“There’s something really special about the sounds made from test equipment, which I absolutely adore — making music out of something not designed for making music.”
– Hainbach (electronic music composer and performer), 2021
LONDON, UK: Spitfire Audio is proud to announce the availability of HAINBACH – LANDFILL TOTEMS — a sample library comprising an extension of the sound palette of Berlin-based electronic music composer and performer Hainbach’s musically mind-blowing Landfill Totems concept album simultaneously released on SA Recordings, the London-based label owned by the British music technology company, allowing access to a truly unique world of one-of-a-kind, bespoke sounds expertly curated by Hainbach himself from long-forgotten, now-obsolete test equipment collected from nuclear research labs, grandfathers’ sheds, and scrap heaps, completely repurposed and given a new lease of life as instruments, meticulously recorded and processed further before being presented in Spitfire Audio’s award-winning, easy-to-use plug-in as many morphing and evolving sounds suited to techno and ambient music production, as well as cutting-edge film scoring — as of April 8…
Berlin-based electronic music composer and performer Hainbach (a.k.a. Stefan Goetsch) creates shifting audio landscapes living on the experimental edge of electronica, championed by British independent print and online music magazine The Wire — widely renowned for its coverage of a wide range of global alternative, underground, and experimental musics — as “…one hell of a trip.” The music itself is an abstract yet visceral experience, fashioned from esoteric synthesizers, test equipment, magnetic tape, and idiophones — instruments that totally vibrate when struck, shaken, or scraped. Straddling studio to stage, Hainbach’s immersive live performances are also admired, manifesting more recently through his YouTube Channel, where he has amassed an ever-expanding loyal following, sharing his experimental journeys and expertise with wider audiences.
Appropriately, the Landfill Totems project started life as a performance installation at Berlin’s PNDT — a new art gallery whose purpose is to provide a space for culture and creation, for presentation and appreciation of art in all its forms, expanding exponentially into a full album and accompanying sample library recorded at Patch Point, builders and sellers of unique instruments in Kreuzberg-Berlin — much more than a standard store on account of offering residencies to promote community and education through a free booking room filled with unique synthesizers for everyone to play. Hainbach himself puts it this way: “What I love about Patch Point is that it is a place for those interested in sound and music itself. You don’t go there to buy a box with 999 presets that will make you sound like the industry standard; you go there to find something that speaks to you. You pick up something that will start an intimate process of music creation, and it will sound like you, and only you.” Subsequently stacked into three monolithic towers resembling totem poles, each piece of equipment thereon was carefully chosen by Hainbach for its distinctive tone generation and modulation capabilities before being wired together much like a modular synthesizer. Says the electronic music composer and performer eventually lending his notable name and one-of-a-kind, bespoke sounds to Spitfire Audio’s HAINBACH – LANDFILL TOTEMS sample library: “Each tower of equipment took the form of a lifelike statue, and suddenly all these faces started appearing in the machines. They made massive sounds and unfamiliar noises and I thought, ‘I want these to be heard — to sing again.’”
As anyone observing those assembled anthropomorphic figures could conceivably concur, a deep appreciation and affection for the engineering technology of the past is apparent — totally unique machines assembled for one final swan song. Ultimately upcycled and redesigned as pillars and shrines, these totems act as a commentary on the environmental cost of progress; what was once the pinnacle of technology quickly becomes unviable and destined for the scrapheap — if not for the intervention of Hainbach, creating beauty from that which is thought to be obsolete. Carefully chosen to create this towering collection is medical, telecommunication, and scientific research equipment, vintage sound-testing devices, a Nuclear Instrumentation Modular, an outmoded medical signal generator, a mixer previously used by the Stasi — the state security service in former East Germany, and a Brüel & Kjaer 1613 bandpass filter creating the hi-hat, bass drum, and watery sounds.
Simultaneously released alongside Hainbach’s musically mind-blowing Landfill Totems concept album on SA Recordings, Spitfire Audio’s sample library namesake sees those same machines completely repurposed and given a new lease of life in an unforeseen capacity as instruments, producing unpredictable sounds from another world — wide-ranging from eerie morse code bleeps and comms signals to flickering bass pulses; deep drones and ominous pads to grainy textural rhythms; visceral clicks, industrial drum hits and loops; and electromagnetic noise to heavenly humanoid ‘voices’. Virtual instrument brilliance is guaranteed as everything is meticulously recorded and processed further as dystopian sounds presented in Spitfire Audio’s award-winning, easy-to-use plug-in providing access to truly one-of-a-kind, bespoke creations, impossible to recreate otherwise.
On the face of it, then, the plug-in provides 40 presets split into four sections: Kling — presets containing elements from all other sections, with a huge range of textures available to explore using the mod wheel; Klang — tonal sounds, from evolving pads to pulsating drones; Knarz — textural and effects-style sounds, from watery to alien-like; and Krach — percussion and drum hits, as well as time-machine loops and patterns. Innovative inbuilt effects and controls provide a wealth of self-explanatory sonic possibilities to drastically control and manipulate each of the presets, including REVERB, DELAY, ATTACK, RELEASE, DISTORTION, and STRETCH, while the dynamics fader controls the processed signal to offer a spectrum of sounds within each preset — velocity-sensitive themselves for varying tones. “Just press one note, and you get a whole spectrum of emotion.” So says Hainbach himself, ending on a high note.
As a sample library of stark sonic contrasts — from harsh, futuristic, and dystopian to beautiful and emotive sounds from another world, HAINBACH – LANDFILL TOTEMS is an invitation for musicians and producers to reimagine, recreate, or completely pull apart the sound world of an artist like no other to facilitate their own artistic vision. Indeed, it is perfect for creating tension, suspense, and beauty in any musical setting — from electronic tracks to hybrid film scoring or abstract sound design… and all without breaking into a broken bank balance-induced sweat!
HAINBACH – LANDFILL TOTEMS is available as an AAX-, AU-, VST2-, and VST3-compatible plug-in supporting Native Instruments’ NKS (Native Kontrol Standard) for Mac (OS X 10.10 – macOS 11 minimum) and Windows (7, 8, and 10 — latest Service Pack) that loads directly into any compatible DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) for an RRP (Recommended Retail Price) of only £29.00 GBP (inc. VAT)/$29.00 USD/€29.00 EUR (inc. VAT) — from here: https://www.spitfireaudio.com/shop/a-z/hainbach-landfill-totems/ (Please note that the first 1,500 purchasers of HAINBACH – LANDFILL TOTEMS will each receive a limited-edition Landfill Totems cassette album for free.)
Hainbach’s musically mind-blowing Landfill Totems concept album is available to purchase either on its own as a limited-edition 12-inch vinyl album for £17.50 GBP (inc. VAT) or as a bundle — comprising a limited-edition 12-inch vinyl album (plus WAV / FLAC digital download) and the HAINBACH – LANDFILL TOTEMS sample library — directly from SA Recordings here: https://sarecordings.com/release/220828-hainbach-landfill-totems (Please note that bundle purchasers will each receive a limited-edition Landfill Totems cassette album for free.)
Spitfire Audio’s namesake Spitfire Audio application allows anyone to buy now and download anytime, and is available for free from here: http://www.spitfireaudio.com/info/library-manager/
For more in-depth information, including some superb-sounding audio demos, please visit the dedicated HAINBACH – LANDFILL TOTEMS webpage here: https://www.spitfireaudio.com/shop/a-z/hainbach-landfill-totems/
Watch Spitfire Audio in-house composer Homay Schmitz’s walkthrough of HAINBACH – LANDFILL TOTEMS here:
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.
