I have been a keen reader of Future Music magazine since it was launched many years ago. “Making music at the cutting edge of technology” is their tagline, and that describes the content pretty well.

The magazine contains reviews of new gear, both hardware and software. The reviews always make good reading — they’re quite in-depth and really give you a good feel for the product. The magazine also features news roundups, interviews with professional musicians, competitions, and so on. They also have a “Changing Music” feature every month, where one reader receives a music makeover from a pro musician. You can also submit demos of your own music — if they like it, they’ll review it and even include it with the magazine so you can receive the wider exposure and recognition you deserve.

In the early days, the magazine included a CD. More recently this increased to two or even three CDs, but now they have finally moved to DVD format. So every month you get a boatload of sound samples, reader demo tracks and sound demos of new synth hardware and software. There’s also lots of software — both full versions and demo versions of all kinds of music software. It takes me more than a month to explore the contents of the DVD, so I’m already falling behind.

The Future Music website contains a handful of older articles, and is not really kept up-to-date. They obviously spend all their effort on the print magazine. The website does contain some errata for the magazine, so it’s worthwhile looking if you do buy it.

FM is a British magazine, but they seem to have launched an American version recently. I haven’t really looked at it much — it seems thinner than the UK version, and doesn’t come with a DVD. Update: It comes with a CD. There is a website, but it’s nothing but an advertisement for the magazine.

You can subscribe to Future Music at Amazon.com. You can also subscribe to the US version (which is cheaper, but doesn’t come with a DVD).

Korg are releasing a teeny tiny recording studio in a box. The D4 records onto CompactFlash cards and features 32 virtual tracks, a whole bunch of onboard effects, built in microphone as well as inputs, USB interface and other goodies. And the whole thing is the size of a VHS videotape.

The Korg website has details. Here’s their overview: Welcome a new member to Korg’s lineup of D-series recorders – acclaimed for their superb audio quality and intuitive ease-of-use. About the same size as a VHS video tape, the D4 Digital Recorder contains built-in effects, rhythms, and a tuner, everything needed to plug in a guitar or mic and start recording right away. Five real-time knobs provide immediate control over numerous functions, including a full array of Korg’s proprietary “REMS” modeling effects. These same knobs perform double duty as Pan knobs and Record Select buttons; an informative backlit LCD screen keeps it all together. Inside, you’ll find powerful recording and sophisticated editing functions that rival high level models. There’s even a USB connector that makes it easy to transfer song data to a computer. With enormous potential packed into its small size, the D4 is the ideal partner for your creative music life.

Main features

• 4-Track digital recorder features 8 virtual tracks per track, for a total of 32 tracks.
• Two tracks of simultaneous recording.
• High audio quality with extended recording times using MPEG1 Layer 2 compressed recording format.
• XLR and 1/4 inch inputs accommodate both a microphone and/or guitar.
• Intuitive user interface provides plenty of knobs for easy operation.
• Instantly recall frequently-used effect settings, including custom-tailored settings, using the Favorites knob.
• Five knobs (with push-button function) allow for easy effect editing and pan control.
• Full suite of non-destructive editing tools includes punch-in/out, bounce, copy/paste, delete – even pro-level functions such as time compression/expansion are provided.
• Korg’s proprietary “REMS” modeling technology delivers 93 effect types that can be used for guitar, insert, master, or final effect processing. There are 100 preset effect programs ready for immediate use, and 100 user program locations.
• High-capacity CompactFlash data storage.
• Transfer data to a computer quickly and easily via the USB connector.
• Built-in mic allows immediate recording on the go.
• 87 Rhythm / metronome patterns and a chromatic tuner are built-in.
• The custom LCD display is backlit for easy visibility – even in dark locations.
• AC adaptor and 64 MB CompactFlash media are included.

Novation are soon going to release a new range of compact USB MIDI controllers based on their more advanced (and expensive) ReMOTE Series. This is exciting — a really good controller keyboard should be all the hardware you need to make a lot of music (along with several gigs of appropriate software). And these look pretty good, especially with both a joystick and a touchpad as well as many knobs and a decent keyboard. As a bonus, you also get a copy of the Novation Bass Station soft synth. I remember the classic hardware Bass Station when it came out — beatifully designed, both in form (sexy blue keyboard) and function. I’d love a shiny new ReMOTE LE 25, but it looks as if I will have to wait till September.

