Mac and Music News

Allen & Heath has announced the Xone:S2, a new installation DJ mixer for use in clubs and bars, and by professional mobile DJs. It is a 19" rack-mounted 4U mixer, available with either linear or rotary VCA channel faders, and features 4 stereo dual-input channels, 2 mono mic/stereo line channels, a USB audio interface, and boasts many features to both enhance the DJ's performance and aid the installer.

The Xone:S2 will be shipping in March 2007, with an approximate SRP of £900 (ex VAT). For more information please visit their web site.

MXL Microphones has announced the introduction of the MXL USB.007 stereo mic for direct to computer recording on a PC or Mac. The mic uses dual gold diaphragm capsules in a XY pattern together with low noise electronics and the latest in enhanced digital conversion techniques for "pristine audio quality".

The MXL USB.007 ships with a carry bag, a desktop mic stand, mic stand adaptor, a 10-foot USB cable, wind screen, owners manual and an applications guide. What about the price ? ...$199 ! Note that a demo recording of MXL USB.007 will be available at the NAMM show (Booth 6498) and will be available for downloading from the MXL USB website.

As you can see this is the NAMM time ! Digidesign, Apple, Arturia, Ableton, Korg, etc... 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.

And don't worry if you can't go there, 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. So, as Sgt Pepper said, hope you will enjoy the Show !

Garritan has announced the Gofriller Solo Cello, a Kontakt Player 2 based virtual instrument created by the Italian team of Giorgio Tommasini and Stefano Lucato in collaboration with Gary Garritan. It expands the company's solo instrument series following the release of the Stradivari Solo Violin.

Gofriller Solo Cello is available as a VST, RTAS or Audio Units plug-in and also as a standalone instrument, it is priced at $199 and will be available shortly after the NAMM show. Audio demos are available now.

IK Multimedia has announced the AmpliTube 2 StompIO, a new USB floor controller and audio interface for the AmpliTube 2, guitar and FX modeling software.

Features :

- Controls:
* 4 digit large LED display
* 40×2 character large alphanumeric backlit display
* Volume knob
* 3 LED levels
* 4 navigation buttons
* Instant Tuner recall button
* 6 knobs with rotary encoders
* 10 floor switches
* Ability to connect 6 external controllers, with pedal/switch connections

- Connections:
* Ultra-low latency USB
* High Quality Direct Guitar IN
* Direct OUT
* Low-level STEREO OUT
* Balanced STEREO OUT
* Digital SPDIF OUT
* Headphones OUT
* MIDI IN/OUT
* 6 external controller, pedal/switch

- Audio:
* 24 bit A/D- D/A with High end stages
* 44.1 or 48 ...

Universal Audio today announced the UAD-Xpander, an ExpressCard DSP system for laptops. The UAD-Xpander will be offered in 3 versions: the UAD-Xpander Xpress (Estimated street price $999 including a UAD$500 voucher), the UAD-Xpander Xpert (Estimated street price $1399 including a UAD$1000 voucher), and the UAD-Xpander Xtreme (Estimated street price $2199 including all UAD plug-ins to v4.5 - almost $3000 value). The UAD-Xpander Xtreme will uniquely feature a highly polished chassis with custom Xpander logo. All UAD-Xpander's are expected to ship Q1 2007.

Key features :

- 44.1-192k Mac/PC DSP Audio Accelerator for laptops
- Noiseless, Fanless, Alumi-Cool chassis design
- Ultra-fast (2.5Gbps) ExpressCard 34 interface
- Includes 14 Powered Plug-ins & UAD$ voucher
- Travel-Case with compartments for all components
- Optional UAD-Xtenda kit with PCIe desktop adapter

Winter NAMM 2007 sees the unveiling of Focusrite's fourth Saffire solution, Saffire PRO 10 i/o. Featuring the same preamps, converters and monitoring control software as its larger sibling, Saffire PRO 10 i/o can allow for larger recording solutions via the option to aggregate multiple units, all controlled via the same control platform.

