SONiVOX today offered a pre-release preview complete with MP3 and Video examples of the first instrument from their new NEMESYNTH Audio Research Group, VOCALIZER - Vocal Production Synthesizer.

Sugar Bytes have released the perfect Guitar emulation! With Amps, Effects and different guitars. And the guitar player is included as well, represented by a step sequencer system which makes it easy to create the most impressing riffs and licks on the fly! Guitarist comes as standalone and VST/AU plugin for mac and pc.

BOSS Pedal Sketch app for iPhone is here! The easy-to-use applets you save the connection order and knob positions of your BOSS compact effect pedals. You can also import pertinent sounds and photos from your iPhone mic and camera as Memo data. BOSS Pedal Sketch is useful for recreating your pedal settings at live performances. Download free from the Apple App Store.

Dangerous Music announced today that it has begun shipping its new stereo 'Dangerous BAX EQ' to international distributors and US dealers in quantities. The new one-rack space unit is ideal for use in mastering and as a final mix buss shelving EQ.

Native Instruments not only released serveral new instruments and updates today but they have also released new effects to be used in your DAW. Firstly they released Traktor's 12, a collection of Traktor effects that now can be used outside of Traktor. And then there are Reflektor and Rammfire, two effects based on the Guitar Rig 4 Pro engine.

Today Native Instruments have released several new products and the long-awaited update for Reaktor. Next to version 5.5. of Reaktor they released a new reaktor instrument called Prism. For Kontakt Native Instrument have released Vintage Organs.

In this brief chat he lets rip about all things 2000, including the brand new DJM-2000 and the CDJ-2000s. Hear how he now organises his music and utilises the incredible functionality and connectivity of the DJM-2000. He explains how he can connect up to four CDJs into the DJM-2000 so that no additional hub is needed and also plug his laptop straight in via USB to use Ableton, not forgetting the touch screen to control midi functions. How the DJ landscape is changing as he explains how his whole DJ set just fits on his key chain. He only carries two 2GB SD cards! James was originally involved this time last year with the seminal Dawn of a New Species campaign that launched the CDJ-2000s, which you can watch here on DJsounds.

Jointly designed by Ableton and Novation, Launchpad places Ableton Live at your fingertips. Whether you're a DJ, performing musician or studio producer, Launchpad gives you all you need to truly 'play' Live. Launchpad is ultra-portable. It is USB bus powered (no need for power sockets), and weights in at just 717gms (one third the weight of a macbook!). With a multi-colour 64-button grid and dedicated scene launch buttons, Launchpad is purpose built for triggering and manipulating clips in Live, it also offers a totally new way of controlling Ableton Live's mixer.

Korg announced two limited color editions of thier products. Now the Wavedrum is available in a limited edition black color with a solid black metallic rim and an exclusive BLACK SUEDE Remo drum head – projecting a different vibe than the aura of the original silver. Korg also announces the limited edition SP-170RD, a vibrant red color option for the SP-170 Digital Piano, further expanding the striking visual style of this popular model.

Recently, Loopmasters introduced the first three sample packs in the Mixtools series (check them out here). Today they introduced the new Deep and Soulful House edition of the Mixtools series. In-house Loopmasters producer ANDY LEE who is know internationally by his CENTRAL AVENUE alias is one of the UK's foremost DEEP & SOULFUL HOUSE producers is proud to bring a selection of four brand new royalty free tracks which are broken down into progressive stems allowing you to mix, remix, loop and add that ultra-cool groove element to your set.

The microKEY features 37 velocity-sensing mini keys, using the same Natural Touch keybed found on the Korg microKORG XL Analog Modeling Synthesizer/Vocoder and microSTATION Music Workstation. This keybed has been designed with careful attention to the touch and feel. The proportions of the black keys and white "waterfall" keys have been adjusted for optimal playability, and the key touch makes it easy to play chords, glissandos, and rapid-fire phrases. The microKEY accurately conveys the dynamics of your performance to any software package.

Today is the day that Roland released the details of many new products for this year through the Roland Connect website. Amongst others Roland announced a Black AX-Synth, the mobile Juno-Gi synth, a new Octa-Capture audio interface and a software editor for the GAIA synthesizer.

