MusicTech Magazine: Issue 125 – Master Your Sound

The new issue of MusicTech magazine is on sale now and this month we’ve got a jam-packed Mastering focused issue. Whether you are new to mastering or an experienced engineer, our nine page guide could change your life. This month we have THE complete guide to a process that will transform your sound.  Who better than MT Mastering expert Mike Hillier to guide you through …

This Month’s Features

The Complete Guide To Mastering
“Any article that claims to be ‘The Complete Guide…’ is worth starting with a bit of a history lesson, so let’s look back at the early days of this ‘dark art’. Mastering began as a means of transferring recordings from magnetic tape to various media, such as vinyl, while maintaining as much of the audio fidelity as possible. Vinyl, for example, cannot handle much bass without the risk of skipping, while the high end is susceptible to hiss. Mastering engineers would use an RIAA pre-emphasis EQ curve when cutting lacquers, which reduces the bass on the vinyl and boosts the highs”

Mike Hillier’s complete guide to mastering is nine pages of everything you need to know about the process – an indispensable guide.

Orchestral Manoeuvres on the Cheap
There’s arguably no genre on earth that wouldn’t benefit from the injection of a little bit of orchestral flavour. The versatility, richness and sheer depth of traditional classical instruments means that they can be adapted to fit almost any style of music (yes, including death metal – actually, especially death metal!)

If you want orchestral sounds in your music but can’t afford the real thing or more expensive sample collections, you’ve come to the right place. Rob Boffard raises the baton in this in-depth tutorial.

Get to Grips with Mastering in all the Major DAWS in this months’ Tutorials
This month our software tutorials continue to look at the art of mastering with detailed DAW-specific tutorials revealing the ins and outs of this often complicated process. Our DAW tutorials cover Cubase, Reason, Live, Logic and Pro Tools.

Interview with Optimum Mastering
In this issue we explain the process of mastering and how you can do it yourself within your chosen DAW. But sometimes it’s best to get the pros in, and they don’t come more reputable than Optimum Mastering, which counts Portishead and Courtney Pine among its clients.

Reviews of all the latest Hardware and Software
This month we review Avid’s long awaited and highly advanced Pro Tools 11 – in an expanded review from our online version. Wavelab 8, Tascam’s O08EX, LI Base DP8, Avantone Pro BV12, Audulus and Steinberg’s new interface the UR22.

Advance features all the latest news and comment from the world of MusicTech – including the start of three brand new blogs by the MT team.

DVD Contents

Turn up the beat with our massive pack of Brazilian drums and percussion, atmospheric FX and house samples. You’ll also find masterclasses from Claude VonStroke and Shadow Child, plus demos, software, promo videos and more…

Brazilian Percussion and Drums
For this month’s main pack, the live drum and instrument specialists at The Loop Loft have donated a complete sample library worth $44! Brazilian Drums & Percussion Vol 1 contains 323 loops and samples performed by world- renowned drummer Celso Alberti, covering Brazilian rhythms including samba, bossa nova, partido alto, bajão and xote. Alongside regular drum sounds you’ll also find shakers, surdos, pandeiros, reco recos, tamborims and more. All loops come in WAV, Apple Loops, REX2 and ReFill formats for maximum flexibility.

Cinematic FX Loops
If you’re looking to add a twist to your tracks or need some textures to spice up a soundtrack project, we’ve got just the thing with this pack of cinematic glitch FX from Equinox Sounds. You’ll find 100 loopable sound effects with themes that range from eerie atmospheres and abrasive screeches to traffic, industrial buzzes, helicopters, alien landscapes and more. Most of the textures were built up from field recordings, which underwent several layers of sound design using various VSTs and NI’s Reaktor.

Livid Base, Wavelab 8, Audio Mastering for iPad
To accompany the magazine reviews we’ve got a whole bunch of promo videos and MP3s so you can see and hear the kit in action. On the hardware side there’s the amazing Livid Base and the unique microGranny pocket synth. We’ve also got videos showing off some of the new features in Digital Performer 8 and WaveLab 8, plus the excellent Audio Mastering for iPad app. Finally, on the samples and instruments side you’ll find features on Ample Guitar T, dmoox and The Loop Loft’s Hunter/Harland Bunker Sessions, plus an MP3 of BFA’s Vintage Vibe.

On sale Thursday July 18th! Subscribe Here