A new update for AmpliTube TONEX is now available, adding 50 new Premium Tone Models free for all TONEX MAX users and TONEX Pedal owners, and bringing the total up to 1,100 Tone Models included in TONEX MAX.
“High-gain Heroes” is a collection of 50 high-gain Tone Models of essential amps from IK’s private vault, masterfully captured using IK’s AI Machine Modeling. These include Tone Models based on the following:
The collection features 25 Premium Tone Models of the above amps with a cab and 25 of the exact same models without a cab, so users can use their favorite IRs or IK’s VIR™ included with TONEX to swap in different cabs.
IK used classic stomps for some of the captures to offer maximum variety, including a Boss GE-7, Fortin Grind, Friedman BE-OD, Horizon Devices Precision Drive, Ibanez Tube Screamer, and Maxon OD808.
To start using these new tones, users can just follow the instructions HERE. For those who don’t have TONEX MAX or TONEX Pedal, they can still update their version (TONEX SE, Full) or download the free TONEX CS and demo any of the new high-gain Tone Models for up to 30 minutes.
Learn more about AmpliTube TONEX
Paris, March 15th, 2023 – UVI releases Phasor, a powerful and dynamic studio tool offering up a broad palette of modulation, filtering, and distortion effects with exceptional sound quality and ease of use. From buttery stereo field enhancement to rhythmic reinforcement with adjustable LFO waveshape and swing to more creative and specialized effects utilizing min and max frequency range and drive, Phasor delivers a versatile and modern take on a classic effect. Phasor is available now with a special introductory price of $29 / 29€ through April 1st, 2023 (regularly $59 / 59€).
Phasor was designed with sound quality and flexibility at the forefront, allowing anything from gentle sonic enhancement to rhythmic mutilation to be achieved quickly and intuitively. ‘Min’ and ‘Max’ knobs allow focus on precise frequency ranges, while ‘Order’ and a bipolar ‘Feedback’ offer a range of additive and subtractive filtering effects. Users can dial in subtle warmth to aggressive distortion with the ‘Drive’ circuit, then evaluate changes with level-matched confidence thanks to the included ‘Trim’ knob, I/O metering, and A/B snapshotting.
Phasor delivers a huge range of creative options thanks to its multimode LFO. Users can choose ‘Off’ for static or automation-driven effects, ‘S&H’ for stepped random modulation, ‘Random’ for smooth random modulation, or ‘Parametric’ for fully-tweakable waveshape, pulse width, symmetry, phase, and swing.
Rounding out the package is a generous collection of hand-crafted presets, giving users a quick way to help find the perfect effect. Phasor is compatible with current versions of all major DAWs on both Mac and Windows platforms (VST, VST3, AU, and AAX). A single license includes 3 activations that can be used on any combination of individual computer systems or iLok keys. A 15-day trial is available on uvi.net.
PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
Phasor is available immediately with a special introductory price of $29 / 29€ through April 1st, 2023 (regularly $59 / 59€)
ADDITIONAL PRODUCT INFORMATION
Additional information on Phasor is available at:
http://www.uvi.net/phasor
Get Phasor and our entire catalog of products instantly with UVI SonicPass.
For $24/24€ a month or $240/240€ annually you can enjoy unlimited access to 1,000+ instruments and effects, including day-one access to new releases. Learn more at: HTTP://uvi.net/sonicpass
LOS ANGELES, CA, USA/HONG KONG, CHINA: creativity-sparking sensational products provider Ashun Sound Machines (ASM) is proud to add features and functions to its perennially popular Hydrasynth range — comprising the original Hydrasynth keyboard (https://www.ashunsoundmachines.com/hydrasynth-key) and Hydrasynth desktop (https://www.ashunsoundmachines.com/hydrasynth-desk), announced to widespread critical acclaim in September 2019, followed by the flagship Hydrasynth Deluxe (https://www.ashunsoundmachines.com/hydrasynth-deluxe) and portable Hydrasynth Explorer (https://www.ashunsoundmachines.com/hydrasynth-explorer) models announced in September 2021 — with a major (2.0) firmware update available for free as of March 15…
As an appealing appetizer, ASM’s major (2.0) firmware update adds three more memory banks to the Hydrasynth keyboard, desktop, and Explorer models, matching the Deluxe’s existing eight banks for a total of 1,024 patches. Put it this way: all are cutting-edge digital wave morphing synthesizers that positively invite their respective users to get involved in designing sounds, so more memory makes sense. Speaking of sound design, each Hydrasynth oscillator — OSC 1, OSC 2, and OSC 3 — now includes a new BitRedux (bit reduction) parameter that allows users to choose between OFF, 16, 12, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2 bits.
But — given that the 2.0 firmware update readily ranks as a major one — there is more, including more modulation options, thanks to a new modulation source called VoiceMod (voice modulator) that allows users to offset values for each voice that can then be applied in the Mod Matrix to vary chosen parameters per voice. Digging deeper, all five envelopes — ENV 1 through to ENV 5 — and LFOs (Low Frequency Oscillators) — LFO 1 through to LFO 5 — have new Quantize options, so adventurous users can quantize their outputs to achieve unique stepping effects. Excitingly, now it is possible to choose to advance through the steps with each new note on with the LFOs in Step mode, meaning users can play through the steps one by one with each new note press.
For flexibility in the studio or at home, Hydrasynth’s version 2.0 firmware update also allows users to bypass each of the (Pre-FX, Post-FX, Delay, and/or Reverb) effects globally in the system page — to record a dry signal without having to edit each patch, in other words.
Thanks to the 2.0 firmware update, Hydrasynth users can choose how the sustain pedal operates. The three options available are: Sustain — traditional sustain (as it has always worked), Sostenuto — press and hold a single note while playing notes above it, and Mod Only — disables the sustain function, allowing users to then route it in the Mod Matrix.
