Spitfire Audio works with Hans Zimmer on spectacular string sampling library like no other

Spitfire Audio is proud to announce upcoming availability of HANS ZIMMER STRINGS — working with the godfather of orchestral sampling himself, Hans Zimmer, to create a spectacular string sampling library like no other with no fewer than 344 of the greatest players in London assembling at AIR Studios to ultimately have technology transform them into an extraordinary-sounding ensemble available as a plug-in perfected primarily for composers by composers.

Arguably one of the greatest, certainly one of the most prolific, film composers of our time, notable for innovatively integrating electronic sounds with traditional orchestral arrangements, Hans Zimmer himself has often said, “The true magic of sampling is when you are creating something that’s impossible in reality.” In reality, creating the greatest film scores in the world involves thinking outside the box. It is little wonder, then, that Hans Zimmer, the godfather of orchestral sampling, came to high-quality virtual instrument and sampling libraries producer Spitfire Audio to turn what would become HANS ZIMMER STRINGS into reality. As such, it is perfected primarily for composers by composers to take the dynamic of any score to hitherto unimaginable levels with what is, it goes without saying, Spitfire Audio’s most ambitious sampling library yet. Make no mistake: when it comes to spectacular string sampling, thinking outside the box doesn’t get much bigger than HANS ZIMMER STRINGS!

So what, exactly, makes HANS ZIMMER STRINGS so special? For starters, Spitfire Audio adopted Hans Zimmer’s groundbreaking approach to large group-sampling and has taken it to another level entirely by assembling no fewer than 344 of the greatest players in London to perform on this library and recording them at AIR Studios. Indeed, it is the combination of such vast numbers of top-tier session players performing together as one whole that led to results that the company collectively could not have dreamt of! By breaking down those players into violins (grouped as 60 full, 20 right, 20 centre, 20 left, and 20 galleries), violas (20 centre and 20 wide), cellos (60 full, 20 right, 20 centre, 20 left, and 20 galleries), and basses (24 centre), the HANS ZIMMER STRINGS production team had the freedom and flexibility to sample them performing a large number of playing techniques, resulting in an amazing amount of compositional possibilities, perfectly usable on projects for many years to come.

Watch Spitfire Audio’s thrilling trailer video for
ALTERNATIVE SOLO STRINGS

  Come to think of it, how does Spitfire Audio’s HANS ZIMMER STRINGS sound? It is difficult to describe, but who better to give it a go, then, than company co-founders and composers Christian Henson and Paul Thomson. “When you gather large string forces it is like the thread count with Egyptian cotton sheets; the higher the count, the silkier the feel,” tenders the former, before adding: “HANS ZIMMER STRINGS offers an oceanic patina of strings and articulations. Where some techniques are often angular, here they suddenly take on a fresh beauty; try out the Col Legno Trattos, a totally unique sound.” 

Watch Spitfire Audio Director Paul Thomson’s

‘traditional’ video walkthrough of HANS ZIMMER STRINGS

 

Submits Paul Thomson: “This really will make you feel like you can create something totally new and extraordinary sounding — for example, the first experience of hearing 60 exceptional cellists playing muted as softly as possible is so memorable! Being able to realise my own musical ideas with this unusual creative toolkit is extremely inspiring.”

Watch Spitfire Audio ‘composer in residence’ Oliver Patrice Weder’s

HANS ZIMMER STRINGS ‘In Action’ video

 

 It doesn’t get much better than that. Then again, available as a (AAX, AU, VST2, and VST3) plug-in so that it can be used in DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations) directly, this is a spectacular string sampling library like no other. This time Spitfire Audio has pulled out all the stops, working with UsTwo, one of the world’s best design and user-experience agencies, to create a composition tool that’s as easy to use as it is inspiring. Honed exclusively for those spectacular samples, HANS ZIMMER STRINGS’ GUI (Graphical User Interface) is clutter-free and focused, featuring sliders for expression and dynamics, and a knob that can be easily customised to the user's personal workflow. Indeed, its intuitive navigation system is tailored specifically for orchestral work. Loading instruments is always a pleasure; preset filtering heightens this further still, so users can get on with what they do best — making music. Moreover, clear and beautiful icons means that they will always know what they are working with at a glance. Production perfection!