Already present in our Gearjunkies lab in beta edition but now widely available through the iTunes App store is touchAble. A controller app for Ableton Live. touchAble will be discussed more in one of the coming parts of our iPad and music app series.

In support of the Ministry of Sound's latest release Drum & Bass Arena Anthology they are giving away the parts to DJ Fresh’s recent crossover hit Gold Dust for all budding producers and DJs to remix. The winner will be rewarded with a set of Pioneer HDJ-2000 headphones, a SoundCloud Pro account and an hour live DJ set on D&B TV. The three runners up will receive a SoundCloud Lite account.

This month, Scratch Live 2.1 was released and included support for the CDJ-2000 and the Novation Dicer. Our dev team have also given DJs a new “Ultra Knob” for effects, with brand new effects included. For those interested in the Serato/Ableton partnership, Scratch Live with The Bridge went into Public Beta this month as well, and is open to all those who own Scratch Live and a registered copy of Ableton Live 8.

iVoxel is not only an amazingly sounding vocoder for iPhone/iPod and iPad - the unique concept of iVoxel turns this vocoder into a singing machine going far beyond the capabilities of traditional and software vocoders on any platform.

The Korg M01 is a palm-sized Music Workstation for the Nintendo DS and DSi, based on one of the most populair synths in the eighties, the Korg M1 workstation.

MOTU is now shipping the MasterWorks Collection, an advanced audio plug-in bundle for Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Cubase, and other Mac OS X hosts that support RTAS, Audio Units, and VST3 audio plug-ins. "MOTU has received many requests from Pro Tools, Logic, Cubase, and Live users who wanted to get their hands on Digital Performer's MasterWorks plug-ins," said Jim Cooper, MOTU Director of Marketing. "Now they finally can."

This just came along (via Matrixsynth). As we just released part one of our iPad story last week we thought to share this with you. Not only because of our own iPad story but also because the video below is really good. The iPad Orchestra was founded in 2010 to demonstrate the latest achievements in digital mobile music. They strongly believe that some day people will be able to play any music instrument from mobile devices, such as an iPad. In this first performance, they used a new iPad app called Seline HD.

Karma-Lab introduces Reincarnated - Groove Nirvana, a new set of 32 exciting and inspiring KARMA-fied combis for the Korg M3 and Korg M50. Priced at only US$32, the sound set includes grooves and sonic textures in a wide variety of styles, ranging from a mixture of Hip-Hop, Dance, Electronica, Trance & Techno categories to Ambient, Jazz, New-Age, Film Score, and World/Ethnic categories.

Earlier this year Peff releases CycleOn which is a real-time playback system for ReCycle REX loops. This combinator based instrument patch is designed to create live performance and DJ Style effects using Propellerhead Software Record + Reason 4.0 (both applications are required).

The iPad has been available for a while now and as promised we are gonna try to give you an insight on the use of the iPad in the studio and on stage. As the release of the iPad in the US was much earlier (then Europe) I have gotten a good overview of apps that are available and what is about to be released. This review or maybe better said, this iPad story mainly focuses on the use of the iPad with music/audio apps in an studio/stage environment. The apps that will be discussed are just a selection of the large amount of apps available at the moment. And allthough the iPad is only just released there is already so much to discuss that there will be several parts to this story.

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.

Producer Sessions Live is only four weeks away! And our friends at FutureMusicMagazine are gearing up for one of the biggest music-making shows of the year. Ever wanted to ask Dave Spoon which EQ he used on the lead line in At Night? Or pondered the Freemason’s compression settings on Kelly Rowland’s vocal? This is the ultimate opportunity as, over two days, ten famous producers will be presenting live tutorials, taking apart their tracks and giving you the juicy details on how they were made.

IK Multimedia and Sonic Reality are pleased to introduce DrummerTracks™ - a new series of style-based full-length drum backing tracks performed by top studio drummers.  Unlike loops, DrummerTracks are full song drum tracks, recorded in world-class studios by sound powerhouse - Sonic Reality, and designed for use as play-along tracks for the AmpliTube range of software and mobile apps.

Wacom today announces the launch of the second generation of nextbeat – an interface device aimed at professional DJs, that provides a new way of creating and performing music. nextbeat MK2 will be available in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Benelux, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Finland, Romania, UAE and Lebanon from September,10.

