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	<title>Learn To Make Hip Hop &#187; Audio Production</title>
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	<link>http://makehiphop.com</link>
	<description>Learn to make hip hop music. become a true beatmaker today.</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Fri, 30 Jul 2010 05:17:45 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>Making of Red Dead Redemption: Game Music Score as Interactive Collage</title>
		<link>http://makehiphop.com/2010/07/30/making-of-red-dead-redemption-game-music-score-as-interactive-collage/#utm_source=feed-makehiphop&amp;utm_medium=feed-makehiphop&amp;utm_campaign=feed-makehiphop</link>
		<comments>http://makehiphop.com/2010/07/30/making-of-red-dead-redemption-game-music-score-as-interactive-collage/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 30 Jul 2010 05:17:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Audio Production]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[challenge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[diego-stocco]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[even-the-oldest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[grand-theft]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[organic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[production]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tommy-morgan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[video-game]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[woody-jackson]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://makehiphop.com/2010/07/30/making-of-red-dead-redemption-game-music-score-as-interactive-collage/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ Sure, it&#8217;s a Spaghetti-Western-inspired soundtrack to the hit Rockstar game called jokingly by fans Grand Theft Horse. But to me, a richly-composed musical score for a blockbuster video game sums up a lot of where music production is at these days. Composed by Bill Elm and Woody Jackson, Red Dead Redemption gets a score that blends Western authenticity with more experimental ambiances. We get a first glimpse of that process with a behind-the-scenes video released by Rockstar (and reproduced on CDM with permission) this week. Watch past the boilerplate voiceover as they get into the production, and you&#8217;ll see some glimpses of real gems. Aside from harmonica legend Tommy Morgan, they&#8217;ve got themselves one seriously wonderful collection of odd instruments. (There&#8217;s some of the organic, decayed instrumental sense of Diego Stocco here, who with Hans Zimmer made the rusty clang and bang of Sherlock Holmes last winter.) What&#8217;s this got to do with digital music? In the post-sampling age, even the oldest, most broken-down sound can become digital. And old, entirely acoustic sonic tricks are being rediscovered by today&#8217;s generation. Sometimes it takes years behind sound-alike convolution reverbs to convince you that what you should really do is just play into a kettle drum. There&#8217;s also a new approach to composition necessitated by games, which ironically brings game scoring &#8211; itself inspired mainly by film composition &#8211; in line with techniques associated with electronic music and DJing (stems, loops, and the like). I don&#8217;t think any game has yet mastered the challenge; game industry workflows, technical limitations, deadlines, and the sheer enormity of having to re-learn compositional narrative in interactive contexts all conspire against that. But an open-ended Old West playground seems a good place to begin. I hope to have more with the makers of this score soon, so if you have questions or ideas, let us know. ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://makehiphop.com/2010/07/30/making-of-red-dead-redemption-game-music-score-as-interactive-collage/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Free Generative MIDI with Cellular Automata, Built in AIR</title>
		<link>http://makehiphop.com/2010/07/29/free-generative-midi-with-cellular-automata-built-in-air/#utm_source=feed-makehiphop&amp;utm_medium=feed-makehiphop&amp;utm_campaign=feed-makehiphop</link>
		<comments>http://makehiphop.com/2010/07/29/free-generative-midi-with-cellular-automata-built-in-air/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:05:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Audio Production]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[air]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[audio]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[automation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cell]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cellular-auto]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[clipboard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[current]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pattern]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[processing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[video]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://makehiphop.com/2010/07/29/free-generative-midi-with-cellular-automata-built-in-air/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ Cellular AutoMidi is a generative music making app, making use of a modified version of the ever-popular Cellular Automata algorithm &#8211; a simple evolutionary