Beat Magazine #216 - January 2024

BEST NEW SYNTHS – 21 units in review

Welcome to our ultimate synth special 2023! Whether you‘re looking for an affordable entry-level instrument or a high-end specialist for your synth collection – we‘ve got them all covered! Here we not only present you the latest models, but also highlight their individual strengths and special features for daily use in your setup. We also asked some of the most influential “synthfluencers” about their personal favorite instruments.

Exclusive tips from Andrew Huang, Loopop and others

Extensive tests of the hottest new synths, thrilling performances, tutorials or even crazy sound experiments – all of this awaits you in the channels of YouTubers like Andrew Huang, Loopop, Rachel K Collier, Doctor Mix, Hainbach, Once Upon A Synth and Stefan Heinrichs/Limbic Bits. Have you ever wondered which instruments are these synth-fluencers‘ favorites? We just asked them for you!

Free for Beat readers: Korg MS-20 in God mode for any DAW

With its aggressive but charismatic sound, Korg‘s MS-20 has written music history. Dance greats such as The Chemical Brothers, Mr. Oizo, Aphex Twin, The Prodigy and Röyksopp swear by this monosynth. Our software highlight recreates this gem in detail, garnished with ingenious extra features. We bet you‘ll fall in love with the MS-20, too.

Test: Roland GAIA2 – Fancy look, harsh sound

The compact successor to the GAIA SH-01 has a large motional pad and a built-in sequencer in addition to a control surface with plenty of knobs, and could therefore be recommended as a performance synthesizer for the stage or live jams in the studio. Inside is Roland‘s favorite child, the tried and tested ZenCore engine, which in the GAIA 2 offers wavetables as well as virtual analog sound creation.

Test: Melbourne Instruments NINA – everything motorized

NINA is a hybrid synthesizer that, as a unique selling point, has motorized controls which automatically move to the appropriate position. Expensive gimmick or the synthesizer of the future? We found out...

Producing with Artificial Intelligence: Stems & Acapellas for free with Moises.ai

We live in exciting times when it comes to music and AI. Where does artificial intelligence help musicians and producers in their day-to-day work? Which tools will fundamentally change the way we work and produce? From auto mixers and voice changers to ready-made masters and online DAWs with melody generators, there is a lot going on in the audio sector at the moment. One of the hottest topics at the moment is stem separation – that is, getting the voice or instruments out of a song. And Moises.ai is right at the forefront here.

Beat Advent calendar: Exclusive discount promotion

It‘s about time! Time for Christmas and a decent Advent calendar for musicians. And that‘s exactly what behind 24 doors are sensational discounts, exclusively for you as a Beat reader. And the best thing is: you can even open all the doors at once! Synths, recorders, tutorials, limiters, sound banks ... there‘s simply something for everyone. In short: a well-rounded package for inspiring holidays. We hope you have a lot of fun with the offers!

Another freebie: Viral Injection – 77 patches from Access Virus A

The „Red Lady“, the legendary Access Virus A, has been thrilling audiences with Trance arpeggios and versatile sounds since 1997 – from classic analogue to futuristic experiments, which made it a timeless evergreen early on. The logical consequence of this: We recorded 77 of the best patches, refined them and optimised them with tube EQs and compressors so that they still fit perfectly into your tracks today. Bring the Virus into your studio!