The Slate Digital "VIRTUAL CONSOLE COLLECTION" brings the sound of 6 of the world's top analog consoles into your DAW workstation. "Slate Digital CTO Fabrice Gabriel and I studied these consoles inside and out. We meticulously modeled the entire circuit path so that we could recreate every subtle nuance that makes these consoles the legends that they are", says Slate.

Alesis founder and chief designer Keith Barr is reported to have passed away of natural causes on August 24, 2010 at age 61. Alesis Studio Electronics was founded in 1984 by Keith Barr (who co-founded MXR) in Hollywood, California. Leveraging his ability to design custom integrated circuits, Barr's company was able to introduce products with feature sets that, up to that time, had been extremely expensive. Alesis' products were within the realm of most project studios, making them very successful. Alesis' first product was the XT Reverb. Introduced in 1985, the XT Reverb was an all-digital reverb that carried an unprecedented low price of $799.

Mixed In Key, makers of award-winning Harmonic Mixing software used by world-renowned DJs, recently released DJ Tempo, their first app for iPhone OS. This new app takes advantage of the same tempo-detection algorithm of their flagship product to enable fans to quickly find the tempo of music played around them.

The world of DAWs doesn't need another channel strip. What it needs is a better way of working with the essential tools you need for all of your tracks and busses. Alloy provides the key dynamics and sound shaping effects you'll use again and again, in a self-contained and completely configurable interface.

Korg is now shipping the MP-10 Pro Professional Media Player – the perfect musical companion for mobile entertainers, solo keyboardists, singers and amateur musicians. This revolutionary, all-in-one product brings together a reliable and comfortable performance interface with total control over the most essential forms of media required by the modern performer.

Denon DJ has announced that its popular leading DN-X1600 digital mixer has been awarded Native Instruments TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO certification.

Ultrasone is proud to announce that the celebrated artist and producer, Spencer Gibb, has chosen its HFI-680 as his official reference headphone.

HALion Sonic, the successor to the highly-acclaimed Hypersonic 2, is now available and has been received very positively by Steinberg customers. It definitively sets standards in terms of performance, versatility and ease of use. HALion Sonic sports over 1,000 sounds created by the top sound experts at Steinberg and Yamaha. From finest detailed acoustic instruments to legendary synthesizers, club sounds and soundscapes, from ultra-realistic acoustic drum kits to the latest electronic beats, there's something in store for everyone. As a VST3 plug-in, HALion Sonic is a fantastic add-on to DAWs such as Cubase 5, but is also the virtual workstation of choice in standalone use.

Propellerhead Software today released for sale worldwide the biggest overhaul to its Record - Reason application family to date. These highly anticipated upgrades to Reason 5 and Record 1.5 introduce new instruments, effects, sequencing, sounds, patches and more for composing, beatmaking, loop-mangling, vocal treatment, songwriting, remixing and music production.

The Dutch company Bax-shop.nl has been appointed by Behringer as premium sales partner for the distribution of Behringer products in the BeNeLux.

Keith McMillen Instruments, an innovator of creative technology for string instruments today announced the release of StringPort MIDI Out, a less expensive, less processor-intensive version of the full StringPort software suite.

Brainworx announces that their new bx_shredspread is out now with a 50% off introductory price. bx_shredspread is a stereo processor to be used on any stereo guitar subgroup or stereo guitar channels. bx_shredspread’ s main purpose is to make sure your stereo (“doubled”) guitar signals sound “wide and phatt” - as easy and fast as possible.

Together with bands like New Order, Depeche Mode and OMD, YAZOO embraces my love for the Eighties and its music. Twenty plus years on I still think that was the era where music really changed. In this decade music got influenced by the upcoming availability of electronic instruments like the synthesizer and drummachines. To be honest, my love for electronic music started back then and it was one of the reasons I joined Marc and Mark when we started Gearjunkies many years ago. We all love electronic music and the gear you produce it with.

Denon DJ has announced a major performance enhancement to its market leading DN-S3700 direct drive digital media turntable. The firmware upgrade, to both new and existing units, implements MIDI Hybrid mode, enabling the DN-S3700 to also fully control DJ computer software, like Serato(TM) Scratch Live, from its control surface, including its unique 9" direct drive vinyl control platter.

