Audified revolutionises “Record it all” live event capture with risk-free RecAll multichannel MacOS application

Host application and audio effects developer Audified is proud to announce availability of RecAll — revolutionising risk-free “Record it all” live event capture as an easily set up and easy to use multichannel MacOS application (developed in Cocoa, directly accessing Core Audio).

RecAll really resulted from the facts of (recording) life (often on the road) posing some serious questions. Questions like: An awesome live show but no time for slow DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) preparation? Risk missing an important part of the event? Easier said than done, Audified advanced some simple solutions: Record it all. Simply. Quickly.

Not quite so simple — or quick, probably, putting those solutions into practice produced an appropriately named result: RecAll. Reality dictates that when working sound reinforcement events there is usually next to no time available for ancillary recording. After all, although most DAWs can be set up to record multichannel events, configuring them to do so is never a straightforward event in itself. Indeed, truth be told, overly-featured DAWs are not really geared up for risk-free, no-nonsense live event recording. RecAll revolutionises that sorry scenario. Simply. Quickly.

Quickly cutting to the chase, how does it do that, then? The RecAll name gives the game away. Record it all. Simply. Quickly. Open the application, select the setup from the template menu, and hit Record. Really, it’s that easy!

No need to spend valuable time repeatedly naming inputs and channels on a DAW anymore as RecAll takes care of that. That being said, it also allocates intelligent metering, automatically toggling between the two types available during the recording process. Before recording starts, standard meters show the input level at the time. When recording starts, the meters show the signal history, so no need to check them constantly, which is especially useful if RecAll’s main window is hidden. Preview recorded tracks with the click of a button. Export the takes into (almost) any DAW for mixing — all the tracks are automatically structured and titled when dragging and dropping the files from each take. Intelligent multitrack recording… without the trouble.

 

Trouble-free, easily set up, and easy to use, Audified’s revolutionary RecAll multichannel MacOS application allows for a maximum of 256 stereo and mono channels. All are recorded as CAF (Core Audio Format) files, a ‘container’ for storing audio designed by Apple to overcome limitations of older digital audio formats. Firstly, it is not limited to a 4GB file size, so can theoretically save hundreds of years of recorded audio due to its use of 64-bit file offsets. That in itself renders the file format as a perfect candidate for live event recording — always a risky business by virtue of there being no second chances. CAF also allows use of the files to the point where recording stopped, even if forced upon the unsuspecting recordist as a result of unfortunate or unforeseen scenarios, such as running out of disk space on the drive being recorded to or disconnection — accidental or otherwise — of an audio interface. Helpfully, however, RecAll offers three ways to open a project — one for creating a new project with a fresh hardware connection (selecting the number of stereo and mono channel strips), one for creating a new project with existing hardware (reusing an already-created channel setup, track names, and colours), and, crucially, one to continue working on an already-created project (which is useful if RecAll had to be quit through no fault of its own before continuing with an existing project).

Project configuration adjustments can be made directly from within RecAll’s main window, including adding or removing channel strips, arming channels for recording, and toggling between mono and stereo tracks, while complete configuration is available in the Inspector window, where users can select one or more channel strips to be edited using standard modifiers, such as shift (to select a range of channel strips) and command (to select several strips at any position). Once in the Inspector window, assigning channel strip names and colour, arming channels for recording, toggling between mono/stereo, and assigning channels to the strip remains simplicity itself. It is also worth noting that if multiple tracks end up with the same name, RecAll automatically adds indexes to distinguish between them. Manually reindexing a channel strip is also perfectly possible, in which case RecAll reindexes the rest of the channels strips to ensure unique naming remains intact.

Risk-free recording duly completed, RecAll users can quickly check the recorded files from the main window or within the Track Player window (which can be detached from the main bar by simply dragging it to another position). Press the Play button in the main bar to play the master (mixed) track or press the Play button in individual channel strips to listen to individual input recordings. Most of the playback controls are standard and are just like the transport found in any DAW. Alternative takes — part of a recording between pressing the Record and then the Stop buttons (visible to the right of the Project name) — can be heard by using the assigned buttons (or selecting from the Take menu).

More meaningfully, as implied by its appropriate appellation, RecAll really records it all. Simply. Quickly. Question is: if tasked with recording an awesome multichannel live event, is it really worth risking using anything else?
 

