AU/VST, 32-/64-bitwww.audiothing.net

ANALYSIS

Blue Cat Audio FreqAnalyst CM Pro-quality, feature-packed analyser

Numerous customisation options Based on Blue Cat s full FreqAnalyst AU/VST, 32-/64-bit RTAS 32-bitwww.bluecataudio.com

Photosounder Spiral CM Musical, note-based spectral analysis Useful for iguring out notes in audio Based on the full Spiral plugin AU/VST/AAX, 32-/64-bitwww.photosounder.com

EQ/FILTERS

DDMF CM EQ Pack Two superb equalisers IIEQ Pro CM: 19 ilter types LP10 CM: Linear phase mastering EQ Based on commercial DDMF plugins AU/VST, 32-/64-bitwww.ddmf.eu

eaReackon CM-EQUA 87 Smooth three-band EQ Adjustable low-cut ilter Switchable high/low shelves Analyser, EQ tips, limiter and more Based on eaReckons PREQUA 87 AU/VST, 32-/64-bitwww.eareckon.com

Vengeance Sound Philta CM Dual high- and low-pass ilter Four slope settings: 12/24/48/96dB Resonance and width controls Link function and notch mode Based on Vengeances Philta XL AU/VST, 32-/64-bitwww.vengeance-sound.com

Ohm Force Ohmygod! Resonant comb ilter Distortion section LFO with sync Output ilter AU/VST/RTAS, 32-/64-bitwww.ohmforce.com

DYNAMICS

ToneBoosters Barricade CM Intelligent, mastering-grade limiter Dynamic response controls Stereo options and versatile metering Based on the full Barricade AU/VST, 32-/64-bitwww.toneboosters.com

SKnote Snap Boost or tame transient brightness Brighten or dull a sounds sustain Uses two intelligently linked ilters Not based on any existing plugin AU/VST, 32-/64-bitwww.sknote.it

eaReckon CM-COMP 87 Slick, punchy compressor Mix knob for parallel compression Limiter to keep the output in check Clear VU- and LED-style metering Based on eaReckons SDCOMP 87 AU/VST, 32-/64-bitwww.eareckon.com

LVC-Audio Transector CM Transient tweaking and saturation Deine and process envelope stages Useful metering/display functions Mix control for parallel processing AU/VST, 32-/64-bitwww.lvcaudio.com

EFFECTSPLUGINS

DYNAMICS (continued)

Unfiltered Audio G8 CM

Get tight dynamics or creative efects Includes advanced gating controls Real-time waveform display Use MIDI as a trigger or output AU/VST, 32-/64-bitwww.unilteredaudio.com

HoRNet Fat-FET

FET-style compressor Similar to classic 1176LN Peak Limiter Ultra-fast attack as low as 0.02ms. Based on HoRNet MultiComp AU/VST, 32-/64-bitwww.hornetplugins.com

HoRNet DrumShaper

Instant EQ & compression for drums Dial in efect amount and in/out gain 7 algorithms for kick, snare, loops , etc Based on HoRNet TrackShaper AU/VST, 32-/64-bitwww.hornetplugins.com

NOW

64-BIT

NOW

64-BIT
http://www.overtonedsp.co.uk/http://www.audiothing.net/http://www.bluecataudio.com/http://www.photosounder.com/http://www.ddmf.eu/http://www.eareckon.com/http://www.eareckon.com/http://www.vengeance-sound.com/http://www.ohmforce.com/http://www.toneboosters.com/http://www.sknote.it/http://www.eareckon.com/http://www.lvcaudio.com/http://www.unfilteredaudio.com/http://www.hornetplugins.com/http://www.hornetplugins.com/http://www.hornetplugins.com/http://www.hornetplugins.com/http://www.unfilteredaudio.com/http://www.lvcaudio.com/http://www.eareckon.com/http://www.sknote.it/http://www.toneboosters.com/http://www.ohmforce.com/http://www.vengeance-sound.com/http://www.eareckon.com/http://www.ddmf.eu/http://www.photosounder.com/http://www.bluecataudio.com/http://www.audiothing.net/http://www.overtonedsp.co.uk/


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Get all of these efects on your

PC or Mac right now atvault.computermusic.co.uk

DOWNLOAD


plugins/download

news

Omnisphere 2 will debut on studio screens at the end of April
http://bit.ly/MRatNAMMhttp://bit.ly/MRatNAMMhttp://bit.ly/Audiofusehttp://bit.ly/beatstepprohttp://www.arturia.com/http://bit.ly/omnisphere2http://bit.ly/omnisphere2http://www.arturia.com/http://bit.ly/beatstepprohttp://bit.ly/Audiofusehttp://bit.ly/MRatNAMM


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news

news
http://bit.ly/logicfirstlookhttp://bit.ly/logicprox10point1http://bit.ly/slatesubscriptionhttp://bit.ly/slatesubscriptionhttp://bit.ly/protools12http://bit.ly/2Ckaleidoscopehttp://bit.ly/ApolloExphttp://bit.ly/nektarlx88http://bit.ly/nektarlx88http://bit.ly/waldorfpluginshttp://bit.ly/SpectraLayershttp://bit.ly/irigandroidhttp://bit.ly/irigandroidhttp://bit.ly/SpectraLayershttp://bit.ly/waldorfpluginshttp://bit.ly/nektarlx88http://bit.ly/ApolloExphttp://bit.ly/2Ckaleidoscopehttp://bit.ly/protools12http://bit.ly/slatesubscriptionhttp://bit.ly/logicprox10point1http://bit.ly/logicfirstlook


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news

The Linnstrument is a veritable explosion of pads 200, to be precise, plus other controls!

Roger Linn LinnStrumentIts been a while since we checked in on

the progress of the LinnStrument, the

next-gen controller that music technology

legend Roger Linn originally unveiled inprototype form in 2010. The good news is

that the iconic developer has now posted a

preview of what appears to be the inished

product on his website.As planned, the LinnStrument can

capture data generated by the movement

of your ingers in three dimensions, giving

you close control of note expression, pitch

and timbre. In other words, the multitouch

surface can read pressure and both left/right and forward/backward movements.

Check out what happened when

we got up close and personal with the

LinnStrument demonstration at NAMM, and

get some more of our thoughts with ourhands-on feature at bit.ly/nammlinn.

MORE INFObit.ly/linnstrument

Following the successful Back In Time 2013

chip music fest in Manchester, an upcoming

Kickstarter project hopes to raise interest

(and money, naturally) for an all-new C64,

SID-inspired live event hosted by the likes ofgame composing legend Ben Daglish. Back

In Time Live 2015 Brighton is scheduled to

take place on 20th June, and you can help

make it happen and get involved at the

same time. Pledge rewards range from the

obligatory t-shirts all the way to being

introduced on-stage at the event and

picking your own music to be performed.

