Arturia has released Moog Modular V 2.5, the latest version of its virtual Moog Modular.

Changes in Moog Modular V v2.5:

• Switch to Syncrosoft copy protection.
• VCF audio quality improvements.
• Lower CPU utilization on Mac OS X.
• Better Audio Unit compatibility (Digital Performer most notably).
• Ability to use NRPN MIDI messages for automation.
• Better handling of control surfaces while changing preset.
• New presets added.
• MIDI RPN “pitch bend range” message is now recognized.
• Miscellaneous Bug fixes.

Moog Modular V is available for PC and Mac (VST/AU/RTAS) for $249 USD / 229 EUR.

This is an audio demo of some of the patches in Arturia’s Analog Factory.

via synthmaniak

Sunday Synth Jam: This is a very nicely realized switched on realization, in the style of Wendy Carlos, of J. S. Bach’s Gavotte from Orchestral Suite no. 4 in D.

via syntesen:

Yet another “switched-on bach” project in the style of Wendy Carlos. This time, a wonderful dance from the fourth Orchestral Suite, the Gavotte. In 4/4 time, but with the emphasis on the 3rd beat of the measure, rather than the 1st, the Gavotte was a royal court favourite in the francophile countries of the Baroque period.This piece marks the beginning of my “Soft Synth Odyssey”, realizing different tracks with different software synthesizers. To start out on familiar ground, this track was realized with the Arturia Moog Modular V2 emulation synthesizer, recorded in Ableton Live.I hope you enjoy it.-David

The set includes:

• Minimoog V
• Moog Modular V
• CS-80V
• ARP2600 V
• Jupiter-8V
• Prophet V
• Prophet VS
• Also included the innovative Brass and the powerful Analog Factory.

10 Year Suite is available for Windows and Mac (VST/AU/RTAS) for $699 USD / 549 EUR.

Details below.

10 Year Suite features

• Each software instrument in THE 10 YEAR SUITE can be used as a stand-alone application or as a plug-in within your sequencer.
• Set to control with your external MIDI keyboard in just a few clicks.
• With the ability to work 32 bits/96kHz, you can now make music on your computer the way you would with a hardware synthesizer.
• For each of the available software instruments delivered in THE 10 YEAR SUITE you get high quality and innovative sounding presets.
• Classic synthesizers (Minimoog, Moog Modular, CS-80, ARP 2600, Prophet 5, Prophet VS, Jupiter-8)
  • Thanks to TAE, Arturia’s proprietary technology, the sound coming from the different synthesizer recreations is as pure and phat as the original.
  • Polyphony goes from 2 to 32 voices, with unison possibilities.
• Classic synthesizers (Minimoog, Moog Modular, CS-80, ARP 2600, Prophet 5, Prophet VS, Jupiter-8), all the features of the original synths have been recreated but more was added to take benefit of modern possibilities
  • Modulation matrices.
  • Step sequencers and arpeggiators.
  • Innovative modulation sources.
  • Additional effects.
  • New filter types.
  • Keyboard split and layer.
  • Smart preset management.
• BRASS
  • Three instruments available : Trumpet, Saxophone and Trombone.
  • 8 parameters to control the instrument in real time: Attack, Pressure, Pitch, Timbre, Noise amount, Vibrato, Vibrato speed, Mute (for trumpet or trombone).
  • Spatialization.
  • More than 500 pre-written riff presets in different musical styles (jazz, pop, reggae, etc.).
• Analog Factory
  • 3500 sounds that have defined the sonic palette of modern music.
  • All presets carefully selected from the Arturia Classic Synths.
  • Smart preset manager.
  • Straight forward editing of each sound.
  • 8 snapshot buttons (quickly store up to 8 snapshots for sound comparison, variations, etc.).

Description:

This soundset takes the Prophet 5 and the Prophet VS to new extremes!

The Heavenly Prophecy is focused on delivering inspiring up-to-date sounds with the special Prophet flavor. The crystal leads will shine, the stab sounds will drill holes in your heart, and the fabulous mystic pads will make you cry. This is our prophecy!

A demo bank with 20 free presets is available for instant download.

The Heavenly Prophecy retails for $50.80.

Musikmesse 2009: Arturia released an update to its Origin synthesizer.

