Sommaire pour 04/2022 de Beat English

2000 Sounds à la Avicii, Zedd & van Dyk KV331 Audio SynthMaster 2 Player Zedd, Martin Garrix, Avicii, Tiësto, Armin Van Buren, Axwell, Knife Party, Laidback Luke, Paul van Dyk, Robin Schulz… the list of SynthMaster users reads like a Who‘s Who of the Club scene. Our software highlight, Synth-Master 2 Player, offers 2000 of the iconic plug-in‘s thrilling sounds, ready to play, to refine your tracks and rock the Clubs! Download: see Page 9 | Info: www.kv331audio.com All serial numbers securely accessible: The Beat Serial Center To ensure that none of your serial numbers are lost in the future (for instance, in the event of a new installation, Outlook crash or disk crash), you can now conveniently manage them online. The advantages are obvious: The Editorial Team can send…

It‘s complicated. Nothing fits this statement better than the topic of room sound. Acoustics is, at least initially, a difficult field with many factors and, except for a few rules of thumb, always individual. Above all, however, there are an incredible number of rumors and fake news on the internet, so it is extremely difficult to work out the right solution yourself without making things worse. However, we will clear up the most common half-truths on the following pages, so that you will be prepared after reading the special. And we have some good news right away, because, contrary to rumors, almost any room can be turned into a functioning studio, even those with reinforced concrete walls or sloping ceilings. The starting point The conditions and the goal are clear:…

The way to a sound optimized room 1 Room EQ wizard The first step on the way to an acoustically optimized mixing room is to analyze the sound characteristics using the free Room EQ Wizard software and a measuring microphone. In this way, problem areas can be identified and included in the module planning. To do this, we download the REQ software from www.roomeqwizard.com and get a suitable measuring microphone. 2 Suitable measuring mic If you do not have a neutral mic preamp, the Room EQ Wizard homepage recommends the USB condenser measurement microphone miniDSP UMIK-1. If, on the other hand, a suitable preamp is available, cheaper measurement mics will suffice, such as the Superlux ECM999. We already have an adequate measurement microphone at the start and immediately get to…

Large room As mentioned, the room is quite large, so we used the Soffit bass trap. It absorbs up to 40 Hz. I have planned our range limiter, this membrane increases bass absorption and decreases absorption above 400 Hz. Bass congestion Here we have the SBIR issue again, i.e. bass congestion behind the speakers. For this I have planned monster bass traps. One issue that often comes up in post-support is measuring the right speaker spacing to get rid of the SBIR issue. However, this can be solved wonderfully with measurements. Alpha Panels On the right rear wall, I planned two of our 2A Alpha Panels. We scatter high frequencies above 1 kHz and absorb below. In parallel there are some guitars that have to stay there. The risk that…

Beat / We are glad that you have found time for us! What are the most important characteristics of good speakers for you? Kevin / I‘ve heard many people say that the more linear the frequency response is, the better the speaker sounds. But I think that is a very superficial statement because, in my career, I have heard loudspeakers with a straight frequency response that sounded just awful. But I have also heard speakers with terrible frequency measurements that actually sounded incredibly good. So what is going on here? It has a lot to do with the phase relationship between the loudspeaker drivers and how well they are integrated with the crossover. It also has a lot to do with whether or not the subwoofer is well integrated into…

Beat / I suppose one could see AUA as a spin on your post rock band Radare with a slightly different line-up and a different perspective. How did the project get started? Henrik / During a gig we‘d set up, the artist Il Tempo Gigante told me something which got me thinking. He told me about how he and a friend in Paris would send each other little musical exercises, like: “Here‘s a sample of a tuba. Now take it and add some electric guitar. But you‘re now allowed to use an amp or an effect unit.” Fabian and me started working with this method and set ourselves these challenges each month. As time went on, we felt like making use of all that material. Beat / Was there a…

