Contents

24LOCATION RECORDING

REVIEWS

062 Steinberg WaveLab Studio 6 Advanced audio analysis and mastering software at a price that belies its big-budget ambitions... 064 Rupert Neve Designs Portico 5033High-quality EQ offering a range of sonic possibilities alongside the classic Neve sound. 066 SoundToys Native BundleLong known for its TDM plug-ins,this release sees the company addressing the RTAS market. 069 M-Audio SputnikIs the new Sputnik the ‘sonic bridge’ between a Neumann U47 and an AKG C12? 071 Digidesign VelvetPromising the ultimate in authenticity,could Digidesign’s Velvet become the king of virtual electric pianos? 072 Roland VP-550Roland brings its Vocal Designer technology to its ever-expanding range of synths.

075 Native Instruments FM8NI’s FM7 has been revamped and re-released as the FM8. 076 Edirol R-09Can the R-09 capture the imagination wherever you are? 078 AMS-Neve 8803Two channels of Neve-quality EQ. 081 PreSonus FaderPortIf you’re tired of using a mouse,FaderPort could be just what you need. 082 Antares Auto-Tune 5Revision five of the original pitch-fixer plug-in. 083 SE Electronics USB2200a Plug‘n’play microphone for musicians on the move. 084 TL Audio M1 TubetrackerValveequipped large-format mixer. 086 Line 6 TonePort KB37Now with a 37-note keyboard and MIDI controller. 089 Mini Reviews

82ANTARES AUTO-TUNE 5

81PRESONUS FADERPORT 81PRESONUS FADERPORT

4 March 2007 MusicTech MAGAZINE WIN! WE HAVE FIVE AUDIOTECHNICA MIC AND HEADPHONE SETS,PLUS TWO COPIES OF IK MULTIMEDIA’S TOTAL WORKSTATION BUNDLE TO GIVE AWAY.TURN TO PAGES 65 AND 80!

41AUTHENTIC HIP HOP BEATS

47MONITORING PSYCHOLOGY

54AUDIOSNAP IN SONAR 6

SUBSCRIBE! Subscribe to Music Tech Magazine and save 25% on the usual cover price. PLUS receive an SE Electronics pop shield with gooseneck worth £39 absolutely free. 22 62WAVELAB STUDIO 6

62WAVELAB STUDIO 6

72ROLAND VP-550

MARCH 2007 CONTENTS

FEATURES

024 Location Recording Using alternative venues offers an exciting new way of tackling the process of recording,as well as offering a fresh perspective on what you can achieve.Mark Cousins goes mobile,and explains how to get the best results each and every time. 034 Cubase 4 Workshop: Using Modulation Plug-ins The judicious use of modulation can add depth and life to your productions with the minimum of effort.Hollin Jones shows you how... 038 Ten Minute Master No99: Gain Structure Eliminating extraneous noise is a primary task in the studio, but we may be inadvertently generating it ourselves.Grant Bridgeman explains the importance of good gain structure. 041 Programming Hip Hop Beats Creating your own beats rather than resorting to samples or presets is both rewarding and legal.We look at a number of contemporary production techniques that’ll help you achieve fresh and original hip hop tracks. 044 Live 6Workshop: Live Looping Live excels at looping,but one application for it offers an excellent way of improvising and building up tracks.John von Seggern takes to the stage. 047 Monitoring Psychology Monitors are a crucial part of any studio,but every musician and engineer will have their own preference – often selected on subjective (and inconsistent) grounds.MTMexplores some of the perceptions behind monitoring decisions. 052 Ten Minute Master No100: Electric Pianos From the silky Fender Rhodes to the rock‘n’roll Wurlitzer, the electric piano has become a cornerstone of contemporary music.Mark Cousins tickles the ivories... 054 Sonar 6 Workshop: Using AudioSnap Sonar 6 offers a powerful new groove-manipulation feature that goes by the name AudioSnap.Brian Smithers locks to the beat... 057 Questions and Answers

006 On your MTMcoverdisc 009 News Music Tech brings you all the news from 2007’s Winter NAMM Show. 020 Rack ’em up New products coming soon to a music store near you. 022Subscribe to Music Tech MagazineSave 25% and get an SE Electronics pop shield worth £39 absolutely free! 037US Subscriptions Living in the States or Canada? Make sure you get your copy! 065 Competition Win one of five Audio-Technica ATH-PRO700SV headphones and an AT2020 mic worth £220. 068 Online Subscriptions Get an electronic version of MTMas soon as it’s published! 070 Back Issues Missed an issue? 080 Competition Win one of two IK Multimedia Total Workstation Bundles worth £450. 095 Write for reply Your views,comments and suggestions. 097 Next month Next time in MTM. 098 Back Track The White Stripes My Doorbell

MusicTech MAGAZINE March 2007 5