The Novation website has the full story: Unsurpassed MIDI controlling technology from the true pioneers, Novation, is soon to be available in its most compact format to date. The stylish ReMOTE LE 25-, 49- and 61-key USB controller keyboards include some of the best features of the highly regarded ReMOTE Series, tailored down into a smaller, more portable package.

Amongst the features to be carried through is the extremely popular X/Y Touchpad, allowing up to four parameters (two per axis) to be modified simultaneously with just a simple finger glide. The pitch bend/modulation joystick is another of the ReMOTE’s useful tools to be featured, enabling a host of interesting performance effects. Dedicated Transport control is provided, but now with an additional Loop button.

A total of nine buttons and nine knobs can be found on the hardware, together with a Group switch that doubles this number to eighteen, so that any area of the receiving MIDI device (hardware or software) can be modified with ease. The MIDI spec enables any MIDI message to be assigned to any of the controls (buttons, knobs, X/Y Touchpad and joystick) to an unrivalled level of detail, providing endless configuration options to suit even the most demanding user’s needs.

There are 16 onboard Template memories for saving ReMOTE LE setups, 12 of which are factory preset for use with the most popular software applications, in addition to many more available for free on this site. Also featured on the accompanying CDROM is a powerful Template Editor, which makes constructing Templates even simpler and more intuitive than is possible with the hardware alone. Meanwhile, in the box there are 10 physical Template overlays, 7 printed and 3 blank, to help customise the ReMOTE LE for the software being controlled; the user simply places these over the ReMOTE LE to see what control is assigned to what parameter, avoiding having to memorise the function of each knob/button.

The keyboard is semi-weighted and velocity-sensitive, offering the highest quality action and setting a new keyboard standard for affordable controllers. This gives the ReMOTE LE more of a synthesizer feel than many other controller keyboards, which often seem more like computer peripherals than actual instruments.

And finally, as if the hardware weren’t enough, ReMOTE LE ships with Novation’s ‘Bass Station’, a VST and Audio Unit plug-in which flawlessly re-creates the warmth, character and ‘oomph’ of the enormously successful Bass Station keyboard and rack analogue instruments, which have established themselves as a turning point in synthesizer history.

The combination of funky performance tools, an unrivalled range of MIDI controls and options and a Soft Synth classic bundled for free, make the ReMOTE LE series the number one choice for musicians wanting to trigger samples, lay down bass-lines or control a sequencer with flair. Whether completely new to MIDI controlling or at a relatively advanced level, the ReMOTE LE series won’t fail to satisfy.

Pick up a ReMOTE LE from all Novation stockists in September.

Macworld has reviewed Propellerheads Reason 3. They really like the new Combinator feature, which they say “adds to the creative possibilities of Reason’s already-robust routing. The Combinator lets you combine multiple instruments and effects into a single instrument for more flexible, simple MIDI assignments and signal routing … Once you’ve tried the Combinator, you won’t want to give it up. It’s a big relief from other software and hardware in which each instrument routes MIDI differently and adds audio effects globally instead of allowing precise control over affected sounds.”

They also approve of the improved control hardware detection (while still not that comprehensive) and the new mastering suite. However, they’re disappointed about the deficiencies that still exist from previouis versions. The built-in sequencer is too simplistic and there’s no support for third-party VST or Audio Units plug-ins. The biggest omission, they say, is the inability to record external audio. If only these features were there then Reason would be closer to an all-in-one production suite.

Even so, they give Reason 3 a rating of 4.5 mice (out of five) and conclude: “If you’re already a Reason lover, you’ll want Reason 3. Expanded presets, great mastering effects, and improved integration with newer keyboards and instruments, are great, but the Combinator justifies upgrading. For newcomers to Reason, the choice is a matter of taste.”

The UK’s Future Music magazine has reviewed Apple’s upgrade to Logic Pro and Logic Express. The upgrade takes Logic from version 7 to 7.1. FM like it and think it’s a worthwhile upgrade from version 7, even though it’s not free — it’s about US$20 for Logic 7 users.

