AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, December 10, 2020. Apple’s new M1 processor-based computers look set to kickstart a revolution in creative computing with a groundbreaking combination of performance and efficiency. However, while the Rosetta 2 translation layer that enables software written for Intel processors to be used on Apple Silicon is impressive in its speed and stability, it’s not until that software is optimized for native deployment that the full potential of Apple Silicon can be realized.
Spearheading that optimization in the pro audio sector, FabFilter is proud to announce the introduction of Apple Silicon compatibility across its entire catalogue. Every effect and instrument in the range — from the Pro-Q 3 equalizer, Pro-L 2 true peak limiter, and Pro-C 2 compressor to the Pro-R reverb, Saturn 2 multiband distortion, Twin analogue synth, and beyond — now loads natively in macOS Big Sur running on Apple Silicon (or as a Universal Binary on Intel Macs), in VST2, VST3, and AU formats. And drawing on their extensive experience of porting to iPad, the company didn’t stop there, going on to optimize CPU usage across their product line specifically for M1.
“We’ve been making plugins for iOS for years, so we were already familiar with ARM processors and have done a lot of ARM-specific optimization work over time,” says FabFilter co-founder Frederik Slijkerman. “Porting that to the Apple Silicon Mac was a relatively easy and quick process, but, of course, we took the time to further fine-tune our code to tailor it to the new M1 processors.”
As well as giving early adopters of the M1 MacBooks and Mac mini their first taste of a bright third-party plugin future on Apple Silicon, the updates also fix a number of bugs, as well as adding support for Dolby Atmos 7.0.2 and 7.1.2 in the VST3 version of Pro-L 2 and Pro-Q 3, and optimizing various distortion styles in Saturn 2.
The updated plug-ins are fully compatible with previous versions. The latest versions and 30-day trials are available for download now at www.fabfilter.com/download.
System requirements are either Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP (32-bit and 64-bit) and a VST 2/3 host or Pro Tools, or macOS 10.10 or higher (64-bit only) with Intel or Apple Silicon processor, and an Audio Units host, VST 2/3 host, or Pro Tools.
To make self-quarantine just a little bit easier during the COVID-19 pandemic, FabFilter offers free 30-day evaluation extensions for all their plug-ins via www.fabfilter.com/covid19.
About FabFilter
Beautiful sound. Fantastic workflow. These are the foundations of FabFilter. Continually challenging and rethinking industry standards, FabFilter creates powerful audio plug-ins with superb sound quality and innovative interfaces. FabFilter was founded in 2002 by Frederik Slijkerman and Floris Klinkert, and is based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
© 2020 FabFilter Software Instruments
PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC: small, independent development teams federation United Plugins is proud to announce the availability of founding partner SounDevice Digital’s DIFIX — deploying several sophisticated independent processes to triumph over audio interface imperfections arising from their instrument input impedance not necessarily being as high as claimed when trying to directly record electric guitar or bass (which would possibly result in a dull sound with a loss of brilliance) by leveling the sound and adding a little analog-style saturation so as to effectively work as a DI box-emulating plug-in — as of December 9…
By being born out of necessity in renowned recording studios such as Detroit’s Motown and United Sound Systems to accommodate amplifying emerging electric musical instruments — in particular, electric guitars in the mid-Sixties, the humble DI (Direct Input) box began by resolving a basic mismatch between electrodynamic guitar pickups and sensitive studio electronics. Even today, despite more modern DI boxes being far more sophisticated than those trailblazing ‘Motor City’ models, their primary function is still to take an unbalanced, high-impedance signal and convert it to a balanced, low-impedance signal, so running guitars or basses directly into mic preamps or sending signals over extended cable runs without losing volume and significant high-frequency information is possible. Progress breeds change, clearly, yet even up-to-date DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) recording setups can sometimes suffer from imperfections arising from trying to directly record an electric guitar or bass by plugging it into an audio interface’s instrument input whose impedance is not necessarily as high as claimed. Consequently, the connected instrument in question’s pickups do not work as well as they should, so results in a poor-sounding direct recording. Time to buy a DI box, perhaps? Not necessarily, since SounDevice Digital has an alternative software solution.
SounDevice Digital’s DIFIX deploys several sophisticated independent processes to level the sound and add a little analog-style saturation so as to effectively work as a DI-box-emulating plug-in. Put it this way: with all the science effectively hidden behind a readily resizable photorealistic GUI (Graphical User Interface) that is as easy on the eye as it is easy to use, ultimately using it is hardly rocket science. Switch between BASS DI or GUITAR DI to change the internal algorithms to best fit the incoming signal when recording bass or guitar, with the former improving missing bass guitar frequencies while the latter is tuned to be used with electric or electro-acoustic guitar, then decide how much DIFIX should improve the signal using some simple self-explanatory controls — namely, INTENSITY (%), which blends the dry and wet signals (with the maximum — 100 — setting allowing only the processed signal to go to the output, while lower values add the original untreated signal to the blend); IN (dB) is basically a gain input (controlling how much signal is being fed into the DIFIX plug-in and how its processing will react, ranging from -24 to +24 decibels); and OUT (dB) boosts the output signal (by between -24 to +24 decibels).
DIFIX is intended, admittedly, as an accessible tool to assist anyone recording in home studios with low-cost audio interfaces, but bear in mind that those with access to more costly hardware DI boxes benefit from fixing the input here and there as well, where the question remains: not if but how much? It is important to get that first step right when recording a guitar track in a DAW, otherwise trying to make a bad-sounding guitar track better becomes a whole lot harder — if not impossible — task. Therefore, DIFIX should be inserted as the first plug-in on a guitar track to fix input imperfections, followed by any guitar and amp simulation plug-ins favored by the user to shape their guitar tone. To be fair to DIFIX, while it can fix a lot — letting users salvage or remix old recordings, for example — with a few simple controls, anyone serious about direct recording with an audio interface should probably purchase a decent DI box and use it in combination with DIFIX.
But better still, SounDevice Digital’s DIFIX plug-in provides pre-eminent audio quality, utilizing internal 64-bit processing, and can capably handle any sampling rate — right up to 192 kHz (or even higher). Having said that, it intelligently handles bypassing to ensure that there are no nasty clicks or harmful noises when automating the parameter and also compensates for latency by ensuring that the bypass states are perfectly in sync with each other. On top of that, the plug-in intelligently detects whether it makes sense to perform processing at all. And if not, it temporarily turns on sleep mode, meaning CPU (Central Processing Unit) usage is reduced to almost nothing, so saving valuable computing resources for other processes.
Fixing foul-ups without (necessarily needing) a dedicated DI box, DIFIX effectively runs several sophisticated independent processes to restore a loss of brilliance to directly-recorded electric guitars or basses while also adding decent-sounding analog-style saturation and fatness, itself acting as a great start for re-amping duties. Despite being SounDevice Digital’s first dedicated effect for electric and bass guitars, it is definitely not its last with something set to be used in combination with DIFIX due to make an appearance… watch this space!