model on a grid that works nicely for sequencers. (See, among many others, Lazyfish&#8217;s legendary NEWSCHOOL for Reaktor, and Audio Damage&#8217;s Automaton .) Cellular Automata is nothing new, but here, you get to see it as an AIR/Flash app, which means a modular CA-based creation you can drop anywhere. (More on the cross-platform details after the jump.) And hey, if we can have countless step sequencers, why not countless cellular automata step sequencers? The project is developed by Leeds, England-based Flash developer Lawrie Cape. It also deserves special mention for some nice sounds made with NI&#8217;s Massive synth, using FL Studio as host; see the video. Cellular AutoMidi &#8211; Generative Audio Flash AIR App from Lawrie Cape on Vimeo . Lawrie writes: Each cell can be alive or dead. Once in a generation, each cell looks at it’s surrounding cells, and dies if it is lonely or overcrowded. If a dead cell has an optimum amount of neighbors, it will come to life! Each generation, all the cells which have come to life will sound a note. The notes are assigned based on the cell’s y position, and are all in the pentatonic scale. There’s a few controls at the bottom which change how things work too. Start/Stop – Starts/Stops the automation. Load – Loads a pattern from the text box. Export – Exports the current pattern to the clipboard. You can send it to friends, or save it for later, then load in with the load button. Clear down – Stop and clear the current pattern. Law Mode – An error when coding the cell rules gave this other odd mode. Skip Audio – Just show the cell animations. Sing Dead – Instead of singing the recently revived notes, sing for the recently deceased. Note duration – Alter the system speed. Also, along the top there are banks of preset systems. Click play to start a saved pattern, and click assign to assign the pattern currently displayed to that button. You can also trigger each pattern with the keyboard keys 1-8. When you press Export, your pattern is automatically copied to the clipboard, so you can save it, or share it with people. Here’s a pattern I made – you can load it by pasting it into the load box, and pressing Load! I&#8217;ve written a post about it on my blog here &#8211; http://www.lawriecape.co.uk/theblog/index.php/archives/735 And you can download the app there too. What about MIDI function on different operating systems (Mac, Windows, Linux)? Flash Midi Server is Processing based, but I&#8217;ve packaged it as Win and Mac apps in the Google Code download at &#8211; http://code.google.com/p/flash-midi-server/downloads/list In the next couple of days, I&#8217;ll put together and test a Linux version, and hopefully release the Processing source code too &#8211; although as my first Processing project, I&#8217;m sure the code is pretty ropey. So, give it a try, and maybe someone with some Processing MIDI skills can recommend some tweaks to MIDI operation. I think this will be particularly welcome on Linux, where the toolset is a bit leaner. If you use it, let us know what you think or what you create! ]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Max Fuel, a Bundle of Max for Live Devices, Debuts</title>
		<link>http://makehiphop.com/2010/07/29/max-fuel-a-bundle-of-max-for-live-devices-debuts/#utm_source=feed-makehiphop&amp;utm_medium=feed-makehiphop&amp;utm_campaign=feed-makehiphop</link>
		<comments>http://makehiphop.com/2010/07/29/max-fuel-a-bundle-of-max-for-live-devices-debuts/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:41:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Audio Production]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ableton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ableton-live]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[audio-processor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[integration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[live]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[paid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reaktor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spectral-mixer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wonderful]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://makehiphop.com/2010/07/29/max-fuel-a-bundle-of-max-for-live-devices-debuts/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ For those of you just joining us, Max for Live is an interactive environment that incorporates the full Max/MSP/Jitter inside Ableton Live, with the addition of hooks that allow it to integrate with and control Live, and to make Max creations look like Live devices. Individual artists have begun using Max for Live, and we&#8217;ve seen some free downloads, but less of its use as a development platform. The problem is, your target audience must own both a full version of Ableton Live 8.1x or later, as well as the paid Max for Live add-on. Max Fuel from Ableton soundhouse Puremagnetik nonetheless reaches out to just those people with a US$38 bundle of instruments. While they&#8217;re Max for Live devices, they&#8217;re not editable . (This demonstrates that it is possible to lock down patches made in Max for Live. An earlier draft of this story got this exactly wrong.) Unfortunately, that means in a way, you get the worst of both worlds &#8211; you have to buy the development environment, but then you can&#8217;t use it to see