Head over to backintimelive.comfor more

details and links to the Kickstarter, which

should be live by the time you read this.Were also champing at the bit about the

newly released Raspberry Pi 2, which should

provide a great platform for trackers, being

six times more powerful than the previous PiModel B+. More on that soon.

DEMO OF THE MONTH

Computer Graphics Demonstration Tape

by Hackers

The Payback demoparty in a wintry Helsinki

produced a fair few gems, but the demo that

most caught our eye was the VHS-inspired

Computer Graphics Demonstration Tape.

Like an episode of the historical US tech

show The Computer Chronicles, 80s design

sensibilities and references abound,complete with bulletin board phone

numbers, bad hair, big glasses and, of

course, plenty of raytraced balls and

checked loors, a mainstay of 80s computer

art. Hackers could have gone a step further

and gone for the more authentic 4:3 aspect,

but the pleasingly detuned synthpopsoundtrack more than makes up for any

visual shortcomings. bit.ly/1735Pos.

Theres movement onthe tracker scene, and atasty new piece of Pi

Pledge rewards range fromthe obligatory t-shirts all the

way to being introduced

on-stage at the event

Hackers stopped the show at Payback in Helsinki

Trackers &

Demoscene

PSP Audioware LotaryThe latest from Polish plugin legends PSP isan emulation of a classic Leslie rotary

speaker, giving a huge amount of control

over the sound compared to the hardware.

The original Leslie rotary speakershoisted a spinning horn tweeter and a

downward-facing woofer inside a wooden

drum rotating the other way. The efect was

a cool, swimming modulation that was

often paired up with a Hammond organ to

legendary efect.

PSPs version ofers separate controls for

Horn and Drum movement (Slow/Fast,

Inertia, Distance, Cut-of and Gain), as well as

tweakables such as Amp Input, Type and

Drive, Ambience, Basic EQing and more. Its

based on Leslie models 122 and 147.The plugin is available for $99 and as

part of the PSP EfectPack for $499. You can

get more info and buy it from the PSP

Audioware website.

MORE INFObit.ly/PSPlotary

Lindell 254EModelling the 2254 compressor/limiter that

was built for ABC TV in 1968, Lindells plugin

aims to bring analogue character to your

dynamics processing. 47 years later, we are

now introducing a faithful plugin of this

beautiful vintage diode bridge compressor/

limiter, they say.

Youll get Threshold and Ratio controls,

and separate Compress and Limit programs,

each switchable between slow and fast

settings, with a choice of recovery (release)

options including an auto option. Dry/wet

mix and sidechaining are also onboard, sothe vintage stylings of the 245E should ind

a place in most modern settings. Makeup

gain is set between 0 and 20.

Metering isnt exactly comprehensive

more of a use your ears approach,

presumably but you can monitor levels oninput, output or control.

Its coming soon, in VST/AU/AAX/RTAS

formats, and will cost $125.

MORE INFOlindellplugins.com

http://bit.ly/linnstrumenthttp://bit.ly/linnstrumenthttp://www.backintimelive.com/http://bit.ly/1735Poshttp://bit.ly/PSPlotaryhttp://www.lindellplugins.com/http://www.lindellplugins.com/http://bit.ly/PSPlotaryhttp://bit.ly/1735Poshttp://www.backintimelive.com/http://bit.ly/linnstrument


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How did you get started? Tell us about

the Spectrasonics background and history.

EP Before Spectrasonics, I was chief sound

designer for Roland, so I did all of Rolands

synths and did all the sound design, and

made the hoover sound. Spectrasonics just

celebrated our 20th anniversary, so this is

now our 21st year. At the NAMM Show in 1995,

we irst introduced Distorted Reality.

What new creative features are on

ofer in the new version of Omnisphere?

EP The creative part is being able to load

your own audio in, and use it as a waveform

and then the granular stuf you can do in

Omnisphere, and the efects, and the

waveshaping to turn your audio into new

sounds that are completely your own. I think

that will help people understand that Omnisphere really is a creative tool,

not just a library of sounds.

It seems that Omnisphere 2s browser caters for everyone, from

those whojustwant to make their own sounds, right up to those who

want full-on advanced patch searching. Can you tell us a little more?

EP

If you want to use your own sounds, and you dont like the idea of allthese factory presets, you can have Omnisphere start up and it wont see

the factory sounds, only your own sounds.

For the people that dont program their own sounds, the Mini Browser

is always right there, and you can see the interface at the same time.

On the full browser, youve got the Sound Match feature. Well, we have

it on Netlix and Amazon its practically how the internet works but this is

the irst synthesiser to have it. It analyses a whole bunch of factors about

the sound: how the sound was created, what kinds of sound sources were

used so now you can ind sounds by mood.

What was your biggest challenge in creating Omnisphere 2?

EP I wouldnt say that Omnisphere 2 was particularly challenging,

especially compared to Omnisphere 1. Building our own engine from the

ground up is a lot of work. Once you have the engine, and its really solid

and working, the hardest part is

done. The main challenge is time all good things take time.

Where do you see

the future of software and

technology going?

EP Were at kind of a plateau right

now, as theres been such an emphasis in the last ive to seven years on

mobile technology, but were going to see [real computer advancements]

again, and when that comes, there are many things wed like to do that we

currently cant because of CPU requirements.

For us, sound quality is everything, so if getting it eicient changes the

sound, wed rather have it take a little more CPU.

Whats next for Spectrasonics?

EP Were super excited to have a lot of things in the works. Weve

got things in the works for Trilian, and also RMX we havent forgotten

about rhythm! So theres a long future for all the things we do. And

therell be new instruments too not just the three weve done, but

new ones.

READ THE FULLLENGTH INTERVIEWbit.ly/Persinginterview

The main challengeis time all good

things take time

Eric Persing

We caught up with the Spectrasonics main man

at NAMM to ind out more about Omnisphere 2

Spectrasonics

Get with theprogrammers

Ultimate Production Tips:The very best ofYou can call it a greatest hits if you like! Yes,

the collective brains of have just released

a special edition containing our inest

articles from the past two years.Weve debated and argued long and

hard to compile our best features,

covering the broadest spectrum of

topics. We get you grounded with 200

essential tips, take on making bass,

beats, leads and more, grapple with

sound design and slather the lot in

lashings of lovely reverb and delay.

And before we inish, theres massive

features on mix secrets and the very

modern guide to todays mastering.

Its a production masterclass monster!

And every tutorial comes complete with video

to show you the techniques in practice. Its out

now in all good newsagents, Apple Newsstand

or viamyfavouritemagazines.co.uk.

MORE INFObit.ly/CMUltimateTips

HoRNet BSharryA nifty Windows-only standalone utility from

one of our favourite independent developers,

this one is built on the technology

behind HoRNets SongKey plugin.