Meanwhile, mention must briefly be made of other added features and functions, to include: Arp range expanded to six octaves; new Arp Step Offset parameter; Bank selection from browser window; ability to randomize all steps in LFO Step mode; new display Dim, On/Off options; Glissando mode added to Glide options; fine control for more subtle options offered by Vibrato; and Local On/Off status recalled (with in-screen reminder). As ASM CEO Glen Darcey duly concludes: “We hope you like the new features in 2.0. I would ask that you download the manual; there are some good tips and tricks on each of the new features and functions in there.”
Owners of any Hydrasynth can download the latest (2.0) firmware update for free — as well as the associated Owner’s Manual addendum that comes highly recommended for its tips and tricks — from here: https://www.ashunsoundmachines.com/downloads
Watch ASM CEO Glen Darcey’s illuminating introductory video to the Hydrasynth 2.0 firmware update here:
Watch ASM CEO Glen Darcey focusing on the VoiceMod (voice modulator) feature added as part of the Hydrasynth 2.0 firmware update here: https://youtu.be/l8W-Amft0VM
Watch ASM Product Specialist Ken Pierce focusing on the LFO Step advance mode feature added as part of the Hydrasynth 2.0 firmware update here:
Watch ASM Product Specialist Ken Pierce focusing on the LFO/Envelope Quantize feature added as part of the Hydrasynth 2.0 firmware update here:
Watch ASM Senior Product & Design Manager Dominic Au’s Hydrasynth 2.0 firmware update-focused performance video here:
About ASM (www.ashunsoundmachines.com)
Ashun Sound Machines (ASM) is a music hardware brand that started in 2019, based in Hong Kong, Los Angeles, and Shanghai. It is wholly owned by Medeli, an established electronic musical instrument developer founded in Hong Kong in 1983. Passionate about using music technology to create exciting products that spark creativity, the core team at the company comprises Fanny Cheng (Executive Chairman), Glen Darcey (CEO), Daniel Troberg (VP Sales and Marketing), Dominic Au (Senior Product & Design Manager), Ken Pierce (Product Specialist), Xie Yingchen (Lead Engineer/Project Manager), Banner Xu (Lead Engineer/Project Manager), Bob Liao (DSP Algorithm Lead), and Brian Xheng (QA Engineer).
© 2023 Ashun Sound Machines Inc. & Medeli Electronics Co., Ltd.
GRENOBLE, FRANCE: XILS-lab is proud to take PolyKB III to Version 3.6.3 status — lovingly lavishing the virtual instrument plug-in par excellence with a new hi-res UI (User Interface) and associated faster UI engine alongside full Apple Silicon compatibility and VST3 support, while ensuring that it remains one of the best-sounding virtual analog synthesizers available, thousands of development man-hours after first being launched in its original PolyKB incarnation as the then-fledgling virtual instrument and effect plug-in-specializing software company’s second product release way back in May 2010 — as of March 14…
Like its predecessors, dating all the way back to a May 2010 release in its original (PolyKB) incarnation, the latest Version 3.6.3 of PolyKB III truly captures the sound and spirit of the rarified and revered RSF PolyKobol II analog polysynth from France — one that surely should have made more of a musical mark in its own right
with advanced analog waveform-morphing oscillators well ahead of their time, yet sadly saw the demise of its innovative creators, completely out of touch with 1983’s untimely arrival of Yamaha’s digital dominance-triggering DX7 super-seller (shifting upwards of 200,000 units, compared to the miserly 40 units, each costing several times that of a DX7, managed by RSF before it ran into financial difficulties) — to include its most revolutionary feature: analog waveform-morphing oscillators.
On the face of it, then, those analog waveform-morphing oscillators — providing instant access to hundreds of different analog-modeled free-running oscillator waveforms, which is far more than those provided by other virtual instrument plug-ins, including those that switch between oscillator sets — are available for all to see clearly now in Version 3.6.3 of PolyKB III, thanks to its new hi-res UI. Ultimately, they can be dynamically modulated by a number of sources.
When working with the latest Version 3.6.3 of PolyKB III, there are also two gorgeous, creamy-sounding multi-mode filters — VCF 1 and VCF 2 — to play with, each of which is self-resonating in all modes while also making use of XILS-lab’s proprietary 0df (Zero Delay Feedback) technology. There are also three analog-modeled envelopes — ADSR1, ADSR2, and ADSR3 — with time multiplication and looping facilities, all working together with two LFOs (Low Frequency Oscillators) — LFO1 and LFO2 — to deliver a fat, warm, and instantly inspiring ‘analog’ sound like no other.
Of course, even when first released to the musical masses in December 2016, PolyKB III would not be worthy of joining XILS-lab’s ever-expanding virtual instrument lineup if it did not include innovative and exclusive features — features like each voice having its own modulation engine or, indeed, using the polyphonic SEQUENCER as a giant 128-step, four-line/16-destination so-called ‘Step Sequencer Modulator’ making it fit for being propelled well and truly into the 21st Century! Creatively, this allows users to sculpt not only the most detailed trance-gate patterns but also slides and incredible rhythmic patterns. Put it this way: with PolyKB III it is possible to modulate anything with anything!
And it is also possible to make each note sound different: the Voice XY module acts as a single-note quad XY modifier — with total control over the creation of subtle or wild variations for each note in a 2D window with four different parameters, while the Space XY module makes creating a 3D space a breeze — users can freely place each note in a three-dimensional space to build otherwise unachievable ‘stereoscapes’ with movement induced by inbuilt chaotic functions. It is fair to say that users have never had so much creative control over the stereo field! Furthermore, both modes can be combined with the True Unison engine, producing dazzlingly deep sounds that will musically take anyone’s breath away and immediately take pride of place in any mix.
Meanwhile, with its new hi-res UI and associated faster UI engine alongside full Apple Silicon compatibility and VST3 support vying for attention and distinguishing the latest Version 3.6.3 of PolyKB III from its acclaimed predecessors while it readily remains one of the best-sounding virtual analog synthesizers available, XILS-lab CEO Xavier Oudin is justifiably proud of how far it has come and where it is going: “Since starting XILS-lab, the rarified and revered RSF PolyKobol II analog polysynth from France has always held a special musical place in our hearts — the true destination of our ongoing journey to create one of the best-sounding virtual analog synthesizers available today. Tweaking our algorithms for a better sound with less CPU load, we’ve never stopped working on PolyKB III, always adding new features.”
