Virtual Instruments

Spectrasonics has released the latest of their Omnisphere videos. This episode takes a look at the browser and, in doing so, also takes a look at the history of synth browsers.
Kudos to Spectrasonics for making us drool over a software synthesizer six months before it’s going to be released. These are some of the best [...]

This video, from Ableton, is an intro to the new Orchestral Instrument Collection for Live.
It’s a little cheesy - but it’s also cool to see it working within Live.

Joining an rapidly growing number of iPhone music apps is the IR-909, a software version of the classic Roland TR-909 drum machine:
IR-909 is a drum machine for the iPhone inspired by the Roland TR-909. IR-909 features a 16-step sequencer, 4 patterns and 8 different drum sounds. To change the value of any property in IR-909, [...]

Adobe has responded to calls from developers for better sound generation capabilities in Flash, and is introducing new features in Flash Player 10 that should lead to more sophisticated Flash based sound tools:
Dynamic Sound Generation — Dynamic sound generation extends the Sound class to play back dynamically created audio content through the use of an [...]

Ueberschall has introduced Score FX, a sound library they describe as a comprehensive solution for professional, musical sound design.
Description:
This instrument includes 7 GIGs of brand new sonic stimulants. Featuring a progressive structure and layout made for building tracks from supplied “themes” and construction kits offering ease of injection into projects.
Thanks to the extended possibilities of [...]

Nanoloop on a Gameboy (whose audio is coming in on track 2) is synchronized to the drums playing in Ableton Live (track 1).
Says littlescale - “This is to test out a new interface I have been working on that syncs Nanoloop to a MIDI clock.”

PianoTeq, creators of a piano modeling virtual instrument, has announced a contest:
We hereby launch a contest, open for everybody, where there will be 3 winners, each receiving a license of Pianoteq. If you already own a license, you will be offered a free upgrade to a forthcoming product.
In the following audio file, you will hear [...]

CNet Asia reports that the Korg DS-10, the software synth for the Nintendo DS, should be available in Japan in July:
The original MS-10 (price 53,500 yen in 1978; US$300 then) was a monophonic, single oscillator job. DS-10 simulator works as two synthesizers (each of them, dual-oscillator affair), since Nintendo DS has dual-screen, upper and lower.
Adding [...]

Nice intro video for the Hobnox Audiotool that offers an introduction to creating beats.
AudioTool is like Reason for your Web browser.

Ableton has released Orchestral Instruments - four sampled instrument collections representing the four sections of an orchestra. The instrument collections are available individually or as a bundle.
The Orchestral Instruments are seamlessly integrated into the Ableton Live environment and use a technology called SmartPriming to manage system resources efficiently, providing big symphonic sound with a minimum [...]

Spectrasonics is doing a great job with their Omnisphere videos. Somebody there “gets” Internet media, podcasting and the idea that your best marketing is just doing something awesome that people will want to talk about.
Their latest video intros a new contest and dribbles out some more info about Omnisphere.

SONiVOX MI has released Anatomy, a sample library for Kontakt that features exclusively human body sounds.
Anatomy offers over eight-hundred instruments that “twist and transform the human body into one expansive collection of physiological melody and rhythm. Anatomy sonically explores the human condition in ways never dared attempted previously, delivering you a deep, diverse & rich [...]

NUSofting has released Groove Analogizer, an audio controlled drum synthesizer, as freeware.
Similar to a vintage electronic drum tone generator (e.g. Simmons) the percussion sound is triggered by an audio input, not by a MIDI message.
Groove Analogizer features:

3 oscillators synth (loads as effect plug-in), triggered and shaped by the audio input in many ways.
Selection of left, [...]

IK Multimedia is now shipping SampleTron, a virtual instrument workstation featuring a collection of authentic “Tron” and other vintage keyboards instrument samples.
According to IK, SampleTron includes the most complete “Tron” anthology ever released in one virtual instrument, with over 2 GB of sounds, 640 presets and 260 multi-samples from 17 rare and vintage Mellotrons, Chamberlins, [...]

Rayzoon has released BonzoPak - a John Bonham style drum library for Jamstix virtual drummer VSTi.
I’m a little iffy on the whole idea of cloning a dead musician’s sound, but I’m sure there’s a place for this.
If you’re interested at all in the idea, check out the Rayzoon demos - like Little Bitta Love & [...]