Bsharry is a key-detector that

analyses MP3 material to

determine its key before inserting

the relevant ID3 tags into the iles

metadata. You can perform the

process on single iles or do batch processing

on an entire folder, if you need to tag a ton ofiles in a hurry.

The intention, of course, is for DJs to

pre-analyse their fodder to allow easy

selection of tracks to cue up in related keys

wed be interested, in that case, to see this

software upgraded to serve formats other

than MP3, but for the low, low price of 20,

itd be churlish of us to complain. Get a hold

of BSharry at HoRNets site.

MORE INFOwww.hornetplugins.com

HOFA IQ-Analyser V2Analysis tools are standard equipment forany self-respecting modern producer, and

theres keen competition between developers

to create the ultimate tool. HOFAPlugins

latest candidate is an upgrade of

their IQAnalyser plugin to version 2.

New in IQAnalyser V2 are a

higher possible analysis resolution,

increased low-frequency precision,

analysis of multiple signals

simultaneously, continuous zoom,

and mid/side operation.

Version 1s ability to call up reference

curves is now boosted, with double the

number of curves for diferent musical styles

now available, and you can now adjust the

slope so that itll display a lat frequency

curve for either white or pink noise.

Its available as a VST/AU/AAX/RTAS

plugin, from HOFAs website, and itll set

you back 130.

MORE INFOhofa-plugins.de


>

news
http://bit.ly/Persinginterviewhttp://bit.ly/Persinginterviewhttp://bit.ly/Persinginterviewhttp://www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/http://www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/http://www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/http://bit.ly/CMUltimateTipshttp://www.hornetplugins.com/http://hofa-plugins.de/http://hofa-plugins.de/http://www.hornetplugins.com/http://bit.ly/CMUltimateTipshttp://www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/http://bit.ly/Persinginterview


25/116

news

news


The newest full version of Avids

lagship DAW may end up with more

attention from producers, but Pro Tools 12

isnt the only good news from the stalwart

developers. Indeed, the recent NAMM Show

saw the announcement of Pro Tools First, a

freely downloadable version of Pro Tools

aimed at beginners or those who might

want to give the software a try. Some

details are still forthcoming, but what we

know is that Pro Tools First is a cloud-based

DAW in which your projects will be stored

and retrieved using the Avid MediaCentralPlatform. Youll be able to log on and work

on your projects from any Mac or PC on

which Pro Tools First

is installed. Pro Tools

First provides

multitrack recording,

MIDI sequencing,

instruments and

efects, and Pro Tools

First bundles will be

available (at a cost) at

the Avid Marketplace,

giving users more

irepower in terms of plugins, etc.

Is there a catch? Well, sure. By way ofintroduction, Pro Tools First will allow you

to work on and store three Pro Tools First

The latest version of the

cross-platform Radium

combines familiar

tracker worklow with

graphical representation

of musical data in

addition to the usual spreadsheet-esque view.

Radium supports VST/LADSPA plugins andcomes bundled with a number of instruments

and efects. Radium is free as in speech, with a

subscription plan that removes the limitations

of the demo binaries. However, the source code

for the full version is freely available.

bit.ly/Radium3

Radium Audio

Radium 3.0Wavetable synthesis is all

the rage of late, with

multiple releases inspired

by classic PPG and Waldorf

instruments. Eclipsis brings

powerful wavetable

synthesis and a slick, intuitive interface to

Windows users. Billed as a means to createspooky sounds thanks to a wide range of

modulation options, it is an ideal source of

atmospheres and FX, but it can do more

traditional wavetable stuf, too. The sound is

nothing short of brilliant. Go get it.

www.vstzone.sk

VST Zone

EclipsisThe cassette Portastudio

GUI won us over right from

the start. Voicemeeter

Banana is a mixer for

Windows audio that allows

the user to connect any

audio source(s) with any audio application (s).

ASIO audio, USB audio, iTunes or DVD audio theyre all game. There are eight channels,

parametric EQ and the integrated tape deck for

recording and playing your mixes. Its free to

download and use, but being donationware, wed

encourage you to donate if you ind it useful.

bit.ly/VMbanana

VB Audio

Voicemeeter Banana

projects for free. Youll have to pay to store

more. Still, it seems a good way to get

started with the DAW used by many a bigstudio. It should be out this quarter.

www.avid.com

Vivaldi MX was one of the irst and best

freely available FM synths, with a powerful

and lexible yet simple architecture ideal for

creating those crispy, crystalline FM sounds

we all know and love. You get a quartet of

two-operator oscillators for up to eight

oscillators per note. A tabbed interface gets

you to oscillator, envelope and LFO pages

along with various part and global

functions. Horizontal sliders give the

instrument a unique look and feel, but the

sounds it can make are oh-so-familiar:

tinkling electric pianos, snappy marimbas

and biting basses in other words, all youd

need from an FM instrument.

bit.ly/VivaldiMX

CLASSIC FREE SOFTWARE

SK VIVALDI MX
http://bit.ly/Radium3http://www.vstzone.sk/http://bit.ly/VMbananahttp://www.avid.com/http://bit.ly/VivaldiMXhttp://bit.ly/VivaldiMXhttp://www.avid.com/http://bit.ly/VMbananahttp://www.vstzone.sk/http://bit.ly/Radium3


27/116

ABLETON LIVE

Lets start with the core of my studio.

Ableton is a monster! The basic DAW is

really all you need; any third-party plugins

are a cherry on top. When using its native

plugins, you can really go deep without

taking too much CPU power.

PAULS EXTREME SOUND STRETCH

This has always been a weapon for me: a

timestretcher that can stretch a one-minute

clip into two hours of harmonic bliss if you

want it to. Great for creating weird transition

noises and stuf you dont usually hear.

VAZ MODULAR

This standalone soft synth is PC-based

while the rest of my gear is on OS X, so I

have it running of a PC which I sync via MIDI

to Ableton on my Mac. This thing creates

some of the craziest noises Ive ever heard,

and I know hardly anyone that uses it so its

great for making a distinctive synth sound.

WAVES L3 MULTIMAXIMIZER

I work with this compressor on my

master, so this is what glues my tracks

together. Although its not recommended

to do so, Ive completely disregarded this

advice, and I just stick it on everything while

Im recording.

D16 GROUP LUSH101

The name says it all: lush! This synth has

everything, from harsh square wave

distortion to some of the lushest pads Ive

heard. The only downfall is that its a CPU

hog, so be prepared to stay limited to this

plugin only while youre working.

Danny DazeVersatility is key when your sound is rooted in genresas wide-ranging as techno, disco and Miami bass

Danny DazeFourcollaboration is out now on Omnidiscwww.soundcloud.com/dannydaze

Whats on your

hard drive?

