XILS-Lab Le Masque: Delay

With a trio of virtual synths under its belt, XILS-Lab’s first effect plug-in is a true stereo delay with independent left/right channels and a crafty trick up its sleeve.

Le Masque: Delay ‘masks’ the input signal, defining ‘wet’ zones along the timeline in which processing is applied, leaving the remainder dry, a bit like how you’d use automation of aux send levels.

This masking is done in the central window. Set the length of your processing loop (1-4 bars) and click the grid display to create a mask, of which up to eight can be active at once.

Drag the start and end boundaries (Locators) of each mask to establish its range, and for that period in the loop (which can be set to sync to the host DAW, an arbitrary BPM value or via tap tempo), the audio signal will be processed by the plug-in.

For example, draw in a short mask over every other beat in a drum loop to apply the delay just to the snare drum, or make one mask spanning the full range of the loop to have Le Masque act like a conventional stereo delay.

Locators can be snapped to the quantise grid or moved around freely on an individual basis, so you can mix quantised masks with unquantised ones, giving endless rhythmic flexibility.

Applied globally to all masks, the two Locator envelope knobs dial in up to 10 seconds of Attack and Release, with a few milliseconds of the latter often being required to smooth over unpleasant clicks at the masks’ tail ends.

In terms of controls, there are no surprises in the delay and filter/mod sections: Time, Feedback, Level and Pan for the delays; Cutoff, Resonance, Drive and a choice of five Types for the filter. The filter is certainly noteworthy for its sound, though, which is well up to XILS’ usual standards. It can even self-oscillate.

Is that a…?

Modulation is a key feature, with a syncable LFO and an ADSR envelope and full MIDI learn onboard. That’s a modwheel you can see there at the bottom left, and actually, it wouldn’t go amiss on more effects plug-ins, we say. It’s just a handy mouseable modulation source, after all, assignable in this case to the same array of targets as the Locator Levels.

There’s real MIDI going on behind that wheel – pretty much every control in Le Masque: Delay is MIDI-assignable and fully VST/AU automation-compatible. XILS-Lab is clearly keen for us to get hands-on by whatever means necessary! A (slightly graphically glitchy) pop-up MIDI learn window makes assignment a breeze, and CCs can be pointed at multiple targets.

Unfortunately, you can’t assign CCs to mask Locator positions. Also, although the MIDI learn window dutifully pops up for the buttons (most notably Swap, which would be very useful assigned), it doesn’t actually work – seems there may be a bug in there.

However, the Locator Level modulators really get things moving: those horizontal white level indicators in each mask are assignable mod sources, controlling one or two parameters from a list that includes filter cutoff and resonance, envelope attack and decay, delay level and pan, and LFO rate.

Très bon

Le Masque is a solid performer as a regular stereo delay (full mask), but absolutely awesome as a more creative rhythmic delay and filtering tool. Being able to chop the processing in and out without bypassing the output (and thus killing the delays themselves) is powerful enough in itself, but throw in that filter and you can do it frequency-selectively, picking out individual sounds for treatment – just hi-hats or bass, say.

The modulation is the real clincher, though, making this a winner for sound designers, electronic producers and instrumentalists alike. Plus we haven’t yet mentioned the Swap function, which instantly swaps the masked and unmasked areas around, or the fact that the whole thing can happily run under its own steam with the host DAW in stop mode.

We do have a couple of suggestions: we’d love to see multiple mod sources made available per mask and that eight-mask maximum raised. That said, though, Le Masque: Delay could well be the best €59 you’ll spend this year. Everyone should own this crazy little plug-in.

Read more about XILS-Lab Le Masque: Delay at MusicRadar.com

Toontrack EZkeys Grand Piano

A VST/AU/RTAS instrument that aims to make it easy to create pro-sounding keyboard tracks, EZkeys is the third in Toontrack’s EZ range (the first two being ‘drummer’ and ‘mix)’.

This first EZkeys release focuses exclusively on the grand piano – specifically, a 600MB sampled version of the much-loved Steinway Model D. It also comes with a sizeable collection of MIDI files, plus a player that you can load these (and your own MIDI files) into. That, in a nutshell, is it, but the software does have some rather clever tricks up its sleeve.

