Free samples from Voltage-Controlled

Hope everyone out there had a good Christmas and got all the music gear that you've been hoping for. I've put together an extra present for you, I've gone through my hard drive and collected all the samples that Haven't yet made it onto the site. There's lots of synth sounds in this one.

I've added tempo and key information to some of the files (where appropriate) so you should be able to easily fit them into your projects.

As always the samples are available free of charge but a quick donation to the site (see PayPal donate box in the right sidebar) wouldn't hurt. All sounds are royalty free so you don't have to worry about copyright.

Download the samples here (.RAR) - Rapidshare

Merry Christmas, 

Dan.

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Animoog upgraded to V2

Moog's awesome iPad synthesiser has just been updated with some cool new features. 



Animoog now has accelerometer integration, this allows the user to "tilt their iPad in any direction as an interactive 3D modulation source".

The update also gives you: note hold and scale lock, load/save MIDI CC maps, audio copy/paste and it even supports audiobus.

There is also a brand new 4 track recorder available in the built in Animoog store. The 4 track recorder is available for free to existing users until December 31st. So hurry before it reverts Back to the regular price of $4.99.

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Propellerhead PX7 Rack Extension

Propellerhead has just released their PX7 FM synthesiser. It's a 6 operator synth that faithfully recreates the sounds of Yamaha's DX line of synthesisers. I have to admit it looks pretty cool and I've been waiting for a dedicated FM synth to hit the store since Rack Extensions were announced.

Although, I already own a Yamaha TX81z (Hardware) I'll be putting the PX7 though it's paces in demo mode until January. The addition of a dedicated patch converter is also good news as it means that we can convert older .SYX patches so that we can use them with PX7.



PX7 is now available in the Propellerhead shop for € 79.00.

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Lemur 4 coming soon

Liine have Just dropped a teaser video over at their YouTube page with the tag line "Lemur 4. The learning curve is about to drop.".

I brought Lemur the day it was released for iPad but I have to admit I don't use it as often as I should. It's an awesome controller when coupled with your DAW, but to really use it to it's full potential you need at least a basic knowledge of coding. By the looks of this teaser that's all about to change. Hopefully well see a simpler template editor as well as some brand new features. Check out the video below.



Lemur is available in the AppStore for £34.99, it's not cheap but if you're looking to turn your iPad into a feature packed touch screen controller then it's worth the hefty price tag.

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Propellerhead's Figure App is now universal

That's right, it's now a universal app, which means that you can run Propellerhead's Figure on your iPad in full screen mode instead of in x2 mode.


There's also a few other new features added in this update:


• Legato notes - Create tied notes in the pattern by drawing finger right on Rhythm wheel, then up/down 
• Clear all function - clear a whole track with one tap
• VU meters in mixer
• Updated translation (Russian and chinese)
• Choose language in Settings

You can get figure from the AppStore for just 69p.

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Ableton Live Riser Device - Free Max For Live Download - Point Blank

Here's one for you Ableton live users with Max for Live. It's a free Riser effect from Point Blank, perfect for break-downs and build-ups in your tracks.



You can grab the device from Point Blank Facebook page here.

"Point Blank instructor and course developer Daniel Herbert has created this Max For Live custom device for creating rises and sweeps in Ableton Live. Perfect for breakdowns and buildups! Watch the video to see how it works, what makes it unique and and how to set it up.

We are giving it away absolutely free via the link above.

Check out Point Blank's range of Ableton Live Online courses here:http://www.pointblankonline.net/courses/ableton-live-courses.php

Watch more free tutorials on our sample course page:http://www.pointblankonline.net/sample-a-course/

Please subscribe to our channel to make sure you don't miss future exclusive tutorials from Point Blank Online school."

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Beat Evolve for iOS review

Beat Evolve from Team Popo is a fun little iOS app which shares a few similarities between with Yammaha's   TNR-i app. It's a music sequencer based around a 16x16 beat grid. However this app boasts something that the TNR-i doesn't; the ability to randomise and evolve the patterns that you put into it. You can even further customise how the pattern evolves.

However, the built in instruments are a bit limited compared to the TNR-i and I feel Beat Evolve would feel more at home keeping you entertained on the couch rather than in your studio.



If you're looking for a cheap and fun alternative to the TNR-i then it's definitely worth checking this one out. While it may not be a serious music making tool it will definitely keep you busy when on your downtime.

Beat Evolve is available in the AppStore for iPad and iPhone now.

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Introducing the Transient Master - Native Instruments

Here's a quick overview of the new Transient Master plug-in from Native Instruments. The plug-in itself looks pretty cool but the video alone does a good job of explaining what transient shaping actually is. The visuals in this video makes it easy to grasp the concept of the process and where to use it while mixing.

