Big thanks to all the CM readers who've been in touch to tell us how useful they're finding our current 'Special: How To Make It In Music. (Well, everyone likes to to be appreciated!) Here's a taste of what they're saying: "Insightful and intriguing" ? Dan, musician/performer "I wish I'd had all that advice a few years back" ? Alex, pro songwriter ?Full of facts and tips to give aspiring pro musicians that all-important edge? ? Paul, programmer/producer If you haven't picked up a copy yet, there's still time! The magazine ? written by industry experts ? uncovers everything you need to know to get on track for success in 2010. Discover how to: ? Get your tracks heard ? Promote your act ? Build a fanbase ? Make money ? Make the leap from bedroom to pro producer ? Be your own manager And if it's a full-time gig you're after, this is your chance to get insider advice from pros in the most coveted careers in the business. We've assembled a lineup of producers, tunesmiths, performers and tech-heads who share their insights on the skills you need, and reveal how you could get that break you've been seeking. Computer Music Special 40: How to Make It in Music Onsale dates*: UK, Europe and North America* - available now! ROW* - 24 March *Overseas dates are approximate due to factors beyond our control. Computer Music Specials are available from selected WH Smith, Barnes & Noble, Chapters and independent newsagents or online from www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk Questions? Problems? Contact us at computermusic.special@futurenet.com

It's taken a fair while, but it seems that the World Wide Web is finally ready to embrace audio. Previously web developers have had to depend on Flash, but with the arrival of HTML5 it seems that interesting audio functionailty built right into a site's code. Check out this tantalising HTML5 audio visualisation video from www.storiesinflight.com. Apparently the visualisation looks much better on the site itself, though you'll probably need to download the latest fully patched beta version of your browser to see it in action.

The results are in and MusicRadar's quest to find out what the most popular DAW is has come to an end. And it was certainly a surprise to us to find out that the bloat-free and inexpensive Reaper from Cockos Incorporated came out the clear winner with 34% of the vote. Ableton Live and Apple Logic came second and third, lagging way behind on 13% and 12% respectively. To see where your preferred DAW came in the rankings, head here. You can also read the full MusicRadar story on the shock result here.

It sounds like a joke, but it?s all too real: Native Instruments' next release is an Alicia Keys-endorsed Kontakt piano instrument called, unbelievably, ?Alicia?s Keys?. It appears that the soul diva herself was involved in the recording of the instrument and used it comprehensively on the creation of her new album. Check it out! So what celebrity endorsed instruments would you like to see? We?d like to get our hands on ?Trevor?s Horn?, but there must be some less risqué-sounding possibilities out there?

While the concept of the ?best? DAW is a hard one to swallow for many (everyone works in different ways, after all), you?ll more than likely have a favourite. And our friends at MusicRadar are on a mission to find the most popular recording app of all? The shortlist is as follows: Ableton Live, Apple GarageBand, Apple Logic, Avid/Digidesign Pro Tools, Cakewalk Sonar, Cockos Incorporated Reaper, Image-Line FL Studio, Magix Samplitude, Propellerhead Reason/Record, Sony Acid, Steinberg Cubase and Steinberg Nuendo. You can click on the above links for full reviews or vote for your favourite DAW here.

The Bloc Festival, taking place at Butlins in Minehead from Friday March 12 to Sunday March 14, already has one of the best line-ups we've seen in years, including Grandmaster Flash, Roots Manuva, Nathan Fake, Flying Lotus, Autechre, Skream, Benga and many, many more. You can check out the full line-up and booking details here: www.blocweekend.com Now, to make things even better, Ableton have announced that they'll be taking over the Fenchurch Dome from 13:00 til 17:00 on Saturday March 13 for a special production session. This will feature Surgeon, who'll be going over his DJ setup, giving a short performance and answering your questions, and Al Tourettes, who will demonstrate how he uses Ableton Suite for production, sound design and remixing. A product expert from Ableton will also be there to give an introduction to music production and performance for beginners. All of the information can be found here: www.ableton.com/pages/2010/bloc_festival_uk

Subscribe to Computer Music and save $83 off the store price! Subscribers get all of this? · Save 40% and pay only $9.59 per issue (usual price $15.99)! · Get a FREE DVD-ROM with every issue, packed with all the software and samples you need to make music · Improve your skills with our easy to follow tutorials · Never miss another issue - delivered direct to your home or workplace. Start subscribing today for only $31.18 by quarterly credit card! Click: www.imsnews.com Call: TOLL FREE on 1-800-428-3003 quoting code E003 Terms & Conditions: This offer is for new subscribers only. You will receive 13 issues per year. Your subscription will start with the next available issue. Minimum subscription term is 12 months. If at any time during the first 60 days you are dissatisfied in any way please notify us in writing and we will refund you for all un-mailed issues.

