Contents

Contents

22SECRETS OF COMPRESSION

REVIEWS

066 Yamaha Motif XS7 With 76 keys, 355MB of high-quality waveforms and an integrated sampler,is Yamaha onto a winner with its latest workstation synth? 071 IK Multimedia AmpliTube Jimi Hendrix The sounds of a guitar legend wrapped in IK’s ever-popular AmpliTube software. 072 zplane.development Vielklang Four-part harmony plug-in for the arrangement-shy composer. 074 Zoom HD16 Multi-track digital recorder with additional talents as a DAW controller. 075 Dynaudio BM 6A mkII Nearfield pro-end studio monitors based on Dynaudio’s enduring BM 6A. 079 Audio-Technica AT4047SV Combining AT’s capsule technology with a FET preamp,can the 4047SV raise the bar in the pro mic market?

080 M-Audio Torq Conectiv Vinyl/CD Pack All-in-one competitively priced hardware/software solution for the aspiring digital DJ. 082 Steinberg Sequel Steinberg goes back to basics with this entry-level software aimed at newcomers to computer-based music-making. 084 CAD Trion 8000 Multi-pattern valve condenser offering a taste of the high end. 085 Solid State Logic Mixpander & XLogic Alpha-Link AX Promising superlative audio interfacing and DSP power,is SSL’s Mixpander the ultimate in I/O? 087 Universal Audio Helios Type 69 EQ Software re-creation of the classic console EQ. 089 Mini Reviews Scoretrax,Nexsyn, AT2010,Building A Successful 21st Century Music Career,Grand Colour

4 July 2007 MusicTech MAGAZINE

66YAMAHA MOTIF XS7 66YAMAHA MOTIF XS7

80M-AUDIO TORQ CONECTIV 80M-AUDIO TORQ CONECTIV WIN! £1,680 OF SE ELECTRONICS STUDIO GEAR! TURN TO PAGE 76.

32MASTERING TECHNIQUES IN CUBASE 4 32MASTERING TECHNIQUES IN CUBASE 4

41TRIP HOP KEYBOARDS

41TRIP HOP KEYBOARDS

82STEINBERG SEQUEL 82STEINBERG SEQUEL

49PIONEERING INSTRUMENTS 49PIONEERING INSTRUMENTS

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87UA HELIOS TYPE 69 EQ 87UA HELIOS TYPE 69 EQ

JULY 2007 CONTENTS

FEATURES

022 Secrets of Compression The importance of compression in contemporary music production is generally acknowledged by all,but fully understood by few.Mark Cousins explores some of the creative compression techniques used by the pros,and offers advice on how to use them in your own productions. 032 Cubase 4 Workshop: Mastering Techniques Cubase 4 comes with its own set of mastering tools that are more than capable of lending a professional gloss to your mixes.Hollin Jones shows you how. 036 Ten Minute Master No107: Formants Formant filters are incredibly powerful tools for shaping sound,but exactly how they work is something of a mystery to most.Grant Bridgeman explains... 038 Ableton Live 6Workshop: Understanding Warping Live’s approach to warping audio can be exploited to achieve some interesting and creative variations on a basic groove.Jon Margulies shows you how it’s done. 041 Trip Hop Keyboards Creating authentic trip hop productions almost always entails the use of a vintage keyboard or two.We explore your options... 046 Pro Tools 7 Workshop: Using Automation In addition to making a mix easier to manage,automation can be used to create some interesting effects.Mike Hillier shows you how to let Pro Tools take the strain. 049 Pioneering Instruments The electronic instruments we are so familiar with today evolved from the ideas of a few visionary pioneers.Mark Brend goes back in time... 056 Ten Minute Master No108: The Channel Strip All mixers feature a channel strip,but how do their various controls integrate into the recording and mixing processes? 058 FL Studio 7Workshop: The Edison Recorder Audio recording is the cornerstone of practically all music production.Hollin Jones shows you how FL Studio tackles it with Edison. 061 Questions and Answers

006 On your MTMcoverdisc 009 News Music Tech brings you all the latest news. 020 Rack ’em up New products coming soon to a music store near you. 030Subscribe to Music Tech MagazineSave 25% and get a pair of Audio-Technica T44 headphones worth £29.95 absolutely free! 070US SubscriptionsLive in the States or Canada? Don’t miss an issue! 076 Competition Win SE Electronics studio gear worth £1,680! 096 Write for reply Your views,comments and suggestions. 097 Next month Next time in MTM. 098 Back Track Nirvana Negative Creep

MusicTech MAGAZINE July 2007 5