SounDevice Digital’s DIFIX is available to purchase for a time-limited introductory promo price of €19.00 EUR until January 3, 2021 — rising thereafter to its regular price of €49.00 EUR — as an AAX-, AU-, VST-, and VST3-compatible audio plug-in directly from United Plugins here: https://unitedplugins.com/DIFIX/ (A 15-day, fully-functional trial version for macOS and Windows can be downloaded for free from here: https://unitedplugins.com/download/)
Note that no iLok, dongle, or internet access is required for DIFIX 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 DIFIX 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 utilise 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.
© 2020 United Plugins
PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC: music production and audio processing advanced tools maker MeldaProduction is proud to announce availability of MDrumReplacer — an aptly-monikered drum replacement plug-in pairing the best drum-detecting algorithm on the market with perfectly-recorded multilayer samples as an easy-to-use tool to fix flaws, replacing weak-sounding snares, lousy kicks, and such like with a chosen multilayer sample in both single drum and mixed tracks in a matter of seconds — as of December 8…
Appreciating advances inherent in MeldaProduction’s MDrumReplacer plug-in perhaps involves an appreciation of drum replacement itself. In modern music production parlance, drum replacement is the practice of an engineer or producer recording a live drummer and replacing (or adding to) the sound of a particular drum with a prerecorded sample — say, replacing all the recorded snare hits with the sound of a handclap. History has it that the technique was pioneered in the late Seventies by American engineer, inventor, and producer Roger Nichols (R.I.P.) while working with American rockers Steely Dan in the studio. Subsequently it became increasingly commonplace to replace every snare hit in a performance that may or may not sound subjectively ‘good’ with an ‘ideal’ snare drum hit, and has since grown in both popularity and complexity since computer-based technology took hold in music production — to the point where some suggest that the practice defeats the purpose of having a live drummer as opposed to a drum machine, making for an end result that is effectively exactly the same as what a drum machine would produce if equipped with a custom drum sample recorded especially for it. In reality, however, crafting more complexity in an increasingly automated world is not necessarily easy to achieve, but it does not have to be that way — which is exactly where MeldaProduction’s magical MDrumReplacer plug-in comes into play.
Putting it this way, MeldaProduction itself pulls no percussive punches when posing some hard-hitting questions with a semi-serious delivery: “Does your snare sound like a bird vomiting on a plastic table? Does your kick sound like a horse s**t falling on the ground? Then just replace them!” That, then, is MDrumReplacer’s raison d’être, effectively. After all, not every drum hit is perfect, not every drum take is flawless, and nor does every drum sound good. Get this, though: with MDrumReplacer no drum recording is gone for good necessarily. No matter if it was suffering from poorly-positioned microphones or the sound of the entire drum kit is, in retrospect, simply not up to scratch or even to taste, MDrumReplacer fixes flaws in a matter of seconds. But best of all, the recordings will still sound spectacularly live after applying MDrumReplacer’s magic, thanks to the plug-in pairing the best drum-detecting algorithm on the market with perfectly-recorded multilayer samples.
MeldaProduction’s MDrumReplacer’s powerful drum-hit DETECTOR works with maximum precision, finding the hits to be replaced in both single instrument recordings and even mixed drum sessions with minimum user intervention. It is equipped with advanced analysis technology that thoroughly examines the audio material to identify the most prominent frequencies and sets the resonators accordingly, then users can audition just the filtered signal with the ‘listen’ feature so that they can easily adjust the filters to set them as precisely as possible. Ultimately, users can completely replace drum hits or get creatively effective by blending the original sound with the selected sample — enhancing kick drums with some added electronic flavour, for example. But better still, since MDrumReplacer basically includes MeldaProduction’s MDrumLeveler plug-in — itself marketed as the ultimate dynamics processing tool specifically designed for working with drums, MDrumReplacer need not necessarily only be used to replace ‘bad hits’ but also to iron out the drummer’s performance by simply letting the DETECTOR find an event and compute its correct level, with the requested DETECTOR GAIN then being applied to the event, so that the drummer sounds solid and firm-handed as a result.
It is simply a case of running the DETECTOR and speedily selecting a sample that best fits the track — from MeldaProduction’s massive multi-sample libraries (totalling over 80 GB), including the recently-released Drum Empire 2020, the latest in its lengthening line of free extension packs for its MDrummer virtual instrument plug-in, the most advanced drum machine and virtual drummer on the market — with which to replace the unwanted drum hits in most cases, however. Helpfully, MDrumReplacer uses the mighty MDrummer’s sound engine, enabling users to choose synthesized drums as well as top-quality drum multi-samples that respect the original drummer’s performance and feel, ensuring that it remains resolutely human and not robotic, though some imperfections can be fixed with the plug-in’s inbuilt drum LEVELING. Lending an air of further flexibility, MDrumReplacer’s presets are carefully stored in a system database and users can quickly access them from any project in any host, while the plug-in itself can automatically share users’ presets and also allows them to download other users’ presets from MeldaProduction’s servers.
Turning to literally look at things from a visual viewpoint, it is well worth noting here that user interfaces need to be fast, simple to use, and easy on the eye. Everyone’s needs, of course, can be different, so flexibility is important. MeldaProduction’s MDrumReplacer meets those observations head on — as, indeed, do its many software siblings — with the most advanced GUI (Graphical User Interface) engine on the market, allowing users to choose colour and style to personalise what is also a freely-resizable plug-in, one which is accelerated by the host computer’s GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), making for lightening-fast graphics while freeing up extra power from the host computer’s CPU (Central Processing Unit) to focus on that all-important audio. Although current computers can clearly do their thing faster than ever before, algorithms are becoming more complex and projects bigger as a result, so processing power still needs to be used effectively. MeldaProduction’s MDrumReplacer uses the fastest algorithms, takes advantage of the newest processor capabilities, handles the graphics accordingly, and shares those resources with other MeldaProduction plug-ins. Indeed, it is amongst the fastest on the market, while providing the best possible audio quality using 64-bit audio processing to handle any sampling rate. Reality dictates that it does not make much sense to go over 192kHz, but if MDrumReplacer users think that it is a good idea to do so then the plug-in can do that.
MDrumReplacer makes for a creative user experience with an extensive feature set that is surely second to none, including a powerful MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) processor — listens to MIDI controllers and keyboards to allow realtime control of any parameters; multiple parameter control using a single so-called multiparameter — handy for automation or smartly morphing between banks of settings, for example; A to H slot switching — taking the A/B comparison concept to the next level by enabling users to access up to eight instances of the plug-in, copy and paste the slots, and freely switch between them, as well as allowing for morphing between the first four slots with an X-Y pad to find the perfect blend between four preloaded presets; and four fully-featured modulators that can control any set of parameters — including other modulators, to but scratch the surface of this deep diving-enabling plug-in par excellence.
MDrumReplacer makes for a compelling case for drum replacement that is light years beyond that which was first envisioned by Roger Nichols. Needless to say, anyone suffering from vomiting-sounding snares or horse s**t-sounding kicks knows where to turn!
