Mac and Music News

From the company that made "groovebox" a household name comes an addition to the famous Roland MC family: the MC-808. The sleek, silver powerstation features eight motorized faders on its surface — a groovebox first!

The MC-808 shares two key attributes with the flagship MC-909: The same sampling and sequencing features that made the MC-909 so famous are built into the MC-808, making it a serious tool for sampling, editing, track building, and mixing. Performers are in for an extra treat with the MC-808, however, as is the world's first groovebox with motorized faders. No matter what pattern is called up, the faders will snap to the proper position. As a result, the parameter values and position of the faders always correspond, allowing the performer to see the values instantly and make changes directly. No more unexpected jumps in values when a fader is grabbed in mid-performance. It's always in the right position.

Akai announced its new impersonation of MIDI wind controller the EWI4000S. It's much more than the previous models as it's now an analogue modeled synth (built in), so it sports MIDI in and out ports. But it's not everything, there's some effect processing too: reverb, delay, and chorus, another first in wind controllers. And for the complete image, there's a dedicated software for editing sounds which are stored in the EWI4000S synth.

Line 6 will launch in spring its ToneCore range of modular stompboxes. They are based on the actual models, but you can plug modules into the StompDock (available in mono or stereo). So it's swapping time when you want to change your sound but not break the bank of the guitar heroes. As the original ToneCore, it's still modeling,and it runs from batteries or AC adapters. Now, when will we have the relevant guitar rigg?

Modules: Uber Metal, Dr. Distorto, Otto Filter, Crunchtone $41.99 each ; Space Chorus, Tap Tremolo, Constrictor, Liqua-Flange, Roto-Machine $55.99 each ; Echo Park, Verbzilla $99.99 each.
ToneDock mono $99.99, stereo $112.99

Behringer has a thing for keyboards this year as they announce two digital Pianos the EG1040 and EG2040. They are in wood looking case, black or dark rosewood, feature a 88-note, weighted hammer-action keyboard and 14 sounds (Grand Piano, EPiano, organ, harpsichord, strings…) for 64 voices of polyphony. Add to this effect (reverb, modulation and brillance) before the 80W of stereo amplification. The EG2040 has a sliding key cover.

Price and availability TBA.

Native Instruments, beside abusing of K letters in their product name, knows a thing or two about virtual instruments, I'm sure we can agree on that. Now, NI announced they've been working not only on some hardware, but:

- A universal controller for all your plug-ins.
- A universal VST and AU host on your computer (unified interface of plug-ins on the computer), itself a stand-alone or a plug-in.
- A universal sound database within the host (find your sound by attribute, and don't care if it's in a virtual sampler or a virtual synth or whatever).
- A unified file format, KoreSound, to store layers, routing, configuration and categorization data.

Behringer announced it will release a brand new range of controllers: the U-Control UM25, UMX49 and UMX61. They only differ by their keyboard size.

Features:
- USB controller/MIDI interfaces
- 25, 49 and 61 velocity-sensitive keyboard, full sized keys.
- 10 programmable MIDI controllers and 8 assignable switches.
- Assignable mod wheel, volume fader and pedal value.
- MIDI Out (NO MIDI in!)
- 6 free instrument plug-ins (50 for windows PCs… sigh) 4Front Epiano, Piano, and Bass Modules, Ultimatesoundbank Plugsound Free, AudioNerdz DelayLama, reFX Claw 1.0. (Well, you see…) And Ableton Live 4 Lite.
- Power from USB, batteries or AC adapter.

UM25 $129.99, UMX49 $159.99 and UMX61 $189.99

As a side note, the F-CONTROL AUDIO FCA202 firewire ($99.99), and the U-CONTROL UCA202 ($34.99) USB audio interfaces previously announced will be available this quarter 2006 as the UM-X range.

During the NAMM show, Apple was demonstrating the latest Logic Pro 7.2 on a MacBookPro. This demo cleary showed that Intel based mac are faster to run Logic than current G5 mac.

