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Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek dies aged 74

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:25:00 GMT

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Ray Manzarek, keyboardist and founding member of The Doors, died today after a lengthy battle with bile duct cancer. He was 74 years old.

According to a statement on The Doors' Facebook page, Manzarek passed away at 12:31pm PST at the RoMed Clinic in Rosenheim, Germany, surrounded by his wife, Dorothy, and his brothers Rick and James Manczarek.

Along with singer Jim Morrison, guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore, Manzarek founded The Doors in Los Angeles in 1965. The band, which performed without a bassist (Manzarek provided basslines with his left hand on his keyboards), became a sensation on the Sunset Strip. Signing with Elektra records, they became one of the biggest bands of the late '60s, racking up hits such as Light My Fire, Break On Through, Hello, I Love You, Touch Me and LA Woman, among others.

Following Morrison's death in 1971, Manzarek continued to tour and record and became the producer for another adventurous Los Angeles band, the punk rock group X. In 2002, he and Krieger went back on the road with a series of bands that played the music of The Doors.

"I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of my friend and bandmate Ray Manzarek today," said Krieger. "I'm just glad to have been able to have played Doors songs with him for the last decade. Ray was a huge part of my life and I will always miss him."

The Manzarek family has asked that, in lieu of flowers, memoriam donations can be made in Ray Manzarek's name at www.standup2cancer.org.

Read more about Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek dies aged 74 at MusicRadar.com

How should you perform your electronic music live?

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:23:00 GMT

Read more about How should you perform your electronic music live? at MusicRadar.com

In 2012, DJ/producer Deadmau5 provoked a considerable amount of debate in the electronic music world when he penned a Tumblr post entitled We all hit play.

The thrust of his argument was that most 'live' electronic dance music performances amount to doing little more than that, and the idea that artists are producing tracks on the fly while they're on stage is fanciful.

"I think given about one hour of instruction, anyone with minimal knowledge of Ableton and music tech in general could DO what I'm doing at a deadmau5 concert," he wrote, the implication being that, well, it doesn't take an enormous amount of skill.

"It's certainly true that electronic music and live performances have never been the easiest of bedfellows."

It's certainly true that electronic music and live performances have never been the easiest of bedfellows; it's just not possible to recreate every element of a highly finessed production when you're in performance mode.

But is taking a laptop on stage and hitting play really your only option? We'd argue that it isn't.

Let's first consider the art of DJing, which itself is now a pretty broad church. At one end of the aisle you have the vinyl-based scratch DJs, but if you're looking to play some of your own productions 'out' in a manner that could be considered in any way creative, the chances are that you're going to use some sort of computer.

Lust for live

Once you've got that computer, a significant number of options present themselves to you. Let's consider Native Instruments' Traktor - arguably the most popular DJing software currently on the market - which, these days, enables you to do far more than simply mix one record into another and then sprinkle a few effects over the top.

Not only does it give you four decks to work with (as opposed to the more traditional pair), but it now includes Remix Decks, which are specifically designed for live remixing and rearranging of tracks.

The basic idea is that each of the 64 slots in a deck can hold either a loop or a one-shot sample imported from your hard drive or captured from your DJ set. Thus, the concept of a linear DJ set (in which one record simply follows on from the previous one) is consigned to the past, and the line between DJing and production software becomes ever-more blurred.

Predictably enough, NI isn't the only company experimenting with technology like this. Image-Line recently released Deckadance 2, which also does some rather clever things with sampling and effects processing, and supports 4-deck operation as well.

If you want to take your existing productions out on the road to do something different with them, advanced 'DJing' apps such as these are definitely worth investigating. What's more, you'd be advised to acquire a decent multi-output audio interface as well - you don't want the crowd to hear what you're cueing up in your headphones, after all.

Taking control

An audio interface isn't the only piece of additional hardware you're likely to consider, either: for the performing electronic musician, some kind of MIDI controller is pretty much essential.

To return to Traktor for a moment, you may have noticed that Native Instruments sells a total of five controllers that are designed specifically for use with the software - itself an indicator that it can be put to work in a variety of different ways - and that's before you even consider the juggernaut that is NI's Maschine.

Maschine, like so many of today's controllers, is based on a grid of pads. It's rare to see an EDM artist performing without at least one controller of this format - the likes of Skrillex, Flying Lotus and, yes, even the aforementioned Deadmau5, have all been spotted with pad controllers in the field. And it's hardly surprising - they're perfect for launching samples, clips and the like, particularly if you're using Ableton Live.

"It's rare to see an EDM artist performing without at least one pad controller."

Ableton Live, of course, is the very definition of a performance-friendly music production application. Indeed, many users actually 'perform' their tracks when they're arranging and jamming ideas - such is the ease with which it lets you work with and capture ideas rather than laying them out on a timeline.

However, it seems that Ableton is now adding another string to the software's bow with the new Push hardware controller.

On the surface, Push looks similar to many other pad-based devices on the market, but Ableton is actually pitching it as something rather different: a compositional platform that you can 'play' as an alternative to a traditional MIDI controller keyboard. So, you can use it to knock out melodies, chord progressions and more.

This means that it could certainly offer something a little different to the performing computer musician - you only need to head to YouTube to see that Push is already attracting its own particular brand of virtuoso.

Don't press play: play

Of course, many of us don't need Push as a keyboard alternative - we're perfectly happy with our existing black and white notes and will happily perform either alone or in a group using a laptop to generate the sounds. But even in this area there's scope for innovation: the new, ultra-expensive ROLI Seaboard is a squidgy silicon keyboard that enables you to control the pitch, volume and timbre of each note as you play it, while Eigenlabs' space-age-looking Eigenharp is designed for similarly expressive playing.

"Certain controllers position the computer-based live setup as a next-gen instrument that offers a different experience to anything else."

These controllers and others position the computer-based live setup not simply as something that can be used to recreate what's been made in the studio, but as a next-gen instrument that offers a different experience to anything else.

Finally, in this day and age it would be remiss of us not to mention the iPad, which, because of its touch screen, is practically a one-stop performance tool in itself. And with technology such as Korg's WIST, which enables you to sync the playback of supported apps on two iOS devices, it becomes an interesting option if you want to collaborate 'live' with a mate.

The options for anyone who wants to become a performing computer musician, then, are many and varied. Consider all of the technology available and how you might make it work for you. More than anything, we'd advise that if all you're currently doing is hitting play, there's plenty of scope for doing a little more than that.