RecAll is available to purchase for $49.00 USD from Audified’s online shop here: https://shop.audified.com/products/recall (Note RecAll requires iLok License Manager 3.1.6 or newer as it is protected by PACE Anti-Piracy Inc.’s software machine license or USB smart key device, details of which are highlighted here: https://shop.audified.com/pages/how-to-activate-ilok-license)

  

The latest version (1.0.2) of RecAll can be directly downloaded for MacOS (10.9 and above) from Audified here:

https://services.audified.com/download/RecAll-1P-102-Mac

For more in-depth information, please visit the dedicated RecAll webpage here: https://shop.audified.com/products/recall

About Audified (www.audified.com)
Audified is the premier brand of privately-owned Boskovice-based DISK Multimedia, s.r.o. in the Czech Republic, created to develop specialised audio applications, as well as handling the company’s high-end hardware product portfolio. Pioneering the development of audio applications for live (realtime) performance, as well as developing the first audio effects plug-ins for Apple’s Mac OS X, the company created some of the first plug-ins for Power|Core, TC Electronic’s hardware-accelerated DSP platform, prompting the Danish developer’s then-PR Manager Thomas Valter to comment, “Our two companies have been working closely together on various projects, and we are very satisfied with the products that have been a result of our cooperation.” Consequently, the company returned to its host application and audio effects developmental roots in 2007 by branding itself with the Audiffex appellation to resourcefully reflect that directional change with an award-winning array of innovations, including MixChecker — a must-have mixing assistant plug-in that transforms studio monitors into classic reference monitors or one of several consumer devices to instantly improve mixes. Moreover, Audified is not just a for-profit business, however; its parental company clearly cares about the future of audio software/hardware development, developing partnerships with both Janacek Academy of Music and Performing Arts (JAMU) in Brno, Czech Republic — realising a research project to bring modern audio engineering technologies to music education, and also Brno University of Technology, one of the Czech Republic’s leading research and teaching institutions — working with the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication Technologies on scientific projects. Participating in organising entry exams and teaching at these highly-respected higher education establishments has helped establish the first specialised studies of audio engineering in the Czech Republic. In keeping with spreading the (audio engineering) word, Audified has helpfully seen fit to recently release a range of free plug-ins, available from here: http://shop.audified.com/collections/products/free#tags
© 2018 Audified

WMD fuels fire for expanding Eurorack world with singular-sounding Fracture multi-particle percussion synth module

Modular synthesizers, guitar pedals, and standalone musical instruments manufacturer WMD is proud to announce availability of Fracture — a multi-particle percussion synthesizer module for small-format Eurorack modular systems that applies concepts from classic analogue clap circuits to granular synthesis techniques to generate a wide palette of sounds while maintaining a simple, intuitive interface.

Initially inspired by audience applause, hip-hop samples, and classic drum machines, Fracture is much more than another percussion module or ‘sample player’ for expanding Eurorack modular system setups since it uses granular synthesis techniques to generate a wide palette of sounds while maintaining a simple, intuitive interface. In itself, that’s no small feat. For granular synthesis is a technique that operates on the microsound time scale (specifically shorter than one tenth of a second and longer than 10 milliseconds, including the 20 Hz to 20 kHz audio frequency range and the infrasonic frequency range below 20 Hz); based on the same principal as sampling, samples are not conventionally played back, but split into smaller segments or grains (of around one to 50 milliseconds) that may be layered on top of each other, played at different speeds, phases, volume, and frequency (amongst other parameters).
 
Proprietary micro-samples — specifically recorded for this purpose by WMD — is where it all starts for Fracture. It ends with an engine built to suit those samples, ultimately. Unlike WMD’s first Eurorack percussion synthesizer module, Chimera, which involves impulse-rich samples at its tonal centre, Fracture uses single-impulse samples such as claps, ping-pong balls, opening a beer can, and many more. Moreover, it then plays back a group of similar such samples in a pseudo-random order resulting in unique hits. DENSITY, DECAY, and TAIL settings all affect tone and how ‘tight’ the user’s virtual clappers are to playing together.

Watch WMD’s Fracture features and controls video

 

Trying to design a clap percussion module with wide-reaching range — from classic drum machine claps all the way to full audience applause — was WMD’s definitive design goal for Fracture. Fortunately, Fracture exceeded expectations, ending up as a module capably covering an amazing array of timbres that reach way beyond the scope of claps.