About SA Recordings (www.sarecordings.com)
As a London-based record label and music platform dedicated to songs and sounds by contemporary composers, SA Recordings’ mission is to nurture and support a sonically diverse, international roster of innovative music makers. It is committed to releasing digital and physical works, commissioning creative projects, producing limited-edition merchandise, and developing bespoke, artist-led sample libraries in collaboration with Spitfire Audio.
© 2021 Spitfire Audio Holdings Limited
KINGSWINFORD, UK: British boutique electronic instruments innovator Analogue Solutions is proud to announce the availability of Leipzig v3 — an advanced Analogue Synthesiser stylishly reshaped as a desktop design drawing deeply from the DNA of the rack-mountable Leipzig-S analog synth/sequencer, a discontinued design dating back to 2011 and effectively now made better by redesign to improve reliability, quality, and other manufacturing considerations, as well as adding several notable new features — as of April 5…
As a desktop device duly delivering a better fit, format-wise, for present-day production preference, Leipzig v3 takes its (re)design cues from Analogue Solutions’ 2019-introduced Impulse
Command — critically acclaimed as a true stereo, semi-modular analogue synthesiser/sonic realiser conceivably capable of sounding like several synthesisers simultaneously playing, perfectly-packaged as a desktop device — yet readily retains the same angry, analogue sound as its rack-mountable (Leipzig-S) predecessor, popularised itself by bona fide synth-pop pioneer Vince Clarke, long-standing Gary Numan producer Ade Fenton, and Nine Inch Nails main man Trent Reznor, all appreciative of the pure analogue voice and modulation circuitry — circuits based on superlative-sounding Seventies-vintage designs, so no quantisation for CPU (Central Processing Unit) reading required, in other words — with extensive routing possibilities, fat-sounding Moog-style filter, two VCOs (Voltage-Controlled Oscillators), and analogue step sequencer on offer to discerning disciples, distinguished or otherwise.
Obvious change of form factor duly dealt with, several notable features new to the resulting (non-rack-mountable) Leipzig v3 desktop design are well worth highlighting here from the get-go. Firstly, flexibility is increased when accessing a healthy number of self-explanatory CV (Control Voltage) patch points positioned directly on the top panel as Eurorack patch cable-compatible 3.5mm mini (mono) jack sockets, so Leipzig v3 can be both cross patched within itself and also to external Eurorack modular synthesizers. Increased INPUT connectivity comes courtesy of MASTER PITCH MOD — modulates the pitch of both VCOs; VCO 2 PITCH MOD — modulates the pitch of VCO 2 only; CUTOFF MOD — modulates the VC LPF (Voltage-Controlled Low-Pass Filter) CUTOFF frequency; EG TRIG — triggers both (ENV 1 and ENV 2) envelope generators (upon receiving a trigger or gate signal); and EXT SIG (external signal) — an audio signal (routed to the MIXER via an associated EXT switch) or clock signal (used to clock the CV SEQUENCER from an external device when the SYNC SOURCE selector is turned to EXT). Equally accessible are the following OUTPUT-dedicated patch points: SEQ SYNC — similar to a through clock, copying the clock signal selected to clock the CV SEQUENCER, so it can be ‘thru-d’ to another device to synchronize them together; LFO triangle and square signal outputs; envelope generator 1 and 2 signal outputs; and SEQ CV — control voltage output from the CV SEQUENCER.
Speaking of the latter, the capabilities of an already-capable eight-step analog sequencer — surely wasted when only used to create simple-sounding (MIDI-transposable) melodies or percussive loops when it can also act as a musical modulation source to step through striking sound changes (courtesy of the output CV being routed to VCO 1 pitch, VCO 2 pitch, and VCF cutoff with associated adjustable DESTINATION levels) — have helpfully been extended to turn off VCO 2 (square wave only) on selected steps by activating the RHY(thm) toggle switch and manually stepping through the CV SEQUENCER using the STEP push button, then toggling VCO 2 on or off using the RHYTHM push button; consequently, VCO 2 will only sound when the RHYTHM button LED (Light Emitting Diode) is lit, which, when used in conjunction with VCO 1 still sounding on every step, creates the illusion of more than one synthesizer playing! But briefly stepping out of the wonderful world of analog, Leipzig v3 also has a ‘hidden’ dynamic (digital) 16-step sequencer that constantly stores every note played in via MIDI into volatile memory as a 16-step loop. It is always locked in sync with the analog sequencer and new notes can be entered into the 16-step loop while the sequencers are running, permitting patterns to be constantly changed on the fly. Straightforward synchronization of the sequencer to a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) is perfectly possible by simply sending it MIDI Note 000; as such, it can be clocked at any tempo (and also divided down relative to the DAW’s tempo), stopped, started, and muted from the DAW itself — impossible with MIDI Sync, so something of an added bonus in itself for Leipzig v3 owners.
Other tweaks to the contemporary desktop design implemented in Leipzig v3 are comparatively subtle, such as a top panel-positioned (3.5mm mini-jack) headphone output and rear panel-positioned power switch that is illuminated.
Illuminating additions aside, although Leipzig v3 clearly comprises some special features, fortunately, its general architecture, signal flow — VC OSCILLATORS > MIXER > VC LPF > MODULATION > ENV 1 > ENV 2 > VCA, et al — and control nomenclature is still fairly standard, so the synthesizer itself is fairly straightforward to use.
Ultimately, Leipzig v3 sounds huge — especially evident when pressed into playing bass parts, at which it really reigns supreme. Sonic enrichments further abound as the MIXER and VC LPF sections can both be really overdriven, lending Leipzig v3 a really hard sound. Saying that, this of course can be toned down and softer synth sounds are also achievable — as, indeed, is everything in-between. Besides bass sounds, Leipzig v3 equally excels at creating electronic percussion — not just sounds, but also percussive loops, thanks to the flexibility of that onboard step sequencer. Percussive patterns can be quickly created and synchronized to — or recorded directly into — a DAW. As a semi-modular mainstay, Leipzig v3 can capably create leads, effects, modular-style sounds, and more, making it an ideal investment for anyone budgeting for only one analog synthesizer since it covers so many basses… and bass sounds!
Leipzig v3 is available to purchase — priced at £1,018.80 GBP (including VAT) — directly from Analogue Solutions via the dedicated Leipzig v3 webpage (https://www.analoguesolutions.com/leipzigv3), which also includes more in-depth information.
Please note that Analogue Solutions cannot ship to Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Holland, Luxembourg, Switzerland, or the United States since those countries are serviced by dedicated distributors, but outside of those countries, it is possible to order directly from Analogue Solutions’ growing global network of authorized dealers (https://www.analoguesolutions.com/dealers) with whom Leipzig v3 will be available at a European SSP (Suggested Selling Price) of €1,179.00 EUR (including VAT) and a MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) of $1,199.00 USD.
See and hear Leipzig v3 being put through its impressive paces in Analogue Solutions’ sonically-diverse demonstration video here:
About Analogue Solutions (www.analoguesolutions.com)
Analog Solutions is a UK-based boutique electronic instruments innovator that specializes in true analog synthesizers, sequencers, and Eurorack modules. More than 25 years experience in the industry means that they were right there at the start of the Eurorack revolution — the third company to start producing modules, in fact. Furthermore, Analogue Solutions products are all hand-built in England — many being tested by founder Tom Carpenter himself, who has hands-on involvement in all aspects of the company. Characterful to boot, Analogue Solutions innovative instruments are applauded for proudly possessing a truly vintage sound — synthesizers featuring fully analog audio paths with analog LFOs (Low-Frequency Oscillators) and EGs (Envelope Generators) are the order of the day here. Having no memories means that nothing is being made to sound sterile by CPU (Central Processing Unit) control; conversely, turning a knob directly changes the voltage or current in an actual synth circuit to audible effect. Analog Solutions founder Tom Carpenter consistently constitutes proof of a genuine passion for analog synths, drawing upon his years of owning and using vintage analog synths and drum machines that he still uses in his own music productions — alongside Analogue Solutions products, predictably!