The latest Version 3.6.3 of PolyKB III is available to purchase as an iLok-protected virtual instrument plug-in (including computer-based authorization), priced at an introductory promo price of €59.00 EUR until April 16, 2023 — rising thereafter to its regular price of €199.00 EUR — directly from XILS-lab via its dedicated webpage, which also includes more in-depth information, here:
https://www.xils-lab.com/products/polykb-iii-&-ii-p-159.html
The latest Version 3.6.3 of PolyKB III can be directly downloaded in 64-bit AAX-, AU-, VST- and VST3-compatible formats for macOS (10.9+) and 64-bit AAX-, VST-, and VST3-compatible formats for Windows (7/8/10) from here: https://www.xils-lab.com/products/polykb-iii-&-ii-p-159.html
Watch XILS-lab lovingly present the latest Version 3.6.3 of PolyKB III as an eye-popping 3D-rendered video here:
About XILS-lab (www.xils-lab.com)
Based in Grenoble, France, XILS-lab is an audio software company, created, and managed by Xavier Oudin. Having created some of the best-known virtual instruments and effects plug-ins on the market for various companies over the last 20 years, today he focuses on bringing his passion for audio, instruments, and music to bear on his own company. Working with highly-skilled professional musicians and sound designers, the company collectively believes that a virtual instrument or effect is not simply a series of mind-boggling mathematical algorithms designed and scrutinized over by bookish Ph.D. engineers but rather a useful and useable musical tool made for musicians. Moreover, XILS-lab loves to create virtual instruments and effects that inspire its users to create more imaginative music than they ever dreamed possible!
© 2023 XILS Audio sarl
Your Score in an Instant
Immerse yourself in a new world of brass and reeds — a stunning sound palette of 99 patches, brought to life with our unique and intuitive Layers technology. Instantly sparking inspiration on the first play, it’s every composer’s dream — the ability to finish a whole cue within a single patch. Made in collaboration with award-winning composer Samuel Sim, intricately workshopped techniques from a range of solo brass and woodwind instruments (including saxophones, recorders, and flugelhorn) are presented in various combinations — each offering a full spectrum of emotion and expression.
For anyone looking to embrace a new approach to scoring — and a fresh alternative to string instruments — this sophisticated toolkit offers instant creative freedom. British Drama Toolkit: Brass & Reeds intuitively matches the intensity at which your fingers hit the keyboard by selecting from three different velocity layers – layering textural beds with characterful, emotive lead lines — unlocking a world of sound in every patch.
“This is a great library! It sounds very live and intuitive to work with.”
– Ruth Barrett
A WORLD OF EMOTION IN EVERY PATCH
Recorded in Castlesound Studios in Edinburgh, Scotland, this comprehensive toolkit features an intimate selection of solo brass and woodwind instruments — from contrabassoon, saxophone and flugelhorn, to recorders, and more. Discover carefully curated Combi patches (curated combinations of instruments, split into various layers across the keyboard) — a great place to start sketching cues, Ensembles (full section ensembles) and solo instruments, meticulously crafted by Samuel Sim and the Spitfire Audio team. These less commonly found instruments offer a fresh alternative to strings, taking your scores to a new place — soft saxophones to create jazz-influenced, Noir scores, with the distinctive timbre of tenor and flugelhorns offering a subtle alternative to low strings.
Brass & Reeds features the UK’s finest players performing a range of uniquely workshopped techniques – including Shorts, Longs, Recorder flutters and chiffs, Tuba multiphonics, Saxophone growls, and rich Cor Anglais swells. The fluidity and unpredictability of the breaths between the notes and re-articulations offer a genuine sense of reality, with notes firing off each other in different ways, to add nuance, depth, and humanity to your scores.
In contrast to our epic orchestral libraries, the immediate and intimate sound of a smaller band more effectively reflects the introspective moods, character, and emotion found in TV and film drama — but these sounds can also be layered with bigger libraries to complement epic soundscapes, or processed and warped to create unique textures.
VELOCITY-LED LAYERS TECHNOLOGY
Our inbuilt Layers technology is unique to the British Drama Toolkit series, allowing you to compose, arrange and complete a cue in one pass. Since faders are not required (although Expression, Attack, and Release controls are available within the plugin, as well as velocity sensitivity control via the Dynamics slider), you have the flexibility to play with both hands to achieve a beautifully intricate, dynamic, and musical sound — improvising and sketching on the fly as you would on a piano.
The magic begins as soon as your fingers hit the keyboard. Depending on the intensity at which you hit the keys, the plugin selects from up to three velocity layers (Texture, Soft & Loud), with varying expressive performances within each layer. It’s a unique experience, offering ultimate creative control as well as the opportunity to listen and move intuitively, responding to the varying lengths of notes and subtle shifts present within each technique.
The velocity layer grid comprises three distinct layers:
“A really useful addition to the studio – as with so many of the Spitfire Libraries I can definitely see this providing inspiration and helping to get an idea off the ground in a hurry.”
– Ben Foster
SAMUEL SIM
Composer Samuel Sim has won multiple awards for his deep, gritty TV and film drama scores — with credits including the epic Netflix series The Dark Crystal, the BBC’s Showtrial, and The Spanish Princess.
Writing scores often requires a huge amount of music, and working to tight deadlines. Teaming up with Spitfire Audio, Sim’s unique vision was to create a toolkit that removes the barriers between musical ideas and their realization. Since velocity sensitivity can dramatically amplify the character and emotion of your music by creating nuanced and realistic-sounding performances, one patch is capable of a huge range of expression — allowing you to respond instinctively to the drama, rather than get sucked into what Sim calls “the vortex of the computer”.
