Wusik Sound MagazineJuly 2008

Vol IIIssue 05

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SonyCreative Software:

by Ginno 'g.no' Legaspi

Artist Integrated Quartet

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Artist Integrated Quartet

Every time my friends and Italk about music, I'm excitedto tell them there is no bettertime to make music thannow. Even some of mymusician friends have caughtmy infectious enthusiasm forcomputer music technology.And why shouldn't they.Computers are getting fasterand faster, everyday.Storage and computermemory (RAM) areinexpensive - so you canhave multiples of those inyour system. Nowadays,with a couple of grand,anyone can assemble a nice,decent personal studio. Itdoesn't even have to befancy or expensive, as longas the studio serves itspurpose.

Being a desktop musicianallows me to fire up my PCand record music in aninstant. Not to mention thatdigital MIDI and audiomanipulation are much moreflexible than, say, workingwith analog equipment. Thefact that cheap gear isquickly within reach, andthat it can motivate people to

record songs "DIY”, isawesome. Less than 20years ago, building a studiowith computers and softwarewould have cost an arm anda leg ...either that, or borrowanother mortgage from abank. But now, producers,desktop musicians andremixers, who are juststarting out, are flooded withan abundance of choices andcan get into recording easily.

The folks at Sony CreativeSoftware have beenreleasing loop libraries sincetheir flagship audio loopingsoftware, ACID Pro, cameout in 1998. With theseloops you have a great toolfor sparking up creativity andadding flavor to anycomposition. Quite simply,they are an indispensabletool for musicians willing tocompliment their songs withloops. When it comes toconstructing a remix fromscratch, Acid loops are also aproducer's best friend. Theloops can be used as so-called 'building blocks' to laythe foundation for a remix.

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Artist Integrated Quartet

Creatively, the clever guys at Sonyhave pushed the loop libraryconcept even further, by releasinga quartet library called, “ArtistIntegration Series” (or “AI” forshort). The loops in the series weredesigned and implemented to workseamlessly with each other. Theconcept is dead easy: Each libraryincludes 15 'sessions' - packets ofloops, where pro artists haveplayed over ACID projects madewith loops from other AI librarysessions. The 'tight-lock' AI setswere recorded to work with anyloop combinations, or as stand-alone.

The series comprises four libraries,namely: “The Best of SiggiBaldursson: The Drum Loops”,“Tony Franklin: Not Just AnotherPretty Bass”, “Parthenon Huxley'sSix String Orchestra” and “MattFink: StarVu Session Keys”. Thinkof it as having a virtual band withpopular musicians playing overyour compositions. With this seriesin your arsenal of daily composingtools you can yield quick results -you will be able to compose muchfaster.

Let's look at the librariesindividually…

The Best ofSIGGI BALDURSON:The Drum Loops:

Produced by Brian Daly, this is thefirst release of the AI series. Theloops were hand picked andcompiled by Tony Franklin to serveas an inspiration and backbone forhis other library, “Not Just AnotherPretty Bass” (see below). Featuring611 MB of content, you'll find 914WAV files of groovy loops, alongwith inspiring killer chops and tastyfills. Siggi's fluid and funky playingstyle makes this library sorefreshing. Totally amazingcontent. Some 'one-shot' foldersinclude tons of drum hits, such askicks, snares, toms and cymbals.The processed loops sound great,and you'll find them useful for yourelectronic track productions.

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Artist Integrated Quartet

TONY FRANKLIN:Not Just Another Pretty Bass:

Not Just Anther Pretty Bass is a 778MB loop library collection that hasFranklin’s signature playing stampedon it. With the help of his customFender P Bass and SWRAmplification rig, he was able torecord 1,051 WAV loops in pristine44.1khz/24-bit mono ACIDizedWAV. Tony Franklin's performanceis top notch here, as he incorporatesvarious tones and chops, giving theloops an 'edgy' rock vibe. His fingersslip smoothly and effortlessly acrossthe fretless bass, with acommanding sound. The fifteenSession folders include clean andthunderous bass loops, with a hint ofdistortion. Just lovely. Or should Isay, “gritty”. In the Session 05folder, there are some interestingloops that were effected with wah-wah, filtering, delay and variousother processing. This Premiumpackage includes a second set disc,containing Windows Media andQuicktTime format videos, in whichTony Franklin explains the recordingprocess for Not Just Another PrettyBass.

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Artist Integrated Quartet

MATT FINK:Starvu Session Keys:

When it comes to rock, funk and R&B,Matt Fink's name always comes up asone of the great talents who helpeddefine the sound of Prince – thatmagic sound that placed Prince'sbands - The Revolution, and NewPower Generation - as two of themost successful groups of the 80'sand 90's. I must admit that I'm a fanof Prince and his albums - such as thechart-topping “Purple Rain” anddouble CD “Sign O' The Times”. Iremember back when I was ateenager that I used to borrow myfriend's cassette tapes of both albumsand crank them up whenever I playedthem. Both albums are nowconstantly rotated in my car's CDchanger. I thought those albumsfeatured superb songs that wereproduced just right. Thearrangements and instrumentationare also killers. Although Princemostly played the instruments on hisalbums, Matt Fink co-wrote songs,lent his keyboard chops, and touredwith Prince during the 80's.

