It is the Weekend again, so again some time to show you a few fun videos. It is just some videos I came across this week that I thought it owuld be cool to share with you. First off it is the Eigenharp. An instrument Eigenlabs introduced to us last year. In the video below Marc and Dave play the theme from James Bond on two Eigenharps. Well just take a look and see for yourself that it is pretty cool!
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.
Denon DJ, a leading manufacturer of premium-grade DJ equipment, announces that its popular DN-X1600 Digital DJ Mixer has received Native Instruments TRAKTOR® SCRATCH PRO certification. “TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO”-certified products are premium-quality mixers with integrated audio interfaces (sound cards) that meet the highest standards for professional sound quality and seamless integration within a TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO setup. The certification will ensure that the DN-X1600 will work in perfect harmony with TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO.
Machine is a unique compilation album and collaborative effort, produced by the Elektron-Users community. Machine – a single word and concept that has guided the imagination of electronic musicians for decades: one word that has captured the attention of electronic music makers, from the early pioneers to the electronic luminaries of today. As relevant as ever, we have chosen this concept to provide a starting point for the Machine compilation album. The compilation seeks to investigate various aspects of this term, and bring some new interpretations to the table.
Here is a rumour (well kinda) that we can bring you! Because … it comes from Allen & Heath themselves. On their website they have started teasing us with the Xone:DB4. No picture, no details, just the name. We have to wait two weeks untill the DB4 will be released.
The Beastie Boys could probably lay claim to a few very prestigious titles. They are one of the longest surviving acts in Hip Hop, one of the best selling, one of the most respected, and one of the most experimental. During the last 3 decades they have gone from Hardcore Punk to Rap and just about everywhere else in the genre catalog, spawning hit after hit in the process.
Steinberg is proud to announce the release of WaveLab’s latest incarnation, WaveLab 7. Adding new facilities to its previous versions for Windows, the seventh version now also sets a benchmark for audio editing and mastering under Mac OS X.
MODARTT releases Pianoteq add-on Xylo which includes a Xylophone and a Bass Marimba. Simultaneously, MODARTT announces two new add-ons collections: Chromatic Percussions (Vibes, Celeste, Xylo) and Rock collection (Electric Pianos, Clavinet, Rock Piano).
Meet the next-generation Pro Tools Mbox family, the highest quality, most flexible personal recording systems ever. Designed by the same engineering team behind our top-of-the-line Pro Tools|HD systems, the Mbox interface features advanced recording technology for exceptional quality. A premium analog signal path and high-performance converters deliver pristine 24-bit, 96kHz sound. Stringent testing standards ensure rock-solid performance in the most demanding environments. And of course, Mbox is designed for ultra-tight integration with the included Pro Tools LE® software, which is based on the same platform trusted by professional musicians, engineers, and producers around the world.
The new M-Audio MobilePre turns your Mac or PC computer into a powerful music recording and production studio. Building on the success of the bestselling MobilePre USB, this next-generation audio interface makes it easy to record guitar, vocals, keyboard, and more with pristine sound quality.
Recently I came across this video on Youtube. It is from Jason Donnelly (a.k.a. DJ Puzzle) who worked at Sonic Foundry in the early days. Sonic Foundry are the developers of the Acid Pro DAW software. Eventually, around 2000, the company was sold to Sony. Jason tells us his story how he worked there in the early days, untill he had to leave because of the market crash winter of 2000. This story appeals to me because Acid Pro (2.0) was the first real DAW software that I used, after playing around with some simple looptrackers and stuff. Allthough over the years I have switched to Steinberg’s Cubase I still have it installed on my computer. I seem unable to get rid of it. And I even use it from time to time as I still think when you work with samples and loops this software is one of the best.
In collaboration with Faderfox, Glanzmann Digital DJ Solutions has developed the new 4midiloop controller. It is the first controller which allows an entire and simultaneous control over four decks and four Effect-Slots in Traktor Pro.
With the generous support of Matthew Rose from Darktrain we can present this Tek Kit HD DJ app give-away contest. We have five iPad apps and five iPhone apps (Tek Kit XL) available. Tek Kit is a step sequencer DJ Mixer for the iPad and iPhone. We got it for our iPad article series and we loved it from the start. This app is really cool. And now you can get it too for free!
After some confusion around the new Mbox interfaces from Avid, it is now safe for us to tell you that it all is true. Avid has released the Mbox 3, Mbox 3 Mini and not only that, there also will be a Mbox Pro. Something that wasn’t clear last week as only the other two versions leaked onto the internet.
Aalto is a new semi-modular software synthesizer with an innovative, patchable UI, distinctive sounds, and a charming personality. It is out now as an Audio Unit plugin for MacOS X. Aalto’s sound engine lets you create sounds that have been difficult or impossible to make with softsynths before now. The heart of Aalto is a Buchla-inspired complex oscillator, with FM, timbre and waveshape controls that enable a wide range of expressive sounds. These sounds are uniquely malleable and alive, in part because they are made with dynamic calculation, not static wavetables.