You can really go

deep without taking

too much CPU power

ISSUE 215 APRIL 2015

Future Publishing Ltd.

Quay House, The Ambu ry, Bath, BA1 1UA

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Editor: Lee du-Caine, lee [email protected]

Art Editor:Mark White, [email protected]

Features Editor:Joe Rossitter, [email protected]

Production Editor: James Russell, [email protected]

CONTRIBUTORS

Tim Cant, Scot Solida, Dave Clews, Danny Scott, Leon B ailey

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Caity Foster, Ben Rogerson, Paul Bondy, Owen Palmer, Alex Williams

Photography: iStockphoto, Shutterstock

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All contents copyright 2015 Future Publishing Limited or published under licence. All rights

reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, stored, transmitted or used in any way

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Registered office: Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BA1 1UA. All information

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http://www.soundcloud.com/dannydazehttp://www.soundcloud.com/dannydaze


28/116

After inishing plenty of music last year, I

seem to have struggled through my irst

few studio sessions of 2015 despite a

forthcoming gig at Fabric and a move to a

new studio. Limp rhythms, lifeless melodies

and lacklustre eight-bar loops on my hard

drive signify the return of an aliction that

rears its ugly head every once in a while. Ever

found yourself screaming at your DAW,

searching for the missing piece of a musical

puzzle that doesnt even exist yet? Like me,youve sufered from the curse of writers

block. Its ironic that a computer-based studio

setup housing endless sound-creating

possibilities can lead to such dead ends and

frustration, so Ive made it my mission to

properly diagnose and treat my condition

by researching traditional remedies.

Writers block is really just an ominous, one-

size-its-all term given to any obstacle that blocks

our creativity but it can strike in many forms.

The most obvious example is blank screen

syndrome: you cant seem to begin a musical

idea worthy of developing, no matter how many

new sounds you audition. Then theres my

aliction, loop mode: youll lay down eight or 16bars of a track idea, but struggle to develop this

into a fully-ledged arrangement. The more you

loop the initial idea, the more you tire of it, and

the inspiration is lost. Other creative blocks

include an overlow of ideas, whereby your

projects are so busy and full that your music

lacks direction and simplicity; a lack of originality;

the many distractions that tempt us away from

our DAW, including gear shopping and the

Internet; an unhealthy addiction to tutorials...

The list goes on, and Ive experienced them all.

Look inwardsWhy do we meet these creative roadblocks?

How can we write a terrible piece of music one

day and a hit the next? Provided you have all the

musical experience, sound sources and tools you

need (which you likely do), it might be worth

looking at your inner self for answers. Im not

suggesting far-out meditation techniques, but

that you simply try to recognise and understand

the mindset youre in while producing. Ive been

placing a high level of expectation on my studiosessions, desperately wanting to inish new

music for the biggest DJ gig of my life so far. Self-

imposed pressure to succeed afects my ability

to compose freely, causing me to doubt myself

and my creative choices. Ego, pressure, ambition,

perfectionism, tiredness and stress all sap good

ideas, too. Creativity lows from the subconscious,

so clear a path for it by detaching yourself from

an outcome and painting freely. Making music is

supposed to be fun, remember!

Inspiration trainingGiven enough time, its thought that an inspiring

idea will eventually materialise out of thin air and

strike us like lightning. While itis

possible, timerestrictions and deadlines mean you cant always

aford to wait around for the apple to fall on your

head. Luckily, creativity is a muscle that can be

exercised I like to train it with sessions of musical

brainstorming. Just as a writer will release ideas

by jotting thoughts onto a notepad, I use a blank

DAW to do the same: I doodle, play around with

plugins, sequence patterns and try odd new ways

of working all with absolute detachment from

any outcome. Also, instead of waiting around for

a moment of genius, remember that the

generation of great ideas is a numbers

game, and even the greats need to rattle

through several poor eforts before

they strike musical gold. By recognising

my own state when stuck, Ive poweredthrough my latest projects, using

the experience to inspire a new batch

of tunes.

s Features

Editor is a

seasoned expert

in all aspects of

track creation,

from worklow

management

and kickstarting

creativity on

through to

advanced sound design, mixing and

mastering. When Joes not putting his

considerable skills to good use crafting

tutorials for , hes hard at work with

DnB trio Chromatic, producing, playing

out and polishing up tunes for such key

labels as Playaz and Innerground.

www.facebook.com/chromaticuk

Joe Rossitter

Busting writers block

If youre like me, youll have a tendency to

shut yourself away for long studio sessions.

I dedicate large chunks of time to the

various facets of electronic music

production, but Ive identiied a pattern:

the longer I spend shut in front of the

computer, thelessmusic I actually inish.

Perhaps its the subconsciouss way of

telling us that we need to get out of the

studio and ind inspiration in the real world.

A DAW screen doesnt provide much in the

way of life-enriching experiences, so its

always worth stimulating your creativity

through new locations, adventures or

activities. DJing or performing helps, as it

gives you insight into what works (and what

doesnt!) on a danceloor. Travelling or

even a quiet walk around the block shifts

your mindset away from iddly automation

or EQ, helping your mind absorb the big

picture concepts that really matter.

This January, I swapped the studio tan for

a real one to visit the NAMM Show over in

Anaheim a perfect opportunity to soak up

musical inspiration by trying out new

synths, drum machines, controllers and

plugins, or so I thought. In fact, it turned out

to be a less musically-inspiring experience

than I expected after an intense week of

talking, tweaking and writing, Ive arrived

back in the UK with tired ears, incurable

gear lust and overwhelming jetlag! Back to

the studio, then...

Experience needed

Remember that the

generation of great ideasis a numbers game

creativeconcepts

Jetlag, gearlust and tired

ears were the main

takeaways of Joes trip to

the 2015 NAMM show


Lack of inspiration? Leave your ego outside thestudio and strengthen your creative muscles
http://www.facebook.com/chromaticukhttp://www.facebook.com/chromaticuk


29/116

/ burning question

Illustration

by

Jake

CakewalkI think this depends on

themodel.If a model is

geared towards leasing

thesoftware anda musician has

thepossibility of being locked

out, I dontthinkits a good thing.

Wevethought about this very

carefully andcome upwitha

membershipmodelwhere the

user owns everythingonce the

software is paid forup-front, oraftera periodof 12monthly

payments and weupdate the

softwareeverymonth.These

newmodelsmean that software

can bemoreafordable aswellas

constantly current.

JimmyRLandry

Image-LineIf you need tosell

somethingas a

subscription, its a sign

theup-front pricehasexceeded

market expectationsand values.

Usually, subscriptionsmean

payinga lot morein the longrun.After all,this is a pricing strategy.

Worsewhenthe plandoesnt

allowyou to keep using the

software youpaid forif youquit

the subscription.

