Spitfire Audio Resonate £199 PC MAC

If you combine one of the UK’s leading sample library companies with a grand Dame, you are probably going to find something pretty special…

KELLY LEE OWENS

Her recent album made the UK Top 30 and she’s collaborated with the likes of Björk and St. Vincent, but the Wales-born producer insists on keeping her music joyfully chaotic

Native Instruments Alicia’s Keys £89

reviews: virtual pianos roundup

Vienna Symphonic Library (VSL) Synchron Prime Edition €595

If you’re considering dipping your toe in the orchestral palette, VSL may have the prime package for you, as their new edition gets Synchron-ised

Softube Model 82 €99

It’s the return of the unintended vintage classic! Softube revisit 1982 and teach us a thing or two about old-school charm with their 101 clone

Bitwig Studio 4.3 €399

Each regular update makes genuine additions to this impressive contemporary DAW. Let's see what the latest has to offer

Synthogy Ivory II Studio Grands £285

reviews/virtual pianos roundup

Orchestral Tools Vivid Keys €79

reviews/virtual pianos roundup

Softube Model 82 €99

It’s the return of the unintended vintage classic! Softube revisit 1982 and teach us a thing or two about old-school charm with their 101 clone

The Pro Producer's Guide To Headroom and levels

How loud can you go? Where's your head(room) at? Why do you have to be careful with levels? Here's our guide to signal-to-noise ratio, gain staging, headroom and a lot more as we continue our Back To Basics journey through some of the first principles of music production...

CHICANE

Dance music legend Chicane, aka Nick Bracegirdle, is back in the UK and revisiting the blissed-out, Balearic beats he’s renowned for – his new release celebrates the 25th anniversary of his debut album Far From the Maddening Crowds, produced with an all-digital computer music setup

Kate Bush's synth sound

Recreating a synth sound from an '80s classic? Stranger things have happened, and that's the hill we're attempting to run up this month

DELAY TACTICS

The delay effect is the pro producer’s favourite effect. Here’s how to get creative and cost effective with your own set of delay tactics

15 questions with...Jimi Jules

If you haven't yet heard Jimi Jules' irreverent dance music, his latest album should serve as a fitting introduction to his extraordinary sound. Packed with personality,+ is an eclectic collection that brings to mind the synth-laced extroversion of artists like DJ Koze and Modeselektor, serving up productions with a wink, a nudge and a wry smile

Spitfire Heirloom

Get your hankie ready as Spitfire's latest toolkit promises quick-fire access to devastatingly affecting instrumental flavours. But are Heirloom's emotion-tickling samples worth your money?

Tracktion Waveform Pro 12

With multiple new features, now could be a good time to try this impressive and competitively priced DAW

Baby Audio Crystalline

Baby Audio are on a roll with their releases, but can they crystallise their reputation with their latest algorithmic reverb? The answer's crystal clear

Free software PC MAC: JMG AUDIO HYPERSPACE CM²

Are you a reverb lover with control freak tendencies? You'll love this newly updated CM Suite plugin

The Pro Producer's Guide To DIGITAL AUDIO

If you want to achieve the best mixed and mastered tracks within your DAW, an understanding of how digital audio works is essential. Let's find out exactly what's going on 'inside the box' as we go back to first principles

Toontrack EZdrummer 3

As night follows day, so does this much anticipated update from Toontrack, but does the magic follow the number? We find out!

Aphex modulation pad

Pads can do far more than fill out chords. This month we create a set of Aphex Twin-inspired modulating pads

BASS DÉSIGN: Bass ALTERNATIVES

Bass doesn't have to be... well, bass! Pretty much any sound can be pressed into low-end service, as we're about to demonstrate

GET GREAT VOCALS (WITHOUT BEING A GREAT VOCALIST)

Behind pretty much every great song, hit record or memorable performance lies a great vocal. But what do you do if you, like us, can't sing for toffee? Luckily, this is what Computer Music is all about: using technology to boost a lack of skill! And there's plenty we can do to make a bad vocal great...

Cherry Audio Minimode $59.00

Endorsing the fact that “everyone should have a Minimoog”, Cherry Audio re-mode the early 70s classic into a highly desirable plugin form

Caelum Audio Flux Pro £50

Can an affordable plugin deliver compelling multi effects? This latest offering from Caelum Audio could be the one

Røde NTH-100 £145

Can Røde's first attempt at producing headphones be anywhere near as good as the company's microphones? Let's find out...

Artur V Collection 9 £419

The reputed resource of software synths gets an update. We should all be looking to complete our collections as we upgrade to version 9

Nicky Romero/Cableguys Kickstart 2 €14

If you want pumping sidechain effects, a dedicated plugin is a must and this one's just had a tasty update

CINEMATIC BEATS

Enormous drum and percussion sounds are the order of the day as we turn our attention to producing blockbuster beats suitable for a Hollywood epic

Getting a great bass tone

In this tutorial you'll learn how to get a great sound for your bass, straight from your audio interface