Further info: Info at: www.kv331audio.com License & Password: www.serial-center.de 1 Inspiration for Trance With its 2000 exciting presets in various styles, you can produce complete tracks with SynthMaster 2 Player. We were inspired by the Trance sounds - reason enough to create a little track with them! We chose a Tempo of 140 BPM and loaded a corresponding beat as a rhythmic foundation. 2 Bass Load SynthMaster Player as a virtual instrument in your DAW. Arpeggios are an excellent inspiration for new tracks. Select Arpeggiated from the Instrument Type category in the browser to display the corresponding presets. We chose the patch AR MelodicWaveArp RL. 3 Customize sound With this, you can fire off a straight bassline with just one key. For a drier sound, we deactivate the Phaser (Pha)…

»Do you have a clear vision, in advance, of how a new album should sound?« Apparat / Initially, there are always big concepts. For my current album “LP5”, the concept was to create the greatest possible distance from our Moderat project. It always comes out different than you intend for it to be. You have to go with it. If you fight too much, you kill the essence. That‘s why the plans you had in the beginning always dilute after a while and the relationship between the songs is more likely to come from the sound design. In my song folder, there are a lot of basic ideas that you could easily turn into rock songs. It‘s only the electronici arrangements that give my songs that “Apparat feeling”. Haelos /…

The Mellotron is, more or less, the predecessor of the modern sampler. For each key, a tape was integrated with the recording of the corresponding note. Since the tapes contained original recordings of acoustic instruments such as flutes, winds or strings, the whole thing sounded more realistic than the analog sound synthesis of organs or the first synthesizers of the time. But the frequency response of the tapes was also limited, the sound became duller with frequent playback, and the mechanics could cause fluctuations in pitch and volume and could also cause dropouts. In this respect, modern samplers are actually vastly superior; however, the afore-mentioned weaknesses, in connection with the distinctive recordings, make for an extraordinary character. Mellotron MkII GForce Software have previously proven with the M-Tron Pro that they…

Zampler plug-in, soundset, audio demo and MIDI files: Download see Page 9 128 ACOUSTIC AND SYNTHETIC BASSES WITH COJÓNES Whether it’s Techno, Trap, Grime, Dance or House, nobody can do without them: Next to the kick, basses are the most important element of any track, as both form the foundation and basis of a track. With Bass Thrill, you get the ultimate compendium in low-end, consisting of 128 basses, from Acoustic to Neuro, from synth basses for current Electro to 12-bit sampler basses for authentic Hip Hop, which will easily turn your tracks into floorshakers. Let there be bass! www.zamplersounds.com Facts BASS THRILL for Zampler: ▲ 2.61 GB Soundbank ▲ 128 patches ▲ 10 Acoustic and 42 synth basses ▲ 39 Vintage sampler basses ▲ 14 Neuro and 9 retro…

With the 2-channel Mixstream Pro controller, Numark offers a robustly manufactured complete solution for DJs who want to perform without a laptop. The focus is supposed to be on Streaming. Connections and WiFi Besides two headphone jacks on the front, there is also room for a microphone. Unfortunately, there are no analog inputs for external players. There are balanced XLR and RCA outputs. Two USB ports for sticks or drives and an SD card slot are available for feeding the music, as well as another for a possible computer connection. Those who do not own large music archives on storage media can also get the music via the streaming providers Tidal, Beatport, Beatsource and Soundcloud, thanks to the WiFi interface; however, a permanent, very stable Internet connection, especially in Live…

1 // Capture room The first thing to do is to record the sizes and dimensions of the room: Lengths, widths, heights and other special features. Incidentally, if you have a choice, a larger room will provide better acoustics, although it may be more costly to insulate it appropriately. Also, a rectangular format is more suitable than a square one, if that can be included in the planning. Both shapes are feasible, they then differ somewhat in the type of acoustic treatment. As described in the introduction, each room has its own modes, which can be calculated on the one hand and measured on the other. For the latter, you will find the Room EQ Wizard in the magazine downloads and instructions on the following pages. For the former, Dr.…