Save up to 30% when you subscribe to Computer Music! Great reasons to subscribe? · You?ll save over £23 on the cover price every year! · Get a DVD-ROM with every issue, packed with all the software and samples you need to make music. · Improve your skills with our easy to follow tutorials Start subscribing today for only £13.62 every 3 months by Direct Debit!* Ordering Click: www.myfavouritemagazines.com Call: UK - 0844 848 2852 quoting code P038 (Lines open 8am-9:30pm / 8am-4pm Saturdays) EU & ROW - +44 1858 438794 quoting code W025** For great percentage savings in Europe and the Rest of the World please visit www.myfavouritemagazines.com Terms and Conditions: *This offer is for new UK subscribers paying by Direct Debit. You will receive 13 issues a year. Minimum subscription term is 12 months. If at any time during the first 60 days you are dissatisfied in any way please notify us in writing and we will refund you for all un-mailed issues. Details of the Direct Debit guarantee are available on request. **Payment will be debited in Pounds Sterling.

Would your tracks sound better with a real drummer playing on them? Then Voxengo's new drum recording service will be of great interest to you. Simply send them your song, and they'll have an experienced drummer record a drum track in their recording studio ? they'll then send you the multitrack recording. It's all recorded at 96kHz/24-bit and you get separate WAVs for overhead, side, room, snare drum, bass drum and toms. The service is normally $70 per song, but between now and March 6th 2010, they're doing it for a ridiculous introductory price of just $15. Check it out right here: www.voxengo.com/drumservice

Well here's something a little unsual: rather than giving you one of his tracks to rework in typical remix competition fashion, monkey-loving chill-mesiter Bonobo is offering to remix a track of yours! To enter, head to the competition page and upload...Read More

Computer Music's blog posts are now available via Twitter - come follow us at twitter.com/computermusicuke.

That?s right, the sample-sculptors at Wave Alchemy are offering CM blog readers a whopping 150 free samples from their Drum Tools 01 ? Minimal Techno & Tech House library The 18MB download includes kicks, hats, claps, toms and FX - everything you need to make your own groovy minimal beats. Click here to download the pack If you like what you hear, make sure you check out the full version of the library, which you can get from distributors Loopmasters here.

Got a bit of spare cash knocking around? Then check out these two musical bargains: 1. Abbey Road Studios The ultimate Beatles collectible could set you back in the region of £10 million if EMI decide to flog it ? and with £120 million in debt, they could do with a few quid. 2. Vince Clarke?s House It looks like a spaceship and has the bargain price tag of £1,995,000. Guaranteed to ensure a little respect from Erasure fans. Vince?s gaff is what we?d blow our virtual lottery winnings on, but which would you pick?

