So, look at what I got in the mail along with a letter stating FutureMusic mag was no longer in production. In place I would be getting Guitar World for the remainder of my subscription. Whoopee! So, anyone know what happened to FutureMusic? I know it wasn't the greatest, but they definitely had tons of synth porn; enough that I ended up subbing to it. Their website is up with the last post on Feb 22, 2007.Update via the comments: It looks like only the US version was canceled.
I wouldn't have been shocked to see the US version go under, but the UK version? Music Tech couldn't have sunk it since that mag kind of sucks. I wonder if they tanked it because Computer Music made it sort of redundant.
ReplyDeleteYou should contact them and tell them that you want Computer Music instead. It's the same publisher.
This is only a guess, but I'm assuming what has happened to FutureMusic is the same thing that has happened or is happening to a lot of other print publications: The internet. I get more out of a site like Matrixsynth in one day than I do out of an entire issue of publications like FutureMusic. imho.
ReplyDeleteMatrix,
ReplyDeleteCheck out this forum at Computer Music Magazine -- apparently only the US version was discontinued.
http://forum.midiaddict.com/viewtopic.php?t=85236
You should contact them and get the UK version, not that guitar world crap.
http://forum.midiaddict.com/viewtopic.php?t=85236
ReplyDeletethat's the full link
"You should contact them and tell them that you want Computer Music instead. It's the same publisher."
ReplyDeleteHere, here. If they'd have told me i'd be getting "Guitar World" as a substitute, i'd be demanding full refund of the full subscription.
It's like ordering a Porsche and paying for it, only to find they give you a Mini.
Lame.
Thanks all. Yeah, they gave me the option of getting a refund and I did. Stinks that the US version is canceled. I'm guessing the UK version will be too expensive but I'll look into it. SOS is a bit pricey in the US.
ReplyDeleteAnd thumbuki, thanks! :) What you say is very true on a larger scale. The Internet is taking over all media.
The US one totally sucked ass.
ReplyDeleteThe UK one is excellent.
SOS and Future Music are the only two I enjoy reading. Both from UK.
The US based ones are written as if they're addressing a low-intellect teenager or hip-hop thug. They were thin, and provided terribly little value when compared to the sexy stories in the UK version.
Computer Music, IMO is useless to me too. Maybe not others, but to me its useless ("and here's how to use an equalizer in your DAW"). Bollocks I say!
I second Thumbuki on that. Except for SOS, all other magazines have so little actual content that it's not worth buying. And even SOS is online if you're patient enough. Viva Matrixsynth!!! Your one-man operation is more relevant than big publications!
ReplyDelete"Print is dead."
ReplyDelete- Egon, Ghostbusters
I think that SOS online is only $36.
ReplyDeleteYou can get the print copy + online for $60.
I stopped buying Future Music when they dissed Carl Craig's "Landcruising." Sound On Sound is so much better, and has better coverage of music software/hardware than Computer Music or Future Music.
ReplyDeleteAnd I can't think of a single time I found anything worthwhile on their CDs.
Plus, the 'Future' that Future Music wrote about was over 5 years ago.
The US version sucks so much that it is no surprise for me. Absolutely worthless edition.
ReplyDeleteSound On Sound pisses on them all. FM is for fanboys and wannabees.
ReplyDelete"The Internet is taking over all media."
ReplyDeleteAnd media is fighting back.
A 1 billion dollar lawsuit against the very company bringing you this blog.
I don't come here for info or facts.
I come here for train wreck appeal.
Matrix ain't no synth expert.
Just a paste-up artist at best.
I despised the US version of FM. It was a faint shadow of its UK counterpart filled with sanitized writing and mediocre "me too" content. It also displaced the UK version of the mag on store shelves.
ReplyDeleteIMO the good thing about print magazines that private blogs don't usually compete with is the "traditional journalism" type of stuff. For instance, a couple years ago FM (I think it was FM) had a long interview with Amon Tobin, with all sorts of photos of his studio. Essays and other long-form articles are usually few and far between. Most blogs serve as content aggregators with a little bit of color commentary.
ReplyDeletePlus you can take print magazines to the crapper.
