Mac and Music News

Emagic announced 3 different Collections, providing bundles at a special yet unknown price:

- Synth Collection, includes three software synthesizers: ES2, EVOC20 and ES1
- Vintage Collection, includes the instruments EVP88, EVD6 and EVB3.
- TDM Collection, ESB TDM, Host TDM Enabler and PTHD Extension.

German sound card manufacturer TerraTec builds further upon its strong standing in the sound and pro- audio market, by supporting from now all EWS cards with drivers for both Macintosh's operating systems, Os-X and Os 9. Drivers will be online mid of January.

All TerraTec sound cards based on the powerful EWS Engine chipset like the EWX 24/96, EWS88 D, EWS88 MT and the EWS MIC2/8 are now also supporting both leading Apple Macintosh's operating systems, Os-X and Os 9. From the entry-level soundcard up to high-end studio solutions, TerraTec's EWS cards are now also open to users of Macintosh systems. TerraTec considers this release to be one step further on their successful way to match customers' demands and bring their innovative and highly awarded technology to another segment of the market.

Radium 49 USB MIDI controller: The unit is identical to its recently introduced 61-key sibling, Radium, except that it offers one octave fewer keys and can run on batteries. 49 keys are augmented with 8 MIDI-assignable knobs and 8 MIDI-assignable sliders, giving real-time control of 16 MIDI parameters. Five user-definable preset banks extend this control to 80 MIDI parameters of the user's choice at the touch of a button. Radium 49 also has a built-in USB MIDI interface (16 channels of MIDI data directly with the computer. Two separate MIDI Outs. Pitch wheel, modulation wheel and octave up/down keys that extend the range of the 4-octave keyboard +/-3 octaves. The unit is powered via the USB port, batteries or via a 9V power supply.

Ozone: an all-in-one keyboard, MIDI contr ...

At last more detail on the french editor Arturia's Moog Modular:

They use a new batch of algorythms created by their engineers called TAE (True Analog Emulation) that should eliminate aliasing effect. All computing is made in 64bit floating…

- 9 oscillators (921 Mg series)
- 2 LFOs
- 3 filter slots can be chosen among classic Moog 904 series (low-pass 24 dB, high-pass 24 dB, filter coupler), and an additional 20 dB multimode filter (7 modes)
- 1 noise generator (white and pink -- 923 Moog module)
- 6 ADSR auxiliary envelopes (911 Moog module)
- 2 VCAs (with their own envelopes, and 1 panoramic potentiometer for natural stereo effects)
- 16 auxiliary VCAs with modulation inputs
- 1 sequencer (3x8 steps -- 960 Moog module)
- 1 filter bank (14 bands with their own bandwidth)
- ...

Spark XL 2.7 will be here in February. At the request of users they add direct CD burning into Spark. The update will be OS X only.
Powercore comes to OS X with VST AND AudioUnits support. compatibility with MOTU will follow this spring. Among novelties are 2 new plug-ins Assimilator (An EQ processor extracting any EQing from a reference tu apply it to a target) and Sony's Oxford Inflator (increase loudness without loss of quality and damages to peak levels)

Spark (all versions) and Spark XL 1.x: $149 US
Spark XL 2.0 and 2.5: $99 US
Spark XL 2.6: FREE (download)

Mackie Designs announced the implementation of HUI Mode for the Mackie Control, allowing it to interface with the popular Pro Tools platform. Pro Tools joins a growing family of popular DAW (digital audio workstations) platforms that are currently compatible with the Mackie Control including: Cakewalk SONAR, Magix Samplitude, MOTU Digital Performer, Steinberg Cubase SX, Cubase SL and Nuendo, as well as the Mackie Broadcast Professional Soundscape 32.
Mackie will also provide a Pro Tools specific Lexan overlay. At the same time, a HUI firmware upgrade will be made available for all existing Mackie Control owners. Shipping in late Q1 2003

Novation has entered the mainstream of the desktop computer music market with the launch of his two-octave MIDI controller. The ReMOTE 25 is designed for use in conjunction with a wide range of software and hardware, including sequencers such as Cubase, the Reason studio suite and Novation's own rack modules.
OS X support is announced but when?

Biac Inc. updates: Peak to 3.2 compatible X 10.2 and OS 8.6 and higher, their VST box of tricks, VBox to 1.2.
They also released SoundSoap a professional utility to remove unwanted hiss, room noise, rumble etc. It works on DV audio tracks, Powerpoint (and other presentation software soundtracks), Flash and other web-tool soundtracks, digital audio workstation tracks, cassette or other analog tape recordings that have been transferred to a computer, and other sources. It is packaged as a VST plug-in. Compatible host applications on Mac OS X currently include version 3.2 of Peak LE, Peak DV, and Peak (hey same editor, damn… ;) as well as Cubase SX. SoundSoap can be used stand alone on OSX too.

Peak 3.2 free for registered users, Vbox $99, SoundSoap $99 (VST plug-in released, stand alone coming as a free update soon)

Evolution announces the new UC-33 MIDI controler, with 33 realtime controls, including 9 faders. The range of class compliant USB keyboards also get updated with new displays and more memory (including controler memories)

Steinberg will ship Nuendo 2.0 in February, the new version has surround in mind 5:1 to 10:2, the routing of I/O has been revised to get clearer and totally customisable, and it authorize the switching between 2 configs in one keystroke. the mixer in 32 bit floating has been reengineered. VST System Link is include to distribute task between computers and network utilities now permit TCP/IP transfering of tracks and events. Import wise: Cubase SX projects, AES31, Open TL 3.0 and OMF are supported.

