RECORD • PRODUCE • PERFORM

DAN
PARKS
ON THE
RETURN OF
THE SSM CHIP

NOW RING THE

TOP
FE AT U
LEARN TO USE
N E AUTOMATIC
A G A Z I! DELAY DUCKING
M ESSO
NS
L TS!
ARTISWS!
REV I E

Chick
Corea
Lessons
Learned,
Lessons
Shared

Allan
Zavod
Jean-Luc
Ponty
Synth
Solos

Synth
Programming
Checklist Synths REVIEWS

Samplers
APPS Beatboxes ARTURIA
MATRIXBRUTE

LINE 6
HELIX NATIVE
PLUG-IN

AAS
OBJEQ DELAY

PROPELLERHEAD

MORE!
REASON 9.5

09.2017 RADIAL
A MUSIC PLAYER PUBLICATION
KEY-LARGO

elm0917_Cover_digital.indd 2 8/9/17 1:19 PM

 CONNECT
AudioFuse is the revolutionary next-gen pro audio interface that sets a new standard in sonic
quality, creative production and value. It fuses the superior sound of high-end analog studio
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1 page.indd 1 7/10/17
7/10/17 12:48 PM
elm521380_0917.indd 1:38 PM
 PRS 408, TC Electronic Hall of Fame 2, Focal Shape 65, Dangerous Music BAX EQ, Universal Audio LA-610 Mk II, Roland TR-09, Shure SRH840,

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Swtr_September_EM_2017.indd All Pages
 The Pro-audio Authority for Over 35 Years

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7/18/17 8:01 AM
 GEAR REVIEWS
M A G A Z I N E

46
ARTURIA
MatrixBrute

36
INTERVIEW
CHICK COREA

52
Lessons Learned,
CONTENTS 09.17

Lessons Shared

LINE 6

40
Helix Native

THE ART OF
SYNTH SOLOING
Allan Zavod’s
Solos for Jean-

54
Luc Ponty

18
APPLIED ACOUSTICS
SYSTEMS

10
Objeq Delay

COMMUNITY

THE TOP 200 PROPELLERHEAD

56
Reason 9.5
IOS APPS
There is no shortage when it comes to apps for musicians. In fact, there
is an overabundance. And sifting through the dozens of products in a
category to find the one that fits your needs can be a monumental task. To
help you locate the synth, sampler, drum machine, DAW, or utility app that’s

58
right for you, we have chosen the cream of the crop—from old standards by

12
Arturia, Korg, Moog, Propellerhead, and other top developers to the hottest
DEPARTMENTS

new products to hit the Apple App Store.

RADIAL
NEW GEAR Key-Largo
Products
from Electro-
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HOW TO
16 44 60
66 FIVE
ELECTRONIC
GUITAR
Signal Splitting
SOUND DESIGN
A Synth Programming
Checklist
PRODUCTION
Automatic Delay
Ducking
QUESTIONS
Dan Parks: Electronic Musician (ISSN 0884-4720) is published monthly by NewBay Media, LLC, 28 East 28th Street, 12th floor, New York, NY 10016. Periodicals Postage Paid at New
Revisiting SSM York, NY, and at additional mailing offices. Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608. Canada Returns to be sent to Bleuchip International, P.O. Box 25542, London,
ON N6C 6B2. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Electronic Musician, P.O. Box 232, Lowell, MA 01853.
Technology for Electronic Musician is a trademark of NewBay Media. All material published in Electronic Musician is copyrighted (©) 2017 by NewBay Media. All rights
New Analog reserved. Reproduction of material appearing in Electronic Musician is prohibited without written permission. Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of
unsolicited manuscripts, photos, or artwork. All product information is subject to change; publisher assumes no responsibility for such changes. All listed model
Synths numbers and product names are manufacturers’ registered trademarks.

6 SE PT E M BE R 2 01 7 | E MU S IC IAN . C OM

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 STUDIO GRANDS
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elm521390_0517.indd 1 3/10/17 4:12 PM

 www.emusician.com | VOL. 33 NO. 9, SEPTEMBER 2017

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Michael Molenda

mmolenda@nbmedia.com

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Gino Robair

grobair@nbmedia.com
MANAGING EDITOR Barbara Schultz
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EDITOR KEYBOARDMAG.COM Jon Regen

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WEB EDITOR Markkus Rovito
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MODERATOR THE KEYBOARD CORNER David Bryce

EDITORS AT LARGE Geary Yelton, Mike Levine,
Francis Prève

CONTRIBUTORS
David Battino, Michael Cooper, Marty Cutler,
Jerry Kovarsky, Steve La Cerra, Rebeca
Mauleón, Ken Micallef, Tony Ware

FOUNDING EDITOR Craig Anderton

ART DIRECTOR Damien Castaneda

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elm0917_Depts_Masthead_f_prod.indd 8 7/17/17 12:40 PM

 WORK

elm529990_0917.indd 1 7/19/17 10:34 AM

 COMMUNITY

Editor’s Note

There are many apps for that!

I recently purchased a new iPad for
use in a specific musical project for
two reasons—I wanted a bigger screen
and more powerful processor than I
currently have and, more importantly,
I wanted to avoid taking my laptop on-
stage. Although I already knew which
apps I needed for the gig, I was also
interested in finding other goodies to
inspire me. But if you’ve ever searched
through the music-related items in
the app store, you know the number
of options is staggering, and it’s going
to take a serious investment in time to
separate the wheat from the iChaff.
That’s where Electronic Musician
magazine comes to the rescue!
This month, Editors at Large Geary
Yelton and Francis Prève have assem-
bled a comprehensive list of their fa-
vorite instruments, beatboxes, DAWs
and utilities for the iOS platform,
which we’ve categorized to make it
easier to find what you’re looking
for. As usual there is something for
everyone—from vintage synths re-
imagined for mobile phones and tab- GINO ROBAIR
lets to all-new interfaces designed to EDITOR IN CHIEF
take full advantage of the multitouch grobair@nbmedia.com
capabilities of these devices.
I hope you find this list as interest-
ing and inspiring as we do, whether
you’re currently using an iOS device
or considering one in the future.
And Android users take note: While
some of the products in our roundup
are also available on your platform, we
have a separate article about Android
apps in the works, so stay tuned!

ADVENTURES IN DIY Found in Translation BY DAVID BATTINO

Spam emails are an endless source of inspiration for me. I love the
bizarre mashup of broken English and raw psychology. Recently, I
rescued this gem from my junk folder: “What is your name? Where
are you from? I am Nara. I live in Seoul. I think that we have many
common interests. I am good at ping pong, cooking fish, and yoga.”
I pasted Nara’s words into a text-to-speech program called
Babble (free for the Mac in the Apple App Store) and chose a
Korean female voice for authenticity. It wasn’t quite appealing
enough, so I tried the Chinese “Ting-Ting” voice. Bing! Speak-
ing English, the Ting-Ting-bot had an ear-catching character. I
exported the phrase to an AIFF file, tightened the timing in Ableton
Live, and layered it with a drum groove. I then extracted a few other
phrases and rendered them with Mikko, a friendly Finnish baritone.
The loops became the centerpiece of my performance with
synthesist Mark Vail at the Don Buchla Memorial concert (see Fig.
1). I loaded them into the Bilbao sampler in Korg Gadget, assign-
ing questions and statements to different MIDI notes so I could
trigger a rapping dialog between the spam-
bots. Afterwards, another performer told
me he couldn’t wait to try the technique on
memos from his boss.
The wonderful thing about modern
speech synthesis is the way it approaches
DONLEWISMUSIC.COM
opposite mountaintop where humans do. Just as Auto-Tune
makes real voices sound surreal, speech synths create vocals
close enough to grab attention, but wrong enough to make
audiences listen closer. And feeding English words to foreign
voices makes the sound even more arresting.
Several months after the concert, I was digging in my audio
archive for a loop to accompany an animation I’d produced to
show off my company’s latest iOS app. As a joke, I loaded one
of the ping-pong grooves. It made a weirdly wonderful match,
and we ended up using it unchanged for the official launch vid-
eo (https://youtu.be/0_wnmG32ABE). One of our programmers
told me his kids played the video over and over trying to figure
out if it said “yoga” or “Yoda.”
The easiest way to play with foreign voice-bots is at trans-
late.google.com (see Fig. 2). For grittier robot voices, I highly
recommend Midi TTS for iOS (intelligentgadgets.us; $2.99); for
Windows, check out Balabolka (cross-plus-a.com; free) and
ChipTalk (speechchips.com; free). Hear
these voices in my video at emusician.com.
Fig. 2.
Google
Translate of-
fers a won-

the uncanny valley of discomfort from the derful range

of weird
voices. Click
Fig. 1. Triggering the ping pong grooves the speaker
on my iPad as two control-voltage icon to hear
monsters (see my June 2017 column) them.
light up in sync.

10 SE PT E M BE R 2 01 7 | E MU S IC IAN . C OM

elm0917_Community_dc3.indd 10 7/17/17 12:43 PM

 Sweetwater
GearFest 2017
A summer weekend of
workshops, concerts and
product demos

For the sixteenth time in as many years, Sweetwa-

ter Sound invited musicians, audio professionals
and gear manufacturers to its Fort Wayne, Indiana
facility for GearFest 2017. Sweetwater, the world’s
busiest online retailer and the largest music store
in the U.S., held the two-day event on Friday and Spread out across Sweetwater’s sprawling 100-acre
Saturday, June 23–24. GearFest is always free of charge campus, nearly 500 gear makers displayed their wares
in gigantic tents organized by category. Tents for electric
and open to the public, and more than 15,000 visitors at-
guitar, acoustic guitar, and drums sat alongside tents for
tended this year, according to estimates. To assure the electronic production, pro audio, and open-box bargains.
public their production would be second to none, a battal- Some of the larger companies had their own tents, trucks,
trailers or buses including Behringer, Fender, Gibson, Ro-
ion of helpful Sweetwater personnel was always on hand.
land, Shure, Studer and Yamaha.
Friday morning got off to a rough start as heavy rains
soaked the huddled masses lining up to enter the store. As a precaution, electrical power to
the tents was shut off as the show began. But before long, the sun was shining and every-
thing was up and running for the rest of the festival.
Manufacturer reps did product demos, answered questions, and gave their visitors hands-
on opportunities to check out whatever gear they wanted. I spent a few blissful moments with
two new synths—the Roland SE-02 and Novation Peak—and I was terribly impressed by ATV’s
aFrame Electrorganic frame drum and Chandler Limited’s EMI Abbey Road REDD microphone.
Meanwhile, inside Sweetwater’s enormous headquarters, visitors attended workshops,
master classes and performances by company clinicians and celebrated recording artists,
engineers, and producers. Featured artists included guitarists Robben Ford and Andy Tim-
mons, drummers Terry Bozzio and Omar Hakim, keyboardist Larry Dunn, bassist Rhonda
Smith, and EM founding editor Craig Anderton, whose talk was filled to capacity.
My favorite GearFest event is always the producers’ panel. Moderated by Mitch Gal-
lagher, this year’s lineup included heavy hitters Al Schmitt, Chris Lord-Alge, Chuck Ainlay,
Fab Dupont, and Neal Cappellino. They discussed where the jobs are, how studios have
evolved, and the producer’s role in making records. And they all agreed the only way to
land a record deal today is to first gain a following on social media.
One especially popular attraction was Moog Music’s imposing Emerson Moog
Modular System, set up and functioning on Sweetwater’s Crescendo Stage. Near
the store’s exit, a beautiful Hammond Novachord built in 1941—one of only five
that has been fully restored—invited visitors to sit down and play.
Attendees also had many chances to score some of the $55,000 in giveaways,
with lucky winners announced every hour. On Friday and Saturday nights, Sweet-
water sponsored free concerts by Dweezil Zappa and Eric Johnson in their 2,000-
seat outdoor pavilion. As a celebration of Sweetwater’s customers, the music they
Suit & Tie
Guy at the make, and the gear they use to make it, GearFest 2017 was a rousing success and a
Hammond splendid time was guaranteed for all. —GEARY YELTON
Novachord

SEP TEMBER 201 7 | EMU SICIAN .COM 11

elm0917_Community_dc3.indd 11 7/17/17 12:43 PM


GEAR
NEW
1
1 2
I K M U LT I M E D I A
IRIG PRO I/O
Audio/MIDI interface for iOS,
Android, Mac, Windows
$149
HIGHLIGHTS 24-bit, 96kHz resolution •
Class A preamp with phantom power
• ¼-inch/XLR combo input • 3.5mm
stereo headphone/line output • uses
AA batteries with mobile devices •
powered via USB when connected to
computer • when DC power is used,
unit charges the iOS device connected
to iRig Pro I/O • mini-DIN-to-Light-
ning and two 2.5mm-to-MIDI DIN
cables included • bundled with Am-
pliTube 4, SampleTank 3 SE, T-RackS
Deluxe with Mic Room, and more
TARGET MARKET Musicians, song-
writers
ANALYSIS A substantial update that can
handle mic, line, and instrument input.
irigpro.io
All prices are MSRP except as noted
12 SE PT E M BE R 2 01 7 | E MU S IC IAN . C OM
elm0917_Depts_NewGear_dc3_F.indd 12
2
ELECTRO-HARMONIX
THE PLATFORM
Stereo compressor/limiter
$212
HIGHLIGHTS Volume, Attack, Release,
Sustain and Swell knobs • limiter
• switchable overdrive with con-
trols for Volume, Tone, and Drive •
selectable hard or soft knee • sup-
ports mono-in/mono-out, mono-in/
stereo-out, or stereo in/out • 3-color
LED bar graph displays gain reduc-
tion • includes EXH9.6DC-200mA
power supply
TARGET MARKET Guitarists and other
musicians
ANALYSIS A studio-grade true-stereo
compressor/limiter designed to
hold up to the abuse of the road.
ehx.com
3 4
E A S T W E S T/
QUANTUM LEAP
HOLLYWOOD CHOIRS
Vocal library
TBA
HIGHLIGHTS Diamond Edition
provides 13 mic positions for sur-
round and virtual-reality projects
(including stereo Neumann Dummy
Head) • available for purchase or
in Composer Cloud subscription
• WordBuilder plug-in allows user
to type in words from any language
and hear them sung by full choir or
individual male and female sections
TARGET MARKET Film, TV, and game
composers
ANALYSIS Designed to give multime-
dia composers a wider variety of vo-
cal tools and more dynamic and sur-
round positioning capabilities than
the developer’s earlier products.
soundsonline.com
4
BOSS
MD-500 MODULATION
AND RV-500 REVERB
Effects pedals
$349/each, street
HIGHLIGHTS Stereo pedals featuring
MIDI I/O, USB, expression-pedal
input, and ability to run two patches
at one time using Simul mode • MD-
500 has 28 effects and 12 modes,
with Boss chorus, Roland Dimen-
sion D, and more • RV-500 offers 21
reverb types, 12 modes, plus modu-
lation, ducking and EQ • editor/
librarian software available when
connected to a computer
TARGET MARKET Instrumentalists
ANALYSIS Both units offer a wide
variety of Boss and Roland product
emulations in a sturdy form factor.
bossus.com
7/11/17 8:41 AM
 THE SHAPE OF
THINGS TO DRUM
The new Simmons offers unprecedented
creative control far beyond what traditional
acoustic and electric kits can offer. Explore
the massive Signature Sound Library featuring
sought-after kits, world percussion, industrial
samples and more. The SimHex® tension-able
mesh pads allow for nuanced performance,
while the unique Spherical Isolation Mounting
System™ creates expansive pad position
options and virtually eliminates cross-talk.
Test drive the today and experience
the shape of things to drum.

“Engineered as a sound design tool for

today’s modern drummer.”
— Dave Simmons

elm517537_0917.indd 1 6/30/17 1:41 PM


GEAR
NEW
5 6
WAVES
BRAUER MOTION
Panning plug-in
$99
HIGHLIGHTS Spherical auto-panning
plug-in developed with Grammy
winning mix engineer, Michael
Brauer • two separate panners •
four panning modes • five trigger
modes • Speed, Depth, Width, and
Drive controls • motion filter • dy-
namics processing with highpass
and lowpass filters • input gain and
wet/dry controls • includes presets
created by well-respected engineers
TARGET MARKET Mix engineers
ANALYSIS An affordable way to add
sophisticated tempo-synchronized
or free-running movement to your
mixes.
waves.com
All prices are MSRP except as noted
14 SE PT E M BE R 2 01 7
elm0917_Depts_NewGear_dc3_F.indd 14
6
REBEL TECHNOLOGY
OWL PACKAGE
FOR MAX
Hardware for running open
source software
Pedal $345; module $455.  HIGHLIGHTS Bi-amplified (Class
HIGHLIGHTS Developed with Cycling
’74, OWL provides two hardware for-
mats—a Eurorack module and stomp-
box—that can load user-created Max
Gen patches and run them without
a laptop • also runs patches written
in Pure Data, C++ and FAUST • each
product includes an ARM processor
• downloadable patches available
online • pedal has stereo ¼" I/O • 8
user-assignable controls on module
TARGET MARKET Instrumentalists,
modular users
ANALYSIS A straightforward way to
integrate custom software-based
processing in a pedal board or mod-
ular synthesizer.
hoxtonowl.com
| E MU S IC IAN . C OM
7 8
ROLAND
GO:PIANO AND
GO:KEYS
Educational portable keyboards
$329 and $299 street
HIGHLIGHTS Both products have
built-in speakers and headphone
jack, and both run on batteries and
support Bluetooth connectivity to
smartphones and tablets • Go:Piano
is a digital piano with 61 full-size
keys, sustain pedal, and a variety
of sounds • package includes Fa-
ber Piano Adventures lesson book
and Piano Adventures Player app •
Go:Keys includes over 500 sounds
and offers Loop Mix with pattern
playback assigned to keys
TARGET MARKET Beginning keyboard
players
ANALYSIS Two products designed to
make it easy to learn and use key-
boards.
roland.com
8
M-AUDIO
BX5 D3 AND BX8 D3
Active studio monitors
$149/each and $249/each
A/B) close-field monitors with Kev-
lar woofers (5" and 8"), silk-dome
tweeters (1" and 1.25") and rear bass
port • XLR and ¼" inputs • low-
end tuning switch • volume control
• published frequency response of
52Hz-35kHz for BX5 D3; 37Hz-
22kHz for BX8 D3
TARGET MARKET Personal studios,
educational facilities
ANALYSIS Third-generation versions
of two, popular budget-priced pow-
ered monitors.
m-audio.com
7/11/17 8:41 AM
 The Ultimate Instrument for
the Performing Musician
The Nord Stage 3 is our outstanding
new flagship instrument that Actual
features our latest award- Physical
winning technologies including
Drawbars for
the Nord Lead A1 Synth Engine
with sample playback, our
Nord Stage 3
acclaimed Nord C2D organ, a Compact
greatly enhanced Piano Section and
extensive hands-on Effects - all in one
exceptional performance keyboard.
Read more and listen to sound demos:
www.nordkeyboards.com/stage3
For more information contact
info@AmericanMusicAndSound.com
Nord_Stage_3_EM_ad.indd 1
elm527820_0817.indd 1
NEW FEATURES
• OLED-displays for Program and Synth section
• Seamless transitions when changing programs
• Extended Split function with optional Crossfade
• Song List Mode
• Extended Morph Destinations
• Doubled memory (2GB) for Nord Piano Library
• Greatly expanded Piano polyphony (120 voices)
• Creative Piano Filter presets
• Expanded Memory (480 MB) for Nord Sample Library
• Extended Synth polyphony (34 voices)
• Improved Delay with added Feedback filters
• New Filter Mode effect with Resonance
• Separate Compressor per Slot w/Amount/Fast modes
• Separate Reverb per Slot with Bright mode
Follow us:
Handmade in Sweden by Clavia DMI AB
6/15/17 11:18
12:04 AM
PM
6/16/17
ELECTRONIC
The
Divided
GUITAR
Fretboard
Sound splitting with Jam
Origin MIDI Guitar 2
BY MICHAEL ROSS
A typical hardware guitar synthe-
sizer, such as the Roland GK system
or the Fishman Triple Play, allows
you to play different programmed
or sampled sounds simultaneously,
based on which notes you play along
the fretboard. You may have seen this
demonstrated as a one-man-band ef-
fect: a guitarist sets up a guitar-synth
triggering an upright bass sound on
the low strings and an organ or piano
sound on the upper ones. But there
are other creative ways to use this ef-
fect and you don’t necessarily have to
spend $400 to $800 on guitar-synth
hardware to do it.
For $99.95, Jam Origin’s software-based
MIDI Guitar 2 (Mac/Win) lets you create a
similar effect without requiring special pick-
ups or add-on devices. By using the software’s
Channel Split MIDI Machine, you can pro-
gram certain sounds to trigger only when you
play low notes on your guitar, while others will
trigger only when you play high notes.
The Lows and Highs Channel knobs let you
send low and high note messages as separate
MIDI channels, while the Split Pitch control
sets the point at which the notes transition from
low to high (see Figure 1). I set the low notes
to drive Ableton Live’s Analog synth plug-in on
Channel 6, with the guitar’s high notes driving
Ableton’s Operator synth on Channel 9.
16 SE PT E M BE R 2 01 7 | E MU S IC IAN . C OM
elm0917_Tech_ElecGuitar-Filter_dc3_F.indd 16
You don’t need any special hardware to use Jam Origin MIDI Guitar 2.
The controls are not as fine-tunable as on a a boat’s access ramp creaking, and Native
hardware guitar synth, and you are restricted American chanting that I drop into individual
to only two zones, but it is still a lot fun. Able- zones and play in real time for live “musique
ton allows this only if you run MIDI Guitar 2 concrète.”
in its standalone mode, not as a plug-in. Whether you use a hardware or software
You can use MIDI Guitar 2 (or a hardware guitar-synth setup is up to you and your pock-
guitar synth system) to do other creative sound etbook, but splitting your MIDI guitar-synth
splitting using software samplers. I installed signal with either one can open up a wealth of
the MIDI Guitar 2 plug-in on an Ableton audio creative possibilities. n
track and Live’s Sampler on a MIDI track (see
Figure 2). I set the Sampler track to receive
MIDI from the Jam Origin plug-in. I don’t own
many samples, so I first created one by using
MIDI Guitar 2 to play a bass note on Ableton’s
Analog plug-in, and recorded it to a clip on an-
other track. I then dragged that audio clip into
the first zone in the Sampler’s Zone window.
By dragging the bar under the piano keys at the
top of the window, I set that sample to sound
only when I played notes on the guitar below
a certain range.
I used the same method to create a pad-like
sound, also with Analog. I once again recorded Fig. 1. Send low and high note messages
as separate MIDI channels by using the
it and dragged it to the next zone in Sampler. I
Split Pitch, Lows Channel, and Highs
restricted its triggering to notes above the bass Channel controls.
sample so they wouldn’t sound at the same
time. Just for fun, I dragged a sample contain-
ing audio of a preacher railing about “missiles
and atomic bombs” into another zone that
was set to sound when I played higher on the
upper strings. The trick is to set all the trig-
ger points close enough to reach on the neck,
without overlapping.
Controlling a sampler with your guitar can
send you down interesting avenues: I have
Fig. 2. Creating a bass-note sample using
audio files of my nerve endings being tested, Ableton Live’s Analog and Sampler.
7/11/17 8:44 AM
elm522391_0617.indd 1
0317_Neumann_KH80_Ad_ElectronicMusician.indd 1 3/31/17
3/20/17 12:38
12:12 PM
 ELECTRONIC MUSICIAN 'S

