Loop Guru
Jan 1, 2002 12:00 PM, By Erik Hawkins
For several years, desktop DJs around the globe have found musical fulfillment in Mixman StudioPro remixing software (see the February 2001 Remix for a review of version 4.0). Among the many affordable remixing and DJ programs on the market, it stands apart as more than just a software replica of real-world gear. With a unique user interface, great real-time effects, a custom file format for maximum sample control, and an integrated track sequencer, StudioPro packs many impressive features into an $89 package.
Nevertheless, although its feature set impresses amateurs, the program has received little more than a sideways glance from professional music makers. StudioPro has never really shaken its “toy software” image — probably due in no small part to Mixman's marketing campaign, which targets a teenage demographic. Despite the application's nonprofessional rank, I use it regularly in my composing and remixing, both live and in the studio.
StudioPro doesn't do everything, but what program does? Like most applications, it works best with specific tasks. For example, it is a useful tool for processing and performing music loops, and the results are easily exported to a conventional digital audio sequencer. Here I'll explore some innovative applications for Mixman StudioPro — the kind of power-user tips you won't find in a typical product review.
TRICKY TRACK FILES
StudioPro often is perceived as merely a sample-playback machine, and it's true that that component is a big part of the software. StudioPro can play standard WAV and AIFF audio files, (the PC version just sees WAV, whereas the Mac utility recognizes both formats), treating them much like a sampler does. You can tune and effect the samples and trigger them at will. However, it is Mixman's proprietary Track file format (the file extension is .trk, translated here into the abbreviation TRK) that really makes StudioPro shine. TRK files open a whole new world of creative possibilities.
TRK files are beat-mapped samples that can be played back at any tempo without changing pitch. That is done by assigning a marker to the beginning of each sound within the sample (see Fig. 1). The space from the start of one marker to the start of the next is called a slice. Each marker indicates where its associated slice of sound should trigger relative to the sample's bar count. For example, a one-bar drum sample with snare hits marked at two and four will always have those snare slices played back on those beats, no matter the tempo. TRK files are mono and can have as many as 128 sound slices. StudioPro uses RAM for sample playback, so sample length is dependent on your computer's available RAM. With 256 MB of RAM, I have easily loaded 30-second loops and 32-bar phrases.
For those using Steinberg's Cubase VST, TRK files are similar to REX files. In fact, the same application used to create REX files — Propellerhead Software's ReCycle, version 1.7 and later — also works for writing TRK files. With a retail price of $199, ReCycle adds to the cost of working with StudioPro, but it is well worth the added expense. It's great fun to take loops from your own tunes, turn them into TRK files, and then remix your own material. Without ReCycle in your audio toolbox, it's impossible to perform that feat.
StudioPro has an option for exporting TRK files; however, don't expect StudioPro to automatically beat-map a sample for you. For example, if you load a WAV file and loop it (by adjusting StudioPro's bpm until the WAV file loops seamlessly), exporting the looped file as a TRK file does not write a sample with discrete sound slices. On the other hand, if your source samples are already TRK files (such as one or more samples from Mixman's extensive libraries of prefabricated TRK sounds; see the sidebar “Mixman Soundiscs”), exporting a performance will create a beat-mapped sample. As it turns out, this feature is actually a cool way of bouncing multiple TRK files down to a single sample without losing any slices. But again, unless you are sticking exclusively with stock TRK sounds, you will need ReCycle to do your own beat mapping.
TRIGGERING TACTICS
Designed as a performance-oriented program, StudioPro lets you trigger samples in unique ways (a feature made possible thanks again to the TRK file format). For instance, you can trigger a sample from a variety of points within the sample. A beat-mapped sample's different trigger points are determined by the start points of its slices. If you have a two-bar vocal loop that is cut into eight different slices, you can begin playing the sample from any of the slices. Holding down the sample's triggering pad for one beat at bar 2 of a sequence will play all the slices associated with that beat, for that bar, perfectly in time. Hold down the pad for one beat at bar 7 of a sequence, and you'll hear the slices from that bar, and so on.
You can also create delay and stutter effects depending on how you play the sample and how you control a setting called Long Release. When you load a sample into StudioPro, you are given a choice of whether you want Long Release on or off (see Fig. 2). With Long Release on, when a slice is triggered, it will play to its end (Long Release is usually on by default). Turning Long Release off causes slices to play only while you hold down their sample keys (on one of the virtual turntables). Rapidly pressing the sample's key can make a slice trigger multiple times during its assigned beat. When Long Release is on, that creates a multitap delay effect, and when it's off, you can make the classic stuttered sample effect — for example, triggering the first syllable of a word before letting the sample play out. With the Long Release feature and the ability to trigger a sample's individual slices, triggering a sample in StudioPro can be a real performance.