Put it this way, though: the name most synonymous with modern film scoring — namely, Hans Zimmer — has not only composed some of the most memorable scores in recent years, but he has also revolutionised music production for film with his innovative approach to sampling and recording. His daring instrument selection and use of unusual techniques have given his scores a distinctive reputation for making the unexpected sound like it couldn’t have been anything else. With HANS ZIMMER STRINGS, Spitfire Audio offers anyone a string library so ambitious and exciting that they’re sure to unlock areas of creativity they didn’t imagine possible!

Spitfire Audio is already accepting pre-orders on HANS ZIMMER STRINGS at a time-limited introductory promo price of £549.00 GBP (inc. VAT)/$599.00 USD/€599.00 EUR (inc. VAT) — rising thereafter to an MSRP of £699.00 GBP (inc. VAT)/$799.00 USD/€799 EUR (inc. VAT) — from here:
https://www.spitfireaudio.com/shop/a-z/hans-zimmer-strings/

(Anyone pre-ordering will receive the limited-edition HANS ZIMMER STRINGS book.)

As of March 28, 2018, HANS ZIMMER STRINGS is available as a dedicated (AAX, AU, VST2, and VST3) plug-in for Mac (OS X 10.10, 10.11, macOS 10.12, 10.13 — 184 GB HD or SSD space required) and PC (Windows 8, 10 — 184 GB HD or SSD space required)

For more in-depth information, including several superb-sounding audio demos, please visit the dedicated HANS ZIMMER STRINGS webpage here: https://www.spitfireaudio.com/shop/a-z/hans-zimmer-strings/ 

About Spitfire Audio (www.spitfireaudio.com)
Spitfire Audio is a British music technology company producing high-quality virtual instruments and sample libraries. The company collaborates with the world’s best composers, producers, engineers, and studios to create detailed and realistic recordings of instruments and sounds for use in computer-based music production. Prominent collaborators include Hans Zimmer, Air Studios, Eric Whitacre, and many more. © 2018 Spitfire Audio Holdings Limited

Eventide announces availability of highly-anticipated H9 Control as Android App for H9 Harmonizer® Effects Processor

Recording technology trailblazer Eventide is proud to announce availability of its new H9 Control App for Android tablets and phones — providing users with an ability to manage parameters, presets, and settings for its popular H9 Harmonizer® Effects Processor stompbox family.

Eventide’s H9 Harmonizer® is a powerful effects processor perfect for live usage (on stage and FOH) or, of course, in the studio. Suitably paired with an appropriate Android tablet or phone, the new H9 Control App offers the following functionality:

• Instant access to over 500 presets, pushing the boundaries of delays, reverbs, pitch-shifting, modulation, and distortion.
• Manage multiple parameters and instantly create new and unprecedented sounds using The Ribbon control.
• Easily access Pedal Settings such as Tuner, MIDI Settings, Routing, and Aux Switch Mappings.
• Manage and create unique sounds with the editor librarian.
• Create hundreds of effects on the App and easily transfer them to the H9 Harmonizer®.
• Create Preset Lists using the drag-and-drop feature.
• Audition and purchase new effect algorithms via the built-in Store.

Compatible with Android 6+ (Marshmallow and newer), H9 Control is available for free from Eventide directly or via the Google Play store here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.eventide.h9

For more in-depth information, please visit the dedicated H9 Control webpage here: http://www.eventideaudio.com/h9control

Watch Eventide’s enticing H9 Control App for Android tablets and phones promo video

Eventide® and Harmonizer® are registered trademarks of Eventide Inc. Android™ is a trademark of Google LLC.