Check out the Video below.



"Get instant dynamic control! Transient Master is the go-to tool for positioning drums and percussion, letting you mix from front to back and dial-in just the right amount of space. Find out more at: http://www.native-instruments.com/transientmaster"

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How to add groove with ReGroove - Propellerhead

Want to breathe a little life into your Reason tracks? then Maybe you should experiment with the built in ReGroove mixer. The ReGroove mixer is a feature that is often overlooked in Reason but it can do so much to help your tracks along and get them feeling a little funkier.

Here's a short YouTube tutorial from the guys over at Propellerhead software that shows of some of the features that ReGroove has to offer.



"More info on Reason: https://www.propellerheads.se/products/reason/

Want your tracks to really groove? Tired of using the same shuffle setting for everything? ReGroove is there for you and product specialist Mattias will help you understand how to do it! Learn how to change the global shuffle, assign a groove to a track, create your own groove templates and some other tips and tricks in this Reason Tips video."

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Samples Back Online

In the last post I mentioned that some of the links to the free samples that are on offer here at Voltage-Controlled weren't working. I've now re-uploaded them to a different file hosting site (FileFactory) and they should be available to download again.

As always, if you run into any problems or would like to send feedback about the site you can get in contact with me at DanWeatherall@voltage-controlled.com

-Dan

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Sample Downloading Issues

Just a quick update. I've noticed that some of the links samples on the site no longer work. They're currently hosted on Minus.com, this might be a bit of a glitch on their end but to be honest I don't really know.

I'm currently in the process of re-uploading the samples to FileFactory.com and will change the links in the effected posts. I'll put a post up here when all of the links have been updated but in the mean time, sit tight, they'll be available again soon.

If you have any feedback for the site please feel free to contact me at DanWeatherall@Voltage-Controlled.com

-Dan

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AudioBus for iOS - Exchange audio between apps with ease

I’ve not featured any iOS audio apps on Voltage Controlled for a while but I think this one definitely deserves a mention. AudioBus is a really cool app that allows you to exchange live audio between different iOS apps that you have installed on your device. This is big news for all of you iOS musicians out there; you can finally record audio between apps!

Say for example; you want to record the output of your favourite synthesiser app into your favourite multitrack recording app. The only way to do this at the moment is with AudioCopy. AudioCopy is great for short loops and samples but what if you want to record an entire live performance in real time? With audio bus this will soon be possible.

AudioBus has currently been approved by Apple and should hopefully be in the AppStore soon. While you wait, why not check out this latest teaser video and see for yourself what AudioBus is capable of.

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London Elektricity - Drum Processing Tutorial - Hospital Records

Here's a cool little tutorial from Drum n Bass legend London Elektricity showing you how he beefs up his drum breaks. Anyone that's producing Drum n Bass will benefit from an insight on how the pros work. I'm hoping to see some more future tutorials from London Elektricity and maybe even some of the other guys over at Hospital Records.

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Ableton announce Live 9 and Push

Ableton has always focused heavily on the live performance aspect of music and as a result there are already some really cool dedicated controllers out there; I’m talking about the Akai APC series and the Novation Launch Pad. Although these controllers are designed to work directly with the Ableton Live software, they don’t really take full advantage of everything that Ableton can do.

Along with the recent announcement of Live 9, Ableton revealed their latest venture into the hardware controller market. Push is a dedicated controller that integrates directly with the Ableton Live software. This hardware/software hybrid approach reminds me of the highly acclaimed Maschine controllers from Native instruments.

The only downside that I can see is that Push is huge; I can’t really see it sitting comfortably next to my laptop like my humble MaschineMikro does at the moment. However, even with its large size I would still like to get my hands on one and see what it’s capable of.

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Reason Tutorial: Your first ten minutes in Reason - Propellerhead

Here's one for all you newcomers to Reason. It's a pretty neat video from Propellerhead that shows you how to quickly get up and running with Reason.

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Advanced Polar Techniques - Propellerhead

I've brought a few Rack Extensions since the Reason 6.5 update, but one that didn't make it into my collection was Propellerhead's own Polar pitch shifter device. It's not that it isn't very good (because it is), it's more because I felt that I didn't really need a dedicated pitch shifter in my Reason rack. However, I did end up trying out the demo version of it when it first came out, and I can remember being pretty impressed with what it was capable of.

