Electronic Musician

The new ELECTRONIC MUSICIAN is a “must have” resource for anyone who makes music, plays music, and shares music. Every issue includes "gig tested" product reviews on music gear, tons of how-to's, and interviews with today's stars revealing the secrets of their songwriting approaches and audio-production concepts.

Master plan

Electronic Musician • Vol. 36 No. 5 MAY 2020

NEW GEAR

SOFT OPINIONS • As the world of software sees more and more uses of artificial intelligence, we’d better make sure we understand it correctly

THIS MONTH IN SOFTWARE • Innovation comes in many forms, among them an intelligent sample layering tool, a new low-level environment, and a helping hand for tinnitus

VoosteQ MATERIAL COMP

Voxengo CRTIV SHUMOVICK

MASTERING • For many musicians, the final stage of mastering is actually a gateway to myriad mixes, underscores and stems

Changing tides, changing times

Mastering: online, attended, AI, or DIY?

Checking YOUR Masters • With the assorted ways in which consumers listen these days, it’s important to ensure your masters sound good on multiple playback systems

Tools Of The Trade • Most of those mastering their own tracks work digitally. So let’s set up a ‘typical’ mastering chain, assessing the required tools

Separate mixing from mastering

Sample rate and resolution

Stem printing workflow and protocol

Creating Stems From Track Stacks • In Logic Pro, there’s a simple way to create a set of stems in record time. You just need to organize instrument groups into Track Stacks

DOs & DON’Ts

Stemming In Any DAW • Any DAW which lets you set up instruments, create auxiliary tracks and internally route those to audio tracks will let you stem like this

DOC McKINNEY • Canadian-born Martin ‘Doc’ McKinney is the mastermind behind multimillion-selling R&B act The Weeknd and a catalog of others. Danny Turner lifts the lid on the media-shy producer’s studio approach

Using Articulation To Control Portamento • Mono legato mode can be used to introduce portamento glides into your solo lines.

Slash chords • These harmonic devices might not be as exciting as they sound, but they’re still useful for making better music

Ensoniq ESQ-1 • In the formative days of digital synths, an upstart company launched the product that changed the way they were made and sold

Three great ESQ-1 alternatives

Argon 8 $649 • Modal always makes interesting synths and the Argon 8 carries on that tradition. Let's explore the company's latest creation…

THE ALTERNATIVES

AudioFuse 8Pre $799 • Let's explore Arturia’s venture into the domain of rack audio interfaces

Cubasis 3 €54.99 • Steinberg’s Cubasis enters its third phase with multiple new features and iPhone compatibility. Is this the best way to make music on the move?

Zenith $79 • Pulled from the heart of the Zone synth, this openended multitrack MIDI sequencer helps bring your hardware and software synths to life

Union $157 • This innovative new hybrid synth has the ability to make its own wavetables – but you’d better be prepared to go modal…

Sample Drum $380 • Philip Wise investigates this award-winning module that brings sample-slicing to your Eurorack rig

Cloud XV-5080 $19.95 per month • The XV-5080 sound module is the latest addition to Roland’s digital subscription. Does this one still have what it takes to compete in the modern age?

Ska & Rocksteady $45

RV Samplepacks

Sample Magic

Catalyst Samples

Audiotent

HIP-HOP

SOUND DESIGN: SATURATION AND WAVEFOLDING • Controlled distortion can be a sine wave’s best friend

Creative...