Version 1.1, to be released in June 2009, includes:

• New B3 ToneWheel Oscillator:
  • Combined with the Leslie Effect, the ToneWheel allows the addition of famous
    vintage organ sounds, opening Origin to this sonic universe.
  • In conjunction with other Origin modules and effects, the B3 ToneWheel is a great
    oscillator adding new sound design possibilities to explore.
• New Leslie Effect: The Leslie can be used on the ToneWheel to give the classic
  Hammond organ sound, but it is also very interesting in other contexts, notably
  when used on an audio input (such as a guitar).
• New CS-80 envelope: This envelope is modeled after the particular envelope set on
  the filter of the CS-80.
• New Effects: Bit Crusher, Compressor, Equalizer, Ring Mod, Parametric EQ.
• New Midi possibilities:
  • Origin to be used as a MIDI controller
  • Origin to be automated via Sysex.
• Sequencer improvements
  • Better GUI
  • New performance mode.
• Keyboard Module improvements.
• GUI Improvements: Parameter values are now fully displayed.

This is an official overview video for the Arturia Origin, focusing on keyboardists.

via Arturiaweb

This comes from the official Arturia tutorial and teaser DVD for the Arturia CS80.

via griffinavid

In case the NAMM Show Mother Load didn’t get you enough gear porn goodness from the 2009 NAMM Show, here’s a nice collection of NAMM photos from Jay Smith of Livid Instruments.

Livid makes a very nice line of VJ/DJ controllers, and it shows in Smith’s extreme gear shots of Akai’s APC40 controller for Live, Akai’s MPK keyboard, the Alesis MasterControl, Arturia’s Factory Experience and other sexy beasts released at the Winter NAMM Show.

via Peter Kirn at CDM

Sunday was very quiet at the 2009 Winter NAMM Show this year. Some areas were ghost towns – like Yamaha’s vast space. While this may not bode well for the music industry, it meant that we got to spend a lot of time talking to manufacturers and also getting great photos of the new gear.

You can check out the hundreds of shots from the show at our 2009 NAMM Winter Show Flickr set.

Here are some of the highights of Day 4 of the 2009 NAMM Show:

• There was pink gear everywhere, like the pink control keyboards from CME.
• Arturia was showing Brass2, which is pretty impressive if you’re interested in physical modeling synthesis
• We had a chance to get hands-on with the Akai APC40 Ableton Live controller.
• The Roland VP-770 Vocal Keyboard sounds really really good, but the interface is a little confusing.
• I had a chance to take an in-depth look at the update Lemur, which looks droolworthy as ever.

Here are some photo highlights:

The Roland CP-30 is their new harpsichord. Look really closely at the lower left hand corner of the photo, though.

While we were there, we tried to get the inside look on as many instruments as we could, like this updated Rhodes piano.

And, as always, NAMM was a bit of a freak show:

At the 2009 NAMM Show, Arturia introduced Brass 2, featuring virtual recreations of three wind instruments – a trumpet, a saxophone and a trombone.

The characteristics of the real instruments have been analysed and modelled by Ircam Paris using mathematical algorithms.

Here’s what’s new in Brass version 2.0:

• New physical modelling of the saxophone
• Two new Saxophone mouthpieces
• Possibility to play four instruments at a time using a new Harmonization module.
• Advanced spatialization possibilities
• Improved MIDI control
• Better integration into DAW software.
• Entirely redesigned interface

2009 Winter NAMM Show: Arturia announced minimoog V 2.0. 

New features include:

• Sound MAP: Explore hundreds of sounds using Sound MAP. Morph sounds on the MAP by clicking anywhere you like. Add filters to make your search easier, or get back to the traditional list of presets, by sound-designer or by type. 
• Vocal Filter: Did you ever think of making a Minimoog talk? Arturia compares the effects available with vocal filter to Wendy Carlos’ voice synthesis work in Clockwork Orange.
• Circuitry improvements: The Keyboard Follow can now be deactivated on VCO2. They also extended the modulation matrix and added a few sources and destinations. The Pan and Vocal Filter can now be used as destinations. Two random signals based on a Sample & Hold are added as inputs. 
• A fresh bunch of presets.

Arturia has updated the firmware of its Origin synthesizer.

Here’s what’s new in Arturia Origin Firmware 1.0.6:

• Increased stability in Multi Mode
• Increased stability while editing programs
• MIDI event management improvement :
  • When sending a bank change or a program change to Origin
  • When flooding Origin with MIDI messages
• Fixes some issues while using the footswitch pedal in Multi Mode
• Fixes occasional crashes on preset 1000
• Fixes issue with preset loaded at start-up
• Improved graphical performance

Version 1.0.6 is a free update for all registered users.

This video, by ElectronicMusicGear, demos making presets for the Arturia Origin.

Here’s how to make a patch:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Sonic Labs does a video overview of the new Arturia Origin virtual analog synthesizer.

A demo of the new Arturia Origin synthesizer, the company’s virtual analog synth.