Fracture features a number of other outstanding sound-sculpting tools packed into its slender (8HP width) frame, including a stereo output (OUT L and OUT R); built-in H (Hall) and R (Room) REVERB; two trigger inputs for different sound types — TRIG triggers a burst of particles and TICK triggers a single particle (independently of the TRIG input); three types of filter; three types of envelope; and a free-running, voltage-controlled ‘applause’ capability. CV (Control Voltage) over all parameters is also available of course.

Creating singular-sounding percussion that fuels fire for the ever-expanding Eurorack world is perfectly possible with WMD’s latest (multi-particle percussion synthesizer) module. Making room for Fracture is surely space well filled and money well spent!

Shipping now, Fracture is available to purchase through WMD’s growing global network of authorised dealers (https://www.wmdevices.com/pages/wmd-authorized-dealers) with an MSRP of $269.00 USD.

For more in-depth information, please visit the dedicated Fracture webpage here:
https://wmdevices.com/products/fracture

About WMD (www.wmdevices.com)
WMD is a manufacturer of music hardware, including modular synthesizers, guitar pedals, and standalone musical instruments. Its focus is to create quality products with an emphasis on features and versatility. More of an artist collective than a brand or a company, everyone involved makes music or art in one way or another. As such, striving to make products that they would actually use in their everyday musical lives is the order of the day. Doing this requires running an extensive beta-testing program in which potential products get put into its own rigs alongside those of well-known artists with which WMD has grown. Getting gigged and recorded before hitting the market makes for powerful products with intuitive feature sets and the top-notch build quality with which WMD has made its notable name.
© 2018 WMD

LayR Synthesizer for iOS gets updated with many freshly added features and major improvements

LayR version 1.2, a huge update for LayR, a massively polyphonic, multi-timbral synthesizer for iOS (iPad/iPhone) bringing lots of new features and some major improvements. In fact there are so many changes it's difficult to include them all on a small release sheet, so interested users should please read the new PDF manual for full details.

Meanwhile here's a list of the major features:

• Audio Unit: LayR now includes a fully functional audio unit version with a dynamic user interface that adapts to the available screen space.
• PDF Manual: The old help system is replaced by a comprehensive manual which can be read in-app or exported to your preferred PDF reader.
• Improved User Interface: The entire UI has been given a modern facelift including pinch to zoom, double tap to zoom and fully labelled controls in the Layer Editor.
• Instrument Mixer Drag & Drop: Instrument and Layer strips can now be re-arranged in the Instrument Mixer. Layers can be converted to new Instruments or copied between instruments with drag and drop.
• MIDI Controller Mixer: A new panel that sports optional sliders for Channel Volumes and every MIDI cc that's been assigned to the current performance. Allows users to perform live MIDI controller mixing in-app. Can also be used to query which parameters have been assigned to MIDI and in which Instrument/Layer they are located.
• Arpeggio Sequencer: The arpeggiator gets a more descriptive name and some cool additions including new event types, new playback modes and the ability to set mode, speed and length per track.
• Modulation Matrix: Modulation sources in the Layer Editor can now be routed to any destination.
• Improved Oscillator: The oscillator gets Coarse/Fine tuning and "Fixed Mode" which decouples the oscillator from the MIDI keyboard. Also FM has been greatly improved with a new mode allowing modulation over the full audio range.
• LFO Sync Mode: Keeps LFOs in all playing voices synced to the same phase as each other.
• Wave Folder Pitch Adjust: The amount of folding is now reduced as notes get higher, this helps reduce aliasing artefacts that may be introduced by the folder when processing high frequency content.
• Legacy Mode: A experimental option that keeps LayR's engine to a fixed lower CPU usage, this will hopefully extend LayR's lifetime for users with older, lower powered iOS devices.
• Light Colour Scheme: An optional lighter colour scheme for use in bright daylight conditions.
• 2nd MIDI Input Port: For stand-alone app: A port which listens on all channels for MIDI Bank Select/Program messages, this port can be used to select Performance presets while allowing the other input port to use all 16 channels for multi-timbral use.
• New Presets: A whole new bank of 36 presets by Sky Runner and another new bank dedicated to individual user presets.

get Layr on the appstore



Layr demo

Q Up Arts creates collection of Apple Loops with GRAMMY®-winning Santana musical director and bassist Benny Rietveld

World-class sound collections developer/licensor Q Up Arts is proud to announce availability of Benny Rietveld Bass: Latin Fusion vol. 1 — an Apple Loops-based smokin’ spin on Latin fusion and pop/rock basslines by Benny Rietveld. 
 