Main features :

- 8 channels of pre-amplification (derivative of the Green Series)
- high pass filters on every channel
- two channels with DI
- 8 balanced line outputs
- SPDIF i/o
- MIDI I/O
- two independent headphones outputs with volume control
- bus-powered or powered via an external PSU, the unit has also been designed to take full advantage of the external PSU and to maximize performance when powered in this way.
- Saffire ...

Origin is the first Arturia Hardware synthesizer. Loaded with modules extracted from the best synthesizers of all time (Moog Modular, ARP 2600, CS-80, minimoog and Prophet VS) Origin lets you combine these modules and benefit from the additional possibilities put onboard. The result: a new type of sound accessible through an extremely intuitive interface.

MAIN FEATURES:

- More than 500 presets created by talented musicians and synthesizer specialists
- Up to 32 voices of polyphony for a typical patch
- Create your own patch or use an existing audio structures: an Origin patch made by connecting independent modules, or the minimoog V, the ARP 2600, the CS-80, the Moog Modular.
- Superb audio quality with TAE® engine. 24 bits/96 kHz supported.
- Origin lets you open dedicated ...

One more ! Arturia has announced the Jupiter-8V which is a virtual synth based on the famous Roland Jupiter 8... but it also offers modern features such as an advanced step sequencer, a new line of dynamic effects or a module combining LFO's (called Galaxy).

Main Features :

- More than 400 high quality and innovative sounding presets
- Up to 32 voices of polyphony, and a Unison mode
- A unique audio structure featuring 2 oscillators per voice (16 oscillators in total), 2 LFO's, 2 filters and 2 envelopes.
- Keyboard split and layer
- A set of Analog Sounding Effects: Dual Delay, Phaser, Flanger, all three being largely modulable by any audio source in the synth.
- 2 digital effects, X and Y.
- Additional Live-oriented Step-sequencer, additional Galaxy module for advanced modulations
- Set to Control with your external MIDI keyboard in just a few clicks.
- Full compatibility with major formats and hosts on Mac OS X and Windows XP (VST, AU, RTAS)

Synthax Audio AG is shipping RME's ADI-8 QS, a new highly flexible and fully featured 8-channel AD/DA converter.

Features Overview :

- 8-channel AD converter, fully symmetrical design, 120 dBA S/N
- 8-channel DA converter, double balanced output, 120 dBA DA
- Low latency conversion: only 8 samples of delay!
- 2 ADAT optical inputs, 24 bit, with Bitclock PLL, up to 192 kHz
- 2 ADAT optical outputs, 24 bit, fully compatible, up to 192 kHz
- 8 AES/EBU I/Os, full channel count up to 192 kHz, 24 bit, connected via D-sub
- 8-channel Digital Input Trim over a range of 6 dB
- Full remote controllability via MIDI and MIDI via MADI
- All settings are stored permanently
- Included Remote Control for store/recall of presets, volume and dim
- I64 Option slot

The ADI-8 QS ...

PSP Audioware has just updated their equalizer plug-in PSP MasterQ to version 1.5.0, this new version is Mac Intel compatible and is available for Mac OSX in AU, VST and RTAS formats. "Due to the large amount of work required for porting the plug-in to Universal Binary", PSP is charging Mac OSX users a small maintenance fee of USD 19.00.

For more information visit their web site.

Modartt has updated Pianoteq to v1.0.4, launched a Group Buy and announced a forthcoming major upgrade. The Group Buy will begin on January 19th and end on February 11th with €179 the lowest price achievable (MSRP is €249). The number of participants is limited to 100. When this number is reached, the group buy offer will end. The new version, which is in development, will introduce an improved soundboard model, a brand new piano preset and more. The upgrade is due out in March and will be free to all customers.

Version 1.0.4 is out now and includes the following changes:

* Many small bug fixes.
* MIDI controllers pre-assigned to the various sliders of the interface.
* Handle program-change MIDI messages (VST only).

The Sound Guy has released version 1.1 of SFX Machine Pro.

