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Intro to Logic Midi Controller

What I mean by logic midi controller is a midi controller that works with logic studio.  There are many midi controllers on the market today, but what I am going to be focusing on are logic midi controllers.

First of all if you don’t know what a midi controller is then I will explain what it does and how it works with logic.  Basically a logic midi controller is usually and most likely a keyboard/piano that can connect to your computer and your DAW (logic).  However, what makes logic midi controllers special is they don’t produce any sound.  This is because the midi controller uses sounds from logic (the DAW), and when triggered, plays the sound from VST’s or sample libraries.

However, a midi controller is not always a piano/keyboard.  It can also be something with drum pads on etc.  The whole point of a midi controller is to control the DAW and its sounds through midi.  Remember that midi is NOT audio.  You must always use sound from virtual instruments (VST’s) or sample libraries.

Another important thing about a logic midi controller, is that it doesn’t only trigger sound, it can modify sound as well.  What I mean is that it doesn’t actually change sound itself, but it can control different effects built into a VST using different knobs and buttons.  It does this because you will assign a knob or button that is on your logic midi controller, to something in the actual VST.  You can also assign it to the DAW as well.  For example, if you have a start/stop button on your midi controller, you can set it up so that when its pressed, it will use the start/stop button in logic (your DAW).

It is important to note that there are many different logic midi controllers, some with allot of different buttons and knobs, and some with nothing but the actual keys on the keyboard.  This is why you need to research not only what type of midi controller you want, but research how it will work with your specific DAW, which is logic in this case.

In the near future I will be reviewing specific logic midi controllers that I have personally used.  If you would like any advice in the meantime, leave a comment or contact me and I will get back to you asap.

Spectrasonics Omnisphere Review

Spectrasonics Omnisphere Review

Whether you are a hip-hop/RnB producer, or if you produce music for television/films, then Spectrasonics Omnisphere is defiantly a virtual synthesizer you want to look in to.  It has been described by people as the “ultimate synth” and the only synth you will need.  With its library that is around 50GB in size, it is defiantly a contender for the best synth ever.

Spectrasonics Omnisphere runs on Spectrasonics STEAM engine (like Trilian).  This engine has been built from the ground up specifically for Omnisphere and Trilian.  The browser in STEAM, which allows you to browse all of your patches and instruments, is the best that I have seen on any virtual instrument.  Omnisphere has 14 different categories,  which each have a sub category inside of them.  On top of that, it also displays all of the authors so you can browse by author, as well as letting you browse by genre (such as film, or ambient).  This is all possible because of the STEAM engine that is used.  Another feature that is in STEAM is that it gives you a lot of information about the synth you are using and tells you what that sound is good for.

Like I mentioned, Omnisphere comes with a 50GB library.  This is the biggest virtual instrument that I know of.  And not only that, the sound quality is top quality.  Everything from pads and arpeggiators, to the piano sounds are clear, full and well mixed.  There is literally every synth sound that you could want from a synth VST.  As well as the synths you would expect from this, it also comes with a load of sound effects.  I can guarantee that if you get Omnisphere, it will be your most used virtual synth, if not your only used virtual synth.

On board Spectrasonics Omnisphere, is all of the main knobs and buttons you would expect from a synthesizer such as Oscillators, filters, modulation, LFO’s and envelopes.  You can play around with all of these to create the sound that you need.  Like Trilian, you can add preset effects that have already been created to add things like delay to the synth, or some distortion.  There are all sorts of preset effects that can be added to change the synth sound significantly.

Although the price may but you off buying it, Spectrasonics Omnisphere is worth it as it will be the only synth VST you’ll need to buy for a long time.  It has amazing sound quality and amazing effects that can fine tune to get the sound you need.  It can be used for use in film, or used to create radio music.  It literally is the ultimate synth VST.

