Week of April 3, 2005 Thursday, April 7 2005 | dmac Logic Pro and Logic Express 7.1 Updates Available for Preorder Apple's update of Logic Pro and Logic Express, version 7.1, is now available for pre-order. The update will be available within the next 30 days and requires an installed version of Logic Pro 7 with XSKey (for Logic Pro 7.1) or Logic Express 7 (for Logic Express 7.1). The update comes as DVD (300 MB) for US $19.95. The Logic Pro 7.1 update adds a generous collection of new features and sought after enhancements such as full native plug-in delay compensation and over 70 new key commands. It provides greater facility for creating and managing Apple Loops and a convenient new method for re-ordering Channel Strip plug-in configurations. Logic Pro 7.1 further extends the creative options with 5 new plug-ins including a Bass Amp and two hybrid synthesizers. The update is rounded out by a host of optimizations and refinements that significantly improve the performance and stability of both Logic Pro and the included, updated version of Waveburner. Preorders can be placed online at apple.com/logic and apple.com/logicexpress. For more information, visit their web site at apple.com. Thursday, April 7 2005 | dmac Reaktor 5 Unveiled at Musikmesse Core Technology Carbon 2 Instrument Reaktor 5 is the next generation of the modular sound design studio that fuses synthesis, sampling and effects. The latest version introduces the new "Reaktor Core Technology", resulting in a major technology leap that dramatically widens the scope of Reaktor-based instrument design. With a massive instrument library, powerful new routing options, vastly expanded panel design options, a revised user interface and a host of other improvements, the new version of Reaktor is more than ever an unlimited creative resource for musicians and producers as well as a an open-ended tool for forward-thinking instrument designers. The Reaktor Core Technology introduced in Reaktor 5 has been over three years in the making, and opens up a whole world of sound generators, effects, and more. As a completely new functionality layer that is seamlessly integrated into the Reaktor architecture, Core Technology now enables true low-level signal processing design, and allows for an unlimited range of custom modules including oscillators, filters, EQs, delays and more. The Reaktor Core layer offers up to 64 bit internal resolution for pristine audio quality, and incorporates a run-time compiler for increased efficiency. While offering vast potential as a visual lowlevel programming environment for professional instrument design and education, Reaktor Core Technology also gives musicians and producers access to a vast selection of advanced and highly inventive ready-made sound generators, sequencers and effects. Instruments in Reaktor 5 now also come with their own charismatic custom user interface, thanks to extensive new panel customizing options. All panel elements in the new version of Reaktor are completely "skinnable", which includes faders, knobs, buttons, and even meters. A new "Macro Stack" also allows for tabbed panel interfaces, which results in highly functional instrument panels with a smaller footprint. Thanks to extended display functionality in Reaktor 5, a range of sophisticated new sequencer designs are possible, even including full-featured piano-roll sequencers. Reaktor 5 itself offers a carefully redesigned user interface with numerous usability improvements, including a reworked browser, toolbar and instrument headers. It also introduces configurable "Panel Sets" to optimize workflow, and an improved window system that makes navigation more convenient. Reaktor 5 ships with a large collection of powerful and ready-touse instruments, including more than 20 new synthesizers, drum machines, sequencers and effects. The library offers highly innovative additions like the soundscape generator "Skrewell", the grain sampler "Splitter" and the drum machine "Aerobic", as well as several updated Reaktor classics including Carbon 2, Steampipe 2 and Spacemaster 2, all making extensive use of Reaktor Core Technology. Furthermore, Reaktor 5 now offers powerful multi-stage envelopes similar to those in Absynth and FM7, and complete with tempo grid, slope control and looping functions; a large number of new modules for extended data storage, voice routing and MIDI functionality; a completely reworked macro collection for easy construction of custom instruments; a new sample prelistening function that makes working with samples more convenient; and a completely reworked and expanded documentation that caters for both entry-level and advanced users and includes a dedicated manual on Reaktor Core Technology. Reaktor 5 will be available in May 2005 for a suggested retail price of $579 / 499 Euro. An upgrade for owners of Reaktor 4 will be available for $169 / 149 Euro. Owners of NI Komplete CARE 2005 will receive the upgrade at no further costs. All NI Komplete 2 purchases that are registered after April 6th, 2005 are also entitled to a free Reaktor 5 upgrade. Supported Interfaces: VST, Audio Units, RTAS, DXi, ASIO, Core Audio, DirectSound, Open Sound Control Minimum Requirements Windows XP, Pentium 1 GHz/Athlon XP 1.33 GHz, 512 MB RAM Mac OS X 10.2.6, G4 1 GHz, 512 MB RAM For more information, visit their web site at