Native Instruments presents Electronic instruments 2 XT, the extended version of NI's Reaktor instrument collection. The new version contains all the synthesizers, drum machines and effects from the collection as individual self-contained software instruments. The eight instruments included in Electronic Instruments 2 XT are:
Ableton announces the worldwide release of Operator, a powerful new software synthesizer instrument optimized for use inside Live 4. Operator brings an eclectic spectrum of sonic possibilities and musical inspiration to Ableton Live users. Operator features powerful oscillators, innovative Time and Tone controls, multimode resonant filters, looping envelopes, an LFO and more.
Operator is available now for $149, and a demo version of Operator is included in the Live 4.1 update.
Korg is giving away a demo of the Legacy plug-ins to help people have a go at their product. it won't replace the real MS20 (I won't give you mine!) but the range is rather convincing and of help given the bang for the bucks ratio. Demo is for OS X 10.2.6 or higher, G4 800 minimum, 1,25 GHz recommended.
M-Audio has announced its first two virtual instruments. Key Rig is a virtual keyboard rack with stage piano, MS-2 polyphonic synthesizer, MB-3 electromagnetic organ, and a GM-4 General MIDI Module. Drum & Bass Rig is a virtual bass and drums rack which contains real drums, electric bass, LC-5 loop creator, and BL 6 bass synthesizer and step sequencer.
Key Rig and Drum & Bass Rig are available as stand-alone, VST, Audio Units and RTAS version for $129,95 each.
After a too long run of products only dedicated to PC, E-mu builds USB/MIDI controllers, the Xboard 25 and Xboard 49. Both have a velocity sensitive full size keyboard, aftertouch and 16 controllers. Each controller can answer to his own, MIDI channel, snapshots can be made and sent at a button pressing, part of the keyboard can be used as on/off switches. To add on this this not so virgin territory, E-mu throws in the Proteus X LE Desktop Sound Module (1000 sounds, 50 Z-plane filters, extensive 80 modulation source/destinations, 6 stages envelopes…).
At NAMM, Native Instruments unveils the second generation of its sampler Kontakt. Kontakt 2 iles a powerful new sampling engine that offers virtually unlimited polyphony as well as 64-part multi-timbrality. Multiprocessor support delivers up to 100% performance increase on dual processors systems, while Altivec optimization gives a further performance boost on Macintosh computers equipped with G4 and G5 processors. This new version also features support for multi-channel formats ranging from 3.0 up to 16.0, including industry standards like 5.1 and 7.1, a new Kontakt Script Processor (KSP) a fully programmable processing engine that transforms and generates MIDI and control events on the basis of a versatile yet easy-to-learn script language, a new Ram purge function, and a new convolution effect unit.
Kontakt 2 will be available in March 2005 for $579 / 499 Euro.
Steinberg announces an update to version 2.0 for its virtual drummer Groove Agent. This major update comes with a huge collection of new styles and drum sounds. It also offers the latest drum grooves and styles. Groove Agent is VST, ReWire and Audio Units compatible.
Groove Agent 2 will be available for US$249.99 in February 2005.
Ueberschall has announced in cooperation with Celemony, the Liquid Instruments Series. It allows you to fully control sampled lines and phrases, by editing note pitches, formants, note lengths, scales, tempo, start and endings. The first two volumes announced are Saxophone Vol.1 (baritone, tenor, alto, and soprano saxophones) and Electric Bass Vol.2 (with various styles such as funk, soul, disco, house, pop, rock and more).
Liquid Instruments Series will be available for MacOS X in VST, Audio Units and RTAS plug-in formats.
Steinberg announces HALion Player, the playback-only version of its HALion sampler. This new and light version of HALion can play any HSB, FXP or FXB files created for HALion 3, HALion Player includes the full HALion 3 sound library, with a huge selection of instrument and drum sounds, and utilizes the surround-capable HALion 3 playback engine.
HALion Player will be available as Audio Units and VST versions, for US$89.99 in February 2005.
LinPlug has updated RM IV to version 4.1.2. This update improves LM 4 import, fixes slight inconsistency in synth-modules sound, improves multi-channel support in Logic and adds faster kit loading on Mac. The RM IV is a flexible and easy-to-use drum machine that combines analog-style percussion synthesis with a fully featured, intelligent percussion sampler.