what&#8217;s happening inside the patch. For projects like this, it seems some sort of &#8220;player&#8221; for Max for Live is badly needed. It could still be a nice pack of stuff for existing M4L users, though. Here&#8217;s what&#8217;s included &#8211; two instruments: Bump &#8211; A mono synth with a generous, easily controlled feedback section Stick &#8211; A drum instrument based around classic FM synthesis, ready for use in Drum Racks &#8230;five audio effects: Drop &#8211; A multiband device where each band receives a percentage chance of being heard Jumble &#8211; An audio processor with the same delay/feedback portion as Bump Marx &#8211; A rebranded Spectral Mixer, setting different volumes and interactions for the signal&#8217;s quiet, mid and loud portions Veer &#8211; A flexible pitch shifter with a dry/wet control for the output. Yell &#8211; A rich multiband distortion &#8230;and three control devices: el Effo &#8211; A versatile low frequency oscillator/step sequencer Multiplexd &#8211; A single knob that proportionately controls up to 4 plug-in parameters, simplifying automation or MIDI control of multiple parameters Side Chainer &#8211; A robust converter of any audio signal into a modulation signal Even with built-in side-chaining for some devices, it&#8217;s especially nice to see the side chainer, and of course an LFO/step sequencer is something Live users have wanted for a long, long time. You need Ableton Live 8.1.4 and Max for Live; standalone Max/MSP won&#8217;t work with these bundles. This is &#8220;Max Fuel, The First,&#8221; so obviously more bundles are planned. http://www.puremagnetik.com/maxfuel/ So, I&#8217;m curious &#8211; does this model appeal to you? Does it make you more likely to purchase Max for Live? In other paid patch news, the wonderful Paramdrum for Reaktor from Peter Dines has just gotten a big update with a nice, new skinned interface; read more on Pete&#8217;s Noisepages blog: Skinned Paramdrum Now Available for Reaktor 5.15 (non beta) ParamDrum Update: now with Jonathan Style skin, new sample maps! &#8230;and, of course, even Reaktor remains an option for Ableton Live, albeit without the Live-controlling powers or other integration. Let us know what you think of these offerings in comments. ]]></description>
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		<item>
		<title>4Pockets Aurora Sound Studio HD</title>
		<link>http://makehiphop.com/2010/07/29/4pockets-aurora-sound-studio-hd/#utm_source=feed-makehiphop&amp;utm_medium=feed-makehiphop&amp;utm_campaign=feed-makehiphop</link>
		<comments>http://makehiphop.com/2010/07/29/4pockets-aurora-sound-studio-hd/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:47:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Site Update</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Audio Production]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ableton-live]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[atomizer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[aurora-sound]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[exported-as-wav]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[full-production]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[geared-towards]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[individual]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[latter-ensures]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[library]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[multitouch-grid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sequences]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[synthesiser]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://makehiphop.com/2010/07/29/4pockets-aurora-sound-studio-hd/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ The preview video for Aurora Sound Studio HD had certain team members compulsively checking the App Store for its release, for it promised a full production studio for the iPad. Not a DAW, mind you - no audio recording would be provided, for one thing - but an electronic studio with everything you need to compose and perform electronic music: drums, subtractive and waveshaping synthesisers, a sampler, mixer and effects, all tied to a multitouch grid interface resembling the iconic Yamaha Tenori-On. Aurora HD delivers on its promise in spades, albeit with a couple of caveats. The interface is divided into tabbed pages, some of which are geared towards arranging your sequences, while others are aimed at live performance with instruments and effects. Sequences are arranged in 14 layers, each with a fully editable instrument assigned. Each layer has three send knobs, for routing the signal to a trio of aux send channels, with a choice of nine effects for each. Additionally, you can apply the Atomizer and M-Gun functions in real time, the former being a sort of sample-and-hold function (think Ableton Live's Beat Repeat), while the latter is a per-sound 'drum roll' function. Songs can be exported as WAV and AAC files, or even as MIDI. The latter ensures that compositions sketched out on Aurora can be reworked using your DAW's instruments and effects. So what are those caveats we mentioned earlier? Well, the big one is that there's no way to write any sort of velocity data to the individual layers. You can, however, fake it using the synthesiser's built-in MSEQ function, but this is only available to the analogue synth. Also, a mere three effects slots seems miserly, and there's no compressor. In addition, while you can upload and share songs via an online Song Library, this can't be done with songs that include your own samples. Nevertheless, 4Pockets has brought in a winner, albeit one that carries a price tag considerably higher than those to which App Store customers are currently accustomed. The problems are few and do nothing to get in the way of what is a truly inspiring production environment. If you're an iPad owner in the market for a portable production tool, you definitely won't want to pass this one up. ]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Wizdom Music MorphWiz</title>