TOP

After combing through thousands

of music and production-related apps,
we’ve picked just over 200 of the best;
The best iPad and apps that we would unhesitatingly rec-
iPhone tools for making ommend to friends and colleagues. The
list represents a broad range of musical
music onstage, in the styles, interests and skill levels—just as
our readers do—and we’ve categorized
studio, and anywhere

APPS
our selections to make it easier for you
else you find inspiration to find what you’re looking for—Instru-
ments, Drum Machines, Groove Boxes/
Virtual Studios, Effects Processors,
DAWs/Audio Recording, MIDI Sequenc-
BY FRANCIS PRÈVE AND GEARY YELTON ers/Arpeggiators, DJ Apps, Education/
Transcription, and Utilities.
Apple endowed iOS with Core MIDI
It shouldn’t surprise EM readers that the iPhone and iPad are and Core Audio early on, giving it a leg
up on its Android competition. All of the
increasingly being used as serious music-production tools. In addition
apps here (except for some utilities) le-
to recent increases in processing power, features such as multitouch verage one or both or those technologies,
and wireless capabilities have allowed developers to create products as well as later developments such as Au-
that rival, and in some cases surpass, software for desktop and laptop diobus, Ableton Link, Inter-App Audio
computers, especially when you consider price. (IAA), MIDI over Bluetooth and Audio
Units extensions (AUv3), which allow
connected apps to function as an inte-
grated system (much as a DAW functions
as a system with audio and effects plug-
ins). Many of the apps feature in-app
purchases (IAPs), as well, allowing you to
expand their capabilities or content.

18 SE PT E M BE R 2 01 7 | E MU S IC IAN . C OM

elm0917_Coverstory_Top200Apps_f_prod.indd 18 7/19/17 8:31 AM

 INSTRUMENTS
50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
MELLOTRONICS M3000 (OMENIE)
From “Strawberry Fields” to “Dazzle Ships,” the Mel-
lotron’s tape-based approach to sampling has earned
its place as a milestone in electronic music history.
This tribute edition includes samples of many original
tapes and a wonderful array of in-app expansions.
ADDICTIVE PRO (VIRSYN)
Combining VirSyn’s straightforward approach
with instant touch-screen gratification makes de-
tailed additive design an absolute joy. The inclu-
sion of finger-customized filter curves and arpeg-
giation tools is just icing on an already delicious
app. Addictive is an understatement.
ANIMOOG (MOOG)
One of the first apps to make the most of the iPad’s
multitouch capabilities, Moog’s wavetable synth
has stood the test of time. And with synth legends
like Suzanne Ciani using it live, it’s an essential ad-
dition to every iOS rig.
ARP ODYSSEI (KORG)
The ARP Odyssey offered much more complex
synthesis options than its competition at the time,
including highpass filtering, PWM, and a
sophisticated sample-and-hold section. This
version adds effects and three step sequencers,
while keeping the essential sound intact.
AARDVARK SYNTH (SONOMATICS)
A basic and fun performance tool offering mono-
phonic x/y control over basic waveforms (sine,
saw, pulse, noise). Multitouch adds modulation
and envelopes. It’s an oldie but a goodie.
AUDULUS 3 (AUDULUS)
Audulus 3’s visual programming lets you design
and assemble virtual modular synths and audio
processors. It supplies a library of nodes—graphi-
cal building blocks of code—that connect in in-
numerable ways. Audulus goes deep, and there’s
nothing quite like it.
elm0917_Coverstory_Top200Apps_f_prod.indd 19
BENT.FM (MAYANK SANGANARIA)
Start with simple FM synth, and then add a mas-
sive and cryptic matrix that allows users to apply
circuit-bending techniques to its virtual architec-
ture. The end result sounds like a fascinating cross
between a broken DX and a numbers station.
CMI PRO (PETER VOGEL)
If you’re over the age of 40, you probably once cov-
eted the $25,000+ Fairlight Series II. And if you’re
under 40, you’ve probably seen one in Deadmau5’s
studio. Either way, you’ll instantly recognize its
sound from hundreds of hits.
CUBE SYNTH (VIRSYN)
Take Addictive Pro’s tactile approach to additive
synthesis, combine it with the morphing options
of vector synthesis and you get an instrument
that’s impressively organic for both percussive
and pad-like textures. VirSyn’s arpeggiator and ef-
fects are a bonus.
CYCLOP (SUGAR BYTES)
If synth wobbles are a big part of your sound, Cy-
clop is a genie that will grant your every wish. For
everyone else, it’s a sophisticated synth with inno-
vative tone generation and more modulation op-
tions than you may ever need.
CZ APP (CASIO)
With 1985’s introduction of the Casio CZ-101, phase
distortion synthesis became a staple of the new-
wave era, straddling FM and virtual analog. CZ for
iPad may seem simple by modern standards, but it
recaptures the original’s signature sound.
DRC (IMAGINANDO LDA)
This straightforward virtual-analog polysynth is
not much to look at, but all the expected param-
eters are there, and many presets are loaded with
personality. You can replace the onscreen key-
board with chord buttons and a strum pad.
DXI (TAKASHI MIZUHIKI)
While FM4 (below) nails the overall character of
Yamaha’s TX81Z, DXi offers graphic envelopes,
looping envelopes, additional analog waveforms,
and a white noise generator. Effects include a res-
onant lowpass filter and basic delay.
FM4 (PRIMAL AUDIO)
Although Yamaha’s DX7 was definitely the go-
to digital synth for early ‘80s pop and new wave,
their TX81Z was a key component in early ’90s
house and techno. FM4’s faithful re-creation de-
livers instant old-school cred.
GEOSHRED (WIZDOM MUSIC)
Want to shred guitar idiomatically, without the
SEP TEMBER
blisters, calluses, or decades of practice? GeoShred
has you covered, with impeccable physically mod-
eled guitars, tons of stompboxes, and the ability to
bend multiple strings polyphonically.
IDS-10 (KORG)
With integrated speech synthesis, dual mono-
synths, an awesome analog drum machine, and an
interface that works well on an iPhone, the iDS-
10 is the fastest route to whipping up Daft Punk
doodles while waiting for the bus.
IKAOSSILATOR (KORG)
In a way, the original Kaossilator–with its x/y-
pad approach to synthesis–was a precursor to the
modern world of iOS instruments. The app ver-
sion carries forward that legacy with up to five si-
multaneous parts and Ableton Link compatibility.
IM1 (KORG)
It’s difficult to make “real” classic house tracks
without that piano and that organ bass, not to
mention the choirs and rainsticks that dominated
the ‘90s rave-pop scene. They’re all here in this
iOS version of that legendary synth.
IMINI (ARTURIA)
The iMini recaptures the features and interface of
a Minimoog, but with added effects and a pair of
x-y pads that you can assign to almost any front-
panel parameter, making it great fun for manipu-
lating sequenced material.
IMPAKTOR (BEEPSTREET)
Impaktor turns any surface into a percussion in-
strument. Impulses from the mic trigger a physical
modeling synth that emulates hand drums, cym-
bals, mallet instruments, and more. The 6-track
audio recorder quantizes your tracks and exports
them as WAV files.
IMS-20 (KORG)
A terrific introduction to modular synthesis tech-
niques, thanks to its hybrid approach. The iMS-20
also includes sequencing and does a great job of
replicating the nasty flavor of the original’s dual
resonant filters.
IPOLYSIX (KORG)
Released before MIDI, the Polysix didn’t get the re-
spect it deserved, despite sporting the same filter as
the PPG, a fat unison mode, and a gorgeous ensem-
ble effect worthy of the best string machines. This
virtualization recaptures its sound nicely.
IPROPHET (ARTURIA)
Back in 1986, the Prophet VS introduced the con-
cept of vector synthesis—real-time blending of up
to four different digital waveforms with filtering.
201 7 | EMU SICIAN .COM 19
7/19/17 8:31 AM
 iProphet beautifully re-creates the entire experi-
ence of the VS.
ISEM (ARTURIA)
The iSEM is a good approximation of the Ober-
heim SEM. As users of both, we can say it’s a close
emulation, but with far more synthesis features,
like an additional LFO, a multi-wave suboscillator,
and integrated effects.
ISYMPHONIC ORCHESTRA
(CRUDEBYTE)
This ambitious app shoehorns an entire orches-
tra into your iOS device. The instruments sound
astonishingly lifelike, comparable to the best
symphonic sounds you get with a top-shelf music
workstation. In-app purchases supply additional
instruments and more versatile performance ar-
ticulations.
IVCS3 (APESOFT)
Whether you think of it as the first portable mod-
ular or the synth that defined the sound of Pink
Floyd’s “On the Run,” the VCS3 is iconic. So is this
emulation.
IWAVESTATION (KORG)
Enlisting Dave Smith’s brilliant wave-sequencing
and vector synthesis tools, Korg unleashed the
Wavestation in 1990. It quickly became a rave-era
mainstay thanks to artists like Orbital. The iOS
version nails the sound, with in-app expansion
packs based on the original ROM cards.
JASUTO (CHRIS WOLFE)
Don’t just design sounds; design your synths and ef-
fects. This modular construction kit lets you build
instruments and processors by connecting sound
generators, filters, a sequencer, an accelerometer,
mathematical functions, and myriad other modules.
JOHN CAGE PREPARED PIANO (JOHN
CAGE TRUST)
Excellent samples of a piano prepared with the ac-
tual materials used by Cage for Sonatas and Inter-
ludes. Randomize button rearranges the sounds on
the playing surface, and the app can record your
performances for sharing via social media.
JORDANTRON (WIZDOM MUSIC)
Jordan Rudess needs no introduction. His sound is
iconic in the arena of progressive rock, and Jord-
antron captures a gigabyte’s worth of his signature
sounds in Mellotronic format. These stacked patches
are a Dream Theater fan’s (ahem) dream come true.
LAPLACE (ICEWORKS)
This physical modeling synth simulates plucked
and bowed strings, blown pipes, and struck metal
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elm0917_Coverstory_Top200Apps_f_prod.indd 20
to generate new timbres. Modify sounds with a
resonator, apply FM and effects, and use the ar-
peggiator to animate your creations.
LAYR (LIVING MEMORY SOFTWARE)
If you’re a synthesist who likes loads of parameters
for shaping sounds, this stunning multitimbral
synthesizer deserves your attention. LayR lets you
stack any number of complete synths, and it comes
with some remarkably fine-sounding presets.
LORENTZ (ICEWORKS)
Distinguishing it from other subtractive synthe-
sizers, Lorentz’s resonator emphasizes any fre-
quency, even inharmonic frequencies, to modify
the signal’s harmonic complexity, evoking metal-
lic, distorted, and unorthodox timbres. Like other
iceWorks synths, it has a programmable arpeggia-
tor, chorus, and stereo delay.
MAGELLAN (YONAC)
Magellan takes a more-is-more approach that in-
cludes dual layered three-oscillator synths with
11 filter types, 10 simultaneous effects, intelligent
chord functions, an assignable x-y pad, and a pair
of arpeggiators. The sound is appropriately mas-
sive, and the presets ably demonstrate this.
MERSENNE (ICEWORKS)
Mersenne excels at emulating mallets and other
tuned percussion instruments. Like Lorentz, part
of its characteristic sound comes from its resona-
tor, but it also relies on dual FM synth modules
and noise generation.
MINI SYNTHESIZER (ELECTRO-
HARMONIX)
A faithful emulation of an unusual device that de-
buted in 1980. Like the original, it has one pulse-
wave oscillator, a suboscillator, and a sweeping
lowpass filter. Unlike the original, it’s polyphonic
and has delay, reverb, and terrific presets.
MITOSYNTH (WOOJI JUICE)
Wooji Juice took a few risks with Mitosynth and
its unusual approach to additive, vector, sampling
and wave sequencing. The result is an extremely
powerful synth with a unique sound (and signifi-
cant learning curve for newcomers).
MODEL 15 (MOOG)
For 0.003 percent of the price of a real one, you can
snag the Model 15 app and get 90 percent of the
experience of a Moog modular in the comfort of
the car you just bought with the money you saved.
MODULE (KORG)
For casual gigs and rock, Korg Module covers all
the conventional bases, including acoustic and
electric piano, organ, clavinet and strings—per-
fect when paired with a larger controller. It’s also
a great companion for Gadget users looking for
more traditional sounds.
MOOD (APESOFT)
Mood takes the classic Minimoog architecture
and interface and adds a basic FM oscillator and
sample player to its mixer, plus a few smart mod-
ulation options and vintage effects like ring mod
and distortion. It’s a modern approach to a classic.
NAVE (WALDORF)
When it comes to wavetable synthesis on iOS,
Nave is shockingly powerful, with a Serum-like
3D display of each wavetable and an integrated
speech synthesizer that instantly converts typed
phrases. Extensive filtering and modulation tools
abound.
NOISE (ROLI)
This free app is the sound engine for Roli Blocks,
and it works great with the Seaboard Rise. On the
iPhone 6 and above, it responds to 3D touch and
includes 25 sounds created in Equator, with more
available.
OSCILAB (2BEAT)
Oscilab’s fusion of arpeggiation with LFOs is ut-
terly alien by any standard, but its approach is easy
to grasp within a few minutes. From there, the fun
factor kicks into overdrive. Hypnotic and essential.
PHASE84 (RETRONYMS)
Though it’s overdue for an update, Phase84 is
such a blast to use that we had to include it. It’s
7/19/17 8:31 AM
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 a phase distortion synth (like Casio’s CZ series).
Standout features include a formant oscillator, 16-
step groove editor, and two x-y pads.
PHASEMAKER (BRAM BOS)
Based on the DX7’s 6-operator approach to FM,
Phasemaker’s UI is a triumph of intuitive usability,
making the process of tweaking FM sounds much
more approachable. Digging deeper, it also offers
ratio-based amplitude modulation—an impressive
and underutilized synthesis type.
PHONEM (PPG)
Designing original sounds in Phonem isn’t for the
faint of heart, as it allows microscopic control over
virtually every nuance of speech synthesis. Fortu-
nately, a sizeable collection of wonderful presets
gives you a great set of starting points.
POSEIDON (VIRSYN)
Poseidon takes a visually striking, hands-on ap-
proach to wavetable synthesis. Start with WAV
files or spectral models and sculpt with unique fil-
ters and extreme flanging. Load exotic scales and
stunning presets. The step sequencer is designed
for performance, too.
RAVENSCROFT 275 (UVI)
How real could a piano in your iPhone sound? Pre-
pare to be amazed. Sampled from a marvelous concert
grand, Ravenscroft 275 is a versatile virtual instru-
ment that’s equally at home on a bus or on a stage.
REDSHRIKE (ICEWORKS)
A powerful polysynth that combines virtual ana-
log and FM synthesis, six types of noise, a subos-
cillator you can detune, bass boost, and a resonator
that serves as a mod destination. In addition, the
oscillator waveforms are continuously variable.
RIPPLEMAKER (BRAM BOS)
This iPad variation on West Coast synthesis has
graphical patch cords and a 64-step sequencer,
and nothing is quicker or more natural than con-
necting patch points with your fingertip. With
wavefolding, a slope generator, and a lowpass gate,
Ripplemaker is mucho Buchla.
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elm0917_Coverstory_Top200Apps_f_prod.indd 22
RUISMAKER (BRAM BOS)
While Ruizmaker is strictly AUv3, once you’ve
loaded it into a compatible sequencer, you’ll find
it’s a great little analog drum machine that strong-
ly evokes the 808 and 909. Front-panel parameters
control essentials like decay, tuning and drive.
RUISMAKER FM (BRAM BOS)
Like its sibling, this is an AUv3-only drum instru-
ment, but focused on FM-based sounds with basic
controls for customization. Despite the apparent
simplicity, these drums offer a wide sonic range
and are impressively crisp and punchy.
SAMPLETANK (IK MULTIMEDIA)
With 1.3GB of sampled content, SampleTank is a
virtual rompler that delivers a tremendous variety
of instruments, as well as riffs, grooves, and pat-
terns for specific instruments and musical genres.
Additional content and a scaled-down free version
are also available.
SEABOARD 5D (ROLI)
This app emulates the Seaboard Rise, an MPE-
compatible controller that lets you shape sound
with your playing technique. Paired with MPE
hardware or standalone, the app responds to per-
formance gestures. It comes with 25 idiosyncratic
presets, and more are available.
SELINE REDUX PRO (ZCAGE)
With a forward-thinking keyboard layout, Seline
is as much a controller as it is a synth, thanks to
the MIDI Out and Audiobus 2 spec. The presets
are decidedly new age, but the real draw is its non-
standard approach to performance.
SHOOM (YURI TUROV)
With a knack for unusual atmospheric timbres,
this 3-part multitimbral synth makes outstand-
ing use of multitouch. Control pitch and mod-
ulation with the position of your fingertips on
your iPad: Shroom responds to all ten fingers,
simultaneously.
SOUND CANVAS (ROLAND)
A faithful emulation of Roland’s Sound Canvas
modules, which were popular in the ‘90s for play-
ing General MIDI files. Its onboard MIDI file
player lets you reorder songs, edit their tempo and
key, and repeat sections.
SPRINGSOUND (CHRISTOPHE
DUQUESNE)
An unconventional synth app that supports MPE.
It uses physical modeling to simulate the action of
small spheres controlled by springs responding to
various physical stimuli. As a bonus, it’s also a re-
mote controller for the Haken Continuum.
STRIA (APESOFT)
Another oddball noisemaker, this app was in-
spired by John Chowning, the man who invented
FM synthesis. It probably comes closer to re-cre-
ating the soundtrack of Forbidden Planet than any
synth you’ve heard, but its timbral range extends
far beyond that.
SUNRIZER (BEEPSTREET)
Although Sunrizer looks like a standard two-os-
cillator virtual-analog synth, it has an impressive
range of filter options and a smart implementation
of envelopes and LFOs. Having it all on a single
page is the clincher.
SYLO SYNTHESIZER (WOOJI JUICE)
For a free sampler, Sylo offers a surprising number
of granular tools, combined with a lowpass filter
and ADSR. Echo, ring mod, and distortion effects
add to its usefulness. The inclusion of instant mi-
crophone sampling is a blast, too.
SYNTHMASTER PLAYER (KV331 AUDIO)
This free synthesizer supplies 200 presets, and
a $10 upgrade buys 600 more. Along with eight
knobs, its GUI has two x-y pads to manipulate
preprogrammed parameters in real time. It also
imports presets from the desktop-based Synth-
Master.
SYNTHSCAPER (IMUSIC ALBUM)
With a graphical playing surface that looks like
a Haken Continuum, this cutting-edge synth ex-
cels at ambient textures and drones. Features like
three triple-layered oscillators, each with its own
arpeggiator, hint at SynthScaper’s unprecedented
architecture, and its sound does not disappoint.
TC-11 (BIT SHAPE)
A visually oriented synth that uses your iOS de-
vice’s position in space and the location, number,
and movement of your fingertips on a grid to con-
trol dozens of parameters simultaneously. This
expressive instrument generates unusual timbres
and has onboard recording.
TERA SYNTH (VIRSYN)
At first glance, Tera looks like a three-oscillator
subtractive synth with innovative front-panel
scrolling, but as you continue scrolling, you’ll
quickly discover its physical modeling waveguide
section, a sophisticated formant filter, and exten-
sive modulation options.
THOR (PROPELLERHEAD)
Even after a decade, Thor’s versatility and sound
are an integral aspect of Reason’s allure. But until
Propellerhead gets around to releasing it as a VST,
you’ll have to content yourself with this stellar and
7/19/17 8:31 AM
elm527834_0917.indd 1 7/17/17 1:05 PM
 XYNTHESIZR (YURI TUROV) for effects, and some tempting in-app upgrades.
This intelligent, versatile, and addictive app centers
on a grid-based sequencer that can morph its patterns DRUMJAM (SONOSAURUS)
in ways based on cellular automata algorithms. A A wide variety of drums and percussion from
lovely onboard synth is available for immediate grati- around the world, with innovative techniques for
fication, and you can route its MIDI to other apps. playing them. You can customize the drum sounds
and record and export loops as WAV files, too.
Z3TA+ (CAKEWALK)
This versatile synth is almost identical to the Mac ELASTIC DRUMS (O-G-SUS)
and Windows version. It furnishes plenty of wave-
shaping tools and effects, a modulation matrix, and
an arpeggiator with more than 200 patterns. It can
even swap presets with the computer-based version.