After the recent update of Reason 5.5. and Record 1.5. the guys and girls from Propellerheads didn't take it easy. No! They decided to start a new project. They decided to build the World's biggest drum machine. The video below is partly a 'behind the scenes' video and demonstration video. Details on release date are still to be announced!

After the release drumsounds of the eras of the 60's and 70's, Native Instruments today introduced ABBEY ROAD 80s DRUMS, the third instrument developed together with the iconic British recording studios. With two expertly engineered premium drum kits for use in the free KONTAKT PLAYER and the KONTAKT 4 sampler, ABBEY ROAD 80s DRUMS allows musicians and producers to recreate the defining drum sound of the 80s with the highest level of sonic fidelity and authenticity.

As you might have noticed every saturday we post our Sample Saturday post. Here we list the new Sample CD's that have been released or featured that week by their distributors. This week however I noticed a somewhat different concept then your average sample pack/library. Loopmasters introduced their new series called DJ Mixtools. And this caught our attention. With DJ Mixtools you get more then just samples and loops!

Does it ever get easier than dragging and dropping a few files and have a full, pro-played drum track to an entire song laid down in virtually a minute? For any songwriter or musician, be it the professional or the enthusiast, the answer is of course no!

Muse Research has announced a major overhaul of their Plugorama website, which supports their RECEPTOR 2 line of dedicated hardware plug-in players. Plugorama.com is a resource for both pre- and post-sales assistance with RECEPTOR 2, providing registration, upgrades, software package options, and technical support all in one convenient location.  The company has spent several months redesigning the site to provide a much-improved customer experience, regardless of your purpose for visiting the site.  The company also announcing new software bundles at low prices, new premium support packages for customers, and lower prices across-the-board for people looking to purchase a RECEPTOR 2.

Designed to satisfy the beginning musician or the accomplished keyboardist, the microSTATION offers unprecedented portability, the stunning sound of Korg's EDS-i synth engine, phenomenal effects, plus new and easy-to-use sequencing tools. Audition riffs make finding just the right sound a breeze, and seamless DAW integration makes the microSTATION perfect for any size studio.

Steinberg released an update for the MR816 CSX and MR816 X Advanced Integration DSP Studio. Version 1.6 of the Tools for MR includes several main revisions and enhancements: The Yamaha Steinberg FireWire driver now supports the Yamaha FW16E FireWire Expansion Board and offers a better performance on Apple Macintosh computers with faster processing of the audio input and output. The Steinberg MR Extension also sees several minor enhancements.

Analogue Solutions has unveiled three new (semi) Modular synhtesizers. First is the Station X minimodular Synthesizer fully patchable modular synth, second the Station Y minimodular Expander fully patchable modular synth and last the Tereshkova suitcase modular analogue synthesiser

VJ Fader is a visual designer who expresses music through interactive video performance art. As a leading force in the advancing VJ movement, he continues to design original content, develop custom software using Processing and Max/Msp/Jitter, and build touch screen interface (faderTouch) to sculpt immersive audio visual environments.In this video VJ Fader demonstrates a dynamic DJ setup using Traktor Pro, faderTouch (portable touchscreen) and TriggerFinger (MIDI Controller). In the mix, John Tejada, Deadmau5 and Plastikman.

This morning when I opened my email I was surprised and got excited when I saw a picture of an impOscar2 running on an iPad. It was sent to me by Mario Jurisch (Synth-Project), the same guy who builts amazing hardware controllers for software instruments, like the impOscar2 and the OP-X. After some discussion I found out it wasn't an app sadly. That would have been fantastic I think. But still ... what is it then?

Earlier this week we have posted our first part of our iPad article series. One of the apps that will be discussed in one of the coming parts will be MorphWiz. MorphWiz is both an expressive musical instrument and an exciting visual experience. The Creators of MorphWiz, Kevin Chartier and Jordan Rudess along with chief technical guru Richard Lainhart jam at Richard's studio in a rare in person meeting of all the morphing minds. Because we like this video so much we thought we had to share it with you.