We’ll get to those in a moment, but first, let’s tackle the piano itself. It sounds good, if not mind-blowing.

What it definitely is, though, is simple: you can select an appropriate velocity curve for your MIDI keyboard, adjust the tuning and make edits to the sound using four knobs that change function according to the preset you’ve selected (eg, the default preset offers Reverb, Tone, Compression and Detail). That’s about all there is to it, but given the software’s EZ billing, this shouldn’t come as any surprise.

No-one’s going to choose this piano over the gazillion others on the market on the strength of its tone: the software will stand or fall on the quality and flexibility of its MIDI file content. Fortunately, EZkeys scores pretty well in this area.

Open up the Song Browser and you’re presented with a familiar-looking browser that enables you to scan through and preview files in the library. This gives you everything from repeated and broken chords through to song parts in a range of styles (pop/rock, soul, country, gospel, jazz, blues, boogie funk, etc).

Going for a song

While the parts are well-played and reasonably diverse, they’re heavily ‘songwriter’ orientated – great if you’re working on material for Adele’s next album, but probably not for you if you’re looking for the next iconic house piano riff.

These files can be dragged and dropped into the timeline-style Song Track at the bottom of the display, so it’s possible to string together a complete piano track (intro, verse, chorus, bridge, outro) in double-quick time. Phrases can be copied/pasted, split and merged in standard sequencer fashion, and completed tracks can be exported or dragged into your DAW.

It’s when your song parts are in the Song Track that EZkeys’ clever MIDI manipulation features come into play. Each MIDI file is analysed so the names of its component chords can be displayed, and you can then change each of these using the Chord Selector (see The circle of life below for more).

You can transpose song parts, too, though there’s no piano roll for note-by-note editing. Your own MIDI files can also be imported by adding folders to EZkeys’ browser, enabling you to adjust the key in a similar way.

The circle of life

EZkeys’ most impressive feature is arguably its Chord Selector, which enables you to make quick changes to the pitch and sound of any chord sitting in your Song Track.

It’s accessed by clicking on any chord name, and has a circular design based on what’s known as the circle of fifths. We haven’t got space to explain the music theory here, but the basic principle is that each step in the circle takes you a perfect fifth up (or down, if you go anticlockwise). The root chord of the key that you’re working in – and its relative minor chord – is in the 12 o’clock position, and chords that naturally ‘fit’ are highlighted.

Above the circle, another panel enables you to change the flavour of the chord (to a major 7th or sus4, for example). If you click the Details tab, you can even make adjustments on a per-note basis. It’s a simple, powerful system that enables you to put your own stamp on your MIDI files.

In many respects, EZkeys feels slick and polished, though in these days of intelligent, time-saving file searching, the strictly hierarchical MIDI browser does feel a little old-hat (you often sense that you’re taking a click or two more than you should to get to where you want). What’s more, we’re a little disappointed that all you get is a grand piano: if an electric piano, Clavinet and organ (plus suitable MIDI files) were included as well, it’d be easier to justify EZkeys’ price tag.

As it is, you’ll have to wait for the inevitable add-on packs: we’re assured that these are coming, but we don’t know when or how much they’ll cost.

Read more about Toontrack EZkeys Grand Piano at MusicRadar.com

Heavyocity Damage

Damage is Heavyocity’s latest ROMpler instrument for NI’s Kontakt (Kontakt Player is included).

Featuring a new interface, improved Trigger FX and a whopping 30GB sample library, it goes a long way beyond previous Heavyocity efforts in terms of size and functionality.

“Sonically, Damage spans the range from tight, blockbuster-style impact sounds to earthy, organic drums and metals.”

Damage’s sounds are divided into two main categories: Rhythmic Suites and Percussive Kits. These differentiate between loop-based, tempo-synced sounds, and playable multisampled kits. There’s further subdivision in both categories, too.

The 700-odd loops are split into Menu patches (a single loop mapped to each key) and Single patches (one loop is split into slices and mapped across the keyboard). In both cases, patches arelabelled by genre (Epic Organic, Epic Tech, Industrial and Mangled Pop), and both Full andElements patches are included, the latter comprising the layers that make up the former.

