cm132 - MOTU Electric Keys £199 (PC/ MAC)

Mark Of The Unicorn have arrived late to the sampled electric keyboard collection party, but will they be the life and soul?

Certain synthesizer sounds may drift in and out of fashion, but it seems that vintage keyboard tones are perennially popular. Producers call on Fender Rhodes and Wurlitzer sounds on a daily basis, while electric organs are used by musicians in genres as diverse as rock, jazz and dance.

It's these instruments (and others) that MOTU have sampled for their Electric Keys package, demanding up to 40GB of hard drive space (you can pick and choose soundbanks). The manual suggests that you copy the soundbank files to your hard disk before running the installer -these are spread across five DVDs, so it can take some time. What's more, it states that you can put them on any internal or external drive (or drives), provided it spins at a minimum of 72OORPM and is NTFS or HFS+ formatted.

Frustratingly, our tests indicated otherwise. Whenever we tried to run Electric Keys with the soundbanks on a separate drive, the software simply didn't find them, and there's no option to browse to them. Some users have solved this problem by creating aliases, but the only way we could get Electric Keys to run was to put the soundbanks in a specific folder on the main disk.

Keaneon
Not a good start, then, but thankfully things improve when (or if) you do get up and running, and an iLok dongle is supplied, in case you don't already have one. The interface, which changes skin depending on which keyboard you have loaded, is very straightforward, offering, from left to right: master volume and pan controls, preset and combi browsing, a button to open up the FX Rack, then tone and tremolo controls. You can also open an Expert Settings window that enables you to get your hands dirty with some of Electric Keys' more advanced features (there's filter and amp/filter envelopes, for example).

As you'd expect, though, the most impressive thing about Electric Keys is its soundset. The electric pianos are solid - though there's nothing here to blow away the competition - and the organs sound appropriately 'vintage', too. The library goes way beyond these usual suspects, though, throwing funky Clavinets, 80s-sounding e-pianos (think Phil Collins and Keane), string machines, a tape sampler, and a few lesser-known keyboard instruments into the mix. Helpfully, the manual tells you which artists each type of 'board is most associated with.

As well as the numerous presets, you also get a good selection of Combis; Electric Keys' architecture enables you to layer up two sounds at once, each of which can have its own volume, pan and effects settings.

Despite getting off to a dodgy start with the installation procedure, Electric Keys eventually won us over - you can't really argue with the quality of the results you can get with it. If you can spare a couple of hundred quid and 40GB of disk space (which may or may not have to be on your system drive), it hits the mark, cm

Contact: Musictrack, 01767 313447
Web: www.motu.com
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Rack 'em up
Many of the vintage electric keyboard sounds we're familiar with hearing on record weren't created exclusively with classic instruments - in many cases, an effects processor or two was involved as well.

It's wholly fitting, then, that Electric Keys should come with its own suite of effects. These processors aren't found on the main interface; instead, you have to click the FX Rack button to open a dedicated window. Sitting at the top of this is the Amp Simulator, while below you'll find Filter, Phaser, Flanger, Chorus and Vinyl sections. Down at the bottom are Delay and Reverb processors. The signal runs through the effects in pretty much the order listed (though the Vinyl processor sits at the very end of the chain) and the Rack can do a good job of giving your sounds that extra bit of oomph. There are some useful multi-effect presets - our only real grumble is that you can't use the FX Rack as a separate plug-in.
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System requirements
(PC) P4/AMD 1GHz, 1GB RAM, USB port for iLok (supplied), Windows XP/Vista, VST/ RTAS/DXi host for plug-in operation

(MAC) 1GHz, 1GB RAM, USB port for iLok (supplied), OS X 10.4, AU/VST/MAS/RTAS host for plug-in operation

Test system
(PC) Intel Core 2 Duo 2.66GHz, Windows
XP SP2, 3 GB RAM, Cubase 4 Studio

Alternatively
Native Instruments Elektrik Piano cm75» 8/10 » £170
Emulates Fender Rhodes models, Wurlitzer A 200 and a Clavinet E7

AAS Lounge Lizard 3 cm97» 9/10 » £149
The sounds here are physically modelled rather than sampled

Verdict
For
- Sounds great
- Very easy to use
- SlickTXRack
- iLok is included

AGAINST
- Problems with installation

Once you've got it working. Electric Keys gives you all the classic keyboard sounds that you're ever likely to need

MARK: 7/10

Order Computer Music Magazine from:
http://www.computermusic.co.uk/

cm132 - Peavey ReValver Mk III £179 (PC/ MAC)

The third edition of Alien Connections' venerable amp sim sees guitar gear giants Peavey lending experience and models to the cause

When we reviewed ReValver Mk II in cm111 (7/10), we were impressed by the control the user had over its modules, but we found the basic sounds lacking. A lot has changed since Mk II's release, though, as ReValver's developers, Alien Connections, were acquired by hardware giant and guitar amp specialists Peavey.

Software amp simulators have always featured thinly disguised 'sound-alike' units, based on classic hardware amps. The companies who make said amps have generally stayed away from software, but Peavey have taken the unusual step of creating computerised versions of their most popular real-word offerings.

The new guard
The big new additions for ReValver Mk III come in the shape of six new amp models. Peavey have been bold enough to emblazon these with the names and front panels of the real hardware, demonstrating their confidence in the sounds that the software delivers. As with previous versions, modules are added to a virtual rack and can be reordered by simply dragging. They're processed in series, from top to bottom, although you can achieve parallel routing using the Signal Splitter tool. Tooltips pop up for almost all controls, making operation easy.

ReValver is MIDI mappable, with MIDI learn available for all parameters. Host automation can also be used in, say, Cubase or Live, although the range of accessible parameters is predetermined in this case. New for this version is the Mixdown mode, which increases the sound quality, intended for use when rendering your song.

As for those amps, first up is the dual-channel 6505. It works best when the gain is turned fully up, producing smooth, modern high-gain sounds that are perfect for rock and metal. The 6505+ is a variation that offers even more bite courtesy of extra virtual valves. It must be said that these emulations knock the spots off any previous attempts to model Peavey amps, and are definitely our pick of the bunch.