Get the cover image for your desktop here. 7.8GB OF CONTENT ON THE DUAL-LAYER DVD ? Nomad Factory MFX-Rack Six superb processors in our exclusive multi-effects plug-in for Mac and PC. It's a noise gate, filter/overdrive, EQ, autopan/tremolo, delay and reverb all in one! ? 2043 24-bit samples in the Samplist's Toolkit To complement our cover tutorial on audio and sampling, we serve up a collection of over 2000 'workhorse' sounds. Multisampled instruments, dance drum beats, fresh and funky FX, synth loops and more. ? Producer Masterclass tutorial and video: Foamo He's got some of the biggest basslines in the business and remixed some of the coolest acts around. In this exclusive video, Foamo shows us how he creates his ear-battering, dance floor-filling beats using little more than Propellerhead Reason, Ableton Live and a MacBook Pro. IN THE MAG ? The Beginners' Guide to Audio & Sampling In the second of five monthly tutorials for beginners, we look at the fundamentals of recording, playing, manipulating and editing audio in your software DAW and sampler. ? The Max Factor Get to grips with the core principles of Max for Live and begin building your own devices with our walkthrough guide! ? Fidget on a budget In this recesion-busting dance music masterclass, we show you how to produce a fidget house track from start to finish, using nothing more than a few pieces of free and low-priced software ? CM Focus: Smooth R&B Break out your soulful side with our guide to the production behind this ever popular and supremely polished genre. From sketching out basic rhythms and chords and recording vocals to dropping in slinky synth hooks and putting it all together, it's all in our concise guide! ? Githead interviewed Arthouse supergroup Githead speak to CM! With members including Robin Rimbaud (aka Scanner) and personnel from Wire and Minimal Compact, this isn't your typical band, and they're no strangers to computer music either. ? Reviewed! Magix Samplitude 11 ? u-he ACE ? Universal Audio Trident A-Range EQ ? Lexicon PCM Native Reverb Plug-in Bundle ? Softube Passive-Active Pack ? Cableguys FilterShaper2 ? 112dB Redline Preamp ? Progress Audio Kinisis ? ?and more Plus! ? Mid/side mastering: All you need to know about this specialist finalising technique ? Sound Essentials: Create reverse builds with master sound designer Scot Solida ? Off The Dial: rachMiel focuses on musical paradoxes ? The Easy Guide: Deconstructing second and seventh chords ? The Burning Question: What should my next upgrade be? ? And much more! You can order this issue (as well as recent back issues) by calling 0870 837 4773 in the UK, +44 1858 438795 everywhere else, or emailing future@subscription.co.uk. Subscribe to Computer Music now and save over 23% (UK only) at the following address:

Here at CM we're always keen to take advantage of new social networking technology - as long as it's not Twitter - and from now on you'll be able to get the latest Computer Music news by following computermusicuk@googlemail.com on Google's new Buzz service. Enjoy!

Google has, apparently without warning, deleted several high profile music blogs from its Blogger and Blogspot services. According to this report blog owners were only informed after the deletions took place, and some claim that they received terms of use violation notices from their hosts regarding content that had been approved by the record labels involved. So is this fair play by Google, or a worrying case of shoot first, ask questions later?

What's your dream job? Wannabe a professional producer, remixer, composer? Picture yourself as an underground hero crafting your own tunes at your leisure, or aspire to man the controls in a top-flight studio? If you've got your sights set on a career in music production ? whether it be full-time, casual or something in between ? we'd highly recommend you pick up our brand-new Computer Music Special: How To Make It In Music. Written by industry experts, it uncovers everything you need to know to get on track for success in 2010. Discover how to: ? Get your tracks heard ? Promote your act ? Build a fanbase ? Make money ? Make the leap from bedroom to pro producer ? Be your own manager And if it's a full-time gig you're after, this is your chance to get insider advice from pros in the most coveted careers in the business. We've assembled a lineup of producers, tunesmiths, performers and tech-heads who share their insights on the skills you need, and reveal how you could get that break you've been seeking. Computer Music Special 40: How to Make It in Music Onsale dates*: UK - available now! Europe - from 17 Feb North America - 10 March ROW - 24 March *Overseas dates are approximate due to factors beyond our control. Computer Music Specials are available from selected WH Smith, Barnes & Noble, Chapters and independent newsagents. Questions? Problems? Contact us at computermusic.specials@futurenet.com

Plug-in developers Voxengo have released a beta version of an update to their excellent SPAN spectral analyser plug-in. You can grab the download here. Reaction to the new version appears to be mixed, but what do you make of it?

After the success of last September's Hospitality Q+A+E at the British Music Experience museum (www.britishmusicexperience.com), Hospital Records are sending three of today's hottest producers to run one of its masterclass sessions. On March 5 2010, the BME in London will play host to DnB dynamo Danny Byrd, prolific electronic producer John B and rising dubstep star Emalkay. During the two-hour session running from 19:30-21:30, the trio will be answering questions from the audience, talking about their experiences in the industry and demonstrating some of their prized production techniques. Tickets (£5) will be very much in demand, so be sure to get yours soon: www.hospitalrecords.com/qae Still not convinced? Get a flavour of the Hospitality Q+A+E sessions by watching this video from last September's event:

Our Computer Music Mixing Special is going down a storm in the UK and Europe, and as of today, readers in the rest of the world can get their hands on it too!* So, if your finished tracks don't stand up next to your favourite commercial mixes, don't despair. CM Special 39: Fix Your Mix! brings you the solution, with 38 step-by-step mixing techniques you can put to work on your tracks right now. You can produce polished, pro quality mixes with your home setup and the help of our team of mixing experts. Here's just a taster of the pro tricks that are revealed in the magazine/DVD: Making it loud Dynamic mixing Attention-grabbing effects Sitting a vocal Separation techniques Processing tricks galore Super-wide mixes Snap compression Parallel compression Making space in the mix EQing the bottom end Transient shaping Fat compressed beats Boosting the energy and more! Plus: How to mix a complete track from start to finish The Fast Guide to Monitors - how to get your listening setup right CM Special 39: Fix Your Mix! Get it now! UK READERS - FINAL TWO WEEKS ON THE NEWSSTAND. *US READERS - APOLOGIES, THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN HELD IN CUSTOMS. EXPECTED ON SALE DATE IS FEBRUARY 3, 2010 Computer Music Specials are available from selected WH Smith, Barnes & Noble, Chapters and independent newsagents. Or by mail order from:

Get the cover image for your desktop here. 7.7GB OF CONTENT ON THE DUAL-LAYER DVD ? Zynewave Podium 2 CM A complete music production package for Windows PC is yours free with CM148! This powerful, ultra-customisable DAW offers audio and MIDI editing, built-in effects, VST compatibility, and plenty more. ? 1,994 24-bit Fidget House samples This selection of nearly 2000 hits, loops and multisamples is inspired by the likes of Crookers, Foamo and Hervé ? bonkers basses, wild glitch FX and pumping drum kits are just a few of the delights awaiting you in this twisted collection. ? Producer Masterclass tutorial and video: Subscape Combining big beats and basslines with deep musical sensibility, Subscape is one of the most exciting new producers on the dubstep scene. In this exclusive video, the Woking wonder talks us through the concepts and techniques behind the track Nothing's Wrong. IN THE MAG ? The Beginners' Guide to Effects The first of five easy-to-follow guides to the fundamental concepts behind computer music. We kick it all off by showing you how to improve and enhance your productions by using effects plug-ins. ? Inside the Record mixer Master Propellerhead Record's awesome SSL-cloned mixer with our guided tour and how-to's pertaining to its numerous features! ? 'Casting the net A professional podcast can be a powerful tool in promoting your music, and here we show you how to create one. Licensing, jingles, links, hosting, and, of course, the software you need to make it happen are all covered. ? CM Focus: Jump-up DnB Rip up the dancefloor with our guide to producing a complete jump-up drum 'n' bass track. The creation of every element is covered in our tutorial, from slamming kicks and snares and driving percussion to warped bass noises and wild FX. ? The Nextmen's Dom Search interviewed It seems that The Nextmen can do no wrong, whether they're collaborating with huge names, producing quality tracks in myriad styles, or raising hell with their four-deck live show. For the CM interview, we speak to one half of this dynamic duo about software, videogame music, work ethics and more. ? Reviewed! Celemony Melodyne editor ? Ableton/Cycling '74 Max For Live ? MOTU Digital Performer 7 ? FabFilter Pro-Q ? Flux Syrah ? Studio Devil Amp Modeler Pro ? Notion Music Notion 3 ? Wave Arts Tube Saturator ? ?and more Plus! ? Instant arrangement: Our guide to quick and effective dance music track-building ? Sound Essentials: Scot Solida shows you the basics of string synthesis ? Off The Dial: rachMiel has a hankering for some manual slicing ? The Easy Guide: Major and minor thirds dissected and laid bare ? The Burning Question: Is streaming the future of music consumption? ? And much more! You can order this issue (as well as recent back issues) by calling 0870 837 4773 in the UK, +44 1858 438795 everywhere else, or emailing future@subscription.co.uk. Subscribe to Computer Music now and save over 23% (UK only) at the following address:

Computer Music's second app for iPhone and iPod Touch is now available for free! Download it from the App Store Computer Music: Make Music Now, Volume 2 gives you a collection of sampled hip-hop loops to manipulate and remix via an intuitive touch-controlled six-track audio sequencer. Simply drag your chosen sounds onto the arrange page, then resize, copy, layer and mix them to create your own track. Want to edit the loops themselves? Use the innovative Clip Masher to slice and rearrange them as you see fit. CM:MMN 02 is the second in a series of apps built on Hige Five's here.