OurLifetimeFreeUpdate

payment strategyfor FL Studio

charges a reasonable,once-only

fee, and then allfuture updates

are included nomoreto pay,

ever! Now, thatsa pricing

strategywefeel goodabout.

Scott Fisher

SlateDigitalItall dependson the

subscriptionplan. Some

are crafted so that the

user is forcedinto thesystem

whetherthey likeit or not; others

havemonthly costs that, over

time, build up.

Wewantedto do it diferently.

Wewanted to empower theuser.

The subscription is completely

optional, andwere not forcing

anyone awayfromourperpetual

purchasingsystem. Itsgood for

customerswhowant thefreedom

topay for theirpluginson their

ownschedule. StevenSlate

Avid Morethan ever, artists,mixers, andothermedia

professionals need

lexibility inhowthey access

their tools, andneed tobemore

responsive tonewopportunities.

With Pro Tools 12,youcanbuy it

outright as youalways have, or

subscribe thechoiceis yours.

Eachoptionofers

advantagesbased ona

customers diferentneeds.

Subscriptionofers the lowest

startup costs and is activeonly

duringthe term of thecontract.

A perpetuallicense costsmoreup-front,butis less expensive in

the longrun. AndrewWild

AcousticaSubscription plansare

greatfor software

companies,because

they getto chargecustomers

over and over for the same

product. This might work for

aluent studioowners and

engineers,butDAWsarealready

a signiicant investmentfor

workingmusicians and

hobbyists.Weve always triedto

price Mixcraftafordablyfor

musicians,and it hasalways

comewith free updates,

inexpensive upgrades, and free

onlinesupport.

DanGoldstein

Are subscriptionmodels a goodwayto buy software?

samplemagic.com

Samples__Patches__MIDI__Plugins__Books__Apps__Courses

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An essential selection of towering

risers, euphoric rushes, devastating

downshifters, dynamic drum fills and

commanding drop vocals to destroy

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funked-up sounds mashing together

classic hip-hop, futuristic dubstep,

off-the-wall IDM and 8-bit pop.

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electronica, packed with vinyl-style

beats and breaks, live bass, rich

Rhodes, cinematic pianos, intricate

music loops and more.

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Deep and dubby, dark and dirty: 900MB+ of chunky big-room beats,

killer basslines, filtered chords, retro piano riffs, brooding synths,

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of deep house.

DEEP & BASSHOUSE 34.90


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Ready to master the most powerfulEQ plugins in the universe? Wield

their future-proof features like a pro

with our deep, expert tutorials!

MODERN

> make music now / modern eq


35/116April 2015 / COMPUTER MUSIC / 35

Grab all the videos and get

the iles to do it yourself at

vault.computermusic.co.uk

DOWNLOADDYNAMIC EQ

SPECTRUM MATCHING

LINEAR PHASE

PARALLEL EQ

SIDECHAIN EQ

The adjustment and balancing of frequency levels within

an audio signal is undoubtedly a vital part of modernmusic production. The tone of imperfect sound sources can

be drastically corrected and improved, individual elements

can be positioned within their own frequency region, and the

frequency relationship between multiple tracks can be

precisely adjusted to create a professional-sounding mix.

As you probably already know, an equaliser is the go-to tool

for frequency manipulation, allowing you to adjust the level

of the frequencies making up any audio signal using a

combination of ilters.

With modern music demanding more technically-advanced

mixes, weve seen a new breed of EQ plugins on the market:

state-of-the-art, feature-packed, all-singing and all-dancing tools

that allow you to completely dissect the frequencies of your

signals and manipulate them on a deep level. Were talking about

the likes of the ber-popular FabFilter Pro-Q 2, DMG Audios

feature-laden EQuilibrium, 112dBs sleek Redline Equalizer, iZotope

Ozone 6s streamlined Equalizer module, and MeldaProductions

multiple mega-powered EQ plugins, to name just a few.

Choosing and using these modern equalisers can be

somewhat overwhelming, and while traditional EQ technique andknow-how still certainly applies, it wont allow you to unlock the

full potential of these incredible tools. To help guide you through

the confusing ocean of EQ software in 2015, then, weve put

together Modern EQ, our video-packed guide focussed on

features and functions. Well assume you already have a

reasonable grip of basic EQ technique, so you wont come across

sections on How to EQ a guitar or How to use a high-shelf ilter

in this particular guide (but if thats what you seek, look no further

than 177s The CM Guide to EQ: bit.ly/cm177). No well be

going in much deeper than that.

First well focus on core techniques and concepts such as mix-

and-match ilters, using frequency analysis in conjunction with

EQ, linear vs minimum phase, matching EQ, mid/side processing,

dynamic EQ, parallel iltering and more. Then well round things

of with ten essential techniques for EQing your mixes to

perfection. And as well as a folder full of tutorial iles to help you

follow along, we give you video tutorials and demonstrations for

the whole lot! Now get ready to modernise your approach to EQ

modern eq / make music now


36/116

A prized characteristic of many legendary

analogue EQ designs, gain/Q interaction is

something that is now ofered in many of

todays EQ plugins, and it can be used to give a

more musical feel to the worklow of digital

equalisers. A signiicant number of EQ circuits

in the analogue realm have a dynamic

dependency between the gain of a ilter and its

Q width. This is commonly known as gain/Q

interaction and is something that is dictated by

both how the circuit is designed and which

components are used in its construction. Which

is pretty interesting, but why does it matter?

When ilters with gain/Q interaction are used

for an EQ boost or cut, the Q will become

narrower in relation to the amount of gain

used. This means that a small adjustment will

have quite a wide Q, whereas a more aggressive

one will be naturally narrower in Q (and

therefore more resonant). An EQ with gain/Q

dependency can not only seem more musical

compared to an EQ that lacks any gain/Q

functionality but can make it faster to get

sonically pleasing results when producing

or mixing.

The gain/Q interaction of certain ilter types

can encourage creative use of EQ settings due

to the sonically pleasing side efects of the ilter

being applied; for example, a large boost

applied to a synth bass at the right frequency

may bring out cool resonances that a pristine

digital ilter will not exaggerate without

deliberate tweaking of gain and Q width. Some

EQ plugins that ofer gain/Q interaction

additionally give you control over the amount of

that interaction to varying degrees; this

lexibility is welcome as it allows the user to

vary this factor to taste (very useful in mixing

situations!) as well as removing an inherent

limitation of analogue EQ design.