As implied by name, Benny Rietveld Bass: Latin Fusion vol. 1 is Q Up Arts’ first collaborative collection with Santana musical director and bassist Benny Rietveld. The product itself is offered up as Apple Loops and also WAVs (Waveform Audio Files), and additionally arranged in Apple Logic Pro X session files for creatively sparking song-starters, jamming, or just getting going with new bass ideas.

As musical director and bassist for rock and Latin American jazz fusion-pioneering musician Carlos Santana for 25 years, Benny Rietveld is clearly no slouch when it comes to navigating the fretboard’s lower regions. Résumé registers playing and recording with many more musical greats, including Miles Davis, Sheila E, John Lee Hooker, Dave Matthews, Rob Thomas, and Michel Legrand, to name but a notable few. He also features in concert video performances with Santana and Miles Davis and on live network TV shows such as Letterman, Dancing With The Stars, Jay Leno, Jools Holland, and George Lopez. A former composition major at the University of Hawaii, Benny Rietveld is an eight-time GRAMMY Awards® winner and also the recipient of three Latin GRAMMY® Awards — for performances par excellence on Santana’s Supernatural and Shaman albums, having played on the hit songs ‘Smooth’, ‘Game Of Love’, and others.

No wonder Benny Rietveld proved to be a perfect musical fit for the latest Latin fusion-leaning Q Up Arts Apple Loops treatment for the namesake Benny Rietveld Bass: Latin Fusion vol. 1. The talented bassist played against Q Up Arts’ award-winning Latin Groove Factory, featuring files encoded to be used as WAVs and Apple Loops, so that they will work in all DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations). The namesake resulting release really hammers home the simple fact that nothing beats the real thing when it to comes to the masterful feel and driving intention that only a world-class bassist can bring to the production table. This, in turn, means Benny Rietveld Bass: Latin Fusion vol. 1 brings anyone’s productions to life. Featuring full-length and short loop-able sections, it also includes standalone basslines and mixes with percussion. Ultimately, users can even add their own loops and rhythms to those basslines for added flexibility.

Still better, Benny Rietveld’s bass-playing prowess was duly captured for Benny Rietveld Bass: Latin Fusion vol. 1 by GRAMMY Awards®- and Emmy™-nominated veteran recording and mix engineer Bill Malina at his California studio in Sherman Oaks. His exceptional engineering and production credits are almost endless, transcending genres to encompass the likes of Van Halen, Ringo Starr, Santana, Lady Gaga, Pitbull, Flo Rida, Quincy Jones, Katy Perry, Charlie Wilson, and many more Platinum-selling recording artists. As such, both Benny Rietveld and Q Up Arts are inevitably in good hands here.

Helpfully, whether seriously studying an instrument or just jamming along to loops like those found in Benny Rietveld Bass: Latin Fusion vol. 1, Q Up Arts highly recommends Anytune, a consumer iOS and Mac app allowing musicians to control tempo and pitch to act as a powerful learning aid. Adjust the tempo to hear every note and nuance in perfect pitch. Use the loop trainer feature to gradually increase playing speed or even perfect playing overspeed! Or create original arrangements of Benny Rietveld’s smokin’ basslines. Learn a song or practice a set in a different key or tuning with pitch adjustments to cents recallable for each song. Simply plug in an instrument and play along with using LiveMix to effectively jam with a genuine bass-playing legend like no other! Use ReFrame to isolate or mute instruments, scroll text TABS or lyrics, and much more. Moreover, Q Up Arts drum and bass loops like those found in Benny Rietveld Bass: Latin Fusion vol. 1 can even be downloaded directly from within iTunes itself.

By buying Benny Rietveld Bass: Latin Fusion vol. 1, Apple Logic Pro X and Garageband users alike can benefit from Apple Loops of Benny Rietveld basslines and mixes with percussion from Q Up Arts’ Latin Groove Factory in more musical ways than one. One thing’s for sure, though: whatever way Benny Rietveld Bass: Latin Fusion vol. 1 is used, its users will be playing with one of the best bassists to put fingers to frets, so no need to fret over sounding substandard! Indeed, it does what it says on the tin: “BENNY RIETVELD … who is really just a rocker dude, plays some pseudo-versions of Latin music inspired … BASS!”

