Blue Cat Audio has released a new version of its freeware Chorus and Stereo Chorus directX and VST plug-ins.

Main changes:

• Advanced MIDI control with customizable parameters, curve response, and MIDI learn
• Blue Cat’s Skinning Language V1.2.1 support
• Now supports one skin per preset and a global default skin: customize each instance of the plug-in in the same session
• All parameters can now be fine tuned thanks to a text-edit popup window that appears when double clicking on user interface widgets

Blue Cat also has a step by step tutorial available to learn how to use the new advanced MIDI control features.

For more information, visit their web site at www.bluecataudio.com.

Posted in Audio, Effects, Plug-Ins, Technology, VST

Now with convenient DB25 connectors, the new AN-16/o converts 16 channels of uncompressed, 24-bit digital data transmitted via A-Net into sixteen discrete mic- or line-level analog audio output channels.

Aviom’s newly updated AN-16/o Output Module is now shipping—with the flexibility of improved mic and line output levels, convenient DB25 multipins for audio connections, and heavy duty locking Neutrik EtherCons for network connections. The AN-16/o Output Module will make its debut at AES 2006 (Booth# 123).

The new AN-16/o provides sixteen balanced mic- or line-level analog outputs, with switchable output levels per channel pair. Audio outputs feature secure DB25 multipin connectors. With both mic- and line-level outputs available, connecting to a console is simpler and more flexible.

The AN-16/o can be used both on stage and at front of house to provide outputs to consoles, as well as to amplifiers and speaker processors. Adding a split for recording or broadcast is as quick as running a Cat-5e cable to the additional locations and connecting additional AN-16/o modules as needed. Any number of AN-16/o Output Modules can be connected in a system, providing unlimited lossless digital splitting of an audio stream.

The built-in A-Net Expansion jack also allows easy integration into an existing Pro16 Monitor Mixing System, as well as a path for building 32-channel systems (16×16 or 32×0) on a single Cat-5e cable. The AN-16/o is also fully compatible with the AN-16SBR System Bridge, which supports 64-channel systems in a variety of bi-directional configurations. All network connections on the AN-16/o now use heavy duty locking Neutrik EtherCon connectors.

In applications where cable runs exceed the 500ft/150m supported by A-Net on Cat-5e, the AN-16/o can be used with media converters and fiber optics.

For more information, visit their web site at www.aviom.com.

Posted in Audio, Recording, Technology

WorxAudio Technologies is pleased to announce the introduction of the new TL.218SS Sub Bass System. Available in both powered and non-powered configurations, the TL.218SS—with dual TL1801SS 18-inch low frequency (LF) transducers—is the ideal subwoofer for applications requiring maximum output with smooth, extended LF response. The TL.218SS is the perfect choice for live concert reproduction, high energy club installations, houses of worship, theme park effects, and theaters.

Built to truck pack dimensions for efficient transportation of multiple units, the new TL.218SS Sub Bass System makes an ideal choice for both touring sound reinforcement and permanent installations. The TL.218SS utilizes a tuned port enclosure built from tour-tested, 21-ply Baltic Birch that is extensively braced for high cabinet rigidity. Combined with its 24mm thick baffle, this rugged, 1-inch thick enclosure is coated with a weather-resistant, multi-layered, catalyzed polyurethane finish (available in a variety of colors to match the environment) designed to withstand the rigors of the road. Protecting the drivers is a 14-guage, powder-coated, cloth-backed, perforated steel grille.

The new TL.218SS Sub Bass System utilizes dual TL1801SS long excursion, high output, 18-inch LF transducers. Each TL1801SS incorporates a high temperature, neodymium magnet surrounding an under hung, 4-inch diameter x 1.5-inch high voice coil encased in a low carbon steel structure that enables the light weight, high strength aluminum cone to have extremely high excursion—over 2-inches of peak to peak movement while staying in the gap 71% of the time without damage to the unit. Delivering more than four times the acoustic output of competing designs, the TL1801SS woofer provides quick transient response, low power compression with high linearity, and ultra low distortion. The result is a remarkably efficient transducer with exceptional sound quality and proven, long-term durability.

An ideal choice for a wide variety of sound reinforcement applications, the TL.218SS Sub Bass System is available in both powered and non-powered configurations. The powered version of this subwoofer is driven by WorxAudio Technologies’ highly-regarded PMD-2 digital power amp. Featuring 1000 watts of power for each TL1801SS LF driver in the enclosure, this powerhouse amplifier incorporates twin digital program processors, an XLR transformer with isolated I/O, and industry-standard AC PowerCon switchgear I/O.

