Week of January 25, 2004 Saturday, January 31 2004 | dmac Saturdays NAMM updates... Novation Working on Audio Xtreme Versions of ReMote 49 and 61... Novation announced that it will be making 4 and 5 octave versions of their ReMote Audio Xtreme combination controller and audio/MIDI interface. The ReMote 25 Audio Xtreme has been shipping for 3 months in the U.S. and end users have been vocal about wanting more keys as an option. Novation is gearing up to start shipping the ReMote 49 Audio (4 octave) and ReMote 61 Audio (5 octave) in April. The ReMote Audio Xtreme features the same semi-weighted action that Novation is known for. The Audio versions of the ReMote series offer the 'Liquid Audio' 24-bit Audio I/O with mic preamps and separate switching phantom power. The Audio and MIDI I/O section information is relayed to the computer over a USB cable. This same USB cable provides power, which means there is no need for a wall wart power supply. End users familiar with the K Station will be pleased to know that all ReMote Audios will act as a stand-alone synthesizer with the free download of the K-Station (8-voice, 3 osc) from www.novationmusic.com. The term "Xtreme" means that the ReMote Audio ships with a software package. Users are given Steinberg's Cubase SE, Ableton's Novation Live and the V-Station virtual analog plug-in synth. The 49 & 61 key versions of the Audio Xtreme also come with Steinberg's Grand SE plug-in piano. Other Features: Programmable X/Y touchpad. 64 programmable templates. Over 50 templates out-of-the-box including: Reason, Native Instruments, Logic and Cubase. 24 buttons, 8 sliders, 8 encoders and 8 knobs; all user definable. Backlit blue & silver (2x16) LCD display. Dedicated Transport Controls. Combo style Neutrik connectors (x2) for XLR & 1/4" input and 1/4" balanced stereo output to and from the 'Liquid Audio Engine'. Separate headphone and line monitoring controls. On-board effects processor allows for tracking of, monitoring-only or payback-only of effects. Portability- the ReMote Audios may be powered by 6 'C' cell batteries for up to 12 hours. Batteries may also be recharged while connected to USB. Ships with USB/MIDI drivers for Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP and Mac OSX. Available: April. ReMote49 Audio Xtreme: $1249 MSRP. ReMote61 Audio Xtreme: $1399 MSRP For more information, visit their web site at www.novationmusic.com. Saturday, January 31 2004 | dmac Steinberg Nuendo v2.1.1.26 (OSX) released Steinberg have updated the Mac OS X version of Nuendo to v2.1.1.26, which features several important bug fixes and support for Steinberg's Timebase. New features: Support for Steinberg TimeBase synchronizer. Support for ID by WK Audio. Remote controller (Yamaha DM2000v2/01x, Steinberg Houston/ID, Mackie HUI/Control, Radikal SAC-2k, CM Motormix). Friday, January 30 2004 | dmac New reviews and articles added... New reviews & articles: Review: EasyVerb from PSP: Less is More! Kevin asks you: If you're unsure whether reverb really is the King of the Evil Effects Empire (I.e. See Devon Brent's excellent "A Different Approach to Mixing" over on the main review section), then pause for a moment. "Reverb muddies up mixes. Why? Because we love the sound of reverb so much that we can't get our hands off it. Reverb sounds so good. It's the best effect ever invented. And hence the most abused. When used unwisely, it's sad but necessary to say that reverb will bring you grief. It's best think of reverb as an instrument of great potential with the power to exalt or crucify your mixes. Now think about what you already know about reverb. It makes dry sounds become warm and lush. Snares feel more live and less tinny. Guitars take on whole new identities, while lead lines and vocals gain presence and space. In short, your whole sound stage can come alive with reverb. Or it can be buried." This is where EasyVerb steps in. Read on, dear reader, i think you'l like this review! Article: The alternatives to that new computer "Ah yes, it’s that time of year again, isn’t it? The time where you watch your little CPU usage meter make swan dives into the deep, black abyss, frequently maxing out your machine. Your thoughts wander off into ‘new VSTi’ syndrome, thinking that there is no way for you to write new music without new gear and new sounds. You think to yourself ‘Man, if I only had a new computer, I could write some new tunes!’ With that thought in mind, you’ve been eyeing those shiny new Intel 3.2 GHz, or an Athlon 64 machine with a gleam. If this doesn’t sound like you, and you’re happy with your Pentium III 800mhz, then congratulations of overcoming that frenzy and malady called ‘Gear Lust’. It’s certainly not a fatal disease, but we all tend to suffer from it from time to time, if not all the time." Stylish article! ...   