Latest News & Articles
Focusrite TrakMaster joins the Pros
NAMM 2005 sees the launch of
TrakMaster Pro(tm), a professional microphone preamplifier/compressor that is
the latest in Focusrite’s Platinum Pro series and the company’s most
affordable recording channel strip to date. Providing performance
specifications never before seen at this price point, TrakMaster Pro
features a mic preamp derived from Focusrite’s award-winning green range,
front panel D.I., problem-solving mid-scoop EQ, intuitive optical
compression, latency-free monitoring, and the Platinum Pro series ADC option,
all for £199 inc. VAT in the U.K.
Focusrite launches the Saffire
NAMM Show 2005 sees the launch of the Focusrite Saffire, a new breed of firewire interface with onboard DSP and 24-bit/192kHz processing. Saffire fuses state-of-the-art hardware with highly integrated software to take audio interfacing one giant step closer to the professional studio experience.
Focusrite launches OctoPre LE console interface
Focusrite Launches OctoPre LE DAW and Digital Console Interface
High Wycombe, Bucks (January 18, 2005) – At the NAMM Show 2005, Focusrite will show OctoPre LE, the “lite edition” of the company’s established OctoPre,
bringing Focusrite pre-amplification and A/D-D/A conversion to a new level of
affordability for DAW and digital console users. OctoPre LE provides eight
channels of pristine Focusrite preamps, including two “Super Channels” that
offer mic impedance matching and instrument D.I. inputs plus other features.
Alesis announces new Fusion workstations
Fusion – a union by or as if by melting: a merging of diverse, distinct, or separate elements into a unified whole. The Alesis Fusion has a newly developed synthesizer engine that employs a Coldfire processor surrounded by seven high-performance DSPs. This massively powerful processing core starts by giving you the following four synthesis types: Sample Playback, Analog Modeling, FM and Physical Modeling.
Pioneer announces new Mixer and CD player
Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. offers “bedroom” DJs the opportunity to mix and scratch CDs with professional quality using its newest CDJ-200 entry-level CD turntable. The number of consumers who have taken up the art of spinning digital music continues to grow at a rapid pace, increasing the market for Pioneer’s digital CD decks. The CDJ-200 creates a new
standard for entry-level/mid-range units, combining the key elements of Pioneer’s professional digital CD decks with a host of innovative features including: full-function .mp3 playback, Hot Loop, Beat Loop and the unique one button Loop Cutter, for creating loops within loops until the beat has been cut to infinity.
Pioneer also introduced the DJM-1000 professional DJ mixer, which incorporates suggestions from world-renowned DJs resulting in a mixer with high quality audio, improved functionality and increased user-friendliness. The DJM-1000 uses Pioneer’s expertise in audio technology to create a high-end unit that is easily connected to other equipment like samplers, effectors and digital turntables, enabling professional DJs to put on the best show possible.
Creamware introduces DSP Power Pack: scopeFX
A new attractively priced entry point into the world of DSP: scopeFX contains all SCOPE project features, except for synthesis. Included with scopeFX is a collection of processors such as MasterVerb Pro, Vinco, PSY-Q, OptiMaster, Vocodizer and a library of 50 more very usable effects.
General Vibe releases a Prophet VS software clone
General Vibe music software recently released a software (VSTi) version of the legendary Sequential Prophet VS synthesizer. At this moment only the Win XP version is available but a Mac OSX version and additional host configurations are under development.
XPSound Introduces a new USB Audio Interface
The XP202 is a great all-round 24-bit 96kHz enabled USB audio interface for Mac or Windows PC’s that provides quality solutions for today’s musicians, DJ’s, audiophiles, and multimedia content developers alike. Perfect for musicians for use as a professional audio interface with recording applications like Cubase, Logic, Wavelab, Nuendo, and equally at home for audiophile users wishing to transfer their precious vinyl album collections to CD, the XP202 performs like no other.
