Computer Music

Computer Music's goal is to help its readers create great music with a PC or Mac. Each month find easy-to-follow tutorials for all sorts of music software, unbiased reviews of the latest products and answers to technical questions.

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Cm news • NEW RELEASES > COMMENT > INDUSTRY HAPPENINGS

App watch • We report on the latest developments in phone and tablet music making

Get with the programmers • JMG Audio have provided us with a superb update to Hyperspace CM this issue, so it’s time to catch up with the company’s Jason Gibbins…

10 years back • Our monthly shake-of-the-head at our earlier selves’ news choices…

Ins & outs

15 questions with… Jimi Jules

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GET GREAT VOCALS (WITHOUT BEING A GREAT VOCALIST) • Behind pretty much every great song, hit record or memorable performance lies a great vocal. But what do you do if you, like us, can’t sing for toffee? Luckily, this is what Computer Music is all about: using technology to boost a lack of skill! And there’s plenty we can do to make a bad vocal great…

How to make a bad vocal good • While there are many fun ways to morph, twist and chop your vocals into a huge range of sonic shapes, what about the most straightforward of aims – simply making an out-of-tune vocal not just passable, but stellar?

Keep the humanity

Vocal microphones

Pitch correction software

Processing your vocal • While fixing of out-of-tune or messy vocal performances is an achievable aim, tuning is not always the central issue with vocals. There’s an array of routes to make your voice a far more interesting sonic element of your mix

Sing sang sung

Vocal multi-effect plugins

Vocal mixing plugins

Mixing your vocals • Though you can correct the pitch, tuning and vibrato of your voice in software, as well as contort it into all manner of extraordinary sonic shapes and characters, it’s all for naught if you can’t actually hear your vocal in the mix

Choirmaster

Best interfaces for vocal mics

Vocal booths and accessories

HANDS-ON TUTORIALS AND WORKSHOPS

BASS DESIGN bass ALTERNATIVES • Bass doesn’t have to be… well, bass! Pretty much any sound can be pressed into low-end service, as we’re about to demonstrate

#16 Aphex modulation pad • Pads can do far more than fill out chords. This month we create a set of Aphex Twin-inspired modulating pads

ORGANISED CHAOS

Dave Gale

#05 Wobble bass • In this tutorial you’ll learn how to create a wobble bass from scratch using the ES2 synth

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

Ashley Thorpe

The Pro Producer’s Guide To DIGITAL AUDIO • If you want to achieve the best mixed and mastered tracks within your DAW, an understanding of how digital audio works is essential. Let’s find out exactly what’s going on ‘inside the box’ as we go back to first principles

cm/reviews • The latest computer music gear tested and rated!

Toontrack EZdrummer 3 €165 PC MAC • As night follows day, so does this much anticipated update from Toontrack, but does the magic follow the number? We find out!

Getting in the Groove

Tracktion Waveform Pro 12 From $149 PC MAC • With multiple new features, now could be a good time to try this impressive and competitively priced DAW

MIDI

Baby Audio Crystalline $99 PC MAC • Baby Audio are on a roll with their releases, but can they crystallise their reputation with their latest algorithmic reverb? The answer’s crystal clear

Timing is everything

Spitfire Heirloom £199 PC MAC • Get your hankie ready as Spitfire’s latest toolkit promises quick-fire access to devastatingly affecting instrumental flavours. But...