© 2021 Analogue Solutions (UK) Ltd
“The plug-in is a game-changer ITB; I have, for a very long time, been a fan of the Distresser on snare, and now I have that again.”
– GRAMMY® Award-nominated record producer, engineer, and mixer Jacquire King, 2021
LAKE HIAWATHA, NJ, USA: Empirical Labs Inc. (ELI) is proud to announce the availability of AROUSOR™ Rev 3 — the ultimate evolution of its flagship compressor plug-in, introducing more tones based on its Distressor hardware counterpart, itself one of the best-selling high-end compressors of all time as the product that started it all for the professional audio signal processing equipment designer and manufacturer/plug-ins producer, with the addition of two Opto (A and B) compression modes, as well as two additional (6:5:1 and 7:1) ratios for even more dynamic possibilities, available for free to existing owners of AROUSOR™ as the update they have been waiting for — as of March 30…
Being borne out of ELI founder Dave Derr’s love of classic compressors like the 1176,
LA-2A, and Gain Brain (amongst others), the Distressor incorporates his favorite sonic characteristics of outstanding outboard originally released way back when with other unique and interesting features that have made it a staple for audio engineers all over the world as one of the best-selling high-end compressors of all-time. It is inevitable that such a popular product would one day receive the plug-in treatment, taking the soul of the company’s professional audio signal processing equipment hardware and applying it to the wonderful world of ITB (in the box) workflow within a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), albeit AROUSOR™ is the only native Distressor plug-in produced by ELI itself. As a new and improved (EL8-X) version of the Distressor increased its tonality with the addition of new features, so AROUSOR™ Rev 3 — the ultimate evolution of ELI’s flagship compressor plug-in — introduces more tones based on its Distressor hardware counterpart.
Kicking off with two Opto (A and B) compression modes based on the time constants of a classic and a modern LA-2A compressor that many existing owners of AROUSOR™ have been waiting for — it is, after all, a much-loved Distressor feature, noteworthy new additions to AROUSOR™ Rev 3 also include a SOFT CLIPPING expert (e) panel — allows for introducing more second harmonic distortion and an ability to place the compressor input before or after the soft clipping circuit; a Listen mode — to hear what frequencies are affecting the DETECTOR SIDECHAIN EQ’s compression detector; additional 6:5:1 and 7:1 ratios (accessible by enabling ALT mode in the RATIO section) — for even more dynamic possibilities; and an enlargeable GUI (Graphical User Interface) — to double its original size for more comfortable onscreen editing.
ELI’s classic knee compression with proprietary high-resolution detector modeling remains at the heart of everything AROUSOR™ Rev 3 does so well, with 12 unique compression ratios, including the famous brick wall — RIVET mode in AROUSOR™-speak — for maximum gain reduction. The remaining features well worth highlighting here are an adjustable broadband SOFT CLIPPING control — for introducing warm saturation; a unique AtMod ATTACK MODIFICATION control — to change the shape of the initial attack; an advanced high-pass/band-pass DETECTOR SIDECHAIN EQ — for fine-tuning compression detector response; and Mix knob with (e panel-enabled) Dry Level Trim — for parallel compression.
As the update existing owners have been waiting for, AROUSOR™ Rev 3 has brought the legendary tone of ELI’s analog hardware into the digital realm with even more possibilities as an ITB game-changer… just ask Jacquire King, whose work with the likes of James Bay, Kings of Leon, and Shania Twain has received 30-plus GRAMMY® Award nominations to date!
AROUSOR™ Rev 3 is available for purchase as an AAX-, AU-, VST2-, and VST3-supporting 64-bit effect plug-in for macOS (10.7 or higher) and AAX-, VST2-, and VST3-supporting 64-bit effect plug-in for Windows (7 or higher) for a time-limited introductory promo price of $129.00 USD for the first 10 days — rising thereafter to an MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) of $199.00 USD — directly from ELI here: https://www.empiricallabs.com/product/arousor/
A fully-functional, 15-day trial of AROUSOR™ Rev 3 is available to download from here: http://www.empiricallabs.com/downloads/
An iLok account is required for activating both the demo and full versions of AROUSOR™ Rev 3 via iLok Cloud or using an iLok 2 or iLok 3 USB dongle. (Please note that ELI’s BIG FrEQ EQ plug-in — partially extrapolated from its much-loved Lil FreQ hardware EQ — is now also iLok Cloud compatible in its latest update.)
For more in-depth information, please visit ELI’s dedicated AROUSOR™ webpage here: https://www.empiricallabs.com/product/arousor/
About Empirical Labs Inc. (ELI) (www.empiricallabs.com)
Empirical Labs Inc. (ELI) designs and manufactures professional audio signal processing equipment used in recording studios, live sound, broadcast studios, and other audio production facilities all over the world while working hard to live up to its stated simple philosophy: “We want to make products that work a little easier, a little better, and a lot longer — and make sure they’re fun to use.” After all, the word empirical — in its most positive interpretation — means fashioned from experience. ELI also produces plug-ins for DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations) and software for DSPs (Digital Signal Processors).
© 2021 Empirical Labs Inc. (ELI)
“Really exciting for me to hear Spitfire’s sampling of what we used to call ‘Mrs Mills Piano’ from Abbey Road; it’s great to have it on my computer.”
– Sir Paul McCartney, 2021
LONDON, UK: sound-specialising British music technology company Spitfire Audio is proud to partner with world-famous Abbey Road Studios to present ORIGINALS MRS MILLS PIANO — professionally recorded in the latter’s Studio Two, the legendary home of pop and rock ’n’ roll, to duly deliver the distinctive (slightly chorused, lacquered hammer-owing bright, metallic) sound of an iconic 1905-vintage Steinway Vertegrand upright, affectionately known throughout the decades by Abbey Road Studios engineers as the ‘Mrs Mills Piano’ (paying homage to British pianist Gladys Mills, whose popular music hall, singalong-style records were mostly recorded on this piano), made famous by the likes of Russ Conway, The Beatles, and The Zombies during the trailblazing Sixties pop era at Abbey Road, rendered accessible to the musical masses as a meticulously sampled creative coupling of iconic instrument and recording space presented in Spitfire Audio’s award-winning, easy-to-use, and affordable plug-in positioned as a lightweight (~4.6GB-sized) library with NKS (Native Kontrol Standard) compatible controls and no compromise on recording quality — as of March 25…
Having successfully cemented a creative partnership with world-famous Abbey Road Studios late last year as ABBEY ROAD ONE: ORCHESTRAL FOUNDATIONS inaugurated its ABBEY ROAD ONE: FILM SCORING SELECTIONS series showcasing the foundational film scoring sound of Studio One by carefully capturing a full, symphony-sized (90-plus-piece) orchestra inside the world’s largest purpose-built recording studio, subsequently followed earlier this year by its attractively-priced ABBEY ROAD ONE: SPARKLING WOODWINDS and ABBEY ROAD ONE: LEGENDARY LOW STRINGS siblings inspired by classic films and offering pre-orchestrated themes to focus on accomplishing certain performance elements as a perfect fit for seamlessly working with(in) ABBEY ROAD ONE: ORCHESTRAL FOUNDATIONS or equally well on their own, ORIGINALS MRS MILLS PIANO contrasts with the film scoring legacy of Studio One as an audible result of Spitfire Audio (ad)venturing into Studio Two. This is Abbey Road Studios’ most famous studio space, synonymous with producing some of the most popular pop and rock recordings of all time. As a versatile room that has changed very little since the Sixties, it has a warm acoustic that was originally tailored to accommodate smaller string sections and big bands — perfectly proportioned to suit the pop history-recording requirements of ORIGINALS MRS MILLS PIANO, the latest aptly-named addition to Spitfire Audio’s ongoing series of inspiring sample libraries making rare and classic instruments accessible to all for just £29.00 GBP (inc. VAT)/$29.00 USD/€29.00 EUR (inc. VAT) apiece.
