MUSIC TECH posts have long served the purpose of introducing the beatmaking community to software and hardware tools of the trade. Starting today, there will be a MUSIC TECH post daily delivering the news, reviews and info on the best DAWs, software instruments, plug-ins, sound libraries and midi technology available.
The expanded MUSIC TECH posts will be provided by the man pictured above, Saint Joe aka JK, creator/writer of SOUNDSANDGEAR.COM. Saint Joe has a ton of reviews on video and is very thorough with his presentation of the next wave of music technology. I will be reposting articles originally found on SOUNDSANDGEAR.COM. Meet Saint Joe:
"My name is Joe, some call me JK, many know me as saintjoe.
I love all things about music, from real instruments to electronic gadgets.
I’ve been producing music for myself as well as other gospel hip hop, urban, and contemprary artists since 2001 but have been playing with and in love with music for waaaaaay longer.
I’m pretty sure we’d have some things in common, no matter if you’re a producer, beatmaker, sountrack composer, video game music creator, sound designer, or vintage gear collector. It’s all good baby!
This is simply a place for me to share my love, fascination, and outright lust for music gear, news, tips, reviews, and whatever else I feel like sharing.
I’ll try to give you hands on reviews of different equipment , software, and sounds, and make sure you know about the best stuff out.
Join me…"
No doubt! Stay tuned to THEZROHOUR.COM for some vital info that will help you step up your production game.
Do you have children or know of kids who show an interest in becoming the next J Dilla, Timbaland or Pete Rock? Well now there is a software designed just for them (ages 7 and up) to help them craft the next hit single or just to teach them music theory and arrangement. GROOVY MUSIC CITY, the home version of the popular Groovy Music educational software series, lets kids compose their own music on a home computer. They’ll learn rhythms, chords, melodies, and music notation – all while having fun and exploring their creativity. With Groovy Music City, kids can create their own music in a futuristic city theme and use library of sounds that include patterns as well as individual sounds. The MIDI record keyboard is available and a physical keyboard can be connected to the computer to record notes and melodies. Once their creations are finalized, kids can share them on the web using the secure groovymusic.com web site. Groovy Music City is available for MAC/WINDOWS and retails for $39.95.
Beat Kangz Electronics has developed a new music production system and now a virtual software package for music lovers and beat makers. The Nashville-based independently owned company has created The Beat Thang mobile music production unit and The Beat Thang Virtual software application with a unique set of features designed to fit the needs of the urban music community.
Packed with over 3000 brand new sounds, these products integrate fully functioning Digital FX, a 16-track MIDI sequencer, sampling and waveform editing. Designed with the musician’s ear in mind, the products are loaded with live bass, strings, synthesizers, Latin and African percussion, electric guitar as well as popular chopped and screwed effects. The Beat Thang mobile music production unit and The Beat Thang Virtual software application will be featured at the Summer NAMM convention July 17-19 in Nashville.
Additionally, the company enlisted Commissioner Gordon, a music engineer who has mixed for artists like Kanye West, The Roots, 50-Cent and KRS-ONE, to mix the final sounds for the The Playa Thang, a playback application for the iPhone and iPod Touch platforms featuring 20 production ready Beat Kangz beats.
Finishing touches are now in progress for The Playa Thang. Plans to make the application available for download from the Apple iStore are underway.
By July 17, The Beat Thang Virtual software system ($149.00) will be available for purchase on the company’s website and The Beat Thang mobile music production unit ($999.00) will be available for pre-order to ship in October.
SaintJoe, a frequent contributor to the Music Tech section and creator of soundsandgear.com, has created a new user forum/website for users and enthusiasts of Native Instruments Maschine. Maschine is the newest hardware/software drum sampling machine that offers a great deal of powerful sounds and efficient workflow. It is designed as a bridge between MPC/groovebox users and those who work with midi software, combining the best of both worlds. Take it away SaintJoe:
People with similar interests love to get together and hang out, share tips, ideas, or just chill. Sorta like all the crazy folks like me that love to make music…..yeah that’s you :)
I saw there was really no place for various Maschine users to connect and network. We mostly visit the official NI forums, but most look to that as simply a place to go when you want support. There was no place to just go and hang out, talk about Maschine, post videos, etc…all in one spot.