Next, there's the JSX - Joe Satriani's signature model. This three-channel amp can produce sweet, clean sounds as well as Satch's trademark heavy tones, though they're a bit more scratchy and classic rock-sounding than the 6505's.

The Triple XXX is intended to create the

"Peavey's involvement has clearly paid off because the six new amps are first-class"

ultimate in metal tones - with the mid-range attenuated, those frightening scooped sounds just pop out. It's also great for fluid lead tones, especially with a touch of delay.

It's not all screaming distortion and wailing leads, though - some more subtle, laid-back sounds can be found on the excellent Classic 30 combo model, for example. With it, we were able to produce fine, crunchy tones as well as that elusive 'just breaking up' sound that's ideal for blues rhythm parts.

The Valve King model, meanwhile, is a dual-channel affair that's also capable of pleasingly crunchy sounds, though its clean tones deserve mention too, ranging from Stevie Ray Vaughan to Robert Cray stylings.

All the amps in ReValver are available as separate preamp modules, as are many of the corresponding power amps; numerous speaker cabinet/mic combinations can be separately emulated by the RIR convolution-based speaker simulation. Alternatively, the Speaker Construction Set enables you to design speaker models, including ones that don't exist in the real world (huge or tiny cabinets, for example).

The only minor gripe we have is that it would've been nice to have seen a Peavey bass amp included to complete the set.

Old school effects
Apart from the new amps, ReValver Mk III remains largely the same as before. You get nine other amps/preamps, including emulations of a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier, Marshall JCM900, Vox AC30, Fender Bassman and a Matchless. There's also a set of nine 'tools' (including tuner), and 30 stompboxes and effects. Among the latter, you'll find all the usual suspects, including overdrive/distortion, modulation effects, delay, reverb, octaver and so on.

The thing is, ReValver's 'old' sounds were average at best, so quantity isn't a big selling point - Peavey have made changes to the transformer, tube and power supply emulations, so the pre-existing modules do sound different, but it would be a stretch to say they sound significantly better. However, the brand new convolution reverb module is a worthy addition.

We should point out that ReValver does have one trick up its sleeve that no other amp sim can boast: its rack can host VST effects. This means you can use other guitar-oriented plug-ins in conjunction with ReValver, or, indeed, the sort of effects that you'd never find in a traditional setup.

While the old ReValver modules may still be a little uninspired, Peavey's involvement has clearly paid off, because the six new amps are first-class and easily rival the likes of Guitar Rig and AmpliTube. In fact, they're more convincing than the former and maybe even the latter, too. ReValver may not be as slick as the other big amp sims, but it has unique features such as in-depth tweaking and VST hosting. Sound-wise it's a giant leap in the right direction that gives us high hopes for future development.

Contact: Peavey UK, +44 (0) 1536 461234
Web: www.peavey.com
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The modules from previous ReValver versions now sound a bit better, though they're still not amazing
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Mess about with grid resistors, coupling capacitor frequencies and more - and all without the risk of electrocution

Tweak till you're weak
ReValver's unique selling point has always been the astounding number of ways in which you can analyse and edit the virtual amp models - you'll certainly never hear a ReValver user grumbling about not having enough contol over their guitar tones.

A casual right-click on any module enables you to select the understated Tweak This Module option. 'Tweak' is putting it mildly because you can alter just about any part of the virtual circuitry that makes up the unit's signal path. This is especially true of the preamp/amp models, where you can get inside any of the tubes (valves) and tinker with a great number of factors, ranging from something as simple as tube type to more advanced, technical-sounding parameters like dynamic bias offset amount. And in case you doubt that these adjustments are really making any difference, there are four different signal analysis tools.

We mentioned in our Mk II review that we felt it was essential to use these options in order to improve the set of average factory sounds, but with the massive step up in quality afforded by the new amp models in ReValver Mk III, the tweaking facility takes on a different role: it can now be used to fine-tune and customise those already great tones to your personal taste.
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System requirements
(PC) 1GHz CPU, 512MB RAM, VST host for plug-in usage

(MAC) 1GHz CPU, 512MB RAM, VST/ AU host for plug-in usage

Test system
(PC) HP Pavilion 2.8GHz processor, 1GB RAM, Windows XP

Alternatively
IK Multimedia AmpliTube 2 cm101» 10/10 » £265
Great all-rounder, but lacks ReValver's high-gain quality

Guitar Rig 3 cm120» 9/10 » £230
A wide range of modules, but some find the amp tones disappointing

Verdict
FOR
- Great range of convincing sounds
- Official recreations of Peavey amps
- Convolution reverb now included
- Can host VST plug-ins
- A tweaker's dream

AGAINST
- Legacy modules are average
- No Peavey bass amp

While the competition might be a little slicker, for realistic, great-sounding Peavey amp simulations, ReValver is the new king

MARK: 9/10
Order Computer Music Magazine from:
http://www.computermusic.co.uk/

cm132 - Rob Papen RG £99 (PC/ MAC)

Virtual instruments emblasoned with the Rob Papen name have an almost cult following, but can his latest live up to high expectations?

Every now and then we install a piece of software that's clearly going to divide people into two camps. And it's always a bit nerve-racking, because here at cm, we stand by our reviews. So when we say we really like something that's not a 'universal' piece of software, we're opening ourselves up to controversy. But sod it, frankly, because we really do like RG (it stands for Rhythm Guitar) from Rob Papen, and will be happy to debate it for a couple of hours with anybody who'll get a round in.

Rhythm guitar refers to the rhythmic playing of guitar chords to provide a driving backdrop to a track. This occurs on countless songs and can be surprisingly hard to emulate using conventional software means. Sampled loops are thoroughly convincing but also extremely limited, which is where RG comes in...

