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.

Editor’s Note

Electronic Musician • Vol. 36 No. 3 MARCH 2020

NEW GEAR • Korg’s Wavestate updates Wave Sequencing for 2020

SOFT OPINIONS • In the world of software instruments, is there really any difference between types of synth, sampler and oscillator?

THIS MONTH IN SOFTWARE • The virtual instruments are out in force as we take a survey of the biggest software releases in advance of Winter NAMM 2020

DRAMATIC IMPACT • Impact: that dramatic, cinematic quality which oozes from everytrailer, film score and game soundtrack we encounter and yet which seems so elusive… until now

Fight back against lazy sample library usage!

Anticipation: risers, drops, breaks, step-ups

Drama In Other Musical Genres

Three of the best

GEORGE SEARA • Spurred initially by the evolution of digital recording, George Seara has become one of Toronto’s leading mix engineers. Danny Turner discusses how he put himself on the map and brings the best out of the artists he works with

Vary your Touch for Control Over Envelope Triggering • Explore mono legato mode to add variety and nuance to your lead synth lines

Drop voicings • Dave Clews takes us through the art of moving notes of a chord in whole octaves for a different feel

Maestro Echoplex • From Chet Atkins’ ‘Nashville Sound’ to the symphonic roar created by Jimmy Page, the tape echo has been a mainstay of production for half a century

Michael Stein • Composer, producer and engineer Michael Stein is best known as the Emmy-winning and Grammy-nominated co-composer (along with Kyle Dixon) of the hit Netflix series Stranger Things. Stein’s recent work with Dixon has included scoring the Darren Aronofsky-produced series Spheres, scoring Rashid Johnson’s acclaimed film Native Son, and work on the third album by their band Survive.

ARP 2600 FS • Having achieved acclaim for its recreation of the ARP Odyssey, Korg has at last tackled the venerable 2600. Let’s see if it can live up to the legend!

Key features – the 3620 keyboard

NYX 2 • It may look like other semi-modular desktop synths but this dual-filtered module is a unique and fascinating beast…

Space modulations

K-Board Pro 4 MIDI Controller • With MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) controllers gaining wider acceptance these days, KMI ups its game with this inviting new offering – and it’s a winner

Fantom • The all-in-one synth workstation is dead… Long live Roland’s new all-in-one synth workstation. Let’s see what this new Fantom has to offer…

It’s about connections

iRig Keys 2 • The sequel to the world’s first genuinely iOSfriendly mini keyboard takes things up a notch in terms of both MIDI and audio

With knobs on

Falcon 2 • This French hybrid supersynth soars to new heights with new effects, extra performance devices and the addition of an additive oscillator

It all adds up

Reel Grooves

SERUM FX • Give your signals a shot in the arm with our guide to using Xfer’s supersynth as a pumped-up effects processor

FM SYNTHS • Hoping to get to grips with complex frequency modulation synth plugins? Look no further…

QUICK TIPS

FM synth routing • The key to cracking Frequency Modulation synthesis is sussing how your synth’s operators… er, operate! Let’s see how it’s done in three synths

Exploring FM synthesis with Operator • Ableton Live’s intuitive digital...