Logic Pro 7.2 will also feature integrated support for the new Apogee Ensemble interface; Digidesign Pro Tools HD 7 DAE support; Serato Pitch 'n Time support; Improved Rewire support; Enhanced Control Surfaces support; and 32-channel support for multi-channel Audio Units instruments; GarageBand 3 compatibility.

Logic Pro 7.2 should be available in february and should cost $49 for 7.1 users.

Taken from the OASYS monster flagship of KORG, the MMT (Multiple Modeling Technology) synthesis engine now will power the Radias synth in a more accessible way. It is a virtual analogue synth, with a maximum of 24 voices (depending of DSP use), available either in a rack format (Radias-R) or plain synth with a tilt pannel in a rather uncommon form. It smells technology that way, but I'm less sure of the reliability in the end, but the control panel is awesome. The Radias is composed of:

There's nothing like a inquisitive user, now, thanks to the PR department of MOTU (for the silence), we know (thanks to Unicornation!) that MOTU IS developing an PCI-e version of his 424 PCI card used by the likes of 2408, 24i etc. No release date is given but at least we know now there will be a time when we'll be able to use our latest G5s AND MOTU PCI-based interfaces, as we can/will be with Digidesign and Apogee products.

Price of upgrade and availability TBA sometimes.

Introducing the latest addition to Edirol's red-hot portable recorder lineup: the R-09. Building on the success of the R-1, the R-09 takes many of the most desired features — 24-bit uncompressed recording and a built-in stereo mic — and shrinks it all down into a more streamlined, stylish, and affordable package.

It's ultra small and looks like a gadget, but make no mistake — the R-09 is a serious, top-quality professional recorder with time-stamp capability. Capture source material at a crystal-clean 24-bit resolution with your choice of 44.1 or 48kHz sample rates. Record and play back in MP3 format as well (up to 320kbps). Once recorded, files can be monitored through the R-09's headphone jack and/or exported to a computer via USB.

VirtuosoWork announces the upcoming release of version 1.5 of Notion. This music composition and performance software combines a full-featured music notation system with interpretive algorithms linked to a proprietary playback engine that offers samples of thousands of individual notes and articulations played by the London Symphony Orchestra and recorded at Abbey Road Studios. Notion 1.5 includes MIDI entry, Music XML import, and NotionPlayer conducting tools. NotionPlayer allows the user to "conduct" the software to accompany live performers, making NOTION a versatile and practical live performance system.

Notion 1.5 will be available in February 2006 for $599 or $399 for the academic version.

Muse Research has announced that its UniWire audio and MIDI networking technology is now available to the public in beta form. The company is showing its UniWire technology in booth 1109 at the Winter NAMM show in Anaheim, and expects the final VST version to be released in February. The company's UniWire technology allows you to connect your Receptor hardware plug-in player directly to your laptop or desktop computer using only a single Ethernet cable, and get complete integration of MIDI, audio, and remote control data to and from the Receptor. In doing so, UniWire allows you to run your plug-ins on Receptor but control them as if they were running inside your host computer. UniWire is a free upgrade to all Receptor customers, and is compatible with most VST hosts on either the Mac or PC.

Source Elements announces a further broadening of its product lineup by releasing a lower cost version of Source-Connect while at the same time enhancing the capabilities of the newly released Source-Connect Pro 2.5. The Source-Connect family of products continues to be the Pro Tools connectivity toolset of choice, enabling real-time, high-quality, low cost connectivity options such as DSL, cable or T-1 lines. Current Source-Connect Pro users include hundreds of the top studios around the world.

Yamaha unveils at NAMM two new USB mixing studios : NW10 and NW 12. These two portable recording solutions include bundled Steinberg Cubase LE and feature :

- MW 10 : 10 inputs (with four preamp Phantom power), 3-band EQ, mix master section includes Aux/Send/Return, stereo master, control room and hedphones outputs, Insert I/O on channels 1 and 2.

- MW 12 : same specifications but 12 inputs with six powered mic pramps, Insert I/O on channels 1-4, Stereo 2-track USB return with volurme control.

The MW10 ($249) and MW12 ($379) will available in February 2006.