MeldaProduction’s MDrumReplacer is available to purchase — as an AAX-, AU-, VST-, and VST3-supporting plug-in for Mac (64-bit only) and Windows (32-bit and 64-bit) — at an introductory discounted price of €29.00 EUR (inc. VAT) until January 3, 2021 — rising thereafter to the regular price of €129.00 EUR (inc. VAT) — from its dedicated webpage, which also includes further information, here: https://www.meldaproduction.com/MDrumReplacer
MDrumReplacer comes with a huge library of samples, multi-samples, rhythms, drum sets, loops, and other resources that are distributed for free via MeldaProduction’s MDrummer packs, including its latest Drum Empire 2020 addition available from here: https://www.meldaproduction.com/MDrummerDrumEmpire2020
Note that MDrummer Essentials (https://www.meldaproduction.com/MDrummerEssentials) is required for MDrumReplacer to work properly.
Watch MeldaProduction make a compelling case for drum replacement with its introductory video for MDrumReplacer here:
About MeldaProduction (www.meldaproduction.com)
MeldaProduction was founded in 2009 by Vojtech Meluzin and is based in Prague, Czech Republic. Inspired by ancient analogue gear right through to the latest digital developments, MeldaProduction makes advanced tools for music production and audio processing with 100-plus products — including more than 30 available for free — to its notable name. Needless to say, applying innovative thinking to create sounds that matter with inspiring user interfaces that are as easy-to-use as they are versatile with never-ending improvements neatly sums up the company’s gifted game plan. It is also a premier partner brand of fellow Prague-registered Limited Company United Plugins, a federation of small, independent development teams comprised of individuals involved in the music industry.
© 2020 MeldaProduction
COLOGNE, GERMANY: specialized audio performance tools developer Dialog Audio is proud to announce the availability of its That’s Live streaming service — supporting bands, DJs, orchestras, or spoken word artists alike during today’s COVID-19-triggered turbulent times as a platform providing the technical infrastructure for facilitating worldwide live event streaming to paying audiences with no setup charges and no fixed costs involved — as of December 4…
What was previously a prohibitively costly, complicated stratagem, streaming live events to paying audiences has effectively now been opened up to any band, DJ, orchestra, or spoken word artist who wishes to do so. Straightforward and fair in its implementation, the That’s Live specialized streaming service supportively provides the technical infrastructure for facilitating worldwide live event streaming to paying audiences with no setup charges and no fixed costs involved. Indeed, it throws an economic lifeline to many more of those trying to work within the tightly-restricted confines of a live events industry so severely impacted during today’s COVID-19-triggered turbulent times, thanks to developer Dialog Audio advancing into servicing such streaming so straightforwardly and fairly.
Getting going with That’s Live is straightforward. Start by registering online (https://dialogaudio.com/user/public/user/registerlogin) to use Dialog Audio’s live streaming service platform. Quickly create and schedule a live event and sell tickets to an audience worldwide with an automatically-generated event webpage that can conveniently be linked from social media channels, websites, and e-newsletters. The tickets bought from the event page are e-mailed to buyers after a successful transaction; ticket holders can then listen to the live stream as soon as the event starts. Simply speaking, Dialog Audio’s financial partner transparently takes care of all payments worldwide, including any taxes that may arise, while Dialog Audio itself handles customer support and, of course, the technical infrastructure. It takes an average of 15% for doing this, leaving the band, DJ, orchestra, or spoken word artist using the That’s Live specialized streaming service with an average 85% share of each ticket sold — can’t say fairer than that!
Talking technology, event streams are brought to That’s Live users’ audiences over Dialog Audio’s reliable CDN (Content Delivery Network), itself guaranteeing that the audio stream concerned can also be streamed reliably to remote locations anywhere in the world (within reason). Receiving listeners can choose from the widespread HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) format as an AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) standard for lossy digital audio compression encoded at 128, 192, or 320 kbps adaptive that can be played back on commonplace operating systems such as Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, and Windows, or MPEG-DASH (Dynamic Streaming over HTTP) format as an AAC standard for lossy digital audio compression encoded at 192 kbps that can also be played back on those operating systems, albeit not supported by all media players. Put it this way: while all commonplace media players — including iTunes, Mplayer, and VLC, to name but a few — can be used by listeners, commonplace web browsers can usually play one of those two aforementioned streaming formats.
For the benefit of any band, DJ, orchestra, or spoken word artist considering streaming a live event to a paying audience for the first time and attracted to That’s Live as a specialized streaming service platform providing the technical infrastructure to achieve that in the most straightforward and fair way possible, please note that it is also necessary to have access to recording equipment such as an audio interface (to create the audio signal), a computer with Dialog Audio’s Live Processor cross-platform desktop application installed (to pick up the audio signal and stream it to the connected stream server), and an Internet connection (to transmit the stream). Saying that, though, worldwide live event streaming with paid access is, perhaps, easier done than said with That Live!
To start using the That’s Live specialized streaming service platform providing the technical infrastructure for facilitating worldwide live event streaming to paying audiences with no setup charges and no fixed costs involved, register online here: https://dialogaudio.com/user/public/user/registerlogin
For more in-depth information about That’s Live, please visit its dedicated webpage here:
Live Processor is available to download for macOS (10.7 or higher) and Windows (7 or higher) from here: https://dialogaudio.com/download.php
About Dialog Audio (www.dialogaudio.com)
Dialog Audio focuses on the development of hitherto unheard-of specialized performance tools to enhance audio production, composition, and music-making from within The Dialog Audio Laboratory, a creative space occupied by a group of people passionate about music and research, sharing their knowledge in different areas of science.
© 2020 Dialog Audio
LOS ANGELES, CA, USA: Wide Blue Sound, creators of fun, inspiring, and filler-free music tools, is proud to announce the availability of ELYSIUM — an inspiring KONTAKT plug-in instrument instantiated as a two-layer synth for creating music infused with tonal rhythms, movement, and unrivaled playability with an entirely new way of creating striking percussive pulses, beautiful organic arpeggios, evolving pads, and one-of-a-kind hybrid instruments that have to be heard to be believed but simply cannot be replicated by any other synth on the market — as of November 30…
Wide Blue Sound spent 17 months working on ELYSIUM, most of it getting the synth engine — skilfully combining live hybrid instruments (such as gamelans, mallets, pianos, and a beautiful string section recorded at a church in New York) with multi-sampling some of the most sought-after synths in history — and UI (User Interface) just right so that things flow with the greatest of ease. Evidenced by the ear- and eye-catching end result, it is clearly time that was well spent since the groundbreaking, critically-acclaimed UI itself is duly designed to maximize power and flexibility while minimizing resistance.
Digging deeper, ELYSIUM’s MAIN page features two layers: PERC and SYNTH. Self-explanatory, the former includes many types of percussive tonal sounds, including guitars, mallets, pianos, and, of course, synths. It is possible to add MORPH and BASS sounds simply by turning those namesake knobs, while the associated Analog, Flux, and Spread controls can easily add variety between each note played. SYNTH should already be familiar to owners of Wide Blue Sound’s previous, popular ORBIT — designed for the rapid creation of stunning cinematic synths and atmospheric textures — and ECLIPSE — pioneering new sonic territory, with a massive synth sound that is heavy, forceful, and aggressive — KONTAKT plug-in instruments, but boosted by some special features never before seen in a synth, such as 11 traditional and custom-shop filter designs. Creatively combine up to four pads that include beautiful atmospheres, synth pads, and even a live strings section, then run them through one of the three engine modes — PULSE, CHOP, or FLOW — to craft anything from energetic rhythms to blissful atmospheres. Those three engine modes can transform lush, sustained sounds into rhythmic performances, so simply choose a mode, then adjust how it hits using the custom-tuned controls for each mode. Meanwhile, the DEPTH knob brings in a sustain bed made from any of the four sounds, all of which can be filtered using the settings icon.