Early reflection points on the ceiling Here we also have to absorb the early reflections. Further back in the room, I placed another module on the ceiling. With this we absorb late reflections and flutter echoes. Early reflection points These points need to be treated acoustically to avoid stereo imaging problems and comb filter effects. In this case I used our 244 bass trap, a nearly 12 cm deep absorber that absorbs up to 100Hz. Optimize speaker placement The so-called SBIR effect often occurs behind the loudspeakers, especially if the loudspeakers are not placed directly against the wall. Contrary to what is often claimed, loudspeakers on a wall usually work better, but if the loudspeaker is moved away from the wall, the bass range at the listening position is cancelled…

1 Correct Acoustic Defects Before you can use the correction system, you must measure your studio room using the ARC3 software, a measuring microphone and your monitor speakers. The Authorization Manager from IK Multimedia will help you install the measurement software and plug-in. Start the software and carry out the following steps. 2 Preparation Plan on about 30 minutes for the measurement with as little unwanted background noise as possible enters your studio - and you do not disturb anyone with the relatively obtrusive measurement sounds. For an exact measurement, we recommend a microphone stand, which you place at your listening position first. 3 Microphone For measurement, you need a measuring microphone - either from the bundle offered or from your own stock. Select the appropriate model or, a microphone…

»When my manager asked me how satisfied I was with the final result, I didn‘t have an answer – I still hadn‘t listened to the record!« If you listen to the music of Tino Piontek, you might think: This man sips champagne for breakfast, flies to Rome in a private jet for shopping and wears trousers so tight that even John Travolta gasps for air. The reason for these fantasies is the sound that he celebrates on the second album of his Puple Disco Machine project „Exotica“: dazzling and languorous, glittery and groovy, decadent and direct, the album takes you on an hour-long, intoxicating trip that sounds like what you‘d imagine a night at Studio 54 would be like. Additionally, in the four years between „Exotica“and its predecessor „Soulmatic,“Purple Disco…

DSPplug Titan Gate Titan Gate by DSPplug is a combination of an Envelope Follower and a Noise Gate, which is supposed to provide a dynamic suppression of unwanted background noise with as little influence on the overall sound as possible. Titan Gate was created on the basis of the Flowstone platform and is, therefore, unfortunately only available for Windows, but it is very CPU-friendly. The user interface does not overwhelm the user either; four large knobs and a switch are the only controls. A High Pass Filter can be used to cut out hum, rumble, impact sound and other unwanted low-frequency material. With the Threshold control, you determine the threshold value above which the dynamic gate should operate. Audio signals below this threshold are suppressed, while signals above it are…

Instead of another detailed recreation of a hardware classic, Arturia released Pigments in 2019, a promising new development that combines several forms of synthesis. Since then, the plug-in has undergone several updates, and this update, freely available to owners of version 3[1], also brings exciting new features. The detail improvements include tweaks to its operation, as well as the browser of the sample engine. In the latest version, Pigments now also supports Apple‘s new M1 processors. Sound giant from France Pigments Version 3.5 offers four different sound engines: Analog, Wavetable, Sample / Granular and Harmonic (Additive). Two engines can be used in parallel, and there is also a utility engine with two noise generators and a VA Oscillator. The sound shaping is done by a dual filter section. Other highlights…

brainworx bx_console AMEK 9099 With bx_console AMEK 9099 Brainworx, aims to bring the sound and workflow of another legendary console to your DAW. We are, of course, talking about the 9098i Console, designed by Rupert Neve. The virtual channel strip uses Brainworx‘s patented Tolerance Modeling Technology, which emulates the behavior of a real analog console at the component level. This simulates 72 different mono channels, all of which sound slightly different, to replicate the tolerances of the original analog components. The compressor is classically parameterized with Threshold, Ratio, Attack and Release, as well as Makeup Gain. While the Soft-Knee mode is ideal for transparent dynamics processing, the Hard-Knee characteristic is best suited for making drums and percussion crisper. In addition, there is a high-pass filter in the sidechain path. Other…