Nuendo 2.0: 1499 euros
upgrade: 199 euros

Sibelius release G7 a software dedicated to produce and convert guitar tablatures. Create tabs, lyrics, chord symbols and issue lead sheets or piano/vocal/guitar arrangements right away. Editing stay as simple as can be: no tools!
You can even scan tabs and have it here and now in standard notation or the reverse! Enter tabs live too (what do they mean by that?). A virtual fret board helps entering tabs directly and learn using playback. Playback covers style and bends, slides etc. An extensive guide of styles and techniques allows learning of alternative uses and is completed with tutorial material for teachers and students.
All guitar tunings and number of strings are supported and a drum pattern generator creates drum notation directly for songwriters.
Available Q1 for $149

Propellerhead Software and Digidesign announced the strategic relationship between the two companies that will include the development of ReWire2 for Digidesign Pro Tools systems. ReWire is a cross-application technology to transfer both MIDI and audio seamlessly between Propellerheads' Reason and ReBirth applications and Pro Tools. ReWire was designed as the software equivalent of a multi-channel cable between two audio applications and integrates MIDI, audio and transport control in one invisible application link.
Isn't that a GREAT news? ;)

Emagic announces version 6 of the Logic Series. This update provides a new level of processor efficiency and extensive enhancements to the Arrange window that offers more editing and mixing power than before.

In addition, Logic 6 debuts two new setup and file management solutions: the Setup Assistant and the Project Manager. Users will also benefit from an improved feature set for film scoring, a newly-developed sounding EQ and MP3 import/export functionality. Further optimization of the automation system round out this update.

For the happy few who have come to buy a Neuron, Hartmann just released after the Neuron synth the MODELmaker software. This free utility let you arrange, prepare, playback, multilayer different standard formats of samples and render a model for use into the Neuron engine. You can also choose different model sets, arrange specific parameters for a model and load everything into the resynators of the Neuron.

OS 9 and X for the moment, needs a USB connection.

Cycling'74 RadiaL is an extensible loop-based composition and performance tool designed for Macintosh users looking to explode the boundaries between live performance, sound design, and composition.
You can play around with tempo, pitch and sample cut-up with an extensive list of possible performance devices (control surfaces, MIDI, keyboard, mouse, step sequencers, real-time modulation generators). radiaL also supports multi-channel audio I/O with ASIO and hosts VST plug-in effects.

Akai release a virtuel sampler in VST (PC) and AudioUnit (asap) so it will be OS X only. 24/96, 64 voices per instance, 16 virtual audio out, samples triggered from RAM OR disk, the VZ8 is almost the same as Aaki hardware flagship the Z8.

Actually in beta (they need some beta testers, go on the site) this new sequencer is modular and has live musicians in mind. You can choose the events generators as you wish (analogue style sequencer, gate sequencer), use converters (from midi, CC, pitch bend… to midi, CC, pitch bend…). Arrange them and link them as you wish to route events from one element to an other. You have also groups, presets, mix groups to store, automate and facilitate the use of the tracks (mutes, solos, on/off…). A track sequencer give you an overall look over the whole piece.

Numerology will be available on the Net in February for 50$, a preview will be available at the end of January, and remember, they need betatesters (follow the link)

NAMM 2003: VirSyn Software Synthesizer presents the Mac OS X version of TERA. The new OS X version of TERA can be run in stand-alone mode, as VST Plugin and as AudioUnit plugin!
The update will be free for download to all registered TERA users. More information on the update will be available in about 2 weeks on their website.

Propellerheads announces Reload, a OS X/XP utility for Reason and Recycle that:
- Load complete Akai programs and samples, including full keyboard mapping and parameters, into the NNXT.
- Load Akai samples into the NN-19 and Redrum, including looping.
- Load samples into ReCycle, including looping parameters.

free download for registered users from April 2003, 49$ for others.
Supports Akai S1000/3000 sound disks, Wav

Sonomic, the premier provider of sound library management solutions, today announced that its Total Library Server (TLS) now supports Digidesign's Pro Tools 6.0 and Apple's new OS X operating system.

Available Q2 the plug-in suite will be released as a free update for registered users.

TC Electronic release Reverb 4000, a 1U rack with the best reverbs (so they say, I won't argue ;) from System 6000 and M5000, plus some reverb classics. Stereo, 24 bits AD/DA converters, 44.1 to 96 KHz, USB connection to the computer and ICON dedicated Mac/PC editing software, AES/EBU, S/PDIF, TOS-Link and ADAT I/Os.

The main novelty is its capability to process 2 discrete sources in space, or process truly a composite stereo.

Shipping in february

Take 16 real analogue filters, put them into a rack with a control software in your computer and a USB connection to link it and you've got the thing.
Add the Waldorf Rot Analog Filter Step Sequencer, a pattern based step sequencer (for cutoff and resonance along dynamics).
AFB16 versions of the Waldorf PPG wave 2.V and Waldorf D-pole plugins are in developement, so there's some DSP inside too. A good alternative to a real PPG ?

It seems that Waldorf is issuing the filterbank of the Q+ in a 2U rack… As a kind of a big rackable dongle.

16 Low pass filters, 12-24 dB, with self oscillation and overdrive.
Developement kit available free from Waldorf
OS9 and OSX, USB 2.0 (with PCI card then) and 128 Mo of RAM