Native Instruments is excited to announce FM8, the long-awaited successor of the popular FM7 software synthesize. With an enhanced high-resolution audio engine, intelligent sound morphing, added performance features and a new KORE-compatible preset manager, the FM8 makes the timeless and highly expressive musical potential of FM synthesis available in a thoroughly modernized instrument that fits perfectly into today’s studio and stage setups.

The typical sonic signature of the FM7, with its pristine and crystal-clear character, reaches the next level in the FM8 due to its new high-resolution audio engine. Increased internal resolution provides ultimate clarity and definition that significantly benefits the whole sonic spectrum of the instrument, from lead and bass sounds to pads, sequences and effects.

FM8 also introduces intelligent sound-morphing, a powerful tool for performance and sound design that is especially valuable for FM synthesis. A four-way sound-morphing matrix allows natural transitions and blends between as many as four different parameter sets, while an intelligent algorithm makes sure that results remain musical. An integrated advanced randomization feature offers further intuitive ways to explore the vast sonic potential of FM synthesis without expert knowledge.

The redesigned and reorganized user interface of FM8 emphasizes greater ease in accessing its synthesis functions through a stronger distinction between “easy access” and expert editing sections. The natural performance qualities of FM8 are brought to life through the addition of a highly versatile arpeggiator section, that includes a full-featured pattern editor with groove presets and shuffle function. Furthermore, FM8 integrates a new multi-effect section with 12 different algorithms, capable of adding even more sonic variety and a charming analog feel to the wide array of digital sounds that the FM8 can create.

FM8 ships with more than 900 preset sounds for all styles and genres, including both original FM7 patches and the complete FM7 Sounds Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 libraries as well as 200 new sounds that take advantage of the advanced capabilities of the new version. The powerful new sound browser in FM8 is based on the preset categorization and management system pioneered by KORE, and achieves optimal integration with Native Instruments’ innovative host system through use of the KoreSound format.

FM8 will be available in October 2006 for a suggested retail price of $ 339 / 299 Euro from authorized dealers and in the NI Online Shop. An update for owners of FM7 will be available for $ 119 / 99 Euro.

FM8 is also a part of the KOMPLETE 4 product bundle, which will in turn be available as a free update for all owners of KOMPLETE CARE 2006.

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

Posted in Plug-Ins, Softsynths, VST

Klein + Hummel, the latest addition to the Sennheiser family of brands, is introducing the O 300 triamplified three-way nearfield studio reference monitor at AES 2006 San Francisco. The O 300 delivers the same stunning quality of the famed O 300 D minus the digital input and control hardware, resulting in a cost-effective price without sonic compromise. As its more fully-featured sibling, the O 300 delivers superlative, uncolored sound, precise bass response, picture-perfect dispersion patterns, and a stunningly real soundstage with remarkable image focus and depth. Its precise and revealing detail enables the mixing engineer to make critical judgments with supreme confidence.

By utilizing a dense, new, extremely low-resonance material called LRIM, Klein + Hummel was able to mold the waveguides required for optimal dispersion directly into the baffle. The elliptical shape of the high-frequency horn makes the dispersion angle in the vertical plane more narrow thus reducing the amount of early reflections off the console surface which would otherwise interfere with the direct sound from the speakers (comb-filter effects), thereby improving spatial definition. At the same time, the effective horizontal listening area is made wider, giving the recording engineer greater freedom of movement in front of the console. The use of LRIM has also made it possible to align the acoustic centers of the two drivers exactly on one plane, parallel to the baffle, thereby preventing time and phase coherency problems at the crossover frequencies. This allows the individual drivers to work together perfectly to produce a precisely detailed soundstage.

The unit’s eight-inch cone woofer is made of a special lightweight polypropylene material that has excellent self-damping properties. Its long-excursion voice coil enables this driver to produce very low frequencies at high sound pressure levels with practically no distortion. In contrast to common bass-reflex systems, which tend to blur the low end, the acoustic suspension system of the O 300 delivers tight, articulate bass, which is strikingly clear, detailed, and natural, particularly in transients.

The midrange is handled by a treated fabric dome with a three-inch voice coil. Since its mass is much lower than that of cone drivers, it has the advantage of being able to achieve superior impulse response and extremely uniform amplitude response. As a result, midrange reproduction is impressively true-to-life, especially with the human voice.