Anyway, Propellerhead has recently uploaded a new video (below) to their YouTube channel that shows off some of the more advanced and creative ways that polar can be used in your productions. It's got me wanting to try it out again but sadly my 30 day trial period ended quite a while ago. I might actually end up picking up a copy of this device in the future, but saying that there are still a few Rack Extension devices that I want to check out first.



Polar is available in the Propellerhead Rack Extension shop for € 55.00

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First Thoughts: Maschine Mikro

Ive had my eye on Native instruments Maschine controllers for a while now, and it's been quite some time since I've treated myself to a new piece of hardware gear. The only thing that was stopping me from getting my hands on the Maschine before now was the fairly hefty price tag. When Native Instruments announced the updated Maschine MK2 I saw that various online retailers were selling off the original Maschine and Maschine Mikro at an unbeatable price.

The Machine Mikro was the one that I ended up buying, at only £150 it was a no brainier. It would have been nice to get the bigger Maschine controller but I was on a budget so I went for the cheaper option. Even though I went for the older Maschine hardware controller, it included a free upgrade to the 1.8 version of the software. This gave me access to all of the brand new features including; time-stretching, new effects and a free copy of their awesome Massive synthesiser (which I will probably talk more about in a future post).

The main reason that I brought the Maschine Mikro was because I've been thinking of putting together a live set. I wanted a small (ish) midi controller that would be robust enough to carry around in a laptop bag as well as fitting in nicely with my home studio set-up. And that's exactly what I've got, the Maschine controller is a solid piece of kit that looks like it can take a fair amount of punishment. The pads are tough but extremely playable and it's small enough to sit nicely by the side of my computer in my studio.

I've had the Mikro for a few weeks now and I can safely say it lives up to all the hype. It's quickly become a vital part of my main studio set-up as well injecting a little more creative flair into my production workflow. Using pads to program drums and percussion parts just feels a hell of a lot better than using a standard midi keyboard.

The Maschine software has also opened a lot more doors for me. Since I mostly use Propellerhead's Reason as my main DAW I've been missing out on using VST instruments and effects in my productions. Now that Maschine has provided me with a suitable VST host I can once again take advantage of the vast amount of VST instruments and effects that are available.

Of course this new addition to the studio has greatly influenced how I go about creating music. Before I introduced Maschine into my set-up I would work almost completely within the boundaries of Reason, with the exception of creating a few sounds and loops using hardware gear and iPad instruments. Now I find my self starting out in Maschine, creating a few loops and getting the general feel of the track down before I even load up Reason.

The Maschine Mikro controller has definitely been one of the best purchases I've made in a long while. I've not really had the chance to test it out in a live situation yet, but once I've built up a performance worthy set I'll be sure to put it though it's paces. But as a studio tool the Maschine really holds its own and it has very quickly become one of the most important aspects of my creative workflow.

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Voltage Controlled & Point Blank Competition winner

Congratulations to Emilia Badaracco for winning a place on one of Point Blank's excellent online pro producer courses.

Here's the winning track, it will also be featured in the right-hand sidebar of Voltage-Controlled for the whole of October.



I have to say, all of the tracks that were sent in for the competition were good and it's a shame that I can only  pick one overall winner.

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How to make an aggressive dubstep bass - Reason Tips

Here's a pretty cool video from the good folks over at Propellerheads softweare. It shows how you can easily create an agressive Dubstep style bass patch using only the devices avalible in reason 6.5 (no 3rd party Rack Extension devices). Perfect for those looking to add a harder edge to their Reason productions.



"More info on Reason: http://www.propellerheads.se/products/reason/

Max Rehbein (aka Dorincourt) joins us for a guest video, showing you how to create an aggressive, hard hitting dubstep bass. Using the standard Reason devices, learn how to really get your sound to roar by using effects and how to make it sit well in the mix.

After this, you'll be able to make that love-it-or-hate-it dirty wobble bass we all know!"

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Interview with AudioCube Creator/Founder Bert Schiettecatte

"AudioCubes are wireless smart blocks for sound design, composition, live performance, music education and music app development.

They can sense your fingers and hands as well as each other's location and orientation. They have built in RGB lighting for visual feedback.

They communicate with your computer over high speed USB, and have custom high speed infrared sensors. A built in rechargeable battery keeps the cubes running wirelessly for up to 4 hours." -Taken from www.percussa.com

When Audio Cube founder and designer Bert Schiettecatte contacted Voltage-Controlled I was more than happy to pick his brains and ask a few questions about these awesome little cubes.

Click here to continue to the full interview...

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Free samples: Animoog Soundscapes and FX

The Moog Animoog for iPad has got to be my favourite iPad synthesiser of all time. I especially love it for some of the weird and "out-there" sounds that it can produce. That's where the inspiration for this sound set set comes in, there's 95 sounds in this pack ready to be loaded into your sampler or DAW. The sounds are completely royalty free so you can use them in any project you like, free of charge.