So you know I had to do something about that right?
Now we have MaschineMusic.com, it’s an online community dedicated to users, possible users, or anyone interested in Native Instruments Maschine. I think it’s always good to have an “unofficial” place to discuss and build around a product, just so you’re not at the “mercy” of the company who’s product it is you’re discussing. And no matter what folks will say, Maschine is here to stay, it seems it can only get better.
Transform your iPhone into a music production studio.
The iPK25 transforms iPhone or iPod touch into a portable music production studio for mobile music creation. This MIDI keyboard controller gives your handheld device a two-octave set of piano keys and professional audio outputs, and it works with the Akai Professional SynthStation Studio app. The iPK25 is powerful enough for professional musicians, yet virtually anyone can use is to easily create music.
This 25-key synth keyboard features a built-in dock for iPhone or iPod touch. The iPK25 gives you two octaves of velocity-sensitive, synth-action keys, pitch and modulation wheels, and octave up and down and sound-bank buttons. The iPK25 has a stereo pair of RCA line outputs and a headphone output for connection to recording and sound reinforcement systems.
You can use the iPK25 with Akai's SynthStation Studio app as well as virtually any MIDI music software on your computer or with MIDI hardware devices such as sound modules, samplers, and MPCs using its USB/MIDI output. Available exclusively through the Apple App Store, SynthStation Studio gives you three powerful synthesizers for creating and modifying sonic textures used for melodies, chords, and bass lines. Built around Akai Professional’s history in synthesis and drawing on the newest MINIAK synth, the SynthStation Studio app sounds great and offers wide-ranging sonic flexibility with its virtual analog synthesis.
Not really music technology per se, but technology inspired by music heads for music heads. These custom USB flash drives are the flyest accessory for the hip hop head or producer. These 4 GB flash drives follow the authentic design of the original machines. Go to the site now and pre-order before they sell out. At $39.95 they are a bit expensive but highly collectible.
The idea of this library is to provide you with a collection of “radio ready” sounds and samples. Not just one style but any and everything you’d be likely to hear on any popular urban radio station.
The crunk club smashers, the urban rnb vibes. The chopped/pop sample style music, synth based euro gangsta lol…you get the idea. This is just a large collection of popular and contemporary sounding samples
Quick Specs
* Content: 2gb 24 bit wav files (4.68gb all together across formats)
* Format: wav, rex, acid, rmx, apple
* Price: $99.95
How does it sound?
It sounds like urban music…period.
I won’t lie, I was expecting some corny attempt to capture the current “trendy” style of music, I expected it to be one-sided. This library has a lot of various styles from east to west, north to south, club to street, it’s all covered.
The production style is on point, the sounds especially keys and strings are organic, the drums bang, the synths are nice. Everything is recorded and produced with a certain “sheen” on it, but yet still captures everything you’d expect from the particular genre it’s going after.
There are even some random vocal and other samples to give you that chopped, vocal, sample vibe yet still keeping it radio ready.
With the void left by SCRATCH magazine and the minimal focus on hip hop in music production publications (an exception being REMIX magazine), PRODUCER'S EDGE satisfies that thirst for knowledge and information to create music of champions. I found Producer's Edge at a newsstand in NY by accident and devoured the incredible amount of info in just one issue. There were interviews with Easy Mo Bee and David Banner, an in depth history of EMU's SP1200 sampling drum machine, and tutorials on recording and music distribution among other rich content. I was impressed to have so much contained in one source and in an independent one at that. That was issue two and with the arrival of issue three, Producer's Edge has transformed into a completely digital and FREE online magazine. Producer’s Edge is one of the first to utilize a multi-media format as a Digital Magazine with embeddedd video, audio and live downloads. The original format had a DVD-ROM attached to the magazine full of free sounds, software instruction and demos. All of that content is now available online and if you sign up as a subscriber, you get access to additional XC (extra content) for download.
