The Mouth Organ of Concord. As one of the earliest and most commonly recognized Chinese instruments, Sheng, a free-reed, mouth-blown instrument, which can be traced back to at least 3,000 years ago, has withstood against time and still is a vital key piece in today's Chinese music. Sheng is also said to have inspired the creation of Accordion and Harmonica. Sheng is extremely versatile and expressive in its own right, with a wide note range, as well as much the broad tonal textures. Due to its portability and the polyphony nature, Sheng is also one of the few common accompanying instruments in Chinese music. It's a must-have piece for scoring a more comprehensive Chinese-theme music.

This month FM headed to Berlin to catch up with Thomas Goldin his impressive newly built Studio.Thomas took FM through 3 key tracks and explains the process of creating certain elements within them

Acapella from Klubbheads!

Punk & Indie Rock: Slammin Sounds of So-Cal Sample Library is packed with tons of raw material, construction kits, and loops this DVD showcases the authentic pace and volume of today's Southern California music scene. Producer and musician Dan Diaz turns out some of the hardest-hitting punk and indie rock tracks available anywhere.

Classy, expensive-sounding string ensembles which must have cost a packet to record, even though the players only had to get one note right at a time. Especially strong in the low register. Violin, viola and cello sections were recorded in both the USA and Europe, the latter with more 'hall' in the sound and broader tuning (though the booklet's claim that this makes them more suitable for 'atonal or minor keys' makes no musical sense to me). Double basses were captured in the USA.

Digital Pattern is a library of loops that enables anyone to work like world class producers. Sorted by style, each CD contains a large variety of loops. Each loop is available in chromatic steps, harmonically assigned to the corresponding keys of your Kontakt sampler. Being creative has never been more simple.

Steeped in classic R&B style and sensuality, Henry Willis, a.k.a. lukecage, has been influenced by everything from the grit and grime of Public Enemy to the Havana haze of Nuyorican Soul. Diamond Cuts: Hip-Hop Gems shines with all the hallmarks of a master technician—velvety Rhodes piano, swanky guitars, Far Eastern strings, bulbous bass lines, and bulletproof rhythms. Brilliant, seamless lukecage production and finely tuned ACIDization means that these WAV files will jive seamlessly with ACID software or any other Digital Audio Workstation.