Although not an established brand like Akai or Roland, the „Beat Kangz“, manufacturers of this Sampling - Groovebox, were not strangers. (Image 1) Alongside CEO Aja Emmanuel, Dallas Austin, a renowned Urban and Hip Hop producer, known for his work on productions by artists such as Gwen Stefani and TLC, was responsible for the creative side of the company. The duo earned their first credits by doing the sound design for Zoom‘s STREETBOXX SB-246 in the mid-‘00s. (Image 2) As a third member, the „Kangz“were able to recruit Bob Ezrin, producer of classics such as Kiss‘„Destroyer“album, who was impressed by their work for Zoom and mainly acted as a link to the industry. All in all, not a bad starting point for a young, ambitious company; and the necessary investor…

The original from the 70s is a monophonic analog synthesizer with a semi-modular design. With three oscillators, low-pass filter, two envelopes and a VCA, you can create classic synthesizer sounds even without plugging in cables. But things get really exciting when you use the numerous patch jacks and break open the internal pre-wiring to explore new sounds. However, the ARP 2600 is not a synthesizer for beginners and can even drive experienced synthesizer users to despair at first contact due to the sometimes unusual setup. Compared to the cheaper Behringer version, the ARP2600M is closer to the original, additional extras such as hardsync and a dedicated LFO were omitted and the main focus was placed on the pure ARP sound. Smaller, but not Mini This replica from Korg takes the…

Beat / If we forget about the Covid-related decline for a moment, the club scene is still looking pretty vibrant. To me, that‘s quite fascinating. If DJing is really so much about discovering new music, why aren‘t people simply going online to find out about it? Pete Tong / It’s an interesting phenomenon to study right now for sure. Streaming provides infinite choice. And yet, it actually makes it harder to become a global phenomenon. Beat / Isn‘t it exactly the other way round? Pete Tong / Well, labels and radio, which used to build this kind of global audience, have less influence now. But people still crave communal experiences. Clubs and festivals provide that scene and setting, clubs are where the culture is born. A great night at a…

00:00 The creative listener of this track is a short excerpt of an interview conducted in a lottery office by the US TV channel Fox, which became a viral Youtube laugh. Solardo already hint at the funny content from the interview in the mix intro by starting with a wacky synth loop. Initially accompanied by a house hi-hat and a clap, they slowly filter up said loop over the first eight bars for the purpose of mixing support for DJs. In addition, there are already isolated, rhythmically cleverly placed vocal shots that provide cool intermediate kicks. At the beginning of the following eight bars, the bass drum kicks in - plus driving 16th note closed hi-hats. A foretaste of the later following break part with interview vocals - not only…

Paraphonic patching with Analogue Solutions As successor of the monophonic character synthesizer Fusebox, Analogue Solutions has introduced its new paraphonic synthesizer Fusebox X. Now it is triple polyphonic playable and has more connection possibilities. Sound generation is handled by three cross-modulation-capable oscillators, which are supported by a sub-oscillator - along with a noise generator. The second and third oscillators can also be used as LFOs. FM synthesis can also be produced. In addition, there are new precision pots for an interval generator and pattern generator. The interval generator‘s clock input offers automatic transposition in various ways. The trigger outputs invite alternative ways to trigger the patternator and interval generator. The temporal component of the sound is controlled by two envelopes. In addition to the mini-step sequencer/arpeggiator, a 12 dB multimode…

Is studio acoustics the same as soundproofing? No. With an acoustic treatment, frequencies are specifically contained and distributed, but the room itself is not made soundproof. Acoustically sealing a room is more of a structural measure, for example by using proper mineral wool in the walls or even partition walls especially for this purpose. Is acoustic treatment even necessary in my studio? And which one? Certainly a basic question, but one to which only you can find the answer, and one in which several factors play a role. Are you happy with your mixdowns and do the tracks work on stage and on headphones? If yes, studio acoustics should not be an issue for you. If no, it depends both on whether your ears are already used to the sound…