		<link>http://makehiphop.com/2010/07/29/wizdom-music-morphwiz/#utm_source=feed-makehiphop&amp;utm_medium=feed-makehiphop&amp;utm_campaign=feed-makehiphop</link>
		<comments>http://makehiphop.com/2010/07/29/wizdom-music-morphwiz/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:34:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Site Update</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Audio Production]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[audio]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[instrument]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ipad]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jordan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jordan-rudess]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lippold-haken]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[performance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sound]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[turns-the-ipad]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tweak-the-sound]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://makehiphop.com/2010/07/29/wizdom-music-morphwiz/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ Kevin Chartier and keyboardist extraordinaire Jordan Rudess have teamed up to bring us what may be the first serious performance instrument designed specifically for the iPad. Inspired by Lippold Haken's Continuum controller, MorphWiz presents a control system wherein notes of a given (and user-definable) scale are laid out across the screen as vertical lines. As on a traditional keyboard, notes range from low to high as you travel from left to right. However, sounds can morph from one timbre to another as you drag your finger vertically along a given note. You can also play between the notes by placing your finger just between the B and C lines. Additionally, MorphWiz taps the iPad's accelerometer - you can tilt the device to tweak the sound of the built-in synthesiser. On that synthesiser, it's refreshingly direct, with a smattering of parameters that draw upon basic waveshaping, FM and 'Wavesync' synthesis to shape the sounds, with a few effects to spice things up. While FM synthesis is tricky to master, even the greenest neophyte isn't going to get lost with MorphWiz's simple implementation. There's just enough flexibility to personalise the sound, but not enough to distract you from the performance. And that's what MorphWiz is all about: performance. Rudess's experience shows in the design of the instrument and the immediately playable factory patches. MorphWiz provides a built-in recording function with looped overdubbing capabilities. You can adjust the number of beats and measures and there's a metronome to guide you. The results can be exported, emailed or sent to apps that support AudioPaste. MorphWiz turns the iPad into an expressive performance instrument. Is it perfect? No. There are a lot of pages to work through and there's no MIDI-over-Wi-Fi, unfortunately. Even these drawbacks aren't enough to tear us away from it, however. ]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Indie Guitars Shape Doublecut Semi-hollow</title>
		<link>http://makehiphop.com/2010/07/29/indie-guitars-shape-doublecut-semi-hollow/#utm_source=feed-makehiphop&amp;utm_medium=feed-makehiphop&amp;utm_campaign=feed-makehiphop</link>
		<comments>http://makehiphop.com/2010/07/29/indie-guitars-shape-doublecut-semi-hollow/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:28:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Site Update</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Audio Production]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[even-at-sweaty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[even-the-inside]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[from-the-hollow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guitar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[indie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[makes-the-shape]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[moving-upmarket]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[power]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[price]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shape]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[unrestricted]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[very-responsive]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://makehiphop.com/2010/07/29/indie-guitars-shape-doublecut-semi-hollow/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ We have been consistently impressed by Indie's quirky designs and