ZMORS MODULAR (ZMORS)

affordable iOS implementation.
THUMBJAM (SONOSAURUS)
How much fun would it be to play slide trom-
bone on your iPhone? ThumbJam comes with 45
sampled instruments, a MIDI arpeggiator, and an
audio recorder. Onscreen bars make it easy to play,
and you shake your device to add vibrato.
TROUBLEMAKER (BRAM BOS)
The world may not need another TB-303 emula-
tion, but Troublemaker includes many smart ad-
ditions that allow it to transcend clichés and stake
out new sonic territory for acid-house fans. Its vi-
sual sequencer is an innovative bonus.
UNIQUE (SUGAR BYTES)
Take a straightforward two-oscillator synth, place
the focus on vowel formants, then make every pa-
rameter big and easy, and you have the essence of
Unique. It won’t change the world, but it will make
your formant-based designs a lot easier.
VIRTUAL ANS (ALEXANDER ZOLOTOV)
This app simulates the ANS synthesizer, a mid-
20th century Russian invention that generated
sounds from images and vice versa. It has brushes
and gradient tools for drawing images that trans-
late to interstellar sweeps and R2D2-like whistles.
WAVEGENERATOR (PPG)
One of the most powerful wavetable synths on any
platform, from the man who invented the technolo-
gy. If you want to deeply explore wavetable design
with few compromises, this is your ticket.
WAVEMAPPER (PPG)
Wolfgang Palm’s WaveMapper offers an extraor-
dinary approach to sound design that’s as simple
as moving sonic pieces around a chessboard. Once
you learn the properties of each element, you can
quickly mix and match components to create en-
tirely new sounds.
It may not look it, but zMors Modular is one moth-
er of a synth. Forty-six modules deliver at least five
flavors of synthesis, DSP math functions, sequenc-
ing, effects, and more. With Expert Sleepers hard-
ware, it even interfaces with Eurorack.
DRUM MACHINES
ATTACK DRUMS (WALDORF)
Back in 2001, Attack was the go-to plug-in for creat-
ing classic analog drum machine sounds. Its reincar-
nation for the iPad is a giant leap forward, with real-
time pads, sequencing, effects, and a giant mixing
console—all without feeling cluttered or overstuffed.
BEATHAWK (UVI)
Beathawk is a bit of a dark horse in the iOS drum-
machine world, and that’s a shame because it’s
fantastic for sample-based groove composition,
with per-pad filtering, envelopes, and effects. The
arranging tools are equally deep.
DM1 (FINGERLAB)
This app delivers a studio full of sampled drum
machines, from TR-808 to Volca Beats. Choose
preset kits or roll your own. Program patterns on a
grid or record your pad performance in real time,
then create the perfect mix for complete songs.
DM2 (AUDIONOMY)
Taking a slightly different approach, DM2 supplies
a versatile percussion synth for sounds that are no-
ticeably less traditional. You get the same program-
ming and recording options as DM1, four x-y pads
With a distinctive IDM feel, uncluttered interface,
and Mouse On Mars pedigree, Elastic Drums
offers more experimental groove options for the
beep-click crowd. It’s essential for both
experimental and industrial applications, thanks
to an exotic array of processes.
IMPC PRO (AKAI PROFESSIONAL)
The original iMPC brought Roger Linn’s legend-
ary approach to drum programming to the iPad.
The Pro version gets even closer to the original,
with touch-based editing tools and a real-time
variation slider that make it virtually irresistible.
ISPARK (ARTURIA)
A beat-making workstation, iSpark lets you record
64-step patterns from 640 onboard instruments
(or ones you import), and then chain patterns into
songs and automate them in real time.
PATTERNING (OLYMPIA NOISE)
Instead of a grid, Patterning gives you a circle for
programming rhythmic loops. It’s surprisingly intui-
tive. Mix and match drum kits, create patterns, ar-
range them into songs, and export everything. Have
a blast making beats that you’ll want on your tracks.
RESLICE (VIRSYN)