This article originally appeared in issue 190 of Computer Music magazine.

Read more about How should you perform your electronic music live? at MusicRadar.com

Future Music's May Soundcloud picks

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:35:00 GMT

Read more about Future Music's May Soundcloud picks at MusicRadar.com

Every month we round up the best sounds we find over on Soundcloud with samples, demos, stems and more featured in our playlist.

Check out the playlist above to discover some of the sonic snippets we've found this month so far. Anything else you think people would find interesting or useful? Just drop FM a message via Facebook or Twitter.

Did you miss our Soundcloud April 2013 picks?

Read more about Future Music's May Soundcloud picks at MusicRadar.com

Free music software round-up: Week 125

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:50:00 GMT

Read more about Free music software round-up: Week 125 at MusicRadar.com

We are, in general, starting to see more cross-platform free music software, but we're exclusively in Windows territory this week.

Mac owners, then, can look away now (or look on in envy); PC users should get their download fingers ready.

If you've got a new free music software release, make sure you let us know about it by emailing musicradar.pressreleases@futurenet.com with all the details.

Creatorum Genius Lab Imago

Platform/format: PC/VST Download

Designed for creating rhythmic pads and basses, this 3-oscillator synth sports two filters, amp and filter envelopes, delay, EQ and a flanger. There's also a 32-step sequencer and, if you're feeling lucky, you can randomise all parameters with a single button press.

Mildon Studios HUE-X + M4GIQ Plugin Bundle

Platform/format: PC/VST Download

Two freebies in one bundle. HUE-X is an EQ that's designed for people who like to experiment with sound, giving you ten descriptively named faders to tweak. M4GIQ, meanwhile, is a multi-effect that enables you to apply gain, panning and delay to each frequency band, so you can spread frequencies across the stereo image.

Tonebytes Harmonaut

Platform/format: PC/VST Download

This ad-supported instrument is based on additive synthesis technology and comes with four waveform types and 32 harmonics that can be drawn with your mouse. You can also adjust the attack, decay, sustain and release for each harmonic, while a low-pass/high-pass filter, an LFO and chorus can be called into play, too.

TA Programming SubSonic

Platform/format: PC/VST Download

Billed as "the synth that takes you back," SubSonic is a subtractive instrument that promises to give you a vintage sound. Among its tools are three oscillators, a graphical ADSR envelope, a multimode filter and reverb, delay, chorus, flanger and warper modules.

Read more about Free music software round-up: Week 125 at MusicRadar.com

Prodigy, Gary Numan, Kraftwerk appear in new eBook

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:44:00 GMT

Read more about Prodigy, Gary Numan, Kraftwerk appear in new eBook at MusicRadar.com

Historical interviews with the most famous electro musicians in the world have appeared in a new eBook.

The Electro Legend Interviews features interviews conducted over the past 20 years and taken from the archives of Computer Music and Future Music magazine.

Revealing their music-making techniques and inspirations are: Aphex Twin, Gary Numan, The Prodigy's Liam Howlett, Vince Clarke, Kraftwerk's WolfgangFlür, Moby, Hot Chip, Alec Empire and Ultravox's Midge Ure.

Available for just £2.99, the book sheds light on The Prodigy's place in the early rave scene, with Liam Howlett explaining in a 1993 interview that"When rave dies there are always going to be people who will still want to dance, so as long as we keep coming out with original songs we'll still be around..."

Meanwhile, Gary Numan discusses his classic Replicas album. Addressing the cover art, he says: "The character on the cover is called a Machman - he's looking out on the world, looking out at the park. Outside of the park, there's a man in a grey coat and a grey hat, which was a ghost I saw when I was much younger…"

Elsewhere reclusive genius Aphex Twin gives one of his only ever interviews. "If you plan to be good at anything, it has to happen using your own ideas. It's inevitable. It's exactly like natural selection," he muses.

Speaking exclusively about the early days of Kraftwerk, WolfgangFlürcomments: "We were young, shy and childish! We loved to construct things and we never thought we would get famous from that."

The book also features Vince Clarke revealing his computer music-making secrets. "Once you've got the hang of the computer and the software," he says, "then you've still got to write the songs…"

And discussing the history of Ultravox, Midge Ure reveals that: "In those early days, a lot of musicians saw synths as electronic guitars. We just started going bang-bang-bang. Suddenly, you got this blast of unearthly noise and it changed the musical landscape."

Buy The Electro Legend Interviews now for your eBook reader.

Read more about Prodigy, Gary Numan, Kraftwerk appear in new eBook at MusicRadar.com

SampleRadar: 193 free trance basics samples

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:03:00 GMT

Read more about SampleRadar: 193 free trance basics samples at MusicRadar.com

Trance is the electronic music genre that just won't lie down, with its sound continuing to pop up all over the place.

If you're a would-be trance producer this week's SampleRadar collection will give you the basic project elements you need to get started.

What you need to know

The trance basics samples are divided into five folders: Beats, DrumHits, FX, Loops and Rolls.

All the samples are supplied as 24-bit WAV files so can be imported directly into your DAW or sampler of choice. Because they're royalty-free, you're welcome to use the samples in your music in any way you like - all we ask is that you don't re-distribute them.

The trance basics samples are supplied in a zip file, so you'll need to extract them before you can see them. Enjoy!

Example sounds

Beat 140bpm

Loop 135bpm

Roll 140bpm

Trance basics samples: click to download

Trance basics samples (128MB)

These samples originally appeared on Computer Music magazine's cover DVD. Check out the latest issue for many more.

Read more about SampleRadar: 193 free trance basics samples at MusicRadar.com

MusicRadar Deals Of The Week

Fri, 17 May 2013 11:30:00 GMT

Read more about MusicRadar Deals Of The Week at MusicRadar.com

Killer bargains from our recommended retailers. Check out this week's deals.

Read more about MusicRadar Deals Of The Week at MusicRadar.com

Video: Funkagenda making dubstep wobble bass in Massive

Fri, 17 May 2013 11:28:00 GMT

Read more about Video: Funkagenda making dubstep wobble bass in Massive at MusicRadar.com

Check out the video above to see Funkagenda in his LA studio with Future Music. In this first episode in the series, Funkagenda explains how to program Native Instruments' Massive to achieve those classic dubstep and electro wobble bass sounds.