ART announces the the USB MicroPRE
RTcessories™ is proud to introduce the USB Micro•PRE – a high quality USB audio interface with a standalone Phono preamplifier.
Electrix announces 7 new products for 2005
There’s been a lot of speculation about the future of Electrix and its award winning products. Now the wait is nearly over, Electrix is proud to announce the launch of 7 new products for 2005. The new gear is expected be available in April/May. To be the first to own the new products, contact your local dealer to place your special orders as initial quantities are expected to be limited.
Celemony and Ueberschall join forces
At the Frankfurt Musikmesse/ProLight+Sound, Celemony Software GmbH and the Hanoverian sample specialists Ueberschall are presenting a series of highly original virtual instruments, each bearing the word ‘Liquid’ in the title. The first in the series is the Liquid Sax, which offers a multitude of saxophone phrases that you can adapt using the integrated Melodyne technology to create songs of your own. Further instruments are due to follow shortly.
Liquid Sax contains many hundreds of first-class saxophone phrases, the pitch, tempo and timing of which you can adapt to your own requirements using Melodyne’s unique function set. The samples benefit from the exceptional sound quality of the Melodyne engine and nothing of the feel, expression or phrasing of the human performance is lost.
This was not the case in the past. Until now, all that was possible was the time-stretching or pitch-shifting of entire phrases and these were inevitably accompanied by artefacts and tonal discolouration. With the Liquid series, on the other hand, you can change even individual notes within a phrase at will, without this being in any way detrimental to the quality and character of the sound. This can even be done automatically — Liquid simply picks up the tempo from the sequencer and (as early as the auditioning phase) adjusts the files to fit.
Through the combination of first-class samples and the unique Melodyne functions, the phrases and licks can be combined in a myriad of ways and adapted to a wide range of applications. These can range from deft fills and licks to the creation of entire solos. The selection of samples covers all styles of music, playing techniques and tone colours. And there’s more good news for Melodyne users: the samples can be loaded into Melodyne for additional editing.
Comments Ueberschall CEO, Uwe Kinast: “The Melodyne engine permits the Liquid instruments to make entirely new use of the sampled phrases and vastly increases the possibilities of a sample VST instrument. Even within the same sample, the pitch, tempo and timing of the licks can be adapted to your own songs using this technology, so that the same sample can be used in a hundred different ways. This is something remarkable and unique.”
The Ueberschall VST instrument Liquid Sax is due to start shipping in June and will be distributed worldwide by Best Service. It will cost around 159 Euros.
www.celemony.com
www.ueberschall.de
Celemony announces Melodyne Uno
Celemony Software GmbH is presenting its new audio editing software Melodyne Uno for Windows and Mac OS X at the coming NAMM show. This small version of the unique audio software Melodyne works in a similar fashion to a sample editor — except that it offers characteristic Melodyne functions and is therefore the ideal tool for pitch correction, vocal production and the editing of melodies.
Melodyne Version 2.6 now shipping
Celemony Software GmbH is now shipping Version 2.6 of its unique audio software ‘Melodyne’. The emphasis is upon numerous improvements in the handling of keys and scales, enhanced compatibility with Apple Logic 7 and DP4.5 and better pitch recognition. Registered Melodyne users can now download the new update free of charge from www.celemony.com
Büro Stelkens releases crusherX-Studio
Büro , proudly presents the new VST plugin crusherX-Studio! for PC Windows. CrusherX-Studio is the pure VST version of the famous crusherX-Live! stand alone granular synth that is developed and worldwide distributed since 1998 by Büro . Based on traditional granular synthesis, crusherX-Studio can be used as a multichannel granular morphing effect on every kind of sound sources. Its powerful vapor synthesis algorithm creates very complex and unheard cool waves that are processed in real-time.
Cyndustries announces Mac mini synth module
Apple Computer has just released the Mac mini, a revolutionary new miniature version of its G4 super-computer!