Week of July 18, 2004 Saturday, July 24 2004 | dmac Fender Deguts TBP-1 Tube Bass Preamp at Summer NAMM Fender Bass Amplification announced the new TBP-1 Tube Bass Pre-Amp. The new TBP-1 is a professional single rack-space tube preamp designed specifically for bassists who rely on modern amplifier features, but who also love the classic warm tones of a tube-driven amp. Front Panel Rear Panel Says Jay Piccirillo, Marketing Manager for Fender Bass Amplification, "Many preamp designs of today are based on the passive tone circuit found in a lot of classic Fender amps, which offers a warm and clean bass tone. The major drawback with these preamps is a lack of fine tuning capability from the EQ section." "The new TBP-1 Tube Bass Pre-Amp is designed to speak to the bass purist who loves the warm tube tone from a simple passive tone stack, but who also wants a flexible, modern feature set that helps to define their sound," adds Piccirillo. "The new TBP-1 has features that allow the user to bring in subtle overdrive for 'grind', or the Vari-Q to cut harsh frequencies for thumb style playing." Front panel features on the TBP-1 include a Tube Overdrive section with Gain, Volume and Blend controls, the new Vari-Q smart semi-parametric EQ, and a Room Balance section allowing for a global EQ shift that can be tailored for any given stage or studio situation. Rear panel features include a Balanced XLR Line Output with Ground Lift and Pre/Post switches and level control, a Jensen Line Out Transformer for maintaining a clean balanced line out signal, Tuner Send, Effects Loop with trim control and level switch, Bi-amp low and high sends with active crossover, Full-Range Main Output, and Footswitch input. US MSRP is $857.13. A 4-button footswitch is included. For more information, visit their web site at www.fender.com. Saturday, July 24 2004 | dmac Ableton Live 4 released Ableton have released Live 4, which extends Live's real-time music-making approach to the complete range of today's music production techniques. In Live 4, you will find a complete and inspiring approach to MIDI sequencing, pattern recording, drag-and-drop sampling, virtual instruments and MIDI hardware support. They have also made substantial extensions and enhancements to existing functionality, including such features as swing/groove for audio and MIDI clips, a powerful new channel-routing scheme, simplified recording, sample reverse, and several new creative options for the Session View. MIDI Tracks, Effects, and Instruments MIDI sequencing in Live has been designed to get the user started within seconds. Software instruments appear in Live's built-in browser. Dragging an instrument from the browser into the mixer creates a MIDI track with that instrument, ready to play and record. MIDI effects and audio effects can be instantly dragged into the same track, without dealing with menus or abstract routing concepts. The signal flow within the track is intuitively set up by drag-and-drop. The Track View provides instant access to all controls of the instrument and the effects in the track. MIDI Clips MIDI clips are created by recording or by dragging in standard MIDI files from Live's browser. Notes can be viewed, created and edited in the Clip View's note editor. When draw mode is engaged, the note editor behaves like a drum pattern interface, where a pattern step is set or cleared by a single click, and flams are crated by dragging across multiple steps. Unlike static drum grid or step sequencer interfaces, Live's flexible grid allows the user to change the step resolution at any time, for instance from straight to triplet notes. MIDI Recording and Patterns Patterns can be built-up on the fly by overdubbing MIDI onto clips while they play in a loop. In conjunction with the integrated new 'Impulse' percussion-sampling instrument, Live exhibits the spontaneous creation options that are normally associated with hardware groove boxes. One can in fact use the computer keyboard to play Impulse's percussions and create grooves from the laptop alone. Standard multitrack linear-Arrangement MIDI recording and overdubbing is available as well. Flexible Routing New monitoring, track routing, and view navigation avail non-disruptive track setup and recording. Any track can feed and tap other tracks for submixes or layering as well as be routed to eight auxiliary sends per Live Set. More new Features Swing and Groove: Audio and MIDI clips support variable real-time swing and individual groove parameters. Automatic Jamming. Audio and MIDI clips can be set to produce