The one-inch high-frequency driver is equipped with a titanium/fabric dome that combines the transparency of a titanium dome with the low distortion of a fabric dome. This driver has been finely matched to its elliptical waveguide, ensuring exceptional directivity.

All three drivers are magnetically shielded, permitting placement of the speakers directly next to video monitors or computers. O 300 is available in anthracite finish as standard; optional silver, white and custom colors are also available.

For more information, visit their web site at www.klein-hummel.com.

Posted in Monitoring, Speakers

TC-Helicon, inventor of VoicePro, VoiceDoubler and many other respected vocal processors employing cutting-edge harmony technology, announces the immediate shipping of the Harmony4 plug-in for TC Electronic’s PowerCore platform.

With TC-Helicon’s Harmony4 plug-in, producers, engineers and songwriters can fatten existing harmony tracks and add new 1- to 4-part harmonies after the singer has left the studio. Harmony4 is available for PowerCore at EUR 570 and GBP 389 retail ex VAT.

TC-Helicon’s harmony algorithms will already be familiar to users of VoicePro, VoiceLive, and VoiceWorks. Up to four virtual singers with individual gender, vibrato, levels and various humanization controls are created from a single vocal track. Harmony4 also features the latest generation harmony technology with robust pitch detection and Hybrid Shifting™ algorithms.

The UI of the Harmony4 plug-in was designed with the utmost user-friendliness in view, and several schemes that simplify the choice of harmony are offered: From automatic scale-based harmony that intelligently follows melismatic singing, to MIDI note control allowing any possible melody to compliment the lead vocal.

Harmony4 for Pro Tools TDM will be released in the fall of 2006.

For more information, visit their web site at www.tc-helicon.com.

Posted in Plug-Ins, Technology, VST

The new update 1.0.2 of Pianoteq VSTi/AU now supports Mac Intel CPUs, something that many Mac users have been waiting for. This update also slightly improves performance for Core and Athlon CPUs.

Pianoteq is the very first and only truly modelled piano. It represent a brand new generation of pianos that gives the musician possibilities to tweak the piano sound in a way that until now only has been possible with an acoustic piano. Pianoteq only takes up 8MB on the disk and is thus possible even for use with a modern laptop.

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

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

Hip Hop City is a slammin’ collection of 50 construction kits covering a variety of funky Old and Nu School Hip Hop styles. Inspired by the music of such artists asThe Beastie Boys, De La Soul, Trick Daddy, Missy Elliot, Lil John, Jay-Z, Lil’ Kim, Junkie XL, Busta Rhymes, Roc Raida, J-Kwan, and many others. Hip Hop City features tons of programmed drums, hundreds of turntable loops, bass, funk guitar, keyboards, synth leads, horns and percussion and more.

Contents:

• 2.9 GB on disc (1.39 GB of 24bit WAV files)
• 1,140 WAV loops and hits on disc
• 50 Construction Kits with BPM’s ranging from 70-140 in various keys

A Hip Hop City demo is available here.

Format: AIFF/Apple Loops/REX/WAV

Retail: $69.95

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

Posted in Drums & Percussion, Samples

After a long wait, TerraTec Producer’s KOMPLEXER “Synthesizer of Emotions” is available now. Offering both virtual analog synthesis and wavetable synthesis, TerraTec Producer’s KOMPLEXER – a high end synthesizer “Made in Germany” – sets new standards for VST plug-ins.

Eight macro controllers are onboard to afford utmost handling ease. Version 1.01 of the Komplexer is already available at the time of release with a number of improvements. Moreover, users can log on to the KOMPLEXER VST forum on the TerraTec Producer Website and be kept up to date with the latest news and can exchange experiences.

Worlds of sound
Featuring classic synth sound powered by three oscillators, two multimode filters, four ADSDSR envelopes and three LFOs, KOMPLEXER plays in the premier league of VST instruments. Courtesy of the application’s groundbreaking macro controllers, presets can be modified to suit every taste using just eight parameters. This is a tremendous improvement in handling ease that not only newbies will welcome. Of course, this VST instrument also affords users unrestricted access to all of the sophisticated synthesis engine’s 400 parameters. Features such as the ultra advanced arpeggiator and LFO 3’s synchronizable user-specific waveform serve to create striking soundscapes that adapt automatically to the given song tempo. In the 16×16 modulation matrix almost every parameter of the Komplexer can be accessed.