Also, did you see Future Music's classic Funkagenda video from 2009? Watch the full In The Studio episode here.

Read more about Video: Funkagenda making dubstep wobble bass in Massive at MusicRadar.com

Moog's Animoog synth released for Blackberry Z10

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:02:00 GMT

Read more about Moog's Animoog synth released for Blackberry Z10 at MusicRadar.com

"I'll throw out one wildcard," said NanoStudio developer Matt Borstel when MusicRadar asked him last year to predict what might be the next big thing in mobile music making in 2013: "RIM's BlackBerry 10".

"It's based on an OS with real-time origins, so maybe they'll do things with audio latency that Microsoft and Google can't. Everyone likes a story where the underdog wins!"

It turns out that Borstel might just have been onto something, for Moog has just sprung a big surprise by releasing its Animoog synth for Blackberry's Z10 smartphone.

"We are very excited about the release of Animoog on the BlackBerry 10 platform and about our relationship with BlackBerry," said Mike Adams, President and CEO of Moog Music, Inc.

"BlackBerry has long been the choice for business professionals who in many cases are in creative fields. Now, for the first time, we can offer a high performance music creation tool to artists and synthesizer enthusiasts that prefer BlackBerry."

On the downside, we don't know of any other developers who are creating music making software for Blackberry's OS, but perhaps Moog's initiative could give the platform a creative kickstart.

Animoog for Blackberry Z10 is available now for the introductory price of $0.99 (this price will rise to $9.99 in due course). Find out more in the video above or on the Moog website.

Read more about Moog's Animoog synth released for Blackberry Z10 at MusicRadar.com

Google launches All Access music streaming service

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:21:00 GMT

Read more about Google launches All Access music streaming service at MusicRadar.com

UPDATE: As predicted, (see original article below) Google unveiled its new digital music streaming service yesterday as part of the company's current I/O conference in San Francisco.

The platform, which is effectively a rival to streaming services such as Spotify, is called Google Play Music All Access and will require a $9.99 a month subscription fee.

Alongside streaming access to 'millions of songs', All Access features cloud storage of users' existing music libraries, similar to Apple's iTunes Match, which allows up to 20,000 songs to be uploaded or matched to Google's catalogue for access online and across various Android devices.

The service also features an automatic 'radio' feature, similar to tools like Pandora or Last FM, which creates rolling playlists based on an initial song or artist.

Google are offering a month's free trial to All Access, which is live now over at the Google Play store, and users that sign up before 30 June will get the service for the discounted price of $7.99 per month. As predicted, there is no free, ad-supported version available.

Original article:

Rumours are rife that Google is set to launch a music streaming service to rival Spotify at its Google I/O developers' conference that's currently taking place in San Francisco.

The Verge reports that Google has now signed licensing deals with Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment. These are in addition to the agreement that it's rumoured to have already brokered with Warner Music Group.

It's speculated that any such service may operate via both YouTube and Google Play - the company's entertainment hub - and work in a similar way to Spotify. However, the New York Times has suggested that there won't a free option and that it'll be paid subscriptions only.

All may or may not be revealed at 5pm (UK time) today when Google delivers its keynote address. This will be streamed live on the Google I/O website.

Read more about Google launches All Access music streaming service at MusicRadar.com

Buy Roland gear and get Cakewalk Sonar X2 Studio for £59

Thu, 16 May 2013 09:00:00 GMT

Read more about Buy Roland gear and get Cakewalk Sonar X2 Studio for £59 at MusicRadar.com

Right now, if you buy any Roland interface, controller keyboard or synth from any authorised UK dealer, you can also pick up Cakewalk Sonar X2 studio for just £59.

SONAR X2 Studio is a fully-featured DAW that includes all the tools, instruments and FX needed to create professional-sounding music.

It's the perfect partner to your new Roland hardware, especially when you can buy it for just £59, saving £140 on the normal price. Whether you're a first-time DAW customer or already own a DAW, you are likely to have a few questions or concerns:

I am not an audio engineer and don't understand or have the time to work out how to make my tracks polished and radio friendly

SONAR X2 Studio contains 50 FX Chains, which you can think of as your "on call" engineer. These will ensure you achieve a polished, professional sound whether you're working with drums, bass, guitar or vocals. The FX Chains are also a great way to improve your own mixes as you can deconstruct what a pro-engineer has already laid out rather than start from scratch. Once you master FX Chains, you can create your own collection for instant recall in future sessions.

Many DAWS offer a huge array of features and look complicated to navigate - I need a simple user interface that enables me to focus on my music

Many Windows-based DAWs use a single-window design which can be cluttered, especially when you have many windows open. SONAR's Skylight interface avoids this 'window within a window' approach in favour of a modular approach, where different views can be docked and organised together within a single window. Skylight speeds up your workflow and provides a clean, simple and modern creative environment.

I'm not great with computers and just need a rock-steady Windows-based DAW

SONAR X2 is by far the best DAW for Windows-based musicians. Cakewalk works closely with Microsoft and Intel® to integrate the latest technologies such as the 64-bit Double Precision Audio Engine. Put simply, this provides greater resolution resulting in more accurate audio reproduction and more headroom to reduce digital clipping. You'll really appreciate this when working with large projects containing many audio tracks and plugs-ins.

Windows 8 multi-touch support enables 'swipe' and 'pinch to zoom' functionality, which transforms any touch screen into a virtual pad controller to trigger loops and one-shot samples.

I work in a nonlinear way rather than the traditional DAW linear view

Along with the traditional track view found in most DAWs, SONAR X2 Studio also offers the Matrix View, a popular non-linear approach to creating music. You can populate the Matrix View with any combination of loops, phrases and one-shot samples, and then perform these parts in realtime with flexible live-triggering modes. Experiment with endless combinations and possibilities – and capture the results directly back into the Track View. SONAR X2 Studio doesn't force you to choose between linear and non-linear music creation – and that's how it should be.

What support would I get if I get stuck?

SONAR X2 users get one of the most comprehensive support packages in the industry and it's all free:

Free lifetime phone support
Over three hours of tutorial videos
A very active and moderated user forum
Dedicated email support
Remote assistance using TeamViewer software

And with your new Roland hardware and SONAR X2 Studio, you'll only have to contact one company if you have any questions.

FREE TRIAL OF SONAR X2

If you're still unsure, you can try Sonar X2 for free with our fully-functional 30 day trial. Once you're into the X2 workflow, just buy any Roland audio interface, controller keyboard or synth and when you register your new product, we'll send you the download code for the full version of SONAR X2 Studio for just £59.