The Percussive Kits come in five main categories: Epic Organic Drums, Ethnic Drums, Metals, Hybrid FX Hits and Damage Kits. There are 60 kits in total, some with round-robin implementation, some single-shot and some multilayered. The Hybrid kits folder also includes separate hits and tails patches, and a mod wheel patch that blends between the two.

Squeezing all of these disparate instruments into one interface would have made Damage deeply confusing, so although all patches include three main pages, the options vary between them (see Interface matters). Common to all patches are global 3-band EQ, high- and low-pass filters, master effects (distortion, lo-fi, reverb, delay andcompressor), an ADSR amp envelope, the Punish control and key-specific tuning.

Broken beats

Damage’s loop patches incorporate extensive key control with useful colour-coding. Once you get the hang of which key does what, you can get very creative with them, from the obvious (slice re-ordering) to the less so (Trigger FX).

Apart from the Damage Kits folder, the Kit patches don’t use keyswitching. Keys are still coloured, though, to indicate duplicate zones (useful for playing fast passages).

Sonically, Damage spans the range from tight, blockbuster-style impact sounds to earthy, organic drums and metals. The presets are heavily influenced by the onboard reverbs, and the space-specific amplitude envelopes on the Percussive Kits are a very welcome feature. The Kits suit a wide range of musical styles, and you can always rummage around inside Kontakt or Kontakt Player to further fine-tune things.

By contrast, the loops’ characters tend to push them into certain pigeonholes. Even so, skillful application of the effects results in harder, more cutting-edge sounds; and the sliced loops can easily be matched to project tempo, further enhancing Damage’s flexibility and usefulness.

We must also mention the Punish knob. Found on the EQ/Filter page, this controls a combined drive and compression effect, enabling quick, loud global saturation.

Interface matters

Damage uses different interfaces for its Kits, Loop Menus and Single Loops instrument types. The Single Loops page presents loop slices, with parameters and real-time modifier controls for each. A handy MIDI To Host button enables dragging and dropping of sequences into the DAW’s arrange page.

Loop Menu patches benefit from the excellent Trigger FX system. This comprises eight effects (punch, phaser, rotator, lo-fi, glitcher, pitch envelope, filter envelope and delay) that can be triggered in real time from the keyboard – creative and fun. The Loop Menu patches also get a 16-step amplitude sequencer.

The Percussive Kits come with three mic options (Close, Room and Hall) and a 3D panorama that enables drums to be placed in one of 35 stage positions. However, the most powerful thing is the ability to apply amp envelopes individually to each space, and EQ and filters to each note.

If you’re after the larger-than-life percussive sounds that pepper today’s soundtracks, games, ads and music, Damage delivers them, quickly and easily. It’s also a very creative, versatile instrument capable of going way beyond the genre limits implied by its preset library.

Read more about Heavyocity Damage at MusicRadar.com

Steinberg Cubase 6.5

Cubase started life in 1989 on the legendary Atari 1040ST, and since then it has evolved into a true one-box solution for audio and MIDI recording, sequencing, editing, mixing and mastering.

Currently available in two flavours, the full version and the cheaper Cubase Artist (Cubase Elements remains at v6), its instruments, effects and audio/MIDI-wrangling tools make it a production powerhouse.

Little more than a year since Cubase 6 hit the shelves, Steinberg’s release of a paid-for point release has raised a few eyebrows, because users had become accustomed to free point updates for Cubase. So what is it about Cubase 6.5 that makes it worth a further £43?

Synths you ask

To start with, the VST instrument department has been bolstered by the addition of two new synthesisers: Retrologue, a powerful, dual-oscillator virtual analogue growler; and Padshop, an intriguing granular synth. Given Cubase’s relative paucity of high-quality bundled instruments (beyond the barely-editable HALion Sonic SE), these are welcome additions.

Retrologue’s front panel is plastered with enough knobs to keep even the most serious synthesist busy, while retaining a familiar layout that’s easy to get to grips with. The modulation matrix is comprehensive and easy to navigate. We have to say that the sound is a very pleasant surprise – it’s top notch and easily on a par with respected synth plug-ins such as LennarDigital’s Sylenth1 or Arturia’s range of virtual analogues.