At its most basic, RG offers sample-powered emulations of three types of guitar: Electric (Fender Stratocaster), Steel 8th and Steel 16th. The latter two are for eighth- and 16th-note grooves respectively. You get just major and minor chords for each guitar type (note that the Electric one has minor7 chords instead of minor).

After picking a guitar, you can browse through a selection of presets that generate a rhythm guitar sequence when you hold down the note that corresponds to the key of your track, with separate octaves for major and minor chords.

Of course, there's plenty more to it than that, but what we need to make clear is that RG is not a guitar emulator per se - the best way to describe it is as a guitar-groove generator. A simple guitar part can have a serious impact on your tracks, and there are enough styles and sounds here to keep you going for a while.

League of its own
As an inspirational composition tool, RG is peerless - it's like having an awesome sample library in completely editable format. Simply fire up RG, scroll through the many presets, edit one you like, build a beat behind it and you're on your way to a fresh, guitar-powered track in minutes.

The more adventurous user, though, will want to delve a little deeper, and at its core RG is also a synth, with full-on envelope controls, filtering, modulation, LFOs and effects. The filter section has a '0 to lO'-style Cutoff knob that'll seem

"To get the most convincing results from RG, you need a pretty good grasp of guitar playing"

familiar to axe-wranglers, and can be modulated by the dedicated envelope and LFO, velocity and mod wheel. Low-pass and high-pass filters come in 6,12,18 and 24dB variants, while band-pass and notch are available as 12 and 24dB types. Wicka-wacka wah-wah parts are easily dialled in using a low-pass filter, but for more unusual sounds, there are even comb and vowel filters. The aforementioned filter envelope is your standard ADSR affair, although it does have an extra Fade parameter - dial this in and the sustain section either glides up to full or down to nowt over the specified time. The Filter LFO, meanwhile, has sine, triangle, saw up/down, square and sample & hold shapes, and a few other handy features. It can be synced to the song tempo, as can the dedicated Pitch LFO.

Amp section
In addition to all this, there's a no-nonsense Amp panel, a five-band EQ and a Modulation section with two slots for setting up your own modulation routings, which will please more advanced users. There are 33 sources and 22 destinations - you can, for instance, have a row of the sequencer control the Filter LFO Speed, or effects mix, and so on.

Oh yes, RG has effects! There are 22 of 'em, and you can use three at once, in series, similar to how you'd connect up guitar stompboxes. RG offers many effects that guitarists will be familiar with: delay (two types), reverb, chorus, flanger, Phaser, distortion and compression. There are some tailored to guitar, too, such as an amp and cabinet simulators and wah-wahs. Most of these processors are good, although tone hounds may prefer to use a separate guitar effects plug-in.

Effects that are not so typical for guitar processing include multimode filtering, ensemble, a bit/sample-rate degrader, waveshaper, 'multidistort' (this offers many types of distortion), stereo widener, autopanner, and -yes! - a trance gate. There's even a dedicated FX mod matrix. You can generate 'guitar-ish' parts that slot neatly into more electronic styles, in a way that real guitar playing generally doesn't.

The irony, of course, is that to get the most convincing results from RG, you need a pretty good grasp of guitar playing to begin with. The same can be said of Just about every emulation of a real instrument, though, so it's not fair to judge RG harshly for this. Of course, Rob Papen will argue that it can do things that you can't do with a guitar and that it adds a new dimension to conventional guitar riffery, but that's probably not going to wash with your average strummer.

Non-guitarists will find some things to criticise too. Sure, it has a variety of presets and you can customise the sequences, but the real value of RG lies in non-guitarists being able to sit down and quickly generate in-key riffs or inspirational loops, and the scope for instant and ever-varying satisfaction is, ultimately, limited, as the plug-in does impart a distinct sound and vibe to your productions. You can't load your own sounds into it, and there's currently no indication as to whether there will be expansion packs in future.

While we've given it a great score, just be sure to give the downloadable demo a whirl first to see if this really is the product for you. If you don't play guitar and need rhythmic riffing to go, then we think RG is a fantastic idea that sounds great. And as if to prove this point, within two weeks of installing it, we'd used it on no less than two remixes and two original tracks. After all, making music is what it's all about, right?

Contact: Time+Space, 01837 55200
Web: www.robpapen.com
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There are plenty of options for shifting pattern data between sequences A and B
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You can determine where the pattern loops from, adding a further dimension to grooves

Rhythm & grooves
The thing that sets RG apart from a conventional guitar sample patch is the groove sequencer, where you can program in up-strokes, down-strokes and ties. You also get Glide for the Electric model, Ghost Stroke for Steel 16th and Electric and Extra Stroke (hand mute on the strings) for the Steel 8th.

You may also set the length of the pattern (up to 32 steps) and velocity of the individual steps. Usefully, you can have two sequences per groove patch and these are mapped to different parts of the keyboard, for easy variations.

But as great as the sequencer is, it does have its limitations. One of our main gripes is that despite having a Swing control, there's no way to apply your own quantisation grid to RG, and it can sound a little 'robotic' as it comes. Some randomisation of timing/velocity would be nice, to add that human factor.

However, what we'd really like to see in future versions is a way of sending MIDI notes into RG and using these as the individual note triggers, enabling the user to define the groove quantise manually, not to mention an 'export groove to MIDI' function. There are a number of complicating barriers to this suggestion, though, so we can't bring ourselves to criticise the omission of such functionality on the first version of the plug-in.
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System requirements
(PC) Windows XP, Vista or 98, PI I I/Athlon
1.8Ghz, 512MB RAM, 1.5GB hard drive
space, VST/RTAS host (MAC) Intel/G4 IGHz, OSX 10.3.9 or VST/RTAS/AU host

Test system
(MAC) MacBook, Intel Core Duo 2 2GHz, 1GB RAM, Apple OS X 10.5.2
(MAC) Mac Pro Dual 2.8GHZ Quad-Core Intel Xeon, 2GB RAM, Apple OS X 10.5.2


Alternatively
AAS Strum Acoustic GS-1 cm129» 7/10 » £139
This physical-modeling acoustic guitar sim can do rhythmic parts

Best Service Chris Hein Guitars cm112» 8/10 » £266
Acoustic and electric guitar ROMpler with a vast tonal palette

Verdict
FOR
- Can be inspirational
- Great sound
- Nice variety of preset groove styles
- Easy to use
- Plenty of features for advanced users too

AGAINST
- Humanisation would be nice
- Guitarists may find it less useful
- Limited sound palette and chords

RG is something of a niche product, but for rhythmic riffing on tap, it's right on the money and sounds great to boot

MARK: 9/10
Order Computer Music Magazine from:
http://www.computermusic.co.uk/

cm132 - Yellow Tools Independence Pro £349 (PC/ MAC)

Independence Pro is bigger, better and more impressive than before, but does it have what it takes to become the turn-to sampler package?