Perfect integration
KOMPLEXER brings professional sound to every VST-compatible application.

Beyond that, KOMPLEXER integrates seamlessly into all VST environments, adding even more practical appointments such as full automation capability to its impressive arsenal of features. KOMPLEXER can also be used without a VST-Host (Standalone Mode).

Waldorf microQ® Import
Its ability as the only VST plugin to import Waldorf microQ® sounds underscores KOMPLEXER’s status as an exceptional sound-sculpting engine.

Priced at 199.00 euros (MSRP), TerraTec Producer’s KOMPLEXER is available now.

Key features & special attributes

• Virtual analog software synthesizer
• Wavetable synthesis
• Imports Waldorf microQ® sounds
• Eight macro controllers
• Up to 256 voices
• Unrestricted access to the sound synthesis engine
• Three oscillators featuring sync and ring modulation
• Two multimode filters (8 types including comb filters)
• Flexible modulation matrix
• Four ADSDSR envelopes
• Audio input with vocoder
• Three LFOs (LFO3 with user waveform)
• Arpeggiator
• 16×16 modulation matrix
• Five effect units offering delay, reverb, chorus, phaser, distortion
• Fully automatable and controllable via MIDI controller
• VST plug-in for Windows 2000, Windows XP
• Standalone Mode for use without VST – Host

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

Posted in Plug-Ins, Softsynths, VST

Full 64-bit support for Steinberg’s industry-standard technology.

Steinberg Media Technologies is proud to announce the release of a new, fully 64-bit-capable version of its ASIO technology. The ASIO 2.2 SDK provides software engineers with a complete set of tools for creating ASIO-ready host applications and drivers for 64-bit versions of Microsoft’s Windows operating system.

“ASIO 2.2 and its ASIO 2/64 component will form the backbone of a new generation of 64-bit host applications and audio devices for Windows,” summarizes Markus Stehlik, Steinberg’s Director of Engineering. “The new version of this open standard will also ensure both 32-bit and 64-bit driver versions are available to customers of audio software and hardware, easing the transition to the new 64-bit Windows versions. And because ASIO 2.2 was specified in close cooperation with other companies from the audio industry, we expect that the new standard will see wide adoption in the foreseeable future,” Stehlik continues.

The SDK is available for download now at www.steinberg.net.

The Audio Stream Input/Output (ASIO) architecture forms the backbone of VST. ASIO addresses any needs a professional audio recording solution might have, supporting variable bit depths and sample rates, multi-channel operation and synchronization. As a result, users can enjoy low latency, high performance, easy set up and stable audio recording within VST. The entire system becomes controllable and offers complete and immediate access to the audio system’s capabilities. Since its introduction, ASIO has become a supported standard by many leading audio hardware manufacturers.

For more information, visit their web site at www.steinberg.net.

Posted in Computer, Software, Technology

Native Instruments is excited to announce BATTERY 3, a significant revision of its popular drum and percussion sampler. The addition of time-stretching and advanced loop capabilities, innovative “play parameters”, a powerful master effects section and an integrated wave editor all serve to strengthen the role of BATTERY as the premier creative drum and percussion sampler, with an enormous library of more than 100 high-quality drum kits providing a wealth of studio-quality material for all styles and genres.

BATTERY 3 is based on a powerful new sampling engine that offers high-quality time stretching and a new “Beat Mode” for improved loop-handling capabilities, enabling musicians to get the most out of any sample library. BATTERY 3 can also turn programmed beats into truly dynamic performances through new “articulations” that allow for authentic real-time flams, drags and rolls, while the “humanize” function can now add a subtle natural feel.

The customizable cell matrix in BATTERY 3 has been extended to hold up to 128 sounds per kit, while color coding of cells now provides a better overview. A new wave editor offers direct surgical access to any individual sample in BATTERY on-the-fly, opening up an additional powerful level of in-depth customization and creative sound shaping.