Intuitive sequencing of those PERC and SYNTH layers, or any of their individual sound sources, comes courtesy of (optionally) using the PHASE SEQUENCER spread across the lower part of ELYSIUM’s MAIN page; put simply, choose which layer plays when, and how fast their engine runs. Digging deeper into the PHASE SEQUENCER itself, it also allows for step-based PITCH, ACCENT, and ACTION, the latter’s feature-packed functionality extending to include Triple hits (ratchets), Tightening notes, and Reverse/Fade-in notes. Needless to say, performance features include the usual suspects — MONO, GLIDE, L (force legato — to force glide), and input QUANTIZE, while keyboard SPLIT decouples the PERC and SYNTH layers so it is possible to split chord voicing between the two — BASS in the PERC layer and a string section on top, for example.
Elsewhere, the innovative Sound Browser allows anyone to preview the entire pitch range of a sound before loading it into a patch, so if seeking, say, an appropriate bass then it is possible to preview all sounds in their bass range before committing. It is also possible to filter by MOOD or the type of instrument that was multi-sampled for ELYSIUM. But better still, said Sound Browser includes a GENERATE section, allowing anyone to algorithmically generate PERC and SYNTH sounds based on MOOD tags, or generate entirely new PERC and SYNTH FX chains! CANCEL allows for freedom of experimentation since it is always possible to revert back to what was there before opening the Sound Browser by hitting that button.
Beyond that, the FX page features one of the most comprehensive effects sections seen in any synth, with 31 electrifying effects (spanning stomp-boxes, amplifiers, adventurous modulation- and chorus-based effects, saturated delays, reverbs, and more), 300 effect presets (not including convolution reverb presets), and 600-plus practical and creative impulse responses in 27 reverb categories — ranging from nine world-class reverb units (like the famous Bricasti M7, EMT 250, and Lexicon 480) to funky harmonic plates, household items, and actual samples of other live instruments — to provide both a beautiful and fun experience when creating the most ethereal and otherworldly sounds imaginable. Indeed, it is possible to create full FX chains for the PERC layer, SYNTH layer, and MASTER effects bus, or users can conjure up immediate inspiration by generating entire effects chains at the click of a button — similar to when working with the Sound Browser.
But saving the best until last, the MOTION page provides six stylish sequencers with which users can creatively automate any of ELYSIUM’s parameters, including an ability to change the PERC layer’s MORPH and BASS sounds on every step, while its innovative TIDE module makes it a breeze to create multi-bar swells or quick EDM-inspired LFOs. Supportively, sequences can be both generated for inspiration or hand-drawn for precision. Put it this way: with ELYSIUM, there are always a wide array of MOTION sources — with over 130 modulation destinations — to add motion to patches!
Plentiful — 300-plus — presets from world-class sound designers who are also music producers in their own right are already available in ELYSIUM, so getting going is as easy as selecting a preset that sets the synth controls for the heart of motion! Moreover, ELYSIUM includes three useful sound locks to retain certain parts of the patch when changing presets: Rhythm Lock (locks all rhythmic elements of the PHASE SEQUENCER and synth engine itself), Pitch Lock (locks the PITCH sequence in the PHASE SEQUENCER), and FX Lock (locks the entire FX page) — perfect examples of the dozens of thoughtful and innovative features found throughout ELYSIUM to help make sound design a more fun and practical experience!
Ending on a high note, Wide Blue Sound CEO Nathan Rightnour reasons: “Our favorite thing about ELYSIUM is that we’ve created an unprecedented variety of ways to add motion to your patch over time, while keeping things musical. Everyone users it in a different way, and we were surprised at the huge range of patches that the sound designers sent back to us. Every single sound designer had a unique voice that came through the instrument, and they all loved exploring its unique features. That’s when you know you have an expressive instrument.”
ELYSIUM is available to purchase at a limited-time-only offer of $129.35 USD — representing an attractive 35% saving on its regular price of $199.00 USD — directly from the Wide Blue Sound website, which also includes more in-depth information, here: https://www.widebluesound.com
ELYSIUM needs Native Instruments’ KONTAKT PLAYER (6.4.2 or higher) — a free version of the full KONTAKT sample playback engine (with which it is also compatible) — to run as a fully NKS (NATIVE KONTROL STANDARD®) supporting plug-in instrument for Mac (OS X 10.10 or later) or Windows (7, 8, or 10 — latest Service Pack), with easy installation and updates via Native Instruments’ Native Access application, a one-stop hub for easy product installation, registration, and updates, downloadable for free from here: https://www.native-instruments.com/en/specials/native-access/
Take a deep dive into ELYSIUM when watching this walkthrough video with Wide Blue Sound CEO Nathan Rightnour:
About Wide Blue Sound (www.widebluesound.com)
Wide Blue Sound operates on the ideology that music tools should be fun, inspiring, and absolutely filler-free. Founded in 2015 by producer Nathan Rightnour and composer Jeff Rona, it launched with ORBIT, an aptly-named novel and high-end music software synthesizer for video game composers and producers. Praised by publications worldwide for making “a remarkable splash on the scene,” its creators quickly became a force to be reckoned with for film and television composition, record production, and video game music as ORBIT and its ECLIPSE followup were lauded both for their bold, no-nonsense approach to synth design and ability to create stunning cinematic pulses and atmospheric textures.2020 sees the company ramping up in its development, with the release of its motion-evolving ELYSIUM, an inspiring KONTAKT plug-in instrument instantiated as a two-layer synth for creating music infused with tonal rhythms, movement, and unrivaled playability, plus bringing onboard several development teams to release more of Nathan’s original UX (User Experience) design-led software for music producers and composers.