Yellow Tools'original Independence sampler ticked all the boxes for sampling luxury, marrying horsepower with an excellent, focused sample library. Yet try as they might, Kontakt (from rival Germans Native Instruments) still remains the samplist's apparent favourite. It's hardly surprising, then, that YT's latest package, Independence Pro, takes a broader approach, featuring three interrelated applications.

First up, Independence becomes Independence 2, with a completely redesigned audio engine. Features include adjustable multicore CPU support (up to eight cores), VST plug-in compatibility, multiple insert effects, a 70GB sound library, a new browser, and an enhanced quick-edit screen with remote control.

Second, Independence FX is a new incarnation of the Freedom rack-style effects plug-in, featuring over 40 effects, including the Origami impulse response processor. With its extensive surround support (up to 8.1), integrated browser, multiple presets, unlimited instances and even VST plug-in import, YT's intentions are clear.

Completely new for this package is Independence Live. Designed primarily as a front-end to enable the standalone live use of Independence 2, you can load multiple patches, switching on the fly manually or using program changes. Finally, just as we go to press, we've received news that Independence Pro will be shipping with a special version of Chicken Systems' Translator, which is a useful tool that enables the conversion of just about any sample to or from Independence format.

The mechanics
Without wishing to play down the importance of Independence Pro's FX and Live elements (see Live and FX for these), the sampler is clearly the core aspect. Visually, it's very similar to the previous version, and in practical terms the sample system, which is based on sections, layers, layer sets and projects, also remains the same. If you're looking for comparisons, each layer is effectively a typical sample program -made up of sections, samples, zones, velocity layers, insert effects and so on. However, I2's sampling engine facilitates seriously complex sample allocation, and with up to 32 sample options per note, it goes way beyond what most

"If you want excellent 'real-life'sample content and playback, this is an enormously seductive package"

samplers allow. Beyond this, you're looking at a typical multitimbral design, incorporating numerous layers (layer sets), MIDI channels, an audio mixer and global effects.

In layout terms, the layer hierarchy is available on the left-hand side, while visual elements such as mapping, envelopes, effects, the browser and mixer appear as tabs on the right. As we've said, the sample engine is powerful, and consequently you need a flexible way of editing it. For this reason, one of the tabs is dubbed Modules, enabling you to change parameters such as pitch, envelope and filter, while also making external modifier assignments. Most significantly, you can choose the section of the layer you want to edit, from a single sample to the whole thing.

The library
One great improvement with 12 is the inclusion of all of YT's sample libraries. This means you not only get the full acoustic bank from 11, containing guitars, basses, drums, organs, pianos and the orchestral set, but also Candy (saxophones), Majestic (basses) and Culture (percussion). The emphasis is on traditional instruments rather than synths, loops and so on.

On the synthesis front, 12 includes a number of modifier options including an arpeggiator with MIDI file import, a step sequencer, step modulator and glide option on top of the more typical LFOs, pitch bend, modulation and so on. These facilities are used in a handful of presets, showing that 12 is excellent at synth sounds and sequences. But with no more than 100 presets, these aspects are rather under-utilised.

Many of I2's presets use keyswitching to access multiple articulations. To keep things clear, the left hierarchy panel can be switched to show the content of a layer with a list of the available articulations and their switching key. Very useful, but if keyswitching is your thing, you can't beat having a full 88-note keyboard.

Perfecto?
Sonically, I2's library and the included extras (Candy, Majestic and Culture) are excellent, and if there's something you don't like, you can tweak pretty much everything. One sonic aspect we haven't mentioned are the onboard insert effects. These range from the typical (EQs, compression, delay and filters) to the useful (reference tones, channel manager and surround panner), and you can even patch in VST plug-ins. But what's really significant is that you can apply effects using the Modules parameters to any section you like - a single sample file, the whole layer or anywhere in between. Powerful stuff.

Finally, new to 12 are the eight freely assignable knobs and buttons. These can be set up manually or with the learn feature, making it easy to connect your controller to 12 or to control buried parameters from the Quick Edit page.

Independence Pro is clearly part consolidation and part new territory. And there's no doubt that for the new user at least, I2's precise but complex interface could prove frustrating. However, if you want excellent 'real-life' sample content and playback, this is an enormously seductive package. Admittedly, it's complicated, but if you're willing to put the time in, Independence is very rewarding indeed.

Contact: Time+Space, 01837 55200
Web: www.yellowtools.de
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The extensive sound library is augmented by a range of powerful effects that you can apply freely
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Independence Pro's add-ons, such as FX, give a welcome breadth to the package

Live and FX
Independence Pro includes two additional aspects - the standalone Independence Live and the plug-in Independence FX. Although 12 comes in plug-in and standalone form, the idea with Independence Live is that it allows you to load up multiple instances of the sampler and flick between them on the fly. In use, this amounts to a rack setup with multiple slots into which you load Independence programs (though, strangely, not straightforward layers).

MIDI is configurable on a channel-by-channel basis (useful if you have multiple controllers), and again they've included the eight assignable knobs and buttons. Changes to programs are simple enough (clicking 'edit' launches the familiar 12 window). It's straightforward and conceptually not unlike Logic Studio's MainStage.

