Week of August 1, 2004 Friday, August 6 2004 | dmac MusicLab updates... MusicLab have released RealGuitar v1.5. RealGuitar is now also available as a VSTi for OS X. Changes: Added special 'RnC' mode providing the direct access for Rhythm'n'Chords Pro 2.5 MFX plug-in to RealGuitar multi-sample architecture. RealGuitar MIDI Pattern Library released - a unique collection of 1250 guitar accompaniment rhythm patterns featuring wide range of music styles, specially recorded for use with RealGuitar 1.5. RealGuitar is now Mac compatible (OSX VSTi only). They have also updated Rhythm'n'Chords Pro v2.5 adds a special 'RealGuitar' mode providing direct access to the RealGuitar 1.5 multi-sample architecture. More detailed info's @ MusicLab. Friday, August 6 2004 | dmac Sequel to Percussive Adventures Released Percussive Adventures 2 was created, performed and produced by the minds and hands of Kurt Wortman and Tony Humecke, aka Beta Rhythm Farm, the major force Percussive Adventures 2 contains 70 full multi-layered pieces. In it, you'll find full beds (full mixes), full bed loops, alternate mixes, phrases, endings, individual elements/layers, and some individual hits. Most of these pieces are complete in their own right and can stand on their own. You can easily expand, contract rearrange and remix to fit your needs. And it's not just percussion. There is a world of flowing textures and events perfect for combining with the rhythmic beds for complete soundtracks. In addition, the producers combined similar elements from all the titles into three huge patches: "Big Hits", "Ambi Ants" and "Movers and Shakers". The library works with the included special versions of Native Instruments' Kompakt and Intakt for Mac and PC, so you don't even need a sampler of your own. MSRP for Percussive Adventures 2 is $399.95. For more information, visit their web site at Soundsonline.com. Thursday, August 5 2004 | dmac VirSyn Cantor v1.0.2 released VirSyn have updated Cantor to v1.0.2, which features the following changes. New phoneme sets: New factory phoneme sets for better intelligibility. New example projects and voice presets. New features: Copy/Paste for complete Phoneme sets. Copy/Paste for Phonemes. Copy/Paste/Reset for automation envelopes. New phoneme parameter "Damp" adjusts spectral slope. Context menu in Score editor for tool selection and copy/paste. Bug fixes: Sequencer timing improved. Gender parameter didn't worked on the noise part. Crash at pending Note Offs on muted parts. Edits on phoneme sets got lost if set was changed before saving. More @ Virsyn. Thursday, August 5 2004 | dmac NUSofting Releases Reed Organ VSTi for Windows NUSofting announced their newest softsynth, Peti, for VSTi-compatible Windows hosts. In the tradition of the company's HarpTime, Peti is designed to emulate a family of real musical instruments commonly used in folk and ethnic music. This time, NUSofting have concentrated on emulating the family of instruments that includes the harmonium and the accordion. Peti is a VSTi which uses hybrid FM synthesis technology, and it was developed primarily to emulate the sounds of the Harmonium, a member of the Reed Organ family, which is also known as the "pump organ". The Harmonium, in its smaller form, is widely used in north Indian music, and its full, sweet sound is often used in in pop and rock music, but Peti is not limited to this instrument alone. Peti is also capable of emulating a wide variety of reed organ variants, and can model timbres which resemble the many instruments in this family, ranging from from accordions to pipe organs, and even the melodica often used in reggae dub music. Peti was designed to allow the user complete control over a simulated Bellows mechanism, with 11 different modes providing 'automatic' or 'manual' pumping, with appropriate modulation of the sound-generation engine's parameters. Features: Reed Banks 1 & 2 Controls - There are two Reed Banks modelled in Peti, with the same parameters available independently for each Bank. These Reed Banks are responsible for the basic timbre of the instrument. However Peti has been modelled such that the two Reed Banks are not identical, and swapping settings between Bank 1 and Bank 2 may change the overall sound. The Parameters available for each Reed Bank are: Brighter: Adds more high frequencies in the timbre. Harmonics: Two different harmonic 'flavours' for each Reed Bank. Modulation: This parameter controls the overall amount of harmonics added. For more information, visit their web site at nusofting.liqihsynth.com. Thursday, August 5 2004 | dmac "Gain Control" Digidesign Control Surface Bundles Announced Digidesign has introduced the "Gain Control" Digidesign Control Surface Bundles. Now through September 30, 2004, customers can save up to $4,480 in plug-ins