Native Instruments announced that Traktor DJ Studio is updated to version 2.6. This new release of the DJ mixing software features : compatibility to FinalScratch 2, WMA and AAC compatibility, internet broadcasting, input recording, enhanced browser and playlist features, and much more.
Applied Acoustics Systems today announced the upcoming release of the String Studio synthesizer for Mac OSX. String Studio is scheduled for release at the end of the first quarter of 2005. The String Studio synthesizer swaps the traditional oscillator, filter, and envelope pattern for reallife string instrument components. At the core of String Studio lies a new, cutting edge physical model of strings interacting with picks, bows, hammers, fingers, frets, dampers, and soundboards. Through this direct approach, String Studio delivers stunning guitars, basses, harps, clavinets, bowed instruments, percussions as well as rich and animated tones that blend the warmth, naturalness, and density of real-life instruments.
The String Studio synthesizer will be available for Mac OS X and Windows systems at the end of the first quarter of 2005 at a suggested retail price of US$249.
AudioFinder by Iced Audio is a sample library manager. This new release v3.5 features : added Full AudioUnit Plugin support, added AudioUnit Presets menu, improved the Waveform Overview to allow vertical sizing, added searching with Regular Expressions to the Scanner, replaced the Scanner's Search ComboBox with the Mac OS X standard Search Field, added Search field Recent Searches menu, added "Suspend MIDI Input" to the Options menu, to temporally enable/disable the MIDI inputs, bugfices and more !
Info and download in the MacMusic software section.
Apple has updated Logic to v7.0.1. This update improves performance, stability and compatibility with several Audio Units plug-ins.
Logic v7.0.1 fixes : Channels Strip Setting error, Guitar Amp mic position setting problem, MIDI device names show up problem, Multi-Instrument Bank Messages won't change when importing a Song from Logic Pro 6.4.3., "Goto Position" window does not switch to current position, "Send to MIDI - Maximum Volume" sends to all channels and not just channel 1, Audio Suite plug-ins process now correctly regardless of whether there are open floating windows, both sides of a split stereo file are converted when performing a sample rate conversion within the Sample Editor.
This release also fixes : Apple Loops playback correctly in sessions with sample rates other than 44.1 kHz, Recycle files consistently import as expected, All Acid Loops transpose in Loop Browser as expected, TDM tracks are successfully bounced even when native bounce is set to "offline", and Ultrabeat several fixes.
This update also improves control surface support, and fixes : Logic Control no longer generates notes in Learn mode, plug-in parameter names are displayed correctly, Yamaha mixers problems fixed, assignments are now possible in the Controls View ans surround joysticks work properly.
An update to the Logic Node application is necessary to maintain compatibility with Logic 7.0.1. The Node update software is contained in the Logic Pro 7.0.1 Update package.
This update is avaiable only via Apple's software update utility
Alesis will unveil at NAMM its new Fusion synthesizer. The Fusion has a new synthesizer engine with seven DSPs for sample playback, analog modeling, FM and physical modeling. The Fusion features up to 180 voices of sample playback, 120 MB of waveforms, 800 programs of preset instruments, 64 Drumkits, 128 GM Programs plus 8 Drum Kits, 40GB free for user, 13 filters types, 20 Reverbs, 10 Chorus, 50 Insert Effects, 4 Band EQ, Pitch Bend Wheel, Modulation Wheel, Aftertouch, and much more !
Chachacha helps you mix four videos depending on the mix of their sounds. You can control speed, loop points, volume and pan, all parameters can be accessed via MIDI through a MIDI learn function.
This freeware is available in the MacMusic softwares section.
Cycling '74 today announced HIPNO 1.0, a new suite of over forty effects and instrument VST plug-ins for VST, Audio Units and RTAS Mac OS X host applications. Designed by ElectroTap, this package features a mix of granular, spectral, and filter/delay-based plug-ins featuring the unique Hipnoscope user interface. Also included in the package is an amazing set of processors that utilize live video input as a control source, and a new set of modulator plug-ins sure to captivate both the novice and long-time users of Cycling '74's Pluggo and Mode plug-in collections. Some highlights of the Hipno collection include:
- Morphulescence: a cascaded bank of LFO-modulated morphing filters ready for eruption.
- Vsynth: a plug-in that uses a live video feed as the spectral source for synth inspirations.