Independence FX is a configurable multi-effects plug-in rack featuring the same insert effects you'll find in Independence 2. The browser includes a number of categorised and pre-configured effects chains and, like 12, you can also use your VST effects. It's worth mentioning that to do this you have to copy them to the 12 VST folder. But for Mac users at least, it's definitely worth it, as it's a quick and easy way of running VST plug-ins inside AU-only applications, such as Logic!
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System requirements
(PC) Windows XP or Vista, Pentium or
Athlon XP 1.4GHz,512MB RAM, 73GB hard drive space, Yellow Tools dongle (£30, not included)

(MAC) G4, G5 or Intel Mac 1GHz, 512MB RAM, 73GB hard drive space, Yellow Tools dongle (£30, not included)

Test system
(MAC)Apple Mac Pro dual 3GHz, 3GB RAM,OSX 10.4.11, Logic8

Alternatively
Native Instruments Kontakt 3 cm120» 10/10 » £340
Impressive sampler, though it can't quite match I2's 'real' instruments

Apple Logic Studio cm119» 10/10 » £319
Includes Mainstage, and the full Logic instrument and sample library

Verdict
FOR
- Powerful sampler engine
- 70GB of excellent content
- Easy remote control feature
- Live and FX are useful additions
- Import of VST plug-ins

AGAINST
- Complexity can be daunting
- Sample content is not exhaustive

This formidably powerful and slick-sounding bundle reaffirms Yellow Tools' status as one of the premier vendors of sample-based goods

MARK: 9/10

cm132 - Steinberg MR816 CSX £939 (PC/ MAC)

An audio interface designed to bridge the gap between hardware and software - could the MR816 be the missing link we've been waiting for?

The problem with your standard computer music setup - computer, audio interface and software - is that the freedom to mix and match whatever gear you like leaves hardware and software designers struggling to integrate truly advanced features. However, now that Steinberg are owned by musical equipment giants Yamaha, the opportunity has finally arisen to do exactly that at the core level with their Cubase DAW. Wisely, they've chosen to combine DSP-fuelled audio interfacing with extensive software-linking to Cubase (version 4.5 and above). The first devices in this new range are the MR816CSX and MR816 X 'advanced integration DSP studios', and it's the more powerful CSX variant that we have here. The X edition is essentially the same but minus the Channel Strip DSP effect.

Making the connection
Strip away all the Cubase integration-related extras and the MR looks much like any quality FireWire interface. It's a 24-bit/96kHz-capable unit with a total of 16 ins and outs (eight analogue and eight digital in each direction). There's a full complement of eight class-A mic preamps (using Yamaha's D-Pre design), and the first two channels also include instrument inputs and unbalanced pre-conversion insert points. Both coaxial and optical digital connections are included, and the eight digital channels can be allocated as ADAT, S/PDIF, or split (six ADAT, two S/PDIF). Other connections include word clock in and out, twin FireWire (you can daisy chain up to three units) and two independent headphone outs on the front panel. Surprisingly, there are no MIDI connections. The front panel offers a gain knob, an LED level indicator, and 26dB pad and phantom power switches for each mic pre.

For the non-Cubase user, the MR is operated much like any other audio interface. It's worth noting that it retains its routing settings when you shut down, and that you can use it without a computer, as a converter or basic mixer. Features include near-zero latency routing and monitoring, and CoreAudio (Mac) and ASIO (PC) drivers. You can use the supplied MR Editor application to apply the device's DSPs to the analogue inputs, and options include the Channel Strip insert, REV-X monitoring reverb, low-cut filter and phase reverse. You can use the two front-panel encoders to access phones levels, master level, Morph and REV-X settings.

You can load up the MR's Channel Strip and REV-X as plug-ins within your DAW, providing it supports VST3. Here, certain instance limits apply, the options being: eight mono instances; four stereo; six mono plus one REV-X; or three stereo channels plus one REV-X. Unfortunately, since Steinberg's own Cubase and Nuendo are currently the only DAWs to cater for VST3, you won't actually be able to use the effects in other programs until/unless their developers add VST3 support.

Totally dedicated
We suspect that the vast majority of MR816 buyers will be Cubase users, and if you're using a version with Advanced Integration (4.5 and onwards), then you can ignore the MR Editor entirely as all its functions are built into new, dedicated windows within Cubase. This opens up some great new features, and in case you don't already have Cubase, there's a version in the box.

As well as the routing and mixing options, the DSP effects are accessible directly from Cubase. The Channel Strip can be used to effect the input signal or purely for monitoring, whereas in this mode the reverb is for monitoring only. The only real catch is, you can't do both at the same time.

Of the Cubase-specific features, the input section of the extended Cubase mixer offers direct access to the MR via the Hardware tab. Options include Phase Reverse, Low-cut Filter, the Sweet Spot Morpher and Compressor Drive, plus headphone and REV-X send levels, and effects routing. You can also open individual windows for the Channel Strip and REV-X.

The device ties in with the Cubase Control Room, so with hardware monitoring enabled you can use the Studio Send facility to configure headphone mixes with near-zero latency. The new MR Hardware Set Up window in the Devices menu lets you configure routing for the MR's headphones and the REV-X monitoring effect.

The final Cubase-only feature is Quick Connect. By selecting one or more audio channels in Cubase and hitting a blue selector button, that particular input is automatically routed to said channel or channels.

CSX-ellent?
From a purely Cubase perspective, we found that the MR816 CSX worked superbly well - we can't think of any other native system that achieves this level of integration.

So what are the downsides? First up, the lack of MIDI means it doesn't quite cover all bases. Also, as mentioned, the DSPs can't be used in plug-in and input effect mode at the same time. Plus, as it's VST3-only, the plug-in effects are Cubase/Nuendo-only for the time being.

However, the biggest drawback has to be for non-Cubase users, who will be looking at this unit and wondering why they can't enjoy this level of integration with their own system. Of course, the answer is that they can, as long as they switch to Cubase.which would no doubt be music to the ears of both Steinberg and Yamaha.

