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February 2015 / CM213

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As a computer musician, there’s a heavy weight of expectation that as well as coming up with toe-tapping rhythms, cool chords and memorable melodies, you’re actually going to create some of the sounds in your tracks. As fun and creative as this can potentially be, pouring your efforts into designing custom sounds only to realise that they just don’t meet 2015’s sonic standards can be a deeply disappointing experience. So, what you gonna do? I’ll tell you: flip to page 36 and feast on our mammoth Sound Design 2015 guide! From quick tips and tricks that’ll improve your sounds right away, to detailed breakdowns of our favourite sound design techniques, it’s all right here. And we didn’t stop there, as the sound design goodness flows throughout this issue of ! Harness the deliciously digital power of wavetable synthesis with Wavetable Wizardry (p71); see Owen Palmer unleash his wild sound design chops in this issue’s Geek Technique (p76); and design kick drums with FM8 in InsideInfo’s ongoing sound design series, Designer Sounds (p80). Enjoy designing your own superb sounds, and above all…

Enjoy the issue

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Issue 213 FEBRUARY 2015

contents

Cover feature

Producer masterclass 59 T OUGH LOVE

SOUND DESIGN 2015 Take ultimate sonic control and bring the sounds in your head into reality, p36

Catch up with the garage-influenced house pair, then take a look into their studio to see how they get things done

Tutorial

63 how to use OZONE 6 Master the knobs and faders of iZotope’s excellent processing suite. We’ll show you exactly how it all works

Tutorial

71 WAVETABLE WIZARDY

Find your way with immensely powerful wavetable synths like Serum, Electra2, Diversion and more. Start crafting your most interesting and innovative synth sounds yet

Regulars 76

GEEK TECHNIQUE: reverb as a synth

asy guide: e The whole tone scale

esigner d Sounds: Mefjus’ fm8 kicks

Interview

84 TUBE & BERGER We get up close and personal with the pigeonhole-dodging duo from Germany

Reviews

Essentials

xfer records serum

n ews

meldaproduction mpowersynth

WHAT’S ON YOUR DRIVE?

Waves Codex

burning question

AIr music technology the riser

100 Blue cat audio plug’n script

back issues

PLUS 23 MORE products reviewed

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4 / Computer Music / February 2015

114

BLAST FROM THE PAST: maestro echoplex

This issue’s exclusive free content from Computer Music

download g8 cm A gate plugin with plenty of bells and whistles is yours for free this issue – find out more on p10

Tutorial videos 34 high-quality videos to guide you through our tutorials. Wherever you see the below icon, there’s a video version to watch

S AMPLES Backwards basslines, sucking cymbals, reversed rhythms, flipped FX and more! Get ’em on p14

Tutorial files

CM Plugins

A folder full of audio examples, synth patches and project files to help you follow our tutorials

Our exclusive collection of free plugins for Mac and PC. See what’s available on p16

Download Our fantastic software, samples, videos* and tutorial files are now available to download! To get access, head to vault.computermusic.co.uk on your PC or Mac’s web browser. You’ll be asked to register and answer a few simple questions to prove that you’ve got the mag. You’ll then be given access to our content! You can sign in any time to register new issues and download more content. Tough Love give us a good look at how they made So Freakin’ Tight in Logic Pro 9, p59

* The Producer Masterclass video is not currently available as a download, though a solution to this is being worked on. Apple Newsstand readers can still watch the video via built-in internet streaming – just hit the Play Video button on the page.