Bias announced at Winter NAMM'06 that the Master Perfection Suite, a new ensemble of six professional audio processing plug-ins, will be shipping in March 2006 for AU,, RTAS, and VST host applications on Mac OS X. The suite includes: Repli-Q (spectral matching), PitchCraft (pitch correction/manipulation), Reveal (analysis), Sqweez-3 & -5 (multi-band dynamic processing), SuperFreq (parametric EQ), and GateEx (gate/expander).

The Master Perfection Suite - currently bundled with the Peak Pro XT Edition ($1199 US SRP) - will be available separately in March 2006 for $599 US, and $399 US for the academic edition.

TC-Helicon, inventors of VoicePro and many other respected vocal processors employing cutting-edge harmony technology, announced today the Harmony4 plug-in for Pro Tools|HD and TC's PowerCore platform. With TC-Helicon's Harmony4 plug-in, producers, engineers and songwriters can fatten existing harmony tracks, add new 1- to 4-part harmonies after the singer has left the studio. Harmony4 will be available March 2006 for PowerCore at EUR 599 and GBP 410 retail, and for Pro Tools|HD at EUR 799 and GBP 550 retail.

To follow up its ASB series, Creamware announced the B4000, which incarnate something looking a lot like some well know drawbar organ. Based on their B2003 software, this hardware incarnation of a B3 with leslie if needed (but everyone needs a Leslie!) has controls and drawbars by handfulls. Each parameters is here even the ones to help you incarnate your favorite sound as no B3 sound like another, even tone wheels long time use wear is adjustable. The best news is it's modeling throughout so the best that can be done digitally, and not only modeling, but virtual circuit modeling (it goes down to the caps and resistors).

While the words portable and affordable describe the K-Series USB-MIDI Studio Controllers, they by no means define them. Each model features solid, full-size keys, and a selection of four velocity curves. Available in 25, 49 and 61 key versions, their octave shift keys provide access to the full range of notes, and the key transpose function lets you reach them comfortably – or instantly match the range of another performer. Authentic baroque and classical temperaments add even more versatility.

The K25, K49, and K61 are graced with a variety of sophisticated controllers, including Pitch Bend and Modulation wheels, a joystick (used either as an X/Y joystick or as a USB mouse), two assignable switches that can be set to either momentary or toggle operation, an assignable slider, and an assignable foot switch input on the back panel.

Using the free editor software that comes with the K-Series, you can create and save custom controller assignments – or scenes – in an easy, visual manner. The new K-Series controllers even come with a free M1 Le software synthesizer. Prices and Availability TBA.

Today, Edirol pushes the price/performance envelope again with the new UA-4FX. The portable USB audio/MIDI interface sets a new standard for affordable Mac/PC interfaces with its ultra-fast, low-latency audio and MIDI performance, 24/96 audio resolution, and built-in effects.

Route audio in and out of the UA-4FX via analog I/O or take advantage of its S/PDIF optical output. The Edirol UA-4FX features built in COSM tube mic-preamp simulator, multi-band compressor/limiter for mastering, amp simulator and distortion/chorus/delay for guitar, center cancel, reverb, noise suppressor and more.

The first release from the new Digidesign Advanced Instrument Research Group, Xpand! is a free RTAS sound factory workstation synthesis/sample-playback and effects plug-in that provides fast, efficient ways to access and manipulate thousands of high-quality sounds directly from within Pro Tools.

Start with any of the more than 1,000 factory patches and then fine-tune the four component sound parts to craft anything from pristine-sounding acoustic instruments to complex synthesized soundscapes or loop-driven techno tracks. Built for songwriters, film composers, DJs, electronic musicians, music producers, and sound designers, Xpand! is a sonic powerhouse that will become an indispensable component of any Pro Tools environment.

Alesis announced forthcoming audio/MIDI firewire interfaces, the iO|14 and iO|26 (pity for us, what a name!). Both interfaces have:
- DICEII FireWire chips for state of the art technology, dual ports to help cascading connectivity.
- Power thru Firewire or an AC adapter.
- One MIDI in/out interface.
- Stereo 24-bit S/PDIF connector.
- Switchable high impedance input on channels 1 and 2 for recording guitars and basses - All I/O is balanced / 24-bit—with support for 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, and 192 kHz sample rates.
- Five-segment signal/clip LED ladders on each input.
- Two headphone outputs with individual level control.

