Week of October 10, 2004 Saturday, October 16 2004 | dmac Six new Sonik Capsules from IK Multimedia IK Multimedia has released Six new Sonik Capsules - multi format sound libraries for any sampler and any platform. Each Sonik Capsule is programmed to work as a "native" sound library in most popular software samplers, including SampleTank 2, HALion, exs24, Kontakt, Battery, Reason NNXT and more. Every title also contains SampleTank 2 LE and can be used directly as a multi-format sound module plug-in. Sonik Capsules: Acoustic Guitar Capsule - Acoustic Guitar Multi samples. Electric Guitar Capsule - Electric Guitar Multi samples. Bass Guitar Capsule - Bass Guitar Multi samples. Studio Drums Capsule - Drum Multi samples. Eclectic Drums Capsule - Drum Multi samples. Groove Capsule - Drum Loops. Each Capsule has an MSRP of 99 USD/EUR or 249 USD/EUR as 3-Packs - a special introductory price offer, valid until December 1st, 2004, when the prices rise to 129 / 299. More @ IK. Friday, October 15 2004 | dmac Audio plugin updates... Image Line Sytrus v1.2 released. TubeBaby updated to v1.0.1. Princeton Digital releases 2016 Stereo Room.   Thursday, October 14 2004 | dmac Second Vinyl Scratchez Library Released ModernBeats.com brings back Hip Hop's true roots with "Vinyl Scratchez 2 - Vox & Wax Trix," an effort to keep the realism of vinyl alive with the growing popularity of software samplers. A downloadable library, it contains over 1400 old school scratch samples within 25 multi-format presets. Grand Master Flash-style zaps, wild wax flips, and scratched up vocals are all here. Each preset's layout consists of single scratches starting at C1 on the MIDI range, then gradually becoming more complex with longer patterns towards the end. Plus, the single scratches have been grouped in pairs so matching forward-reverse scratches can be triggered easily. By changing root pitches of the samples in your software sampler, you can easily adapt the scratches to style of your beat. The soundset is a multi-format product for all major software samplers. Native formats inlcude HALion, EXS24, Kontakt, Battery, Reason's NN-XT, SF2, and .Wav. "Vinyl Scratchez 2 - Vox & Wax Trix" is available download for $29.95, or can be ordered on CD-ROM. For more information, visit their web site at modernbeats.com. Thursday, October 14 2004 | dmac Blue Cat Releases Free DirectX Plug-Ins Digital Peak Meter Blue Cat has released a set of free DirectX plug-ins, including a chorus, flanger (both in stereo and mono versions), and a peak meter. The chorus and flanger plug-ins allow for real-time manipulation without clicks and pops, and provide full DirectX automation support. The user interface is straightforward with common controls and choice of sine and triangly LFOs. There's also a random preset generator. The Digital Peak Meter is a tool for monitoring levels in your tracks, which also has the ability to record the peak information as a DirectX automation envelope so you can create envelope-driven effects with other plug-ins. All the plug-ins can handle 8-, 16-, and 32-bit streamss and any sample rate support. For more information, visit their web site at software.bluecatonline.org. Wednesday, October 13 2004 | dmac Ableton has updated Live to v4.0.4. Bug fixes: Select clip crash - Under special circumstances Live would crash when an audio clip was selected with the mouse. Automatic creation of audio tracks - Live would be crashed when dragging an audio file into the "empty" space in the arranger Play scene using KEY or MIDI Remote - Assuming you have so much scenes that the vertical scroller appears. If you had then fired a "hided" scene using KEY or MIDI Remote, the scene would not be selected. Hanging Notes - Sometimes it was possible to create hanging notes when switching the OVR button. Impulse Instrument - Under special circumstances there were MIDI drop outs when many voices were requested at nearly the same time. VST preset - Some VST plug-ins are not VST conform in their parameter range like GMedia M-Tron, IK Multimedia Sampletank 1LE. When loading a song with such VSTs Live would correct the parameter range. Improvements: LinPlug RM IV - Better performance with LinPlug RM IV when triggering a pad in the GUI Improvement: MIDI files with invalid data - Better support for MIDI files with invalid data. Now it is possible to open such files by correcting the data. More @ ableton.com. Tuesday, October 12 2004 | dmac Pentagon I updated to v1.4 rgc:audio has updated Pentagon I to v1.4. New: "Analog Transverse Section" sound bank by BigTone (Brok Landers). Fixes: Wavetables for .p1 files are automatically loaded on .fxb bank loading. Fixes: P4 denormal bug fixed (when parallel filters were used). Fixes: CPU usage decreased. More @ Rgcaudio.com. Monday, October 11 2004 | dmac Voxengo Lampthruster VST 