February 2015 / Computer Music / 5

video

These videos will guide you through this issue’s tutorials. Download them from vault.computermusic.co.uk

SOUND DESIGN 2015 Develop your sound-craft with these 15 techniques 1 Basic boom FX using Acon Digital CM Verb

2 Super-smooth looping with XFadeLooper CM

3 Making space FX and risers with Dune CM

4 Ring Modulated bells in Camel Audio Alchemy

5 Moving, modulated FM basslines in Z3TA+ 2

6 Resampling a filthy filter FM sound made in Z3TA+ 2

7 Granular synth resampling with MachFive

8 Sinister, dissonant pads with Einklang CM

9 Morphing string sounds with Sylenth1

10 Ambient atmospherics made with Photosounder

11 Layering a field recording with a synth pad

12 Transforming foley into bass with XFadeLooper CM

13 Spectral filtering with iZotope Iris 2

14 Transforming a stab into a drone with reversing

15 Patch-cloning to gain insight into synth controls

Read the full article on p36

download

6 / Computer Music / February 2015

simple questions to prove that you’ve got the mag. You’ll then be given access to our content! You can sign in any time to register new issues and download more content. For more info, see our Vault FAQ: bit.ly/cmvaultfaq

video UNFILTERED AUDIO G8 CM

Producer Masterclass*

What happens when you take a gate plugin and stuff it with extra goodies? Find out what your new plugin can do

Read the full article on p10

EASY GUIDE: THE WHOLE TONE SCALE Hear this spacey six-note scale and find out when to use it

GEEK TECHNIQUE: use reverb as a synth

Learn this advanced sound design trick

TOUGH LOVE We’re in the studio for a first-hand look at how the house duo produced their massive hit So Freakin’ Tight. Watch the video for a peek into the process Read the full article on p78

Designer sounds: mefjus’ fm8 kicks InsideInfo lifts the lid on his cohort’s kick tricks

Read the full article on p80

Read the full article on p76

Read the full article on p59

WAVETABLE WIZARDRY Learn how to dial in advanced sounds with modern digital synths Read the full article on p71

3 Making custom wavetables in Xfer Serum

1 Synth pads using stacked wavetables in Tone2 Electra2

2 Wavetable FM synthesis with Tone2 Electra2

4 Stepping vs crossfading wavetables in Xfer Serum

5 Importing waveforms into Dmitry Sches Diversion

February 2015 / Computer Music / 7

video These videos will guide you through this issue’s tutorials. Download them from vault.computermusic.co.uk HOW to USE

OZONE 6 This high-tech suite of processors is overflowing with controls – learn what they do right here Read the full article on p63

download

1 A tour of iZotope Ozone 6’s redesigned interface

2 Ozone 6’s new standalone mode

3 Understanding Ozone 6’s level metering & auditioning

4 Mid-side, left-right and multiband processing

5 Ozone 6’s Equalizer module and Match EQ

6 Investigating Ozone 6’s Dynamics section

7 Visualisation features of Ozone 6

8 The new Dynamic EQ module in Ozone 6

9 Ozone 6’s Imager and Exciter sections

10 Using the Maximizer in Ozone 6

Our fantastic software, samples, videos and tutorial files are now available to download! To get access to this content, go to vault.computermusic.co.uk on your PC or Mac’s web browser. You’ll be asked to register and answer a few simple questions to prove that you’ve got the mag. You’ll then be given access to our content! You can sign in any time to

8 / Computer Music / February 2015

register new issues and download more content. For more info, see our Vault FAQ: bit.ly/cmvaultfaq * Please note that the Producer Masterclass video is not available as a download via our Vault, though Apple Newsstand users can watch the video via built-in internet streaming.

> download / unfiltered audio g8 cm

>Exclusive full software

Unfiltered Audio

G8 CM

download Get the plugin, the video and the Tutorial Files on PC/Mac at vault.computermusic.co.uk

Get tight dynamic control and creative effects with this feature-packed PC/Mac gate plugin Noise gating, while possibly not as flashy as other dynamics processes, is still an essential part of production and mixing. Whereas compression reduces the level of a signal that exceeds its threshold, a gate is sort of the opposite: when its threshold level is exceeded by the incoming audio signal, a gate will open and allow the audio to pass through; when the incoming audio is below that threshold value, the gate will close, preventing any audio from exiting. It’s useful for removing low-level