The result is a living and breathing palette of sounds designed for those looking for that spark of inspiration, with the tools needed to get your ideas down quickly – ready for wherever your imagination may take you.
KEY FEATURES
For more information visit Spitfire Audio: www.spitfireaudio.com/british-drama-toolkit-brass-and-reeds
AVAILABILITY & PRICING
Link: www.spitfireaudio.com/british-drama-toolkit-brass-and-reeds
Drama Toolkit Collection page link: www.spitfireaudio.com/drama-toolkit-collection
RRP: £169 / $199 / 199€
Promo Period: £129 / $149 / 149€
Promo Crossgrade: £109 / $129 / 129€ *
* A discount for anyone who owns British Drama Toolkit or Contemporary Drama Toolkit
Promo period ends April 6th, 2023
About Samuel Sim (https://www.samuelsim.com)
Samuel Sim is a British composer, producer, and songwriter. His scores for Film & Television have won numerous awards and accolades including BAFTA and Ivor Novello Award nominations.
Alongside his Film & TV scores, his work also spans concert works, songwriting, and production.
Recent works include the hit drama series Showtrial for BBC ONE, the Emmy Award Winning Netflix epic The Dark Crystal, and the highly critically acclaimed Anne for ITV1.
About Spitfire Audio (www.spitfireaudio.com)
Spitfire Audio is a British music technology company that specializes in sounds — sample libraries, virtual instruments, and other useful software devices. It collaborates with the best composers, artists, and engineers in the world to build musical tools that sound great and are exciting to use.
Spitfire Audio was founded by two award-winning composers: Christian Henson and Paul Thomson. Born out of their shared dissatisfaction with string sample libraries, they pooled their resources and decided to record their own string samples at the legendary Air Studios in London. Initially, they invited a limited number of friends and associates to own copies of their samples, but whispers of this private sample club soon started to echo across the Atlantic Ocean throughout the composer community. Within a year, some of the most renowned composers in film and television signed up, so Paul and Christian decided to take their samples public.
To date, Spitfire Audio has recorded and released over 100 sample libraries, collaborating with some of the biggest names in media composition, including Hans Zimmer, Eric Whitacre, Ólafur Arnalds & the London Contemporary Orchestra. Spitfire Audio’s sounds are heard in everything, from major Hollywood film scores to recordings by Radiohead and U2. Paul and Christian’s initial side project is now a thriving international music technology enterprise, with a uniquely experienced and diverse workforce, all focused on a shared mission: to inspire a generation of composers. The composer team remains at the center of the business, drawing on their own experience as obsessive music makers to explore the needs and wants of their fellow composers.
RRP: £399 / $449 / 449€
Promo Period: £299 / $349 / 349€
Promo Crossgrade: £274 / $309 / 309€ *
*A discount for anyone who owns Abbey Road Orchestra: Low Percussion
ABBEY ROAD ORCHESTRA: HIGH PERCUSSION
The Professional Composer Series
A meticulously curated selection of 62 percussive instruments performed by internationally renowned percussionist Joby Burgess and expertly captured in the legendary acoustic space that is Abbey Road Studio One. Focus on bringing life to your compositions with tailored features— such as soft takeover, voice choking and right/left hand mapping. Add a layer of unparalleled realism with a variety of beaters and playing styles.
The second instalment of Abbey Road Orchestra, the most detailed range of sample libraries we have ever created, High Percussion will be instantly familiar to Low Percussion users. Housed in the same Abbey Road Orchestra plugin and drawing on the same innovative features, intuitive mapping allows for easy layering and go-between to amplify the authenticity of your composition.
HIGH FIDELITY
This new untuned percussion library will expand your percussive palette, with a range of highly detailed and tactile instruments, while also providing an immediate natural feel that sounds authentic and cinematic.
High Percussion re-emphasises the nuanced features of Low Percussion, demonstrating their dynamic responsiveness. Soft Takeover, voice choking and two handed mapping all allow for an instinctive and gratifying performance. Expertly captured by GRAMMY®-winning engineer Simon Rhodes (Skyfall, Avatar), and performed by internationally-renowned percussionist Joby Burgess (Black Panther, Mission: Impossible), High Percussion offers an agile, responsive and intuitive experience.
UNPARALLELED REALISM
STUDIO ONE: ICON OF THE PAST, INNOVATOR FOR THE FUTURE
A host to celebrated classical recordings from Elgar and Prokofiev, as well as iconic film scores from Raiders of the Lost Ark, Return of the Jedi, The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, and the more recent releases of Avengers: Endgame and Black Panther, Studio One needs no introduction.
Home to one of the greatest in-house collections of vintage and modern microphones and a control room fitted with a 72-channel Neve 88 RS console with a unique and comprehensive surround monitor section, Studio One is the perfect setting for our meticulously planned recording sessions. Our aim is to work with the best, to deliver you the world’s most detailed sampling orchestra and Abbey Road – one of the most in-demand recording studios in the film scoring landscape – was the perfect space to make this happen.
“Spitfire Audio are undoubtedly the best team in the world to deliver something truly groundbreaking. The bar has been raised exceedingly high and this is only the beginning for the Abbey Road Orchestra series. It feels like we are all in for a remarkable journey.”
— Mirek Stiles Head of Audio Products, Abbey Road Studios
DECADES OF EXPERTISE
This library has been formed by some of the world’s best producers in music recording, created for professional composers of film, television, game and performance.
Joby Burgess – Joby’s playing can be heard on major film and TV scores, notably leading the percussion sections on Black Panther, Rocketman, Ad Astra, Mission: Impossible, The Darkest Hour, Dr Who and The Green Planet.
Simon Rhodes – Simon joined the EMI Abbey Road Studios in 1987. He is now Senior Engineer and has a long standing association with various composers including the late James Horner with whom he worked for 18 years on over 40 projects including Avatar, one of the highest grossing films of all time.