competitive prices. This Shape semi-acoustic guitar sees the company moving upmarket, without losing its value-for-money ethos and emphasis on original design. Its solid mahogany sustain block and genuine flame maple top give the guitar the extra resonance of a hollow design and the power of a solid body. Combine this with hardware from TonePros and Grover, and the Indie stands tall in the mid-range guitar market. Indie has easily done enough in terms of specification and build quality to justify the price of the Shape; it continues to impress with its satin finish, and there are no rough edges to be found - even the inside of the f-hole is tidily painted. "Indie has easily done enough in terms of spec and build quality to justify the price of the Shape." The recessed controls, well applied binding and flame finish all smack of a high-end instrument. Although Indie's doublecut body shape is original, it does remind us slightly of Fender's much-missed Starcaster, the '80s axe beloved of Radiohead and The Killers. Semi-hollow bodies like this are used by guitarists as diverse as bluesman BB King, Britpop wonder Noel Gallagher, G'N'R's Izzy Stradlin and loincloth toting rocker Ted Nugent. This list is a good indication of the styles the Shape feels at home in, with its big, fat and sometimes swampy tone providing extra resonance and overtones from the hollow chambers. The mixture of Indie's GR8 humbuckers (voiced for a vintage tone) on the semi-hollow body and 25-inch fingerboard gives you the perfect balance between the classic, fat sound of a semi-hollow body guitar and the snappier attack of a longer scale length. The resulting tone makes the Shape a very responsive guitar to play unplugged, too. Indie claims this model can deal with everything from clean jazz to high-gain rock. Semi-acoustics are certainly versatile beasts and, plugged in, the Shape lives up to that promise. The guitar has the inherent fatness needed for big chords, and its semi-hollow construction encourages the good kind of feedback when you get lairy. It's hard to find fault with this guitar. You'll appreciate the high build quality from Indie, the unrestricted heel-less neck join, and the way the satin finish doesn't get sticky, even at sweaty gigs. While we've played better sounding guitars for this money, few match its combination of features, playability and build quality. ]]></description>
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		<item>
		<title>Toontrack Beatstation</title>
		<link>http://makehiphop.com/2010/07/29/toontrack-beatstation/#utm_source=feed-makehiphop&amp;utm_medium=feed-makehiphop&amp;utm_campaign=feed-makehiphop</link>
		<comments>http://makehiphop.com/2010/07/29/toontrack-beatstation/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:17:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Site Update</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Audio Production]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[accurate-enough]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[average-quality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beatstation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[browser]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[browser-sitting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[change-the-look]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[find-it-useful]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hear-everything]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[library]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[organic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[skin]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://makehiphop.com/2010/07/29/toontrack-beatstation/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ When Beatstation was announced, it wasn't clear what it was or who it was designed for. And even after spending some time with it, we're not sure we can answer either of these questions. Stranger still, we're not sure Toontrack could either. They call it "a tonal and percussive open surface new generation virtual instrument", which is accurate enough, but tellingly, the sell line for Beatstation is vague and non-committal: "It's what you want it to be." Beatstation has the look of a groovebox, with the main part of the interface taken up by a bank of sample-based pads. You can add and remove pads, drag them around and select from four pad styles: one square and three circular ones of different sizes. "Ultimately, it's hard to say exactly what you will find it useful for - if anything - until you actually give it a go." The pads are designed for rhythmic sounds but there are also Bass and Lead 'pads' (actually mini virtual keyboards) for instrument sounds. You can change the look by loading up skins, and you can design your own with the Skin Tool. The pads can be filled up with samples from the browser sitting to the left. Beatstation ships with content in Lowbit, Organic and Synthetix categories, and in each of these you get drum kits/instruments, MIDI grooves, REX files and individual sounds. You can load up sounds as a whole kit or on a pad-by-pad basis. Music library The quality of the library is generally good, with the acoustic drums being particularly impressive. There's plenty for those who aren't so keen on 'real' sounds too, though, with dance music and hip-hop fans well