Rounding out the TL.218SS Sub Bass System is the inclusion of EASE Focus aiming software for the TrueLine line array—a two-dimensional, acoustic simulation program that facilitates the configuration and modeling of line arrays. Designed for flying or ground stack applications, the TL.218SS incorporates all the contact points for the optional WorxAudio TrueAim™ rigging hardware. Among its numerous distinct advantages, WorxAudio Technologies rigging accessories are available for both touring and permanent systems, with the permanent installation hardware having a clean, inconspicuous design that presents a high-tech, uncluttered look enabling WorxAudio loudspeaker systems to blend perfectly into any environment. The new TL.218SS Sub Bass System carries a MSRP of $8,080.00 for the powered touring version (with rigging hardware), and $5,031.00 for the non-powered install version. Both models are available now.

For more information, visit their web site at www.worxaudio.com.

Posted in Audio, Speakers

The Musical Genome Project is a new sampleset series by Nucleus SoundLab for Wusikstation, Reason 3 and SF2/SFZ. MGP concentrates on inexpensive, sub-$30 libraries focused around specific musical themes. The goal of MGP is high-quality sounds everyone can afford.

ChordWaves I is the first sampleset in the Musical Genome Project series. ChordWaves I contains a variety of synth chords programmed on modular synthesizers - which are ideal as song-starters for all forms of electronica. They also make excellent atmospheric textures when run through appropriate effects.

The Wusikstation version contains:

• Over 450mb (32-bit) of raw samples
• 16 multisamples comprised of nearly 150 waveforms
• 100+ Wusikstation v3 presets by a variety of professional sound designers

The Reason 3 Refill contains:

• The same samples as above, compressed into a 150mb Refill
• 24 Custom Combinator Patches
• 16 NN-XT Patches

ChordWaves I is now available for the low price of $14.95 (single-format), $19.95 (all formats - Wusik/SF2/SFZ/Reason) or shipped on DVD for $24.95.

For more information, visit their web site at www.nucleus-soundlab.com.

Posted in Audio, Computer, Loops, Music, Recording, Samples

OttoPhilter is the 7th of the Twister Series, a new line of Audio Unit effects from Music Unfolding.

OttoPhilter is an auto/touch wah filter with LFO control and sub-octave generation and a second auto/touch wah filter on the sub-octave.

There’s a level meter tied to the touch wah sensitivity to help you adjust OttoPhilter to suit your playing dynamics. OttoPhilter has two driven resonant filter sections - one on your input signal and one for the generated sub-octave. The filters sweep by using triggered envelopes or tracking the input signal or using LFOs.

OttoPhilter is $19.99 and is available for OS X as a Universal Binary. Download a demo of OttoPhilter here.

For more information, visit their web site at www.MusicUnfolding.com.

Posted in Audio, Effects, Recording, Software, Synth, Technology, VST

Pianoteq is the very first truly modelled piano, available for the VST and AudioUnit platforms.

Being a truly modelled piano, the sound is created in real time from scratch through a very sophisticated mathematical model, simulating an acoustic piano. It is responding to how the pianist is striking each key and how strings are interacting, just like a real piano does. The result is a remarkably expressive and vivid instrument.

The first generation of pianos began with Cristofori’s pianoforte in 1698 which came to maturity at the end of the 19th century with the acoustic grand pianos. It was followed in the 20th century by the second generation electro-acoustic pianos and the third generation sampled pianos where each note is a recording of how it sounded during a specific moment in time, not taking into account the complexity of the instrument.

Pianoteq is the first and only piano belonging to the fourth generation, developed to go beyond the limitations of the third generation and to become a versatile and innovating tool.

Simulating acoustic pianos: Everything that characterizes an acoustic piano is there: the mechanic noises (optional), the complexity of pedals and strings in interaction, the percussion impact on staccato play, and of course the most important, the beauty of the piano sound.

New possibilities: The unique adjustable parameters result in great realism and even allow going beyond the material constraints of an acoustic piano, thus being able to create new instruments and sounds.

System friendly: Pianoteq adapts its CPU consumption dynamically to the resources available on your computer. It holds more than easily in the computer memory, and its installation is fast and easy. It can be successfully used on a modern laptop.