© 2020 Wide Blue Sound LLC
– 8-Voice Extended Virtual-Analogue Synthesiser –
Bristol, UK: hot on the heels of its immensely powerful COBALT8 8 VOICE EXTENDED VIRTUAL-ANALOGUE SYNTHESISER, and following in the footsteps (and footprints) of its ARGON8 8 VOICE WAVETABLE SYNTHESISER series siblings, leading British synthesizer manufacturer Modal Electronics is proud to announce the availability of COBALT8X and COBALT8M — completing the COBALT8 synth series with 61-key and module/rack renditions, respectively, both bringing traditional and entirely new analog-style sound textures to modern music creation and production as an innovative, sophisticated synthesis concept comprising two-oscillator groups with selectable algorithms in self-contained elements enabling multiple oscillator modulations, an all-new 4-pole morphable ladder filter with switchable configurations, an unparalleled modulation engine, and much more besides, extending far beyond the limits of their analog forefathers — as of November 23…
By building on the tradition of warm and punchy analog-style synth sounds seeded by bygone legendary synthesizers, the COBALT8X 8 VOICE EXTENDED VIRTUAL-ANALOGUE SYNTHESISER unlocks the full creative potential of analog waveforms with the same sophisticated synthesis concept birthed by its COBALT8 8 VOICE EXTENDED VIRTUAL-ANALOGUE SYNTHESISER sibling, as already announced recently to widespread critical acclaim. As such, the powerful, inspiring instrument in question reinvents the aesthetics of analog sounds and also invites musicians, producers, and sound designers to explore a new era of VA synthesizer textures, thanks to the COBALT8 synth series’ innovative oscillator engine — encompassing up to 64 high-resolution VA oscillators with extended drift and up to eight available for each of its eight true polyphonic voices via two independent and self-contained Osc (oscillator) groups, including sine, pulse, triangle, and sawtooth waveforms alongside 34 unique algorithms allowing for complex analog synthesis techniques, built-in cross-modulation (sync, ring modulation, and more), PWM (Pulse Width Modulation), smooth morphing between VA waves, bit crushing, and filtered noise — bolstered by Modal Electronics’ new morphable 4-Pole Ladder Filter with Cutoff (frequency), Res (resonance), and Morph controls to inject more warmth and bite into the creative proceedings. Put it this way: when combined with the leading British synthesizer manufacturer’s unparalleled modulation implementation, inspiring real-time/step sequencer, animating arpeggiator, MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) support, studio-quality effects, multi-platform MODALapp sound editor integration, and, now, a premium FATAR 61-note keyboard enabling extended playing, COBALT8X is the perfect synth for anyone who wants a versatile electronic music instrument to play vintage synth sounds balanced by an eagerness to enter new sound dimensions.
Duly offering more of the same, albeit in a space-saving desktop module/rack form factor for those who wish to play it from an external — possibly MPE-capable — keyboard, the COBALT8 8 VOICE EXTENDED VIRTUAL-ANALOGUE SYNTHESISER MODULE does what its eye-catching (cobalt-blue-colored) metallic front fascia (literally) states. Saying that, though, all three COBALT8 synth series siblings’ eight true polyphonic voices tempt players to lay out wide string or rich synth pad chords, while a monophonic bass or lead patch played with 64 of those high-resolution VA oscillators can clearly shake the walls of any studio or stadium! And avant-garde sound-forming features ensure every synth enthusiast can refine their performance with whichever of the three inspiring instruments they choose to use, utilizing sounds that no other synthesizer is able to generate. Getting one of them will surely far from disappoint!
COBALT8X and COBALT8M will soon be both shipping and available through selected Modal Electronics dealers worldwide in December 2020 with a respective RRP (Recommended Retail Price) of £649.99/£499.99 GBP (including VAT), MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) of €749.99/€579.99 EUR (including 20% VAT), and a MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) of $819.99/$649.99 USD.
Click here for more about the COBALT Series on MODAL’s website.
Modal Electronics
Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Bristol, UK, Modal Electronics is redefining modern synthesizer technology for musicians, producers, and performers. Guided by the philosophy to create Machines for Musicians, Modal Electronics combines sophisticated analog and digital circuitry in its products. Modal Electronics synthesizers have contributed to countless hit records and top movie scores, and are used in recording studios and on live performance stages around the world.
MADRID, SPAIN: European pro audio manufacturer Heritage Audio is proud to announce the availability of the 73JR II — advancing its already classic 73JR single-slot 500 Series true 73-style mic preamp module with additional features surely set to satisfy the most demanding of recording engineers — as of November 30…
Compromises can be made when trying to adapt a 73-style mic preamp into the smaller 500 Series format fit for compact enclosures — such as API’s popular ‘Lunchbox’ (letting space-restricted discerning users choose to house however many modules they wish from a seemingly endless selection of manufacturers) or, of course, Heritage Audio’s own OST range of 500 Series enclosures— but this is far from the case with Heritage Audio’s 73JR II. By boasting heritage quality through and through, it uses only discrete, through-hole traditional components combined with hand labor to create a great-sounding Seventies-vintage vibe. As a faithful three-stage, all Class-A 73-style preamp, it is the real deal, with Styroflex and tantalum capacitors used throughout, and no corners cut.
Indeed, it uses the full three-gain stage circuit for up to 80 dB of gain with noise of -125dBu EIN (Equivalent Input Noise) over all the gain positions, and a true 24v onboard power supply for identical performance and distortion point. The output transformer is a custom Carnhill, manufactured for Heritage Audio by the renowned British company concerned in its St Ives factory in Cambridgeshire, while the input transformer is another custom Carnhill, this time manufactured in Oxfordshire — the same one found in Heritage Audio’s higher-end 80 Series modules, in fact, so hugely impacts the musical mojo of the 73JR II as a direct result.
Readily saying all that, then, the 73JR II itself is an update to Heritage Audio’s already classic 73JR single-slot 500 Series true 73-style mic preamp module with added features surely set to satisfy the most demanding of recording engineers. Enter an all-discrete Class-A hi-pass filter, sweepable from 20 to 220 Hz — making it easier to tighten the low end without affecting desired frequencies; a LINE mode, allowing for reamping of prerecorded tracks — perfect for adding some color to lifeless recordings; and a D.I. (Direct Input) — itself automatically switching to DI mode when inserting a ¼” TS cable — that is an all-discrete Class-A JFET circuit fronting the microphone transformer to provide all the color and weight anyone could conceivably ask for!
Finally, Heritage Audio has paid particular attention to power handling by implementing internal +24v slow-turn-on-regulation — hugely healthy for any 500 Series enclosure’s power supply since it keeps the 73JR II’s power independent from other slots.
Simply speaking, anyone adding a 73JR II to their 500 Series recording setup is assured of a real deal 73-style sound.
The 73JR II is shipping and available now via RAD Distribution in the US (http://www.raddist.com/heritage-audio.php) — with a MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) of $949.00 USD — and elsewhere — with an SSP (Standalone Selling Price) of €949.00 EUR (excluding VAT) — via Heritage Audio’s growing global network of dealers (https://heritageaudio.net/where-to-buy-international/).
For more in-depth information, please visit the dedicated 73JR II webpage here:
About Heritage Audio (www.heritageaudio.net)
Heritage Audio is a European pro audio manufacturer based in Madrid, Spain. Founded in 2011 by Peter Rodriguez, a sound engineer and producer with extensive experience in the music industry, its aim is true: to bring back the philosophy of the golden age of recording and adapt it to the needs of 21st Century studios while contributing to transitioning music into a new era in the process. The company’s canon covers all-analog signal processing bases. All its products are designed and manufactured in Spain and available in over 36 countries worldwide.