and Digidesign hardware with one of four control surface promotional bundles--including Command|8, Control|24, and ProControl with or without an Edit Pack or Fader Pack. Command|8 bundle - Customers who purchase a Command|8 will also receive the Bomb Factory Pultec Bundle ($595 value) and the latest version of Pro Tools software (Pro Tools LE: a $75 value; Pro Tools TDM: a $150 value) that ships with Command|8. Control|24 bundle - Customers who purchase a Control|24 will also receive the Bomb Factory Pultec Bundle, Bomb Factory Slightly Rude Compressor, and Digidesign 192 AD expansion card (total bundle value: $2,285 US). ProControl with Fader Pack or Edit Pack bundle - Customers who simultaneously purchase a ProControl and a Fader Pack or Edit Pack will also receive the Bomb Factory Pultec Bundle, Bomb Factory Slightly Rude Compressor, Digidesign ReVibe, and Digidesign PRE (total bundle value: $4,480 US). ProControl (stand-alone) bundle - Customers who purchase a stand-alone ProControl unit will also receive the Bomb Factory Pultec Bundle, Bomb Factory Slightly Rude Compressor, and Digidesign ReVibe (total bundle value: $1,985 US). Customers who have purchased any of the above control surfaces on or after July 1, 2004 are also eligible for the respective bundled software and/or hardware. For software fulfillment, customers must complete and mail a Plug-in Redemption Form to Digidesign. Hardware redemption can be fulfilled by visiting a local dealer with proof of purchase of an eligible control surface. For more information, visit Digidesign's website at www.digidesign.com/gaincontrol. Wednesday, August 4 2004 | dmac Steinberg Wavelab v5.0.1a build 231 released Steinberg have updated Wavelab to v5.0.1a build 231, which is a maintenance update to version 5.01a. This update requires an already installed Wavelab 5 version and does not work with previous WL versions. For details about changes please consult the version history available after running this update patch. Some changes: German online help included. Japanese Localization implemented. Registration dialog is now localized for the supported languages. Improved support of Waves' VST shell. Help Menu: internet link to Steinberg distributors has been updated. Improved XSend driver if you use WaveLab in cooperation with a Pinnacle product such as Edition. Copy the file WaveLab/Tools/XSend/SendToWaveLab.dll into the XSend folder of your Pinnacle application. If there is any file with the name "WaveLab" in it, delete it. A technical document found in WaveLab/Tools/ CommandLine/ describes how WaveLab can be called with specific command line arguments. More details @ Steinberg.net. Wednesday, August 4 2004 | dmac Defective Records Updates 202 Hack for OS X Defective Records Software announced the availability of 202 Hack for OS X. 202 Hack is an application that converts sequence information stored in standard MIDI files into a format compatible with Roland MC-202 sequences. You choose one or two MIDI channels, whose note information is then extracted from the MIDI file and converted into the "internal" and/or "external" sequences of the 202. Accent and Portamento can also be coded for, as well as some post-processing tricks to generate Roland TB-303-like slides. The output of 202 Hack is an audio file that can then be played by your Mac into the 202's "tape in" jack. 202 Hack was written in the Java 1.0 computer language, and was originally released in March, 1997. It has been recently been reworked to run on modern operating systems, including Mac OS X. 202 Hack is available now for $15 USD. For more information, visit their web site at defectiverecords.com. Tuesday, August 3 2004 | dmac New MultiDynamics Plug-In and Bundle from Wave Arts Wave Arts announced two new products: MultiDynamics plug-in and the new Power Suite plug-in bundle. MultiDynamics is a multi-band dynamics processor useful for mastering, noise reduction, volume maximization, de-essing, and special tweaks. MultiDynamics provides up to 6 bands with independent compression or expansion/gating per band. Features: Up to 6 independent bands Full featured compressor or expander/gate per band Proprietary crossover filter network eliminates amplitude distortion between bands 18 dB/oct and 30 dB/oct crossovers Per band bypass, solo and mute controls Comprehensive visualization of input levels and dynamic EQ response Adjustable knees and lookahead Mono or stereo For a limited time, MultiDynamics is available for an introductory price of $149.95. Also, Wave Arts now offers Power Suite: all of their plug-ins in one bundle: TrackPlug- all-in-one 10 band EQ/compressor/gate MasterVerb- silky smooth reverb WaveSurround- stereo spatial enhancement MultiDynamics- up to 6 bands of dynamics processing FinalPlug- mastering limiter/volume maximizer