FM’s favourite new features in Logic include universal plugin delay compensation, which should allow you to avoid delay problems no matter how you route your sounds. They also like the Audio Follow Tempo feature, which detects tempo in a piece of audio so the song’s tempo matches with the audio.

They point out that this is one of a number of the new features that seem to come from GarageBand 2. Audio Follow Tempo seems to use the same underlying technology as the Apple Loops functions in GarageBand. Also, the two new hybrid synth instruments, Hybrid Basic and Hybrid Morph, are both already in GarageBand. It’s also now possible to create your own Apple Loops from selected audio in Logic. Hopefully this isn’t a sign that Apple is trying to simplify Logic along the lines of GarageBand. They say “Logic is such a powerful and complex program now it’s often difficult to know where to start.” But this is one of Logic’s strengths, so they hope it’s not the shape of things to come.

The full review is not available on the website, but only in the print edition available in shops. Overall, FM give the Logic 7.1 upgrade ten out of ten for versatility and quality of results, and 7 or 8 for their other criteria.

Future Music magazine has reviewed Kontakt 2, the software sampler from Native Instruments. They gave it a glowing review, praising everything from the updated GUI to the new effects. Their verdict: “Kontakt is quite simply the most creative and flexible sampler the world has ever seen. It’s an inspirational and revolutionary piece of software that sets new standards — not just for sampling, but also virtual instrument design in the broadest sense.”

They liked this sampler so much that they found only one major flaw. Kontakt 2 has a “Universal Import” feature, which enables it to import almost every sound file format in existence. However, Kontakt 2 cannot automatically map samples by detecting their pitch. This is especially strange since most competing programs now do have this feature.

The review describes the new features in more depth. Unfortunately, it’s not available on their website; you have to buy the print version of the magazine. Now that each issue comes with a DVD, it’s worth it even at high import prices.

Mix magazine favourably reviewed Sony’s Acid Pro 5. They especially like the fact that it now has VST effects support. WIth VST effects and the new Groove Mapping and Groove Cloning quantization processes, they say Acid is now closer than ever to being an all-in-one music production system.

Their conclusion is very positive: “Is this latest update worth the wait for Acid’s legions of dedicated users? The answer is a resounding yes. It may have taken a while for the new release, but the program’s developers have kept up with what their main competitor, Ableton Live, has been doing and upped the ante in several ways. Support for VST effects, new organizational tools, tempo-based effects and bus-to-bus routing, and the bountiful content disc give the user plenty to groove with right out of the box. The new tools are well done and vastly improve workflow. Depending on what you do, Acid may very well graduate from being a construction zone to a comprehensive final stop.”

Dr. Fink’s Funk Factory is a new sound library from Sony. New sound libraries are released all the time, but this one is noteworthy because the cover design is so groovy. I thought it would jazz up this website. That’s the only reason this is here. Really.

But as long as we’re here, this is some information from the Sony website:, as well as their press release. Beware of the very long sentence in the next paragraph.

For more than ten years, Matt Fink held down the keyboard spot in one of the most influential bands of all time: Prince & the Revolution. Outfitted in surgeons’ regalia, ‘Dr. Fink’ was selected by Prince to partake in the complete vision: writing, recording, and live onstage. Now, Matt Fink is prepared to enhance your vision, with an invitation to the Dr. Fink’s Funk Factory library, a Sony Sound Series Premium Collection library that delivers all the core components of the classic Eighties pop/funk sound: majestic polyphonic analog synth themes, payday grooves captured directly from vintage machines, realtime clavinet licks, searing solos and motifs, those classic orchestral stabs — a complete genre delivered with total authenticity and blazing fidelity. Capture this magical vibe — the same talent, the actual instruments, the studio expertise, and the sound that went around the world in a day — and turn it loose in your own digital workspace: ACID software, and every software and hardware platform that supports .wav files.

“The premise for Dr. Fink’s Funk Factory was to match old school sounds and beat loops with contemporary techno beats and synthesizer sounds so that they could be mixed and matched within this collection,” said Matt Fink. “I really enjoyed creating the Funk Factory, and I hope that others will have a fun and creative experience with it as well.”

