Mac and Music News

Sibelius has just released Sibelius First which is kind of a light version of Sibelius, the famous music notation software.

Features :

- Friendly user interface
- Includes composing & arranging tools for up to 12 staves of music
- Scan in sheet music or open PDF files easily
- Create instrumental parts that automatically sync up with your score
- Switch from guitar tab to notation and back again with ease
- Change the key of your score with one click
- Hear what your score will sound like with playback using 128 sampled instruments
- Print professional-quality full scores or individual parts at the touch of a button
- Export an audio file of your score to burn a CD
- FREE Sibelius Scorch technology lets you post and share scores on the web for others to see and hear your music

Sibelius First is available now for both Mac OS X and Windows at a price of $129.

Akai Professional also announces that the MPC 5000 is available for purchase. The MPC series has set the global standard for producers making beats. The new MPC 5000 is the result of dozens of engineers, 20 years of experience and a new synth and drum sampling engine unlike any MPC.

Key Features :

- 64-voice drum/phrase sampler with 64MB memory built-in. Expandable up to 192MB RAM
- Three-oscillator virtual analog synth engine with built-in arpeggiator
- Over 300 Virtual Analog synth presets included
- Eight tracks of Direct-to-Hard Disk recording
- Over 40 all new effects available within a modular 4-bus effects processor
- Master compressor and equalizer
- 960 ppq resolution
- Built-in hard disk drive
- Optional CD-R/DVD drive
- USB 2.0 port for computer connectivity
- ...

Akai Professional announces that the MPD32 pad controller is now shipping.

Using a USB cable to connect to a Mac or PC, the MPD32 features the MPC Note Repeat with swing and gate time parameters. It can also work as a master clock for MIDI sequencers, includes transport functions and is fully programmable. It includes sixteen velocity and pressure-sensitive MPC pads, eight assignable faders, eight assignable switches and eight assignable infinite knobs. Three selectable control banks extend the number of available faders, buttons and knobs to 24 each (72 total controllers). Four pad banks allow for 64 total pads.

The MPD32 is available now at a sugested price of $499.

Soundcraft will be demonstrating the FX 16ii and MFX Series mixing consoles at InfoComm '08. The FX 16ii is a 19" rack-mountable mixer with a total of 26-inputs and integrated Lexicon FX processor while the MFX series is available in 8+2, 12+2 and 20+2 channel/frame sizes and once again the addition of a Lexicon FX processor.

For more information, please visit their web site.

Crysonic today announced the release of SINDO v2, a hybrid stereo image expander (widener) / Narrower with new features offering a high level of mono compatibility with minimal side effects.

Features :

• PC and Mac Compatible (Mac OS Universal Binary AU,VST and PC VST Native)
• Greatly Improved Audio Quality
• Cross-Over Selection and Adjustment to bias Stereo Separation
• Targetable Rotations Per Frequency Range Without Altering Mix Level balance
• True Global 'Pan' Without Altering Mix Level balance
• Phase-compensated ' Shufflers ' for Low and Hi Stereo enhacement
• Three Modes of operation to suit all Audio material
• Individual Hi and Low Gain trim adjustments
• Double click to set each control to default value
• Press Ctrl for finer Adjustment
• Hybrid M / S Stereo image expander and narrower
• Minimum ' Phasiness'
• Retaining the tonal character of original audio
• Full automation for all parameters via the host
• Very Low CPU usage
• 64-bit internal precision

SINDO v2 is available now at a price of $59.95.

Arturia announces for the summer a promotional offer intended at synthesis lovers. For any Arturia software instrument purchased (which includes Moog Modular V, Minimoog V, CS-80V, ARP2600 V, Prophet-V, Jupiter-8V, BRASS and Analog Factory 2.0), customers will be offered another software instrument for free.

The choice for free product is to be done among the following instruments :

- Jupiter-8V
- Prophet V
- Analog Factory 2.0
- BRASS

This offer lasts from July 1st until August 31st 2008. For more information, please visit their web site.

On popular demand, starting on July 1 and ending on July 31, Modartt will offer a summer group buy for Pianoteq with prices ranging from 179 € to 229 € (ordinary price is 249 €). If interested in participating, please note that the number of participants is limited to 100. When this number is reached, the group buy offer expires.

For more information, please visit the link below :

After its announcement at the latest Winter NAMM, Eastwest has finally announced that EastWest/Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra "Play" Editions will start shipping July 15th, 2008.

Play-Powered Quantum Leap Platinum Plus carries an MSRP of $1,295, Platinum $1,195, Gold $695 and Silver $295.

Special upgrade pricing is available to registered users of the previous Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra versions on the company's website until June 30, 2008.

Modartt has just released a new add-on for Pianoteq called Grimaldi.

This is a physically modelled virtual copy of a harpsichord by Carlo Grimaldi dating from 1697, copied by Andrew Wooderson (Bexley, 2007). Typical of a short-scaled Italian instrument it has a crispness of attack and transparency of tone that makes it ideal for continuo use, and is also well suited to 17th and 18th Century Italian and German solo repertoire. Its two registers can be played separately or combined together.