A typical recording room, here is already a drum, but guitars and other instruments should also be played and recorded. The main goal is to create a balanced, good room sound. Recording rooms can and should have a sound of their own, we want to control reverberation here as well, but work more with diffusion if possible. The goal is an even, but not too short decay and if necessary, of course, reducing room modes. In the following example, the absorption is mainly concentrated on the lower mids and the bass range, while the range above is mainly characterized by diffusion. Dry the ceiling Since the room doesn‘t have particularly high ceilings, which is always desirable for recording rooms, we use deep absorbers, in this case our 244 Bass Trap…

»I think the album format is dead.« Beat / New ideas often arise because a creative person is missing something in everyday life and has an idea to solve this lack. Was that also the case with Viberate? Umek / Back when Facebook was still pretty much the only social media where artists were communicating with fans, we figured out we can‘t measure the effects of our ad spend. We were heavily investing into my Facebook audience growth, we were advertising new releases and albums, I had up to four US tours and a residency in Ibiza with Carl Cox, but somehow we were wandering in the dark. How do those efforts show in terms of my popularity? The idea was born for a service that would measure online popularity…

Millions of school children around the world are learning about the „Bolero“as one of the most legendary classics of all time. That would probably surprise no one more than its composer Maurice Ravel. While working on the piece, he wondered if there would ever be an orchestra willing to play it because the “Bolero” is almost grotesquely primitive on paper: a single drawn-out melody, which tips from a sensual C major into a menacingly sinister A minor, repeats itself over a sustained keynote, while around it the orchestra gathers in sinister storm clouds. In Western music history, such demonstrative repetitions, the emphasis on sensual, physical rhythms and the almost orgiastic nature of the finale were strictly frowned upon. Even the eccentric conductor Arturo Toscanini, who was not averse to experimentation,…

Acoustic Samples UKU Thanks to hits by Jason Mraz, Train and Twenty One Pilots, the ukulele has become an integral part of pop music. Even though the Hawaiian stringed instrument is quite easy to learn, it would be handy to have its distinctive sound ready to play in your DAW. For UKU, a concert ukulele by Kala was recorded and includes a variety of articulations such as muted notes and harmonics, as well as playing and percussion sounds. The virtual instrument for the free UVI Workstation allows, on the one hand, the monophonic or polyphonic playing of melodies. In this solo mode, you can switch between the Legato, Hammer-on / Pull-off and Slide articulations. On the other hand, you can also play very convincing rhythms with UKU. Chords played on…

What hardware or plug-ins do others like to use, what do they look for when producing their music, how is their studio set up? When working with labels, producing remixes or at live events, one thing quickly became clear to our host Rüdiger Keller: everyone has their own style, not only musically, but also in terms of making. That led to the idea … hey… let‘s make a podcast out of it! Talking with musicians face-to-face The concept is simple: each show features a producer and three of their tracks, we talk about their approach to producing, tools and techniques and, most importantly: the fun of it all. It doesn‘t matter how successful the guests are. Rather, it‘s what they have to say that counts. We talk about technology, production…

Deep & Lofi House have become a perennial favourite in electronic music and are indispensable in clubs, on the radio and Spotify & Co. In or upcoming feature, we show what makes a successful House track and give both beginners and professionals the right gear and know-how for their own complete productions. Plus various tips directly from the genres’ top artists. Review: PWM Malevolent The British company PWM debuts with a compact semi-modular analogue synthesiser. Two VCOs offer standard waveforms, FM synthesis and waveshaping. A powerful and, at high resonance, very aggressive multimode filter, in conjunction with the drive control, provides fat and gritty sounds that evoke memories of the Korg MS-20. Complex modulations can be created via a total of 19 patch points and brought to life in combination…