© 2020 Heritage Audio
LONDON, UK: sound-specialising British music technology company Spitfire Audio is proud to announce The Black Weekend — with wallet-friendly discounts of up to 40% on individual products across its entire (INSTRUMENTS, ORCHESTRAS, and COLLABORATIONS) range of sample libraries and virtual instruments and up to 80% on its COLLECTIONS, engaging extra happenings on its YouTube Channel and social media channels, plus the time-limited return of The Black Edition, albeit as the-weekend-only-available APERTURE ORCHESTRA (following on from the short-lived, standout APERTURE STRINGS, which was based around the string sections of an orchestra only, from last year’s enticing event), this time allowing anyone to instantly and seamlessly move from a lower layer STRING QUARTET of players performing at the softest level right up to a top layer SYMPHONIC ORCHESTRA playing at full tilt, working on the basis of an imagined aperture in sound, all in the same sample-based virtual instrument library, available for free when spending £299.00 GBP (inc. VAT)/$349.00 USD/€349.00 EUR (inc. VAT) or more during The Black Weekend itself — running from November 26 through to December 1…
Watch Spitfire Audio co-founder and composer Paul Thomson’s ‘traditional’ walkthrough of APERTURE ORCHESTRA here:
The Black Weekend sees Spitfire Audio applying attractive site-wide wallet-friendly discounts of up to 40% to (almost) all of its individual sample libraries and virtual instruments upon which it has established its notable name, including several creative COLLABORATIONS with Hans Zimmer — one of the most successful, influential, and prolific film composers of all time; the extensive ALBION… orchestral range; and the numerous namesake SPITFIRE… series of orchestral offerings covering all bases from solo instruments through to various full symphony orchestras and much in between, to name but a notable few. Furthermore, BBC SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CORE — featuring the same outstanding recording quality as BBC SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PROFESSIONAL, the musical beating heart of the BBC itself, in a more streamlined, affordable package priced accordingly — is available at a 40% saving for the first time, as is BBC SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PROFESSIONAL itself, while a selection of other products are already highlighted in advance with their 30% saving shown on The Black Weekend webpage (https://www.spitfireaudio.com/black-weekend-2020-all-products/), including the recently-updated ÓLAFUR ARNALDS STRATUS — reimagining the piano as a versatile, multidimensional tool that bends space and time through an intricate network of polyrhythmic piano performances, ÓLAFUR ARNALDS CHAMBER EVOLUTIONS — inspiring chamber strings textures using Spitfire Audio’s Evo Grid technology to make it easy to create sophisticated chamber strings music from the most simplistic of arrangements, ÓLAFUR ARNALDS EVOLUTIONS — providing an almost infinite number of outcomes using that trailblazing Evo Grid system, and ÓLAFUR ARNALDS COMPOSER TOOLKIT — an intimate and deeply personal set of tools designed for composers, producers, and songwriters, together with their associated ÓLAFUR collection (https://www.spitfireaudio.com/shop/a-z/olafur/); on top of that, SPITFIRE SYMPHONIC MOTIONS — an inspiring tool created by composers, for composers, offering the flexibility to design expressive shorts and intricate rhythmic patterns with ease, enhancing the realism of scores and bringing them to life — is once again available at its introductory promo price, while the time-limited introductory promo price of the recently-released ABBEY ROAD ONE: ORCHESTRAL FOUNDATIONS, created in partnership with world-famous Abbey Road Studios, showcasing the foundational film scoring sound of Studio One, ends on December 1, coinciding with the end of The Black Weekend event.
Exclusively available during The Black Weekend, two new COLLECTIONS offer standout savings: suitably weighing in at only £100.00 GBP (inc. VAT)/$100.00 USD/€100.00 EUR (inc. VAT), THE TON (https://www.spitfireaudio.com/shop/a-z/the-ton/) — taking in ORCHESTRAL SWARM, RICOTTI MALLETS, and SPITFIRE HARP — makes Spitfire Audio history as the sound-specialising British music technology company’s highest discount yet with a staggering 80% saving surely ranking as absolutely unmissable, while THE BLACK WEEKEND (https://www.spitfireaudio.com/shop/a-z/the-black-weekend/) — comprising ALBION TUNDRA, ERIC WHITACRE CHOIR, and SPITFIRE SOLO STRINGS — is also an attractive proposition at £700.00 GBP (inc. VAT)/$781.00 USD/€781.00 EUR (inc. VAT), representing a significant saving of 46% over purchasing those titles separately. Savings of 40% are applied to all other COLLECTIONS during The Black Weekend.
With so much on offer during The Black Weekend, perhaps potential purchasers can take time out to consider their options while enjoying engaging extra happenings on Spitfire Audio’s YouTube Channel and social media channels: cue a very special video created with London-born multi-instrumentalist, pianist, producer, and rapper Alfa Mist and a chosen group of musicians from the London Contemporary Orchestra (with whom Spitfire Audio has collaborated); an incredible 360-degree video with the BBC Symphony Orchestra (with whom Spitfire Audio has clearly collaborated); and the return of Spitfire Audio’s popular tombola — a game in which, for the benefit of non-British audiences, people pick tickets out of a revolving drum and certain tickets win immediate prizes — with prizes ranging from fellow British company Aston Microphones’ award-winning Spirit large-diaphragm condenser model through to the sound-specialising British music technology company’s own self-explanatory EVERYTHING hard-drive-based bundle (https://www.spitfireaudio.com/everything/) that is worth well into five-figure territory; and much more besides!
But best of all, anyone spending £299.00 GBP (inc. VAT)/$349.00 USD/€349.00 EUR (inc. VAT) or more during The Black Weekend will receive APERTURE ORCHESTRA — available as a one-off weekend-only offer which will never be made available again — for free! From an intimate string quartet to rapturous symphony orchestra, APERTURE ORCHESTRA is an inspiring, world-class creative tool and a true innovation in sampling that sees Spitfire Audio harnessing the power of four different orchestral sections to release the beastly power of strings, brass, and woodwind. Move seamlessly from a lower layer STRING QUARTET of players performing at the softest level right up to a top layer SYMPHONIC ORCHESTRA playing at full tilt — all in the same instrument. It is an imagined aperture in sound, expertly recorded in the hallowed (Lyndhurst) Hall at London’s legendary AIR Studios — scoring stage for Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters, including Harry Potter, The Dark Knight, and Interstellar — and split into two sets of articulations. As such, RAPTOR is a collection of 16 presets ranging from intimate to action in an instant. “The concept here is that you have the ‘aperture’ available at all times, whether on the short patches simply by playing harder or on the long patches by moving the mod wheel up so you get an incredible size difference,” describes Spitfire Audio co-founder and composer Paul Thomson, before adding: “There’s nothing purist about this; I think you can tell that from the dinosaur eye crying lava on the GUI!” As a collection of 14 presets offering stunning clouds of orchestras, blooming from light and textured strings to a widescreen beautiful and effects-full orchestral ambiance, the DREADNOUGHT articulations clearly change musical tack. “There we’re really finding our way through this kind of synth-made-of-orchestras feel that you get with a lot of great crossover film scores,” says Paul Thomson.
That all being said, APERTURE ORCHESTRA offers the most explosive orchestral sample-based virtual instrument library that Spitfire Audio has ever created — one which is almost impossible to recreate live, which is all the more reason to get it for free before it is gone forever! Fortunately, The Black Weekend provides plentiful opportunities to get more musical bang for the buck when spending £299.00 GBP (inc. VAT)/$349.00 USD/€349.00 EUR (inc. VAT) or more — not least APERTURE ORCHESTRA… open that imagined aperture in sound to instantly and seamlessly walk between performance worlds with mind-blowing musical results.