Overall Score: 10/10

Rob Papen Predator Review

Rob Papen Predator Review

When it comes to choosing synth virtual instruments, there are literally hundreds to choose from.  Some synths are dedicated to a certain genre of music, and other synths have a more all in one approach.  This can be said for Rob Papen’s Predator VST, which covers almost all genre’s of music such as dance, hip-hop and bases.

Rob Papen Predator comes with hundreds of presets each assigned to a different style of music.  Then each of these presets is separated out into groups such as leads, bass, pads, chords and sequences.  The style’s of music in which Predator covers includes dance synths, dirtysouth synths, RnB synths, trance synths and a lot of different bass synths.  On top of this, Rob Papen Predator also includes different drum and percussion samples.  Like a lot of synths,  the sound can get quite repetitive.  However, with Rob Papen’s  Predator, the variety in sounds is very good and there aren’t many VST synths that can match it.

The sound quality in predator is very good for a virtual instrument. With many virtual instruments the sound quality can’t match up to a hardware synths sound quality.  However, Predator matches up to hardware synths sound quality pretty good.  In my opinion the leads are the best part of predator. I think that you can get better bass from different synths that are dedicated to bass, but Predator’s bass is still usable.  Other parts of Predator such as the pads are also good sound quality.  What stands out most, is that the synths all sound very full and clear, which is important.

Rob Papen predator contains three oscillators. this means that you can shape and model your sound however you like.  There are also loads of different effects such as a filter, decay  attack, sustain and release. There are many other effects you can play around with so you can get and fine tune the sound that you need.  As you expect with most synths, nearly every sound is possible and this is also the case with Rob Papen’s Predator.

Overall, if you are looking for new sounds, in particular leads, then this is the synth for you.  As an all round synth Predator can compete with the best out there, although the bass isn’t anything mind-blowing.  The amount of different knobs and buttons gives you the ability to fine tune it to get the perfect sound you need.  Rob Papen’s Predator is highly recommended to expand your VST plugin library.

Overall Score: 7/10

Spectrasonics Trilian Review

Spectrasonics Trilian Review

Spectrasonics Trilian is a bass virtual instrument consisting of literally hundreds of bass sounds and samples.  It has every kind of bass sample you can think of from electric bass, acoustic bass and synth bass in its massive 35GB library.  Is it the ultimate bass VST and the only bass VST you will need?  Find out below.

First of all, Spectrasonics Trilian works on a STEAM based system.  This has been developed specifically for Spectrasonics’ virtual instruments such as Trilian and Omnisphere.  STEAM actually works pretty well and allows you to easily find the bass samples by browsing through folders, or by using the search function to find the specific sound you want.  The STEAM system also gives you the option to preview a sample before you load it, which comes in useful if the sample is big in size and takes ages to load.

Its impossible to test the sound quality of every single sound and sample as there are too many to remember.  However, from what samples I have used, the quality of them is brilliant and there isn’t one that I wouldn’t consider using myself.  In my opinion the acoustic bass section isn’t as good as the electric bass.  Although, the acoustic bass library is still good enough to use in your recordings, especially after you have added effects etc. There are better acoustic basses out there such as Vir2 instruments BaSiS.  The electric bass library is what makes Trilian stand out and it is hard to tell the difference between this VST and the real thing.  The synth library isn’t the biggest, but like all of Trilian the synth bass still has an amazing sound quality.  Again though, I wouldn’t buy Trilian for just the synth sounds.

Spectrasonics Trilian has a lot of different effects on-board its STEAM based system.  You have a main effects page where you can alter the filter effects, as well as the feedback and mix.  Under the edit section, you can go more in depth on changing the preset sound to your liking by modifying basic synth options such as the LFOS and envelopes.

There are also a lot of different preset effects that can be added.  These are effects such as making the bass have a “wah-wah” effect or adding delay to the bass.  Then on top of that, the preset effects can be modified.  Spectrasonics really goes in depth on letting you get the perfect sound needed.

