Computer Music issue 218 - VIRTUAL VINTAGE - July 2015

BUY THIS ISSUE NOW:

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**(NOTE: Sonny Wharton video only available with Print & Apple Newsstand editions)

VIRTUAL VINTAGE

Take a trip through time in this absolutely huge tutorial feature, and come out the other side with a ton of knowledge on the greatest studio gear ever made, and how to recreate it right inside your computer.

Over 15 pages and 16 videos, you'll learn about…

  • Recreating legendary analogue synths like the Moog Modular and ARP 2600
  • Vintage gritty digital synthesis: PPG-style wavetable, OSCar-esque additive, and more
  • The seminal sounds of Roland's 101, 303, 808 and 909
  • Crafting monumental digital pads with Korg M1
  • Authentic resampled rave hoovers with AudioRealism ReDominator
  • Classic digital Eventide and Lexicon effects - and how to 'do'
    them in software
  • 70s string machine sounds, modular madness, synth rarities…

and TONS more!

As always, we'll walk you through every step of each tutorial with high-quality videos, available whether you buy the print or digital edition. Here's one to whet your appetite for this month's vintage feast.


TWO NEW FREE PLUGINS + 40 CM Plugins

In addition to the 40 PC/Mac instruments and effects you get with every issue of Computer Music, this issue we bring you not one but TWO completely new VST/AU plugins.

AudioThing miniBit CM

Get the sound of 80s retro videogames with this character-packed lo-fi one-oscillator synth! Dial in your sound with a choice of waveshapes, envelope options, a low-pass filter and LFO modulation, and then rough them up by reducing the sample rate and bit depth. Check out how to use miniBit CM in the below video and read the full spec right here.


Lindell Plugins 6X-500 CM

Direct from analogue hardware masters Lindell Audio comes this absolutely gorgeous retro-style preamp and EQ plugin, produced exclusively for CM. Boost the high and lows using 6X-500 CM's smooth, selectable Pultec-style shelving filters, drive the signal anywhere from soft saturation to full-on distortion, add or remove analogue noise and modelling to suit any use, and meter the signal's level while tweaking the Gain and Output controls. See and hear this exclusive plugin in action in the below video, and read the full spec here.


FREE SAMPLES - Sample Magic Future vs Retro

Samples simply don't get much better than Sample Magic's, and we've teamed up with them to bring you a 2GB twin-pack made up of two distinct collections: Future Sounds CM and Retro Sounds CM. This royalty-free pack is a heady cocktail of old-school and next-gen sounds, mixing the likes of Vintage Breaks and Analogue House with Glitch Hop and Downtempo Electronica.

Hear the Retro Sounds CM samples in this track playthrough video.


TUBES 'N' TAPE

Analogue gear is rightly revered for its characterful response to music, but how can you get it in software? In this feature, we'll explain what goes on under the lids of classic tape, valve, console and preamp hardware; get our analysis tools out to show you what the plugin equivalents are actually doing to your signals; then we'll get practical, demonstrating how to set up virtual tape, console and preamp plugins to recreate analogue recording and mixdown setups.


8-BIT TRACK BUILDER

The 8-bit computer/console revolution of the 1980s brought computer music bleepin' and a-bloopin' into homes worldwide, and it influences electronic music to this day. Now, we'll show you how to recreate a 'timepiece' chiptune track from scratch in your DAW, making the most of a super-limited setup by emulating crafty workarounds such as hand-programmed delay. You get the FL Studio project files and samples, as well as video for every stage. We've even included an Ableton Live version of the project using only CM Plugins, so absolutely everyone can try it out - just grab the Live demo and you're off!


HOW TO USE MONARK

Native Instruments' king of the synths remains unrivalled by any other software Minimoog. See how to get the best from this Reaktor/Player instrument with our section-by-section tour. Get the most from the Oscillators, Filters and Amp, and Monark's Reaktor-only features with our video tutorials.


SONNY WHARTON PRODUCER MASTERCLASS video***

This rising house star won recent acclaim for his rave-inspired track Raindance. We've raided his studio for production knowledge, andin this exclusive video, Sonny breaks the track down, giving us an in-depth look at how each element of his Logic Pro project was created. See part 1 below, and get the rest only in this month's issue of Computer Music.


PLUS

  • Designer Sounds:Paul 'InsideInfo' Bondy makes an iconic old-school house/rave stab using Kontakt 5.
  • Dr Beat:Knocking around a couple of kick, snare or hi-hat hits in your beat can lead to some huge transformations. See how it's done in this instalment of our groove-programming guide.
  • Geek Technique:Owen Palmer looks back to 70s prog rock, and applies what he's learnt to modern dance.
  • Music Theory: Learn how to find the key of a song -using a few simple techniques, you can get this essential musical skill under your belt right now.


INTERVIEWS

  • Boris Blank: The Swiss sound-mechanic and one half of classic electronic group Yello talks to CM about a life in sound, his time in the music biz, and the hardware and software he uses to make music.
  • Plogue: David Viens takes his retro sound chips very, very seriously -and so do we! Get the lowdown on software like Chipsounds, Bidule and the new Chipspeech in this interview
  • Yousef: We catch up with the Circus Records stalwart and quiz him on the five bits of software he couldn't live without


REVIEWS

  • Universal Audio UAD 8.0 Software
  • Tacktion Software Corporation Tracktion 6
  • Kush Audio Electra DSP
  • Acon Digital Equalize
  • Synchro Arts Revoice Pro 3
  • Siren Audio Feedback 2
  • Softube Transient Shaper
  • LVC-Audio Limited-MAX
  • Sinevibes Drift

PLUS 13 more reviews


40+ EXCLUSIVE PLUGINS!

• Every issue of Computer Music comes with CM Plugins, an exclusive collection of pro-quality VST/AU instruments and effects for PC and Mac. Check out our full CM Plugins list and the CM Plugins FAQ for more info.

CM plugins

CM plugins


…AND MUCH MORE!

***Producer Masterclass video is not currently downloadable. Apple Newsstand readers can watch it directly inside the app via internet streaming. Print edition includes Producer Masterclass on the DVD. Other digital formats inc. Zinio & Google Play do not include Producer Masterclass video.

cm218 is on sale now in the UK, Apple Newsstand and Zinio. Overseas dates for print edition are roughly: USA + 4 weeks after UK / Australia +8 weeks / Europe +2 weeks / South Africa +6 weeks / Canada +4 weeks.

See more issues in our cmbackissueslist

Computer Music

Computer Music magazine is the world’s best selling publication dedicated solely to making great music with your Mac or PC computer. Each issue it brings its lucky readers the best in cutting-edge tutorials, need-to-know, expert software reviews and even all the tools you actually need to make great music today, courtesy of our legendary CM Plugin Suite.