While the existing cell-specific effect section has been further improved in BATTERY 3, the new version also adds a comprehensive master multi-effect section that is especially useful both for sound design and for live use. Equipped with high-quality filter, dynamic and delay algorithms, the master effect section also incorporates a high-end convolution reverb that can even accept individual drum kit cells as impulse sources via easy drag-and-drop assignment, opening up a new resource of creative sound shaping and experimentation.

BATTERY 3 ships with a huge and highly versatile sound library that includes more than 100 unique and ready-to-use drum kits, spanning a huge musical spectrum from jazz and rock to hip-hop and techno, and including a wide range of exotic ethno-percussion and special effects assortments. The library is based on over 23.000 individual samples, with both kits and samples becoming more accessible through a significantly enhanced sound browser in BATTERY 3. Creating and customizing drum kits has also become much more convenient due to a new “cell library” that holds more than 2.500 individual drum cells, all pre-categorized according to their musical role and application.

BATTERY 3 will be available in October 2006 for a suggested retail price of $ 219 / 199 Euro from authorized dealers and in the NI Online Shop. An update for owners of will be available for $ 119 / 99 Euro.

BATTERY 3 is also a part of the KOMPLETE 4 product bundle, which will in turn be available as a free update for all owners of KOMPLETE CARE 2006.

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

Posted in Audio, Drums & Percussion, Samples, Technology

Equinox Sounds has released After Hours, a collection of melodic and rythmic loops and phrases for creating Melodic, Deep and Ambient Trance music. The collection contains a selection of beats, synth lines, bass lines and arpeggios in ACID and REX2 formats, plus a folder containing melodies and chord lines in Standard MIDI File format.

Features:

• 30 Melodic MIDI Loops
• 61 Arpeggios (ranging from 120-145 BPM)
• 119 Bass Lines (ranging from 120-145 BPM)
• 121 Synth Lines (ranging from 120-145 BPM)
• 52 Trance Percussion Loops
• 300 Drum Loops (ranging from 120-145 BPM)
• 200 Single Drum Sounds

Format:
30 MIDI loops/phrases + 650 ACIDized.wav loops/music phrases + 560 Rex2 loops + 200 single drum sounds in wav format.

After Hours is currently available for 60 Euros on CD-ROM or as a download.

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

Posted in Audio, Loops, MIDI, Samples

Kocktail Kollection is the only Lounge collection that truly captures the REALLY cheesy sounds of the late 1950’s and early 60’s.

Over 1.3GB of greasy, spring reverb laden pieces, steel guitars, accordion licks, cheesy mono synths, vocal licks, guitar “chicks”, jazz guitar octaves, live drumz, machine drumz, lo-fi breakz, simulated old lounge record excerpts and lounge hitz, make this a true trip into the oily, lounge lizard, musical past.

The construction kits cover a wide tip of Lounge styles. From the 1960’s sitcom theme sounds of: Flutes and Swingers to the more modern Lounge tip of Ala Brazil or the 60’s disco twist stylin’ of Swingin’ 60’s you have a wide palette of drum groovez, sound fx, hitz and total retro insanity. All kits feature multi-key versions of each piece and many of the sounds are even offered with the option of spring reverb or dry.

Authentic tools of that era were used whenever possible. Spring reverb, vintage basses with flat wound strings and mutes, hand held cheapo synths, and vintage guitars and guitar effects from that time period were used liberally in the creation of this collection. All loops retain a full “back in the day” sensibility combined with full 24-bit digital quality.

Categories include:

• 70s Sequencer Synth Lines
• Accordion Lix
• Adrennalinn 2fers
• Lounge Construction Kitz
• Guitar Slide Octaves
• Lounge Atmospherez
• Lounge Breakz
• Lounge Drumz
• Lounge Guitar Chicks
• Lounge Hitz
• Lounge Lo Fi Break Fillz
• Lounge Single Drum Hitz
• Old Lounge Recordz Mixes
• Vintage Cheese Lix
• Vintage Cheesy Synth Sounds
• Vocal Lix

Over 950 wav files and 650 Rex files in 1.3GB of brand new material. MSRP $99.95.

For more information, visit their web site at www.zero-g.co.uk.

Posted in Samples