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 By fusing instant access to eight essential slicing pa-
rameters with VirSyn’s sophisticated arpeggiator, Re-
Slice makes working with chopped and diced audio
an immersive experience. The inclusion of on-the-fly
recording and Ableton Link adds to the jam factor.
SECTOR (KYMATICA)
This unique performance instrument lets you
create complex rhythmic patterns in real time. It
imports audio loops, phrases, and beats and chops
them into sectors you can sequence into stutter-
ing, glitchy grooves. Go crazy with warp com-
mands and controlled randomization.
X DRUMMER (POSITIVE GRID)
Programmable drummers have come a long way.
X Drummer leverages recent advances in machine
learning, listening to your input and helping you
practice, compose, record, and perform in styles
that automatically match what you play.
GROOVE BOXES/VIRTUAL STUDIOS
AUXY STUDIO (AUXY)
Once you stop marveling at Auxy’s minimalist aes-
thetic and effortless functionality, you’ll quickly
discover that it sounds great too. There’s a reason
for its cult-like following and media praise: Auxy
is an exquisite way to produce impressive tracks.
BLOCS WAVE (AMPIFY)
Loop-based groove-making tools are plentiful on
iOS, but Blocs Wave’s 48 loop pads, time-stretch-
ing, and export to Ableton Live give it the edge for
modern productions. As a free app with loads of
in-app options, it’s risk-free to check out.
CAUSTIC (SINGLE CELL SOFTWARE)
Caustic takes its design cues from Propellerhead
Reason. You get a nice variety of instruments, 20
stompboxes, a mixer, master effects, and a piano-
roll sequencer. Import and open samples in the
wave editor. It plays well with other apps, too.
EGOIST (SUGAR BYTES)
Featuring a sophisticated slicer, a 303-style bass
synth (also great for midrange bits), a simplified
drum machine and seven effects, Egoist can easily
be used for ‘90s era rave tracks, but it excels at hip-
hop, disco, house, and IDM.
FIGURE (ALIHOOPA)
This is the free app you tell your friends to down-
load so they have a better idea of what you’re actu-
ally doing in your studio all the darn time. Effort-
less bass, drums, and leads with no possibility of
mistakes—100-percent fun.
FL STUDIO MOBILE (IMAGE LINE)
With the desktop version dominating the EDM
elm0917_Coverstory_Top200Apps_f_prod.indd 25
and Trap scenes, it’s no surprise that FL Studio
Mobile’s DAW functionality makes it the perfect
companion for big-room producers on private jets.
Pinch resizing makes heavy track counts manage-
able, too.
GADGET (KORG)
There’s a reason that Gadget is becoming the se-
quencer for countless iPad producers. It combines
great-sounding synths, compatibility with Korg’s
other iOS synths, and a beautifully designed se-
quencing environment, while the new Zurich re-
corder brings it into DAW territory.
GROOVEBOX (NOVATION/AMPLIFY)
Groovebox makes it easy for newcomers to quick-
ly mix and match preset patterns and instruments
to create original grooves. From there, you can
tweak basic synth parameters and freely edit the
sequences. The in-app expansions are nicely af-
fordable.
IELECTRIBE (KORG)
The iPad version of Korg’s classic groove box
offers exotic effects, tube-style distortion, and
friendly automation in a large format that’s a joy to
use. The iPhone version is a ringer for the original
Electribe-R that dominated the ‘90s dance scene.
IMASCHINE 2 (NATIVE INSTRUMENTS)
For current Maschine fans, iMaschine 2.0 is a no
brainer, with 4 sets of 16 sample-based pads, ex-
tensive sequencing and arranging tools, and dual
x-y pads with assignable effects. For newcomers,
it’s a great introduction to Native Instruments’ ap-
proach to modern beat-making.
KRFT (STUDIO AMPLIFY)
This app’s innovative approach to music produc-
tion makes it unlike anything else. You organize
and manipulate geometric shapes onscreen that
play loops or samples, alter parameters, and more.
Be careful, though. Once you pick it up, it’s hard
to put down.
LAUNCHPAD (NOVATION)
Launchpad’s 8 x 6 grid of loops and one-shots—
combined with a set of 16 club-friendly effects—is
insanely gratifying, regardless of your skill level.
SEP TEMBER
The app is free and bundled with enough clips to
get you hooked on their in-app expansions.
NODEBEAT HD (AFFINITYBLUE)
Like many generative music apps, it’s easy to mis-
take NodeBeat for a game. Once you set up an ar-
rangement of nodes, notes play in response to the
proximity of generators. Define scales, set tempo,
and control internal sounds or MIDI instruments.
REMIXLIVE (MIXVIBES)
Remixlive’s loop grid lets you perform by launch-
ing loops and samples. Switch to the drum grid
to play drum pads and record custom loops. Edit
loops in the sample editor, balance levels in the
mixer, and control effects with an x-y pad.
TABLETOP (RETRONYMS)
This modular studio starts out with 14 devices, in-
cluding a step-sequencing matrix, audio recorder,
turntable, effects boxes, and sample players. Ex-
pand your setup with in-app options, or connect
Tabletop-ready third-party apps. Tabletop offers a
novel approach to iPad music production.
TAKE (ALIHOOPA)
For zero dollars, Take is a handy 3-track recorder
with baked-in drum grooves, voice tuning, and
dead-simple effects that sound great. Alihoopa in-
tegration makes it more socially aware, but even
on its own, it’s an absolute must-have sketchpad.
WR6000 (WEJAAM)
WR6000’s knob-centric mixer interface may be a
tad esoteric for those of us who prefer traditional
faders, but its combination of virtual analog with
simple sampling makes it quick and easy. Unfortu-
nately, the free version times out after 10 minutes.
EFFECTS PROCESSORS
AD 480 PRO (THOMAS FIEDLER)
The most versatile of three versions—AD 480
Free, Basic, and Pro—this app emulates the mid-
‘80s Lexicon 480L reverb and all its original pa-
rameters. It includes 24 I/O channels, an onboard
recorder and 108 factory presets.
AMPLITUBE (IK MULTIMEDIA)
When IK Multimedia ported its AmpliTube
201 7 | EMU SICIAN .COM 25
7/19/17 8:32 AM
 software to iOS, suddenly entire guitar rigs—amps,
cabinets, stompboxes, and all—were more portable
than ever. Now you can choose from Orange,
Mesa/Boogie, Acoustic, Slash, and Jimi Hendrix
editions.
AMP KIT+ (AGILE PARTNERS)
Guitarists have lots of choices when replacing
their amp and effects rigs with iOS apps. Part-
nering with Peavey, AmpKit+ models some of
your favorite guitar and bass amps, cabinets, mi-
crophones, and pedals. It even provides backing
tracks to audition presets.
APEFILTER (APESOFT)
So you think you know filters? apeFilter will chal-
lenge that assumption. From Fibonacci combs to
precisely tracked harmonic series and everything
in between, apeFilter provides clever modulation
options, real-time control, and more college math
than you can handle.
APEDELAY (APESOFT)
Combining a stereo delay with touchable real-
time FFT resynthesis tools for each channel, ape-
Delay is a mad scientist’s dream. That said, the re-
sults are anything but mainstream or “pop,” which
is why it’s a must for IDM and experimental pro-
ducers.
AUDIO EFFX (VIRSYN)
Based on the multi-effects chain that all VirSyn in-
struments share, Audio EffX offers seven proces-
sors—EQ, drive/distortion, flanger, reverb, phaser,
delay, and chorus—that sound great and can be re-
ordered on the fly. Ableton Link integration allows
for tempo-synced delays.
AUFX:PUSH (KYMATICA)
Getting serious about complete productions in
iOS means you’re going to need a capable dynam-
ics processor for your tracks. Push is that and then
some, with a comprehensive range of parameters,
integrated noise gate, limiter/clipper, and a genu-
inely professional sound.
AUFX:SPACE (KYMATICA)
Most of Space’s reverb parameters are familiar,
but the inclusion of dedicated resonant lowpass
and highpass filters set it apart from the pack.
It’s fantastic for quality ambiences, but the exotic
bandwidth-limited ‘verbs make it really special.
BIAS FX (POSITIVE GRID)
With so many amp simulation apps available, how
do you find one that’s right for you? It’s all about
quality and quantity. Bias FX gives you 25 stomp-
boxes, 5 studio processors, and 12 classic amps to
assemble your perfect pedalboard.
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BORDERLANDS GRANULAR (CHRIS
CARLSON)
This app is terrific for exploring granular syn-
thesis. Record or import audio and create grain
clouds. Use your fingertips to manipulate sound
fragments onscreen, and automate your gestures
by recording and saving them.
CSSPECTRAL (BOULANGER LABS)
Richard Boulanger is a true maverick in the digi-
tal audio realm. Although csSpectral’s clean in-
terface may imply simplicity, its processing capa-
bilities are absolutely mind-boggling. csSpectral
is a voyage around the wild side of sonics and has
soundtrack written all over it.
DEDALUS (AMAZING NOISES)
Dedalus is a multi-delay processor that’s unlike
all the others. It uses granular synthesis to split
sounds into fragments and processes both live in-
put and audio files. Plenty of user parameters let
you achieve a broad range of interesting effects.
DUBFILTER (AMAZING NOISES)
This dual resonant lowpass/highpass filter
doesn’t just process audio signals, it responds to
them. While processing live input or scrubbing or
playing audio files, it dynamically modulates fre-
quency bands with an envelope follower, an LFO,
and two x-y pads.
EFFECTRIX (SUGAR BYTES)
If the idea of sequencing multiple simultaneous
effects on a per step basis gets your creative juices
flowing, Effectrix will absolutely blow your mind.
Going further, you can also set up an octave of keys
for switching patterns via MIDI.
EOS 2 (AUDIO DAMAGE)
Liquid, spacious, Eno-esque reverbs are EOS 2’s
specialty, enhanced by integrated modulation op-
tions and customizable crossovers. It’s also great
for thick, small room ambiences. With its impres-
sionistic sound and straightforward controls, EOS
2 is tailor-made for soundtracks and ambient pro-
ductions.
FILTATRON (MOOG MUSIC)
Originally designed for the iPhone, Filtatron is one
of those apps that’s great for both killing time on a
bus and processing audio via Audiobus, thanks to
its impressive emulation of the Moog ladder filter,
overdrive and LFO-modulated delay.
FLUX:FX (NOIISE)
Designed in cooperation with guitarist Adrian
Belew, Flux:FX is a signal-processing powerhouse.
Thirty-one effects (including stutter) are literally
at your fingertips, with parameters controlled by
an x-y pad. Flux:FX records and plays back x-y po-
sition snapshots in a 64-step sequencer.
GRAINPROC (MAYANK SANGANARIA)
When you finally figure out GrainProc’s bizarre
and slightly incomprehensible UI, you’ll be re-
warded with a two-channel granular effect that’s
simple to manipulate in a live performance con-
text. It’s not as fancy as the others, but it’s a great
introduction.
GRAIN SCIENCE (WOOJI JUICE)
Combining traditional synth parameters with
granular synthesis, this app can import a sound,
alter it radically, blend it with another granulated
sound, process it with effects, and record the re-
sults. Think of it as a sound designer’s chemistry
set.
GRIND (AUDIO DAMAGE)
Like its VST counterpart, Grind is a special kind of
distortion that relies on a set of wavetables for its
waveshaping functions, with an integrated multi-
mode filter and LFO. If you’re looking for unusu-
ally nasty results, Grind is the ticket.
HARMONY EIGHT (VIRSYN)
Easily generate Imogen Heap-style synthesized
choirs via eight stereo pitch-shifters, with inte-
grated formant correction. Then, add eight delays,
compression, EQ, multi-effects and Ableton Link.
The result is an utterly unique processing tool.
IDENSITY (APESOFT)
If you’re investigating granular synthesis tech-
niques, you owe it to yourself to check out iDensi-
ty. With six channels of granulized audio streams,
tempo and pitch shifting, and the ability to impro-
vise live, it’s a smart introduction with truly other-
worldly results.
IPULSARET (APESOFT)
Advanced granular synthesis that’s distinctly dif-
ferent to iDensity’s approach, this synth allows
you to process your samples using one of five
modes: Wave, Trainlet, Sample, Live (input), and
Harmonic. From there, forget everything you
know and explore.
JAMUP PRO (POSITIVE GRID)
Get JamUp XT for free, and then move up to the
hard stuff. Designed for guitar and bass players,
JamUp Pro makes building a killer effects setup
drag-and-drop simple. And the sky’s the limits
when you want to expand your rig.
LIMITER (AMAZING NOISES)
Taming audio signals is essential when you’re
processing audio, and nothing keeps levels un-
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 der control like a brickwall limiter. Whether it’s
processing sound files or signals from audio apps,
Limiter will attenuate, squash, saturate, or distort
whatever you throw at it.
LOOPY HD (A TASTY PIXEL)
Since launching four years ago, this multitrack
stereo looper is one of iOS’s most popular music
apps. It records from an input or from other apps
through Audiobus, and you can control its func-
tions with MIDI. Merge tracks for endless over-
dubbing.
MIC ROOM (IK MULTIMEDIA)
An app that claims to morph your standard iPhone
microphone into replicas of classic models like the
SM58, RE20, or C414 may sound like fake news,
but Mic Room delivers real results, especially
when combined with IK Multimedia’s iRig micro-
phone.
MOEBIUS LAB (AMAZING NOISES)
Looking for new ways to alter reality? This granu-
lar synth gives you a suite of effects you can apply
in real time while scrubbing waveforms with your
fingertip. A morphing filter and dual-band fre-
quency shifter contribute to the madness.
MOBILE POD (LINE 6)
Line 6 has long been a leader in guitar amp model-
ing, and Mobile POD carries on that tradition by
putting a POD pedal in your iOS device. With so
many amps, cabinets, and effects to choose, you
can duplicate almost any guitarist’s tones.
OSTINATOR (LIVING MEMORY
SOFTWARE)
This terrific app simulates a hardware looper and
has every function you’d expect. Loop live input or
audio imported from files or other apps. Control
most functions with MIDI, and seamlessly cross-
fade loop endings with beginnings.
REVERB FEEDBACK DELAY NETWORK
(AMAZING NOISES)
The right reverb can make all the difference in a
mix. This one goes beyond simulating natural and
manmade environments into imaginary spaces.
Change the resonant and reflective quality of
walls, generate echoes, and control parameters
with your device’s accelerometer.
RF-1 (KAI ARAS)
When it comes to reverb, realism isn’t RF-1’s
strong suit. This is obvious from just scanning the
presets, which range from tremolo ‘verbs to cho-
rused ambiences. Accordingly, RF-1 is handy for
dance and pop producers who dig unique spatial-
ization effects.
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elm0917_Coverstory_Top200Apps_f_prod.indd 28
ROUGH RIDER 2 (AUDIO DAMAGE)
If you’re looking for transparent dynamics process-
ing for your iOS mixes, look elsewhere, because this
compressor is tailor-made for punchy drums and
hard basses. The straightforward controls include
a mix knob for parallel fans, too. Best of all, it’s free.
RP-1 (KAI ARAS)
RP-1 is a straightforward stereo delay with an add-
ed modulation effect (chorus, flange, phase, etc.)
that you can place before or after the main delay.
As such, it has a classic sound with a clean inter-
face and large color-coded controls.
SAMPLR (MARCOS ALONSO)
Although it’s years overdue for an update, Samplr
is such a blast, we decided to include it. Load some
audio, display the waveform, shatter it into frag-
ments, and manipulate playback with multitouch.
Loop it, bow it, arpeggiate it, and more.
SHAPER (K-DEVICES)
Want unconventional effects? Check out Shaper.
It gives you four processors in series: wave trans-
formation (with clipping, wrapping, and folding),
a glitch gate, a waveshaper, and a resonator with
a fast delay, suitable for comb filtering. (Try the
Burnt Muffin preset.)
SPARKLE (APESOFT)
Sparkle operates in the intersection between con-
volution, vocoding, and sophisticated FFT func-
tions. Simply put, you can superimpose the rhyth-
mic or timbral character of a source sample on the
spectrum of the target, add synth features, and
then play it via MIDI.
TONESTACK (YONAC)
Save configurations of guitar amps, cabinets, and
effects—nothing unusual there. Fully expanded,
though, ToneStack’s effects collection is unbeat-
able. You can integrate other effects apps into your
presets, too. It also has a metronome, tuner and
8-track recorder.
TURNADO (SUGAR BYTES)
Concealed behind an unassuming set of four x-y
pads lurks a powerful set of eight processors with
an emphasis on rhythmic, stuttering, and pattern
effects. Everything is deeply customizable, but hit-
ting the dice/randomizer button often yields con-
figurations that sound shockingly professional.
VOICEJAM PRO (TC-HELICON)
TC-Helicon built a reputation inventing voice-en-
hancing hardware. The iOS version packs much of
that technology into an inexpensive app that has
automatic tuning, gender bending, looping, and a
range of vocal-friendly effects.
WOW FILTERBOX (SUGAR BYTES)
WOW fuses a flexible distortion algorithm with
an exhaustive array of resonant filter types, then
loads up on sequencing, modulation, and a three-
axis x-y pad for results that would be equally at
home on both Daft Punk and NIN tracks.
DAWS AND AUDIO RECORDING
AURIA PRO (WAVEMACHINE LABS)
With a long and impressive feature list, Auria Pro
is a genuinely professional DAW that rivals desk-
top software. It records 24 tracks simultaneously
and handles MIDI and audio tracking, mixing, and
post-production. Excellent third-party plug-ins
are included, with more available.
CAPTURE (PRESONUS)
Capture is a 32-track, 24/96 audio recorder de-
signed for mobile multitrack recording and editing.
Use the built-in mic or any MFi (made for iOS) au-
dio interface, and then transfer tracks to PreSonus’s
Studio One (a free version is available) via WiFi.
CUBASIS 2 (STEINBERG)
Based on the top-shelf DAW Cubase, there’s noth-
ing lightweight about Cubasis. It supports un-
limited tracks, 24/96 recording, detailed audio
and MIDI editing, and third-party Audio Units.
It comes with an assortment of software instru-
ments, effects processors, audio loops, and more.
FIELDSCRAPER (IMUSICALBUM)
Field recordings can be inspirational resources
for subsequent mangling with desktop processing,
but FieldScraper skips the middleman and lets you
get to work within the app itself. With filters, dis-
tortion, and modulation oscillators, coffeehouse
ambiences may never be the same.
FINALTOUCH (POSITIVE GRID)
If you’re bold enough to work exclusively on an iPad,
you’ll need a capable mastering chain. Final Touch
is so full-featured that several Grammy Award-win-
ning producers have enthusiastically endorsed it.
For less than five bucks, it’s a no-brainer.
GARAGEBAND (APPLE)
Every iOS musician should learn to use Garage-
Band. It’s a unique and surprisingly capable DAW
that supports Audio Units, and it’s free. It comes
with some excellent loops, instruments, and effects
processors, and it swaps files with Logic Pro X.
JUST PRESS RECORD (OPEN PLANET)
Positioned as a one-click voice memo recorder that
instantly uploads to iCloud, Just Press Record has
the distinction of being the only mobile recording
app that includes an Apple Watch companion for
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7/19/17 8:32 AM
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 LOOPERVERSE (RETRONYMS)
Quite a few looping apps are available for iOS, but
Retronyms’ 16-track Looperverse emphasizes real-
time performance control enhanced by their premi-
um pedal controller. Time-stretching, pitch shifting,
and stem export just add to its professionalism.
MUSIC STUDIO (ALEXANDER GROSS)
This inexpensive DAW records as many as 127
MIDI tracks and 24 audio tracks. It furnishes dual
keyboards, 16 drum pads, a sampler, an audio editor,
and more than enough sampled instruments, drum
loops, and effects to produce demos anywhere.
TWISTEDWAVE AUDIO EDITOR
(TWISTEDWAVE)
Every musician needs a stereo audio editor, and
TwistedWave imports many formats via many
means. All the commands you’d expect are avail-
able, and it can integrate processing from third-
party effects apps. TwistedWave can also record
from any source, including Bluetooth.
MASTER RECORD (IMUSICALBUM)
Impressive tape saturation and simulated wow-
and-flutter effects, as well as extensive sample rate
and bit-depth conversion tools for a variety of audio
formats, including MP3, M4A, CAF, and FLAC.
MUSIC MEMOS (APPLE)
A free app for capturing uncompressed audio for
later use in GarageBand (or any DAW) is a won-
derful thing, to be sure. But Music Memos’ abil-
ity to intelligently add drums and bass to piano or
guitar recordings verges on magical.
MIDI SEQUENCERS/ARPEGGIATORS
ARPEGGIONOME PRO
(ALEXANDERNAUT)
The mother of all arpeggiators. Edit presets or cre-
ate new patterns using onscreen controls. Control
pitch and tempo with the 16x16 matrix, and con-
trol other parameters with your accelerometer.
Easily play complex arpeggios at any tempo.
B-STEP SEQUENCER 2 PRO (THOMAS
ARNDT)
Though it’s more than adequate for MIDI se-
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quencing, one of B-Step’s specialties is sequencing
chord progressions. Another useful trick is ratch-
eting—retriggering a single step a predetermined
number of times—a technique you’ve heard if you
listen to Berlin School.
FUGUE MACHINE (ALEXANDERNAUT)
With four independent playheads that can simul-
taneously scan a single piano-roll sequence in any
direction at multiple tempos, Fugue Machine
could change the way you approach music.
Whether glittering, ambient or grooving, the re-
sults are hypnotic and absolutely compelling.
GENOME MIDI SEQUENCER (WHITE
NOISE AUDIO SOFTWARE)
This 16-track sequencer emphasizes creating pat-
terns and then selecting their playback order in real
time during a performance. It’s loaded with useful
features and does almost anything you’d want a step
sequencer to do. It even has undo and redo.
KOUSHION (IAN WAGNER)
If step sequencing is in your repertoire, definitely
check out Koushion. Its capabilities are compre-
hensive and inspiring, whether it’s controlling
other iOS apps, playing external instruments via
MIDI cable, or connecting wirelessly with soft-
ware instruments on your computer.
MIDISEQUENCER (ANTHONY
SAUNDERS)
Every iOS sequencer takes a different approach, but
this one is straightforward and easy to understand,
because it emulates a tabletop analog step sequenc-
er with 16 steps and MIDI message filtering. Chord
sequencing and MIDI effects are optional.
MODSTEP (APPBC)
If Modstep has limits, they’re not obvious. It con-
trols external instruments and iOS apps (with
templates for both), and it has its own synth and
a sampler with drum pads. Sequences can contain
as many tracks as your iPad can handle.
THESYS (SUGAR BYTES)
Whether you’re using it with the onboard analog-
style synth or integrating it with a hardware MIDI
rig, Thesys is a powerful step sequencer offering
detailed parameter automation and performance
control with real-time keyboard selection of pat-
terns and macro actions.
TNR-I (YAMAHA)
The Tenori-on is a rare and futuristic MIDI perfor-
mance instrument combining sample playback and
step sequencing on a 256-button grid. TNR-i repro-
duces it in every way, with practically all the same
controls and capabilities, at a tiny fraction of the cost.
DJ APPS
DJAY PRO (ALGORIDDIM)
With four turntables and vinyl-centric interface,
DJay Pro is the award-winning app for turntablists
who want to keep things as real as possible in the
virtual world. Auto-syncing your Spotify favorites
is a life-changing experience. This is Mercedes-
class turntablism.
PACEMAKER (PACEMAKER MUSIC)
Gorgeous minimalist design, Spotify integration,
and superb auto-sync would make Pacemaker a
star performer even if it weren’t free, with effects
available as in-app purchases. A companion Apple
Watch app that actually works just adds to the
magic. Get it!
TRAKTOR DJ (NATIVE INSTRUMENTS)
In the pro DJ world, Traktor has become one of the
most popular options for laptop-based performance.
The iPad version is quickly becoming a contender,
too, thanks to its robust auto-sync and compatibility
with NI’s Z1, S2, and S4 controllers.
7/19/17 8:33 AM
elm513484_0817.indd 1 6/5/17 7:31 PM
 EDUCATION/TRANSCRIPTION
AUDIOSTRETCH (BANDLAB)
A full-featured transcription suite that supports
audio and video files. You can alter the pitch or
speed of a file, as well as loop, scrub and freeze the
audio. A keyboard and spectrum analysis are also
included in this intuitive app.
BETTER EARS (APPSOLUTE)
Music theory and ear training never hurt anyone,
and iOS is an ideal platform. You get 13 exercises for
recognizing intervals, chords, and scales; melodic
and tempo dictation; brushing up your music read-
ing skills and more, with six instrument sounds.
CAPO TOUCH
(SUPERMEGAULTRAGROOVY)
Every fretted string player needs this one. It ana-
lyzes recorded songs and then displays their chord
changes with chord diagrams for guitar and other
instruments. A slider instantly transposes the key,
and another slider changes playback tempo.
FORSCORE (FORSCORE LLC)
forScore’s aim is simple but lofty: To replace all your
printed sheet music with transcriptions in digital
form. Collect scores into libraries, scan music from
hardcopy, import PDFs, create set lists, and edit and
share transcriptions, lead sheets, guitar tabs, etc.
elm0917_Coverstory_Top200Apps_f_prod.indd 32
HEAREQ EAR TRAINING (TEN KETTLES)
Most ear-training programs teach musicians to
recognize intervals and chords, but this one is
optimized to enhance your sound-mixing skills—
specifically, your ability to distinguish frequency
bands and understand how equalization affects
sound. If you record music, you need this.
IREAL PRO
Once you’ve downloaded hundreds of free songs,
this next-generation fake book will display their
chord charts and play a multitrack arrangement
while you play along. Change musical style, tem-
po, key, or instrumentation. Create, edit and share
charts, and much more.
MACPROVIDEO (NONLINEAR
EDUCATING)
From Ableton to Ultrabeat, this extensive selec-
tion of training videos, encompassing tons of
hardware and software, brings music technology
education to your iOS device. Watch all the step-
by-step lessons at your own pace. Some older titles
are completely free.
NOTION FOR IOS (PRESONUS)
A music notation app that lets you hear your
scores played by samples of the London Sympho-
ny Orchestra and other fine musicians. For almost
any instrument you can imagine, it turns your iPad
into a portable transcription workhorse.
ONSONG (ONSONG)
OnSong manages chord charts and lyric sheets
imported from various formats, or you can cre-
ate your own. Easily transpose keys and edit your
charts’ appearance, play and sync imported back-
ing tracks, and share wirelessly with other band
members.
STEVE REICH’S CLAPPING MUSIC
(AMPHIO LIMITED)
If you make electronic music, you should know
Steve Reich’s name. If you don’t know him, you
should know his piece, Clapping Music. If you
don’t know Clapping Music, you should just get
this app. It’s absolutely mesmerizing and totally
free.
SYNTORIAL
For years, EM’s favorite software for learning to
program synths. Now Syntorial is an iOS app, and
the first 22 lessons are free. If you’re serious about
programming, upgrading to the full version is ab-
solutely worth the price.
TENUTO (MUSICTHEORY.NET)
Learn to identify notes, chords, intervals, and
7/19/17 8:33 AM
 keys, and brush up on your ear training. Tenuto
provides five music calculators and 20 exercises
you can customize to suit your skill level.
UNREALBOOK (ARON NELSON)
For performing musicians who rely on charts, your
iPad is ideal for storing, organizing, and displaying
your sheet music, chord charts, lyric sheets, and
set lists. unRealBook imports PDF files, records
your songs, and links your PDFs and recordings.
WAAY (TEN KETTLES)
Understanding scales and harmony makes song-
writing easier, and it makes it easier to communi-
cate with other musicians. Waay takes a practical
approach to learning music theory, with interac-
tive exercises and video lessons that help you
build speed and accuracy.
UTILITIES
AUDIOBUS 3 (AUDIOBUS)
This one is essential. It’s the glue that holds your
device’s music production system together, a
MIDI and audio routing system for connecting
iOS music apps. Connect multiple sound sources,
processors, and destinations, and save entire con-
figurations for recall.
AUDIOCOPY (RETRONYMS)
elm0917_Coverstory_Top200Apps_f_prod.indd 33
With Audiocopy, you can copy audio and its meta-
data from dozens of compatible apps to a clipboard
and paste it to others. Catalog and browse all your
sounds, record new ones, and perform basic edits
such as trimming and normalizing.
AUDIOSHARE (KYMATICA)
This utility manages audio, MIDI, and text files
and moves them between apps and your computer.
Store files in a library, edit them, compress them,
and shuttle them between folders. AudioShare also
records audio from other apps or external sources.
pensable to musicians, especially when working
AUDIOTOOLS (ANDREW SMITH) with plug-ins in your DAW. It lets you use your
If you take audio seriously, you need this app. Start iPad as a second display that functions as a touch
with essentials like a dual-channel oscilloscope, screen for your computer.
SPL meter, and real-time analyzer, and add acous-
tic analysis options as your needs grow. AudioTo- E-SCOPE 3-IN-1 (E-SKETT)
ols makes expensive test gear obsolete. If you don’t need or can’t afford sophisticated audio
analysis tools, e-Scope is for you. You get a signal
AUM (KYMATICA) generator with four types of signals, an FFT ana-
AUM is a versatile audio mixer, audio recorder, lyzer for measuring spectrum, and a three-mode
and Audio Units host. It routes audio from other oscilloscope you adjust by pinching the screen.
apps or external inputs, processes it with other ef-
fects apps, and sends it to any physical or inter-app HOKUSAI 2 (WOOJI JUICE)
destination. It’s fantastic for live performance. The free version is an uncluttered audio editor
that handles basic tasks for multiple simultaneous
DUET DISPLAY (DUET DISPLAY)
Although Duet is not a music app, it can be indis- continued on page 63
7/19/17 8:33 AM
elm5115940_0717.indd 2 5/15/17 2:01 PM
elm5115940_0717.indd 3 5/15/17 2:01 PM
 Chick Corea
SAKURAI TOSHI

{ Lessons Learned
Lessons Shared
BY JON REGEN
}
“We traveled all day, I’ve got a salad coming from room service, and we can talk for a
while,” legendary pianist and composer Chick Corea tells me from his hotel room in
Istanbul, Turkey. With a seemingly never-ending tour schedule, and an unquenchable
musical hunger to match it, at 76, the jazz piano patriarch is still breaking new musical
and technological ground.

36 SE PT E M BE R 2 01 7 | E MU S IC IAN . C OM

elm0917_Feature_ChickCorea_f_prod.indd 36 7/17/17 1:35 PM

 Following the release of his acclaimed new CD-
and-movie box set The Musician, and the continued
success of his online educational workshops, Corea
made time to talk to me about how, after nearly six
decades in music, he’s just getting started.
Your new three-CD box set and video docu-
mentary The Musician is astounding. You re-
corded it during your 70th birthday celebration
at the Blue Note in New York City. And as if
those shows weren’t impressive enough, you
recently recorded the mammoth celebration
for your 75th birthday, as well.
And that one was way more intense, because it
was twice as long! We’ve got eight weeks and 80
shows of glorious, freewheeling, friendly, beau-
tiful, spontaneous music made with all of my
friends. Everything was recorded and also shot on
video. And I don’t know what the hell to do with
it! But it was really a lot of fun. It was such a joy,
and when I get together with that many friends, I
always contemplate what a charmed life I have—
making music with all these incredible people. It
was like floating on a cloud the whole time.
When we spoke in 2014, you left us with some
inspirational words of advice for aspiring art-
ists. You said, “I like to encourage others into
the arts, and one of the things I tell them is
that it’s a great life. The reason why is because
you’ve found something that you love to do.
Then, in addition to that, you not only get to
enjoy the feeling of doing what you love to do,
but you also get to see someone else receive
pleasure from it. So, it’s a good life, and it’s
something that people everywhere really need.
It’s what keeps us alive.” This still seems to be
your overarching approach to making art.
Absolutely. I’m no politician, and I’m no corpo-
rate executive, although in some lifetime I would
like to be an architect, because I love building stuff.
But for this job of making music, I see it to be a glo-
rious mission.
In actual fact, musicians themselves are kind of
pure hearts. They have dedicated their lives to mak-
ing creative music and all of them, in their own way,
love to see the effect of people being amazed and
uplifted positively by music. So, I see it as a mission.
Now that I’m older, I just want more and more peo-
ple involved in the arts. Because it’s the antidote. It
aligns with all of the great efforts of people to help
each other on the planet.
I also see my friends, rightly so, getting interest-
ed in politics and what’s going on with the govern-
ment. And I’m interested to a certain extent myself.
But the attitude that musicians have is kind of uni-
versal: We’re non-political and non-religious, and
we’ve got this pure, simple goal to create; to create
music and make life beautiful. All we need is more
elm0917_Feature_ChickCorea_f_prod.indd 37
of that! That’s why these online music workshops
that I’m doing [chickcoreamusicworkshops.com]
are my passion now.
In an age where so many older musicians are
mystified by the brave new world of technol-
ogy, at 76, you seem to be constantly embrac-
ing it and using it to inspire and educate.
The reality of it starts right on the street. As I
travel and play my gigs, I’m always meeting a lot of
people. I meet young musicians and fans, and when
I talk with them, I see what it is that inspires them.
I get invited to give lectures and workshops in
various cities, and I’ll ask musicians, “What do you
guys want to know?” And they’ll ask me questions
like, “How do you voice a chord?” or “How do you
write a song?” or “What’s improvisation all about?”
There are a lot of technical questions, which are
fine, because talking shop is a pleasure for me.
But then I see that sometimes there will be that
moment where I can say a simple thing to a fellow
musician, like, “All of these questions you’re ask-
ing get resolved by you starting to rely on your own
judgment of things. Your judgment of what sounds
good and what doesn’t sound good, what you think
works, what you like—it’s yours. It’s good to learn
from your environment and from making a dis-
cipline of copying from your heroes. But when it
comes right down to it, you have to trust your own
judgment and think for yourself.” And sometimes
a simple statement like that will affect someone.
They’ll go, “Wow!” They’ll have a life-changing mo-
ment. And it always amazes me. I saw by first-hand
experience that just being there for my fellow musi-
cians had a good effect. It’s inspired me, so I’m re-
ally going to do all I can to learn about the Internet
and how to do this thing mechanically. I’m going to
ask all my friends who are under 40, “How do you
hook me up?” [Laughs.]
We live in a time where musicians are chal-
lenged by the chaos of social media. We seem
to be constantly promoting gigs and Face-
booking photos of our gear, but that compul-
sion to participate online is often at odds with
the need to improve at one’s instrument. How
does someone quiet their mind in the informa-
tion age?
The first thing I think of is that basic simple
truth of “You have to trust your own judgment.”
That’s always senior to everything. When you look
out at life, there’s always some kind of complex-
ity going on. You made one picture of the modern
day, with all the social media and noise. But I just
finished a wonderful biography by Walter Isaac-
son about Benjamin Franklin. And it took me back
to the days when America was being formed, and
these people came to the land and they didn’t know
anything about what was happening here. They
SEP TEMBER
were pioneers. Imagine the amount of uncon-
trolled stuff that was coming at them. It’s similar to
the “noise” on social media. They were looking at a
plane with trees and terrain, and they weren’t sure
how they were going to make a living and eat and
provide for their family. So, we’re back to that idea
of trusting your own judgment and using it to start
making choices.
Do young musicians come up to you and decry
the death of live music in 2017, or do you think
that there’s still a vibrant, live music scene to-
day where people can showcase their talents?
That’s a good question, and I think it’s a matter
of really coming into present time and looking at
the world clearly as it is, right now in this moment.
The urge to create and the subject of music will, of
course, never die, because it’s native to every living
being. It’s part of everybody. Whether they’re pro-
fessionals or not, the artistic and creative impulse
is there. Times are changing, and the way we inter-
act together is changing on an exponentially faster
route. Whether you want to focus on the fact that
it’s a declining statistic or not, is up to you. That’s
why I personally try to be a “solver” rather than
someone who points out problems. I want to solve
a few problems by making things into a game and
into fun.
I was in a taxi in San Francisco about a year ago,
and this young, African-American girl in her twen-
ties was driving the cab. She was really bright, so I
said to her, “Just out of curiosity, as a musician who
is playing here in town, have you ever heard of the
name Duke Ellington?” And she looked up and said,
“No, I’ve never heard of that.” I said, “What about
Louis Armstrong?” She replied, “No.” But check this
out: I said, “Have you ever heard of Miles Davis?”
And she looked up and said, “No.” I mean, check it
out! [Laughs.] You see? It changed me. I think that’s
just something we have to contend with—constant-
ly, exponentially changing times. So, you have to be
quick on your feet. You have to think, “Alright, the
Internet now is the way to market something.”
Let’s look at the business terms of “marketing”
and “promotion” and put them into a more “street”
vernacular. If you play the piano and you come to
a town and you want a gig, you’ve got to go find
somebody. Right? You can’t stay in your apartment
all day! [Laughs.] You’ve got to go find somebody
and introduce yourself. “Hi, I play the piano. Can I
sit in?” What are you doing? You’re promoting your-
self, right? You have to. That’s what life is about. It’s
communication: You show people what you do, and
if they like it, they’ll call you for it, and then confi-
dence builds up until finally they’ll give you some
money for it, too! I think if we kept that whole idea
and used social media and the Internet in a natural,
human, communicative way, that’s the thing to do.
Because it’s the way to communicate now. You’re
201 7 | EMU SICIAN .COM 37
7/17/17 1:35 PM

