Summary: Prosoniq has updated OrangeVocoder AudioUnit Anniversary Edition to v3.2.3 and morph AudioUnit to v1.2.3. These updates improve general stability of the products and fix several issues with presets and “resource not found” problems under Mac OS X 10.5.6.
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Summary: Loomer has announced the release of three new plug-ins for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux in VST, AU and Stand-alone formats: Aspect , a polyphonic synth, Resound , a delay / echo and Manifold , a harmonizer.
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Summary: Synapse Audio has updated Orion to v7.62. New features and enhancements: Tremolo effect added under FX/Dynamics
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Summary: Softube has updated the Mac OS X RTAS versions of Acoustic Feedback to v1.0.5, Acoustic Feedback - White Amp to v1.0.4, Metal Amp Room to v1.1.2, Spring Reverb to v1.0.3, Tube Delay to v1.0.2 and Vintage Amp Room to v1.0.13. The Mac TDM versions of Acoustic Feedback Deluxe and Vintage Amp Room have also been updated
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Summary: Universal Audio recently announced the release of UAD Software version 5.2 for the UAD platform, which enables the UAD-2 DSP card to be used with Digidesign Pro Tools systems via FXpansion’s RTAS Adapter .
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Summary: Companion Engineering & Design has updated Intuem to v4.0.4u. This new version of Intuem fixes problems with the activation process in Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) and adds a new feature: You can now choose to have Intuem respond to MIDI when Intuem is not the front most application.
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Summary: Image Line Software has announced that Edison has matured into a fully featured sample editing and recording tool and is now available as a VST plug-in and a new standalone version (in addition to the native FL Studio plug-in format).
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Summary: Fretted Synth Audio has released SafFron , a new, free, sample-based, audio-triggered synth for Windows that uses SoundFonts as its sample source. Features: Audio Tracking Section : Sets how your instrument will make the synth respond (for guitar use your neck pickup).
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Summary: PG Music has updated Band-in-a-Box Version 2009 to Build 282 (BETA). Summary of Changes for Build 282: Fixed: BarVolume data and some other settings weren’t saving if Melody or Soloist track was a RealChart.
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Summary: Iced Audio has updated AudioFinder to v4.8.2. Changes: Added the ability to set custom icons and colors to Sidebar folder items and items inside Sidebar folders
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Summary: Variety Of Sound has released epicVerb , a free reverb VST effect plug-in for Windows that aims at both tight small room and ambience effect simulation, well suited to modern drum and vocal productions, up to large “epic” halls as found in high quality outboard gear. This reverb’s sound ranges from rather concrete or even edgy up to smooth, transparent and artifact free reverb tails
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Summary: Manifold Manifold is a harmonizer audio effect that works by splitting an input signal into as many as 20 individual voices, each of which are detuned and scattered around the stereo panorama.
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Summary: Sound Devices announces that its CL-8 Controller, a mixing control surface companion to the company’s new 788T digital 8-track recorder is now shipping.
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Summary: iZotope, Inc., a leading developer of tools for musicians and audio professionals, has licensed several audio technologies to Sony for their recent release of ACID Pro 7 Digital Audio Workstation. The ACID Pro Effects Rack bundle includes Flanger, Phaser, Analog Delay, and Dynamics effects powered by iZotope DSP technology.
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Summary: Hit Talk, a ModernBeats website, just released its new “Single Ladies” hit report.
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Summary: Bluezone Corporation is glad to announce their new generation of FX Packs. Electro FX was made especially for the electro scene which never stops growing in terms of quality
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Summary: Puremagnetik has expanded their Live Pack catalog with the addition of RackPak 2. Space modulators, time machines and lo-fi filter banks all await sonic experimentation in this advanced collection of sound processors for Ableton Live 7.
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Summary: Puremagnetik has expanded their Live Pack catalog with the addition of RackPak 2 .
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SAE Institute, provider of pro audio and multimedia education worldwide, is incorporating Euphonix MC Control and MC Mix media controllers into 25 SAE Institutes across four continents. Read more...
Harman Professional has announced the promotion of Bill Raimondi from Market Development Manager, Crown Audio to group-wide Director, Sales U.S. Distribution/Strategic accounts. Read more...
