PC and Music News

IK Multimedia would like to thank all of their Digidesign customers by upgrading Digidesign Pro Tools users of AmpliTube LE to the new AmpliTube 2 Duo software and also giving them Ampeg SVX UNO — for FREE !

AmpliTube 2 DUO Features :

- 4 Modules: Tuner, Stomp, Amp, Cabinet+Microphone
- 2 Pre-Amp and 2 EQ models
- 2 Power-Amp models
- 2 Cabinet models
- 16 Amp combinations x rig
- 2 Microphone models
- 2 Stomp Effect models (Wah + Overdrive) + Spring Reverb + Gate
- High-precision Tuner
- 2 Guitar rig chains
- 30 Presets
- All Presets can be read by AmpliTube 2
- Plug-In and Standalone version with SpeedTrainer
- New AmpliTube 2 DSM technology (Dynamic Saturation Modeling)
- Compatible with all the most recent OS, including MacTel and Windows Vista

Ampeg SVX UNO Feat ...

Bx_hybrid is a revolutionary new 11-band EQ system that Brainworx have designed for mixing and mastering purposes. Its internal high-resolution filter algorithms and some unique and innovative features make this an "engineer's weapon". bx_hybrid is a set of 2 EQs, MONO and STERO versions of the same basic EQ concept (Mod 1.0 & Mod 2.0).

Brainworx chose the name "hybrid" for 2 reasons: although being a LEFT / RIGHT EQ the stereo version (Mod 2.0) bx_hybrid has some internal M/S features, and although being an EQ that has to be set manually it has many AUTO features that will help you finding the perfect EQ setting fast and convenient. They are already working on the concept of a surround version as well (Mod 5.1) which will not be an update but a separate product and released later. The ...

Here it is, the first review of 2008: WOW, the multimode filter made by Sugar Bytes.
Words, pictures and sounds.
You'll find everything in our review to form your opinion on WOW.

SE Electronics have announced that they are producing a brand new range of Rupert Neve signature series mics under the sE stable for 2008.
(picture is Rupert Neve and Siwei Zou)

The first of several mics will be an active Ribbon mic with revolutionary performance, provided by discrete circuits and purpose designed transformers by Mr. Rupert Neve.
The capsule and manufacturing are being controlled by sE, whilst the electronics, and of course the transformer, are being taken care of by Mr. Neve.

Following mics will be a large diaphragm tube mic, and a solid state condenser. "The first three mics " say sE "are beautiful, the packaging will be second to none, and their performance will set new standards in the high end microphone market".

Will this new range of products be the next big hit ?
And isn't "high end" often synonymous with "high prices" ?
At least, this is a very exciting announce.

McDSP will introduce three new plug-ins at the Winter NAMM show held in Anaheim California, January 2008. Thesse plug-ins are the DE555 de-esser, the FutzBox signal distorter and noise generator, and the NF575 noise filter.

The DE555 is a new generation of de-essing technology, providing transparent, precise de-essing with unique flexibility. FutzBox is a distortion and noise generator plug-in for creating low-fidelity versions of audio signals. The NF575 noise filter is a high-resolution filter set designed to remove a wide variety of noise types from audio.

These new plug-ins will only be available to owners of the McDSP Emerald Pack HD and Emerald Pack Native bundles as an upgrade ($195 HD / $95 Native for owners of Emerald Pack version 2). The new Emerald Pack bundle (version 3.0) will retail for $2795 for the HD version, and $1495 for the Native version.

Taking advantage of modern technologies together with a handcrafted and tested approach, JZ Microphones introduces the new multi pattern studio microphone: The Black Hole.

Main characteristics :

- Multi — pattern condenser: cardioid, omni, figure-8
- Class A discrete amplifier circuit
- Two (!) opposite placed, independent, large, true electrostatic capsules inside the compact head
- New special capsule with single, less centre tap diaphragm and adjustable backplate.
- Patented variable sputtering of diaphragm, using specially mixed alloy for coating
- Integrated capsule shockmount.

The new product is already available in the USA through Full Compass. Everyone is welcome to hear it at NAMM Show 2008 — booth 1897, hall E.

Rain Recording has announced StormDrive TERA, a high performance versatile and extremely portable RAID storage solution designed around the eSATA platform for the fast streaming and backup of up to 2 Terabytes of data.

StormDrive TERA offers a cost effective, fast and portable storage solution that gives you up to 2 Terabytes of space and lots of options for using it. Configure your drive to operate in RAID-0 mode combining the performance of both drives to make one super drive. Or, you can choose RAID-1 which makes a full copy of your data to two drives simultaneously. So if one drive fails, you already have a complete backup. And StormDrive TERA is hot-swappable so you can replace the failed drive without interrupting your data flow.

Hardware Specs :

- Storage Size: 2x500GB, 500GB (RAID-1) or 1000GB (RAID-0)
- Cache: 32MB
- Average Latency: 4.16ms
- Spindle Speed: 7200RPM
- Bus Interface: eSATA /USB2.0 Type A
- eSATA: 3,000 Mbps Data Speed
- USB 2.0: 12Mb/480Mbps Data Speed
- LED: Power on/Access/Rebuild/Error
- Acoustics: Idle=2.7bels, Seek=2.8bels (Quiet seek specification)
- Power Supply: 12V/2A, 110~240V AC/DC adapter
- Dimensions: 8.66" x 3.34" x 5.11" (L x W x H)
- Weight: 5lbs


Price from $679.95 (£249 UK).

As you can see, Winter NAMM is coming, and the whole team is ready to get down to work !
From January 17 to January 20, every name that counts in the audio world will be there, to present to you all the latest musical products from around the world, those you'll maybe use tomorrow.

Solid State Logic will showcase a new plug-in for the Duende DSP powered DAW plug-in platform at the NAMM show.

X-EQ is at first glance a 10 band parametric EQ, but each of the 10 EQ bands can be selected to provide a different type of EQ, making X-EQ a vast range of different EQ processors in one package. Bands 1 and 10 are High and Low Filters, each of which can be set to employ one of five different Filter topologies with five very different tonal characters. Bands two and nine are shelving EQ's with a Q range that extend right up to 10.3 and a degree of undershoot and overshoot at higher Q settings that give a unique tonal character. The remaining six bands are all Bell EQ's with a choice of nine different EQ types providing a comprehensive range of response curves. All Shelving & B ...

After their release of Stylus RMX Expanded, Spectrasonics has announced a new product, and they will show it at Winter NAMM.
Hope it's a final product, ready to ship, and not only a pre-release...

The long awaited update of the most user friendly score editor is finally here.
Just think that the v4.6 hasn't even pass the stage of beta testing, and you'll understand why copyists, composers and arrangers are happy !
A this time, only the Mac version is available. PC version will be shipping in February 2008.
If you want to download the full version, it will cost you $399,99, if you only need the update, it is $129,99 (add $10.00 s&h for CD version).

Prima is a virtual female vocalist modelled on the voice of a professional soprano singer, using Vocaloid 2.

Whether it's soaring leads, harmonies or backing vocals, Prima can sing any word from the English language (and other languages too with a little work).
Prima is also very well suited if you want to be adventurous and experimental, since her voice can be easily modified and shaped in many ways.

In addition to singing any words or combination of syllables or phonemes you can imagine, Prima will spread any sustained vowel (or voiced consonant) across as many notes as you like, with perfect legato. You can select from several different natural vibrato types and drag'n'drop your chosen type to any note or notes, and control the time-position and amount of the vibrato.

You have ...