Issue No. 3 of Producer's Edge features interviews with Pete Rock, The RZA, an incredible overview of the MV 8800 and tutorials on getting your drum game tight. If you are looking for well rounded coverage of the tools and techniques within hip hop/R&B/reggae/electronic production, this is a must read. No fluff. Where SCRATCH magazine almost got it right, Producer's Edge surpasses that vison.
As music technology improves, the options for crafting your next hit tracks become more portable and modular. I use the Trigger Finger from M-Audio to serve as my MPC style input when I'm composing beats and I'm going to cop the Alphatrack fader/transport control surface for my mixing needs. Korg introduces three new options for the laptop/desktop musician- the Nano Series Controllers. The new Korg nanoSERIES USB powered slim-line controllers are so small you can put them on your workstation, in front of your laptop, on a recording console or anywhere else you need versatile control over your DAW, virtual instrument/effect or DJ software. The three modules are the nanoKEY - A Flexible MIDI Keyboard Controller, the nanoPAD drum input style controller (similar to the tech behind the Korg padKONTROL) and the mix surface style nanoKONTROL. Each device retails for a very affordable $60-70 dollars. Check the post from ENGADGET for an unboxing and brief review of the controllers. GEARWIRE offers a preview video from this year's Summer Namm in Nashville.
Last week, The Village Voice published an article focusing on the history and importance of EMU systems' SP1200 sampling drum machine in shaping the sound of Hip Hop music. There is roundtable discussion with producers Hank Shocklee, Lord Finesse, Ski, and Pete Rock speaking on their love and discovery of this seminal drum machine. The rough , aggressive textures and limited sample time of the SP1200 made producers of that era create techniques and work-arounds that later became the trademark sound of gritty boom bap. Thanks to MUSIC THING for the link. Check the article HERE
Check these youtube videos for instruction and demos of producers using this legendary machines-
The MPD26 is a MIDI-over-USB pad controller with genuine MPC pads. Producers, programmers, musicians and DJs will appreciate the MPD26’s capabilities. Its blend of intuitive MPC controls and technologies meshes with USB connectivity to bring the feel of classic beat making to the world of computer music production.
The heart of the MPD26 is its bank of 16 velocity and pressure-sensitive MPC pads, an Akai Professional exclusive. Producers can access four different sounds from each MPC pad for a total of 64 at a time. The MPD26 also features the MPC series' assignable Q-Link controllers, enabling musicians to control a wide range of parameters in their software in real time. The MPD26’s six assignable Q-Link faders and six assignable Q-Link 360° knobs enable producers to spend less time with the mouse and more time making music. The MPD26 also has a dedicated set of transport controls for instant access to the most commonly used DAW or sequencing-software controls.
AKAI APC20
Akai Professional worked in partnership with software developer Ableton to create the APC20, the second control surface created by Akai Professional for performance with Ableton Live software. Like the APC40, adding the APC20 transforms the user’s experience from one of constructing tracks with a keyboard and mouse to composing and performing with a seamless, fully integrated hardware/software musical system.
The APC20 retains many of the APC40’s most popular features and capabilities, while shrinking the physical footprint and adding interesting new capabilities. The smaller size enables musicians to perform in less space and makes setting up multiple controllers and devices easier. Power users can use the APC20 in conjunction with an APC40 to expand their track and clip controls.
Like the APC40, the APC20 centers on its five-by-eight Clip Launch grid. This bank of multicolor triggers not only start and stop clips playing in Live, they also show cells’ status in the software – whether a clip is loaded or not, whether it is playing or not, record-armed status and more. Clip Stop triggers, transport controls and faders round out the control surface. Users can switch the APC20’s faders between volume control, pan, sends and three different user-mapped modes. A new Note Mode enables musicians to use the Clip Launch buttons to control virtual instruments and Ableton Live’s Drum Rack.