About Eventide (www.eventideaudio.com)
Since 1971, Eventide has remained at the forefront of recording technology. In 1975 it revolutionized the audio industry by creating the world’s first commercially available digital audio effects unit, the H910 Harmonizer®. Since then, its legendary studio processors, stompboxes, and plug-ins have been heard on countless hit records. Eventide® and Harmonizer® are registered trademarks of Eventide Inc.

© 2018 Eventide Inc.

Strymon shapes first foray into Eurorack effects with feature-filled Magneto module

Having turned heads and opened ears at The 2018 NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA, powerful processing effects developer Strymon is proud to announce availability of Magneto — illustrating its first foray into the Eurorack small-format modular market with an aptly-subtitled Four Head dTape Echo Looper module packed with powerful features while maintaining intuitive playability, perfect for creating expansive soundscapes and evolving, otherworldly tones.

As implied by the Four Head dTape Echo & Looper legend blazoned across an attractive yet functional front panel that is instantly recognisable as springing forth from the Strymon stable, Magneto is a stereo multi-head tape delay that also functions as a looper, phrase sampler, vintage spring reverb unit, phase-aligned clock multiplier, chaotic oscillator, zero-latency sub-oscillator, and more, with extensive CV I/O.

Strymon states that it wants to build products with no compromises, push the limits of technology in music, and redefine what is possible with music gear. Magneto moves that praiseworthy philosophy into the ever-expanding Eurorack small-format modular market. Making that move made sense to the self-styled small company that wants to create gear that is fun to design and fun to play. Pete Celi — DSP and Sound Designer at the company he co-founded with Dave Fruehling and Gregg Stock — sees it this way: “We were seeing some musicians using the Strymon pedals in their Eurorack setups, and El Capstan [dTape Echo] seemed to be a popular choice, where people would place it at the end of their signal chain and sweeten up their signal with some nice tape delay sounds, so it seemed like a good place to start. We knew that by introducing something in the Eurorack format that would give us the ability to really expand on the capabilities and feature set.”

Succeeding in doing that — and more, Magneto transforms even the smallest rack into a fully expressive, immersive instrument as an interstellar space machine fit for creating expansive soundscapes and evolving, otherworldly tones, and adding layers upon layers of harmonic and rhythmic complexity within an enveloping stereo field. It infuses Eurorack with vintage warmth and retro-futuristic soul. Try turning monophonic signals into complex orchestrations, creating new oscillator tones using self-oscillation, and adding rich stereo dimension to any sound while enjoying the inherent warmth and sweet, subtle distortion characteristics of magnetic tape.

To capture the full experience and complexity of a vintage tape echo machine, Strymon studied and faithfully recreated every last tape system attribute. From the sought-after natural saturation and soft clipping of magnetic tape when driven hard to hands-on, real-time controls for TAPE AGE, TAPE CRINKLE, and mechanical WOW & FLUTTER, Magneto delivers a rich multi-head delay experience that adds life and vibe to any user’s sound.

Watch Magneto video

Saying that, every function, control, gain stage, and signal path component in Magneto works together to respond musically and smoothly, even during the wildest live modular improvisations. All this is combined with a luxurious SPRING reverb to take the hosting modular setup’s sound to a new level, and its user’s sonic explorations into far-out territories.

Technically speaking, Strymon has equipped Magneto with a completely analogue dry path — unlike in a typical digital effect, where the dry signal gets converted to digital, causing conversion noise and latency. That terrifying scenario sees signals often being attenuated before combining digital dry and wet, with makeup gain amplifying the conversion noise — not the case with Magneto, where improvements in dynamic range and noise reduction are striking.

Strymon has helpfully outfitted Magneto with the incredibly powerful Analog Devices SHARC ADSP-21369 processor, providing a 366 MHz core instruction rate, and an incredible 2.4 Gigaflops of peak performance. This high-powered technology platform provided the freedom to craft processor-intense tape echo algorithms without compromise.

