Audio Ease releases Mac Intel compatible version of Nautilus Bundle and Rocket Science Bundle (Mac OS X plug-ins).

The Rocket Science Bundle (flight path simulator, talk box and autowah) and the multiple award winning Nautilus Bundle (Phase correct scope-EQ, granular soundscape synthesizer and end-all Phaser) have today been released as Mac Intel compatible Universal Binaries.

The new versions are free upgrades for Rocket Science version 3 and Nautilus version 2 users, and can be picked up from www.audioease.com/support.

The Nautilus Bundle (for Mac OS X: MAS VST RTAS HTDM AU Audio Suite) consists of the following three plug-ins:

RiverRun
River Run is a Granular Soundscape Synthesizer capable of oozing immense sonic oceans of tiny particals taken from your original audio. It can build rhythmic 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 unprecedented low frequency resolution. Edit modes range from fluent to massively steep.

Deep Phase Nine
Deep Phase Nine is a true phaser that offers unparalleled control and visual feedback. Up to 24 notches per channel, beat locked sample and hold, one-shots, a true phaser (not a flanger!) done the Audio Ease way.

The Rocket Science (for Mac OS X: MAS VST RTAS HTDM AU Audio Suite) consists of the following three plug-ins:

Roger - You can apply human vowel filters to your audio with Roger. Use the vowel bar at the bottom to click through the vowels and click the portrait to select one of the Roger family members. Features include portamento, automation, Midi-controll and rythmic talk-nonsense mode.

Follo - Dynamically adjusts the peak of a resonating bandpass filter according to the level of the incoming audio. Applications of Follo include an autowah on a guitar, and a thumping resonating bass generator.

Orbit - Orbit lets you control the virtual position of your sound source. It accurately calculates the sound source’s reflections of the walls of a virtual ‘outer room’, using the exact amount of delay and attenuation for the direct sound and all reflections alike. Useit a s a physicallly correct panner, select from preset source trajectories, or create them yourself via live MIDI controller or parameter automation.

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

Posted in Apple Mac, Plug-Ins, Technology, VST

Synthogy is pleased to announce the release of their first Universal Binary version of Ivory for Audio Units. While the update is essential for all Intel-based Macs, it is also highly recommended for all users with Mac PowerPC processors running OS 10.4 or higher. Included in this download and installation is also the first release of the Ivory stand-alone version for Mac.

The update is free for all registered Ivory users and requires a previous installation of Ivory 1.5. Both the Ivory stand-alone version and the Ivory UB AU update plug-in are installed in the same package that is available for download at Synthogy’s website.

Ivory retails for $349 and is available for AU, VST (Mac/PC) and RTAS (Mac/PC). The Italian Grand Expansion Pack for Ivory is expected for a release within the next few weeks.

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

Posted in Computer, Piano, Plug-Ins, Synth

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

Perimeter Sound Arts and Contralogic Productions have released the Feldspar Special Edition Multi-FX VST plug-in.

This Special Edition of the Feldspar Multi FX VST is a slightly altered version of the original with a few notable changes: It has one envelope and settings instead of 2, and 4 modulation routings in the matrix instead of 6. A reverb effect has been added, the cpu usage has gone down by about 1/3, and the number of patches has doubled.

Main features:

• A 3 mode sequenced envelope, with rate control, as well as ADSR and amp controls
• A 4X modulation routing matrix, with the usual source & destination settings as well as mix level. Modulation sources include S&H, as well as LFO + and -, and Envelope + and -, and can be sent to filter, ring, and reverb controls for even more varied modulations
• Delay/Echo with LP/HP filtering, and L-R, R-L, and Straight settings for the echos
• 2 assignable LFO’s for various tempo-synched modulation possibilities, with 16 different wave types to choose from, rate control, and FM and AM controls for frequency and level modulation control
• A ring modulator with level and pitch controls
• Unique dual filters, with bleed control, and 4 filter types to choose from
• A reverb effect with dampening control
• Width control in the master out section, for enhanced stereo sound
• Low to moderate cpu usage, and 31 presets included

Feldspar Special Edition is available now to all loop sample customers at www.perimetersound.com at no charge, it is a gift included with loop sample purchases.

It should be noted that Apple and Garageband customers are welcome to receive this plug in, in case they run a new dual boot Mac and want to use it that way, or if they have a PC-using, music-making friend they want to give it to. It is not available in Mac format, but Perimeter Sound Arts would certainly not wish to exclude anyone on the basis of what kind of computer they have.