“StarVu Session Keys” is Matt Fink'ssecond loop library release for Sony.This Premium AI library has 652 filesof 44.1khz/24bit samples, packedwith mostly rock-oriented loops thatare fitting for the other AI libraries.Although he does show some of hisfunk side here and there, Matt doesn'tlose focus of what the library is allabout - to compliment the other AIlibraries. What inspired him to recordthis set was the innovative work thatTony and Siggi put in to theirlibraries. When I audition the loops

in Acid Pro (sequencer), they havethat 'live' feel. They don’t soundbland and lifeless. It's rich and veryorganic-sounding. It's apparent thatthe vintage gear he used during therecording session (Wurlitzer piano,Hammond B3, Fender Rhodes andMoog synthesizer) brought aninteresting, retro kind of vibe thatspiced up this library. On the otherside of the token, the modern sounds,such as synth strings, digital choir,filtered pad, gated pad, synth arp,etc, were generated courtesy ofvirtual instruments like Virus Indigo,Native Instruments' Pro-53, etc. This2-CD library is huge, with 1.3+ GB ofroyalty-free WAVs.

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Artist Integrated Quartet

PARTHENON HUXLEY'S SIXSTRING ORCHESTRA:

Many have hailed Parthenon Huxleyas an accomplished mastersongwriter, and an underratedguitarist in the world of pop/rock.His various solo album releaseshave been praised by variouspublications, and gained himreputation as a songwriter whocreates 'ear-tingling' hooks.

Although this may be “icing on thecake” to Huxley’s many-musicaljourney and the accomplishmentshe already has, Sony enlisted hisservices as a key player for the AIQuartet libraries. The result:“Parthenon Huxley's Six-StringOrchestra” - a guitar loop librarywith pop sensibilities and heartyrock vibe. P. Hux envisioned thislibrary having that consistent rockapproach, and it shows. With 831WAV files of 44.1khz/24-bitsamples, you'll find plenty of cleanand distorted guitar loops, packedwith searing solos, solid creamychords and other useful guitarnoises for your own rockproductions. The loops aren't overprocessed with effects, so there isroom to manipulate them to yourown taste.

This 1.3+ GB library featuressamples made with vintage guitarsand classic hardware - only whichcan deliver such a wonderful tone.The library is divided into 15session folders in which differentguitars were used. The Gibson SG,Fender Telecaster andStratocaster, plugged thru a 2x12Matchless Chieftain, are my mainloop favorites. His chops in theseloop folders show undeniablemastery of the six-stringedinstrument.

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Artist Integrated Quartet

I was surprised that each AI library can

stand on its own, without the aid of

another. Plenty of the loops are superb

for intros, outros, and building

transitions between sections of a song.

Take your pick. With the AI Quartet you

have a perfect four-of-a-kind loop library

- each prepared and played by veteran,

eclectic musicians - available on your

desktop. Not only that, but the artists

themselves were passionate and excited

about creating their libraries. The actual

product exhibits spirited performances

that echo their hard work. Once you

audition the loops you will be hooked and

inspired to make your own music. Also,

kudos to Sony for adding extensive liner

notes to the Premium collection that are

very informative.

Contact:

Sony Creative Softwaresonycreativesoftware.com

List Price:

- The Best of Siggi Baldursson -$59.95

- Tony Franklin: Not Just AnotherPretty Bass

- $99.95- Parthenon Huxley's Six-String

Orchestra - $99.95- Matt Fink: StarVu Session Keys - $99.95

Format:

ACID WAV, 44.1khz/24-bit (except forThe Best of Siggi Baldursson, which is44.1khz/16-bit).Compatible with programs such as Live,Sonar, Cubase, Logic, Soundtrack andGarageBand 2

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Artist Integrated Quartet

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PSP Audioware Vintage Warmer 2and

Mix Pack 2by A. Arsov

Essential tool 1 – PSP Vintage Warmer 2

There are only a few effects on the market that nearly every-one uses. Vintage Warmer 2 is definitively one of them. Nomatter which genre your music, the final result is always thesame - digital. You record it in a computer and, because thecomputer is a digital medium, the final result always soundssomehow digital. A bit static and lifeless, and without crispyadditions on the highs.

The solution for this disease? Thankfully, there are few effectson the market that return this missing analogue shine to yourtracks. The most known, most used and popular one, isdefinitively PSP Vintage Warmer 2.

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PSP Audioware Vintage Warmer 2 and Mix Pack 2

Why?

Because it sounds good. In short.

Just put it on a track and everythingwill sound more cheerful - even somedepressive downtempo track. PSPVintage Warmer 2 is also a compres-sor and limiter, complete with tapesimulation - so it’s a complete makeo-ver and facelift for your sound. It isnot overpriced, comes with plenty ofuseful presets, looks good, is easy totweak and gives immediate, instantresults.

