1 Sequential switches are massively useful for beat creation. The Doepfer A151, for example, is a solid, dependable option. These modules take a single input, maybe a trigger, then send that as a triggered sequence, to 2, 3 or 4 outputs. 2 Clock di

Randomisation is a fabulous way to add some variety to your Live projects, whether you’re involved in production or performance. It’s such a user-friendly, controllable, way to create variations in instrument or effect device settings, or even the st

> You wait ages for one Oberheim 8-Voice synth plugin emulation to come along and then… Hard on the heels of GForce Software’s OB-E comes Cherry Audio’s Eight Voice, another software take on the monster hardware instrument. This combines eight dual-o

CONTACT WHO: Korg UK WEB: korg.com KEY FEATURES Nine synth engines, over 2000 programs,16 track MIDI sequencer, 16 track Audio recorder, 8-inch touchscreen. DIMENSIONS: 1437 x 387 x 139mm (88-key), 1227 x 386 x 116mm (73-key), 1062 x 386 x 116mm (61-

Jon Musgrave finds innovation in this new design from Austrian Audio CONTACT WHO: Austrian Audio WEB: austrian.audio KEY FEATURES Handmade CKR12 edge terminated capsule inspired by classic AKG CK12 design, Microprocessor control of polarization volt

1 Here in Studio One, we can turn any channel’s insert slots into a comprehensive toybox using the Routing Editor. This view starts by showing just the plugins you’ve got in that channel’s insert slots so far – in this case, a compressor and a retro-

01 Here we have a setup of Reason devices including the Parsec synth, a delay, a distortion and a stereo width device. Each effect is placed to process in series, as you’d usually see. So far, so normal. 02 By selecting all the devices, right-click

1 One dilemma is whether to add dedicated drum voices to your rig, use sample-based options, or shape your own voices with regular modules. There are clearly pros and cons to each but let’s start with sample players. A big pro is limitless sample opt

> Ever since live music events were brought to an abrupt halt last year, the search has been on for a digital platform that will let both artists and crowds get the same kind of experience in their own homes. Enter Woov. Promising to “transform the l

A fantastic performance tool. The big keyboard-style trigger buttons are easy to work with, the controls clear and the outputs include 16 triggers and LFOs, as well as accent outputs, and the standard clock and resets. All jacks run across the top, t

Kicking off their careers as purveyors of dirty dubstep on labels like Buygore and Never Say Die, Joe Froud and Matt King AKA Document One have turned their attention to slamming dancefloor DnB in recent years. We caught up with the Oxford-based duo

When co-producing their second album, Any Minute Now, the man known as Flood noticed an increasing duality in the Dewaele brothers. As Soulwax, Dave and Steph Dewaele were making indie rock. But, as 2ManyDJs, they were reshaping the concept of the bo

01 Using effects that boast a sequencer, or LFO generator lets you add complex texture and movement to synths, drums and any other static sounds. Add ShaperBox 2 to a mid-bass layer, with the Filter shaper loaded. Set cutoff to 1.4kHz, then choose th

Club culture didn’t take hold of Sam Lewis until he studied sound engineering at university in Liverpool. Already possessing a keen interest in production, his eyes were soon opened to a world of dance music styles that eventually led him to secure a

1 Blue Cat Audio’s Patchwork is a plugin-hosting plugin that can create and store new combinations of effects using the third-party tools you have installed. Here we’re loading Polyverse Wider into Patchwork, which is loaded into Reason as a host.

Prolific vibraphonist and composer Masayoshi Fujita takes a stunning new direction on this wonderful new album. The first major change is the highly acclaimed Japanese artist’s move away from the vibraphone, the backbone to his much-lauded triptych t

Tracks adds a MicroSD card to the hardware, making the process of importing and storing samples more flexible, although some prep is still required. Rather than simply adding loose samples to the card and then importing them into the hardware – somet

01 In an Ableton Live rack, we can call up the Macro panel using the top button on the far left. By right-clicking a control on an Ableton device within the rack, we can map its movement to one of the eight macros. Now Macro 1 will be in control of t

> Hammer-action MIDI keyboards are usually designed for pianists, but with its wide-ranging set of control and performance features, M-Audio’s new Hammer 88 Pro has plenty for producers, too. Building on the success of the Hammer 88, the Pro version

Like a macro control on a synth, on a rack or chain macros can have multiple targets, controlling them all to different extents, in exactly the way you set it up. The power comes from the fact you’re using a single control to command multiple control