The Grimaldi harpsichord is part of the KIViR project with the aim to create virtual copies of historical keyboard instruments. It is freely available to all Pianoteq customers as an add-on instrument on the Modartt website.

The high power New York Brass section that has played on countless movies, productions and albums around the globe including Ray Charles, Queen Latifah , Frank Sinatra and Blood Sweat and Tears has started a new live brass internet service. A musician or producer can now have one of the most versatile, dynamic live brass sections on his production regardless of his location on the globe.

Their system makes the whole process extremely simple. The producer sends a mp3 or other audio file to NewYorkBrass.com and receives a price estimate for the tracks. After agreeing on price, format, number of players, and arrangement, the music is then recorded and the producer receives the files in high quality wave/aiff format. The Turnaround time is days. Current prices range from $85 to $450 a song depending on complexity and number of musicians present with an average song costing around the $170-$200 mark. Note that NewYorkBrass.com accepts PayPal.

Other than brass, NewYorkBrass.com can also help set up live string sessions over the internet. As a service to the community the NewYorkBrass.com website offers advice and tips, and features free downloadable samples that can be dropped into existing projects. These samples were extracted from real projects.

Ueberschall has announced the release of LoungeOramA, its latest Elastik Player-based sample library.

LoungeOramA features 1.7 GB / 880 loops and samples in 20 all new easy-going construction kit mix foundations made exclusively for Ueberschall's advanced 'Nouvelle' series. Each mix, backing and drum bed in a kit are over a full minute in length. All source material loops and samples used to make the full mix are included. Outro / Intros, Verses and Chorus provide the framework of all kits.

LoungeORama provides lush samples with a huge variety of Rhodes licks, vintage analog synthesizers and drum machines, live-recorded basslines, guitars and percussion, atmospheres and fx. Separate drumloops (bassdrum, snare, hi-hat loops) and tons of single sounds are also included.

LoungeOramA is available now with an MSRP of $119 / €99 / 17.800 / £69.

API has established a brand new line of analog signal processing products, Arsenal Audio.

Arsenal Audio will launch at Summer NAMM in Nashville with an initial offering of three new products, the R20 two-channel mic pre and the R24 two-channel four-band EQ, plus the V14 four-band VPR 500 format equalizer.

The Arsenal R20 ($1195) is a meticulously detailed and solidly constructed dual-channel microphone preamplifier. It features low-noise, high-quality inputs for both mic and instrument in a rack-mount chassis with internal power supply. Each channel includes rotary gain control plus individual toggle switches for phantom power, phase, pad and mic/instrument input selection.

The Arsenal R24 ($1195) features two identical channels of equalization modeled after the classic APSI model 562. The R24 is rack-mounted with internal power supply and delivers an affordable combination of rugged construction and solid performance. Individual continuously variable control knobs allow for separate adjustment of frequency and gain. All four bands are peak/dipping parametric design with 12dB of boost/cut per band. EQ in/out is controlled by classic toggle switches. The Arsenal R24 includes a custom transformer-balanced output with extended headroom of +23dB.

The Arsenal V14 ($695) is an extremely high-quality four-band equalizer modeled after the classic APSI model 562 EQ, and is designed for the popular API VPR 500 series rack format. Controls include dual concentric pots providing continuously variable adjustment of frequency and gain, plus an EQ in/out switch. All four bands offer peak/dipping parametric configuration with 12dB of boost/cut per band. The Arsenal V14 includes a custom transformer-balanced output with extended headroom of +24dB.

Vir2 has just released BASiS, a new virtual instrument dedicated to the "low end".

Featuring a comprehensively sampled collection of electric, upright, fretless, and synth basses, BASiS includes more than 7 gigabytes of the most diverse collection of basses available in the world of virtual instruments: classics like the Jazz Bass, P-Bass, Rickenbacker, and Musicman basses are presented alongside personality and genre tributes such as a classic Motown bass, a gospel bass, Jaco's Fretless, and Macca's Hofner. One upright bass and three slap basses are also included. In the synth bass category, more than a hundred patches are provided, ranging from thumping vintage synth basses to techno basses and esoteric fresh creations to spice up your tracks.

All electric basses have been sampled from both the direct input (DI) and an amped perspective. A knob on the interface allows phase-aligned blending of the two, or the selection of one or the other. For the upright bass, the same knob allows mixing of the direct input and a phase-aligned tube mic output capture of the same sessions. Other onscreen controls allow pitch bend range adjustment, pick noise and fret noise controls, release layer controls, adjustable velocity curve, and instant and detailed control over EQ. A comprehensive selection of effects is included, including an octaver, compression, saturation, lo-fi, distortion, limiter, phaser, flanger, chorus, reverb, and delay.

Performance features include a legato tool and a customizable vibrato engine with control over vibrato types, speeds, and depths. Rather than opting for traditional LFO-based vibrato, BASiS uses a sophisticated character vibrato modeled after real bass players, completely controllable from the keyboard and onscreen interface. Randomized pick noises, release samples, and fret noises add to the realism of each instrument.

Powered by the Kontakt Player 2 engine, BASiS is available now for Mac OS X and Windows in VST, AU, RTAS and Standalone versions for a fee of $299.95.