catered for. Crucially, it's possible to bring your own samples and loops in. MP3 and WAV formats are supported, and MIDI and REX files can be imported. You can also use expansion packs in Toontrack's EZX and SDX drum kit formats, as well as the new Beatstation-specific BTX format. Below the browser are REX and MIDI file players, which can run independently or (in sync) together. To hear everything you've got loaded, just hit the play/pause button. To the right of this are two FX busses, a master effect and a master volume control. The effects come from Overloud, which ensures better than average quality, and the range is extensive, with categories including Bitcrush, Chorus, Compressor, Delay, Distortion, EQ and Reverb, as well as instrument-specific ones for piano, bass, snare, vocals, etc. Each effect has just a single slider to play with, enabling you to dial in 'more' or 'less' of that effect. And that, on a basic level, is it. If you want to use Beatstation very simply, run it standalone, load some sounds and/or a MIDI/REX file and click the pads or press play. There's not a lot you can do with your sounds, though, as parts can't be edited and there's no sequencer. Thankfully, Beatstation also works as a plug-in instrument, so you can use it to make songs in conjunction with a compatible sequencer/DAW program. (2 pages; go to page: 2 ) Related Stories Toontrack EZmix Toontrack Electronic EZX ]]></description>
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		<title>Steinberg Nuendo 5</title>
		<link>http://makehiphop.com/2010/07/29/steinberg-nuendo-5/#utm_source=feed-makehiphop&amp;utm_medium=feed-makehiphop&amp;utm_campaign=feed-makehiphop</link>
		<comments>http://makehiphop.com/2010/07/29/steinberg-nuendo-5/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:58:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Site Update</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Audio Production]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[audio]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[clips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cubase]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[direct-routing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[finished-stream]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[increase-during]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[leisure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[momentary-level]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nuendo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nuendo-media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pitch-driver]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://makehiphop.com/2010/07/29/steinberg-nuendo-5/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ Whereas Cubase has long been a staple product for computer musicians, those working in post-production for film, TV and radio are more likely to turn to its sibling, Nuendo. The two apps are superficially similar, but each has its own exclusive features. Post-production is where music, sound effects, actors' dialogue, etc, are compiled into a finished stream of audio in a specific format - it might be in surround sound, too. This is where Nuendo steps in, with features such as extensive surround support (up to 12 speakers), pro video and sync functionality, import/export of a wider range of formats, and network collaboration. "Surround Panner v5 makes the previous effort look chunky." Traditionally, certain features in Nuendo have filtered through to Cubase (and vice versa), and in fact, there are a few things in Nuendo 5 that are also in the recent free Cubase 5.5 update. Of course, here we'll focus on the musical side of Nuendo 5. Dialogue box The Cubase/Nuendo MediaBay is something that, until now, hasn't really clicked with us. The idea is that you use it to index all the relevant data (audio, MIDI, projects, plug-in presets, etc) on your drives, so that you can browse, filter and preview it all at your leisure. It's been overhauled for Nuendo 5 (and Cubase 5.5) and we're pleased to say, it's really making more sense now. The layout has been refined and it just seems more logical and friendly, not to mention swifter overall, making it something we actually want to use. You need to tag all your data for it to be of much use, but that chore could well be worth the effort for post-production houses. Also new are Clip Packages, whereby you select a bunch of related audio clips and export them - you can later pull them from the MediaBay to recreate the original structure of clips. Many music producers create beats with samples on audio tracks, and we found Clip Packages to be a great way of stashing away such 'composite beats' for later use. New in the mixer is the Wave Meters view, which shows a visual recreation of the clips on the audio tracks scrolling upwards. It doesn't show the channel's output data, though, and while that does mean you can see what's coming up in advance, it still feels like an underdeveloped idea - you can't adjust the speed or scrub by dragging, for instance. Next up is Direct Routing, enabling you to designate eight possible output destinations for each channel, and then flick between them with a single click. You can switch multiple channels at once, and even select multiple destinations, and it's all automatable. It works nicely (aside from a momentary level increase during the change), though you can't set a level offset for each output. Note that you can now arm multiple channels for recording too. Just drive! There's a new pitchshifter plug-in, Pitch Driver, with a claimed range of "up to 24 semitones", but while you can go two octaves down, it seems you can only pitch up by one. (2 pages; go to page: 2 ) ]]></description>