native-instruments.com. Monday, April 4 2005 | dmac Rhino to v2.0.3 Big Tick has updated Rhino to v2.0.3 and also launched a new Users Library, on their web site, where Rhino users can share their presets. Changes: Display improvements (all the envelopes and curves are now drawn antialiased). The sysex importer is also able to load TX81 presets. More @ Bigtick. Monday, April 4 2005 | dmac Voxengo Issues Version 1.2 Update for Vintage Modulator A new update for the Vintage Modulator VST PC plug-in, bringing it up to version 1.2. Vintage Modulator is a stereo modulation PC VST plug-in which features 8 operators (4 for each output channel), allowing for rich chorus, phaser and flanger modulation effects. New features in version 1.2 include an operator count selector which allows you to switch between simple and complex modulation sound, the feedback can be negative now, and the wet modulated signal can be inverted now. The introduction of the operator count selector creates the ability of dialing in of a simple classic flanger sound. Vintage Modulator features: Vintage sound mode Through time zero design 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 Vintage Modulator is currently available on-line for USD 29.95. For more information, visit their web site at voxengo.com. Sunday, April 3 2005 | dmac Version 4.5 Software Announced for Eventide's H8000 Ultra-Harmonizer Eventide announced the shipment of the new Version 4.5 software for the flagship H8000 and H8000A Ultra-Harmonizer effects processors. The updated software enables new or existing users to draw new functionality out of the already powerful unit with new Custom Scale pitch shifting, MIDI Virtual Racks, effects stacking, and the most comprehensive offering of 5.1 algorithms available. The additional features brought to the flagship Ultra-Harmonizer are extensive. The Custom Scale pitch shifting overrides the strict math rules of chromatic pitch shifting and expands beyond the musical possibilities allowed by diatonic pitch shifting. With V4.5 you can create your own scales, comprised of five to twelve notes, and choose the exact amount of pitch shifting applied to each single note in your custom scale, opening up territories like counterpoint, hybrid harmonies, poly-tonality, ethnic harmonies, and much more. This powerful algorithm gives you the possibility to create up to twelve custom scales and apply up to eight voices of pitch shifting to each scale with up to two seconds of delay per voice. You can also micro-tune each voice in one percent increments and add pitch modulation via LFO. Manual settings and MIDI modulation of parameters allow the transposition of stored scales. Calibration provides adjustment of pitch detection parameters for optimizing pitch shifting results for different source material. The H8000's new MIDI Virtual Racks enable users to combine up to five stereo effects processors, allowing up to 50 individual parameter settings to be linked to ten preset changes, all within a single preset-algorithm, without any program change latency. A master tweak parameter recalls each of the ten internally stored settings. Eight presets with different effects combinations are available, each with ten carefully crafted tweaks, allowing 80 variations to be stored and recalled via MIDI. A single MIDI continuous controller message is all you need to control these powerful effects arrays. The user can program which effect will be on or off, what its parameter values will be, and how the MIDI pedal board will drive the changes. Included in V4.5 is a library of presets including single effects block already set up for MIDI control. V4.5 also includes MIDI Virtual Racks building blocks, featuring a MIDI Custom Scale Shifter where all musical aspects can be changed in real time; these building blocks can be assembled to create your own custom MIDI Virtual Racks using VSIGFILE editor. V4.5 offers a new bank of preset-algorithms devoted to Multiple Machines, including previously unavailable combinations of classic Eventide presets from the H3000, DSP4000, and Orville. Each preset includes 3 or 4 parallel stereo effects processors, featuring different effects combinations or highly specialized groups of choruses, delays, and reverbs, designed specifically for mixing, tracking, and FOH applications. V4.5 also offers a large variety of 5.1 algorithms. The new presets include a 5.1 Frame-Rate Converter for post-production applications which supports both 48 and 96kHz sample rates, Remix Beat "Freezers," Eventide classic Black Hole reverb, 5 mono reverb units for 5.1 single channel optimization, ring modulators, Quad Custom Scales Shifters, Reso_Machines, Band Delays, Comb Delays, Chorused Diffusors, Reso_Chords, Ring_Mod Delays, Diffused Echoes, Mangling Delays, Loops and Freeze FX, Soundscapes, Surround Distortion, Tremolos, Quad, and 5.1 Three-Band Compressors. V4.5 delivers new effects and fresh approaches to classic Eventide effects, including Digi Degrader, Delay Matrix, Comb Distortion, 4-Band Reverb, MIDI Modulator, AmbiClouds, EchoMatic, to name a few. V4.5 software for the H8000 brings the number of preset-algorithms to an unprecedented 1,588 and continues to expand the universe of tonal and control capabilities of Eventide's most powerful processor yet. For more information, visit their web site at eventide.com.