Contact: Steinberg, +49 (0)40 42236115
Web: www.steinberg.net
Info: R816X,£625
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A new fold-out section in the mixer enables direct editing of the MR816's settings, including reverb levels
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The Channel Strip plug-in offers compression and equalisation with a fairly simple control set

DSP me
Audio interfaces with built-in DSP effetcs are becoming more and more common, but they're only of real use if the effects are top-class. On the face of it, the MR816's REV-X is a simple three-algorithm design: room, plate and hall. It's actually been borrowed from Yamaha's high-end digital desks, and in use it proves to be far more than a simple monitoring effect.

The Channel Strip - or Sweet Spot Morphing Channel Strip, to give it its full title - is slightly 'different', and much thought has clearly gone into it. At the most basic level, it's a three-band EQ with a sidechain-capable compressor. In use, it sounds excellent and is easily good enough for mixing, real-time processing and monitoring. However, the real jewel is its eponymous Morph control. This single knob (also available to the rotary encoders) controls both EQ and compression, and basically sweeps smoothly through a whole load of desirable settings. This is combined with a bunch of quality presets to get you started.

The whole thing might seem a little gimmicky, and the auto-zoom on each of the knobs could be accused of the same. But because it sounds good, they've more than got away with it, and in use it can be either a quick solution or simply a good starting point.
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System requirements
(MAC) G4 1GHz or Intel Core Solo 1.5GHz, 512MB RAM, OS X 10.4, FireWire port, Cubase 4.5 (for AI features), VST3 host (for DSP plug-ins)

(PC) Intel/AMD 1._4GHz CPU, 512MB RAM, Windows XP SP2/Vista, FireWire port, Cubase 4.5 (for AI features), VST3 host (for DSP plug-ins)

Test system
(MAC) Mac Pro Dual 3GHz, 3GB RAM, OS X10ATK Cubase 4.5.1

Alternatively
Apogee Ensemble n/a » n/a » £1404
The nearest thing to an integrated system for Logic, but no DSP effects

Digidesign 003 Rack n/a » n/a » £835
Offers good recording integration with Pro Tools LE, but again, no DSP

Verdict
FOR
- Excellent Cubase integration
- Quality interface
- Pro-level EQ and reverb
- Cubase Al included

AGAINST
- Plug-in mode VST3-only
- No MIDI
- Quite expensive

Serious Cubase users should take a similarly serious look at the MR816 line, as they have significant advantages over generic audio interfaces

MARK: 9/10

Order Computer Music Magazine from:
http://www.computermusic.co.uk/

cm132 - Image-line Toxic Biohazard $99 (PC/ MAC)

The fourth incarnation of Maxx Claster's Toxic synth is here, but is this one Biohazard you should get close to?

The Toxic range of hybrid synths is one of music software's best-kept secrets: capable of making some extremely expensive-sounding noises, yet retailing for the equivalent of a mere £50, the fact that there aren't more users of them out there can only be described as a Toxic waste. Now the Toxic brand has FL Studio publisher Image-Line behind it (when we reviewed Toxic 3 in cm103, it was released by programmer Maxx Claster) and it's ready to endanger a whole new audience.

Zombie nation
As with previous editions, Toxic Biohazard uses a combination of frequency modulation and subtractive synthesis. Unlike many FM synths that rely on multiple screens to display oscillator and modulation information, almost all of Biohazard's controls are accessible at once.

The bits you'll use most are the six oscillator control panels (each of which has its own dedicated slice of interface real-estate), filter sections and frequency modulation matrix. The oscillators are well-spec'ed and feature 32 wave shapes, gate retrigger mode and an initial level control, in addition to the typical ADSR. A frequency offset control is in place for each one, which comes in handy for creating FM effects, and each also features phase and tuning controls.

Biohazard's FM abilities are accessed via the frequency modulation matrix, which, along with the LFO mod matrix, is located in a display at the centre of the interface. This can be swapped for pages dealing with MIDI and step-sequencer control - a good compromise, as you probably won't feel the need to fiddle with the matrices while looking at the other screens.

The modulation display packs an awful lot into a small space without feeling fiddly or cramped, and is certainly a lot more inviting than FM8's noob-scaring plethora of pages. As such, it's a cinch to dive right in and start creating sounds, and even those who haven't used an FM synth before should find it easy to get to grips with.

The catch is that Biohazard's frequency modulation is less sophisticated than some of its competitors', and it's not possible for oscillators to modulate themselves. If you're already au fait with either of Native Instruments' FM synths or LinPlug and Maxx Claster's own Octopus, there's not much here that you won't have seen before.

Toxic shock
In fact, Toxic owners won't find a lot of new ideas here either. There are several improvements and updates, but nothing radical. It's sensible that the upgrade from Toxic 111 to Toxic Biohazard is free -while Biohazard is superior, the improvements aren't enough to justify a paid upgrade.

Despite a lack of significant improvement, this remains a great synth, and the solid bass tones and rich pads that emanate from it belie its bargain price tag. If you've yet to check the Toxic series or FM synthesis in general, Biohazard makes for a great introduction.

Contact:info@image-line.com
Web: www.image-line.com
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Slight return
Toxic Biohazard is largely the same as its predecessor Toxic III, but there are a few new additions that make it an overall better synth. The biggest difference is that the effects section now features two slots, each offering Chorus, Delay, Reverb, Flanger, Phaser and Lo-Fi effects - this is greatly preferable to Toxic Ill's rather limited delay and chorus effects.

Image-Line's website makes much of the new "physical envelopes", but in our testing we found the difference between the envelopes in Toxic III and Biohazard to be negligible - the manual doesn't even mention the feature.