For full terms and conditions, and more information visit the Roland UK blog.

Read more about Buy Roland gear and get Cakewalk Sonar X2 Studio for £59 at MusicRadar.com

Who is the greatest DJ in the world today?

Wed, 15 May 2013 15:08:00 GMT

Read more about Who is the greatest DJ in the world today? at MusicRadar.com

The inaugural MusicRadar DJ Expo is coming at the end of June. Ahead of the event kicking off, we want you to tell us who you think is the greatest DJ (or DJs) in the world today.

But what makes a DJ great? And for that matter - given the way that technology has blurred the line between DJing and live performance - how do you define what DJing is?

Ultimately, we'll leave it up for debate, but we'd suggest that nominations should be limited to artists who play sets made up of pre-recorded music, be it their own or that of other artists. They should be groundbreaking and influential too, either through their use of technology, their technical skill or just there totally on-point selections. Finally, we're only counting DJs who are still active and performing today.

Right now we're looking for your nominations, which we'll use to draw up a shortlist so that voting can begin. So let us know your suggestions for the world's greatest DJ in the comment section below or via Facebook or Twitter.

Read more about Who is the greatest DJ in the world today? at MusicRadar.com

VST/AU plugin instrument/effect round-up: Week 64

Wed, 15 May 2013 14:23:00 GMT

Read more about VST/AU plugin instrument/effect round-up: Week 64 at MusicRadar.com

Delay, distortion and guitar processing plugins clash head-on with a new synth in our latest round-up. What could possibly happen? Read on to find out.

Also make sure you check out these regularly updated features:

The 39 best VST plug-in synths in the world today

The 14 best VST plug-in drum machines in the world today

If you've got a new PC or Mac plug-in, make sure you let us know about it by emailing musicradar.pressreleases@futurenet.com with all the details.

NEXT: Inear Display Oxymore

Read more about VST/AU plugin instrument/effect round-up: Week 64 at MusicRadar.com

Google to launch music streaming service today?

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:46:00 GMT

Read more about Google to launch music streaming service today? at MusicRadar.com

Rumours are rife that Google is set to launch a music streaming service to rival Spotify at its Google I/O developers' conference that's currently taking place in San Francisco.

All may or may not be revealed at 5pm (UK time) today when Google delivers its keynote address. This will be streamed live on the Google I/O website.

Read more about Google to launch music streaming service today? at MusicRadar.com

XILS-Lab announces XILS V+ plugin

Wed, 15 May 2013 08:57:00 GMT

Read more about XILS-Lab announces XILS V+ plugin at MusicRadar.com

XILS-Lab has announced that it has a new plugin, the XILS V+, on the way. This appears to be an emulation of the Roland VP-330 Vocoder Plus keyboard that was released in 1979.

The XILS V+ can be used as both an instrument and effect and combines a 10-band vocoder with Supreme Top Octave Divider-based Strings and Human Voices, with the option of layering of these three elements.

Discussing the Top Octave Divider (T.O.D.) oscillator, XILS-Lab says that it "provides a unique sound that no samples or other simple synthesis techniques can reproduce". The new plugin also offers plenty of features that weren't present in the original hardware.

XILS-V+ will be released on 25 May for Mac and Windows. You can find out more on the XILS-Lab website.

Read more about XILS-Lab announces XILS V+ plugin at MusicRadar.com

Waldorf releases Rocket Control iPad app

Tue, 14 May 2013 14:12:00 GMT

Read more about Waldorf releases Rocket Control iPad app at MusicRadar.com

When we got our hands-on Waldorf's compact hardware synth Rocket last month, we were immediately impressed.

Although it might not look like much - packing just a single oscillator, analogue filter and basic controls - we found it to be deceptively powerful, with a great range of sounds available, and all for an exceptionally reasonable price.

One of the downsides to the desktop synth, however, was its lack of saveable presets. Fortunately, for iPad owners this is no longer a problem, thanks to Waldorf's new free iOS app Rocket Control.

Rocket Control allows users to save, view and edit setting for the synth using their iPad - which connects to the unit via USB and Apple's Camera Connection Kit or MIDI over Wi-Fi.

In Waldorf's own words: "This free iOS assistant app for iPad acts as a synth editor for the Rocket and allows users to edit and/or save their patches (when connected via a Camera Connection Kit, WiFi MIDI, or a CoreMIDI-compatible device). Edits can be viewed onscreen or edited directly on the iPad itself. Users can even play the Rocket using the Rocket Control keyboard - plus Pitch and Mod wheels!

"What's not to like? Rocket Control is invaluable and free! So do yourself a favour and give your Rocket a sonic boost by heading on over to Apple's App Store and downloading Rocket Control... then reach for the stars!"

Rocket Control can be downloaded for free from the App Store.

The Rocket synthesizer itself is available at an RRP of €244.00/$349.99.

Read more about Waldorf releases Rocket Control iPad app at MusicRadar.com

New Daft Punk album streaming on iTunes

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:25:00 GMT

Read more about New Daft Punk album streaming on iTunes at MusicRadar.com

The next stage of Daft Punk's meticulously planned release campaign for new album Random Access Memories has swung into action, with the whole record now streaming via iTunes.

You'll be able to buy the new long player from 20 May, but you can listen to it, in full, right now.

Daft Punk have also released a YouTube clip (see above) that sees them unwrapping a vinyl copy of Random Access Memories and playing the first few seconds of album starter Give Life Back To Music. Why? Because they can.

Listen to Daft Punk's Random Access Memories on iTunes and let us know what you think of it.

Read more about New Daft Punk album streaming on iTunes at MusicRadar.com

'First fully functional iPad mastering app' released

Mon, 13 May 2013 08:32:00 GMT

Read more about 'First fully functional iPad mastering app' released at MusicRadar.com

The iPad now has an app for the majority of music making tasks, but mastering is one area that, up until now, hasn't been touched upon.

Things have now changed, however, with the release of Audio Mastering, which promises to turn your iPad into a "real mastering studio".

The app is capable of processing sound, converting audio formats, changing sample rates, converting bit depths, cutting parts of a track for preview and making fade-ins and fade-outs.

It gives you a 10-band graphic EQ, 3-band stereo imaging, a harmonic saturator and a loudness maximizer to work with.

