The video playlist above features an overview of Native Instruments’ Battery 3, along with a series of tutorial videos.

via Omenie comes this preview of Ellatron 1.3, the iPhone virtual Mellotron.:

Captured from the simulator, Ellatron now comes with chord banks. 16 banks, each bank holding Tape Frame settings and 8 chords. It’s now possible to program in a gig’s worth of material and settings into Ellatron, turning her into a real performance tool.

And she’s had her organs revamped – the 3 somewhat anaemic ones have been replaced by a tonewheeltastic, Hammondabulous, Booker T-licious collection of 5 glorious Tape Frames.

And yes, we too have noticed the deliberate mistake – I haven’t yet updated the control panel to indicate Ellatron v 1.3! Doh!! Must do that before releasing to store ….

If you’ve used Ellatron, leave a comment with your thoughts!

Producer J.Force bangs out the beats, with a whoppin’ 256 KB memory, on the EMU SP-1200 Sampler.

The E-mu SP-1200 is a classic drum machine and sampler released in August 1987 by E-mu Systems as an update of the SP-12, which was originally created for dance music producers. It became famed for its gritty texture and ability to simulate the “warmth” of vinyl recordings.

The SP-1200 became an icon of hip hop’s golden age, due to its ability to make the bulk of a song within one piece of portable gear. This resulted in reduced studio costs and more creative control for artists.

Specifications

• 8 voice poyphony
• 22KHz 12 bit sampler
• Sample memory: 10 seconds, in four 2.5-second blocks
• SSM analog filter
• 100 pattern, 100 song sequencer
• Sequence capacity: 5000 notes minimum (depending on density of parts)
• 32 patch memory
• 8 Touch Pads
• Inputs: Sample, MIDI, SMPTE/Sync, Footswitches (3)
• Outputs: Mono mix Individual channels, (eight, programmable. tip = unfiltered. ring – filtered). MIDI out. MIDI thru, SMPTE, Metronome/Clock
• Storage: 3.5″ floppy diskette

Resources:

• Kid Nepro offers EMU SP-1200 samples
• SP-1200 forum
• Info at Emulator Archive
• EMU SP-1200 at Vintage Synth

2009 NAMM Show: Beat Kangz is introducing a new sampling workstation that looks like it could be the sexiest beat box ever – The Beat Thang. 

The Bourne-o-vision video above is pretty bad, but even with the bad video, the interface looks like it will be pretty spectacular. If Beat Kangz can deliver, this could heat up things up in the world of drum machines/MPCs.

Check it out and let me know what you think!

Features:

• Sampling with onboard waveform editing
• Over 3000 new sounds designed by The Beat Kangz
• 16 Track MIDI sequencer 
• 500 production ready Platinum beats and loops created by The Beat Kangz
• Sleek design and styling with customizable “Paintz” and “Grillz”
• Convenient, light-weight portable design with internal rechargable battery
• USB In & Out 
• Pitch and Mod Wheels
• On Board FX including Reverb, Delay, Automated Filters and tons of Crazy “Freak FX” including “Chopped and Screwed”!!!!
• On Board “Mo Bang” Mastering with EQ and Limiting
• 256 MB Ram standard
• 2 High Speed SD Card Slots
• Export Beats to a Mac or PC 
• Easy to USE
• And – “More top Secret Features and Surprises that we dont want our sleezy, thieving corporate competitors to know…. but we’ll tell ya soon!”

Specifications:

• 2 Headphone Jacks
•  Carry audio output via USB. USB Connects to any Hard drive, USB keys can also be read and write to
• Read directly off of the SD cards. 2 Slots capbable of 16GB’s each
• 256 MB Ram Stock
•  512 Flash for user content on board. Higher if its a custom order
•  Stereo Mic Line input with Phantom Power
• Sampling, and Resampling of outputs
• Tempo sync Delay, Mastering, Reverb, Filters and tons of other weird FX
• Plans to open FX section to 3rd party developers . Can you say VST (Ed. Very interesting…..)
• Custom Paint. Any Color LED’s, Custom Grillz
• Each pad can have 16 layers with independent pitch, cut off res, pan, velocity, vol and a single pad can be spread across a whole keyboard with Loop points so you can sample synths strings or anything and turn it into multi layered patches.
• PC Drum Kit builder with Drag and Drop capabilities

 
Sequencer Information
 

• 96 PPQ
• 1000 Sequences
• 500 Songs
• Individual Bar Length which can be changed in real time even while recording. (Ed. Excellent!!)
• Quantize and Swing can be changed in real-time.
• All your Songs, Sequences, Beats, Kits, Patches, Samples and settings that are on your SD cards are always there and show up just like the presets.
• 13 Pads with Velocity
• 8 Pad banks per track 
• 16 Tracks 
• Pad and Track mute and Solo 
• Mixer with level control FX send, Pan, Pitch Automation, Filter and EQ Automation per Track including (Low Pass, Band Pass, Hi pass, Low Shelf, High Shelf and Notch, Automated Q control to)
• Dynamic Kit and Patch creator which is easy and to use. Samples can all have categories (Kicks, Snares Hats etc) App for converting your own samples into the categories and the ability to create your own.
• 16 Layers per PAD with velocity, pan, pitch ,cut off, res and volume control
• Can create multilayerd patches that span a keyboard from one pad or multiple. Each bank can have a different patch (keys and bass or drums and synth )

Core Coders has introduced Music Sampler Synthesizer (App Store link), a new audio sampler for the iPhone. It features 32 presets and supports 16 recordable patches.

The keyboard allows quick positioning to a specific octave or note. Jog Shuttle Wheel is used to select and load samples.

The sampler is $1.99. 

Hardware Requirements

iPhone 2G/3G and iPod Touch/iPod Touch 2nd Generation,

Software Requirements

iPhone OS 2.1 or greater.

Features

• Full 8 Note Polyphonic.
• 32 Preset (Built in) Samples
• 16 User (recordable) Sample Memory.
• C1~C6 Keyboard.
• Quick note/octave keyboard positioning using sliding bar.
• Key Hold
• Record you own high quality samples.

Sound Animals (App Store link) is a bizarre iPhone audio sampler app, and it’s free, too.