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

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

Audio Damage, Inc. is pleased to announce the release of Reverence, a digital plate reverb simulator, as a plugin effect for VST and AudioUnits hosts. Reverence is heavily inspired by vintage digital hardware, and faithfully recreates the thick sonic character and easy-to-use interface of those early units, while providing the low noise floor and big headroom inherent in modern software-based reverb.

Perfect for synths, vocals, and guitar, Reverence is also capable of creating the unusual effects that are typical of vintage hardware units. Featuring a sophisticated and well-tuned reverb algorithm, Reverence has a much lower CPU load than convolution reverbs, and can be used as either a send or insert effect.

Features:

• Simple-to-use reverb settings, with pre-delay, time, and size, plus an extensive filtering section to shape the reverb tail
• Fluid and logical vintage-style user interface
• Optimized reverb algorithm for low CPU load
• MIDI Learn feature for full hardware control of all parameters (VST only; handled by host in AudioUnits version)

Reverence is available as a VST effect for Windows, and as an AudioUnit / VST effect bundle for OSX Universal Binary, and is US$39.00 for instant download from the Audio Damage store.

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

Posted in Computer, Digital, Effects, Plug-Ins, Recording, Software, 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

CEntrance today released their “Ideal Driver” for FireWire™ audio interfaces. The Windows™ audio software features one-third of the latency and higher stability than the typical drivers that are shipped with FireWire audio interfaces.

The CEntrance Ideal Driver’s unique technology bypasses the Windows audio engine to bring the recording latency down to previously unattainable levels. Musicians who routinely perform live or overdub with a DAW will appreciate the immediacy of response afforded by the new Ideal Driver. The CEntrance Ideal Driver (ID) is compatible with ASIO2, GSIF2, and MIDI applications and supports sample rates of 44.1 through 192kHz at 16 or 24-bit resolution. The product is offered for sale directly to consumers from the CEntrance website at $39.95 US.

“We’ve noticed that some FireWire audio products could perform significantly better if only they had better drivers. The Ideal Driver is the answer to those consumers who want to push their gear up a notch,” said Michael Goodman, Managing Director of CEntrance. “Our technology works with all major FireWire chips, so it was possible to create the replacement driver compatible with many FireWire audio products.”

The CEntrance Ideal Driver features easy installation and robust performance while achieving latencies as low as 5.9mS roundtrip, about one-third of many existing audio interfaces. To measure the true roundtrip latency CEntrance offers a free download of the Latency Test Utility, a handy way to compare different drivers and optimize a DAW-based recording setup.

CEntrance developed the software to be compatible with the majority of commercially available audio hardware, including Alesis, Apogee, Behringer, Focusrite, Mackie, M-Audio, Presonus, Tascam, and most ASIO and GSIF software applications. Support for other audio interfaces is constantly added. Please check the company’s website for an up-to-date list of hardware and software compatibility.

Earlier this year, CEntrance released the “Universal Driver” (UD), which combines interfaces from several vendors into a single recording setup. The Ideal Driver is based on the same technology, but differs from the UD in that it works with a single audio interface.

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

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

Sample Logic has released a new sound library, Ambience, Impacts, and Rhythms. A.I.R. is focused on blending three essential building blocks for the composer into one library: Ambience, Impacts, and Rhythms.

Powered by Native Instruments’ Kontakt 2 player, Ambience, Impacts, and Rhythms is available for AU, DXI, RTAS, VST and standalone configurations. The two DVD set contains over 6GB of instruments categorized by genre, timbre and the mood they evoke. The system is designed to help you with organization and finding the sound you are looking for without having to funnel through thousands of presets to find the sound you want.

Features:

• Over 300 Ambient Instruments
• 100 Impact Instruments & Kits
• Tons of Killer Combination Platters that Combine Several Ambiences with Impacts and Rhythms
• 300 Tempo Adjustable Rhythms

A.I.R. covers all the bases, from sci-fi, piercing, distorted tensions, and chilling action sounds to light, sacred, and spiritual atmospheres.

MSRP: $299.00

Sample Logic was founded by Joseph Trupiano and Keith Robinson in 2005 to introduce a fresh approach to sampling and virtual instruments.

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

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

A free demo download of analog tape emulator Extreme Punch is now available.

Extreme Punch not only emulates the sound of analog tape but more importantly it reproduces the dynamics.

Back in the days of analog recording there was one very outstanding recording tool. It was analog tape. Analog tape had one great advantage, it was warm and fat. Part of the esthetics of analog tape is the result of tape saturation. When the magnetic partials on analog tape become saturated, they created the best compression that ever existed. The result was a fat and dense signal which was both warm and punchy.

RSO created a plugin to do just that with Extreme Punch, and made it easy to use and fool proof.

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

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