2.0 released The next major update for Lampthruster--a non-linear processing module (tube amp simulation) PC VST plug-in--is now available. Lampthruster offers you a very unique processing approach which transforms the incoming audio signal non-linearly, and brings smoothness, brightness or warmness--depending on the settings--often associated with analog tube gear. Lampthruster simply adds a unique touch to the sound which is impossible to get otherwise. It is an excellent tool for treating individual tracks, be it vocals, drums, synths or guitars. At the same time it can be a useful effect on the whole mixes or mix subgroups. This major update features an all-new user interface which offers the user all standard Voxengo plug-in features including preset management and A/B comparison buttons. Lampthruster processing efficiency has been improved. Beside these additions plug-in now features low- and high-shelving filters which allow you to fully enjoy Lampthruster's vintage-sounding equalizer. Voxengo Lampthruster features: 9 artistic pre-amp models Built-in vintage equalizer On/off switches for all processing stages Factory presets "A-to-B" comparisons Mono-to-Stereo, Stereo-to-Stereo processing All sample rates supported 64-bit internal precision Native assembler DSP code Version 2.0 is a free update for all existing registered users of the previous Lampthruster version. For more information and downloads please visit the Voxengo web site: voxengo.com Monday, October 11 2004 | dmac VirSyn Updates for TERA 2, CUBE and CANTOR available now VirSyn have updated all versions of Tera to v2.1, and the OS X versions of Cube to v1.5.2 and Cantor to v1.0.3. TERA v2.1 New features: Internal sequencer outputs MIDI notes for further processing in host. Bug fixes: AudioUnit version updated for Logic 7 compatibility. Tempo sync and automation problems with Sonar fixed. AudioUnit automation problems fixed. Arpeggiator didn't worked correctly with monophonic presets. Problems with Numerology fixed. CUBE v1.5.2 Bugfixes in Mac OS X AudioUnit version updated for Logic 7 compatibility. AudioUnit automation problems fixed. Problems with Numerology fixed. In addition to this bug fix release VirSyn have released a new preset bank for all platforms. CANTOR v1.0.3 AudioUnit version updated for Logic 7 compatibility. AudioUnit automation problems fixed. Problems with Numerology fixed. The updated demo versions of the programs will be available on 12th October. More @ VirSyn.de. Monday, October 11 2004 | dmac Arturia Updates CS-80V and minimoog V CS-80V in Multi-Mode Minimoog V "Closed" Minimoog V "Open" Arturia has released updates for two of their classic synthesizer recreations, the CS-80V 1.2 and minimoog V 1.1. The updates are free to registered users of the instruments, and offer updated AudioUnit compatibility for the latest version of Logic and the AU standard. Specific additions in version 1.2 of the CS-80V include: Ribbon controller: In response to requests, the Ribbon controller now offers the exact same behavior as the original. A linear variation of the oscillators' frequency is possible, while the first mouse-click sets a relative position as a starting point. Modulation matrix: The keyboard-follow has been added in the modulation sources available. Copy and paste "singles" from one preset to another: it is now possible to select one "single" in any existing preset and paste it directly in another preset. This is particularly useful for creating rich multi-timbral presets efficiently. Polyphony (In the Multi-Mode setup): On each 8 "single" voices, possibility to manage from 1 to 4 polyphonic voices. For multi-timbral 8 "single", the polyphony is not limited to 1 voice, but to 4. Ability to set up the plug-in in multi audio output (8 "single" outputs and 2 master outputs). In the "Multi Mode" setup, the host sequencer will recognize 10 outputs instead of 2; the 8 "single" outputs and the 2 master outputs. Various bug fixes including management of the tempo synchronization in Pro Tools, synchronization of the MIDI tempo from the host application with the arpeggiator, variable pulse width of the second oscillator, the ring modulator now plays on both voices, and others. The minimoog V version 1.1 update is primarily a bug fix release: For Pro Tools: the management of the tempo synchronization was not working correctly in all configurations. This problem has now been solved. Pitch bend: On the previous version, the tuning was false when the pitch-bend was at its maximum. This is no longer the case. Sample frequency: Switching from one sample frequency to another was hard to manage in some cases. This bug has been corrected. Update of the Filter, based on the latest improvements on the TAE algorithms. These upgrades are free to all registered users and can be downloaded from