The authoritative guide to the world's newest and most powerful musical instruments! Your computer may not look like a musical instrument, but with today's advanced software tools, even a modest Mac or PC can open up a world of rich and inspiring new sounds. This book provides a guided tour of the hottest programs for making music, with clear, concise explanations of the latest sound synthesis techniques. In-depth, expert reviews reveal what you can do with Reason, Reaktor, Kantos, Absynth, Attack, Live, Fruityloops and more than two dozen other applications. Topics covered include: physical modeling and FM synthesis, filters and envelope generators, using MIDI, sampled loop libraries and more.