In this video Herbie Hancock talks about the Arturia Origin desktop synthesizer module. The Origin is a hardware DSP system that houses several synthesizers in one machine. Some of these synths come from the past, such as the Minimoog, some are totally new and innovative. Loaded with modules extracted from the best synthesizers of all time, Origin lets you combine these modules and take advantage of the additional possibilities put onboard. The result: a new type of sound accessible through an extremely intuitive interface.

For those of you who still don't know what Soundcloud is, SoundCloud is a online audio platform that lets music professionals receive, send & distribute their music. Primarily SoundCloud provides a efficient and simple way for music professionals to exchange music they are working on in private settings allowing for easy collaboration and communication prior to a public release. With SoundCloud the music professionals can easily send & receive large amounts of tracks without cluttering their email inbox, having to make use of generic file sending services or manage their own server.

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.

The Denon DN-SC2000 is an affordable, professionally spec’d and constructed MIDI controller for Native Instruments TRAKTOR Pro, providing a serious portable control solution for laptop DJs. A dual layer system, the DN-SC2000 provides simultaneous switchable control of both TRAKTOR decks, with visual deck colour change. Connecting to Mac or Windows PC via a single USB2.0 interface (from which the unit is also powered), advanced features include MIDI mapable capability, auto loop function, a wide range of EFX, rugged pitch slider, pitch lock, automatic beat sync, durable rubber button controls and more. The Denon DN-SC2000 is an affordable DJ midi controller designed for Traktor Pro users. Dual system switching allows full control of both Traktor decks and effects with a solid steel casing. It's fully midi mappable so other DVS users can create templates.

Native Instruments is pleased to announce that the BATTERY 3.1 update is now available for free download. The update contains several new features and workflow improvements, and some fixes. You can download the update via the NI Service Center or the Online Update Manager.

Softube visits the songwriting/production team The Matrix. The Matrix have written and produced songs for an extensive roster of today's top artists including The Mooney Suzuki, Ricky Martin, Christina Aguilera, David Bowie, Shakira, Britney Spears, Busted and many others. More recently, they co-wrote and produced Korn's chart topping multi-platinum album "See You on the Other Side" and "Untitled". The Matrix has sold over 26 million records through the artists they have worked with and have recieved numerous awards and nominations for their achievements.

Before I tell you what I think of the Steinberg CI2+, let me explain how this post came about. Untill a few months ago I had my modest home studio set up with lots of software and audio through a Echo Mia pci soundcard. Lovely, never had any problems with it and the sound quality was great. But my old pc was running old and became... outdated, plus a month ago it even completely crashed. Plans for the purchase of a new system existed but now I was forced to act upon those plans!

After several successful events in the USA and Portugal earlier this year, the Ableton & Novation Live Beats series is to tour Europe this September, with 14 events across eight countries. The Live Beats events are designed so that attendees of all skill levels can discover more about using Ableton Live and Novation hardware. Demonstrator Thavius Beck will mainly focus on the hands-on music-making potential of Live & Launchpad, but will also be showing off other Novation hardware and demonstrating how Automap can be used to take your Ableton Live sessions to the next level.

Harmony Systems announced the availability of three new products to its expanding Delora Software line of Kyma control surface and connectivity applications. vKi and vKi lite, for the iPhone/iPod touch, bring one-hand, remote Virtual Control Surface (VCS) control to Symbolic Sound’s Kyma X sound design environment, while vKiP turns the iPad into a full featured wireless multi-touch control surface for Kyma.

Jay-Z is in the midst of a world tour with a string of US dates and European festival appearances accompanied by a FOH Midas XL8 live production system, provided by Clair Brothers. At the controls is Kenyatta ‘Kelo’ Saunders, the rap artist’s long-time sound engineer and Grammy-award winner, who’s worked with artists including D’Angelo, Eminem, The Roots, Joss Stone and Erykah Badu.

There's No Other Way... Than Audient Zen for Blur Producer - One of the music world's top producers, Stephen Street took just ten minutes to decide that Audient's Zen would be the ideal console for his new studio room. With a reputation for creating hugely successful recordings with Kaiser Chiefs, Blur, and The Smiths to name but a few, Street wasn't going to compromise on his new desk.