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		<title>Jet City JCA100H</title>
		<link>http://makehiphop.com/2010/07/29/jet-city-jca100h/#utm_source=feed-makehiphop&amp;utm_medium=feed-makehiphop&amp;utm_campaign=feed-makehiphop</link>
		<comments>http://makehiphop.com/2010/07/29/jet-city-jca100h/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:46:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Site Update</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Audio Production]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[amplification]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[behind-at-gigs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[footswitch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lose-or-forget]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[overdrive]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[power]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[preamp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[soldano]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://makehiphop.com/2010/07/29/jet-city-jca100h/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ During the LA-based guitar boom of the late '80s/early '90s, Mike Soldano's namesake amps were everywhere. The SLO-100 is arguably his most iconic design, a high-octane monster that allows tonehounds with enough cash to fill their nostrils with the stench of free-range valve distortion. The Soldano sound wasn't available on a budget… until now. Late last year, Soldano cofounded Jet City Amplification with an aim to build affordable valve amps, and Jet City has just touched down in the UK with its flagship offering, the JCA100H. This model features the same circuit design and identically labelled controls as the SLO-100, giving you two channels (Normal and Overdrive), a shared three-band EQ section and a master Presence control. The preamp uses four 12AX7 valves, with four 6L6s in the power stage delivering 100 watts of power. There's also an extra 12AX7 that buffers the effects loop. The Normal (clean) channel is bright, but with a slight scoop to the mid range thanks to the 6L6 valves, and the preamp stays clean until you push it to around halfway. Try some neck position single-coils for that classic woody blues sound, and add some gain and presence for some Gaslight Anthem style chiming open strings. Boosting the preamp further takes you into chunky classic rock rhythm territory. The Overdrive channel picks it up from here, and there's a noticeable kick that results in an overall 'larger' sound. We're talking fat-ass, harmonically rich powerchords and just enough gain to make hammer-on and pull-offs lead lines easy without becoming fizzy. There are a couple of niggles, though. Channel switching is handled exclusively by the included footswitch, with no control on the panel. This might seem like a moot point, but if you lose or forget the footswitch you'll be stuck in whichever channel you left the amp on until you get another footswitch. The other point is that there's no onboard reverb. OK, so it's not a huge problem but similarly priced competing products on the market have kept it in. Soldano's input here carries a hefty chunk of credibility and quality. And let's be honest, only a numpty leaves gear behind at gigs, and the lack of reverb won't be a problem for many. Jet City's mantra is "100% tube tone; 0% Bull****", and, interestingly, we found ourselves concentrating less on tweaking the tone controls and more on just playing the damn thing - which is always a good sign. ]]></description>
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		<title>Native Instruments announces Komplete 7 Elements</title>
		<link>http://makehiphop.com/2010/07/29/native-instruments-announces-komplete-7-elements/#utm_source=feed-makehiphop&amp;utm_medium=feed-makehiphop&amp;utm_campaign=feed-makehiphop</link>
		<comments>http://makehiphop.com/2010/07/29/native-instruments-announces-komplete-7-elements/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:30:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Audio Production]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elements]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[especially-affordable]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[komplete]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[native]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[native-instruments]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[provides-musicians]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://makehiphop.com/2010/07/29/native-instruments-announces-komplete-7-elements/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[29th July 2010: Along with Komplete 7, Native Instruments has also announced Komplete 7 Elements, a new software bundle that provides musicians and producers with an especially affordable arsenal of instruments and ...]]></description>
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