You can find out more in the video above. Audio Mastering is available to buy now on the Apple App Store priced at £6.99/$9.99.

Read more about 'First fully functional iPad mastering app' released at MusicRadar.com

Meet the programmers: FabFilter

Fri, 10 May 2013 09:01:00 GMT

Read more about Meet the programmers: FabFilter at MusicRadar.com

Frederik Slijkerman is co-founder of FabFilter, the developer behind innovative plugin synths and effects including Twin, Saturn, Volcano and the excellent Pro range.

When and how did FabFilter get started? What was your original goal?

"We [Frederik and co-founder Floris Klinkert] started out in 2002 with the goal of creating great-sounding synthesisers and effects, releasing FabFilter One as our first plugin in 2004. This is still our main goal, but as our plugins have become more complex, we're also focusing more and more on next-level user interfaces with good design and workflow.

"As far as the name is concerned: we liked the sound of it and we were proud of the filter algorithm we developed for FabFilter One. Having two F's in the name was a bonus as both our names start with an F."

FabFilter is known for innovative graphical interfaces. What would you say makes a great interface?

"Traditionally, plugin interfaces have been a recreation of analogue hardware. From the beginning, we've been trying to break out of that way of thinking and create new ways of interacting with software. Our goal is to improve your workflow, making it a pleasure to work with our products."

At first, FabFilter was focused on 'creative' plugins (synths, delays, filters, etc) but in recent years, you have focused on your Pro range. Why the change in emphasis?

"After the release of FabFilter Pro-C, our compressor, it became clear to us that there was a lot of potential for good-sounding and easy-to-use 'workhorse' plugins that you can use on about any track in a project.

"It's not that we only focus on this - we just released Saturn a year ago - but we'd like to offer a FabFilter plugin for all major production/recording tasks. In the future, we're aiming to further expand our Pro range while also keeping our creative line up-to-date. Both are very important to us."

Tell us a little about your development process. How many new plugins are you working on at any one time, for instance?

"We are often toying with multiple ideas, trying them out to see what works and what doesn't. Sometimes Floris and I are working on different plugins at the same time, but as one of them nears the beta phase, we usually join forces and work together to finish it. There are a couple of projects that were ultimately never completed, but I can't really go into this any further..."

What's next from FabFilter? Have you thought about branching out into other areas, such as making iOS/Android apps, producing soundware, etc, or are you firmly focused on plugins?

"We have a lot of ideas for new plugins and updates to our existing products, so there is more than enough to do for the next couple of years.

"We don't currently have plans for dedicated iOS apps, but we are of course already offering our plugins as in-app purchases for Auria on the iPad. We might do other types of software as well in the future, but we're also wary of diverting our attention too much. Focus is a good thing."

Read more about Meet the programmers: FabFilter at MusicRadar.com

Hear a snippet of new music from The Avalanches

Thu, 09 May 2013 10:37:00 GMT

Read more about Hear a snippet of new music from The Avalanches at MusicRadar.com

The second album from Australian sample wranglers The Avalanches is now so overdue that it's become something of a joke.

It's well over a decade since the electronic collective released their influential and much-loved debut album Since I Left You. Although production of a follow-up LP is reported to be well underway, aside from a brief flurry of activity last summer, we've seen little evidence to suggest we can expect it to appear any time soon.

Today a snippet of new music has emerged from the group however, as part of a teaser video for the soundtrack to a new Australian musical theatre version of King Kong.

The Avalanches' contribution to the soundtrack, it seems, is a surprisingly brash hip-hop take on Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler's Get Happy, which bears little resemblance to the band's classic sample collages.

The King Kong soundtrack, which is being overseen by Marius de Vries, also features contributions from Justice, Sarah McLachlan and Massive Attack's Robert Del Naja. Stream samples of all in the video above.

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Me in my studio: Husky Rescue

Wed, 08 May 2013 15:48:00 GMT

Read more about Me in my studio: Husky Rescue at MusicRadar.com

Ahead of the release of their new album The Long Lost Friend, Marko Nyberg of Finnish electronic pop outfit Husky Rescue invites us into the band's studio.

Nyberg: "At the heart of the Finnish capital of Helsinki, El Camino Studio has been the hideout and workspace of Husky Rescue for over ten years. Up until the most recent releases with the new line up, every Husky album has been recorded in El Camino."

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Softube Console 1 demo video

Wed, 08 May 2013 14:05:00 GMT

Read more about Softube Console 1 demo video at MusicRadar.com

Announced at Musikmesse 2013, Softube's Console 1 is a product that's already aroused a lot of interest. A software/hardware mixing solution, it's designed to bring a more 'analogue-like' feel to your mixing sessions.

Helpfully, Softube has now released an in-depth that shows you what makes Console 1 tick. Check it out above.

Read more about Softube Console 1 demo video at MusicRadar.com

Yamaha to exhibit at Analogue to Digital music show

Wed, 08 May 2013 11:27:00 GMT

Read more about Yamaha to exhibit at Analogue to Digital music show at MusicRadar.com

PRESS RELEASE: Serious about your tracks? Visit the Analogue to Digital music show in Exeter and be inspired with Yamaha's latest gear in the hands of pro producers.

The popular Analogue to Digital music production show, now in its 5th year, returns to the Phoenix in the historic city of Exeter on Saturday 18th May. As usual Yamaha will be taking centre stage with a wide range of creative activities, complemented by mixing sessions to help visitors learn more about all aspects of music production, using the very latest equipment, instruments and software.

Make sure you visit Yamaha's dedicated 'Producer Zone', which will provide a high-level, entertaining and informative experience fronted by leading producer erb N dub who will be producing drum 'n' bass/dubstep tracks with Cubase software throughout the show.

Yamaha are even inviting visitors to bring in their own mixed track to replay on the exceptional new HS Studio Monitors, which have set the home studio market alight with their blend of budget-friendly prices and superb sound.

Come along and discover the full music production potential of Yamaha's MOX and MX synthesizers and DTX multi-pad drum system in the hands of the experts. All visitors to the Producer Zone can also enter a special Yamaha promotion to win a pair of new HS monitors.

The show boasts a very impressive guest speaker lineup including Hossam Ramzy, percussionsist with Peter Gabriel and Led Zeppelin, Richard Barbieri of Porcupine Tree and Big Country's Tony Butler.

Paul Gray from the Musicians Union will host a session discussing everything you need to know about playing live, including copyright, publishing and contracts.

