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6)CUBASE 4 FULL REVIEW!

REVIEWS

062 Steinberg Cubase 4The muchanticipated latest incarnation of Cubase finally hits the shelves.We find out what’s new in version 4.

066 PreSonus DigiMAX FSMore than just an 8-channel mic preamp,the DigiMax FS offers a new way of getting sound to and from your DAW.

069 Crowley and Tripp Naked Eye Pro-quality ribbon microphone from a company with its roots in medical science. 070 TC-Helicon VoiceDoublerFatten up those vocal performances with TC-Helicon’s latest vocal processor.

073 ART TUBE MPART transforms its TUBE MP valve pre into an easy-touse USB audio interface.

074 Røde NT55 With both cardioid and omni-directional capsules,the NT55 is the latest release from Røde.

077 Toontrack Music EZ Drummer With a deceptively simple interface and superb sounds,is EZ Drummer the ultimate beat-maker? 079 Digidesign StrikeOffering control over every nuance of a track,is Strike the answer to that absent drummer?

080 M-Audio MidAir 25M-Audio’s new MIDI controller brings wireless technology to the popular Oxygen8.

!!TOONTRACK EZ DRUMER

083 Applied Acoustic Systems Ultra Analog SessionAAS introduces an even easier way to access its physical modelling technology. 084 Adam A7Studio monitors boasting 100 watts of power and an all-new woofer. 086 VirtuosoWorks Notion Scoring software for the contemporary and classical musician. 089 Mini Reviews 66 PRESONUS DIGIMAX FS 66PRESONUS DIGIMAX FS

4 November 2006 MusicTech MAGAZINE WI#! ONE OF FIVE VIOLET MICS AND ONE OF FOUR FRONTIER DESIGN TRANZPORTS.SEE PAGES 71 & 81

7(DIGIDESIGN STRIKE 7(DIGIDESIGN STRIKE

73ART TUBE MP

26VOCAL RECORDING

32ABLETON LIVE6 WORKSHOP 32ABLETON LIVE 6 WORKSHOP

37CREATIVE SIGNAL ABUSE

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NOVEMBER 2006 CONTENTS

FEATURES

026 Vocal Recording Tracking a perfect vocal is no easy task,but there are a number of ways in which you can make the process easier – and almost guarantee a good performance from your singer.George Shilling looks at some of the tricks of the trade from the engineer’s perspective. 032 Ableton Live 6 Workshop: Fresh Grooves Keeping your grooves sounding original when you’re mixing loops for a live performance can present something of a challenge.Ken Hikaru demonstrates some of the ways you can bring variety and interest to your beats. 034 Ten Minute Master No91: The Hammond Organ Conceived by Laurens Hammond more than 70 years ago, the Hammond Organ sound continues to appeal today, finding work in a diverse range of musical styles.We examine what makes the Hammond tick. 037 Creative Signal Abuse: Using Synths to Process Audio It’s a technique that’s been used extensively by such luminaries as Brian Eno,Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood and William Orbit,but it might not be your first avenue of exploration if you’re looking to transform drums,guitars, bassor anything else into unique textures and effects. Mark Cousins shows you how it’s done. 042 Logic Pro 7Workshop: Spectral Gate Processing in the spectral domain can lead you to a whole new range of sounds and treatments.Find out what’s possible with Logic’s Spectral Gate. 045 Perfect Harmony The subject of music theory is vast and often dauntingly complex,but a basic knowledge of the building blocks of chords can pay dividends when it comes to adding a harmony line to your track.Keith Gemmell explains. 050 Ten Minute Master No92: Metadata You might be unfamiliar with the concept of metadata,but every digital audio file you create or play has the capacity to hold and utilise it.Grant Bridgeman has the info... 052 Pro Tools 6 LE Workshop: Beat Detective Beat Detective enables Pro Tools users to quickly and easily match the grooves of previously out-of-sync audio files. Mike Hillier steps into line... 055 Questions and Answers

006 On your MTMcoverdisc 009 News The latest developments in the world of music technology. 022 Rack ’em up New products coming soon to a music store near you. 024Subscribe to Music Tech MagazineAnd get a Studiospares S930 cardioid instrument mic absolutely free! 071 Competition Your chance to bag one of five Violet Design microphones. 081 Competition Win a Frontier Designs TranzPort DAW controller and carry bag. 095 Write for reply Your views,comments and suggestions. 097 Back Issues Missed an issue? 097 Next month Next time in MTM. 098 Back Track Transit Kings The Last Lighthouse Keeper

MusicTech MAGAZINE November 2006 5