DIGITAL NATION
ISSUE 86
NEWS
ARTURIA NATIVE INSTRUMENTS DIGI DESIGN ABLETON LIVE 6 UNIVERSAL AUDIO TASCAM
The developers behind many of Fresh from a seismic press release Digidesign have announced X Form, Ableton Live 6 has just been released. Universal Audio has released a minor Tascam are launching the latest in
today’s most cherished software containing the Massive, FM8, Battery a brand spanking new plug-in Ableton have fought tooth and nail to update to their UAD card range, bring- their DM range of mixing desks in the
synthesisers, have recently announced 3 and Absynth 4 products, Native capable of better pitch-shifting and establish themselves within an already ing it to 4.4.1. Other than the usual form of the DM-4800. It’s a high end
Analog Factory Reloaded. This refilled Instruments are at it again with time-stretching than Pro Tool’s native overcrowded sequencing market, minor tweaks, the main reason you’ll product aimed at the serious record-
version comes stuffed with 1,000 the announcement of Guitar Rig 2: algorithms. It uses the famed archi- and now the fruits of their labours be downloading this is for the 14-day ing engineer, looking for a central
additional, fully-fledged sounds. As Software Edition. Its functionality and tecture of Izotope’s Radius software are emerging. Ableton currently rules trial of the Neve 33609 compressor hub to link their live booth to their
part of a Holiday Special Offer, Arturia features are identical to the original and is an audio suite of sorts, with as the laptop DJs choice bit of kit, emulation [the one MJ Cole talks control room. It can also be used as
have also announced that every Guitar Rig 2, except that it doesn’t an intuitive interface and big chunky and with this latest installment they about this issue], which Universal a control surface for Logic, Pro Tools,
customer purchasing the Analog come with any hardware foot control- dials. Extreme stretches are permitted, can now get even more out of their Audio have developed through their Cubase, Nuendo, Digital Performer and
Factory before 31st December 2006 ler. Most dance music producers are ranging from approximately 10% to live sets. On the production front, special partnership with AMS Neve SONAR – so visit www.tascam.com for
is entitled to download the Reloaded only interested in this product for its 800% with a ±36 semitone shift. The Live 6 is now an equal to Logic and Limited. all the facts.
extras for free. Those who have distortions and unique tone-sculpting plug-in allows you to specify whether Cubase and perhaps even surpasses
already registered the product are still features anyway, so for this reason you’re working with polyphonic or them in the modernity stakes. Its
legible – just head to www.arturia.com they’ll enjoy the new 2.2 update. It’ll monophonic material, to get the best most impressive new features are
for the skinny. be available mid-November and is of possible result. Retailing at £346, its simplicity and high usability;
course compatible with Intel Macs check www.digidesign.com or www. the way that any parameter can be
– check www.nativeinstruments.com izotope.com to get the full beef. automated and linked to another [no
for a feature list. other sequencer – not even Pro Tools
– allows this to such a degree] and
the new ‘Sampler’, which enables
editing, at times, in advance of Native
Instrument’s Kontakt 2. You simply
owe it to yourself to visit www.ableton.
com where you can check out video
tutorials detailing these new features.
Perhaps being solely responsible for hauling the space, but also trail off into the distance in a
drum & bass scene out of a dark, stagnant rut, ghostly fashion because of the phaser. Turn up
‘Hide U, with its killer hook and warm vibe paved the bus / aux send pot on your vocal and analyse
the way for a whole manner of ‘happy’ 12”s and what’s happening, then proceed to play with the
ultimately the liquid sub-genre that we all know phaser settings until the whole thing sounds
and love today. Now, we’re going to examine a excellent (where increasing the feedback will lead
specific part of ‘Hide U – the vocals – and how to some of the best results).
Kosheen managed to make them so hypnotic and
otherworldly. An identical effect was used in the After mastering this technique, you should try dif-
classic ‘Music Sounds Better With You’ by Stardust ferent combinations in the bus / aux signal chain
in 1997. Before we try to emulate this, please seek to develop it further. For example, if you place a
out both tunes and listen to the vocals on stripped flanger or chorus effect after a reverb in a similar
down parts of them where no beats are running. set-up, instead of a phaser, it will make your
There’s an acapella of ‘Hide U on the vinyl version, vocals sound like they originated from outer space,
if that helps. or some distant planet. This is because all the
classic sci-fi films feature an overabundant use of
The process, whilst sounding professional and per- flange. Going one step further, placing dynamics
haps even complex, is actually simplistic. First, get processors like compressors in the signal chain,
your vocal sounding decent via the correct combi- then messing with their attack and release times
nation of compression, dynamics and limiting, then can make the reverb move all over the place and,
load a reverb onto a bus or auxiliary send. Make ultimately, distinguish your sound from everyone
the reverb’s tail significantly longer than one you’d else’s. Remember – you’re not limited to utilising
typically use to excite vocals – two to five seconds this method on vocals. Doing so on drums, pads
will do. Also, try to keep the low frequencies intact and synths will give your sounds a sharp edge,
DON JOHN ‘THE BASTARD’
in the reverb, because you’ll need these later to suited to dance music
make the effect sound dynamic.
SHOWS YOU HOW...
Note: the effect detailed here will not work if you
Now, place a phaser after the reverb in the signal place the reverb on the same channel as the audio
chain (not before, or the trick won’t work). This you’re affecting. It has to be on an aux / bus,
EACH ISSUE OUR DIGITAL NATION EDITOR EXPOSES VALUABLE STUDIO SECRETS. THIS MONTH: HOW TO
means that whatever you feed into the reverb will because you only want to process the reverb; not
GET THOSE VOCALS SOUNDING TASTY.
not only sound like it’s being played in a wide the original audio file, which should remain intact.
78
K78-80_DigitalNation.indd 78 18/10/2006 13:03:40
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