Symetrix is pleased to announce the return of Jim Latimer to the position of northern regional sales manager, returning after a two-year stint away from the company. . Read more...
At the recent Iceland Airwaves, Reykjavнk-based Exton provided effective and powerful sound reinforcement for five festival venues using self-powered systems from Meyer Sound. Read more...
Summary: Wave Studios in Amsterdam, a new-state-of-the-art commercial post production house, is featuring two Euphonix System 5-MC’s and one Euphonix MC Pro for controlling Nuendo digital audio workstations. Wave Amsterdam is the second purpose facility for business partners Warren Hamilton and Johnnie Burn, who have owned Wave London, a multiple award winning commercial sound design studio in Soho, since 1999
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Summary: ProMedia Training (PMT), which provides modern accelerated audio and multimedia training, has announced that it will offer a free upgrade to (Digidesign) Pro Tools v8 as part of its programs for students enrolling prior to January 31, 2009.
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The speculation surrounding Apple CEO Steve Jobs weightloss over recent months has been reaching fever pitch with claims of imminent death and the like circulating wildly. In a recent statement Jobs explains that a hormone imbalance has been robbing him of nutritional goodness and causing the loss. Doctors have now confirmed this and he is on the mend, due to be back on track by end of Spring 2009.
It’s amazing that any speculation on his health has triggered runs on the already volatile stock, with some spurious claims causing considerable value shifts of Apple shares.
Anyhow, probably the most amusing aspect of this whole business has to be the accompanying Google Ad Word ads for dieting and weightloss solutions of which there are legion. But the most effective way to lose weight is simple. Become CEO of Apple.
I don’t know about you, but I really enjoyed the Holiday break this year. Bright, crisp, still weather, no illness and a well behaved child, all meant that it was most relaxing.
Good thing it was, as the year starts with a bang - what with the NAMM show just around the corner on the 15th January. Our team will be dusting off their headphones and microphones to join me for the first Sonic TALK podcast of the year, this Wednesday at 4pm GMT. We record live with a flash chatroom available for your real-time comments and questions. Forgive me, I can never get the international times right so I made a special countdown clock which you can monitor on our LIVE pages to see when we’ll be starting.
Looking forward to seeing you there.
Nick Batt
Bluezone have been in touch to tell us that they are launching a new Pack called Tribal House. Here’s the details in their own words…
If you are looking for House and Tribal drumloops, this pack is made for you.
All of the loops are recorded in 136 bpm of high quality and are ready to be used. A mixture of slightly salty style and very refined sounds for those who enjoy this style.
The pack is in WAV and AIFF with 128 drumloops and 232 drums: filtered loops, twisted percussion and dirty drums, which received a very precise mastering, are available in this volume.
Technical Specifications: 722 files in 176 MB Data. Royalty-Free.
Pricing and Availability:
See website
More information:
TC Electronic and Blue Microphones have announced that TC Electronic is appointed as the exclusive European distributor for all products and accessories of Blue Microphones. Here’s all the details from their press release…
Since its inception in 1995, Blue has grown to become a top brand in the industry through its unmatched sonic quality, application specific designs and unparalleled aesthetic. TC Electronic is a leader in digital signal processing and a major player in other aspects of the digital audio technology world, such as digital amplification and networking.
“This is a great thing for musicians and studio engineers based in Europe,” says Peter Bager, VP of Marketing and Sales at TC Electronic. “Besides the focus on world-class products we share with Blue Microphones, we are now able to complete our mix and deliver products for the entire signal chain. We have always had industry-defining products for output, recording, mixing and effects. Now we add world-class input with microphones that are simply in a league of their own. Blue Microphones is the microphone company of today as their products are designed to enhance today’s digital recording environment by providing a detailed and complete application specific sonic signature while eclipsing a design aesthetic rarely seen in the microphone business–both aspects perfectly compliment our brand.”
Blue Microphones COO, Ty Schultz commented: “Blue Microphones and TC Electronic share a vision: providing world class products to artists and professionals whose careers depend upon the quality of their tools. We are excited about this agreement and about gaining traction in Europe. In addition to a line of legendary, industry defining products, TC employs a direct sales force of professional musicians and engineers throughout Europe and has the expertise and capability to accurately articulate Blue’s unique value proposition.”