Power Suite has an introductory price of $499.95. Existing customers can get a discount on Power Suite by subtracting $100 for each version 4 product owned ($50 off for each version 3 plug-in). Wave Arts plug-ins are available for Windows (DX, VST), Mac OS X (AU, VST, MAS, RTAS), and OS 9 (VST, MAS, RTAS). Free 30-day demo versions are available for download. For more information, visit their web site at wavearts.com. Tuesday, August 3 2004 | dmac B4D Controller Adds Realism to NI's B4 Organ Announced at this year's Musikmesse show, Native Instruments is now shipping the drawbar controller designed for use with their B4 virtual organ. The new B4D drawbar controller is an ideal addition to NI's B4 organ, giving direct access to every important parameter of the software for a true-to-life organ experience. The B4D controller features nine mechanical drawbars, two rotary knobs and 22 buttons, giving direct access to every important parameter and function of the software. While the nine drawbars of the B4D can control any of the three drawbar groups of the B4, the upper panel of the controller gives access to percussion, rotary speaker, vibrato, chorus, overdrive, volume and preset selection. The B4D controller casing is built from solid metal and real wood, making it rugged as well as aesthetically pleasing. The controller is equipped with a MIDI-I/O and additional inputs for a parameter pedal and two additional foot switches. The B4D controller is connected to the computer via MIDI and gives instant access to all B4 parameters without any configuration hassle. Two or more controllers can be chained together via MIDI to provide simultaneous control over more than one of the B4's draw bar sets. The B4D controller will be available in June 2004 at a suggested retail price of $ 449 / 399 Euro. Furthermore, a "B4 & B4D Controller" bundle will be available, combining the B4 organ with the B4D controller in one comprehensive package. Also included is the "Vintage Collection" tone wheel set, which expands the B4 with additional organ models. The B4 & B4D Controller bundle will be available at a suggested retail price of $ 559 / 499 Euro. Supported Interfaces VST Audio Units RTAS DXI ASIO Core Audio DirectSound   Minimum Requirements Windows XP, Pentium/Athlon 350 MHz, 128 MB RAM, MIDI Interface Mac OS 10.2.6, G3 350 MHz, 128 MB RAM, MIDI Interface For more information, visit their web site at native-instruments.com. Monday, August 2 2004 | dmac Eventide to Support Pro Tools on Windows, New Control Surfaces Octavox TDM Mac Reverb TDM Mac Eventide announced that its Clockworks Legacy, Reverb, and Octavox plug-ins will be available for the Windows XP Pro Tools platform in August. In addition, these plug-ins and the H3000 Band Delays will gain support for Digidesign's new ICON and Command 8 control surfaces as free upgrades, also due in August for Mac Pro Tools users. The Clockworks Legacy plug-in bundle is a collection of digital versions of Eventide's first five hardware effects processors. The H949 Harmonizer pitch shifter put a randomizer on the delay to create more natural sounding, doubling and harmonies. The original was widely utilized by many top engineers and performers, including a young Jimmy Page, who adopted the H949, the only piece of digital gear to grace his rig. Other plug-ins include: the Omnipressor, modeled after the legendary analog processor. Dubbed the compressor with an attitude, the Omnipressor is capable of extreme effects such as Dynamic Reversal and accomplishes its unique magic by compressing the signal above threshold and expanding it below. The Instant Phaser is the plug-in version of the first phaser effect, and Instant Flanger is a dedicated flanger which allows the blending of modulation sources. The H910, Eventide's first Harmonizer effects processor and the world's first pitch changer, recreates the sound of the original, down to the micro pitch detune often used for thickening instruments and vocals. Eventide's Reverb plug-in is a multi-effect plug-in that incorporates a pair of delays, pre and post stereo three-band parametric EQ, a compressor, and a Lo-Fi effect. The Eventide Reverb plug-in uses the highest quality reverb algorithms from its flagship Orville, including a full complement of halls, chambers, plates, rooms, and ambience. Derived from its flagship hardware processor, Orville, the Eventide Octavox features eight-voices of diatonic pitch shifting, each with level and pan controls, up to 2.4 seconds of delay, and an eight-octave range. Octavox is a flexible creation tool which allows users to create anything from stacked harmonies, multi-voice micro pitch detuning, and wide choirs to musical rhythmic sequences. Tempo parameters track session tempo and meter so the delays are always in sync. For more