That's that.

All things we mentioned above arepart of a big secret, of how to achievemassive success. As you see, it is apretty simple recipe for succeeding.Just be the best in the line and sellingresults will follow.

If you have seen the movie My Big FatGreek Wedding, then I presume youremember the fellow (I think it wasthe bride's uncle) who said he could

cure everything just using windowcleaner. Cold, wounds, cancer...everything. It was a pretty bizarremoment in that movie, but one thingis for sure - if this movie was madeinto a musical, I'm sure this guy woulduse a PSP Vintage Warmer 2 insteadof that window cleaner. It cures eve-rything.

If you want just an ordinary tape sim-ulation…

Add a “Track Tape Slow” preset. Butthat's only one of the many presets,and as the names of some other pre-sets suggest, Vintage Warmer 2 is alsoa useful addition to the master track.Some of the presets are for guitar,some for a bass. The rest, with morecommon names, work well with drumtracks and are not bad for vocals,either. I’ve found that some of themcan beat a shit out of dance kicks.Oops, ma’am - pardon my French!Maybe you won’t use PSP VintageWarmer 2 on every track, but it defin-itively makes a difference to everytrack on which you use it.

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More details, please

The graphical interface, complete withretro knobs and two old school Vumeters, is simple and contains all thecontrollers we need for fine-tuning aneffect. At the middle of the interfaceis a big “Drive” knob - for controllingthe input level to the limiter. To the

left and right are all the lesser or morestandard compressor controls, alongwith some more exotic ones. Like the“Ceiling” knob, for setting a maximumworking level other than 0dB.”Speed”, for controlling the attack andrelease – for example, you can set itto mimic analogue tape compression.There are also knobs named “High”

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PSP Audioware Vintage Warmer 2 and Mix Pack 2

and “Low” for setting shelving equali-zation frequencies. Next to the Re-lease and Ceiling knobs are threebuttons for auto release, extendedrelease and brick wall limiter control.At the bottom of the main window wefind the On/Off switch, Mono/Stereoswitch, and Link switch (for linking theright and left channels), Fat switch (for

over-sampling option – a great addi-tion to version 2 but it also doublesCPU usage) and finally a Single / Multiband switch (for changing the mode ofcompressor). Set to “Multi” it worksas a three-band, soft kneecompressor/limiter. On the rear panelare a few more exotic controllers but,to tell you the truth, the presets are sowell programmed that there is no bigneed for additional tweaking and fine-tuning. The only drawn back is thatsome of the presets can sound a bitover processed. But that's what the“Mix” knob is for; put it on 70% in-stead of 100%, and everything will bejust perfect.

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Warm conclusions

PSP Vintage Warmer 2 is like real tapebut on a budget - and it comes withmany excellent options. But do youneed a tape simulator? Well, almostall producers use PSP Vintage Warmer2, so the answer is probably, “Yes”. Itis not an essential tool for producingbad mixes, but if you intend to makegood ones, then this is definitively oneof the essential tools for reaching thatgoal. It's up to you. I mixed withoutPSP Vintage Warmer 2 in the past, andI survived. But I have to admit; themixing process became much, mucheasier and faster with it.

Essential tool 2 – PSP Mixpack2

A collection of useful plug-ins. Theyare not as unique as PSP VintageWarmer, but still; they are easy touse, buffed with plenty of very usefulpresets, and give such a good musicalresult, that they easily deserve the“essential” status.

PSP MixPack 2 contains: PSP Mixbass2 to fatten your low end; PSP MixTre-ble 2 for enhancing the high range;PSP MixSaturator 2 for emulating tapeand valve circuits; PSP MixPressor 2 isa high quality analogue compressor;and PSP MixGate 2 is a newcomer tothis updated version of effects.

There are a lot of competitors to theseeffects but, after just a day or two ofusing them, I noticed that almost allthe effects from this pack became myfirst choice in my mixing process.With a good selection of included con-trollers, along with right-to-the-pointpresets, all the effects from the packproved themselves as huge time sav-ers.

For example, mixing a bass is alwaysa bit of a problematic process but, withPSP MixBass 2, it became a lot easierto find a “right and tight” place for thebass. The plugin contains a compress,character and punch section, coveringthe whole range of frequencies, and itsounds good on many materials - notjust on basses. Try it with your drumloops and you will love it immediately.

PSP Audioware Vintage Warmer 2 and Mix Pack 2

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PSP Audioware Vintage Warmer 2 and Mix Pack 2

PSP MixTreble 2 is a life saver for mostplucked instruments. I presume itcould also be used on many otherinstruments, but I use-it-and-abuse-ita lot with my old acoustic guitar. Nowit sounds like it was when it was new.Okay, almost. It is just an effect, nota dead awakener. And it is needlessto say that the Hiss removal section ismore than a welcome addition to suchan effect.

PSP MixPressor 2 is a compressor ofchoice. If you choose a Drum preset.then this preset will work well withdrums. Sounds obvious. But trust me- with most other compressors - often,it is not so obvious. Yet, MixPressor 2simply does its job. The end result isa clean, compressed sound with gooddefinition.