Spectrasonics Trilian is defiantly a must have bass virtual instrument for all music creators and producers.  The amount of sample’s included is astronomical, and every single one is of quality sound.  Then you have the option to use a massive amount of different effects to modify the sound to your liking.  All of this happens in Spectrasonics STEAM based system, which is powerful and easy to use.  This is defiantly a VST you have got to own.

Overall Score: 8/10

4Front Technologies TruePiano Review

4Front Technologies Truepiano Review

When it comes to piano virtual instruments, there are lots and lots to choose from.  Some are expensive, some are cheap and some are free.  It is very rare that you find a piano vst that is very high in quality, and that is reasonably priced.  One of these rarities, is 4Front Technologies’ TruePiano.  It’s very simple interface and design comes with a surprisingly amazing sound.

TruePiano comes with five different types of piano (Sapphire, Emerald, Diamond, Amber and SapphirePed).  On top of that, each one of these can have a certain preset effect added to it to give it a sound to match your song.  For example, you can add a bright effect to give the piano more of a happy feeling, or add a studio effect to make the piano sound more thick and fuller.

What makes TruePiano so suprising, is that its simple looking interface produces a high quality of sound.  Although, you can turn on the advanced interface option, and it will give you the options to change the velocity, pitch and volume of the piano.  However, you won’t probably need to change it as changing to one of the preset effects of the piano will be enough to get the sound you are looking for.

4Front Technologies’ TruePiano is the best sounding all round piano VST I have ever heard.  The sound is as clear as you will hear, and in my opinion the only thing that could beat the sound would be the real thing (and it would only beat it by a little way).

It comes in VST, RTAS and AU format meaning it will work with almost every DAW, as well as coming in standalone format so you can play around with it when not recording.  If you need to fine tune the sound to your liking, it lets you save you own presets that you make (using the advanced options) so you can use them in the future.

Overall, TruePianos is the best piano virtual instrument I have ever come accross in terms of sound quality, and with its different presets and piano types, it can be used for a wide range of music.

Overall Score: 10/10

Applied Acoustic Strum Acoustic Review

Applied Acoustic Strum Acoustic Review

Applied Acoustics strum acoustic is a virtual instrument plugin that imitates an acoustic guitar.  However, this virtual instrument is not sample based meaning that its file size is very small for such a powerful VST (as it uses voicing etc).  This is convenient if you don’t have the most powerful computer as it doesn’t require allot of storage, and the guitar sounds load almost instantly (because there are no samples needing loading).

Strum Acoustic comes with a lot of preset guitar sounds, which are arranged in different folders such as nylon guitars, steel guitars as well as guitar’s that have different effects.  Like I said before, these sounds load in an instant since no samples need loading, and are easily selected with its browser.

The sound quality with Applied Acoustics’ Strum Acoustic is amazing considering the programs size, and is a considerably a better sound quality than some sample based plugins.  Obviously one of the main reasons you use a guitar virtual instrument is because you can’t actually play the guitar, or don’t have the facilities to record one live, so this guitar plugin is a perfect replacement.  The sound quality is so good that, with the help of some effect plugins, could fool people into thinking its the real thing.

Using your midi-keyboard to play a guitar virtual instrument seems quite hard to do, but Applied Acoustics makes it easier than ever to do down strokes, up strokes, slides and bends, palm muting, muffled strings and hammer-ons and pull-offs.  These are all available to do using you midi-keyboard and is explained how to do in the software’s manual.

The Strum Acoustics VST also comes with a bunch of on-board effects to fine tune the sound of the guitar to your liking.  You can add basic effects such as reverb, amp and decay which adds to the flexibility of this guitar VST.  You can also change and add effects to all the different strings.  For example, you can have a different velocity on string 6 than on string 3.  It also comes with a built in equalizer.

The actual virtual instrument itself looks very good and is well presented (as you can see in the picture).  It also tells you which guitar chord you are playing which is useful if you want to learn different chords.

