Week of July 25, 2004 Saturday, July 31 2004 | dmac Two New Instructional CD-ROMs from Riff Interactive Example Lesson Riff Interactive, a developer of interactive guitar lesson CD-ROMs, has released Guitar Techniques columes I and II (retail $10.95, sale $9.95 each). Great guitar techniques are an essential tool for any guitar player. A good vibrato, pull-off or hammer-on technique can bring to life any musical phrase or lick. Learning scales, chords, improvising and theory are very important, however incorporating these techniques will add magic to your playing. This lesson series is designed to improve the style of any beginner and intermediate player. These lessons will focus on illustrating basic techniques and tricks, then expand into exercises and classic licks by popular guitarists who use these techniques. CD-ROM Software Features: Interactive tab/notation that syncs to the actual guitar audio. Virtual guitar neck showing the notes being played and the fingering. Select, loop, slow media and tab notation down to your desired speed while maintaining original pitch. Videos and looping jam tracks to practice with. Transcription of lessons where actual students interact with teacher. The Riff Interactive CD-ROM catalog which contains previews of each product is at: Riffinteractive.com. All new CDs retail for $10.95, but are currently on sale for $9.95 for a limited time. Saturday, July 31 2004 | dmac AmpliTube Live Coming to Windows IK Multimedia announced the upcoming release of AmpliTube Live as stand alone application also for Windows in addition to the current version for MacOS X. Plus, as an extra value , each AmpliTube Live box will include also the AmpliTube LE plug-in in every format (VST, Audio Unit, DX and RTAS). AmpliTube Live and LE give you: A huge amp set-up in your computer - Combine 3 different pre-amp models and related EQs with 3 emulated cabinets to craft a wide palette of guitar sounds ranging from clean, to crunch, to lead. On-board Effects - A set of 4 classic effects are included, including a Spring Reverb and 3 stomp-like effects including Wah-Wah, Delay and Overdrive, all modeled on acclaimed classic guitar effects. Built-in Tuner - AmpliTube Live and LE are a total solution for guitarists. In addition to a host of amp selections and effects, there's also a chromatic tuner, which makes it easy for players to stay in tune under any conditions. Play live with the same feel as an actual amp - AmpliTube Live and LE plays without any perceivable latency, according to the company. And it's easy to use with no-need for special hardware or software (works with built-in Windows audio cards) and no special set-up or configuration. 128 presets can be changed using MIDI foot controller - With 128 presets included (64 factory-64 users), you can emulate the widest range of amp sounds, select them live with any general MIDI foot controller (available in AmpliTube Live only). Compatibility and Pricing AmpliTube Live for MacOSX and Windows will be priced 99$/99 and it will be available in September 2004 at your favorite IK Multimedia retailer. For more information, visit their web site at Ikmultimedia.com. Friday, July 30 2004 | dmac Plugzilla Rackmount Plug-In Player Now Shipping Plugzilla Front Panel Plugzilla Rear Panel Manifold Labs today announced the general availability of Plugzilla, the rack-mounted plug-in player, an embedded Linux host optimized to run VST instrument and effect plug-ins. Plugzilla ships with hundreds of bundled plug-ins including a launch-limited version of the ProZilla Pack from developer PSPaudioware. Additional plug-ins can be downloaded and installed. The product has 4 channels of 96 kHz 24-bit analog audio, S/PDIF and AES/EBU digital audio, Word Clock, dual MIDI and footswitch ports, Ethernet, and USB. The USB ports can be used to connect various USB control devices and also support 'thumb' drives for saving plug-ins and presets. Via its Ethernet connector, Plugzilla connects to the Internet and can update itself from anywhere in the world. Plugzilla is priced at $3,495. For more information, visit their web site at www.plugzilla.com. Thursday, July 29 2004 | dmac IndieSFX release atmospheric sound effects Game sound effects creator Indiesfx.co.uk have announced a new sound effects collection. The new collection, entitled Atmosphere, features over 70Mb of long looping ambient effects, from typical rain, wind and fire to indoor sounds such as factory noise. The high quality stereo files seamlessly loop without obvious repitition. Like any IndieSFX sound set, S011C-Atmosphere is available on CD-ROM or instant download for $24. Visit Indiesfx.co.uk for further information. Thursday, July 29 2004 | dmac M-Audio Unveils ProSessions Premium Instrument ReFills M-Audio announced ProSessions Premium Instruments for use with Reason's NN-XT sampler. ProSessions Premium Instruments were designed in collaboration with sample library developers Sonic Reality. In addition to their sampling and editing prowess, Sonic Reality is known for their extensive collection of vintage gear, much of which has been owned by stars or used on hit recordings. Each title in the ProSessions Premium Instruments library focuses on one or two specific instruments, including meticulous sub-sampling, subtle playing variations and custom mapping using the full programming potential of Reason's NN-XT sampler. The result is a tour de force electronic replica without rival. All samples are available in 16- and 24-bit versions, allowing users a tradeoff between overhead and quality. (While Sonic Reality has their own library of 20 volumes, there is a clear delineation between the product lines: Each Sonic Reality title delivers a wide variety of instruments with fewer variations on each one. They are also delivered