PSP MixSaturator 2 is a tape or valvesimulator – the same as is used inVintage Warmer 2, so it also sharesthe same high standard.

PSP MixGate 2 is a nice gate, but Ihave to admit: I spent a little moretime than expected becoming familiarwith it. Maybe it’s just my fault,

because I'm not used to working witha gate in this way. While most of thepresets are for drums, I usually use agate for the guitar …so I presume wehaven't spoken the same language atall.

PSP & PSP

PSP Vintage Warmer 2 and PSP Mix-Pack 2 come in 3 major formats: VST,RTAS and Mac versions. Thanks to theAmerican government, the US dollar ischeap these days, so the price is morethan European-friendly. And my dearAmerican friends, to tell you the truth,this price is even American friendly:

$149 US for PSP Vintage Warmer 2and $199 US for PSP Mixpack 2.

While PSP Vintage Warmer is a must-have, PSP Mixpack 2 is more thanhighly recommended.

Download the demos and try them foryourself. If I can paraphrase oneSlovenian band, “It was love at firstlay.” Period.

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Totally , Freeby LeRoi Keiller

Forget thin. Forget fat free. I know what you REALLY want. You want PHAT.And you want it for free.

Since the dawn of digital audio, many an audiophile has complained over thelack of “phat” in their digital diet. And rightly so. In music, thin sucks. Andthough modern digital audio can produce a truly “sweet” sound, we wantmore than digital dessert. We want to sink our teeth into a nice, thick, juicypiece of fat.

Okay, maybe not fat. What I really mean is PHAT!

So what can put the phat back, and for FREE?

Well, my favourite free sound phattener is a tiny morsel…

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Totally , Free

CamelPhatFree

Now, I don’t know if you can find aphat-free camel (although I did),but this lean little VST sure canmake a flat sound, phat. I like iton drum beats. It adds 100pounds. Plus, the result is more“live“ or “real“. Just leave it off thecymbals as they’re usually best leftclean.

It’s called, “ReverseLiposuction“

CamelPhatFree ‘puts the phat back’by combining a phat saturationalgorithm (tube-like effect) withpumping compression. And it doesit all from one slider (labelled“Compression”).

You can use CamelPhatFree onvarious audio sources - even leadvocals (if you don’t mind dirtyingthem up). Try it on variousinstruments. Experiment.

But there is one problem. Theplugin is MONO.

“Aaaarrrgghhh!!“

Yeah, I feel your pain. Often I’ve*yearned* to put this little phattyon my stereo mix or stereo drums.Alas, when I do, it causes adisturbance in the Force -everything ends up mono. There’sa trick to achieving stereo though(by using two of these in parallel -one on the left channel and one onthe right) - but that’s anotherstory. Besides, there is alsoCamelCrusher, featured furtherbelow.

The good news is this:CamelPhatFree is sooo simple,even a phat-free camel can use it.I know, because I did tests. I did.I found and herded as many phat-free camels as possible, gave eachof them a laptop and microphone,and let them loose withCamelPhatFree. The result? Noneof them had problems moving thephat Compression slider with theirhooves. And the recordings oftheir belches, spits and farts?…even PHATTER than normal …andalso more disgusting. But anyway,I completely digress.

Totally , FreeW

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CONTROLS :

CamelPhatFree has 3 sliders:

1. Master Mix. Generally, setthis to 100%, as it will giveyou the full effect - 100%phat ;)

2. Distortion. This addsserious dirt to your audio,but you get a similar soundfrom the Compression slider(next) - so I tend to leaveDistortion at 0%. But it‘syour choice.

3. Compression. This is thewonderful slider that“pumps phat” back intoyour mix - beefy, dirty, phat.

Suggested Settings: It’s amatter of taste, but I like to setthe Compression between 7 -

12. “7” gives a gentle but veryobvious warmth (suits vocals,bass, drums), while “12” givesstrong pump and punch (formax phat drums).

Download CamelPhatFree:

Windows:http://camelaudio.com/CamelPhatFree.zip

Mac:http://camelaudio.com/CamelPhatFree.sit

Website: http://camelaudio.com

So what’s the next best thing toCamelPhatFree but in STEREO?Enter...

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CamelCrusher

This is Camel Audio’s morerecent contribution to the freeVST world. In fact, it supersedesCamelPhatFree (which is more orless discontinued - but not as faras I‘m concerned!).CamelCrusher has phatteningcompression similar toCamelPhatFree but is stereo andhas extra functions, as followlisted:

Distortion: ON/OFFbutton; TUBE knob (toapply tube effect); MECHknob (to apply variousamounts of “mechanicalsound” - somewhat like abit crusher).

Compressor: ON/OFFbutton; AMOUNT knob(how much compressionto apply); PHAT MODEbutton (to switch on or offan extra phatteningeffect). NOTE: Thiscompressor effect soundsphat even with PHATMODE turned OFF, butPHAT MODE adds a moregrinding, gritty, roughphat. I prefer it switchedoff, as it sounds more likeCamelPhatFree’s phatcompression.