I always buy the UK one and it's a monthly ritual... great features, product updates, etc... and recently they have been covering circut bending and stuffs... the US one? I've had the honour to buy one when I was doing transit and wanted to get the latest FM... went to Times and found the US one... and yeah, it sucked...
ReplyDeleteIn response to chaircrusher - that made me laugh! I was - how shall we put it - close to the magazine back in the day. Editor Andy Jones hated the Carl Craig album and only gave it 1 out of 5 - but he wrote the review under a pseudonym (jon Andrews - go figure) cos he was afraid of the backlash. Which was quite considerable, if I remember rightly!
ReplyDeleteHowever, there was some cool stuff on the CD - check out saul stokes for a start, or Lange, or 11 Shadows...
I love Electronic Music Maker- EMM :-)
ReplyDelete"I don't come here for info or facts. I come here for train wreck appeal. Matrix ain't no synth expert. Just a paste-up artist at best."
ReplyDelete-anonymous jagoff
Matrix puts up a blog full of links to stuff he finds interesting. Many people come to this blog who also find it interesting, and comment on it. Never claiming to be an expert, Matrix continues to run this blog despite the nasty comments and general dipshittery of various trolls who think they're adding something by sniping at his efforts. It's good, though, that you took the time to let us all know why you visit the site, although maybe you should save us all the trouble and find some awesome elite spot to hang out with like-minded anonymous pros. (Maybe you could even find experts with whom you could discuss how "media" is "fighting back" against the internets.)
I have always found the US publications to be very dull, but its not suprising considering the lack of imagination in "popular" music
ReplyDeletelets face it the US isnt very imaginative when it comes to music, rap is 30 years old now and rock in all its forms is just posers going thru the motion of what has been sooooo overdone.
poor me, you broke my heart, I hate you, I hate mysef,play guitar and if you are really out there break a guitar....BORING!
Is Europe people UK and Europe
Matrixsynth is a gateway to all things Synth, praise be to him :-)
ReplyDeleteThis is quite interesting...
ReplyDeleteIve found most of the US magazines are lame. Either they are full of advertisements, and the articles are advertisments, or they are aimed sort of low brow with lots of pictures and little content.
That's a trend thats been around since before the internet. The only ones that werent' like that were popular science, mechanics, discover ect.. but those are getting redundant as well because of the internet.
That's sort of a good thing though as many small, niche interest have a voice via blogs they wouldnt have had otherwise.
Of the US mags, Mix is ok, but even that mag is filled with at least 75% crap each month.
ReplyDeleteKeyboard is the biggest joke of all though. All they ever fuckin' talk about is that prog-rock turd from the 70's who used to stab his minimoogs with knives during concerts and for 'modern' crap, Nine Inch Nails. "ohh looky, he [trent reznor] mixes synths and guitars -- that's so cutting edge") . Keyboard isn't even fit to be crapped on by your pet birds.
oh and by the way I am an Aussie and we seem to follow the US a bit too much.
ReplyDeleteI would think the easiest job in AUstralia would be to be a big wig in the record business, NO RISK TAKING THERE just do what US does, sell whatever is a hit in the US
popular music isnt popular anymore it is what is forced upon us.
Just so I don't seem entirely biassed to MatrixSynth:
ReplyDeleteMatrix is a poo poo nyah nyah.
He does stuff that is like blah and ya, like so there.
If I had to pick beween Hitler and Matrix, I'd go for Zippy the Pinhead.
In an Arm-Wrestling match, Matrix would loose to his own shadow.
Why, his Little Phatty patch isn't even on a prime-number preset. What's up with that? It's like, what patch 70? That's divisible by 1, 2, 5, 7, 10, 14, and 35. That's no good!
Oh no fair.. there's lots of pictures here and little content as well.. it's so easy to poo poo
ReplyDeleteI subbed to FM a month ago here in the US and was notified that it was no longer being published. Fortunately i was spared a sub to guitar world.
ReplyDeleteFM *is* an expensive magazine which is probably why it didn't go so well over here. Lots of good tutorials in the magazine which is why i liked reading it.