It was a matter of time before something like this would be launched. I just didn't believe that I would see such a great product so fast. The iPad has been unleashed on the public last week and thanks to MATRIXSYNTH, we now have info on a great new music app for the iPad, KORG's iElectribe Drum Synth/Sequencer. Retailing for a limited time for $9.99 (regular price $19.99), KORG has designed a software emulation of one of their classic drum machine/grooveboxes. The iElectribe works flawlessly as an exact replication of the hardware sound and functiionality.
Propellerhead's Reason, one of the world's leading music production software, has been updated to 5.0. New feature sets include a new instrument, Kong Drum Designer, an upgrade to their venerable Dr. Rex sample player, Dr. Octo-rex and sampling input for all sample playback modules (NN-19, NN-XT, Dr. Octo-Rex, Kong, Redrum). Propellerhead's DAW Record 1.5 adds a whole new take on sequencing: Blocks, letting you build your song parts like patterns and string them together for super fast arranging. 1.5 adds a whole new take on sequencing: Blocks, letting you build your song parts like patterns and string them together for super fast arranging. Record also adds the Neptune pitch correction tool and voice synthesizer. Neptune can achieve results similar to Auto-Tune and Melodyne. Check out the link below for full info and upgrade options.
Propellerhead Software, creators of industry standard titles such as REASON and RECYCLE, have answered the prayers of the faithful. Propellerhead's Reason software has developed into one of the most powerful and sonically superior virtual instruments/sequencers on the market. You can compose ill drum sequences, incorporate samples and build tracks with massive synths within a hardware emulated environment. The only thing missing and requested by users of the program (myself included), was a way to record digital audio into Reason. Propellerhead has answered with the release of RECORD. Record gives you unlimited audio tracks, world class effects and mixing gear, and a whole new take on music recording. Record was designed for musicians - not audio engineers.
RECORD incorporates Reason seamlessly. With a registered copy of Reason, there will be no need to launch both programs simultaneously. When you open Record, all of your components (rack gear) and refills are available. Record allows you to work within your normal set up and add the power and flexibility expected from current DAWs (digital audio workstations). Record comes standard with a suite of effects, including Line 6 modeling amps, that can be used in conjunction with Reason's built in effects. The mixing console's sound and signal processing is faithfully modelled after the legendary SSL 9000k analog mixing desk.
Record micro tutorial 1 - Record basics
RECORD will be available September 9, 2009 at a suggested retail price of $299 USD / €299 EUR.
Go to Propellerhead's youtube channel for more info and tutorials.
In my mind, poise is the drum sampler we’ve all been looking for. Poise is what I would make if I could write software….
Poise is a simple, 16 pad drum sampler that lets you quickly add layers, manipulate the layers, and come up with new sounds.
Poise is NOT a sequencer. You can NOT sample into it. From the site:
Direct, straightforward, no frills and no bloat! Poise aims to make working with drum samples quick and painless, allowing you to focus on making music.
Sounds good to me, so good I had to keep it under wraps until I could actually SHOW you what it did. It’s not new, it’s been around, but I just found out about it and I know many of you will love it, because I get the same questions from folks looking for an easy drum sampler that let’s you layer your drums quickly and tweak each layer.
Why I think Poise “gets it”
Why do I think it’s the best? Let me list the reasons.
* It’s easy to layer sounds, just drag them onto the pad, and a layer number will appear in the window
* layers can be played in round robin, layered, or velocity switching mode
* You can have up to 16 outputs, enough to send each pad to it’s own track in your daw if you want
* It’s easy to setup to work with your midi controller
* You can have note on or one-shot mode for your samples
* It has mono mode, so you can get down like on your hardware, making pads cut each other
* You also have “cut groups” so you can set pads to cut each other off
* You can link pads… so you can quickly layer multiple sounds just by linking the pads together
* You can save your own kits quickly
* You can tweak each layer on a pad separately or together
* you can use wav, aiff, or mpc snd format sounds
* It’s lean and cpu efficient
* It’s 49 bucks
AKAI's MPC drum machine/sequencer/sampler is known as one of the key instruments that have revolutionized music and Hip Hop production specifically. AKAI introduced the Midi Production Center with the ROGER LINN designed MPC 60. Through the years, improvements have been made to the kit and we have seen the MPC morph from the 60 to the 60II to the 3000, 2000, 4000, 1000, 2500 and the portable battery operated MPC 500. Now in 2008, AKAI has introduced the MPC 5000. It feels like it is in direct response to ROLAND's MV-8800 sampling workstation. The MV-8800 was seen as a potential MPC killer due to its inclusion of a built in analogue synth and flexible sequencing capabilities. Well AKAI has answered the call and has introduced a slew of new features including a built in synthesizer, arpeggiator and larger screen. Below is a great video outlining all the new features and capabilities of this new beast-
If there’s any other instrument or element in popular music styles that has a profound of an effect on the over feel of the tracks as the drums do, it’s gotta be bass! A great bass riff, bass line, or bass part can take a track to the next level….gives it that thump baby! Honestly, when it comes to virtual bass sounds, one name usually comes up pretty much every time.