Overall, Applied Acoustics’ Strum Acoustic VST is defiantly a must have VST for your virtual instrument library.  You can get almost any acoustic guitar sound from a plugin that is really small in size.  The sound quality is probably the best you will hear from a non-sampled VST.

Overall Score: 9/10

IK Multimedia Miroslav Philharmonic Review

IK Multimedia Miroslav Philharmonic Review

Philharmonic is a plugin that focuses mainly on strings and brass, as well as having a few choir and drum/percussion kits in there.  It is considered as one of the best plugins for strings sounds as its quality is simply amazing.  The thickness and purity of the strings is what makes this plugin stand out from the rest and is the closest to the real thing as you will ever get from a string plugin.  Not forgetting the other sounds philharmonic offers, the trumpet samples, choirs samples and drum kits are equally as good in quality.

There are 4 different types of strings offered (Basses, Cellos, Violas and Violins).  Each one of these offers you the option to loop the sound to get a long constant sound of the sample, the option of tremolo to make the strings tremble, or the option use the strings as stabs by using pizzicato style or staccato style.  It also gives you the option to use these option with every other instrument including the trumpet samples.

Ik Multimedia’s Philharmonic doesn’t only offer strings and trumpets but also offers a variety of woodwind samples (Bassoons, Clarinets, Flutes and Oboes).  Like everything else in Philharmonic, they are also of very high quality in sound.  They also have a small section called other instruments, in which a guitar, a harp and piano can be found.  Although these these are good in quality, you would probably never use them as there isn’t a wide variety to choose from.

As an added bonus, they also have drum and percussion sets with quite a lot of high quality samples.  Included in this section are some chromatic percussion samples such as a glockenspiel, vibraphone and tubular bells.

Regarding the actual plugin, it has allot of effects built into it that work very well.  They include an attack effect, decay effect and sustain and release effects.  There are many other effects available onboard the plugin, but I believe you are better off using separate plugins to achieve the effect you want from a dedicated plugin.  You have the option to turn the volume level up of the instrument you are using which you will most likely need as the instruments and samples are quite quiet compared to other virtual instruments.

Philharmonic is built both for PC and for Mac as a standalone program, or as a plugin in the format of VST, RTAS and AU.

This plugin is very well built, has an amazing library of string samples, brass samples and percussion samples and is full of useful effects.  If you are looking for that professional sound, then this plugin is a must buy!

Overall Score: 10/10

Native Instruments Battery 3

Native Instruments Battery 3

Battery 3 is a powerful drum sampler from native instruments.  It uses its user friendly interface to deliver professional software that the top professionals use.  It comes with a lot of different drums and percussion in its extensive library, as well as having the ability to load your own sounds into it.

Native Instruments’ Battery 3 comes with a lot of different drum kits pre-installed from acoustic kits to electronic kits as well as lots of different percussion sounds.  The sound quality is good from these kits and, with a bit of effects added (such as EQ etc), could sound really good.  However, in my opinion there are better drum sounds that can be found in separate drum kits (and nothing beats your own drums!).  Battery 3 does include some nice percussion sounds that could add something extra to your music.

Not only does Battery 3 contain a lot of high quality drum kits, it gives you the ability to load up your own drum sounds and samples.  You can use Battery 3’s browser to look through your folders and select the drum samples you want to user and it is instantly loaded into Battery.  From here you can assign is to a track, or add many of the effects that are available on-board Battery 3.

Native Instruments’ Battery 3 contains a lot of different effects to not only make your drums sound even better, but to make them mix into the song you are creating.  In my opinion, they are just as good as using other high end plugins for things such as EQ or compressing etc.  You can “chop” drums up if you need to, or use the modulation feature.  Battery 3 gives you the option to create professional sounding drums.

Overall, Native Instruments have developed the most perfect software drum sampler available.  Its so simple to use, yet so powerful at the same time.  Even professional producers use it.

Overall Score: 9/10