As you may already be aware, Ableton was originally founded by Bernd Roggendorf, Gerhard Behles and Robert Henke, with the latter two men first coming to public attention through the electonic group Monolake. Behles now spends his time running Ableton, leaving Henke to carry on Monolake, along with new recruit, Torsten Pröfrock. In addition to Monolake duties, though, Henke still plays a technical role within Ableton, chiefly working on Live's included instruments and effects. What's more, Henke is now offering up a bunch of awesome new MIDI and audio plug-ins for the company's Max for Live program. The new devices consist of PX-18 MIDI plug-in, which is based on Behles and Henke's original step sequencing software of the same name (in fact, Henke says that the original unit was used to create many Monolake tracks, as well as providing inspiration for some aspects of Live); Black, which simply displays the track time in hours, minutes and seconds on a black background, and may be useful for listening to your mixes in detail without seeing them as blocks onscreen; Distance, an audio unit that adjusts the volume, pan, filtering and stereo width of incoming signals to simulate spatial effects; Circular Doppler, which emulates the effect of two microphones rotating around a central sound source; and finally, our favourite of the new effects, Grain Freeze, for creating skittering, mashed-up sections from any audio source. That's your lot, although Henke promises some more Max for Live plug-ins in the near future, including some cool Live.API devices. We can't wait to find out what he has in store for us, and we'll be sure to keep you posted. In the meantime, head to www.monolake.de/technology/m4l.html to pick up all of Henke's fantastic freebies.

Just a quick note to let you know that the Computer Music team are now all on holiday until the beginning of January, so there won't be any activity here until then. We hope you have a great Christmas and New Year and look forward to seeing you all in 2010!

KJ Sawka, the live DnB drummer, has teamed up with Ableton to give Live owners an early Christmas present. Head over to Ableton's site to get hold of two exclusive Live Packs: the first consists of a bunch of drum, bass and melodic loops for throwing into your own projects, as well as some groove templates and MIDI grooves recrded by KJ during a live session at the Art Institute in Seattle, USA; the second contains a Live Set of KJ's latest tune, Void of Truth, for either learning a little more about the tub-thumper's music-making process or for remixing in any way you want. Note that you can't release a remix of KJ's tune yourself without permission, and you'll need Ableton Live 8.1 to run the sessions. www.ableton.com/madbeatz

In CM147?s Focus we take a look at how you can create your own electro masterpiece. As part of the feature we interviewed DJ Scratch D (Dave Noller) from veteran electro pioneers Dynamix II, who have been making banging beats for more than twenty years. ...Read More

Veteran music software developer Steinberg has created a virtual online museum with a host of media from the company?s 25-year history. As well as the cool pics of the now ancient Steinberg Pro 16 for the Commodore 64 and vintage visuals from old version of Cubase, the site is worth checking out for its entertainingly baffling interface. You can find it here.

There seem to be plenty of companies giving away free goodies at the moment, so here?s CM?s roundup of the best stuff you can get your hands on without making a dent in your wallet. Cakewalk - SFZ+, Square I, AudioFX 1, 2 and 3 (PC VST) Native Instruments - Holiday Selection 2009 (Kore / Kore Player soundpack) OhmForce - Symptohm:Melohman Performance Edition (PC RTAS and VST, Mac AU, RTAS and VST Wave Alchemy - Drum Tools (samples - this one requires you sign up for Wave Alchemy newsletter)

If you?re a regular reader of our blog you?ll remember our news that CM synth and sample users The Dirty Chimes were in the running to appear in C4?s teen soap Hollyoaks. Voting is now open for the contest, so please help support the band and CM by voting here. Voting ends at midnight on Wednesday the 16th of December, so please vote as soon as possible!