SOS is decent, though the content could be much much better. I have an online sub to it which gives me access to old articles. Plus their forums are great resource for music production and techniques.
what are they talking about?
ReplyDeletehmm. cray's talking about how he knows record company exec salaries, overhead and risk so well.
another wankerette is discussing rock legend virtuosos in a rude manner. Probably because he's reading keyboard mag and sucks at playing keyboards.
still another has been led astray on how many internets there are.
all of 'em are talking out their ass, and lead by the nose from their head assmaster.
Matrix Synth = free, wonderful, made with love.
ReplyDeleteFuture Music = mmm, not so much.
Musicthing: made with molasses
ReplyDeletehe anon, if you are going to slag off individuals at least have the guts enough to not be anon! LAME!
ReplyDeleteI was saying the reason US music mags are dull is because of the music business,there is no real excitment in US music for ages.(pop music.)Just look at Detroit music whan it was new it was completely ignored by the US it took UK/Europe to give it the props it deserved.
I said Europe and UK are more open to new music, then replied that I am an aussie to show I am not on one side
so if I am talking out my ass, fine at least I have the guts to say what I think and not hide behind anonymous posts.and i dont slag people off here as we are all entitled to our own opinions.
grow up
I did love Gino's Modular synth rundown, not sure what mag that was in
ReplyDeleteI think the guy who stabbed his minimoogs was Keith Emerson.
ReplyDeleteDid Keyboard run a Tangerine Dream expo this past year? Or discuss Jan Hammer's new synths?
thank you captain obvious...
ReplyDeleteI really love SOS. I used to love Computer Music and FM(UK version), until I realized that they kept repeating the same content over and over again.
ReplyDeleteReally, how many MIDI Basics 101 articles can you use?
Beginners guide to Reverb, and some such.
I have articles fron FM circa 1996 and they are still covering the same topics today!
At least I feel like I'm being talked TO, not down to when I read SOS.
YMMV
This is the second time a sister keyboard publication of Guitar World has gone under. Back in the late '80s whoever owned Guitar World at the time put out Keyboard World magazine. I think it lasted a grand total of 3 issues. I used to have the debut, which had Eddie Van Halen on the cover.
ReplyDeleteAny loss to synth culture is sad...sorry to see it go...I didn't like US version and never bought it, lately I stopped even buying UK version.....I have to control my gear lust somehow and those mags are like sugar highs...... ...as for the knife and turd thing, I'm not sure Mr. Emerson is/was a turd....geez this is a tough bunch ...actually you can see the knife in a Hammond and organ sex at the tale end of this video which Matrix posted a few weeks back , definitely over the top
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bz4ki3qzp-U&mode=related&search
By the shitter at my work there are subs to Sound on Sound, Keybaord, Electronic Musician, Remix, Post, Pro Sound News, and Mix. I take my fair share of dumps over there and I've hence become quite a seasoned critic. My conclusion is this:
ReplyDeleteThey are all utter crap and the people at my work are fuckheads for not having TapeOp.
Doktor Future said...
ReplyDelete"hip-hop thug. "
Half-educated people just love to drop the H word. WTF man, next thing it'll be rock rapists, house bashers and gabba burglars.
And cray, there's good reason to stay anonymous aside from cowardice. Maybe when I meet you (I'm in melburn too) I'll explain. No, that wasn't me earlier, just saying...
I can't believe all this fuss over FM. I stopped getting it when people started to appear on the cover with the synths. It's obvious at that point, that someone is missing the point...
I had the option in Bangkok of buying either the US or UK version. I only made the mistake of buying the US mag once. And the UK version is always quickly sold out.
ReplyDeleteFuture Doc is right, the US mag sucked. The UK mag is outstanding. I like it better than Keyboard Magazine now - which is also increasingly thin and reviews stuff six months after UK Future Music did.
Anybody can make up a screename.
ReplyDeleteCray, what is *your* name?
Your courage is repectable.
If all the anons changed to a non-identifying screenname, so what?
I take it that means we won't hear of the anonymous poster argument again? Glad we could put that to bed. ;)
ReplyDelete