Arturia's web site. Both the CS-80V and minimoog V are available for Mac and Windows, capable of running standalone or as a plug-in, supporting a range of different plug-in formats. For more information, visit their web site at arturia.com. Monday, October 11 2004 | dmac Best Service Releases Artist Grooves Virtual Instrument New from Best Service is Artist Grooves, a loop-based sequel of their Artist Drums release. Artist Grooves offers a collection of drum kits and grooves played by some of the worlds most respected drummers, including Simon Phillips (Toto, Jeff Beck, The Who, Pete Townshend), Dennis Chambers (Santana, Steely Dan, John McLaughlin), Kenny Aronoff (Joe Cocker, Ricky Martin, Mick Jagger), and Mel Gaynor (Simple Minds, Tina Turner, Robert Palmer). The loops are combined with Native Instrument's INTAKT Sampler for Windows and Mac OS X. This plug-in (and standalone) software enables tempo synchronization, modifying the groove with a shuffle/swing function, sync, stretch, and pitch changes, as well as a sound-shaping filter, syncable delay, and lo-fi effects. Supported interfaces include: VST DXi ASIO RTAS Audio Units Core Audio DirectSound MSRP: $199.95. Sunday, October 10 2004 | dmac 5 Alarm Music Releases 5.1 CinemaSounds Library Surround sound is everywhere, from motion pictures through digital television to soundtracks for games. But there is one missing element - a ready source of 5.1-channel music tracks for movie trailers, television promos and game audio. Now, 5 Alarm Music has responded with CinemaSounds, a collection of 24 cuts produced specifically for use in high-energy trailers, TV promos and games. For added versatility, the material is available in stereo on audio Compact Discs, as well as discrete 5.1 channel elements on DVD-Rs. "There has been a lack of well-produced surround music for these markets," concedes Cassie Lord, 5 Alarm Music's general manager. "All of the tracks on CinemaSounds were composed with 5.1 in mind." Composers Linda Martinez and Gabriel Shadid each contributed 12 compositions to CinemaSounds, which was recorded and mixed by Townley at Firehouse Recording Studios, Pasadena. Linda Martinez began her musical training at the age of four under the auspices of the Yamaha Music Education System. As a 12-year-old child prodigy, she performed her original music nationwide, including concerts at the Kennedy Center and The United Nations. In addition to her early classical piano and composition training, she also studied jazz; she won the Music Center Jazz Spotlight Award and, in 1993, received the Los Angeles Jazz Society Shellie Manne Award for New Talent. Martinez has performed with many jazz artists, including Wynton Marsalis, Phil Woods, Ernie Watts and Bobby Shew. She currently scores for Beyonce's live productions. Gabriel Shadid began his music career as a music editor, but soon incorporated his musical talents into the world of post production. While mixing "America's Most Wanted" his dramatic music writing style seemed to fit right in with the show's needs, he recalls. "I would mix the show during the day and compose for the show at night. Mixing shows such as 'AMW' and being on the user-end of music let me learn what kind of musical elements worked. I also learned the art of sound design and incorporated that into my music." Shadid has also composed themes for shows, commercials and a variety of other projects. For more information, visit their web site at 5alarmmusic.com. Sunday, October 10 2004 | dmac RoomVerb Released for Soundscape DAW SpinAudio has released RoomVerb for Soundscape 1.0, a port of their Virtual Room Acoustic modeling plug-in designed to simulate various acoustic spaces from small bath rooms to large halls using a single set of parameters. RoomVerb for Soundscape features: Separately controlled room dimensions that can vary from 1 to 50 meters Plate reverb mode support Stereo width control for simulation of irregular room shapes Separate control of Early and Late reflections Reverb Tail Modulation Comprehensive tone control system that includes separate 2-band parametric equalizers for Early and Late reflections Two-band frequency-dependant decay filters Special DSP reverb algorithms not found in native versions 100 ready-to-use factory presets Database based preset management system with categorial and keyword search System Requirements: DSP Platform: Soundscape: R.Ed, SSHDR(PLUS), Mixtreme and Mixpander Operating System: Windows 98/ME/2000/XP Free demo version is available for downloading from SpinAudio web site. Products for Soundscape platform are distributed exclusively by Sydec Audio Engineering. RoomVerb for Soundscape (EURO 199.00 MSRP) is currently available for purchase in Sydec on-line shop and through selected Sydec Dealers For more information, visit their web site at spinaudio.com.