Friday, January 30 2004 | dmac New Traxmusic interview: Michael Kleps from reFx After our initial interview with Mr Michael Kleps, president of reFX back in April 29, 2001, we though we'd have another look inside the brains behind Steinberg's Xphraze, and see what's the latest happening with the people over at reFX! Check it out in the interviews section. So find out what its been like for the president of reFX since then. Thursday, January 29 2004 | dmac SampleTank v2.0.3 updated Changes: Improved BPM detecting scheme from instruments name. Stretch could cause crashes in some cases - FIXED. In case some sounds are no longer available while loading a session, ST2 now advises on which are the missing parts. AKAI CD import works on systems with more than 4 drives. SampleCell CDs import process continues even if missing samples are declared in the SC program. Mac OSX versions: Search function now works on all systems. Mac OSX versions: Authorization window now works on all hosts. Mac OSX RTAS: Sync now works when ST2 GUI is closed. Now works in Sagan Technology's Metro. Smaller items rectified: Relist button now works better. Automatic Relist is now on by default at startup. Instruments browser, you can now open/close folders by clicking on arrow icon. Mac versions: Added "watch" mouse pointer when loading sounds. More @ SampleTank. Thursday, January 29 2004 | dmac Thursday's NAMM updates.. Behringer Debuts Audio Interface Line with BCA2000... Behringer announced the addition of yet another product line to its already large portfolio with the launch of the B-CONTROL AUDIO BCA2000 (USD 249.99 MSRP). The BCA2000 is a high-speed USB 2.0 multi-channel audio/MIDI control interface with ADAT support, surround outputs, and an extensive monitor control section. The B-CONTROL AUDIO BCA2000 is expected to ship in the second quarter of 2004. Designed as an extremely flexible control surface suitable for a wide array of applications, the B-CONTROL AUDIO BCA2000 features a high-performance analog input section with two IMP "Invisible" Mic Preamps, + 48V phantom power plus line and Hi-Z guitar inputs. The high resolution 2 x 12 element LED level indicator for stereo In/Out signals plus the 2-element LED level indicator for input and output channels 3-8 provide the user with full access to and clear visualization of all active functions. An adjustable analog input dynamic control prevents input signal distortion and A/D convertor overload. The B-CONTROL AUDIO BCA2000 is fully equipped with an USB/MIDI interface, with 1 MIDI In/2 MIDI Outs that are individually selectable for up to 16/32 MIDI channels. The B-CONTROL AUDIO BCA2000 supports versatile digital input and output formats like ADAT, ADAT S/MUX, AES/EBU and S/PDIF, including DOLBY DIGITAL and DTS support. The B-CONTROL AUDIO's flexibility is further strengthened with the fully equipped master and monitor sections with 100-mm faders, individual level controls for 2 speakers, 2 phones and direct monitor functions plus separate dim, mute and mono functions. The simultaneous use of 3 analog input sources (one mono/one stereo), digital input sources plus full multi-channel playback at 24bit/96 kHz provide additional functionality. For more information, visit their web site at www.behringer.com. Wednesday, January 28 2004 | dmac Sonar v3.1.1 released from Cakewalk New in the patch: This patch fixes the following bugs introduced by the Sonar v3.1... MIDI notes could get out of sync when editing during a playback loop. Loop recording did not store all audio takes for multiple tracks. Starting and stopping while recording a take could result in the audio being moved in time. Soloing busses could cause a crash. Crash could occur with VSampler in a multi-MIDI channel drum map, when Zero All Controllers was set. Soloing a bus fed from a DXi could introduce a gap. Sonar 3.1 could lock up during Save (or Autosave) during playback. Sonar 3.1 could not export to MP3/RA/ASF from high sample rate projects. Version was not shown in the Help | About box. Undoing a tempo change during playback could delay audio clips. Wednesday, January 28 2004 | dmac Wednesdays NAMM news... Arturia Announces Virtual Minimoog Synth... In 1971, at the NAMM Convention, Bob Moog introduced the Minimoog. 33 years later Arturia announced the Minimoog V, the recreation of what became the most popular synthesizer of all time. Offering all the features of the original, the Software version also brings polyphony, MIDI management, preset handling. And taking advantage of modern tools, additional functions are hidden beyond the control panels: a modulation matrix, a LFO, an arpeggiator, a chorus and a delay. With more than 400 presets, made by some of the most talented Minimoog users, the Minimoog V is designed to bring a lot to your musical palette. Supported Platforms: Windows: Windows 95 / 98 / ME / 2000 / XP Mac OS X: Mac OS X.2 or higher Minimoog V will run as a standalone app or in a variety of plug-in formats including VST, DirectX, MAS, RTAS, HTDM, and AudioUnit. For more information, visit their web site at www.arturia.com. Tuesday, January 27 2004 | dmac Yet more NAMM updates ;-) PCR-1 Mobile MIDI Controller/Audio Interface Debuts... Edirol announced the PCR-1 at Winter NAMM, a new combo device that integrates a USB bus powered 24-bit/96kHz audio