Cheap But Good Advice for Playing
Music In a Group By Chick Corea
1. Play only what you hear.
2. If you don’t hear anything, don’t play
anything.
3. Don’t let your fingers and limbs just
wander—play them intentionally.
4. Don’t improvise on endlessly—play
something with intention, develop it or
not, then end off, take a break.
5. Leave space—create space—intentionally
create places where you don’t play.
6. Make your sound blend. Listen to your
sound and adjust it to the rest of the
band and the room.
7. If you play more than one instrument at
a time—like a drum kit or multiple key-
boards—make sure they are balanced
with one another.
8. Don’t make any of your music me-
chanically or just through patterns of
habit. Create each sound, phrase, and
piece with choice—deliberately.
9. Guide your choice of what to play by
what you like—not by what someone
else will think.
elm0917_Feature_ChickCorea_f_prod.indd 38
10. Use contrast and balance elements:
high-low
fast-slow
loud-soft
tense-relaxed
dense-sparse
11. Play to make the other musicians
sound good. Play things that will
make the overall music sound good.
12. Play with a relaxed body. Always re-
lease whatever tension you create.
13. Create space—begin, develop, and
end phrases with intention.
14. Never beat or pound your instru-
ment—play it easily and gracefully.
15. Create space—then place something
in it.
16. Use mimicry sparsely—mostly create
phrases that contrast with and devel-
op the phrases of the other players.
(Originally printed by the Berklee
College of Music for “Chick Corea
at Berklee” and dated March 11-
14, 1985.)
not going to get a gig in the way you did 20 years
ago.
Speaking of 20 or so years ago, I’m staring at
a Xerox copy of a talk you gave at the Berklee
College of Music back in 1985. I got it when I
attended the Eastman School of Music a few
years later. It’s entitled “Chick Corea at Berk-
lee—Cheap But Good Advice for Playing Music
in a Group.” It says things like, “If you don’t
hear anything, don’t play anything,” and “Don’t
improvise on endlessly—play something with
intention, develop it or not, but then end off,
take a break.” Do you remember that talk?
I remember that. Wow, that guy was saying
some true things! [Laughs.]
There’s another line of yours I particularly like
that reads, “Don’t make any of your music
mechanically or just through patterns of habit.
Create each sound, phrase,
and piece with choice—de-
liberately.”
Yeah. That’s another way
of saying “Don’t try to market
yourself as if the world was
1960, because it’s not. It’s 2017!”
It’s amazing that even 32
7/17/17 1:40 PM
 years ago, you were already formulating your
concepts for coursework, which you are still
teaching, now partly online.
Well, people would always ask me questions,
and I don’t like to see any kind of advice being giv-
en in an authoritative way, especially with art. You
don’t say, “Beethoven was better than Brahms,” or
“This period of Miles Davis’ music was better than
that one.” It’s all subjective.
All you have to do when giving people advice, is
let them know that it is advice. In other words, this
is my experience and it might not work for you. All
of a sudden, that puts a little bit of a human element
into it, and it avoids sounding like I’m telling some-
one they’re wrong if they don’t do these things.
Getting geeky for a minute, the last time we
spoke, you were playing a Yamaha MOTIF XF8
with the samples of your Rhodes, along with a
Moog Minimoog Voyager. But recently, I saw
a video of you onstage playing a Vintage Vibe
electromechanical piano.
I used the Vintage Vibe at the Blue Note, but it’s
not something that I can carry around, so I’m now
playing my Rhodes samples on the Yamaha Mon-
tage. It’s just a better-quality sound than the MO-
TIF. After this trio tour is done and I take a break,
I’m going back out with the Elektric Band. I’ll be
using the Montage, along with a laptop that the
elm0917_Feature_ChickCorea_f_prod.indd 39
Montage triggers through [Apple] Main-
stage. I’ve got a bunch of plug-ins from
Spectrasonics like Keyscape and Omni-
sphere, also [Native Instruments] Absynth
and Kontakt. Those are for more abstract
sounds, but my main playing sound is the
sample on the Montage that I made years
ago of my Stage-model Rhodes. And I put
the Moog Voyager on top of it.
I also still stand up and play the [Ya-
maha] KX5 shoulder keyboard. They
don’t make them anymore. It’s the same
keyboard I used to take out with the Elek-
tric band. Yamaha won’t make me another
one!
I think the question everybody wants
to know is, what is the secret to look-
ing and playing like you do at 76 years
of age? You seem to be aging back-
ANDREW ELLIOTT
wards!
[Laughs.] There’s no secret. I’ve been
doing what I’ve been doing for a long
time. I eat well and I try to take care
of myself. I went on a nutritional diet
about five years ago and I lost a lot of
weight. And I’ve been doing Scientology since It looks like I have to go on a diet and become
1968, which always keeps me fresh. There’s no a Scientologist!
mystery to it. Well, whatever works, man! n
7/17/17 1:40 PM
 W hen we think about ’70’s fusion bands, the names Weather Report, Mahavishnu Or-
chestra, and Return to Forever are always mentioned. But it could be argued that the
Jean-Luc Ponty Band had as much, if not more, commercial success with a string of a
dozen albums that broke the Top Five on Billboard’s Jazz chart; two of them even broke
HOW-TO

into the Top 40 albums. It was a powerful band with great writing and flawless execution,
and for six years of this best-selling period, Australian Allan Zavod manned the keys.

Zavod, a skilled classical and jazz pianist and com- off into some fleet F major arpeggiations. When the
poser, played with the big bands of Woody Herman chord changes to Eb dominant seventh in bar 7, he
and Maynard Ferguson, and recorded/toured with seems to be still playing mostly on an F tonality, ex-
MAGAZINE

Billy Cobham and Frank Zappa, among others. After cept for the bend up into the Db at the end of the bar.
THE ART OF his touring years, he moved into orchestral compos- Bar 8 continues the F tonality until he resolves down
SYNTH SOLOING ing, scored more than 40 films, and was awarded a into the F# for the D7 chord at the end of his phrase.
Doctorate of Music in 2009. He passed away in 2016. Example 2 is his second “trade,” and Zavod starts

Allan In an interview during his Ponty Band days

(April 1978, Contemporary Keyboard), Zavod men-
tioned that he soloed mostly on the ARP 2600 (and
out with a figure that seems to be from the D har-
monic minor scale, certainly an outside choice to
play over a dominant seventh chord. He settles back

Zavod a little bit using the Arp Odyssey). So, no pitch

bend wheels for him: He did it all using a knob!

FIERY TRADING
Chart-Topping My first solo choice comes from Ponty’s best-selling
Fusion album, Enigmatic Ocean, from 1977. On the tune
“Imaginary Ocean Part II,” the band trades choruses
between Ponty, Zavod, and guitarists Daryl Stuermer
BY JERRY KOVARSKY
and Allan Holdsworth. Example 1 starts off with a
difficult-to-notate, two-handed flurry of notes and
then settles in to some tasteful soloing. Bar 2 is easy
enough to understand, and then in bar 3 Zavod uses
colorful note choices from the C Mixolydian mode
and then moves into a bluesy lick in bar 4 that you
would usually play on a G minor, or G7 chord before
resolving it back to the C major tonality. Bars 5 and
6 feature the classic 2-note fusion lick and then take
inside over the next two bars before taking flight into
chromatic shifting lines for the F chord in bar 5 and
then resolves back into some fleet-fingered F major
pentatonic for bar 6. Once again, he stays on the F
tonality when the chord shifts to Eb7 in bar 7, again
using the bend up into the Db to hint at the dominant
seventh color. Bar 8 continues the F tonality and then
he outlines more of a G minor over the F major be-
fore resolving again to the F# for the final D7 chord.
MAKING THE CHANGES
Example 3 is a masterful solo on the tune “Once
Upon a Dream,” from the 1976 Ponty release Imagi-
nary Journey, which really shows off Zavod’s abil-
ity to play over chord changes. In the opening of
his solo, he is using the C blues scale to open up,
with a few interesting half-step chromatic note

Ex. 1. Allan Zavod’s first chorus of trading with his band mates from the tune “Imaginary Ocean Part II.”

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ#œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œfijù œ œ û œ œ
q=160 D7

4 #œ œ œ œ
&4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
1 2 6
1:39

œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
approximation 3 3 3
C7

& œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ bœ nœ nœ œ œ œ
œ
3 4
F
œ œœœœ 3

& œ™ œ œfijù œ œ œ œ œ œ œfijù œ œ œ œ œ œ œfijù œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ

œ œ œœœ
œ œ
ù û œ œ œbœ œbœ œ bœnœ œ œ œ
5 6

b œ œ
7

œ œ
œ
E¨7 D7
œ
&œ œ œbœ œnœ œ œ œ œ w
#
7 8
3

40 SE PT E M BE R 2 01 7 | E MU S IC IAN . C OM

elm0917_HowTo_SynthSoloing_f_prod.indd 40 7/13/17 10:32 PM

 (( S H A P E ))

SHAPE40 SHAPE50 SHAPE65

$549 EA $749 EA $899 EA
www.focal.com
USA www.audioplusservices.com www.facebook.com/audioplusservices [ ] CANADA www.plurison.com www.facebook.com/Plurison

elm523922_0817.indd 1 6/14/17 5:49 PM

 Ex. 2. Zavod’s second chorus, where he makes more choices that are outside the chords.
choices at the end of the bar. He uses
mostly color tunes for the Db major

& œbœ œ#œ œ œ œbœ œ#œ œ œ nœ ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œbœnœ œ œ œ ™ œ œ

D7 3 C7
œ
3
seventh chord in bar 2, and includes

1 2:27 2 3 4 œœ œ œ the sharp eleventh (the G note). You

could also think of it as him continu-
3 3

& œ #œ#œ œnœ#œ œ œnœ ™œbœ ™ œ™#œ œ ™ nœ ™nœ œnœ

œnœ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ
F ing to use the C minor pentatonic

œ œ œœ
sound from the previous bar. Bar 3
#œ œ nœ 6 has some very colorful playing on the

œ œù # œ n œ b œ b œ n œ œ œ
5
D7 chord, using a scale called the Al-
E¨
œ œ œ nœœ œ
D7

& œœœbœœ œ œ œœ œœœ nœbœ œnœ œ œ œ œnœ œ #w

tered, or Altered Dominant. Beyond
the root, third, and seventh, every
other note in this scale is altered—
7 8 9
the flat and sharp ninth, the sharp
Ex. 3. His solo on the tune “Once Upon a Dream” shows how well Zavod could navigate chord changes. eleventh (or flatted fifth), and the

4 ‰bbœœnnœœ œœJ bbœœ œbœ ® œ œ™ œœ œ œ œ

œœbbœœnnœœ œœ Œ
q=96 C7(#9) D¨Œ„Š7 augmented fifth (or flat thirteenth).

≈≈ œ™
JJ œ œ œ
q=96
¿ b œ
C7(#9) D¨Œ„Š7
& 4 ‰ J œbœ ® œ œ#œnœ œ œbœ œ
It produces wonderful tension on

& 4 1:30 ¿
œ#œnœ œ œ œbœ œ b œ œ œ œ n œ œœnnœœ œ 2 b œ Œ the dominant seventh chord, and the
1
1 1:30
œ œbœ œ œ œnœ 2
line descends nicely into the major

bbœœ œ œœbœbœ œ œ ™ œ œnœbœ

third of the next bar/chord, and con-
nnœœ œœ œ œœnnœœ œœ œœ œœ œ
D7(b9) E¨Œ„Š9 E7(#9)

& œ bœbœ œ œ ™ œ œnœbœœœ 4 œœ œœœœbbœœœœ œœ œœ œ™

D7(b9) 3 E¨Œ„Š9 3 E7(#9) tinues downward.
& œ œ 3
œ œœœ5 bbœœnnœœ œœ##œœ œœnnœœ##œœ œ
3
œ Bar 5 has a motif centered on the
3
3 4
œ™ œ œ5 half-step between the sharp ninth
and the third of the E chord, and tran-

œœ œœ œ œ™ œbœ 33
FŒ„Š7 3
E7[áÁ] sitions nicely into a pentatonic run on
≈
FŒ„Š7 3 3 E7[áÁ] 3 3 3 3
& œœnœ œ œ œ œ œ œ
3
œ œ™ nœ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ n œ 7 # œ n œ œ œ œ œ n œ # œ œ œ œ n œ # œ œœ
œ œ œ
the F major chord in bar 6. In bar 7,
œb œ œ œ ≈ œ œ
3 3 3 3 3 3

6&
Zavod plays around with the half-
6 œ n œ 7# œ n œ nœ#œ nœ#œ step between the sharp ninth and
the third, and the flat ninth and the

fi œœ ûœ œ œ œ D7[âÄ]
E¨% D7[âÄ]

ûœ œ œ œœ œ œœbbœœ œœ œœ ®® œœbbœœ œœ œ™
bbœœ œ œ œ
3 root, and then plays a pentatonic run
‰‰ nœ bbœœ œœbbœœfijùù
E¨% j
œ œ œœ œœ œœ œ
3 3
& œ
& bbœœ œœ œœ œ nœ
3
Ϫ
for the following chord, with a short,
soulful bend. It comes across as blue-
8 9
8 3 9 3 3 sy and is a nice way to resolve some of
3 3 3 the tension. The full solo is available
Ex. 4. On “Imaginary Voyage Part II,” Zavod solos over two chords, bringing a warm, lyrical style to his online at keyboardmag.com.
nicely paced solo.

ÍÍÍ
ÍÍÍ
q=80
q=80 B9 C‹ B9 WONDERFUL MELODICISM
B9 C‹ B9
44 Œ ‰
jj # œ œ ™
™ œ b œ n œ n œ ™™ b œ n œ # œ ##œœ œœœœœœ œœ œœ ™™œœ
3 3 3 3 3 3
& 44 Œ ‰
3 3 3 3 3 3 Example 4, from the same album, is

# œ œ # œ œ œ œœ 22 b œ n œ n œ b œ nn œœ œœ œœfijùù bb œœ œœ ™™ œœ 33 œœ ## œœ ## œœ œœ n œ # œ
& œ œ fij
from the tune “Imaginary Voyage Part
1
1 1:56 # œ œ II.” Allan’s solo is over two chords,

ÍÍÍ
1:56

ÍÍÍ
ÍÍÍ ÍÍÍ
and his notes choices are relatively
C‹
C‹ B9
B9 inside compared to the last selection,
3

& nn œœ œœ b œ nœ œù bbœœ œœ œœ ™™ œ 5 n œ ##œœ œ œ œ n œ œ ## œœ œœnnœœ#œ#œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ

3 3 3 3
b œ nœ
3
& # œ œ
3 3 3 3
nœ œù b œ # œ nœ œ
but he really sings some beautiful me-

b œ nn œœ œ 5 nœ œ œ œnœ œ
lodic lines. For the B dominant ninth
4
4 chords he sticks to the B Mixolydian

bbœœ ™™ û œœnœ œ œ3 œœ œœnœ##œœ##œœùù nnœœ ûûœœ ‰‰ ‰‰ ≈≈ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœnnœœbbœœnnœœnœ

scale, but centers his lines around the
C‹

û
C‹ B9
nnœœfifijùù
3 3 3 B9 3 3 color tones of the chord. For the C mi-
j
b œ nœ
3 3
nœ œ
3
& nœb œ œ œ # œ
3
& b œn
nn œœ nnœœbœnœœnœ œ œ #œ
œ 7 #œ # œ nœ
nor seventh chord, he uses the minor
pentatonic and the Dorian modes,
6 3

ÍÍÍ
6 7 3

ÍÍÍ
with a little bit of bluesy bending in
nn œœ bb œœ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œœ nnœœ ™™ œœ œœ œœbbœœ œœ
nœ
C‹ B9 bars 2 and 6. I love the bravura dou-
C‹
nœ b
b œ
œ œ nœ n
n œ
œ œ
œ œ œ œ
œ œ n
nœ
œ b
b œ
œ œ
B9

& b œ œ nœ œ
bœnœ œœ œœ œbœn œ œ œœ œœ œ œ œœ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ
ble-time run he starts at the end of bar

8
& nœ œbœn œ œ 9
7 and continues through bar 8. Prac-
8 9 tice hard to get that one up to tempo!
(The full solo is available online.)
Ex. 5. One of my favorite phrases by Zavod from “Imaginary Voyage Part II.”

nœ #œ n œ n œ b œ nœ nœ nœ
C‹ INSANE LICK OF THE MONTH
b œ nœ
nœ bœ nœ #œ œ #œ#œ nœ
&® œ œ nœ œ œ bœ nœ œ œ nœ And finally, I’ll leave you with Exam-

12
nœ nœ œ ple 5, an outrageous line Zavod played
on “Imaginary Voyage Part II.” Enjoy! n

42 SE PT E M BE R 2 01 7 | E MU S IC IAN . C OM

elm0917_HowTo_SynthSoloing_f_prod.indd 42 7/13/17 10:32 PM

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 Sound Design Workshop

Synth Programming Checklist

HOW-TO

Five common design A fter 20 years as a college professor, I’ve noticed a few recurring misunderstand-
issues and how to ings about the details of synthesis: And as a preset designer, I’m occasionally sur-
address them prised by sounds that make it through the curating process. This month, I’ll ad-
dress five common synthesizer features and offer a few ways to ensure that you’re
using them with intent in your own original presets.

