Producer TECH
VERDICT BUILD QUALITY
EASE OF USE FEATURES
7.0 8.0 7.0
VALUE FOR MONEY 10 SOUND QUALITY
free way to make music and collaborate on the internet.
a little awkward when using multiple devices.
6.5
HYPE An extremely addictive, fun and
GRIPE Navigating the desktop can be
A great way to play, have fun and even make serious music without having to spend lots of cash on expensive bits of software.
7.7 /10
CLOUD BUSTING Can Audiotool’s web-based DAW be the silver lining that producers
everywhere have dreamed of?
CLOUD-BASED music production has been in existence for a few years, from complete online DAWs and virtual studios from the likes of Power FX’s ‘Soundation Studio’ and Naïve Solution’s ‘Audio Sauna’, to online virtual instruments such as Andre Michelle’s Tenori-style ‘Tone Matrix’. These virtual music tools require no installation and can be accessed anywhere from a computer with internet access. They’re generally offered free, with the option to register as a user to enable more features such as the ability to save and share tracks. It’s fair to say that the Cloud is unlikely to become the preferred platform for modern music-makers due to the sheer wealth of functions offered via traditional DAWs and more increasingly, portable music solutions such as those found on the iPad and iPhone. However, ease of use and the ability to access projects virtually anywhere will — and should — draw the interest of travelling producers wanting to capture that ‘away from the
DON’T STIFLE THE ARTIST While the producer is often the most knowledgeable person in a studio session, when it comes to production it is important not to stifl e an artist’s creativity.
studio’ ‘Eureka!’ moment. It should also appeal to those dipping their toes into music production for the fi rst time, and dare we say, those offi ce-bound beat- makers wishing to sneakily knock out a cheeky masterpiece behind the boss’s back.
Audio Tool by Hobnox is one of the more established browser-based music tools, having slowly evolved over the past fi ve years, dropping the Hobnox tag along the way. Anyone who has used Propellerhead’s Reason will be in familiar territory here. Music is made in a virtual studio where devices can be connected together through the use of virtual cables. Clearly aimed at the more electronic producer, the software offers 808 and 909-infl uenced sequenced drum machines, analogue synths, Tenori-style sequencers and pad-based samplers. All units have the ability to have their output piped through a large range of audio tools and effects pedals. Most devices
BUILD A LIBRARY OF CUSTOM PRESETS To make your tracks stand out from the rest, spend some time creating your own library of presets and learn the synthesiser’s capabilities and strengths in the process.
that users would expect are included, such as reverbs, fi lters, echo, distortion, audio splitters, cross-faders, mini mixers and many more. To start a new project, you simply visit the Audiotool website and click on ‘Launch App’. Whilst you can create music without registering, to save a project you’ll need to sign up to an account which not only allows you to retain your freshly-baked beats, but also provides access to the Audio Tool community. Once the app has launched, producers then have the option of opening one of four template fi les, including the citric-tinged ‘Rookie Acid’, which we highly recommend to anyone who fancies creating a bit of DJ Pierre-style squelch. Then it’s simply a case of selecting a device from the browser and dragging it across to the desktop to be patched automatically or manually into your project. A MIDI controller can be connected for more tactile control in preference of adding notes manually on the timeline.
LET THE TRACK MIX ITSELF Get the elements of a track right as they are recorded or created, and make sure they sound great before moving to the next item, and the track will more or less mix itself.
www.djmag.ca HAVE FUN
Making music should be fun, so don’t take things too seriously in the studio and enjoy the creative process.
Everything works well and sounds good, although we did experience a few issues navigating the desktop when using a number of units, as it was quite easy to get a little cluttered. Audio Tool is a great product. It’s fun, addictive, and during our time discovering the possibilities of Cloud music-making, we were constantly impressed with what was achievable within the confi nes of a browser. One of the great strengths of Audio Tools is the online community, which not only provides a forum for collaborations and remixes, but also allows device presets to be shared incredibly easily. Whilst we did encounter a few workfl ow glitches, it’s hard to knock something this much fun — particularly when it’s offered completely free. So next time you fi nd yourself staring aimlessly into an empty Google search bar, we suggest typing in the words ‘Audio Tool’. You certainly won’t regret it: just make sure the boss isn’t watching.
PRICE free
CONTACT
audiotool.com
087
TIPS
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