Filter: ON/OFF button;CUTOFF knob (to set thefrequency where highfrequencies roll off); RESknob (to apply resonance)

Master: ON/OFF button(OFF is like a BYPASS - noeffect is applied); VOLUMEknob (for overall outputvolume of the effect); MIXknob (for how muchoverall effect to apply tothe audio)

Totally , FreeW

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I like this plug-in. However, I’mnot absolutely sure the phatcompressor sounds as good asCamelPhatFree. It could be thatCamelPhatFree sounds betterbecause it’s mono; mono generallysounds punchier than stereo-spread audio. However, I’ll let youcompare the two plugins anddecide for yourself. :)

Note: I tried to get our phat freecamels to test this plug-in as well,but none of them would do it. Theywere traumatized by the name“CamelCrusher” and were terrifiedit would actually crush them. Mygosh, camels are stupid. (Sorry toany camels reading this.)

Download CamelCrusher:

Windows & Mac:http://camelaudio.com/camelcrusher.php

Endorphin

Five words describe Endorphin:“Lean phat.” (Sorry, that’s onlythree words)

This is a fantastic dual-bandcompressor. It sounds smooth andtransparent.

If phatter sound is what you want(hey, isn‘t that what this article isabout?), just engage Endorphin’ssaturation slider. Labelled “de-comp/sat”, the effect is subtle butpleasing - it’s smooth and not at alldirty like a lot of tube/saturationplug-ins (whether free orcommercial). Endorphin gives youthe added choice of “tight“ or “soft“saturation. I prefer the latter, as itsounds smoother and more naturalto my ears, but “tight“ issometimes good on drums. Asaturation meter is included toshow how much saturation is beingapplied.

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With this plugin…

Just like a real “endorphin“, your music willleap from the water, swim around, and…no, hang on, that’s a “dolphin“. Dang.

Okay, moving right along…

Endorphin has plenty of controls andfeatures to discuss, but I won‘t cover themin this article. Really, I just want you toknow that this compressor exists, and itdoes a great job. It is particularly good forwarming up vocals.

Available for PC and Mac, you candownload Endorphin for free.

Try it out, and check out the includedmanual.

Download Endorphin:

Website: http://digitalfishphones.com

Note: At the website, Endorphin isavailable from the left menu.

Totally , FreeW

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Dominion

Dominion is similar to a compressor, butit isn’t one. It “shape[s] the envelope ofa signal, giving you total control of thesignal's attack & sustain phase…“ (toquote the developer). It comes withadjustable saturation and exciter effects.

Dominion’s saturation effect is subtle butaudible, and pleasing to the ear.Although it won’t make your audio “megaphat”, the plugin will produce good,punchy results.

The exciter effect is a nice addition. It isnot the best I’ve heard, but it is decentenough and you may find it useful.

The down side: Like the real thing,“Dominion” is quite stupid and may makeyou cry… no, wait… that’s a “dumbonion“.

[ image: dominion-plugin.jpg ]

Download Dominion:

Website: http://digitalfishphones.com

Note: At the website, Dominion isavailable from the left menu.

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SoundGoodizer /Youwashock

Known as SoundGoodizer in FL Studio,or as YouWaShock elsewhere, thisone-knob wonder can maximize yoursound to the hilt. Based onImageLine’s Maximus plugin, itenhances high and low frequencies,and adds punch. Four sound modesare available from four directlyaccessible buttons. Each mode soundsvery different from the other, mostobviously in tone. While theSoundGoodizer doesn’t necessarilymake audio ‘phat’ (as in thick phat), itdoes what it does do, well. And itsounds pro. Or should I say, it helpsmake your music sound pro. Add it toyour bag of tricks, for sure.Download SoundGoodizer:

SoundGoodizer is available in FLStudio as a proprietary plugin with adifferent look to YouWaShock.Interestingly, it also sounds *slightly*different. You can download orpurchase FL Studio fromhttp://FlavaStudio.com or from thedevelopers at http://flstudio.com

Download YouWaShock:

http://flavastudio.com/youwashock.htmlhttp://flavastudio.com/youwashock.html

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PHAT SUMMARY

Whether they emulate tubes, audiotape, or something else, there area lot of so-called sound-phatteningplugins out there. Some arecostly, some are free. But youDON’T always get what you payfor, especially when a free littleplugin like CamelPhatFree canproduce a more convincing PHATsound than most pro units.

Rated P for Phatness:

- CamelPhatFree - easy, proven,100% phat, free, mono - 1 slider isall you need- CamelCrusher - stereo, 95%phat, free- Endorphin - stereo, 2-band,transparent, smooth, phat-capable, free

- Dominion - stereo, w/ exciter,punchy ‘compression‘, phat-capable, free- YouWaShock, aka SoundGoodizer- stereo, maximizes audio,enhances hi’s and lo’s, punchycompression - 1 dial does it all

If I had to choose…

If I had to recommend only 3 of theabove plugins, they would be:CamelPhatFree, Endorphin andYouWaShock (SoundGoodizer).PhatFree for its P-rated Phatness.Endorphin for its versatile,transparent and smoothcompression. SoundGoodizer /YouWaShock for its simple,profound effect on audio.