As we are in the middle of the review/test of our iPad and the almost endless list of music app's, we got news of the release of the Google Chrome OS Tablet later this year. Google is planning to release their tablet on November 26th. Better known as Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year in the U.S. It is pretty obvious that this Chrome OS Tablet will be the main competitor to Apple's iPad. But will it be an iPad killer? The general expectation is that the Google tablet will have Flash, something that is missed by many on the iPad. And also what will this mean for the development of (music) app's for the Chrome OS Tablet? A feature that specifically WE (Gearjunkies) are interested in.

Yes, one week from now Reason 5 and Record 1.5 will be released. On August 25, noon CET the latest version of Reason and Record will be availble for sale and/or update! The beta testing is over, the manufacturing is completed and shipments of stylish software boxes are en route all over the world as this newsletter is being sent out. So mark your calendars and set your timers!

Rhythm Core Alpha is a music creation system designed for creating and performing live music in-front of an audience. It contains DRUM GRID for creating drum parts, a NOTE GRID for creating instrument parts, a unique 2D SOLO MODE where the user can play music live with the stylus, and a PATTERN SCREEN for arranging pattern and key/scale changes.

112dB announces that Big Blue Limiter, their tube-modelling character limiter, has been updated to version 1.1. This maintenance release applies to both the retail and the demo version. Big Blue Limiter is a character limiter. It is neither transparent nor intended to be. In fact it adds a little mojo to everything you run through it, if desired even when no limiting is taking place. 

In light of recent changes to The MUSIC Group's worldwide distribution strategy for the BEHRINGER and BUGERA brands, the company is delighted to announce the appointment of Electrovision Ltd as a sales fulfillment partner.

Avid today introduced a series of newly-designed hardware and software solutions designed to enhance the quality and performance of Pro Tools|HD, the industry’s leading digital audio workstation. The new HD Series interfaces HD I/O, HD OMNI and HD MADI, offer customers flexible configurations to support a variety of analog and open digital formats for audio recording, mixing and playback.  Additionally, new HEAT (Harmonically Enhanced Algorithm Technology) software allows customers to add the realism of vintage analog sound to the Pro Tools® mixer via a single global control—eliminating the time consuming and complex task of managing plug-in changes across multiple tracks and allowing customers to remain focused on the craft of mixing.

The ROCK - Years in the making……  Since 1995 Unity Audio Ltd has been synonymous with distributing professional monitor brands, so they have seen and heard it all over the years. Finally, they have decided to design and manufacturer their own range of professional monitors from scratch to overcome other the shortcomings found in most commercially available monitor systems and will deliver what true professionals expect.  A brutally honest tool on which you can base the most critical decisions without a second guess or hesitation.

Sean Beavan is a musician, record producer, and audio engineer best known for his work with Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails, God Lives Underwater, and Slayer. His production style is typically heavy, with heavily saturated guitars, but his work is diverse and wide ranging as exemplified by bands like No Doubt to System of a Down, to indie bands like Thrice, and 8mm. In this video below Sean tells us more why he uses several Rob Papen synths and also how he uses them in his productions.

Exactly one year after GrooveMaker for iPhone was made available on the iTunes App store, IK Multimedia is proud to announce the release of 7 more GrooveMaker style packs for the iPad. Debuted in April 2010, GrooveMaker for iPad now comprises a total of 12 style-based versions including Free, Hip Hop, House, Progressive-Tech House, D'n'B, Club, Techno, Trance, Electro, Rock, Reggae and Reggaeton covering all genres of dance music. This also means that all the packs for the iPhone are now optimized for the iPad.

Denon DJ, a leading manufacturer of reliable, premium-grade DJ equipment, announces a major enhancement to its popular DN-S3700 Digital Media Turntable with the introduction of the new MIDI Hybrid mode via a free firmware update scheduled for late September 2010.

Here we are, the trusted Gearjunkies but in a completely new look! It's been time for a while and it has finally happened, we have worked on a total makeover of your trusted and reliable news source for all your gear needs.

Voxengo Polysquasher version 2.3 update is now available for download. Polysquasher is a mastering compressor plugin for professional audio and sound production applications, available in AudioUnit and VST
plug-in formats, for Mac OS X and Windows computers.

The VST-AU MKS-80 Editor™ for the Roland MKS-80 Super Jupiter synthesizer. Now with support for Audio Unit™ hosts and as a stand-alone application. Advanced editor & librarian control with patch randomizer and midi monitors.

