Week of July 17, 2005 Friday, July 22 2005 | dmac NUSofting releases PK3 Limiter NUSofting has released PK3, an Advanced Peaks Processor for Mastering, by Aldo Trianti. NUSofting claim PK3 is one of the most advanced mastering peak limiters available today, with a variable look-ahead time window providing "unmatched flexibility in its class". The state-of-the-art algorithm behind the processor is the result of long research and years of experience, and offers clean peak limiting without audible distortion. Thanks to its design PK3 also offers an "analog" feel similar to a warm studio compressor with all the accuracy of the 64-bit precision of a digital limiter. No compromise between the sound quality and the CPU usage have been made, except for some clever optimizations that are necessary to get this kind of limiter to work in real-time. No matter how loud the input signal, PK3 will always keep the peaks on the limiting threshold. Applications for PK3: Clean clip-limiting when required. Mastering and volume maximizing. Classic extreme pumping effects. Safe limiter for broadcasting. PK3 is available as a VST effect for Windows and costs EU€40 (US$45). A demo version is available. For more information, detailed instructions and tricks on using PK3 refer to the user's guide available on-line. Tuesday, July 19 2005 | dmac Version 1.3 Software for Receptor Now Available Free Software Upgrade Adds Support For Multiple Output Plug-ins and More Receptor Muse Research is now shipping version 1.3 software for Receptor, their hardware-based plug-in player. Version 1.3 software adds several new features including support for plug-ins that allow for multiple outputs, like FXpansion's BFD and samplers such as Kontakt from Native Instruments. Additionally, the new system software features new keyboard shortcuts that allow customers to quickly control their Receptor when a mouse and keyboard are attached. Also new is a plug-in registration tool that provides support for a large number of new plug-ins from a variety of vendors, including sample libraries from East West. The software, available free to all registered Receptor customers. With the multi-output support enhancements, Receptor becomes a powerful sampler, allowing you to assign a virtual instrument's output channels to separate audio channel strips in Receptor. In turn, you can add separate VST effects to these outputs, and assign these outputs to any of the 10 physical outputs found in Receptor. In addition to allowing separate output assignments for multiple output plug-ins in Receptor, Version 1.3 software also allows you to assign the audio outputs of a stereo output plug-in to multiple audio channels, allowing you to create massively parallel effects matrices, and assign these to different physical outputs. This allows you to take a drum beat from a plug-in such as BFD or RMX and send the output to two different channel strips, one that has no effects on it for monitoring via the headphones, and another with compression and reverb for sending to a digital mixer via the ADAT or S/PDIF outputs for front of house mixing. There are a variety of features that come with this upgrade, in addition to several refinements to the Receptor host software: Support for multiple output plug-ins with the ability to assign various plug-in outputs to separate audio mixer channels inside Receptor. New keyboard short cuts to facilitate faster operation with a keyboard or via Receptor Remote that allows complete control of Receptor from a computer. Direct display of MIDI CC order and assignments for easier use with MIDI controllers. Ability to lock and unlock banks and presets to prevent inadvertent overwrite. Support for mono plug-ins, automatically "stereo-izing" them for use with Receptor's effects and mixing architecture. Support for registration of various plug-ins such from East West, Native Instruments, Garritan, etc., allowing you to purchase these plug-ins from your local retailer and install them on Receptor. Support for new plug-ins such as FXpansion's BFD, BFD Lite, and the 8-bit and XFL expander kits; G-MEDIA's Minimonsta:melohman and Oddity; General Vibe's Vector Sector, Native Instrument's Absynth 3, Guitar Rig, Guitar Combos, and Kontakt; East West Symphonic Libraries, Spectrasonics Atmosphere, Trilogy, Stylus and Stylus RMX, and Garritan's Personal Orchestra. Receptor was designed from the beginning to easily network with Macs or PCs, through which you can edit and control a plug-in's GUI, upgrade software and add new features. Version 1.3 software is the third release of software since the introduction of Receptor, and is available free to all Receptor customers by visiting the www.plugorama.com website. The company also announced that another software upgrade is in the works, with the next upgrade featuring the company's highly anticipated UNIWIRE technology that allows audio, MIDI and remote