information, visit their web site at eventide.com. Monday, August 2 2004 | dmac SoundTrek Releases Jammer Professional 5.0 SoundTrek has announced Jammer Professional Version 5.0 for Windows, designed for songwriters, recording artists and music producers, featuring a 256 track MIDI sequencer for recording, editing, and arranging, with built in "studio musicians" for automatically creating drums, bass and rhythm tracks. At the heart of Jammer Pro 5 is the all new "Real Feel" composition engine. By analyzing and compiling the tonality and dynamics of live MIDI recordings, Jammer is able to compose original music that captures the feel of your playing, according to the company. Jammer automatically creates everything from drum beats and original bass lines to full arrangements of drums, bass, keyboards, guitars, strings, brass, and more, all under your control. Put yourself in the producer's chair in Jammer's 256 track studio and start creating music. Includes over 190 New "Real Feel" Band Style files, 200 assorted intros, grooves, breaks, and endings in a variety of styles, plus 50 assorted drum styles, automatic 6 part harmony composer, assorted song templates and demos songs. Jammer Pro 5 has a completely new 32-bit graphic user interface, a multiple document song interface, and full support for Windows 9x, 2000 and XP. Other new features include "Cut and Paste" from one song to another, "Enter Chords" and "Set Punch In/Out" anywhere in a Song measure (8ths, 16ths, 32nds etc.). Also the ability to "Split and Combine Tracks" is now available version 5. A host of new editing features were also added in Version 5.0. A new "Musician and Band Style editor", a "Graphic Chord Voicing editor", a "Graphic Riff editor" and "Multiple Level Undo" all add to the editing power of Jammer Pro 5. System requirements are a PC Compatible running Windows 9x, 2000, or XP, 80 MB free hard disk space, and a Windows compatible sound card or MIDI Interface. Jammer Professional has a suggested retail price of $129.00. Additional band and drum styles are available for Jammer direct from SoundTrek for $29.95. A full working demo of Jammer is also available for download from the SoundTrek web site. For more information, visit their web site at soundtrek.com. Monday, August 2 2004 | dmac ModernBeats debuts its first Loopset with "Ethnic Percussion Loopz" ModernBeats.com extends the popularity of its Ethnic Percussion sound library by debuting "Ethnic Percussion Loopz" - a new professional loop collection available as both a multi-format download or CD-ROM! "Ethnic Percussion Loopz" consists of live recorded performance loops of 21 diverse ethnic percussion instruments, uniquely categorized according to popular hip hop tempos. While the loopset focuses more towards Hip Hop production, its performance styles remain versatile enough to incorporate into musical genres such as dance, drum n bass, latin, and rock. The Loopset is sold as a multi-format product for all major software/hardware samplers and for virtually all audio/midi software such as Cubase, Reason, Sonar, Pro Tools, Acid Pro, FruityLoops, and more. Formats include acidized .WAV, REX2 (Reason's Dr. Rex), and SF2 Soundfont accompanied with MIDI files. All percussion loops were created from original recordings of virtuoso percussionists using Class A mic preamps and edited with sample accurate start/end points by ModernBeats sound designers. "Ethnic Percussion Loopz" is available for download for $59.95, or can be ordered on CD-ROM. For more information and audio demos, visit their web site at modernbeats.com. Monday, August 2 2004 | dmac Maxx Claster is proud to release version 1.1 of the eJ FM Synthesizer eJ is a VSTi virtual synthesizer, based on frequency modulation. It has 6 operators, each with its own ADS envelope generator, ADSR amplitude EG, low-pass/high-pass filter with LFO and attack-decay-sustain envelope, and 3 effects: chorus, echo and 6-band equalizer. eJ also comes with a library of 450 presets that are both high quality and diverse. They cover a wide range of styles and techniques and give you the tools needed to start using eJ effectively as soon as you install it. This new version incorporates the following changes: - The "Velocity Sensitivity" per operator controls added. - All values in the matrix can now be positive or negative. - The "Inv" and "(-)" buttons have been removed, which makes the GUI's concept clearer. - The MIDI CC map is now global - you no longer have to set it up for every patch. - The Damper (Sustain) pedal is now supported. - The user manual is now included. - Various bugs corrected (sync to tempo bug, panning bug, Logic bug, etc.) System Requirements: VST2.0 capable host software, PC, Windows, 64 Mb RAM, Pentium III (128 Mb, Pentium 4 recommended) More @ Maxxclaster.com.