Download the samples HERE (.zip)

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Rob Papen Rack Extension for Reason

 

I've been waiting for this one for what seems like forever and finally it's hit the Propellerhead Rack Extension shop. Rob Papen's Predator RE is a complete beast of a synth and it comes bundled with 4,000 presets! The sound of this synth is enormous, finally we have a synthesiser in Reason that is capable of creating some of those commercial Dance or "EDM" sounds that have previously been near impossible to create with the existing Reason devices.

It's worth checking this out for the bank of presets alone. With over 4,000 to audition you might find yourself spending hours (like I did) auditioning every one of them. These presets really show off the sheer power of this instrument.

If you flip to the back of the rack, you will find three audio inputs that allow users to route external audio into Predator's filters, vocoder and internal effects. This is a huge feature as Predator has a total of 27 different filter types and 15 built in effects.

However there is a downside which may be considered a deal-breaker for some; it's a bit of a CPU hog, aparantly this is down to the oscillators using x32 oversampling. This CPU drain is evident on some of the patches which use the chord hold function. So don't be expecting to be able to load too many of these into your Reason projects without your computer struggling.

That being said, this is only the first commercial build of the Predator RE and the good folks behind Rob Papen have assured us that they are working on a few tweaks (including an oversampling menu) that will help with the high CPU usage. So we can be sure that future updates to this beast of a synth will greatly improve the performance and usability of the synth.

Obviously, I haven't gone into a whole lot of detail about the Predator RE (because that would take all day) but it's definitely worth checking out. Like all of the other REs in the Propellerhead shop it's available as a fully functional thirty day free trail. But be aware, trial licences don't get updates. So if the synth is updated during your trial period you won't get any of the CPU fixes or any other updates (until you decide to purchase the full licence).

At €99 it's currently the most expensive instrument in the Propellerhead shop but still, it's fairly cheaper than the VST version (€149). Think of that €99 euros as an investment because I can assure you that once you have this in your Reason rack you won't make another piece of music without it. Rob has really upped the game for Rack Extension developers with this one.

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Free Polysix RE presets (pt.2)

The Korg Polysix RE is pretty much my new go-to synth in Reason. I've been playing around with it for sometime now and I've put together a small preset pack to share with you guys. I've used these patches in a few tunes already so I hope you lot can find a bit of use out of them.

The pack contains 36 polysix Rack Extension presets and 3 combinator patches.

Get the free Polysix preset pack HERE (.RAR)

NOTE: You will need ether Propellerheads Reason (6.5) or Reason Essentials (1.5) and the RE version of Polysix to use these. These will NOT work with the VST version of Polysix.

This isn't the first set of presets that I've uploaded to Voltage-controlled. I uploaded a set of 7 combinator files a few months back when the Polysix RE was first released. Here's a link.

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Introducing X Pulse Samples

 

X Pulse Samples is a UK based start up by Matthew Haywood that aims to provide a high quality, no nonsense solution for today's sample hungry producers. Gone are the days of searching through endless sample libraries in search of that one usable drum hit, X Pulse delivers only the best EDM samples ready to take on today's chart.

X Pulse already has 4 high quality sample packs available to download form their website. The sample packs include; Drum & Bass, Dubstep, Electro House and Grindhouse vocals. Packs are priced at just £10 each or available as a discounted bundle for £36.

It's still early days for X Pulse Samples but the company definitely has a bright future ahead. Why not check out the X Pulse website at www.xpulse.co.uk and grab yourself some top notch samples.

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Online Music Production Degree programmes with Point Blank

You may have noticed that Voltage Controlled has recently partnered with Point Blank To bring you this awesome competition and a chance to win a place on one of their online Pro Producer courses. But Point Blank also offer more than just online courses. Why not check out one of their new online music production degree programmes that they recently launced along with Middlesex university.

For more information Check out this video.



"Our degree level programmes offer a cheaper but high quality alternative for going to uni and the chance to share a classroom with fellow students who are already pumping out successful tunes or working in the music industry, people like former students Claude VonStroke, Gareth Wynn, Gemma Cairney, Detboi and loads more...

