April, 2006 archive

Zero-G has released Firestorm,
described as “the ultimate Drum & Bass multi format sample beast”,
produced by long time veteran of the scene DJ / Producer Stakka.
The 24bit 1Gb library has been 2 years in the making and puts
cutting edge production at your fingertips. Stakka, using his talents
in D&B production has programmed each preset to allow you [...]

Electronisounds has released their first VST effect, Ubergate.
Ubergate is a multi-fx plugin comprising of a pattern based gate and
two effect chains. Each effect chain features delay, filter with LFO,
modulation (chorus/flanger/phaser) and 3-band EQ with Drive.

Delay time and filter / pan LFO can be tempo synced or free
running. Delay tempo sync includes dotted settings and double [...]

Apple today announced an expansion of its recycling program, offering free
computer take-back and recycling with the purchase of a new Macintosh system beginning in June.
US customers who buy a new Mac through the Apple Store or Apple’s retail stores will receive free shipping and environmentally friendly disposal of their old computer as part of the [...]

Moog Music has announced the 3rd Annual Moogfest, to be held June 22, at B.B. King’s Blues Club in New York.
Some of the world’s most renowned keyboardists will take the stage to honor Bob Moog at the 3rd Annual Moogfest. The all-star cast for this celebration, which begins at 7:30 p.m., includes Keith Emerson (shown [...]

Musicrow has expanded Crow Gold Pack, a collection of 26 cutting-edge ensembles for NI Reaktor-5.
The pack contains a variety of top quality audio tools: vintage synthesizer emulators, futuristic synths, a turntable emulator, a special bass instrument, a plate reverb, quality vintage effect emulators, filters, distortions, special vocal effects and much more-everything is packed, with hundreds [...]

Death By Audio has released the Octave Clang, a fullwave-rectified, octave up pedal that ranges “from sweet octavia to abrasive sonic hell”.
The Octave Clang’s signal is run first through a density filter,
followed by an amplifier with gain ranging from 1-100. Next, the signal
is sent through a circuit that fullwave rectifies the signal slightly
asymmetrically for an [...]

SoundToys has announced that the SoundToys Native Effects bundle for Mac OS X is now shipping.
Available immediately for just $495.00, the bundle brings six of SoundToys’ most popular and powerful plug-ins together into a single package for the first time for Pro Tools LE on the Mac OS X platform. (RTAS for XP and AudioUnits [...]

M-Audio has announced support for Apple’s new Intel-based Mac computers.
M-Audio has posted official drivers for Fast Track USB, Fast Track
Pro, MobilePre USB, JamLab, Transit USB, Audiophile USB, FireWire Solo,
FireWire Audiophile, FireWire 410, FireWire 1814, ProjectMix I/O,
Ozonic, M-Audio Ozone, Oxygen 8, MIDISPORT 2×2, MIDISPORT 1×1,
MIDISPORT 4×4, MIDISPORT 2×4 and MIDISPORT 8×8/s.
When combined with M-Audio’s collection of [...]

AudioWarrior has introduced Kreator LE Acoustic Dreadnought,
a sound library sampled from a premium quality finely crafted acoustic
dreadnought guitar with a cedar-top-soundboard known for its warmth and
resonance, flame maple and wood binding, ebony head-plate, fret board
and bridge, abalone and wood rosette, solid wood back and sides.
This instrument can be played virtually in Kreator’s Standalone mode
or as [...]

Violet Design has announced a new microphone, The Black Hole.
This microphone model is planned for manufacture in 2007. The Black Hole will be premiered to the public at 120th AES convention in Paris.
Black Hole features:

Handy and compact
Unique visual design
Two opposite placed large, true electrostatic capsules inside the compact head
New special capsule with single tap diaphragm [...]

The Jack OS X team has announced that version .73 of Jack OS X is Universal Binary, including the AU and VST plugins, to allow for either PowerPC or Intel operation. The latest Jack server has also been updated to version, 0.101.3.
The legacy Port Audio driver from the package has also been removed; if you [...]

It looks like No Island Media, who previously announced a documentary on synth pioneer Dave Smith, have big plans for music video downloads.
No Island has announced the launch of two new music technology series: The Search for the Perfect Guitar Tone, a 24-episode series centred on guitar innovation, and; Sample, a 24-episode series focusing on [...]

It looks like there may be some life in Waldorf yet.
Waldorf’s synth designs are well respected, but the company has struggled financially. A message at the Waldorf site should give Waldorf fans hope:
Is it? What is true about the recent rumors regarding this legendary Synthesizer company?
Here are the facts… Yes, something is happening in this [...]

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington has made his annual selection of 50
sound recordings for the National Recording Registry. This year, the
libary has selected some synth-heavy classics, including Walter/Wendy
Carlos’ Switched on Bach, and Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life.
Under the terms of the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000,
the Librarian is responsible for [...]

Soviet Synths may soon be infiltrating synth sound libraries around the world.
SoundEngine.com has announced the availability of the AKAI version of hard-to-find Vintage Soviet Synthesizer samples: Soviet Synths.
Description: The AKAI Soviet Synths Sample CD-ROM
represents a collection of sounds that have crossed no-man’s land from
the former Soviet Union. Chock full of analog synthesizer samples - fat
bass [...]