Although triggering a WAV or AIFF file is not nearly as fun as playing a beat-mapped sample, it is an option. When loading such a file, you are given a choice of having Synchronized Start on or off (it is generally on by default). With Synchronized Start on, the audio file will always start at the beginning of a bar (unless you delay its start time using the Time Shift option visible in Fig. 2) no matter when it is triggered. This is fine if you have a loop that always needs to stay aligned, but not so good if you want to freely trigger a sample (such as a one-shot snare or effect sound). For total triggering flexibility, turn Synchronized Start off; also, set the sample's Loop Length to 57,599 beats (the maximum number allowed). That prevents the sound from being retriggered by StudioPro every time the loop cycles (StudioPro automatically loops all samples according to their assigned number of total beats). By entering the maximum number of beats possible, you have plenty of bars over which to improvise, undisturbed by the loop.
MIX CONTROL
The Mac and PC versions of StudioPro are nearly identical, but differences do exist between the types of external controllers each program can interface. The distinctions are important because they affect how you use StudioPro, solo or synchronized with another system, with a MIDI keyboard or with Mixman's custom DM
The Mac version of StudioPro has extensive MIDI implementation. In fact, MIDI has been part of its code since the beginning (version 1.0 forward). Within the main Settings menu lies the MIDI Settings page (see Fig. 3). There you can select a MIDI controller input (such as a keyboard) and StudioPro's clock source (internal, master, or slave; StudioPro sends and receives MIDI Clock). In the same window, clicking on the Details button in the MIDI Input Properties section takes you to a MIDI note assignment window (see Fig. 4). Practically every function in StudioPro is controlled via a Note On/Off message. The default note assignments are good, but if you want to reassign a function to a different note number, it's no big deal. The ability to control StudioPro from a MIDI keyboard (or other MIDI device) is excellent and a big plus for performance purposes.
The PC version of StudioPro has no MIDI; however, it is controllable by the handy DM
If you don't have the cash for a DM
STUDIO CHOPS
StudioPro has proven indispensable during remixing sessions. I use it often to help me find the right loops for a track. A favorite trick is to take a short loop from the track I am remixing and pop it into StudioPro. (I don't ReCycle it; I just leave it as a standard audio file and let StudioPro calculate the tempo and loop duration from the sample's length. If I have it cut right, that works perfectly.) The loop acts as the reference track against which I audition different TRK loops. Between Mixman's stock TRK files, their downloadable D-Plate singles (major-label songs that have been distilled into custom banks of TRK files for your remixing pleasure; see the sidebar “Mixman D-Plates”), and my personal TRK sounds, I have plenty of loops from which to choose. With total control of the tempos and pitches of samples, I can dial in just the right loops to go with my track.
Once I find the loops I like, I can process them using the file-based effects found in the FX Studio section. Those effects sound quite good and are especially nice for remixing applications. My selected loops can be further manipulated by playing and recording them into StudioPro's sequencer section (the Editing Studio) to capture performances like rapid-fire triggering, transforming real-time WARP effects, and even scratching (on the PC version only, of course; incidentally, using StudioPro to scratch a sound is a lot faster and cheaper than pressing it to vinyl). Anything you can play in real time on StudioPro can be recorded to its sequencer, which sports copy, cut, paste, and hard quantize (but no swing) functions. The recorded tracks can then be bounced to disk as a standard audio file (less my original reference loop) for importing to another program. I usually take the exported audio file and import it to Pro Tools in which, after a bit more editing, it is mixed down with all the other remix tracks to a final 2-track master.
MIXMAN ON DECK
StudioPro is a serious tool in the right situations. For an $89 investment, it goes a long way toward expanding your production options (definitely good bang for the buck). Add ReCycle to the mix, and you have an excellent combination for cooking up interesting remix and original dance-music elements. Remember that in Mixman's world, you don't have to be a big-name producer or a hot international remixer to grab raw tracks from a major-label artist. D-Plates are a wonderful means to obtain discrete samples from hit singles without paying an arm and a leg. D-Plates go for $5.95 per single, and participating artists have included Missy Elliott, BT, and Art of Noise. Employ StudioPro's Export Audio File function, and you can freely move the D-Plate elements to other programs — nobody said you had to use the D-Plate sounds only in StudioPro.
If you enjoy sharing your StudioPro remixes with others, the program is designed to upload your songs directly to Mixman Radio (you need an Internet connection). Mixman Radio is an online radio station for Mixman enthusiasts. However, if Mixman Radio isn't your style, StudioPro can also export its audio in other Web-ready formats — specifically, RealAudio, MP3, and Windows Media Audio with the PC version. As a result, StudioPro also functions as a handy audio-file-format converter.
Whatever your remixing and production gig, StudioPro is a great application to have handy in your audio-processing arsenal. Whether you are Mac or PC based, get creative with this software, and there's no telling where it might take you. Perhaps you will use it to process loops; save SoundFont banks (a PC sound format created by E-mu that saves a sample bank and an associated MIDI file for playback of the samples in the bank; you must have a SoundFont-compatible player to read the sample file); or take it live in a synchronized, multicomputer setup with MIDI controllers. Although Mixman's parent company, Beatnik, has seen tough financial times lately, Mixman's future looks good. The company plans to release version 5.0 before the end of the year, which will boast 32 tracks (now the total is only 16). A VST plug-in version of StudioPro is slated for late summer.