control to be performed on Receptor using only a single Ethernet cable. For more information, visit their web site at museresearch.com. Tuesday, July 19 2005 | dmac The Grand 2 Virtual Piano Now Shipping Model 2 View Room Options Window Steinberg announced that the updated version of its virtual piano instrument is now shipping worldwide. The Grand 2 features an entirely new added grand piano, surround capabilities as well as a range of features designed to maximize computer resource efficiency. The new virtual concert grand which has been added in this update has been sampled from a renowned model by a world-famous piano maker, with added key click, pedal and hammer sounds that offer yet more sonic realism. The new four-channel surround implementation allows The Grand 2 to be placed anywhere inside a virtual room, with the position adjustable from directly within the VSTi's user interface. Several new features are aimed at providing efficient use of the computer's resources. The Grand 2 features RAMSave, a technology first seen in Steinberg's HALion virtual sampler, allowing for highly efficient use of the host computer's RAM by unloading unneeded samples from memory. While the general disk streaming performance has also been enhanced in the new version, the selectable ECO mode also reduces demands on the computer's resources, ideal for older computers. The Grand 2 supports all major plug-in formats such as VST, DXi, and AU. ReWire support offers easy integration into Pro Tools, while the standalone version allows The Grand 2 to be used without a host application. Price and Availability The Grand 2 is available in the US for $299.99. Existing customers can update to the new The Grand 2 version for only $99.99. For more information, visit their web site at steinberg.net. Monday, July 18 2005 | dmac Bass management system plug-in for surround sound from Voxengo Voxengo BMS is a bass management system PC VST plug-in for surround sound professionals. BMS is able to extract low frequency content from non-LFE channels in up to 7.1 surround configurations. The main purpose of BMS is to evaluate low frequency content present in non-LFE channels during mastering. At the same time it is possible to mix extracted low frequency signal to the Low Frequency Effects (LFE) channel. An option to remove the extracted signal from non-LFE channels is also available. BMS allows you to specify a desired cut-off frequency for the low-pass filter and adjust its roll-off steepness. BMS features: Arbitrary cutoff frequency Arbitrary filter roll-off Up to 7.1 surround configurations Listen function "A-to-B" comparisons All sample rates supported 64-bit internal precision Native assembler DSP code Voxengo Bass Management System is currently available for the introductory price of US$49.95. For more information and demo downloads please visit the Voxengo web site: voxengo.com. Monday, July 18 2005 | dmac Version 2 of Quantum-FX to Add OS X Support Quantum-FX 1.0 Workbench db audioware has opened a pre-release mailing list for version 2 of its flagship product, Quantum FX. Quantum FX is a software modular effects system that enables musicians and sound engineers to design, build and modify plug-in effects and audio tools. The system is supplied with over 50 ready-to-use effects and audio tools, with more available from the Quantum FX online effects library. Quantum FX v2 will offer Audio Unit and VST support for Mac OS X, to complement its existing VST support for PC. This major upgrade also adds new features and extends the product's lineup of included plug-ins. Subscribers to the list will qualify for the lowest introductory prices when Quantum FX v2 is released later this month. For more information, visit their web site at quantum-fx.com. Sunday, July 17 2005 | dmac HALion String Edition 2 Coming in August Steinberg Media Technologies announced an update to its HALion String Edition VSTi product. HALion String Edition 2 offers a total of 9GB of solo and ensemble strings, and integrates Steinberg's HALion sampling technology with a specially recorded sound library to form a multi-purpose virtual string orchestra. "Our main aim with this update is to expand the HALion String Edition to capture the full sonic range and emotional depth of orchestral string sounds, while keeping the functionality accessible and the price affordable," says Steinberg's Director of Product Management Claus Menke. HALion String Edition 2 includes 9 GB of sounds performed by one of Europe's leading orchestras, which was recorded in 24-bit and using top grade recording equipment. Included are solo and ensemble strings in a large variety of articulations including, crescendo, trills, up and down bowing, portamento and many more. HALion String Edition 2 also features RealAmbience, a new technique that offers a concert hall sound with no artificial reverb. During the recording and production