Dave Smith will release hopefully in April a mono version of the Evolver Keyboard. It's a small one voiced (hence the mono…), 37 keys keyboard, and as all the Evolver family, it can be linked with its little fellows to add voices. The PolyEvolver Keyboard was luxurious and drool-worthy, this one is the version me, myself, and I was longing for!

Expected price $1,199

Roland launches news synths, two have some old time rememberence attached to their name and one is a supposedly new thing. Prices are TBA.

- The SH-201 takes its name from its analogue ancestors, but is not analogue at all. It's all analogue modelling (so a decent virtual analogue if the Roland guys learned from Alesis, Clavia or Access as I hope), easy to live digital synth. The layout is qualified of Ultra-EZ (clear is a shorter word) and it packs a D-Beam in along the 49 keys keyboard. It has an audio In to treat audio inside, and a USB port as you can edit and record the audio directly in your Mac using a simple VSTi editor, nice touch.

- The Juno-G follows the Juno-D, steal the look of the famous Juno-106, but is packing a derivative of the sound engine of the Fant ...

Wanna see the NAMM '06 show ? Our MacMusic collaborator is in Anaheim and can't stop flashing his camera at booths at unawares. Let's see what's up in the gear department in 2006!

Ableton today announced the imminent release of Live 5.2 and the release of Live 6 in Q3. Both releases leverage new processor technologies to provide Live users with significant gains in audio performance (such as the capacity to simultaneously run more tracks, virtual instruments, and effects). Live 5.2 brings native support for Apple's new Intel-Macs. Live 5.2 will be in beta as soon as the new Intel Core Duo equipped MacBook Pro is available and is expected to be released in February. Early MacBook Pro buyers will be able to run Live immediately and enjoy substantially higher audio performance than on today's fastest Mac notebook. Live 6, scheduled for release in Q3, will bring—among other features yet to be disclosed—support for multicore/multiprocessor architectures.

Live 5.2 for Mac-Intel will be available for 49 USD/39 EUR.

Steinberg today announced its commitment to developing its audio software products such as Cubase and Nuendo for the latest generation of Intel-based Macintosh computers. Steinberg has already engineered test versions of its Cubase and Nuendo host applications for the new platform ahead of a future commercial release for the
Mac/Intel versions.

Roland corporation announces the support for new Intel-based Macintosh computers. New Roland drivers are now on the test phase and will be available very soon. Please note that FireWire drivers for Edirol FA-66 and FA-101 are already compatible with new iMacs and Mac Book Pro.

Future Retro, of 777 analogue groovebox fame, launch a 3U rack: the XS. It's a semi-modular analogue monosynth. As all semi-modulars it's prepatched so can be used a your regular growling box, but bring the cables and patch it and you can explore further or even expand an existing system. It's a CV/gate V/Oct standard synth so it will work with MIDI2CV interfaces or analogue sequencers like a good boy (Is he one? Given Future Retro, I expect a box making some big noise ;)

Digidesign will ship very soon Synchro Arts VocALign PRO, a new and powerful version of the VocALign automatic audio alignment tool. VocALign PRO provides audio, post production, and multimedia professionals the greatest flexibility and power to quickly complete audio alignment tasks — automatically, within the Pro Tools environment as an AudioSuite plug-in or as a stand-alone application. VocALign automatically stretches or compresses one audio signal to match the timing patterns of another. It features :

Developed by the Digidesign Advanced Instrument Research group, Hybrid is a high-definition software synthesizer for Pro Tools systems that combines the warmth of legendary analog synths with a full range of twenty-first century digital capabilities.