MIXMAN SOUNDISCS
Mixman Soundiscs are triple-format sample CDs. Every Mixman sound library title contains an audio CD and a CD-ROM. The CD-ROM has not only TRK files but also WAV and AIFF files. They also include a lite version of Mixman to introduce new users to the concept of remixing and music creation with Mixman software. All the TRKs on Soundiscs work with all versions of Mixman, including StudioPro, VST, and DM
Twelve Soundiscs are currently available:
Darwin Chamber (breakbeat)
George Clinton (funk)
Gloss (house)
Hardcore (happy hardcore)
Heaven 17 (breakbeat)
K Klass (techno/house)
Lo-Fi Transmission (techno)
Sabroso (Latin)
Skinny Puppy (industrial)
Smoke (downtempo/trip-hop)
Street Level (hip-hop)
Tremor (drum 'n' bass)
For full descriptions, check the Mixman Web site at www.mixman.com.
MIXMAN D-PLATES
Since 1996, when Mixman entered the scene with its debut product, Spin Control, the company has worked with music artists and producers to get commercially released songs into Mixman format. Although many of the songs have been in various dance-music styles, these songs can be in any style.
With products such as Spin Control, George Clinton Remixer, Tommy Boy's Greatest Beats, and Om Records' Deeper Concentration, Mixman has given its software users the ability to remix professional-quality songs and beats.
D-Plates (digital dub plates) are remixable artist songs (Singles) in Mixman format. They consist of a set of loopable elements (Bass, Kick, Keys, Vocals) derived from the actual master tapes of the song. Mixman fans can download D-Plates from the Mixman Web site and add them to their Mixman library. Each D-Plate sells for about $4, but ten-packs are available for $19.95; some D-Plates are free. Artist D-Plates are not royalty free and are for entertainment use only, whereas D-Plates from Soundiscs and other sample libraries are royalty free.
The D-Plate catalog is constantly changing, so check to see which songs are available right now. To date, Mixman has released the following artist D-Plates:
15 Pearl, “Finest Hour”
Afrika Bambaataa & the Soul Sonic Force, “Planet Rock”
Aphrodite, “Woman That Rolls”
Arling & Cameron, “We Love to Rock”
Art of Noise, “Dreaming in Colour”
Baby Namboos, “Trials and Tribulations”
Bassbin Twins, “Hell”
Bass Kittens, “Heartbreak Factory”
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, “Big Time Operator”
Bloodhound Gang, “Bad Touch”
BT, “Dreaming”
Buffalo Daughter, “Great Five Lakes”
Cibo Matto, “Sci-Fi Wasabi”
Civilization, “Save Our Souls”
Coldcut, “More Beats and Pieces,”
“Space Journey”
Coolio, “1-2-3-4”
De La Soul, “Me, Myself, and I”
Deluxe, “Black Wax”
DJ Me DJ You, “Rainbows and Robots”
Doctor Q, “Drama Queen”
Electroliners, “Loose Caboose”
Missy Elliott, “Beat Biters”
Freaky Chakra, “Trepidations in Love”
Freestylers, “Here We Go”
Gus Gus, “Ladyshave,” “Starlovers”
Hoku, “How Do I Feel (The Burrito Song)”
Bernard Leon Howard III, “Marscarter”
Ice-T, “Always Wanted to Be a Ho”
Jak Output, “Summer Bummer”
Jazzanova, “Tate's Place Remix”
Joi, “Butterfly”
Jonzun Crew, “Pack Jam”
Kinetic Grooves, “Movin 'n' Groovin”
Hilly Kristal, “Mud”
Luscious Jackson, “Ladyfinger”
Mephisto Odyssey, “Seizure,” “The Lift”
Moby, “Body Rock,” “Natural Blues”
Money Mark, “Push the Button”
Naughty by Nature, “Hip-Hop Hooray”
New Order, “True Faith”
Paul Oakenfold, “Dark Machine”
Pepe Deluxe, “Big Muff”
Peter Tall, “Ride the Groove”
Queen Latifah, “Latifah's Had It up to Here”
The Reds, “Shaken Cold”
Robbers of Antiquity, “Phosphene Dream”
Rockers Hi-Fi, “Fuzzwalk”
Roni Size, “Who Told You”
Smash Mouth, “All Star”
Soul Coughing, “Circles,” “Misinformed”
Soulstice, “Lovely”
Stetsasonic, “Talkin' All That Jazz”
Dave Stewart, “Piccadilly Circus”
Supreme Beings of Leisure, “Strange Love”
Take 5, “Shake It Off”
Them There, “The Gift of Reason”
Mike Thorne and Stereo Society, “Natural Beauty”
Tin Star, “Sunshine”
Tone, “Jetfile”
Truth Mechanic, “Firsts”
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