phases, particular attention was paid to achieving a warm and emotive yet detailed and precise sound that sits just as well in an RnB mix as in a classical arrangement, according to the company. Features such as the sound browser window also make the full breadth of sounds contained in HALion String Edition 2 readily accessible, and the unique Q-Controls allow easy control of the most important sound-shaping parameters. HALion String Edition 2 offers several technologies to maximize efficiency in its use of the computer's CPU and RAM resources. First seen in Steinberg's HALion sampler, RAMSave unloads unused samples from RAM, freeing up memory for other instruments and applications. The supplied ECO versions of sounds allow high levels of polyphony even on older computers, while the advanced disk-streaming mode makes HALion String Edition 2 highly efficient in its memory use. HALion String Edition 2 supports all major plug-in formats such as VST, DXi, and AU. ReWire support offers easy integration into Pro Tools, while the standalone version allows HALion String Edition 2 to be used without a host application. Price and availability HALion String Edition 2 will be available for $399.99 MSRP from August 2005. For more information, visit their web site at steinberg.net. Sunday, July 17 2005 | dmac Version 3.1 of Cubase SX/SL Announced Cubase SX3 Project View Cubase SX3 Inplace Editor Steinberg Media Technologies unveiled its upcoming update for its Cubase SX3 and Cubase SL3 music production systems. Cubase SX/SL 3.1 offers new features and capabilities including full integration of external hardware instruments and effects including Studio Connections Audio integration, support for Steinberg's Dolby Digital and DTS Encoders and expanded editing and mixing functions. The update will be available for download in August 2005. Among the new features coming to Cubase SX with the 3.1 update is the latest stage of the ongoing Studio Connections collaboration between Steinberg and Yamaha. This technology allows the seamless integration of Yamaha hardware in Steinberg host applications. Studio Connections II: Audio Integration allows convenient monitoring and mixing of Studio Manager devices just like VST instruments in the Cubase SX VST audio mixer. Other external instruments not supported by Studio Connections can be integrated just as easily. Also new to Cubase SX 3.1 is the ability to control external hardware effects via MIDI, giving full control over external effects hardware from within Cubase SX. Cubase SX 3.1 now includes support for Steinberg's optional Dolby Digital and DTS Encoder plug-ins, opening these world-standard formats to all Cubase SX users. Additional processor optimization means that Cubase SX/SL 3.1 supports not only Mac and PC multiprocessor systems but also the latest AMD and Intel DualCore processors as well as Hyperthreading and DualCore over dual processors. Further additional new mixing features in Cubase SX and Cubase SL include a new "Equal Power" panner, a new set of mixer key commands and extended copy functions for mixer channels. MIDI output delay compensation means that proper timing is maintained even when using external MIDI instruments that are mixed through the VST audio mixer. "Freezing" of MIDI track playback parameters allows quick and easy rendering of playback parameters into MIDI data. For more information, visit their web site at steinberg.net. Sunday, July 17 2005 | dmac Version 2.0 of Wusikstation Released Wusik Dot Com has released version 2 of Wusikstation, a hybrid vector and wave sequencer for PC VST hosts. Additional features in version 2 include: Better File/Preset dialog browser. Now you can organize your files the way you want to. This is a BIG change, as now you can organize very LARGE libraries using any number of level-down sub-directories. This covers SoundSets, Sounds and Presets. Categorization of Presets now possible, thanks to the new File dialog above. MicroTuning support via Scala .TUN files MouseWheel and Keyboard support for all hosts. Copy and Paste of Layers, Left/Right for Next/Previous preset, Left/Right/Up/Down to edit Wavesequencers and most parameters on the screen. File-Search for when a SoundSet/Sound is not found. Loads DASHsnd files directly. Option to disable program changes Clicking 'edit' again while in the effects page goes back to the previous section. Loads old songs created with V1.x.x and also old Skins (will use a default Configuration and File-Browser graphics) Those that pre-ordered V1.2.0/WusikMOD/V2.0.0 in the past will not only get V2.0.0, but will also receive DigiOne and a FREE copy of the future Wusikstation Advanced VSTi, yet to be announced. The full version is priced at $99.95. Those with version 1 can purchase an upgrade for $29.95, which includes DigiOne. A demo version is available for download. For more information, visit their web site at wusik.com.