BY FRANCIS PRÈVE
Fig. 1. Setting a pair of fine-tuning
controls equally in opposition di-
rections keeps your patches from
sounding out of tune with other
instruments.
IN-TUNE DETUNING
While some dual-oscillator vintage synths only
allow fine-tuning of one oscillator, many modern
synths—both hardware and software—allow inde-
pendent tuning of both oscillators. Even so, I en-
counter presets that feature positive- or negative-
only detuning on one or more oscillators. This is
a no-no because it means that those patches will
always be slightly sharp or flat (respectively) and,
thus, will not be in tune with other instruments.
When you are detuning a multi-oscillator
patch, always set the fine-tuning to equal amounts
in opposite directions (see Figure 1), if possible.
This will keep your presets in tune with other in-
struments in a track.
MISMATCHED RELEASE TIMES
When working with both filter and amp enve-
lopes (or modulator and carrier envelopes in FM
synthesis), it is crucial to ensure that the release
time of the filter or modulator envelope matches
or exceeds the release time of the amp or carrier
envelope. If it’s too short, there will be a sudden
jump in timbre as you release the key. Sometimes
this is desirable, but more often than not, it can be
confusing for newcomers.
UNDERSTANDING
INVERTED ENVELOPES
Inverted filter envelopes are
a powerful tool for simulating
horn swells and other exotic
tricks. However, the key to
using them correctly is un-
derstanding that, unlike posi-
tive envelopes, negative enve-
lopes subtract from the base
Fig. 2. A graphic example
of an inverted 4-stage en-
velope controlling the cut-
off frequency of a filter.
value of the cutoff frequency or other modulated
parameters. Accordingly, their sound is that of an
instant attack followed by a variable decay (the at-
tack segment) until it hits “bottom” (determined
by the negative envelope amount). At that point,
it rises (based on the decay time) until it reaches
the sustain level, where it remains until the key is
released, and then it returns to the original value
of the cutoff frequency. Though this may sound
confusing, Figure 2 is a clear diagram of what’s ac-
tually happening.
FILTERS ON SINE OR TRIANGLE WAVES
Sine waves contain a single fundamental frequen-
cy, whereas triangle waves offer an attenuated set
of odd harmonics. As a result, adjusting the cutoff
frequency of your filter has a negligible effect on
those waveforms; in the case of a sine wave, the fil-
ter functions as an imprecise volume control and
nothing more.
While sines and triangles are great for support-
ing brighter waves, on their own, filtering them is
generally unnecessary.
UNDERSTANDING KEYBOARD TRACKING
Positive keyboard tracking increases the filter’s
cutoff frequency as higher notes are played. Nega-
tive keyboard tracking does the opposite. Most of-
ten this is used to keep the relative brightness of a
patch consistent across the keyboard.
But with high resonances, it can also be used
to tune a filter directly for use as an additional
pitched element or peak in the frequency range.
To set this up, use a sawtooth waveform with
high resonance and 100% keyboard tracking, then
adjust the cutoff frequency until the fundamen-
tal pitch of the oscillator pops out. It may require
some experimentation, but mastering this tool is a
great way to use the filter as an additional oscilla-
tor, as it can be used to emphasize any harmonic
present in the original signal. n

44 SE PT E M BE R 2 01 7 | E MU S IC IAN . C OM

elm0917_HowTo_SoundDesign-CommonMistakes_dc5_F.indd 44 7/13/17 10:33 PM

 SPITFIRE AUDIO
SPITFIRE AUDIO

elm523130_0917.indd 1 7/10/17 11:47 AM

 Two types of filters
Performance controls for
real-time expressivity
Fig. 1. The
REVIEW
MatrixBrute is
a one-of-a-kind
synthesizer
combining
analog sound and
digital control.
“Unfortunately,
no one can be told
what the Matrix
is. You have to see
it for yourself.” —
Morpheus
ARTURIA
MatrixBrute
COULD THIS
MAKE MODULAR
SYNTHS
OBSOLETE?
BY GEARY YELTON
Writer, synthesist, and EM
editor-at-large Geary Yelton
STRENGTHS
Terrific sound. Un-
spends most of the year in
beatable modulation
Asheville, North Carolina.
routing. Well-orga-
nized panel layout.
Paraphonic and split
modes. Expressive
performance controls.
Onboard sequencer
transmits MIDI data.
Ample CV and gate
connections. Free
computer-based patch
librarian software.
LIMITATIONS
Slight pop and pause
when you change
presets. Circuits some-
times bleed audio
signals. Unbalanced
outputs. Computer
software needed to
edit global parameters.
Small alphanumeric
display.
$1,999
arturia.com
46 S E P T E M BE R 2 01 7 | E MU S IC IAN .C OM
elm0917_Review_ArturiaMatrixBrute_ph8_F.indd 46
B roadly speaking, I consider newer synths supe-
rior to vintage synths. I still love the old classics, but
keeping them maintained is a pain, and replacement
parts are getting scarce. Compared to more recent
instruments, many vintage models are also lacking in
worthwhile features like multiple filter types, sophis-
ticated modulation routing, onboard effects, and na-
tive computer connectivity.
The MatrixBrute, from Grenoble-based mu-
sic software and hardware maker Arturia, aptly
demonstrates the advantages of modern technol-
ogy. It combines those features with a 64-step se-
quencer, astounding flexibility, and unparalleled
real-time control. Although it’s monophonic, the
MatrixBrute also offers 3-note paraphonic and
split modes.
Working with the MatrixBrute is a lot like us-
ing a modular synthesizer in that you can connect
almost any function to almost any other function.
Instead of patch cords, it has a matrix similar to
the grids seen on EMS’s VCS3 and Synthi A in the
1970s, but with buttons in the place of patch pins.
It also lacks the main display that most synths re-
quire for user programming. But it doesn’t need
one, because virtually all parameters are directly
accessible from the front panel without diving into
menus. In fact, the MatrixBrute has no menus.
EMBRACE THE INEVITABLE
The 44-pound MatrixBrute has a 49-note, un-
weighted keyboard that transmits MIDI velocity
and aftertouch. Its rugged steel-and-aluminum
body is trimmed with dark wood and Tolex on the
sides. Its control panel flips up on hinges to allow
positioning in one of three angles, or you can leave
Analog
Effects
section
it lying flat. Flipped down, it
locks securely in place.
The multifunction matrix
dominates the front panel and
gives the MatrixBrute its name
(see Figure 1). A tightly packed
16 x 16 grid of 256 rubbery,
backlit, translucent white but-
tons, it shares the front panel
with assorted knobs, envelope
sliders, and buttons paired with indicator LEDs.
The matrix serves three obvious functions, deter-
mined by buttons labeled Preset, Seq, and Mod.
A 3-character LED display indicates the current
preset location, and a 4-character display indicates
tempo. The 1.75 x 0.875-inch monochrome E Ink
display, which is not backlit and retains its contents
even when powered down, lists the current pre-
set’s name and assignments for four user-definable
modulation destinations in crisp type that’s slightly
smaller than the words you’re reading now.
Almost every control, except the matrix buttons,
is dedicated to a single function. Controls are orga-
nized in sections such as VCOs, VCFs, and effects.
The front panel offers enough visual feedback so
that you can focus on any detail of the whole sig-
nal flow at a glance. A Panel button makes all the
controls live, disregarding the selected preset so
you can program the MatrixBrute as if it had no
memory. All controls transmit MIDI data, and all
parameters respond to MIDI messages.
Conveniently located between the keyboard
and the pitch bend and modulation wheels are
several performance controls for enhancing real-
time expressivity. These include knobs and but-
tons for glide, octave shift, note priority, and legato
mode, as well as four smooth and assignable rotary
7/17/17 4:34 PM
 encoders for controlling macros. On the front left,
below the performance controls, is a 1/4-inch ste-
reo headphone output, right where it should be.
Along with two unbalanced master outputs and
a TRS insert, the back panel has a monophonic in-
put with a switch to enable gate detection, allow-
ing the synth to trigger envelopes from external
instruments or click tracks. You can route the input
to an envelope follower, which makes the Matrix-
Brute a monster for processing guitar, for example.
Twenty-four 3.5mm jacks serve as CV ins and outs
connected to the VCOs, VCFs, VCA, and one LFO,
as well as gate ins and outs connected to the enve-
lopes. These allow interfacing with Eurorack mod-
ules and other external devices. A DIN 24 jack con-
nects to compatible gear, too (see Figure 2).
MIDI connections comprise USB and In, Out,
and Thru DIN jacks, alongside connections for
a sustain switch and two expression pedals. The
internal power supply has an IEC connector and
works with 100 to 240VAC sources.
VOICE OF THE MATRIX
The MatrixBrute has three analog oscillators and
a noise generator. VCO 1 and VCO 2 are identical,
generating sawtooth, pulse, and triangle waveforms
you can mix using the waveform level knobs. Each
waveform has one knob that modifies its spectrum.
The Ultrasaw knob thickens the sawtooth by add-
ing two slightly out-of-phase copies. Pulse Width
varies the duty cycle from square wave to zero
output. The Metalizer knob adds overtones to the
triangle wave output. VCOs 1 and 2 each have a sub-
oscillator that plays a fixed octave lower and is con-
tinuously variable from sine to a dull square. The
third oscillator, VCO 3–LFO 3, functions as both a
sound source and a modulation source.
The noise generator produces more colors than
you would expect. In addition to the usual white
and pink, it generates red noise, which uses ex-
treme high-cut filtering to suppress high frequen-
cies entirely, and blue noise, which uses low-cut
filtering to suppress lower frequencies.
The MatrixBrute has two filters, VCF1 Steiner
and VCF2 Ladder. In the 1970s, Nyle Steiner, who
developed the Steiner-Parker electronic valve
Fig. 2. In addition to master outputs and a TRS insert, the rear panel has a mono input with
gate detection, DIN 24 sync, and two dozen minijacks for interfacing modular synths and
other external gear.
elm0917_Review_ArturiaMatrixBrute_ph8_F.indd 47
and wind instruments, designed a filter Arturia
later adopted for the Brute series. VCF1 can sound
more raw and raspy than most typical synth filters.
In contrast, VCF2 sounds smooth, fat, and practi-
cally identical to Bob Moog’s much-loved ladder
filter. Their user parameters, which include Drive
and Brute Factor distortion, are identical except
that VCF1 has a notch response in addition to
lowpass, highpass, and bandpass. You can switch
either filter from a 12- to 24dB-per-octave slope.
A prominent rotary encoder labeled Master Cutoff
offsets the two filter frequencies equally.
In the Mixer section, the MatrixBrute’s audio
path routes all sound sources through either or
both filters. Selecting both lets you route them in
series or parallel.
In the Audio Mod section below the VCOs, you
can route oscillators and noise to modulate the
frequency of the other oscillators and either filter.
VCO 1 can modulate VCO 2, and VCO 3 can modu-
late VCO 1 or 2. VCO 3 can modulate either filter,
and the noise generator can modulate either VCO
1 or VCF 1. Any combination produces a broad
range of harmonically complex timbres.
In the Voice section, you can choose Mono-
phonic, Paraphonic, or Duo-Split modes. When
playing paraphonically, the MatrixBrute can pro-
duce three tones simultaneously, with each VCO
generating a separate tone while sharing the VCA,
VCFs, and envelopes. Selecting Duo-Split mode
enables a second, hidden VCA to play separately
articulated voices. You can play two timbres si-
multaneously on the left and right halves of the
keyboard, or one on the keyboard and the other
with the sequencer. One side of the split uses the
Steiner filter controlled by Envelope 1, and the
other uses the ladder filter controlled by Envelope
3. How you route the VCOs to the filters deter-
mines which side is duophonic.
The MatrixBrute is the first monosynth I’ve
seen with this kind of split capability. I found that
pitch bend and octave shift affect only the right
half, and glide affects only the left half, whereas
the mod wheel affects both. You can, however,
transpose the left half by holding the Mode button
as you shift the octave. You can’t load two different
SEP TEMBER
presets to create a duo split, though you can create
your own preset that incorporates one preset from
memory and another timbre you create manually.
A MODULATION MASTERPIECE
Because the three ADSR envelope generators have
sliders, you can see their settings instantly, and
that’s always helpful. Envelopes 1 and 2 are hard-
wired to the filter and amplifier but can modulate
any destination. Each has an additional slider that
determines keyboard velocity’s effect. Envelope 3
has no fixed assignment and has a Delay slider that
postpones the attack for up to 10 seconds.
You can sync either of the two LFOs with the
sequencer or an external clock. The LFOs are al-
most identical, but where a knob on LFO 1 deter-
mines its initial phase, a knob on LFO 2 delays its
onset. Each LFO offers seven waveforms, includ-
ing sample-and-hold and noise. They can either
loop continuously, wait until they receive a gate
signal to begin their cycles, or cycle through just
once and stop, like an envelope.
In Modulation mode, the matrix organizes mod
sources in 16 alphabetized rows and mod destina-
tions in 16 numbered columns. To route modula-
tors, you first press the Mod button, then press
the button that aligns with the desired modulator
and destination, and then adjust the range with
the Mod Amount encoder. If you want to modu-
late the VCF1’s cutoff with keyboard velocity, for
example, press the button where row K (Velocity)
intersects column 9 (Steiner Cutoff ), and then dial
in the maximum modulation depth. Because there
are more possible mod destinations than columns,
however, you can assign any destinations you
choose to the last four columns, and your assign-
ments will be shown in the E Ink display.
OBJECT OF MY EFFECTS
The Analog Effects section is based on a bucket-
brigade device (BBD), a delay line on an analog
signal-processing chip. The effects comprise ste-
reo and mono delay, chorus, flanger, and reverb.
Two buttons change effects type and enable sync.
All the effects share three knobs—Delay Time, Re-
generation, and Wet/Dry mix—and the function of
the other two, Tone/Rate and Width/Depth, de-
pends on which effect is selected.
Analog reverb has an unusual but toothsome
character, and varying its parameters with modu-
lators yields even more unique timbres. Things
can get especially interesting when you modulate
delay time with an LFO, envelope, or mod wheel.
I like the chorus more than most, particularly its
ability to impart width. The delays have a maxi-
mum half-second delay time, and the stereo delay
has two taps and uses the Width/Depth knob to
introduce a stereo ping-pong effect. You can’t in-
dependently control delay time for the two taps,
201 7 | EMU SICIAN .COM 47
7/17/17 4:35 PM
 though, which limits its versatility. But the biggest
downside is that with only a single BBD, your pre-
set can apply only one effects type at a time.
STEP BY STEP
The MatrixBrute stores 256 step sequences called
Patterns, which can be linked to presets or stored
on their own. Unlike synths that make you scroll
through menus, the MatrixBrute accesses all se-
quencer functions using the grid’s 256 buttons and
the Sequencer section’s 24 buttons and 3 knobs (see
Figure 3).
The transport controls are in the Sequencer sec-
tion, which also handles parameters such as pat-
tern length, tempo, swing, gate time, note values,
and clock divisions, either as you’re recording or
during playback. I was thrilled to discover the se-
quencer transmits MIDI data, which means it can
play external instruments and you can record pat-
terns into your DAW tracks.
Engaging Sequencer mode divides the matrix
buttons into four groups of four rows, giving you
four buttons per step. Each group has 16 steps for
a maximum 64 steps in a pattern. The four but-
tons in each step control four parameters. The
Step button illuminates to indicate that a note will
play; if it’s dark, it indicates a rest. The Slide but-
ton turns glide on between one step and the next,
aas-keyboad-em-half-page-2017-objeq-delay-rev-0.pdf 1 4/7/2017 12:15:21
facilitating the type of slurs that made the Roland
OBJEQ DELAY ACOUSTIC FILTER & DELAY
CM
MY
CY
CMY
elm0917_Review_ArturiaMatrixBrute_ph8_F.indd 48
Fig. 3. In combination with the 16x16
matrix, the Sequencer section furnishes all
the controls you’ll need
to record, edit, and control sequences and
arpeggios.
TB-303 famous. An illuminated Accent button in-
dicates a higher velocity value for a step, either en-
abled by pressing it or recorded in real time. Mod
enables modulation for the selected step once
you’ve set that up in the modulation matrix. You
can enable or disable any of these buttons while
you’re programming a pattern or on-the-fly during
a performance.
You use the keyboard to record patterns one
step at a time, giving each step equal duration, or
you can record quantized patterns in real time and
even punch in when needed. Enter rests by press-
ing the Sequencer section’s Tap button. When you
finish recording, you can change a note’s duration
or tie notes together by pressing two or more Step
buttons at the same time. Change the pitch of any
step by first pressing Record while the transport is
idle, then selecting a step, and then playing a new
note. You can also use the keyboard to transpose
the entire pattern during playback.
The Sequencer section also controls param-
eters for the arpeggiator. The arpeggiator has
four normal play modes—forward, reverse, ran-
dom, and alternating forward and reverse. Its real
power, however, lies in Matrix Arpeggiator mode.
When you press the Sequencer and Arpeggiator
buttons simultaneously, the upper group of four
rows becomes a 16-step sequencer, and the three
groups below determine which note will sound
when you play a 4-note chord. Each of the three
groups may be assigned to a different octave, and
you can transpose any step up or down a semitone.
Although I was happy with the sequencer’s
versatility and ease of use, it didn’t meet all my
assumptions. When I heard you could program
the sequencer from the matrix, I wanted to press
buttons in the grid to enter notes the way you can
with, say, Ableton Push’s note mode, Yamaha’s
Tenori-On, or Fugue Machine on the iPad. I hope
this feature will be possible in a future update. IN
In Preset mode, predictably enough, each but-
ton in the grid loads one of the 256 internal pre-
Applied Acoustics Systems
7/17/17 4:35 PM
elm525121_0917.indd 1
SamAsh_EM_SEPT2017.indd 1 7/10/17 12:25 AM
7/7/17 10:23 PM

Fig. 4. Arturia’s MIDI Control Center lets you
access the MatrixBrute’s global parameters
and store thousands of presets and patterns.
sets. When you switch from one preset to another,
the previous preset cuts off immediately, and
you’ll notice a pause (less than a second) before
pressing a key triggers a sound. That delay can be
a problem in some situations.
The factory presets supply a veritable menag-
erie of expertly crafted timbres that sound ter-
rific, though none of them takes full advantage
of everything the MatrixBrute can do. When you
install Arturia’s free MIDI Control Center on your
computer, you’re no longer limited to 256 pre-
sets and 256 patterns. The software can serve as
a patch librarian, allowing your computer to store
an unlimited number of presets and patterns (see
Figure 4). You can drag
Keyboard_ES8_ES8 and drop
12/3/15 2:56 them between
PM Page 1 a wheel to its extreme, you can feel the precision-
50 S E P T E M BE R 2 01 7 | E MU S IC IAN .C OM
elm0917_Review_ArturiaMatrixBrute_ph8_F.indd 50
your computer and the MatrixBrute, arrange and
organize them into projects onscreen, and tag
them with keywords. You’ll also need MIDI Con-
trol Center to configure global parameters such
as MIDI channels, clock source, velocity curves,
and so on, and to update the MatrixBrute’s firm-
ware.
As much as I’ve come to admire the Matrix-
Brute’s design, it does have flaws. The most seri-
ous is that audio signals can bleed between circuits.
With the filter open and all mixer inputs disabled,
for example, I noticed a faint periodic sputtering,
like gentle helicopter blades. The sputtering took
on pitch when I raised VCO 3’s frequency, and I
traced it to VCO 3 bleeding through the Steiner fil-
ter.
A similar problem I couldn’t track down com-
pletely was a sort of rhythmic beat bleeding
through from LFO 2 whenever I turned any effects
to fully wet—again, regardless of whether the filters
were switched off. When I asked Arturia about the
problem, I was told the cause was packing so many
components into such a compact space, making oc-
casional bleeding between circuit boards inevitable.
The pitch-bend and mod wheels feel more
lightweight than on any of my other synths, but my
bigger concern is the gap in the metal opening at
the top and bottom of their throw. When you push
Whatever The Venue… Whatever The Occasion
Kawai America Corporation • 2055 E University Drive •
cut edge of the opening.
Overall, though, I’m quite pleased with the
MatrixBrute’s build quality. The knobs, sliders,
and buttons are all good, and some are excellent.
The construction is solid, and I wouldn’t hesitate
to take this instrument out on the road. Unlike
some digitally controlled synths, the MatrixBrute
generates control signals with such fine resolution
that turning a knob or modulating a signal doesn’t
produce the slightest trace of zipper noise.
RESISTANCE IS FUTILE
Despite its minor flaws, I’ve fallen for the Matrix-
Brute, and I’ve fallen hard. It does almost any-
thing I’d want an analog monosynth to do, with
few qualifiers. Given current technology, it comes
as close as possible to a Eurorack system without
patch cords. Unlike a modular synth, though, it
memorizes and recalls every connection, every
preset, and every sequence. Sure, some modules
do plenty of things the MatrixBrute can’t, like ring
modulation or generating exotic wavetables, but
you can overcome such limitations by connecting
its insert jack to outboard effects and its CV and
gate jacks to modular gear.
Without a doubt, the MatrixBrute is an instru-
ment that has won my respect and admiration. This
isn’t just a lot of synth for the money; it’s a lot of
synth, period. Arturia has made me a devoted fan. n
The new Kawai ES8 Portable Digital Piano is
the ultimate portable digital piano. Whether
you’re playing on stage, accompanying the
church choir, studying in the classroom or
practicing at home, the ES8 is portable piano
perfection.
Versatile and powerful, with class leading feel
and sound, the Kawai ES8 is a compact,
elegant and highly portable instrument
perfect for any musical occasion… anytime,
anywhere.
kawaius.com
7/17/17 4:35 PM
 uhe_satin_EMSeptember17.pdf 1 2017-07-07 10:06