Changes:

* Added an extra programmable slider to the main screen.
* Provided separate Wet Mix and Dry Mix controls for most presets.
* Added 3 new presets: Mono Unlike Stereo, EnvFol->Pitch Shift, and Feedback Eliminator.
* Set latency value correctly.
* Fixed invisible parameter numbers in the Preset Editor (VST version).
* Added additional VST 2.4 support.
* Fixed potential crash bugs.
* Fixed a bug which caused the preset Editor controls to superimpose over the main screen.

Overloud has announced Breverb, a hi-end algorithmic reverberation plug-in that aims to faithfully recreate the sound of revered hardware reverbs while keeping CPU load very low. Breverb's no frills hardware-like user interface gives you immediate control over all of the parameters, allowing you to dynamically map parameters to six assignable controllers and to store, recall and automate presets in any way you want.

Main Features:

* 4 main Algorithms: Hall, Room, Plate and Inverse.
* Modeled after the most sought-after hardware units.
* Each Algorithm is engineered with no compromises in order to achieve maximum quality.
* Full EQ section to tailor Breverb frequency response.
* Extended Nonlinear section to forge reverberation shape.
* "Motion" controls to add liveness and ...

PSP Audioware has just released the successor of the famous PSP VintageWarmer. The new PSP VintageWarmer2 adds the following features :

- FAT (Frequency Authentication Technique) - PSP's quality double-sampled processing
- Disengageable brick-wall limiting
- Two Release Multiplier ranges for fast or relaxed processing
- Semi-automated release mode
- Extended band saturation levels and band release multipliers for MultiBand mode
- 64-bit host<>plug-in audio streaming support in VST version
- Platform-independent preset management system

PSP VintageWarmer2 is available for Mac OSX (UB) in VST, AU and RTAS formats at a retail price of $149. The owners of the PSP VintageWarmer can get the new plug-in at discounted price of USD 49.00. As previously promised, all users who bou ...

RME/Synthax Audio AG today announced their first recording solutions for the new PCI-Express bus found in current Apple OS and Windows based desktop computers. The HDSPe PCI Card and the HDSPe MADI card are newly engineered PCI-Express versions of their PCI successors. Still based on RME's famous Hammerfall DSP series features and quality the new PCI-Express core ensures full compatibility and maximum performance with the latest high-speed serial bus technology found in all newer motherboards and computers. Furthermore RME's FPGA core ensures full update capability via RME's Secure Flash technology, for further hardware and driver updates. Both cards come with drivers for Windows XP (multi-client operation of MME, GSIF and ASIO 2.0) and brandnew Windows Vista drivers. Apple users are perfe ...

Moog Music will showcase the newest addition to the Moogerfooger line of analog effects at NAMM at the end of the week. The MF-107 FreqBox does not actually modify the audio input signal. Inside the FreqBox is a Voltage Controlled Oscillator (VCO) which is modulated by the sound source input—an Audio Modulated VCO! The result is an amazing array of effects that were once only possible with a complex modular synth setup—everything from fuzz-like distortion to what product development engineer Steve Dunnington calls "cataclysmic timbral morphing" ...

Here are some specs:

- Accepts instrument level and line level inputs
- Frequency and waveform controls in the VCO section
- VCO can be frequency modulated by the audio signal
- Envelope follower and mix controls for even greater sonic enhancement
- Housed in the super-durable, classic Moogerfooger enclosure

In addition to the full range of SM Pro Audio products, the Nano Patch passive volume control will be showcased at NAMM 2007. Featuring balanced combo XLR/TRS input jacks and TRS outputs, mute switch, and a good sized rotary volume encoder, the Nano Patch is designed to allow precise level adjustments to analog audio source material. As reducing levels from your software only reduces the audio bit depth, it is much more appropriate to keep your software masters at unity and attenuate the audio to your active monitors with a passive controller like the Nano Patch. This way you can maintain maximum audio resolution and attenuate your monitoring volume with the confidence that the sonic integrity of your audio is not compromised.

For more information, visit SM Pro Audio's web site.