Spectrasonics.
Their first product ever, was Bass Legends, a sample cd dedicated to the bass. Then some years later they produced Trilogy the first virtual instrument that was specifically made up of acoustic, electric, and synth bass sounds. That set the bar and Trilogy became the “go to” plugin for all your bass needs. Those with the computer power, and memory to take advantage never looked back.
Enter Trilian. The successor and evolution of Trilogy.
Real. Fat. Deep. Huge. Live. Amazing. Thick. Round. Smooth. Harsh- yeah..I could keep going. Honestly, words really can’t describe it, you really have to hear it.
There are things that you may not even realize are missing from your bass sounds/instruments, until you play with Trilian!
Seriously, the detail in these instruments is beyond comparison, and I’ve heard/tried quite a few bass libraries in my days. Take the acoustic upright bass for example, when I heard it…man, I promise I thought I could smell it! It sounds that real. And let me be honest here, I’m no bass player, I have friends that are, and I’ve heard enough live bass in my years to know what one sounds like. It’s like I can actually hear and FEEL the strings vibrating, I feel like I’m actually playing the instrument.
The electric basses are the same thing, everything just sounds so authentic to my ears, from nice and smooth, to hard and harsh, the use of the fx in Trilian allow you to pull up a sexy fender electric and then pull up a harsh, trashy, heavy metal bass right after.
The fingered Clean Fender is amazing, based on the Fender J-bass, the character is just so useful. Thing is, after listening to these samples, it’s hard to even look at anything else, I hit the keys and I’m confident I can feel the strings vibrating, really…AND I can hear them. It’s not just a bass tone, I’m convinced they somehow trapped tiny bass fairies into the software that hit real bass strings every time I send them a midi message…true story. I also liked the muted Chapman Stick…and the picked Hip Hop bass from the Trilogy library, has a nice deep, boomy tone. Of course those are just a few of the many I loved.
Cool, so you expect good realistic bass right…how about the synth bass section?
Man it’s like a freakin museum of synths known for producing fat, throbbing, floor shaking bass! Seriously, Moog, SE-1, Roland, Access Virus, Waldorf, Dave Smith…if these names mean anything to you, then you know what type of treasure awaits. Not only that, but they sampled and reproduced some stuff I had absolutely NO idea ever existed, quirky limited run synths and modules, stuff only a true fanatic would know about. I was happy to see this stuff too.