Benny Rietveld Bass: Latin Fusion vol. 1 can be purchased and directly downloaded (as Apple Loops, Logic Pro X session files, or WAVs) for a time-limited introductory promo price of $39.00 USD until the end of May 2018 — rising thereafter to $49.00 USD — from here: http://www.quparts.com/Benny-Rietveld-Bass-Latin-Fusion-vol-1-p/brblogic1.htm (Please note that Q Up Arts’ end user license agreement prohibits the use of these loops for inclusion in production music or sample/loop libraries.)

About Q Up Arts (www.quparts.com)
Q Up Arts was founded in the central Californian coastal city of Santa Cruz in 1993 by Douglas and Susan Morton fresh from E-Mu Systems and Optical Media International in Silicon Valley, where they developed and licensed samples and audio for the music, computer, film, tv, and game industries. Its goal is to inspire fellow composers, producers, and recording artists with unique and enduring instruments usable for years to come. Currently developing and licensing world-class sound collections for professional music producers, film/tv composers, computer companies, and recording artists across the globe, for licensing enquiries contact Q Up Arts Licensing on 00 1 (310) 714-9547.
© 2018 Q Up Arts.com, LLC

Eventide announces availability of Blackhole for Native Instruments NKS®

Recording technology trailblazer Eventide is proud to announce that its popular Blackhole reverb plug-in is now NKS-ready — reconfigured to support Native Instruments’ Native Kontrol Standard extended plug-in format for use with MASCHINE and KOMPLETE KONTROL keyboards and software.

As reflected in its updated GUI (Graphical User Interface), Blackhole is part of Eventide’s H9 Plug-In Series designed with live performance in mind. The Ribbon control can be mapped to any combination of parameters giving a performer a single control over a world of effects. Integration with the NKS platform makes the Ribbon an integral part of the performer’s instrument.

Watch Eventide’s ‘extraterrestrial’ promo video for Blackhole here:

 

Whereas most reverbs are constrained by the physics of the real world, Blackhole creates virtual spaces that could never exist in reality. It can turn a simple drum track into an otherworldly rhythm section. Capable of creating epic soundscapes, space-warping special effects and drones, Blackhole can cover spaces as small as a room and as large as space itself.

Features
• Easy to use interface and more than 50 presets, including some by Eventide artists: Richard Devine, Vernon Reid, Flood & Alan Moulder, Jonsi & Alex (Sigur Rós), and John Agnello.
• Unique Gravity control reverses the arrow of time by inverting the reverb’s decay.
• Innovative Ribbon and Hotswitch allow for changing any combination of parameters simultaneously.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to have Eventide, a brand famous for their high-quality, creative FX, on the NKS platform and deeply integrated into our KOMPLETE KONTROL and MASCHINE eco-systems,” says Native Instruments’ Ray Chemo.

“We’re delighted to add our ‘special sauce’ to Native Instruments’ eco-system,” enthuses Eventide Software Developer Tom Longabaugh, continuing: “It will be exciting to discover ways in which Blackhole will be used in both live performance and in music production by a community of artists who have yet to discover the universe of effects that we’re known for.”

The now-NKS-ready Blackhole is available — as an AAX/AU/VST plug-in for Mac OS X 10.7+ and Windows 7+ — at a promo price of $69.00 USD until May 31, 2018 (rising thereafter to an MSRP of $199.00 USD) from Eventide dealers and its website: https://www.eventideaudio.com

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

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.
© 2018 Eventide Inc.

KMI works with Dan the Automator on creating custom K-MIX to help bring back Dr. Octagon

“For the Dr. Octagon shows we decided to debut this thing we were working on, which is essentially a multitrack DJ mixer; it involves a K-MIX and a bunch of custom wiring and buttons and a computer [built] into an arcade kind of machine, where we can work it all from the front panels and use whatever DAW we want, but control it through all sorts of different sides.” - Dan the Automator (hip-hop producer), 2018

Innovative hardware and software developer Keith McMillen Instruments is proud to announce that it has worked with acclaimed hip-hop producer Dan the Automator on creating a custom K-MIX next-generation audio interface and programmable mixer to technically help with bringing back Dr. Octagon — a persona created and used by Kool Keith (whose 1996 Dr. Octagonecologyst debut solo album also represented Dan the Automator’s first long-playing production credit) — on stage and on record for the first time in over two decades…

Launched to widespread critical acclaim back in January 2016 as an audio interface, digital mixer, and control surface literally like no other — not least thanks to its unbreakable precision opto-tactile control surface designed from the ground up to command any DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), never mind the transparent µPre preamps for quality recording in the studio or on stage as well as its full-featured flexible routing, per-channel DSP (Digital Signal Processing), and an ability to function without a computer, Keith McMillen Instruments’ innovative K-MIX proved perfect for a customisation collaboration central to acclaimed hip-hop producer Dan the Automator’s involvement in bringing back Dr. Octagon on stage.