elm521544_0917.indd 1 7/10/17 11:53 AM

 Share Presets with
Helix hardware
Click on blocks to
change models
Load custom IRs
REVIEW
Helix Native lets you configure
your own signal path—amps,
cabinets, mics and effects—
and use it on your computer
or transfer it to one of Line 6’s
Helix hardware processors.
LINE 6
Helix
Native
A PREVIEW OF
A POWERFUL
AMP- AND
EFFECTS-
MODELING
PLUG-IN
BY MICHAEL ROSS
Michael Ross is a writer/
musician/producer living
STRENGTHS
Plenty of amp, cab
in Nashville. Check out his
and mic models. Deep
blog, guitarmoderne.com.
editing. Presets can
be shared with Helix
hardware devices.
Loads custom impulse
responses. Discount
pricing for registered
owners of Helix hard-
ware and select Line 6
software.
LIMITATIONS
Some common effects
models missing. No
drag-and-drop config-
uring.
$399
line6.com
52 S E P T E M BE R 2 01 7 | E MU S IC IAN .C OM
elm0917_Review_Line6HelixNative_f_prod.indd 52
L ine 6 is so well-known for its pioneering amp-and-
effects modeling hardware (e.g., POD, DL4) that it is
sometimes forgotten that the company has been
selling modeling software, such as POD Farm and
Echo Farm, for decades. Its latest hardware model-
er, Helix, has staked a claim on the rapidly expanding
subset of guitarists who eschew combos, stacks,
and pedalboards for a single multi-modeler to han-
dle all of their onstage amp and effects needs.
Now, the DSP technology that drives the Helix
hardware has been harnessed as a software plug-in:
Helix Native. Although this plug-in was in the final
stages of Beta testing when we got a sneak preview,
Helix Native should be available to the public by
the time this issue of Electronic Musician hits the
stands. Here are some facts and first impressions.
THE SOFTWARE/HARDWARE NEXUS
Helix Native comes with more than 60 guitar and bass
amplifiers, more than 30 interchangeable speaker
cabinets, and more than 100 effects. The usual Fender,
Marshall, Vox, and Hiwatt emulations are present,
along with some popular boutique brands. The Helix
HX Hybrid cabs purport to provide the same resolu-
tion and low-end accuracy as a 2048-point (or higher)
impulse response, while using roughly the same DSP
as a 1024-point IR. As with the Helix Floor and Rack
processors, you can also load custom impulse respons-
es, including third-party IRs (impulse responses).
Helix Native also includes 16 microphone mod-
els. Although you can vary a mic’s distance from the
virtual speaker cabinet, you cannot shift its axis.
(You can, of course, simulate an off-axis response to
some extent by using the High Cut option.)
In fact, Helix Native contains the same set of amps,
cabinets, and effects as the He-
lix hardware units, and it shares
a similar user interface with the
editor application for those hard-
ware devices. This makes presets
created in Helix Native transfer-
able to any Helix hardware unit
via the Helix editor.
Unlike IK Multimedia Am-
plitube, Native Instruments
Guitar Rig, or even Line 6’s own
POD Farm plug-in, Helix Native eschews icons that
graphically represent—however obliquely—the spe-
cific amps and effects being modeled, in favor of the
minimal graphics of the hardware. Personally, I like
the streamlined look it gives the GUI, but it does
mean identifying the effect or amp being used in a
chain and it requires clicking on a little block generi-
cally labeled Dly, Mod, Dist, and so forth. Also, in an
effort to maintain transferability between hardware
and software, you cannot drag amps and effects into
the signal path: You must create a spot at the end
of the chain, click on a selected effect and, once in-
stalled, drag the effect to the position you choose.
That said, Helix Native makes it easy, through
drag and drop, to create multiple series and par-
allel signal paths. I was able to set up an AC30-
based wet-wet-dry rig in just a few minutes. Once
I created this rig, I could save it to an empty preset
in one of Helix Native’s Set Lists.
Automation, at this point, is a little bit baroque,
though it is not unlike other Amp modeling software.
I installed the Helix Native plug-in on my guitar input
track in Ableton Live. To control parameters through
MIDI, either for a hardware controller or automation,
I needed to click on the desired effect or amp, and
then click its Automation/Controller Assign box. The
7/17/17 1:53 PM
 good news is that Helix’s elegant GUI places it right
there as an alternative to the parameter Edit box—no
scrolling through drop-down menus or searching for
hidden screens to find the page.
Once you click on that screen, however, there
are drop-down menus involved. The first lets you
choose the parameter you want to automate or con-
trol in real time. Once you have done that (I chose
Level for an overdrive effect), another drop-down
menu just below asks you to pick a Knob number; I
chose Knob 1. Having completed that task, I could
go into Ableton, choose Configure on the Helix
plug-in, and when I move the Level slider in the
Helix GUI, Ableton will recognize it as Knob 1.
I can then control the overdrive’s level with a
hardware controller or automation. Though this
may sound convoluted, it can all be done fairly
quickly. Even better, once I choose Knob 1 to control
Level, if I switch to a different overdrive model, it
will already control that model’s level, as well. Line
6 is already working on a MIDI Learn function for
Helix Native that will make all of this much easier.
PLAYABILITY
In the end, modeling software comes down to sound,
and in the case of amp models, also feel. Unlike plug-
ging a guitar cord into an actual amp, playing though
an audio interface into a DAW hosting an amp-mod-
eling plug-in requires judicious balancing of gain
stages. Helix Native has an input level control that
must be adjusted to work with the input level of the
audio interface to provide the amp models with a
signal that will cause them to react like the real thing.
Once I had the levels adjusted to the proper
proportions, the dynamic response of the Helix
amps proved remarkably realistic. Set to a slightly
crunchy amount of gain, the models cleaned up
nicely with lighter picking attack or by lowering
the guitar volume. This allows the kind of expres-
sive playing one gets from a real tube amp.
The amp’s sound and feel can be tailored to your
taste through a set of controls that goes beyond the
Bass, Mid, Treble, and Presence found on the sur-
face of many amps. Lowering the Sag value offers
a tighter response, whereas higher values provide
more touch dynamics and sustain. Theoretically,
Hum and Ripple adjust how much heater hum and
AC ripple interacts with your tone, respectively. Not
being an amp tech, I don’t know exactly what that
means but I could detect little or no effect beyond
a slight warble when both were on 10. Bias changes
the bias of the power tubes, with lower values cre-
ating Class AB bias, whereas at maximum, the amp
is operating in Class A. Bias X determines how the
power amp reacts when pushed hard; a low setting
produces a tighter feel, while a higher one provides
more tube compression. This parameter is interac-
tive with the Drive and Master settings. All these
effects are subtle at less than extreme settings.
elm0917_Review_Line6HelixNative_f2_prod.indd 53
Most players just want an amp that sounds great
out of the box. For example, the Bogner sounded
good out of the gate, as did the clean Fender sounds. A
couple of the amps—the Marshall JM and Plexi mod-
els and the Vox Essex 30, in particular—needed a fair
amount of tweaking before they began to inspire me.
Often it was just a matter of adjusting the previously
mentioned gain stages and some tone twiddling, oth- STUDIO FURNITURE
ers required a different mic and/or some high or low
cut at the cabinet miking stage to remove an unpleas-
ant high end. While we are on mics, I am pretty sure
a C414 condenser should have more high-end sparkle MIZA LINE
than an SM57 dynamic microphone, not less.
Though Line 6 pioneered amp modeling with its
Axis series, it is effects like the ubiquitous DL4 delay/
looper and, more recently, the M Series of hardware
processors that put the Line 6 stamp on the music-
gear world. Thus, it came as no surprise that the ef-
fects in Helix Native sound uniformly excellent.
Classics of each type are accurately modeled,
although some of the industry stalwarts are con-
spicuous by their absence. The Dyna Comp is mod-
eled, but not the Boss CS-2 or -3. The SD-1, Centaur,
OCD, Tube Driver, and Rat are here, but the TS-9
is missing. Instead we have the Kowloon Walled
Bunny overdrive, which admittedly shows Line 6’s
ability to get down in the weeds with its accurate
emulations of germanium, silicon, and LED com-
ponents interacting in various combinations.
Legendary effects such as the Fuzz Face, Boss
CE-1 chorus, Echoplex, Big Muff and Memory Man
are honored, but Helix Native also nods to modern
sounds with a very cool Bitcrusher option and a
Harmony Delay, as well as Octo and Particle Verbs.
In fact, Helix Native goes beyond classic guitar tones
into the world of modular synthesis with a three-oscil-
lator synth and a three-tone note generator. Combin-
ing those with the many of the other lush modulation,
delay, and reverb models, and a slew of boutique and
modded pedal simulations might make Helix Native
well worth the price of admission for the effects alone.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Keep in mind that the version that we were given for
this review was a pre-release version, and there are
possible changes to come. But if you are a fan of Line
6’s Helix hardware, Helix Native software will make
jumping back and forth between live and recording
relatively seamless, as you can easily transfer sounds
created in the studio to the stage, and vice versa.
Even if you are not on the Line 6 hardware bandwag-
on, you may find Helix Native a welcome addition to
the field of software amp-and-effects modelers.
Moreover, Line 6 didn’t create Helix Native just
for guitarists. The developer says this plug-in was
designed for anyone who is looking to create new www.zaorstudiofurniture.com
and unique sounds—from producers, DJs and en-
gineers to sound designers and composers work- USA — Distribution by www.audioplusservices.com
CANADA — Distribution by www.plurison.com
ing in film, TV, or video games. n
SEP TEMBER 201 7 | EMU SICIAN .COM 53
7/18/17 2:45 PM
 Disable each module Select
to save CPU cycles rhythmic
delay times

Filter the
REVIEW

delay’s
Fig. 1. With Objeq Delay, echoes
you’ll make sounds that
defy easy analysis. It
combines two delays with
physical modeling, an LFO,
and dual-band filtering.

APPLIED
ACOUSTICS
SYSTEMS

Objeq I ’ve long been fascinated by unique effects, especial-

ly when they require specific hardware or software. Ob-
jeq Delay, from Canadian developer Applied Acoustics
to control the second delay’s
number of repeats.
An alternate means to set de-

Delay Systems, is one such plug-in. Combining a two-stage

delay processor with a physical-modeled resonator,
high- and low-cut filters, and LFO modulation, Objeq
lay time uses popup palettes that
specify precise rhythmic values
or apply a multiplier that mul-
tiplies the selected duration by
TRANSPORTING Delay opens up new timbral realms to explore. its value (Figure 1). Selecting the

CLASSIC The uncluttered GUI is divided into five function-

EFFECTS TO al modules—LFO, Filter, Object, Delay, and Mixer—
with a stereo level meter on the right. Each of the first
PREVIOUSLY four modules can be turned off, helping you conserve
multiplier’s 2/3 and 4/3 values
can generate complex rhythms. The Delay module
also has High Cut and Low Cut sliders that affect only
the repeats and a Ping Pong button that alternates re-
peats from left to right to create an illusion of width.

UNHEARD CPU cycles. Other than the browser, the plug-in’s user
interface is a single panel you can’t resize.
WORLDS Audio input passes through the Filter module first,
if it’s enabled. It combines high-cut and low-cut filters
BY GEARY YELTON and lets you dial in cutoff frequencies across the entire
audible spectrum, with 1-, 2-, or 4-pole rolloffs.
Editor-at-large Geary The Object module emulates four acoustic reso-
Yelton has been
STRENGTHS nators—Beam, Drumhead, Plate and String. Each
Unique and versatile
writing about gear for has its own tonal signature resulting from its spectral
effects. Eight seconds
Electronic Musician for
of delay. Ample tone- response to an input signal. Along with a menu to se-
almost half his life.
shaping parameters. lect resonator type, the Object module’s Frequency
Easy to use. and Decay knobs control the resonant pitch and the
resonant effect’s duration. The Material knob deter-
LIMITATIONS
Only one modulation mines how partials decay in relation to the funda-
routing. GUI isn’t resiz- mental, making low partials decay more quickly than
able. high partials or vice versa, producing a more or less
metallic sound. Formant models how close the signal
$139
is applied to the resonator’s center or edge.
applied-acoustics.com
The Delay module supplies two stereo delays—
a single delay and a feedback loop—each with
a maximum 8-second delay time. They can be
linked and independently synced to host tempo.
The First and Echo knobs adjust the delay time of
the two delays, respectively, with a Feedback knob
The LFO module offers five shapes, bipolar or un-
ipolar modulation, and the ability to lock to tempo in
subdivisions or multiples of note values. Choose from
13 mod destinations such as filter cutoff, formants,
or just the wet portion of the output. Assigned to the
Echoes parameter, LFO produces wild variations by
dynamically changing delay time. I just wish it could
modulate multiple destinations simultaneously.
The Bank Manager displays banks and pro-
grams, along with other information. It’s also
where you move, rename, copy, and delete banks
and programs. You get more than 200 factory pro-
grams, some musically useful and others just plain
bizarre. You can alter some of them quite radically
simply by changing the LFO rate and destination,
Object frequency, and delay times.
Interaction between the two delay lines lets you
create innumerable rhythmic variations, but what
makes Objeq Delay unique is the interaction between
the modules. Applying LFO modulation to param-
eters such as Object frequency, material, or formant
can generate effects difficult to reproduce with other
processors. For a delay plug-in that takes your sounds
to new places, at the very least, download the demo. n

54 S E P T E M BE R 2 01 7 | E MU S IC IAN .C OM

elm0917_Review_AASObjeqDelay_dc4_F.indd 54 7/11/17 9:20 AM

 “Possibly the
best EQ plugin
on the market”
Computer Music Magazine (CM212)

An equalizer is probably the tool you use most while mixing and mastering,
so you need the best of the best! With FabFilter Pro-Q 2, you get the highest possible
sound quality and a gorgeous, innovative interface with unrivalled ease of use.

www.fabfilter.com

elm519996_0817_r1.indd 1 6/29/17 4:34 PM

 Drag VSTs into
sequencer or rack

Supports 64-bit Have several

VST 2.4 plug-ins Plugin
Windows open
simultaneously
REVIEW

In addition
to being
remarkably
stable when
using VSTs
within the
program,
Reason 9.5
includes
plug-in delay
compensation.

PROPELLERHEAD

Reason W hen Propellerhead announced that Reason 9.5

would finally support VST 2.4 plug-ins, longtime users
reacted like an Oprah audience hearing they’re all get-
vice opens a matrix for assigning
CV inputs to any VST plug-in
parameter. Flipping the Reason

9.5 ting new cars. Not only did Propellerhead satisfy its us-
ers’ number-one request, but also it knocked off a ma-
jor deal-breaker for non-Reason users to try this great
rack to the back, first you must
patch a CV output from a device
like the Pulsar dual LFO or Alliga-
tor triple gate to one of the eight
RACK UP music workstation.  Modulation CV Ins of the plug-in.

THOSE VSTS For the most part, this integration has been
Then in the CV programmer, you
can assign any of the CV inputs to any available plug-
smooth. You get fully functioning VSTs plugged into in parameter, either from a menu or by clicking Learn
BY MARKKUS ROVITO
the unique Reason workflow, including flexible audio and selecting a parameter from the plug-in’s inter-
routing, patchable CV control, and inclusion within face. You can also set the Amount from 100 (full mod-
Markkus Rovito is a
writer/musician/DJ.
STRENGTHS Combinator patches. Reason 9.5 hosts 64-bit VST 2.4 ulation) down to -100 (full reverse modulation) and
VST instruments and plug-ins (VST 3 and 32-bit VSTs are not supported) set the Base Value, or starting point for modulation.
He’s been down from
effects cleanly inte-
day one of Reason. in a nearly identical way to other Reason instrument The CV routing, as well as selecting VST param-
grated with Reason’s
unique workflow. VST and effect devices. After a plug-in scan upon first eters for automation and remote control from the
parameters can be au- launch, available VSTs appear beneath Reason and Plugin Window, worked well for every plug-in I tried,
tomated, MIDI mapped, Rack Extension devices in the Instruments and Ef- except for sample library instrument hosts such as
and modulated with fects sections of the Browser and the Create menu. UVI Workstation and Native Instrument Komplete
device CV outputs.
Analysis plug-ins, such as spectrum analyzers, ap- Kontrol. With Komplete Kontrol, I could create au-
LIMITATIONS pear under Utilities. tomation lanes and assign remote controls for the
VSTs not supported in Drag VSTs straight into the rack or the sequencer parameters of individual instruments loaded in it, but
ReWire mode. Some or (for instruments), and Reason automatically sets up a the Parameter list for CV modulation was incomplete.
all parameters within sequencer and mixer channel with basic audio rout- With instruments loaded into UVI Workstation, their
sample library instru-
ing. New Plug-in Rack Devices, which look much like parameters weren’t recognized for automation lanes,
ment hosts cannot
be automated or CV- a Combinator device, host the VST in the rack. remote control assignment, or CV modulation. I sus-
modulated. The main difference is, the Open button launches pect third-party programmers and Propellerhead
the Plugin Window, which includes the VST’s normal could work out this incompatibility over time.
$399 street ($129 GUI, as well as a few title bar options. You can set the Remarkably, none of the VSTs I tested crashed
upgrade from any
Plugin Window to stay open even when you click on Reason or crashed at all, though Propellerhead has
version)
propellerheads.se other rack devices, and you can keep many Plugin some sandboxing built in to help prevent a crash,
Windows open at once. The Automate and Remote as well as plug-in delay compensation. You can also
buttons let you choose any parameter of the VST for disable problem VSTs from the Manage Plugins win-
which to open an automation lane in the sequencer dow.
or to assign to a connected MIDI control surface. Reason 9.5 has been born anew. It’s the same great
A CV Programmer arrow on the Plugin Rack De- system with a clean slate of possibilities. n

56 S E P T E M BE R 2 01 7 | E MU S IC IAN .C OM

elm0917_Review_PropellerheadReason95_dc3_F.indd 56 7/11/17 9:22 AM

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 USB has Live and
Recording modes

Individual effect
send per channel
Separate
A sturdy device ground lifts
REVIEW

that provides for main and

a wide variety monitor outs
of functions
that gigging
keyboardists need,
in a surprisingly
small footprint.

RADIAL
ENGINEERING

Key-Largo W e gigging keyboardists have pretty simple needs

in onstage sound support. So why has fulfilling them
always felt complicated? For mixing two or three key-
based virtual instruments into a
live rig. More on this in its own
section below.

