Rory Dow

Rory Dow

Rory Dow is a musician, sound designer and writer. He spent 15 years as a freelance musician writing for television before side-stepping into music software production. The majority of his work is taken up as a trainer and sound designer for London-based software company FXpansion but he also likes to write music and articles and is a self-confessed synth geek.

Articles by Rory Dow

/ 24 Articles

First-Look: Cycling74 Max 8 Mappings

Max 8 from Cycling74 is going to be released in September 2018. In this video on mappings we discover how to quickly connect your hardware controller to your patch without any additional programming.

Native Instruments Launches Expansions Sound Packs for Maschine, Battery, Massive & More

Native Instruments tells us their new series, Expansions, contains everything musicians need to make a track in a range of modern genres with Maschine, Battery, Massive and more instruments.

Extending the use of your Akai APC40 in Ableton Live, Part 2 of 2

Akai's APC40 is an awesome bit of kit for DJs & producers. Rory Dow, master synthesist and Ableton Live user, explores how to make it even better using Max for Live. (Part 2/2)

Extending the use of your Akai APC40 in Ableton Live, Part 1 of 2

Akai's APC40 is an awesome bit of kit for DJs & producers. Rory Dow, master synthesist and Ableton Live maestro, explores how to make it even better using MIDI remote scripts. (Part 1/2).

Review: Borderlands Granular for iPad by Chris Carlson

Not only does Borderlands Granular by Chris Carlson look the part on your iPad, it also can produce some impressive granular synthesis textures and rhythms as Rory Dow discovers.

Genelec SpeakerAngle App for iOS

Amongst the most renowned of audio monitor manufacturers, Genelec have created an innovative iOS app to help all studio musicians. Rory Dow tests out SpeakAngle for iPhone.

Ableton's Frequency Shifter Device. What is it and How Do I Use it?

Simple can be super, as Ableton's Frequency Shifter Device proves. In fact, it's often overlooked for sound design purposes... when in fact, it could be exactly what you need. Rory Dow demonstrates.

Archiving Projects in Ableton Live

So, you've finished your composition in Ableton, maybe you're releasing it or perhaps playing it live... Either way, it's a great and safe idea to archive your finished projects. Here's how.

Have Fun with Resonators in Ableton Live

Tune in to this tutorial on what Ableton Live's Resonators device is, how it works and... how to have some fun with it on your tracks. Rory Dow is your guide on your way to resonators mastery.

Review: Innerclock Systems Sync-Gen II Pro

Despite wanting to mix totally in the box, many musicians rely on much loved MIDI hardware'¦ but how to keep everything in sync with your DAW? Enter Innerclock System Sync-Gen II Pro. Rory keeps time.

Review: PPG WaveGenerator by PPG, Wolfgang Palm

When the father of digital synthesis created PPG WaveGenerator for iPad, Rory Dow (being a self-respecting synthesist) stood up and put it through its paces.

Fun with Follow Actions in Ableton Live, Part 2

Part 2: If you haven't yet used "Follow Actions" in Ableton you're in for a pleasant surprise. Get ready to be inspired as Rory Dow takes you through the ins and outs in with audio examples

Fun with Follow Actions in Ableton Live, Part 1

If you haven't yet used "Follow Actions" in Ableton you're in for a pleasant surprise. Get ready to be inspired as Rory Dow takes you through the ins and outs in this 2 part series with audio examples

Review: Camel Audio Alchemy Mobile

Alchemy Mobile for iOS, based on Alchemy for desktop, provides powerful and upgradable features. Rory Dow digs in to Camel Audio's excellent mobile synth.

Using Multitimbral Instruments in Ableton Live

What's the big fuss about using multitimbral instruments in Ableton Live? Amongst others: more CPU efficient, better mixing potential. Rory Dow shows how to set this up.