Watch Dan the Automator and DJ Hard Rich in this Keith McMillen Instruments’

custom K-MIX-mentioning video interview

Speaking of records, Dr. Octagonecologyst, the 1996 debut solo album from Kool Keith under his Dr. Octagon persona represented Dan the Automator’s first long-playing production credit. Coming together on stage for the first time with Dr. Octagon’s original lineup of Kool Keith, DJ QBert, and their producer proved technically challenging for Dan the Automator, already no stranger to Keith McMillen Instruments’ innovative K-MIX himself (having used one on the ‘What Makes The World Go ’Round (MONEY!)’ song sympathetically underscoring the closing credits for the 2016-released crime thriller Money Monster starring Hollywood hotshots George Clooney and Julia Roberts). Little wonder, then, that Dan the Automator turned to Keith McMillen Instruments to effectively create a customised K-MIX in close collaboration with DJ Hard Rich, lead developer at Dan the Automator’s The Glue Factory studio/workshop and Thud Rumble. “My role at Thud Rumble is to help with both the design and the development of all the hardware — sort of like Q from the James Bond movies,” he semi-seriously states.

Continues DJ Hard Rich: “We made a custom multitrack mixer using a K-MIX and a 10-point multi-touch screen with a Mac mini’s guts stripped out and mounted inside of it. It runs Logic Pro. For Dan’s setup for the Octagon shows it’s only eight tracks, but we’ve tested it for his solo DJ set, some of which goes up to 32 tracks for just one song that he’s mixing into the next, and Logic could handle all that. The K-MIX was flawless — really handy for the Octagon shows, because we multi-ed the K-MIX out using the sub-mixes in hardware and ran a separate mix for the in-ear monitors, the monitor wedges, and the stage all off the same unit. It was great!”

Greatness, of course, can take time — as did getting Dr. Octagon on stage for the first time. “The reason we brought back the Octagon project was because we felt like doing it,” divulges Dan the Automator. “Although we have been in touch over the years many times, these were the first shows that Dr. Octagon had ever done, but it took a little while because I was on tour with another band called Deltron 3030 and also had a couple of other things going, and Keith had a few things going, so we just got to a point where we could get ready and practice to do it.”

Indeed, practice makes perfect, and, as evidenced by building out its premier product in close collaboration with the James Bond character-like DJ Hard Rich, Keith McMillen Instruments’ customised K-MIX is proving to be a perfect fit for the creatively-demanding Dan the Automator. “The reason I had this machine put together was because I have a really large library of records and multitracks of albums and things that I’ve worked on over the years, and I wanted to find a way to actually mix multitracks into other multitracks and be able to break them down to the various elements,” explains its instigator. “Not like these little stem projects you hear about that have four stems, or whatever, but full multitrack mixing into full multitrack mixing with the power to also manipulate, effect, and do a whole bunch of other things to the tracks as I’m playing live and control it all through arcade-like buttons. Eventually, it’s going to use joysticks as well, so we’ll be able to manipulate the sounds and work with what would generally be the raw source material of a record and use it live.”

Live on stage is where Keith McMillen Instruments’ customised K-MIX contribution made its first appearance — albeit as an integral part of what is still an evolving design. Dan the Automator continues: “For the Dr. Octagon shows we decided to debut this thing we were working on, which is essentially a multitrack DJ mixer; it involves a K-MIX and a bunch of custom wiring and buttons and a computer [built] into an arcade kind of machine, where we can work it all from the front panels and use whatever DAW we want, but control it through all sorts of different sides. So the K-MIX acts as the hub, because it has the audio ins and outs, and we run our in-ear monitors through there and a bunch of other things. We run video through some computers and we have a whole bunch of custom mappings and buttons to do live shows like Dr. Octagon, but it’s also designed to do live multitrack mixing and be able to break things down to the elements so you play multitracks in a way that you’ve never heard them before.”