The college has close working relationships with key record labels and offers an unrivalled network of contacts for its student community. Regular guest tutors offer masterclasses at Point Blank’s state-of-the-art studios in Hoxton, East London which are streamed live online. These sessions are also broadcastable from any location in the world. Former guests have included Claude Vonstroke, Basement Jaxx, Radio 1’s Annie Mac, legendary DJ Carl Cox and hip hop sensation Wretch 32"

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Animoog for iPad updated to v1.1.0 and includes support for midi out

Ever wanted to use Animoog's awesome X/Y pad to control perameters of your hardware or softweare synths/effects? Well the new Moog Animoog app for iPad has just been updated to include midi out. Check out the video for more details on how to go about the update and how to set it up with your other studio gear.

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WIN with Voltage-Controlled and Point Blank Online

Want to win yourself a place on one of Point Blank's awesome online Pro Producer courses? Then head over to the Voltage-Controlled competitions page to find out more.

The winner and two runners up will also receive an official Voltage-Controlled T-shirt courtesy of Stoketshirts.co.uk.

Click Here to enter this awesome Competition

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Synapse AP-12 Analog Phaser Rack Extension released for Reason

The latest addition to the Propellerhead Shop is a nice little phaser from Synapse Audio. The AP-12 is a 6/12 stage phaser designed to emulate classic analog hardware.

The AP-12 Analog phaser is priced at € 32.00 and it's available from the Propellerhead shop here. 

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Ableton Tutorial - Sound Design Series (pt2) - Point Blank

Even the most humble sound can be brought to life with some short looping and further modulation. In this video Danny J Lewis shows you how Live's Loop Brace can bring some fantastic possibilities to sound design.

This is a sample tutorial taken from our Ableton Live Sound Design course. Find out more about the course here: http://www.pointblankonline.net/ableton-live-sound-design.php

And watch more free tutorials from this and many other courses on our sample course page: http://www.pointblankonline.net/sample-a-course/ 

Please subscribe to our channel to make sure you don't miss future exclusive tutorials from Point Blank Online school.

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Ableton Tutorial - Sound Design Series (pt1) - Point Blank

In this video Danny J Lewis shows you how to use two amp envelopes, panning each oscillator in a different position to create a stereo image. Here the result is a nice, fizzy contemporary sound that works well for sustained chord sections.

This is a sample tutorial taken from our Ableton Live Sound Design course. Find out more about the course here: http://www.pointblankonline.net/ableton-live-sound-design.php

And watch more free tutorials from this and many other courses on our sample course page: http://www.pointblankonline.net/sample-a-course/ 

Please subscribe to our channel to make sure you don't miss future exclusive tutorials from Point Blank Online school.

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Blamsoft REsampler Rack extension hits the Propellerhead Store

This Rack Extension has pretty much appeared out of nowhere. I saw a thread on the Propellerhead forum with a few mock ups but I honestly didn't think it would be released as quick as it was. Anyway, the REsampler by Blamsoft seems like a pretty cool bit crushing effect. I've not been able to try it yet as I'm away from my laptop (and Reason) for a couple of days.

It looks pretty useful for adding a bit of dirt to your audio tracks, but I can't really be sure what it's capable of until I can actually get around to trying it out. there's plenty of CV routing options though, around the back of the rack there's CV in for Wet/Dry, Depth and Rate. There's also CV out for Pitch and Level, which seems strange for a bit crusher. I'll probably put another post up about this when I've put it though it's paces and let you know the final verdict.

It's currently available in the Prop Shop for an introductory price of €12.00 (I have no idea how much it will be normally) until August 12th. 

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Guide to Reason Rack Extensions Part 3 - ProducerTech

Last week I posted a couple of videos from ProducerTech that looked at some of the Rack Extensions that are available in the Propellerhead shop. Here's the third video in the series, it looks at the Buffre beat repeater by Peff and Propellerhead's very own Pulsar Dual LFO module.

This movie gives an overview of two rack extensions from the last two groups - Creative FX and Utilities. The first device, Buffre, is a fantastic beat repeater, with totally customizable loop settings, which can be triggered easily with a MIDI keyboard or the onscreen piano keys. And the second, Pulsar, is Propellerheads' own device and is a really handy tool for allowing LFO modulation of any other rack devices, as well as also being a basic synth! Pulsar is also free till October so get it while it you can!

For more information, check out out online Reason school:http://www.reasoncourses.com

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Ableton Tutorial - Deep House Chord Selector Rack (Free DL) - Point Blank

http://www.pointblankonline.net/courses/ableton-live-courses.php to check out our range of online Ableton Course where you can learn more techniques like this. Please get in touch with a course advisor at advice@pointblankonline.net if you want to find out more.

In this tutorial Danny J Lewis creates a rack in Ableton Live which gives you a selection of easy to play chords.