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If you’re looking for acommercial phattener…

Try pro plugins like “PSP VintageWarmer 2”, “CamelPhat 3” or“Maximus“.

VintageWarmer 2(http://pspaudioware.com/plugins/vintage.html) is a high qualitymastering compressor with warmtube/tape emulation.

CamelPhat 3(http://camelaudio.com/camelphat.php) is a complex commercialversion of CamelPhatFree andCamelCrusher.

Maximus(http://flavastudio.com/maximus.html), on which SoundGoodizerand YouWaShock are based, is amulti-band maximizer VST withLimiter, Compressor, Noise Gate,Expander, Ducker and De-esser.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

LeRoi is a keyboard player andsong writer, with a love for creatingmusic on the computer. Whetherit’s pop, rock, or something else,LeRoi enjoys putting it togetherusing his favourite music apps; FLStudio Producer Edition or Reaper.

You can contact LeRoi (aboutanything nice ;) at:leroi at flavastudio dot com

His web site:http://FlavaStudio.com

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Scuzzphut Phatbeatzby A. Arsov

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Scuzzphut Phatbeatz

Gentle pat your wallet

Meanwhile, Phatbeatz could beyours for just 44 Euro or $69US. That's more than a fairprice for such an efficient littlefellow.

The first thing you'll notice is anice retro-looking graphicalinterface. It is like a hybrid ofa fancy car from the late 50'sand the front of a radio fromthe late 60's. When I saw it, Iloved it immediately. Yes,love at first sight - just likewhen you see a gorgeous,stylish Fiat 500 amongst bigCadillacs or other roadmonsters.

Back to the phat

Installation is not exactly apiece of cake; there is a filewhich needs to be copied to asequencer's directory and,when starting Phatbeatz forthe first time, you need to setdefault directories for yourloops library. After that, justfollow the signs, and lifebecomes much easier.

The main graphical window isintuitive and well arranged -you don't need to be a Doctorof Computers and MusicScience to manage it. TheGUI's upper part is mainlyfilled with sampler trumpery,while the lower is more-or-lessfor trifling with a patternsequencer and effects section.

Finally we have it. A cheap and powerful drum sampler. The freeones are always lacking some essential feature, such as in placesample preview from a browser, or they only have one audiooutput, or they are without any additional effects. To put itanother way: These drum samplers are like a small blanket; tryto pull it up to your neck and your legs stick out …and the otherway around; legs in, shoulders out. There’s always somethingmissing.

And what's wrong with the good ones? Well, they lack a humanprice tag. They beat the last penny out of your wallet. Ipresume that's why they call them beat machines.

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Scuzzphut Phatbeatz

The Phatparts

Phatbeatz comes packed with 60 good-sounding, versatile drum kits that canbe browsed on the fly. It has ten sampleslots, six outputs, “in place” samplepreview, and an automatic loop tuningfunction. For the price, you can't expect“multi-layering sample function in asingle cell” as the big drum brothershave, but it’s a breeze to incorporate aloop in the pattern sequencer and syncit to the host’s tempo. I can't rememberwhen I had so much fun with a patternsequencer - combining drum loops withother beats – since I discovered

Hammerhead(threechords.com/hammerhead) for thefirst time, years ago.

Talking about pattern sequencers -these days, it is hard to find one that ismore intuitive. Five rows and 16 stepsof buttons are always visible. Withon-screen narrow keys, it is easy toreach the next five rows or another 16steps, for making more complex drumpatterns. All the included kits areinspiring. So, in combination with thepattern sequencer, it is not hard tomake fresh loops on the fly - even if youare not all that talented as a beatprogrammer.

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The Phatparts 2

The top part of the Phatbeatz screencontains various controls - for selectingthe output, controlling the volume, pan,decay, and pitch, or for selecting thechoke, mute, solo and sync. The lastcontrol is for synchronizing acidizedloops - you just enter the number ofsteps for a chosen loop (for example, 16steps for a bar).

Loading, making, saving and browsingthe kits is dead easy. Furthermore,basically every kit is saved as a text file.So it is easy to edit it with Notepad,should anything go wrong with yourpersonal sample library. At the bottomof the screen are three small buttons,for applying effects to outputs one, twoand three. Output one is for thecompressor and equalizer, while outputstwo and three both have an independentpair of delay and filter effects.

Phat summary

Phatbeatz is the fresh,reinvented, “missing link” indrum VST evolution. It is themost useful and joyful drumsampler, on a tin budget. It islike a Swiss Army knife of thedrum VST world; take it out ofa pocket and everyone will beimpressed at all the functionshidden within such a little tool.

I would praise it forever andever, if only I could find moretime for writing. But youshould forgive me, becauseI'm totally occupied playingwith my little Phatbeatz. Hey,I’m making loops for my nextproject.