Traktor Kontrol S4 is the first integrated DJ system from Native Instruments, based on the club-standard Traktor platform and full of innovative features. The smooth workflow based on the seamless integration between hardware and software makes it the ultimate performance system for DJs of all styles and experience levels. This video covers all aspect of this all-in-one solution and explains why the S4 looks and feels as great as it sounds! Traktor Kontrol S4 will be available this winter.

Native Instruments revolutionized the DJ world nearly a decade ago with the introduction of TRAKTOR, the world’s first professional DJ software. Now Native Instruments is set to do it all again with TRAKTOR KONTROL S4, the only DJ performance system designed from the ground up from the team behind TRAKTOR.

Ambient noise: Hiss. Hum. Traffic. Wind. Air conditioning. They can all wreak havoc on dialog tracks. With Waves W43, they’re a thing of the past.

Earlier today we showed you the new DN-X600 2-Channel Digital Mixer, featuring MIDI interface and an internal soundcard. But Denon didn't stop there. They unveiled more new gear. Denon unveiled a full-blown mixer/MIDI controller, with four-deck/four-channel mixer control with built-in soundcard and microphone effect, and the ability to control DJ software for PCs through US, the DN-MC6000. The DN-SC2000 is a single deck MIDI controller. Next to these new products the DN-X1600 is now TRAKTOR® SCRATCH PRO certified, further expanding the unit’s capability.

Denon DJ, a leading manufacturer of premium-grade DJ equipment, unveils its DN-X600 2-Channel Digital Mixer, featuring MIDI interface and an internal soundcard at the DJ Expo in Atlantic City. This versatile mixing solution is designed for all types of DJs, as it features software compatibility as well as full functionality for non-software DJs. The unit also acts as an interface, making it an ideal mixer for mobile DJs, party DJs, non-performing “bedroom” DJ hobbyists and more.

Solid State Logic, the world’s leading manufacturer of professional digital and analogue consoles, proudly announces a new module for the X-Rack modular rack system: the Stereo EQ Module.

BPM is about discovering new technology, learning new techniques and being inspired with new ideas, however it is also about getting involved. There will be loads of ways for you to actively take part in BPM this year. The event is now just seven short weeks away!

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.

Recently we brought you the sad news of a foreclosure of Open Labs. We immediately tried to contact every Open Labs contact we had. After a few days we got assurance that we would soon recieve more information on the details of the foreclosure. Sadly we never did recieve that kind of information. But, ... checking the Open Labs website this morning gave us surprisingly the news we wanted. And we are glad to inform you it is good news!

To be honest this should have been done many moons ago. Meaning, ... changing the way we look. The Gearjunkies layout! We knew long time ago that Gearjunkies could use a freshen up. But there is a reason why this took so long. When we started the website was simple, small and easy to work with. But as the years went by and the website grew and grew, we added feature by feature. Many of them originally programmed by our in-house programmer. In other words ... we created a beast! Changing a layout wasn't as easy as it sounds. Gearjunkies isn't like a simple Wordpress site where you click and change your theme. Hell no! It took lots and lots of work to create a new layout for Gearjunkies. We called it Gearjunkies 2.0!

Engineer and producer Richard Sales recently finished mixing his daughter Hayley Sales' follow-up album for Universal using the Dangerous Music 2-Bus analog summing mixer and monitoring with the Dangerous Monitor ST along with the Dangerous DAC-ST  D-to-A converter. The album, titled 'When The Bird Became A Book,' (Universal Music) is getting radio air-play and climbing the charts in Canada and Japan where the singer-songwriter has a strong following.  Describing his new system, Sales says, "This whole experience for me was a giant 'Ah hah!' - an epiphany. I had been recording and mixing analog for many years.  When I switched over to digital so many of the mysteries that had been plaguing me regarding why DAW mixing was not sounding right just blew apart when I got the Dangerous Music equipment." Sales has produced and engineered a wide variety of artists, from John Fahey, Danny Gatton, and Bernice Reagon of Sweet Honey In The Rock, to Miles Davis (with engineer Jim Smith), Wavy Gravy and beat literati Ken Kesey.