interface into a 25-key MIDI keyboard controller. The PCR-1 measures a mere 1-3/16" thick, weighs under 3 pounds & offers a wide variety of audio & MIDI features. Edirol has devised a new technology known as "S.L.I.M." (Short-stroke Low-profile Impact Mechanism) which allows a compact MIDI keyboard to maintain reasonable playability. This 25-Key MIDI Keyboard Controller offers full 128-step velocity sensitivity and the same control map support as its larger PCR siblings. The assignable controls can be assigned to send any MIDI message. Also, like the other PCRs, it offers 16 on-board Memory locations for saving control maps for your favorite software applications. The audio features include stereo RCA input/outputs as well as a stereo mini headphone connection which doubles as an optical digital S/PDIF Port. The PCR-1 offers support for Mac & PC with WDM, ASIO, & Core Audio drivers. The PCR-1 lists for $370 and will be available in February. For more information, visit their web site at www.edirol.com. Tuesday, January 27 2004 | dmac DASH Signature updates... theAbstractGuitar V1.38 Released Skinable and includes 3 new Skins. Skins Gallery Fixed internal Preset-Name problems that were messing with the preset Scales files. Set Presets as Default working properly now. (before the last 4 presets were getting truncated) To download the updates, just login here. EVE V1.22 Released New Bank Loader, for easy bank access. (just install EVE and A0S updates (small files) and: click EVE logo, click on Bank) Fixed internal Preset-Name problems that were messing with the preset Scales files. Fixed stability issues on some hosts and W98/ME. Set Presets as Default working properly now. (before the last 4 presets were getting truncated) Plus: Tips and New Sounds for EVE users. Click here to read more. To download the updates, just login here. TubiLeSax V1.88m Released Skinable GUI (Editor) with new graphic designs. Click here to check the new Skins. Mono mode switch wasn\'t showing properly. Fixed a bug on the default and blue skins. Fixed stability issues on some hosts and W98/ME. Set Presets as Default working properly now. (before the last 4 presets were getting truncated) Small memory problem on deleting memory BMP alocations. To download the updates, just login here. EMM Knagalis V1.34 Released Fixed internal Preset-Name problems that were messing with the preset Scales files. Fixed stability issues on some hosts and W98/ME. Set Presets as Default working properly now. (before the last 4 presets were getting truncated) To download the updates, just login here. Pro-Sounds.net released a Free 128 presets bank for EMM Knagalis. Dash Signature and ProSounds Release Special daAlfa2k Bundle Dash Signature have teamed up with ProSounds to bring you a special bundle which includes the daAlfa2k VSTi (which already includes 224 presets) plus the entire range of daAlfa2k soundsets from ProSounds, giving you instant access to over 850 sounds!! The extra bundled presets are categorized into basses, leads, pads & textures, soundFX and essential soundz.   The cost of this special bundle is just $49.95, a saving of $30 on the usual separate selling price, and is available immediately at both web sites.    For more information about the ProSounds soundsets for daAlfa2k visit pro-sounds.net. Monday, January 26 2004 | dmac Todays NAMM updates... New Musicians Bundle from Waves... Waves has introduced a new package aimed at guitarists, vocalists, and other musicians using native, host-based systems: The Musician Bundle.                    The Musician Bundle comprises five powerful processing plug-ins that are ideal for adding special character with presence, punch, and life to the sound of any track. Two plug-ins offer extraordinary control of dynamics, with intelligent compression, expansion, and gating capabilities: the Renaissance Axx, as its name suggests, is optimized for guitar, while the other, Voxx, offers control for vocals. Axx is ideal for enhancing the presence of a guitar part, whether it's a lead solo, rhythm, or powerful bass lines, and offering compression/limiting and gating/expansion. It's a tool to bring the guitar part out in a mix. Meanwhile, the Renaissance Voxx is designed to be powerful, yet easy to use. Created to enhance and focus vocal clarity while reducing background noise, the Voxx is ideal for lead vocals. The other plug-ins in the Musician Bundle focus on time domain effects. The Doubler is an automatic double-tracking device that will make any instrument or vocal larger than life, adding depth and dimension to the sound. Employing a combination of delay and pitch modulation, the Waves Doubler creates a whole new gamut of time-domain doubling effects. The Super Tap features six multi-tap delays with up to six seconds of mono or stereo delay, EQ-style filtering, rotation, gain, and precision control of delay times. In addition, there's the ability to add modulation and different feedback modes, along with tempo/tap pattern insertion. Super Tap can create wild delays, incredible ambient effects, and