There are a number of improvements worth mentioning, though, including an admittedly superior graphical interface, increased polyphony, MIDI learn functions, the ability to copy settings between oscillators, and the fact that the plug-in is now available in AU and FL Studio formats.
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System requirements
(PC)Pentium 3 CPU, 512MB RAM,
Windows XP or later

(MAC) G4CPU. 512MB RAM, OS X 10.4

Test system
(PC)Intel Core 2 Duo 2GHz, 2GB RAM^ Windows XP, Cubase 4

Alternatively
LinPlug Octopus cm97»8/10»€99
Maxx Claster teamed up with LinPlug to create this classier take on the Toxic template

Native Instruments FM8 cm129» 9/10 » £170
Arguably the finest frequency modulation-based soft synth ever made

Verdict
FOR
- Superb value
- Some lovely presets
- Sensible interface
- Improved effects
- Now supports AU format
- A slicker experience all round

AGAINST
- Not a significant update

Biohazard is the best in the series thus far and represents incredible value for mid-level synth programmers

MARK:8/10
Order Computer Music Magazine from:
http://www.computermusic.co.uk/

cm132 - Cakewalk Sonar 8 Producer Edition £349 (PC)

Bostonian boffins Cakewalk have unleashed the latest edition of their flagship DAW right on schedule, but is it right on the money?

The days are drawing shorter and the leaves are drifting to a dusty hue, but there's no greater clue that autumn has arrived than the release of the annual update to Cakewalk's Sonar DAW for Windows PC. Indeed, having a Sonar licence has begun to feel a little like membership to some elite club, wherein we're expected to cough up annual dues in the form of upgrade fees just to remain current.

But as any card-carrying member of The Kiss Army will tell you, membership has its privileges. No, you don't get an iron-on patch of the Cakewalk guys in full make-up, or a certificate of membership, but rather a fistful of new additions, enhancements and plug-ins, not to mention the knowledge that your dough goes towards maintenance and the odd bit of tidying up.

Now, let's face it: Sonar 7 was already comprehensive, and we said so in our review last year. Heck, Sonar 5 wasn't exactly shabby. You might be inclined to believe that there weren't a whole lot of things that could be added. You'd be right to think so, and the developers seem to agree. This time round, Cakewalk have chosen to steer clear of sweeping changes and grand gestures in favour of refinement and polish.

That's not to say that there isn't enough here to warrant the pricetag. Some of the improvements (instrument tracks, for example) have been a long time coming, while others (such as those to the audio engine itself) may go unnoticed until you need them.

Keeping up appearances?
Even during the install process, it's obvious that changes are afoot. The installer splash screen makes it clear that Sonar now stands under the Roland umbrella - not surprising, given Roland's long-standing ties with Cakewalk, providing both plug-in synths and the impressive V-Vocal

"Sonar 8's developers have wisely steered clear of sweeping changes in favour of refinement and polish"

processing. Despite this, development is still handled by our old friends from Boston, and their decades of experience are clearly evident. This is the Sonar we know, for better or worse.

Why worse? Well, the interface, which hasn't really changed for years, remains somewhat dreary and prone to crowding. Sure, you can choose the toolbars you want to display and even swap out colours, but you're still stuck with the basic overall look and feel - one that some people love, but others find difficult and unfriendly. Strangely, Cakewalk's Home Studio has been given a whitewash and its GUI looks far cleaner than Sonar's, albeit without the latter's wealth of features. But at least Sonar's GUI means those of you who've mastered previous versions already know where to find your favourite stuff.

Two of Sonar 8's most significant changes are directly tied to the user interface. The first is the new Loop Explorer 2.0, which gives users a browser through which audio and MIDI clips may be located, previewed and dragged into the arrangement. If your music is built around loops, this will be a time saver.

Another (and, to our minds, far more crucial) addition is the Instrument Track. While we've gotten used to needing a pair of tracks Cone for MIDI, one for audio) for each virtual instrument we open, we've wondered why it was necessary. Cubase users got an instrument track some time ago, and we've envied the lack of clutter. Now Sonar users can open an instrument using a similarly dedicated track. Once you've done this, deleting the instrument results in the track being automatically split into separate audio and MIDI tracks, preserving any MIDI data and audio effects along the way. You can also split the Instrument Track manually - a thoughtful touch. Sadly, though, Cakewalk Arpeggiator is out for this sort of track because, despite the audio FX Bin being available to an Instrument Track, you can't use MIDI effects plug-ins with them.

Performance enhancers
Many of the most significant changes in Sonar 8 are not apparent upon first (or even second) glance. Cakewalk have made a concerted effort to optimise the performance of the audio engine and even the graphics - a welcome improvement after we took them to task about some graphics bugs last time around. The annoying 'flickering' that once plagued the DAW's visuals (especially when resizing windows) has been rendered a thing of the past. The graphics are snappier and cleaner, launch time has been reduced, and the metering is now more precise. Vista users in particular will be pleased that Sonar 8 has been optimised for that particular system. Some improvements are particularly noticeable on 64-bit systems. Latencies on X64 machines are no longer substantially higher than on X86 boxes, as was the case in past versions.

Fortunately, these tweaks don't come at the expense of CPU cycles. If anything, this version seems to use less processing power. This translates into better audio performance, lower latencies and fewer drop outs. We'd grown used to Sonar's audio engine periodicallly grinding to a halt, but we encountered no such stalls this time around. That isn't to say the audio is entirely glitch free, however. There are still brief moments of silence while changing loop points on the fly.

Worse still, when we tried to normalise a file while the audio was playing, the resultant clip was ridden with glitches (though fortunately this doesn't occur when normalising offline). Cakewalk are aware of the bug and are working to sort it out.

On a positive note, we were thrilled to discover that changes made to the audio driver settings no longer require a restart to take effect. Though most users will never actually make such changes mid-flight, it was always a drag for those who needed it.

Snagging list
Some of Sonar 8's additions and enhancements finally bring it up to speed with its competitors. We've always wondered, for example, why you couldn't arm recording while the audio was playing or recording, allowing audio to be punched into a track on the fly. It saves disk space and helps keep the creative juices flowing. Tape decks and competing DAWs allow it and now, finally, Sonar does too.

Users of previous Sonars have also levelled complaints at Cakewalk's ASIO implementation. It used to be that ASIO devices were occasionally stopped and restarted upon engaging the transport. Thankfully, now that this problem has been remedied, ASIO devices are always running.