THRESHOLD Set the gate’s threshold

noise passages in recordings, tightening a mix or getting creative. Scoring 9/10 in issue 206, we branded Unfiltered Audio’s G8 Dynamic Gate as “one of the most comprehensive gates we’ve ever seen – and probably the most creative”. The developer dudes at Unfiltered Audio have kindly condensed its core features down into a fully featured gating tool just for readers – enter G8 CM! It’s got all the basics covered: threshold, reduction and dry/wet mix controls, envelope settings,

PEAK/RMS Switch the analysis type

FLIP MODE Output the gated signal or the material rejected by the gating process

hysteresis, peak and RMS modes, and up to 100ms lookahead. The real-time display can be configured to show the input and output levels graphically, as well as the action of the gate, and the analysis signal (external or internal) even gets its own gain fader. MIDI-wise, G8 CM not only accepts note input for MIDI-controlled gating, but can also output a user-specified MIDI note whenever the gate opens. Check out our walkthrough and video for more in-depth explanation.

DISPLAY OPTIONS Customise what you see

MENU Save/load presets and lock the plugin’s gain, sidechain and MIDI settings

ANALYSIS GAIN Apply gain to the inaudible ‘analysed’ input signal

GATE METER Displays the current value of the gate envelope OUTPUT GAIN Set the output signal’s level

DISPLAY A real-time waveform display to help you see your changes

LOOKAHEAD Delays the signal by a chosen amount for better analysis

If G8 CM’s awesome features leave you wanting more, the full version – G8 Dynamic Gate – also features an external sidechain input (in supported DAWs), reject outputs (which send out all audio blocked by the gate), one-shot mode for shaping percussion, cycle mode for AM synthesis or granulator-style effects, and an Expert Mode. And flip to page 24 to find out about Unfiltered’s new Sandman delay! Check out both plugins and grab the demos at www.unfilteredaudio.com

DRY/WET Mix between processed and unprocessed signals

ENVELOPE Attack, Hold and Release timing settings

10 / Computer Music / February 2015

REDUCTION Set the gain reduction applied when the gate is closed

HYSTERESIS The ‘threshold’ at which the gate closes once opened

MIDI IN & OUT Customise input and output MIDI settings

unfiltered audio g8 cm / download < > Step by step Getting started with Unfiltered Audio G8 CM

Tutorial

Files

Installing G8 CM is easy. Simply locate the relevant PC or Mac installer from our cover DVD or online Vault (vault.computermusic.co.uk), then double-click it to install the plugin on your computer, in VST/AU formats.

G8 CM is currently analysing and displaying the breakbeat’s RMS level, which is akin to its average level. Switch the analysis type from RMS to Peak via the dropdown menu at the plugin’s top, so it’s now analysing peak levels – ideal for rapidly changing signals with sharp transients such as drums and percussion.

As previously mentioned, the inaudible ‘analysed’ input signal is considered separate from the outgoing signal. Its gain can be adjusted without affecting the output amplitude of the signal that you can hear. Turn the left Analysis Gain slider down to around -8dB – now only the snare and one kick of the breakbeat are allowed through the gate.

Once the plugin is installed, fire up a new 95bpm project in your host software of choice. Loop up Breakbeat To Gate.wav on a new audio channel, turn its channel down to -6dB, then load a new instance of G8 CM as an insert on this track. Hit play – the drum loop’s waveform shows up on the plugin’s central display in real time, which plots level against time.

A noise gate shuts a signal down to silence unless it’s louder than a certain level, called the Threshold. Raise this slider up to around -10dB, and hear how the gate clamps down on the sections of audio that do not reach -10dB. The horizontal Threshold line on the display makes it easy to visually line the threshold value up with the desired peaks of the input signal.

Return the Analysis Gain to 0dB by double-clicking on its slider. The Attack and Release parameters determine how quickly the gate opens and closes. Pull the Release down to about 20ms. Raise the Attack parameter right up and note how the gate opens after the breakbeat’s transients, removing the attack of each hit, before setting Attack to the minimum 1ms.