unique room sounds. Finally, the MetaFlanger is the ideal and all-encompassing flanger for the guitarist. It can be used to create gentle choruses, sharp phasing, tape flanging, and a whole range of dual-delay flanging effects. Filters allow processing of just a portion of the input, and the phase can be inverted for even more effects. A 14-day free demo of the Musician Bundle is available from authorized Waves dealers or from www.waves.com. The Musician Bundle ships in January 2004 and carries an MSRP of $199. It is available for native systems via RTAS, AudioSuite, VST, DirectX (Win), and MAS (Mac). For more information, visit their web site at www.waves.com. Korg's Legacy Collection Plug-Ins to Include Commemorative MS-20 Controller... Available with Macintosh/Windows support for stand-alone and plug-in operation, Korg's Legacy Collection features software synthesizer versions of the popular MS-20, Polysix, and WAVESTATION synthesizers and more... Korg has launched the Legacy Collection, a virtual instrument/effects pack that offers software synthesizer versions of its popular MS-20 and Polysix analog synthesizers, the WAVESTATION advanced vector synthesizer, a slew of high-quality effects, along with a special-edition MS-20 Controller. The collection also premieres a unique "cell" concept, which combines synths and effects for powerful new sounds. Korg's newly developed CMT (Component Modeling Technology) models the characteristics of the electronic circuits themselves (transistors, condensers, resistors, etc.), allowing the Legacy Collection to reproduce the complex sound. The Legacy Collection synths can be used on Macintosh OSX/Windows XP in stand-alone form or as VST/Audio Units plug-in instruments within a compatible host application. All software is optimized for the Apple G4 Velocity Engine and Intel Pentium 4 SSE2 for maximum performance. MSRP: $625.00 For more information, visit their web site at www.korg.com. Sunday, January 25 2004 | dmac Traxmusic updates... New material for your gazing eyes... Review - Antares Filter - The Professional's Choice - Kevin Rossiter. An lengthy review on this mighty Filter. "Antares Filter ... how's it going to change your life for the better? well..." Team growing: Please welcome abord the Traxmusic team Mr.Devon Brent. He has joined for review and article writing, with an excellent style! His quick Bio - Devon Brent: "Devon started playing guitar back in 1989, moved to 'trackers' on the Amiga in 1991, and then into hardware synths in 1995, he's thoroughly enjoyed the technological revolution the computer music world has conjured. Working on everything from music and sound effects on large scale multimedia productions to scoring music for small film projects, to playing guitar in an EBM/industrial band Sythilix, with Michael Weeks, Devon enjoys a wide variety of music and styles." New mixing article: A Different Approach To Mixing: An alternative implementing method for you mixers out there to test out. Good read! VSTi tutorials:  From there we go to Rudi's new VSTi intermediate tutorial, on the VSTi section: - Virtual Instruments - Save, Output & Export. Another good article, very well explained and nicely written. Look out for an advanced masterclass to come soon aswell! Enjoy. Sunday, January 25 2004 | dmac Drums On Demand® Now Shipping Volume 2 Loop CD Drums On Demand® has announced the release of “Volume 2” — a companion CD to the company’s popular first volume of live session drummer loops. The new CD includes nearly 800 royalty free loops in 35 Songs Sets® comprising several new features, including more loops per Song Set and many longer loops. Currently available in 24- or 16-bit “Acidized” WAV format, Volume 2 also features more odd-time signatures; Song Set BPMs ranging from 56 to 200 (specifically created to fill in some gaps on Vol. 1); plus, brushed-based jazz and country Song Sets. Complete Song Set descriptions and MP3 examples are available at drumsondemand.com. Drums On Demand takes drum track construction to a new level of simplicity, versatility and realism through it’s creative live drumming, high-quality sound and unique organization system. Each Song Set® includes as many as 36 verse, chorus, fill, bridge, break, intro, ending and other loops. Simply find the master verse or chorus loop that fits your song and use the other loops and segments in the Song Set to quickly build a drum track that feels and sounds like a live session drummer playing a real song -- because that’s exactly what it is. Mixed with an ear for punch and musicality, these loops were tracked into 24-bit Pro Tools with top-of-the- line microphones and mixed down using high-end compression and processing. The result is the fastest, most flexible way to create a live-sounding, high-quality drum performance for your project. Drums on Demand delivers the simplicity and flexibility of stereo loops, combined with the realism of a session drummer performing live in a state-of-the-art studio with a veteran engineer at the console. Suggested Retail Price: $49.95 (U.S)