THE GOLDILOCKS
LIVE MIXER
FOR KEYBOARD
PLAYERS
BY STEPHEN FORTNER
Stephen Fortner was a
STRENGTHS
full-time editor at Keyboard
Clean, no-noise, un-
magazine for ten years
colored sound. Brings
and its editor-in-chief
hardware and software
from 2009 through 2015.
synths into the same
He currently consults
mix with no trouble.
in the music products,
USB audio resolution
automotive, and film/TV
up to 24-bit/192kHz.
industries and is helming
Excellent build quality.
the upcoming website
synth-expert.com.
LIMITATIONS
No headphone output.
No onboard EQ. Wall-
wart AC supply is only
power option.
$379 street
radialeng.com
boards in stereo and some way to feed our powered
stage speaker separately from the main P.A., we car-
Each input channel has its
own effects send; the master
ry a compact mixer. For a ground lift switch to defeat
return knob is just to the right
of the input section. This is in-
the electrical buzzes that often plague live venues, tended for any pedals or other
we carry direct boxes. If soft synths running on a lap-
top are part of the rig, we need an audio/MIDI inter-
external effects you may have,
and yes, you can use stereo ef-
face. Radial’s new Key-Largo is the first single device fects via the proper Y-cables.
With a monaural effects chain,
I’ve used that combines all of these functions—and
summing to mono is problem-
performs a few other useful tasks as well—in the
free. Overall effect bypass is
footprint of an oversized stompbox. Its mission is to toggled using the stompbox-
simplify our lives, and it succeeds.
style button on the left.
Master outs are on XLR con-
ANALOG INS AND OUTS nectors, and they’re balanced and transformer-
The Key-Largo is meant to be placed on the floor isolated as with high-quality direct boxes. Monitor
like a stompbox. If you’d rather have it closer at outputs (for driving powered stage wedges or your
hand, it’s so hefty that it won’t bounce around if in-ear system) consist of a stereo 1/4" pair and are
perched on blank keyboard-panel space. (It comes likewise balanced, with their own volume control.
with stick-on rubber feet but I’d use heavy-duty There’s also a stereo TRS send-and-return loop
Velcro for maximum peace of mind.) Nor will the for a volume pedal—not a controller-type sweep
weight of even a full complement of plugged-in pedal, but the kind that attenuates the audio it-
cables tip it backwards. Like all Radial products, self—which affects the main and monitor outputs
its steel construction is designed to withstand alike. This is useful both as an expression tool and
zombie apocalypse-level road abuse. Seriously, as a “panic button” if you’re not sure which key-
this thing is a beast. board has suddenly started misbehaving and mak-
The I/O complement begins with three 1/4" ing an unwanted noise: Slam it down and find the
stereo input pairs for keyboards and other line- culprit with the benefit of silence.
level sources. These are unbalanced, but the Key-
Largo ultimately turns everything into a balanced USB AUDIO, MIDI
signal (see Figure 1). The Key-Largo’s USB operates in two modes, Live
The fourth input channel is for the USB con- and Recording, selected by the sort of recessed
nection, which is perhaps the best implementa- switch you operate with a toothpick or pen point.
tion we’ve seen for seamlessly bringing computer- In Live mode, incoming audio (mono or stereo) is

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 mixed to the main, monitor, effects, and volume
pedal busses just like an analog input. If you’re
reaching for Ivory pianos or that cool Arturia CS-80
emulation at the gig, this is the behavior you want.
In Recording mode, the Key-Largo acts more
like an audio interface, routing a 2-channel mix
(but not separate inputs on separate tracks) to
your DAW as well as adding the computer’s output
to the main and monitor buses. Here, a connected
volume pedal also affects the overall USB send.
Audio resolution goes up to 24-bit/192kHz and
I can attest that the sound quality is stellar for stu-
dio as well as live applications. For recording analog
synth tracks direct, the Key-Largo stood up next to
my beloved Universal Audio Apollo like that little
girl statue stands up next to that bull statue. Drivers
(downloadable on the product page at radialeng.
com) are required for Windows; on Macs the Key-
Largo is class-compliant and simply shows up as
both an audio and MIDI device in DAWs and in the
Audio/MIDI Setup program.
Speaking of MIDI, there is some solid and use-
ful functionality in this department. Old-school
MIDI In and Out ports are on the right side panel,
and they shuttle MIDI data to and from USB. Nor-
mally you’d hook a USB MIDI keyboard directly
to your soft-synth laptop, but if you have an older
controller (or are out of USB ports) you’re cov-
ered. Want to drive an analog synth with sequence
data from your DAW? Likewise.
USE CASES
With traditional compact mixers, I’ve usually
devoted a pre-fader auxiliary send to a QSC K10
speaker for onstage monitoring, which means I’m
running in mono. If I wanted stereo I’d run the
master outs to a pair of K10s, then the speakers’
thru outs to the P.A. snake, which meant that the
only way to have “more me” onstage than what the
sound operator wanted up front was to reach for
the volume controls on the backs of the speakers
themselves—not at all an ergonomic move while
I’m playing.
The dedicated monitor bus on the Key-Largo
hit the exact sweet spot between these two ap-
proaches with none of the compromises of either.
It gave me the same relative mix of keyboards as
what I’m sending to the front-of-house (which
is what I want to hear), yet I could hear more or
less of it with a single knob twist. In conventional
mixer terms, this is because while the monitor bus
is post-input-gain, it’s effectively pre-“fader.”
Radial says that a 24V internal power rail fa-
cilitates wide dynamic range, and to my ears the
Key-Largo let all of the subtlety through on soft
passages, yet didn’t get even a little crispy when
I pushed it hard. In fact, I don’t recall a compact
keyboard mixer ever performing this well soni-
cally at a loud gig.
elm0917_Review_KeyLargo_dc6.indd 59
Fig. 1. At a glance, the rear panel tells you the balanced/unbalanced status of ins and outs,
that the volume pedal send/return is stereo-capable, and that you need drivers for USB
(though only on Windows, natch). No manual-diving needed!
In three decades of gigging, I don’t believe
I’ve come across a mixing solution that’s
more precisely targeted at the needs of
the modern live keyboardist. The Key-
Largo simply does everything you need and
nothing you don’t.
Ground buzz usually makes itself known dur-
ing sound check, but the reality is that sometimes
you don’t get a sound check. I’ve also had buzzes
mysteriously manifest during a set, perhaps be-
cause the ground is intermittent on one stage
circuit or another. With not one but two ground
lifts (monitor and main outs) right on the front
panel, the Key-Largo let me surgically remove
buzz without diving for direct boxes and with no
one the wiser. File under “Why doesn’t everything
have this?”
The Key-Largo can also sub in for one of your
sustain pedals. Hook a 1/4" cable from the jack
on the right-side panel to the pedal input on your
keyboard, and you’re golden. Polarity is switch-
able via another recessed button, and even though
the button you step on is clicky, its behavior is
(correctly) momentary. I prefer a piano-type pedal
for most applications, but for that second or third
synth, this saves your foot from chasing one more
pedal around the floor.
It feels forced to think about what the Key-Lar-
go leaves me wanting. Mic inputs would be nice
for miking up a Leslie, but if you’re in the real-Les-
lie club, you probably don’t mind running a setup
that involves more plumbing. More conspicuously
absent is a headphone output, which would be
handy for hotel-room shedding before the gig or
for pre-checking your keyboard mix before the
SEP TEMBER
sound engineer has shown up to turn on the moni-
tor system. Get this, though: I decided to try my
Blue MoFi headphones, which have their own
preamp built in, with the Key-Largo’s effects send
pressed into service as a line-level headphone out.
It worked nicely.
A KEY MIXER
In three decades of gigging, I don’t believe I’ve
come across a mixing solution that’s more pre-
cisely targeted at the needs of the modern live key-
boardist. The Key-Largo simply does everything
you need and nothing you don’t. If soft synths are
part of your setup, it synergizes your hardware
and software worlds as though your laptop were
just another keyboard, with no fuss. If you’re used
to a more conventional compact mixer, you might
miss having at least a bass-mid-treble onboard EQ
to make tweaks to fit the room, but consider that
all your keyboards probably have EQ themselves.
The mix bus quality you’re getting is head and
shoulders above any compact mixer other than may-
be a Speck XtraMix, which is to say, way above what
this jewel-like little Swiss Army knife costs. For 90
percent of my gigs, I’m going Key-Largo and never
going back. It’s as though someone really looked at
the needs of us keyboard players, listened, and said,
“Oh, uh, right. Someone should make that.” Well,
someone did, and their name is Radial. n
201 7 | EMU SICIAN .COM 59
7/11/17 9:24 AM
 Fig. 1. BIAS Delay is
HOW-TO

a component effect
you select from a
pop-up menu in the
top left corner of
the GUI for Positive
Grid’s BIAS Pedal
plug-in. Controls
for BIAS Delay’s
Ducker appear at
center-left when
you click on the
mod stage module
in the signal chain
shown near the top
of the GUI.

Ducked Delay
Ride the FX level without lifting a finger!

BY MICHAEL COOPER
Michael Cooper is a record-
ing, mix, mastering and post-
production engineer and a
contributing editor for Mix
magazine. You can reach
Michael at michaelcooper@
bendbroadband.com and
hear some of his mixes at
www.soundcloud.com/
michael-cooper-recording.
P rominent echo trails can sound great in the gaps between lead guitar and vo-
cal phrases, but they can clutter up the tracks when they are currently voicing if
the effect is too loud. To quiet the echoes here and there, you can place the plug-
in producing them (set to 100%-wet output) on an aux and ride the aux’s fader or
the dry track’s send. Or, if the plug-in is instantiated on the track’s insert, you can
ride the plug-in’s wet/dry mix control(s). Either way, you’ll need to write automa-
tion to record and playback all of your manual moves. What a hassle!
Instead, why not use an effect that adjusts its At the time of this writing, I knew of only three
wet signal level automatically? Ducked delay does delay plug-ins that included a ducker. Let’s take a
just that. This type of effect uses a built-in ducker look at them, in alphabetical order. I’ll focus pri-
to attenuate the effect’s wet signal—by an amount marily on the plug-ins’ ducking facilities, but keep
you choose—when its dry input signal exceeds the in mind they comprise only a tiny portion of the
threshold level you set. By setting the threshold great features each of these unique plug-ins offers.
slightly lower than the level that an instrument is
playing or a vocalist is singing, you make the ducker POSITIVE GRID BIAS DELAY
automatically lower the level of the delay effect when BIAS Delay resides inside Positive Grid’s BIAS Ped-
the track is voicing. An attack control determines al plug-in, which serves as a wrapper for Distortion,
how quickly the effect is attenuated. In between Delay, and Modulation component effects (separate
instrument or vocal phrases, the ducker releases its products). While BIAS Pedal’s main target applica-
action and the effect’s level rebounds—at a rate de- tion is processing electric guitar (the plug-in in-
termined by a release or decay control’s setting. cludes an amp sim, which can be bypassed), there’s
no reason you can’t use the BIAS Delay component
Fig. 2. The PSP stompDelay plug-in features
an effective Ducker, albeit one with limited on other types of instruments and lead vocals.
controls and metering (situated in the bottom- Inside BIAS Delay’s GUI, controls are allocated
right corner of the GUI). The plug-in’s other to different processing modules in the signal chain
features—including a powerful modulation sec-
tion—are arguably its strongest selling points. (see Figure 1). You can set the delay time, feedback

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EM_FPad.indd 1 7/7/16 7:54 AM
 level, and wet/dry mix in either the Custom Panel
or Delay Stage module, which duplicate controls for
those parameters. The Modulation Stage is where
controls for the Ducker (and for adjusting modula-
tion and basic reverb parameters) are located.
The Threshold control sets the level above
which the Ducker will kick in and reduce the lev-
el of the delay effect; turn it counter-clockwise to
raise the threshold. Turn the Gain Reduction knob
clockwise to increase how much the Ducker will
dip the delay’s wet level; the Attack control adjusts
how quickly the wet level will decrease when the
threshold is exceeded. If you find the delay ef-
fect’s level rebounds too quickly after the dry signal
falls below the threshold, turn the Release control
clockwise. Helpful Wet Volume meters show you
the current amount of gain reduction for the effect.
Fig. 3. Clicking on the FDBK/DYN tab in the
bar running along the top-center of UVI
Relayer’s GUI brings up controls for a full-
featured Ducker.
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62 SE PT E M BE R 2 01 7 | E MU S IC IAN . C OM
elm0917_HowTo_DuckedDelay_dc6_F.indd 62
PSP STOMPDELAY
The PSP stompDelay plug-in offers both conven-
tional delay effects and a looper. After setting the
delay time and feedback amount, you can adjust
the dry and wet signal levels independently using
two controls dedicated to that purpose. The mod-
ulation section lets you select among ten different
waveforms for its LFO and a whopping 37 differ-
ent note values (from 64th-note triplets to several
whole notes spanning up to four seconds). PSP
stompDelay can also simulate the effect of a tape
recorder fast-forwarding or rewinding your track.
The Ducker section is straightforward, with
two controls—Ducker Threshold and Ducker
Range—doing all the heavy lifting (see Fig. 2).
Adjust the latter control to set how much the wet
signal will be attenuated when the input signal ex-
ceeds the threshold.
PSP stompDelay is the only plug-in of the three
here that lets you dynamically attenuate the wet sig-
nal up to -∞ for complete suppression (although UVI
Relayer comes so close it’s almost moot). PSP stomp-
Delay’s Ducker provides no attack or release control,
nor a gain reduction meter. But a helpful LED lights
when the Ducker is attenuating wet signal.
UVI RELAYER
Relayer is one of the most full-featured delay plug-
ins I’ve seen. It’s a multitap delay that offers up to
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32 delay lines with an adjustable diffusor (which
softens the sound) and modulation controls (see
Figure 3). Powerful facilities let you change the
delay time, gain, pan, feedback, and filter effects
(biquad filter, wah-wah, etc.) for each delay line in
a multitap setup. You can process the delay effects
further using supplied IRs (impulse responses),
which are derived from instrument amps, radios,
telephones, laptop speakers, and more. There’s
even a gate you can open using a mouse click to let
input signal enter the delay lines—useful, for ex-
ample, for applying delay to select lyrics.
Of the three plug-ins featured here, Relayer pro-
vides the greatest complement of controls for its
ducking effect. You can adjust not only the attack
and decay (release) times for the Ducker but also
its hold time. The hold time—adjustable up to 1,000
ms—delays the onset of the release phase in which
the level of the delay effects starts to rebound. The
Threshold and Amount (gain reduction) controls
are also extremely wide-ranging—as low as -100
dBFS for Threshold and up to 50 dB for Amount.
A simple (Gain-) Reduction Level Meter gives you
a rough visual indication of how intensely the wet
signal is currently being attenuated.
Ducked delay not only sounds cool, it makes pro-
duction more fun by sparing you the hassle of auto-
mating effects levels. It’s an effect and technique that
should be a part of everyone’s, ahem, delay tactics. n
7/18/17 10:50 AM
 continued from page 33
tracks and offers wave and MP4 export. The in-
app upgrade adds a wide array of processing op-
tions, making this a handy little tool.
IANALYZER PRO (PHYAR STUDIO)
This comprehensive audio analysis toolkit gives
you all the FFT-based tools you’ll need to test and
optimize any kind of audio gear or environment.
It isn’t cheap, but if the price is too steep, the non-
Pro version is excellent, too.
IMIDIPATCHBAY (JOHANNES DOERR)
Make any MIDI keyboard a master controller.
Quickly switch between configurations that cre-
ate different splits and layering setups. Transpose
any zone and filter controller data. Instantly send
Program Changes to your entire rig. iMIDIPatch-
bay makes iOS essential onstage.
LEMUR (LIINE)
Remember the Jazz Mutant Lemur, that touch-
screen control surface for MIDI and OSC that cost
$2,495? The iPad came along and made it obsolete,
so now all the same functionality (and more) costs
one percent of the original price.
MIDI DESIGNER PRO 2 (CONFUSION
STUDIOS)
Want to design your own control panels for apps and
elm0917_Coverstory_Top200Apps_f_prod.indd 63
patch editors for MIDI gear? MIDI Designer lets
you create custom GUIs by assigning controls you
select to specific parameters, actions, and properties.
Download layouts created by other users, too.
MIDIFLOW (JOHANNES DOERR)
Although Midiflow provides yet another way to
route MIDI between apps and external sources, it
offers more flexibility and functionality than most
other apps. Presets can recall multiple routings,
filtering, remapping, master clock synchroniza-
tion, key zones, transpositions, and more.
MIDIFLOW FOR AUDIOBUS 3
(JOHANNES DOERR)
This six-app bundle multiplies Audiobus 3’s capa-
bilities. Control numerous instruments and effects
simultaneously, split and layer keyboards, remap
scales and velocities, transpose and harmonize
notes, monitor MIDI messages, humanize se-
quences with randomization, and use movement
to control other apps.
MIDIMITTR (MATTHIAS FRICK)
Offering both low-latency MIDI over Bluetooth
and USB (using a macOS companion app), this
handy utility would be worth a small fee. Instead,
Matthias Frick gives it away for free. The interface
is strictly text, but the latency spec is impressive.
SEP TEMBER
STUDIOMUX (APPBC)
With Studiomux running, MIDI and audio flow
seamlessly between your iOS device and your
computer via the Lightning cable. Play iOS apps
with your controller or computer plug-ins with
your iPhone, and record everything to a DAW on
either device.
SYNCKONTROL (KORG)
Originally designed for the monotribe—and com-
patible with the volcas and many other hardware
synths—SyncKontrol not only syncs analog hard-
ware to your iOS sequencers, but also uses Ableton
Link for wireless applications. Let that sync in.
TONALENERGY TUNER (SONOSAURUS)
This comprehensive chromatic tuner and metro-
nome is loaded with thoughtful features, like modes
for voice, strings, and brass and winds. It plays musi-
cal tones to match by ear, and it tracks and displays
your pitch deviation in a choice of visual forms.
TUNABLE (AFFINITYBLUE)
iOS tuners are plentiful, but few match the exten-
sive feature set of Tunable. It displays a graphic
history of pitch variations and includes a chromat-
ic tone and chord generator, a metronome, basic
recording, and AirPlay screen sharing for Apple
TV users. n
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 Dan Parks
QUESTIONS
Revisiting classic SSM technology for new analog synths
BY SARAH JONES
FI f you’re a guitarist or drummer—or
a motorcyclist—you might have some
FIVE
CruzTOOLs on you right now. For more
than two decades, this northern Cali-
fornia company has produced multi-
tools, tech kits, and accessories for
music and motorcycling, two lifelong
passions of founder Dan Parks. But
before Parks got into hardware tools,
he spent 20 years in the audio semi-
conductor business, mostly at SSM,
which pioneered chipsets for early
programmable synths such as the
Sequential Circuits Prophet-5.
Today, with analog synthesis experiencing
a renaissance, driven largely by the Eurorack
movement, Parks is bringing long-discontin-
ued SSM chips back to the market through his
new company, Sound Semiconductor (sound
semiconductor.com), which focuses on high-
performance ICs for music and pro audio.
 
Why are you getting back into the semi-
conductor business now?
I guess I felt like there was some unfinished
business. Around the mid- to late- ’80s, when
Yamaha came out with the DX7 FM synthesiz-
er, there was also a trend toward professional
keyboards going to sampling and sampled
sounds, and it really took the bottom out from
under the analog synthesis market. Analog
synthesis didn’t die, but it kind of went back
to being an enthusiast thing. And the semicon-
ductor industry is all about volume.
So, we started doing pro audio stuff: ICs that
went into mixing consoles and signal-process-
ing gear. We were acquired by Analog Devices,
which wanted to go toward the consumer route.
But it got way too corporate for me and just
wasn’t very fun anymore. I liked the smaller
markets of electronic musical instruments and
pro audio gear. It was kind of wild and woolly;
it was rough around the edges; everybody knew
everybody, and it was enthusiasts doing products
66 SE PT E M BE R 2 01 7 | E MU S IC IAN . C OM
elm0917_Depts_FiveQuestions_dc3_F.indd 66
for enthusiasts.
So, I left. My other lifelong passion was riding
motorcycles. I had a Harley and it didn’t come
with tools, and I figured other people would
need them. That’s how CruzTOOLS got started.
I’m a bass player, and a little over a year ago
at Winter NAMM, as I was shopping around,
it really became clear to me how there was a
renaissance of analog synthesis; that was con-
firmed by NAMM data.
So, I just started to imagine a re-entry into that
business and talking to some of the former design-
ers I worked with. And to my delight and surprise,
everybody was really interested in it—especially
to make synthesizer chips again. Our first product
was the re-introduction of one of the more iconic
SSM chips; it’s a voltage-controlled filter.
How are you carrying your original vision for-
ward in the context of the Eurorack move-
ment and this technology renaissance?
Well, the Eurorack market is all of the energy:
That is the reason for the renaissance. It’s just
amazing how that has created a cottage industry
of synthesizer manufacturers, and it’s also pulled
along the mainstream people, which is certainly
good for us because in order to justify the kind
of investments we’re making for these new semi-
conductor chips, we need to have enough vol-
ume to get a return on our investment.
How is semiconductor manufacturing dif-
ferent in today’s environment?
SSM developed its first chip in 1975. That
was probably less than ten years into volume
manufacturing, and certainly there was no
computer modeling, computer-aided design;
things were done by hand.
Fast-forward to now:
It’s been another 40 years’
worth of innovation, and
high-volume, high-reliabili-
ty semiconductor manufac-
turing has been in place for
a long time. And those tools
like computer modeling
and computer-aided design,
computer-aided layout, are fairly inexpensive.
You can simulate a circuit on your computer
that’s matched to the parameters of a particu-
lar process, and have very good correlation be-
tween what you model and what you actually
produce in silicon.
Now we have available to us low-cost pro-
cesses that have much more dense geometries,
and it’s much easier to do full custom chips
with dual-layer metal. Things like that that just
weren’t available to us back in the ’70s and ’80s.
What kind of implications does that have
for your own product development?
Well, I’ve had to learn how to do all sorts
of things—every process, every element of this
business. Before, I was the business guy, I was
the marketing director. We had product engi-
neers and test engineers and reliability people
and process engineers; this large group of peo-
ple that were specialists in all of their areas.
Now packages are all surface-mount instead
of being a chip that has legs that go in the holes
on a PC board; they are surface-mount soldered
and they have about one-tenth the footprint on a
PC board than they did back in my earlier days. So
just learning about all the details about packaging
or tests or reliability testing, all of these things that
I never had to worry about before. It’s part of the
excitement, and it’s because I’m learning.
How does it feel to go from manufacturing
mechanical tools to semiconductor manu-
facturing?
In a way, we’re kind of crazy doing a startup for
electronic musical instruments and professional
audio gear, because no major semiconductor
company in their right mind would be developing
products for those markets because
they’re way too small. The big com-
panies want millions of pieces in sales
and there’s no way we’re going to get
that through this endeavor. You could
justify it in the sense that it is a niche;
niches are always a good thing to do in
any kind of business. But the main rea-
son we’re doing this is, it’s just fun. n
7/11/17 9:34 AM
 SELLING MADE EASY
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Download the app. Start selling today.

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elm515940_0717.indd 1 5/15/17 2:06 PM