Padshop, meanwhile, is capable of some impressively eerie and quite disturbing sonic gymnastics. This is thanks to its dual-layer blending capability, granular synthesis engine and well-stocked armoury of filters, modulation and delay effects. We’d like to see the ability to import your own waveforms, but as it stands, it’s still a powerful instrument.

Cubase’s lineup of included instruments is looking much stronger, then, although Cubase veterans may have preferred the addition of a nicely integrated workhorse sampler (barely any third-party samplers work properly with Cubase’s drag-and-drop system).

Onto the effects, then. Lifted from HALion 4, MorphFilter comprises a pair of linked filters – one high-pass and one low-pass – each with a slider controlling cutoff frequency, while a third slider controls resonance.

A dot in the centre of the display can be dragged around to crossfade between the two filters, each of which can be set to 6, 12, 18 or 24dB/octave high/low-pass modes, or 12 or 24dB/octave band-pass/reject modes. MorphFilter sounds excellent, and being fully automatable, it could swiftly become the Cubase user’s weapon of choice for creative filter sweeps.

The second new effect is DJ-EQ, a simple 3-band semi-parametric EQ with bands fixed at 100Hz, 1500Hz and 10kHz. Although the amount of boost is limited to 6dB, each frequency band can be cut by a whopping 32dB.

These cuts can be applied instantly by clicking the button beneath the desired frequency, somewhat like the bass, mid and treble killswitches found on DJ mixers. Like MorphFilter, the control nodes in DJ-EQ’s graphic display can be automated to produce more gradual, evolving effects.

Guitarists should take note that the VST Amp Rack amp sim plug-in has new Limiter and Maximizer stompboxes as well as a collection of more than 50 new ‘signature’ presets.

Also new in 6.5 (and the free v6.0.6 maintenance update for those who choose to stay at v6) is 64-bit ReWire support. Thishas been on the wish lists of those looking to use 64-bit Cubase as a ReWire host for ReWire-compatible applications – like Ableton Live and Propellerhead Reason – for a while now.

Tooled up

Cubase 6 added a new take-comping system that divided opinion amongst long-term users, but v6.5′s added comping functions hark back to v5′s methods, so you essentially get the best of both worlds.

With the new Comp tool, you can select and slice portions of a take in one move by clicking and dragging around the areas you want to keep. Modifier keys enable you to create overlaps, slide content left or right within a comp region and resize individual parts within each lane.

Once you’ve defined your section boundaries, simply click the regions with the Comp tool to include them in your comp. The new Clean Up Lanes command keeps things tidy by splitting overlapping events onto their own lanes.

You can convert lanes into new tracks with the Create Tracks from Lanes command. You could create a stereo pair of tracks from two cycle-recorded guitar takes, for example.

AudioWarp – Steinberg’s equivalent to Logic’s Flex Time and Pro Tools’ Elastic Audio – is now accessible via Cubase’s Quantize panel, and there’s also a new AudioWarp toolbar button, with which you can enable or disable the feature. It’s great to see Steinberg’s powerful audio features being liberated from the (sometimes clunky) sample editor window.

Taking the FLAC

Rounding off the new features is support for theFLAC lossless compression format as an in-project file type (meaning that audio recordings are around 60% smaller than uncompressed counterparts). Meanwhile the adoption of what Steinberg calls the ‘Intercommunication 2.0 protocol’ enables the exporting of project bounces directly to SoundCloud from within Cubase itself (which seems to be an increasingly popular feature for DAWs, though we can’t realistically see ourselves using it much, if at all).

Interface-wise, it’s basically the same as Cubase 6, which we’re not complaining about. One thing we will grumble about, though, is the continued lack of undo facilities for the mixer, which is a real source of frustration at times.

The bottom line

So how’s it all stack up? Existing Cubase users may well already own high-quality synths and effects, so the lure of v6.5′s new ones may be diminished. However, they shouldn’t be written off as simple freebies – the synths in particular are really excellent in their own right, and they come with over 700 presets between them, which ain’t too shabby. They’re certainly worth the upgrade fee.

Bear in mind also that, being VST3.5-compatible, they can take full advantage of the powerful Note Expression features of Cubase, which allow per-note modulations (eg, of pitchbend, filter cutoff, etc). However, it’s those looking for a new DAW – especially first-timers – for whom the new features of Cubase 6.5 may hold the broadest appeal.