It really is Phat inspiration ona budget.

Visit scuzzphut.com,download the demo, and youwill soon understand what I'mtalking about.

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by Squibs

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Q Q Q QT 3 3 WR WT

No, I haven’t fallen asleep on thekeyboard. The above is how youplay “I like to move it” on aQWERTY keyboard. I know thisbecause I’ve just been doodlingwith the economically named“PW-STR1” patch in AXS v3.00,for Windows. This tracker/analogsynth/sampler dates back to 1998and is so old skool it should comewith a hood ornament on a goldchain.

The product is completely free fordownload from:

http://resolutionaudio.nl

AXS could prove an interestingway of wringing the last drop ofblood from any ancient PC youmight have lying around. I’m abig believer in using a limitedproduction environment to keepthe mind focused, and AXSprovides the tools you need towrite dance tracks. Parts of theinterface seem a little baffling atfirst, but “sticking with it” will paydividends.

The installation is just a case ofdownloading the zip (I suggestyou get the program and manualzips), and extracting it to a folderof your choice.

AXS is ridiculously low on CPU;my quad-core registered just 1%

playing back a full techno song.Conversely, there is big latency(50-100ms) when playing thesynth. So AXS will be useful forsequencing, rather than jamming.

I must admit, when the idea ofthis article was pitched to me, Iwas terrified. I had been in at theforefront of modern PC musicmaking, 15 years ago. I hadlearned about making the variouscomponents of a track in differentprograms, non-realtime effectsrendering, and how to assembleall the components into acoherent whole afterwards. I washappy tweaking IRQ settings forISA sound cards and stepsequencing with a QWERTYkeyboard. But trackers alwaysconfused me and I stayed wellaway. Now, 15 years later, I thinkit may be time to give trackersanother chance.

The first thing to note is that AXSis basically a DOS application,skinned for Windows. The manualis even full of references to oldertechnologies. Who remembersthe Gravis Ultrasoundsoundcards? This program waswritten in the days whenprogrammers had to writehandlers for every soundcard theywanted to support - before the PCindustry got wise to the fact thatsoundcards were becomingubiquitous and standards wererequired. The second thing to

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note is that it’s a beta, so theremay be bugs. Third note: Thelast update was Sept 2001 -which is like the Iron Age, in PCterms.

Interaction with the programdoesn’t follow the conventionalWindows route, and you won’tfind a menu bar. There are twoscreens of information - youcan toggle between them usingthe F5 and F6 keys.

The first screen features aconventional 2-Oscillatorsubtractive synth. There are 7instruments or “parts” (eachpart can access a differentpreset in the same bank of 128presets), as well as a samplerbank with 128 patches.

The second screen features thetracker sequencer and itscontrols, sampler controls, abasic help window, and a filebrowser for loading songs,

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samples, etc. However, we won’tfocus on this screen until the nextpart of the tutorial.

The synth has two oscillators, eachwith the usual selection of waveformsplus a pulse width slider. There’s ananti-aliasing option which yieldsbetter sound quality, and a mix knobto balance the two oscillators‘outputs. Oscillator 2 also has courseand fine tuning, allowing you todetune it from Oscillator 1 by up to 3octaves, in either direction. You canalso add an amount of ringmodulation to the combined oscillatorsignal. There is an ADSR envelopefor pitch, filter and amp.

The pitch envelope allows for all sortsof slides; from subtle slides, to sillylaser effects that slide over severaloctaves in pitch - as determined bythe pitch gain knob. The effect doesnothing if the knob is centered. Thefilter envelope allows you to selectfrom a 12dB or 24dB/octave low passfilter, a high pass, band pass, andband reject filter. It is capable ofkeyboard tracking and velocitytracking, and there’s a slider for filtercut-off and resonance. Theamplitude envelope has a distortionknob to give your waveform somegrit.

The effects section is small butsensible. The lack of a chorus is theonly disappointment (but there areways and means, as you will laterdiscover). There’s a toggle to set the

patch to monophonic, and another forportamento, allowing one note toslide in pitch to another, with theslide’s duration controlled by a knob.We have reverb and delay, but onlyone can be active at any given time.The reverb has an “off” setting and15 “algorithms” that really justprogressively lengthen the reverbtime. The delay may be synced totempo with the BPM sync toggle. Italso has quarter and triplet settings,and feedback, to determine how longthe delay will last until it fades tosilence. Plus there’s a pan knobwhich controls the time offsetbetween the left and right delay lines.

There are two LFOs used to modulatecertain parameters. LFO1 can controlfilter, amplitude, oscillator pitch (1 or2), oscillator 1 pulse width, oscillatormix and LFO 2’s rate. LFO 2 cancontrol the same parameters, but canalso modulate oscillator 2’s pulsewidth. Both LFOs utilise differentwaveforms (though both have a sinewave) and both have knobs for theirLFO rate and amount.

So let’s see what noises we canwrestle out of it.