Musically-speaking, ‘Mrs Mills Piano’ perfectly fits that rare and classic instrument bill. Built back in 1905, this Steinway Vertegrand upright has resided at Abbey Road Studios since 1931. Indeed, its distinctive sound owes much to Fifties-serving studio engineer Stuart Eltham, who sent it back to Steinway to achieve an older sound. Steinway’s solution? Hammers hardened with lacquer emulated the bright, slightly metallic tone of a tack piano with certain strings detuned to create a subtle chorus effect for facilitating that old-time bar-room sound, suited to cutting through any mix. It is still in use today, in fact, featuring on countless records and film scores, still affectionately known by Abbey Road Studios engineers as the ‘Mrs. Mills Piano’ (paying homage to British pianist Gladys Mills, whose popular music hall, singalong-style, Sixties- and Seventies-released records were mostly recorded on this piano).
It is perfectly possible to tailor Spitfire Audio’s meticulously sampled ORIGINALS MRS MILLS PIANO plug-in namesake to suit a range of styles and genres — from pop through to jazz and into the realms of cinematic scores — thanks to its carefully curated range of signals, presets, and controls. Close — comprising a pair of Neumann U67 microphones for a crisp, defined sound — and Room — pairing Omni condenser microphones to give a spacious image of the piano and the room — signal controls are joined by a Vintage signal capturing the classic Sixties-vintage Abbey Road recording chain — comprising the now extremely rare AKG D19c microphone placed above the strings in the middle of the piano, recorded using an all-valve Studer J37 tape machine (made famous by breakthrough multitrack recording of The Beatles’ Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album at Abbey Road in its one-inch four-track format configuration) via an EMI REDD.47 mic preamp — to authentically capture the iconic sound of Studio Two itself and, of course, the character of the songs that made the piano famous in its own right. Furthermore, five presets range from close and clean to spacious and reverberant — namely, Close, a dry and upfront mix of the Close microphones with the mechanical sounds of the hammers and pedal; Clean, the Close and Room signals balanced for a controlled, yet spacious sound with minimal mechanical hammers and pedal noise; Altogether, a blend of all three microphone signals, providing a versatile and characterful sound; 1968, recreating the celebrated sound of The Beatles classics with the Vintage signal; and Distant, the Room and Vintage signals with the REVERB turned up. Ultimately, six effects offer even more control with REVERB — representing one of Studio Two’s Fifties-vintage EMT 140 stereo plates with the decay set to 2.5 seconds; TIGHTNESS — cuts further into the note to make it tighter; HAMMERS — controls the volume of the piano’s hammers, and PEDAL — controls the volume of the sustain pedal noise; plus proprietary expression and dynamics controls for extra realism and detail.
Duly delivering the distinctive sound of a unique piece of Abbey Road-residing pop history housed in its inexpensive ORIGINALS MRS MILLS PIANO plug-in namesake, Spitfire Audio has surely succeeded in its latest musical mission of making another rare and classic instrument accessible to all, wherever they may be and whoever they are. Ask Sir Paul McCartney… he should surely know as someone who has made musical history himself by making musical contact with ‘Mrs Mills’ on a notable number of occasions!
ORIGINALS MRS MILLS PIANO is available as an AAX-, AU-, VST2-, and VST3-compatible plug-in supporting Native Instruments’ NKS (Native Kontrol Standard) for Mac (OS X 10.10 or later) and Windows (7, 8, and 10 — latest Service Pack) that loads directly into any compatible DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) for an RRP (Recommended Retail Price) of only £29.00 GBP (inc. VAT)/$29.00 USD/€29.00 EUR (inc. VAT) — from here: https://www.spitfireaudio.com/originals/#mrs-mills-piano
Spitfire Audio’s namesake Spitfire Audio application allows anyone to buy now and download anytime, and is available for free from here: http://www.spitfireaudio.com/info/library-manager/
For more in-depth information, please visit Spitfire Audio’s ORIGINALS Frequently Asked Questions webpage here: https://www.spitfireaudio.com/info/faq/spitfire-originals/
Watch Spitfire Audio’s premiere of ORIGINALS MRS MILLS PIANO, putting on record the sound-specializing British music technology company’s (ad)venturing into Studio Two at London’s legendary Abbey Road Studios, as well as including its tantalizing trailer video and an informative walkthrough video, here:
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.
© 2021 Spitfire Audio Holdings Limited
Paris, March 24th, 2021 – UVI release Quadra: Muted & Harmonics, a modern creative 4-part instrument and sequence designer. Draw from 150 multi-sampled muted and harmonic sound sources to create dynamic, rhythmic, and evolving sequences with a focused and intuitive workflow, powerful 64-step arpeggiator and phrase sequencer, expressive performance controls, a deep factory library, and more. Quadra: Muted & Harmonics is available now, with a special introductory price of $99 / 99€ through March 31st, 2021 (regularly $149 / 149€).
Quadra: Muted & Harmonics is a versatile instrument, capable of a wide range of applications from classical stringed arpeggios to harmonizing guitars, grooving bass, and synth lines to dark brooding cinematic soundbeds, anywhere in-between, and far beyond. Loaded with a huge selection of acoustic and electric guitars and basses from Fender, PRS, Gibson, Chapman and others, pianos, electric keyboards, FM, analog and modeling synths, classical and world stringed instruments, and more, users are free to explore and create complex layered voices, adaptive progressions, and dazzling sequences with a focused and inspiring toolset.
Designed to be immediately creative, Quadra delivers 4 completely customizable instrument layers with mappable key zones, XY and dynamics morphing, envelopes, multimode filters, audio effects including frequency shifter, waveshaper, chorus, phaser, EQ, drive, tremolo, and vibrato, an advanced 64-step arpeggiator and phrase sequencer with MIDI effects including euclidean emphasis, MIDI delay, pitch drift, random, and scale quantization, sound and arpeggiator presets, randomization and more.
Quadra comes loaded with an impressive collection of wildly diverse and inspired factory patches. Hundreds of unique creative visions are ready to be explored, crafted by a team of in-house veterans and industry stalwarts like Simon Stockhausen. Presets in Quadra are fully editable, functioning as fantastic starting points for your own creative journeys, or as ready-to-go mojo for your productions.
Quadra: Muted & Harmonics 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.
Additional information on Quadra: Muted & Harmonics is available at: https://www.uvi.net/quadra-muted-and-harmonics
PRICING AND AVAILABILITY:
Quadra: Muted & Harmonics is available immediately at an introductory price of $99 / 99€ through March 31st, 2021 (regularly $149 / 149€).