Read more about Steinberg Cubase 6.5 at MusicRadar.com

PocketLabWorks iRiffPort

It’s white, it has the obligatory intra-capped word prefixed by a lowercase ‘i’, and a docking plug. It can only be one thing: an interface for your iOS device.

Joking aside, we really like the iRiffPort. Its flat profile means it’ll sit on your desk. You plug your headphones into the guitar end of the cable, rather than the iPod so your headphone lead isn’t trailing too far, and it gives you a digital connection to your device.

Read more about PocketLabWorks iRiffPort at MusicRadar.com

Toontrack EZmix 2

Anyone who records at home will know that mixing can, quite frankly, be a pain in the arse.

Toontrack is here to help with the latest version of its EZ Mix software. It’s loaded with presets – including new amp modelling patches – of popular sounds for guitars, bass, drums and vocals and more, plus mastering presets for your whole mix.

Eachone gives you two controls to play with, making the entire process easy.

Read more about Toontrack EZmix 2 at MusicRadar.com

Steinberg CMC USB controllers

The fruits of Yamaha’s ownership of Steinberg continue to bear fruit in the hardware realm with the arrival of the CMC range of controllers. These are aimed fairly and squarely, though not exclusively, at Cubase users.

The range consists of six similarly-sized USB-powered devices that each take care of a different set of mixing, production and control functions. Although the controls on each device vary according the task to which it is assigned – and it is worth noting that they are not all priced at the same point – we find switches, rotary encoders and touch faders, all with varying degrees of illumination and visual feedback.

“A USB hub is recommended when running more than a few controllers simultaneously – there is no way of linking units together internally.”

The units can be used on their own or as part of a larger, multiple controller setup. However, the drivers for the devices, quite logically, allow for only one instance of each, with the exception of the MCC-FD Fader Controller where four concurrent units (16 channels) are supported.

It is worth pointing out here that a USB hub is recommended when running more than a few controllers simultaneously, as there is no way of linking units together internally – each has only one USB socket by way of connection. Steinberg can also provide (for a price) a couple of extension frames for bundling units together in something more solid that the plastic clips that come with each unit.

Software installation is straightforward and, as well as installing the relevant drivers, adds the units to the Cubase Remote Devices menu, where a degree of customisation of functions is facilitated.

Incidentally, Cubase AI6 (a trimmed-down version of the full DAW) is included with each controller.

Lost control

The CMC-CH Channel Controller provides a good overview of what the range offers. Taking the Cubase Audio Channel strip as is its cue, the CH features one of Steinberg’s new Touch Controllers for the fader.

This can be configured to jump to new values instantly or only move once the existing fader position is passed (represented by an LED beneath the fader strip). There is also a continuos rotary encoder assigned to Pan (this time with LED brightness indicating the value’s extremities).

The rest of the unit is populated with buttons mapped directly to those in the software (such as various bypass switches, automation Read/Write and Mute/Solo) as well as Folder and Freeze buttons. The SHIFT button also provides access to each button’s secondary role as a Function key for triggering Cubase Key Commands (which can be fully customised within the DAW itself).

The CMC-FD Fader Controller provides four of the aforementioned Touch Faders for levelling duties – they can also display channel level meters (though only in red) if required.

CMC-TP Transport Controller is dedicated to transport functions including locators, markers, jog, shuttle and zoom, as well as the obvious loop, play and record buttons.

The CMC-QC Quick Controller uses eight rotary encoders to access the built-in EQ, but their role can be switched to adjust the values of each Cubase channel’s Quick Controls or those of the currently selected plug-in. The QC can also transmit standard MIDI CC data, which is fully configurable via the include CMC-QC Editor software.

The CMC-AI features Steinberg’s now ubiquitous AI knob, which facilitates adjustment for any parameter beneath the mouse pointer, though fine control (à la Shift + mouse) is seemingly not supported. Like the QC, where ‘parameter learning’ is possible, plug-in control is restricted to Steinberg plug-ins (no third-party control here – shame). The range is rounded-off with CMC-PD Pad Controller – a 4 x 4 drum trigger matrix.