KEY FEATURES
Product page URL: https://www.spitfireaudio.com/abbey-road-orchestra-high-percussion
AVAILABILITY & PRICING
Link: https://www.spitfireaudio.com/abbey-road-orchestra-high-percussion
RRP Price: £399 / $449 / 449€
Promo Period: £299 / $349 / 349€
Promo Crossgrade: £274 / $309 / 309€ *
*A discount for anyone who owns Abbey Road Orchestra: Low Percussion
About Abbey Road Studios (www.abbeyroad.com)
A global music icon and the world’s first purpose-built recording studio, Abbey Road Studios has been home to countless landmark recordings and pioneering advances in music technology for over 90 years. The studios’ phenomenal history encompasses celebrated work by artists from The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Fela Kuti, Kate Bush, Oasis and Radiohead to Sam Smith, Florence + The Machine, Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Frank Ocean, Amy Winehouse, Little Simz and Adele, as well as scores to films from Raiders of The Lost Ark, The Lord of The Rings Trilogy and many of the Harry Potter and Star Wars movies, to Gravity, The Shape of Water, 1917, Black Panther, Black Widow and Avengers: Endgame. Since stereo was patented at Abbey Road in 1933, the studios have been home to numerous innovations in recording technology and continue to innovate today with Europe’s first music tech incubator, Abbey Road Red. Abbey Road Studios is part of Universal Music.
About Joby Burgess (https://www.jobyburgess.com/)
One of Britain’s most diverse percussionists, Joby is equally at home performing with Peter Gabriel at Red Rocks Amphitheatre and The Who at Wembley Stadium as reimagining Blade Runner at Sydney Opera House and Ibiza Classics at the Royal Albert Hall.
Known for his virtuosic performances, Joby’s solo projects Powerplant and Pioneers of Percussion have taken him from Berghain, Berlin to SESC Pompéia, São Paulo. Recent releases for Signum include Gabriel Prokofiev’s ‘Concerto for Bass Drum’ and Eric Whitacre’s ‘Marimba Quartets’.
Often found at Abbey Road and Air Studios, Joby’s playing can be heard on major film and TV scores, notably leading the percussion sections on Black Panther, Rocketman, Ad Astra, Mission: Impossible, The Darkest Hour, Dr Who and The Green Planet.
In demand as an educationalist, Joby created the Virtual Marimba Choir, which brought together 227 percussionists from around the world during Spring 2020.
About Simon Rhodes (https://www.abbeyroad.com/engineer/simon-rhodes)
Following a strong musical upbringing and after graduating with an honours Degree in Physics and Music, Simon joined the EMI Abbey Road Studios in 1987. He is now Senior Engineer and is well known throughout the record and film industries.
Simon has a long standing association with various composers including the late James Horner whom he worked with for 18 years on over 40 projects including Avatar, the second highest grossing film of all time.
Simon has also had the pleasure of working with many of the world’s top film composers including John Williams, Thomas Newman, John Debney, James Newton Howard, Howard Shore, Alexandre Desplat, Alan Sylvestri, Trevor Jones, George Fenton, Roque Banos, Brian Tyler, AR Rahman & Elmer Bernstein.
In 2008, Simon was invited to record the famous Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games in China. Simon has 4 GRAMMY® Awards and is a Cinema Audio Society winner.
About Spitfire Audio (www.spitfireaudio.com)
Spitfire Audio is a British music technology company that specializes in sounds — sample libraries, virtual instruments, and other useful software devices. It collaborates with the best composers, artists, and engineers in the world to build musical tools that sound great and are exciting to use.
Spitfire Audio was founded by two award-winning composers: Christian Henson and Paul Thomson. Born out of their shared dissatisfaction for string sample libraries, they pooled their resources and decided to record their own string samples at the legendary Air Studios in London. Initially, they invited a limited number of friends and associates to own copies of their samples, but whispers of this private sample club soon started to echo across the Atlantic Ocean throughout the composer community. Within a year, some of the most renowned composers in film and television signed up, so Paul and Christian decided to take their samples public.
To date, Spitfire Audio has recorded and released over 100 sample libraries, collaborating with some of the biggest names in media composition, including Hans Zimmer, Eric Whitacre, Ólafur Arnalds & the London Contemporary Orchestra. Spitfire Audio’s sounds are heard in everything, from major Hollywood film scores to recordings by Radiohead and U2. Paul and Christian’s initial side project is now a thriving international music technology enterprise, with a uniquely experienced and diverse workforce, all focused on a shared mission: to inspire a generation of composers. The composer team remains at the center of the business, drawing on their own experience as obsessive music makers to explore the needs and wants of their fellow composers.
PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC: W.A. Production, producers crafting creative plug-ins to help anyone achieve studio-quality processing speedily and easily, is proud to launch LOOP Engine — readily representing the next generation of cutting-edge, multi-voice tools as an Infinite Loop Generator, duly drawing upon the legacy of its CHORDS and Chords PRO plug-in predecessors (providing chord and pro-grade chord progressions for instant inspiration) to take arps, melodies, and riffs to the next level by generating loops outside the norm, with intuitive controls to shape the algorithms — as of March 3…
As a revolutionary plug-in purposefully unlocking a new standard of MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) processing generation by duly drawing upon the legacy of its CHORDS (https://www.waproduction.com/plugins/view/chords) and Chords PRO (https://www.waproduction.com/plugins/view/chords-pro) plug-in predecessors (providing chord and pro-grade chord progressions for instant inspiration), LOOP Engine enables users to push the boundaries even further. Facilitating saying goodbye to the limitations of static chord shapes and divisible segments, it takes arps, melodies, and riffs to the next level by generating MIDI loops outside the norm, with intuitive controls to shape the algorithms. Always inspiring and innovative, it is designed to set tracks alight and help kick-start creative musical ideas.