BRNO, CZECH REPUBLIC: Audified is proud to release AmpLion 2 Rock Essentials — effectively revamping its long-lived AmpLion Pro software stalwart as a rip-roaring plug-in putting three legendary amplifier models, four cabinets, 15 stompboxes, and 10 microphones meticulously recreated using state-of-the-art component modeling alongside a totally redesigned GUI (Graphical User Interface) and numerous new features into the hands of present-day DAW-driven guitarists — as of March 18…
Audified’s AmpLion Pro has proven popular with discerning DAW-driven guitarists as a complete software processor since its introduction to widespread critical acclaim during 2014’s long hot summer. Several years is a veritable lifetime in the wonderful world of ITB (in the box) mixing — exclusively inside a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) once tracking is complete; indeed, it is also a veritable lifetime in terms of computing power pressed into running those plug-in-hosting DAWs. Readily revamping its software stalwart as a rip-roaring plug-in putting three legendary amplifier models, four cabinets, 15 stompboxes, and 10 microphones meticulously recreated using state-of-the-art component modeling alongside a totally redesigned GUI and numerous new features into the hands of present-day DAW-driven guitarists is easier said than done, however. Having taken time to combine its proprietary research with the latest trends in the scientific community, AmpLion 2 Rock Essentials’ power amp section uses a loudspeaker impedance model to replicate the interaction between the power amp tubes, output transformer, loudspeaker, and power amp feedback, while its analog delay and modulation effects use a bucket-brigade delay model with an exact number of buckets and virtual clock rate instead of a simple delay to add a small amount of aliasing to the sound output, heard as a typical ringing sound; all are latency-free for immediate playing response, including the all-important cabinet models. Audified ably applied the best of both worlds to design a new real-time nonlinear dynamic circuit equations solver which was used as the basis for modeling all circuitry creating AmpLion 2 Rock Essentials’ stunning sound — essentially encompassing a gear selection anchored around absolute rock staples, as implied by its apt appellation.
Those three amplifier models are as varied in tone and as great-sounding as their real-world hardware counterparts when imaginatively implemented in AmpLion 2 Rock Essentials: meticulously modelled after a small-sized yet monster-sounding low-wattage amp of choice for many players across many genres — gracing recordings ranging from traditional country to alternative rock, Bartender Delux 65 offers two main channel choices, each with low and high INPUT option, a hyper-realistic, separately-engaged spring REVERB, and a choppy or lush VIBRATO, plus (Rear & Mods Panel-accessible) Pushed mode; JUKEBOX 30 musically mines a rich rock spectrum of classic sounds with a NORMAL channel acting as a perfect companion to using treble boosters (of which two are included in AmpLion 2 Rock Essentials’ extensive stomp box selection), switchable REVERB and TREMOLO, plus TOP BOOST controls, as well as Rear & Mods Panel-selectable Voicing and Custom EQ options; Martial 59 realistically represents a real rock legend (without which rock ’n’ roll itself might never have happened) with a traditional four-input configuration and a parallel channel holding the key to screaming rock sounds, while Master and Pushed options are also available alongside Rear & Mods Panel-selectable SLP/HW/Brown sound revision switches and Ohm selection — the latter making a noticeable difference in itself! Indeed, the three amps in question have been modeled above and beyond their standard stock real-world hardware counterparts courtesy of Audified’s own custom mods, fan-favorite mods, specific tweaks, and various version revisions — all accessible via their respective Rear & Mods Panel-positioned additions.
All adding their own distinctive dimension to the discerning DAW-driven guitarist’s tone palette, AmpLion 2 Rock Essentials features four cabinet models: Bartender 112 J represents the sound of a classic 1×12” combo and a J-style speaker as a matching cabinet for the Bartender Delux 65 amp model to duly deliver tightness with low-end focus, though of course can also be paired with AmpLion 2 Rock Essentials’ other amp models; JUKEBOX 212 GB models one of the most classic 2×12” cabinet designs ever created, matching the JUKEBOX 30 amp model to create clean through to crunchy sounds, as well as variations thereof when used with either of the other two amp models; modelling classic 4×12” half-stacks, Martial 412 GB and Martial 412 G12A are both a perfect match for the Martial 59 amp model, the former being fuller in bass response with somewhat scooped mids while the latter is more focused on mids for a tighter tone — combine them in stereo or work with Double Track mode for fulsome fun and tumultuous tones! Audified’s AmpLion 2 Rock Essentials enables various ways of working with the cabinets — selecting only one as active allows the mic to be panned across the stereo field, for example, but blending two cabinets leaves the pan centered, or use two cabinets and mics to pan them hard left and hard right while taking the aforesaid Double Track route results in a different sound altogether.
By building upon a long legacy of virtual stompboxes that led up to MultiDrive Pedal Pro — pushing further forward with Audified’s virtual stompbox breakthroughs by bringing the legacy of erstwhile brand DSound’s first guitar software (released as Stomp’n FX Vol. 1 and Stomp’n FX Vol. 2 way back in 2000) and later featured, for instance, in Audiffex’s inTone2, AmpLion 2 Rock Essentials features 15 new and redesigned stompbox models, including two T-Boost treble-boosters with their not-so-widely modeled Sixties- and Seventies-vintage sound, as well as overdrives and distortions aplenty — 808 IceScreamer, distortion PULS, Melted Face Fuzz, and O-DRIVE 1; very versatile Jukebox Wah 84; MEMORIZED DELAY, DigiDelay, and DigiVerb delays and reverb; mrs. flanger, STONED PHASER, and CLONED CHORUS modulation effects; plus proprietary stompbox equalizers — GraphEQ and ParaEQ. Pushing flexibility further forward, AmpLion 2 Rock Essentials encompasses two pedalboards with one positioned before the amp and the other after the whole rig; while wah and drive stompboxes are restricted to only pre-placement availability and DigiDelay and DigiVerb are restricted to only post-placement availability, all other stompboxes are available to both. But wherever they are positioned, all work wonders when finalizing guitar tones!
See and hear AmpLion 2 Rock Essentials in action as Audified aims at classic rip-roaring rock domination in its introductory video here:
Audified’s AmpLion 2 Rock Essentials comes complete with 10 fan-favorite mic models — 121 Rodger, 414 OMG, 421 Sensei, 451 Pencil, 57 Legend, 5i Audition, 7B Podcaster, 87 Oldman, and 906 S-Cube, plus a special Flat response model — based on thorough and repeated measurements in an anechoic chamber for amp and cab recording and re-amping. Moreover, maximizing tonal variability is a given when using different mic models with different cabinet models and experimenting with their positions. Position and Distance controls are self-explanatory and are based on real science, yet AmpLion 2 Rock Essentials ups the recording ante still further by also offering a Mic Angle function ranging from a default position of 0 degrees — positioning the mic perpendicular to the cabinet grill cloth — to 75 degrees. Different mic’ing techniques are available to all with the greatest of ease.
Elsewhere, an advanced Noise Gate algorithm is thoroughly pre-tuned to assist AmpLion 2 Rock Essentials users with eliminating noise, even when using high gain, while the proprietary Hiss Gate function even eliminates subtle pickup noise amongst other things — without affecting playing dynamics in any way — by being based on envelope tracking for both signal level and signal frequency bandwidth with automated release time to work both for palm muting and playing solo with the same settings.