The ‘analysed’ input signal (the inaudible ‘sidechain’ signal’) is the grey waveform signal on the central display. The red line represents the output signal after gating, which is the output we hear. The level of these signals can be adjusted via the two sliders on the far left and right of the plugin. You can toggle these graphs on and off in the Display Options menu.

Watch the right Gate meter as the plugin gates the breakbeat. It displays the current value of the gate envelope, turning black when the audio is let through the gate, and white when it’s closed over the signal – much like a gain reduction meter on a compressor. Open the Display Options dropdown and click the Show Gate tab. The thin vertical black lines on the graph now represent the gate’s ‘envelope’.

The Hold parameter controls the minimum amount of time the gate stays open for. Pull this down, causing the gate to close more quickly, shortening the length of each drum transient that exceeds the threshold. Note that extremely short values can cause audible glitches and clicking. We’ll settle upon a value of around 40ms.

February 2015 / Computer Music / 11

> download / unfiltered audio g8 cm > Step by step Getting started with Unfiltered Audio G8 CM (continued)

Many gates allow you to set a ‘floor’, so that instead of the signal being completely silenced, it’ll just be reduced in volume. On G8 CM, this is called the Reduction parameter. Turn this knob left to raise the level of the gated signal, until all of the signal is allowed through. The bottom of the gate’s response graph will rise. Set this knob to around -13dB.

Untoggle the Flip switch to return to our original gated drum loop. The plugin’s Dry/Wet knob on the bottom right can be used to blend the gated signal with the original unprocessed signal, offering a different way to manage gain. Set this to around 70%, bypass the plugin to A/B our processing with the original unprocessed loop, and note that we’ve transparently pulled down the breakbeat’s sustain.

Now click on the right arrow in the MIDI In section,# changing the incoming note to C #3. We can now only hear the snare, as C 3 notes in the MIDI file are playing at the same time as the snare in the drum loop. Hit the right arrow again to change the MIDI In note to D3 – we hear only the hi-hats of the loop.

12 / Computer Music / February 2015

The Hysteresis point can be thought of as the “bottom threshold” – useful to prevent the gate from opening and closing repeatedly when your audio is ‘hovering’ around the threshold level. Once the gate opens, the hysteresis level must be crossed before it’s closed again. This is represented by the dotted black line that emerges from the threshold line. Set it to around -4dB.

G8 CM can not only be triggered by the input signal, but also via an external MIDI trigger. Delete G8 CM from the drum loop’s channel, and load a fresh instance. Set its Threshold to 0dB, Attack to 1ms, Hold to 10ms and Release to 20ms. Create a new MIDI track, and route this track’s output into G8 CM’s MIDI input – refer to your DAW’s manual if you’re not sure how to route MIDI in your host.

G8 CM can also output a single MIDI note value when a signal is allowed through its gate – the left and right arrows in the MIDI Out section allow you to set which MIDI note the plugin will output. Change the MIDI In note to C3 (to isolate the kick), load Pad To Gate.wav on a second audio track, then duplicate the first track’s G8 CM instance onto the pad’s channel.

Now hit the Flip switch at the plugin’s top. G8 CM is now outputting the information that the gate was previously removing – the ‘rejected’ signal – so we’re hearing the drum loop’s sustain and ‘in between’ portions. This function is useful for extracting ambience from a loop, or creating unusual grooves.

Play or program MIDI notes on the MIDI channel, and G8 CM’s red MIDI In light should flash, showing it’s receiving MIDI notes. Load GatePattern.mid onto the MIDI channel we just created. G8 CM is currently listening for incoming C3 notes, and the C3 note in our example MIDI file is mirroring the same pattern as the kick, so the gate opens to let the kick through.

Create a blank MIDI track and place it between these two audio tracks. Route the first G8 CM instance’s MIDI out signal into the second G8 CM’s MIDI in, via the new track. The gate over the pad is only letting a signal through whenever a kick hits. Toggle the Flip button to hear the inverse signal, causing the pad’s gate to be opened in between each kick for a pumping-style effect.