While W.A. Production originally designed LOOP Engine for EDM (Electronic Dance Music) production, this loop workstation works equally effectively in other genres of music, manufacturing note progressions with flair and ease, based on chord shapes and rules. Indeed, its feature set is stacked with new concepts to create a whole way of working that massively expands the scope of what MIDI processing generation can be. But looks, of course, can be deceiving. Despite looking similar to its CHORDS and Chords PRO plug-in
predecessors, LOOP Engine is actually a far more fully-featured affair. Advanced routing options for multi-track playback make integration into a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) project perfectly straightforward, so users can easily work with their favorite virtual synths and instruments, using LOOP Engine to output up to eight independent MIDI voices — 1 through to 8 — and send them to an accompanying secondary plug-in, LOOP Engine LISTENER, loaded onto instrument tracks in a DAW. These two tools allow for designing complex multi-track loops that span multiple DAW tracks… or simply use the presets as a jumping-off point for some legendary-sounding loops!
LOOP Engine LISTENER notwithstanding as the special sauce behind LOOP Engine (allowing users to choose which voices supply which tracks, and easily swap them with just a couple of clicks), users can choose to play with a wealth of new functions, including a piano roll, additional chords, voicing rules, chord range, and an ability to add tension notes, as well as choosing open, mixed, or closed chord positions.
Various views make navigating that fabulous functionality a more manageable experience for all. As such, Loop View is the main window where users can set the overall root KEY of the chord sequence, sequence SPEED, LENGTH, MAJOR and MINOR, and OCTAVE options; access a CHORDS menu for selecting pre-made chord progressions; and also create a new chord sequence by clicking the center-positioned CREATE button. There, the creation process begins from the last chord selected around the circle via a series of ‘dots’ while the algorithm bases its decisions on the chords that are already in place — up to and including the one selected. Chords can be added or removed with the + and – buttons between each chord — as many as eight and as few as two, while each chord segment consists of up to four notes that can be turned on and off by clicking.
Chord View is activated by clicking the innermost ring of ‘dots’ to access each individual chord; clicking on each one shows the chord shape on the piano roll positioned at the bottom of LOOP Engine. Each chord has dedicated options for setting OCTAVE, INVERSION, and VELOCITY, but new to LOOP Engine is its RANGE control — sets up how spread apart the notes are. Thereafter, there are two modes for choosing chord types: ‘dots’ in the center of SIMPLE mode represent different complexities and tonal functions of chord shapes — ‘dots’ towards the bottom are generally simpler chords and those higher up are more complex and sound jazzier, while the three different lines of ‘dots’ represent S (subdominant), T (tonic), and D (dominant) chords; ADVANCED mode, meanwhile, includes self-explanatory additional options for chord TYPE and TENSION notes, adding even more interesting shapes to the user’s palette.
Try toggling between CHORDS to NOTES in Voice View, whereby the chords are split into note partitions; click to choose any of the four chord notes for each partition — segment settings can be copied and pasted from one chord to another; alternatively, turning on REPEAT mode means any changes made to one chord’s segments will be automatically copied to all. As if that was not enough to be getting on with here, it is also possible to set the number of partitions per chord and overall octave with dedicated (PARTITION and OCTAVE) controls. Creativity abounds still further with POLY mode, another feature new to LOOP Engine; instead of constructing sequences for each chord, users can create a pattern that will be repeated indefinitely — beyond the boundaries of chord segments and loop iterations. It is possible to select note presets or — just like when working with chords — save custom-created ones. And all such controls can be adjusted for up to eight independent voices, which is exactly where the secondary LOOP Engine LISTENER plug-in comes into play — producing instant interactive EDM becomes a breeze, but anyone wishing to export MIDI data from LOOP Engine to take things further should simply drag from the Loop View or Voice View to then edit it in their DAW in the normal way.
Ultimately, users of CHORDS and Chords PRO will already be familiar with some of the creative concepts driving LOOP Engine further forward to its final destination as a super-flexible creation station for arps, chords, loops, melodies, and more, spread across multiple voices and outputs. On the face of it, then, LOOP Engine has surely cemented its position as W.A. Production’s flagship MIDI processing plug-in, one which is well worthy of readily representing the next generation of cutting-edge, multi-voice tools as an Infinite Loop Generator.
LOOP Engine is available to purchase at an attractive 70%-discounted introductory promo price until March 31, 2023 — rising thereafter to its regular price of $99.00 USD — as a 64-bit AU-, VST-, and VST3-compatible plug-in for macOS (10.15 or later) and 32- or 64-bit VST-, and VST3-compatible plug-in for Windows (8 or later), as well as an AAX-compatible plug-in for Pro Tools (11 or higher), directly from W.A. Production via its dedicated webpage, which also includes some superb audio previews, here: https://www.waproduction.com/plugins/view/loop-engine
14-day, fully-functional trial versions of all W.A. Production plug-ins — including LOOP Engine — are available by signing up for an account for free here: https://www.waproduction.com/users/login
Watch W.A. Production’s informative introductory video for LOOP Engine here:
About W.A. Production (www.waproduction.com)
W.A. Production was created by producer/DJ and sound designer Redhead Roman in 2014. Helpfully, his deep-rooted passion for EDM (Electronic Dance Music) and time spent in the music industry ignited a desire to put top-tier audio products into the hands of every electronic music producer at prices that they could actually afford. By building its initial reputation on delivering high-end professional-sounding samples, the six-strong team of today has hurriedly matured into boasting a successful brand that offers instrument and effect plug-ins, DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) templates, informative articles, and exclusive interviews with some of the hottest EDM artists around, alongside e-books and tutorials, as well as online video courses. It is also recognized for practicing a ‘hands-on’ style of customer support and service, ensuring that every customer’s experience is a great one. On the face of it, then, that Roman and his talented team remain extremely humble and interactive with their customers, members, and the EDM scene as a whole to this day is an amazing attribute in itself since W.A. Production has experienced substantial growth — growth that is constantly being expanded still further by testing boundaries, pushing creativity and innovation to new heights. Indeed, it is all driven daily by asking themselves the same question: “What about making your sound better?”