The red sweden synths maker Clavia announced the Nord Stage 76, a 76 medium weighted keys version of their synth/piano instrument in a smaller form than the 88 flagship. Price TBA. Along this new Stage of affairs… Clavia gave hints of the forthcoming Stage OS 2.0:

Arturia presents you with a perfect hybrid of two synthesizers that changed the face of music during the 70's and 80's. The warmth of the Prophet 5, one first programmable polyphonic analogue synthesizer, meets the digital features of the Prophet VS in a new unison called the Prophet V. This new vurtual synth by Arturia is loaded with more than 400 presets, and can be used as stand-alone software or as virtual instrument.

Prophet V will cost $249.

Steinberg released SDK for a new version of its Virtual Studio Technology interface standard. The latest 2.4 version of the popular plug-in standard offers new features for developers of audio applications and plug-ins, including full support for 64-bit audio, double precision floating point capability and complete compatibility with the newest Intel-based Apple Macintosh computers.

The VST 2.4 SDK is available now as a download from www.steinberg.net.

Steinberg today presented the new version of its Virtual Guitarist software product at the Winter NAMM show in Anaheim, California. Offering a full 6.8 GB of authentic, editable riffs, parts and licks in 88 musical styles, offering a staggering total of nearly 1100 different parts across 88 styles including pop, rock, metal, reggae and country to name but a few. Virtual Guitarist 2 offers a complete computer-based instrument that creates realistic electric and acoustic rhythm guitar parts from scratch. The new Part Editor allows full editing control over every single Virtual Guitarist 2 phrase. Each chord is broken up into slices, which the user can manipulate as desired.

Guitarist 2 is shipping February 2006 for Mac OSX for 239 euros. Existing Virtual
Guitarist or Virtual guitarist Electric Edition customers can update to the new
Virtual Guitarist 2 version for 79 euros.

There is a full package of news releases from our friends from IK Multimedia for this Winter NAMM 2006. IK announces that AmpliTube 2, unveiled at AES, will ship in February. AmpliTube 2.0 adds a completely redesigned interface and enhanced DSP engine, 5 separate modules, the ability to build your own custom Amp with more than 20,000 possible amp combinations, 21 stomp effects, 11 rack effects, 2 simultaneous guitar-rigs, more flexible routing, and advanced preset management.

AmpliTube 2.0 will cost $399.

Cakewalk has announced the release of Rapture, a new wavetable synthesizer designed to produce pop, dance and electronic sounds. Rapture combines an advanced modulation system with an non-aliasing wavetable resampling engine. It features 40 Envelope Generators, LFOs, and Step Generators per patch, and comes with more than 500 programs including Basses, Leads, Pads, Arpeggios, Textures, Electronic Percussion and Sequences.

Rapture will be available in February (AU, RTAS, VST) for $199.

Clavia released the V. 1.40 of the editor of his G2 synthesizer family. It's packed with: another color scheme possible for coloured impaired persons, a Patch Adjuster which is changing parameters in a patch at a global level, a Patch Mutator which is using interactive evolution to alter settings. Now when you drag a patch cord near the window edge, scrolling will occur, and the "z" key will display the last played note.

In the killed bugs list you find:
- tool tip text in OscMaster course parameter corrected
- Patch Level display in the synth and the editor are the same now.
- G2 stand safe from some modules crowded patches.
- Patches with more than 255 cable segments possible.
- Save As now suggest the entire filename and not only the valid 16 chars.
- Gain in FltStatic when cha ...

If you're involved in sound for film-video and Pro Tools LE user, this new DV Toolkit 2 is right for you ! DV Toolkit 2 will include three plug-ins TL Space Native Edition convolution reverb, DINR LE noise reduction tool, and Synchro Arts VocALign Project. This pack will also contain DigiBase Pro file management tool, DigiTranslator 2.0 option, and Pro Tools mp3 export option. DV Toolkit 2 allows users to expand their Pro Tools sessions to up to 48 mono/stereo tracks (up to 96 kHz) and adds several functions, such as : Time code and feet frames functions, export session text, scrub trim tools, continuous scrolling and more...The upgade to Pro Tools 7.1 will be included in this pack.