The cooperation between TC Electronic and Blue Microphones encompasses all of Europe and the Russian federation. Further details of the transaction are undisclosed.
About Blue Microphones Blue Microphones is a leading manufacturer of high-end microphones for the professional audio and consumer markets. Blue has an award-winning line of studio microphones and accessories and is recognized as one of the top brands in the industry. Recently, Blue has launched a new line of products targeted at the consumer mass market, including a USB- microphone called the Snowball and a smaller, portable version called the Snowflake. For more information, please visit bluemic.com.
About TC Electronic
TC Electronic was founded in 1976 with the objective of developing, manufacturing and marketing first class audio products that provide lasting user value for audio professionals and musicians. Based in Risskov, Denmark, TC sell their products through a dedicated sales force in Europe, and through sales subsidiaries located in Los Angeles (for the North American markets), Beijing (China), and Tokyo (Japan). Independent distributors cover other markets.
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Discovery Pro Mac is a 12 oscillators Virtual Analog VSTi and Audio Units Synthesizer.
Key Features
Pricing and Availability:
See website
More information and demo:
The Sound Guy, Inc. has announced the release of SFX Machine Pro for RTAS. Here’s their press release…
SFX Machine, a flexible multi-effects and sound design tool, is now available in RTAS format for Digidesign’s Pro Tools systems. SFX Machine Pro for RTAS provides quick and easy access to hundreds of audio effects, from the conventional to the bizarre.
Key Features:
The SFX Machine family of plug-ins is a two-time winner of Electronic Musician’s Editor’s Choice Award. Streamlined for use in audio production environments, SFX Machine has been used for sound design for radio, TV, feature films, CDs and video games. In addition to providing an unparalleled collection of effects, all of which are easily modified, SFX Machine Pro for RTAS lets you create your own effects from scratch and also serves as a “Swiss Army knife” of audio utilities.
System Requirements:
Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later (Universal Binary) or Windows 2000/XP/Vista Digidesign Pro Tools and a PACE iLok key.
The Sound Guy, Inc. is a manufacturer of audio effects software, including Backwards Machine, ReSpatializer, ChatterBlocker, and the SFX Machine family of audio effects plug-ins.
Pricing and Availability:
$199.95
More information:
Equinox Sounds has released Hip Hop Foundations, a downloadable loop pack containing 17 Hip Hop construction kits.
The collection contains a total of 221 melodic and rhythmic loops and phrases featuring beats, basslines, synthlines, guitars, electric and acoustic pianos, strings, organs plus drum loops and their isolated parts (snares, kicks, hi-hats, toms, shakers, claps, bells, congas, clay drums and percussion)…. all presented in ACID / WAV format.
Pricing and Availability:
‘Hip Hop Foundations’ is currently available for $39.95 as a download.
More information:
Arturia has announced version 1.0.6 of the Origin firmware, a free update for all registered owners, featuring fixes and improvements in the following areas:
Pricing and Availability:
Free download
More information:
PreSonus has released new software drivers for its AudioBox USB 2×2 audio interface. The new drivers improve performance stability with the Windows Vista operating system and can be downloaded free at the Presonus website. Here’s all the details on the AudioBox in Presonus’ own words…
The PreSonus AudioBox USB is a USB bus-powered audio-recording interface featuring 2 microphone/instrument inputs with 48V phantom power, 2 balanced TRS outputs, and MIDI In and Out. It is compatible with Mac OS X 10.3.7 and later and with Windows XP and Vista and is bundled with Steinberg’s Cubase LE 4 48-track recording and production software, giving you everything needed to get started recording and producing your music.
PreSonus is famous for its Class A XMAX preamplifiers, which deliver high headroom, low noise, and high gain. The AudioBox USB sports two of these outstanding preamps, along with professional-grade, 24-bit, 44.1/48 kHz analog-to-digital converters with 102 dB dynamic range. The result is big, full, rich, quiet, and musical sound.
The AudioBox USB is built to travel. Weighing only five pounds, it is housed in a 5.5 (W) x 5.5 (H) x 1.75 inch (D), all-metal chassis with metal knobs, and easily withstands the rigors of travel. The unit is powered from the USB bus–no external power supplies or power cables. You can toss it in your laptop bag for travel and then plug it into the computer’s USB port when you’re ready to record. Done!
