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Jim Aikin

Jim Aikin 
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Articles:

QuickStart: Building Drum Tracks with Loops
In pop music, the beat is the foundation. And one of the fastest, easiest ways to build a beat is with a drum loop. But don't just settle for the loops everyone else is using. Jim Aikin demonstrates a variety of ways to customize beats in GarageBand and other drag-and-drop music programs. Sep. 18, 2008

Secrets of the Arpeggiator
Arpeggiators are some of the handiest gadgets in computer music. With an absolute minimum of dexterity, you can create driving rhythms and superhuman tapestries of notes. Jim Aikin explains how arpeggiators work, what features to look for, and how to use them to revitalize your music. Jun. 29, 2006

Fee, Fi, Fo, FM: Explore the World of FM Synthesis
In 1983 it ruled the world. By 1993, it was buried in scorn, the victim of cheap knockoffs. But FM synthesis has a sparkly magic that today is stronger than ever, thanks to powerful new software instruments. Jim Aikin explores the top four FM synths and explains how FM can make your music shine. Apr. 12, 2006

How to Make Your Sound Sing with Vocoders
You've heard their smoothly sexy yet alien voices. Vocoders are devices that make ordinary sounds sing or speak recognizable words. In this hands-on tutorial, Jim Aikin explains how vocoders perform their magic and how to set up your own software vocoder, and shares some unexpectedly cool uses for vocoding. Mar. 29, 2006

Create Scorching Grooves with Spectrasonics' Stylus RMX
There's never been a better time to put together drum tracks in your computer. But Stylus RMX stands apart from the software crowd due to its inspired sound design, creative randomization engine, and vast customizability. In this hands-on tutorial, MIDI meister Jim Aikin reveals how you can get the most out of this amazing percussion plugin. Dec. 21, 2005

Reaktor Secrets Revealed!
If your music relies on fresh, ear-grabbing sounds, you'll love Reaktor. Native Instruments' flagship softsynth isn't just packed with cool presets; it's a set of more than 20 instruments, all of them packed with cool presets. In this hands-on tutorial, MIDI guru Jim Aikin uncovers expressive features most Reaktor owners overlook. Nov. 23, 2005

Hands On: Ableton Live 5
This premier music-production program gained massive features in its latest upgrade. Here are step-by-step recipes for shuffling beats, gating pads, extracting hits, maximizing MIDI, and much more. Aug. 24, 2005

Revenge of the Combinator
When Propellerhead Software unveiled the Combinator in Reason 3.0, many musicians scratched their heads. But this misunderstood meta-module lets you create monstrous new instruments. Learn how in this hands-on tutorial. Aug. 3, 2005

My Five Favorite Soft Synths
Looking for sonic inspiration? Synthesizer guru Jim Aikin reveals his top five virtual instruments, explains why they’re great, and shares custom MP3 examples. Jul. 13, 2005

Bring Your MIDI Music to Life
Last week, we discussed what to look for in MIDI hardware controllers. This time, we share numerous tips on getting the best musical expression out of them—both through playing technique and crafty computer editing. Jun. 8, 2005

Look Ma—Hands! Choosing and Using MIDI Controllers
If you really want to play today’s wonderful software instruments, drop that mouse and grab a dedicated MIDI controller. In this MP3-enhanced tutorial, you’ll hear the dramatic difference controllers make in musical expressivity, then get buying and usage tips. Jun. 1, 2005

Hands On: Create Insane Reason Grooves
Don’t settle for the same loop everyone else is using! This MP3-packed tutorial shows how to blast beats apart in Propellerhead Reason, then shape them into unique, twisted grooves.  May. 4, 2005

Make Your Own Music Software with Pure Data
With Pd (Pure Data), the graphical music toolkit for Windows, Linux, and Mac, you can wire up custom music programs no commercial software can duplicate--for free. Generate and process complex streams of MIDI and audio for live performance, build your own software synthesizer and effects, and even process video. Here's how to get started. Apr. 27, 2005

Inside FL Studio--Euro Techno's Secret Weapon, Part 2
In part one of this series, synthesizer guru Jim Aikin introduced the popular software formerly known as FruityLoops. This time, he goes deep, sharing insider tips for using precomputed effects, external MIDI hardware, and MIDI controller data. Apr. 13, 2005

Inside FL Studio—Euro Techno’s Secret Weapon, Part 1
The software formerly known as Fruityloops delivers exceptional music-making power for an amazingly low price. This tutorial explores some of its little-known but cool features while also bringing newcomers up to speed. Apr. 6, 2005