DV Toolkit 2 will be available soon for $1,295

IK Multimedia announces from Winter NAMM collaboration with Presonus to provide bundled packages of IK Amplitube LE software with all audio recording interfaces distributed by Presonus. IK Multimedia also announces a partnership with Yamaha corporation : IK multimedia plugins (SampleTank SE, AmpliTube LE, T-Racks EQ) will be included with a selection of Yamaha musical audio products (Yamaha USB mixers and FireWire interfaces).

Digidesign will unveil at Winter NAMM its new "Music Production Toolkit" dedicated to Pro Tools LE and Pro Tools M-Powered users. This new tool-package features :

- increased track count (48 mono or stereo tracks up to 96 kHz) !!
- mp3 export option;
- 5 plugins : Hybrid, TL Space Native Edition, Smack! LE, SoundReplace and DINR LE;
- multi-track version of Beat Detective;
- included Pro Tools 7.1 software upgrade.

Digidesign Music Production Toolkit will be soon available for $495. A special offer will be announced soon for recent Pro Tools 7 buyers.

MakeMusic announced that its famous music notation software Finale will support new Apple Intel-based Mac computers. The next version of Finale will be available as a Universal Binary version, running natively on both PowerPC and Intel-based Macs.

There is no release date of this upcoming binary version.

URS announces Everything EQ Bundle v5.0. The upgraded URS EQ Bundle features two new EQ plug-ins and sonic enhancements for TDM users to the eight existing EQ's. The two new seven band fully parametric equalizer plug-ins are the A-MIX and the N-MIX. The Everything EQ Bundle v5.0 upgrade is free for all registered Everything EQ Bundle v4.0 owners. On the other hand, URS also updated Classic Console EQ Bundle to version 2.0 which now includes four plug-ins: URS A series EQ and URS N series EQ and the new URS A MIX EQ and URS N MIX EQ. Previous URS Classic Console EQ Bundle owners of the A series and N series can also upgrade to the URS Classic Console EQ Bundle v2.0 and receive the URS A-MIX and URS N-MIX EQ's for free.

The Everything Bundle v5.0 TDM version lists for $2299.99 and includes TDM, RTAS, and Audio Units and VST versions. The Everything Bundle v5.0 Native version lists for $1149.99 and includes RTAS and Audio Units and VST versions.

IK Multimedia introduces for the NAMM show 2006 the StealthPlug powered by AmpliTube, a cable-like USB audio card designed specifically for guitarists. StealthPlug provides an easy-to-use solution to plug any guitar into a computer and comes bundled with AmpliTube Live and AmpliTube LE. The StealthPlug is an in-line guitar cable that serves as a USB audio interface with 1/4" jack on one side and USB on the other side. It also includes a mini-jack stereo output, an indication LED, and volume buttons, low latency ASIO and CoreAudio drivers.

IK StealthPlug will be available in the summer of 2006.

Digidesign, Apple, Native Instruments, Ableton, Steinberg and 1,400 other exhibitors! They have come, they are all present for this new edition of the Winter Namm Show that is about to open in a few hours now in Anheim, California. As usual, it's just the perfect opportunity to come and meet the very numerous musical equipment manufacturers but also to attend the numerous shows (training courses, concerts, demonstrations) organized by the National Association of Music Manufacturers.

The whole MacMusic team is on the starting blocks to get you informed about the latest news in this "Winter NAMM special report", and in the MacMusic Daily News Section. Enjoy the NAMM, either on the spot or on the web !

UPDATE: 80 more photos in our NAMM Galery!

At NAMM, Apogee unveiled Ensemble, a multi-channel digital audio interface designed specifically for use with Apple Macintosh computers. Ensemble is the first and only multi-channel audio interface to be controllable natively within Apple's Logic Pro software, creating a complete, fully integrated professional hardware and software system for audio production on a Mac.

Ensemble Features 36 channels of simultaneous audio, including 8 channels of Apogee's legendary A/D and D/A conversion, 4 transparent, digitally controlled 75db mic preamps, 8 channels of ADAT I/O, 2 channels of S/PDIF coax and optical I/O, and FireWire connectivity to and from the computer as standard. Ensemble also includes such Apogee's features as "SoftLimit", "UV22HR", and "Intelliclock". These technologies combined ...