Better still, Dan the Automator’s custom-created multitrack-mixing dream machine — with Keith McMillen Instruments’ innovative K-MIX acting as its hub — helps propel ‘Octagon Octagon’ as the first single from Dr. Octagon’s long-awaited, April 2018-released sophomore album, Moosebumps: An Exploration Into Modern Day Horripilation, acting as a slow-marching word association exercise for Kool Keith, who gives way to DJ Qbert to scratch at the end of the track… try creating that without a customised K-MIX!

K-MIX carries an MSRP of $579.00 USD and is available to purchase from any authorised Keith McMillen Instruments dealer or directly from Keith McMillen Instruments itself here: http://www.keithmcmillen.com/shop/

For more in-depth information, please visit the dedicated K-MIX product webpage here:
https://www.keithmcmillen.com/products/k-mix/

About KMI (www.keithmcmillen.com)
Keith McMillen Instruments develops innovative hardware and software technologies that allow musicians to interface with computers in exciting new ways. Based in Berkeley, California, its products provide today’s musician with the tools needed to bring new dimensions of expression and control to their performance. The company collectively believes that when a computer is played as a musical instrument it should feel and respond like one — with all the nuance and sensitivity that makes an instrument musical.

© 2018 Keith McMillen Instruments

Antelope Audio all set to wow Musikmesse masses with Edge Strip showcase

High-end professional audio equipment manufacturer Antelope Audio is proud to be showcasing its new Edge Strip mic modelling solution for the first time in Europe at Musikmesse 2018, April 11-14 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Edge Strip is a true treasure trove of mic emulation made perfectly possible by bundling Antelope Audio’s all-analogue, dual-channel DISCRETE MP Discrete Dual Ultra-Linear Microphone Preamp (designed to deliver the company’s signature pristine audio quality) with its dual-capsule, large-diaphragm EDGE condenser modelling microphone (designed to reproduce the expressiveness and character of costly classic microphones). Moreover, Edge Strip comes complete with several free native-format Fusion AFX Pack plug-ins. Included amongst those is the STAY-LEVIN compressor created by Antelope Audio CEO Igor Levin himself to capture the spirit of its historic hardware namesake that shaped the special sound of a slew of Sixties Stateside classics. Combined with the bundled state-of-the-art hardware, these act as an all-in-one solution for formulating high-quality studio recordings with an authentic vintage analogue sound.

Still better, the Edge Strip bundle is compatible with any DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) system since its free Fusion AFX Pack plug-ins — including several classic microphone (BERLIN 47 FT, BERLIN 67, BERLIN 87, and TOKYO 800T) and preamp (ANTELOPE V76, GIRAFFE G9, and BAE 1073 MP) emulations, the vintage-sounding BA 1073 EQ, plus STAY-LEVIN compressor — are available in all major native (AAX, AU, and VST) formats. Furthermore, Edge Strip works with any studio setup straight out of the box since any half-decent audio interface is already equipped with a pair of analogue inputs. It even features a 1kHz calibration OSC (oscillator) on the DISCRETE MP Discrete Dual Ultra-Linear Microphone Preamp for assisting any audio interface that is not capable of precise channel pair gain matching.

Technically, the Edge Strip bundle betters any alternative out there. Thanks to the dual-capsule design of its cutting-edge EDGE condenser microphone, Antelope Audio can capably model microphones in 3D with step-by-step polar pattern adjustment. As such, it also offers control over off-axis response (resulting in a distortion or change in the frequency response of the reproduced audio signal that is not directly in front of the microphone) and the proximity effect (increasing low frequency response when a sound source is close). Digging deeper, EDGE’s dual edge-terminated capsules dispense with termination mounts in the centre of the diaphragm itself, freeing up the entire diaphragm to vibrate without interfering with the sound waves (unlike restrictive centre-mounted designs where the diaphragm is necessarily more static). Smooth/natural sound results, reproducing the expressiveness and character of costly classic microphones but without excessive expense. Essentially, this gives EDGE — and, in turn, the Edge Strip bundle — its competitive edge.