Gain/Q interaction

Enabling gain/Q interaction has made the white curve

tighter compared to the blue one, which has none

Here are some diferent low-pass curves ranging

from 6dB/oct on the left to 30dB/oct on the right

Analogue-styleshelving ilters are

ever popular



Flexible EQ filtersIts increasingly common for EQ plugins to ofer

a variety of options for modifying how peak and

shelving ilters sound, unlike older EQs, where

you were stuck with one peak shape, one shelf

shape, etc. Todays plugins make it possible touse anything from ultra sharp ilter curves that

arent possible in the analogue domain through

to gentle ilters modelled on classic outboard

circuit designs all in one plugin! Indeed,

modern EQ plugins like DDMFs LP10, FabFilter

Pro-Q 2 and DMG Audios EQuilibrium, to name

just three, ofer options to adjust such qualities

as the dB/oct of the ilter, Q/gain interaction and

phase distortion. But is all this really necessary?

It ispossible to emulate some of these

features to a certain extent using a typical stock

DAW EQ for example, you could try adjusting

the Q width of a peaking ilter as you add/

remove gain to emulate the gain/Q relationship

(see the box below) of classic EQ units; or use

two sharp boosts with a wider one in between tomimic a lat-top curve (which again, well explain

in due course). However, a dedicated EQ that

ofers a variety of ilter types and features will

not only be quicker to use almost certainly

resulting in a worklow that gets you musical

results in less time but there might well be

sonic beneits due to the ilters being speciically

implemented for those purposes.

Stay sharpOne area of choice is with low- and high-pass

ilters Universal Audios Cambridge EQ Plug-in

for UAD, for example, ofers 17 types, ranging

from a super-gentle 6dB/octave through to an

ultra-steep elliptic ilter. While scientiic ilters

such as Chebyshev, Butterworth and Elliptic can

be great creative tools and useful in certain

mixing situations the potentially super-sharp

edge of such a ilter can sound obvious due to

the abrupt loss of frequencies in the stopband

as well as adding sometimes undesirable

amounts of phase distortion and frequency

ripple depending on which curve is used. The

Butterworth ilter is possibly the most

transparent of the three weve mentioned, but

typically, gentle curves (612dB/oct) are better-

suited for most production tasks because theyintroduce far fewer artifacts whilst sounding

more natural. Indeed, most revered analogue EQ

designs use 12dB/oct high- and low- pass ilters

to give a more musical sound when iltering.

Peaking ilters (aka bell curves) are available

in numerous lavours, with DMGs EQuilibrium

ofering a choice of 14! A typical digital peaking

ilter is symmetrical, so two bands set to the same

frequency and Q with opposing amounts of gain

will cancel each other out; by contrast, mostanalogue peaking ilters are asymmetric,

featuring a wider Q boost with narrower Q cut.

Flat responseThere is a variation on the peaking ilter known

as a lat-top ilter, which originates from speaker

management systems. This ills the gap between

two or more adjacent bell curves with a raised

cosine ilter, (ideally) boosting all frequencies

equally within that range, a bit like a movable

shelving ilter. This can give a more transparent,

less obvious sounding boost or cut due to the

lack of a resonant peak. These kind of ilter

shapes are starting to show up in software; for

instance, EQuilibriums lat top ilter is a variation

on a peaking ilter featuring a Soften parameterthat allows the user to reduce the resonance of a

boost while preserving the amount of

ampliication/gain. Another example is the

bandshelf ilter in our own DDMF IIEQ Pro CM.

Analogue-style shelving ilters are ever

popular, and one thats renowned for its natural

sound is the Baxandall. Invented in the 1950s by

Peter Baxandall and used in millions of stereo

ampliiers, this curve features a super-wide Q

that creates a very gentle slope down from the

centre frequency when cutting or boosting. This

means you can apply a high boost at, say, 20kHz

and brighten frequencies much lower down the

frequency spectrum without them sounding

overly boosted. There are also Gerzon curves toconsider these are resonant shelf ilters that

are modelled on the behaviour of a classic Pultec

EQ when cutting and boosting at the same time;

the end result is a musical-sounding curve that

has a boost then a dip immediately after.


37/116April 2015 / COMPUTER MUSIC / 37

modern eq / make music now Step by step1. Building a custom EQ in DMG Audio EQuilibrium

Lets go through some of the cool stuf

you can do by mixing and matching

EQ ilters! Were using Logic Pro X for this ,

but you can use any DAW. Start by

dragging HouseBass.wav, HouseDrums.

wavand HouseFX.wavfrom the Tutorial

Filesfolder onto the arrange page before

selecting the regions. Now set the region

to loop on playback.

1Next, add DMG Audios EQuilibrium

(a 30-day demo version is available

fromdmgaudio.com) to the HouseDrums

track. First, well add some weight to the

bass end using a low shelf. Double-click in

the bottom half of the plugin to add a new

band, then right-click on the bands On

button and select Low Shelf. Set the

Frequencyto around 40Hz, then apply

2dBof Gain.

2Right-click on Subtypeto see the

plugins low-shelf ilter shapes. Try

each to hear how they shape the sound

weve chosen a Pultecboost, which is

more aggressive than the other curves.

Our drums now have more low end, but

the mid frequencies have also been

pushed up in the mix. To ix that, set this

ilters special Cutcontrol to 100% to

apply a Gerzon curve to our shelf.

3

A low-pass ilter is ideal to control the

drums high end. Add another band

and set the Frequencyto 18kHzbefore

setting the ilter type toLPF. Again, there

are a number of Subtypes for this ilter try them out and hear how their cur ves

sound. Well use the standard DMGone.

The default slope setting is a tad extreme,

so change it to a more gentle 12dB/octave

before adjusting the Qslightly to bring out

a little air ours is set at 0.8.

4Next, well boost the low mid of our

bass load another EQuilibrium on the

HouseBass channel and add a new band

at 350Hzwith 3dBgain. We can change

the sound of our ilter with a diferentSubtype weve used the DMGdefault as

its more conigurable. Set the Gain > Q

control at the bottom of the screen to 60%

the higher the percentage, the tighter

the Q becomes as more gain is applied,

helping us to hit the right spot.

5Finally, lets use a low shelf to boost

the weight of our bass. Add another

band and choose the Low Shelfilter. Set

the ilter to 60Hzwith 2dBof gain, then

choose a suitable Subtype. By cyclingthrough the options, you can hear how

they afect the sound in diferent ways.

Weve chosen 4kg, a gentle shelf modelled

on a classic SSL analogue EQ. You can, of

course, stick to one ilter subtype for all

bands, basically emulating a classic EQ!

6

As we discussed, todays modern EQ plugins

ofer a huge range of features, not least the

ability to pick and choose diferent types of

ilters to suit the job in hand. A great example of

this is DMG Audios EQuilibrium, which allowsthe user to select from a huge array of ilters for

each band. This means that its simple to

combine several lavours of ilter into a single,

highly lexible EQ instance. But why should we

want to do this?

