Computer Music

Computer Music's goal is to help its readers create great music with a PC or Mac. Each month find easy-to-follow tutorials for all sorts of music software, unbiased reviews of the latest products and answers to technical questions. Our Zinio edition does not include the DVD but it DOES INCLUDE the full software, samples and tutorial files to download. Full details inside. Download does not include Producer Masterclass in-studio video. This digital edition is not printable.

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15 questions with… Gryffin • With millions of YouTube and Spotify streams, and successful collaborations with Maroon 5, Carly Rae Jepsen and One Republic under his belt, there’s no stopping the meteoric rise of US producer and songwriter Gryffin. Here he describes how going from AC/DC to deadmau5 and classical piano to Ableton Live helped him launch his bid for Spotify superstardom…

BUILD YOUR ALL-NEW FREE STUDIO • No, it’s not just another freeware roundup of titles you’ve seen in countless ‘best of’ lists before. This time we’re ditching the old guard, going for quality rather than quantity, and looking at some of the newest and most exciting freeware releases around and how to use them in your music productions. And all for free, of course!

The free plugin explosion • Freeware options have exploded exponentially, and it’s now possible to download hundreds of options for any studio scenario. This means there’s a real possibility of plugin bloat, so here’s how to find the best options out there

Bundles of free fun • Last time we looked at freeware, we suggested a bunch of different bundles for different uses, so here’s a recap, plus some you can download in one go

The future of (free) software • More software has become free or so cheap that you might wonder how long people will be willing to pay for it. While we’re pondering, just what do those new subscription models mean for us all? Time to look ahead…

#26 Modulating gates on synth pads • Gating a pad has long been considered a classic effect. Adding real-time control takes pad-gating to the next level!

#06 Using snap compression to add punch • Compression can be used in many wonderful ways, and in this masterclass, we’re looking at a technique that adds punch to sounds

MAKING IMMERSIVE LONDON WITH ARK360° • Are you ready for a post-stereo world? For the Immersive London project, spatial experts ARK360° took a host of emerging London-based artists on a quest to expand their understanding of immersive sound. The results, as heard on a new compilation, may serve as an example to the rest of us…

The best tools to mix immersive audio • While the participants in the Immersive London project were equipped with Sony’s WalkMix Creator software to build and mix their tracks, other immersive audio options are available. Here are our picks of some of the slickest routes to create and mix in both Sony 360RA and Dolby Atmos

Steinberg HALion 7 €349 • Steinberg’s do-everything sample-based instrument now does a lot more, is easier on the eye and, importantly, is a lot easier to grapple with

Audient EVO SP8 £399 • Audient call SP8 the world’s ‘smartest mic preamp’, which might not set your heart racing, but it could also be the desktop expander you need

Rhodes V8 £149.95 • The Rhodes is back! The new Mk8 electric piano is now joined by the V8 software, with plenty of surprises under the virtual Rhodes lid

GForce Software Minimonsta2 £99.99 • What’s that coming over the hill? It’s the latest incarnation of the Moog Model D from soft-synth pioneers GForce Software…

Solid State Logic SSL 12 £399 • SSL 12 continues the budget-friendly story started by SSL’s 2 and 2+ interfaces, but takes...