With layered acoustic and electronic sounds a great way to supercharge any drum part, up until recently getting those could be clunky. We show you how to get fast, streamlined results in just a few moves.
We Check Out UJAM Virtual Guitarist Silk 2
With acoustic guitar underpinning a number mixes, getting it right with a virtual one could be a tall order. Luckily UJAM hope to have a solution with their latest nylon-strung flavour for digital troubadours across the board. See and hear it for yourself as we check it out…
Klevgrand OneShot Drum VI - First Look
Hardware drum machines and virtual drum instruments can deliver beats in different ways, but Klevgrand’s OneShot sets out to do the work of either for the DAW and beyond. We check out its features and sounds for ourselves to see what it can do.
We Check Out UJAM Virtual Drummer LEGEND
Although UJAM’s latest virtual drummer trades in funky fat, 70s sounds, its tones can power productions by anyone from indie rockstars to lo-fi masterminds. We get close enough to feel the wind off the sticks with Virtual Drummer LEGEND…
Audio Production Things We Loved In February 2024
With 2024 in full swing, many engineers will be looking out their window (hopefully) to see the joys of spring or autumn. Back inside, what new things landed at the blog to improve the view? Read on to find out as we round up our February favourites…
How To Get 5 Classic Sounds With Toontrack Session Organ EKX
Toontrack recently supercharged EZkeys once again with the release of Session Organ EKX. Promising EZ tonewheel nirvana, we navigate its almost infinite combination of settings to distil five classic tonewheel organ sounds without the grind.
Klevgrand Release OneShot Drum Instrument
Klevgrand, makers of creative audio plugins and instruments that dare to be different have announced their OneShot drum sampler and percussive workstation. We have the details.
Toontrack Announces Session Organ EKX For EZkeys 2
Adding to an ever growing library of sounds for the band, Toontrack have today announced Session Organ EKX for EZkeys 2. This expansion finally brings the hallowed tones of keyboard royalty to the mix. We have the details…
How To Get The Right Bass Part Using Toontrack EZbass
Like all virtual instruments, great sounds need direction from the composer. When it comes to bass, writers need a virtual player who can slot in with the big idea. Here we show you how to get a great sounding part even if you don’t play bass…
We Check Out e-instruments Desolate Guitars
With electric guitar enjoying fewer virtual outings than some of its bandmates, all eyes are on any new arrival that can successfully bottle the experience of convincing guitar for keyboard-induced chords and licks. Here we check out E-instruments’ latest. How does it sound? Hear it for yourself as Mark M Thompson plugs in…
How To Get The Right Keyboard Part Using Toontrack EZkeys 2
Although many writers use keys as their main tool of choice to create with, a great many more might only have a guitar in the studio. Using one of the latest keyboard VIs, we show you how to get a great sounding part even if you don’t play keys…
Using UJAM Symphonic Elements DRUMS For Cinematic Mixes
Engineering composers have plenty of choice when it comes to drums that arrive as the kind of drum kit known by most. But what if the production needs the symphonic touch? Here we crank up the drama to take a look at UJAM’s Symphonic Elements DRUMS…
How To Get The Right Drum Part Using Toontrack EZdrummer 3
Drum VIs can land with tonnes of expertly played MIDI, but marrying that to the song is another story. One solution out there can get the part right for composers who don’t know where to start. We show you how to get the best out of it…
Building A Whole Track Using Toontrack EZ Instruments
When it comes to building a virtual band, until recently getting great results meant knowing each instrument well. Here we show how Toontrack’s line of EZ instruments can learn the song from as little as just a couple of scratch takes. Hear it in action for yourself…
Real Drums Or VI? From A Drummer's Perspective
As drum virtual instruments fast approach parity with the real thing, increasingly acoustic drums can be justifiably left in their cases. Here Luke talks about what each can bring and why even now, the decision on which to use still isn’t clear cut.
We Take A First Look At Bogren Digital Krimh Drums Free Edition
Adding to their full-fat drum VI, Bogren Digital have treated the world to a free edition for Kontakt Player. Providing a glimpse of Krimh Drums, we take a look at their Free Edition drum sounds that anyone can get their hands on.
BFD Player Free Drum Vi - First Look
Familiar to some, the BFD virtual drum instrument is a bit of a VI legend. Back with new expandable sounds, BFD Player brings multisampled drums, lots of MIDI, its own mixer, and perhaps best of all, it’s free! Hear it in our first look video.
We Take A First Look At IK Multimedia Pianoverse
Italian instrument maestros IK Multimedia have announced Pianoverse, a new virtual instrument promising meticulously sampled concert tones and upright flavours, with more sounds to come. See and hear it in our first look video.
Toontrack Stories SDX - Expert Review
Stories SDX is the latest expansion pack for Toontrack’s Superior Drummer 3. Recorded at Power Station, New England by producer/engineer/mixer Frank Filipetti, it promises a wide range of new drum colours for songwriters. We put it to the Experts to get their verdict.
We Share Our Favourite Tools For Songwriters
With so much writing and pre-production happening in the DAW, the choice of instruments and problem-solvers for writers has never looked healthier. Here are our favourite tools to help creative DAW-dwellers get ideas in the bag.