
Roland Schmidt
Roland Schmidt is a professional programmer, sound designer and producer, who has worked in collaboration with a number of successful production teams over the last 25 years. He can also be found delivering regular and key-note lectures on the use of hardware/software synthesisers and production, at various higher educational institutions throughout the UK
Latest articles by Roland Schmidt

How modulation effects work and how to use them
By Roland Schmidt published
Phasing and flanging are often confused. We ask why - and demystify!

"It’s simple enough to create the perfect hard-tuned and harmonised effects within our DAW, providing you have the right software": How to harness hard-tuned vocals
By Roland Schmidt published
That hard-tuned, robot-like sound, first popularised by Cher, has now become something of a staple in modern pop

How to humanise your virtual acoustic instruments in your DAW projects
By Roland Schmidt published
Duff notes, timing errors and quirky performance choices are often the elements that underline the humanity of acoustic performances.

How to master virtually any software synth
By Roland Schmidt published
Don't let your software arsenal overwhelm you - sometimes the best route to creative success is to mine just one instrument

Our go-to plugins for adding flavour to our sounds
By Roland Schmidt published
With so much processing available in modern DAWs, we take a look at some of the more left-field plugins and approaches for maximising the colour of your audio signal

How to record virtual and live instruments more smoothly by taking stock of your sample buffer
By Roland Schmidt published
Latency on your plugins and audio recordings can derail a developing musical idea - but if you get a handle on managing your sample buffer you’ll have a much smoother ride

The lesser-heard theory tricks that lay behind the magic of the Beatles' Yesterday
By Roland Schmidt published
We take a deep-dive into a much-beloved classic that still sounds like it was recorded only yesterday…

“We’ll push the boat out here and say that this could be its finest synth plugin to date”: Cherry Audio ODC 2800 review
By Roland Schmidt published

“One of the most iconic synthesizers of all time, in a highly usable and great sounding piece of software”: GForce Software Oberheim TVS Pro review
By Roland Schmidt published
Introducing a software rebirth, based on a hardware reissue. GForce presents two seminal voices in a single legendary Oberheim

“The big take-home is the overall playability of this wonderful keyboard, we simply got lost for hours in the enjoyment of playing”: Nord Piano 6 review
By Roland Schmidt published
The Nord Piano reaches its sixth generation, with some sizeable upgrades. We sit on a stool and take notes!

Want to record some real musicians in your studio? Here’s how to prep for success
By Roland Schmidt published
One of the biggest learns when becoming a producer is just how you manage - and work with - real musicians.

"There’s potential for a degree of chaos here": Cherry Audio Yellowjacket review
By Roland Schmidt published
The EDP Wasp gets the Cherry Audio treatment

How music production became accessible to all thanks to a handful of innovators
By Roland Schmidt published
We sat down to write a track with our laptop, and pondered how we got here? Maybe via our spare bedroom…or even a kitchen?

“The included sample content is sonically amazing”: Spitfire Audio BBC Radiophonic Workshop review
By Roland Schmidt published
This long overdue curation of one of the most distinctive archives in Electronic Music history, finally brings Radiophonics to your DAW

“A superb-sounding, pro-end keyboard”: Roland V-Stage 88 & 76-note keyboards review
By Roland Schmidt published
If you’re a gigging keyboard player, the new Roland V-Stage could be the next major addition to your rig

“The perfect environment for creating iconic drum sounds, which have scope to move beyond their original sonic remit”: GForce Software IconDrum review
By Roland Schmidt published
In the return of an Iconoclastic instrument, GForce revisits one of the most influential drum machines of the ’80s, and beyond

"Potential for Aphex-style bleeps and mayhem": Cherry Audio KR-55C Software Drum Machine
By Roland Schmidt published
Steppin’ Out with Cherry Audio’s post-punk beatbox that provides more than a few surprises

How learning and understanding chord symbols can prove a major benefit for sharing your musical ideas
By Roland Schmidt published
Chord hieroglyphics can take several forms. We unravel the mysteries of one of the most symbolic and common examples

"A painstaking facsimile of the original in software form": Waldorf Microwave 1 Plugin
By Roland Schmidt published
Described as the ‘return of a legend’ in software, we reheat some wavetables with Waldorf’s reincarnated classic

“It’s a favourite with jazz and funk players, but it's just at home in hits by artists such as Jessie Ware”: Expand your chordal colours with 9ths
By Roland Schmidt published
Building an extension to a chord doesn’t require planning permission, but it might require a degree of design. We add 9ths to our extension palette

“The net result of this process is a progression which sounds smoother, calmer and more musical”: The value of adding chord inversions
By Roland Schmidt published
If your chord progressions sound a little clunky, try approaching your harmony in an inverse way.

“When used in conjunction with other unextended chords, it will sound amazing”: How to enhance your songwriting with major sevenths
By Roland Schmidt published
From bossanovas to Carole King and even James Bond villains, the major seventh can completely change your song’s mood.

How to create low-key ambient techno beats in your DAW
By Roland Schmidt published
Creating an ambient techno groove can be far from a chilled affair, so we take you through the basics of generating a low-key pattern.
Want all the hottest music and gear news, reviews, deals, features and more, direct to your inbox? Sign up here.