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Focusrite announces Scarlett 18i8 and 6i6 audio interfaces

Wed, 08 May 2013 08:46:00 GMT

Read more about Focusrite announces Scarlett 18i8 and 6i6 audio interfaces at MusicRadar.com

Focusrite has added two more audio interfaces to its Scarlett range: the 18i8 and 6i6. Both of these feature the company's mic preamps and a variety of other connectivity options, but differ in the number of inputs and outputs that they offer.

Specifically, the 16i8 is an 18-in/8-out device and the Scarlett is a 6i6 6-in/6-out box. The clues are in the names, really.

Check out the details from Focusrite below. Both products will be available in June with prices set at £199.99 for the Scarlett 6i6 and £299.99 for the Scarlett 18i8.

Focusrite Scarlett 18i8 and 6i6 audio interfaces press release

Focusrite is pleased to announce the introduction of two new members of its Scarlett range of USB 2.0 audio interfaces: the Scarlett 18i8 (18-in, 8-out) and Scarlett 6i6 (6-in, 6-out). Both are aimed at recording artists, producers and bands and differ primarily in their I/O configuration.

Both feature award-winning Focusrite mic pres, designed specifically for Focusrite's computer music interfaces, and Focusrite's renowned precision 24bit/96KHz conversion for maximum transparency. In addition to Mac® and Windows® operation, both interfaces are compatible with iOS® devices like the iPad® (via the Apple® Camera Connection Kit – not included).

The Scarlett 18i8 is the first interface from Focusrite to include four award-winning mic preamps. The first two inputs offer Mic/Line/Instrument on universal XLR/TRS while three and four offer Mic/Line capability on XLR/TRS. The 18i8 can also record up to four additional line inputs at the same time, making it perfect for recording an entire band live. An ADAT option allows the connection of external mic preamps such as the Focusrite OctoPre Mk II, extending the number of mic pres to 12.

The Scarlett 6i6 is designed to allow recording on a smaller scale. In addition to two Focusrite mic preamps it features a stereo line input, making it possible to capture, for example, vocals, guitar and a digital piano at the same time. Both models feature the signature Scarlett range unibody metal chassis for road-ruggedness, and the unique "signal halo" LED rings around the input controls that indicate green for a good level and red for overload. They also include two headphone outputs each with their own level controls; the headphone outputs on the 6i6 mirror the main and sub-outputs whereas on the 18i8 they are fully independent.

Key Features: Scarlett 18i8 only

Four award-winning Focusrite mic pres The best sounding interface in its class. Focusrite's 25-years of design experience underpins this new interface with four award-winning mic preamps.
18 inputs and 8 outputs All of the analogue and digital inputs you need for home multi-track recording. No need for breakout cables - every analogue input & output has a dedicated socket.
Two independent headphone outputs each with a level control With two fully independent headphone mixes the engineer and the artist can both listen to their own mix at the level they need.

Key Features: Scarlett 6i6 only

Two award-winning Focusrite mic pres The best sounding interface in its class. The two award-winning mic preamps are products of Focusrite's meticulous approach to preamp design.
6 inputs and 6 outputs All of the analogue and digital inputs you need for home multi-track recording on a smaller scale. No need for breakout cables - every analogue input & output has a dedicated socket.
Two headphone outputs with level controls With two headphone mixes the engineer and the artist can both listen to the mix at the levels they need.

Key Features: Both Scarlett 18i8 and Scarlett 6i6

High quality 24bit/96KHz audio interfaces for Mac, PC and iPad Both feature professional conversion technology guaranteeing pristine audio quality and reliable synchronization on Mac, PC and iPad (or any iOS device via the Apple Camera Connection Kit – not included).
Rugged metal unibody chassis Whether you are in the studio or on the road your Scarlett will not only look great, but also withstand the impacts sustained by a mobile recording rig.
Unique gain halos for safeguarding your levels Unique gain halo indicators make it clear when you have a good signal for recording. When the halos are green you have a good level, and when they turn red it means you need to turn the gain down.
Large main monitor control A large main monitor control knob keeps your volume levels right at your fingertips.
Scarlett MixControl ultra-low-latency DSP mixer and router Scarlett MixControl provides a DSP mixer with flexible routing capabilities, intuitive one-click presets, and lower than 1.4 ms latency.
Powerful software bundle Includes the Scarlett Plug-in Suite (Compression, Gating, EQ and Reverb for tracking and mixing), Ableton Live Lite, Loopmasters sample content and the Novation Bass Station analogue modelling synth plug-in.

Worldwide Availability: June 2013

Scarlett 6i6: £199.99 inc.vat / Scarlett 18i8: £299.99 inc.vat

Read more about Focusrite announces Scarlett 18i8 and 6i6 audio interfaces at MusicRadar.com

What is bass music?

Mon, 06 May 2013 08:00:00 GMT

Read more about What is bass music? at MusicRadar.com

Most musicians hate being defined by labels and genres, but let's face it: without them, discovering new music that we actually like would be a long and very slow process.

God knows how many tracks are released each week, but imagine having to wade through every one of them trying to find something that suits your tastes, without these helpful (if often overly simplistic) categorisations to narrow things down.

The main problem seems to be that all those labels, genres and categories have an innate imprecision - a sort of aesthetic flexibility that allows them to be shrunk, stretched and twisted to fit each listener's personal taste. Were the Beatles rock or pop? Was Gil Scott Heron jazz or rap? Are the Prodigy rave, techno, breakbeat, electronic punk, industrial? You get the picture.

Despite being an integral part of the everyday experience of music consumption - relied on by record shops, record labels, radio stations and, of course, magazines and websites - genres are neither unconditional nor absolute. And nowhere is this more obvious and troublesome than in the realm of electronic dance music.

Over time, all musical genres will fragment, fuse and grow to form new styles, but dance music seems to have embarked on a ceaseless, restive quest for the 'brand new sound'. Maybe it's because dance music is so closely linked to and guided by ever-developing and increasingly available technology, or maybe it's because dance music producers, DJs and listeners are a naturally inquisitive and easily bored bunch, but the pace of change and development has barely slackened since the days of the Atari and the Akai S950.

If anything, it's accelerating. Just look at the last few years. The huge dubstep explosion in the US; the glitch craze; Chase & Status appearing on the bill at the annual heavy metal fest, Download; an article on Baauer's Harlem Shake in the The Sun; and the almost weekly emergence of boundary-breaking, cross-fertilised tunes that are taking dance music into previously undiscovered territories.