Download this rack for free here: http://www.pointblankonline.net/blog/free-ableton-chord-selector-rack-download/

Please subscribe to our channel to make sure you don't miss future exclusive tutorials from Point Blank Online school

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First Look at the Rob Papen Predator Rack Extension

Rob Papen has recently uploaded a screenshot of the Rack Extension version of Predator. There's no further information about the RE at the moment although it does say that it will be available soon.

As far as I know there is no word on the pricing, but the VST version of predator is going for €149 so I suspect it will be about €99 for the RE version (Obviously this is a pure guess, I could be completely off the mark).

Anyway, I recently had the chance to play around with the VST version and I was really impressed. The thing sounds phenomenal, I can't wait to get it in my Reason rack and have a good mess around with it.

If these images (above) are of the final UI then it's missing the shiny knobs and buttons from the VST version (pictured below). But that could just be because of limitations of the Rack Extension technology and really, who cares what the thing looks like. At the end of the day, it's the sound and functionality that really matters and by the looks of the audio and CV routing options on the back, we could be onto a winner. Audio input for the filter section, vocoder and FX section is a clear bonus.

It's safe to say that Predator is going to have a home in my Reason rack.

 

UPDATE:

I've updated this post with a second picture of the back pannel of the Predator RE.  

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Guide to Reason Rack Extensions Part 1 & 2 - ProducerTech

Here's a couple of YouTube videos from ProducerTech, they focus on Rack Extensions for Propellerheads Reason. The first video focuses on the awesome Polysix synthesiser from Korg and the second one looks at the two compressors; the Rough Rider by Audio Damage and the FET Compressor by Softube.

I recently brought both the Korg Polysix and the Audio Damage Rough Rider and I've been using them religiously in my productions. I'm also working on a free Voltage-Controlled preset pack for Polysix that will be available to download soon.

Anyway, I found these videos very informative so I thought I'd share them on the site. Check them out and don't forget to take a look at the ProducerTech Youtube Channel while you're at it.

"Review of Korg Polysix Rack Extension for Reason

This movie is the first of a series of mini tutorials, exploring the range of instruments and effects available in Reason's new Rack Extensions feature. Korg's Polysix is the first instrument made by an external manufacturer to be included in Reason, so this is an exciting development! The movie takes you on a brief tour of the instrument, giving an outline of its controls and synth engine.

For more information about Reason, check out: http://www.reasoncourses.com"

"This movie gives an overview of two of the great new compressors available in the Reason Rack Extensions range - Audio Damage's Rough Rider and Softube's FET Compressor - showing how they cope in extreme compression situations, how they differ and their various merits.

For more information about Reason, check out: http://www.reasoncourses.com"

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Tips for using send effects - Reason Sound Design - Propellerhead's Reason

Here's another one for Reason users. This tutorial from the guys over at Propellerhead software shows some basic routing tips for setting up send effects in the Reason rack.

More info on Reason: http://www.propellerheads.se/products/reason/

"In this Reason Sound Design video Mattias shows you a couple of ways you can use the sends and returns in Reason and do a bit more than meets the eye! Do quick and easy parallel processing, make your mixes cleaner and open up new creative possibilities with these tips."

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Taking a look at Moldover's Jamboxes

Now this is really cool. I've been a fan of Moldover's unique style of controllerism for a while now and this new video showcases some of his awesome Jambox's. They look super fun too. If you don't know what I'm talking about then have a look at the video below.



"Born from the union of a passion for controllerism, and the love of community-collaboration, Moldover's jamboxes are some of the most radical and innovative instruments he's ever created. The OctaMasher, The SyncoMasher, and The MiniMasher are completely unique designs; each explores a different realm within the multi-player universe. Like jukeboxes in the 1950s and boomboxes in the 1980s, jamboxes are now playing a crucial role in the new explosion of social music and culture."

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Logic Environment Tutorial - Create Kaoss Pad style X-Y Fader Effects Unit - Point Blank

This week's video from Point Blank Online is aimed at Logic users. It covers how to use Logic Pro's environment to create a virtual X/Y pad to control effects. This is a little more in depth than most of the videos that are posted on Voltage-Controlled so this might not be for everyone.



"http://www.pointblankonline.net/courses/logic-courses.php This week Paul Yarrow shows you how to use the power of Logic Pro's environment to create an X-Y fader multi effects unit much like Korg's Kaoss pad. 

Learn more about using Logic Pro's environment on our wide range of Logic courses: http://www.pointblankonline.net/courses/logic-courses.php

Check out even more free tutorials at http://www.logic-cafe.com/Please subscribe to our channel to make sure you don't miss future exclusive tutorials from Point Blank Online school."

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Voltage-Controlled update. News and other stuff.

