Native Instruments is offering a chance to win a trip for two people to witness the debut performance of Mostly Robot on June 14th at Sónar Barcelona. The lottery is open to everyone, and the winners will enjoy a four day break in Barcelona - featuring flights, accommodation, two full festival passes and a tapas meal with the band. 

Pianoteq STAGE, formerly known as Pianoteq PLAY, is based on the same recently refined acoustic model as in version 4 of Pianoteq Standard and PRO. It includes the same instruments, sound and playability. The interface is scaled down, tailored to focus entirely on playing.

Recently Loopmasters released the 100th part of their Artist Series. The Freemasons 100% Remix Tools got that honour! LoopTV went to James Wiltshire for an interesting interview. They not only talked about the 100% Remix Tools pack but James let us in on what kind of tools they like in their studio, their production style and the work that went into the production of the loop and sample pack.

UK-based newcomers Sound Pressure Level are X Factor 2011 participant Roxy Yarnold, Sammie Ellard-King and Alex Wallace who have recently been recording their debut long player The Recipe in Soho Sonic Studios, situated in the heart of London. Production team UPIA, owned by OJ (Ofer Shabi) and Sefi Carmel, produced SPL’s entire album in Cubase 6. Steinberg met up with OJ to talk about the band and the many projects he’s previously been caught up in.

The heart of the vocal designer plugin KLON is a harmonic pitch shifter for natural pitch and formant manipulation of vocal sounds in realtime.

The new C2 OS v2.00 update will give your Nord C2 the same B3 organ engine and rotary emulation as the new Nord C2D. This includes the improved B3 Key Click (with an added Key Bounce menu setting, and an extra high Key Click level available in the Sound menu), improved B3 Percussion behavior, improved B3 bass response and the new 122 Rotary model from the C2D (in both close and normal mic-positioning).

High-end studio processor manufacturer elysia is excited to announce the release of their newest product for the 500 series – the nvelope 500. This two-space stereo dynamics processor is capable of making subtle or drastic changes to a sound by altering its impulse structure, providing direct control over the envelope of a signal by shaping the intensity of its attack and sustain.

A few weeks back we came across this software from Stagecraft Software from San Francisco, CA. At the time we didn't really know what to think as it we thought it would be another DJ software. But, as usual, after a while (and after watching some videos) we realised it is much more then just a DJ software. It is more like a software for live acts, actually. Livetronica Studio combines all the functionality of a traditional hardware looper (Rec,Stack,Reverse,A->B, etc..) with the more salient features of software loopers (syncing to a master bpm, independent bpm and freq shifting in real time, advanced beat splicing).

These are the releases we have encountered this week on the Loops and Samples front. Just like the quality of the audio software we use these days the quality of the content we use (loops and samples) equally matches the high standards of this software. Below is this weeks selection.

Siesta Submarina is one of the more interesting contemporary techno acts that have emerged from Norway. His live sets are techno in the truest sense; deep, evolving, mechanic and yet strangely human. Improvising when performing, while always keeping a keen ear on detail and rhythm, are inspiring trademarks of his.

Tek'it Audio release a new software bundle, the "FX Bundle" a special offer that include all the Tek'it Audio commercial effect plugins at 15% off compared to price of individual plugin.

Reloop is proud to present it's first digital mixing controller designed especially for Serato: Terminal Mix 4. By introducing the Terminal Mix 4, Reloop have broken new ground once again with this fully integrated 4-channel mixer* offering a wealth of features, including 3-fold EQ with intelligent kill technique* and filter modulation capabilities per channel. Any of the 4 channels can be easily assigned to the crossfader via the controls on the front panel, where you will also be able to adjust the curve of the crossfader.

Zki & Dobre (known by other aliases, but most well known as The Goodmen and Chocolate Puma), are a Dutch house music duo from Haarlem, Netherlands. They comprise Gaston Steenkist ("Dobre") and René ter Horst ("DJ Zki"). They have produced multiple dance hits under various group names since the early 1990s. For their upcoming compilation Pssst Music Assorti 1 they went up to their studio's attic in search for some old master tapes. Doing so, they stumbled upon some old studio equipment they have been using over the years. Watch the video and see all the great goodies they have used, that we'll all love!

Recently we showed you the video of this new effects pedal from Electro-Harmonix. Today we got word that this pedal officially has been released. EHX’s new Superego Synth Engine can capture and hold notes or chords, perform fluid glissandos and create oscillator like synthesizer effects. It enables the player to stack or layer sounds, create infinite sustain, even tweak attack and decay. The Superego’s effects loop also lets a musician insert effects into the wet signal.