Complextro, moombahton, moombahcore, post-dubstep, future garage, afro-bass, drumstep, trap, trapstep, brostep, metalstep… the list is dazzlingly varied and occasionally bizarre, but it's here, in the midst of this mass of mixed-up modern noise, that we'll find bass music.

Definition indecision

As you can imagine, any sound that is born out of such madness will be almost impossible to pin down. If even the most commonplace genres like rock and pop require a little 'aesthetic flexibility', then where does that leave bass music? How can we define something that has put down its meandering roots in such a vast musical landscape?

"If you asked 50 people, 'What is bass music?', you would probably get 50 different answers," says Ben Hall, one half of UK production/remix/DJ duo Delta Heavy. "I suppose you could see it as an umbrella term to cover lots of different forms of dance music all being held together - and this might seem very obvious - by the predominance of bass.

"Over the last couple of years, the number of different sounds and styles of bass-related music that you could hear on the dancefloor has been growing so fast that I guess the industry started looking for something - a name - that could cover all bases.

"If you asked 50 people, 'What is bass music?', you would probably get 50 different answers." Ben Hall, Delta Heavy

"Some people were definitely getting confused by the different genres and BPMs. I often came across people in America who thought that drum 'n' bass was just fast dubstep!

"To be honest, I think that having loads of styles out there is really exciting and inspirational. As Delta Heavy, we've never tried to be just one thing - one genre. It's refreshing to be able to spread the net a bit wider and have the audience be receptive to what we're doing."

Perhaps one of the best examples of this new mix 'n' match approach is moombahton, brought to life in 2009 when Dave Nada slowed down Afrojack's remix of Moombah from 128bpm to the reggaeton speed of 108bpm. Moombah plus reggaeton equals moombahton!

And it didn't stop there - add a few soul samples and you've got moombahsoul; mix it up with breakcore and you've got moombahcore.

"Some people in the dance music world can get quite precious about it," Hall continues. "We had a few hate comments on the internet… 'What are you playing dubstep for? You're on RAM Records. You're supposed to play DnB'. But I really think that's just a small minority.

Ben Hall of Delta Heavy.

"Over the last 18 months, what's been happening is that artists have been borrowing influences from all over the place. You've got 128bpm house music incorporating sounds from DnB. You've got the 110bpm stuff and trap. Suddenly, DJs are playing and mixing all these seemingly disparate genres in the same live set.

"I remember back in 2010 when Sub Focus remixed Rusko's Hold On. That was the first time someone had done a tune at DnB tempo, but in half-time. Generally, the snare is on the 2 and the 4 in DnB, but this tune put it on the 3… like in dubstep. Back then it was quite groundbreaking, but now you can find tunes like that pretty much everywhere you look.

"You've only got to look at this year's Ultra Festival in Miami to see how open dance music has become. Delta Heavy are sharing a stage with Andy C, playing DnB, and Porter Robinson, playing progressive electro house. Audiences no longer have a problem with that eclectic mix!"

Was it absolutely necessary to have a name, 'bass music', for this new, all-encompassing sound? "I have no idea," smiles Hall. "But it's certainly made life a whole lot easier!"

Across the pond

That may be the case, but as Hall acknowledges, there are still artistic discrepancies between the UK, the home of bass music, and the US, currently the genre's biggest market.

That's hardly surprising. In the UK, bass music has been allowed to develop at its own pace, slowly maturing since the early days of DnB, with added spice from dubstep, UK garage, grime, electro and so on.

Meanwhile, DnB has only ever enjoyed limited success in the States, so when the likes of Skream and Rusko eventually took dubstep into the American mainstream in 2009/10 - via remixes of La Roux and Kid Sister, respectively - it was something of a revolutionary sonic shift. Or as Canadian producer DJ Datsik puts it: "Dubstep became North America's entry-level, ultra-bass-heavy, aggressive dance music. Obviously we'd already had bands like the Prodigy and the Chemical Brothers, but the reaction to dubstep was different. People were literally saying, 'What the hell is this crazy hybrid?'

"It was hip-hop meets breaks meets DnB meets heavy basslines - no one had done that before. And unlike DnB, dubstep really got a foothold in America. The EDM scene in the US became way bigger than it ever was in the days of Firestarter.

"Probably the most important difference was that dubstep was being played by mainstream radio stations. That was a huge game-changer in terms of the development of this thing we call bass music - as important as the introduction of punk in the 1970s. Punk was the bastardisation of rock music, and dubstep was the bastardisation of electronic dance music."

While bass music had been brewing in the UK for over 20 years, it took just a couple of years for it to grab hold of the dance market in the US. Such a rapid pace of change was bound to create a very different sound, tailored to the tastes of a very different audience.

"To start with, it was a much younger crowd in North America," recalls Datsik. "I suppose you'd call them candy ravers. There were certainly a lot of glow sticks.

"Things just weren't quite as sophisticated as they were in the UK," he continues. "Dubstep in Britain had come from the underground. The audiences were a bit more relaxed - not so… excitable. But the US skipped that spaced-out, backroom vibe and went straight into party mode. Dubstep became party dubstep, and party dubstep became brostep [a term that people like Rusko soon tired of].

"To start with, it was a much younger crowd in North America. I suppose you'd call them candy ravers. There were certainly a lot of glow sticks." DJ Datsik

"I'm not sure that the mainstream sections of the American music business ever fully understood dubstep in the early days, but they knew that if they put 'dubstep' above a show or an artist, audiences would be interested. As you'd expect, the mainstream became very good at exploiting dubstep and the emerging bass scene."

That was certainly noticeable on the lucrative US festival circuit. In fact, some would argue that it was the success of this new, bass-heavy sound at festivals that actually forced the mainstream American media to sit up and take notice. Almost every weekend there were 50,000 kids paying $300 for a ticket at festivals all over North America - the audience for Las Vegas's Electric Daisy Carnival in 2012 was estimated to be more than 300,000! At a time when the record industry was having serious financial difficulties – piracy, dwindling album sales – this new brand of weird, subsonic music looked like a surefire money-spinner.

And then there was Skrillex. "He really is responsible for the whole mass explosion in the US," reckons Hall. "He took the dubstep formula - which came all the way from Croydon - and he mixed it with dark, angry bass, chopped-up vocals and uplifting chords. If you're talking about bass music, you have to mention his EP Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites. It was a landmark release. It took that sound around America and then around the world."