The answer is simple: certain ilter types are

better suited to speciic tasks. Before the advent

of do-it-all ber-EQs, youd have had dedicated

EQ plugins for, say, linear phase, minimum (ie,

normal) phase, various analogue emulations,

etc. This could encourage the user to rely on

one such EQ and thus one set of provided

ilters for multiple EQing tasks. Linear phase

EQ, for instance, is great at broad treble

adjustments, but it s not always desirable for

tight notch cuts or bass adjustments (for

reasons well get into later). So how about aPultec-style boost on your low frequencies with

a pristine linear phase shelf to lift the high

frequencies? Or you might like the colourful bell

ilters of an analogue Neve emulation for

midrange boosts and the focused cuts of an API-

style EQ for low-end resonance management,

for example. You could achieve this using

multiple EQs in series, using just a band or two

on each, and this is a perfectly valid technique

that we still use regularly, but it would make

sense in many situations to have one EQ that

can ofer you all of these options. Its likely to be

more CPU-efective, could well cost less than

buying a bunch of separate EQs, and whats

more, itll give you the ability to easily compare

and contrast various ilter models simply by

switching between them.However, there are times when a uniform

selection of ilters can give a more cohesive

sound, and using well-equipped mix-and-match-

style EQs, you can indeed build, say, an SSL-style

EQ by selecting the plugins SSL-alike ilters for

each band. Even this has some advantages over

a dedicated analogue-style SSL EQ emulation in

that youll typically get a visual graph readout of

what your adjustments are actually doing to the

frequency response, and of course, the ability to

go beyond the often restricted parameter

ranges of the original hardware.

Combining EQ filters

TUTORIAL

FILES
http://www.dmgaudio.com/http://www.dmgaudio.com/http://www.dmgaudio.com/


38/116

POWER TIP

>Tweaker tipsSPANs default block size of 2048

should be suitable for practically

any task, but its possible to use a

higher frequency resolution (at the

expense of time resolution) by

turning it up in the Spectrum Mode

Editor window. The improvement

this makes is most visible in the

bass. At the maximum resolution of

65536, the display will blink, but

this can be remedied by turning the

Overlap knob up. SPANs default

4.5dB-per-octave slope makes the

highs seem exaggerated compared

to most other spectrum analysers,

though this can easily be tweakedby adjusting the Slope knob in the

Display Range panel.

No human ear or

item of reproductive

equipment is perfect



> Step by step2. Using Voxengo SPAN to aid with EQing

Drag Hats.wavonto an audio track,

and add SPAN (voxengo.com) as an

insert on the track. Play the audio back,

and youll see its frequency content

displayed in SPAN, ranging from low (bass)

to high (treble) on the horizontal axis . We

can see peaks in the 8kHz region, and

hovering your cursor over the display will

show the speciic frequency and amplitude

in the lower left/right corners of the graph.

1We can get a more accurate picture of

where the peaks are by zooming in

just drag the edges of the scroll bar at the

bottom of the display. To make discerning

the peaks even easier, put SPAN into

averaging mode. To do this, click the Edit

button at the top right-hand corner of the

display to bring up the Spectrum Mode

Editor window, and set the Typeto AVG.

Close the window with the X.

2Youll see that the spectrum display

gradually stops undulating in time

with the audio, and eventually barring

any changes to the input signal stabilises

to become entirely still. Zoomed in and in

AVG mode, we can clearly see that the

peaks at 7.82kHz and 8.47kHz sit at about

3dB above the rest of the signal. Lets use

EQ to tame these peaks.

3

Add IIEQ Pro CM from the Plugins

suite after SPAN, then create a copy

of SPAN after the EQ. This means weve

got two spectrum analysers on the

channel: one before the EQ, one after.This duplicated instance of SPAN will

automatically be set to AVG mode, but it

wont be zoomed in, so do that now. With

this arrangement, we can observe the

frequency content of both the processed

and unprocessed signal.

4In IIEQ Pro CM, set the irst two bands

to Ana Peakmode, and put the irst at

7.82kHzand the second at 8.47kHz. Set

both bands to -3dB, and turn eachs Qup

to 6.50. Now in the post-EQ analyser, youllsee that the peaks in the high-end all sit at

a more even level. Bypassing the EQ and

listening to the unprocessed signal shows

how the equalisation has taken the

harshness out of the highs.

5

While our ears are the ultimate judge of

whether or not a mix is satisfactory, no human

ear or item of reproductive equipment is

perfect. As such, sometimes it can help to use

visual aids when EQing. Spectrum analysers visual feedback tools that display the

frequency content of a signal are now widely

available in plugin form. You dont even have

to pay for one, as there are excellent

freeware options such as SPAN by Voxengo

(voxengo.com) and MAnalyzer by

MeldaProduction (meldaproduction.com).

Spectrum analysers typically display

frequency information across the horizontal

axis and amplitude on the vertical axis. If youve

never used such a plugin yourself, this might

sound complex, but in practice, theyre really

very intuitive, and indeed, many contemporary

EQ plugins now include integrated spectrum

analyser displays. In the case of FabFilters state-

of-the-art Pro-Q 2, for example, the display

shows both the unprocessed and processed

signals along with the EQ curve, making it easy

to see how the audio has been afected by the

equalisation that youve dialled in.

While EQs with in-built analysis ofer an

elegant worklow, its possible to achieve similar

functionality using a dedicated analyser, which

will often ofer more detailed options in terms of

the actual analysis. In the following tutorial, well

demonstrate how we can use a combination of

equaliser and spectrum analyser efects to

locate problem frequencies in an unprocessed

signal, equalise them, then view the processed

signal in another analyser.Well also show you how to conigure the

analysers settings to make it as easy as possible

to see whats happening with the incoming

signal. Indeed, most analyser efects have a

plethora of customisation options, and its worth

experimenting with these to tailor the results to

your requirements.

Before we begin, a word of warning: Although

spectrum analysers can be incredibly useful

when working towards your ideal mix, its vital

to remember that how the music actually

soundsis whats important! As such, rest your

ears occasionally and review your EQ choices to

make sure that youre not overcooking things.

Assisted EQ using spectrum analysis

TUTORIAL

FILES
http://www.voxengo.com/http://www.meldaproduction.com/http://www.meldaproduction.com/http://www.voxengo.com/


39/116

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40/116



> Step by step4. Linear vs. minimum phase EQ in practice

DragKick.wavonto an audio track in

your DAW, and put CableGuys

WaveShaper CM on that track. To prevent

it from distorting the sound, click the New

button near the top left hand corner of the

interface to set the waveshaping function

to a neutral position. When you play the

kick back, youll see WaveShaper CM

displays the audio signal as a waveform,

oscilloscope-style.

1Next add DDMFs LP10 CM before

WaveShaper CM. This arrangement

allows us to see how the changes we make

in LP10 afect the waveform. To activate

LP10s irst band, click where it says Of

and select Peakfrom the list of available

ilter types. Set the bands frequency to

140Hz, Gain to 4.5dB, and Qto the

maximum 6.50. This is a fairly modest

boost in the upper bass range.

