December, 2007 archive

Loopmasters has introduced the Airwave Triloops Dance Breaks sample collection, designed for a wide range of styles including Downbeat, Breaks, Techno, House and Electro. Tempos vary from 60 to 140bpm with the majority between 125 and 132 suiting House, Techno, Breaks and Trance well.
This 2 CD package features over 650 copyright free drum loop samples. […]

The Phone Company Recording Archive is an great collection of old-school phone company messages.  The samples include recordings from Bell, US West, AT&T and other sources.
You can preview “Please hang up…” below.

 

 Please Hang Up [0:08m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Puremagnetik has released Technosphere, a sound design toolbox of over 100 sonic textures and composer effects.
Produced from a composite of live field recordings, studio instruments and intensive effect processing, Technosphere is designed to offer a unique palette of soundscapes, transition effects and scoring tools. Technosphere includes ready-to-play menus for Ableton Live, Kontakt, Logic and GarageBand […]

Vienna Symphonic Library has released the Appassionata Strings II Collection, which features large muted string ensembles to offer a Hollywood-style string sound.
Description: 
Appassionata Strings II offers almost all of the articulations that the first Collection includes, but played “con sordino”. Their broad cinematic sound defies expectations for a virtual instrument, adding depth, subtlety and emotion to […]

The WSJ has an interesting profile of Jim Plamondon, a guy that quit his job at Microsoft to invent a new musical instrument, the Thummer, above.
The Thummer is a bizarre control keyboard that uses a pair of joysticks to control volume, a set of buttons to play notes and an internal motion sensor, so […]

Smart Loops has released SL MultiTracks Volume 7 in Apple Loops Format (44.1kHz, 24-bit, Stereo and Mono AIFF files) for improved usability in Mac OS X audio software including GarageBand, Final Cut, Logic Express, Logic Pro, Soundtrack Pro, and MOTU’s Digital Performer. Previously the multi-track drum loop collections were only available in ACID WAV format.The […]

Beta Monkey Music has released Drum Werks Volume XI, a collection of middle and upper tempo acoustic rock drum loops.
Drum Werks XI offers nearly 600 acoustic drum loops and samples in comprehensive Groove Sets, from 100 BPM vibes through 200 BPM.
Features:

Cohesive Sounds and Versatile Loops: All grooves, groove variations, fills, and one shot loops are […]

Tone2 has released the PC version of its new virtual synthesizer, Gladiator. They expect the Mac version to be available before Christmas.
Tone2 uses “Harmonic Content Morphing (HCM) Synthesis”. This synthesis method is based on a large and expandable repertoire of standard waves like pulse, unique synthetic waveforms as well as resynthesis waves like trumpets, organs, […]

 

 Gladiator Trance Demo: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Ueberschall has released a new library, Adlibs, that features vocal phrases and gives musicians and producers the possibility to add new color or ideas to tracks and songs.
The library contains over 2400 adlibs and phrases, both verbal and non-verbal, performed by three female and five male singers. No additional effects e.g. compression or any other […]

Rob Papen’s Blue synth has received an update.
Here’s the scoop:

Increased Audio Quality with less CPU usage
Highly improved envelope code, making envelopes punchier and removing occasional envelope aliasing noise.
Arpeggiator and sequencer : keyboard entry mode via menu, allowing to enter notes by playing them.
Added Ensemble and Compressor effect
Optimized Amp FX (50% less CPU) and to a […]

VeryBestDjSets is a new site that offers a library of free dj sets in MP3 format that you can download.
You can preview a few sample sets below.
The site features more than 40 GB of dj sets of artists from the international electronic scene. The site lets you download files directly, without registration or hassle. Plus, […]

 

 Paul Oakenfold: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Sasha set [35:12m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Band-in-a-Box has been updated with over 50 new features, including RealTracks which includes real audio recordings of Acoustic Guitar, Pedal Steel, and Tenor Sax. Other new features include MultiStyles, an updated Audio Chord Wizard, RealDrums style changes, Medley Maker, and many more.
Here are the details:
RealTracks - features three additional “Real” instruments, including Real Pedal Steel, […]

NuGen Audio has released the Stereo Pack bundle, which Stereoizer, Monofilter and Stereoplacer plugins, allowing the user to analyse, enhance control and fine tune audio with a high degree of precision.
Suggested applications:

Re-adusting the stereo image of individual sounds
Stereo differential spectral analysis
Adding stereo depth to mono source files
Widening/narrowing existing stereo images
Improving bass definition
Re-focusing bass frequencies where […]

Check out the Drum Buddy, an awesome electroacoustic drum machine:

 

 Drum Buddy [10:20m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

They guys at fotosis have come up with a bizarre cardboard synth:
The keyboard is a simple enough affair as it is based on a simple circuit that involves a 555 timer chip to produce a square wave. The casing was created by laminating lots of layers of cardboard together using glue and wood screws. In […]