- Deluge: a quartet of granular processing engines wrapped into one glittering package.
- Shypht: a pitch-shifting effects system enlivened by pitch quantization, filtering, and feedback looping.
- VcolorTrack and Modulator Vmotion: a pair of modulator plug-ins to morph and control Hipno, Mode, or Pluggo plug-ins using video color or motion tracking.
Hipno has a suggested retail price of $199 and will be available for purchase in the first quarter of 2005.
Digidesign announced a new Pro Tools update to v6.7cs7 for both TDM and LE systems. This release fixes problems using "Save Session Copy In" (with "Don't Copy Fade Files" checked) when sessions contained alternate playlists, and many keyboard shortcuts had changed location for European versions.
Info and downwload on the MacMusic softwares section.
GUidMachine 3.3.4 by Donnaqueebo is s a Step Sequencer combined with a sample player. The Step sequencer has 4 X 16 steps while the sample player can load 4 samples simultanuously. You can easily shift any of the sequences up and down by any number of steps and you can decide the length of each raw. You can randomize this modifications and so the beat will never be constant if you want. The velocities can be randomized too so the accents will also change during time and make the loops more interesting.
More info on this OS X version available in MM Softs section.
Expert Sleepers has just released a beta version for its tape-based delay effect Augustus Loop. This new 1.4 release features a new 'clear loop' function, an auto fade-in/out envelope, auto punch in/out, the loop input level can be controlled by punch in/out, extensive CPU efficiency improvements and some bugfixes.
This beta version is available from Expert Sleepers web site.
ReFX has updated its synthetizer Vanguard to v1.1.1. This release fixes bugs introduced with the v1.1 (crashes, especially for Live 4) and adds sustain pedal support. Equipped with 31 different types of oscillators, including rarely found digital oscillators with new modulation options, Vanguard also includes 13 filter types with different slopes and includes a new kind of combined dual-filter variations.
Yamaha announces that the Motif synthesizer will be available in 1U rackmount format from spring 2005. The Motif Rack ES will feature 16 simultaneous parts and 128-note polyphony working off a 175MB wave ROM, with 768 preset and 384 user sounds. It also will have an effects section featuring 20 reverb types and 49 chorus & delay programs.
Waves have released version 2 of their convolution reverb IR1, and two new variants : the IRL, a simpler and less CPU-intensive 'light' version, and the IR360, which offers reverb convolution in 5.1 surround. IR1 v2 and IRL are compatible with Mac OS X in HTDM, RTAS, VST, MAS and Audio Units formats, and the IR360 is currently only compatible with Pro Tools HD systems.
Plogue announced a bugfix release v0.7003 for its virtual modular creation studio Bidule. This version fixes crash whith some plugins using CurrentPreset when changing presets, main window shows up with the titlebar under the menu bar, number of samples isn't set correctly for some buffer sizes, and more.
LinPlug announces an update to v2.2.2 for Alpha in both Audio Units and VST, featuring a new look and design for the GUI. The Alpha Synthesizer features an easy to learn subtractive design with special attention being paid to recreating the warmth and feel typically found in early-1980s analog synthesizers.
Info and download in the MacMusic softwares section.
Want a free distortion with a twist? Andrew Garber who did the infamous MD Machine Lab just released his Warp Drive AU (guess the plug-in format? ;) A freeware distortion with a little something, as said: "completely non-conventional" is the algorithm.
Pro Tools 6.7cs6 update for Pro Tools|HD 6.7 systems is now available for download on Digidesign web site. This Pro Tools 6.7cs6 version fixes : errors in delay compensation for mute automation when using plug-ins on master faders (Item #57447), and when using delay compensation, using a plug-in on a master fader would cause mute events to play back out of time.
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After a too long run of products only dedicated to PC, E-mu builds USB/MIDI controllers, the Xboard 25 and Xboard 49. Both have a velocity sensitive full size keyboard, aftertouch and 16 controllers. Each controller can answer to his own, MIDI channel, snapshots can be made and sent at a button pressing, part of the keyboard can be used as on/off switches. To add on this this not so virgin territory, E-mu throws in the Proteus X LE Desktop Sound Module (1000 sounds, 50 Z-plane filters, extensive 80 modulation source/destinations, 6 stages envelopes…).