Sounding complicated? Time to think again. AmpLion 2 Rock Essentials eases signal flow navigation thanks to being divided into four pages, each engaged using its own Power button. By focusing on presenting a few precisely modeled devices packaged into a guitarist-friendly GUI, AmpLion 2 Rock Essentials is surely set to achieve its goal of total classic rip-roaring rock domination! DAW-driven guitarists buying into the AmpLion 2 Rock Essentials ethos are in for an audible treat — and all without digging deep into their pockets, virtual or otherwise!
AmpLion 2 Rock Essentials is available to purchase for an introductory price of $79.00 USD — rising thereafter to its regular price of $149.00 USD — from Audified’s online shop, which also includes further information and sound samples, here: https://shop.audified.com/products/amplion-2-rock-essentials
AmpLion 2 Rock Essentials can be directly downloaded as an iLok-protected plug-in, available in AAX, AU, and VST3 64-bit native formats for Mac OS X 10.11 – macOS 11.1 (Apple Silicon-compatible) and AAX (64-bit) and VST3 (32-bit and 64-bit) native formats for Windows 7 – 10 from Audified here: https://services.audified.com/download
About Audified (www.audified.com)
With more than 20 years of R&D, education, and collaboration connected with its notable name (https://shop.audified.com/pages/history), Audified actively develops software applications, software effects, and hardware processors for musicians, audio engineers, and installed audio. As such, the company’s collective vision is to improve and streamline music production workflow, adding a new aesthetic value to their customer’s work while helping them to achieve the best possible results.
© 2021 Audified s.r.o.
PAVIA, ITALY: analog saturation circuits digital reproduction specialist Nembrini Audio is proud to announce the availability of its Voice DC30 plug-in — meticulously modeled on a vintage Vox AC30 Top Boost Reverb, the iconic British-built 30W 2×12 combo guitar amplifier that defined a generation of sound, to bring its incredible tone (traversing from chiming, clean qualities with a brilliance bordering on grittiness to darker, more overdriven timbres) to today’s DAW-driven world while extending the possibilities of the original hardware with new features — as of March 15…
Iconic in both name and tone, the vintage Vox AC30 Top Boost Reverb — produced from 1979 through to 1984 — is readily
recognized by British musicians (and, indeed, beyond those shores) for its ‘jangly’ high-end sound, something that Nembrini Audio has truly tapped in to with its meticulously-modeled Voice DC30 plug-in. Put it this way: thanks to Nembrini Audio’s acclaimed analog saturation circuits digital reproduction specialism, Voice DC30 allows anyone access to the signature sound of the hardware original by bringing both enchantingly clean and raucously overdriven tones to their chosen computer platform — or iOS. Indeed, Voice DC30 pairs perfectly with the intricacies of anyone’s playing style, resulting in a sound that is truly their own.
On the face of it, then, Voice DC30 could well be viewed as a vintage Vox AC30 Top Boost Reverb-emulating plug-in par excellence. Working with software has, however, allowed its creator to take things to another level by bringing a host of new features to the present-day production table.
It is perfectly possible, therefore, to select between six different guitar CABINET emulations and four MIC emulations with on/OFF AXIS position switches and continuous POSITION and DISTANCE knobs. Additionally, a complete MIXER section — with multiple PHASE, SOLO, MUTE, and PAN controls — allows users to blend MIC 1, MIC 2, and AMBIENT levels. Above and beyond that, the IMPULSES LOADER lets users load up to three third-party impulse responses that can also be blended with dedicated PHASE, SOLO, MUTE, and PAN controls. Additionally, a useful IMPULSES browser window is included so that users can easily search through their third-party impulse response files. Finally, there is also a NOISE GATE section with THRESHOLD and RANGE controls alongside a meticulously-modeled CLEANER circuit with HARSH- and RUMBLING-reduction controls.
Clearly, anyone lusting after that readily-recognizable, generation-defining vintage Vox AC30 Top Boost Reverb tone need look no further than Nembrini Audio’s authentic-sounding Voice DC30 plug-in, pushing further forward in today’s DAW-driven world.
Vox AC30 is a registered trademark of Vox Amplification Ltd. Voice DC30 was developed by Nembrini Audio SRL based on its own modeling techniques. Vox Amplification Ltd has not endorsed nor sponsored Voice DC30 in any manner, nor licensed any intellectual property for use in this product.
Voice DC30 is available for purchase (as an iLok-protected AAX-, AU-, VST2-, and VST3-supporting plug-in for macOS 10.9 or newer and Windows 7 or newer) at an attractive introductory price of only $39.00 USD until March 31, 2021 — rising thereafter to a regular price of $137.00 USD — from here: https://www.nembriniaudio.com/products/voice-dc30-guitar-amplifier
Flexibility further abounds as Voice DC30 is also available in AuV3 format for iOS at an introductory price of $9.99 USD until March 31, 2021 — rising thereafter to a regular price of $19.99 USD — on the App Store from here: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/voice-dc30-custom-valve/id1556268876
For more in-depth information, including several superb-sounding audio demos, please visit the dedicated Voice DC30 webpage here: https://www.nembriniaudio.com/products/voice-dc30-guitar-amplifier
See and hear Nimbrini Audio’s authentic-sounding Voice DC30 plug-in being put through its musical paces in this must-see, guitar-showcasing trailer video:
About Nembrini Audio (www.nembriniaudio.com)
Nembrini Audio was borne out of the extensive experience of founding namesake Igor Nembrini, with over 10 years of involvement in creating many of the greatest guitar amp plug-ins on the market to his notable name. Needless to say, the company’s exacting emulations always start by perfecting the digital reproduction of analog circuits before being finely tuned by ear to remain true to the original sound. Saying that, it is specialized in the digital reproduction of analog saturation circuits, whereby the dynamic behavior of each individual component is carefully modeled and tuned by ear to always achieve the most musical and creamy saturation in the digital world! With that in mind, it does not simply produce musical software but rather musical instruments suitable for every modern musician in search of uncompromising quality — products that work well in any setting and situation to let the creativity of musicians, producers, and mixing engineers flow forth for all to hear!
© 2021 Nembrini Audio SRL
SANTA CRUZ, CA, USA: Plugin Alliance, supporting all major plugin formats and uniting some of the best-known international audio companies under one virtual roof, is proud to announce the availability of 50 Series — the latest product from Swedish plugin partner Lindell Audio, transforming Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) into an analog mixing console like no other by capturing the legendary sound of API®# as a dual (console channel strip and buss) plugin with patented Tolerance Modeling Technology* (TMT) officially licensed from Brainworx bringing to light the most convincing model of these classic consoles to date — as of March 12…
The tight and powerful sound of API® consoles, preamps, and EQs have made them some of the world’s favorites for creating professional-sounding drums, guitars, synths, and more with attitude and presence. Thanks to Brainworx-patented TMT, users of the Lindell Audio 50 Series can now access the most convincing model of these classic consoles to date, including the slight channel-to-channel variances in the values of their analog components.
Creatively, the Lindell Audio 50 Series does more than just model a single console by providing an array of choices in its dynamics
and EQ sections. Ultimately, users can simply switch in their favorite flavor of the classic 500-series modules modeled; moreover, they can also be used on busses or individual tracks.
Conveniently choose between three classic EQs — the semi-parametric 50A EQ for three-band processing, the 50B for four bands, and the 60 as a precision graphic EQ for radically reshaping sounds in a way that is as transparent and flexible as it is fun.
Finally, the VCA compressor models the high-end 2500 series compressor of API®, with additional controls to improve upon the original. On top of that, the included FET compressor nails the tone, simplicity, and ease of use of the original 500 series since it is modeled after the acclaimed API® 525 compressor.