customized or even random sequences of loops or samples in Live's Session View. Great for generating new ideas, beat making, or advance preparation of a DJ performance. Sample Reverse: single button can reverse any audio clip in real-time. Session View scenes can change the project tempo. Session View scenes can be set to advance automatically. Audio performance has been optimized for Macintosh computers. Live 4's SRP is EUR/USD 499 and upgrades from any full version of Live (Live 1, 2 or 3) costs EUR/USD 119 (download) or EUR/USD 149 (boxed). A demo version is available. Saturday, July 24 2004 | dmac E-mu Announces PowerFX Hardware-Accelerated VST Effects Digital Audio System/Emulator X users get DSP Effects fully integrated into VST environments... E-mu Systems has announced its new PowerFX hardware-accelerated VST effects, which allows all E-mu Digital Audio Systems and Emulator X owners to run E-mu's hardware-accelerated E-DSP effects as full-blown VST plug-ins, including automation of effects parameters. The PowerFX software release also adds a new reverb and seven new delay algorithms to E-mu's effects palette. PowerFX is a free software release that allows all E-mu Digital Audio Systems and Emulator X owners to use over 600 hardware-accelerated E-DSP effects as VST plug-ins in Steinberg's Cubase and other VST hosting applications with no load on the CPU. These PowerFX presets are identical to the presets currently found in the PatchMix DSP Effects Palette (including all user presets), offering seamless effects compatibility across both environments. PowerFX works like any other VST plug-in -- effects are instantiated in a VST insert or aux send locations within the application, and the desired effect (or group of effects) is simply dragged from the Effects Palette field to the center Insert Strip. All parameters for the selected effect can be viewed and edited in the Effects Window, and users can automate and save all parameter settings within the VST environment. And as a fully-featured VST plug-in, PowerFX provides automatic compensation for system latencies and proper synchronization of audio throughout the VST chain. The PowerFX software launch also marks the release of E-mu's first expansion plug-in effects, adding a new reverb and seven new delay algorithms to E-mu's Effects Palette. These new algorithms optimize the resources of E-mu's E-DSP effects engine, allowing users to run more reverbs and delays than before. These new effects are also free to all Digital Audio System and Emulator X owners, and will be available for download at www.emu.com in early August 2004. For more information, visit their web site at www.emu.com. Saturday, July 24 2004 | dmac IK Multimedia SampleTank 2 FREE released IK Multimedia have released SampleTank 2 FREE for Windows and Mac OS9/X, VST/DX/AU/RTAS & MAS. The SampleTank 2 FREE release is complemented by a series of free lessons and free sounds which will be updated monthly. SampleTank 2 FREE is a fully working version of SampleTank 2 with these limitations: It opens only a limited selection of sounds made just for the FREE version. Import function has been disabled. Only one instance is available. The utilization of user presets has been disabled. Current Free Sounds: I Map Donlite Kit - Drums. Oh Baby - Vocal. Soprano Ahh - Vocal. More @ IK Multimedia. Saturday, July 24 2004 | dmac GigaStudio 3 to Include Exclusive Vienna Giga Symphony Library TASCAM has joined with Vienna Symphonic Library, creators of their orchestral library, to create Vienna Giga Symphony--an exclusive new collection to be included free with copies of GigaStudio 3 Orchestra, which begins shipping late July 2004. The new library has been produced at 24-bit resolution and recorded in the Vienna Symphonic Library's custom-built Silent Stage in Vienna. This new library includes over 4GB of orchestral samples from every instrument family of the orchestra -- strings, winds, brass and percussion--including up and down-bow alternations powered by GS3's new iMIDI rules. The Vienna Giga Symphony includes some of the following instrument samples: Violin ensemble: Staccato (Up and Down bow), sustains, tremolo, pizzicato Viola ensemble: Staccato (Up and Down bow), sustains, tremolo, pizzicato Cello ensemble: Staccato (Up and Down bow), sustains, tremolo, pizzicato Double bass ensemble: Staccato (Up and Down bow), sustains, tremolo, pizzicato Harp: normal plugs Piccolo: staccato (2 variations); sustain Flute: staccato (2 variations); sustain Oboe: staccato (2 variations); sustain Clarinet: staccato (2 variations); sustain Bassoon: staccato (2 variations); sustain Horn solo: staccato (2 variations); sustain Horn ensemble: staccato (2 variations); sustain Trumpet solo: staccato (2 variations); sustain GigaStudio 3 adds a list of new features designed to make music production easier while producing the most authentic acoustic simulations ever created. Unlimited Polyphony -- whatever your system can deliver (GS3 Orchestra) VST Plug-In support -- use your favorite effects in GigaStudio Rewire support -- GigaStudio's outputs now connect directly to a sequencer through software signal routing 24-bit sample support -- a new dimension of detail, without affecting disk performance 96kHz sample support -- load 24-bit/96kHz instruments for stunning realism and detail Expanded mixer -- now supports 128 channels and 32 fader groups Quick Edit -- by popular demand, edit most parameters without opening the instrument editor New User Interface look and feel -- a modern overhaul to the look of GigaStudio For more information, visit their web site at tascam.com. Thursday, July 22 2004 | dmac FX-MAX Releases Giga Teleport and Giga VST Adapter Giga VST Adapter Giga Teleport FX-MAX.com has announced the immediate availability of Giga Teleport and Giga VST Adapter, new tools allowing you to integrate one or more Giga Studio software samplers into VST host application. MIDI streams from VST host to Giga Studio(s), audio from Giga Studio streams back to VST host. Giga VST Adapter is designed to work when both the VST host application and Giga Studio are on the same computer. No GSIF-compatible audio hardware is required. In case one wants to run Giga Studio on a separate dedicated machine, Giga VST Adapter can be used in conjunction with FX Teleport, a DAW networking solution. Also, Giga Teleport - a combination of Giga VST Adapter and teleport features is availble. These programs will integrate one or more Giga Studios each running on its own dedicated machine into the VST host application. As the only connection between the host and the Giga Studio machine(s) required for Giga Teleport/FX Teleport to run is a local network, no additional audio or MIDI interfaces are needed on the Giga Studio machines. Features Seamless Giga Studio 2.54 or 3 integration into any VST 2 host Runs a number of Giga Studios on networked (with Giga Teleport/FX Teleport only) and local computer No GSIF-compatible hardware required No MIDI hardware required Audio from Giga Studio streams to host mixer Up to 128 MIDI channels for Giga Studio 3 or 64 MIDI channels for Giga Studio 2.54 (on all hosts except Logic) Up to 32 audio outputs Up to 192 KHz sample rate support 16, 24 and 32-bit depth support MIDI layering Support of external performance tool(s) System Requirements VST 2 compatible host application (Cubase, Nuendo, Logic or SONAR with a VST Wrapper, etc.) Giga Studio 2.54 or 3 Windows XP/2000 with sufficient resources to run Giga Studio Windows XP/2000/ME/98SE with sufficient resources to run VST host Pricing and Availability Giga Teleport and Giga VST Adapter are now available for online purchase direct from the company's web site. Prices starts from $119/Eur99 for Giga Teleport 1 host + 1 server configuration and $69/Eur59 for Giga VST Adapter 1 computer license. Volume discounts are available. Full-featured 14-day trial versions are available for download. For more information, visit their web site at fx-max.com. Wednesday, July 21 2004 | dmac Nautilus Bundle Updated for OS X The Nautilus Bundle has now been released and improved for OSX (Mac G4 or G5). It consists of three audio plug-ins for RTAS, HTDM, MAS, Audio Unit and VST. Improvements over the previous version include lots of extra automation features, support for surround formats and high samplerates. RiverRun - a Granular Soundscape Synthesizer capable of creating new sounds our of tiny particals taken from your original audio. It can build rythmic textures, wide harmonic soundscapes, and it can zoom in on your fragment by stretching it by a factor of up to 200. PeriScope - Look at the audio spectrum via the real-time animating spectroscope, or graphic analyzer, and grab faders where you see the audio happening. Phase Correct EQ, with surgical precision, and low frequency resolution. Edit modes range from fluent to steep. Deep Phase Nine - a true phaser that offers control and visual feedback. Up to 24 notches per channel, beat locked sample and hold, one-shots, a true phaser. List Price is $299, upgrades cost $99.95. For more information, visit their web site at