A selection of Spitfire Audio’s most popular individual sample libraries and virtual instruments included in The Black Weekend can conveniently be browsed and purchased via its dedicated webpage (https://www.spitfireaudio.com/black-weekend-2020-all-products/), while COLLECTIONS are already grouped here: https://www.spitfireaudio.com/shop/ranges/collections/
The following smaller Spitfire Audio libraries are excluded from The Black Weekend sale since they already represent remarkable value: DARKSTAR – HAUNTED HOUSE, ORIGINALS FIREWOOD PIANO, ORIGINALS INTIMATE STRINGS, ORIGINALS CINEMATIC SOFT PIANO, BBC SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA DISCOVER, RAVEN BUSH – MOONGLADES, ORIGINALS CINEMATIC PERCUSSION, ORIGINALS FELT PIANO, ORIGINALS EPIC BRASS AND WOODWINDS, ORIGINALS EPIC STRINGS, ALEX EPTON -ENTROPY, LEA BURTUCCI – ACOUSTIC SHADOWS, OLIVER PATRICE WEDER – OPW, ALEV LENZ – 3, and HENRIETTA SMITH-ROLLA – SPECTRUM.
Although it is not possible to purchase APERTURE ORCHESTRA, anyone spending £299.00 GBP (inc. VAT)/$349.00 USD/€349.00 EUR (inc. VAT) or more from Spitfire Audio’s online store during The Black Weekend — running from November 26, 2020 through to midnight on December 1, 2020, inclusive — will receive this 6GB sample-based virtual instrument library (featuring 30 articulations and 6,378 samples) for free within 24 hours via e-mail. (Note that there is no need to spend that amount in one order, but rather make as many orders as needed to reach the threshold throughout the full six days of The Black Weekend.)
APERTURE ORCHESTRA needs Native Instruments’ KONTAKT PLAYER (5.6.8 or higher) — a free version of the KONTAKT sample playback engine (included in its purchase) — to run as a fully NKS (NATIVE KONTROL STANDARD®) supporting plug-in instrument for Mac (OS X 10.10 or later) or Windows (7, 8, or 10 — latest Service Pack, 32/64-bit), while Spitfire Audio’s free Download Manager application allows anyone to buy now and download anytime.
For more in-depth information, including some superb-sounding audio demos by Spitfire Audio co-founder and composer Christian Henson and others, please visit the dedicated APERTURE ORCHESTRA webpage here: https://www.spitfireaudio.com/aperture-orchestra/
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.
© 2020 Spitfire Audio Holdings Limited
Immerse yourself in the unique sound world of electronic duo Darkstar — processed analog synth textures and loops, rich sub-basses, pitched-down drums, and icy, warped vocals, each layered with subliminal spectral echoes of rave culture and industrial white noise — ghosts in the machine, bleeding in and fading out.
From dark and ominous, to warm, heartfelt nostalgia, each sound is full of character and emotion, designed to create tension, depth, and atmosphere for any setting — from contemporary electronic music to hybrid, modern film, TV & game composition. Presented in our award-winning, easy-to-use dedicated plug-in, this versatile tool offers a range of controls and effects, so you can immediately transform each preset to facilitate your own vision.
Haunted House expands on the sonic palette of Darkstar’s 2020 album Civic Jams, out now on Warp Records — ‘a photonegative of a dance record’, exploring their experience of the ever-changing London music scene — the claustrophobia and the euphoria; the sense of belonging found amidst the isolation of inner-city life; the uncertainty of its future.
Available Now! For more information visit: Spitfire Audio
Darkstar’s journey into electronic music began with sequencers and extensive sampling — found sounds from the real world, films, TV shows, and samples of existing music. Their unique approach to sonic experimentation is palpable in the colour and shade of this versatile collection, made from analogue synths, organ samples, found sounds, vocals (performed by Aiden Whalley), and drums, transformed via finely tuned processing techniques — from tape saturation to outboard re-amping, implementing warmth and texture in various ways.
Haunted House follows the release of Darkstar’s acclaimed 2020 record release, Civic Jams, out now on Warp Records. On their most personal record to date, Darkstar (Aiden Whalley & James Young) counterbalance observations of their home with those of the community surrounding it, resulting in a photonegative of a dance record shaped by a dialogue between shoegaze atmospherics and UK bass music’s ‘hardcore continuum’. The sample library is an invitation for producers, composers, and artists to reimagine, recreate or completely pull apart Darkstar’s sound world and create something new.
The Civic Jams album is available to purchase via Warp Records, either on its own or from November 19th as a bundle (limited edition 12-inch vinyl + Haunted House sample library).
Patterns of isolation are increasingly easy to fall into, especially when public spaces where people play, socialize, dance, and protest are closed. Civic Jams is about reminiscing over loss, whilst moving forward with those we love. It offers an abstract look at life’s nuances and the search to find something to hold on to and enjoy.
A distillation of a sonic palette built up over the last few years, Haunted House swings from introspective to expansive, moody, and industrial to nostalgic beauty, from the highs and lows of nocturnal inner-city life, to the dawn coming through. Electronic beds of uneasy ambiance are haunted by disquieting white noise, peripheral shimmers, taking influence from various dance music genres — from shoegaze to deep house to grime, and the euphoria of 90s rave abandon — echoes of millennial-era underground dance parties at clubs including The Void and Plastic People (with presets named in tribute to Darkstar’s favorite club nights).
Reminiscent of the hauntology movement, these sounds reflect the things which lurk at the back of our mind or in memory alone — the beauty and heartbreak found in everyday life; a nostalgia for a future promised that never came to pass; faded cultural memories, with sinister undercurrents; London as a shell of its former cultural self. It captures the collective spirit of a city in mourning and its desolate horizons — a ghost town, waiting for the dawn.
— 44 presets
— SYNTHS: analog-sounding layered synth textures, from sub-basses and gritty, unsettling pads through to beautiful organ-like analogue-sounding synths.
— VO1CES: icy, processed vocal samples, performed by Aiden Whalley (Darkstar)
— FOUND SOUND: gnarly textural London sounds
— RVVM: deep, lo-fi drums and percussion loops
— W4PRD: otherworldly synth sounds, made by Spitfire developers from the source material
— Attack, Release, Reverb, Delay, Stretch & Flanger controls
— Stretch function controls the speed of the sample playback
— Dynamics slider taking you from a clean signal to a 100% processed, haunted signal, unique to each preset
— Nine custom-made reverbs
— Available in Spitfire Audio’s award-winning, dedicated plug-in
— For composers: film, TV & games scoring, especially sci-fi and thrillers — tension beds, atmosphere, warmth, texture, and ambience, and also works well combined with orchestral elements
— For producers: suited to a range of genres in the electronic sphere, from house to ambient, grime, 2-step, and beyond
— DARKSTAR
Darkstar’s origins in dance and bass music offer a fresh sonic perspective. Discovering electronic music through their love of sampling, they found their home and community in the London club scene. Their idiosyncratic take on electronic music has positioned them as key voices within the scene for the best part of two decades. In recent years, Darkstar have worked with the likes of Actress, Wild Beasts and Zomby, releasing music with Empress Of (XL) and Gaika. They have scored groundbreaking live dance performances with choreographer Holly Blakey (Mica Levi), as well as the Palme d’Or nominated short film, Dreamlands.