2Before we play the kick back, turn the

Phase up to 1.00. This puts LP10 at its

minimum phase setting, so it ll work like

a normal digital EQ, introducing phase

distortion. Play the kick back looped, and

gradually turn the Phase down to 0.00,

which means linear phase Not only will

you hear the pre-ringing very audibly, but

youll see it in WaveShaper note the low-

frequency artifacts that precede the kick.

3

Lets look at an example of when

linear phase EQ delivers a desirable

result. Create a new project with two

audio tracks, and drag Beat.wavonto

both of them. Add LP10 CM to the second,and set the irst bands mode to HP12, with

a frequency of 463Hz, and Q of2.18.

4Solothis high-passed track, then add

Voxengo SPAN to the master channel.

Check out how the snares peak at around

200Hz looks with both 1.00 minimum

phase and 0.00 linear phase settings: it sidentical. Its only possible to see or hear a

diference when we bring the

unprocessed version of the beat back into

the mix. Unsolothe track, and play both

versions of the beat back together.

5Now concentrate on the 200Hz peak

as you change LP10s Phase between

minimum and linear phase again. Because

of the altered phase relationship between

the two tracks and the phase cancellationthis causes, this peak is nearly 6dB quieter

when LP10 is in minimum phase mode!

This demonstrates how drastically phase

can afect the relationship between

multitracked or parallel-processed parts.

6

EQ plugins will sometimes ofer a variety of

phase modes like linear phase, minimum

phase, or even a speciic amount of phase but

what do these really mean, and when should a

particular type be used? If youre unfamiliar withwhat phase is, heres a simple thought

experiment Imagine you have two sine waves

that are identical in every way. What do you get

if you add (aka mix or sum) them together? A

sine wave with twice the amplitude easy! But

what if you alter the start position or phase

of the second wave before summing them? The

peaks and troughs of the waves would not line

up neatly, resulting in a sine wave of a lower

amplitude, depending on how dramatically you

changed the second waves start point. If the

start point was precisely halfway through the

cycle (180), the second sine waves polarity

would essentially be inverted, and adding them

together would result in a lat line, ie, silence.

Clearly, phase is important when mixing signals.

A normal digital EQ uses minimum phase

ilters, and these will distort phase, meaning that

frequencies will be delayed by tiny amounts

depending on their frequency. For example, with

a bell curve, the areas where the curve has the

steepest gradient will have more phase shift

than the areas towards its centre and edges. It spractically impossible to hear the efects of this

when a sound is played in isolation, however.

Linear phase EQ doesnt distort the phase of

frequencies, but it has trade-ofs, namely latency

and, with higher Q values, something called

pre-ringing, where instead of a frequency

being delayed (phase distortion), it is stretched

in time, causing a sort of reverse reverb efect

thats particularly noticeable in the low end. On

the other hand, linear phase can be good broad

adjustments, especially in the treble, with great

transient preservation. Linear phase can also

better preserve the shape/symmetry of

waveforms. See video #3 for examples of this.

Understanding linear phase processing

3. Linear vs. minimum phase EQ the theory


41/116


42/116

Begin a new project in your DAW,

starting with a single audio track. Drag

Big synth.wavonto this track, and add an

instance of FabFilter Pro-Q 2 (a demo of

which can be downloaded from

fabilter.com) on the track as an insert.

Were going to use this plugin to capture

then apply the frequency characteristics

of another piece of audio.

1Create a second audio track, and drag

Vintage synth.wavonto it. Route the

tracks output to Pro-Q 2s sidechain input

on the irst track. If youre not sure how to

do this, consult your DAWs manual. In

Live, we simply have to set the Output

Type to the irst audio channel, and the

Output Channel to the Pro-Q 2 input.

2

In Pro-Q 2, click where it says

Pre+Post+SCat the bottom of the

interface to bring up the Analyzer Options.

Click the EQ Matchbutton, and then play

the project back. The Match >button will

become un-greyed, so click it to begin

analysing the sidechain input. The plugin

will quickly analyse the input and set up

its bands to copy the inputs

characteristics as best it can.

3You can select how many bands are

used with the slider, but well stick with

the default, so click Finishto exit EQ

Match mode. You can control the intensity

of the EQ matching efect by hovering

over the volume settings in the bottom

right-hand corner of the interface and

turning the Gain Scale up or down. Check

it out in the video or get the audio in the

Tutorial Files.

4

> Step by step5. Spectrum cloning with Pro-Q 2s matching EQ Match point

Lets say you have two audio

sources: A is a mixdown of your

own song, and B is a commercial,

mastered track that you like the

sound of. Using careful EQ

applied to track A, you couldboost and cut it in just the right

places to make it sound more like

B. Matching EQ is an automated,

high-resolution version of this

technique, and it uses spectrum

analysis to calculate the

frequency curve of A and B,

works out the diferences

between them, then uses that as

the basis for an EQ curve thatll

make A sound more like B.

Matching EQ capabilities have

traditionally been marketed as a

mastering process, presumably

because the idea of making your

mixes sound like those of yourheroes with a single click is an

appealing (if rather unrealistic)

prospect. However, theyre also

useful some would say more so

for imbuing individual tracks

with certain sonic characteristics.

We can think of this technique as

sampling a frequency response.

Imagine you have a pristinely

recorded vocal from a sample

pack, but it sounds too full and

polished for your lo-i deep house

project. By using EQ match to

capture the EQ character from an

old-school vinyl acappella, youcan give your vocal a vintage

sound that could it more easily

into the mix. By combining this

technique with the audio-to-MIDI

capabilities found in some DAWs,

its possible to sample the sonic

characteristicandnote data of a

part, allowing one to recreate the

sound in a much more lexible

manner than traditional sampling.

> Step by step6. Matching EQ with iZotope Ozone 6

Drag Reference Beat.wavand Target

Beat.wavonto an audio track in your

DAW, and add Ozone 6 as an insert on thetrack. Close the Preset Manager, and

deactivate the Dynamics and Maximiser

modules at the bottom of the interface by

clicking their power buttons. Click where

it says Matchingin the Equaliser section

to bring up the matching settings.

1

Set your DAW to loop around

Reference Beat.wav, and click the

round Capturebutton in the ReferenceAudio panel. Allow the beat to play a few

times until the spectrum display settles

down, then click the red Stopbutton.

Ozone 6 has now captured the sonic

characteristic of the source material, and

we can apply it to another sound.

2

Now set up a loop around Target

Beat.wav, and click the Record

button in the Target Audio panel. Again,once the average level in the spectrum

display has settled, click the Stopbutton.

Documents

Computer_Music_-_April_2015.pdf