audioease.com. Tuesday, July 20 2004 | dmac Arboretum Releases Ray Gun Pro 3.0 for DirectX Arboretum Systems has released Ray Gun Pro DX 3.0, the company's latest in audio restoration software for Windows Direct X hosts. Like Ray Gun, Ray Gun Pro DX is built for cleaning up scratchy vinyl, tape hiss, noisy dialog, HVAC noise, and any track with poor sonic quality. However, Ray Gun Pro DX adds extensive control over individual parameters for more demanding applications as well as sound quality enhancement features. Ray Gun Pro DX contains a new noise reduction engine with attack and decay sliders for better tuning of speech, percussion, and sustained sounds. "Noise prints" presets allow users to select a noise filter for specific audio problems, and the noise equalizer offers low, mid, and high threshold sliders to raise or lower the noise threshold in one of the three bands relative to the global noise threshold. Ray Gun Pro DX also has improved hum and rumble filters with fine tuning of frequency and sensitivity. If sensitivity is high, the distortion of the original signal is lowest, but the filter has a large "settling time," reacting slower when it kicks in. When sensitivity is low, a larger part of the signal is cut, but settling time is fast. The rumble filter now has a frequency slider to tune it to the rumble noise, and a peak slider is used for adding a bit of low boost at the cutoff frequency, to compensate for the removal of the low end. Ray Gun Pro DX parameter changes can now be externally controlled and automated with host programs supporting those features under Windows XP with Direct X. Ray Gun Pro DX is available as a $49 upgrade to registered users of Ray Gun 1.x versions for Windows, a $29 upgrade to registered users of Ray Gun 2.0 and at $149 for new users. A free trial version is available for download. For more information, visit their web site at Arboretum.com. Tuesday, July 20 2004 | dmac Voxengo Pristine Space VST 1.2 released The new features are: Multi-channel impulse file support (including wave extensible file format); Dry and Wet levels of all convolution channels can be automated now; AIFF file format support. The major new features are: search paths functionality and built-in impulse response file resampling. Search paths are useful when you have a situation where you load some old project which uses impulse response file which is not available in the original folder anymore. With search paths Pristine Space will automatically locate this impulse file for you. Another improvements are: Impulse loading and recalculation speed increased; unavailable audio input/output channels will be now hidden from the "Aud In" and "Aud Out" choice lists. For your information, Pristine Space was mainly created for impulse reverb perfectionists: it does not implement various `combo' approaches which try to save CPU cycles by creating a synthetic reverb tail instead of performing a full convolution. Because such approaches in many cases give unsatisfactory results if you expect them to sound exactly like your original reverb impulse sounds, we have decided not to use them. Instead, we have optimized to the maximum both the efficiency of convolution processing and the plug-in's latency. While Pristine Space does not offer radical impulse transformation features, it still offers several very useful envelope-driven non-destructive impulse editing options, including volume, stereo width, stereo pan, low-pass and high-pass filtering, and a linear-phase equalization. You can also reverse, cut and time offset the loaded impulse file with ease, non-destructively. Pristine Space features: Up to 8 convolution channels Loading of up to 8 impulse files Non-destructive impulse editing Linear-phase impulse equalizer Several latency options Comprehensive routing Serial convolution processing WAV and AIFF format support Multi-channel file support Built-in sample rate converter Factory presets True zero-latency processing "A-to-B" comparisons Support of all output sample rates Low quality mode for CPU cycles saving High convolution precision SSE/SSE2 and 3DNow! optimizations Along with this release we want to present you several promotional CKSDE impulses you can freely use in your music and audio productions. These impulses include excellent vintage spring reverbs, old analog delay and a selection of general-purpose reverbs. Voxengo Pristine Space is available both in "Convolution" bundle and as a single on-line purchase for USD 139. For more information and downloads please visit the Voxengo web site: Voxengo.com