© 2023 W.A. Production
ASTON DOWN, GLOUCESTERSHIRE, UK: ATC is proud to announce the upcoming availability of the SCM25A Pro Mk2 as a compact, three-way, high-performance active monitor — maintaining the core of its popular predecessor from which it evolved while refining key areas of design and performance, including replacing the original SCM25A Pro’s OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) high-frequency driver with the specialist British manufacturer’s own ‘S-SPEC’ SH25-76S premium soft-dome, dual-suspension tweeter developed with a no-compromise engineering approach (as fitted to the two-way SCM20A Pro and larger, three-way SCM45A Pro, SCM50A Pro, SCM100A Pro, SCM110A Pro, and SCM150A Pro models since 2015) — as of February 20…
Formed in 1974 by Billy Woodman to manufacture custom drive units for the professional sound industry, then evolving to produce its own ranges of loudspeaker systems and partnering electronics, ATC as a company clearly has history. Having said that, so does its perennially popular SCM25A Pro compact nearfield monitor — making its presence seen and heard as a valuable tool in studios the world over since its release in 2010 and a product development process that started with key clients in 2008. “Over the past 13 years, the SCM25A Pro has proven to be both exceptionally popular and a valuable tool in the modern studio,” says ATC Technical Sales Manager Ben Lilly. “However, we knew we could make improvements to performance, and also offer improved consistency with the rest of the Pro product range while ensuring that we had greater control of the manufacturing process.”
As a compact, three-way, high-performance active studio monitor, the SCM25A Pro Mk2 is based around a 6.5”/164mm bass driver loaded in a ported/vented enclosure, tuned to 32kHz and featuring a 3”/75mm diameter port with flared entry and exit to minimize port air noise. Needless to say, its killer combination of exceptional mid-range clarity; high-output, extended bass response; and modest 25-litre/0.9 cubic foot size make it ideal for nearfield monitoring across a wide range of critical applications.
All new to the SCM25A Pro Mk2 is its high-frequency driver, ATC having replaced its popular predecessor’s OEM part with its own ‘S-SPEC’ SH25-76S, manufactured in-house with a no-compromise engineering approach (as fitted to the two-way SCM20A Pro and larger, three-way SCM45A Pro, SCM50A Pro, SCM100A Pro, SCM110A Pro, and SCM150A Pro models since 2015). This driver is a
1”/25mm soft-dome design, handling high frequencies above 3.5kHz, but, unlike almost any other 1”/25mm tweeter on the market, it employs both an upper and lower suspension to better support and control the coil and dome motion. This, therefore, makes for a narrower magnetic gap, resulting in higher magnetic flux, which, in turn, extends the high-frequency response and reduces 3rd harmonic distortion. As ATC R&D Manager Richard Newman notes, “We feel the new tweeter lifts the capability of the SCM25A Pro Mk2 to a higher level, retaining the outstanding balance of the monitor, but extending the high-frequency response and reducing distortion to really help lower-level detail in the high-frequency band cut through. This will greatly aid faster decision-making and outstanding translation outside of the studio.”
Meanwhile, mid-band frequencies between 380Hz and 3.5kHz are handled by ATC’s acclaimed 3”/75mm soft-dome mid-range driver, duly combining high-efficiency, high-power handling, low distortion, and wide dispersion characteristics to ensure class-leading performance for the SCM25A Pro Mk2 in this critical frequency range. As a mainstay of ATC’s Pro product range, this component features in eight models, making certain consistency spans from nearfield through to main monitors.
Mid- and high-frequency elements are supported by a 6.5”/164mm proprietary bass driver that takes care of the SCM25A Pro Mk2’s low frequencies below 380Hz. This features a carbon-loaded paper cone while the driver motor employs a short-coil operating in a long magnetic gap, helping to minimize distortion generated by drive force modulation. Additionally, a large 2”/50mm voice coil and generous excursion capability ensure outstanding dynamic range.
Rear-mounted, a three-way class A/B amp — termed Tri – AmpPack in ‘ATC-speak’ (as clearly highlighted on the rear panel itself) — actively drives the SCM25A Pro Mk2 with each drive unit having its own dedicated power amplifier. Audio-balanced input is via a rear panel-mounted three-pin XLR and power is via an IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) mains power inlet. Input sensitivity and Bass boost controls are also accessible to the user. Ultimately, crossovers are 4th order Linkwitz-Riley and all-pass filters are included to optimize the phase response through the crossover regions, improving the tonal quality and imaging, as well as on- and off-axis frequency response. Furthermore, FET (Field-Effect Transistor) peak limiters are included to reduce amplifier ‘hard-clipping’, while POWER/LIMIT is indicated — ‘on’ and ‘active’ — by a front panel-mounted bi-color LED. It is also worth mentioning that the amplifier is designed and manufactured in-house, just like the speaker drive units. All are well worthy of a specialist British loudspeaker drive unit and complete sound reproduction system manufacturer that clearly has a history.
ATC’s SCM25A Pro Mk2 compact, three-way, high-performance active studio monitor is available as of March 1, 2023 (country-/region-dependent), when it will retail in the UK for £7,075.00 GBP (plus VAT) per (left- and right-orientated) pair. For more in-depth information, including its impressive specification, please visit the dedicated product webpage here: https://atc.audio/professional/loudspeakers/scm25a-pro-mk2/
For availability and pricing internationally, please visit the ATC website to find a distributor here: https://atc.audio/where-to-buy/
About ATC (www.atc.audio/professional/)
Formed in 1974 by Billy Woodman to manufacture custom drive units for the professional sound industry, ATC (Acoustic Transducer Company) is a specialist British manufacturer of loudspeaker drive units and complete sound reproduction systems, including all associated electronic equipment. Such systems and components are designed and built in-house to achieve levels of performance far in excess of the industry norm by adopting a thoroughly professional engineering approach to the issues of basic design, materials science, and production technology. The company’s groundbreaking soft-dome mid-range driver technology was originally developed in 1976, revolutionizing studio monitoring in the process before becoming recognized as the ultimate mid-range transducer for both domestic and professional applications. After a contract with Danmarks Radio — translating to the Danish Broadcasting Corporation — for an active portable monitor provided the opportunity to integrate the company’s then-new SCM50 and SCM100 speakers with a Tri – AmpPack and electronic crossover to create the industry-standard SCM50A and SCM100A as the first reliable and accurate active systems, that technology is still featured in eight of its monitor models today. The SL (Super Linear) technology found in its Professional Series Monitor bass drive units is arguably the most significant development in transducer design in the last 15 years, reducing 3rd harmonic distortion by 10-15dB between 100Hz and 3kHz, epitomizing the company’s commitment to sound quality. Indeed, its accuracy in reproducing piano and male vocals remains unique. Ultimately, the company’s commitment to multi-channel mastering and its direct involvement with leading players in the professional audio industry — including Sony Music and Telarc — has readily resulted in its products being installed in some of the world’s most prestigious multi-channel studios and auditoria.