Watch Antelope Audio’s enticing Edge Strip Quick Start Guide:

Experiencing EDGE at its maximum potential is a given — given that Antelope Audio’s talented team of engineering experts, led by capable company CEO Igor Levin, designed the DISCRETE MP Discrete Dual Ultra-Linear Microphone Preamp to perfectly match the character of that cutting-edge EDGE modelling microphone to a tee. The unique discrete design 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, then, the DISCRETE MP Discrete Dual Ultra-Linear Microphone Preamp 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: while those time- and effort-saving native-format Fusion AFX Pack plug-ins are free, there is no denying that they add value to an already-invaluable preamp and modelling microphone mix. After all, each plug-in puts to use a high degree of oversampling and precise floating-point calculations to accurately model vintage effects with unparalleled detail. Even when emulating microphones, preamps, and signal processors, users can breathe easy, safe in the knowledge that the Edge Strip bundle brings minimal latency and Antelope Audio’s second-to-none signature sound to bear on their own sound, whatever they wish that to be.

Antelope Audio will be showcasing the Edge Strip bundle on booth F30 in Hall 4.1 at Musikmesse 2018, April 11-14 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Go check it out!

Edge Strip is now available to directly purchase online from Antelope Audio (https://en.antelopeaudio.com/products/edge-strip/) or via 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

Analogue Solutions celebrates 25th anniversary milestone with SUPERBOOTH18 synth showcase

British boutique electronic instruments innovator Analogue Solutions is proud to be celebrating its 25th anniversary as a true analogue synthesiser, sequencer, and Eurorack module-making specialist, showcasing its latest products at SUPERBOOTH18, May 3-5 in Berlin, Germany.

Analogue Solutions’ journey to electronic instrument-innovating glory has taken it along a (proverbial) long and winding road. Returning to ‘ground zero’, the aptly-named company was founded by Tom Carpenter in 1993, initially dealing in selling vintage electronic musical instruments while providing ancillary services such as repairs, modifications, manuals, and spare supplies. Since he was (and still is) a fervent fan of electronic music and also an active electronic musician himself, his natural instinct for programming synthesizers soon led him towards getting his hands dirtier, as it were, delving deeper into electronic instruments of his own making.

Moving onwards and upwards, Analogue Solutions settled into its innovative stride within a short space of time by becoming the third company to enter the then-emerging Eurorack market, making modules for the small-format modular system set in motion by Germany’s Doepfer Musikelektronik (with the 1996 introduction of its initial A-100 series modules). Fast-forward to today, though, and Analogue Solutions has released over 70 different modules; meanwhile, the market mushroomed with hundreds of module-makers — both bigger and smaller — seriously embracing Eurorack in pursuit of their now clearly-competitive craft.

Concentrating in more recent years on non-modular products, such as self-contained true analogue synthesisers — featuring fully-analogue audio paths with analogue LFOs (Low Frequency Oscillators) and EGs (Envelope Generators) — and standalone sequencers, today Analogue Solutions is rightfully recognised as a critically-acclaimed British boutique electronic instruments innovator; indeed, its ever-expanding product range is now sold worldwide, with an accomplished client list that reads like a who’s who of electronic music, including such synth-centric luminaries as Depeche Mode’s Martin Gore, Erasure’s Vince Clarke, New Order’s Stephen Morris, Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor, and The Human League’s Philip Oakey, to namecheck but a notable few.

For making electronic music is what it’s all about for founder Tom Carpenter: “I’ve always loved electronic music, and my goal, as always, has been to create amazing-sounding, vintage-style analogue synths to enable musicians to create the music I grew up on and continue to love to this day. Although it’s now been 25 years, I still have so many ideas that I want to make into physical products. Put it this way: I’ve released four new products in the last six months, and, as part of our 25th anniversary celebrations, I hope to have a further two products to showcase at this year’s SUPERBOOTH in Berlin, where we’ll be exhibiting.”

Analogue Solutions will be showcasing its latest boutique electronic instruments on Booth 0202 at SUPERBOOTH18, May 3-5 in Berlin, Germany. Go check them out… while wishing Tom Carpenter and his innovative company a Happy Anniversary!

For more in-depth info about Analogue Solutions’ products, please visit the company website here: http://analoguesolutions.com

About Analogue Solutions (www.analoguesolutions.com)
Analogue Solutions is a UK-based boutique electronic instruments innovator that specialises in true analogue synthesisers, 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 — synthesisers featuring fully-analogue audio paths with analogue 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 affect. Analogue Solutions founder Tom Carpenter consistently constitutes proof of a genuine passion for analogue synths, drawing upon his years of owning and using vintage analogue synths and drum machines that he still uses in his own music productions — alongside Analogue Solutions products, predictably!
© 2018 Analogue Solutions (UK) Ltd