exclusively in 16-bit format.) The initial release of ProSessions Premium Instruments includes 11 volumes: Volume 1: Premium Grand C7 Volume 2: Premium Acoustic Guitar Volume 3: Premium Cathedral Organ Volume 4: Premium String Ensembles Volume 5: Premium Solo Strings Volume 6: Premium Brass Volume 7: Premium Woodwinds Volume 8: Premium Choirs Volume 9: Premium Orchestral Percussion Volume 10: Premium Drum Kits  Volume 11: Premium Rhodes Premium ReFills are expected to ship in mid-August, and will carry an MSRP of $99.95. For more information, visit their web site at www.midiman.net. Thursday, July 29 2004 | dmac HALion v3.0.1.489 pre-release (PB1) update released Steinberg have released a pre-release Public Beta version of HALion v3.0.1.489 for registered owners of HALion 3. New Features: Added 2 new User-Categories "Favourites" (3 before, total now 5). User-Categories "Favourites 1-5" can now be renamed by keeping Ctrl pressed when selecting. Added "Save Bank..." in Global Archive menu. Fixes: Improved Roland disc conversion speed. Improved Kurzweil Import (Disc Detection, Multisample support, Layer transpose, Loop). Some Kurzweil CDs could lead to a crash. Fixed. Fixed looping problems when using set B of the loop. Fixed a problem where CC10 could mute sounding notes. Autopan / Tremolo FX: The Phase Fader now works as intended. Tape Delay FX: Added scrollbar to access last 2 parameters. DCA Bypass now works like in HALion 2.x. Cursor keys now works in Browser View. More practical numerical changes with mouse wheel for text edit. Fixed several graphical issues on Mac & PC. Mac: crashes on Japanese OS fixed. Mac: fixed crashes when loading a bank file without extension. Mac: the "Do not show this message again" checkbox is working now. More @ Steinberg.net Wednesday, July 28 2004 | dmac Waves Introduces the Musicians Bundle II Waves has expanded its range of processing tools for guitarists, vocalists, and other musicians using native, host-based systems with the Musicians Bundle II.Featuring two of Waves' legendary signature processors -- Renaissance Compressor and Renaissance EQ -- the Musicians Bundle II also includes two delay and ambience tools, SuperTap and Doubler, plus a unique vocal processor, Renaissance Vox. Renaissance Compressor recreates the warm sound and simple operation of classic analog hardware compressors. The Renaissance Compressor features ARC (Auto Release Control) and Opto/Electro modes with a brickwall (L1 style) limiter on the output. Renaissance EQ has user-selectable filter types that respond like classic analog/tube processing, adding air and smoothness while maintaining clarity and space. Offering control for vocals, the Renaissance Vox is designed to be powerful, while also being easy to use. Created to enhance and focus vocal clarity while reducing background noise, the Renaissance Vox is ideal for lead vocals, instrument tracks, or radio voiceovers. Additional plug-ins in the Musicians Bundle II 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 an innovative combination of delay and pitch modulation, the Waves Doubler creates a whole new gamut of time-domain doubling effects. The SuperTap plug-in features six powerful 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. SuperTap can create wild delays, incredible ambient effects, and unique room sounds. A 14-day free demo of the Musicians Bundle II is available from authorized Waves dealers or at www.waves.com. The Musicians Bundle II is currently shipping with an MSRP of $200. 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. Wednesday, July 28 2004 | dmac Moog Modular V Updated to Version 2.0 Arturia announced version 2.0 of its Moog Modular V. This reproduction of the legendary Moog modular systems comes back with major improvements. Among the features added in the upgrade are: New ergonomics: One unique scrollable view to overlook the entire synth. Some of the modules are now interchangeable, allowing to configure - to a certain extent - the Modular the desired way. New audio possibilities: Improvements on the oscillators (new free running), on the filters (better response to modulations), on the envelopes (faster and even closer to true analog behavior). New Unison mode New Audio-In possibilities The Soft-clipping emulation is now done on each mixer and not systematically on all of them, which saves on CPU load. New modules 1630 Bode Frequency Shifter. Developed under the Moog license by Harold Bode in 1964, it is extremely rare (a dozen Worldwide). 928 Sample and hold is also very rare. Originally assembled in a separate cabinet, it was adapted on the last modular series, in the late 70's. 912 Envelope follower (or Schmit Trigger). One of the most popular modules on the Moog systems, it was often added to original configuration to create complex modulation through the use of an output signal. 12 stage phaser. The Moog 12 Stage Phaser was very well known, and originally conceived as an external rack to the Modular systems. Formant Filter. A new module developed by Arturia, which did not exist on the original Moog systems. It allows the filtering of sounds according to the formants a, e, i, o, u. Ring Modulator. Also a new module developed by Arturia, it creates very metallic sounds. New presets 200 new presets to provide optimal use of the new modules. This upgrade is free to all registered users. Shipment is planned for the 2nd half of August 2004. Platforms Windows: Windows 98 SE/ ME / 2000 / XP Mac OS X: Mac OS X.2 or higher For more information, visit their web site at Arturia. Tuesday, July 27 2004 | dmac Zero-G Morphology updated NI have released the v1.0.3.010 update of the Kompakt plug-in for Zero-G's Morphology sound module. The update contains a new button in the options menu: "Lock Memory (No Swap)". After running