Of all the controllers in the CM range the CMC-PD is the only one that may be of interest to non-Cubase users. What we have here is a 4 x 4 drum pad matrix, somewhat akin to a mini MPC-style controller.

By default each pad is mapped to a different MIDI note, with a rotary encoder for switching between ‘banks’ of 16 MIDI notes. One of these banks is assigned to GM mapping of drums.

Each of the pads lights in green, orange or red depending on the velocity with which it is hit, although different velocity curve scan be selected to make process more flexible. The so-called ’4Velocity’ mode is intended to speed-up step-time not entry by assigning different velocities (but the same MIDI note) to four different pads. Adjustment can be made to key assignments using the editor software included with the unit.

Overall this is a useful little controller, which made programming drums a pleasure, though it does feel quite light in the midst of a good bashing!

Conclusion

The truth is, we desperately wanted to love these controllers – they look really good and they promise a lot – but they don’t quite deliver on all fronts.

Despite their LED-driven visual feedback, you still need to move your eyes between screen and controller. This is perhaps a criticism of many remote controllers; even Focusrite’s well-regarded Automap devices do not fully address this shortcoming.

The reality remains that screen-based touch devices, such as the prolific iPad, might point more realistically to where things are going, though mice will no doubt rule the roost until a unifying standard is arrived at.

In fact, if the cost of the CMC range was lower, making them a more impulsive purchase, the picture might have been different, but they do face competition, albeit from none that integrate so fully into the Cubase workflow.

It may not be love, but we’ll certainly be friends with the CMCs.

Read more about Steinberg CMC USB controllers at MusicRadar.com

Wave Alchemy Pro-II

Yet another classic synthesizer recreated in software? Not exactly…

The Pro-II uses thousands of samples of the venerable Sequential Circuits Pro-One and presents them through NI’s Kontakt sampler. But that’s just the beginning.

The Pro-II has two different approaches to making sounds: you either play samples of patches from a Pro-One through the synthesizer, much like a typical Kontakt instrument, or you can use what Wave Alchemy calls ‘Raw Oscillators’. It’s these Raw Oscillators that really define the Pro-II’s ‘hybrid’ sound and take it way beyond a simple sample player.

Every note in a five octave range has been sampled for each waveform and each oscillator, which generates studio-shaking sounds. The bass end of this synthesizer is solid, strong and truly deserves that over-used term ‘warm’; there’s none of the loss of focus found when samples are slowed down for lower pitches. And at the other end of the frequency spectrum there’s no aliasing or tell-tale ‘glassiness’ that betrays so many virtual synthesizers.

The included sounds are superb too; ‘Trancy Strings’ is a haunting analogue string patch with a profound depth and atmosphere. ‘Boc Synth’ will delight Boards of Canada fans and the various ‘PWM Bass’ settings add that Sequential Circuits grit to the bottom end.

Our favourite of the Pro-One presets is ‘Short Saw Decay’, a sound so simple it could be easily overlooked but has a punch that can cut through any Tech-House mix. The sequencer will sync to your current song’s tempo but doesn’t export MIDI information for you to edit, which is a shame.

So solid sound

Despite being a fantastic-sounding synth, there are instances where the limitations of Kontakt spoil the fun: if you change the waveform of an oscillator with a key depressed, the wave does not actually change until you play your next note. Although not a deal-breaker this will be a nuisance for those who prefer to audition waveforms while holding down a note.

And while the Pro-II features dozens of samples of the Pro-One with cross modulation, pitch sweeps and esoteric routings, which were the staple sounds of the original instrument, you can’t actually create these sounds yourself from scratch – there are no cross modulation facilities.

The Pro-fessionals

The Pro-II does not pretend to be a virtual Pro-One, and on balance is all the better for it. Instead, Waves Alchemy has designed a bold update of the analogue sound for the 21st century.

Creating your own sounds from scratch is about as easy as could be. But what sets this instrument apart is the sound: it feels as solid as a rock with a weight and power normally reserved for true analogue synthesizers.

The Pro-II is an excellent instrument and at this amazing price could be an impulse purchase you won’t regret.

Read more about Wave Alchemy Pro-II at MusicRadar.com