Time and bass

And this is where we find ourselves in 2013. In the space of three very short years, bass music has spread way beyond its dubstep roots, incorporating countless sounds, tempos, attitudes and artists. But are we any closer to answering the question, 'What is bass music?'

"The only thing you can say about bass music is that it has a different kind of bounce," says Josh Gard, aka Midwest US producer/DJ and horror/sci-fi fan Figure. "And it's no surprise that most of that comes from the bassline. It's become so important that it even takes the place of lyrics. The bass speaks for itself and becomes the hook for the entire song.

"With that as your compass, you can go almost anywhere. In many ways, that's what's so great about bass music. You can throw in whatever you want! Some of my stuff will go completely atonal, or I'll drop to some chopped up piano riffs or a movie sample. Sometimes there are no samples at all - no chords, even. There's just that bassline.

"The bassline has become so important that it even takes the place of lyrics. The bass speaks for itself and becomes the hook for the entire song." Josh Gard, aka Figure

"A lot of people talk about the aggressive sound of bass music, but, again, it's not crucial. If a song needs it, put it in; if it doesn't, don't worry. Certain keys and key changes will set the mood and lead you in a certain direction. Sure, I don't mind aggressive sounds, but there are times when, you can really catch the groove if you hold those sounds back."

For Hall, bass music is all about the bottom end. "If you look at something like house or techno, the lowest thing you'll find, sonically, is the kick, which will be sitting around 50f60Hz. On the other hand, in dubstep and DnB - which is where bass music came from - you've got the kick sitting at 100Hz and, underneath that, you've got a sub-bass. That's the thing that separates bass music from everything else."

Of course, there's certainly no lack of sub-bass on the average Skrillex track, but as Hall mentioned earlier, Skrillex also introduced mid-range bass noises.

"That totally shifts the focus of the bassline," explains DnB producer Tim Cant. "Yes, dubstep is based on sub-bass, but what we consider bass music today uses a full-frequency bassline. You've got the sub plus the octaves above, playing almost like a lead sound. The bassline becomes the central hook of the song."

That shift in frequency has obviously made a huge difference to the sound of bass music. Some have likened these squalling, distorted riffs to the introduction of a lead guitar, which attracted the attention of a massive, worldwide rock audience who were already used to the growling electronica of bands like Nine Inch Nails and Pendulum.

It didn't take long for the bass music umbrella to welcome new terms like metalstep, described rather beautifully by Urban Dictionary as "One fucking badass hybrid of dubstep and metal. Known to make the weak and unaccustomed cower in fear of its glory, until they implode into nothing."

As Lorin Ashton, aka Bassnectar, told Computer Music last year, "The first time I heard the second wave of dubstep - as opposed to the first wave, which had a more 2-step/garage feel - I thought, 'Hey, this sounds like doom metal'. Subconsciously, I started to draw lines between the two genres. My ears made the connection."

Once dubstep/bass music had been successfully pushed to such wild extremes, it was only natural that producers would start experimenting with every musical style and piece of software that was on offer. In the same way that, say, Stravinsky's Rite of Spring or Gershwin's jazz/classical hybrid Rhapsody In Blue had kicked open the doors of modernism in the previous century, producers and DJs were boldly marching towards a future where musical barriers no longer seemed to matter.

Back on this side of the Atlantic, producers like Doctor P and Aussie-born, London-based Rob Swire (Pendulum/Knife Party) had also been experimenting with chainsaw synths, noise, distortion and an altogether darker dubstep/ electro sound. In the same way that Skrillex brought aggression to dubstep, Swire gave electro a nasty makeover.

"In the last couple of years, it's sort of become bass music's signature sound," says Cant. "You've only got to listen to something like Doctor P's Big Boss. Rather than aspiring to virtuosity on an instrument, producers are trying to push synths, software and audio processors to the extreme, the idea being that you come up with the filthiest, most outrageous noise out there."

But such is the momentum built up by bass music that new beats and noises are already jostling for space on the dancefloor. "Over the last 12 months things have started to change," says DJ Datsik. "US audiences are definitely getting tired of that high-intensity sound [Datsik's mate Rusko described brostep as "someone screaming in our face for an hour"!] They've started looking for something a bit more sophisticated."

Caught in a trap

In the States right now, electronic dance music trendsetters are talking about nothing but trap, a stripped-down style of southern hip-hop that's been around for over 10 years but previously never made contact with the EDM world. Eventually, though, trap's scattered, minimal rhythms and full-fat bottom end proved too tempting to ignore, especially after the success of such tunes as TNGHT's Higher Ground and Chief Keef's I Don't Like.

"What trap has done is reintroduce some of the original minimal element back into dubstep," says DJ Datsik. "You've got the more laid-back beats - stuttered hats and 808 kicks - from trap, but they've been put together with the sharp laser sounds from dubstep.

"The arrival of trap means there's more of a dynamic to bass music now - more subtleties. And just for a change, trap is travelling from the US to the UK. In bass music, it's usually the other way round. Maybe it's a sign that the US bass scene is maturing and growing in confidence. Whatever the reason, trap is definitely going to blow up worldwide in 2013!"

"If the last three breathless years have taught us anything, it's that bass music doesn't stand still."

Baauer's trap anthem, Harlem Shake, has been featured in The Sun - thanks mainly to the hundreds of fan-made spoof videos - and has clocked up tens of millions of hits on YouTube. As Datsik says, trap is indeed blowing up in 2013. But maybe the real question is, where will bass music be in 2014?

If the last three breathless years have taught us anything, it's that bass music doesn't stand still. As we speak, its tendrils are probably poking around in some unsuspecting beat, sample, label, genre or tempo, looking for ways to bring together a handful of seemingly unrelated sounds and use them to create something new and exciting.

Maybe that's the best way to describe bass music - it isn't just one genre or one sound, and it never will be. It's made up of bits of many genres and sounds, and it's made up of the bits in between all of those genres and sounds, endlessly shifting through these random elements at will - a hectic, heaving, restless, ever-changing, glorious groove. In fact, the only thing we can say for sure about the future of bass music is that we can't possibly predict what it'll sound like.

For a wealth of bass music tutorials and software buying advice check out Computer Music Special 59 - Bass Music Production Guide - which is on sale now.

Read more about What is bass music? at MusicRadar.com