Don't despair if your finished tracks don't stand up next to your favourite commercial mixes. Our brand-new Computer Music Special brings you the solution, with 38 step-by-step mixing techniques you can put to work on your tracks right now! You can produce polished, pro quality mixes with your home setup and the help of our team of mixing experts. Here's just a taster of the pro tricks that are revealed in the magazine/DVD: Making it loud Dynamic mixing Attention-grabbing effects Sitting a vocal Separation techniques Processing tricks galore Super-wide mixes Snap compression Parallel compression Making space in the mix EQing the bottom end Transient shaping Fat compressed beats Boosting the energy and more! Plus: How to mix a complete track from start to finish The Fast Guide to Monitors - how to get your listening setup right Don't delay - the last time we released a CM Mixing Special it sold out in record time, and this one is even better! CM Special 39: Fix Your Mix! Onsale dates: UK - out now Europe: 17 Dec North America: 7 Jan ROW: 21 Jan Computer Music Specials are available from selected WH Smith, Barnes & Noble, Chapters and independent newsagents. Or by mail order from:

Computer Music 146, December issue, gives readers the chance to win a bundle comprised of a Cakewalk V-Studio 100 and a copy of Sonar 8.5 Producer Edition, worth £1064 in total. The Sonar software provides everything you need to record, compose and produce on your PC, while the V-Studio 100 works as an audio interface, DAW controller, mobile flash recorder and even a mobile mixer. Turn to p85 in the current issue (CM146) to find out how to enter and to read the full details of the competition. Be sure to check out www.cakewalk.com and www.v-studio.info for more info on Sonar and the V-Studio series!

There's been a seismic shift in music technology throughout the last decade that's seen the pro-quality studio transformed from a room-full of expensive hardware to a laptop-full of affordable software. Since it's initial release in 2000, Propellerhead's Reason has been at the forefront of this revolution, offering all the flexibility, power and convenience of software in a virtual rack-based system that even the most old-school of producers would feel right at home with. It's without doubt one of the most popular music-making applications in the world, with plenty of big-name fans and a thriving online user community. Whether you use Reason on its own, in conjunction with Propellerhead Record, or ReWired into a 'traditional' DAW like Logic, Cubase, Live or Pro Tools, Reason: The Ultimate Guide will sharpen your skills, feed your creativity and give you plenty of ideas to bring to your productions. Comprising tutorials, tips and advice drawn from the pages of Computer Music and Computer Music Specials, and including a DVD packed with sounds, videos and tutorial files, it's an indespensible resource for Reason users of all ability levels and musical tastes. Reason: The Ultimate Guide is available in good newsagents and online at www.myfavouritemagazines.com now.

If you?re not already excited about ACE, u-he?s awesome-looking new synth, check out the bonkers video developer Urs Heckmann has created to show it off and you soon will be? Pies, cats, stop-motion Lego ? this video has got it all! A demo version of ACE can be downloaded from the synth?s webpage.

Here?s a new idea for an iPhone-based musical puzzle game, where the player has to listen to a piece of music and then copy the beat using a simple step-sequencer. Surely if there?s on game designed for CM readers, this is it!