Pricing and Availability:
Drivers downloaded for free
More information:
Puremagnetik has released Modular Patterns which they describe as a grab bag of over 300 pure analog phrases and expressions recorded through a variety of boutique and legendary modular synthesizers. Here’s all the detais from their press release…
Modular Patterns includes a huge collection of thick basses, resonant leads and “analog data” phrases generated entirely within an analog modular system. Employing over 20 unique modules for sound generation and expression, each pattern has been meticulously assembled using 3 analog sequencers for a variety of nuanced phrasing and voice morphing.
Here’s a look at just some of the sound sources used in the production of Modular Patterns:
Customized for Ableton Live
Modular Patterns for Ableton Live includes over 300 Live Ready Clips complete with dynamic effect racks. Each phrase has been expertly tailored and categorized into Basses, Leads, Multivoice and Analog Data.
Customized for Kontakt and Logic
The Kontakt version of Modular Patterns includes six instant access menus of Leads, Basses, Multivoice and Analog Data. Each menu loads complete with a customized KSP GUI for easy effects editing and on-the-fly tweaking.
Apple Loops
Each raw phrase in Modular Patterns is available in Apple Loops format. Whether installing into Logic, GarageBand or another OSX based DAW, Modular Patterns will instantly load into the Apple Loops library.
System Requirements
Pricing and Availability:
See website
More information:
Luckily, this one is still online, but not for long, it’s a playlist of tunes that have Gforce Software instruments involved - Oddity, ImpOscar, MiniMonsta, M-Tron and M-Tron Pro.
Artists include Dave Spiers, Underworld, Donkey Tugger, David Hentschel and more. Go check em out
Now this is a real gem, this looks to be part of the Omnichord family but what do I know – basically zero. Here’s what it says on the auction from thuggin_way777:
“WARAKU was very expensive and made very limited quantities those days it was made for the very small circle of the people who seriously studying japanese traditional music and never sold at ordinary musical instruments market so i’ts very hard to find even in Japan these days this is your first and last chance to get this bizzare exotic gem!
first of all it’s very beautifully designed, built in classy exotic wood case in classic taisho koto(japanese peacock harp)shape with strange shape 27 key keyboard(same key as classic japanese peacock harp) with 5 string bridge and 4 assignable drum pads it has 16 sounds(all exotic japanese traditional instruments like koto,shamisen,shakuhachi,weird voice etc) and in percussion mode you can play many exotic percussions by keyboard or assignable drum pad there are pitch bend lever and vibrate switch,OUTPUT JACK and HEADPHONE OUT and surprisingly it has MIDI OUT!, so you can play external MIDI module by WARAKU’s unique 5 strings or keyboard size is approx W89cm D17cm H10cm
you can play WARAKU by keyboards(polyphonic) or 5 string bridge and 4 assignable drum pads(
this unique 5 string brdge can play by usual guitar pick hold one key of the keyboards and play each 5 string bridge by pick like guitar 5 string brdge is sumilate japanese traditinal instruments like taisho koto(japanese peacock harp) etc.. japanese harp musician often uses fast trill play so it has above 3 strings with same sounds 4th string is -1 octave from first 3 strings(in the case you choose taisho koto,other case same as above 3 strings) 5th strings is bass string (you can set it favorite tone) string is touch sensible with verocity and totally electronic device, it’s not just simply electrical amplified like usual electric guitar, complete electronic! WARAKU has MIDI OUT so you can play another MIDI synth by this unique 5 string brdge this 5 strings are very effective for guitar,bass kind of string instruments it’s feeling like guitar synthesizer
4 drum pad is also touch sensitive and can easily playing by your fingers assign drum sounds to pad is very easy,just hold one key and hit the one pad in percussion mode drum sounds consists of many exotic japanese traditional percussions of course in drum mode you can play all of them on keybord
WARAKU’s sounds are very hi quality,exotic and strange!,very unique original sounds and playing by 5 string bridge wiyh pick is very funny experience
Thanks to Mark Altekruze for spotting this one.