Darkstar were commissioned to write a piece for the Organ Reframed festival, which they performed with the London Contemporary Orchestra at Union Chapel in 2018. In 2019, they performed two of their new compositions at Queen Elizabeth Hall for Unclassified Live. They have worked with Metal Liverpool, Arts Council England, and Harthill Community center to create an installation and performance piece with teens from migrant communities. The final performance, TRACKBED, was performed at the Barbican, London.
iCON Pro Audio creates computer, tablet, and smartphone connections courtesy of dedicated Duo22 Live and Duo44 Live USB audio interfaces NASHVILLE, TN, USA: High-quality, professional-grade musical equipment provider iCON Pro Audio is proud to announce availability of Duo22 Live and Duo44 Live — macOS (10.11 and later), iOS (9 or above), Windows (7, 8, and 10), and Android compatible USB2.0 High-Speed (bus-powered) professional portable recording interfaces incorporating audio inputs and outputs with analog and digital connectivity to any smart mobile device for live streaming applications — as of November 1…
As implied by its apt appellation, Duo22 Live is a two-input/two-output USB recording interface, with front panel-positioned Mic-in (three-pin balanced XLR input for condenser microphone with +48V phantom power or dynamic microphone/quarter-inch balanced TS input for dynamic microphone) and rear panel-positioned Guitar in (Hi-Z input for guitar/bass) together with rear panel-positioned unbalanced L (left) and R (right) analog line outputs (on quarter-inch TS connectors at +6dBU line level)/Stereo out (unbalanced analog output on a standard 3.5mm stereo connector). Cutting edge? Not necessarily in name, but it is in reality — ideal, in fact, for musicians, performers, and producers who want to incorporate a smart mobile device into their setup for full-duplex recording and playback.
Put it this way: with simultaneous desktop and mobile connectivity — courtesy of the rear panel-positioned USB (for Mac/PC connection, or connecting, for example, an iPad camera kit’s USB connector), and Analog I/O TRRS stereo jack (for connecting directly to the smart mobile device’s audio I/O) and Digital I/O Type C jack (for connecting directly to the digital jack of the smart mobile device — using a required OTG adapter), users can stream audio from their connected computer directly to their connected smart mobile device while accessing the topside SmartPhone
Input Level control (to adjust the audio input level to the smart mobile device) and Master level control (which will adjust the output level of both the Duo22 Live’s line outputs and the 3.5mm stereo output). On top of that, the front panel-positioned Mon button switches between monitoring the connected smart mobile device with the connected computer’s audio signal or only the connected computer’s audio signal, while the front panel-positioned LLB (Live Loopback Button) loops back to the connected smart mobile device’s audio output to its input for live session purposes.
Thanks to its high-grade DA/AD (digital-to-analog/analog-to-digital) convertors duly delivering 114dB dynamic range throughout, truly capturing highly-detailed (24-bit/192 kHz) recordings on a computer or smart mobile device is simplicity itself with Duo22 Live. It is as easy as hooking up a condenser or dynamic microphone and a guitar or bass and — using the front panel-positioned potentiometers to control the Mic in and Guitar In connections — adjusting accordingly to quickly capture the musical moment, having connected speakers (to those rear panel-positioned outputs) or headphones (to the front panel-positioned quarter-inch TS connector, with adjacent individual volume potentiometer). Pressing the top panel-positioned Monitor button allows for direct monitoring of the input — microphone or instrument — signal through headphones without computer processing and with zero-latency while recording. Indeed, iCON Pro Audio’s rugged aluminum-constructed, compact Duo22 Live’s dual connectivity is designed to enhance mobile live streams, podcasts, or videos; from a one-man show to a full live band, broadcasting mixes at ultra-low-latency directly to a smart mobile device is a breeze.
Better still, Duo22 Live is not alone in doing what it does so well, with its Duo44 Live bigger brother effectively expanding on the concept in both its higher ‘numerical naming’ and increased connectivity count as a four-input/four-output USB recording interface also aimed at musicians, performers, and producers who want to incorporate a mobile device into their set up — this time for full-duplex simultaneous recording and playback. This time there are dual mic/instrument preamps accessed via front panel-positioned hybrid connectors (that accept a standard three-pin XLR plug or a quarter-inch balanced TS connector) alongside potentiometers to control the input level of each of the associated analog microphone/instrument inputs, while the rear panel also includes MIDI I/O on standard five-pin DIN connectors to allow adventurous Duo44 Live users to also work with, say, keyboard controllers. This time the Master level potentiometer (to control the master output level of the analog outputs) is also sited on the front panel, while the topside-sited singular Monitor knob allows for direct monitoring (eliminating the latency or delay inherent in even the best internal circuitry while listening to the input and existing tracks) when turned clockwise and ‘computer’ monitoring (complete with effects while recording by using extremely low-latency ASIO monitoring) when turned anti-clockwise.
Further flexibility abounds as Duo22 Live and Duo44 Live are both equipped with a +5V DC power supply connector, enabling external power to be supplied when working with a USB-connected iPad, for example, so no need, necessarily, to work with a computer-hosted DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). But beyond that, iCON Pro Audio’s (Windows-only) proprietary ProDriver 4 software lets Duo22 Live and Duo44 Live users redirect audio from any source on their computer and also hosts VST or DirectX plug-ins without a DAW, so saving plug-in chains as presets and recalling them during sessions is also accessible.
Anyone in the market for a road-ready rugged and portable professional USB recording interface incorporating audio inputs and outputs with analog and digital connectivity to any smart mobile device for live streaming applications need not look any further than iCON Pro Audio’s aptly-named new duo. Duo22 Live or Duo44 Live could well be the only question they now need to be asking themselves!
iCON Pro Audio’s Duo22 Live and Duo44 Live are available through the company’s growing global network of distributors respectively priced at $119.99 USD and $169.99 USD.
For more in-depth information, please visit the dedicated Duo22 Live webpage here:
For more in-depth information, please visit the dedicated Duo44 Live webpage here:
Watch the iCON Pro Audio’s Duo22 Live and Duo44 in action here:
About iCON Pro Audio (https://iconproaudio.com)
iCON Pro Audio’s products power creative projects in studios all over the world. With operations in the United States, Europe, China, and Hong Kong, its goal is to provide high-quality, professional-grade musical equipment at affordable prices. Presently manufacturing over 150 products that are sold in over 60 countries, professionals worldwide trust those products’ proven build quality and innovative design day in, day out. Originally founded as iCON Digital Limited in 1997 by a group of music technology veterans from the US, Hong Kong, and Germany, their mission was to create a company that would manufacture quality gear at an economical cost for all musicians. Mission accomplished, today iCON Pro Audio owns and operates development, manufacturing, and administrative facilities in Hong Kong and Guangzhou, China, while the US location in Nashville, Tennessee, manages international marketing, customer support, and development teams. The future looks bright, thanks to a unique international development team and an industry-leading product portfolio ranging from MIDI control surfaces and keyboard controllers, audio interfaces, studio monitors, and microphones through to a myriad of accessories, all catering to performance and studio setups of all shapes and sizes. Stimulated by musicians, engineers, and enthusiasts, product ideas are brought to reality through a unique R&D effort involving in-house engineers in the US, Europe, and Asia. Aligned with an unwavering commitment to customer service and support, the company collectively strives to provide an unmatched customer service experience for musicians and media professionals everywhere.
© 2020 iCON Pro Audio