Clearly, then, the Lindell Audio 50 Series far from falls short of the mark, with a fanciful feature set well worth highlighting here: 72 different TMT channel emulations in one plugin — just like a real console; three switchable EQs modeled after the most popular 500-series lunchbox® designs; two switchable compressors; classic API® noise gate and expander emulation; classic API® preamp tone capture — full, tight, and punchy — with automatic gain compensation; continuously variable THD (Total Harmonic Distortion) and virtual GAIN controls to add colorful saturation and/or simulated analog noise independently or globally; and scalable UI (User Interface) to adapt to different screen sizes and workflows, with users also benefitting from plenty of preloaded presets providing a useful starting point for finding their sound.
Brainworx Audio’s Tolerance Modeling Technology (TMT) is protected under the following patent: US Patent No. 10,725,727
The Lindell Audio 50 Series plugin was developed by Brainworx and Lindell Audio using their own modeling techniques, studying original products from API®.
# Legal Disclaimer: The trademarks 500-series, API® 2500, and lunchbox® are the intellectual property of Automated Processes, Inc., which is unaffiliated with Brainworx. Automated Processes, Inc. has not licensed any intellectual property for use in the 50 Series, nor have they endorsed, or will they provide support for, the 50 Series in any manner.
The Lindell Audio 50 Series is available for purchase (as an AAX AudioSuite-, AAX Native-, AU-, VST2-, and VST3-supporting plugin for macOS 10.9 through 11.01 and Windows 7 through 10) at an attractive introductory price of $299.99 USD — rising thereafter to an MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) of $349.00 USD — from here: https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/products/lindell_50_series.html
A fully-functional, 14-day trial of the Lindell Audio 50 Series is available to anyone registering for a free Plugin Alliance account here: http://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/registration.html
The Lindell Audio 50 Series is included in the following subscription services at no extra cost!
Monthly MEGA Bundle (https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/products/pa-mega-bundle-monthly.html)
Annual MEGA Bundle (https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/products/pa-mega-bundle.html)
MUSICIAN Bundle (https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/products/pa-musician-bundle-monthly.html)
Annual MUSICIAN Bundle (https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/products/pa-musician-bundle-yearly.html)
Note that the proprietary Plugin Alliance Installation Manager means users can select, download, and install only the products and formats needed for their system.
For more in-depth information, including several superb-sounding audio demos, please visit Plugin Alliance’s dedicated Lindell Audio 50 Series webpage here: https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/products/lindell_50_series.html
See and hear music producer, mixing engineer, and composer Eryck Bry introducing the Lindell Audio 50 Series in Plugin Alliance’s talkative trailer video here:
Take a guided trip through the Lindell Audio 50 Series’ sound and features with Eryck Bry here: https://youtu.be/0PdPOfyP6kw
About Plugin Alliance (www.plugin-alliance.com)
World-class plugins. Dongle-free. Plugin Alliance is supporting all major plugin formats and uniting some of the best-known international audio companies under one virtual roof. The Santa Cruz, California-based company empowers world-renowned analog hardware companies with a digital strategy and provides software developers with services that allow them to develop products with increasing quality and quantity. It does this by providing professional marketing and distribution as well as platform features like a state-of-the-art authorization system. An open invitation is eternally extended to all developers, engineers, and artists to join its fast-growing community.
About Lindell Audio (www.lindellaudio.se)
Sweden’s Lindell Audio was founded in 2010 by Bohus Sound Studios resident producer Tobias Lindell. Having set out to design high-quality hardware recording equipment to satisfy his own way of working by developing hitherto unavailable functions and user interfaces, introducing the Lindell Plugins product line based on its hardware designs as a joint venture with LSR Audio later lent that same authentic attention to audio quality and efficient workflow to direct DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) usage.
© 2021 Plugin Alliance LLC
PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC: small, independent development teams federation United Plugins is proud to announce the availability of QuickBass — bringing the fruits of an already acclaimed cross-brand collaboration between FireSonic (with its always-searching-for-a-shortcut attitude) and SounDevice Digital (forever fine-tuning tools based on the long-term experience of mixing many recordings in its namesake SounDevice Studio) to bear upon the lower frequencies of the sound spectrum as an aptly-named bass guitar sound-perfecting plug-in par excellence as the two companies concerned continue creating a series of tools as Instant Audio to instantly assist anyone in achieving their desired sound — as of March 10…
Having started their collaborative sound quest last year with Quick
AG, an all-in-one acoustic guitar solution compatible with major AAX/AU/VST DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) applications on both macOS and Windows as a superlative shortcut to sought-after natural acoustic instrument sounds, Instant Audio’s QuickBass follows (in a similar) suit, though this time designed to achieve the perfect bass guitar sound as quickly as possible — as, indeed, implied by the name.
Needless to say, bass guitar is often considered to be the coolest of all instruments — by bassists! But there is no denying that the bassist should anchor everyone else — especially since the primary function of a bass guitar is to maintain a steady rhythm, with the bassist working closer to the drummer than the guitarist in a typical rock and pop setup. Sadly, however, it is often one of the most overlooked and underrated instruments. In the recording world, with a good DI (Direct Input) box being put to good use, a finely-played bass guitar often sounds as good as it gets, but a little push in the right direction here and there can make all the difference between sounding good and great. Getting there, of course, can be easier said than done — even in today’s supposedly-speedy DAW-driven recording world where using multiple plug-ins to achieve one goal simply makes no sense since there can be unwanted interactions between plug-ins while their often over-the-top features can combine to unnecessarily drain precious CPU (Central Processing Unit) power. Put it this way: with QuickBass, quick EQ, quick compression, quick saturation, and quick fatness are all available to all in next to no time at all.
As such, Instant Audio has helpfully found the sweet spot between speed and versatility with QuickBass by providing the tools necessary to achieve the perfect bass sound in a single plug-in with as few controls as possible, all anchored around a photorealistic GUI (Graphical User Interface) that looks like real — bassist-friendly — hardware while easily adapting to the varying needs of individuals. It is perfectly possible to resize it at any time by simply dragging the bottom-right corner positioned arrow accordingly, for instance. In many cases, simply pressing the standout style buttons — FINGER, tuned especially for finger-playing style; SLAP, tuned especially for slap bass technique; MILLERIZE, offering untypical settings for slap bass based on a famous player’s style; and PICK, tuned especially for rock playing with a pick — in the EQ section will be enough to get the job done, though there are also a healthy selection of presets available to help users get going in their desired direction with minimal interaction involved. As an effect that adjusts the amplitude of audio signals at particular frequencies, those featured in that EQ section have been chosen to suit the sound of those bass-playing styles and techniques, thanks to the following self-explanatory controls: LOW CUT (Hz) — with frequency range settings spanning from 28 to 55 for creating cleaner bass sounds; BASS (%) — for boosting or lowering the level of bass in the signal between -100 and +100 (with 0 by default); DESWAMP (%) — for dropping down the level of ugly frequencies in lower mids and higher bass frequencies, ranging from 0 to 100; MIDS (%) — for boosting or lowering the level of mids in the signal between -100 and +100 (with 0 by default); HIGHS (%) — adding a level of highs to the signal, ranging from 0 to 100; and HI CUT (Hz) — cutting the highest frequencies that are superfluous to the bass guitar signal with frequency range settings spanning 2000 to 9000.