Cutting to the specification chase, Magneto does not disappoint as a tape-voiced delay machine (with four playback heads and one record head) that includes: processor-intense dTape algorithm (delivers meticulously nuanced recreations of vintage tape echo systems); ECHO, LOOP (Sound on Sound looper), and phrase SAMPLE modes; varispeed algorithm with dynamic machine mechanics (8:1 speed range); input record level (for clean reproduction to warm, fat saturation); self-oscillation (for tone generation); independent SPRING reverb; dedicated control over tape mechanics, machine health, and tone; transport controls (buttons and CV inputs) for real-time performance options; individual playback head level controls; three stereo head panning options (including user-defined custom panning); phase-aligned clock out (CLK OUT) CVs synched with clock in (CLK IN) CV; 15 seconds delay/loop time at maximum speed and two minutes at minimum speed; 200µS minimum delay time at maximum speed; 50ms – 15s clock in CV range; 50ms – 15s TAP button range; 10ms – 15s TAP CV range; 114db typical signal to noise; 96kHz sampling rate; 22 kOhm audio input Impedance; 20 Vpp maximum audio input level; 1 kOhm audio output impedance; and 20 Vpp maximum audio output level.

Having packed so many powerful features into the 28HP-rack width Magneto module, seemingly Strymon are only just getting started — as implied by Pete Celi’s closing words: “We’ve got a good library of effects that we think can be good starting points to develop further and turn into things that are suitable and fun and add value and enhancement to people’s experience and experimentations in modular.”

Magneto can be purchased directly from the Strymon Store (https://store.strymon.net/magneto/) in the US for $599.00 or through Strymon’s growing global network of authorised dealers (https://www.strymon.net/dealers/).

For more in-depth information, including informative video demonstrations, please visit the dedicated Magneto webpage here: https://www.strymon.net/products/magneto/

About Strymon (www.strymon.net)
Damage Control was founded in 2004 with the release of its line of tube-driven effects pedals, which earned critical acclaim and became firm favourites among guitarists across the globe. Product development under the Strymon name began in 2009, and the rest, as they say, is history… building products with no compromises; pushing the limits of what is possible with music gear; using exceptionally great components and ridiculously powerful processors; making gear that sounds better than anything; making its customers happy; inspiring them to create amazing music.
© 2018 Damage Control Engineering LLC

Antelope Audio announces availability of EDGE Strip discrete preamp and modelling mic bundle

Having turned heads and opened ears during a must-see showcase at The 2018 NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA earlier this year, high-end professional audio equipment manufacturer Antelope Audio is proud to announce availability of the EDGE Strip bundle — comprising the trailblazing EDGE modelling microphone and specifically-designed DISCRETE MP Discrete Dual Ultra-Linear Microphone Preamp, perfectly paired to tender the same audio quality as a locker-full of vintage mics and rack-full of outboard gear as an all-in-one solution for high-quality studio recordings with vintage analogue sound.

Antelope Audio’s talented team of engineering experts, led by capable company CEO Igor Levin, designed DISCRETE MP to perfectly match the frequency response of the already-available, trailblazing EDGE, a large-diaphragm modelling microphone featuring dual edge-terminated capsules for a smooth/natural sound, reproducing the expressiveness and character of costly classic microphones — albeit without excessive expense. Elsewhere, the EDGE Strip-bundled DISCRETE MP dual-input microphone preamplifier places the same transistor schematic that beats at the state-of-the-art heart of the aptly-named DISCRETE 8 Thunderbolt™ & USB Interface with 8 Discrete Mic Preamps and DISCRETE 4 Thunderbolt™ & USB Interface with 4 Discrete Mic Preamps series siblings — released to critical acclaim late last year — at its user’s fingertips.

Furthermore, the EDGE Strip bundle comes complete with the free native-format Fusion AFX Pack plug-ins, including several microphone and preamp emulations alongside the BA 1073 EQ (inspired by the Seventies-vintage channel module with a specific analogue punch putting in an appearance on many notable recordings) and STAY-LEVIN compressor (personally designed by Igor Levin at Antelope Audio to capture the spirit of its historic hardware namesake that shaped the special sound of a slew of Sixties Stateside classics).