Features:

• 500 presets created by a selection of international sound designers
• 16/32 step advanced sequencer
• 4 part Multi mode
• Creative Macros, advanced LFO’s, innovative modulation sources, different Joystick modes.
• Advanced Preset browser.
• Analog Audio Connectivity: 2 audio ins, 10 audio outs.
• Digital Audio: SPDIF out, USB 2.0
• Built-in expression pedal and footswitch control inputs
• MIDI : In, Out, Thru or USB 2
• Up to 32 voices of polyphony
• Also a MIDI controller offering 33 encoders, 21 potentiometers and 1 joystick

MusicThing’s Tom Whitwell has posted his first impressions of the Arturia Origin synthesizer, and it’s not pretty:

The Origin has crossed that line – it’s not a hardware synth, it’s a computer in a box covered in knobs.

The trouble starts when you turn it on, after first plugging it in, using the OEM external power supply that must have cost 99p. (Seriously, a £1900 hardware synth only really makes sense if you’re playing live. An external PSU only makes sense if you’re desperately trying to cut costs. If Behringer can manage a proper internal universal PSU in £70 mixers, why can’t you?) Anyway, when you turn it on, it takes 30+ seconds to boot. Because it’s a computer in a box.

No, it isn’t a literal PC in a box like an Open Labs Neko or a Hartman Neuron, so it will have taken serious R&D investment to design and build. The hardware was designed – in 2005 – by Wave Idea, a French company who make MIDI interfaces. What’s frustrating about the Origin is that it’s a computer in a box pretending to be an analog synth… and nothing more.

The Origin is a wonderful thing. It looks good, it feels good. I’m sure it’s not overpriced for what it is – a boutique, limited-run machine with a lot of custom hardware and software.

But I can’t imagine who would be willing to pay £1,900 for it. It’s too digital for an analog fetishist, too analog for a sound experimentalist. The potential of this box is immense – DSP power + screen + knobs + blinkenlights + wooden end panels. But at the moment it’s just – tragically – boring.

Read Tom’s full impressions here, and if you’re an Origin owner, I’d be interested in your thoughts on Arturia’s new hardware synthesizer.

Arturia has announced that it’s now shipping Origin, a hardware DSP system that recreates and expands on several vintage synthesizers.

“We are extremely proud to be shipping Origin”, says Frederic Brun, President of Arturia. “The project has taken much longer than we initially thought and, since we had announced the product early, Origin has been eagerly awaited by the market.”

“During the last 4 years, Arturia has been dedicated to bringing a synthesizer that would be both innovative and powerful. At the same time, the company wanted to offer a simple, enjoyable and straightforward experience to the musician. We truly believe that we have achieved that and look forward to people seeing Origin in action.”

You can preview the Origin sound below.

Price: USD 3200 / EURO 2490

Arturia’s preview for the Origin synth is a teaser, more than anything else.

Origin is the first Arturia Hardware synthesizer. It is a modular system, featuring modules based on some of the best synthesizers of all time (Moog Modular, ARP 2600, CS-80, Minimoog and Prophet VS).

Features:

• 500+ presets created by talented musicians and synthesizer specialists
• Up to 32 voices of polyphony for a typical patch
• Create your own patch or use an existing audio structures: an Origin patch made by connecting independent modules, or the minimoog V, the ARP 2600, the CS-80, the Moog Modular.
• Superb audio quality with TAE engine in a hardware chassis. 24 bits/96 kHz supported.
• Compatibility with most of the presets from the Arturia Classic virtual Analog synthesizers.
• Origin lets you open dedicated software on your Mac and PC and use it as an AU or VST plug-in. All the sounds are calculated on the machine while you work on your computer as you would do with a native application.
• Real time effects that expand on those available in our plugins: Phaser, Chorus, Delay, Reverb, Distortion, Parametric Equalizer, Compressor, Bitcrusher
• 16/32 step sequencer
• Innovative Macro, Advanced LFO, modulation modes, Advanced Joystick modes.
• Audio: 2 audio ins, 10 audio outs. Digital: SPDIF out, USB 2.0
• Built-in expression pedal and footswitch control inputs
• MIDI : In, Out, Thru or USB 2

USD 2999 / EUR 2299 – shipping in 2008

Here’s what they have to say about it:

Modular Dreams makes a full use of all the features that Arturia Moog Modular V has to offer. The classic Moog tones are there, but you might be surprised by how innovative and up to date “grandpa” moog can sound!

Their description may be sort of horrible, but a free demo bank with 20 presets is available for instant download, so you can check it out. .

Modular Dreams is now available for $39/€29.00