© 2023 ATC Loudspeaker Technology Ltd
London, 28.02.23 – GForce Software are delighted to present Minimonsta2, a fresh and hugely enhanced rebuild of their much loved synth. The original Minimonsta gained heavy praise from fans and critics alike for incredible accuracy and a huge range of additions taking the legendary Model D® into previously unexplored sonic realms. Minimonsta2 retains the fundamental architecture at the heart of its predecessor but builds on this in ways that extend its sonic and musical capabilities into a uniquely deep & musical instrument and sets it apart from other Mini.
A Bonafide Classic For The 21st Century
With the sound and character of the original hardware at its core, Minimonsta2 gives a classic synth a new lease of life. Authentic models of the original filter, three oscillators, ADS envelopes, and much more, we’ve spent countless hours ensuring that Minimonsta2 still provides a faithful and accurate recreation of one of the most highly revered synths ever.
Now, Minimonsta2 adds a raft of new features and improvements – a new fully resizable UI, an improved audio engine, a powerful new preset browser, over 300 new presets, a new reverb effect, a vintage control to add authentic analog imperfections, four programmable Macros, alternative 4-stage envelops mode, alternative bass-preserving ladder filter for when you don’t want to lose your bass when you increase the resonance, and more. All of this gives Minimonsta2 an authentic experience that feels at home in a modern setup.
Monsta and X-Modifiers
Using our unique X-Modifier technology, the scope of sound modulation possibilities is immense. An intuitive X-LFO and X-ADSR section provides you with the ability to create extensive modulations of almost every parameter, allowing you to create hugely complex, yet musical, sounds. So, while the tone and character at the heart of the synth remain authentic to the original, the additional features turn it into a true sonic Monsta with no equivalent.
Inspiration At The Speed Of Sound
Minimonsta2 features our brand new Preset Browser, which gives the user the power to organize their sounds any way they want. With extensive tagging, sorting, and search possibilities, it’s now quick and easy to find the perfect preset. Talking of presets, we’ve got them by the bucketload. Firstly, we’ve included 300+ brand new production-ready presets. You can also access the 500 legacy presets from Minimonsta, which have all been categorized and tagged for easy navigation. With a total of over 800 presets, inspiration is just moments away.
The sonic, aesthetic, and usability improvements that Minimonsta2 brings really feels like a night and day difference. Minimonsta was never just a Minimoog clone, but Minimonsta2 goes to a whole new level beyond emulation, equipped with tools to suit modern workflows and production styles, it can create almost any sound you can imagine… and many you can’t.” Graeme Rawson, QA & Support at GForce Software.
Minimonsta2 – key features
More info
https://www.gforcesoftware.com/products/minimonsta2
Price
Minimonsta2 £99.99 +VAT with an intro price of £49.99 + VAT
Compatibility
Mac: Standalone Application, AudioUnit, AAX, VST and VST3
PC: Standalone Application, AAX, VST and VST3
About GForce Software Ltd.
Specializing in vintage synthesizer modeling, GForce Software offers a range of products with the most authentic sonic and musical quality in the virtual arena. Our mission is to inspire composers and producers by providing well-crafted instruments and sounds; to nurture those aspiring to learn and grow during their musical journey.
UVI releases Percussion Factory, an 8-part percussion instrument and advanced sequence designer with powerful engine enhancements like intelligent preset generation, realtime sequence modifiers, and morphable groove, a creative topology outfitted for sound design, over 1,000 percussion sounds, 4,000+ sequences capturing traditional music styles from around world, native user sample support, and much more. Percussion Factory is available now, with a special introductory price of $99 / 99€, and a special upgrade price of $49 / 49€ for users of Percussion Store, through March 8th, 2023 (regularly $149 / 149€).
Designed to be a modern all-in-one solution for creative percussion sounds, sequences, and performance, Percussion Factory helps you achieve great sounding results with ease. From a massive library of sounds and sequences collected from all over the world to clever uses of machine learning like the smart preset generator and sample auto-alignment, and performance-oriented features like morphable groove and real-time sequence decimation, Percussion Factory delivers exceptional sound quality and a streamlined, intuitive experience that keeps creativity squarely at the forefront.
Percussion Factory includes a sizable preset library with over 500 hand-crafted kits, including a huge range of genres and styles from modern production to regional ensembles from Africa, India, the Middle East, North and South America, the Caribbean and more. It can be used as a ready-to-go percussion section, or in combination with powerful sound design tools and effects like Crusher, Flanger, Frequency Shifter, EQ, Delay, and IR Reverb as a creative rhythm designer. In addition to kits, all sounds are available individually, accessible from a handy and well-organized browser, meanwhile user sample support is available via drag-and-drop, allowing for sequencing and processing of your own sounds. Percussion Factory offers native 64-bit standalone operation by way of Falcon or the free UVI Workstation, providing comprehensive support for all modern DAWs and simultaneous authorization on up to 3 computers or iLok keys.
PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
Percussion Factory is available immediately with a special introductory price of $99 / 99€, with an upgrade pricing of $49 / 49€ for users of Percussion Store, through March 8th, 2023 (regularly $149 / 149€)
ADDITIONAL PRODUCT INFORMATION
Additional information on Percussion Factory is available at:
http://www.uvi.net/percussion-factory