Here on Voltage-Controlled I like to keep my readers up to date with the technology and equipment that I've been using in my own musical endeavours and various other projects that I'm involved with. I also like to use this site to speculate on upcoming software and give my own opinions on various other things that I stumble upon; whether its music software, iOS apps or just a new piece of hardware gear that I've got my hands on (I know I've not featured hardware in a while, but really, it's expensive). I love writing about this stuff and that's why this site has turned into what it is today. 

It's also a nice way to keep readers informed about how I'm getting on with running the site. So I'm using this post to give you a little insight and news concerning the goings on at Voltage-Controlled HQ. 

Content is a vital part of any publication but sometimes it's hard to come across. It's always nice to get emails from PR people and developers telling me that they've being following my site and that they would like me to write about their new app or check out their new software. But in reality, I'm just one man and it can sometimes be hard to stay on top of everything. I'm always happy to post press releases and give a quick opinion but it's not always possible to review everything that drops into my inbox. Press releases are great for the site though, they provide quick and easy content and they keep the site fresh and varied for the readers. So if your a developer or in charge of PR then feel free to send me news of your products and upcoming releases (but please, keep it relevant. Music tech and production related stuff only). 

It's been a while since I've sat down and written an in depth piece on something that's really caught my eye. I often struggle to find the time to write about something when I'm juggling a website along with everything else that's going on in my life. I'm hoping this is going to change fairly soon so that I can make more time and get writing a little more often. 

As you probably know, Voltage-Controlled is run solely by me in my spare time. It can sometimes be hard to find the time to really focus on the site and work on it as much as I would like to. I'm hoping that at some point in the future I can transform Voltage-Controlled into something a lot bigger. The blog platform that I'm using now works for what I need, but the ultimate goal would be to transform it into a fully blown, content rich website full of music, reviews, news and much more. 

Making this goal into a reality can be a bit tricky as I don't really have the staff or the money to invest in the site. I think a reasonable step forward at the moment would be for readers themselves to submit content; Brought a new synth or piece of studio gear? Write up a review and send it in, and if it's up to scratch then it'll get published on the site. I can't promise money for content but what you will get is a 'by line' underneath your piece. It's always good to have a little help now and again, so if you think you've got what it takes then send your articles to DanWeatherall@Voltage-Controlled.com 

There's some really cool stuff that I'm hoping to get up on Voltage-Controlled soon. The main thing that's been in the works is the very first Voltage-Controlled competition. The competition has been on the cards for quite some time now and I'm really exited to get it up and running. I don't want to go into too much detail with this this right now because I want to get everything sorted out first. But I can say that there will be a pretty awesome prize to be awarded to the winner and a little something for the runners up as well. 

Voltage-Controlled has come a long way since it began as a little music blog. I'd like to thank all the regular readers out there that keep coming back for more. I hope that this site sees a great future and that I can continue to offer my opinions on the subjects that influence me throughout my day to day life. 

If you want to keep up to date with what's going on with the site then the best way is probably on Twitter, you can find me there as @Dan303 I feel I've been neglecting Twitter a bit over the last month or so but I'm still fairly active and I post all the important stuff there. If you're not on Twitter then you could always bookmark Voltage-Controlled and check back now and then. I'm afraid there's no actual Voltage-Controlled Facebook or Twitter page at the moment but that's something that I could probably be working on in the near future. 

Now that I've had a bit of a ramble I'll let you good folks get back to your lives. 

Thanks for reading, 

-Dan.

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Creating a Tech House Track in Ableton Live with Radio Slave Loops - Point Blank

In this weeks video from Point Blank we are shown a few tips and tricks while creating a tech house track using samples and loops. They also have a pretty cool competition running where you can win the sample pack used in this video, a copy of Ableton Live 8 and a place on a Point blank Pro Producer course.





"Win this Radioslave pack, Live 8, and a Point Blank Pro Producer course here: http://ow.ly/c0BAS

In Ableton Live we have a fantastic tool to manipulate, chop and twist loops into your own interpretations all in real-time. This gives you the ability to create limitless unique tracks with the same loops and samples. In this tutorial Danny J Lewis shows some simple but very effective techniques to do this such as adjusting the clip start position and transposing the key up and down.

The pack he is using is one of Ableton's latest partner instruments, put together by Radioslave and Sample Magic. As well as a collection of drum, percussion, and musical hits and loops, the pack contains some great custom instrument and effects racks which, if hooked up to a midi control, can give a really tactile method of experimenting with the sounds. 