Happily, one of Sonar 7's most irritating issues has been resolved - the fact that the audio metronome would skip the first beat. This was due to the fact that the first ASIO buffer was inaudible, and at long last it's been rectified.

Sonar users looking to integrate their DAW with external hardware will also be pleased to know that Sonar now enables the assignment of audio to mono outputs. This makes it a snap to apply a favourite vintage processor or mix tracks in a hardware mixer for some of that old time analogue mojo.

As if that wasn't enough, Sonar 8's new Clip Selection Groups function enables clips to be grouped together and edited as one. You can group selected clips or you can automatically group together any clips created by any multitrack recording.

When you're busy playing with your new Clip Selection Groups, you'll likely want to make use of the Aim Assist Cursor - a new visual guide for lining things up in the Clips pane. Activate the Aim Assist button in the Track view toolbar and you'll be able to avail yourself of the Aim Assist Line, now visible in the Clips pane.

Conclusions
We've merely scratched the surface here, focusing on the most significant features and enhancements, but there are loads more. When we reviewed Sonar 7 last year, awarding it not just a 10/10 score but all four of our awards, we commented that Cakewalk would have to screw things up pretty badly to get anything less than a nine out of ten and this observation remains true of version eight.

A glance at the feature list and the included plug-ins makes it obvious that Sonar remains the most complete Windows PC DAW on the market. This makes Producer Edition (and indeed, the cutdown Studio Edition) a no-brainer for first-time buyers, assuming they're happy with the somewhat dreary user interface. Given that previous versions have been so complete, however, users of Sonar 7 might not be so willing to pony up the upgrade fee, especially considering that so many of Sonar 8's improvements lie hidden beneath the surface. Those who do decide to hand over the cash though, will find the program they love is now zippier, friendlier and far less demanding. Another good showing from Cakewalk!

Contact: Edirol Europe, 0870 3501515
Web: www.cakewalk.com
Info: Sonar 8 Studio Edition, £219 Upgrade from Sonar 7 PE, $179
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Cakewalk know talent when they hear it, and they've tapped the geniuses at Studio Devil to bring the TL-64 Limiter to Sonar 8 PE users.

In TruePianos, included with Sonar PE, the boffins at 4Front Technology have managed to squeeze a realistic grand piano into your PC.
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Guitar-wranglers will be itching to get their hands on the LE version of Native Instruments' killer Guitar Rig 3 that's included with Sonar 8 PE

Box frenzy: the included effects

Both Sonar 8 Studio and Producer Editions offer a wealth of high quality processors. All your old favourites are still here, but now the collection has been augmented with some serious axe-slinging firepower. Included in the Producers Edition, a stripped-down 'LE' form of Native Instruments' Guitar Rig 3 offers a vast palette of guitar processing power, with three amps and cabinets, nearly a dozen effects, a built-in tuner and a slightly redundant metronome among the features included.

Additionally, the Producer Edition includes the TL-64 Tube Leveler, a fully automatable dynamics unit designed by Gallo Engineering, who are behind the Studio Devil guitar amp sims that have garnered much acclaim among cm staff.

Cakewalk have utilised the linear-phase technology found in their LP-64 EQ and LP-64 Multiband plug-ins to fuel the new TS-64 Transient Shaper. This seemingly innocuous little delight gives you full control over the transients of the incoming signal. You can change the attack and shape characteristics with a few simple controls.

Finally, both packages include a brace of Channel Tools that provide control over the left/right channel placement, gain and phase. You can use them to decode mid-side recordings or narrow (or widen) the stereo field.
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The highly acclaimed Dimension Pro ROMpler is now included with Sonar Producer Edition
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Get your groove on with Beatscape, one of three new instruments included in Sonar 8 PE

The plunder: Sonar 8's new instruments

Cakewalk have delivered some serious new firepower in Sonar 8, though major additions are, predictably, exclusive to the Producer Edition.

We can detect the work of Z3TA+ creator Rene Ceballos in Beatscape, a groovy gubbin that combines loop-slicing and a 4GB collection of loop construction kits into a percussive powerhouse that resembles Akai's MPC grooveboxes. Samples are assigned to any of 16 pads, which can each be edited and have effects applied. Designed to be played live, you can trigger samples from the GUI or your MIDI keyboard.

Also exhibiting Mr Ceballos's deft touch is Cakewalk's Dimension Pro - included here in its entirety. This wavetable powerhouse covers virtually any contingency with 8GB of content, including pads, brass, leads and orchestral sounds. No mere ROMpler, Dimension Pro is a fully kitted-out wavetable synth with flexible modulation and stunning filters. It's a humdinger and no mistake.

Finally, the Producer Edition comes bundled with a version of 4Front Technology's gorgeousTruePianos. This, the 'Amber' model, combines samples and physical modeling to create a stunningly real grand piano with seven variations. It's really something to play and hear.
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System requirements
(PC) Intel Pentium 41.3Ghz or AMD
XP, DVD drive

Test system
(PC) AMD Turion 64,2GHz, 1GB RAM, Windows XP Home, M-Audio Fast Track Pro, M-Audio 02


Alternatively
Steinberg Cubase 4 cm107» 9/10 » £473
A firm favourite cross-platform, but it looks a bit anaemic next to Sonar

Ableton Suite (inc. Live 7) cm121» 9/10 » £539
Complete package, particularly with Ableton's instruments and sounds

Verdict
FOR
- Improvements to the audio engine
- Instrument Tracks, at long last
- TruePianos sounds incredible!
- Really? Dimension Pro in full?
- No restart after changing audio drivers
- Arm recording during playback or record

AGAINST
- Audio not entirely glitch-free
- No MIDI FX plug-ins in Instrument Tracks

Sonar keeps getting better and version 8 is no exception, though some of the main improvements are under the hood

MARK: 9/10
Order Computer Music Magazine from:
http://www.computermusic.co.uk/