First of all, audition some presetsusing the up/down scroller in thepresets section, and play notes on theQWERTY keyboard. Next, trypressing the “random” button a fewtimes to get a feel for some of thequirkier sounds the synth can make.I’m going to attempt to program an

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evocative polyphonic lead/pad soundwith plenty of movement, to try toillustrate how versatile and full thislittle 2-Osc beauty can be.

Okay. Deep breath guys. And begin…

Let’s start by turning the mix knob, inthe mix section, all the way down - sowe hear only oscillator one. Ensurethat the ring mix knob is all the waydown. In the Osc1 area, select thesecond (triangle) waveform. Now,turn off the LFOs (switch thedestination of both to none). Bring allthe knobs in the FX section back tothe 0 position. Disable mono andporta, select reverb and toggle thedown button next to the reverbalgorithm until the display left of it,reads “OFF”. In the pitch envelope:Zero out the sliders, bring the pitchgain to center, and toggle the osc1and osc2 “LED”s to off. In the filterenvelope: Select LP12, put thefrequency slider fully up and theresonance slider fully down. In theamp envelope: Set the attack, decayand release sliders (numbered 1, 3and 4) to zero and move the sustainslider all the way up to 127. Setdistort to off, and amp gain to abouthalf way.

Phew. Still with me?

Now, start playing your QWERTYkeyboard! You should be hearing anunadulterated polyphonic trianglewaveform. It isn’t going to set theworld on fire, but it’s a good starting

patch on which to gradually build ourmasterpiece.

Let’s try for something a little beefier…

Select the third (pulse ) waveform forosc1 and push the pulse width sliderup to full. Select the pulse waveformfor oscillator two also, and set the mixknob in the Mix area to the center.Now, to thicken up the sound, we willmake the second oscillator a littledifferent, by setting the pulse widthto about 90 and the fine tuning to 74.(The latter will slightly detune Osc2from Osc1, giving us the beginning ofthat chorus effect we‘re missing.)The semi (or coarse) tuning shouldremain at the center position. Play anote and adjust Osc2’s pulse widthand fine tuning to your own taste -until you have something that soundsfull, without seeming out of tune.

Moving on to the Effects section…

Let’s get a nice rhythmic ping-pongdelay going. Toggle delay on, byclicking the LED until it glows. EnsureBPM sync is selected. Dial up 100 onboth FX send and feedback, for a verypronounced delay, with a long decay.Dial up 2/4 for your delay time andscroll the delay pan all the way to theright, to create a pronouncedrhythmic panned delay. Play for amoment, and adjust any of the delayparameters to tweak the delay toyour own ends.

Now it’s time for the LFOs to shine.

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An LFO modulates a parameter at lowspeed using the selected waveform.AXS offers many destinations for itstwin LFOs. How about routing LFO1 tothe amplitude envelope to create atremolo? To do this, select amplitudeas the destination for LFO1, andchoose a sine wave shape. Select arate of 110 and an amount of about50. Hold down a chord and adjustthese parameters until you hear asetting you like. It is also worthwhileplaying with the sliders and amplitudeenvelope at this point. Reshaping theADSR envelope will alter the nature ofthe tremolo. In particular, try bringingthe release slider (number 4) to avalue in excess of 100, to keep thenotes going for a while after werelease the keys. Combine this with ashort attack of about 10 and a fairlylarge sustain and release - sliders 1, 2and 3, respectively. This gives us aslightly lazy, dreamy feel, as the notestake a small period to “bite” and afurther period, after we release them,to decay. And, just for giggles, whynot dial up some distortion for extra“beef” and harmonics? But you mightwant to turn your speakers down alittle, before playing.

We’ll select Osc1 pitch as thedestination for LFO2. Remember thatOsc2 is already detuned high and wedon’t want that going any further outof tune relative to Osc1. Bymodulating Osc1, we are detuning itbelow and above its center “in-tune”detent. As it goes above centertuning, it approaches the tuning of

Osc2. This rhythmic tuning fattens thesound and is a cheap substitute for achorus effect. A rate of 64 andamount of 40 is a good starting point.

Finally, let’s EQ our patch.

It sounds good on its own, but there’sa lot of bass which has the potential tosteal the thunder from a bass line orkick drum. This patch is more suitedto lead and pad work, so let’s get ridof some of the unwanted low end. Inthe filter envelope: Toggle the HP LEDon, move the filter gain knob tocenter, and toggle on Vel2Filt andVel2Amp. Set the cut-off to about 30,while resonance can stay at 0.And we’re done!

To store our patch, we first name it.Click on the current patch name in thepresets area. When you see thesquare cursor appear over the letterthat you clicked on, you may edit thepatch’s name using the keyboard. HitEnter when done, click the storebutton, choose the preset numberyou’d like to hold your preset, andclick store again. I did find a bugwhere the preset was lost after theprogram restarted. So you may wishto investigate how to save user banksof sounds to a file - that way, you canbe sure you’ve saved your work forlater use. I will cover this, and otherAXS functionality, next month.

That’s it. I hope you enjoyed thistutorial.