The current piano presets are the first instruments of a collection which will grow in the near future. Pianoteq customers are invited to exchange their best settings through the FXP corner of the Pianoteq website.

Being modelled, Pianoteq allows parameters to be stretched as long as the model permits, resulting not only in new performance styles but also in new piano sounds. The sound comes from 32-bit floating audio computation without any quantization noise, not even with the softest pianissimos. Expressivity is superior as it can handle all the 127 MIDI velocities for each note.

The high quality sound can be easily processed in a virtual studio for professional use.

For more information, visit their web site at www.pianoteq.com.

Posted in Audio, Computer, Plug-Ins, Recording, Software, Technology, VST

Native Instruments is excited to announce AUDIO KONTROL 1, a compact high-performance USB 2.0 audio interface that addresses the typical needs of many musicians, producers and DJs in a highly portable and affordable package. Combining professional sound quality with high versatility, and equipped with a comprehensive software package, AUDIO KONTROL 1 was designed to meet a specific “sweet spot” in terms of performance, functionality and price.

AUDIO KONTROL 1 is equipped with studio-grade 24-bit/192 kHz Cirrus Logic converters that guarantee pristine audio quality, while Native Instruments’ third-generation USB 2.0 audio driver technology ensures low-latency operation down to 4 milliseconds both on Windows and Macintosh systems. With its 2-in/4-out configuration, and equipped with microphone preamp, “Hi-Z” instrument input and headphone amp, AUDIO KONTROL 1 is suitable for a wide range of studio, live and DJ applications. Four freely assignable control elements on the top side of the unit also make it possible to adjust any software parameter directly from the interface, enabling AUDIO KONTROL 1 to double as a basic controller device.

With its small footprint and solid aluminium enclosure, the completely bus-powered audio interface provides a robust and highly portable solution for many typical recording and performance situations. AUDIO KONTROL 1 also comes with an additional creativity booster in the form of a comprehensive software bundle. Included are XPRESS KEYBOARDS, three software synthesizers based on the acclaimed PRO-53, B4 and FM7, as well as GUITAR COMBOS, three professional amp emulations taken from Native Instruments’ award-winning GUITAR RIG.

AUDIO KONTROL 1 also comes with TRAKTOR 3 LE, a new DJ software based on Native Instruments’ groundbreaking TRAKTOR DJ Studio. Offering two decks with high-quality time-stretching, an integrated mixer, performance effects, loop and cueing functions, a powerful track database and seamless Beatport shop integration, TRAKTOR 3 LE is a serious creative tool, and an ideal way to enter the world of digital DJing.

AUDIO KONTROL 1 will be available in October 2006 for a suggested retail price of $299 / 279 Euro from authorized dealers and in the NI Online Shop.

For more information, visit their web site at www.native-instruments.com/afharmony01.info.

Posted in Audio, Computer, Digital, Recording, Software, Technology

Rain Recording is pleased to announce the release of the Event digital media workstation. Featuring Intel Core Duo architecture, Event brings an all-in-one, portable media center concept to reality. Record, playback, edit, burn, and transport seamlessly with Event’s intuitive interface. Event is also equally at home as a media center, storing music, movies and photos.

Event was designed to become the center of your digital media experience. Simply add a USB or Firewire sound card and Event will enable you to produce professional-quality audio projects. For home entertainment applications, this palm-sized powerhouse will store thousands of songs, record and play back live TV and movies, surf the internet wirelessly, listen to music in digital stereo, watch videos in high definition and surround sound, as well as download and organize your digital photos and movies. Event also features a host of connection options including; DVI, Component Video, Composite Video, S-Video, Line in/out, mic in, USB x2, FireWire, SPDIF stereo out, and Ethernet.

“Event is the first product of its size and price point to offer reliable, stable performance,” says Rain President Bill Paschick. “Event utilizes Intel’s’ MoDT technology which provides unprecedented reliability in a portable digital media workstation, through lower power consumption and component miniaturization. This translates into silent and cooler operation. We’ve worked closely with leading audio software and hardware manufacturers to provide the best experience possible for those using digital audio on the Windows XP platform.”

Bridging the gap between Pro and Prosumer recording markets, Event also provides digital workstation technology for DJ and home entertainment applications. Featuring a 100GB internal SATA hard drive, the storage capacity will be expandable up to 1TB with the addition of Rain’s newly announced StormDrive Tera line of external hard drives available later this year. With its small size and versatility, Event is a truly robust AV media center.