Get the cover image for your desktop here. 7.7GB OF CONTENT ON THE DUAL-LAYER DVD ? Toontrack EZdrummer Lite A superb virtual drum kit plug-in for PC and Mac that puts a high-quality, fully mic'ed drum kit and session drummer at your command! EZdrummer Lite offers two kits: the general purpose Pop/Rock kit and, for those seeking something slinkier, the Cocktail kit. Not only that, but there are over 500 MIDI grooves supplied, making it a doddle to create terrific drum tracks! ? 2032 24-bit Uplifting Vibes samples An exclusive collection of uplifting, soulful and euphoric samples. From soulful gospel organs and hand-raising piano riffs to silky pads and powerful polysynths, everything you need to make feel-good songs and anthems is right here! ? Producer Masterclass tutorial and video: Phonat A rising star of the electronic music scene, Phonat ? aka Michele Balduzzi ? welcomes the CM cameraman into his studio to film him at work. Watch the video to see him create his trademark sounds using such techniques as pumping sidechain ducking and crazy cut-up vocal work. IN THE MAG ? Mobile Music Tiny netbooks, multitouch smartphones and handheld games consoles make pocket-sized music production a truly viable option at last. Our massive guide reveals the hardware and software that makes it possible and dispenses advice on how to use it for composition and live performance. ? The CM Guide to Hip-Hop Vocal Production Get your hip-hop jointz hitting harder than ever with our top-to-bottom guide to creating full, clean, stand-out vocal tracks. ? Mastering for beginners Pump up your mixes with our step-by-step guide to the final stage of the music production process. Our walkthroughs explain how to use mastering processes such as EQ, compression, multiband compression and limiting to put that professional sheen on your mixes. ? The CM Guide to backing tracks Create a compelling live show accompaniment and sidestep technical headaches with our no-nonsense guide. ? Gareth Jones interviewed The producer and engineer for the legendary likes of Depeche Mode and Erasure gives his take on how computers have changed the business of music-making. ? Reviewed! Native Instruments Kontakt 4 ? PreSonus Studio One ? Cakewalk Sonar 8.5 ? iZotope Alloy ? Cytomic The Glue ? Intelligent Devices Slip-N-Slide ? D16 Group Toraverb ? Rob Papen RP-Verb ? Scan 3XS P55 liteDAW ?and more Plus! ? CM Focus: Everything you need to know about breakbeats ? Sound Essentials: Scot Solida's remit broadens into general sound design ? Off The Dial: rachMiel brings out your 'beginner's mind' ? The Easy Guide: We take a first look at the harmonic series ? The Burning Question: Are all digital EQs the same? ? And much more! You can order this issue (as well as recent back issues) by calling 0870 837 4773 in the UK, +44 1858 438795 everywhere else, or emailing future@subscription.co.uk. Subscribe to Computer Music now and save over 23% (UK only) at the following address:

Brainworx are offering customers a discount with their unusual ?Reverse Advent Calendar? promotion. Starting with 24% off the usual price of their products, each subsequent day the discount is reduced by 1%. We?re not quite sure how this is the ?reverse? of getting a bit of chocolate or a different nativity-themed picture every day, but we do know that if you?re interested in Brainworx?s range of plug-ins you should head over to their site sooner rather than later.

Special Christmas offer Subscribe to Computer Music and save up to 35%! Great reasons to subscribe? · Whether it?s a treat for you or someone else, a subscription is the perfect gift that lasts all year! · Save up to £27 on...Read More

Well, no, because it?s not a real bit of software, but it's amusing at least. Prepare yourself for the awesome power of DreamOn Pro from the mind behind www.informationisbeautiful.net.

Native Instruments (German) are belatedly celebrating Thanksgiving (American) with a special deal on their synths. For four days only you can pick up Massive, Reaktor 5, FM8 or Absynth 5 for a mere $/ ?99. That's right, the US not only gets to enjoy mountains of turkey leftovers these weekend, they also get an even better deal than the Europeans! Still, whatever currency you use this is a crazy saving, so if you're in the market for a new synth we highly recommend checking out the deal here. Happy "Synthsaving" everyone! Their idea not ours.

The long awaited Max for Live extension for Ableton Live is here, and it looks awesome! Check out this video from the Ableton site. So, what will you be making for Live with this potentially astounding bit of software?

The title says it all: Computer Music is now available in selected branches of Asda across the UK. Just thought we'd let you know...

Good news for those using Akai MPCs alongside their computer music set-ups. REX2MPC Lite is a Mac application that allows users to quickly convert Rex files to MPC format with a simple drag ?n? drop approach, and it only costs a mere £4.99. Check out this video that shows the app in action.

Drawn Recordings, which is part-run by Computer Music's Production Assistant, have released their first compilation album. It features 13 tracks, covering a wide range of eclectic styles including electronica, dub and post-rock, and is a celebration of the many great acts that have played on the monthly Drawn nights in Bristol. Also included is a lovely PDF, with pics, biographies and links for all the acts on the release. Head to the Releases section of the Drawn Recordings website to download your copy now. It's completely free ? so what are you waitin' for? www.drawnrecordings.com

Fancy a free, high-quality reverb plug-in? Then act fast because effects giants TC Electronic are giving away a reverb plug-in for PC and Mac ? but only for 72 hours. In fact, the clock started ticking on Monday 16th November, so by our calculations, that gives you until the end of tomorrow, Wednesday 18th, to grab the plug-in. After that, TC will be selling it for $79. If you just can't wait to get your hands on it, click here to get to the download page. To simply read more about M30, head here.