Novation's Dicer is an ultra-compact cue point and looping controller for Digital DJs that fits directly onto the turntable, CDJ, mixer or laptop. It has been designed with Serato to integrate into their 'Scratch Live' Digital Vinyl System. However, it also works with Native Instruments' Traktor Sctratch Pro. You can assign the pads to any MIDI function, from triggering effects to browsing your itunes library!

Pro audio manufacturer, Allen & Heath, will be introducing the GS-R24 studio recording mixer at the forthcoming PLASA show in London this September, exhibiting on stand 1-E9.

Monostudio is a realtime effects processor with built-in vintage drumcomputer. It enriches the sonic palette of the already extremely versatile Korg Monotron analogue ribbon synthesizer.

One of the bright spots in the 2010 summer tour season has been the Brad Paisley H2O Tour, a fan-friendly affair that offers exceptional entertainment value. Two iLive-T digital consoles were chosen to run the two-hour pre-show concert at the “Water World Plaza Stage” just outside the main venue on a portable stage set-up. Up-and-coming country stars Steel Magnolia, Easton Corbin and Josh Thompson perform, with over 5,000 fans typically attending the Water World Plaza Stage.

Leading European Dance music label Balloon Records has installed a Solid State Logic Matrix to help record a wide range of projects – their own acts, commercials, voiceovers, and other bands. Their roster boasts a variety of successful artists, including Darren Baille (of the Guru Josh Project, who scored a worldwide hit with Infinity in 2008) and stars like Rene Rodrigezz, Merlin Milles and Alex De Vito.

Axon is a strange creature, and Audio Damage won't tell you otherwise. Their goal was to come up with a new style of percussion sequencer/synth that wasn't linear and x0xy, and they succeeded beyond the wildest expectations. The Neuron Sequencer in Axon is a fundamentally different way of thinking about rhythmic sequencing, and results in new patterns and styles that will bring your IDM, dance, and ambient tracks to another place. 

After the release of Native Instruments Abbey Road 60's and 70's Drums, we could expect Native Instruments to take on the 80's as well. And they did! Just a litle short preview has been posted on Youtube. It gives some short impressions of the Abbey Road 80's Drums, to be released later this month.

AC Entertainment is excited to release the (still expanding) lineup of MoogFest 2010! As previously announced, this extraordinary three-day festival, celebrating the innovative vision of sonic pioneer, Robert Moog, will take place Halloween weekend, October 29-31, in Asheville, NC. Costumes are welcome. . . and clearly treats will be in abundance!

Joining Focusrite's acclaimed audio interface range is the Saffire PRO 14. It's an eight-input, six-output FireWire® audio interface designed for home-studio musicians wanting a simple but high-quality I/O device for their Mac or PC. Featuring two award-winning Saffire mic preamps, flexible I/O routing and class-leading 24-bit/96kHz A-D/D-A conversion with JetPLL? jitter-elimination technology, it's capable of providing studio-quality recordings, more so than any other competing interface.

As many Time+Space regulars will know, Dutch Trance/Techno/Electro/House genius Sander van Doorn is a self-confessed Rob Papen fan. In a Time+Space interview with the man himself last year, Sander revealed he uses Predator in his productions ‘almost always’ and, in a studio feature with Future Music magazine, he proclaimed it was one of his favourite synths. 

Is it already more then a year ago we were writing about the announced OP-1 from Teenage Engineering? Yes it is, but suddenly after a time of silence the OP-1 showed up in the videoclip for the vocal version of One from the Swedish House Maffia. And now there are these two clips on Youtube were the OP-1 is being demoed. Does this mean this little beast is finally coming to town?

Voxengo LF Max Punch version 1.3 update is now available for download. LF Max Punch is a professional audio effect plugin for music and sounds where low-frequency thump and punch are most welcome, and where distortion is applied specifically to bring the bass sound to life. LF Max Punch is available in AudioUnit and VST plug-in formats, for Mac OS X and Windows computers.

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.

Korg USA's Rich Formidoni explores the monotron Analog Ribbon Synthesizer. In this three-part series, a K01 KAOSSILATOR is processed using the monotron's LFO and VCF circuits. Note that the filter is the same as the one used in Korg's classic and coveted MS-10 and MS-20 synthesizers!