Check it out here: http://www.ableton.com/library/radio-slave-live

Racks such as the Kit Creator use macro controls to scroll through the various samples and adjust parameters like attack, decay and low cut to mould the sounds into something new. It is a great example of the type of racks that we teach you to build from scratch on Point Blank's Ableton Live Sound Design courses.

Check out the sound design course here:http://www.pointblankonline.net/ableton-live-sound-design.php

Watch more free tutorials on our sample course page:http://www.pointblankonline.net/sample-a-course/

Please subscribe to our channel to make sure you don't miss future exclusive tutorials from Point Blank Online school."

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Getting Started with the Pulsar Dual LFO - Propellerhead Software

Once again Propellerhead has provided us with another awesome tutorial video. It focuses of the new Pulsar LFO tool that's avalible in the new Propellerhead store. The video takes you through some of the basics of what pulsar can do, such as using it as a basic LFO to control other Reason instruments and even using it to build a basic modular synthesizer within the reason rack. As we've come to expect from the guys over at propellerhead software, the video is really easy to follow and actually quite humorous in some parts (That's if you enjoy cheesy synth jokes, which you should).



"NOTE: Reason 6.5 and Reason Essentials 1.5 users can and get Pulsar from the Rack Extension Shop for FREE until October 1st, 2012! Reason 6.5 and Reason Essentials 1.5 are free upgrades for Reason 6 and Reason Essentials 1 users and special upgrade pricing is available for users of earlier Reason versions.

Pulsar in the Rack Extension Shop:
http://shop.propellerheads.se/product/pulsar/

Also featured, the Synapse Audio AF-4 Filter:
http://shop.propellerheads.se/product/synapse-af-4-analog-filter/

The Pulsar Dual LFO, new as a Rack Extension in the Propellerhead Shop, is a flexible little powerhouse utility with tons of routing potential. Even though Pulsar is capable of some wild tricks, it also is one of the best places to start learning about modular synthesis and LFOs.

We put together this introductory look at how to use LFOs to spice up your existing sounds and how to get Pulsar making some sounds of its own."

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Electronic Music Composition (pt 3) - Faithless 'Insomnia' - Point Blank

"Go to: http://www.pointblankonline.net/electronic-music-composition-emc.phpto check out our online Electronic Music Composition Course where you can learn more techniques like this. Please get in touch with our course advisors at advice@pointblankonline.net if you want to find out more.

In this tutorial Ski Oakenfull breaks down the chord sequences in Faithless' dance anthem 'Insomnia'. Buy here:http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/insomnia-best-faithless/id305775034

Do you have a track that you would like to see Ski deconstruct musically? Then let us know in a comment below or hit us up on twitter with:
#emcrequest @point_blank + your suggested track title

Please subscribe to our channel to make sure you don't miss future exclusive tutorials from Point Blank Online school."

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Free Korg Polysix RE presets

I've only just downloaded the trial version of the new RE version of Polysix by Korg but I know for sure that this is one that I'm going to purchase soon. While I was messing around I made a few Combinator presets using the Polysix RE.

There's only 7 combinator files all together but I thought I'd upload them here for you guys. In order for you to use these presets you'll need Reason 6.5 or Reason Essentials 1.5 plus a trial or full licence for the Polysix Rack Extension. These will NOT work for the VST version of Polysix.

Get the Presets here (.ZIP)

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HyperTunes for iOS

HyperTunes lets you compose and arrange music directly in terms of musical structure, such as verse-chorus-bridge song forms. It also lets you collect and organise all your musical patterns, song fragments, and songs within the app, so that they're ready to "plug and play" in a new song with just a few touches.

This app offers a fresh approach to song management and and arrangement on the fly. For more details check out hypertunes.net

Hypertunes is available in the Apple AppStore for £6.99

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Pulsar LFO tool Reason Rack Extension

I'm glad to see the good folks over at Propellerhead showing a bit of humor in this advert for the new Pulsar Rack Extension.

Pulsar is a dual LFO/Monosynth module that's currently avalible in the Propellerhead shop as a free download. If you're a reason 6.5 or Reason Esentials 1.5 user then head over and grab it while it's still free.

"For more information: http://shop.propellerheads.se/product/pulsar/

Pulsar LGM-1 is a dual channel modulation powerhouse for the Reason rack. We call it an LFO—but it's also a powerful little synth in its own right. For tweakers, Pulsar makes every single thing in the rack a little bit better. For back-of-the-rackophobes it comes with patches containing everything from lush evolving pads to the grittiest of wobble basses.

When the rate is turned up, Pulsar transforms from low frequency oscillator to high powered synth with plenty of character. The LFO waveforms when combined with lag and shuffle bring tons of tones."

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