Hardware

Intel® Core™ Duo 1.83GHz processor
T2400 2MB L2 1.83GHz 667MHz FSB
DVI 128MB 945GM On-Board Graphics Processor (DVI-to-VGA adapter)
TV Out: Multi-TV x1 (Composite + S-Video + Component)
100GB 5400 Ultra 150 SATA Hard Drive with 8MB buffer
1GB DDR-2 SO-DIMM 667 RAM
AC ‘97 and High Definition Audio 5.1
SPDIF Optical Stereo Out
Line-In (Surround-Out L/R)
Line-Out(Front-Out L/R)
Mic-In(Central/Subwoofer out)
CD-RW+Dual Layer DVD+/-RW Drive
Wireless LAN M-PCI INTEL PRO 2915ABG
Other Ports:
2 USB 2.0 Ports
1 FireWire® Port
10/100/1000 On-Board Network Adaptor
Silent 65-watt power supply
Dimensions: 6.49(W) x 1.96(H) x 6.49(D), Weight: 3 lbs.

Support

RainCare ™ Basic Phone and Email Support
One Year Limited Warranty

Software

Event has been optimized to support the following software programs; Windows XP Professional, Cakewalk SONAR LE, PCDJ Be The DJ, Nero CD/DVD Creator, and Acronis True Image Recovery Software.

$1595.95 MSRP

For more information, visit their web site at www.rainrecording.com.

Posted in Audio, Digital, Recording, Technology

Music Unfolding announces the release of ModVibe, the sixth of the Twister Series, a new line of Audio Unit effects.

ModVibe is a delay vibrato with a couple of features to mix things up. There are two delay units. The first is a forward delay and the second is a feedback delay. In between these two is a modulation unit to scramble, shake, sift and swirl the contents. The vibrato oscillators are independently set and can be shaped using frequency modulation.

The vibrato units are fairly straight forward, except that the delay can range from a few milliseconds to 4500.0 ms. Between the two, that’s a bit of delay. In addition, the vibrato can be up to 500.0 ms in depth. These two combined provide effects ranging from phasor/flanger and chorus to wild, extreme doppler shifts. The sweeps can be tailored to a high degree giving a lot of flexibility.

Please note that the interface has been changed from previous Twister Audio Units to give users more control over the interface. The parameter display and label colors can now be set by the user. We have also added new options for setting the parameter values. Users can still set the parameters with the big knob, but they may also set the parameters by clicking and dragging over the parameter readout or hovering and using their mouse scroll wheels. Vertical scrolling or dragging moves the parameter values faster in bigger increments and horizontal dragging or scrolling moves the parameter values slower in finer increments. All of the other Audio Units previously released in the Twister Series have been updated with these changes.

ModVibe is $19.99 and is available for OS X as a Universal Binary. A demo is available here.

For more information, visit their web site at www.MusicUnfolding.com.

Posted in Apple Mac, Audio, Computer, Effects, Plug-Ins, Recording, Software, Technology

Music Unfolding has released SubRingFM, the 5th of the Twister Series, a new line of Audio Unit effects from Music Unfolding.

SubRingFM is a ring modulator. It also has two filters for shaping the sound. It also has a sub-octave generator. And the oscillator can be manipulated using FM.

The effect runs through a pre-filter to the ring modulator to a post-filter and then into a sub-octave generator. You can use the pre-filter to reduce the number of harmonics in the input signal and use the post-filter to shape the resulting tone. The ring modulator oscillator in SubRingFM is an FM oscillator. So, the resulting output can be made to contain a very complex set of frequencies. This can then be shaped using the post-filter to get a really wide range of sounds. Then the sub-octave generator is applied. The result is pretty amazing.

Please note that the interface has been changed from previous Twister Audio Units to give users more control over the interface. The parameter display and label colors can now be set by the user. We have also added new options for setting the parameter values. Users can still set the parameters with the big knob, but they may also set the parameters by clicking and dragging over the parameter readout or hovering and using their mouse scroll wheels. Vertical scrolling or dragging moves the parameter values faster in bigger increments and horizontal dragging or scrolling moves the parameter values slower in finer increments. All of the other Audio Units previously released in the Twister Series have been updated with these changes.

SubRingFM is $19.99 and is available for OS X as a Universal Binary. A demo is available here.

For more information, visit their web site at www.MusicUnfolding.com.

Posted in Audio, Computer, Effects, Plug-Ins, Recording, Software, Technology