cm / backchat More women please
It’s Computer Music’s special area for you to vent. And there’s a lot to say this issue as we hit back with some chat about some thorny issues, some video issues and magazine issues. If you have vents to air, email andy.jones@futurenet.com now
Dear
Dear Andy, Kate [Puttick, managing editor] and (almost exclusively) chaps. What the actual? I think I’ve seen ONE Producer Masterclass by a woman in the last, ooh, three or four years? And the numbers are similar for most other features too — apart from the Experts series which has been 100% male as long as I can remember. (God forbid, a woman might be considered an expert at something!)
Are all the editorial team terrified that every time a woman touches a DAW, a man’s beard falls off? It shouldn’t even be a conversation we need to have, especially in 2020. Go and look at factmag.com or cdm.link if you don’t believe me, where the numbers are — if not quite 50/50 — certainly close.
I’m happy for you to print this, but even if you don’t, please think about it. You can do better.
PS And I didn’t even mention the total absence of non-binary musicians. Baby steps first.
Andrew Clegg
Kate Puttick responds. I think everyone on the team agrees – and that goes for all areas of diversity. This is something we’ve sincerely been trying to rectify. If you read issues from the past year or so under the new editorship, you’ll hopefully see we’re making headway. Producer Masterclasses have become trickier recently, pandemic-wise, but our more recent, shorter interview format (15Qs) has allowed a broader range of interviewees, less constrained by artist release schedule limitations. And if you like music interviews by a woman about a woman (but mostly about robots), try last issue’s lead interview with Holly Herndon written by, well, me, which hit shops just as your email reached us. And we have plenty more planned. Come back again at the end of the year and let us know what you think then. Plus we always welcome tips on artists to cover, article ideas, as well as all feedback such as this.
Andrew Clegg responds: Thanks for the very quick and thorough answer. I did have a vague feeling it had got better in the last few months, but I didn’t know if that was just coincidence — or cognitive bias, due to me paying more attention. Glad to hear it’s being worked on, and I’m looking forward to the Herndon interview.
A few suggestions of other people I’d be excited to read about, mostly from the techno and experimental worlds: Ellen Allien, Paula Temple, Rebekah, Helena Hauff, Carter Tutti Void (2/3 female), Marie Davidson, VTSS, Swan Meat, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Fatima al Qadiri, Miss Kittin, Maya Jane Coles, Emika, Lokier, Xosar. Thanks again and keep up the good work.
More videos please
Dear
For a while I thought looked like the future of digital magazines. I read mine on my iPad and really appreciated all the video content that could be easily accessed right from the magazine. I believe the issue where you gave samples to 20 producers had more than 20 videos, which was great [ that possibly wasn’t us – Ed]. This latest issue has two videos. Why strip out all that content ? This is a step back certainly not forward. Please tell me that this was just a mere hiccup and not what will look like from now on. Thank you for your consideration of this matter.
Ian North
The number of videos we produce each month is always going to vary as it is very much dependant on the features in the magazine (this issue we have plenty to go with our Play Like A Pro feature, for example). We’ve also been somewhat restricted with Producer Masterclasses of late because of the COVID 19 situation. However we have a few of these lined up so hopefully things will get back to normal – whatever that may be – very soon.
Producer Masterclass sub?
Dear
I have got just one question: is there a way to pay some kind of subscription to watch all of the videos from your Producer
Masterclasseses on your Youtube channel, including the second parts of the videos, only accessible from the magazine?
David Matevski
Well, aside from the subscription to the magazine itself – which gives you access to all complete PM videos via a special link in the article – I’m afraid not David. However, as a special one-off, we have a good dozen or so of those full Masterclasses at The Music Technology show (free for everyone) happening this October 30th and 31st, so check them out at musicradar.com! (And as a side note, look out for more Producer Masterclasses soon – see previous reply!)
Most oft-asked question of the month
Dear
I’ve just been trying to navigate File Silo as a newish user and locate a bass synth from 284 called
Dune. The whole File Silo thing is a bit confusing for someone like me, who’s new to electronic music. Is there any way you could get the File Silo people to put a newbie guide on the silo, explaining how it works? And make the PDF catalogue more prominent as I’m still to find that.
Peter Greenfield
Yes, we are aware that filesilo. co.uk can be a little frustrating to new readers, so we’ll put together a better guide in the magazine for you. There’s a PDF of the latest instruments (pages 101-108 of the magazine) up there called ‘The Suite In Detail’ and Dune is now back after taking a six-month sabbatical.
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