Today Akai introduced the new MPC Renaissance Music Production Controller which fuses the best of their legacy hardware with full software integration. Since the arrival of Native Instruments' Maschine many were wondering how Akai would respond. Its a bit early to call it a Maschine killer but it does have some amazing features:
MPC Renaissance Hardware
Fuses legendary MPC production with the processing power of your computer
Vintage Mode changes output sound character to MPC3000, MPC60 and more
16 backlit genuine MPC pads, 16 Q-Link controls, and adjustable backlit LCD screen
Classic MPC Note Repeat, MPC Swing and MPC transport controls
MPC SOFTWARE for Mac or PC with 64-track sequencing capability
Two XLR-1/4” combo inputs and dedicated turntable input
Four-channel US B 2.0 audio interface and two-port US B 2.0 hub built in
Up to eight pad banks―more than any other MPC ever
Two MIDI inputs and four MIDI outputs
Stereo 1/4” out, stereo assignable mix 1/4” out & S/PDIF I/O
MPC Software
64-track sequencing capability
Massive 6GB+ sound library, including all of the sounds of the classic MPC3000
Instant mapping and real-time adjustment of VST plug-ins
Record each track as an MPC drum program, Keygroup program or VST plug-in
Runs standalone and as VST, AU or RTAS plug-in
Supports WAV, MP3, AIFF, REX and SND
Supports samples and sequences from any MPC ever made
Mac and PC-compatible
Read more HERE
EVOLVE Mutations 1 and 2 are both kontakt player instruments that bring the creative and experimental sounds that Heavyocity are known for, into the studios and bedrooms of musicians of all kinds. Not only does it follow the same basic categorical layout of EVOLVE (Rhymthmic suites, percussive kits, stings and transitions, tonality and fx) it also picks up right where EVOLVE left off. It’s not a replacement for, it’s definitely an addition to EVOLVE, yet stands on it’s own.
The bundle is made up of version 1 and version 2, with 2 being the most recent and is full of 317 kontakt instruments, mutations 1 has 275. Each stand on their own, and definitely shine when used together.
This library is ready for any electronic music producer, video game sound designer, film composer, experimental hip hop producer, or anyone that loves the let the sound take control.
Quick Specs
* Content: 593 kontakt instruments (4gb)
* Format: Kontakt Player or Kontakt 4
* Price: $169 (bundle) or $119 each
How does it sound?
Well, depending on which sounds you use it can sound scary, vicious, epic, soulful, experimental, edgy, terrifying, esoteric, ambient, alien, monstrous, airy, metallic, demented, angelic, demonic, percussive, chilled, spine-tingling, blood curdling, soothing….well I think you get the point.
I honestly have NEVER played an instrument like this, anything you load just sounds wonderful, ready to go. Everything is produced with the up-most quality and creativity.
The Multis…oh my….you could literally complete a movie trailer with just the multis! I promise to you the first night I installed it I couldn’t even make it through demoing all the sounds without opening it up in Ableton and putting it to work for some hardcore movie style compositions.
Everything you can imagine, all the small little fx, the stuff you hear on commercials or in the theaters…that stuff is here. It may not be the exact sounds, but it’s the styles I’m speaking of. Because to me, this is easily one of the most unique and irreplaceable instruments you’ll ever come across. Heck…I’d say Heavyocity as a company is irreplaceable because I know of no one that is doing it like this. Not that I’ve come across.
Everything has a sheen and shine that says “I’m ready for my closeup!”
What’s your favorite part?
Man…that’s such a tough call, I love this bundle so much it’s really hard to say, but one of the things that really sticks out to me are the trigger fx in Mutations 2. I installed Mutations 2 before I installed Mutations 1 or the original EVOLVE library, and I see why Trigger FX were such a big deal! It let’s you get some morphing, mutating, randomly sick sounds just by “flipping switches”
The interface is made up of tiny switches that control things like dirt, cabinet, saturate, lofi, pan, eq sweep, pitch, delay 1, delay two, and glitch! And these all respond to keys on your keyboard as well…so you can hit the keyboard keys which control each one, play your sounds, and let the sound organically mutate right before your ears and eyes….yes…these sounds have so much personality I feel like I can see them.
Seriously, I found myself wishing the other libraries included trigger fx…BUT since they can all live with each other inside of Kontakt 4 or the Kontakt Player…I’m free to layer, trigger, mutate, and experiment as much as I wish!
If there was one thing outside of the sound design and organization that makes Heavyocity stand out…it’s their use and abuse of fx…and how creative they allow you to be with them.
This is another video showing how Native Instruments Maschine is not just a sampler or beat machine, but that it can be used just like a workstation or keyboard.
Instead of using it by sampling records or songs into it, I am using the internal sounds and creating music like I would on a Roland Fantom or Yahmaha Motif.