Sony Sound Series libraries are delivered in the ACID .wav file format that supports pitch-shifting and time-stretching in the entire line of ACID music creation programs, as well as Live, Sonar, Cubase, Logic, Soundtrack, and GarageBand 2. These loops can also be imported into any other non-linear editor that supports the .wav file format.

The MZ-M100 and MZ-M10 Portable Audio Recorders breathe new life into an old format. Remember the MiniDisc? Me neither. I thought they had pretty much died, but Sony has resurrected the format by improving it (more storage, no lossy compression) and releasing some portable recorders. Perhaps they already have others in their range, but these two new ones may be worth a look when they are released next month.

They use the Hi-MD format. Basically, this is MiniDisc, except it can hold 1GB of data without lossy compression. This means you could use it as a replacement for a rewritable CD — you can connect these devices to a computer over USB (though it might be a bit slow transferring 1GB over plain USB). The discs are cheap enough — much cheaper than CompactFlash cards or other solid-state options. You can even reformat old-style MiniDiscs to use the new format, but I don’t think you get the full 1GB then.

The MZ-100 has a bigger and brighter screen, a remote control and longer battery life. Otherwise the two are the same. The blurb on Sony’s website says this: This Hi-MD portable audio recorder is ideal for journalists and musicians who need to make high-quality stereo audio recordings using cost-effective removable storage media. The MZ-M100 recorder comes supplied with an ECM-DS70P Stereo Microphone and MDR-EO931Earbud Headphone. The recorder uses affordable Hi-MD media with 1 GB storage capacity. Three recording modes are supported including: Linear (PCM) 44.1kHz/16-bit, ATRAC3plus 256kbps (Hi-SP) mode and ATRAC3plus 64bps (Hi-LP) mode. The recorder supports USB uploading + downloading with PC (using supplied Sonic Stage software), and USB uploading with MAC (using supplied Hi-MD WAV importer software), allowing transferring audio recordings to a computer in .Wav file format. This Hi-MD device can also be used as a USB mass storage device, allowing storing data files on the Hi-MD disc along with audio recordings.

MZ-M100 Key Features Include:

– 6 line large EL (Organic Electroluminescence) display
– Ability to record from multiple sources (USB, Line In, Mic In)
– Self record uploading allows transferring Hi-MD recordings onto a computer as a .wav file
– Up to 33 hours of battery life with rechargeable battery (supplied) and 1 “AA” battery
– Hi-MD selectable recording time provides 94 minutes of uncompressed PCM linear audio, or up to 34 hours of ATRAC3plus compressed audio
– Compatible with both Hi-MD media and standard MiniDisc media
– Data file storage allows storing data files on Hi-MD discs along with audio recordings
– Music and data transfer powered by USB
– Digital amplifier

M-Audio has announced shipment of their MicroTrack mobile digital recorder. Think of it as a recording iPod. It records 2 24-bit channels at 96kHz to CompactFlash aas WAV or MP3 files. It has the inputs you might expect, including phantom power for microphones. Looks interesting if you need this level of recording quality, but there are recording MP3 players out there that fulfil the basic function.

Another competing product is the Edirol R-1, which doesn’t look quite as groovy but has similar specs and may be slightly cheaper. It also has built-in microphones, which makes it more portable even though it’s a bit bigger.

Only Harmony Central seems to have the press release at the moment. (Oddly, it’s not on the M-Audio site.) They say: Only about the size and weight of a deck of cards, the MicroTrack 24/96 digital recorder is a mobile 2-channel digital recorder that records WAV and MP3 files to CompactFlash media or microdrives. While the unit is designed primarily as a professional field recorder and songwriter’s notebook, it will also be embraced by other markets including business, education and worship.

[Editor’s note: “worship”?!]

Despite its small size, leaps in miniaturization technology allow the MicroTrack 24/96 to deliver the same quality as M-Audio’s audio interfaces–up to 24-bit/96kHz PCM. The unit can record via balanced 1/4″ line inputs or built-in microphone preamps complete with 48V phantom power for studio-quality microphones. Balanced 1/4″ TRS line inputs also make it easy to take a feed directly from a studio or club mixer. S/PDIF input provides for recording the output of digital mixers and doing transfers from other digital recording/storage devices. Monitoring is provided via the 1/8″ stereo headphone jack or RCA line outs.