Clearly, then, the days of spending tens of thousands of dollars on a vintage mic collection are over, thanks to those must-have microphone emulations: BERLIN 47 FT allows authentic access to the sound of one of the most popular microphones in the history of audio recording; BERLIN 67 carries with it the true sound of an iconic tube condenser microphone with multiple — cardioid, omni, and figure eight — polar patterns, popularised as a result of its signature sound and adaptability; BERLIN 87 is the go-to microphone when it comes to recording brass sections, guitars, overheads, piano, percussion, strings, and vocals; and TOKYO 800T, a vintage tube mic with a super-low noise floor and extreme sensitivity that is a top choice for many masters of vocal recording. Reality bites still further with ANTELOPE V76, GIRAFFE G9, and BAE 1073 MP preamp emulations par excellence.

Watch Antelope Audio’s cutting-edge EDGE

modelling microphone demonstration video

Evidence has it that Antelope Audio has always collectively prided itself in coming up with technologies that unite the digital and analogue audio worlds. While both DISCRETE MP and EDGE are all-analogue devices, making them fully compatible with any audio interface and A/D converter central to any studio setup anywhere, DISCRETE MP allows users to explore the full potential of EDGE in both Antelope Audio-centred setups or other audio systems. Saying that, thanks to its 1kHz hardware calibration OSC (oscillator), DISCRETE MP easily adapts to any studio setup.

Still deeper, DISCRETE MP masterfully makes available Antelope Audio’s signature sonic footprint of pristine audio quality. The unique discrete design of its preamp allows Antelope Audio to modify each individual aspect of the preamp, putting total control over colouration, clarity, and character in the hands of discerning users.

Ultimately, DISCRETE MP powerfully punches well above its (950g) weight while packing a lot into its diminutive (190mm W x 46.5mm H x 157mm D) dimensions, as evidenced by its impressive technical specifications: two INPUTS on MIC-XLR and LINE-USE 1/4” JACK, offering 20dBu max balanced @ 2kΩ (XLR only) and 29dBu max balanced @ 13K to ground (TRS only); two TRS OUTPUTS (22dBu max); USB CONTROL I/O (USB 2.0 Full-Speed Type B for remote control only); and a mic preamp pushing out an accomplished gain range of 0dB to 61dB (in 1dB steps) alongside 48V phantom power.

Put it this way: when taken together as the EDGE Strip breakthrough bundle, Antelope Audio’s all-new, all-analogue DISCRETE MP Discrete Dual Ultra-Linear Microphone Preamp and already-available EDGE modelling microphone make for a killer combination!

EDGE Strip — a breakthrough bundle of Antelope Audio’s all-new, all-analogue DISCRETE MP Discrete Dual Ultra-Linear Microphone Preamp and already-available, trailblazing EDGE modelling microphone — is now available to purchase through Antelope Audio’s growing global network of dealers with an MSRP of €1,295.00 EUR. (Note that the free native-format Fusion AFX Pack plug-ins are all iLok protected; users can create a free account for the iLok Licensing System and purchase the third-generation iLok Smart Key from here: https://www.ilok.com.)

For more in-depth information, please visit the dedicated EDGE Strip webpage here: https://en.antelopeaudio.com/products/edge-strip/

About Antelope Audio (www.antelopeaudio.com)
Antelope Audio is a leading manufacturer of high-end professional audio equipment, pioneering the adoption of atomic clock generators in audio master clocks through utilising CEO Igor Levin’s 25-plus years of experience in digital audio. Antelope was the first company to design a 1U 32-channel audio interface and a multi-channel portable interface with 12 mic pres. The company’s customers include many GRAMMY® award-winning sound engineers and some of the most renowned recording, mastering, and post-production facilities around the globe.
© 2018 Antelope Audio