That's right - the creative genius behind classics such as "Eat It" and "Amish Paradise" takes a surprisingly sober look at the history of Auto-Tune along with the Know Your Meme team. Check it out!

Producer Masterclass participants and Wales? most dangerous hi-hoppers Goldie Lookin? Chain are asking for your assistance in aiding some of their homeland?s most vulnerable people. If you visit www.everybodyisadj.com you can remix their single ?Everybody Is a DJ? via the downloadable Musicshake application. The best remixes will be available to purchase via the site and all proceeds will go to Shelter Cymru. Celebrity participants so far include Ed Harcourt, Oxide of Oxide & Neutrino fame, and James Ruskin. The best remix as picked by the band will win a GLC performance at the winner's Christmas party - see the site for more details. Now if you?ll excuse us, we?ve got a pressing engagement at Bristol Zoo.

Ultravox legend Midge Ure is to launch a website, Tunited, aimed at promoting up-and-coming artists. Midge says of the site, "With Tunited, we?re not just opening doors for new artists ? we?re blowing the doors right off, Italian Job-style! Tunited will be the new music industry." Bold words indeed! Tunited will go live on January 10th 2010, and is described thus: "Tunited is a groundbreaking new independent music website which will assist new and independent artists and labels gain increased exposure, challenging the flagging music business? growing reluctance to invest in this exciting area. Tunited will be a great exponent of new music at all levels from new student musicians right the way through to independent artists and labels with, almost uniquely, all download payments being passed on to the artist. The four cornerstones of Tunited are: Create, Collaborate, Promote and Enjoy. Create is the music and design creation software, that comes free with Tunited that can help artists to construct their music from scratch, or they can simply upload their existing catalogue. Collaborate is the community element of the site, where artists can share work, ideas and network, gig-swap and exchange skills to create virtual bands. Promote covers news, interviews, online concerts, and opportunities for advice and feedback from industry experts, A&Rs and producers. Enjoy is where you can listen to all the music that Tunited offers its audience, with charts to show which artists are most popular within each musical genre from indie to classical, from wonk to dub-step" We at CM are particularly interested in the 'Create' aspect of Tunited, and we hope to have more solid details on the abovementioned software before too long. In the run up to its launch, the Tunited site is hosting a competition: entrants submit their work, with the top 100 becoming featured profile artists upon the site's launch. See www.tunited.com for details.

Computer Music 145, November issue, gives readers the chance to win one of five copies of FL Studio 9 Signature Bundle. This is the biggest, baddest FL Studio bundle available, containing FL Studio 9 and goodies such as the Vocodex vocoder, SynthMaker graphical programming environment, and some premium plug-ins that you'd normally have to pay extra for, eg, the DirectWave sampler, Maximus multiband dynamics tool, and Sytrus FM synth. Turn to p87 in the current issue (CM144) to read the full details of the competition and find out how to enter. Be sure to check out flstudio.image-line.com for more info on FL Studio!

Channel 4?s teen soap Hollyoaks spin-off The Hollyoaks Music Show is running a competition for unsigned bands called ?HollyRocks? where members of the cast mentor a band each. The public will vote for their favourite band, and the winner will then feature in an episode of the show that revolves around them. Computer Music is urging you to vote for electro rockers ?The Dirty Chimes?, who use ZebraCM and CM samples in their tracks. In fact, listen out for samples from CM139?s videogame sounds when they play on the show! If you can't wait, here's the track: MySpace page. Here are the band with their mentor Amy Yamakazi, who plays Hollyoak's Charlotte. The band?s songwriter and synth player Will Marsh says ?Computer Music magazine has been a great help in teaching me that little bit extra about what I'm trying to do, stuff that you just can?t seem to find anywhere else. I love you Computer Music magazine, I just f***ing love you.? Kind words indeed! The band appear on the November 21st edition of the show which airs on Channel 4, and voting commences at the end of the series. We?ll post again with an update when voting has started, but in the meantime spread the word!

Sample library producers Wave Alchemy have launched their brand spanking new website. Users can sign up to download 250MB of free samples from the company's various libraries, so head on over if you?re short on sounds.