The creative minds behind Mixed In Key software are proud to announce the release of Beyond Beatmatching: Take Your DJ Career to the Next Level, a book that gets deep into the craft and business of professional DJing. Authors Yakov Vorobyev and Eric Coomes have more than 20 years combined experience in the professional DJ business.  Vorobyev is also president of Mixed In Key, makers of the industry-standard harmonic-mixing software for DJs.

Alex from Source Distribution (UK) gives us a comprehensive run down on the almighty, Moog Minitaur analogue synthesizer - featuring 2 oscillators, the classic Moog ladder Taurus filter, MIDI and CV. Perfect for stage or studio. This new synth from Moog is by now worldwide available.

Berlin-based plug-in developers u-he have updated their flagship VA synthesizer Diva (Dinosaur Impersonating Virtual Analogue) to version 1.1. The most intriguing changes address Diva’s notorious CPU-hunger in divine mode – more voices can now be played in realtime at the highest quality setting...

Love of the music should be the driving force of any producer, performer or DJ.! In the video below Theo Parrish tells us how he feels about the new technology that has revolutionised modern DJ'ing. For example he is saying: "Im not comfortable with convenience replacing artistry...". If that is true or not is a complete different discussion. But whatever this man is saying, you should listen. Like we did!

Recently Zynaptic announced the introduction of UNVEIL, a real-time de-reverberation and signal focusing plug-in for the Mac OS X AudioUnits (AU) format. UNVEIL is a real-time, de-mixing based plug-in that allows attenuating or boosting reverb components within a mixed signal of any channel count, including mono sources, as well as modifying contained reverb characteristics. Additionally, UNVEIL allows bringing the key features of a recording into focus, or moving them to the background, by attenuating or boosting perceptionally less important signal components.

Native Instruments today introduced PLATINUM BOUNCE, a new MASCHINE Expansion featuring a versatile toolbox for producers working in the area of contemporary urban club music. For instant use with MASCHINE or MASCHINE MIKRO, PLATINUM BOUNCE was created by cutting-edge music producers and sound designers - processed to achieve the distinctive upfront sound of contemporary hits for the radio and the hottest clubs. 

MOTU have announced that they have started shipping their new 'personal studio recording' solution.  The MicroBook II provides simultaneous inputs for a microphone, a guitar, and a keyboard or other stereo line level device. The mic preamp delivers neutral coloration and pristine sound, with 20 dB pad and 48V phantom power for condenser mics. Programmable outputs provide flexible monitoring options.

And we're back! After some time away, we are resuming our weekly overview of this weeks releases on the "Loops and Samples" front. Just like the quality of the audio software we use these days, the quality of the content we use (loops and samples) equally matches the high standards of this software. Below is this weeks selection.

Today a sad episode of our 'Something for the Weekend' post. Today, friday, we got the news that Adam Yauch a.k.a. MCA from The Beastie Boys died, probably, as a result of cancer. Yauch co-founded Beastie Boys in 1979 with Mike D, Mix Master Mike and Ad Roc. The Beastie Boys are one of the most important and influential hip-hop groups of all time. They were instrumental in making hip-hop a global, mainstream force. Formed in 1981 as a hardcore band, they combined punk and rap into a singular sound that grew increasingly broad over the years, encompassing a vast array of genres. We are truly saddened by this news. Therefor in honour of Adam we post on the greatest videos (we think) of the Beastie Boys, 'Three MC's and One DJ'.

Get your kicks on with the new Drums! soundset for ElectraX. Drums! takes ElectraX' multi-layer concept even further by combining synthesis and sampling to create a comprehensive percussive library.

With two colour choices, four channels, one hundred effect combinations and endless creative possibilities, the new Pioneer DJM-850 is set to become home and mobile DJs'; most sought-after mixer. The DJM-850 is primed and ready for plug and play, with preconfigured, studio-quality effects accessible at the touch of a button. The mixer rivals software's creative possibilities liberating DJs from their laptops and allowing for a more natural DJing experience.

One of the few good kept secrets was the release of a 'little' Roland Jupiter at this years MusikMesse. The JUPITER-50 is equipped with a sound engine that's the sonic equal of its big brother JUPITER-80, containing most of the SuperNATURAL acoustic and synthesizer tones found in the JUPITER-80. It also retains the same Live Set architecture, where four separate sound engines can be stacked together to create massive voices such as classic fat synth tones. Users can even import JUPITER-80 sound data into the JUPITER-50. In addition, powerful multi-effects and reverb are onboard for studio-quality sound processing.