As an effect that changes the dynamics of the incoming signal, compression can greatly assist in creating great bass guitar sounds, so QuickBass features a switchable COMPRESSOR with an associated COMPRESSION control ranging from 0 to 100 and also offers a STYLE control to blend three different types of simulated hardware compression: OPTO — originally made with the audio signal feeding a lighting element (such as an LED), which shines upon a light-sensitive resistor, the resistance of which informs the compression circuit how much and how quickly to attenuate the audio signal, à la LA2A; VARI MU — as the signal feeding these tube compressors increases, the actual current sent to the grid of their tube decreases, culminating in a reduction in overall level, à la 670; and FET (Field Effect Transistor) — capable of exceedingly fast attack times with a lot of color, à la 1176.
Creativity continues with more easy-to-use controls, such as those found in QuickBass’ switchable SATURATION section, with the SATURATION control itself ranging from 0 — a pleasant, subtle sounding analog-ish’ color — to 100% — total distorted, fuzzy mayhem — based on the simulated sound of different distortions of overdriven electronic elements such as tubes and transistors, while DRY/WET balances the parallel level of the clean and distorted signal between 0 and 100% settings. Similarly self-explanatory, the SUBBASS section-residing SUBBASS control adds very low sub-bass frequencies to the bass signal with settings ranging from 0 to 100%, while the switchable DOUBLER section’s singular namesake control allows for a well-known effect whereby the sound is de-correlated by the initial detune and the tuning can be further modulated — the modulated signal being mixed with the dry signal with settings ranging between 0 and 100%. Last but not least, the INPUT control sets the input gain between -24 and +24 dB (with an associated meter indicating the input signal volume), while the OUTPUT control sets the OUTPUT gain between -24 and +24 dB (with an associated meter indicating the overall output level).
As an aptly-named bass guitar sound-perfecting plug-in that is worthy of taking up its position in Instant Audio’s series of tools to instantly assist anyone in achieving their desired sound, QuickBass has got its users covered. Clearly, it is the ultimate bass polisher and finalizer for when speed and ease is of the essence.
Instant Audio’s QuickBass is available to purchase for a time-limited introductory promo price of €29.00 EUR until April 11, 2021 — rising thereafter to €99.00 EUR — as an AAX-, AU-, and VST-compatible audio plug-in directly from United Plugins here:https://unitedplugins.com/QuickBass/ (A 15-day, fully-functional trial version for macOS and Windows can be downloaded for free.)
Note that no iLok, dongle, or internet access is required for QuickBass activation. (All United Plugins software uses license files for activation and owners can freely use purchased software on all their computers as long as they are the user.)
Watch United Plugins’ informative introductory video for QuickBass here:
About United Plugins (www.unitedplugins.com)
As implied in the carefully chosen wording for an apt appellation that really represents how the Prague-registered Limited Company came about and what it collectively creates, United Plugins is a federation of small, independent development teams comprised of individuals involved in the music industry. Indeed, the founding triad of FireSonic, JMG Sound, and SounDevice Digital can count engineers, producers, and artists amongst their ‘united’ names. Needless to say, all were seeking the freedom to create the tools that they would like to use in their studios and on their projects. And all agreed that this could be better achieved when working together. Though United Plugins’ proliferating product portfolio may not always be for the musical masses, surely someone, somewhere will always find those tools to be a perfect fit for their own music productions… just like those inventive individuals behind United Plugins’ partner brands, the ranks of which have since swelled to include Muramasa Audio and MeldaProduction. Thanks to the latter letting United Plugins utilize its super-easy licensing system, which is why selected MeldaProduction products are also available from the United Plugins website, a thriving future for the federation is assured.
© 2021 United Plugins
March 4, 2021 – IK Multimedia releases Total Studio 3 MAX, the freshly updated version of their popular software suite for music creation. With 124 included products, Total Studio 3 MAX covers every stage of music production: composing, producing, designing, mixing, mastering, and playing. With over 440GB of rich, authentic sounds and over 480 ultra-realistic FX, Total Studio 3 MAX offers users a complete solution for creating music in virtually any style.
The widest range of sounds in a single package
Total Studio 3 MAX packs a massive 14,600 instruments, including IK’s newest releases SampleTank 4 MAX, Hammond B-3X, and MODO DRUM, plus Syntronik Deluxe, MODO BASS and Miroslav Philharmonik 2. That’s over 440 GB of sounds, from orchestral to synthesizers to organs, as well as incredibly realistic physically modeled bass and drums. There’s virtually no limit to the sounds available, making Total Studio 3 MAX ideal for every genre and style.
The latest effects and design
On the effects side, Total Studio 3 MAX is loaded with 487 effects and processors for everything from tone tweaking to sound design to mixing and mastering. Users get AmpliTube 5 MAX, IK’s flagship guitar and bass tone studio with 14 brand and artist collections, all benefiting from IK’s latest breakthroughs in modeling technology.
For mixing and mastering, there’s T-RackS 5 MAX with award-winning new modules like Sunset Sound Studio Reverb and the Tape Machine Collection, plus MixBox, ARC 3, and Lurssen Mastering Console. From tracking guitars to mastering albums, all the gear users need is here, looking and sounding better than ever.
Fuel for creativity
To get users going, Total Studio 3 MAX includes thousands of presets, including VIP artist and engineer presets. So, whether it’s tracking a Hammond organ or mastering a pop song, instant inspiration is just a click away. Any category presets, including artist, can also serve as starting points and be saved as user presets for recall later.
Keeping it all together
Included with Total Studio 3 MAX is the new IK Product Manager, which automates the installation process and keeps all the IK products organized and up to date. Users can now focus on making music instead of updating software.
SE edition also available
For those on a budget, but who don’t want to skimp, there’s Total Studio 3 SE. This bundle includes seven applications for a total of 21 plug-ins. Users get SE versions of AmpliTube 5, MODO DRUM & MODO BASS, SampleTank 4, T-RackS 5, plus Miroslav Philharmonik CE and Lurssen Mastering Console. That’s an impressive 3,936 instruments and sounds, plus 161 effects in all to get any job done.
Options, pricing, and availability
Total Studio 3 SE and Total Studio 3 MAX are available now at the IK Multimedia online store and from IK authorized dealers worldwide, with pricing as follows:
Total Studio 3 SE – $/€499.99* digital download
Total Studio 3 MAX – $/€899.99 digital download, $/€949.99 with USB drive
Existing customers who have registered any IK product for $/€99 or more can upgrade at special prices:
Total Studio 3 SE crossgrade – $/€399.99 digital download
Total Studio 3 MAX crossgrade – $/€599.99 digital download, $/€649.99 with USB drive
Existing users of Total Studio 2 MAX, AmpliTube 5 MAX, SampleTank 4 MAX, or T-RackS 5 MAX are eligible for a special “maxgrade” discount:
Total Studio 3 MAX maxgrade – $/€499.99 digital download, $/€549.99 with USB drive
Total Studio 3 MAX + iLoud MTM bundle
Users looking for the ultimate home or project studio can also take advantage of a bundle that includes Total Studio 3 MAX and a pair of IK’s award-winning iLoud MTM studio monitors, offering reference-class monitoring in a pair of speakers designed specifically for desktop use.
With linear phase sound, point-source performance, built-in ARC acoustic self-calibration, and more, the iLoud MTMs work perfectly with Total Studio 3 MAX to offer a professional solution for composing, producing, tracking, mixing, and mastering, all in one affordable bundle.
Total Studio 3 MAX + iLoud MTM (pair) – $/€999.99*
*All prices excluding taxes
For more information about Total Studio 3 MAX, please visit: www.ikmultimedia.com/ts3max
To see Total Studio 3 MAX in action: www.ikmultimedia.com/ts3max/