the updater, this option will be DISABLED by default, which should result in faster loading times for some users. If you experience clicks during playback, simply enable the option by clicking the button. Most users should experience improved performance with this option enabled, but patches will load more slowly. More @ Native Instruments. Tuesday, July 27 2004 | dmac Version 5 of Waves Plug-Ins Launched Waves has announced Version 5, the latest version release for the entire Waves product line. Version 5 continues the Waves tradition of keeping up with the latest technology and includes an extensive range of features. Version 5 provides HTDM support for all plug-ins (Pro Tools TDM 6.4cs4 required). HTDM allows the mixing of DSP and native plug-ins in a single processing chain, native plug-ins on AUX tracks, and support for side-chain plug-ins with the C1, RCL, RenChannel and Morphoder. In addition, mono to stereo operation is provided with native plug-ins. Also, the 360 Surround Tools Bundle is now available for Windows XP TDM users, and supports native processing running RTAS and HTDM on both Mac and PC. Automatic latency compensation is supported for all Waves plug-ins under Pro Tools TDM 6.4. Updated host support provides compatibility with the latest software versions, including Nuendo 2.2 and Pro Tools 6.4. The Digidesign Command 8 is also supported. Tempo Sync enables four plug-ins -- Enigma, MetaFlanger, MondoMod and SuperTap -- to align perfectly to the host tempo, allowing the simple creation of 'in-beat' effects, timed delays, panning, flanging and much more. MIDI Instrument Control turns the Morphoder into a truly "live" virtual instrument which can be played using an assigned MIDI track output or via live performance from a MIDI controller. Version 5 supports Mac OSX, WIN XP, and 2000 and is available with all new products and via the Waves Update Plan, which provides version updates for a full year on registered products.  A 14-day demo of Waves Version 5 is available from Waves dealers or the company's web site. For more information, visit their web site at www.waves.com. Monday, July 26 2004 | dmac Voxengo Redunoise VST 1.2 released Version update 1.2 for Redunoise PC VST plug-in is now available for download. Redunoise is a high resolution audio noise reduction system which delivers an unprecedented quality and offers the most comprehensive control over the broad-band noise reduction process. The updated version implements minor bug fixes and offers the user several new features. It is now possible to drag envelope segments, in addition to points. Envelope selection has been simplified: a set of envelope selection buttons is now available right below the control surface of Redunoise. The most useful new feature of Redunoise is the automatable "Dry Mix" parameter. Using this parameter the user can adjust the mix ratio between the original dry signal and the de-noised version of the same signal. Since this parameter is perfectly automatable it is possible to control its value by means of the automation envelopes available in almost all professional audio host applications. This way it is possible to achieve good overall de-noising performance while having an option to reduce the amount of de-noising happening in the critical areas of the program material. Another remarkable new feature is the linear-phase filtering mode. Previous versions of Redunoise offered only the minimum-phase filter design (which can be also called as analog-prototype design). The linear-phase mode offers a more neutral noise reduction sound and consumes less CPU power in comparison to the minimum-phase mode. Redunoise features: High resolution spectrum analysis Analog-prototyped filtering Linear-phase filtering Real-time spectrum display Noise learn function Residual output monitoring Logarithmic/linear scale switch Multilevel undo for each parameter "A-to-B" comparisons Mono-to-Stereo, Stereo-to-Stereo processing Support of sample rates up to 96 kHz Demo factory presets 64-bit internal precision Native assembler DSP code Voxengo Redunoise is available on-line for USD 99. For more information and demo downloads please visit the Voxengo web site: voxengo.com. Monday, July 26 2004 | dmac Boss Introduces DR-880 Rhythm Machine The DR-880 is a rhythm-programming powerhouse that's loaded with drum, percussion, and bass sounds from Roland's SRX library. It also includes a collection of original waveforms. From studio drums and electronic kits to standard and exotic percussion instruments, the DR-880's sounds can be played and programmed as is, or customized with powerful tools such as independent compressors and EQs for the kick and snare, and a compressor and selection of COSM amp models for the bass. You can get microscopic with the DR-880, but you also have the option of taking the simple route with its three EZ Compose buttons on the front panel, which allow original patterns to be constructed without note-by-note programming hassles. Patterns can be taken deeper with the Groove Modify feature, where various groove and triplet feels can be applied. Ghost notes can also be added automatically. Guitar and bass players can join the action by plugging directly to the DR-880's Guitar/Bass Input jack. Guitarists can play through the built-in COSM Drive/Amp models and multi-effects such as chorus/flanger/phaser, delay, and reverb. For acoustic guitar, the DR-880 offers an Acoustic Processor, chorus, and reverb. Bass players can spice up their tone with the DR-880's compressor/limiter, chorus/flanger/phaser, delay, and COSM bass amp models. In addition to an array of analog audio I/O, the DR-880 also has a S/PDIF digital out and a USB port for MIDI interfacing and SMF Data import. For more information, visit their web site at bossus.com.